Email

An email is a form of written communication sent by electronic means which may require a response.

Structure
  • Subject line. Keep the subject line short and provide specific information about the content of the message. Use sentence-style capitalization (first word and proper nouns).

  • Salutation. Tailor the salutation to the person you are writing to. The salutation generally starts with Dear followed by a name or position and ends with a comma.

    Exemple adequatDear Marina,
    Dear Mr Davies,

    Exemple adequatDear Head of Department,
    Dear Coordinator,

    Less formal emails can also start with Hi or Hello, followed by a comma.

  • Opening sentence. The opening sentence is commonly used to explain why you are writing.

    Exemple adequatI am writing to inform you that… [formal beginning]

    Exemple adequatI am writing to let you know that… [informal beginning]

  • Body. Formal emails are very similar to formal letters. Therefore, the body of a formal email should convey the information in a direct style and be paragraphed appropriately.

    The following phrases may be useful in both emails and letters.

    In reply to…
    With reference to…
    I am writing to enquire about…
    I am writing to inform you of…
    I was happy to learn that…
    I was sorry to hear that…
    I would be grateful if…
    I would appreciate it if…
    I am pleased to announce that…
    You will be happy to learn that…
    I regret to inform you that…
    I am sorry to say that…
    You are advised to…
    You are requested to…
    Please do not hesitate to…
    Please feel free to…
    I look forward to…
    I am looking forward to…


  • Closing sentence. The closing sentence is commonly used to offer thanks or to state what kind of response you expect.

    Exemple adequatI look forward to your response. [formal closing sentence]

    Exemple adequatI look forward to hearing from you. [informal closing sentence]

  • Close. To close, use the formal Sincerely or the informal Kind regards, followed by a comma.

  • Signature line. Write your first name or your full name, depending on the level of formality.

Model 1: giving information

Model 1Word

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Model 2: asking information

Model 2Word

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Darrera actualització: 28-9-2022
Impressió del capítol | Impressió de la pàgina
Recommended citation:
«Email» [en línia]. A: Llibre d’estil de la Universitat de Barcelona. Barcelona: Universitat de Barcelona. Serveis Lingüístics. <https://www.ub.edu/llibre-estil/criteri.php?id=2608> [consulta: 28 març 2024].
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