| 01. |
On the whole the language used in e-mails should be conversational in tone, i.e. informal and personal, but still professional.
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| 02. |
Abbreviations (eg. I'll, he isn't) are normally used in e-mails.
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| 03. |
Another method for keeping the tone conversational is to drop the subject occasionally: eg. Hello Michael,
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| 04. |
We often use the word "just":
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| 05. |
It's a good idea to make the mail personal in some way, with a sentence referring to your colleague's holiday / weekend / work. This should either be at the end or at the beginning of your e-mail. Here are some examples off typical sentences you might use: Hope your holiday / presentation / meeting went well. It's good to have you back at work. How are things in London? Looking forward to seeing you next month. |
| 06. |
There are different possibilities for closing your e-mail: Best regards is a more formal ending, whereas Best wishes is quite personal. If your mail closes with a friendly sentence, eg. Have a good week, then it's also possible just to close with your name. |
E-Mail Tenses
| 01. |
We tend to use a lot of will + infinitive in mails when we offer to do things: I'll send you a copy as soon as it's ready. I'll call the supplier next week. I'll make sure the equipment is in the room when you arrive.
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| 02. |
We also use the present perfect when explaining steps we have taken: I've finished the report and faxed it to the supplier.
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| 03. |
The present continuous is often used to describe fixed plans: We're holding the meeting next Tuesday. I'm taking the 7.30 flight from Frankfurt. |
Do's and Don't's
- Do structure your mail if the contents are detailed.
- Do write a reference / title at the top indicating if the mail is for information only or if action needs to be taken.
- Be careful with irony in mails. Humour is often misunderstood, no matter how many smileys you use.
- Do not overuse highlighting punctuation, such as underlining, acclamation marks or capital letters.