Business Emails

Master Email Writing In English : A complete guide for non-native speakers

Today’s session is especially important for those who find email writing challenging. My goal is to teach you how to write formal emails effectively. Additionally, I will provide some examples of informal emails so you can easily see the differences and learn how to apply the rules in your own writing.

I have noticed that students at the A2–B1 level often struggle to find formal vocabulary. For instance, many of my students tend to write "need" instead of the more formal "requirements." Today, we will focus on improving your word choice and overall email structure.

Conversation starters

❓Do you feel confident writing business emails in English?

❓How frequently do you write business emails at work ?

❓What is the most common reason you write emails? (requests, updates,

complaints, scheduling, etc.)

❓Have you ever misunderstood an email or been misunderstood?

What happened?

❓What mistakes do you think people often make in business emails?

❓What parts of a business email are hardest for you? (subject line,

opening, closing, grammar)

❓How did you learn to write business emails?

❓What would you like to improve most about your email writing?

Now, you will look at some examples and identify

whether each one is a formal or informal email.

Email :1 Subject: Request for Updated Information on Dior Treasure R II Glasses Dear David, I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to request the most recent information regarding the Dior Treasure R II glasses, as I am considering placing an order shortly. To proceed, I would greatly appreciate it if you could provide the following details at your earliest convenience: Current price of the product Availability status Expected restock dates, if currently unavailable Your prompt response will be highly appreciated, as it will allow me to make timely purchasing decisions. Thank you very much for your kind assistance. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Sincerely, [Your Name]

Email: 2 Subject: Quick Update on Dior Treasure R II Glasses  Hello David, Hope you’re doing well! I wanted to check in and see if you could share the latest info on the Dior Treasure R II glasses. Could you let me know: The current price Whether they’re in stock And any expected restock dates if they’re unavailable Thanks a lot in advance! Looking forward to your update. Best Regards, XXX

Exercise : Read the email from Anna Roberts and

make it more formal by replacing the underlined

words with the words in the box.

Word box:

request confirm regarding provide however unfortunately receive discussed inconvenience appreciate available inform

Subject Re :Conference room booking

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Hi Daniel,

I’m writing to you about the conference room you asked for last week.

I’m happy to say that we can give you the main conference room on the

second floor, as we talked about in our meeting.

But, I’m sorry to say that the projector you wanted is not free on that date.

One option we can offer is a portable projector, which is easy to set up

and works well for small groups. I know this may cause some problems,

and I’m sorry about that.

I’ve attached the booking details for you to look at. If everything is OK, please

let me know so we can send you the confirmation by Friday.

Thanks for your help.

Best Regards,

Anna Roberts

*Teacher Notes  writing to you about → regarding                         asked for → requested give you → provide     talked about → discussed         But → However free → available    problems → inconvenience          OK → acceptable send → inform / confirm        Thanks for your help → I appreciate your assistance

Common Formal Email Expressions 

1. Opening / Greetings

Purpose                                       Expressions

General                                                        Dear [Name],

                                                            Dear Mr./Ms. [Last Name],

                                                                 To Whom It May Concern,

Polite introduction                         I hope this message finds you well.

                                                     I am writing to you regarding…

2. Making Requests

Expression Type                            Examples

Polite request                                         Could you please provide…?

                                                              Would you be able to send…?

                                                              I would appreciate it if you could…

Formal phrasing                                         I am writing to request…

                                                                   Please be so kind as to…

3. Asking Questions Politely

Expression Type                               Examples

Polite question                                        Could you please confirm…?

                                                                  Would you mind sending me…?

                                                                I would be grateful if you could clarify…

 

Alternative                                                May I ask…?

                                                         Would it be possible to…?

*Important:

 Always add +Ing in the verb if using do you mind or would 

you mind structure.

Alternative                                           May I ask…?

                                                     Would it be possible to…?

4. Providing Information

Expression Type                                  Examples

Sharing details formally                               Please find attached…

                                                               For your reference, I have included…

                                                                I would like to inform you that…

5. Apologies / Clarifications

Expression Type                  Examples

Apologizing                     I apologize for any inconvenience caused.

                                       Please accept my apologies for the delay.

                                       We regret any misunderstanding.

Clarifying                                             I would like to clarify…

                                                      For the avoidance of doubt…

6. Closing / Sign-offs

Expression Type                                 Examples

Formal sign-offs                                        Sincerely,

                                                                    Best regards,

                                                                    Yours faithfully,

                                                                    With kind regards,

Optional polite note                       Thank you for your kind attention.

                                                          I look forward to your response.

                                          Your assistance in this matter is greatly appreciated.

Things to remember for formal emails Do not use phrasal verbs like go over, hand in, put off, call off instead use review, submit, postpone, cancel. Do not use abbreviation and contractions don’t, ASAP, FYI Avoid slang and casual expressions Use polite modals like, could, would, may Avoid using informal words like need, get, talk ( require, receive, discuss)

🧠Email writing practice

👉Exercise 1: Subject Line Practice

Scenario: Request a meeting with your manager.
Task: Write 3 possible subject lines.
 

Possible Answers:

• Meeting Request: Project Update
  
  

• Request for Meeting: Budget Discussion
  
  

• Scheduling a Meeting – Next Steps on Project X
  
  

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👉Exercise 2: Error Correction

Email with mistakes:

Hi John,  

I want report. Send ASAP. Thanks.  

Bye.  

Task: Rewrite politely and professionally.

 Answer:

Hi John,  

I hope you are doing well. Could you please send me the report

at your earliest convenience?  

Thank you in advance.  

Best regards,  

[Your Name]

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👉Exercise 3    Confusing words (Actuellement /Assister/Réaliser/Prétendre)

Hi Marie,

I am emailing you because I actuellement work on a new project this week. I hope you can assister me with the research.

Corrected version:
I am emailing you because I actually work on a new project this week.

I hope you can aider me with the research.

👉Can you translate this sentence in English?

Je vais assister à la réunion demain pour présenter nos résultats. Peux-tu m’aider ?

I am going to attend the meeting tomorrow to present our results. Can you help me?

Commonly Confusing French Words (False Friends) French word Looks like (English) Real meaning in English Correct example (French) English meaning actuellement actually currently / at the moment Je travaille actuellement sur ce projet. I am currently working on this project. assumer assume take responsibility for Il doit assumer ses décisions. He must take responsibility for his decisions. aider assist help Peux-tu m’aider avec ce rapport ? Can you help me with this report? assister (à) assist attend / be present at Je vais assister à la réunion. I am going to attend the meeting. réaliser realize achieve / carry out / understand Elle a réalisé son objectif. She achieved her goal. prétendre pretend claim / assert Il prétend être expert. He claims to be an expert.

Excercise 4 Convert Informal email to Formal email

Informal email

Subject: Update to company policies for 2026 Hi everyone, Just wanted to let you know about some changes in our company policies starting in 2026. We’ve updated the working hours, remote work rules, and leave policy. You can check out the full details in the document I’ve attached. If anything isn’t clear, feel free to reach out to me. We’ll also talk about these changes in our next team meeting.  Thanks for taking the time to read this. Best, Alex

Possible Answer

Dear ABC I am writing to inform you of several updates to the company policies that will be implemented in 2026. These changes concern working hours, remote working arrangements, and the company leave policy. Detailed information regarding these updates is provided in the attached document for your review. Should you require any further clarification or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. The revised policies will also be discussed in detail  during our upcoming team meeting.  Thank you for your cooperation and attention to these changes. Yours sincerely, Alex

I hope this email writing session has been helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them in the comment section below.

If you want to practice more topics you can click below👇

👉Culture connect

👉Meetings

👉Branding