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Email Format

The document provides guidance on proper email formatting and etiquette for business communications. It outlines the key components of a formal email, including a clear subject line, appropriate greeting, well-structured body, formal closing, and signature. Examples are given for different types of emails like announcements, follow-ups, requests, questions, complaints, and responses. Proper spelling, grammar, and professional tone are emphasized.

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Phan Thien Nhan (K17 CT)
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2K views

Email Format

The document provides guidance on proper email formatting and etiquette for business communications. It outlines the key components of a formal email, including a clear subject line, appropriate greeting, well-structured body, formal closing, and signature. Examples are given for different types of emails like announcements, follow-ups, requests, questions, complaints, and responses. Proper spelling, grammar, and professional tone are emphasized.

Uploaded by

Phan Thien Nhan (K17 CT)
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Formal email format: What to include

in your email
Writing a business email is far easier when you know how to structure it.
Here are the key components your message should contain.

1. Subject line
This is the crucial part of your email which defines if a person actually
opens it. A good subject line informs a recipient what the email is about
and why they should read it. Try to make your subject line clear, specific,
and to the point. For example:

Marketing Budget Q4: Please review till August, 31


Meet the new VP of Engineering
Spark for Android: First impressions from our users
Requesting a vacation for Aug, 10-20

2. Email greeting
How to start a formal email? At the beginning of your email, greet a person
by name. Depending on the level of formality, your salutations may vary
from a simple “Hi” to an official “Dear Mr./Ms./Dr./Professor…” For the most
formal occasions, use a colon instead of a comma after the salutation. For
example, “Dear Ms. Smith:”

Here are some email greeting examples:


Hi [Name],
Hello [Name],
Dear [Name],
Dear Mr./Ms./Dr./Professor [Last name],
Greetings,
Hi there,
Hi everyone,
Always do your best to find out the recipient’s name to address them in
your email. If your research wasn’t successful, use a generic salutation like
“Greetings.”

If you need more help with picking a proper salutation, check the best
email greetings and the ones to avoid.

3. Email body
Now, it’s time to craft the main part of your email. Here’s how to do it:

 Always devote one email to one topic. For example, you may


need your colleague to review your quarterly report and discuss
the hiring strategy for your department. This is too much
information for a single email! It’s better to send two separate
messages on each subject, making it easy for a person to answer.
This way, you’re more likely to get a fast reply.
 Explain what you’re writing about. If you’re emailing a stranger,
briefly introduce yourself and then go straight to the point. State
the purpose of your email clearly so a person can understand why
you’re emailing them and how they can help. For example:
I would like to invite you to speak at our annual developer conference.

I’m running a YouTube blog about cats, and we’d love to feature your
brand in our next video.

I’ve been using your service for a while, and I would like to report an issue
I’ve recently encountered.
 Value the reader’s time. Provide a recipient with any additional
information they need to reply. At the same time, try to keep your
email short and simple and don’t overload it with extra details.
Remember that email isn’t the best place for a lengthy discussion.
 Make your email easy to read. Break your message into
paragraphs and take advantage of headings and lists. Where it’s
appropriate, emphasize the key information with bold or italics,
just don’t overdo it. Your goal is to make your email as structured
and easy to skim as possible.

4. Formal email closing


The formal email closing tells a recipient what’s next. If you want them to
do something, include a clear and specific call to action. If you’re just
wrapping up the discussion you’ve previously had, end your email on a
friendly note to show a reader you’re willing to keep in touch with them.
Here’s how to end a formal email:

Please let me know by Friday, August 15th if you’d like to speak at the
conference.

It would be great to jump into a quick call tomorrow to discuss our


collaboration.

Thank you for help and feedback. Let’s keep in touch!

5. Signature
Here are the polite phrases you can use to sign off your email:

Faithfully,
Sincerely,
Best regards,
Best,
Yours truly,
Respectfully,
Kind regards,
Thanks again,
Next, put in your name and contact details. If you’re writing on behalf of a
company or organization, include this information in your signature as well.

Your email checklist before sending


Once you’ve crafted your email, there is a couple of things left to check:

 Make sure your email address is appropriate. If you’re writing


from a personal email, your address should look like
that: [email protected]. If you're emailing on
behalf of a company, use your corporate email. Your
old [email protected] email isn’t appropriate for
business correspondence, unless you’re running a sauna supply
store. Learn more about creating a professional email address.
 Double-check the recipient's name and email. Make sure you’re
writing to the right person and spell their name correctly.
 Check grammar and spelling. Proofread your email carefully and
avoid using emojis or informal abbreviations like BTW or ASAP. It’s
better to leave them for your messages to friends.
 Stick to a professional font. Although many email clients let
you change the font of your emails, use something conservative
like Arial or Sans Serif. Avoid playing with different colors and
using all caps.
 Don’t forget to attach files. If you’re sending someone a
document, make sure to attach it. Name your file properly so a
recipient can guess what’s inside (e.g., “Marketing Budget Q4.”)
Formal email examples
Once you’ve learned how to write a formal email, let’s take a look at the
examples. Please note that these samples are for reference only, and we
recommend you adjust them to match the tone and level of formality
appropriate for a particular recipient and occasion.

Email example 1: Announcement


Subject: Meet the new Customer Support Representative

Dear team,

I am pleased to introduce you to [Name] who is starting today as a


Customer Support Representative. She will be providing technical support
and assistance to our users, making sure they enjoy the best experience
with our products.

Feel free to greet [Name] in person and congratulate her with the new role!

Best regards,
[Your name]
[Job title]

Email example 2: Business follow up email


Subject: RE: [subject line of your previous email]

Hi [Name],

Following up on my previous email about the collaboration with your


website. I’m still interested in writing a guest post about the best UX
practices for dating apps. With 10 years of experience in the mobile
industry, I have a lot of insights to share with your audience.
Please let me know if you’re interested in collaboration!

Best,
[Your name]

Email example 3: Request


Subject: Vacation request for September, 10-15

Dear Mr./Ms. [Last name],

I would like to request a vacation from Monday, September 9th till Friday,
September 13th.

I will make sure to complete all my current projects and pending tasks in
advance before the vacation. My colleagues [Name] and [Name] will cover
my responsibilities during my absence.

Looking forward to your approval.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Job title]

Email example 4: Question


Subject: Do you have student discounts for the Annual Coding Conference?

Greetings,

I would like to ask if you provide student discounts for tickets to the Annual
Coding Conference.

I’m a full-time student at the University of Texas and I’m very excited about
your event, but unfortunately, the ticket price is too high for me. I would
appreciate if you could offer me an educational discount.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best,
[Your name]

Email example 5: Complaint


Subject: Complaint regarding the quality of the headphones

Hi there,

I purchased the headphones at Perfect Music on Monday, August 11. Later,


I discovered that the left headphone wasn’t working. Unfortunately, the
staff refused to replace the headphones or return my money although I
provided the receipt.

I’m deeply disappointed about the quality of the product and the
disrespectful treatment I received in your store.

I hope to have this issue resolved and get my money back, otherwise, I will
have to take further actions.

Best,
[Your name]

Email example 6: Response to a complaint


Dear [Name],

I’m sorry for the unpleasant experience you had in our store and I can
understand your frustration. I have forwarded your complaint to our
management team, and we’ll do our best to make sure this never happens
again.

I refunded your purchase, and your funds should be with you shortly. We
also want to offer you a 10% discount for your next purchase in our store.
Please use this promo code to get a discount: [link].

Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience you had.

Best regards,
[Your name]
[Job title]
[Contact details]

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