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02.15.2013 Anastasia Koltai Business English, English Writing Skills
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Most of us in the business world use emails as the main, and in some cases the only,
means of written communication. For many students studying Business English and
practising their business email writing skills is an important part of their course.

While most of us are happy to write informal emails to friends that might have
grammatical mistakes in them, the same is not true when writing to colleagues and
clients with whom we want to make a good impression.

Or where we need to be a bit more careful or more diplomatic than usual.

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So, how can you ensure that your email writing skills are up to standard? Here are some
general tips Id like to share with you:

1. Subject Line

Always have a subject line that summarises briefly and clearly the contents of the
message (example: Re: Summary of Our Meeting with ABC Suppliers).

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2. Simplified Sentences

Dont make your email look overcrowded by trying to use too many technical terms or
long words. It is good to use complex and compound-complex sentences, but ensure that
they are easy to understand.

The most common mistake that many of ourstudents make is to translate directly from
their own language. This can often lead to confusing sentences. A popular rule that you
could adapt isto use the KISS Test Keep It Short and Simple.

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3. Think of who your reader is going to be

Is it a colleague, a client or your boss? Should the email be informal or formal? Most
business emails these days have a neutral tone. Note the difference between Informal
and Formal:

Informal Thanks for emailing me on15th February

Formal Thank you for your email dated 15th February

Informal Sorry, I cant make it.

Formal I am afraid I will not be able to attend

Informal Can you?

Formal I was wondering if you could.?

Some emails to colleagues can be informal if you have a long working relationship and
know them well. This is the style that is closest to speech, so there are ofteneveryday
words and conversational expressions that can be used. For instance, Dont forget, Catch
you later, Cheers.

The reader may also accept or overlook minor grammatical errors in informal emails.
However, if the email is going to a client or senior colleague, bad grammar and an over-
friendly writing style will most probably not be acceptable.

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4. Be very careful of capital letters, punctuation, spelling and basic grammar

While these can be tolerated in informal emails, they are very important in business
emails as they are an important part of the image you create. Give yourself time to edit
what youve written before you push that Send button.

In todays busy world, its very easy to send out many emails without checking them
thoroughly: as an English learner, you should make a conscious effort to double check
before sending.

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5. Think about how direct or indirect you want to be

In some cultures, it is common practice to be very direct in email correspondence.

However, this can cause a problem if youre writing to someone in another country and in
a language that is not your mother tongue. They might find your directness rude and
possiblyoffensive.

Consider these:

Direct I need this in half an hour.

Indirect and polite Would it be possible to have this in half an hour?

Direct There will be a delay

Indirect Im afraid there maybe a slight delay.

Direct Its a bad idea

Indirect To be honest, Im not sure if that would be a good idea.

By adjusting your tone, you are more likely to get a positive response from your reader.

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6. Be positive!

Look at these words: helpful, good question, agreed, together, useful, I will do my best,
mutual, opportunity.
Now look at these: busy, crisis, failure, forget it, I cant, its impossible, waste, hard.

The words you use show your attitude to life, so choose your words wisely.

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7. Get feedback

Try and get some feedback on the emails that you write. This could be from your English
Teacher or someone you know whose English is ata good level.

Study the English in anyemails you receive. If it is a well-written email, look carefully at
some of the language used. Start your own phrase book by collecting a bank of phrases
from what you hear or read all around you; they may be useful in the future.

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Author:Shanthi Cumaraswamy Streat

Shanthi graduated in Politics and International Studies from the

University of Southampton, UK in 1989.
After 20 years in the world of Finance in such varied fields as life
assurance, stockbroking, fund management and wealth
management, she decided to re-train as an English as a Foreign
Language (EFL) Trainer.
Shestudied the CELTA at International House, London in 2009 and
has since been a freelance English Language Trainer.She is also the co-owner of
Language and The City.
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WRITTEN BY: ANASTASIA KOLTAI

Founder of MyEnglishTeacher.eu. Ana is a fan of giving away free and

useful materials both for English learners and teachers. In her free time
she loves biking and playing with her dog.

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Fawad Ali Khan Financial Advisor at Etech

Dear Shanti, nice article. It has added valuable points to my knowledge. Thank You
Like Reply Mark as spam Dec 29, 2016 9:05pm

Pahan Mazumder Research and Development Engineer (R&D Engineer) at Yogotex Fabrics Co. Ltd.
Excellent Idea.......
Like Reply Mark as spam Jan 1, 2017 6:50pm

Zakir Jagwal Internal Auditor at Akhuwat

very good
Like Reply Mark as spam Jan 11, 2017 10:48pm

Rizwan Ahmed Oracle ebs assistant at Soorty Denim Enterprises Pvt Ltd
Good work
Like Reply Mark as spam Jan 17, 2017 11:19pm

En Mohammad Nabi Zhman Kabul, Afghanistan

thank you for sharing your effective points
Like Reply Mark as spam Jan 21, 2017 3:34am

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