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Reviewing an academic email
Jasmine’s assignment is due next week, and she needs more time to work on it. She’s drafted an email to her tutor to ask for an extension. Do you know how she could improve her email?
Select the text: read Jasmine's email and select each section to find out whether she could improve it.
It looks like Jasmine has used her personal email account. However, all students at RMIT have access to a unique RMIT student email address. They should use this email address when communicating at university.
This is an appropriate subject line. It’s not too long and includes the course name and code.
While it is okay to use ‘hello’ in a greeting in both formal and informal emails, it is better to use the name of the staff member if you know it. In this email, Jasmine could use the name of her tutor.
Jasmine has explained the aim of sending this email clearly and precisely. She’s using respectful language to ask for an extension. She also explains the reason for her request. This is an example of what to write in an appropriate academic request email.
This is a formal and appropriate way to end a request email. However, Jasmine could also add her student ID.
Email address: From: Pinki.1994@gmail.com. [It looks like Jasmine has used her personal email account. However, all students at RMIT have access to a unique RMIT student email address. They should use this email address when communicating at university] Subject: MATH1234-Assignment extension [This is an appropriate subject line. It’s not too long and includes the course name and code] Greeting: Hello. [While it is okay to use ‘hello’ in a greeting in both formal and informal emails, it is better to use the name of the staff member if you know it. In this email, Jasmine could use the name of her tutor] Content: I was wondering whether it would be possible for you to grant me a two-day extension for the mid-term assignment of MATH1234. I have two other assignments due on the same day, and I would appreciate it if I could have more time to finish this task. [Jasmine has explained the aim of sending this email clearly and precisely. She’s using respectful language to ask for an extension. She also explains the reason for her request. This is an example of what to write in an appropriate academic request email] Sign off: Kind regards, Jasmine. [ This is a formal and appropriate way to end a request email. However, Jasmine could also add her student ID]
Further information
Now that you are more familiar with writing academic emails, you might like to explore how to structure and write clear and concise emails in the workplace.