The first lines of our emails form the first impression of us, so it's important to remember who we're writing to and how to write a letter. When writing a formal letter, you need to be as correct as possible and exclude moments where the addressee will need to guess something on their own. Nowadays, almost no one writes formal letters in the outdated formal style, it is replaced by a softer neutral style, the rules of which are discussed in this article.
What distinguishes a formal letter from an informal and formal one?
1. Сomplete sentences: subject + verb:
I saw your last email.
not
Saw your last email.
2. No contractions:
I am Julie and I have finished your course.
not
I'm Julie & I've finished your course.
3. Conjunctions (but, if, and):
I have already been to all the presentations you have mentioned, but if you insist, I am ready to watch them again online.
4. Fully spelled words (your not ur).
5. Transition words (before, besides, however).
6. Paragraphs.
7. Specific punctuation.
You can skip commas in the greeting and ending of the letter:
- Dear John (instead of “Dear John,”)
- Sincerely (instead of “Sincerely,”)
It is not necessary to use punctuation in addresses:
- # 04-67 Hilton Towers
- 358 Green Avenue
- New York 6455
Abbreviations may not be punctuated with a period (Mr Dr instead of Mr. Dr.).
8. Special greetings and sign-offs.
9. No Slang / Emoticons and emojis / Profanity / Jokes.
Now let's take a look at the structure of a formal or neutral email.
1. Subject Line
This is the subject line that summarizes in a few words what the email is about, but does not describe it. Make the subject line concise and clear, for example:
- Important - need you to choose the best option
- To all - confirm your presence ...
- Black Friday Discounts
- Answer needed ASAP
- Useful links for teachers
Don't write like this:
- Re Re Re Re - URGENT!! REAd And Answer! – do not send a series of emails, it is better to remove unnecessary words from the subject line and correct the email itself;
- Quick Question... – all emails contain questions in one way or another;
- For you only – a person may miss such emails as spam;
- Meeting is rescheduled to 5th of May, 5th floor, room 18 – short and clear, but the subject line already contains all the necessary information, so people will not open it.
2. Salutation
Greeting to the person to whom the email is addressed, for example:
- Good afternoon! – a universal option that is suitable in all cases;
- To whom it may concern – do not write this way if you are looking for a job, it is better to spend a couple of minutes and find out the name of the manager or HR who will review your resume;
- Dear First name Last name – put a comma or colon after this phrase;
- Dear First name – if we know the name of the person to whom we are writing;
- Dear Mr./Ms. Last name
- Dear Dr. Last name – address as a professional, a letter on work-related issues;
- Dear Human Resources Manager / Dear Hiring Manager – if you need to address a person of a certain position specifically;
- Dear All / Dear team – addressing several people/teams.
3. Intro / Purpose
Let the addressee know who you are and why you are writing. After reading these couple of lines, the recipient should understand who the email is from and what it is about. Examples:
- I am writing with the regard to your recent email ...
- I am writing with reference to our order number ...
- Concerning your request ...
- Could you give me some more information ...
- I am writing to enquire about ...
- To follow up on our meeting
- I am writing back to you about ...
- As promised I am ...
- As we discussed in our call ...
4. Detail
This is the part where you provide details: describe problems, share information, or make a request. What? When? Where? How? Why? are the questions that this part of the email answers. Be concise and express your thoughts clearly.
Phrases and questions from the body of the email:
- What is the final cost of your services and where can I find some legal information about your company?
- Where are you planning to have your experiment carried out?
- Why are the expenses given without any detailed information?
- I would like to inform you, that the experiment is to be carried out next week. We will let you know the exact time later this week and provide you with the detailed report.
- I have decided that I am not able to join your expediction, due to the fact, that my sponsors are not willing to cover the expenses.
- We have decided to relocate closer to the city center and this is the main reason, why we are looking for a new office.
5. Ask / Action
This is the most important part of the email. Here you write what exactly you expect from the recipient, in what time frame, etc. For example:
- Could you resend the information about the participants once more and give us a call after?
- Will you be so kind and look though my plan before the presentation?
- Would appreciate your honest opinion on the looks I have chosen for the show. What would you change?
6. Closing / Sign-off
A polite ending of the email where you provide your contact information and wishes. It usually looks like this:
Sincerely,
John Black
Sales manager, CBM group
[email protected]
555-127349
Possible phrases to close your email:
- Regards / Best Regards
- Sincerely yours, David / Yours sincerely
- Respectfully
- Cordially / Cordially yours
- With sincere appreciation
- Looking forward to hearing from / meeting with you / seeing you soon
- Looking forward to your reply / response on this matter
- We look forward to your continued participation / support / assistance on this matter / situation
- Thank you for your patience and cooperation
- Thank you for your consideration
- If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to let me know
If you need to attach a document or photo to your email, use a similar phrase to indicate this:
- Attaching a copy of my resume and portfolio
- You will find my resume attached below
Don't forget to re-read your email for errors before sending it.
Now let's take a look at a formal email example.
- Subject line: Regarding your interview
- Greeting: Dear, Elma!
- Intro: I am writing with the regard to your resume and the call we had last Saturday.
- Body: Unfortunately, at the moment we are not hiring for a position of the main HR manager. But, taking into account the skills your have and your experience in this sphere, our company may have another interesting offer for you. We would like to invite you for a meeting at our main office. Possible days are Friday and Saturday, 12-15 p.m.
- Action: Please, let us know your decision and contact us to confirm the date.
- Goodbye:
Best Regards,
Steve Black
HR dept.
Another example. Mr Black writes to Miss Green and thanks her for the job offer:
- Subject line: Position of the Assistance Editor
- Greeting: Dear Mrs Green,
- Intro: Thank you very much for offering me the position of Assistance Editor in your magazine. I have for a long time admired the high level of professionalism that your magazine displays, and therefore I consider it the privilege to work with you.
- Body: I intend to demonstrate your that you made no mistake by hiring me by performing my job the best way I can. I have already contacted the HR department and they provided me with the details I need to start the project right away.
- Action: Look forward to cooperating with you in the nearest time.
- Goodbye:
Yours sincerely,
John Black
And to write a complaint, while correctly formulating your claims and choosing the tone of the message, take a short course from Booyya, which has everything on the topic of How to complain - https://bit.ly/3bwsJZ9
Useful links for those who will be writing formal emails:
- This link will help you to improve your vocabulary of transitive words.
- Here you will find examples of formal emails with analysis.
- The book Email English by Emmerson Paul contains many examples of formal emails with case studies, which you can take and copy directly into your email.
- You can find ready-made examples of formal emails here.
М. ПЛОЩА УКРАЇНСЬКИХ ГЕРОЇВ,
