Salutations
When you don't know the name:
Dear Sir or Madam
To whom it may concern
When you know the name:
Dear Mr, Mrs, Ms + Last Name…
Dear John
Hello Pat
Hi Mary
Hey John
(no salutation)
When writing to a group:
Dear all
Hi everyone
Opening sentence:
I am writing in connection with…
I am writing with regard to…
With reference to...I am writing with regard to…
Regarding...
As regards...
+ NOUN: your enquiry, our previous talk, the project
Giving a reason:
I'm (just) writing to…
I'm reaching you out to ...
Just a (quick) note to…
Just a short email to…
This is to...
Just a short email to…
This is to...
+ VERB
clarify…
Thanks (very much) for your email.
Further to your last email, …
In reply to your email, here are…
I´m sending you / attaching…
I've attached…
Please find attached / enclosed…
I look forward to your reply.
Offering more help:
Do not hesitate to contact us if you need any assistance.
If you have any other questions feel free to get in touch.
If you need more help contact me at the given numbers.
Let me know if you need anything else / if I can help you further.
General:
Thanks in advance for your help/cooperation.
Informal
Regards.
Best wishes.
All the best.
See you (soon).
Take care.
Bye (for now).
(just the name or initials)
(no close)
I´m interesting in receiving/finding out…
I would like to receive…
We would be grateful if…
Could/Can you please send me…?
Please send me…
Would be able to (help)…?
Can you help?
I´d appreciate a reply asap.
Please answer asap.
Thank you for your interest.
I'm pleased to send you…
I´m sending you… (in an attachment)
Please find the requested information attached.
We hope you find this satisfactory.
We hope you are happy/satisfied with this.
Thanks for choosing…
· When there will be a delay:
Your request is being processed.
We are working on your request.
I´d like to inform you of...
Just a few comments about your last mail:
I´m writing to tell you about/let you know…
Just a note to say…
Here's the low-down on…
Just to update you on…
FYI: this is to let you know…
Hope this helps.
Let me/us know if you need anything else.
Have you… yet?
Can you send… to me by Friday, please?
I need… by Thursday.
Just a quick note to arrange a time to meet.
I'm writing to set up/arrange…
How/What about Tuesday?
Is...OK?
Where should we meet?
Should I pick you up at/from…?
Just writing to confirm...
Tuesday is good for me.
Please send me an email by 5 pm today to confirm this.
Looking forward to seeing/meeting…
I'm sorry but I can't do/make Tuesday.
This is to let you now that I´ve had to put off/postpone…
I'm writing to call off/cancel…
I'm afraid I can't make/manage Friday. How about… instead?
I am /We are pleased to inform you…
I'm happy to tell you…
You´ll be happy/delighted to hear that…
We regret to tell/inform you…
I'm sorry, but
I am afraid that…
Unfortunately...
I'm writing to complain (about…).
We´re not happy with…
I was disappointed to find/hear…
I'm afraid that…
Unfortunately…
· For a delay in answering:
I do apologize for the delay in replying.
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you.
Sorry this is so late.
· For not being able to help:
Sorry, I don´t know.
I'm afraid I can't help you.
· For something more serious:
We must apologize for...
We deeply regret...
My sincere apologies (close)
We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
Please accept our apologies…
I´m so sorry...
ON: days of week
on Sunday/Friday
on the weekend [AmE]
AT: definite times, holiday periods
at 5 o´clock, at 2.30 p.m.
at midnight
at the end of the week/month
at the weekend [BrE]
at Easter/Christmas
at the moment (NOT: in the moment)
IN: time periods
in the morning/afternoon
in June/August
in five minutes
in the first/third quarter
BY: deadlines
by Friday/ 4 p.m./ next month (at the latest)
We must finish the report by Friday
(NOT: until Friday)
clarify…
follow up on…
confirm…
let you know…
inform you…
reply to…
request…
tell you…
thank you….
update you….
confirm…
let you know…
inform you…
reply to…
request…
tell you…
thank you….
update you….
Replying
Thanks (very much) for your email.
Further to your last email, …
In reply to your email, here are…
Re your email, I…
I'm following up the points mentioned in your email…
I'm following up the points mentioned in your email…
I apologise for not getting in contact with you before now.
Attaching files
I've attached…
Please find attached / enclosed…
Enclosed you will find ...
I'm sending you the document as an attachment
When things go wrong:
I´m afraid you forgot to attach the file/…
I'm afraid I can't open the file/document. Can/Could you send it again in… format, please?
I'm sending you the document as an attachment
When things go wrong:
I´m afraid you forgot to attach the file/…
I'm afraid I can't open the file/document. Can/Could you send it again in… format, please?
Friendly ending
When you want a reply:
Looking forward to hearing from you.
I'd appreciate a reply asap/ soon
I'd appreciate a reply asap/ soon
Offering more help:
If you have any other questions feel free to get in touch.
If you need more help contact me at the given numbers.
Let me know if you need anything else / if I can help you further.
General:
Informal
I'll get back to you asap…
Please get/keep in touch.
Keep me posted.
Hope all is well with you.
Have a nice day/weekend!
Have a nice day/weekend!
Close
Yours sincerely.
Kind/ Best.Regards.
Best wishes.
All the best.
See you (soon).
Take care.
Bye (for now).
(just the name or initials)
(no close)
Making enquiries
I´m interesting in receiving/finding out…
I would like to receive…
We would be grateful if…
Could/Can you please send me…?
Please send me…
Would be able to (help)…?
Can you help?
I´d appreciate a reply asap.
Please answer asap.
Replying to an enquiry
Thank you for your interest.
I'm pleased to send you…
I´m sending you… (in an attachment)
Please find the requested information attached.
We hope you find this satisfactory.
We hope you are happy/satisfied with this.
Thanks for choosing…
· When there will be a delay:
Your request is being processed.
We are working on your request.
Informing
Just a few comments about your last mail:
I´m writing to tell you about/let you know…
Just a note to say…
Here's the low-down on…
Just to update you on…
FYI: this is to let you know…
Hope this helps.
Let me/us know if you need anything else.
Requesting action
Have you… yet?
Can you send… to me by Friday, please?
I need… by Thursday.
Making arrangements
Just a quick note to arrange a time to meet.
I'm writing to set up/arrange…
How/What about Tuesday?
Is...OK?
Where should we meet?
Should I pick you up at/from…?
Confirming arrangements
I´d like to confirm…Just writing to confirm...
Tuesday is good for me.
Please send me an email by 5 pm today to confirm this.
Looking forward to seeing/meeting…
Changing arrangements
I'm sorry but I can't do/make Tuesday.
This is to let you now that I´ve had to put off/postpone…
I'm writing to call off/cancel…
I'm afraid I can't make/manage Friday. How about… instead?
Giving good news
I am /We are pleased to inform you…
I'm happy to tell you…
You´ll be happy/delighted to hear that…
Giving bad news
We regret to tell/inform you…
I'm sorry, but
I am afraid that…
Unfortunately...
Complaining
We´re not happy with…
I was disappointed to find/hear…
I'm afraid that…
Unfortunately…
Apologizing
· For a delay in answering:
I do apologize for the delay in replying.
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you.
Sorry this is so late.
· For not being able to help:
Sorry, I don´t know.
I'm afraid I can't help you.
· For something more serious:
We must apologize for...
We deeply regret...
My sincere apologies (close)
We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
Please accept our apologies…
I´m so sorry...
Prepositions of time
on Sunday/Friday
on the weekend [AmE]
AT: definite times, holiday periods
at 5 o´clock, at 2.30 p.m.
at midnight
at the end of the week/month
at the weekend [BrE]
at Easter/Christmas
at the moment (NOT: in the moment)
IN: time periods
in the morning/afternoon
in June/August
in five minutes
in the first/third quarter
BY: deadlines
by Friday/ 4 p.m./ next month (at the latest)
We must finish the report by Friday
(NOT: until Friday)
Useful verbs
I´d like to apologize for any inconvenience caused.
- to appreciate
We'd appreciate a reply.../I´d appreciate it if you could send me…
- to arrange
I'm writing to arrange a meeting.../ Can you arrange for somebody to collect me…?
- to ask (if)
Could I ask you to send me…?/ This is to ask if you could…
- to assist
Please let us know if we can assist you in any way.
- to clarify
I am writing to clarify the terms of the agreement.
- to complain
I'm writing to complain about.../I´m afraid I must complain about…
- to confirm
I´d like to confirm my booking.../the date of our next meeting.
- to contact
Please contact Mr… at our London office.
- to enquire
I´d like to enquire about…
- to follow up
Just wanted to follow up on that unpaid Invoice.
- to get in touch
Please get in touch (with me) asap.
- to inform
FYI: This is to inform you that.../inform you of a problem…
- to let sb know
Can you let me know the price of…?/This is to let you know that we
- to need
I need those figures on my desk before tomorrow´s meeting.
- to postpone
I´m afraid we´ve had to postpone the conference.
- to put off
Sorry, but we´re going to have to put off the meeting till next week.
- to receive
We've just received the invoice...
- to regret
We regret to inform you that…
- to reply
I'm writing to reply to your enquiry about…
- to send
We are sending you the handbook as an attachment.
- to sort out
Please can you sort out the mess with the accounts!
- to touch base
Just wanted to touch base with you before the meeting.
- to update
This is to update you on the Johnson account.
- to write
I'm writing to let you know…