EMAIL WRITING
When we know who we are writing to:
✦Dear (title: Professor/Dr./President and/or name of person)
✦Mr, Mrs, Ms are NO longer used; instead Mx (neutral)
When we do not know the name of the person to whom we are writing:
✦To whom it may concern
✦Dear Sales Department/Customer Service Department
NB — good morning/afternoon/evening are NOT used in English emails
— Write 4 paragraphs of at least 3 sentences each, 2 minimum for the
introduction/closing paragraph
— Don’t write less than 200 words
Introduction
Introduce yourself briefly 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…
NB — don’t start with: I’m (name) INSTEAD use -> My name is …
The former is spoken English
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 Paragraphs
Beginning
✦I (strongly) agree/disagree
✦I advise you to
✦Please reconsider…
✦Your letter states...however/
nevertheless, this…
Justifying
✦thus/therefore/because/due to
Reassuring
✦You can rest assured that...
✦You can be confident that…
