Email What?
A short and sweet
guide for 10th grade English Students
When it comes to
emailing keep in mind these points:
1.
Your Domain name – if you are trying to be taken seriously, i.e. – a
resume, sk8tRboi@redbull.com
may not be the best email address name.
It’s a great idea to have a few email addresses so that you can be
serious and conduct formal business (eBay, interviews) and also one for friends
and family.
2.
Subject Line – There is a lot of Spam out there, if you can give the
receiver a hint as to what the email is about, odds are it will be read instead
of trashed. Keywords are very helpful,
and also convey the nature of information in the document.
3. A Greeting - If this is the first
time you’re emailing this party, say hello.
When you name your addressee you convey that you have taken the time to
find out who they are, and if you have done that, they should take the time to
respond.
4. What a Body! - As a
rule of thumb, keep it simple. Short
paragraphs composed of short sentences translate well in email world.
5.
Grammar - Not all the text book rules apply to email, however if you are
trying to convey something in particular, pay attention to how you are saying
it. First impressions can do a lot, and
this counts in email as well, so consider your audience.
6.
Spelling - It is easier to be a stickler in the beginning and then ease
up as you get to know your audience. It
is also wise to gauge this according to the reason you are emailing, if you are
submitting a college application, please spell the college name correctly!
7. Extras – Intonation can be very
difficult to read on a computer screen.
Luckily we have smileys, capitals, lower case, and white space to help
convey what we mean from what we type.
8.
Closing - If your domain name does not reflect your name in a
recognizable way, and you would like a response, it is easier to respond to a
name. This is something that depends on
the audience of the email.
9.
Responding – There is no need to include the whole of the previous
email, if you are answering questions, you can paraphrase or snip
appropriately. On the subject of
responding, timely responses always make friends.
10.
Sarcasm – Sometimes sarcasm can be
difficult to detect in normal speech where you are eye to eye with the speaker,
this being said, sarcasm is even more difficult to detect online in
emails. Please be wary of it, and KNOW
your audience.
In closing, identify the purpose you
are emailing. Ask yourself what level of
formality is appropriate, and be clear and courteous. I promise, people will write you back.
Questions? Need
more examples? See:
A Beginner's Guide to Effective Email
Constructed by Cori J. Martin