Write Better Emails in English — Professional Tips (With or Without AI)

0:00 How often do you sit down to write an email in English and think,

0:05 is this professional enough?

0:06 Is it polite?

0:07 Is the grammar right?

0:09 And then rather than stress out about those questions,

0:12 you just use AI because it's so easy.

0:15 Now, previously, maybe you used tools like Grammarly

0:19 to check your spelling or fix grammar mistakes,

0:22 but now you moved on to Gemini or chat g BT to write those emails for you.

0:28 All you have to do is ask for the email copy, paste, and send done.

0:34 But there's a chance those emails don't sound the way that you think they do.

0:41 They may not sound as professional as you hope.

0:44 Now, if you're using AI to write your emails in English, do not worry.

0:48 You are absolutely not alone.

0:50 My goal today is to help you use it.

0:53 Well, I want you to think for a moment.

0:56 Have you ever received an email

0:59 in your native language that was generated from ai,

1:02 especially from someone you know, like a friend or a coworker?

1:06 How did it sound to you?

1:08 Did it sound different?

1:10 And how did you feel when you read it?

1:13 Almost every week I get emails that were clearly copied from ai.

1:18 Some even include the prompt that was used, like write Anne-Marie to ask about.

1:24 We all know that the world of email writing has changed, and many people,

1:29 native and non-native speakers are still figuring

1:32 out what's okay to do and what isn't.

1:36 Back in 2022, I shared a lesson titled Write Professional Emails in English,

1:41 step by step, and everything in that lesson is still a hundred percent valid.

1:46 In fact, it's exactly why I think we need this lesson today.

1:51 We need to talk about this common use of AI

1:54 and how to use it well for your emails in English.

1:59 Because yes, AI is super helpful,

2:03 but it can also take away your natural voice and authenticity.

2:09 It can actually make you sound less confident rather than more.

2:13 It can even reduce trust in what you're saying.

2:17 So today, let's talk about what has changed in writing

2:21 emails in English and what you need to know now,

2:24 including how to recognize robotic or overly formal email language,

2:30 how to sound natural, clear and authentically human in your writing,

2:35 and how to use AI as a tool with confidence but not as a replacement for you.

2:41 Now, before we dive into everything that's new with ai,

2:45 I want to briefly highlight what has not changed

2:48 based on that lesson that I did in 2022.

2:51 Now, if you've watched that original

2:53 lesson on writing professional emails in English,

2:57 you know there are some clear standards

2:59 that we follow when we're writing for work.

3:02 It's important to be clear, be polite,

3:06 and be concise, or to get to the point quickly.

3:10 And none of that has changed.

3:12 Whether you're writing an email on your own or with the help of a tool,

3:17 those things still matter.

3:19 In fact, all the tips that I shared

3:22 in that lesson are a hundred percent relevant today.

3:25 Things like choosing a clear subject line,

3:28 including a greeting and a polite closing,

3:31 keeping your email short and simple using clear structure and formatting,

3:36 reviewing your grammar tone and clarity before you click send.

3:41 So if you're already using those steps, that's awesome.

3:44 You've got a strong foundation.

3:47 What has changed is how we write or if we're actually writing.

3:53 In the past, if you didn't know how to say something,

3:57 you might have used a dictionary or a translator to help,

4:01 but now many people aren't writing at all.

4:05 Instead, it's just a quick prompt to an AI tool,

4:08 something like write an email to a colleague asking about a deadline extension,

4:13 and that leads to a complete email.

4:16 And while it's fast and convenient, it's also where things can go wrong.

4:22 What AI gives you might be clear and grammatically correct,

4:26 although it isn't always,

4:28 but it might also sound stiff or cold, impersonal or even awkward.

4:34 And there's something else to be honest about.

4:38 The more we rely on AI to write for us, the more we risk losing two things,

4:45 trust in each other and our own ability to communicate clearly.

4:50 Not because AI is bad,

4:52 but because it often misses the emotional cues that make our messages feel real.

4:59 It can also misunderstand context.

5:02 It can sound robotic, and it can create a sense of distance

5:07 between you and the person reading your message, even if the words are polite.

5:12 In fact, the more everyone uses it,

5:15 the harder it becomes to know if we're hearing someone's real voice.

5:21 And when that happens, trust fades little by little.

5:26 At least that's what I'm feeling.

5:28 And you might be too.

5:30 So in the rest of this lesson, I want to help you recognize when

5:35 something sounds robotic or too formal in English.

5:39 I want to help you learn how to sound more human and clear

5:42 and use tools like AI in a way that supports you without replacing you,

5:47 because ultimately that's how you build real

5:51 trust in your English writing and with others.

5:54 In a moment, I'm going to share with you

5:57 some clear examples of robotic or overly formal English.

6:01 But before we do, I wanna start with something important.

6:04 The tone or the feel of your email depends

6:09 on your relationship with the person that you're writing to.

6:12 We communicate our tone through the words and the sentence structures we use,

6:18 and when it comes to email, there's no perfect tone that we use for all emails.

6:24 Sometimes we use formal email.

6:27 Sometimes formal English is the right choice,

6:30 especially when you're writing to someone in a position

6:34 of authority or if it's the first time you're writing to someone or if

6:39 the situation is super serious or highly professional.

6:42 But in many work settings, especially in English speaking culture,

6:47 using formal or stiff English when it's not needed can create distance.

6:53 It can sound cold, impersonal, and even confusing.

6:58 That's why your first question before you start writing or before you even

7:02 give a prompt to AI is what is my relationship with this person?

7:08 Are they a manager or someone in leadership?

7:12 If so, maybe the best tone is formal or is this a colleague, a team member?

7:18 In that case, you may want to use more casual or neutral language,

7:22 or is this someone you know well, someone you communicate with regularly.

7:26 In that case, you could certainly use a more friendly,

7:30 natural, very casual tone.

7:32 So with that in mind,

7:34 let's talk a little bit about what makes an email sound off or strange,

7:39 even when the grammar is perfect,

7:41 because this is where AI and even templates can go wrong.

7:46 And if you're not used to hearing natural English every day,

7:50 it's easy to miss what sounds robotic in an email.

7:55 So what do robotic emails sound like?

7:58 Well, they often use expressions that are too formal,

8:02 outdated, impersonal or overly stiff.

8:07 I've used that word a few times now stiff,

8:09 and it's used to mean that something has no warmth, emotion, or natural flow.

8:15 So to make this easy,

8:17 I thought it would be helpful to look at some real examples

8:20 and talk about why they don't feel right and what sounds better instead.

8:25 The first example is, please be advised that why does this one feel off?

8:31 Well, it sounds like legal English or governmental writing,

8:35 which instantly creates distance.

8:37 It's overly formal.

8:39 So an alternative to this is I'm writing to let you know,

8:44 or just letting you know.

8:46 Next is kindly find attached kindly is a bit outdated and overly polite.

8:53 It's not something we hear in natural English conversations or modern emails.

8:58 So a better alternative to this is

9:01 I've attached or you'll find the file attached.

9:04 Next up we have, I remain at your disposal.

9:08 This is most likely a direct translation from other languages, but in English,

9:13 it sounds overly formal and unnatural,

9:16 like something from a business letter written 50 years ago.

9:20 Instead of that you could use.

9:23 Let me know if you have any questions

9:25 or happy to help if you need anything else.

9:27 Now, here's one that I often see.

9:30 It would be greatly appreciated if this is long formal

9:35 and doesn't really reflect how people naturally ask for things in English.

9:40 So instead, you could use,

9:43 I'd really appreciate it if you could or would you be able to.

9:48 And finally, our last example.

9:50 I hope this email finds you well.

9:53 I just had a question about this in a workshop that I did,

9:56 and the truth is it's so overused that it often feels impersonal,

10:02 like it's from a line copied in a template

10:04 and in many cases it's just unnecessary.

10:07 So instead you could start an email with, I hope you're doing well,

10:12 or just skip it completely and go straight to the point.

10:15 Now, when you review these alternatives that I've shared with you,

10:19 you'll notice a couple of key differences.

10:22 First, the clearer versions are still professional and polite,

10:26 but they sound more natural and more human with shorter sentences

10:31 and the use of modal verbs like wood and could also,

10:36 they use contractions, words like Ive and Eyed.

10:40 These are used in everyday conversation and they

10:43 immediately make your tone warmer and friendlier.

10:47 As a result.

10:49 These sentences sound like something you would say to a real

10:52 person in a real conversation or a real email,

10:56 not like something copied from a policy document.

11:00 So now that you know how to recognize

11:03 this more robotic or overly formal language,

11:07 how do you actually make sure that your emails sound clear,

11:11 confident, and like you,

11:12 whether you're writing on your own or using AI to help you?

11:16 I have a simple three-step process that you can

11:19 use to write better emails in English every time.

11:22 Step number one is plan your purpose.

11:26 Before you write anything, ask yourself these two questions.

11:30 Why am I writing this email and what do I want the other person to do or know?

11:36 If you're not really sure how to say something in English,

11:40 try writing the answer to those two questions in your native language first.

11:45 And then I don't want you to translate the exact words,

11:49 but I do want you to translate the idea of those.

11:53 Answers into English.

11:55 This step can give you clarity and it can help you avoid unnecessary details,

12:01 long explanations or going off topic.

12:04 For example, you might say, I want to confirm the time of our meeting,

12:09 or I need to ask for help with a presentation.

12:12 I'm replying to a request for information.

12:15 All of these answer the purpose of why you're writing,

12:19 and you can put them directly

12:22 into the email for clarity and simplicity right away.

12:25 Step number two is write your email or your prompt for AI with care.

12:30 You can write the email yourself of course, or you could use a tool like ai.

12:36 Either way, this is where we have to think about

12:39 that tone that we've learned about and the structure of our email.

12:42 If you're writing the email yourself, keep it short and polite.

12:47 Use simple, clear words and focus on just one main idea in each paragraph.

12:53 Now, if you're going to use ai,

12:56 it's important to start with a helpful prompt and as much detail as possible.

13:01 For example, write a short,

13:03 polite email to a colleague asking for an update on a report then,

13:08 and this is the key.

13:10 Edit what AI gives you.

13:12 Take a moment to review and then adjust the tone.

13:16 Remove any language that is overly formal or robotic and add your voice.

13:22 We're gonna talk more about that in the next step,

13:24 but I want you to remember this.

13:26 AI can give you a draft of an email,

13:29 but it cannot replace your judgment or your humanity.

13:33 And that brings me to step three, proofread and personalize.

13:38 I always recommend reading your email out loud.

13:41 This can help you hear whether the language sounds too formal or robotic,

13:46 and you can ask yourself these questions,

13:48 does this sound like me or does it sound like a machine?

13:52 Will this feel comfortable for the person reading it?

13:56 And is the tone right for our relationship?

13:59 After you do that and make any necessary changes,

14:03 you can also add a sentence or two that shows your voice and your care.

14:08 For example, thanks so much for your help

14:10 or looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

14:13 Let me know if you have any questions.

14:15 And then finally, double check your grammar, your formatting, and your spelling.

14:20 I want you to remember that AI doesn't always get it right.

14:24 Once you've done those three steps, you're ready to click send with confidence.

14:29 Now, while we're talking about this, I think

14:31 it's important to be clear and honest about something.

14:35 Not every situation is the right time for a tool like ai.

14:40 In fact, some of the most important emails

14:42 you ever write are the ones where your voice,

14:45 your tone, and your empathy matter the most.

14:49 That includes apologies, difficult messages or rejections.

14:55 Requests that require sensitivity, like feedback to a team member

15:00 or high stakes follow-ups and conflict resolution.

15:04 In those emails, what matters the most isn't perfect grammar,

15:08 but it's how the other person feels when they read your message.

15:13 And no tool can understand your relationships, your values,

15:18 or your intentions the way that you do.

15:22 So if the email that you need to send is sensitive,

15:26 personal or emotional, don't delegate it, write it yourself,

15:31 or at least make sure it sounds like it

15:33 is written by you and you mean every word.

15:36 Alright, I know we've covered a lot in this lesson,

15:39 and this wasn't my usual focus

15:42 on speaking skills or English conversation practice,

15:45 but here's why this matters.

15:48 Writing emails is communication,

15:51 and communication is all about clarity, connection, and confidence.

15:55 Whether you're speaking or writing,

15:58 I mentioned earlier that I'm definitely noticing

16:01 a shift in trust as more and more emails

16:04 and other things that we interact with are AI

16:07 generated and maybe you're feeling exactly the same way.

16:11 So I think it's helpful for all of us to remember that without question,

16:16 AI can help us a lot,

16:18 but it's a tool and it doesn't replace the human behind the message.

16:24 Your judgment still matters.

16:26 Your tone still matters.

16:28 Your voice still matters.

16:31 And at the end of every email is another real person,

16:35 and that person deserves a message from you that feels natural,

16:40 respectful, and human.

16:42 So whether you're using AI to assist you or writing every word yourself,

16:48 the goal is absolutely the same.

16:50 A clear message, a confident tone, and a conversation that feels real.

16:55 That's how you build trust and that's how you lead with confidence.

16:59 And it's what I want for you in every email that you write in English.

17:04 Now, if you found this lesson helpful to you today,

17:06 I would love to know, and you can tell me in one very simple way,

17:10 give this lesson a thumbs up here on YouTube, and while you're at it,

17:13 make sure you subscribe so you never miss one of my Confident English lessons.

17:18 Thank you so much for joining me, and I look forward to seeing you next time.