7 Crucial Tips for Writing Good Emails

Email communication is crucial for every day life; thus, this is an area ESL students have to master if they want to effectively immerse themselves into any English-speaking culture.

Anyone who writes an email must make it understandable for the recipient, and the simpler, the better.  In many cases, the recipient has to work really hard to decipher what the sender is trying to say, and this is not just a thing of knowing the language or not.  A bad email shows disrespect for the recipient; it is not polite to make someone work hard to understand a few lines that you have written carelessly.

Here are 7 tips to help you write effective emails easily, even if you are not an English master yet:

1.    The Subject, Cc: and Bcc: boxes
The subject must tell the recipient what the email is about before he or she reads the message.  It allows them to organize their inbox.  It is indispensable to write a meaningful and relevant subject, a truly helpful and descriptive one.

The ‘Cc:’ (carbon copy) and ‘Bcc:’ (blind carbon copy) boxes must be used with care.  Email addresses that you add to the ‘Cc:’ box will be seen by the main recipient, and he or she will know that these people are also getting the message sent directly to them, while under the ‘Bcc:’ the recipient will not be aware of whom else is reading the message.

2.    Include only relevant attachments
If you are going to include an attachment in your email make sure it is absolutely necessary, because the recipient may not have the program to open it installed. It may be a very big file, or it may contain a virus.  Many people don’t like to receive attachments, thus, make sure they are aware of the fact that you are including an attachment, and only because it is important.

3.    Write short lines and paragraphs
Different email programs treat lines differently; thus, keep your lines short to ensure these don’t get cut in a weird way on the other side.  In the same way, short paragraphs are easier to read and understand; try to keep them at five lines.

4.    Use simple language
An email, even if it is about an important subject, is better when it is written using simple vocabulary.  Do not feel that you have to use big words to impress; it is much more impressive to read a simple but well articulated, clear, and intelligent email.

5.    Do not SHOUT
Never use ALL CAPS (all capital letters).  In English this means you are shouting, and it makes the text difficult to read because the human brain processes letters and words based on their shape; ‘ENGLISH’ has a single shape, while ‘English’ has movement.  If you want to highlight a word in the text, use asterisks (*) instead of capital letters.

6.    Use abbreviations wisely
There are very common and useful abbreviations, like btw (by the way) and ASAP (as soon as possible).  Everyone understands them and these make communication more fluid; however, if you use lots of abbreviations and these are not known by the recipient, they’ll feel like they’re reading an alien language.

7.    Sign every email
A signed email is more respectful and highly helpful.  You can add your address, phone number, and any other relevant information below your signature.

If writing emails is a big part of your daily routine, and you don’t master the English language yet, ask your ESL school for practice tools to sharpen your skills.  There is no such thing as too much practice or too much learning.

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Tags: effective emails, email writing, English emails, esl school, how to write an email, how to write email, writing emails