Formal Writing and Emails - Notes

Formal Writing and Emails

What is Academic/Formal Writing

  • Focuses on presenting ideas, arguments, or research in a clear and logical way.
  • Avoids personal opinions and uses evidence to support claims.
  • Avoids slang, contractions, and overly casual language.
  • Avoids unnecessary repetition or overly complex sentences.
  • Follows standard grammar, punctuation, and spelling rules.
  • Focuses on facts, research, and analysis rather than emotions.

Examples

  • Wordy:
    • "In the event that the meeting does not take place, we will reschedule it to another time."
  • Concise:
    • "If the meeting is canceled, it will be rescheduled."
  • Emotional Statement:
    • "The company’s unfair policies are ruining employees' lives and making everyone miserable."
  • Factual Statement:
    • "The company's policies have resulted in a 20% decrease in employee satisfaction, as reported in the recent survey."

Formal Writing Use Cases

  • Essays
  • Thesis
  • Project
  • Reports
  • Notes
  • Emails

What is an Email?

  • Emails are messages sent and received electronically over the internet.
  • They can be used for both professional and personal communication.
  • Can be formal, semi-formal, or casual depending on the audience.

Problems with Email

  • Email overload
  • Everlasting Evidence

Drafting an Email

  • Subject line: Summarize the main idea briefly
  • Opening: Reveal the main idea immediately
  • Body: Explain the main idea using headings; bulleted lists
  • Closing: Include action information, dates, or deadlines; a summary of the message; or a closing thought

What to avoid in Emails?

  • Avoid emails itself if IM can work.
  • Avoid using humor in emails.
  • ALWAYS double check before hitting send.

Email Example

The following is an example of a well-written email:

  • Subject Line: Provides concise, clear subject line and REQ to remind receiver that a response is required.
  • Opening: Opens with receiver's name and greeting to express friendliness and to mark the beginning of the message.
  • Body: Uses bullets to improve readability.
  • Closing: Closes with full contact information.

Practice Task

You are writing to Mark, a colleague at work, to ask him to suggest a time to meet you tomorrow. (Suppose all necessary details)