178 WRITING COACH You write formal emails to give or ask for information, respond to a request, apologise, make a complaint, offer suggestions, state facts or apply for a job. The recipient is usually someone that you don’t know very well or don’t know at all. Start your formal email with Dear + name (e.g. Dear Ms Smith) or Dear Sir or Madam if you don’t know the name. In some cases, you can also use a job title (e.g. Dear Hiring Manager) or the team name (e.g. Dear Project Team). It is important to be specific about the purpose of your email. It should be clear, polite and to the point. If necessary, inform the recipient of any action you expect them to take before signing off. The most common way to end a formal email today is Kind regards. It works well in business, academic and school contexts. Best wishes can be used in semi-formal emails, e.g. to a teacher you have spoken to before or a colleague you know. In traditional letters, you may also see Yours sincerely (when you start with Dear Mr/Ms …) or Yours faithfully (with Dear Sir or Madam). However, these are less common in emails today and are mostly used in very formal contexts. Sample task – formal email of enquiry You and your classmates would like to do a music project with a school in Ireland because your school has a strong focus on traditional music. Your music teacher has suggested reaching out to Kenmore Traditional Music School, which you came across on the internet. You have decided to write an email to the headteacher of Kenmore Traditional Music School. In your email you should: explain why you have chosen this particular school present your school’s focus on music enquire about a possible project you could do together Write around 250 words. Writing coach Formal email Formal emails in a nutshell: Start with: From: your name and email address To: the person you are writing to Subject (Re): the purpose of the email Address the recipient formally at the beginning and use an appropriate signoff at the end. Clearly state your purpose for writing in the opening lines. Start a new paragraph for each content point (bullet point). Highlight the personal significance of the ideas/events at the beginning of each paragraph. Explore the possibilities! Share music with friends from all over the world! <office@kenmusic.ie> Kenmore Traditional Music School Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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