Basic English Language Skills Basic English Language Skills
HERE ARE A FEW GUIDELINES TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN 
SENDING E-MAILS TO YOUR COLLEAGUES:
• Always use a relevant and descriptive subject line. 
E-mails with blank subject lines may be marked as spam by the 
recipient’s e-mail client, and e-mails with non-descriptive subject 
lines such as “Hello” or “Meeting” may be ignored.
• Write your e-mail in clear and simple language. 
Don’t try to sound too formal, and don’t use complicated words 
when simple ones would work just fine. As far as possible, write in 
the active voice.
• Structure your message clearly, and include only the necessary 
information. 
Take care not to confuse the message by including too many topics 
in one e-mail. Respect your colleagues’ time, and try to keep your 
messages as short as possible.
• Don’t type your e-mail in ALL CAPS. 
This is regarded as the online equivalent of shouting.
• Always proofread your e-mail before you hit ‘send’. 
Grammar and spelling errors come across as unprofessional.
• If you include a link in your e-mail, make sure that you provide some 
context. 
Your recipients are unlikely to click on a link if they don’t have any 
idea as to what they are going to see when they open it.
• Only mark an e-mail as ‘urgent’ when it really does require immedi-
ate attention. 
What’s urgent to you may not always be urgent to your recipients.
• Don’t use the CC’ or Reply All’ functions unnecessarily. 
Only send your e-mails to the people who really need to see them.