Business English Emails- Too formal

Too formal for most business emails

While all of it is correct in English, the following language is too polite, formal or long winded for most business situations. Do you think any of the sentences are suitable for your own business emails? If so, why do you think so and for what kinds of emails?

Please allow me to introduce myself. 

It is my very great pleasure to accept your invitation.

We would like to formally invite you to our office Xmas party.

Would you mind at all if I asked you to send that to me, if it’s not too much trouble?

Please find attached the document for your attention./ Attached please find the document for your attention.

I would be absolutely delighted if you could spare a few minutes to see me on Monday 25^th January, if it is at all possible.

I would very much appreciate any assistance you can offer me in this matter.

I await a response at your earliest convenience.

Please accept our very sincerest apologies for any inconvenience caused to yourself and your loved ones.

You might be disappointed to hear that the standards of your hotel were not quite up to the very high ones that I had come to expect from your chain.

I would respectfully request that you confirm this at your earliest possible convenience.

If you need even the slightest bit of additional information, please have absolutely no hesitation in contacting me at any time.

Change the sentences above to make them more suitable for your business emailing needs.

Compare your ideas as a class or with the suggested answers. Many other sentences are possible, so please check if you wrote something different.

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Suggested answers

Given in order of formality/ politeness

• Please allow me to introduce myself. – I’m… and I work for…
• It is my very great pleasure to accept your invitation. – I will be very glad to accept your invitation to…/ Thanks. See you there!
• We would like to formally invite you to our office Xmas party. – Please accept our invitation to our Xmas party./ Would you like to come to our office Xmas party?/ How about coming to our office Xmas party?
• Would you mind at all if I asked you to send that to me, if it’s not too much trouble? – Could you possibly send that to me?/ Can you send that to me?
• Please find attached the document for your attention./ Attached please find the document for your attention. – Please find the document attached./ The document is attached.
• I would be absolutely delighted if you could spare a few minutes to see me on Monday 25th January, if it is at all possible. – Do you have time to meet me on Monday 25th?/ Are you free to meet on Monday 25th?
• I would very much appreciate any assistance you can offer me in this matter. – Thanks in advance for any help you can offer./ Any help would be much appreciated.
• I await a response at your earliest convenience. – I look forward to hearing from you soon.
• Please accept our very sincerest apologies for any inconvenience caused to yourself and your loved ones. – Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused./ Sorry for any inconvenience caused.
• You might be disappointed to hear that the standards of your hotel were not quite up to the very high ones that I had come to expect from your chain. – Unfortunately, the standards of your hotel were not what I expected.
• I would respectfully request that you confirm this at your earliest possible convenience. – Could you get back to me by…?
• If you need even the slightest bit of additional information, please have absolutely no hesitation in contacting me at any time. – If you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me./ If you need any more information, please let me know.