Emails are a common way of communication in a formal setting, so it is essential to know the main rules of constructing an email.

Firstly, informal emails, the subject is a must. Not only is the subject attracted the attention of the receiver, but it gives an idea of what is the email about as well. Furthermore, a clear subject shows that you respect the receiver’s time.

The format of a formal email in English is as follows:

  1. Greeting
  2. Introduction
  3. Body of the Text
  4. Conclusion, courtesy formulas, and signature.

Greeting

There are specific ways of greeting that depend on the type of relationship you have with the receiver.

  • Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms (surname of the recipient, e.g. Mr. Jones)
  • Dear Sir/Madam (if you don’t know the name of the recipient) or more generally ‘To whom it may concern’
  • Dear (name of the recipient); (an email to a colleague)

Introduction

After the initial greeting, you need an introductory sentence that indicates clearly the reason for writing and is consistent with the subject of the email. Introduce yourself briefly, then follow on with:

  • I am writing with regard to… (email subject)
  • I am writing in connection with… (email subject)
  • I am writing in reference to…

If you’re writing an email to send information, you can start with one of the following sentences:

  • I am writing to let you know…
  • I am delighted to tell you… (if you’re communicating good news)
  • I regret to inform you that… (if you’re communicating bad news)

If instead, you’re replying to an email you received, you can say:

  • I am writing in response to…
  • I am writing in reply to…
  • I am writing to thank you… (if you need to thank the recipient)

Body of the text

There are no conventional formulas for writing the body of the text because this varies according to the function of what you need to communicate. It’s useful to prepare an initial draft and then proceed with any corrections.

The general rules are that the text should be divided into short paragraphs that avoid abbreviations and acronyms, both of which you can use, on the contrary, when you write an informal email to family and friends.

Based on the type of message you’re sending, there are various ways to write a final invitation before sending the email, such as:

  • I look forward to hearing from you soon
  • Thank you in advance
  • For further information, please do not hesitate to contact me
  • Please let me know if you have any questions
  • Thanks for your attention

Conclusion

The most common way to send an email is:

  • Best regards
  • Kind regards
  • Yours faithfully (if you began the email with ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ because you don’t know the name of the recipient)
  • Yours sincerely (if you began the email with ‘Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms + surname)
  • Regards

Signature

Be sure to have set your emails to end with all the important information about you, including:

  • name and surname
  • job title
  • relative details about your company (name, address..)
  • link to the company website