Tips for Writing Professional E-mail Messages

							Laptop Honors Global Studies
Amador Valley High School/Emerson


                    Tips for Writing Professional E-mail Messages
• When writing a professional e-mail message, it is important to use proper format, sentence structure,
grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. Use the same format as a formal business letter.
• Be sure to keep your subject line professional, brief, and descriptive. You don’t want the recipient to
think your message is spam and delete it before reading.
• Begin your message with . . .
       Dear (Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr., etc.) Last Name:
• If you are writing to someone who doesn’t know you, be sure to completely introduce yourself in the
first line.
• Be sure to put your main point, issue, or request within the first two sentences.
• Do not use emoticons (you know, those cutesy little faces).
• Do not use slang or electronic abbreviations such as 24/7, lol, etc., -- remember, this is a professional
e-mail.
• Use simple, traditional fonts such as Times, Geneva, Arial, or Helvetica.
• Use shorter paragraphs. Consider breaking up paragraphs to only a few sentences apiece so that
readers can easily see new paragraphs as they begin and end.
• Use fewer words. Long, wordy sentences are not appropriate for most email, especially business
email. If people want more information, they will ask for it. A good rule of thumb is to keep everything on
one "page" or one "screen." In most cases this means about 20 to 30 lines.
• End your message with . . .
       Sincerely,
       (your name)
• At the end of your letter, be sure to include your full name and contact information.
• Always PROOFREAD and SPELL CHECK before sending. If you are sending an important message
and want to be sure to make a good impression, you may want to ask a parent or smart friend to
proofread for you.
• Always respond to emails in a timely manner and check your email account regularly as you are
waiting for a response.
• If you have a silly or inappropriate (for adults) email name, you may want to consider changing your
account before sending a professional message. StudlyDude@hotmail.com or
daddyslittleprincesspookie@aol.com may not present you in the most professional manner.




ASSIGNMENT (10 points)                DUE

Send a professional email to Mr. Emerson. Pretend that you are asking him if you may interview him
for an important class project.
                                    femerson@pleasanton.k12.ca.us