E MAIL WRITING

The Fundamentals
 Remembering the Fundamentals

To BODY

CC/BCC ATTACHMENT

SUBJECT PROOFREAD

SEND
 “To…” Field

The To… field comprises the receiver/s who has

ASKED for the Will ACT upon

information OR the information

Check the recipient list twice before using the Reply All
 “Cc… / Bcc…” Fields

Use Cc only when it is important for those you Cc to know about the
contents of the email.

Remember, overuse can cause your emails to be ignored

Strictly refrain from using Bcc in official emails - unless there is a

clear process stating the need
 “Subject” Field
An effectively filled Subject field should:

not be empty

specify WHAT is the email about

contain a clear reference name/number, whenever necessary

not be more than 5-6 words

be changed if the context of the body is changed

contain correct spelling, case, full forms

 Right or Wrong?
Which of these is a correct and professional subject line?

Production
Report  Leave needed

Nominations
for training 
Production
Leave
Request 
report –
May’21

Order – 12345 error

Important
 
Welcome to HGS
 Attachments
Key points to consider when sending attachments:-

Is it really Is this the most

necessary to appropriate
send this file? format to send it
in?

Is the file too

big, to send?
 Body of the Email Greeting

Which of these is a correct and professional greeting?

Hey Rakesh
 Hello Mr.

Hi Rakesh

Rakesh
Hi All
 Dear Rakesh 
Good Evening Amar  
Hi Mr. Rakesh Nair
Hey Dude
 Hi Everybody

 Body of the Email
Content
Use one/two
highlighting
features per
End with the
mail Do not use
ACTION expected
Start with from the reader abbreviations,
WHAT is the jargons, slangs
main objective, – especially
and then move when writing to
to additional clients and new
information joiners

Avoid emoticons,
Pay attention to Write short especially when
grammar, spelling sentences with addressing
and punctuation; correct data and multiple recipients
complete all your correct and seniors
sentences information
Never use ALL
CAPITALS and
font color red
 Proofread
Develop the good habit of always proofreading the email
before sending.

First Second
Tone – polite Spelling
professional, Grammar,
respectful Punctuation
 What’s Wrong With These Sentences?

[Link] eat Grandpa

[Link]’s cheese salad: tomato, lettuce, bell pepper, goats, cheese

[Link] the best teacher

[Link] eat the ice cream in the freezer.

[Link] interests are cooking dog, walking, reading, skiing.

 Rules of thumb
• The ‘To’ field • The ‘Cc’ field • The ‘Bcc’ field
• The ‘To’ field should only include those users • The CC (Carbon Copy) field is intended for • The BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) field means
who are directly affected by the message you those who may need to know about the that recipients in the ‘To’ and ‘CC’ fields will
are sending. Think of it as asking somebody main content of the email but need take no be unable to see users addressed in this way.
to do something; whether that’s replying action themselves. • This can be useful when you want your
with information and comment, forwarding • Think of it as “for information only” but only manager to be aware of something that you
on to someone else or simply reading and when the information is not critical. are dealing with, but don’t want them to
noting the content. • Consider whether the information is take action.
• Typically, those people you include in the To genuinely of interest to the receiver or just a • The Bcc field is also useful when you are
field will be included in your email’s opening “nice to know”. sending a communication to a list of
line. individuals who need the same information
• Before adding an email address to the ‘To’ but shouldn’t be able to see the email
field, remember to ask yourself what action addresses of every other person receiving
you are requesting of the recipient. the message.
• This field may also be used in sensitive
situations where you do not want the
recipient to know you have added others to
the email. For example, adding your boss to
BCC when dealing with a complaint. This
allows them to see what action has been
taken without the customer being aware.
 Subject lines

• Do include one as emails with blank subject lines are often

dismissed.
• Do be specific and include exactly what you are referring to
so that recipients can prioritize your message easily.
• Do be brief and keep it under 30 characters per line so that
the entire line will show up on smart phone previews.
• Don’t use the words important or urgent unless it is a truly
pressing matter.
 Symbols of Punctuation
Name Symbol Use

Full Stop . Usually used at the end of a sentence

Usually used at the end of an interrogative

Question Mark ? sentence to form a question

Comma , Usually used to denote a pause in a sentence

Used to denote shock, surprise, anger or a

Exclamation Mark !
raised voice

Colon : Used to indicate what is to follow next

Used to link two separate or two independent

Semi Colon ;
clauses in place of comma
Used to show possession or for contraction of
Apostrophe ‘ word
 Punctuate

1. Woman without her man is nothing

2. Hang him not spare him
3. David said his boss did not understand economic
theory
Option 1
1. Woman, without her man, is nothing
2. Hang him, not spare him
3. David, said his boss, did not understand economic theory

Option 2

1. Woman, without her, man is nothing

2. Hang him not, spare him
3. David said, his boss did not understand economic theory
 Mind the punctuation

The Comma (,) Full Stop (.) Exclamation Mark (!)

The comma is useful in a • A full stop should always be • An exclamation mark indicates
sentence when the writer wishes used to end a sentence.  The strong feeling within a
to: full stop indicates that a point sentence, such as fear, anger
• pause before proceeding. has been made and that you or love.
• add a phrase that does not are about to move on to • Exclamation marks are a poor
contain any new subject. further explanations or a way of emphasizing what you
• separate items on a list. related point. think are important points in
• use more than one adjective • A single full stop may also be your emails.
(a describing word, like used to indicate the • An exclamation mark should
beautiful). abbreviation of commonly only be used when absolutely
used words. essential, or when taken from
a direct quote.
• The exclamation mark should
be used sparingly in formal and
semi-formal writing.
 Mind the punctuation (continued…)

Question Mark (?) Semi-colon (;) Colon (:)

• The question mark simply • The semi-colon is perhaps • The colon within a
indicates that a sentence is the most difficult sign of sentence makes a very
asking a question.  punctuation to use pointed pause between
• It always comes at the end accurately. If in doubt, two phrases.
of a sentence. avoid using it and convert • It is most commonly used
the added material into a when listing or it can be
new sentence. used within a heading, or
• As a general rule, the descriptive title.
semi-colon is used in the
following ways:
• When joining two
connected sentences.
• The semi-colon can also
be used to assemble
detailed lists.
 Mind the punctuation (continued…)

Hyphen (-) Brackets (   ) Square Brackets

• The hyphen is used to link • Brackets always come in pairs A different set of square
words together. The hyphen is (  ) and are used to make an brackets [   ] can be used:
also used when a word is split aside, or a point which is not • To abbreviate lengthy
between two lines. The part of the main flow of a quotations
• To correct the tense of a
hyphen should be placed sentence.  If you remove the
quotation to suit the tense of
between syllables at the end words between the brackets,
your own sentence
of the upper line and the sentence should still make
• To add your own words to
indicates to the reader that sense.
sections of an abbreviated
the word will be completed
quotation.
on the next line. • Note, that when using square
• Computer applications such as brackets, only the occasional
Word Processors can be set to letter as in the above example
automatically hyphenate or the occasional word (for
words for you, although it is example when changing the
more common to use extra tense of the sentence) would be
spacing to avoid hyphenation. placed in square brackets in this
way.
 Mind the punctuation (continued…)

Slash  (/) Capital Letters

• Many people use the slash instead • To start a sentence.

of or, and etc., but this is not always helpful to • Titles.
the reader. There is, however, a modern • For proper nouns.
convention in gender-neutral writing to use • Acronyms generally work like title case: you
‘s/he’. capitalize the important words, and not ‘and’,
‘of’, ‘for’ and so on.
• For contractions, capitalize the initial letters of
words, but not subsequent letters within the
same word. Contractions are like acronyms, but
also include one or more letters from within the
same word. Examples of this include HiFi, which
is short for ‘High Fidelity’, and SciFi, short for
science fiction.
• WRITING ENTIRELY IN BLOCK CAPITALS IS
SHOUTING, and it’s rude.
 Attaching files

• Do refer to the attachment in your text.

• Do make attachments as small as possible. Zip or compress
big files, and send low resolution images as far as possible.
• Do use a good virus scanner as attachments are a common
way of spreading viruses.
• Don’t forget to let the recipient know what they are
expected to do with the attachment
 Greetings

• The following phrases are suitable for addressing

someone formally:
• Dear Sir/M’am,
• Dear Mr/Ms Jones,
• To whom it may concern,

• Use the following to address someone outside of

work, or even a colleague that you know well:
• Hi John,
• Hello Albert,
• Dear Jasmine,
 Reason for writing
• It’s important to get your message across properly. Think about
your reader and how you would like them to respond to what you
are writing.
• Use the following phrases to formally illustrate the reason you’re
writing:
• I am writing to ask for further information about…
• I am writing regarding the meeting we have arranged…
• I am writing with regard to the complaint you made…
• With reference to our conversation this morning, I would like to
let you know…
•  Use these informal phrases for more casual exchanges:
• Just a quick question about…
• I was wondering if…
• I wanted to let you know that… 
 Making a request
• Most of the time, especially in a business context, you will need to
make requests or ask for information in your emails.
• It is important to be polite when you’re emailing to ask for a
request formally:
• Could you please let me know if you are available?
• I would appreciate it if you could send me the document…
• Could we arrange a meeting later?
• Please let me know if this will be possible…
• If you are writing to a friend, you can use informal phrases:
• I was just wondering if you were around later…
• Would you mind coming earlier?
• Can you call me back ASAP? (As soon as possible)
 Ending / Signature
• To end an email properly you need to finish with the
appropriate sign off.
• These closing phrases are suitable for ending formal
emails:
• Yours sincerely,
• Yours faithfully,
• Kind regards,
• Best wishes,
• Do include other ways you can be contacted.
• Do snip your signature out of subsequent replies.
• Do avoid using religious or political quotes.
• Don’t add images as far as possible.
Structuring emails

1. Collect

[Link]

3. Analyze
 C o l l e c t I n f o r m a ti o n

• Put all the information/relevant data together

• Do not ONLY analyze. Recall all possible points

• Look at the situation from the reader’s point of view to

know what additional information you need

• Pre-empt all questions using the 5W and 1H tool

 Categorizing information

Introduction

Subtopic 1 Paragraph Bullet list

Visual
Subtopic 2 Paragraph Attachment
directions

Actionable
Summary Timeline
Required
 Key Checks while Analyzing
• Use plain English (Language)
It is faster to write, faster to read, easier to understand.
It is a message written with the reader in mind, in a clear &
Language
Plain English
concise manner.

• Put your reader first (Relevance)

Who are my readers?
What do they already know?
Reader’s Perspective What do they need to know?
‘Who is the reader’ Will they understand this?
What do I want them to do?

• Concise (Effectiveness)
Make a list of the topics you want to cover, and stick to the
Subject
point
Relevant, Complete,
and Concise Elaborate the topics one by one
Review each topic for relevance to your aim and audience
Avoid weak & unnecessary words
 Actionable

• Write 2 actions you will follow when writing long emails

• Write 2 actions you will stop doing to ensure our emails are
effective
 What is the tone ?(i)
Date: 7/14/06
From: hch@[Link]
Subject: Leave

BILL

I PUT IN MY REQUEST FOR VACATION TIME OVER 2 MONTHS AGO SO THAT I COULD TRAVEL 2 MUMBAI FOR MY
NEICE’S WEDDING AND I JUST FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS DENIED. THE WEDDING IS THES WEEKEND I’VE BOUGHT
MY PLANE TICKET ALREADY AND I’M JUST NOW FINDING OUT THAT U DIDN’T APPROVE MY VACATION.

PLEASE TELL ME WHAT’S THE PROBLEM? I MEAN, IF U WERE GOING TO DENY IT, AT LEAST U COULD HAVE TOLD ME
A FEW WEEKS AGO. MAYBE YOU’RE JUST SO WORRIED ABOUT THAT U JUST DON’T CARE ABOUT ANYONE ELSE.
WHO KNOWS?

JUST SO YOU KNOW, I THINK I’M COMIN DOWN WITH FEVER AND MAYBE OUT SICK FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

Thomas
 What is the tone ?(ii)

Date: 7/14/06
From: hch@[Link]
Subject: Question Regarding Requested Leave
To: wpf@[Link]

Hi Bill, 

I understand you are busy doing very important work. But if you can spare just a minute from your busy schedule and
look at my leave request, it will be of help. I know that is not important for you, but may be you can give it some time
as its important to me.

I need this leave as I have planned this vacation long back.

Thanks for your quick action.

 
Henry 
Henry Hughley
 What is the tone ?(iii)

Date: 7/14/06
From: hch@[Link]
Subject: Question Regarding Requested Leave
To: wpf@[Link]

Hey Bill, 

Yaar I hope you are good. Buddy can you look at my leave request I sent the other day. Give the leave na .Dekh I am
going to Goa, will get cashew for you. I have booked my tickets for 30th so will leave a little early from office and will be
back on 5th morning. Okay.

Thanks,
 
Henry 
Henry Hughley
 What is the tone ?(iv)
Date: 7/14/06
From: hch@[Link]
Subject: Question Regarding Requested Leave
To: wpf@[Link]

Hi Bill, 
I know you are very busy, but I really need to request you for my leave.

I understand my vacation request has been denied. You know that I work very hard and never take personal days.
I’d like you to reconsider the request as I really need this time off to attend my niece’s wedding which is being held
out of the country. This is a get-together after many years in my family and its very important for me to attend it.

I will ensure that all my deliverables are complete and backups created for the remaining work. If necessary, I can
also use my sick leave rather than my annual leave. 

Request you to approve at the earliest so that I can start planning my work and back up accordingly.

Thanks,
 
Henry 
Henry Hughley
 Lets Discuss

 Which is the most effective tone to adopt?

 If you receive a mail in a professional tone, what opinion do you

form of the person?

 What are some of things we can do to ensure we maintain a

professional tone, especially in situations where we feel
upset/annoyed?
Ways of Managing Tone

Eliminating
I/You

Minding Ps
and Qs’

Writing from
reader’s point
of view

Getting a
third person
point of view
 Managing Tone

‘I/you’ sentences ‘Neutral’ sentences

• You are always late. • We need to start coming on
time.
• I have always sent reminders to • Please ensure we read the
you from my side. reminder mails carefully.

• You always give excuses. • Let us not delay this any further.
 Managing Tones - Additional steps

Minding Ps and Qs
Remember your good manners of using power words like please, thank you,
request you, apologize etc.

Writing from reader’s point of view

Keep your reader in mind and be aware of the emotions your mail will evoke
in them

Getting a third person point of view

when in doubt or not in the right frame of mind, ask a colleague to read your
mail before sending it to the target audience
 Actionable
• Write 2 actions we will follow to manage tone

• Write 2 actions we will stop doing to ensure our tone is

effective
EMAIL FORMATS
THANK YOU EMAIL FOR A JOB
INTERVIEW
Dear [name of hiring manager],

I enjoyed speaking with you the other day at the interview for the [job name]. The job appears to be an
ideal match for my skills, ambitions, and interests.

The innovative approach to the corporate culture within the [job field] world confirmed my wish to work at
your firm.

I will bring my engineering skills, assertiveness, and ability to engage others to work in a cooperative way
within the [name of department] department.

Thank you for taking the time to interview me for the [position title] at [company]. I have a high level of
interest in working for your firm and look forward to hearing from you.

Best Regards,
[name]
FORMAL LETTER OF APPRECIATION
Dear Mr./Mrs. [name],

I would like to formally recognize all the hard work and dedication you’ve put into completing
[project/task]. Due to your consistent efforts, the project is what it is today and that led to the positive
results we were hoping for. 

On behalf of [company name, board members, etc.], we would like to formally thank you for your hard
work and we would like to let you know that we highly value your contribution and your continued
dedication to your job.

We are very grateful to have you as a member of our team and we wish to continue to see you thrive
within our organization.

Best regards,
[Name and job title]
LETTER OF COMPLAINT
Dear [name],

On January 30th, 2020, I made a reservation at your restaurant located at 1234 Mulberry Lane for a
birthday dinner for four people. This letter is intended to bring certain issues to your attention.

Unfortunately, we did not enjoy our dinner due to the fact that the food was very slow to arrive and we
received the wrong dishes. It’s understandable that it was a busy time at your restaurant, but the
quality of the service was not as expected.

To resolve this problem, I would appreciate it if you could provide compensation in the form of a gift
voucher or discount on a future meal. 

I’m looking forward to your reply.

With regards,
[Your name]
COVER LETTER
Dear hiring manager [name],

I was very interested while reading the job posting for the position of [job title]. I believe that the
experience I have strongly match the responsibilities of this position. I am enthusiastic about
submitting my application for the position.

My most recent position was at [company name], where I was a [job title name ]. Additionally, I
recently participated in a [mention an accomplishment in your last job that is relevent] 

I have attached my resume to this email. Thanks to it, I believe you will learn more about my
experience, education, and achievements.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

[Your name]
LETTER OF APOLOGY FOR A CLIENT
Dear [client’s name],

Please accept my deepest apologies on behalf of [company or business name] for the poor
experience you had at our restaurant.

I want to thank you for bringing these issues to my attention and please know that we are making
every effort to correct our mistakes so events like these don’t happen in the future.

As a token of our apology, please accept a gift card in the amount of $50.00 that can be used at our
restaurant in the future.

I hope to greet you again soon at [company or business name].

Yours sincerely,
[Your name and job title]
APOLOGY LETTER FOR BOSS
Dear Mr./Mrs. [boss’s family name],

I’m writing to you to express my regret for my behavior on [date] in regards to [event]. I would like
to apologize for my words and actions and reassure you that such an event will not happen again.

On the date in question, I got into a verbal altercation with the head waiter about the scheduling,
and this led to my inexcusable behavior. I have already apologized to [name of colleague], and I
wanted to assure you that I will work to improve my reactions and behavior in the future.

I’d be happy to meet with you to speak about the incident further if you have any outstanding
concerns.

I am sorry again.
Regards,
[Your name]
APOLOGY MAIL FOR MANAGER
Dear [manager’s name],

I owe you an apology for providing you with the wrong information on [date] regarding [event]. It
was not my intention to provide inaccurate information and I apologize for any inconvenience it may
have caused you.

It wasn’t my intention to mislead you, and it seems the false information was a result of a careless
mistake. I will be sure to be more thoughtful in the future and learn from this incident.

Please do not hesitate to share any thoughts or concerns with me and I’d be glad to discuss this
further. 

Best regards,
[Your name]
INTRODUCTION EMAIL TO A CLIENT
Dear [Sir/Madame/Name],

I would like to take a moment to introduce myself and my company. My name is [name] and I am a [job title]
at [company name]. Our company provides customers with cutting-edge technology for all their email
signature needs.

At [company name], there are a number of services we can offer, such as [short list of services]. Our
employees are also highly dedicated and are willing to help you with your every need. 

I’d love the opportunity to speak or meet with you to discuss your needs further and to tell you more about
how [company name] can help you succeed. You can contact me at [phone number] with any questions you
may have.

Thank you,
[Your name]
ASKING FOR SICK LEAVE
Hi [Name of manager/supervisor],

I am writing to request sick leave from [date range]. I will be undergoing surgery and at
the recommendation of my doctor, I need to be off of work for 2 weeks in order to recover.
I hope to be back at work on [date]. 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Regards,
[Your name]
EMAIL ASKING FOR DISCOUNT FROM
SUPPLIER
Dear [name of the supplier],

Thank you for sending over your catalog of goods. We are very much interested in purchasing [name of the
product(s)] from you and would like to get a quote for these items.

Additionally, we are hoping that this will lead to a prolonged partnership between the two of us. Therefore,
we are kindly requesting that you provide us with your best possible price since we would like to use your
goods on a permanent basis.

Thank you for your understanding.

With regards,
[Your name and job title]
ASKING FOR A RAISE
Dear [Name of Manager/supervisor],

I have greatly enjoyed working for [company name] over the last 3 years. During these years, I feel that I have become a
valuable member of your team and I have contributed to projects in a significant way. 

Since working here, I have accomplished: [list accomplishments].

As an employee, I think I have outperformed the goals set for me. As a result, I would like to have the opportunity to
discuss increasing my salary so that it matches my current performance. Please let me know when is a good time for you
to meet so that we can discuss this further.

Once again, I am grateful to be part of an organization that provides me with unique challenges and opportunities to
continuously learn and grow.

Best regards,
[Your name]
EMAIL TO BOSS ABOUT PROBLEM (ASKING
FOR HELP)
Dear Mr./Mrs. [name of boss],
I would like to bring to your attention the incident that occurred at [location] on [date] at [time].

I was deeply upset by the actions of [coworker/event]. I tried to speak with them, but this did not lead
to any sort of resolution and now I feel as if our professional relationship at work is strained as a result.

I am turning to you for assistance with the matter and I hope that you are able to come up with a
solution that neither of us has thought of yet. 

Thank you for taking the matter seriously and please let me know if you have any questions or
concerns.

Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
EMAIL TO SCHEDULE A MEETING
Hi [name],

Thanks for getting in touch with us about our product. I’d be glad to set up a meeting in
order to give you more information, answer your questions, and show you how it can work
for your business. Does [date] at [time] work for you?

I look forward to meeting with you soon!

Best,
[Your name]
 EMAIL TO CLIENT SHARING THE STATUS OF
PROJECT
Dear [name of client],

We’d like to keep you updated regarding the progress we’ve made on our project. Please have a look at
the tasks we’ve accomplished below and do not hesitate to get back to me with any questions or
concerns you may have.

Key highlights and updates:

[list thems]
Tasks accomplished this week:
[list thems]
Tasks to do next week:
[list thems]

Best regards,
[Your name]
EMAIL TO BOSS ABOUT WORK
PROGRESS
Hi [name of boss],
I am happy to let you know that the project [name of project] that was assigned to me on [date] is now nearing
completion. Due to the hard work of our team, the project is expected to be completed on time. Based on the pace
of our work, I expect to have the entire project completed by [date].

The remaining elements of this project to be completed are as follows:

[List them 1]
[List them 2]
[List them n]

Thank you for your continued support and guidance and please do not hesitate to get in touch with any questions.
Regards,
[Your name]