3 tips to improve your email writing

help

Many people find it difficult to write effective business emails. I see two reasons for this. The first is that they are not approaching the act of writing in a methodical manner. To put it bluntly, they do not give much thought to writing an email. They write it and then press the send button. The second reason is that they do not have the language to convey what they want to say.

In this post, we’ll be tackling the first reason: that is how to approach the act of writing an email. Here are my suggestions:

1. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes.

shoes

Who are you writing this email to? Do you need to be formal or informal? How much background information should you include? Do you need to CC anyone else?

To answer all these questions. Think of a pair of shoes, that are not yours. And then, put your feet into them. Warning: it may hurt you!

If the email is for close colleagues, then you can be informal or semi-formal. If it is destined for the CEO, then perhaps you should be more towards the formal side of the scale.

If you are writing an email to colleagues who are working on the same project, then you may not need to give too much background information. However, if you are sending an email to a vendor, then you may need to give lots of background information.

2. Write short sentences

pencil-and-ruler-vector-204967

After delivering email writing workshops for many years, this has been my number one learning. Write short sentences. Write short sentences. Write short sentences. Yes, I really cannot emphasize it enough! If you are not confident of your grammar, this piece of advice really helps. I have seen long sentences winding their way through an email. And the longer they wind, the greater the chance that they will contain grammatical errors.

Try counting the words in your sentences. You should be able to manage with seven to twelve words per sentence. Try it. You’ll thank me later 🙂

3. Think before you hit that send button

send

Once it’s gone, it’s gone. There have been many embarrassing situations. For instance, a message CCed to everyone, when that was not the plan. Or, someone sent a message in a fit of anger to her boss. And then minutes later, the sender regrets the language she used. Or… Well, there are so many scenarios. You may have your own example.

I know that many people cannot resist pressing that send button. After pressing it, the email has left your screen. Thank god… But, remember, it will soon show up on someone else’s screen. So ask yourself these questions. Have I edited the message? Are there any grammatical errors? Have I explained myself clearly? Is the message polite? (For polite language, you can read my post on 7 tips to soften your language . )

Keep these 3 points in mind, and your email writing skills will improve. I promise it will. (See how effective a four-word sentence is.)

Vocabulary with the moon

The Museum of the Moon The moon at Udaipur palace

Image credit: https://my-moon.org/installations/india-tour/

The moon has always evoked awe and a sense of mystery. This photo is of the art installation, Museum of the Moon, which is currently touring India.

Vocabulary with the moon

Let’s look at some idioms and words with the moon:

1. once in a blue moon

It refers to an event which hardly ever occurs.

The principal visits us once in a blue moon.

2. moonlighting

This word has a slight negative implication. It means working at a second job, which one does not declare to the authorities, so as to avoid paying taxes. One is doing something secretive in the dim moonlight.

3. moonshine

This term means illicit liquor. Again, it is related to something which should not be exposed to bright sunlight. And that is how the moon enters the picture.

4. over the moon

When you’re over the moon, you’re really happy and excited.

5. to promise the moon

Our politicians often do this before an election. To promise the moon is to make promises which would be very difficult to keep.

6. asking for the moon

If you want or expect too much, then, yes: you are asking for the moon.

The client is so unreasonable; she’s asking for the moon!

On a clear night sky look up and think of an idiom with the moon. It’s a good way to improve your vocabulary.

Do you have a chip on your shoulder? You may be surprised to find out what it really means.

Do you know what crossing the Rubicon means?

The most common sound in English

7 tips to soften your language

Abstract painting with muted, calming colors.

In informal language, especially with friends, you can say just about anything. And you don’t necessarily have to be polite.

This is not the case when using language at the workplace. Here the language needs to be controlled, structured, and polite.

Do you ask yourself these questions:

How can I soften my English?

How can I soften my words?

How can I be polite and soft spoken?

If your answer to these questions is yes, then you are in the right place.

Let’s look at seven words or phrases that can soften your language.

Tips to soften my English

1.Say thank you

Use this phrase as often as possible. Don’t worry, the universe is not running out of thank you’s.

When you receive an email or WhatsApp message from a colleague, respond with:

Thanks, Janet!

Or, if it has to be more formal:

Thank you for sending the updated address.

If you are corresponding with someone outside your office, use ‘thank you’ as a form of acknowledgment.

Instead of writing:

This is to acknowledge the receipt of your application dated 12.02.25.

you could write:

Thank you for sending your application on 12.02.25.

Doesn’t that sound better? To me, it sounds friendly, clear, and professional.

2. Say please

Pulease… Is used by teenagers often. And they are right in using it.

Just like thank you, please should be used often. Use please with everyone: to your superiors as well as subordinates. Especially with those who report to you….

Compare these two lines:

Make sure the annual reports are printed by 2 pm.

Please make sure the annual reports are printed by 2 pm.

Do you see how the word please softens the sentence? It makes it sound less like a command. The person reading this message would respond positively to it.

3. Ask for permission using: can, could, and may

The most informal way to ask for permission is can.

Can I use the conference room for twenty minutes?

At work, if you wish to be more formal, use could.

Could I use the conference room for twenty minutes?

If you are in a formal situation, go for: may.

May I use the conference room for twenty minutes?

4. Give permission using can or may

When giving permission, say:

yes, you can

yes, you may.

May is more polite than can.

Don’t say: yes, you ~~could~~. That may cause some confusion in the mind of the listener. Well, could I, or couldn’t I?

5. Use would

Would is an excellent word to use to soften your language.

Would you agree?

That’s softer than: Do you agree?

Here are some expressions with would:

Would you mind if we start early tomorrow?

Would you like to read the summary first?

I would suggest we consider other options.

6. Know when to use shall

This is a polite verb to use.

For example:

Shall we review the feedback?

Shall we start the meeting?

In fact, the term ‘shall we’ can be used at the start of almost any activity:

Shall we start the presentation? Shall we finalize the date? Shall we break for lunch? Shall we…

When starting an activity (meeting, presentation), it’s a good idea to use: we. It’s a nice way to make everyone feel included.

**7. Use let’ s a lot**

In a more informal setting, say with colleagues you know well, you can use let’s instead of shall.

Let’s start the interview.

Let’s listen to Nalini’s update.

Let’s order a cake!

Instead of saying: Now, I would like to invite X to inaugurate the conference.

You could say: Now, let us invite X to inaugurate the conference.

In the second sentence, we replaced the pronoun ‘I’ with ‘us’.

That sounds softer. And more inclusive.

I used ‘let us’ because it sounds more formal. In everyday interactions at work, use let’s.

Being polite is important.

It creates a positive atmosphere at work. It shows that you value your colleagues, clients, and vendors.

When you are polite, you conduct yourself in a more professional manner.

Could being polite become contagious? I certainly hope so.

For more on being polite, watch this BBC Learning English video.

Do you want to be more effective when intervening in meetings? Read this post on how to interrupt in a meeting.

Will vs. Would

will you marry me

Here we look at when to use will and would.

After reading this post, I’m sure you’ll agree that ‘will you marry me?’ is a better option than ‘would you marry me?’.

Use of will

We use will to talk about the future.

For example: “Natasha will complete editing the report by this evening.”

We use will when we decide to do something at the moment of speaking:

“Don’t worry. I will help you with the accounts.”

Use of would

There are many ways to use would.

We use it:

to talk about the past, in the same way we use ‘used to’.

When I was in Mumbai, I would jog everyday in the morning.

When Shazia was here, we would review the sales figures every Monday.

to ask a polite question.

“Would you like to meet the duty manager?”

to make a polite request.

“Would you mind if we leave early?”

to make a polite recommendation.

“I would suggest that we wait till tomorrow.”

to talk about something conditional.

“If I were you, I would hire both of them.”

“I would attend the conference, if I could find the time.”

“I would have sent you the file, if you had asked me.”

with indirect speech.

“He said that Anjali would meet us tomorrow morning at the hotel.”

In indirect speech, we are reporting what someone else said. In this case, we use would and not will. We should not say: “He said that Anjali ~~will~~ meet us…”

When to use will instead of would

There are situations when using would could cause some confusion.

Let’s look at these two sentences:

I would send you the finalised contract.

I will send you the finalised contract.

The first sentence sounds tentative. I may or may not send the contract. The unsaid meaning could be: If certain conditions are met, I would send it.

While the second sentence is more certain.

It is more reassuring: yes, I will send it.

Having said that, do keep in mind that the use of would and will can be more nuanced.

For example, if you want to be polite and are sure that there will be no confusion in the mind of the reader, you can write: I would send you the finalised contract. However, if you feel that there could be room for misinterpretation, then go for: I will send you the finalised contract.

And now you know why the question is: will you marry me.

Would you agree?