Looking forward to continuing working with you

We often notice the phrase “looking forward to working with you” in business-related discourses.

But, what does it exactly mean? And, is it even grammatically correct?

I’ve covered the subtleties behind this topic in detail, so keep scrolling down to understand more.

Is the phrase “looking forward to working with you” grammatically correct?

This popular business expression is not only grammatically correct but also very much native-like. It is often used when either an employee or employer expects to start working with each other soon. Using this phrase means that a person intends to convey excitement or anticipation to the collaborative work that is about to take place, and thus, suggests a feeling of warmth towards the message recipient. In short, this expression is useful in welcoming a new person to build a business relationship with.

Looking forward to working with you: A Grammatical Background

“Looking forward to working with you” is the ellipted or shortened version of “I am looking forward to working with you.”

“I am” is flexible which means both words can be adjusted depending on the context and intention.

In particular, this means that the subject “I” can be substituted with other subject pronouns such as we or she, whereas “am” is replaceable with is or are depending on the subject.

This means that “working” is not actually the verb in the phrase even though it looks like one.

Instead, “working” is part of the noun phrase “working with you” which functions as the object of the preposition “to.”

Also, “look forward to” is a fixed phrasal verb that means “to anticipate” or “to expect” something to happen.

Hence, “to” cannot be conveniently replaced with just any other preposition that might seem suitable like “for” or “on.”

Interestingly, native speakers do not find this expression strange at all, but the case with non-natives is different.

Non-native English language users would easily get caught in the weeds when trying to dissect the grammaticality of this phrase, which is also natural.

The former is equipped with the concept of Universal Grammar (UG) in English, but the latter’s UG is embedded in their first language instead.

That said, non-natives are prone to the misperception that “to work with you” is simply an alternative for “to working with you.”

Clearly, this is also a more advanced topic in grammar, so do not worry if you haven’t fully made sense of this yet.

So, what’s the difference between the two then?

As mentioned earlier, “looking forward to working with you” is the correct expression to use, as opposed to “looking forward to work with you.”

Even my grammar checker tool winced at my use of the latter phrase, almost instantly underlining it while I was typing the last line.

Digression aside, the word “work” can actually mean a multitude of things and can function either as a noun or verb in sentences.

As a noun, it can be an activity, a place, or the measure of force exertion according to Physics, which is categorized as “uncountable” by the way.

I’ve got so much work to do.

Meanwhile, the verb “to work” is the engagement of a person, machine, or any operating system to a task or an activity.

From the syntactical perspective, the phrase “looking forward to work with you” is ungrammatical if the sentence elements are incorrectly grouped.

Again, “looking forward to” the main verb in its progressive tense, particularly a phrasal type that is already fixed per se, just like “put on” or “turn off.”

If one is rather perceiving “to” as part of the phrase “to work” in the expression being discussed, then that’s where we can draw the line.

“Working” is a gerund, a verb added with -ing, acting as a noun, but “to work” is an infinitive phrase that may act as an adjective, adverb, or noun in a sentence.

While both can be used as nouns, only gerunds can be used as the object of a preposition, which is “to” in the expression being discussed.

Thus, these reasons make “looking forward to work with you” ungrammatical and weird-sounding to the native ears.

The other commonly misconceived fixed verbal phrases similar to “to look forward” are “to accustom to,” “to admit to,” and “to be used to.”

Similarly, gerunds must be used after these fixed terms rather than infinitives.

When to use the phrase “looking forward to working with you”

Now that we already have a grasp of the correct structure to use, let’s also try to understand the context in which it is applicable.

As briefly stated earlier, the usage of “looking forward to working with you” most commonly occurs in business-related settings.

Although the phrase can be used in oral exchanges, it is more common to see this in emails and business letters, especially as a closing remark.

More precisely, it is used by people who are about to start a new project or job role and want to express anticipation towards the upcoming collaborative work with the new partner.

Thank you for providing me the opportunity to be a part of this project. I am looking forward to working with you soon.

In simple words, using this verbiage generally means that one is expressing excitement in collaborating with the message recipient.

Unless the language user intends to be sarcastic, the above-mentioned denotation should always be the case.

How formal is “looking forward to working with you?”

The easiest, also the most objective, way to determine the formality level of this expression is by comparing it to its untruncated version.

That is, the more complete structure, which is “I am looking forward to working with you,” is more formal than the ellipted version.

This means that the shortened form is more applicable in oral conversations, whereas the complete version is more recommended in writing.

It is also noteworthy to say that although this is the case, it doesn’t mean that not being able to use “I” and “am” would be regarded as rude.

The offensive part happens only when one fails to state this expression where one is expected to do so or when the context requires the use of similar phrases.

Since I’ve just mentioned similar phrases, let’s also tackle alternative expressions to “looking forward to working with you.”

Alternative Expressions to “looking forward to working with you”

“Looking forward to working with you” is definitely a great verbiage choice in situations requiring one.

It is most likely the best option since it is widely used and, therefore, free from any possibilities of misconception.

But in case you want to have a variety of options, which is also a really good indicator of language fluency, I’ve listed a few other related expressions.

I am excited to work with you

If you want to express a more casual and personal intent, “I am excited to work with you” is a simpler alternative.

If you’ve noticed, we need to use the infinitive form this time because we’re not using a fixed phrasal verb expression anymore.

Here, “to work with you” functions as an adverb, particularly an adjectival complement, that post-modifies “excited.”

So, we should never say “I am excited to working with you” on the other hand.

Also, take note that the use of this alternative expression conveys personal language.

Therefore, this one is more appropriate for a message recipient that we have a close relationship with.

Hence, this expression is less appropriate in the initial contact with a business prospect or superior, as opposed to those we’ve already established a bond with like peers.

Hi, John!

I’ve just heard that I’ll be joining your team next month.

I am excited to work with you and the entire team.

The personal tone of the example above will be less likely used by a job seeker who has just been hired by a company unless the relationship is quite close.

I can’t wait to work with you

Another expression that still conveys a personal tonality is “I can’t wait to work with you.”

Compared to the previous one, this is a better choice when the purpose is to increase the amount of enthusiasm in the language expression.

More enthusiasm means conveying a friendlier tone which is suitable for a message recipient with whom we share a more intimate connection.

For example, we can use it when the receiver is a former classmate who coincidentally got hired in the department you belong with.

Oh my God, Hailey! I never thought we’d see each other again, much less work under the same department.

I can’t wait to work with you!

Likewise, the statements above would come across as unprofessional when used under different circumstances, such as an HR recruiter to a random new employee.

I am eagerly looking forward to working with you

Lastly, if you want to express a strong desire yet stay professional, you may throw in an adverb in “looking forward to working with you.”

Be careful though, as the subjectivity of adverbs could easily lead to unprecedented misconceptions, which in this case is desperation.

Obviously enough, we need to pattern the way we use language to the context in which it is used, as well as the intention of the message sender.

That said, one may conveniently add “eagerly” when the message recipient has previously shown some sense of warmth in the previous interaction.

Our social acuity can guide us in perceiving and matching the psychological state shown by the other person.

Thank you very much for allowing a slight delay in my official start date.

As much as I wanted to be part of your reputable organization the soonest time possible, I am also still committed to contractual obligations with my current employer.

Again, I sincerely appreciate the leeway, and I am eagerly looking forward to working with you.

Frequently Asked Questions on “Looking Forward to Working With You”

How do we use “looking forward to working with you” in emails?

We use this line in expressing our anticipation or excitement towards working with a new partner, such as when joining a company, a team, or a new project. This phrase is most commonly used as a closing remark.

How can I reply to “looking forward to working with you?”

The simplest response to this would be “I’m also looking forward to working with you.” But, the response may also vary depending on the flow of the conversation and context.

For example, a newly-hired employee could say “Thank you very much for this opportunity,” whereas an employer might say “Welcome to the company.”

What is a synonym of “looking forward to working with you?”

Another way to express this phrase is by saying “I am excited to be part of the team,” “I am eagerly looking forward to our collaboration,” or “I can’t wait to start working with you.” Of course, we need to match the tonality of the expression with the context. In order to do that, always consider your relationship with the person, the mode of communication used, and the overall content of the message.

Conclusion

Expressions like “looking forward to working with you” play an integral role especially in business correspondence.

Although such an expression may seem to be quite overused, particularly if you work as a recruiter, its communicative function is crucial in building relationships.

Thus, use it whenever necessary and never forget to consider the overall context in deciding which specific tonality is the most appropriate.

Hey fellow Linguaholics! It’s me, Marcel. I am the proud owner of linguaholic.com. Languages have always been my passion and I have studied Linguistics, Computational Linguistics and Sinology at the University of Zurich. It is my utmost pleasure to share with all of you guys what I know about languages and linguistics in general.

How do you say looking forward to continuing working with you?

How do you say looking forward to working with you in email?