Formal Email Writing - Email Vocabulary

Vocabulary - Common Mistakes and Questions

• Do not omit subjects unless they are already stated
• Attached please find the contract; will mail you a signed copy.
• I have attached the contract, and I will also send you a signed copy by mail.
• I have attached the contract and will also send you a signed copy by mail.
• Do not omit auxiliary verbs
• You want me to send you a sample?
• Do you want me to send you a sample?
• Would you like me to send you a sample?
• • Don't become too formal too soon
• • Wait for the other person to address you in a less formal tone
• • You can offer to be addressed more casually
• • Don't push it, be patient
• • Use the same formality you use in person or over the phone
• • If you are more formal in your email, it's going to sound strange or cold
• • If you are less formal, still use please and thank you
• • Be formal but be clear, don't overdo it
• • Don't write to impress, write to express

Vocabulary - Phrases, Verbs, and Nouns

Use single-word verbs instead of phrasal verbs:

• contact get in touch with
• omit leave out
• handle deal with
• inform fill in
• consider think about

Use formal instead of informal nouns:

• residence home occupation job currency money
• retail outlet store location place

Use formal instead of informal verbs:

• terminate end purchase buy reside live
• retain keep consume use
• More formal vs. informal suggestions:
• I apologize I am sorry
• We are delighted We're so happy
• I would like to inform you I wanna tell you
• however but
• therefore so
• That is acceptable That's OK

Vocabulary - Staying Neutral

• If you can't avoid a pronoun, use plural instead of he or she:
• Our average customer is not concerned with his product warranty.
• Our average customer is not concerned with his or her product warranty.
• Our average customer is not concerned with their product warranty.

Avoid gender-specific occupations:

• A good salesman keeps in regular contact with his customers.
• Good salespeople keep in regular contact with their customers.

Vocabulary - Shortened Forms

Do not use text message speak and Internet shorthand in the formal emails

LOL, IDK, Ru, 2b, @, Pls, L8r, IMHO, AFAIK, BTW, FYI, FWIW, POV

Use full words instead of shortened and colloquial ones:

• information info telephone phone television TV
• laboratory lab children kids guys men
• through thru night nite and &
• Mr., Dr., and Prof. are OK but only in front of a person's name:
• I need to see Dr. Kim. I need to see a doctor. I need to see a Dr.
• Use full words instead of abbreviations:
• number no. # date of birth d.o.b. maximum max.
• minimum min. minutes mins. months mos.
• versus vs. January Jan. street st.

Acronyms are created from the beginning letters and can be pronounced like words

NATO, scuba, UNICEF, AIDS, SARS, NASA

• Initialisms are created from the beginning letters and have to be spelled out

FBI, BBC, IBM, UK, USA

• For both acronyms and initialisms, write their long name in full the first time you use it

followed by the short version in parentheses that you can then use for all the following

mentions in your text.

Vocabulary - More Suggestions

• • Don't use any slang, jargon, and idioms
• • Even native speakers may not be familiar with the meaning
• • Do not repeat same words of phrases
• • Be extra careful when using same words with different meaning

Unnecessary words can be left out

• new innovation
• true facts
• added bonus
• ATM machine
• PIN number

Read here for the Complete Course of Formal Email Writing

1. Punctuation general rules for formal email writing
2. Email Grammer for formal email writing
3. Email Vocabulary 
4. Structure of the formal email
5. Email etiquettes

Avoid words that are not specific:

• really really good idea excellent idea
• stuff all this stuff on my desk all this paperwork on my desk
• things all the things all the issues
• sort of kind of enough a lot a few

Use more active verbs:

• We were at the meeting We attended the meeting