Unit 4: Starting and finishing emails

UNIT 4: STARTING AND FINISHING EMAILS

How should you begin and finish an email message to someone you don't know? Find out here!

Starting and finishing emails

Here are some important points to consider when starting and finishing an email.

Formal or informal?

We write a formal email when we want to be polite, or when we do not know the reader very well. A lot of work emails are formal. We write informal emails when we want to be friendly, or when we know the reader well. A lot of social emails are informal. Here are some examples of formal and informal messages:

Let's see what you know

Multiple Choice

Many thanks for your help.

• Formal

• Informal

Multiple Choice

Dear Mr. Piper,

• Formal

• Informal

Multiple Choice

Cheers,

• Formal

• Informal

Multiple Choice

I look forward to seeing you next week.

• Formal

• Informal

Multiple Choice

Hi Tim,

• Formal

• Informal

Multiple Choice

See you next week.

• Formal

• Informal

​Before you start writing an email, decide if you want to write a formal email or an informal one.

Layout and punctuation

Starting an email: We normally write a comma after the opening phrase. We start a new line after the name of the person we’re writing to.

Finishing an email: We normally write a comma after the closing phrase. We start a new line to write our name at the end.

Phrases for starting and finishing

Here are some phrases which we use for starting and finishing emails. We use these in formal and informal emails:

TASK ONE

Multiple Choice

TASK 1: Hairuddin emailed all the math teachers at his school about some training. [Can you spot the mistakes in the answers]?

• Hi there Rahim, Hope you're well. Might be a bit late on Saturday...

• Dear Sir or Madam, Could you please send me...

• Morning everyone, Just thought you might be interested to know that...

• Dear Mr.Bakar, I am writing to you because I am worried that...

Multiple Choice

TASK 1: Hairuddin wrote to his friend about their plans to play football at the weekend. [Can you spot the mistakes in the answers]?

• Hi there Rahim, Hope you're well. Might be a bit late on Saturday...

• Dear Sir or Madam, Could you please send me...

• Morning everyone, Just thought you might be interested to know that...

• Dear Mr.Bakar, I am writing to you because I am worried that...

Multiple Choice

TASK 1: Hairuddin sent an email asking for more information about a conference. He did not know the name of the person who will read his email.

[Can you spot the mistakes in the answers]?

• Hi there Rahim, Hope you're well. Might be a bit late on Saturday...

• Dear Sir or Madam, Could you please send me...

• Morning everyone, Just thought you might be interested to know that...

• Dear Mr.Bakar, I am writing to you because I am worried that...

Multiple Choice

TASK 1: Hairuddin emailed a man called Norozan Bakar, the father of a pupil at the school. He wanted to know why Mr Bakar’s son was absent from school.

[Can you spot the mistakes in the answers]?

• Hi there Rahim, Hope you're well. Might be a bit late on Saturday...

• Dear Sir or Madam, Could you please send me...

• Morning everyone, Just thought you might be interested to know that...

• Dear Mr.Bakar, I am writing to you because I am worried that...

TASK TWO

Multiple Choice

Which phrase is not an appropriate way to end a formal email?

• Yours truly,

• with best regards,

• for your information

Multiple Choice

Which phrase is not an appropriate way to end a formal email?

• Yours sincerely,

• For the attention of:

• Best wishes

Multiple Choice

Which phrase is not an appropriate way to end a formal email?

• To whom it may concern:

• Yours faithfully,

• With many thanks and best wishes,

TASK THREE

Multiple Choice

Subject: 'Look forward to' (1)

Complete the emails with the sentences.

Dear Mr Cruz,
Please find enclosed an application form for the post of Teacher of History.

• I look forward to receiving your application

for this job. The deadline is March 24.
Yours sincerely,
J Ko, School Administrator

• I look forward to hearing from you soon.

• We look forward to working with you.

• I look forward to receiving your application.

• I look forward to meeting you.

TASK FOUR

Fill in the Blanks

'Look forward to' (2)

Put the phrase in brackets in the right order to make a closing sentence.

I look forward ..

... [meeting | you. | to]