Write a Professional Email: Subject, Greeting, Body and Closing

Email is still the main way of writing at work. A good email saves time. A confusing one creates more emails, delays and misunderstandings. The good news is that a professional email has a simple structure that you can learn once and use for the rest of your career. This lesson shows the five parts, with examples you can copy and change.

The five parts

1. Subject line. A short title that says what the email is about.
2. Greeting. Dear or Hello, plus a name.
3. Opening line. Why you are writing, in one sentence.
4. Body. The details, in short paragraphs or a list.
5. Closing and signature. What you want next, a polite ending, and your name and contact details.

1. The subject line

Many people decide whether to open an email from the subject alone. A good subject is specific, short (under about 8 words) and tells the reader what to do or what it is about.

Weak:    Hello         /    Urgent!!!     /    Question
Better:  Invoice 1042: payment confirmation needed
Better:  Meeting on Thursday 10 am: please confirm
Better:  Application for Sales Assistant: Priya Nair
Better:  Request: leave on 14 and 15 June

• Put the key word first, such as Request, Question, Reminder, Update or Invoice number.
• Do not write in capitals or use many exclamation marks.
• Change the subject when the topic of a long conversation changes.

2. The greeting

Formal, name known:     Dear Mr Sharma,   /   Dear Ms Okafor,
Formal, name unknown:   Dear Sir or Madam,   /   Dear Hiring Manager,
Neutral:                Hello Priya,   /   Hi Priya,
Group:                  Hello everyone,   /   Dear team,
Informal:               Hi Sam,

Always check the spelling of the name. If you do not know whether a person is a man or a woman, you can use the full name: Dear Alex Morgan. After the greeting, use a comma. Start the next line with a capital letter.

3. The opening line

Say in one sentence why you are writing.

I am writing to ask about the delivery of order 5521.
I am writing to confirm our meeting on Thursday.
Thank you for your email of 3 June.
Following our call this morning, I am sending the details.
I hope you are well.   (friendly, optional, for people you know)

4. The body

• One main idea in each paragraph, two to four lines at most.
• If you ask several things, use a numbered list so the reader can answer each one.
• Give the facts the reader needs: dates, numbers, names, order numbers.
• Put the most important information first.
• Mention attachments in the text: I have attached the invoice.

I need three things from you:
1. The signed contract.
2. A copy of your ID.
3. Your bank details for the payment.

Please send them by Friday 14 June.

5. Closing and signature

End with what happens next, and thank the reader.

Please let me know if you need anything else.
I look forward to your reply.
Thank you for your help.

Kind regards,        (neutral and safe)
Best regards,        (friendly)
Yours sincerely,     (formal, when you used the person's name)
Yours faithfully,    (formal, when you used Dear Sir or Madam; mostly British)
Thanks,              (informal)

Add a simple signature with your full name, job title, company and phone number. This helps people to know who you are and how to reach you.

A complete sample email

This sample is made up to show the shape. Names and numbers are invented.

Subject: Request: delivery date for order 5521

Dear Mr Khan,

I am writing to ask about the delivery of order 5521, which we placed
on 3 June. The expected date was 10 June, but we have not received it.

Could you please tell me:
1. Where the order is now.
2. When we can expect delivery.

We need the goods for a customer event on 17 June, so an answer by
Wednesday would be very helpful.

Thank you for your help.

Kind regards,
Rohan Mehta
Purchasing Assistant, Bright Office Supplies
+91 00000 00000

Reply, Reply All and CC

• Reply answers only the sender. Reply All answers everyone, so use it only when everyone needs your answer. Many people get annoyed by unnecessary Reply All messages.
• CC (copy) is for people who should know, but do not need to act. BCC (blind copy) hides the names of recipients, which is useful for large mailings where people should not see each other's addresses.
• Do not forward private emails without permission.

Check before you send

1. Is the subject clear?
2. Is the person's name correct?
3. Did I include everything: dates, numbers, attachments?
4. Is the tone polite?
5. Did I read it once, slowly, for spelling and mistakes?
6. Is the right person in the To line? Check the address letter by letter.

A useful habit: write the email first, and add the address last. It stops you from sending an unfinished email by accident.

Your task

1. Write an email to a supplier asking for a delivery update, using the five parts.
2. Write five subject lines for different situations: a leave request, a meeting invitation, a payment reminder, a job application, a question to HR.
3. Check your email using the six-point list. Read it aloud once.

How to check it worked

• Your email has a clear subject, a greeting, an opening line, a short body and a closing with your name.
• Your subject lines would make sense if read alone.
• You can explain the difference between CC and BCC.