On Writing Email

Email correspondence is my normal and most practiced form of communication because of the convenience for both parties. It allows you to quickly send a message to someone and know (in most cases) they will get it the next time they check their inbox. I feel it’s also better than instant messaging or phone conversations in some instances because it allows me to think about what I want to say. However, with the amount of emailing I do, I notice many people don’t know how to write what I deem a proper email.

Since I am a TA, I get a lot of emails from students like this:

Hey do u take off for late assignments

This is sometimes forgivable as it’s mostly freshmen who are relatively new to email as the defacto form of communication. I am sure when I was a freshman, my emails weren’t up to my own current standards. However, even dealing with clients I get some of those emails that come off as less than professional. Using SMS shorthand or incorrect punctuation, spelling errors, etc. are some of the problems I run into. Here is an example of what I would say is a proper email:

Joe,
I hope all is well. I was wondering if you took off for late assignments.

Thanks,
Jim Student

The later email includes some important details the sooner email lacked. Here are some ground rules for a good email:

• Address/Greet the person you are writing. It looks better and it ensure you know who are you contacting. The greeting might not be necessary, but it shows you care at least a little.
• Use proper grammar. This isn’t instant messenger and your emails will be read more carefully. You don’t want to be judged on simple grammatical errors. Also, use real words- not shorthand. “U” instead of “you” might be ok for texting or IMing, but it’s not for email.
• Spell check! I’ve been guilty of this from time to time, but now that most browsers have spell check built in, there is really no excuse. This goes along the same lines as grammar checking- and this is much easier to avoid.
• Sign your name. Let the person you are contacting know who is emailing him. Usually for the first email I will also include my last name, and then drop it in any replies. This one drives me crazy because, especially with my students, I deal with a lot of people and don’t always recognize the email address.

These four simple checks will make for an infinitely better, more professional looking email which in turn reflects better on you. Did I leave anything out? Disagree with me? Let me know in the comments.