spp Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Is it okay to begin a formal email with a "Hi XXX" or "Hello XXX" and end it with "Regards"?? Eg: Hi Albert, blah blah blah... Regards, Newton Neuronista 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GardeningGrad Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 I prefer "Dear Dr.... Mr..." and "Best regards" or "Sincerely," Start very formal, but make the body of the e-mail accessible and friendly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runonsentence Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Also, even if you're going to forgo titles but want the email to be formal, you should at the very least use the full name of the person you're addressing. ("Dear Albert Smith,") Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strangefox Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 I always start formal emails with "Dear". Then it can be "Dr. Brown" or "Mr. Brown" or "Ms. Brown". Or may be just "Dear Maria" if it's slightly less formal but still formal. If I don't know the suname of a person I am writing to, I start my email "Dear Sir/Madam". And I usually finish my formal emails with "Sincerely, My_First_Name" But sometimes I can finish with "Thank you, My_First_Name". Hi, Hello and Regards are for informal letters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InquilineKea Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 (edited) "Regards" is for informal letters? I know that it depends on the professor, but it *can* be used by a professor who's mad at you (see http://www.phdcomics...hp?comicid=1413). I just use "Hi/Hello" in the beginning and "Thanks" in the end. I'm still way too low in the academic hierarchy to say anything but "Thanks". Because each and every time, I'm grateful if any academic replies to any of my emails. It's something they're doing for me, after all. But is there anything wrong with that? Edited July 30, 2011 by InquilineKea mnturk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indalomena Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 probably depends on the department. Mine made it clear to incoming students that it is a first-name department, but you shouldn't use the first name until you have been 'invited' to do so by the person in question signing off in that way. So my emails to anyone I've never met are Dear Professor ... or Dear Dr ..., then subsequently Dear George or whatever. I have always found 'regards' to be a little terse and I tend to use 'best wishes' at the end of informal emails. However, I am in a UK department. It seems US departments are much more formal/terrifying ... yet another thing to try to wrap my head around! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strangefox Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 However, I am in a UK department. It seems US departments are much more formal/terrifying ... yet another thing to try to wrap my head around! Hm, I thought that US departments are LESS formal... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indalomena Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 Hm, I thought that US departments are LESS formal... maybe -- I might just be particularly lucky with my department. I only have experience of the UK system, but I have been warned by those who know both that I will find US departments extremely competitive/somewhat unfriendly in comparison with what I'm used to. Maybe this says more about my department than UK vs US in general. I certainly hope so! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strangefox Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 maybe -- I might just be particularly lucky with my department. I only have experience of the UK system, but I have been warned by those who know both that I will find US departments extremely competitive/somewhat unfriendly in comparison with what I'm used to. Maybe this says more about my department than UK vs US in general. I certainly hope so! I believe that there are all sorts of US departments: some are competitive, some are collegial. As far as I know the one where I will be sudying is of the second kind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timuralp Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 This seems to be a relevant piece from WSJ. Personally, I seldom use dear and try to avoid it as much as possible and stick with Professor X or if I've had any contact whatsoever with the person, I start with Hi or some other form of greeting. Granted, I don't think this is a popular thing to do mnturk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InquilineKea Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 probably depends on the department. Mine made it clear to incoming students that it is a first-name department, but you shouldn't use the first name until you have been 'invited' to do so by the person in question signing off in that way. So my emails to anyone I've never met are Dear Professor ... or Dear Dr ..., then subsequently Dear George or whatever. I have always found 'regards' to be a little terse and I tend to use 'best wishes' at the end of informal emails. Lol, what if they switch their replies from first-name into their initials (all capitalized)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eco_env Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Lol, what if they switch their replies from first-name into their initials (all capitalized)? That just means that they signed with their name the first time to show that you can call them by their first name, and are now saving time by signing with initials... I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtncffts Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 My school seems to be a VERY informal school. I am terrible with figuring out formal etiquette. I usually start the FIRST email with a full name, and any later emails with a "Hi [first name]". I personally like "sincerely" at the end (of a first email), because I am personally a very sincere individual! I also use "thanks" and "thank you" sometimes. I usually just put my name on any later emails. I also don't really think it matters all that much. I hardly ever notice how people begin and end emails to me, after all. I usually just kinda skip to the body. I agree that I don't think it matters much. All of the variants suggested seem fine; I alternate arbitrarily between 'sincerely' and 'regards' or 'all the best', for instance. As long as you're not using slang like 'Yo' or 'Wat up' or some such thing, you're fine. By the way, I believe this is the first time I've ever uttered, verbally or in writing, those words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strangefox Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I agree that I don't think it matters much. All of the variants suggested seem fine; I alternate arbitrarily between 'sincerely' and 'regards' or 'all the best', for instance. As long as you're not using slang like 'Yo' or 'Wat up' or some such thing, you're fine. By the way, I believe this is the first time I've ever uttered, verbally or in writing, those words. Hahaha, I've just imagined starting my next letter to a prof with "Yo! Wazzup, man??!!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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