Learn How to Write Formal Thank You Emails in English

Thanking a friend is different from thanking someone in a business context, especially in writing. So here are several ways you can do that in an email.

Useful Phrases

“Thanks for your help.”

This phrase can be used when saying just ‘Thanks’ sounds too casual. For example, if you are talking to a superior (e.g. a supervisor), ‘Thanks for your help.’ is more appropriate. 

“Thank you for the advance notice.” 

This phrase is used to thank someone for sharing information in advance. For example, if you receive an email saying: “I'll be away all of next week and will return to work on August 3rd,” you can reply with: ‘Thank you for the advance notice’.

A more casual version of the phrase is, “Thank you for the heads-up.”

“Thank you for the prompt response.”

This sentence is often used to reply to a work email to show appreciation for the quick response to a message you’ve sent earlier. 

A more casual version is, “Thank you for getting back to me so quickly.”

“Thank you for taking the time to meet with me/us today.”

It is common practice to send a thank you email after an interview or an important meeting with a client or business partner. You can use the sentence above for this purpose. 

A more casual version is, “Thank you for meeting with me/us.”

“Thank you so much for this opportunity.”

An expression like this is used when, for example, you are offered an opportunity to give a speech. 

Email Samples

 Here is an example of a thank you email one can send after an event:

Here is an example of a thank you email sent after attending a meeting:

Dear Ken,

Thank you so much for taking the time to meet me for lunch today. Your feedback was immensely valuable, and I have already discussed your suggestions for improving the user interface with my team. Needless to say, we are all on the same page now and the measures you suggested will be implemented. I will keep you posted on the progress and let's hope our next meeting will be to celebrate a successful release!

Regards,
Mary

Here is another example of a thank you email to send after attending an interview:

Dear Thomas,

Thank you for the opportunity to interview for the marketing position at your company. I truly enjoyed learning more about this role and the company in general, and I now feel even more confident that my skills and experience would make me a great addition to your team. 

Thank you again for your time and consideration. I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Anne

Here are a few things you should consider when writing business emails:

• Do not take too long to say thank you.

The timing of your email is important. It is respectful to send an email within a day of a meeting or interview.

• Do not make the email too long.

Be concise and get straight to the point. Business people don’t have the time to read emails that are too long or flowery.

• Do not send the same email to different people.

People notice generic emails. If you want to use a template, be sure to add some specifics about the person you’re thanking.

Taking just a few minutes to write good thank you emails will improve your professional image and business relationships.

If you have any questions about this topic or want to improve your business communication skills, Engoo tutors are here to help. Take your first lesson for free and learn more about business emails with this lesson.