MEMORANDUM

To: Evan Crisp, ENGL301 Student

From: Benson Lin, ENGL301 Student

Date: July 8, 2022

Subject: Progress on the Formal Report

Introduction

Thank you for seeking out ENGL 301 students for advice to writing emails to catch your professor’s eye. The purpose of this email memo is to highlight best practices for writing an email to a professor or member of faculty to receive a timely response.  

List of Suggestions

• Using an active voice whenever possible to allow readers to grasp the meaning more quickly and clearly
• Using a professional email address that is identifiable like a school or work email will make the recipient more obligated to reply.
• Writing concise sentences that convey meaning in the fewest words such that the reader will retain only the important details
• Providing background information concisely, and in a polite and non-confrontational tone. 
• Writing clear subject lines that summarize the purpose of the email in a few words
• Using language that is respectful, polite, professional and thoughtful 
• Proofreading the email multiple times to remove grammar and spelling mistakes   
• Starting the email off with a salutation and ending it with a polite closing

Conclusion

These best practices for writing a professional email will allow for better communication and should prompt a rapid response. Writing professional emails is a skill that takes time and practice but it is a skill worth learning.  If there are more questions, please email me at bensonlin@live.ca.