“P.S.” is a fairly common thing to add to an email signature. You will also find it in letters, and it would help to know what it means and how to use it. This article will explain everything there is to know about using “P.S.” in a formal email or business letter.
Can I Use “P.S.” in Formal Email?
You can use “P.S.” in a formal email, but it is becoming less popular. It originated as a way to add information to the end of a handwritten letter when it would have been messy to include it in the main body. Now, it is used after an email has been signed off.
Technically speaking, there is no reason to add “P.S.” to the end of a formal email. It was used in formal letters because it was impossible to erase the passage in the letter where you wanted to add the “P.S.” statement.
With emails, though, you don’t have to worry about inserting new information. You are able to simply go back to where you wanted to include it and write the message there.
You don’t have to wait until the end of your email to include additional information. The only reason it is done is because of how familiar most people are with using “P.S.” in letters.
It’s mainly an old-fashioned trend. It’s not likely for many people of younger generations (who didn’t write letters) to use this structure.
What Does “P.S.” Mean in Email?
“P.S.” means “post script.” It is used to add something after you’ve finished a business letter or email. Many people would include it at the end when they forgot to add an important piece of information in the main body of their letter.
“Post” means “after,” and “script” refers to the body of text included in the letter. So, together, “P.S.” means “after the main body of the text.”
You should only ever include a P.S. at the end of an email. There is no need to randomly place one in the middle, as this would not make any sense to the reader.
If they deemed the information important enough, they would include it later in the letter. This would ensure that someone would pay close attention to the information that might have been missed.
Of course, if the information wasn’t all that important, there wouldn’t be much need for it to be used. “P.S.” and everything written after it, in this case, would be a redundant inclusion to the letter.
When to Use “P.S.”
You should use “P.S.” when you want to add something important to the end of an email. If you have missed some information or believe that something is important enough to include on its own, a P.S. works well.
You should remember that “P.S.” is unnecessary in an email format. You should only ever include one as a personal preference.
It’s also good to use if you’re trying to highlight the importance of some information. For example:
- I will talk to you later.
- P.S. I will talk to you later.
Here, both examples say the same thing. However, starting the second example with “P.S.” is a good way of grabbing the attention of the reader.
It adds emphasis to the situation, showing that you will talk to them later, and it is going to be an important chat.
Here are some other email examples to show you how to use “P.S.”
- Dear sir,
- I’m glad you contacted me about this. I’ll get to work on it straight away.
- Kind regards,
- Janet
- P.S. I’ll also inform you of the things I found out from the group.
- Dear Mrs. Parker,
- Thank you for your time today. I was happy to learn more from you about this company.
- All the best,
- George
- P.S. Is there anything else you need from me that might have been overlooked?
- Dear Bridgette,
- I am going to have to report you for what you said. I hope you can understand that.
- Regards,
- Mr. Cricket
- P.S. I hope this doesn’t tarnish our working relationship.
When to Avoid Using “P.S.”
You never have to use “P.S.” in a formal email. It is considered redundant because you can simply go back into the body of the email and add the information there. You should avoid using it when trying to be formal, as it shows that you forgot to add information.
The situations when “P.S.” should not be used relate to the most formal of cases. You should not use it when you know that the recipient likes formality and politeness in their emails.
After all, P.S. is never required in an email. You can look at these examples to see what we mean:
- Dear Mr. Bridges,
- I’m going to be at the meeting later today. Is that okay with you?
- All the best,
- Samantha
- P.S. I’m looking forward to hearing what you have to say.
Here, P.S. is included at the end. However, it is an email, and there is no need to include the information after you’ve signed off. You can simply place it further up the email in the main body:
- Dear Mr. Bridges,
- I’m going to be at the meeting later today. Is that okay with you?
- I’m looking forward to hearing what you have to say.
- All the best,
- Samantha
As you can see, the emails are identical. “P.S.” was redundant, so it was removed.
Alternatives to Using “P.S.” in Email
You might benefit from checking out a few alternatives to using “P.S.” in an email. It would help to have a few of these as backups to make sure you have multiple options ready to go:
- No P.S. (just include the information in the email)
- Please note
- Take note
- By the way
- On another note
- Incidentally
- By chance
Final Thoughts
You can use “P.S.” in formal emails, but it’s not a popular choice anymore. It’s much easier to include information in the main body of the email rather than waiting until you’ve signed the email to add it in. It does emphasize the information, but it is a redundancy.