Anatomy of a good email

Every email you write has the same basic structure: Subject line, greeting, email
body, and closing. But as with every written form of professional communication,
there’s a right way to do it and standards that should be followed. Here’s how to
write a proper email:

1 Subject line

The subject line could be the most important part of the email, though it’s often
overlooked in favor of the email body. But if you’re cold-emailing someone, or just
establishing a professional relationship, your subject line can entice people to open
the message as well as set expectations about what’s enclosed. On the other hand, a
poorly crafted or generic subject line (like “Hi” or “You don’t wAnt to miss thos”)
can deter the reader and result in your email landing in the spam folder.

“Spend double the amount of time crafting the right subject line as you do on the
[body] because if they don’t open the email, it doesn’t matter,” says Cole Schafer,
founder and copy chief of Honey Copy.

2 Openers

In most email writing situations, you’ll want to include a quick greeting to

acknowledge the reader before diving into your main message or request.

The exception: When you’re on an email chain with close colleagues, it often
becomes more natural to drop the opener (as well as the closing). Though it may
initially feel like a faux pas, it signals a better professional rapport.
3 Body

The body of an email is the meat of your message, and it must have a clear and
specific purpose, such as getting feedback on a presentation or arranging a meeting
with a new client. It should also be concise. That way, people will be more inclined
to read it, rather than skimming it and risking missing critical information. If you
can, boil it down to a few choice sentences.

And for emails that require more length and detail, keep it as focused as you can.
“Nobody wants to receive a novel. You want to keep it between three, four, or five
lines of text,” says Schafer.

4 Closings

Just as you want to start things off on the right foot with your greeting, you also want
to part well. That means writing a friendly sign-off. And there are plenty of options
to choose from.

For example, here are 12 common, and professional, closings that Grammarly users
chose on a given day:
You’ll want to choose a closing that feels genuine to your personality and tailor it to
the relationship to ensure an appropriate level of professionalism. On the other hand,
common closings like “love,” “sent from iphone,” or “thx,” may be best left unused
in professional emails.

Common email writing mistakes (and what to do instead)

Just as every email is an opportunity for professional growth, there’s also the
potential to fall into common email writing bad habits. Here are eight mistakes to
avoid:

1 Omitting necessary Oxford commas

The Oxford comma can be somewhat polarizing when thinking about how to write a
proper email, depending on which style guide is utilized for professional
communications in your industry —it’s usually either shunned or hailed as a tool for
clarification. Either way, a lot of people have strong opinions about it. But leaving
them out can lead to confusion, depending on the sentence.

What to do instead: While the Oxford comma may not be suitable in certain
contexts, it’s usually a good idea to use them in emails. That’s because it can help
you save time and avoid miscommunication, confusion, and even legal trouble.

2 Hedging

Grammarly users know that when it comes to hedging, it’s better to omit it than leave
it in, especially in emails. And if you’re worried about coming off as impolite, don’t
be: Contrary to popular belief, hedging language makes you sound less confident,
which can ultimately undermine your writing.
What to do instead: State your idea or opinion, then explain the “why” behind your
reasoning. That way, you’ll be better understood and your brilliance can shine
through.

3 Extremely long and/or unclear copy

Would you read an email that was 1,000 words long? Probably not—most people
skim emails that are on the long side. And if you add hard-to-follow sentences or
mixed messages, to your draft, you’re even less likely to get a satisfactory response.
(Or any response.)

“I get a ton of [emails] that are just these huge blocks of text. And I understand why
they do that—so you have enough detail. But it’s really hard to read and I’m not
going to read the whole thing,” says Kat Boogaard, a Wisconsin-based freelance
writer.

What to do instead: Keep it concise and focus on the matter at hand. Then end with
a call to action, a requested response date, and make it clear that you’re open to
questions and follow-ups (if that’s the case).

4 Being too casual (or formal)

Depending on your circumstances, wavering too much to the casual or formal side of
writing can be a misstep. Being overly casual is often seen as a rookie mistake, but
stiff, formal language can also be detrimental to your message.
What to do instead: In striking the perfect balance between formal and casual, the
key is thinking about the relationship between yourself and the recipient and take
social cues as your communication progresses.

“You kind of want to see what someone else is doing and participate, play along, sort
of acknowledge the way communication develops and the way expectations in a
relationship develop,” says Dan Post Senning, an etiquette expert at the Emily Post
Institute.

5 Cliches

Not all email cliches are cardinal sins. Certain aspects of your emails are bound to be
a little formulaic. After all, most emails have the same basic structure, and there are
phrases that you may use to ensure clarity or cover your bases. But if you’re going to
repeat phrases, make sure they have a clear purpose.

As Kiera Wright-Ruiz, a social media manager at Google’s Local Guides puts it,
“Even though I always repeat, ‘please let me know if you have any questions,’ I
actually do want to know if they have questions.”

However, most of the time, you’ll want to edit out cliches whenever possible since
they can make people tune out. Here are the top seven to avoid:
What to do instead: Try reading the draft for cliches, tone, and voice to more
effectively communicate your message while keeping the reader engaged. Ask
yourself: If your boss (or mom) read this email, would you be happy with it? If the
answer is yes, then you’re on the right track.

6 Repetition

People often repeat words within the same paragraph, twice in two sentences, or just
too close together to go unnoticed. While it’s not the worst offense, it’s another thing
that can make a reader tune out.

Here are the most commonly repeated words to avoid:

What to do instead: Try reading your draft out loud, using the text-to-speech
function on your phone, or running it by a colleague before sending it off.
Grammarly can also help you catch these repeated or overused words.

7 Robotic language

Email may be a descendant of snail mail, but that doesn’t mean your messages
should sound like an old-timey version of yourself. In fact, emails should sound like
the person who is writing it. So using phrases that sound like something out of a
Victorian novel isn’t the best move if you want to connect with the reader.

“Let’s face it: Nobody wants to read a college textbook. You want to read a blog or
an article or a real conversation. They’re a person, they’re not a robot. So use
language that sounds like something you would say if you’re just sitting in a coffee
shop,” says copy chief Schafer.

What to do instead: You can get a more natural effect by pretending you’re writing
to a friend or having a conversation with a friendly acquaintance. For example, you
probably wouldn’t say something like, “Greetings” and “I hope the weather is fair
where you are” if you were meeting someone for coffee. You’d say something like,
“Hi” and “Thanks again for your time.”

8 Overuse of exclamation points!

Enthusiasm is great. But in certain contexts, the overuse of exclamation points can do
more harm than good. This is especially true if you’re forging a new relationship or
contacting someone outside of your company. You are, after all, a representative of
your work when you use a company email address. But people love exclamation
points, and they’re still something that many people rely on to convey a positive
tone.

For example, here are the most common sentences and words people use with
exclamation points in emails:
What to do instead: After you’ve written your draft, do a quick search for
exclamation points and use your judgment to determine which (if any) to keep based
on your relationship with the recipient. As a general rule, try to keep it to one or two
per email with colleagues.

Next-level email writing moves

Once you’ve got the proper email format and you know what mistakes to avoid, it’s
time to focus on making your drafts stand out from the myriad emails most people
get every day. Here are four strategies to take yours to the next level:

Think positive
Sending an email that is remotely negative, or even neutral, can put you in a tricky
place. And as with any written communication, there may be room for
misinterpretation.

“In the absence of other information, our interpretation often defaults to the
negative,” explains communication-etiquette expert Post Senning. “When you’re
talking about negative communication, you’re [missing] the information that is tone
of voice, the twinkle in your eye, the good humor that you intend something with or
even the genuine care or concern with which you’re offering critique. So be really
careful. When something reads as negative to you, it probably comes across as even
more negative to someone else.”

Strike the right tone

You wouldn’t want to get an email that reads, “Dear [client],” or which references
your work in public relations when you’re actually in sales, because it would
immediately show that the sender is either mass emailing you, or they didn’t do the
proper research and find the right contact. Similarly, you’ll want to make sure that
every email you send has a tone that’s crafted specifically for the recipient, and that
you’re sending it to the right person.

So even though it may be tempting to use templates, it’s important to personalize it

and keep in mind the communication style of the recipient before hitting send. To
accomplish this, a quick Google search or a peek at the recipient’s LinkedIn or
Twitter feed can do wonders.

Before sending, try putting yourself in the recipient’s shoes for a gut-check on tone
and content. And if you have a hard time reading your own tone in email,
Grammarly’s tone detector can help you determine how you sound to your recipient.
Follow up—in good time

If you’re sending an email, you’re likely looking for a timely response. But with the
large amounts of emails most people sort through each day, things can end up getting
lost. As a general rule, a follow-up message should never come less than twenty-four
hours after sending the initial email.

In other words: Don’t be the person who sends a follow-up request two hours after
sending. In extreme cases, that kind of behavior can even get you blocked. “When
you’re taking more time and actually caring about the person on the other side of the
email, you’re immediately going to see a much higher response rate. I had to learn
that the hard way,” says copy chief Schafer.

Make it easy on the eyes

Most of the messages you send will likely be on the shorter side, which is great for
rapid responses and getting things done. But for longer emails, scannability is the
name of the game. That’s when things like bolded font, bullet points, underlined
sentences, and a TL;DR (too long, didn’t read) section come in handy.

There are a lot of factors to keep in mind when composing an email, and there’s a
wide margin of error. But after all is said and done, it isn’t about perfection. It’s
about effective communication.
Letter Writing

How To Write a Formal Letter? Template, Samples, Examples

September 23, 2020 by Prasanna

Formal Letter: A formal letter is one written in an orderly and conventional
language and follows a specific stipulated format. These letters are written for
official purposes only, such as writing a letter to the manager, to the HR manager, to
an employee, to the Principal of the college or school, to a teacher, etc. But we do not
use formal letters for personal use such as writing it to our family, relatives or
friends.

Formal letter writing format requires some specific rules and conventions. Also, the
language of the letters should be very professional. The format here will help in
relaying the content of the letter in a formal way. An example of a formal letter is
writing a resignation letter to the manager of the company, stating the reason for
resignation in the same letter.

Usually, these formal letters are written in English in private companies. But, in
India, many companies, especially government firms, accept formal letters written in
the Hindi language. In fact, the formal letter formats are also taught to the students in
schools so that they would be able to write the letters for any particular situation to
their teachers and principals. Read on to find more about the formal letter example
and formal letter writing samples, for example of a formal letter.

Get Other Types of Letter Writing like Formal, Informal and Different Types of
Letter Writing Samples.

How to Write a Formal Letter?

To write a formal letter follow the below-given tips:

 Address or greet the concerned person properly like Dear Sir/Madam

 Always mention the subject of writing the letter
  Be concise in your letter. Write the reason for writing the letter in the first
paragraph itself. Do not stretch the letter too much.
 The tone of the letter should be very polite and not harsh
 Write in a proper format and take care of the presentation of a letter
 Mention the address and date correctly.
 Mention the name and designation of the recipient correctly
 The closing of the letter should be with gratitude. Use “Thank you” for
consideration of the letter and then at last mention “Yours sincerely or truly”
along with your name and signature.

Formal Letter Writing Topics

There could be many reasons to write a formal letter. They are:

 Sick Leave Application

 Leave Application for Marriage
 Leave application for maternity
 Resignation letter
 Appointment letter
 Job offer letter
 Complaint letter
 Business letter

Formal Letter Format

The general format of a formal letter is given below:

Formal Letter Format in CBSE

In CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education), the board prescribes the format to
write the letter. The same Official Letter format should be followed by all the
students who are pursuing education under this board.
Formal Resignation Letter

A resignation letter is a formal letter which an employee writes to his manager if he

wants to quit his job for any particular reason. Here is a format to write a resignation
letter
Formal Letter Sample

A formal letter sample is provided here, which is written to the editor of a

newspaper, mentioning the issue faced by them and which has to be highlighted in
the newspaper to draw the attention of the concerned authorities.
Formal Invitation Letter

An invitation letter is written to invite anyone for a particular occasion. Some

examples are: invitation by junior to their senior in college for a farewell, by a
company to attend the office annual day, invitation to attend the meeting or a
conference, etc. Here is format to write the formal invitation letter.
Difference Between Formal and Informal Letter

Formal Letter Informal Letter

It is written in a formal way or a

It can be casual also
professional way

It is an official announcement by a
It is non-official
person or a firm

The format of the letter should be

There is no particular format
followed

They are written for official reasons They are written for personal reasons

What are the types of formal letters?

Answer:

 Business Letters
 Official Letters
 Appointment Letters
 Experience Letter
 Offer Letter
 Social letter
  Circular letter
 Leave Letter
 Resignation letter
 Invitation letter
 Complaint Letter

Letter Writing Format

In general, everyone needs to be aware of the format of letter writing, more so

candidates appearing for examinations. A letter is composed of different elements
that change depending upon its nature. The format for both the types of letters is
given below.

Letter writing format of Formal Letter

A formal letter must adhere to the prescribed format. The letter writing format of a
formal letter is as mentioned below:

1. Sender’s address
2. Date
3. Receiver’s address
4. Subject
5. Salutation
6. Body of the letter
7. Complimentary closure
8. Signature line: sender’s name, signature and designation

 Sender’s address: One of the most essential components, also known as the
return address. It is the mailing address of the sender. The address and contact
details of the person sending the letter are written here.
 Date: Immediately after the sender’s address comes the date on which the
letter is written. Candidates, while writing the letter in the exam, can follow
any of the formats to write the dates: DD/MM/YY OR MM/DD/YY.

 Receiver’s address: The corresponding address, i.e. the address of the

recipient of the mail is written here. Candidates must start with the receivers’
designation followed by the name of the organization and then the full
address, Pincode and country (if the information is known).

 The subject: This highlights the aim of writing the letter. The subject of the
formal letter should be very brief (6 to 8 words) and must be preceded by the
word ‘Subject’. The receiver, through the subject, understands the purpose of
the letter at a glance.

 Salutation: This is a customary greeting to the recipient of the letter. If the

name of the recipient is known, the salutation starts with ‘Dear’ followed by
Mr/Mrs/Miss, etc. If the person is unknown or even the gender is not known
the recipient can be addressed as Dear Sir/Dear Madam.

 Body: The most important element of any letter. It furnishes the reason behind
writing the letter. For formal letters, candidates should use short, clear, logical
paragraphs to state the subject matter. The body of the letter is generally
divided into 3 paragraphs:

1. Introduction that states the main point.

2. Middle part: Supporting points and details to justify the need and importance
of letter writing.
3. Conclusion: Request for some action or what is expected.

 Complimentary Closure: This is to end the letter with respect in a polite

manner such as ‘Yours faithfully’, ‘Yours sincerely’, etc.
  Signature Line: This is the last part where the sender of the letter signs off
with his first or last name. The signature line may also include a second line
for the title or designation of the sender.

Candidates writing formal letters in the exam must remember the following pointers.

 Use of colloquial words, short forms, slang language and abbreviations are
restricted.

 The letter must be to the point, precise and clearly indicating the message.

 The subject line is very important in Formal Letters.

Letter writing format of Informal Letters

Candidates writing informal letters need to follow the below-mentioned format.

1. Address
2. Date
3. Salutation
4. Body of the letter
5. Sender’s name and signature

1. Address: The sender’s address is important in informal letters. Since informal

letters are personal letters and sent to acquaintances or people who are known,
the receivers’ address is only mentioned on the envelope carrying the letter.
2. Date: Same as in a formal letter format.
3. Salutation in informal letters can be Dear/Dearest/ Hi/Hello followed by the
first name/nickname of the recipient.
4. Body: The body in the informal letters can be long and detailed containing
diverse feelings, experiences, advice, news, etc.
5. Sender’s name and signature are the same as in the formal letters.

Important pointers of Informal letter

 1. The subject line is not required in an Informal Letter.
2. No prescribed format has to be strictly followed.
3. The usage of language must be friendly and casual.
4. The letter can have extra information, as per the sender’s choice.

Important Tips For Good Letter Writing

Candidates appearing for competitive exams are encouraged to follow the below-
mentioned tips to write a good letter in the examination and fetch good marks.

 Candidates must be able to identify the type of letter they will write. For
example: writing a letter to the Principal asking for leave is a formal letter, but
writing a letter to the Principal to catch up after a long time would be an
informal letter.

 Opening and closing of letters must be in the correct manner. Formal letters
must open and close in a professional manner while informal letters can be
directly addressed to the person with greetings. Even closing the letters is
significant. Formal letters always end respectfully and impersonally, whereas
informal letters may end with a more personal touch.

 In formal letters, making clear the purpose of the letter immediately is

important. Candidates writing formal letters must make sure to get to the point
as soon as possible.

 A letter is always supposed to be considerate and polite. It is essential to use

polite words and civil language in all types of letters, be it formal or informal.
Even if the letter is about any complaint, the point must be made in a careful
and courteous manner.

 The length of the letter also holds relevance. In formal letters, the matter
should be expressed to the point, precise and short, while the length of the
personal or informal letter depends on the message and the relation to the
recipient.