We send so many different kinds of communications now; email, Whatsapp, WeChat, instant messages… and it can be difficult to hit the right tone in all these messages. It’s even harder if you are communicating in a foreign language. I have been an English teacher for many years. I find people who are learning English tend to adopt an overly formal tone when writing emails.
Or I get emails complete with emojis and LOLs, which aren't appropriate either. One student recently sent me an email that ended with ‘a kiss'. I like this student, but ‘a kiss’ is not the correct sign-off for an email about homework. So, after you have spent time composing the perfect email , how can you make sure you don't ruin it with an inappropriate ending?
In this post, we will look at how to sign off different kinds of emails, in English. If you want immediate answers to other questions about learning English, consider joining an English class for adults. You can find them here (LINK to landing page for English for Adults. Link to page in local language)
Know your email audience
Is important to consider your audience. Writing an email is a real-life task and the consequences of getting it wrong can be embarrassing, especially if you are writing an email at work.
1. How to end casual emails to friends and family
If you are writing to a friend, you can be informal and friendly, even affectionate. Here are some typical endings for these types of friendly emails:
See you soon,
Love,
Marta
Speak soon,
lots of love,
Jordi xx
Chat later,
Marc
In some languages it is common to end a mail to a friend with a 'kiss' or an ‘hug’, however this doesn't translate into the English language. When you write in English, you can end a message to close family or friends with a 'virtual' kiss (an 'X' or 'XXX'). But never end a work email with kisses or XXX, no matter how much you like your boss or your colleagues.
2. How to end emails to colleagues, teachers or classmates
If your email in English is related to work or study, it’s best to choose a friendly, yet formal tone. Imagine you are writing to someone you know quite well, someone you deal with often. Most people have their preferred style of email sign-off, so you can decide what feels comfortable for you. Appropriate sign-offs here might be:
Regards,
Dan
Best wishes,
Eva
Best regards,
Cho
Best,
Javi
Thanks,
Pol
Cheers,
Miriam
People who are very busy (or who don't like typing!) sometimes just write the first initial of their name ('R' for Ray, for example). This is fine if you know the person very well -- but it will seem strange or offhand if you don't know them well. If you want to add a more personal touch, you might like to add something like 'have a good weekend' or 'have a good week', depending on when you send your email.
3) How to end an email to people you don't know
This is the most tricky type of email to send, especially if it is the first time you have contacted someone. Emails in English tend to be less formal than a paper letter – but do not confuse emails with text messages. Your emails should still contain full sentences, correct English grammar and be well organised and easy to read . Equally, the sign-off should reflect the rest of the message.
Some suggestions for neutral or formal sign-offs for an email in English are:
Best regards / Kind regards, / Regards,
Jon
Many thanks,
Alvaro
or, you could choose the slightly friendlier,
Best wishes,
Elena.
Generally speaking, we don't use 'Yours sincerely,' or 'Yours faithfully,' in emails. But if you are writing a very formal email (or a complaint email), you can sign-off with:
Sincerely,
Diego
If you are responding to an email from another person, it is a good idea to follow the tone they use in their mail. For example, if someone ends their email to you with 'All the best', it's probably a good idea to use a similar sign-off, rather than 'Sincerely'.
If you are writing an email in English at work, it is common to sign-off with just your first name. Work emails usually include your full name and content details anyway, in the footer.
Do this check before you sign off your email in English
Before you sign off the email, pause and check what your email has been about. Have you been giving information? Or asking for information? Or thanking someone? This will help you decide how to sign off. Here are some suggestions:
For an e-mail asking for information
Formal: I look forward to hearing from you soon,
Less formal: Looking forward to hearing from you
For an e-mail giving information
Formal: If you need any further information, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
Less formal: Please let me know if you need anything else.
For an e-mail asking for help
Formal: Many thanks in advance for your help.
Less formal: Thanks again for all your help on this.
For an e-mail answering a question
Formal: I hope that you will find this information useful.
Less formal: Hope this helps - let me know if you have more questions.
So, next time you write an email, think about who you are writing to, and the purpose of your emai. This will help you finish it in the right way. Email doesn't need to be written like a formal letter, but neither should it contain emojis and excessive use of exclamation marks!!!!! or other punctuation. If you follow these guidelines your emails should hit just the right tone, every time.
All the best,
Cath