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Making Polite Requests in Email, Part 2

In this week's Everyday Grammar report, we will continue telling about how to communicate politely in emails.

Murat, a reader of our website, asked if we could talk about how to open and close our emails when making a polite request.

Thank you, Murat, for this idea.

Today, we will talk about greetings, how we can close our emails and finish our discussion¹ about polite requests.

Openings and closings

To set a good tone² for your request, consider the subject heading, the opening and the closing of your email.

Some greetings include:

Dear (name of receiver),

"Dear" is considered very formal.

Hello (name of receiver),

"Hello" is an acceptable³ greeting, but it is less formal.

If the person answers with a less formal greeting, like "hi" or "hey," then this is a signal that they prefer a less formal tone. You may want to change how you answer them.

For closings, express your appreciation⁴ and remind the receiver that you expect an answer.

You could say something like this:

I really appreciate your help. I look forward to your reply.

Thank you for taking your time to read this email. I hope to hear from you soon!

Some simple ways to end the message include:

Sincerely, (followed by your name)

Similar endings are:

All the best,

Best wishes,

Thanks,

Or

Thank you,

These are all common, formal expressions to politely close your emails.

Know your situation

When making a request by email, we want to show awareness⁵ of the receiver's situation. To do this, we use hedging expressions to soften⁶ what we want to say. Hedging expressions let the writer of the email say what they want to say but in a less direct way and more politely. For example, one could say:

I'm sorry to bother you, but would you have time to review this report?

I know you're busy, but if you get some free time later, would you like to meet up for coffee?

This is a lot to ask, but do you mind waiting for me? I'm almost finished.

The hedging expressions come before the word "but" in the questions. The request comes after.

These expressions show the receiver of the email that we understand their situation.

We can also use the words "possible" and "possibly," when hedging a request. These words express the probability⁷ or chance of the request being fulfilled⁸. Let us look at these examples:

Could you possibly drive me to the train station later?

Is there any possible way for you to meet me downtown?

When using "possibly" with a modal verb like "could," it shows the receiver that you are even more aware that the request might not be fulfilled. Giving the receiver the chance to say "no," makes the request more polite.

Offering appreciation

When making polite requests, we can offer a good thought or action to balance the request.

For example, you can show your appreciation or thankfulness.

I would really appreciate the favor.

The verb "appreciate" is a transitive verb, which means it takes a direct object.

You can add the adverb "really" to strengthen the expression.

You can also offer something in exchange for the request. For example, you could say:

I owe you a favor.

Or

I can cover for you next time.

"To owe someone a favor" means that you will return a kindness or service to someone because they have done something for you.

"To cover for someone" means that you will take their place for a task next time.

Give a reason

You can include a reason for the request. This could be an explanation or an excuse.

For example you could say:

Would you mind reading my essay? I'd like really like your feedback⁹.

Or

Would it be okay if we reschedule our lunch for next week? I'm not feeling well today.

In these examples, the reason is a separate statement that comes after the request. We do not always need a reason for the request, but giving a reason makes the request more polite, and the receiver may be more willing to help you.

Closing thoughts

In today's Everyday Grammar, we looked at additional¹⁰ ways to express a request politely in an email. We can use hedging expressions and "possibly" to show awareness of the receiver's situation. We can offer a good thought or action to balance a request. We can include a reason to support the request. And be aware of your openings and closings in emails. A formal and thoughtful¹¹ greeting can make your request more likely to receive the answer you hoped for.

Words in This Story

politely – adv. to do something showing good behavior and respect for other people

greeting – n. something that is said or done to show people that you are happy to meet or see them

tone – n. a quality, feeling, or attitude expressed by the words that someone uses in speaking or writing

formal – adj. following or according with established form, custom, or rule

prefer – v. to like better or best; to favor

appreciation – n. a feeling of being grateful or thankful for something

awareness - n. the idea of knowing that something (such as a situation, condition or problem) exists.

hedging expressions – n. (grammar) words or phrases used to soften what we say, making it more indirect¹² to protect the receiver of the message

modal verbs – n. (grammar) verbs that are used to express possibility, ability, or necessity¹³.

favor – n. a kind or helpful act that you do for someone

feedback – n. helpful information or criticism that is give to someone for the purpose of improving performance or a product