Career English

How to write a perfect professional email in English in 5 steps

Follow these five simple steps to make sure your English emails are perfectly professional. Begin with a greeting Thank the recipient State your purpose Add your closing remarks End with a closing
Wil
professional email in english

For most of us, email is the most common form of business communication so it’s important to get it right. Although emails usually aren’t as formal as letters, they still need to be professional to present a good image of you and your company.

How to write a formal email

Follow these five simple steps to make sure your English emails are perfectly professional.

  1. Begin with a greeting
  2. Thank the recipient
  3. State your purpose
  4. Add your closing remarks
  5. End with a closing

Download our free ebook: “Everyday English Vocabulary” – 38 pages which points useful words and English phrases to help you have a better understanding of what’s going on around you.

  1. Begin with a greeting

    Always open your email with a greeting, such as “Dear Lillian”. If your relationship with the reader is formal, use their family name (eg. “Dear Mrs. Price”). If the relationship is more casual, you can simply say, “Hi Kelly”. If you don’t know the name of the person you are writing to, use: “To whom it may concern” or “Dear Sir/Madam”.

  2. Thank the recipient

    If you are replying to a client’s inquiry, you should begin with a line of thanks. For example, if someone has a question about your company, you can say, “Thank you for contacting ABC Company”. If someone has replied to one of your emails, be sure to say, “Thank you for your prompt reply” or “Thanks for getting back to me”. Thanking the reader puts him or her at ease, and it will make you appear more polite.

  3. State your purpose

    If you are starting the email communication, it may be impossible to include a line of thanks. Instead, begin by stating your purpose. For example, “I am writing to enquire about …” or “I am writing in reference to …”.

    Make your purpose clear early on in the email, and then move into the main text of your email. Remember, people want to read emails quickly, so keep your sentences short and clear. You’ll also need to pay careful attention to grammar, spelling and punctuation so that you present a professional image of yourself and your company.

    professional email in english

  4. Add your closing remarks

    Before you end your email, it’s polite to thank your reader one more time and add some polite closing remarks. You might start with “Thank you for your patience and cooperation” or “Thank you for your consideration” and then follow up with, “If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to let me know” and “I look forward to hearing from you”.

  5. End with a closing

    The last step is to include an appropriate closing with your name. “Best regards”, “Sincerely”, and “Thank you” are all professional. Avoid closings such as “Best wishes” or “Cheers” unless you are good friends with the reader. Finally, before you hit the send button, review and spell check your email one more time to make sure it’s truly perfect!

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Wil

Wil is a writer, teacher, learning technologist and keen language learner. He’s taught English in classrooms and online for nearly 10 years, trained teachers in using classroom and web technology, and written e-learning materials for several major websites. He speaks four languages and is currently looking for another one to start learning.

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152 comments

  1. Dear Will,
    Thank you for sharing some information about writing a standard email. My name is Rasa nezhad. I’m from Iran. I’m an English teacher. In your profile, you mentioned you speak four languages and you are looking for another one to start learning. I recommend Persian. It’s not easy to learn but it helps you to enter a unique culture, literature and community. I can honorably teach you. So , if you’re interested, don’t hesitate to let me know.
    Best wishes

    Reply

    1. Hello Mr Rasa,

      From which part of Iran do you belong. I am also from Iran but my Persian is weak as I have lived on foreign land my entire life.
      It would be really great if you could help me in learning Persian, and bring me closer to my culture.

      best Regards,

      Fatima

      Reply

      1. Dear sir /madam
        I am really thankfull to you for helping me by giving me some tips for responding to a mail.
        Yours faithfully
        Anisa

        Anisa

        Reply

        1. Dear Will,
          Thank you for sharing some information about writing a standard email. My name is Ziaur Rehman Zia . I’m from Afghanistan . I’m an English teacher. In your profile, you mentioned you speak four languages and you are looking for another one to start learning. I recommend Pashto. It’s not easy to learn but it helps you to enter a unique culture, literature and community. I can honorably teach you. So , if you’re interested, don’t hesitate to let me know.
          Best wishes

          Reply

          1. Dear Zia,

            Thank you for your prompt reply,

            Thank you for your cooperation ,yes I am very interested.

            Can you let me know when and where are conveyable for you.

            Waiting your reply.

            Best Regards,

            Mai

      2. Dear Rasa
        My name is Tim form the united states of america I’m a teacher of spanish in hight school of jefersson I want to now how to now the synonym of maybe
        Best wishes
        Mr tim Hoyer

        Reply

        1. hi Tim Hoyer
          am from Sri lanka.
          can u able to get me to United state of America. it’s will be big help

          Reply

        2. Hi tom, do you want to know the synonym of maybe in spanish?, or rather, the snonym of “quizás”?

          Reply

        3. HELLO DEAR,
          HOW ARE you there. what about the situation there, please stay home and be safe, we, all pray for you all.
          Raju from Srilanka

          Reply

    3. Dear Sir/Mada,
      Thanks you very much for sharing, My name is Olvy from cambodia .I’m an employee in logistics company. I’ll improve our email writing from now on.

      we deeply appreciate for your all support and teach me to be well a writer.

      Reply

      1. please try to speak in English as much as you can, and read a newspaper or anything you like, write something on dealy basis, you can watch English movies.

        Reply

    6. Dear Sir
      Thank you for sharing some information about writing a standart email.My name is Zahra Asadova.Now i am working in a big company and this information i believe that will be help me a lot.
      Best wishes

      Reply

    9. Hello Mr.wil
      Thank you for sharing some information about the writing, i am a student one of the best and good university in Afghanistan can you help me and would you mind if i have a whats up and viber please. because i have a lot of problem in the English language. I can not to speaking very will but i can to solve my problem,
      what is the way when i want to speak fluently and good

      Reply

    14. can you please upload an email regarding one subject like marketing.to sell products.or any other subject

      Reply

  2. Thank you for your recommendations about how to write a professional mail.
    It’s really useful and I promise to put in my attention.

    Reply

  4. Dear Mr. Miniex I am requesting to get off work in 3 weeks and wanted to know if you had anyone else to fill the spot of my absence i have to go to my friends wedding and cant miss it because i am in it but thank you for taking the time to read this.

    Reply

  11. i want to learn more about mails detailly,kindly update me about how to send a mail and how to end mail everything,

    Reply

  16. Hi Will ,

    İ want to learn english.İ know but i need to process it.

    İ want to write email with you Daily.

    summarily; i need your help

    Reply

    1. hello my name is mayara
      i’am 16 years old i’am tunisia
      i’am fan with you i love you so mush

      Reply

  19. I was advised in university that when composing a professional, formal email, that it was a ‘faux pas’ to use “I am writing”, as it is obvious that one is, well, writing/typing?

    The explanation my tutor gave, was that it was historically used, and considered a formal means of starting a letter, but is now redundant due to how obvious the context of the situation is?

    Reply

    1. Thank you very much Sir, this brief text has been very helpful to me.
      I truly wish to become an effective writer one day, despite that I’m it takes me time to be satisfied with my results…

      Reply

  23. hi ,

    this was really very to me. but the thing is can give an written example mail ah so that i cn get an idea of it.

    Reply

  25. It is very important to write an email with brief relevant content using simple words and phrases. There are a few rules that need to be followed to make it a perfect email. So this article is going to be very helpful for writing perfect emails for professional purposes.

    Reply

  30. This post is very important to me because you provide the best instruction which is very helpful to me. And it is really nice and great.

    Reply

  35. Anyone can learn typing by themselves but without proper guidance he might develop a bad habit such as typing using the wrong finger instead of the supposedly assigned finger to a key. Having the correct tutorials is the proper way to learn typing in a safe way. You can learn to efficiently and as fast as you like to be.

    Reply

  36. I enjoyed going to your webiste. I leave comments rarely, but
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  39. At this moment I am going away to do my breakfast, once having
    my breakfast coming yet again to read additional
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    Reply

  42. Thank you very much,
    It was great information about E-mail writing, I have learned more things from your information….

    Reply

    1. Hi Inzer,
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  44. Awesome blog.Thanks for sharing this blog with us. This is so important blog and so helpful blog also to students.

    Reply

  46. Hi there everyone, it’s my first visit at this site, and article is really fruitful designed for me,
    keep up posting these articles.

    Reply

    1. Hi Yonela,
      Thanks for your positive comment, don’t miss our articles and keep learning English.
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  50. hello sir,
    I teaching your English message. it is very heled me and I first time visited for this site so I decided to teach every knowledge for English message type. when you free please call me

    regards,
    Santosh

    Reply

  52. Dear Madam/Sir
    Will due respected that there is a simple writing for a mail so you are requested that kindly practice the mail conversation with your friend then you will gain in writing mail.

    Reply

  58. Dear Wil;

    Thanks for helping as to flow your prilyant skills about emailing which is main part of our Busniss communication.

    Best Regards;
    Ali.

    Reply

  61. Dear Sir , Thanks for English Live Course , it is really Useful,

    Best
    Regards,

    Abdul Majeed from Afghanistant

    Reply

  62. Dear Sir/Madam,

    I am Arjun from Punjab.

    I am really thankful to you for helping me by giving me some tips for Written a professional Mail and respond to someone on mail.

    Yours faithfully
    Arjun Singh

    Reply

  63. Dear EF English Live

    I am from Bangladesh giving you lots of thanks for sharing your thought to write a professional mail.At this time,I am a BBA student and also a service provider in a Mapping organization in Bangladesh.For doing job in here have to maintain mailing everyday with my senior and colleagus also.In that time,I take help from different types of website to express them in very perfect way.

    Thanks
    Mahede Hasan

    Reply

  64. Dear Sir/Madam

    My self Mujahid Saleem. i am from India . these five simple steps very helping steps.

    Thank you so much

    Reply

  73. Dear Will
    Thank you for sharing the information on email writing. I am Idah from Kenya i wish to advance my English language and learn professional email writing. I look forward for your hearing.
    Best Regards.

    Reply

  74. Dear Wil

    I would like to thank you for sharing with us the tips on how to write formal emails. My name is Elisia from Namibia and I would like to become a professional writer. This has been so far the best site for me.

    Thank you.

    Reply

  75. Hi,

    Can you please advise if the below email communication style is correct.

    Dear XYZ,

    Good afternoon. Body of the email…………………

    Kind regards,
    ABC

    Reply

  76. Dear sir/madam

    thank you for your article.
    if u can include a sample mail it will be
    useful for us.

    Reply

  77. Dear Sir

    Thank you for sharing such an useful information for professional Email.I have learned a lot of tips from this site.Still i am getting tips and information from your site.Its very heplfull to everyone to study and then write a good email without fear .

    Reply

  78. Dear Sir/Madam my name is’s that I am Garone Kichorayaki. I is froms Japan.

    I thank You from my bottom hart that these very simpel 5 stets will help me wright emeil in futur. Plz get back to me soon as You can as I request the helping froms yous.

    I thank You again for helping Garone with emeil. Thank yous

    Reply

  79. Dear Wil,

    English is my first language, but alas, when writing to a company formally, unconfidence becomes such an immeasurable force that I questioned my own proficiency. With your article, I have regained my confidence in my language and sent my email.

    Reply

  81. I am from Bangladesh giving you lots of thanks for sharing your thought to write a professional mail.At this time,I am a Msc student and also a service provider in a Renaissance Group in Bangladesh.For doing job in here have to maintain mailing everyday with my senior and colleagues also.In that time,I take help from different types of website to express them in very perfect way.

    Thanks
    Badsha

    Reply

  83. I really have fun reading the conversation with each of anyone here. I’ve accidentally clicked this page. I need to learn proper etiquette for writing emails and I’ve enjoy a lot of guys. It helps a lot.

    Reply

  84. Dear Will and all readers.
    Thanks for being a part of this shared post which I can name it a useful post of all time. I will never regret visiting here and I am proud being a part of readers of this particular post.
    Thanks once again for being here.

    Reply

  86. It’s so perfect and so professional. I love it!. Thank you so much! I have learnt something from you.

    Reply

  88. Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging
    on websites I stumbleupon every day. It’s always useful to read articles from other authors and use something from other websites.

    Reply

  90. Hmm it appears like your site ate my first comment (it was super long)
    so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I had written and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog.
    I too am an aspiring blog blogger but I’m still new to everything.
    Do you have any helpful hints for beginner blog writers?
    I’d really appreciate it.

    Reply

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