The format of a formal email in English

 Introduction
 Body of the text
 Conclusion

Introduction

Depending on the type of relationship you have with the person you’re writing to, there are different
ways of starting an email, but any email should always start with a greeting. In our specific case
being formal, the most appropriate options are:

 Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms (surname of the recipient, e.g. Mr Black)

 Dear Sir/Madam (if you don’t know the name of the recipient) or more generally ‘To whom
it may concern’

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 (long texts often
discourage people from reading them), 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 for… (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 ending 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 end an email are:

 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

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Casual Versus Formal Email: What’s the Difference?

In fact, part of what makes a formal email different from a casual email is the structure. A formal
email has a very defined structure, with a definite salutation (the opening part of the email),
signature section, opening sentence, and body.

You also use language differently in a formal email than in a casual email. Avoid using
abbreviations, contractions, slang, emoticons, and other informal terminology.

The tone of a formal email is different as well. An informal email may not even use complete
sentences or proper grammar, but a formal email always does. 

Here’s an example of formal email language:

The meeting is scheduled for December 5th at 9:30 a.m. All students must attend. Your project updates are
needed.

Compare the formal language with the informal email language in this email:

Required meeting—Dec 5, 9:30 a.m. Updates needed. See ya there.  :)

Both statements share the same information. But the tone of the first is much more formal. Notice
the incomplete sentence, slang, and emoticon in the informal example.

Subject Line

The subject line is what the reader sees in their inbox. If the subject line is misleading or missing
information, your email may not get read. The message may even be sent to spam. The more formal
your email is, the more detailed your subject line should be. But beware of making your subject line
too long.

Here’s an example of a formal email subject line:

Required Student Meeting: December 5th, 9:30 a.m.

Compare that subject line with this informal email subject line:

Upcoming Meeting

Notice that the first subject line is more informative and complete. The informal subject line, sent to
someone you know well, just barely touches on the topic.

Salutation

The salutation directly addresses the person you’re sending the email to. It’s always used in formal
email messages, but sometimes skipped in informal messages. Here are some examples of formal
and informal salutations:

If you’re sending the email to a group, address the entire group. Here’s an example:
Dear Students,

If you’ve got the person’s name you want to send the email too, it’s proper to use their name along
with any title the person has. Here’s a sample formal salutation for an individual:

Dear Professor Smith,

If you don’t know the name of the person you’re trying to reach, you should make every effort to
discover that information. As a last resort, it’s okay (but less effective) to address the email to the
title of the person you hope to reach. Here’s an example of a formal salutation without a name:

Dear Human Resources Director,

Contrast the formal salutation examples with the following informal salutations:

Informal Salutation for a Group

Hey Class!

Informal Salutation for an Individual
Hello Taylor,

As you can see, the formal and informal salutations are very different. 

Introduction

The opening of a formal email often requires the sender to introduce themselves. In contrast,
informal emails are sent to someone you know and the introduction isn’t needed.

Here’s an example of an opening in a formal email:

My name is Jordan Smith. I am the professor of Statistics for XYZ University. This message is for all current
students.

Body

The body of a formal email typically elaborates on the purpose of the email. Elaboration may not be
needed in an informal email. Although the body contains detailed information, it’s important to
write clearly and concisely in a formal email. Remember your reader isn’t familiar with you and
may not be familiar with your topic. You don’t want your email recipient to misunderstand an
important point.

Closing

How you end a formal email is equally important. Since the email closing is the last thing your
recipient looks at, your email closing can leave a lasting impression.
A good formal email closing also reminds the reader who you are since it should include your full
name, contact information, and title (if appropriate). If you can, use a professional signature
template for added impact. (Learn more about signature templates in the next section.)

In contrast, an email closing may be extremely casual for an informal email. In some instances
where the recipient is well known to you, you may even omit the email closing.

The most common way to start a formal email closing is with the word "Sincerely." It may be a
common closing, but it’s also a safe closing.

Here’s an example of a formal email closing:

Sincerely,

Jordan Smith
Professor of Statistics, XYZ College
[Email address goes here]
[Phone number goes here]

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AN E-MAIL TO YOUR TEACHER

4. Use a proper greeting. In fancy language, this is called a salutation. I’m not fancy. In most
scenarios, when writing an email to your teacher, you will use “Dear Ms. Smith” – or whatever your
teacher’s name is. If you have had your teacher for more than a few weeks, it is okay to use “Hi Ms.
Smith.” In either case, always close your salutation with a comma.

Examples of good email greetings:

 Dear Mr. Smith,

 Hi Mrs. Jones,

Examples of bad email greetings:

 [blank]
 Hey!!
 What’s up. 

5. Introduce yourself. Unless you’re in elementary school and you only have one teacher, the first
sentence of your email should clearly and directly state who you are. Don’t skip this step even if
your email address contains your name. Keep this information basic and relevant (your teacher/boss
doesn’t need to know your shoe size). Do not write more than one sentence.

Examples of good introductory sentences:

 This is Maria Ricci – I am in your A-period chemistry class.

 This is Chrissy Holmes, and I am in your Tuesday night Economics 101 lecture.
6. Write a brief overview sentence. This is an important, simple, single sentence that clearly states
why you are writing the email. It should be similar to your subject line. If this sentence doesn’t
match your subject line, go back and edit your subject line.

Examples of good overview sentences:

 I’m writing to you because I was absent on Tuesday and I have some questions about what I
missed.
 I’m emailing you to follow up about our conversation we had after class yesterday.
 I’m writing to you because I’m looking for some extra help with the material we covered
this week.

7. Write the email body. This is where you state your message and/or ask your questions, and is
the whole reason you are writing. Be direct, be clear, and be brief. Ideally, this section should be
five sentences or less. If you have multiple questions, use bullet points. If your sentences are long,
then use extra line breaks (paragraphs) to separate the text into smaller chunks. (See the extra tips
below for more about paragraph size and readability.)

8. Thank your teacher/boss and close out the email. Again, keep this part of your email brief.

Examples of good email closures:

Thank you! Sincerely,  Meggan Meggles

I appreciate your help. Billy Bob

9. Proof before sending. Don’t skip this step! Read the email aloud to yourself to catch any funky
parts, and review the email for spelling errors or word-choice errors. For the love of everything
holy, capitalize your “I”s.

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