Email Politeness Game

Emailing politeness competition game
Choose one of the lines below and take turns making it more and more polite.
Continue until the next person says something which is less polite than the last attempt or
gives up, then move onto any other line below. Ridiculously polite phrases are great, but
when you have finished each round discuss which of those levels of politeness are most
useful.

Opening greeting
Alex/ Hi/ (nothing)

Hi guys

Opening line
I got your mail.

Wow! That was quick!

About…

Writing to…

Great to meet U yesterday!

Wassup?/ Alright?

Good weekend?

Closing line
Write soon!

If you need any more info, just drop me a line.

Any more questions, just ask.

CU then

Cheers.

Sorry ‘bout that!/ Sorry!

OK?/ Sound okay?

Closing greeting
XOXO/ XXX

Your name at the end
A/ (nothing)

Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2014

Emailing politeness competition game
Suggested words and expressions to add

Use the suggested phrases below to add to the phrases on the last page.

•

Mr/ Ms/ Dr/ Professor

•

acceptable

•

apologies

•

be able to

•

concerning

•

contact

•

dear

•

do not hesitate

•

further

•

great

•

greatly appreciated

•

hope

•

in advance

•

in connection with

•

in order to

•

inconvenience

•

look forward to

•

once again

•

opportunity

•

please accept

•

pleasure

•

rapid

•

regarding

•

require

•

sincerely

•

thank you

•

very much

•

with regards to

•

would

•

yours

Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2014

Emailing politeness competition game
Mixed answers
Label each group with numbers from 1 for the least formal up to the most formal, e.g. 1 to
6 for the first group below.
Opening greeting
Alex/ Hi
Dear Alex
Dear Dr Case
Dear Mr Case
Dear Professor Case
Hi Alex

Dear all/ To: The sales team
Hi everyone
Hi guys
To whom it may concern

Opening line
I got your email.
I got your mail.
Thank you very much for your email, which I received yesterday.
Thanks for your email yesterday.

Thank you for your quick reply.
Thank you very much for your rapid reply.
Thanks for your quick reply.
Wow! That was quick!

About…
I am writing to you concerning/ with regards to/ in connection with/ regarding…
I’m writing about…
Re:…
Writing about…

I am writing to you in order to…
I’m writing to you to…
Writing to…

Great to meet U yesterday!
It was a great pleasure to have the opportunity to be able to meet with you yesterday.
It was great to meet you yesterday.

How are you?
How’s it going?/ How are things?/ How’s life?
I hope you and your family are well.
I hope you are well.
Wassup?/ Alright?

Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2014

Good weekend?
Hope you had a good weekend.
How was your weekend?
I hope you had a good weekend.

Closing line
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
I’m looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Write soon!

If you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
If you need any more info, just drop me a line.
If you need any more info, just let me know.
If you need any more information, please contact me.
If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time.

Any more questions, just ask.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time.
If you’ve got any more questions, please contact me.

CU then.
I look forward to seeing you then.
I’m looking forward to seeing you then.
Looking forward to seeing you then.
See you then.

Any assistance you could give me in this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers.
Thank you in advance.
Thanks in advance.
Thanks.

Once again, please accept our sincerest apologies for any inconvenience that might have
been caused by this problem.
Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience caused.
Please accept my apologies.
Sorry ‘bout that!/ Sorry!
Sorry about that.

Hope that’s okay.
I hope that is acceptable with you.
I hope that is acceptable.
I hope that’s okay.
OK?/ Sound okay?

Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2014

Closing greeting
All the best
Best wishes
Hugs and kisses
Lots of love
Sincerely
Sincerely yours/ Yours sincerely/ Yours faithfully
XOXO/ XXX
Yours/ Best regards

Your name at the end
A. M. Case (Mr)
A/ (nothing)
Alex
Alex Case

Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2014

Emailing politeness competition game
Suggested answers
Opening greeting
1. Alex/ Hi – 2. Hi Alex – 3. Dear Alex – 4. Dear Mr Case – 5. Dear Dr Case – 6. Dear
Professor Case

1. Hi guys – 2. Hi everyone – 3. Dear all/ To: The sales team – 4. To whom it may concern

Opening line
1. I got your mail. – 2. I got your email. – 3. Thanks for your email yesterday. – 4. Thank
you very much for your email, which I received yesterday.

1. Wow! That was quick! – 2. Thanks for your quick reply. – 3. Thank you for your quick
reply. – 4. Thank you very much for your rapid reply.

1. About… - 2. Re:… - 3. Writing about… - 4. I’m writing about… – 5. I am writing to you
concerning/ with regards to/ in connection with/ regarding…

1. Writing to… - 2. I’m writing to you to… - 3. I am writing to you in order to…

1. Great to meet U yesterday! – 2. It was great to meet you yesterday. – 3. It was a great
pleasure to have the opportunity to be able to meet with you yesterday.

1. Wassup?/ Alright? – 2. How’s it going?/ How are things?/ How’s life? – 3. How are you?
– 4. I hope you are well. – 5. I hope you and your family are well.

1. Good weekend? – 2. How was your weekend? – 3. Hope you had a good weekend. – 4.
I hope you had a good weekend.

Closing line
1. Write soon! – 2. Looking forward to hearing from you soon. – 3. I’m looking forward to
hearing from you soon. – 4. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

1. If you need any more info, just drop me a line. – 2. If you need any more info, just let me
know. – 3. If you need any more information, please contact me. – 4. If you need any
further information, please do not hesitate to contact me. - 5. If you require any further
information, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time.

1. Any more questions, just ask. – 2. If you’ve got any more questions, please contact me.
– 3. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time.

1. CU then.– 2. See you then.– 3. Looking forward to seeing you then. – 4. I’m looking
forward to seeing you then. – 5. I look forward to seeing you then.

1. Cheers. – 2. Thanks. – 3. Thanks in advance. – 4. Thank you in advance. – 5. Any
assistance you could give me in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2014

1. Sorry ‘bout that!/ Sorry! – 2. Sorry about that. – 3. Please accept my apologies. – 4.
Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience caused. – 5. Once again, please
accept our sincerest apologies for any inconvenience that might have been caused by this
problem.

1. OK?/ Sound okay? – 2. Hope that’s okay. – 3. I hope that’s okay. – 4. I hope that is
acceptable. – 5. I hope that is acceptable with you.

Closing greeting
1. XOXO/ XXX – 2. Hugs and kisses – 3. Lots of love – 4. Best wishes – 5. All the best – 6.
Yours/ Best regards – 7. Sincerely – 8. Sincerely yours/ Yours sincerely/ Yours faithfully

Your name at the end
1. A/ (nothing) – 2. Alex – Alex Case – 3. A. M. Case (Mr)

Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2014