Choosing the right line for each move in a work email
I am writing to enquire about the delivery date - Quick question about the delivery date
How to use this sheet
A work email is not a piece of continuous writing. It is a short sequence of moves: you say what has prompted the message, you ask for something, you press for an answer when nothing comes back, you acknowledge a late response, and you close. Each move has a small stock of ready-made wordings that people reuse almost unchanged, so they are worth learning whole rather than assembled from scratch. Choosing between two wordings for the same move is rarely a question of meaning. The pair at the top of this page makes the same opening move twice, once at a formal distance and once as one colleague to another.
| Function | Phrase | Register note |
|---|---|---|
| Opening (first contact) | I am writing to ask about the March invoice. | Neutral. Safe with anyone you have not met. |
| Opening (reply) | Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. | Warm. Only when they wrote first. |
| Requesting (everyday) | Could you send me the updated figures? | Direct without being rude. Fine with colleagues. |
| Requesting (formal) | I would be grateful if you could confirm the date by Friday. | Formal. For clients and senior staff. |
| Requesting (attachment) | Please see the attached contract. | Plain and current. The older wording sounds dated. |
| Chasing (first reminder) | I just wanted to follow up on my message of 3 March. | Soft. Blames nobody. |
| Chasing (second reminder) | Could you let me know when I can expect a reply? | Firmer, still polite. Never sarcastic. |
| Apologising (small delay) | Sorry for the slow reply - I was away last week. | Light. Fine inside your own team. |
| Apologising (real problem) | Please accept our apologies for the delay. | Formal. Speaks for the company, not for you. |
| Refusing or giving bad news | I am afraid we cannot meet that deadline. | Standard softener. Neutral, not weak. |
| Closing (offer of help) | Do let me know if you need anything else. | Friendly. Invites a reply without demanding one. |
| Closing (sign-off) | Kind regards, | Neutral sign-off. Correct for almost every email. |
In use
I am writing to confirm the details of Thursday's meeting. Could you let me know by Wednesday whether the room is still free? Thank you for your help - I look forward to hearing from you.
Watch out
I am waiting your answer until Friday, thanks in advance.
Three things go wrong in the incorrect sentence above, and each of them is tempting. The verb it opens with needs a preposition before its object in English, while its nearest equivalent in several other languages takes an object directly, so the small word is simply left out. The time word before the day marks the end of a continuous stretch, which suggests you will sit at your desk all week; a deadline needs the other preposition, the one meaning at some point before. And the formula of gratitude at the end, offered before the reader has agreed to anything, quietly removes their right to refuse. Keep it for after they have acted, or use it only for something they have already promised.