A. DEFINITION
An e-mail is a form of written communication sent by electronic means.
B. STRUCTURE
1. Subject line
Keep the subject line short and provide specific information about the content of the message. Use sentence-style capitalisation (first word and proper nouns).
2. Salutation
Tailor the salutation to the person you are writing to. The salutation generally starts with Dear followed by a name or position and ends with a comma.
Dear Marina, Dear Mr Davies,
Dear Head of Department, Dear Coordinator,
Less formal e-mails can also start with Hi or Hello followed by a comma.
3. Opening sentence
The opening sentence is commonly used to explain why you are writing. The following is an acceptable formal beginning to this sentence.
I am writing to inform you that…
And the following is an acceptable informal beginning.
I am writing to let you know that…
4. Body
Formal e-mails are very similar to formal letters. Therefore, the same guidelines can usually be applied. For useful language, see Section 11.6.2(v) Body.
5. Closing sentence
The closing sentence is commonly used to offer thanks or to state what kind of response you expect. The following is an acceptable formal closing sentence.
I look forward to your response.
And the following is an acceptable informal closing sentence.
I look forward to hearing from you.
6. Close
To close, use the formal Sincerely or the informal Kind regards followed by a comma.
7. Signature line
Write your first name or your full name, depending on the level of formality.
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C. MODEL E-MAILS