The EMAIL - The Language and Grammar of a Business Communication

THE EMAILThe Language and Grammar of a Business Email

By Padma Swaroop Mandapaka

THE EMAIL STRUCTURE

1. Subject2. Salutation3. The Body

i. Opening the bodyii. Constructing the bodyiii. Concluding the body

4. Conclusion5. Sending an Email

THE SUBJECT

1. Keep it straightforward and precise2. Keep it short and to the point3. Use appropriate title4. Use shorthand subjects appropriately.

a. For example, <EOM> ‘ end-of-message’

THE SALUTATION

1. Include name of the addressee for formal communication2. Include Hi/Hello in the first email of that particular conversation.3. Follow your organization’s protocol in salutation4. You may avoid using Hi/Hello to colleagues at your level or below.

THE BODY

1. Specify the necessary background to the email. This is similar to the introductory sentence of a letter or chapter

2. Cultivate the habit of writing short paragraphs, few bullet points (if needed)

3. Avoid using long and un-interrupted sentences. 4. Always use appropriate punctuation5. Always maintain a polite, professional, and a respectful tone. 6. If the length of the email is long, set a meeting request or include an

attachment to discuss further.

THE CONCLUSION

1. Concluding sentences / phrasesa. Conclude your email by specifying the action to be takenb. Mention details about what is to be followed

2. Signaturea. Always use your complete signature in the first email of every conversationb. Include short – signature for all repliesc. Create Signatures from the ‘Signature and Stationery’ window.

3. Enclosuresa. Always specify the list of enclosures along this email and mention the

corresponding action to be taken against each enclosure.b. Mention about the enclosures in the body of the email.

SENDING AN EMAIL

1. Always include the details of the addressees at the last moment. Including the list of addressees at the beginning may lead to incomplete information being shared and sent. 2. Send it to the relevant person. Use ‘To’ and ‘cc’ appropriately3. Always run a spell-check, and check for technical accuracy of the email4. Suggest using dynamic spell-check tools like ‘Grammarly’

For more information on ‘Grammarly’, click here.