Email Closings

Professional Email Closings

People can use closings in all kinds of emails, but it is of particular importance that people use a closing in emails in professional settings, like a workplace. The closing part of an email tells the recipient that the email is ending. It ties up loose ends and definitively ends the message.

Professional email closings typically do the following:

• Restate the main point of the email

• Express gratitude and respect for the recipient

• Tell the recipient how to follow up if necessary

• Sign off with a polite phrase and the sender's name

Email Closing Remarks

There are two main things that the writer should use the closing remarks of an email to do.

• The first is to express respect or gratitude to the sender.

For instance, using phrases like "Thank you" and "I appreciate..." in the closing remarks helps craft a polite tone and show the reader that one cares about the time they took to read the email.

• The second thing a writer should do in the closing remarks of an email is provide any critical information the recipient needs.

For instance, if a person is sending an email to apply for a job, they should make sure to provide contact information in the closing remarks and mention when they would be free for an interview. Or, if a person is inviting the recipient to an event, they should include the event's details, such as the time and place. Sometimes writers use the closing to point the recipient to information that is in an attached document.

Dos and Don'ts of Email Closing Remarks

The following lists describe what to include and what to avoid when closing an email.

Do:

• Thank the recipient

• Mention contact information

• Be polite

• Sign off with respectful phrases and the sender’s name

Don’t:

• Use clichés

• Include too much contact information

• Use large images

• Introduce new information that requires explanation

Formal Email Closing

When writing the closing of an email in a professional context, such as writing to a teacher or a boss, writers should use a formal closing.

Writing a strong formal email closing is an important skill to learn because professional communication impacts professional relationships. Knowing how to communicate in a formal setting in an appropriate, effective manner can positively impact a person’s academic standing and career.

In a formal email, writers should use academic language and a professional tone. They should avoid contractions, slang, emojis, and abbreviations, and use concise vocabulary that maintains respect for the reader. If it is the first time the sender is contacting the recipient, they should also include their full name. If they are responding to an email or have contacted the recipient frequently, including their last name is not always necessary.

The following is an example of a formal closing to an email:

Informal Email Closing

When closing an informal email, writers do not necessarily have to use professional academic language. People use informal emails for casual contexts, such as emailing people they already know. In such contexts, writers still should maintain respect for the recipient but can use more casual language. For example, the following email closing demonstrates how one might write an informal email closing.

Email Closing Lines

The tone and style of an email's closing lines will depend on whether the writer is writing a formal or informal email. It will also depend on the writer's personal writing style. The following list provides an example of email closing lines for both contexts:

Examples of Email Closing Lines

After the closing remarks, people should close an email with a sign-off phrase.

These phrases officially end the email and make the last impression on the reader. Writers should select the sign-off phrase based on the context of the email, such as what it is about and who it is to. The following list provides examples of commonly used sign-off phrases for formal and informal emails.

Writers use a sign-off phrase to officially end an email.

Example of Sign-Off Phrases