How to Compose a Formal Email

Do you need to compose a formal email to your boss, professor, or someone of importance and have no idea where to start? These simple instructions will make the process easy to both do and comprehend.

Electronic device

On your computer, phone, tablet or other electronic device open up your email account. In your personal or business email, click the "compose new email" button.

Make sure that you type in the accurate email address.

The subject of the email should be a brief statement, clearly describing the intent or purpose of the email. The subject should be typed in the subject category of the email and in all capital letters, excluding words like and, or, exc. that do not need to be capitalized.

The first line of your formal email should address the recipient by their full name or their last name, using their proper sir name such as Mr., Mrs., or Ms. If you are unsure if a female recipient is married or not, always use Ms. After typing their name, use a common and click enter on your computer to bring you to the next line down.

Your message should follow proper grammar guidelines and be clear and professional. Avoid using any abbreviations or slang words. Try to focus on the point of your email rather than "beating around the bush" and adding filler sentences that make your email longer to read.

Following the message of your email, hit the enter key on your electronic device twice to skip to the line two spaces down. Close your email by typing something like "Sincerely" or "Thank You". Follow these words with a comma and hit the enter key on your electronic device to skip to the line directly below. On this line type your full name with proper capitalization.

Following your full name, press the enter key on your electronic device two times to skip down two lines. Type your full name again (using proper capitalization). Press the enter key and skip to the next line and type your title (if you are employed). Press the enter key and skip to the next line and type in your mobile phone number, as well as your office phone number (if applicable).

Use spellcheck or an alternate source such as Grammarly.com to assure your email is following proper grammar guidelines.

In order to assure your formal email sounds professional and accurate, reread your email to yourself out loud.

Congratulations! You have just composed a formal email!