best tips on how to write English Email and English letter

Writing emails and letters are formal ways of communication. Therefore, everyone must know how to write a proper English email or letter. The first question that comes to one’s mind, when it comes to communicating with an English-speaking person or company is: How do I write a proper English email or letter? It does not matter if you are a novice or an experienced manager, writing a letter or an email in English is an unavoidable part of business communication.

Because of the subtleties of writing and the mysteries of English grammar, how to write an English email or letter can be a problem for you! This is especially important when you need to encourage others to answer or address a controversial issue. For most of us, letters and emails are the most common form of business communication, so building a principled letter or email is very important. Although emails are not formal enough, they provide a good, professional image of you or your company.

Usually, students are more involved in this challenge to communicate with professors abroad, but other people, depending on their field of work, may also need to write an English email or letter. Contrary to many people’s beliefs, writing an English business letter or an English email is not a difficult task. In general, in official English letters, we try to express the matter directly and by avoiding exaggeration. Writing an English email, in addition to texting or writing a post or comment on any social network, can also be a good idea for connecting with friends and acquaintances.

English email

There are two things you need to know to write a great English email: More advanced strategies you need to master. Common mistakes that you should avoid but most importantly, to write an English email, you must first know what a great email includes. The basic structure of all the emails you write is the same:

  1. Subject line
  2. Greeting
  3. Email body
  4. Closing

But like any other formal writing that is written to communicate with others, writing an English email has the right method and standards that must be followed.

Subject line

The subject bar of an English email is probably the most important part of the email; however, this is often overlooked because of the body of the email. However, if you are emailing a stranger or starting a new business relationship, your email subject bar can encourage the recipient to open the email while also creating expectations about the content of the English email.

A bad or general subject bar in an English email, like (Hello or A very important matter) can cause the recipient to stop opening the email and your email will end up in the spam folder. Take enough time to write the subject of your English email, because the subject line is what motivates the receiver to open your email, if no one opens your email, the time you spend writing the body of the email, is wasted entirely.

openers

The openers of an English email must be short, quick, and respectful. Therefore, before getting to the main point of your English email, you may want to have a short and respectful greeting. Exception: When you are exchanging multiple emails with your close colleagues, it is natural not to write the beginning and ending part. At first, it may seem wrong, but it leaves you with a good professional reputation.

Body

The body of an English email is the content of your message, which should have a clear purpose. Like asking a professor for feedback, or arranging a meeting with a new client. This part should be short so that the recipient wants to read it all. If the body of the English email is long, the reader might miss some important information while light reading the long body. If you can, summarize this section in a few selected sentences. For emails that are long and detailed, keep the body as focused as you can. The body should at most be three to five rows.

Closings

Just as you would like to start the English email with a proper greeting, you definitely want the ending of the English email to be proper and respectful. For an English email, whether formal or friendly, you have many options for writing an ending line. 12 of the most common phrases used for ending are:

  • Thanks
  • Best
  • Regards
  • Sincerely
  • Take car
  • Thanks so much
  • Cheers
  • All the best
  • Best wishes
  • Respectfully
  • Talk soon
  • Sincerely yours

You need to choose an ending that suits your personality and the email that fits your relationship type. In this way, you show your audience a high level of professionalism with your English email. On the other hand, it is better not to use common endings such as “love,” “sent from iPhone,” or “thx” in the formal emails.

Common Mistakes in Writing Email in English

Just as any English email can be a way to improve your business, it can also lead to common and erroneous email writing habits. Here are some common mistakes you should be aware of:

Deleting the oxford comma is essential

The Oxford comma is the last comma in a word list. This comma may confuse you because you first need to know what style the company you work with uses in writing an English email. Usually, in different styles of writing an English email, this comma is either added or removed from the text as a clarifier. Anyway, everyone has an opinion about these commas, but be aware that deleting them in some cases will cause a misunderstanding in the English email message.

Even in the AP style, which removes these commas, its use is not banned at all, and wherever you feel that removing it causes misunderstanding and confusion, you should use commas. Although the oxford comma is not suitable for most texts, it is better to use it in emails. This will save you time and avoid confusion, misunderstanding, and even legal trouble.

Hedging

It is better to avoid softening the text of English emails. Do not worry! This will not make your message seem rude. Conversely, moderation makes the audience think you are not confident, and this has a bad effect on your English email. First, express your idea and opinion and then write the reason and logic behind your opinion. This way, your audience will understand you, and your talent will be better seen.

The text is too long or vague

Do you get bored while reading a 1000 words English email? Most people read such emails very lightly. If the sentences you write are complex or you mix several different messages into one text, the chances of getting a satisfactory answer, or any answer at all, are very low.

Most of us receive such emails, the reason is obvious, the sender wants to provide more details. But these emails are hard to read and we are not going to read them entirely. While writing an English email, write briefly and focus on the topic. Finish the English email by encouraging the recipient to reply and include the needed reply date. If necessary, make it clear that you are eager to answer any questions they might have in a follow-up email.

Being very intimate or very formal

Depending on your circumstances, being too familiar or too formal with the English email can be misleading. Being very informal is often a sign of being a beginner. But a very serious and formal tone in writing an English email can also be unpleasant. To find moderation in tone, you need to look at the type of relationship between you and the recipient of the email and follow the example of social relationships with the person you are writing to. It means somehow seeing what others are doing and learning about the rules of communicating through an English email, repeating what they do, or joining the communication they have.

Robotic tone

It is true that English emails are descendants of old English letters, but your writing tone should not be like the tone you use when you are writing a letter. The tone of the English email should accurately reflect the author’s personality. So, if you want to connect with the reader, writing in the tone of Queen Victoria novels is not a good idea. Let’s face it, no one is willing to read anything like a college textbook.

Everyone is eager to read a blog, an article, or a real conversation. An English email reader is a human, not a robot! Use a tone that you would use if you were sitting in front of that person in a coffee shop. You can make a more natural impression on the reader by pretending that you are writing an English email to a close friend or acquaintance. For example, if you meet someone for coffee, you won’t say:

  • “Regards” or “I hope the climate is charming where you are”
  • But what you will actually say is:
  • “Hello” and “Thanks again for sharing your time.”

Cliché

Not all English email clichés are a big sin. Sometimes some aspects of an English email require a specific formula. However, most emails have the same basic structure and there are phrases that you may want to use to make sure the English email is clear and the email text is appropriate. But if you want to repeat a phrase, there must be a clear purpose behind it. Read the text once and, if necessary, edit it in terms of tone, style, and clichés so that you can better communicate with the audience and encourage them to continue reading until the end of the English email.

English letter

An official English letter, like an English email, is a formal text that is usually sent to companies, institutions, and employees. To write these official letters, we must follow certain principles and rules. Other than the official and formal letters, there are informal letters that we send to our friends and family, in other words, the people we are close to. There are different sets of rules for writing that kind of letter. Although sending an English email is a quick and easy way to communicate, paper office letters are still being used for sending important information.

Contrary to many people’s beliefs, writing a letter is not a difficult task. In general, complex words and sentences are not used in these official texts. In writing an official letter, just like an English email, we try to convey our words directly to the reader by avoiding exaggeration.

English correspondence does not have the informal and conversational tone that is most often seen in an English email; It is more specialized with a tiny bit of friendliness. Important words should be stated briefly and effectively at the beginning of the letter. Administrative letters can have different components depending on their purpose and addressee. But just like an English email almost all administrative letters have a fixed set of components.

Subject:

Whatever the purpose of the letter, the letter must be clearly stated from the outset. For example, the subject of the letter could be a congratulatory message or promotion of a product, a complaint about an event, or a specific offer. As it has been said about an English email, if the subject and purpose of the letter are not clear, the possibility of misinterpretation or rejection of the letter increases. Please choose the subject of the letter very carefully!

Contact information:

In an administrative letter, be sure to include contact information including full name, contact number, address, and email. This information usually appears at the top corner, and the recipient’s personal information and date are located under these pieces of information. This type of information is not needed in an English email. The recipient must have your contact information if they want to respond to your letter. So do not forget this part!

Date:

Writing the specific date is also one of the topics that must be observed in writing an English letter, whether formal or informal, but there is no specific law about the placement of the date, and individuals can enter it in different parts of the letter. Senders usually enter the date of the day at the bottom right of the letter. It is also good to know that in writing the date, it is better to use the word instead of the number to indicate the relevant month. This information is also not necessary in an English email.

Greetings:

just like in an English email, at the beginning of the letter, we should have a kind of tribute to the reader. Of course, you must be careful to write the name and title of the contact correctly. Such as Dear Mr. Johnny. When addressing men, we use “Mr” and for women, we use the word “Miss”. But in case we do not know about the state of the marriage of the contact, we use the prefix “Ms”, which is suitable for both single and married women.

Now if you do not know the name of the recipient of the letter, the titles will help us. Job titles or special titles such as Dr., Prof., Capt., Major Maj., Colonel Col., General Gen., Lord, and Lady. these titles will also come in handy when writing an English email.

Short Introduction:

Having a brief introduction is not only polite but also engaging. As the saying goes, get ‘em while it’s hot! This can be done with polite sentences or a wish for health.

The main purpose of writing a letter:

Now we get to the part where we talk about the middle ground. This section shows the main text of the letter and your purpose for writing the letter. Contrary to an English email, the main text of the letter should be about one page, but nothing more; because it will definitely tire the reader of the letter; Therefore, state the main subject of the letter in a concise and very precise tone.

Ending:

all forms of correspondence must have an ending, whether it’s an English email or an English letter. A sentence is always written at the end of the letter in appreciation. Some closing remarks are formal and some are informal. It should be noted that the first letter of these phrases must be capitalized. This is also true when it comes to writing an English email.

Signature:

The letter usually includes the sender’s signature, which includes the sender’s name. It is enough to mention his name in the dissertation. It is better to sign with a pen with black ink. In an English email, some have their signature digitalized and will use it in a formal English email

Tips on writing an official English letter

In writing an official English letter, just like in an English email, it is better to pay attention to some points. some of which are discussed below.

1. It is always better to state a reason at the beginning of an official English letter, similar to the subject line in an English email. For example, if your goal in writing a letter is to ask for information from the recipient, it is a good idea to start the letter with the following:

  • I am writing to inform you about…
  • I am writing to request…

2. As mentioned earlier, the use of appreciative phrases in the formal letters is very common, but the use of these phrases is more relevant, when you write a letter in response to someone else’s letter, you want to show your appreciation for a job interview and…. Here are some examples of appreciative phrases.

  • Thank you for your letter querying about…
  • We would like to thank you for your letter inquiring about information…
  • In reply to your note of (date), we would like to thank you for your concern in…
  • These phrases can also be used in an English email.

3. As mentioned earlier, the last part should convey the final feeling to the recipient of the letter. It is also common in this section to use phrases that indicate that you are eager to see or communicate with the person again. These phrases are common in both an English letter and an English email.

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