Formal email

Salutations

• Dear Mr X (for men) and Dear Ms X (for women).
• *Dear Mrs X / Dear Miss X These are considered inappropriate because they refer to marital status.
• Dear Professor X If the recipient has a title, it is ok to use that.
• Dear John Cooker Albeit it not very elegant, this construction may offer a solution if you do not know the gender of the addressee.
• Dear Sir / Dear Madam / Dear Sir or Madam Use this if you do not know the recipient's name.

Closing formulas

• Yours sincerely (BrE) - Sincerely yours / Sincerely (AmE) to close an email to someone whose name you know.
• Yours faithfully (BrE) - Yours truly (AmE) for recipients whose name you do not know
• Regards / Kind regards is fine in emails.

Useful vocabulary & phrases

Introducing a request

• I was wondering if there is anything else I should keep in mind. Could you let me know?
• Would it be possible to meet on Monday afternoon?
• Could you perhaps let me know what your reaction was?
• I would very much value your candid opinion.

Apologizing

• I'm afraid I won't be able to attend our appointment tomorrow.
• Sorry I didn't answer sooner, but I've been up to my eyes / ears in work.
• I apologize for the delay in my answer to you (more formal)
• I apologize for the oversight.

Thank you + ing-form

• Thank you so much for clarifying this
• Thank you very much for sending me those remarks.