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Learning Objectives

2 minutes reading
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Write clear, professional email subject lines
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Choose appropriate greetings and sign-offs
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Structure emails with purpose, details, and action
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Switch between formal and neutral tone
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Key for this lesson

Email structure: Subject → Greeting → Purpose → Details → Action → Closing. Keep it clear and concise!

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Grammar Explanation

4 minutes reading
Formal Emails

To Clients, Senior Staff, External Partners

Dear + Title + Surname

Greeting: "Dear Ms Lee," / "Dear Mr Johnson,"

Opening: "I am writing to enquire about..."

Closing: "Yours sincerely," (if you know name)

Dear Ms/Mr...I am writing to...Yours sincerely
Neutral Emails

To Colleagues, Regular Contacts

Hi + First name

Greeting: "Hi Sarah," / "Hello Team,"

Opening: "I'm writing to let you know..."

Closing: "Best regards," / "Kind regards,"

Hi/Hello...I'm writing to...Best regards
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Tone Ladder

Formal: Dear Sir/Madam → Professional: Dear Ms Lee → Neutral: Hi Sarah → Informal: Hey! (avoid in business)

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Context & Professional Usage

5 minutes reading

Email Structure

📋Subject: "Meeting Request: Q4 Budget Review"
👋Greeting: "Dear Ms Thompson,"
🎯Purpose: "I'm writing to request a meeting..."
📎Attachment: "Please find attached..."

Common Phrases

✉️Reference: "Further to your email of 5th June..."
🙏Request: "I would be grateful if you could..."
⏰Deadline: "Please respond by Friday."
📞Follow-up: "Please don't hesitate to contact me."
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Business English Examples

6 minutes reading
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Professional Email Language

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"I'm writing to confirm our meeting on Tuesday."

Clear purpose statement

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"Please find attached the quarterly report."

Formal attachment reference

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"I would be grateful if you could send the data by Friday."

Polite request with deadline

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"I look forward to hearing from you."

Professional closing line

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Common Email Mistakes

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"Hey!" (to a client)

Use: "Dear Mr/Ms..." for clients

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"ASAP" (demanding tone)

Use: "by [date]" or "at your earliest convenience"

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"Thx" / "Pls" (abbreviations)

Use: "Thank you" / "Please"

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Professional Listening Exercise

6 minutes

Listen to Anna and Liam discussing how to write a professional email to a client:

🎵Audio: Email Writing Review
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Speed:

Characters:

Anna: Project Coordinator

Liam: Senior Communications Manager

(Sound of office environment, typing)

Anna: Liam? I need to send an email to Mr. Ishikawa to provide an update on the project.

Liam: Of course. What's your subject line?

Anna: "Project Update."

Liam: Let's make it more specific. Try "Update on Alpha Project Timeline."

Anna: Good idea. For the opening, I wrote: "Dear Mr. Ishikawa, I am writing to provide an update on the project timeline."

Liam: That's a perfect formal opening. Now, for the main body, remember to be professional.

Anna: I've written: "Due to a supplier issue, there is a small delay. I've attached the revised schedule."

Liam: Let's make that attachment phrase more formal. Use "Please find the revised schedule attached." It's better for a client.

Anna: Okay, I'll change that. For the closing, I put, "I look forward to hearing from you."

Liam: That's a good closing line. And your sign-off?

Anna: "Best regards,"

Liam: Perfect. That email uses a clear structure and all the right professional phrases.

Vocabulary:

Subject line: The brief title at the top of an email.

Opening line: The first sentence that explains why you're writing.

Sign-off: The polite phrase at the end before your name.

Formal tone: Professional and respectful language for business clients.

Subject line: The brief title at the top of an email.

Opening line: The first sentence that explains why you're writing.

Sign-off: The polite phrase at the end before your name.

Formal tone: Professional and respectful language for business clients.

Question 1: What is the main purpose of Anna's email?

💡 Hint: Listen for "I am writing to provide an update..."

Question 2: Which subject line does Liam suggest?

💡 Hint: Listen for "Try... Update on Alpha Project Timeline."

Question 3: Which phrase does Liam suggest is more formal for sending a document to a client?

💡 Hint: Listen for "Let's make that attachment phrase more formal."

Question 4: Anna uses a standard formal sign-off: "_______ _______."