Business English Basics: Job Interviews and Email Etiquette

Business English is about being clear, polite and professional, and two situations matter most: job interviews and email. This guide gives you the key phrases for both, with examples you can reuse straight away.

Level: B1–C1. If you are applying for jobs or writing to colleagues in English, you can use almost every phrase here as it is. Each part follows the same rhythm: key words → useful phrases → a real example → quick practice.

Contents

• Part 1: Job interviews
• Part 2: Email etiquette
• Common mistakes
• Final practice
• Conclusion

Part 1: Job interviews

1a. Common questions and how to approach them

Question	What the interviewer wants to know	How to start your answer
"Tell me about yourself."	Whether you can summarize your background clearly	"I'm currently a... Before that, I..."
"Why do you want this job?"	Whether you understand the role and are motivated	"I'm excited about this role because..."
"What are your strengths?"	What you can offer the team	"One of my strengths is..."
"What is your biggest weakness?"	Honesty and self-awareness	"One area I'm working on is..."
"Describe a challenge you faced."	How you solve problems	"In my previous job, I had to..."
"Where do you see yourself in five years?"	Your ambition and long-term plans	"I'd like to grow into a role where..."
"Do you have any questions for us?"	Your interest in the company	"Yes, could you tell me more about...?"

A simple formula for "Tell me about yourself": present → past → future, in about one minute.

1b. Strong action verbs

Use specific verbs to describe what you did. They sound stronger than "I did" or "I was in charge of".

Verb	Example
led	I led a team of five designers.
managed	I managed a budget of $200,000.
developed	I developed a new training program.
improved	I improved customer satisfaction by 15%.
organized	I organized the company's annual conference.
delivered	I delivered the project two weeks early.
coordinated	I coordinated work between three departments.
increased	I increased online sales by 30%.

1c. Useful interview phrases

Purpose	Phrases
Talking about experience	"I have five years of experience in..." / "I was responsible for..."
Talking about strengths	"I'm good at..." / "I pride myself on..."
Talking about a weakness honestly	"One area I'm working on is... and I've been doing this by..."
Asking for repetition	"Could you repeat that, please?" / "Could you clarify what you mean by...?"
Giving yourself a moment	"That's a great question. Let me think for a moment."
Closing	"Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you."

1d. A sample interview exchange

Interviewer: Thank you for coming in, Mai. Could you tell me a little about yourself? Mai: Of course. I'm currently a marketing coordinator at a software company. Before that, I worked in sales, which taught me how customers think. Now I'd like to move into a role where I can lead campaigns, which is why this position interests me. Interviewer: What would you say is your biggest strength? Mai: I pride myself on being organized. In my last role, I coordinated work between three departments and delivered a product launch two weeks early. Interviewer: And a weakness? Mai: One area I'm working on is public speaking. I've been practicing by presenting at our weekly team meetings. Interviewer: Do you have any questions for us? Mai: Yes. Could you tell me more about how the team works day to day?

Quick practice: Part 1

Which verb fits best: led, improved, delivered?

1. "I ___ a team of five designers."
2. "I ___ customer satisfaction by 15%."
3. "I ___ the project two weeks early."

Show the answers

1. led (a team)
2. improved (a result)
3. delivered (a project)

Part 2: Email etiquette

2a. The structure of a professional email

Part	What to write	Example
Subject line	Short and specific	"Question about the marketing role"
Greeting	Match the formality	"Dear Ms Taylor,"
Opening line	Say why you're writing	"I'm writing to ask about..."
Body	One main idea per paragraph	Short paragraphs, clear request
Closing line	Say what happens next	"I look forward to hearing from you."
Sign-off and name	Match the greeting	"Kind regards, Mai Nguyen"

2b. Greetings and sign-offs by level of formality

Formality	Greeting	Sign-off
Formal	Dear Ms Taylor, / Dear Sir or Madam,	Yours sincerely, / Yours faithfully, (UK) · Sincerely, (US)
Neutral	Hello Anna,	Kind regards, / Best regards,
Informal	Hi Anna,	Best, / Thanks,

A British convention: "Yours sincerely" goes with a name (Dear Ms Taylor), and "Yours faithfully" goes with no name (Dear Sir or Madam). If you don't know the person's name, you can also use "Dear Hiring Manager," or, for a very general message, "To whom it may concern,".

2c. Useful email phrases

Purpose	Phrases
Starting	"I'm writing to ask about..." / "I'm writing in response to..."
Requesting	"Could you please send me...?" / "I would appreciate it if you could..."
Attaching a file	"Please find attached..." / "I've attached..."
Apologizing	"I apologize for the delay." / "Sorry for the late reply."
Following up	"I'm following up on my previous email."
Declining politely	"Unfortunately, I won't be able to..."
Closing	"Please let me know if you have any questions." / "I look forward to hearing from you."

2d. Too direct vs professional

Too direct	Professional
"Send me the report."	"Could you please send me the report?"
"I need an answer today."	"Could you let me know by 5 p.m. today, if possible?"
"You made a mistake."	"I think there may be a small error in..."
"I am waiting for your reply."	"I look forward to hearing from you."

2e. A sample email

Subject: Question about the marketing role

Dear Ms Taylor,

I'm writing to ask about the marketing coordinator position advertised on your website. I have five years of experience in digital marketing, and I would appreciate it if you could tell me more about the team and the next steps in the process.

Please find attached my CV. I would be happy to provide any further information.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards, Mai Nguyen

Quick practice: Part 2

Is each sentence professional or too direct?

1. "Send me the file now."
2. "Could you please send me the file by Friday?"
3. "I would appreciate it if you could confirm the date."

Show the answers

1. too direct (a command, with no "please")
2. professional ("Could you please...?" with a time frame)
3. professional ("I would appreciate it if you could...")

Common mistakes

1. I am agree with you. → I agree with you. (Agree is a verb, so don't add am.)
2. I look forward to hear from you. → I look forward to hearing from you. (Look forward to is followed by -ing.)
3. Please revert back to me. → Please reply to me. / Please get back to me.
4. Let's discuss about the project. → Let's discuss the project. (Discuss doesn't need about.)
5. I have five years of experiences. → I have five years of experience. (Experience is uncountable in this meaning.)

Final practice

Rewrite more politely

Rewrite each sentence so that it sounds professional.

1. "Give me your CV."
2. "Reply today."
3. "Your report is wrong."

Fill in the blanks

Complete this email with one word in each gap.

Dear Ms Taylor, I'm (1) ___ to ask about the open position. Please find (2) ___ my CV. I would (3) ___ it if you could reply by Friday. I look forward to (4) ___ from you. Yours (5) ___, Mai Nguyen

Speaking or writing task

Answer "Tell me about yourself" in four sentences: present, past and future. Use at least two action verbs from this lesson.

Show the answers

Rewrite (model answers):

1. "Could you please send me your CV?"
2. "Could you reply by the end of today, if possible?"
3. "I think there may be a small error in your report."

Fill in the blanks: (1) writing · (2) attached · (3) appreciate · (4) hearing · (5) sincerely (UK, because the greeting uses a name)

Task (model answer): "I'm currently a sales assistant at a retail company, and I manage our online orders. Before that, I coordinated events for a small agency, which improved my organization skills. I've recently completed a business course. Now I'd like to move into a customer-service role where I can lead a team."

Practice professional and tech quizzes →

Conclusion

You now have the core tools for business English: the questions you may hear in an interview, strong verbs to describe your experience, the structure of a professional email, and the polite phrases that make a request sound respectful.

The best preparation is to practice out loud and in writing. Say your "Tell me about yourself" answer a few times, write a real email using the sample above, and ask a friend to read it. Small changes, such as "Could you please...?" instead of a command, make a big difference in how professional you sound.

Keep learning

• Practice vocabulary with free professional and tech quizzes
• Is "experience" countable? A vs An vs The: English Articles Explained explains countable and uncountable nouns
• "To whom it may concern": Who vs Whom: Does Anyone Actually Use "Whom" Correctly?
• Not sure of your level? Take the free level test