How formal should an email be?

Writing an email to a professor can make you question every grammatical rule and life choice you’ve ever made. Here you’ll find real (and tragic) examples, practical tips, and one key principle: politeness always beats empty formalism.

Every year, thousands of students email their professors. And very often — not out of malice, but due to inexperience — the result is a small communicative disaster.

Between awkward greetings, life-insurance-level phrasing, missing punctuation, and messages like:

Can you tell me where the exam is held?

(Spoiler: Most universities have a dedicated page with this info, updated with near-religious devotion. And if that’s not enough, there’s a thing called a student office. Yes, it’s real.)

So, taking inspiration from “Poche semplici regole per scrivere una e-mail ad un professore” (A few simple rules for writing an email to a professor</i) by Professor Davide Dragone, here’s a guide to writing good emails to faculty. Because between overly formal wording, impersonal verbs, and the panic of not remembering whether the professor told me to use their first name… I’ve struggled too.

Let’s start with some real examples — from ultra-formal to… yikes.

Sample emails (from most formal to… let’s say “less ideal”)

1. The perfectly formal one

For those aiming to impress either the Academy or the Royal Family

Dear Professor,
My name is C-3PO, and I am enrolled in the XX course.
I am writing to ask whether the handouts for the April 12 lecture will be made available online.
Thank you in advance for your time.
Best regards,
C-3PO

• Pros: flawless, clear, professional.
• Cons: could’ve been written by a highly educated chatbot.
• Reader’s reaction: approval… mixed with slight existential boredom.

2. The balanced approach

Human, polite, effective — my favorite

Good morning Professor,
I’m C-3PO, a student in the XX course. I was wondering if the April 12 handout will be uploaded to the website soon.
Thanks in advance, and have a great day!
C-3PO

• Pros: direct, respectful, perfect in most cases.
• Cons: none. Save it as a draft and reuse forever.
• Reader’s reaction: smile, fast reply, instant respect.

3. The "yeah, fine" email

Casual but respectful. Aka: normal.

Hi Professor,
I couldn’t find the April 12 handout on the site. Do you know if it’ll be uploaded soon?
Thanks a lot!
C-3PO

• Pros: simple, practical, human.
• Cons: better avoided on first contact.
• Reader’s reaction: fine, but maybe not the best first impression.

4. The "text message from the void"

A kind of teenage S.O.S.

Hi prof u got the slides 4 class 10? need asap

• Pros: none.
• Cons: all of them.
• Reader’s reaction: confusion, pity, slight desire to retire.

5. The "yo prof" vibe

Yes, it exists. No, it shouldn’t.

Yo prof all good? Quick thing: when r u posting slides? Btw the course is 🔥 see ya in class ✌️

• Pros: potential TikTok virality.
• Cons: you just sent this to someone with a PhD.
• Reader’s reaction: shock, resignation, existential crisis.

If you want to be formal…

• Greeting: "Hi Prof" isn’t formal. It’s the email version of a shrug. Go with "Dear Professor" or "Good morning Professor".
• Content: Introduce yourself (name, course) and get to the point. Avoid stuff like "I hereby write to inquire regarding…" — this isn’t a Victorian novel.
• Style: Polite, concise, and with real punctuation. And please, skip the passive-aggressive "Awaiting your reply."
• Timing: Write whenever you like, but send during working hours. "Schedule send" is your friend. Use it. You’ll thank yourself.

…but is all this formality always necessary?

Let’s be honest: these rules are useful, but they’re not the only way to write a good email.

You can be clear, respectful, and kind without sounding like a contract. The right tone depends on the context, your relationship with the professor, the type of university — and, let’s be honest, the country.

That’s why even something like:

Hi Marco,
I’m having trouble finding the slides for lecture 10. Do you know if they’ll be posted soon?
Thanks a lot, talk soon!
C-3PO

For me, that’s perfectly fine. Not formal, but respectful. And at the end of the day, isn’t that what really matters?

TL;DR?

If you want to write a formal email, do it properly.
But if formality isn’t expected, there are simpler, friendlier, and still respectful alternatives.

Because, in the end, politeness beats formalism. Always.