Email Writing
E-Mail Writing
What is an E-mail?
An e-mail is the fastest way to communicate in writing. The word e-mail simply means electronic mail, which we send across the Internet or other computer networks. An e-mail can be sent from a computer or from a smartphone which has access to the Internet.
Some Facts about E-mail
What does an E-mail Look Like?
Most e-mail service providers allow users to customise their online profiles. Each user can choose from a variety of themes and set their preferences. It is similar to setting themes on your computer.
An e-mail looks like a letter except that it is not handwritten. Let us examine the differences between a letter and an e-mail.
Components of an E-mail
An e-mail consists of two main sections:
- The header
- The body
The following fields are part of the header:
- The To field
- The Cc field
- The Bcc field
- The Subject line
The body of the e-mail consists of an introductory paragraph and a short description in writing. It consists of:
- A salutation
- An opening sentence
- The information in detail
- Closing line
- Signature line
An e-mail can be formal or informal. Let us read a few samples.
E-mail Samples
Sample 1
You haven’t received the refund of the defective product you sent back to an online shopping company two weeks ago. Write a letter to the Sales Head of the company explaining the matter and asking him to investigate the delay at the earliest. Sign the e-mail as Chandran Iyer.
Sample 2
You recently visited a live concert of your favourite singer. Write an e-mail to your younger brother describing the event. Sign the e-mail as Gaurav Pawar.
Sample 3
Your apartment has problems of leakage and peeling paint because of exterior seepage. Write a letter to the secretary of your society requesting him to mend the exterior wall that is leaking. Attach some photographs of the damage in the apartment. Sign the e-mail as Ravi Yadav.
Sample 4
Write an e-mail to the editor of a daily expressing strong contempt over a gender-biased piece written by one of his correspondents titled ‘Working women destroy families’.
Sample 5
Write a reply to a thank you e-mail written to you by a man whose injured brother you rushed to the hospital and paid the admission charges. Sign the e-mail as Vijay Shetty.
Sample 6
You are the secretary of the Dramatics Department of your school. You will be going to Peak Skills Performing Arts Centre next week for a performance. Write an e-mail to Raman Biswas, the administrative in-charge of the centre informing him about your arrival and request him to make arrangements for your lunch and accommodation for a day.
Sample 7
Write an e-mail to your father requesting him to send you extra money next month as your hostel is organising a trip to a neighbouring hill station and you need to contribute a thousand rupees for your stay and meals.
Sample 8
You, Preeti Kamath, have to order some books from a bookstore outside your city. Write an e-mail to Nicholas Hegel, the storekeeper, and order the following books.
- Junior Essays by H. Martin, S Chand and Company Pvt. Ltd.
- S Chand’s General English for Competitions
- Vikram Seth’s A Suitable Boy
- Life of Pi by Yann Martel
- Oxford Essential Spanish Dictionary (English): 1st edition
- Introduction to Psychology by Clifford T. Morgan: 7th edition
Sample 9
A family which has recently moved into the apartment next to you habitually scatters garbage outside the door leaving the floor area in a mess. In addition, the youngest child in the family has spoiled your main door by scribbling on it with permanent markers. Write an e-mail to the secretary of the society complaining about the family and request him to take immediate action.
E-mail address of the secretary:
Sample 10
You study in Golden Dale School and stay in a hostel. This year, you will not be able to visit your family during the vacations as the school has organised a 15-day trip to Sikkim. Write an e-mail to your family informing them why you can’t visit them this summer and give them details about the trip.
E-mail addresses of family members: , , , and .
Comparison Table: E-mail vs Letter
| Letter | |
|---|---|
| Printed or typed | Printed or handwritten |
| Sent via the Internet | Sent via the post office |
| Is received instantly | Takes days to reach the recipient |
Refund Status
From: chandran.iyer@email.com
To: customerservice@pumasports.com
Cc:
Bcc:
Subject: Refund Status
Dear Mr Saluja,
I am writing in regard to my order number A4731. I had ordered Puma Carlos Running Shoes from your site last month. The product delivered to me was defective; the soles were worn out and the colour faded.
I immediately called the customer service desk and had the items taken back. I was told that the money I paid would be refunded within a week. However, it has been more than fifteen days and I haven’t received any update about the refund.
I would appreciate it if you would look into the matter at the earliest and assure me of the immediate refund.
I look forward to your earnest response.
Regards,
Chandran Iyer
E:
M: 9089765432
Arijeet – Live in concert
From: gaurav.pawar@email.com
To: akash@example.com
Cc:
Bcc:
Subject: Arijeet – Live in concert
Hi Akash,
I can’t tell you what a great time I had at the concert yesterday! Watching Arijeet Singh live in concert was a magical experience. The stadium was filled with his fans—children, teenagers, youngsters and even old people had come from all over the city to see Arijeet perform live.
As he performed, the whole crowd cheered for him. I was mesmerised by his soulful slow numbers and got a high when he performed on his peppy fast tracks. It was a memorable experience, and I wish you could attend it as well.
I hope Arijeet Singh soon performs live in your city so that you can experience the brilliance of this singing sensation yourself.
Waiting for your reply!
Wishes,
Gaurav Pawar
E:
M: 9089765432
Exterior seepage
From: ravi.yadav@ramchandranivas.com
To: society.management@ramchandranivas.com
Cc:
Bcc:
Subject: Exterior seepage
Dear Sir,
I am a resident of C-41, Ramchandra Nivas. For the past one year, I have been struggling to treat the damp kitchen walls of my apartment caused by external seepage.
Every monsoon, the wall adjacent to our kitchen starts seeping and causes internal leakage, which has been peeling the paint off my kitchen walls. I had raised this issue in the society AGM last year, but since there was a deficit budget, the repairs couldn’t be carried out.
However, this year, in addition to seepage and peeling paint, I have also had to manage moulds on the walls and a short circuit of the kitchen exhaust system.
As you may have understood how important it is to fix the problem, I request you to kindly get the repairs done as soon as possible, before it causes any harm to my family.
I look forward to your prompt action.
Regards,
Ravi Yadav
C-41
Do working women indeed destroy families?
From: nitin.sayed@email.com
To: editor@newspaper.com
Cc:
Bcc:
Subject: Do working women indeed destroy families?
Dear Editor,
With due respect, I would like to draw your attention to the article titled ‘Working women destroy families’ published on 9 September 2015. The piece was insensitively written and expressed strong prejudice against women who manage both their careers and homes.
The article mentions that working women lack affection for their family as they are only concerned about climbing the career ladder. It further stated that children whose mothers are career oriented are left to fend for themselves. The writer painted a disillusioned picture of women by concluding that working women destroy their families by giving importance to their jobs.
The high cost of living compels both parents to work so that the family and the children can get the best facilities. I have been brought up by a mother who was a working woman, and at no point of time did I feel that she was neglecting me. Although the possibility cannot be denied, it was grossly inappropriate to allow such a biased piece to be published in your prestigious daily.
Educated women are crucial to a better tomorrow, and I think that instead of being misjudged, they should be treated as equals in society.
I hope your publication takes care henceforth before publishing articles that are poorly researched and drafted.
Yours sincerely,
Nitin Sayed
A31 Karuna Apartments
Vasant Vihar
Thane Maharashtra
Re: Thank you for your timely help
From: vijay@email.com
To: prasad@email.com
Cc:
Bcc:
Subject: Re: Thank you for your timely help
Hi Prasad,
It was my moral duty to help your brother the other day. In fact, I am happy to have gotten the opportunity to help someone in need. Often, we avoid taking accident victims to the nearest hospital to shirk formalities. However, we don’t realise that we may also fall in a similar situation someday, and will wish for timely assistance as we lie helpless on the road.
Thank you for taking the time out and writing to me. I now have two friends, and let’s hope that we continue to stay in touch.
Regards,
Vijay
Arrangement for a group of 10 performers
From: sagnik.banerjee@nphs.edu
To: mr.biswas@peakskills.com
Cc:
Bcc:
Subject: Arrangement for a group of 10 performers
Dear Mr Biswas,
As you have been intimated by our principal Mr Bakshi, 10 students from North Point High School will be coming to Peak Skills Performing Arts Centre to participate in the Annual Drama Festival.
As the secretary of the Dramatics Department, I have been asked by Mr Bakshi to inform you about our arrival so that you can make the necessary arrangements for us. The details are as follows:
- Number of students: 5 boys, 5 girls
- Handicapped students: None
- Accommodation: A medium sized green room for a day
- Breakfast: Yes
- Lunch: Yes
- Food preference: Vegetarian
- Arrival date and time: 15 September, 7 am
Please let me know if you need any further details and I will be pleased to provide you with the same.
We look forward to having a wonderful time at the festival.
Thanks and regards,
Sagnik Banerjee
Secretary, Dramatics Department
North Point High School
Ph: 022-23456712
M: 7733287651
Extra money for class trip
From: rajiv@email.com
To: dad@email.com
Cc:
Bcc:
Subject: Extra money for class trip
Dear Dad,
My hostel has organised a two-day trek to a nearby site next month. Each student has to contribute a thousand rupees. The amount will be used for food and accommodation during the trek.
The school authorities have either asked us to make an online transfer or pay cash. If you wish to make an online transfer, you can use the details that I sent in the previous e-mail. However, you could also give me the money when you come to meet me this weekend.
I look forward to your reply.
Regards,
Rajiv
Order for books
From: preeti.kamath@bosco.edu
To: mr.hegel@booksuppliers.com
Cc:
Bcc:
Subject: Order for books
Dear Mr Hegel,
I am writing to place an order of the following books for our current academic year.
Please let me know if the above books can be delivered to us within a week. I hope you will offer us the usual 10% loyalty discount. The items need to be delivered to the following address:
Bosco Public School
Paschim Vihar
Delhi 110 087
Please feel free to write to me if you have any queries.
Sincerely,
Preeti Kamath
Procurement Department, Bosco Public School
E:
T: 011 2528 4343
F: 26584050
M: 7768564321
Troublesome neighbours in B-22
From: arun@email.com
To: society.management@redwoodresidency.com
Cc:
Bcc:
Subject: Troublesome neighbours in B-22
Dear Sir,
My name is Arun and I live in A-18, Redwood Residency. I would like to bring to your notice the trouble caused by the neighbours of B-22. They make loud noises all night and often play music that disturbs everyone in the building.
Despite repeated requests, the situation has not improved. I kindly request the society management to take strict action against the said tenants to maintain peace in our community.
Thank you for your attention.
Regards,
Arun
A-18 Redwood Residency
Will not be able to come home this summer
From:
To:
Cc: , , ,
Bcc:
Subject: Will not be able to come home this summer