Psychologists at North Carolina State University asked college students to give impressions of a potential new colleague based only on an email message. The results: Those who read emails with grammatical errors and typos "perceived the writer to be less conscientious, intelligent, and trustworthy, compared to the same message without any errors."
The last thing you want when sending emails is to be seen as less intelligent or trustworthy, so you better make sure you proofread before hitting "send!" Take this quiz to find out if your email grammar is working for or against you!
1. "Thank you for the quick revert!"
Correct Form: "Thank you for the quick reply."
"Revert" means to "return to a previous state," as in "I didn't get to save the Word document, so it reverted to the version when I last saved it."
2. "Noted on this."
Correct Form: "Noted!"
"Noted on" means it's written on something, as in, "It was noted on the death certificate that..."
3. "By the way, advanced happy birthday!"
Correct Form: "Happy birthday in advance!"
4. "See the below for details."
Correct Form: "See below for more details."
"See the below" does not make any sense, because "below" is an adverb and it should describe an adjective, verb, or another adverb. It is not a noun. By saying where one will look ("below") and what one will see ("more details"), the sentence becomes more complete.
5. "I'll be attending the event in behalf of Vivien."
Correct form: "I'll be attending the event on behalf of Vivien."
Take note that BOTH "in behalf of" and "on behalf of" are correct, but used in different ways. "In behalf of" means "for the benefit of" or "in the interest of." E.g., We raised funds in behalf of the typhoon victims.
"On behalf of" means "in place of" or "as the agent of." E.g., "She's on vacation leave today, so I'll be attending the meeting on her behalf."
6. "The event happened last May."
Correct Form: "The event happened in May 2017" (If you are referring to the previous year)
The word "last" is so confusing. Do you mean this year? Last year? It's better to be specific. Pair "last" with "week," "month," or "year." Also, take note of the following rules:
Use the preposition "in" when referring to a generic date, as in "In January," or "In April 2016."
Use the preposition "on" when referring to an exact date, as in "On January 31."
7. "To whom it may concern:"
Take the time to figure out who you should address in your email. It's basic GMRC (That's Good Manners and Right Conduct for you).
8. "Thank you for inviting us to the exhibit! The artworks were amazing!"
Correct Form: "Thank you for inviting us to the exhibit! The artwork was amazing!"
"Artwork" means "a collection of art." No need to add s! Same goes for "equipment." There is no such thing as "equipments."
9. "Anyways, I'll update you later!"
Correct Form: Anyway, I'll update you later!
You might say "anyways" to your girlfriends, but in email form, it's best to use the proper form.
10. "Based from the schedule you gave me, I think we can meet on Monday next week."
Correct Form: "Based on the schedule you gave me, I think we can meet on Monday next week."
Always pair "based" with "on."
