How to Write a Professional Email in English
CEFR B1-B2 • Business English • Templates included for follow-ups, requests, and meeting invites
Why professional email matters more than you think
If you work for an international company, your written English is on display every time you hit Send. Spoken English forgives a lot — accent, pace, the wrong word recovered mid-sentence. Email forgives almost nothing. A poorly worded request lands like a demand. A casual sign-off in the wrong context reads as careless. The good news: business email is one of the most patterned forms of English you will ever encounter, and once you learn the patterns, you can write a clean, professional message in two minutes.
This guide gives you the structure, the phrasing, and three full templates you can copy and adapt today.
The five-part structure of a business email
Almost every professional email in English follows this shape. Memorize it once and you have the skeleton for thousands of future emails.
| Part | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subject line | Tell the reader what to expect in 6-10 words | "Q3 budget review — final numbers attached" |
| Greeting | Open with the right level of formality | "Hi Maria," / "Dear Dr. Chen," |
| Opening line | State your purpose in one sentence | "I'm writing to confirm our meeting on Thursday." |
| Body | Details, context, the actual ask | 2-4 short paragraphs, one idea each |
| Closing + sign-off | Wrap up + your name | "Best regards, Sofia" |
Greetings: matching tone to relationship
The greeting sets the temperature for the whole email. Get it wrong and the rest of the message reads stiff or sloppy. Here is the spectrum from formal to casual:
| Greeting | Use when | Formality |
|---|---|---|
| Dear Mr. Garcia, | First contact with a senior or external person | Very formal |
| Dear Sofia, | Formal but warm — clients, partners, HR | Formal |
| Hello Sofia, | Internal but cross-team, or a polite third email | Neutral |
| Hi Sofia, | Default for daily teammate emails in most companies | Friendly |
| Hi team, | Group emails to your immediate squad | Friendly |
| Hey Sofia, | Close colleagues only — too casual for clients | Very casual |
Opening lines: 15 examples by purpose
Listen to each example to hear the natural rhythm. Click the speaker icon to play.
When you are starting the conversation
When you are responding
When you are following up
When you need something done
When you have to deliver bad news
Closing lines and sign-offs
The closing is where most non-native speakers either over-formalize or trail off awkwardly. Here are the safe options for both halves of the closing:
| Closing line | Followed by sign-off | When |
|---|---|---|
| "Please let me know if you have any questions." | Best regards, | Most situations — internal or external |
| "Looking forward to your response." | Kind regards, | Formal external contacts |
| "Thanks again for your help on this." | Thanks, | Friendly, after someone helped you |
| "Happy to jump on a call if that's easier." | Cheers, | Internal, casual |
| "Appreciate your time on this." | Best, | Default friendly-professional |
Three ready-to-use templates
Template 1: The follow-up
You sent a proposal or request, and the other person has gone quiet. After 4-7 working days, send this:
Template 2: The polite request
You need someone to do something by a specific date, and you want it to land as a request, not a demand:
Template 3: The meeting invite
Use this when you need to set up a meeting with a person or small group, and you want to give them options instead of a fixed time:
Subject lines that get opened
The subject line is the only part of your email guaranteed to be read. Treat it like a headline.
Practice: Test yourself
Tap each question to reveal the answer.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Translating idioms from your native language. "I send you greetings" is a direct translation that sounds wrong in English. Use "Best regards" or "Best."
- Using "Please find attached the document." Stiff. Just write "I've attached [name of document]" or "Attached is the [name]."
- Apologizing too much. One sincere apology is professional. Three apologies in one email reads as anxious. Replace extra "sorry" with "thank you for your patience."
- Writing one giant paragraph. Break your email into 2-4 short paragraphs, one idea each. Anything longer than three lines should split.
- Using "Dear Sir/Madam" without a name. If you don't know the name, write "Hello," or "Hi there," — both modern and professional.
Where to go next
Master the email basics, then layer in tense and tone:
- Present Perfect vs Past Simple in Business Emails — the single tense decision that trips up most non-native English writers.
- Disagreeing Politely in English Business Emails — phrasing for pushback without sounding rude.
- Top 100 Business English Collocations — the verb+noun pairs ("make a decision," not "do a decision") that signal fluent writing.
- Phrasal Verbs for Software Development — push out, roll back, spin up, ship it.
- Back to Business English Hub
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the correct format for a professional email in English?
A professional English email follows a five-part structure: (1) a subject line that summarises the purpose in 6–10 words; (2) a salutation (Dear Mr./Ms. [surname] for formal, Hi [first name] for semi-formal); (3) an opening line that states the purpose; (4) the body with the main content in short paragraphs; and (5) a closing line followed by a sign-off such as Best regards or Sincerely. CEFR B2-level writers are expected to produce emails that are clear, appropriately formal, and well-organised (Cambridge English, CEFR Guidelines).
How do you start a professional email in English?
The most widely accepted formal opening is Dear Mr./Ms. [surname]. If you do not know the recipient's name, Dear [Job Title] or To Whom It May Concern are acceptable. For semi-formal business emails to a colleague, Hi [first name] is standard in North American and British workplaces. Avoid starting with Hey or a first name only in your first email to someone you have not met.
How do you politely ask for something in a professional email?
Use a modal verb to soften the request: Could you please send me…, Would it be possible to…, or I would appreciate it if you could…. Adding a reason makes the request more likely to succeed: Could you please send me the report by Thursday? I need it to prepare the client presentation. Avoid direct imperatives in formal contexts, as they read as commands. Cambridge English classifies this as a key B2–C1 politeness strategy.
What is the difference between formal and informal English emails?
Formal emails use full names in salutations, complete grammatical structures (no contractions), and conventional sign-offs (Yours sincerely, Best regards). Informal emails use first names, contractions, direct language, and casual sign-offs (Cheers, Thanks). CEFR guidelines (Council of Europe) place formal written correspondence at B2–C1 and informal written interaction at A2–B1. In most international business settings, semi-formal is the default register.
How do you follow up professionally without seeming rude?
Reference your previous message and give the recipient a reason for the follow-up: I am following up on my email of [date] regarding [topic]. I want to make sure it did not get lost in your inbox. Keep the tone neutral and assume the best of the recipient. A second follow-up after 5–7 business days is standard in most industries. Avoid phrases that imply blame such as You never replied or I'm still waiting.
How long should a professional email be?
Most professional emails should be between 50 and 200 words. State the purpose in the first sentence and list required actions as bullet points. Research cited by Nielsen Norman Group finds that business email readers scan rather than read sequentially, so front-loading key information and using short paragraphs (3–4 sentences each) improves comprehension. If a topic requires more than 200 words, consider whether a brief call or attached document would be more appropriate.