How to write an email

• Engels
• Secundair onderwijs

How to write an email

Formal language

Informal language

Hi John, What's up?

Dear Mrs. Maes

C U later!

With kind regards

I am writing this email ...

Bro, what the hell?

I would like to ask ...

R u okay?

Where is formal language mainly used?

Formal language

Formal language is mainly used in professional settings such as school, work and other places where formal language is needed.

Where is informal language mainly used?

Informal language

Informal language is mainly used in personal settings among family, friends and acquintances.

Part 1 - greetings

Start your email with a proper introduction such as:

• Dear Mr. Hopkins
  
• Dear Sir / Madam

Use 'dear' only if you write a formal email and want to be polite.

Start your email with these greeting if a more informal tone is appropriate:

• Hi Lina
• Hello Ryan

Follow your greeting with a question like:

• How are you?
• I hope this finds you well. (formal language)

Part 2 - introducing your topic

Explain why you are writing the email. Start with simple phrases such as:

• I am writing regarding the issues that our database seems to have.
• I would like to ask about our meeting we have set up. Could you confirm the exact location again?

These are formal sentences!

Part 2 - introducing your topic

Informal sentences are more direct.

• Do you know when the database issues will be fixed?
• Let's confirm our meeting this month.

These are informal sentences!

Part 3 - Adding details

Your reader needs more information so that he or she understands what you are talking about. Put the details in a new paragraph (= alinea)

Don't make the new paragraph to long. Just two or three sentences would suffice. Put the important point first.

For each topic you want to add, add another paragraph.

Part 4 - Closing your email

Sign off your email with a closing such as:

Neutral sign-offs:

Regards

Best Wishes,

With Kind Regards 

Yours Sincerely (very formal)

Part 4 - Closing your email

Sign off your email with a closing such as:

Informal sign-offs:

cheers

bye

To summarise

1. Use an apprioriate greeting
2. Introduce your topic in a sentence
3. Add details to your topic in a short paragraph
4. Use an appropriate sign-off.

How did that go?

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