Writing It Right

There's a temptation, at B2, to make formal English sound impressive. Big words. Long sentences. Latinate connectors ('notwithstanding the aforementioned'). The result reads like a parody of a 19th-century lawyer. Good formal English is the opposite of impressive. It's almost boring. It has a job to do — usually one specific request — and it does that job in as few words as politeness allows. The reader can find the ask in under five seconds. The tone is warm but not chatty. Nothing is decorative. Three habits make this happen. First, write the email in any words, then cut every sentence by 30%. 'I am writing this email in order to make an enquiry regarding…' becomes 'I am writing to enquire about…'. Second, end with one — and only one — clear ask. Most emails have two or three buried in them, and most of them never get answered because the reader doesn't know which to address. Third, read it aloud before sending. The eye forgives long sentences; the ear doesn't. There's one more rule, often forgotten by learners writing in English. Match the formality of the person you're replying to. If they signed off with 'Best,' you sign off with 'Best,' or 'Kind regards,' — not 'Yours sincerely'. If they used 'Hi,' you use 'Hi,' not 'Dear Sir/Madam'. Mismatched formality reads as more awkward than too-informal or too-formal alone. The best formal emails are the ones the reader forgets they read — because they answered the question, asked for one specific thing, and left. That's the bar.