Business Writing

Firefly Electric and Lighting Corp. Training and Organizational Development

Human Resources Department

Module 5

Writing E-mails

Module 5 : Writing Emails

Lesson 1

Basic Structure of an Email

Module 5: Writing E-mails

Email is a convenient and effective medium to conduct business communication. In this module we will discuss basic structure of emails, etiquette guidelines on how to address an email message, as well as grammar and acronyms rules in the letter body.

Writing Emails

Definition: Email is a message, typically brief and informal, but concise, sent to and received by one or more recipients over a computer network.

Basic Structure of an Email

• Header field: a set of lines describing the message setting such as the sender, the recipient, the date and other optional fields.

• Message body – contains the message which is separated from the header by line breaks

The Header Field

From: contains the name of the sender

Subject line: contains a short summary of what the entire message is all about

To: contains the name (s) of the primary recipient (s)

Optional Header Fields

Attention line- a line indicating the recipient for whom the message in intended in a company.

Reply to: the header that tells the recipient to whom to address the message as a response to one

previously sent.

Received: the line that tells the sender of the email who received the message.

Basic Structure of an Email • From: Sender of the message

• To: Primary recipient of the message

• Current date:

• CC: carbon copy- copies of email are sent to named but indirect recipients with their email address visible.

• BCC – blind carbon copy – copies will be sent to named recipients but their email address is not shown.

Basic Structure of an Email

The field for primary recipient(s) of the message

The field for people in the loop who are being kept informed about the email communication

.

List recipients whose email address are

invisible to other recipients

TO :

cc:

BCC:

Basic Structure of an email • Subject line – gives the reader a clue as to

what the message is all about.

• Text message area contains an expanded version of the subject line.

• Signature line contains the name of the sender, either a formal full name with position, contact number, and email address, or an informal one in form of a nickname if the sender is well acquainted with the recipient.

Basic Structure of an email Attachment is a large file appended to an

email message, usually containing documents, photos, music and videos. Very large files may use compression/ decompression utility named ZIP

Disclaimer a statement at the bottom of the email that stipulates and limits the rights of an email sender so as to lessen any risks to the company.

Writing Emails

1. Messages sent by email are usually:

a) short c) concise

b) Informal d) all of the above

2. Very large files can be compressed and sent out using:

a) attachment c) ZIP

b) subject line d) BCC

Writing Emails

Writing Emails 3. The rights of an email sender is limited by the:

a) subject line c) signature line

b) disclaimer d) attention line

4. Which of the following is NOT true?

a) The header field contains the setting of the message.

b) All email messages should always be brief and short.

c) Use of nickname in signature line is acceptable.

d) An email can be sent to many primary recipients.

Writing Emails 5. When do we use the “Cc” field? a) When we are sending a direct message to someone. b) When we want to send a copy of the email to people who are not meant to be the direct recipients of the message. c) When we want the recipients to be ‘blind’ to other recipients’ email address d) When we want the recipient to respond ASAP.

Writing Emails

6. If a manager has ordered his secretary to send a memo to everyone in the department, the secretary should: a)Place all the department employees’ email address on the ‘To’ section, and the manager’s email address on the ‘Cc’ field b)Place all the email addresses on the ‘To’ section c)Place all the email addresses on the ‘Cc’ field d)Place all the email addresses on the ‘Bcc’ field

1. Messages sent by email are usually:

a) short c) concise

b) Informal d) all of the above

2. Very large files can be compressed and sent out using:

a) attachment c) ZIP

b) subject line d) BCC

Writing Emails

Writing Emails 3. The rights of an email sender is limited by the:

a) subject line c) signature line

b) disclaimer d) attention line

4. Which of the following is NOT true?

a) The header field contains the setting of the message.

b) All email messages should always be brief and short.

c) Use of nickname in signature line is acceptable.

d) An email can be sent to many primary recipients.

Writing Emails 5. When do we use the “Cc” field? a) When we are sending a direct message to someone. b) When we want to send a copy of the email to people who are not meant to be the direct recipients of the message. c) When we want the recipients to be ‘blind’ to other recipients’ email address d) When we want the recipient to respond ASAP.

Writing Emails

6. If a manager has ordered his secretary to send a memo to everyone in the department, the secretary should: a)Place all the department employees’ email address on the ‘To’ section, and the manager’s email address on the ‘Cc’ field b)Place all the email addresses on the ‘To’ section c)Place all the email addresses on the ‘Cc’ field d)Place all the email addresses on the ‘Bcc’ field

Writing Emails

Note: Module 5, Lessons 1, 2 and 3 will have combined quiz.

End of Module 5, Lesson 1