WIZMANTRA ENGLISH CLASSES
Professional Email Writing A practical business English guide to writing clear, polite and effective emails at work.
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The five part structure of a professional email
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Openings, closings and subject lines
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Ready to use phrases for common situations
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Outdated phrases to stop using
Free resource from wizmantraenglishclasses.com
THE STRUCTURE
Five parts of every good email Busy readers scan. A predictable structure helps them understand your message and act on it quickly. 1
Subject line. Specific and short. "Q3 report: feedback needed by Friday" beats "Report".
2
Greeting. "Hi Anita," for colleagues, "Dear Mr Kapoor," for formal or first contact.
3
Purpose in the first line. Say why you are writing immediately. "I'm writing to confirm..."
4
Details and action. Short paragraphs or bullet points. Make any request and deadline clear.
5
Closing and sign off. A friendly closing line, then "Best regards," and your name. Example
Subject: Meeting moved to Thursday 3 pm Hi team, I'm writing to let you know that Tuesday's project meeting has moved to Thursday at 3 pm in Room 4. Please bring your updated timelines. If Thursday doesn't work for you, let me know by Wednesday noon. Thanks, Neha
WizMantra English Classes · Professional Email Writing
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G E T T I N G T H E TO N E R I G H T
Openings and closings Formal
Neutral or friendly
Greeting
Dear Ms Rao, · Dear Hiring Manager,
Hi Arjun, · Hello team,
First line
I am writing to enquire about... · Further to our conversation on Monday...
Hope you're well. · Thanks for your quick reply.
Closing line
I look forward to hearing from you. · Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Let me know if you have any questions. · Talk soon.
Sign off
Yours sincerely, · Kind regards,
Best, · Thanks, · Cheers,
Stop using these Outdated or unclear
Use instead
Please do the needful.
Could you please arrange this by Friday?
Kindly revert at the earliest.
Please reply when you can. · Could you reply by Monday?
PFA the document.
Please find the document attached. · I've attached the document.
Respected Sir,
Dear Mr Iyer,
Hope you are doing good.
I hope you're doing well.
Thanks in advance.
Thanks for your help with this.
WizMantra English Classes · Professional Email Writing
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P H R AS E B A N K
Phrases for common situations Making a request
Could you please send me...? Would it be possible to...? I'd appreciate it if you could...
Following up
Just following up on my email from Tuesday. I wanted to check whether you had a chance to... Any update on this?
Apologising
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I apologise for any inconvenience. Thank you for your patience.
Attachments
Giving bad news
Unfortunately, we won't be able to... I'm afraid the deadline has moved. As an alternative, we could...
Scheduling
I've attached the updated proposal. Please see the attached invoice.
Are you available on Thursday morning?
You'll find the details in the attached file.
Let me know a time that suits you.
WizMantra English Classes · Professional Email Writing
Would 11 am work for you?
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B E F O R E YO U H I T S E N D
A 60 second email checklist Is the subject line specific? Could the reader find this email again with a search? Is the purpose in the first two lines? Is the action clear? Who needs to do what, and by when? Is it short? Cut any sentence that does not help the reader act. Is the tone right? Read it as the receiver. Would any line sound abrupt? Is the name spelled correctly? Check the greeting and any attachment mentioned is actually attached. Did you proofread? Read it once aloud. You will catch mistakes your eyes skip.
Write and speak confidently at work WizMantra business English classes are 1-on-1 and online. Bring your real emails, presentations and meetings, and your tutor will help you sound clear, polite and professional.
Book a trial class at wizmantraenglishclasses.com
WizMantra also offers spoken English, grammar and IELTS preparation classes, plus French, German and Spanish with personal tutors.
WizMantra English Classes · Professional Email Writing
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