Workplace English: emails that get answered

Xin chào! Last week I closed the TOEIC series by saying that the English you studied for the test is the English your job runs on. What changes is the direction: on the test you recognised it, at work you have to produce it.

This new series is about exactly that. Every Wednesday, one workplace situation: emails, meetings, phone calls, small talk, saying no. Short, practical, and written for people who have already passed the test.

We start with the thing you write most: the email.

The reader decides in five seconds

Your reader opens the email between two other tasks. In the first few lines they decide whether to answer now, later, or never. So the most useful habit is simple: put the request at the top.

Compare these two openings:

I hope you are well. I am writing regarding the training schedule which we discussed at the meeting last Tuesday, and I wanted to check some details about it...

Could you confirm the training date by Friday? We discussed two options at Tuesday's meeting: 12 or 19 November.

The second one gets answered. The first one gets marked as unread.

A shape that works for almost everything

1. One line: what you need. A question or a request, with a deadline if there is one.
2. Two or three lines: the context. Only what the reader needs in order to act.
3. One line: the next step. "If the 19th is easier, I will move the room booking."

Then stop. A closing like Thanks or Best regards is enough.

Five phrases worth stealing

• Could you ... by [day]? Polite, and clear about time.
• Just to confirm, ... For checking without sounding doubtful.
• Following up on my email from Monday, ... For the reminder nobody likes writing.
• I'm afraid we can't ..., but we could ... For saying no while still offering something.
• Please let me know if anything is unclear. Instead of If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me, which says the same thing at twice the length.

The mistakes I see most

• Translating Vietnamese politeness word for word. "I would like to kindly request you to please help me..." sounds nervous in English. One please is enough.
• A subject line like "Hello" or "Question". Write the topic and, if needed, the action: Training date: please confirm by Fri.
• Writing "ASAP". It sounds urgent and gives no date. Write the date.

This week's practice

Open your sent folder and pick three emails you wrote in English. For each one, rewrite the first line so the request comes first. Read both versions out loud; you will hear the difference at once.

Next Wednesday: meetings, and how to get one sentence in when everyone is talking. Hẹn gặp lại! 🌸