Career English

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

Wil
typing computer

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

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  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.

    business email

  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!

Aren’t you an EF English Live student yet? See the general and business English course in action by requesting a one month for only one dollar* trial. Find more information about essential professional English tips here.

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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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89 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,

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      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

      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

    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

  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
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      i’am fan with you i love you so mush

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  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.

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  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.

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  42. Thank you very much,
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    Reply

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  50. hello sir,
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  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

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