For questions relating to emails
45
votes
5answers
3k views
Where did “cc” and “bcc” come from?
I've just realised that CC is "carbon-copy" and BCC is "blind-carbon-copy". Basically I'm wondering, where did these terms come from?
4
votes
4answers
284 views
What's a nice way to phrase this?
I want to get across the idea that I can't work with this person because I don't agree with the amount of pay he has written in the contract (or just contract terms in general). I just think writing ...
23
votes
12answers
20k views
Are greetings and salutations redundant in an e-mail?
Do I really need to write my email this way?
Hi John,
[My Message here]
Regards, Jane
The email header already includes the to and from. The recipient should not be confused by who the ...
-1
votes
1answer
651 views
3
votes
3answers
156 views
Is it wrong to use “All” when there are only two?
If there are two of something, can you say "all of" instead of "both of"?
For example, if an email is addressed to two people, and you start off with:
All,
This is to inform you, etc., etc.
...
2
votes
2answers
719 views
How to politely request to be called by first name instead of Mr. Surname?
Let's say that somebody from a partner firm with whom I've never spoken before starts an email to me with "Dear Mr. Rossi,".
When a reply to her, I think I will then have to start with "Dear Ms. ...
2
votes
2answers
895 views
When did the valediction 'best regards' come into use?
Best regards seems to be quite a popular valediction used in business emails, along with variants kind regards, or just regards.
The spoken expression "give him my regards" would appear to be a ...
5
votes
9answers
9k views
When ending an email, should I use “Yours faithfully” or “Best regards”?
I've been taught to end business letters with "Yours faithfully" but I can see from my daily correspondence that "Best regards" is more commonly used but seems more informal.
What term should be used ...
16
votes
4answers
16k views
What do Americans think of using 'cheers' to sign off an email?
I've suspected before that "Cheers" as an email sign-off is a bit of an English (or possibly Commonwealth) thing, but being English it's natural to me and I use it as the mood takes me to end an ...
10
votes
3answers
50k views
What is a good way to remind someone to reply to your email?
Sometimes some of the emails to people senior to you in the company are left unanswered.
What are the ways to politely remind the person that he needs to reply to your email (which he might have ...
0
votes
1answer
941 views
Should I refer to a person by his/ her name?
When writing emails, I come across a problem of whether I should refer to that person by name, or just a simple 'Hi'.
Like if I don't know say Thomas Anderson and I want to mail him for the first ...
6
votes
1answer
34k views
How to wish someone “Happy New Year” in a professional, formal and friendly way
English is my second language. I still struggle with it especially when I have to write a formal email.
I need to send an email to several of my business associates in reply to theirs. It contains ...
2
votes
2answers
970 views
How can I give a project quote politely?
Someone sent me an email, asking for a quote for the project. How can I reply to him in a more polite way?
I can quote you $100 for this project.
I charge you $100 for this project.
I ...
7
votes
5answers
28k views
Is “Many thanks” a proper usage?
I saw emails from English people with Many Thanks as a signing off phrase. Is that proper usage? Or is it a phrase created by continental English speakers due to the influence of their native ...
5
votes
2answers
3k views
What is the correct greeting to use in a formal email addressed to a department/team/company?
If the email were to be addressed to a specific person, you could write "Dear [Name]".
But is it appropriate to write "Dear [Team / Department / Company]"?
For example, "Dear Service Desk," and ...
14
votes
3answers
24k views
Is “I am writing to inform you” awkward or outdated?
I was writing an email, and I started off with
I am writing to inform you of certain errors...
However, is this use outdated or awkward in emails (assuming that I don't know the recipient)? What ...
3
votes
2answers
1k views
Should contractions be avoided in formal emails?
In a formal email of the kind where you begin with "Dear Mr. Surname" and finish with "Best regards", for example, should we use the following contractions? Or are the non contracted forms more ...
8
votes
1answer
4k views
Politely asking “Why is this taking so long??”
I am trying to write a business email and, as English is not my first language, I'm having a bit of trouble coming up with a really polite way of saying the following:
Hi, It's been a week since I ...
8
votes
5answers
1k views
Does “see you this weekend” in email express “will write another email this weekend”?
Perhaps people will think that I'll physically visit them?
6
votes
2answers
520 views
Use “whom” in emails?
Assume for a moment that an author does know how to use whom correctly. In an email (specifically), does using whom correctly make the author sound stuffy and formal, or would you say that in email, ...
17
votes
9answers
78k views
How do you greet multiple recipients in an e-mail?
How do you greet multiple recipients in an e-mail?
Assuming they're both male, I just use "Sirs", but it seems a bit informal.
1
vote
2answers
518 views
Starting email question
Please, help me understand how to build a sentence in an email to sound natural, clear, and polite. (I am not a native speaker of English.)
Description of the situation: I send a product inquiry to a ...
12
votes
4answers
20k views
Regarding Re: ; what is the correct usage in an email subject line?
I want to know what is the recommended way to use Re: in the subject line of an email.
I use Re: in the subject line as a shortform of 'in regards to'.
Whenever I have used Re:, people have told me ...
6
votes
5answers
379 views
Explanation for “emails”?
This is a thinly veiled rant, I realize, but if anybody can rationalize "emails" for me in such a way that I can stop grabbing people who say it, and asking them if they've ever gone to their mailsbox ...
15
votes
2answers
6k views
Should you use a comma/period after “Thanks”/“Regards” in email signatures?
Normal practice is to end emails with a Thanks or Regards. My question is should there be a comma or a period or nothing after Thanks/Regards?
Thanks,
John Doe
Or
Thanks.
John ...
50
votes
14answers
6k views
“Email” or “e-mail”?
Which way of writing the word: "Email" or "e-mail" is correct? Both variants seem to be in wide use. If both ones are okay, maybe there is a difference in contexts they have been used (one is more ...
4
votes
5answers
8k views
Is the phrase “please kindly” redundant?
The colleagues in my office often send email starting with "Please kindly". Are the two phrases a bit redundant?
9
votes
9answers
1k views
When is it acceptable to use Internet abbreviations such as “u” or “r”?
In my business communication over Internet text messengers, for example Google Talk or Skype, I see that many people often use shorten words like u instead of you, r instead of are and the like.
How ...
12
votes
2answers
2k views
When is it OK to use OK?
I often use "OK" in business and personal emails and phone conversations. But I often feel uncertain if it is appropriate to use it in every type of context.
Please tell how universally I can use ...
47
votes
20answers
98k views
What are some expressions that can be used to end an email?
At the end of every email, we use ending expressions like
Best regards,
Kind regards,
Yours sincerely,
Yours faithfully,
What other expressions can be added to this list?
Which ones should ...
14
votes
7answers
8k views
Is it appropriate to use the salutation “Dear All” in a work email?
I have observed that in my work place, whenever a mail is sent to more that one person( like an information, meeting request or a notice etc.), the mail starts with the salutation "Dear All". This, ...
