There are a variety of different ways to express gratitude in English. Sometimes we are generally thankful, and other times, we are grateful for particular things people do for us. So, when can we use “Thanks for your guidance?”
“Thanks for your guidance” is a legitimate and widely accepted way to thank a boss, teacher, or mentor for whatever help they provided on a project. Whether they taught you the best practice for doing something, edited a rough draft of an essay for you, or simply gave you a word of life advice, “Thanks for your guidance” works well.
We will touch upon the situations in which the phrase “Thanks for your guidance” works well, when it may be inappropriate to use, as well as some alternatives if it leaves you scratching your head.
What Does “Thanks for Your Guidance” Mean?
“Thanks for your guidance” means that you would like to express thanks and appreciation towards a person. We normally use it when that person gives us good information or advice. We most often use it as an unsarcastic and genuine thanks.
Let’s go through what each word means in this phrase. We’ll start with “thanks.” “Thanks” is another way of saying “Thank you,” which is an expression that directs gratitude at a person or an object (source). People can use “thanks” either sarcastically or literally.
“Guidance” is advice or direction that often leads someone to solve a problem for which they have requested help. People can give good and bad forms of guidance. What determines the quality of the guidance is how well it helps the requestor solve their problem.
Thus, “Thanks for your guidance” in its purest form is a simple expression of gratitude that people typically use in a genuine fashion. There are lots of different expressions of gratitude in English. What expression you choose depends on the context in which you find yourself (source).
How Do You Use “Thanks for Your Guidance”?
Use “Thanks for your guidance” when you are directing sincere thanks towards someone who made a difference on a project or in your personal life. For example, professionals often use “Thanks for your guidance” towards certain peers and superiors in work emails.
Professionals most often use the expression “Thanks for your guidance” in the office, but some might also use “thanks for your guidance” in high school or college. It is simply less common in school than in office environments.
It may also be a fruitful phrase to use in your housing situation. Different apartment communities have different rules of conduct that can become confusing. For example, some housing communities can be quite strict when it comes to parking.
Suppose, after asking the front desk, someone gives you clear directions on where and when you can park your car. In response, you can say, “Thanks for your guidance.” Still, you may wonder if it is okay to give this as a response on its own since “Thanks for your guidance” is technically not a complete sentence.
Pleasantries and Abbreviated Expressions
The short answer is yes, you can. “Thanks for your guidance” can signal to others that you are not only thankful for the information but also that you understand what they are saying. People don’t always speak in whole and complete sentences.
“Thanks for your guidance” usually stands on its own in English. People will very rarely say, “I thank you for your guidance,” or something technically making a complete sentence. People value their time, so concise remarks work best in many circumstances.
People will also use affirmative qualifiers before “Thanks for your guidance” like “Absolutely,”
“Yeah,” or “Appreciate it.” We can use the less formal affirmative statements over the phone more often than in person.
These are appropriate and professional ways to use “Thanks for your guidance.” We very rarely use the phrase in a sarcastic or facetious manner, so we will not include sarcastic examples of the phrase.
Be careful, though! Some of us find ways to sneak sarcasm into the most genuine-sounding phrases. Now that you know how to use “Thanks for your guidance” effectively, we can expound on more scenarios in which we can use the phrase well.
When Can You Use “Thanks for Your Guidance”?
You can use “Thanks for your guidance” whenever you have received guidance worthy of expressing thanks for. While you can use it with peers, it generally works better for people of higher rank or status.
As we discussed, people most often use “Thanks for your guidance” or similar phrases in professional settings, especially in work emails (source). You can think of the phrase as expressing gratitude towards someone that has or is helping you achieve a professional goal or project.
However, it would be strange to use this phrase between peers or with someone with lesser authority unless they possess some special knowledge that you do not and help you with something. Even then, it is more common to use somewhat more informal options when talking to peers.
For instance, we more often say “Thanks! I appreciate it.” or something along those lines. Here are a few examples of less formal options that we use instead of “Thanks for your guidance” when addressing peers or those of lower authority.
- Thanks, man!
- Thanks a lot!
- I appreciate it.
- You’re the best!
- Thank you very much!
- Thanks for your help!
To explore more ways to express thanks, check out our article on how to use “Thanks a lot.”
Remember that “Thanks for your guidance” is semi-formal at the very least, so you should ask yourself whom you are addressing before you choose your expression of gratitude.
In What Context Can You Use “Thanks for Your Guidance”?
English speakers mostly use “Thanks for your guidance” when in some sort of professional environment, but you can also use it cordially and even in the context of your family.
With Family
Say, for example, your father shows you how to replace a part for your car properly. If you two were out fixing the car together at points, or if he simply gave you sound advice on how to perform what you needed, it may go a little something like this:
Son: Hey, Dad; how do you drain the fuel lines on a car? I know you’ve done this kind of work before.
Dad: Well, if you take the fuel pump relay out, you can turn the engine over to clear the fuel lines.
Son: Really? I was stuck on this for hours. Thanks for your guidance, Dad. I really appreciate it.
You may have noticed that the son used two expressions of gratitude in this example. This is really common in English when you want to exhibit heartfelt thanks towards someone else. Typically the second expression of appreciation is “I really appreciate it,” but it can vary.
With Strangers
Use “Thanks for your guidance” when trying to navigate a situation in which you are unsure. If someone comes to your aid and gives you clear directions on addressing that situation, you can use “Thanks for your guidance.”
Driver: Can I park here without getting towed?
Bystander: Yes, but only until about 10:00. After that, the store closes, and the tow trucks come looking for any unattended vehicles.
Driver: Oh, good to know. Thanks for your guidance.
Appreciation Letters
Remember, guidance is more advice than a literal itinerary. You can see a great application of “Thanks for your guidance” in appreciation letters (source). People typically write appreciation letters to professors when they graduate or mentors when they move on.
Using “Thanks for Your Guidance” in a Full Sentence
You will find most of the proper usages of “Thanks for your guidance” in professional emails, dialogues, or other formal situations. Here are just a couple more examples of using the phrase correctly.
Hey, I wanted to thank you for your guidance. You really helped me out earlier.
Hey, sir. I know you probably don’t remember me, but thank you for your guidance a couple of days ago.
I had no idea what to do. You saved me, so thanks for your guidance.
Hey, your recommendation for that sushi place was great! Thank you for your guidance on that one.
In the greater context of a conversation, “Thanks for your guidance” conveys the idea that you are grateful for the person you are thanking and the effect their advice had on the situation that was giving you trouble.
Again, the contexts can vary, but the phrase “Thanks for your guidance” most commonly occurs in the workplace. Other contexts include at your place of housing, at hotels (like asking a concierge for advice or recommendations), or to a person giving you advice.
When Not to Use “Thanks for Your Guidance”
An example of when it would be improper or weird to use “Thanks for your guidance” is in response to someone who gives you directions to a destination.
Although the person is literally giving you guidance on how to get to where you want to be, English speakers do not consider literal directions as guidance. Instead, it would be more fitting to say “Thank you,” “I appreciate it,” or “Thanks for the information.”
What Can You Use Instead of “Thanks for Your Guidance?”
We’ve already talked about some informal substitutes to “Thanks for your guidance,” so you should also know some options you have for substitutes that are equally formal. Here is a short list of choices.
- I appreciate the help.
- Thank you for your direction.
- I’m indebted to you.
- Much obliged.
These expressions see wide use and are either equally formal or more formal than “Thanks for your guidance.” Varying your expressions with these provides sophistication to your speech.
Expressions of Gratitude as Minor Sentences
An expression of gratitude is what someone says to express thanks and appreciation to someone or something. They can be as simple as saying “Thank you,” or they can be a grandiose paragraph in a public speech.
A minor sentence is a phrase that the speaker intones as a complete sentence but still lacks what a complete sentence needs — namely, a subject and a predicate (source). People tend to express gratitude as minor sentences or as simple sentences. A classic example is “Thanks a lot.”
“Thanks a lot” classifies as a minor sentence, while “I appreciate it” qualifies as a simple sentence. Minor sentences lack either a complete subject (a noun) or a predicate containing a verb. Simple sentences are bare-bones sentences with a single noun group and a single verb group.
More minor sentence examples include:
- Thanks a lot.
- Yes, indeed.
- Absolutely.
Examples of simple sentences include:
- Dan is grateful to you.
- I thank you again for the opportunity.
- Don’t mention it.
Phrases and Clauses
There are just a few little things to know about phrases and clauses. Clauses contain subjects and predicates in the context of compound and complex sentences. Complex and compound sentences contain two clauses, which you could separate into two simple sentences.
A phrase is a fragment of a sentence that does not necessarily have a subject and a predicate. Phrases cannot stand on their own as sentences — consider prepositional phrases as an example. This article was written for strategiesforparents.com.
Prepositional phrases are phrases like “over the wall,” “through the woods,” or “into space.” It is important to understand the nuances of these kinds of terms in English.
Final Thoughts
The phrase “Thanks for your guidance” sees a lot of use in modern English. As always, it is important to analyze the situation and use appropriate language. Be sure to vary the phrases you use and adapt them so that they are appropriate for what you need.
Remember that people most often use “Thanks for your guidance” when they are directing gratitude towards someone who gave them good advice or directions, usually in an office setting.
The only way you can make “Thanks for your guidance” weird is if you thank someone for literal directions or if the situation does not call for you to be as formal.
If and whenever someone shows you a new and improved system of doing something or just gives you a good piece of advice, don’t hesitate to thank them for their guidance.