E-MAIL WRITING-Dos & Don´ts

The following information is used for educational purposes only.




DOS



• Use an informative subject line,
which says what the email is
about.

• Write the most important
information first.

• Use numbers and bullet points to
make the message clearer.

• Use simple grammar. Avoid things
like the passive. (As emails are a
fast means of communication, they
tend to be less wordy and complex
than formal letters.)

• Write short sentences.

• Use paragraphs to keep the email
clear and easy to understand









DON’TS



• Write ‘hello’ as your subject line.

• Write about irrelevant issues. The
reader will soon hit ‘delete’ if the
email doesn’t get to the point.

• Give personal information that you
don’t want anyone else to know.
(The email could end up in the
wrong hands)

• Use capital letters to write whole
words as in emails, this is
considered shouting.

• Use different fonts in the email (the
recipient’s computer may not be
compatible)

• Use Italics (the reason may be
misunderstood, due to cultural
differences).

• Use exclamation marks.

• Use abbreviations like coz and uni,
as the recipient may not understand
them.

• Use acronyms like BTW for the
same reason.

• Use smileys. They may be
misunderstood and come across as
unprofessional.





Source: www.teachingenglish.org.uk