ENG-SEC-1-1 · BUSINESS WRITING
Email Writing
Composing professional and academic e-correspondence
The Argument
An email is a professional document, not a text message.
PART ONE
The anatomy of a formal email
Subject line, salutation, body, and sign-off.
Anatomy · 1
The subject line
- The first thing read — often the only thing read before a decision is made to open the mail.
- Must be specific, not vague: "Leave Application — 3–15 August 2026", not "Leave".
- Never left blank. A blank subject line reads as careless or, worse, suspicious.
- Kept short enough to display in full in an inbox preview — under ten words is a safe rule of thumb.
Anatomy · 2
Salutation and register
Formal salutations
"Dear Dr. Sharma," "Respected Madam," "Dear Sir/Madam," when the recipient's name is not known.
Register
No contractions ("cannot", not "can't"). No emoji, no exclamation marks used for emphasis. Courtesy words — "kindly", "please", "I would be grateful" — carry the tone that punctuation cannot.
Anatomy · 3
The body: three movements
- (text, 2) OPENING — state the purpose in the first line. Do not bury it.
- (text, 2) DEVELOPMENT — one idea per paragraph; supporting detail, dates, attachments referenced here.
- (text, 2) CLOSING — the action requested, and by when.
- Paragraphs stay short: three to five lines is the working limit for a screen-read document.
Anatomy · 4
Sign-off and signature block
"Yours sincerely," or "Regards," followed by full name, designation, and institutional affiliation — never the first name alone in a formal register.
- A signature block is not decoration; it is how the recipient verifies who is writing and in what capacity.
- Contact details (phone, alternate email) belong here, not in the body.
PART TWO
Register, purpose, and practice
Formal against informal; the common types of professional email.
Comparison
Formal email vs. informal message
Formal Email
Full sentences. "I am writing to inform you..." Proofread before sending. Reply expected within a working day.
Informal Message
Fragments and abbreviations. "Hey, quick q—" Sent and forgotten. Reply expected within minutes.
Practice
Common types of professional email
- The request — leave application, permission, extension of deadline.
- The inquiry — asking for information not otherwise available.
- The complaint — factual, unemotional, evidence-led.
- The follow-up — polite, brief, references the original mail by date.
- The cover email — accompanies an attached document (CV, report, assignment).
Practice
Netiquette: CC, BCC, and tone
- CC (carbon copy) — visible to all; used when a party needs to be informed, not acted upon.
- BCC (blind carbon copy) — invisible to other recipients; used for mass mail or discretion.
- Reply-all is used only when every recipient genuinely needs the reply.
- Proofread before sending — an email cannot be unsent, and an error in it is a permanent record.
Where We Have Got To
Thank You