English Email - The Subject Line

Use an effective Subject Line in your email.

1. Don't leave it blank.

• A blank subject line might get deleted by antivirus software.
• A blank subject line wastes your recipient's time.
  

2. Do add important information in the subject line.

• A good subject line help the recipient identify and determine how important your email is.
• Capitalize all important words in the subject line (See examples).
• Follow the same capitalization and punctuation rules that you would follow in any other document.
  

For example:

• Request Catalog for Fall Purchase
• Hotel Reservations on Sept. 23
• Just Returned to Japan. Call Me.
• Hanako's Homework from Oct. 3 Class
• Resend Your Last Email Dated Oct. 23
  

3. Due to different email clients around the world, avoid using any symbols in the subject line. Use only alphanumeric characters.

• Do not use any em-size characters (2-bit/全角) in your subject line.
• Use en-size characters (1-bit/半角)
• Avoid symbols like: #, %, ~, |, \, {, }, etc.
  

4. Use clear and concise language in your Subject Line. For example:

• Catalog Request
• Request for Additional Copier Maintenance Information
• Request for Concert Ticket Information for September 2005
• Symposium Schedule Confirmation for Tokyo and Seoul
• Questions Regarding Organization History and Future Goals
  

5. Return emails in the same day you receive them if possible.

• In the 21st Century, treat emails as you would a phone call.
  

6. Encourage others to communicate with you by email.

• Provide your correct email address on your business cards and official correspondence.
• Include your email address in your email signature. This is especially useful if your recipient is using Outlook. (Firefox users are OK).

7. Do not reproduce a message in full when responding to it, especially if you are posting to a newsgroup.

• This is hard on the readers and wasteful of resources.
• Select only the parts that you are responding to.
  

Sources:

• Bull's Eye Business Writing: 10 Easy Guides for Getting to Your Writing Target, by Gloria Pincu, M.A. , President of Basic Learning Systems, Inc.
• Chip Sorensen, www.anmi-eikaiwa.com
  

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〒234-0053横浜市港南区日野中央2-6-3
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fax 045-841-4288
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10 Tips on Writing

Getting Started
進出方法

1. Think about the end.　 最終結果に目を向ける。

• What should the result of your letter be?　どういう経過がほしい？
  

• Are you providing information?　情報を提供するか？
  

• Are you asking for information?　情報を求めるか？
  

• Are you making a recommendation?　ｱﾄﾞﾊﾞｲｽをするか？
  

• Are you arguing a point?　議論するか？
  

• List what you want to say or ask.　言いたい事・聞きたい質問はすべて書く。
  

• Good letters have a strong sense of purpose.　手紙を書く時は目的意識を持って。
  

2. Get to the point immediately.　すぐに、要点に触れなさい。

• Don’t delay.　遅滞なく履行する事。
  

• State your question, comment, and argument in the first paragraph.　最初の段落で疑問・コメント・反論・などを述べる。
  

3. Put yourself in the reader’s place.　読者の身になって考えてみなさい。

• If the letter came to you, how would you respond?　この手紙を受け取った時、どう思う？
  

• Be pleasant.　感じ良く接するよう努力する。
  

• If you are addressing a difficult situation, be firm but courteous.　力強く心を込めて、丁寧に困難な状況に対応する。
  

No Business-ese　特殊用語を使わない

4. Say it plainly.　簡潔に伝え。

• Avoid stilted phrases.　大げさな言葉を使わない。
  

5. Clear deadwood.　無駄な言葉･表現を取り除く。

• Cut words, sentences, and even paragraphs that don’t contribute.　無駄な言葉・文書・文節･等を取り除く。
  

• Simplify your reader’s job.　手紙をもっと単純化するように。

6. Use active verbs.　動作を表す動詞。

• Avoid passive language.　受動態を使わない。
  

• Passive language suggests evasiveness or suggests blame is being placed elsewhere.　受動態を使うと、あやふやなことを感じさせる。
  

7. Be human. 　人情味を加える。

• Use personal pronouns of I, we, and you.　人称代名詞を使う事。
  

Be Positive　前向きであろうとする

8. Never write in anger.　怒って手紙を書かないように。

• Anger will evaporate; a letter won’t.　怒りが解けるが、手紙はずっと残る。
  

• Handle problems in an upbeat manner.　問題に積極的に取り組む。
  

9. End with an action step.　ｱｸｼｮﾝ・ｽﾃｯﾌﾟで終える。

• The end of a letter should suggest the reader’s next move, or your own.　手紙の最後に次の一手を示唆する。
  

• A simple “Sincerely,” and your name is the perfect closing.　締めくくりのメッセージに「Sincerely, 」と自分の名前を記入する。
  

10. Be Professional.　職業上の行為。

• The best-written letter will not survive a bad presentation.　見掛けが中身と同じほど重要なことが多い。
  

• Use a clean, logical format for your letter.　きちんと整頓して、論理的なフォーマットを使う。
  

• Don’t change fonts.　フォント設定（サイズ・スタイル・タイプ･等）を変えず。
  

• Don’t be concerned about going to a second page if the first becomes crowded.　無理に１ﾍﾟｰｼﾞに収めず、ﾍﾟｰｼﾞ数を無視する。
  

Bibliography

The Writing Center. Arizona State University, 2005.
http://www.asu.edu/duas/wcenter/, accessed September 15, 2005.



┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘
アンミ英会話教室
〒234-0053横浜市港南区日野中央2-6-3
パークサイド日野102号室

tel 045-841-4218
fax 045-841-4288
cell 070-5084-9592
www.anmi-eikaiwa.com
┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘┘