In today’s world, considering that the communication language of many institutions or individuals is English, we might find ourselves needing to write an English email at some point. This situation could arise as a writing topic for an English proficiency test, when inquiring about a product from a foreign company, or when applying for a visa to an English-speaking country. Therefore, knowing how to write an email is an important skill we all should possess.
How to Write an English Email
If we examine the example email below, which is written for a job application:
- When starting an email, write an appropriate salutation in the first line. It’s important to use a salutation that is suitable for the person you’re sending the email to.
- If you have limited information about the recipient or don’t know who will read the email, starting with “To Whom May It Concern” or “Dear Sir/Madam” would be appropriate.
- If you have information about the recipient or their position, as shown in the example below, starting with “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear John White” would be suitable. You can also use words like “Hi,” “Good Morning,” “Good Afternoon,” etc. instead of “Dear.”
- After the appropriate salutation, move to the next paragraph and clearly express why you are writing the email, using clear and grammatically correct sentences. When doing this, make sure to convey yourself clearly in a way that the recipient can understand. Avoid using various abbreviations (since the recipient might not know what the abbreviation means or it might have a different meaning for them) and use a professional approach by following grammar rules.
- The third part of your email, while not necessary for every email you send, should be included if you expect a response from the recipient. This part indicates that you are awaiting a reply to your email. Phrases like “I look forward to hearing from you soon” or “I look forward to your answer” can be used to indicate that you expect a response. If you haven’t received a response within the time frame you expected, you can follow up with a new email after waiting for a suitable period, asking if they’ve seen your previous email.
- This part is where you offer your good wishes to the recipient. It can also be seen as the closing part of the email. If you want to end your email on a more friendly note, phrases like “Thank you,” “Best wishes,” “See you tomorrow,” “Regards,” or “Yours” can be used. For more formal emails, endings like “Sincerely” or “Respectfully yours” would be appropriate.
- This part briefly introduces the sender of the email and gives a small clue about how the recipient should address them.
- You don’t need to include this part in every email, but if you want the recipient to have different ways to contact you or if you’re writing on behalf of an organization and want to provide more information about the organization, including this part would be suitable.
Example 1: Job Application Email
Dear Hiring Manager, (1)
(2) I am writing to express my interest in the Web Content Manager position listed on MediaBistro.com. I have experience building large, consumer-focused health-based content sites. While much of my experience has been in the business world, I understand the social value of the non-profit sector, and my business experience will be an asset to your organization.
My responsibilities included the development and management of the site’s editorial voice and style, the editorial calendar, and the daily content programming and production of the website.
I look forward to hearing from you soon. (3)
Sincerely, (4)
Susan Smith (5)
Susan Smith (6)
123 Main Street
Any Town, CA 11121
Cell: 555 – 123 – 1234
Email: [email protected]
Example 2: Informal Email
Dear Prof. Lauer, (1)
I hope you are doing fine. I am now in Saitama, but will go back to Hiroshima to attend the conference. We would like to visit you to say thank you for your cooperation.