How to write professional emails in English

In this practical English writing lesson, you will learn some of the most common email phrases you can use to sound professional. If you work in any type of business environment, there’s a good chance that you use email on a regular basis. However, many people aren’t familiar or comfortable with the formality or informality of email communication. I will teach you a wide range of business email vocabulary, phrases, and sentences often used by native English speakers. Here are some examples: “as discussed”, “to follow up on our previous discussion”, “this is to inform you that...”, “Thanks for the update”, “Thanks for looking into that”, “Thanks for following up”, “I’ll get back to you”, “Keep me posted”, and many more. This is an essential lesson that will help you write like a professional in almost any workplace.

TRANSCRIPT

Oh, there's free cake in the staff room? Thanks for letting me know. See you there. Yeah, free cake. All right. Hey, everyone. I'm Alex. Thanks for clicking, and welcome to this lesson on writing a business or professional email in English. Now, this is useful for those of you who are just starting a corporate job, or if you are looking to work in an English environment where emails are constant. So, I use my email every day. I can tell you 100% that I have used all of these at one point or another in my emailing career, we'll say. So, I've sent thousands of emails, and I've used all of these.

So, these are phrases that you can use in internal emails between yourself and your colleagues, or between yourself and someone who works with your company. So, maybe you know someone who is selling, you know, technology to your company, like printers or computers; maybe there's someone who supplies paper for your company and you have to interact with them, so you can use these phrases and expressions with them. All right?

So, first we'll start with the greeting. We have: "Hello", "Hi", "Hey, Steve". Steve - these are all for Steve. So, you notice... If you're wondering: "Why didn't you put 'Dear'? Why didn't you put 'To whom it may concern'?" You could still use those. I guess it depends on your own personal comfort with formality. Having worked, like, you know, in Canada and exchanging emails with people in the United States, most people are comfortable with a "Hello" or a "Hi". Only use a "Hey" for someone you know. So, these are in level of formality.

Next... All right, so one thing you might do in an email is to introduce a new topic or to inform someone of something; maybe not just one person, maybe a group of people, maybe a whole department. So, for example: "This is to inform you that..." Very general. So, maybe someone has received a promotion in your company. This is something you might see from your boss; or if you are a boss or a manager, you might send this to your team. "This is to inform you that", you know... Let's say Rosa; you have an employee named Rosa. "This is to inform you that Rosa has been promoted to the position of..." Okay? So you're giving information to your team.

This one: "Just to let you know"... Now, this is very informal. So, only send this to people you know well, people within your company, maybe a friend in the company. So: "Just to let you know" is a much more informal, casual way that you can use in an email, instead of: "This is to inform you that..." Okay? So, for example: "Hey. Just to let you know, I'm not here on Friday. Please see me if you need anything from me before Friday." Okay?

Also, you're introducing a topic, or informing your company, or someone of something, so: "Hey, Steve. Good news!", "Hey, Steve. Bad news.", "Hey, Steve. I've got good news.", "I've got bad news." Now, you notice, here, I used an exclamation after "Good news", you know, it's a good idea to make it seem exciting, so: "Good news! You know, I just got promoted." Okay? Or: "Good news! I'm getting a raise." Okay? Something like this. "Bad news. We're not getting pizza for free today.", "Bad news. I can't make lunch, sorry." Okay? "I can't make lunch." It doesn't mean you're creating lunch, you're making lunch; it means: "I can't go to lunch with you." Okay? So, you have: "This is to inform you that...", "Just to let you know...", "Good news!", "Bad news.", "I've got good news.", "I've got bad news." Okay? […]

[sharvansinghchundawat]

Hey Alex just let you know you saved my professional life.

[acem]

Hello Alex,

I hope everything is well. I'd like you to know that I'm grateful for people like you who are providing this type of tutorials that are very helpful.

On the topic of "how to write professional emails" you discussed today, there were things that I didn't know that I could use. I found it useful and informative. Every part of a proper email was explained in way that I could easily understand though English is not my first language.

Could you please include in your next videos a few seconds where it shows your entire white board? This will allow us to take screenshots of the topic.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I'll be watching your future videos.

Sincerely,
Ace

[oceanbay]

Hi Alex,

Good news! I’d like to inform you that I have gained valuable knowledge from this video regarding the topic of writing professional emails.

Thanks for the info.

All the best,
Julia

[ragnarokmobile]

Hi Steve,

This is to inform that I deeply appreciate in taking your time and effort in making this video. As far as educating us in writing an email goes, Good News! I have learned a lot. Keep me posted for more updates in regards to your videos.

All the best,
Ron

[nerdandlace]

Hi Alex,

I wanted to let you know, as a corporate trainer, this video has helped me instruct employees with basic English skills. You've made my job so much easier.

Thank you,
Dee

[esamfadhel]

Hello Alex,
Just I want to let you know that you are a very good teacher and you used a good way to deliver the knowledge to your followers. Please keep going with these kinds of videos to help the people to enhance their ability to write a professional email in English.
Thanks for your help and support!

[amarchhetri]

Thanks Alex, it's very interesting to know that even after writing thousands of official emails we do forget these words which you have explained very well.

[salehabdolkarim]

Hello Alex,
This is to inform you that, recently I've been appointed in new job and I don't have a lot of information about writing a professional and formal email but this is Video is quite conducive and an inspiring one form which I gained a lot of vital information which enable me to perform my career.
All the best.

[kabeernaseem]

Hello Alex,

Just to let you know that as a newbie to corporate world I really admire your efforts towards teaching such a relevant and practical skill which is very much required.

Thank you for the information
Regards,
Naseem.

[heavymetal]

Hi Alex

This is to inform you that I am learning English, I'm from Colombia and this video helped me a lot in regards to get a job in a contact center, I appreciate your amazing effort.

all the best,

Sebastian Briceño

[ankitanegi]

Hi Alex
Just to let you know that, I am extremely impressed by your way of teaching and for sure I apply this while, writing my professional email.
Thanks for the wonderful session.

All the best
Ankita Negi

[salinadrozeski]

Hello Alex!

I hope you are having a fantastic start to your week. I appreciate that you are taking the time to teach other humans how to communicate via email.

Respectfully, it is generally considered good practice to not use words with negative meaning. Words have a powerful impact and when you start a correspondence with "bad news", you are setting them up for disappointment.

You could instead start with "HelIo! I have just been advised that such and such is not an option. This is why, but here are all of the other options you can choose from."

That way you are gently breaking the news that they can't have what they immediately want, and you come in with an abundance of other options.

That being said, keep living your best life.

Kind regards,

Salina D.

[swishtv]

Dear Alex,

I'd like to inform you that I really appreciate the good work you are doing by making videos like this. I'd also like to tell you that we really enjoy your videos and will be expecting more of you in the future.

Thanks for the help that you are providing through your videos.

All the best,
Rishop

[victorwong]

I am Chinese students, after watching your class Video, I wish I would make a better grades at my tomorrow test. And thank you for your teaching, it is really nice.

[gadgetgalaxyindia]

Hey Alex,

This is to inform you that i am very impressed with your communication skills.

Thanks for the training on how to write a professional email.

Thanks,
Regards,
Emran Shareef

[Emnish]

Hi Alex,
you have saved my professional life, because of you I have learnt to write proper mails in my career, thanks for making such a good video .

[sanjaygaikwad]

Hii Alex

Good news!
This is to inform you that this is one of the best email lesson video on YouTube till now
Please keep me posted regarding new lesson.

Thanks & regards
Sagar.

[ephremtessema]

Hey Alex this is to inform you that regarding your tutorial on "how to write professional emails in english" i found it very help full especially for beginners.
Thanks for your assistance in helping me improve my email writing skill.
Best Regards
Ephrem

[lanalanna]

Hi Alex,

Thanks for your sharing this lesson. I’ve saved $90 for Business Email Writing online course by learning it from your video.

Just to let you know how I appriciate this amazing thing you made.

If you have any details on differences business kinds of writting, please keep me posted.

Thank you.

[amenahameedkhan]

Hey Alex,

Just to let you know that after watching this video I got a clear idea of how to write a formal email .

Thanks for giving the information.