The professional e-mail in English
The layout of an e-mail, the three registers and their greeting and sign-off pairs, set phrases by function, abbreviations, dates and deadlines, and the classic mistakes French speakers make.
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Each topic is weighted the way the exam weighs it.
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A few cards from the deck
Please find attached: what is it?
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A neutral or formal phrase announcing that a document comes with the message.
It is the stock phrase for attachments. In a lighter message, write “I've attached…”. The word-for-word “I join the file” does not exist.
You are writing to a customer service department and do not know the manager's name. Which pair fits?
- Dear Sir or Madam … Yours faithfully
- Dear Sir or Madam … Yours sincerely
- Dear Ms Jones … Yours faithfully
- Hi there … Yours faithfully
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Dear Sir or Madam … Yours faithfully
With no name, the greeting is “Dear Sir or Madam” and the British sign-off is “Yours faithfully”. “Yours sincerely” needs a name after “Dear”.
After “Dear Sir or Madam”, you close with “Yours …”; after “Dear Ms Jones”, with “Yours …”.
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After “Dear Sir or Madam”, you close with “Yours faithfully”; after “Dear Ms Jones”, with “Yours sincerely”.
The sign-off follows the greeting: no name, “faithfully”; a name, “sincerely”.
I look forward to hearing from you: what is it?
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A closing line saying you expect a reply; the verb that follows takes the -ing form.
Here “to” is a preposition, not the infinitive marker: you also write “I look forward to meeting you”. “I look forward to hear” is the classic mistake.
Which of these sentences is correct?
- I am agree with you.
- I agree with you.
- I agree to you.
- I am agreed with you.
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I agree with you.
“agree” is a verb followed by “with” (agree with someone): no auxiliary “be”. “Agree to” is for accepting a proposal, not for sharing someone's view.