Email Writing
Dr. Poonam Vyas
Email Writing
• Email messages are equivalent to letter writing used to communicate
information or ask questions.
• Email messages must be kept brief, ideally, under 200 words.
Structure of an Email
• Header
• Sender, receiver, people who receive a copy of the mail, the date and
the subject
• Message- 200 words
• Signature Block- For external e-mails in particular, set up an
automatic signature through your email programme.
• Name of the sender, can also add their address and phone number .
Subject Field
• The subject is just a label not a sentence; keep it crisp
• Don’t use all-caps
• Capitalize the Initial Letter of each Important Word
• Use a colon to break the subject if you can’t fit it together
• Example: Attendance: Technical Communication
Greeting
• Use Dear Mr [surname]
• Use Dear [first name] for a more familiar person
• Capitalise the name of a named team/collective
• Dear Programme Team/Dear Sales Team
• Mention each name for fewer than 3 people; never use & (ampersand)
• Dear Manisha, Jyoti, and Yashodha,
• Use Dear all /Hello, everyone! / Hello, all! for more than 3 people
• Follow the name with a comma and skip a line
Body and language
Formatting
• Use the same font, style and size throughout
• Check for spaces, lines and punctuation
• The main text must be flush-left throughout
• Use indentation for any list, special info., block quote, etc.
• Edit your text- Modern writing applications such as Grammarly can be
integrated with your e-mail client or even your web browser and will
review your writing in real-time.
Signing off
• Use Thank you or a similar wrap-up: Warmly, Regards, Best, Yours
sincerely etc.
• Reserve yours sincerely from messages where you need to show
deference.
• Drop the complimentary close in quick routine messages where
politeness isn’t a concern.
• Don’t repeat greetings in the signature
Rules for Attachment
• Before you create an attachment, consider if its content could be put
in the text of the message.
• Label attachment documents so they can be easily recognized and
summarize their contents in your email.
• Ask permission before sending large attachments.
• Make it a practice to open the file you have attached to the email
message before you send it.
Appropriate Use of To, CC, and BCC
• To: Field:
• Direct recipients who need to take action or respond.
• CC: Field:
• Recipients who need to be informed but not act.
• BCC: Field:
• Recipients who need to be informed discreetly.
CC Recipients
• Recipients who need to be informed but not take direct action.
• Used for transparency and keeping stakeholders in the loop.
• Examples:
• Project Updates: CC team members who need to stay informed but
don’t need to respond.
• Client Communication: CCing your manager to keep them in the loop.
• Announcements: CCing department heads on a policy change.
Avoid Overuse
• Avoid Overuse:
• Cluttered Inboxes: Too many CCs can overwhelm recipients.
• Privacy Concerns: Sensitive information should not be shared widely.
• Irrelevance: Don’t CC people who don’t need the information.
Blind Carbon Copy (BCC):
• Used to send a copy of an email to additional recipients.
• Recipients in the BCC field are hidden from each other and from
recipients in the To and CC fields.
• Used for privacy and confidentiality.
• Large Recipient Lists: When emailing a large group to avoid exposing
everyone’s email addresses.
• Prevent Reply-All Chaos: Avoiding unnecessary replies from all
recipients.
Blind Carbon Copy (BCC):
• Examples:
• Mass Emails: Sending newsletters or announcements to a large list.
• Confidential Updates: Informing specific individuals without revealing
their identities to others.
• Internal Communication: When sending sensitive information within
an organization.
Provision for your absences
• Let people who are trying to reach you know you are out of the
office, when you will return, and whom they can contact in your
absence.
• Arrange for automatic receipt of incoming messages and out-of-office
messages.
Email Etiquette
• Answer promptly- each email should be replied to within at least 24 hourns, and preferably within the
same working day.
• Skip a line for every new para
• Don’t use SMS/informal dialects
• Do not overuse reply all
• Use templates for frequently used responses
• Be concise and to the point
• Use proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation
• Do not write in CAPITALS
• Avoid long sentences
• Use active instead of passive voice
• Re-read the email before you send it
• Take care with abbreviations and emoticons ( ASAP, FYI, PFA
• Avoid using URGENT and IMPORTANT
• Using the CC field
Situation for Email Writing
• Write an email to your teacher inquiring about your grades.
• Write an email to your teacher informing him/her about not attending
class.
Sample 1: Email to your teacher inquiring about your grades
• Include a proper email greeting- Dear Professor Sharma,
• Remind who you are
• My name is Anil Kumar, B. Tech First Year .
• Get straight to the point
• I was wondering if we could set up an appointment to discuss my grade on [Assignment name]. I
have checked that your office hours are scheduled on Wednesdays from 2 to 5 PM. If this is
correct, please let me know if I can come.
End an email politely and include a professional signature
• I look forward to your reply.
• Sincerely,
Anil Kumar
Sample 2: Email to a professor about not attending class
• Subject: History 1B: Class attendance
Dear Professor Smith,
This is Amit Kumar , from History 1B, Section 1. I am writing to inform you that I won’t
be able to attend your class on Thursday, as I have a doctor’s appointment at 11 AM.
Please find attached my assignment we are supposed to submit by Thursday. I will also
do my best to look through the materials you provided for this class and ask my
classmates to share their notes.
Thank you.
Best regards,
Amit Kumar
Exercise
• Write a focused and action-specific subject line.
• You are writing to a customer to ask his company to make immediate payment
against an invoice that has been outstanding for over 90 days.
• You are writing to your colleagues to inform them that a child needs AB+ blood very
urgently, and to ask them to respond if their blood group matches the requirement.
• You are writing to all employees to announce changes to the company dress code.
The changes are necessary because many staff members wear clothing
inappropriate for the workplace, including cargo pants, see-through shirts/tops and
T-shirts with offensive slogans. The new dress code will take effect on July 02.
• You are writing to your manager to communicate the progress on an ongoing online
marketing initiative. Your manager had asked you to send her updates on a weekly
basis.
Solution
• Immediate Payment Required for Overdue Invoice # [Invoice Number]
• Urgent: AB+ Blood Needed Immediately – Please Respond if You Can
Help
• Important: New Company Dress Code Effective July 2
• Weekly Update: Online Marketing Initiative Progress
Exercise
• Scenario: Write an email to inform your team about a New Remote Work Policy policy
that will be implemented next month.
• Initial Instructions:
• Clearly state the new policy.
• Be concise while explaining the key points.
• Provide concrete details about the implementation date and any actions required.
• Ensure the email is grammatically correct.
• Consider how the new policy affects your team and acknowledge any potential
concerns.
• Include all relevant information.
• Be courteous and open to questions.
Sample Email
• Subject: New Remote Work Policy Effective August 1 st
• Hi Team,I am pleased to inform you that we will be implementing a new remote work policy starting
August 1st. This policy aims to provide greater flexibility and support for our team's work-life
balance. Key points of the new policy include:-
• Employees may work remotely up to three days per week.-
• Approval from your direct manager is required for your remote work schedule.
• All team meetings will continue to be held via video conferencing.
Please review the attached document for complete details and guidelines.
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to me directly.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding as we transition to this new policy.
• Best regards,
Exercise
• Scenario:
• You are a PGDM student specializing in retail management, and you
need to write an email to the manager of a retail store where you did
an internship. You want to request a letter of recommendation to
support your application for a managerial position in a reputed
company . Invent necessary details.
Sample Email
• Subject: Request for Letter of Recommendation
• Hi [Manager's Name], I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to request a
letter of recommendation for my application to the postgraduate program in retail
management at [University's Name]. During my internship at [Store's Name], I
gained valuable experience that has significantly influenced my career aspirations.
• Could you please write a letter highlighting my contributions and skills during the
internship, such as [specific achievements or responsibilities]? I would greatly
appreciate it if the letter could be completed by [specific date], as the application
deadline is [application deadline date].
• Thank you very much for your time and support. If you need any additional
information, please let me know.
• Best regards, [Your Name] [Contact Information]
Ed Tech Companies have made
Education a Business, rather than
serving society?
• 1 Shifting from what was known as a social service to a business
model
• 2. Factors affecting online education industry
• 3 Marketing and Branding Factors
• 4 Examples: Byjus, Toppr, Vedantu, Unacademy
• 5 Why did Byjus fail?
• Inclusivity and Diversity
• Pedagogy and curriculum
• Role of Governance
• Policies and Practices of Modi Government
1)Economic Policies
2)Social Policies
3)Agricultural
4)Digital
5)Make in India
6)Defense policies
