- •General idea of postgraduate studies
- •Academic Ranks and Titles
- •Eee (Entrance Examination in English)
- •About myself and my background
- •2.2 Supervisory arrangements of candidate programme training
- •2.3 The University support to research students
- •2.4 Gathering of scientific information
- •3.1 How to process ideas and write a scientific paper?
- •If you can’t explain it simply you don’t understand it well enough
- •Examination of the thesis
- •5.1 Typical Conference Organization and Participation
- •Is worth a month's study of books.
- •Make up a dialogue with your group mate to clear up your knowledge of English clichés and patterns for conferencing. The following questions can help your communicating.
- •5.3 Virtual conferences and real-time presentations
- •Guidelines for writing formal emails in English
- •6.1 Содержание экзаменационного контроля (кандидатского экзамена)
- •Visiting Card Template
- •6.3 Resume (ae). Cv (Curriculum Vitae) (be).
- •Curriculum Vitae
- •Glossary
- •6.5 Пример объявления о виртуальной конференции
- •3Rd International Multidisciplinary Scientific Conference (ScieConf 2016) on Advanced Research in Scientific Areas
- •Conference Scope
- •Intelligent and Smart systems
- •Abstract, annotation, comments, summary
- •6.7 Keys to grammar exercises
Guidelines for writing formal emails in English
Email is a tool for communicating within researchers all over the world. Investigating challenging problems or working on various projects, scientists can receive a quick response within the same working day and have sufficient backup to understand the progress in solving the problem. Read the text, memorize the word list, and working in groups of two, exchange emails between yourselves.
Brevity is the soul of wit
Email is one of the communication forms which main purpose is to pass information to another person or people. Its structure includes quite certain parts which should be written perfectly professional. Typically it begins with a salutation and expressing thanks to the recipient. The next part states the purpose of the massage which is followed by adding some closing remarks. The last part includes an appropriate closing with the sender’s name. Keep in mind that a descriptive subject line (the exact subject) should be used to reflect the massage content, and may contain a key word which helps the reader remember and search for a certain message in a crowded inbox. You do not need to write your mailing address or email address. Typically, you may include your business phone number and/or business website URL at the end of the email, writing this information under your name.
Be careful about the contents, and try to make your emails informative and polite avoiding emoticons, smileys or too many exclamation marks but use a neutral tone. Formal email cannot allow any personal comments, confidential information or ambiguous English.
Addressing the recipient by name requires a proper salutation. The person's titles (Mr. Mrs. Ms. or Dr.) are followed by their last names with a comma or a colon. Using a last name is more formal so the formal email may begin with “Dear Mr. Rouling”, “Dear Mrs. Pouling”. Start with “To whom it may concern”, “Dear Sir”, “Dear Madam”, “Dear Sir/Madam”and Dear partners, / Dear managers if you don’t know the name of the person you are writing to. But it would be better if you really try to find the recipient’s name.
Typically the email should not be more than five paragraphs long with a line break separating each paragraph which may contain about five sentences. Keep the sentences clear and short because people want to read emails quickly. The first sentence should tell the reader what your email is about but do not forget to introduce yourself if you write for the first time. Your closing remarks should explain to the recipient what activities you are waiting from him. Making your purpose clear and moving into the main text, try to keep to only one point in each email.
In formal emails avoid using Caps Lock (even for important facts), contractions (e.g. it's, aren't etc...), too many punctuation marks (exclamation marks, question marks) and, what is more, many phrasal verbs which are considered by some people to be too informal and unprofessional. Don’t use informal chat contractions (lol = laughing out loud, thx = thanks, omg = Oh my God) and emoticons because they may appear unfamiliar to your recipient. To present a professional image of yourself you’ll also need to pay careful attention to proofreading of your message for content not to omit any important details.
Finally, before you hit the send button, review your email to make sure you haven’t repeated yourself and observed grammar, spelling and punctuation.
It’s polite to thank your recipient one more time before you end your email, and add some polite closing remarks such as “Thank you for your patience and cooperation”. You might also write “Thank you for your consideration” and then follow up with, “If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to let me know” and “I look forward to hearing from you”.
The last step in formal email is to include an appropriate closing with your name. Keep in mind that the correct form of leave-taking depends on your level of intimacy with the recipient. “Best regards”, “Sincerely”, and “Thank you” are all professional but “Best wishes” or “Cheers” are good for close friends.
Sign the email with your full name which is followed by your job title in the line after your name. You may also write the department or university or even website in the line after that. You may include your own blog or website related to the content of the e-mail below your name. If you want to send any attachments write about them anywhere in your message using the following words "Please refer to the attached document." Try not to send heavy attachments. Send your recipient web addresses or zipped files.
Table 19 Word List
№ |
Words and word combinations |
Translation |
1. |
ambiguous |
двусмысленный |
2. |
attachment |
вложение |
3. |
Caps Lock |
фиксация регистра прописных букв |
4. |
chat contractions |
чатовые аббревиатуры |
5. |
crowded inbox |
переполненный ящик для входящих сообщений |
6. |
descriptive subject line |
адресная строка, строка темы |
7. |
emoticon |
символ эмоций |
8. |
job title |
должность |
9. |
leave-taking |
прощание |
10. |
line break |
межстрочный интервал |
11. |
person's title |
звание человека |
12. |
recipient |
адресат |
13. |
send button |
клавиша «отправить» |
14. |
sender |
отправитель |
15. |
zipped file |
архивированный файл |
Exercise 5.4.1
While writing a brief and informative email you should think about its structure and of the person who is going to read your message. Ask yourself, will he be able to clearly understand what you've written? How should you mention that your email includes an attachment? How should you end your email if it is a formal one? What are the correct forms of leave taking depending upon the relation between the recipient and the sender? Look through the table below and memorize the clichés for your correct emailing.
Table 20 Email structure and possible language
№ |
Function |
Content |
Situation |
Clichés |
1. |
Greetings or salutation |
Addressing the person you’re contacting.
|
Options for men and for women.
|
Dear Mr/Ms [followed by surname] Ms is replacing Mrs and Miss |
|
Addressing a recipient you are on first-name terms. |
Dear [followed by name], |
||
|
Greeting a recipient if you know each other very well. |
Hi [ followed by name], |
||
2. |
Opening phrases |
Polite explaining phrases |
Providing the reason for writing . |
|
|
Responding to the e-mail sent by your recipient. |
I am writing in relation to the e-mail I received … I am writing in connection with … I am writing with regard to … With reference to…, I would like to inform you that… I am writing to enquire about … I am interested in … (joining your Program) and would like to know … (the start dates) . .. |
||
|
Apologizing to your recipient if you’ve been unable to respond to the original e-mail for a while (on time). |
Sorry for the late reply, I have been… I am sorry it has taken me so long to respond to your query … I apologize for any inconvenience caused by the delay… |
||
|
|
Expressing gratitude |
Thanking your recipient
|
Thank you so much for the quick response, I really appreciate it! Thank you for your email of 11th July, asking about … enquiring about …/ concerning … (the upcoming TOEFL exam dates). |
|
|
|
Making the recipient feel appreciated. |
Thank you for getting in touch with me (us)! Thank you for your email of 11th July regarding … (the upcoming meeting). Thank you for your prompt reply. Thanks for getting back to me. — Спасибо, что ответили мне |
3. |
Providing information |
Informing the recipient of your opinion and decision. |
Starting a sentence for providing specific information to the recipient. |
I am writing to / I would like to inform you that… I am writing to let you know that… |
|
||||
|
Describing the attached information |
I am attaching the file (report, spreadsheet etc.) you requested, to this e-mail. Please see the file attached. |
||
|
Informing the recipient about the facts based on a particular source of information. |
According to the information available to me,… |
||
|
Providing bad (good) news such as refusals via an e-mail. |
I regret to inform you that… I am pleased to inform you that… With reference to our telephone conversation on Friday, I would like to let you know that… (your paper has been selected for publication.). |
||
4. |
Asking for information / favours |
Putting an inquiry, query or request to smb |
Asking for some specifics via an e-mail. |
I would really appreciate if you could provide me with some information on… |
|
||||
|
A request asking the other person to do something for you. |
I would be grateful if you could… I was wondering if you could…? |
||
|
Contacting someone via an e-mail to ask for favours |
I understand you must be extremely busy at this time of the year, but I would really appreciate if you could… |
||
|
Apologizing for giving the other person very little time to respond to your e-mail. |
I am sorry to ask you this on such short notice, but… |
||
5. |
Making promises |
Getting in touch with a recipient |
Reassuring the e-mail recipient of a successful end-result. |
I can assure you that… I will look into the matter as soon as possible… |
|
||||
|
Getting in touch with the other person when the information is available. |
and I will inform you in due course |
||
6. |
Closing phrases
|
Ways of closing the e-mail and encouraging the recipient to contact you if he has any need to do so. |
Closing e-mails when responding to a recipient’s query. |
If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me / feel free to contact me at any time! |
|
||||
|
Finishing the e-mail and letting the other persons know that you’re eager to hear from them soon. |
I am looking forward to hearing from you soon I look forward to hearing from you. I look forward to your reply. |
||
|
Finishing off your e-mail and reassuring the recipient to get back to you in case he needs something. |
Please let me know how I can be of further assistance
Please let me know if you… |
||
|
Formal general closing of the e-mail. It basically tells the recipient to keep you informed. |
Please advise as necessary
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. |
||
7. |
Complementary close (followed by your name) |
Finishing the email communication |
Paying your respect to the person who’s going to read the e-mail.
|
Best Regards, Kind Regards, Sincerely Yours, Yours Truly, Respectfully, Yours cordially, Yours faithfully, (if “Dear Sir / Dear Madam” was used) Yours sincerely, (if “Dear Mr.Jones” was used) Thank you for your cooperation. |
|
||||
|
Writing to a recipient who is on first-name terms with you. |
“All the best”, “Have a nice day”, “Take care”, |
||
8. |
Attachment |
|
Clichés for appropriate attachements |
Please find attached … (photos from the conference). I am attaching … (my CV for your consideration). I am sending you … (the brochure) as an attachment. |
9. |
Sample e-mail |
Clichés used in real email communication.
|
Dear Mr Crowlie, Thank you for getting in touch with us, and I really hope that this marks the beginning of a long and mutually beneficial relationship between us! With reference to your suggestion, I would like to inform you that our laboratory is ready to discuss and I am writing to inform you that one of our engineers is going to be in touch with you within the next 24 hours to arrange a visit. Also, I would be really grateful if you could respond to this e-mail today with a filled in contract – please see the application form attached below. I am sorry to ask you this on such short notice, but please allow me to point out that it is in your best interests to get it done as quickly as possible to avoid any delays due to busy schedule of our experts in the area. Thank you for your cooperation. I am looking forward to hearing from you soon, Yours sincerely, Alexander Toore Senior Research Officer |
|
Exercise 5.4.2
Work in groups of two to make up the dialogues for checking your practical knowledge of using formal emails in scientific communication. The following questions can help you and your partner.
How will you address the recipient of your email message?
What is the way to address a lady recipient if you don’t know her marital status?
How will you address a recipient whom you know on a more personal level?
When can you address a recipient by his name?
What clichés can you write to state your purpose?
How would you begin a sentence explaining why you’re writing the e-mail?
What is a perfect way of apologizing to a recipient for keeping him waiting?
What clichés can convey the response message to another e-mail sent by your recipient?
What could you write in case you’ve been unable to respond to the e-mail?
How can you start your email if you are unable to respond because you are away on a business trip?
How would you warmly appreciate your recipient?
How can you give good or bad news?
What is the right way to ask for information or favours?
How will you reassure the e-mail recipient of a successful end-result?
How could you apologize?
What will you write to finish off your e-mail?
Part VI Appendix