Home / Life skills / Professional email
Skills · Writing
Write a Professional Email
Busy people skim. A good email gets read, understood and answered on the first try. Here's a simple structure that works for almost anything.
~8 min4 lessonsEmail builder5-question quiz
01
A subject line that says what it is
The subject line decides whether your email gets opened now or later. Make it specific, and say if you need something.
| Vague | Clear |
|---|---|
| Question | Question about the March invoice |
| Meeting | Can we move Thursday's meeting to 3 pm? |
| Hi! | Introduction: Sam Lee, design role referral |
| Update | Project Atlas: launch moved to May 12 |
02
Get to the point
- Greeting: “Hi Alex,” works for most workplaces; “Dear Ms Patel,” for formal or first contact.
- Purpose in the first line: “I'm writing to ask whether…” Don't make the reader hunt for it.
- Details: only what they need. Short paragraphs; bullet points for several items.
- Clear ask and deadline: “Could you confirm by Friday?”
- Sign-off: “Thanks,” or “Best regards,” and your name.
Five sentences or fewer is a good target for most emails. If it's longer, consider a call or a document.
03
Tone: polite, direct, human
- Swap hedging for clarity: “Just wondering if maybe…” → “Could you…?”
- Avoid ALL CAPS and lots of exclamation marks; they read as shouting.
- Reread before sending: would you be happy if it were forwarded?
- Upset? Write it, then wait an hour before sending.
04
Following up
No reply after a few working days? A short, friendly nudge is normal: reply to your original email so the context is right there.
Example follow-up
- Hi Alex,
- Just bringing this back to the top of your inbox. Could you let me know about the March invoice by Friday?
- Thanks,
Sam
Try it · email builder