Q&A for How to Write a Formal Email

To write a request, start with a formal salutation (such as “Dear Mrs. Travers”). Begin the email with 1-2 sentences summarizing the topic of your request. For example, “I am writing to inquire about the silver cow creamer you recently obtained for your husband’s collection.” Follow this up with your request(s), making sure to word your request politely. For instance, “I would be grateful if you could send me some information about this item’s origin and date of manufacture.” Finish by expressing appreciation for the recipient’s time and attention, and sign off with a formal closing such as “Sincerely” or “Regards.”

A formal email typically starts with a salutation (such as “Dear Prof. Eggbert”) followed by a brief, clear introduction to the main topic of the email. For example, “I am writing to inquire whether you will be offering your Introduction to Herpetology course this spring.” You usually don’t need to include a heading in a formal email, since you can include that type of information in your signature.

The format of a formal email is usually simpler than that of a traditional letter. Include a brief, clear subject line so that the recipient can immediately tell what the email is about. In the email itself, start with a salutation, followed by the body of the email, your signoff, and your name. If you like, you can include an e-signature, which may contain information such as your job title and contact information. You can either indent your paragraphs in the body of the email or separate them with line breaks.

Write "Please refer to the attached document." anywhere in the email that seems appropriate.

A formal email can be ended by using a correct form of leave taking. For example: Yours sincerely, Yours cordially, etc., depending upon the relation between the recipient and the sender.

You can add a blank line or not, whichever you think looks best.

You do not typically need to include your mailing address or email address in an email. You may include your business phone number and/or business website URL at the end of the email, under your name.

Write back that you appreciate their comment or question, you are very clear on their stance but that you have no further authority to make changes to the situation. Then you could suggest that you move on to a new subject, or simply leave it at that.

Yes, you can add the P.S. information at the very end, after your signature, with a line skipped in-between. However, it would be ideal to just incorporate the information into the body of the email if you can.

If it is a friend you may say: Cheers, Your name here. Or: See you soon/later/tomorrow, Your name here

Yes, that generally looks more clear and organized.

Write your email in the same professional manner that you would use to email anyone with a question.

Say "sir/madame" or just refer to them by their name. If they are a doctor you can refer to them as "Dr. So-and-So."

It's always best to write a brief message. E.g., "Hello [their name], Here is the copy of [whatever it is] you requested. Thanks, [your name]"

This does not necessarily have to be a formal email, and the shorter it is, the better. Simply say, "Dear Mr./Ms. [their name], I am writing this email to request time off from [begin date] to [end date] in order to take my vacation time. If this is not amenable to you, please let me know, and I will try to find an alternative time for my vacation. Thank you, [your name]."

It looks nice either way, but it is not required. Usually, formal letters do not indent paragraphs.

"With regards" is not a commonly used closing in formal letters as it's grammatically incorrect. The phrases "Kind regards," "Best regards," and "Regards," however, are used as a more modern formal closing.

The content of your email will determine its length, but always try to keep it as brief as possible. Include the important and necessary facts, and leave out any extraneous information. 4-5 paragraphs is probably the absolute max you should have in a formal email.

Try to keep it shorter than that. One page would be enough.

Not for after the "dear", but definitely yes after the "sincerely" part at the end.

Cc means 'carbon copy' and Bcc means 'blind carbon copy'. For emailing, you use Cc when you want to copy other emails publicly, and Bcc when you want to do it privately.

"Dear Sir or Madam," is the best option if there is no name and no indication of gender.

Use a proper greeting, introduce yourself, state your question or comment, then put your name and the best way to contact you.

Do your research and find a name. For example, if you are writing an admission essay or application, research who the Dean of Admissions is. If you had a question about your bill, research who the head of the Registrar's Office is. Even if your email ends up needing to go to someone else, it is more professional and shows that you cared enough to do your research and that you tried to be informed.

If some are unknown recipients, you could choose, "To whom it may concern." A slightly more informal option would be, "To everyone who is reading this."

Yes. You end the email with a closing and your name always, even if you have introduced yourself earlier in the body of the email.

It doesn't really make a difference, as you do not use the name of the person at the end of an email. Just use a normal closing like "Best regards," or "Sincerely," followed by your full name.

"Sincerely" would be used in business and professional communication, while "Yours faithfully" would be used in a more casual manner with those whom you're close.

If you do not know who you are dealing with in your email, you can start with: ''To whom it may concern," and then write the rest of your email.

You can start your email by writing "Hi" or "To whom it may concern".