Writing emails in English: the basics

Structure before style

Most people find English emails hard not because of vocabulary or grammar but because they are unsure what to say first. Someone reading work email skims dozens of messages a day, so the first two or three lines need to tell them why you are writing and what you need from them. If you open with long pleasantries and background and only reach the point at the end, the request is easy to miss or put off. Stick to five blocks — greeting, one-sentence purpose, necessary context, a specific request, closing — and the email will work even if the wording is not perfect.

The subject line is a summary

The subject line is the only clue the reader has when deciding whether to open your message. Vague subjects like "Question" or "Hello" are also impossible to find later. The best subjects state the topic, the action needed and any deadline.

• Combine the topic with the action you need
• If there is a deadline, put the date in the subject
• Do not use a greeting as the subject
• When a reply thread changes topic, update the subject

Greeting and opening paragraph

For a first contact, use a title and surname; once you are on first-name terms, the first name alone is fine. The most reliable guide is how the other person signs their own emails. In the opening paragraph, give one line on who you are and one line on why you are writing. If someone referred you, say who — it builds trust straight away. One line of pleasantries is plenty, and leaving it out is not rude. If you are unsure of someone's gender or title, using their full name is safer than guessing.

The tone of a request

Imperatives read as blunter in English work email than many learners expect. Turning the same request into a question about whether the person could do it, or saying you would appreciate it, softens it considerably. On the other hand, too much apologising or hedging hides what you actually want, so keep the request itself clear. Adding one line on why you need it helps the other person decide how to prioritise it.

• Ask whether someone could do it instead of telling them to
• Attach one deadline to each request
• Split several requests into a numbered list
• Save apologies for things that genuinely need one

Dates, times and numbers

All-numeric dates cause confusion because countries put the month and day in different orders: 3/4 can mean the third of April or March the fourth. Writing the month as a word avoids the problem. When arranging a meeting across countries, always add the time zone after the time. Put the currency next to any amount, and use commas to group large numbers in threes. When setting up a meeting, offering two or three possible slots for the other person to choose from cuts down the back-and-forth considerably.

Closing and signature

End the body with one sentence saying what happens next — that you look forward to a reply, or that they should get in touch with any questions. Then add a short sign-off and your name. Keep the signature to name, job title, organisation and contact details, without decoration. As a thread goes back and forth with the same person, it is natural for the sign-off to get shorter.

Check before you send

When you have finished, read the email aloud once. A spellchecker catches typos but not a misspelled name or a wrong date. For an important message, wait a little before sending and reread it; you will spot things you missed.

• Are the recipient's name and title spelled correctly?
• Is the attachment you mention actually attached?
• Do the date, weekday and time zone agree?
• Are the recipients and the copied people right?

Replies and follow-ups

When replying, answer the other person's questions one by one in order; if there were several, quote each briefly or match their numbering so nothing gets mixed up. If you cannot answer straight away, simply confirming you received the message and saying when you expect to reply builds trust. If your own email gets no answer, wait a few days and send a short follow-up in the same thread. Framing it as a gentle check in case the message was missed, rather than chasing, makes it easy for the other person to respond.