Professional Email Structure

Lesson 1 of 13 in Business Writing & Email · 25 minutes

Learn the 5 parts of a professional email: subject line, greeting, body, closing, and signature. Understand formal vs. informal tone and when to use each style in Canadian workplaces.

What you'll learn

Know the 5 parts of a professional email (subject line, greeting, body, closing, signature)
Understand the difference between formal and informal tone
Recognize when to use formal vs. informal email style
Identify common mistakes in email structure

From the lesson

The Anatomy of a Professional Email

Every professional email in a Canadian workplace has 5 parts:

Part 1: Subject Line The subject line is the first thing the reader sees. It should be clear and specific.

Good Subject Lines: - "Meeting Rescheduled to Thursday 2 PM" - "Action Required: Submit Timesheets by Friday" - "Question About the Johnson Order" - "Update: Q3 Inventory Report Attached"

Bad Subject Lines: - "Meeting" - "Important" - "Hi" - "Stuff"

Part 2: Greeting The greeting sets the tone. Choose based on your relationship with the recipient.

Formal (Clients, Executives, Unknown): Dear Mr. Thompson, / Dear Ms. Chen, / Dear Hiring Manager, / To Whom It May Concern, Semi-Formal (Manager,…