.
Important information first
As emails are short pieces of communication, there is a set structure you should use.
Why use this approach?
- People are busy and do not have enough time to read everything.
- The reader will look at the beginning and decide whether to read on.
- It helps keep the email short and to the point.
Remember to:
- put the most important information first
- remove any unnecessary information.
Emails refer to immediate situations and need to quickly get to the point.
Email model
Most important
Next important
Next important
Next important
Least important
Activity
Read the following email and click on the main point or purpose of the email. Incorrect answers will momentarily appear red. Only the correct answer will remain highlighted in green.
Dear all,
RMIT is a large university. All staff are on the email system. There have been occasions when an email virus has been sent out to employees. Many employees were not sure how to respond to this problem. Some employees forwarded these emails to others and the virus was able to spread. The university now has a policy in place to prevent the spread of such problems in future. All staff should notify an ITS Service and Support Officer immediately if they suspect they have received a virus.
All staff are advised to contact an ITS Service and Support Officer immediately on suspicion of an email virus. Early awareness and detection should prevent future problems.
Kind Regards,
ITS Service and Support
Original email:
Dear all,
RMIT is a large university. All staff are on the email system. There have been occasions when an email virus has been sent to out employees. Many employees were not sure how to respond to this problem. Some employees forwarded these emails to others and the virus was able to spread. The university now has a policy in place to prevent the spread of such problems in future. All staff should notify a ITS Service and Support Officer immediately if they suspect they have received a virus.
ITS Service and Support
All staff should notify an ITS Service and Support Officer immediately if they suspect they have received a virus.
Rewritten email:Dear all,
All staff are advised to contact a ITS Service and Support Officer immediately on suspicion of an email virus. Early awareness and detection should prevent future problems.
ITS Service and Support