Consulting 4.1 Digital communication: Guide to email English

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This lesson is about email. You will learn about levels of formality and types of style so you send the right message between the lines. 

Introduction

Email quiz

1. The first email was sent in

a. 1971     b. 1985     c. 1992

2. How many emails are sent every second?

a. 1 million     b. 2 million     c. 3 million

3. How much of the email sent is spam?

a. 35%     b. 67%     c. 84%

4. What percentage of emails are said to be misunderstood?

a. 30%     b. 40%     c. 50%

 

Discuss the questions

  1. How often do you send English emails?
  2. Who do you email, and for what purposes?
  3. Following on from fact 4 above, how can you ensure clear communication in your emails?
Warm Up

1. Read the first email below. Why is Tom writing to Malcolm? 

Dear Malcolm,
     I hope you are well. 
     The attached PDF has our project timeline. Take a look and let me know what you think. We're excited to use existing structures to increase your product's market share. 
     I'd love to meet on Thursday at 8 a.m. in Ginza. Does that work for you?
Best,
Tom

2. Read the second email. Why is Tom Writing to Malcolm?

Dear Mr. Malcolm Jones,
     As per your request in our last meeting, please find the attached PDF file that describes and outlines our project timeline. As you will be able to see in the attachment, we would be able to leverage many currently existing structures and utilize the facilities you now have in order to increase your product's market share. 
     I would like to set up a meeting at your earliest convenience at our office which is located in Ginza, so please reply with your availability and your preferred time.
Sincerely,
Tom

3. Compare the two emails. If you were Malcolm, which version would you prefer to receive, and why? What makes the first version easier to read, and second more challenging?

Language

A: Read both of the following emails and decide which phrases don’t fit.

Formal:

  1. Dear Mr. Smith,
  2. Thanks so much for all that help last week.
  3. I look forward to meeting with you again next week.
  4. Cheers,
  5. John

Informal:

  1. Hi Tim,
  2. I am writing to thank you for all your help.
  3. See you next week.
  4. With best wishes,
  5. John Smith

B: Good emails tend to have a lot of short paragraphs, as many readers skip to the end of long paragraphs. Here's one way to organize an email. What are some phrases or common language for each section?

  • Paragraph 1—Greeting and pleasantries. 
  • Paragraph 2—Reason for writing.
  • Paragraph 3—Request.
  • Paragraph 4—Other news.
  • Paragraph 5—"Look forward to" and ending.

C: Email pleasantries can be a good way to maintain your relationship. Which of these would you send to a colleague, to a client-side counterpart, or to an executive client? 

  1. I hope this finds you well.
  2. I hope you had a good weekend.
  3. I hope you’re having a productive week.

  4. It’s great to hear from you.

  5. Thanks for the quick response.

  6. I’ll keep this short.

Practice

Respond to the following email as quickly as you can. According to the schedule, your next meeting is set to be Wednesday at 2PM: 

Hello [your first name], 
     It was really nice to meet you yesterday. Thank you for your quick follow-up email. 
     Could you please send over the project timeline, as discussed? I'd like as much detail as you can give me at this time. Thanks in advance.
Looking forward to our next meeting, 
Tom Ford