Ready-made lines for opening and closing an email
Dear Ms Carter - Yours sincerely
How to use this sheet
Readers of workplace email judge the tone before they read the content, and the opening and closing lines carry most of that tone. The table sorts ready-made lines into three levels of formality; the safe rule is to pick one column and stay in it from the first line to the last. The middle column is the default for most everyday work email - keep the first for strangers, officials and first contact, and the last for colleagues you already chat with.
| Purpose | Formal | Neutral | Informal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greeting (you know the name) | Dear Ms Carter, | Hello Anna, | Hi Anna, |
| Greeting (no name) | Dear Sir or Madam, | Hello, | Hi there, |
| Opening line | I hope this message finds you well. | I hope you're doing well. | How's it going? |
| Reason for writing | I am writing with regard to your invoice of 12 May. | I'm writing about the May invoice. | Just a quick note about the invoice. |
| Attaching a document | Please find the report attached. | I've attached the report. | Here's the report. |
| Requesting a reply | I would appreciate a response at your earliest convenience. | Could you get back to me this week? | Let me know when you can! |
| Offering help | Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions. | Feel free to ask if anything is unclear. | Give me a shout if you need anything. |
| Closing thanks | Thank you for your time and consideration. | Thanks for your help. | Thanks a lot! |
| Sign-off (you know the name) | Yours sincerely, | Best regards, | Cheers, |
| Sign-off (no name) | Yours faithfully, | Kind regards, | Take care, |
In use
Dear Ms Carter, I am writing with regard to the March invoice. I've attached the report - could you get back to me by Friday? Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Watch out
Dear Mr Evans, give me a shout when the report is ready.
Never mix columns: a formal greeting followed by a chatty closing line reads as careless, not friendly. Note the pairing rule in the last two rows - the formal sign-off in row 9 goes with a greeting that names the person, while the one in row 10 belongs with the nameless greeting in row 2. Greetings and sign-offs end with a comma, never a full stop.