Emailing politeness competition game

Choose one of the lines below and take turns making it more and more polite.
Continue until the next person says something which is less polite than the last attempt or
gives up, then move onto any other line below. Ridiculously polite phrases are great, but
when you have finished each round discuss which of those levels of politeness are most
useful.
Opening greeting
Alex/ Hi/ (nothing)
Hi guys
Opening line
I got your mail.
Wow! That was quick!
About
Writing to
!reat to meet " yester#ay!
Wassu$%/ Alright%
!oo# weeken#%
Closing line
Write soon!
I& you nee# any more in&o' (ust #ro$ me a line.
Any more questions' (ust ask.
)" then
)heers.
*orry +bout that!/ *orry!
,-%/ *oun# okay%
Closing greeting
.,.,/ ...
Your name at the end
A/ (nothing)
Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com 2014
Emailing politeness competition game
Suggested words and expressions to add
Use the suggested phrases below to add to the phrases on the last page.
/r/ /s/ 0r/ 1ro&essor
acce$table
a$ologies
be able to
concerning
contact
#ear
#o not hesitate
&urther
great
greatly a$$reciate#
ho$e
in a#2ance
in connection with
in or#er to
incon2enience
look &orwar# to
once again
o$$ortunity
$lease acce$t
$leasure
ra$i#
regar#ing
require
sincerely
thank you
2ery much
with regar#s to
woul#
yours
Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com 2014
Emailing politeness competition game
Mixed answers
Label each group with numbers from 1 for the least formal up to the most formal, e.g. 1 to
6 for the first group below.
Opening greeting
Alex/ Hi
0ear Alex
0ear 0r )ase
0ear /r )ase
0ear 1ro&essor )ase
Hi Alex
0ear all/ To3 The sales team
Hi e2eryone
Hi guys
To whom it may concern
Opening line
I got your email.
I got your mail.
Thank you 2ery much &or your email' which I recei2e# yester#ay.
Thanks &or your email yester#ay.
Thank you &or your quick re$ly.
Thank you 2ery much &or your ra$i# re$ly.
Thanks &or your quick re$ly.
Wow! That was quick!
About
I am writing to you concerning/ with regar#s to/ in connection with/ regar#ing
I4m writing about
5e3
Writing about
I am writing to you in or#er to
I4m writing to you to
Writing to
!reat to meet " yester#ay!
It was a great $leasure to ha2e the o$$ortunity to be able to meet with you yester#ay.
It was great to meet you yester#ay.
How are you%
How4s it going%/ How are things%/ How4s li&e%
I ho$e you an# your &amily are well.
I ho$e you are well.
Wassu$%/ Alright%
Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com 2014
!oo# weeken#%
Ho$e you ha# a goo# weeken#.
How was your weeken#%
I ho$e you ha# a goo# weeken#.
Closing line
I look &orwar# to hearing &rom you soon.
I4m looking &orwar# to hearing &rom you soon.
6ooking &orwar# to hearing &rom you soon.
Write soon!
I& you nee# any &urther in&ormation' $lease #o not hesitate to contact me.
I& you nee# any more in&o' (ust #ro$ me a line.
I& you nee# any more in&o' (ust let me know.
I& you nee# any more in&ormation' $lease contact me.
I& you require any &urther in&ormation' $lease #o not hesitate to contact me at any time.
Any more questions' (ust ask.
I& you ha2e any &urther questions' $lease #o not hesitate to contact me at any time.
I& you42e got any more questions' $lease contact me.
)" then.
I look &orwar# to seeing you then.
I4m looking &orwar# to seeing you then.
6ooking &orwar# to seeing you then.
*ee you then.
Any assistance you coul# gi2e me in this matter woul# be greatly a$$reciate#.
)heers.
Thank you in a#2ance.
Thanks in a#2ance.
Thanks.
,nce again' $lease acce$t our sincerest a$ologies &or any incon2enience that might ha2e
been cause# by this $roblem.
1lease acce$t my a$ologies &or any incon2enience cause#.
1lease acce$t my a$ologies.
*orry +bout that!/ *orry!
*orry about that.
Ho$e that4s okay.
I ho$e that is acce$table with you.
I ho$e that is acce$table.
I ho$e that4s okay.
,-%/ *oun# okay%
Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com 2014
Closing greeting
All the best
7est wishes
Hugs an# kisses
6ots o& lo2e
*incerely
*incerely yours/ 8ours sincerely/ 8ours &aith&ully
.,.,/ ...
8ours/ 7est regar#s
Your name at the end
A. /. )ase (/r)
A/ (nothing)
Alex
Alex )ase
Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com 2014
Emailing politeness competition game
Suggested answers
Opening greeting
9. Alex/ Hi : ;. Hi Alex : <. 0ear Alex : =. 0ear /r )ase : >. 0ear 0r )ase : ?. 0ear
1ro&essor )ase
9. Hi guys : ;. Hi e2eryone : <. 0ear all/ To3 The sales team : =. To whom it may concern
Opening line
9. I got your mail. : ;. I got your email. : <. Thanks &or your email yester#ay. : =. Thank
you 2ery much &or your email' which I recei2e# yester#ay.
9. Wow! That was quick! : ;. Thanks &or your quick re$ly. : <. Thank you &or your quick
re$ly. : =. Thank you 2ery much &or your ra$i# re$ly.
9. About @ ;. 5e3 @ <. Writing about @ =. I4m writing about : >. I am writing to you
concerning/ with regar#s to/ in connection with/ regar#ing
9. Writing to @ ;. I4m writing to you to @ <. I am writing to you in or#er to
9. !reat to meet " yester#ay! : ;. It was great to meet you yester#ay. : <. It was a great
$leasure to ha2e the o$$ortunity to be able to meet with you yester#ay.
9. Wassu$%/ Alright% : ;. How4s it going%/ How are things%/ How4s li&e% : <. How are you%
: =. I ho$e you are well. : >. I ho$e you an# your &amily are well.
9. !oo# weeken#% : ;. How was your weeken#% : <. Ho$e you ha# a goo# weeken#. : =.
I ho$e you ha# a goo# weeken#.
Closing line
9. Write soon! : ;. 6ooking &orwar# to hearing &rom you soon. : <. I4m looking &orwar# to
hearing &rom you soon. : =. I look &orwar# to hearing &rom you soon.
9. I& you nee# any more in&o' (ust #ro$ me a line. : ;. I& you nee# any more in&o' (ust let me
know. : <. I& you nee# any more in&ormation' $lease contact me. : =. I& you nee# any
&urther in&ormation' $lease #o not hesitate to contact me. @ >. I& you require any &urther
in&ormation' $lease #o not hesitate to contact me at any time.
9. Any more questions' (ust ask. : ;. I& you42e got any more questions' $lease contact me.
: <. I& you ha2e any &urther questions' $lease #o not hesitate to contact me at any time.
9. )" then.: ;. *ee you then.: <. 6ooking &orwar# to seeing you then. : =. I4m looking
&orwar# to seeing you then. : >. I look &orwar# to seeing you then.
9. )heers. : ;. Thanks. : <. Thanks in a#2ance. : =. Thank you in a#2ance. : >. Any
assistance you coul# gi2e me in this matter woul# be greatly a$$reciate#.
Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com 2014
9. *orry +bout that!/ *orry! : ;. *orry about that. : <. 1lease acce$t my a$ologies. : =.
1lease acce$t my a$ologies &or any incon2enience cause#. : >. ,nce again' $lease
acce$t our sincerest a$ologies &or any incon2enience that might ha2e been cause# by this
$roblem.
9. ,-%/ *oun# okay% : ;. Ho$e that4s okay. : <. I ho$e that4s okay. : =. I ho$e that is
acce$table. : >. I ho$e that is acce$table with you.
Closing greeting
9. .,.,/ ... : ;. Hugs an# kisses : <. 6ots o& lo2e : =. 7est wishes : >. All the best : ?.
8ours/ 7est regar#s : A. *incerely : B. *incerely yours/ 8ours sincerely/ 8ours &aith&ully
Your name at the end
9. A/ (nothing) : ;. Alex : Alex )ase : <. A. /. )ase (/r)
Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com 2014