How to write a formal Email in English?

We start by asking you a question: When you have to write an email in English, do you think directly in English? Or do you do a literal translation from Spanish?

Normally, we translate what we want to write directly and this makes the final message incorrect . It is important to have the key tools to be able to create a coherent and correct email in English without having to think in Spanish.

The structure of a formal email in English

To prepare a formal email in English, we follow the structure of a formal letter:

• 1) Greeting
• 2) Body
• 3) Closure
• 4) Farewell

How do we start a formal email?

With good regards!
If we know the person we are addressing, we start with these greetings to:

• Men – Dear Mr. Woods,
• Married Women – Dear Mrs. Rodriguez,
• Women whose marital status we do not know – Dear Ms. Green,

*Nowadays “Ms” is almost always used. since we do not usually know the marital status of the recipient. We try to always use “Ms.”

If we do not know him , we have to address him with less personal greetings. These greetings are used especially in complaint letters or when we have to request information since we are writing to a group.

• Dear Sir/Madam,
• To whom it may concern,

Now, what do we include in the body of the formal email?

Now that we have started the formal email with the greeting, it's time to add a little spice to it. We move forward with the development of the body of the email, taking into account the purpose of the letter.

The most common way to start is with “ I am writing to… ” followed by our purpose, which could be:

• Gratitude – I am writing to thank you for…
• Request Information – I am writing to ask/inquire about…
• Give Information – I am writing to inform you that…
• Follow-up – I am writing to follow up on…
• Response – I am writing in response to…

If we want to give thanks from the beginning , we can also start in the following ways:

• Thank you for…
• I (we) would like to thank you for…

And if we want to ask for help:

• I would be grateful if you could…
• Would you mind…?

And to offer help:

• I (we) would be happy to…
• I (we) would be pleased to…

How do we write the closing of a formal email in English?

After writing the body of the email, we have one step left before saying goodbye. We have to include the closing of the email. These comments are usually to say thank you again, refer to a meeting in the near future, or offer help.

Gratitude

• Thank you once more for…
• I (we) would like to thank you again for…

Meeting in the Near Future

• I (we) look forward to meeting / seeing you…

Offer help

• Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions regarding this matter.
• If you need any further assistance, please contact me.

Goodbyes in a formal email

So far so good, but how do we say goodbye in a formal email? Goodbyes in a formal email are done with very cordial language.

If we do not know the recipient , we use:

• Yours sincerely,
• Yours faithfully,

If we know the recipient , we use:

• Best regards,
• Best wishes,
• Sincerely,

Some examples of formal emails in English

Now we have the tools, but what is the result? We take a look at some examples of formal emails in English.

Example of a formal email in English to request information

We first look at an example of a letter (or formal email) to request information in English. Since we do not know who will receive the letter, we greet in the format “Dear Sir/Madam:” and say goodbye with “Yours faithfully,”

Dear Sir/Madam:
I am writing to inquire about your French courses. I was referred to your website by a friend and I had a look at the different courses you are offering this summer. The best option for me would be a two-week intensive course in Lyon, but I have a few questions regarding the logistics and the methodology:

• Do you offer an airport transfer service for your students arriving on Monday?
• What is a typical course schedule?
• What qualifications do your teachers have?
• Will the teachers conduct an oral level test upon the student's arrival?
• What is the student-teacher ratio?

Thank you in advance for your assistance.
Yours faithfully,
Miguel Diaz

Example of thank you letter in formal English

Now we look at an example of a thank you letter (or formal email) in formal English. It is very important to use the phrase “I would like to thank you for…” when we start writing the letter. Since the sender knows the recipient, she can say goodbye with a “Best regards,”

Dear Mrs. Jones,
I would like to thank you for taking the time to show me and my team your new offices in Philadelphia. We all enjoyed the hospitality you and your colleagues showed us while we were visiting. We hope to visit again soon and continue to solidify our business relationship.
Thank you again for taking time out of your busy schedule to be with us. I look forward to keeping in touch in coming months.

Best regards,
Laura Salamanca

Example of a formal letter in English for a company

Finally, we look at an example of a formal letter in English addressed to someone at an external company. In this letter, we begin with the greeting “Dear Mr. Williams” because we know his name, but we have never met him. You should also look at the phrases used to close the letter.

Dear Mr. Williams,

We are writing to invite you to be a speaker on our panel at the upcoming international marketing conference at the Downtown Hotel and Conference Center on November 15th at 10:00 am.

We would be pleased if you could be one of the speakers focusing on the changes in international distribution channels of advertising. We consider your expertise in the area to be a perfect fit for the conference.

There will be a 30-minute presentation on digital advertising given by Dr. Joanna Reed, and immediately following, there will be a 2-hour panel discussion. Attached you will find an informational brochure with the entire program.

Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,
Dubai Event Services LLC