How to write a good email in English?

Writing effective business emails in English

Have you ever thought about how to write a good email in English, especially in a business setting? By “good,” I don’t mean something that other people understand, but something that is also correct in terms of word choice, grammar, and style.

For example, should we write:

“Hey David,”

Or

“Dear Mr. Cooper,”

Should we write:

“I want to see you to talk about the project we have.”

Or

“I would like to schedule a meeting to discuss the upcoming project.”

Is it better to be direct and to the point, or be indirect and polite in our email?

In the fast-paced world of business, good communication is very important, especially in emails. In this blog post, we’ll give you useful ideas about the details of English emails and how your email writing skills can help with successful business communication. You can also download free exercises to practice and understand some examples.

Examples of formal business email

In official business emails, we normally begin with a polite greeting, like ‘Dear Mr. Cooper’ or ‘To whom it may concern’. You use the last name of the person when you know who receives the email. If you don’t know who will read the email, you can start with ‘To whom it may concern’ or ‘Dear Sir or Madam’.

For women, we use Mrs. Cooper when we know the person is married. We use Ms. Cooper when we are not sure about the marital status.

The main part of the email should clearly state the purpose, giving important details without extra words. For example, a formal sentence asking for a meeting can be, “I would like to schedule a meeting to discuss the upcoming project.” As you can see, it is clear, polite, and to the point. There are no unnecessary words.

Additionally, formal business emails usually end with a professional closing, like “Sincerely” or “Best Regards,” followed by the sender’s full name and job title, such as “Sincerely, [Your Full Name], [Your Position].” There is a list of email sign-offs. So, to know which one is the best choice, click here.

If you follow these rules, you will make sure that your business emails in English are professional and introduce your company well.

The importance of email English in business

Emails are very important in business communication. How you write your emails—how clear and professional they are—can change how people understand your message. To help you learn about email communication, we have designed an exercise for you. This exercise is made to test and improve your email writing skills.

Download your email english exercise

You can download our email English exercise here. Each sentence has missing words. Can you find all of them? Take the challenge, and you’ll be a step closer to being professional in business communication.

Have you completed the assignment? Check the answers here.

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