Learn Useful Phrases for Email Inquiries - English Writing Skills

Sometimes a business website doesn't answer all your questions.

That's why they have a Contact Us button, right?

So you want to make an inquiry,

but you may not know who exactly is on the receiving end.

What can you write in your message?

Let's take a look at one possible model.

Subject: Piano rentals

A message like this doesn't have to be overly formal.

A simple "Hello" is fine.

You might even choose to skip the closing

and just add your name at the end, like Helen did.

Some might even choose not to add their name.

In any case, this message is good to go,

so Helen can click "Send."

Here are some other ways to start an inquiry.

We'll start with very polite wording

and then become more informal.

Using contractions is fine if you think a more informal tone is appropriate.

Of course, inquiries among coworkers would sound more relaxed and friendly.

Let's take a look at a couple models.

Remember that informal email tends to be very brief.

Pleasantries are kept to a minimum,

and the sender may not even use full sentences.

I hope seeing a model or two helps you understand

just how informal we can be without losing the basic structure of a message.

Here's our final model.

A message to a new contact.

Terry's message sound very friendly,

but he isn't overly demanding.

Look at the words and expressions he uses to soften his tone.

Without these words and expressions,

his message would sound too forceful.

He'd likely come across as being pushy.

That's all for now. Thanks for watching and happy studies!