What should the first line of the email be?
Here are some options:
If you’re writing to your professor:
Dear Professor [last name],
o
OR… IF your professor has a PhD (or MD):
Dear Dr. [last name],
If you’re writing to your TA:
Dear Mr./Ms. [last name],
o PLEASE NOTE: Avoid “Mrs.” or use it with caution;
it is used only for married
women.
If (and ONLY IF) your professor/TA has told you to use their first name to refer to them,
you can start your email:
Dear [first name]/ Hi [first name] / Hello [first name]
o PLEASE NOTE: “Dear” is a traditional way to address people in letters/emails.
“Dear” works with anyone you write to— it’s always appropriate because it can be
used in both formal and informal situations. By contrast, “Hi” is a more informal
greeting. It’s a common way to start an email, but some professors might interpret
it as rude. For this reason, it is best to use “Hi” only with professors you know well.
If a professor has given permission to use their first name, it is safe to assume that
you can start an email to them with “Hi [first name].”
Can you start an email with “Good morning,” “Good afternoon,” or “Good evening”?
o Yes, but “Dear ______,” is perhaps more polite. Polite= good. Also, your recipient
may not read your email for hours/days, so the time of day is irrelevant.
Some common greetings in other cultures are NOT customary in the US. Avoid them.
o INCORRECT ways to address professors and TAs: “Dear Comrade”/ “Dear
Officer”/ “Dear Sir” / “Dear Ma’am”/ “Dear Madam”/ “Honorable [name]”/
“Respected [name]”
If you’re writing to a general email address for a center, program, or office on campus,
and you’re not sure who will read your email, you can start the email with “To whom it
may concern,”
o This is an easy, polite way to begin an email when you don’t know who will read it.
o Another way? Greetings like “Good morning!” and “Hello!” work well.