This blog will only involve in the rules of writing emails in formal occasions. And I don't want to talk about what occasions are supposed to reach the standard. Here you go.
Email Writing Format
| Key words | Defination |
|---|---|
| To | Recipient's email address |
| Cc | Other individuals receiving the same email with visible IDs |
| Bcc | Other individuals receiving the same email with invisible IDs |
| Subject | Title or the reason writing the email |
| Salutation | Words like Dear, Respected, Hi, etc. |
| Main body | the main content of the email: introduction, matter in detail, conclusion |
| Closing | Ending statement |
| Attachments | Attached files with emails |
Recipients
To
This field if for the main recipient. To be precise, it should be used to include the recipients who are required to take action in response to the email.
There is no upper limit to the number of the recipients.
Cc
Cc stands for Carbon Copy. This field should include the recipients who receive additional copies of the email. The general practice is to use Cc to send a copy to people to keep them in the loop. They are not expected to take any action or reply to the message according to email etiquette.
Bcc
Bcc stands for Blind Carbon Copy. It is similar to Cc but the Bcc list is not visible to any other To or CC recipients. It is used when the sender want some people receive the email but make other recipients unaware of those in Bcc list.
Visible Status Comparison
Example of recipients' information:
| Recipients fields | IDs |
|---|---|
| To | Peter, Strange |
| Cc | Pepper |
| Bcc | Tony, Stephen |
Peter, Strange and Pepper can see all recipient's email IDs except Tony and Stephen. Tony and Stephen can see all recipient's email IDs.
Subject
This is the line which the recipients see at the first glance in their inbox. Basically, it decides whether they can understand the main idea of the email. Therefore, in order to make sure they click on it, the sender should make the subject line include the main motif of the message and some important details.
Tips:
- Keep it short
- Put the most important words at the beginning
- Clear and specific about the email
- Indicate if response is needed
- Sure to use the names of people who referred you
- Highlight the value you have
- Don't make words all in CAPITALS
- Be polite
Lovely examples:
- Referred by Jane Brown for Technical Writer position
- Human Resources Assistant Application — John Smith
- Marketing Manager interview follow up
- Inquiring about your design services
- Request for information on NY venue
- (submitting an assignment) Assignment 3 submission
- (requesting feedback for an assignment) Request for Assignment 3 feedback
- (explaining an absence from class) Regarding absence from tomorrow’s class
Salutation
It's always better to be to polite and formal than to be not formal or polite enough.
Classic Salutation
- Dear Mr. [Last name]
- To any male recipients.
- Dear Mrs. [Last name]
- Known marital status as married women.
- Dear Ms. [Last name]
Known marital status as married women
Unknown marital status
Unknown Name/Position
- Dear Sir/Madam
- To whom it may concern
Greeting a Person from Academic Background
- Dear Professor [Last name]
- Dear Prof. [Last name]
- (Having Ph.D or Dr.) Dear Dr. [Last name]
Salutations to Multiple Recipients
- Dear Mr. Murphy, Ms. Smith, Mrs. Jones, Mr. Malone, and Ms. Littlewood
Main Body
Introduction
An overview paragraph in which you describe your motif of message, your personal information, etc.
Matter in Detail
Describe your matter, request, feedback in details.
Conclusion
Express your feelings, put additional information or reminders, etc.
Examples:
- Should you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
- I look forward to receiving your feedback in the near future.
Tips on Writing the Body
- Splicing text into paragraphs according to each one's main ideas
- Recheck to make sure there are no grammar errors
Closing
This highlights the importance of the closing:
Some people think they can simply leave a closing out of an email. However, this is unprofessional; always include a closing. That's true even if you have an email signature. Adding a closing like "Regards" or "Sincerely" before your signature is a polite way to end a message.
Format:
Closing,
[Digital signature, if you have one]
Full name
Title and company
Phone number
Email address
Closing Examples
- Best,
- Best regards,
- Best wishes,
- Fond regards,
- Kind regards,
- Regards,
- Sincerely,
- Sincerely yours,
- Thank you,
- With appreciation,
- With gratitude,
- Yours sincerely,
Attachment
Attachment Lines
- Please find the attached file.
- The document has been attached herewith for your kind perusal.
- You'll find the attachment below.
- I’ve attached [file name]
- This [file description] has …
- Let me know if you have questions about the attachment.
Attachment Naming
- Reveal the main content of the file
- Understandable
- Easily-found by key words
Example: MATLAB_Assignment_3_JinhangZhu.pdf
References
[1] “Email Writing Format: Conventions and Samples with Solved Questions.” Toppr, 12 July 2019, https://www.toppr.com/guides/business-correspondence-and-reporting/writing-formal-mails/conventions-sample-mails/.
[2] Mukherjee, Mukulika. “TO vs CC vs BCC: How to Use Them Correctly.” Digital Thoughts - The Digital Group Official Blog, 4 Sept. 2018, https://blog.thedigitalgroup.com/to-vs-cc-vs-bcc-how-to-use-them-correctly.
[3] O'Regan, Denis. “What Does To: Cc: and Bcc: Mean?: Outlook Tips: Harlow, Bishop's Stortford, Essex, Hertfordshire.” Easykey, https://easykey.uk/outlook/what-does-to-cc-and-bcc-mean.
[4] Hoffman, Chris. “What's the Difference Between CC and BCC When Sending an Email?” How, How-To Geek, 4 July 2017, https://www.howtogeek.com/128028/htg-explains-whats-the-difference-between-cc-and-bcc-when-sending-an-email/.
[5] “Business e-Mail Format – Do It Right!” IONOS Digitalguide, https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/e-mail/e-mail-marketing/business-e-mail-format-do-it-right/.
[6] Deeb, Carol. “How to Address a Lady in a Business Letter.” Small Business - Chron.com, Chron.com, 6 Mar. 2019, https://smallbusiness.chron.com/address-lady-business-letter-34388.html#targetText=Unknown Status or Name,as "Dear Jordan Jones.".
[7] Propeller Collective. “How to Email Your Professor (w/ Sample Emails!).” Propeller Collective, Propeller Collective, 17 June 2017, https://propellercollective.org/blog/on-campus/how-to-email-your-professor.
[8] “Learning English | BBC World Service.” BBC News, BBC, http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/youmeus/learnit/learnitv153.shtml#targetText=If you do not know,your full name and designation.
[9] Frost, Aja. “11 Less Annoying Synonyms and Alternatives to ‘Please Find Attached.’” HubSpot Blog, https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/please-find-attached.