Summary
Here are some quick tips for good email style:
Provide your reader with the right information and writing
approach:
-
Quote the email to which you are responding (you can set
this up on your email program)
-
Avoid the use of them, they (use I, we
and specific names)
Make your page easy to read. Use:
Find different ways to express emotion, body language, and intonation.
Use:
[
Back to Top ]
Why Is Email Different than
Regular Mail?
Email is more conversational than traditional letters. Because, if its
speed electronic communication is also shorter because people can quickly
answer any questions the receiver of the email might have. In a regular
letter it is important to make everything completely clear because your
reader may not have a change to ask for clarification. Although you should
always try to spell words correctly (as this helps communicate your
message), it is not necessary to make sure your grammar is perfect. Don't
slave for hours if all you want to say is, "I'll meet you at the
movie theatre." Because email is not face-to-face, the receiver of
your email may have difficulty telling if you are serious or kidding,
happy or sad. Be warned that using sarcasm can be very dangerous as it is
difficult to understand without body language or tone of voice. Essentially,
email tries to combine aspects of informal speech, formal written
communication, and new ways of showing emotions and body language.
[
Back to Top ]
Always quote your replies, unless you are sure the receiver of your
email knows exactly what you are talking about.
-
Do not send email that says simply says "yes" to some
mysterious question. Include the question, or say, "Yes, I can
meet you at the airport." Always provide your reader with enough
information.
-
A good rule of thumb is to look very carefully at all pronouns in your first
three sentences. If they don't refer to something explicitly stated in the email,
change them to something concrete. For example, at the start of your
email.
Don't say: "They asked me if I could go with them, but she
wouldn't let me."
Say: "My office friends asked me if I could go with them,
but my wife wouldn't let me."
-
When answering questions, you don't need to include the entire
question. Quote the most important part of the question. Instead of
quoting:
> I was thinking about taking a trip at the end of the month after
I finish the term, would you be interested in going to Guam?"
Quote:
>About Guam trip?
Sure, sounds like a good idea. But I'll have to check with my parents
about finances.
[
Back to Top ]
Usually people find it hard to read words on a computer screen than on
paper. The font may be too small. The screen may flicker. The screen is
not as sharp or as clear as paper. To make your email easy to read,
your page layout should be a little different.
-
Use Shorter Paragraphs - Consider breaking up paragraphs to
only a few sentences a piece. That way readers can easily see new
paragraphs as they end and begin. They don't have to scroll.
-
Use Less Words - Long wordy sentences are not appropriate for
most email, especially business email. If people want more
information, they will ask for it. A good rule of thumb is to keep
everything on one "page" or one "screen." In most
cases this means about 20 to thirty lines.
[
Back to Top ]
In writing, you cannot make your voice louder or softer, higher or
lower, to create emphasis or let others know how you feel.
-
Light Emphasis - If you want to give something light emphasis,
enclose it in asterisks. This is the same as using italics in a
paper document. E.g., "I feel really *sad* to day."
Or instead of:
I said that I was going to buy it Friday.
Say:
I *said* that I was going to buy it Friday.
Or:
I said that I was going to buy it *Friday*.
-
Capitalize for Strong Emphasis - For greater emphasis, add
some EXCLAMATION!!!! marks.
HEY, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF YOU REALLY LIKE ME..
Oooooooh, I LOVE that.
-
For EXTREME Emphasis go Wild - Use >>, !!, and ** for
dramatic affect.
If you forget my birthday this, I swear that I will never, *never*, *NEVER*, >>!!**NEVER**!!<<
make you Bulgolgi again (ha ha).
-
Other Strategies - Use lower case letters ( to indicate a
whisper) and . . . to indicate anticipation or a sigh:
I failed my TOEIC again, which *totally* sucks . . .
I will have to skip Guam and STUDY . . . AHHH!
psssst!
hey Sumi!
guess what?
HE PROPOSED!!!! :-) :-) !!
[
Back to Top ]
Emoticons, Smileys, and
Body Language
To make your emails more like a face-to-face conversation, try the
following strategies:
-
Use Smileys (Emoticons)
- Facial gestures can be represented with a "smiley": an ASCII or
text drawing of a facial expression. The most common three are:
:-)
;-)
:-(
(To understand these symbols, turn your head counter-clockwise and look at them
sideways.)
-
Pauses - In a face-to-face discussion if you ask someone a
complicated question, they might pause a long time, scratch their
head, check their watch, or make a face before answering. In email you
can create these pauses by adding whitepace, and "I'm
thinking" (repeating letters):
Weeeellllll.... errr hem.... Okay but *only* if you come too!
Well . . .
(clears his throat)
Okay but ONLY
if you come too!
-
Creative Punctuation - "Question Marks" and
"Exclamation Marks" can be used to help add expression to
your emails. The question mark is kind of shorthand for
"huh?" while the exclamation mark can be used to express
amazement or even anger. Punctuation can also be used as a
placeholder for swearing e.g., That #@#$%. Asterisks can also be
used to represent missing letters e.g., that son of a b****!
???!?! I don't understand why you talked to her first instead of
*me*.
THERE YOU GO! Email writing 101. I hope these suggestions have been
*helpful* :-). Try a few next time you send an email.
[
Back to Top ]
|
Pen
Pals 
