Business English Email Phrases You’re Getting Wrong

Most professionals write dozens of emails a week. And most of them repeat the same handful of mistakes, week after week, without realizing it. The problem is that awkward email phrases rarely cause a catastrophic misunderstanding. They just make you sound slightly off.  A bit too stiff, a bit too informal, or a bit too 1997. Over time, that adds up.

This post covers the most common errors in business English email phrases, shows you the corrected version, and explains the logic behind each fix. Read it once, and you’ll notice these mistakes everywhere.

The Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)

Mistake 1

Wrong: “Please revert back to me at your earliest convenience.”
Correct: “Please get back to me when you have a chance.” or “Please reply by [date].”

Two problems here. First, “revert” does not mean “reply” in standard international English.  This usage comes from South Asian and some African English contexts and confuses many readers. Second, “at your earliest convenience” sounds like something from a Victorian telegram. If you need a response by Friday, just say Friday.

Mistake 2

Wrong: “Kindly do the needful.”
Correct: “Please could you [specific action]?” or “Could you handle this on your end?”

“Do the needful” is another phrase that feels natural in certain regional varieties of English but reads as vague and outdated in international business communication. Always specify what you actually want the other person to do. Vague requests create extra email chains.  Nobody wants that.

Mistake 3

Wrong: “I am writing to you because I wanted to ask about the meeting.”
Correct: “I’m writing to ask about the meeting scheduled for Thursday.”

The tense shift here is the culprit. Mixing present continuous (“am writing”) with past simple (“wanted”) creates an awkward mismatch. The reason for writing and the act of writing are both happening now, so keep everything in the present. Bonus fix: add a specific detail (like a date) so your reader knows immediately what you mean.

Mistake 4

Wrong: “Please find attached herewith the document.”
Correct: “Please find the document attached.” or “I’ve attached the report for your review.”

“Herewith” is a legal and formal relic. It has no place in a standard business email. “Find attached herewith” also stacks two words that mean the same thing. Choose one, and then drop “herewith” permanently. Your reader will not miss it.

Mistake 5

Wrong: “Sorry for the late revert.”
Correct: “Sorry for the delayed response.” or “Apologies for getting back to you late.”

“Late revert” combines the regional misuse of “revert” (see Mistake 1) with a noun form that doesn’t work in standard English. When apologizing for a slow reply, “delayed response” or “late reply” are clear, professional, and universally understood.

The Pattern Behind the Mistakes

If you look at all five errors together, two themes emerge.

The first is regional phrases treated as universal English. Words like “revert” and “do the needful” are perfectly logical in the contexts where they developed. The issue arises when they appear in international emails where the reader doesn’t share that context. Business English, for better or worse, operates on a broadly shared set of conventions. When in doubt, choose the plainer option.

The second theme is formality borrowed from the wrong era. Words like “herewith” and “at your earliest convenience” were standard in the age of formal letters. Emails are not letters. They’re faster, shorter, and more conversational. Formal phrasing doesn’t make you sound more professional in an email. It makes you sound like you’re in costume.

The fix in both cases is the same: be specific and be current. Say what you mean. Name the document, the date, the action. Use the language people actually use in professional settings today.

Getting email tone and register right is something we work on directly in the daily coaching programme at richardg.xyz. If you want feedback on your actual writing rather than just examples, you can find the details here.

Quick-Reference Summary

• Replace “revert” with “reply” or “get back to me”
• Replace “do the needful” with a specific request
• Keep your tenses consistent within the same sentence
• Drop “herewith” — it adds nothing
• Use “delayed response” or “late reply” instead of “late revert”
• Be specific: name dates, documents, and actions clearly
• Match your formality level to email, not formal letter writing

Vocabulary to Know

• revert /rɪˈvɜːt/ – Level: B2 – in standard English, means to return to a previous state or subject; commonly misused to mean “reply” in some regional varieties – Example: The company reverted to its old pricing structure after the trial period ended.
• delayed response /dɪˈleɪd rɪˈspɒns/ – Level: B1 – a reply that comes later than expected or intended – Example: Please accept my apologies for the delayed response to your enquiry.
• at your earliest convenience /æt jɔː ˈɜːliɪst kənˈviːniəns/ – Level: B2 – a formal phrase meaning “as soon as you are able to”; often considered overly formal in modern emails – Example: Could you send the updated figures at your earliest convenience?
• herewith /hɪəˈwɪð/ – Level: C1 – a formal or legal adverb meaning “with this communication”; largely outdated in everyday business email – Example: Please find the signed contract enclosed herewith.
• tense consistency /tens kənˈsɪstənsi/ – Level: B2 – the practice of keeping verb tenses logically matched within a sentence or paragraph – Example: Tense consistency is essential in formal writing to avoid confusing the reader.
• register /ˈredʒɪstə/ – Level: C1 – the level of formality in language, adjusted according to context, audience, and purpose – Example: Choosing the right register for a client email can significantly affect how your message is received.
• collocation /ˌkɒləˈkeɪʃən/ – Level: C1 – a pair or group of words that naturally and frequently appear together in a language – Example: “Make a decision” is a common collocation; “do a decision” is not.
• relic /ˈrelɪk/ – Level: B2 – something from the past that has survived but is no longer current or relevant – Example: Phrases like “as per your request” are relics of formal letter writing.
• universally understood /ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːsəli ʌndəˈstʊd/ – Level: B2 – clear and recognizable to people regardless of cultural or regional background – Example: In international emails, it helps to use universally understood phrasing.

FAQ

Is it always wrong to use formal phrases in business emails?

No. Some contexts genuinely call for formality: first contact with a senior executive, legal correspondence, or a complaint to an institution. The point is to match your level of formality to the situation. A catch-up email with a colleague you’ve worked with for two years doesn’t need “I trust this email finds you well.”

How do I know if a phrase I’m using is regionally specific?

A practical test: search the phrase in a corpus of written English, or simply Google it in quotes. If most results come from one region, or if native speakers from multiple countries look blank when you use it, that’s a useful signal. When writing to an international audience, the safer choice is always the simpler, more widely-used alternative.

Should I use contractions in business emails?

Generally, yes. Contractions (“I’ve”, “we’re”, “you’ll”) make your writing feel like a real person sent it. Avoiding them completely creates a stiff, robotic tone that actually works against you in most professional contexts. Save the uncontracted forms for formal documents, legal text, or situations where you want to signal extra seriousness.

Consistent practice with real email writing is the fastest way to make these corrections stick. That kind of applied practice, with feedback, is exactly what the daily coaching programme is built around. Take a look at what’s included here.