Memorandum
To: Evan Crisp
From: Lia Slager
Date: March 11, 2019
RE: Best Practices in Writing a professional e-mail
Evan, as per your request I have reviewed the e-mail sent to Dr. Lambert asking for placement in his English class. I have composed a list of recommendations (attached below) that I believe will help in your future correspondence with course instructors.
Tips for writing E-mails to Professors
- Including a subject line will allow the reader to quickly understand the e-mail’s intent and importance
- By using formal language and formatting and refraining from using colloquial words, informal contractions, active voice etc. sets a professional and polite tone
- It is polite to address the recipient by their title and surname; unless specified otherwise
- By keeping the email factual, while still staying concise shows consideration for the readers time and energy on the matter
- By ensuring to include the course name, number, time, and your name and student number in the email shows consideration by acknowledging that the instructor may teach numerous courses with many students
- by avoiding imperative statements the writer can emphasize the reader’s agency in final decisions
- Remembering to conclude the email by thanking the reader for their time and consideration shows the writer’s appreciation
- Ending the E-mail with an appropriate salutation and writers’ full name gives the letter a sense of formality
- By keeping the letter reader-friendly demonstrates an effort to see things from their perspective.
Being able to communicate politely and professionally through E-mail is an important skill set that will serve you well throughout your academic into your professional career. By choosing words that express the right tone effectively, concisely and with clarity is an important part of good writing practices and will increase one’s chances of receiving the desired response. If you have any further questions please feel free to contact me via email at liyahslager@gmail.com.
With regards,
Lia Slager
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