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How To Write A Business Email in English PDF

The document provides tips for writing effective business emails in English. It recommends including a clear and specific subject line, greeting the recipient by name when possible, thanking them if responding to a previous email, clearly stating the purpose upfront, using an appropriate level of formality for the recipient, delivering bad news sandwiched between positive information, including a clear call to action, thanking the recipient again and offering to answer questions, and closing formally with a signature like "best regards" or informally like "thank you".

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nathalia costa
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136 views3 pages

How To Write A Business Email in English PDF

The document provides tips for writing effective business emails in English. It recommends including a clear and specific subject line, greeting the recipient by name when possible, thanking them if responding to a previous email, clearly stating the purpose upfront, using an appropriate level of formality for the recipient, delivering bad news sandwiched between positive information, including a clear call to action, thanking the recipient again and offering to answer questions, and closing formally with a signature like "best regards" or informally like "thank you".

Uploaded by

nathalia costa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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How to Write a Business Email in English

1. Subject Line Says a Lot

No doubt, a subject line is the first thing a recipient reads. The decision of whether or not to
open an email depends highly on how the subject line looks. Make sure the subject line is
simple, specific, but catchy. Use keywords that briefly summarize the content of your
message.
“FYI” in the subject line is a commonly used abbreviation of “for your information“.

Bad Examples:
‘Important!’
‘For Your Review’
‘Questions About Expansion Performance Target Report Deadline Extension Request” For
Client Meeting’

Good Examples:
‘Your BookShop Order Delivery Dec 2’
‘Client Report Revisions: Please Review by 4 PM’
‘Expansion Report Extension Requested until Friday’

2. Start Your Email with Greetings


There are many variations of greetings that you can start your email with, but the most
standard ones are:

● Dear Firstname Lastname


● Dear Mr./Ms. Lastname
● Dear Mr./Ms. Firstname Lastname
● Dear Dr. Lastname
● To whom it may concern

It is always important to have a contact name unless a recipient is unknown ( in “to whom it
may concern” case). If needed, don’t be shy to call and ask for the person’s name. Some
people use ​informal salutations​, such as “​Good morning” or “Hi“​. It totally depends on
how formal your relationships are.

3. Say Thank You


If a person has replied to your email, you should thank him/her by writing “Thank you for
your (prompt) reply“. It is important to start an email on a positive note, as it creates a good
first impression of you.

4. Be Clear and Precise


No matter how complex your email appears to be, try to define its purpose clearly at the very
beginning of the email by writing ​“I am contacting you as…” o ​ r ​“I am writing to you in
reference to/regarding…”​. It helps the reader understand the purpose of your email.
Being clear and precise is important, as most business people have no time to read all
emails they receive. Being specific about the purpose of your email will save them time and
will be much appreciated.

5. Informal vs Formal
Your manner of speaking depends on who you are talking to. It usually comes naturally and
is based on your relationship with an interlocutor.
It applies to emails as well.
Here are some examples demonstrating different ways to write the same thing:

● Informal: Can you …?


● Formal: I was wondering if you could…
● Informal: Sorry, I can’t meet you. I’m busy that day.
● Formal: I am afraid I will not be available to make it that day.

6. Everybody Likes Sandwiches or Don’t Avoid the Negative


Delivering bad news is never easy! But it’s something you have to do sometimes, when
working in a business environment.
A good way to do it is to provide a reader with neutral or positive information first. Only then
move to the negative part, explaining what caused it and why it’s important. The final part of
the message should provide a potential solution to the problem or an optimistic note. It is like
making a sandwich!
Your goal here is not to hide or minimize the scope of the problem, but to leave the reader
with the impression that you care or you are taking action to fix it.

7. Call to Action
Near the end of the email, include a specific call to action. The email is being sent to
accomplish one task. The call to action should leave no confusion as to your request. Do not
assume the reader understands the desired result from prior information. Emails can easily
be misinterpreted if there is any grey area.
This statement should include specific action and the timeline. If you are sending the email
to multiple people, clarify task responsibility by directly naming the intended person.
Clarification of tasks and expectations allows for the recipient to respond more effectively.

Bad examples​: “Can you take care of this?”


“Let me know what you think.”
Good examples:​ “Sarah: can you forward the survey to all staff by Friday at noon, please?”
“I’d appreciate your feedback on the draft agenda. If you have any edits, please send them
by tomorrow, Tuesday, at 10 AM.”
If you would like a confirmation, you can phrase the call to action as a question. If the call to
action is a notification that does not necessarily require a reply, you can structure the call to
action as a statement.

8. The Last Vow


Before sending your email, thank the recipient one more time by saying ​“Thank you for
your consideration.”​ It is also very common to add “​should you have any questions,
please do not hesitate to contact me”​ or ​“I look forward to hearing from you“.

9. Write a Closing to Your Email


Okay, you are almost there, but here is another thing to do:
As you have already constructed your email beautifully, it requires a beautiful closing too.
There are many ways to do so, and again, it depends on the formality of relationships
between you and the reader.

Choose the most suitable phrase before typing your name.


– Yours sincerely, (when you know the name of the recipient, Formal)
– Best regards, or Kind regards, (Formal, Most common)
– Take care, Thank you, or Have a nice day (Less Formal)

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