Formal Email Writing - Email Grammer

Grammar - Polite Requests

• Make polite requests using modal verbs
• Modal verbs are:
• will, would shall, should can, could
• may, might must, have to
• Can I send you our latest catalog? informal
• Could I send you our latest catalog? formal
• May I send you our latest catalog? formal
• Can I suggest something? informal
• Could I suggest something? formal
• May I suggest something? formal
• Might I suggest something? very formal
• I want to ask you a question. informal
• I would like to ask you a question. more formal

Could you also carry a question of ability? If you're asking, "Do you want to do this?"

you can use either would or could. But if you need to ask, "Can you do this?" then

could is the right choice.

1. "Would you mind" followed by an -ing verb:
2. Would you mind sending me your proposal

Grammar - Indirect Questions

Be more polite by asking indirect questions

• What time is it?

o Could you tell me what time it is?

• Where is the closest bank?

o Would you happen to know where the closest bank is?

• Is it going to rain today?

o Do you have any idea if it is going to rain today?

• What time does the train leave?

o May I ask what time the train leaves?

• Why did you tell her that?

o I was wondering why you told her that.

• How have you managed to quit smoking?

o Can you tell me how you have managed to quit smoking?

• Is she going to be late?

o Do you know if she is going to be late?

• Below are some phrases you can use for indirect questions

• • Can is usually a little less formal than could
• • Would is typically more formal than could
• Can you tell me / Could you tell me / Would you mind telling me
• Do you know / Do you happen to know / Would you happen to know
• Do you have any idea / Have you any idea
• I was wondering / Can I ask / May I ask / I'd like to know
• Is there any chance / Would it be possible 

Grammar - Passive Voice

• The passive voice is more neutral and impersonal
• It works well for polite and formal language
• Use the active voice to emphasize accomplishments
• Use the passive voice to deemphasize a person or a team
• Use the passive voice for negative statements

Active voice:

subject verb object time marker

1. I walk my dog twice a day

Passive voice:

subject-verb time marker agent

1. My dog is walked twice a day (by me)

One of the main reasons for using the passive voice is to avoid mentioning the active

voice subject. So if the subject is not important, is unknown, or we just don't want to

say who it is, then the passive voice is the right choice.

Active: Our sales team did not reach their quarterly sales target.

Passive: The quarterly sales target was not reached.

Grammar - Impersonal Pronouns

Avoid: I, my, mine you, your, yours we, our and ours

Replace: I, you, we with one

Replace: my, mine, yours, ours with one's

1. You can't learn a language without lots of practice.
2. One can't learn a language without lots of practice.
3. When my computer freezes, I usually restart it.
4. When one's computer freezes, it's best to restart it.

You can also use it:

I don't understand why it's so hard to understand this.

It is not clear why this is so difficult to understand.

1. We think that this plan will make it happen.
2. It seems that this plan will be effective.

Read here for the Complete Course of Formal Email Writing 

Grammar - Distancing

Use tentative language to distance yourself from your statements

• Don't force your opinions on others
• This is the best English course ever.
• This may be the best English course I have ever taken.
• This could be the best English course of all time.
• This seems to (appears to) be the best English course.
• This is obviously (certainly) the best English course.
• This is probably the best English course.

State your opinion by saying:

• I believe that...
• In my view...
• As I see it...
• In my opinion...
• From my point of view...
• As far as I'm concerned...