Q.Neerja is a student of Class XI. She has opted for Computer Science. Neerja prepared the project assigned to her. She mailed it to her teacher. The snapshot of that email is shown below. [Email snapshot shown in the textbook — Subject line: “(no subject)”. From: Neerjaneerja@example.com, to me. Body: “PFA the required document with this email. Neerja”, with one attachment named “123.docx”] Find out which of the following email etiquettes are missing in it. Justify your answer.

Email Etiquette

Think about how you speak to someone face-to-face. You adjust your tone depending on who you're talking to — a friend gets casual language, a professor gets respectful phrasing, and a potential employer gets polished professionalism. Email etiquette is simply the same principle applied to written electronic communication. It is the set of conventions and courtesies that make your emails clear, respectful, and effective.

At its core, email etiquette is about respecting the reader's time and attention. Every email you send creates an impression of you — your competence, your professionalism, and your understanding of social norms in a digital environment. A poorly written email can confuse, annoy, or even offend the recipient, while a well-crafted one builds trust and gets things done.

Why It Matters for You

As a commerce or humanities student, you will soon be writing emails to professors, internship coordinators, potential employers, clients, and colleagues. These people receive dozens of emails daily. The ones that get read and answered promptly are the ones that are easy to process and pleasant to deal with. Email etiquette is not about being stiff or formal — it is about being clear, considerate, and credible.

The Key Elements of Email Etiquette

1. A Clear and Specific Subject Line

The subject line is the first thing the recipient sees. It should tell them exactly what the email is about and whether it requires action.

• Good: "Request for extension — Marketing assignment due 15 Oct"
• Bad: "Hi" or "Question" or (blank)

A vague subject line makes your email easy to ignore or accidentally delete.

2. An Appropriate Salutation

Always open with a greeting that matches your relationship with the recipient.

• Formal: "Dear Professor Sharma," or "Dear Ms. Gupta,"
• Semi-formal: "Hello Dr. Verma," or "Good morning Mr. Singh,"
• Casual (only with known peers): "Hi Priya,"

Never skip the salutation entirely. It sets a respectful tone.

3. A Concise and Well-Structured Body

State your purpose in the first sentence. Then provide necessary context, and end with a clear call to action.

Example structure:

• Opening line: "I am writing to request a one-day extension for the group project submission."
• Context: "Our team has encountered an unexpected delay in data collection due to the Diwali holiday."
• Action needed: "Could you please let me know if this is possible by Wednesday?"

4. A Professional Closing

End with a polite sign-off followed by your name and, if relevant, your contact details or course information.

• Formal: "Yours sincerely," / "With regards,"
• Semi-formal: "Best regards," / "Thank you,"
• Casual: "Thanks," / "Best,"

Always include your full name. For academic emails, add your roll number and course name below your name.

5. Proofread Before Sending

Spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and missing attachments create a poor impression. Read your email aloud before hitting send. Check that the recipient's name is spelled correctly — this is a surprisingly common and avoidable mistake.

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