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When following up on an e-mail: I usually forward the original e-mail to the original recipient, with some added text at the top. Hello, Have you had time to look into this? Kind Regards, ... Forwarded message: From: .... Date: ... Subject: ... To: ... ...

Cover letters are tricky, because if you're writing a CL for a traditional job you're probably competing with somewhere between 50 and 300 other applicants. This means HR has to find a fast way of filtering the wheat from the chaff. Your resume is generally the first thing an HR person looks at. If you make it past the first screening, your cover letter may ...

I'd probably go with something on the lines of: Hi [whoever] Just checking that the XXX I sent you on Xth XXX is okay. I have to [do something] with your feedback before I can [do something else]. Can you let me know when you'll be able to look at it for me? Thanks That way, it makes it sound like you're putting yourself in their debt ...

You do need a dot after "Ms". Also (in US anyway) we say "I took an exam" not "I wrote an exam", but not sure if that's a UK vs. US thing. You say "On January 12th" or "On the 12th of January", not "On 12th January". It comes off as a bit impolite/impersonal though.. a bit stilted. This might be smoother: Dear Ms. XXX, I took the XXX exam on ...

There are actually quite a few options, many of which come naturally when you're not forced to consciously write formally. You can change the verb into an –ing: "Having done freelance for 8 years, I..." "Choosing to work from home has..." or in some cases turn the verb into the subject or your sentence. "Experience with Java has helped..." ...

I usually use it purposely to add something related to the email, but that I don't want to mix with the rest, likely to let the reader to focus more easily on the part of the email I think it's more important; I like to use it like a sort of "side note", placed after the written text (lit. latin "post scriptum" can be translated as "after the written ...

Write it as if you're the one apologizing to them. You know that they're the one who is dragging their feet. Pretend like you were instead. Frame the message in terms of "I must have missed an email somewhere, sorry" rather than "why haven't you sent me an email?" This lets them take the action you want without accepting blame for the delay, which for ...

Good morning XXX, I wanted to touch base with you about the status of your article for the newsletter. Please advise whether you will be able to send it to me by the end of the week. If it doesn't work with your schedule, that's fine; I just need to know one way or the other for planning purposes. Thanks! Regards, [your name]

I don't have much hands-on experience with recommendations. Here's my thoughts from a writing perspective. The role of a great recommendation is to explain what makes a particular person stand out. That means you need to be able to describe, at least to yourself, what makes this one person special. One way to do that is to heap on superlatives, just ...

First, you need to understand the type of organization (in this case the educational institution and program) and what THEY are looking for. In that way you will have a better idea as to what you need to "market." Also an understanding of how they "view" a letter like this. (Unfortunately, some are using software with key word searches and or "hirelings" ...

My personal opinion? Don't write. They'll never be able to tell you're not some hack just from the letter, and they will not bother to check by replying. Meet them in person at some book-signing or a conference or wherever they meet the public. Talk face to face. Answer their questions. Build a personal relationship. And primarily, value the person for who ...

The postscript is indeed of limited use, but it might still be useful when one has something else to say, but doesn't want to compose the email all over again. People still do compose letters from time to time, and send them on paper. I do it maybe once a year, and I can see it coming up where I have something to add, but don't want to print the letter ...

I think you're in a bit of a bind here. I think you'll have an easy time getting "does this work for you?" feedback, which is crucial. However, I think you'll find it very difficult to find constructive, "here is how you can make your letter awesome" feedback. Let me explain. You're trying to be attention-grabbing and evocative. Notice that this is ...

I hope this email finds you well. I'm just emailing to check how far the (xxprogram/process/proceduresxx) goes. I’ll be waiting your (xxrecommendations/reply/answerxx) regarding (xxthis matter/the __ programxx). If you require any further (xxInfo/detailsxx) about (xxxx) , I remain at your disposal. Have a nice day Sir. Thank you. Kind regards,

I usually write something like: Hi. I was checking my mail and it looks like I didn't get a response to the mail I wrote you, am I wrong? I've found that the longer the mail, the lowest the probability that the guy actually replies back to me, so I keep emails short and polite.

Well, makes sure you're clear what you're asking about and don't assume they have the same information that you do. If you're following up on a submission make sure you tell them the title of the story and when you sent it off. It's possible that lost/misplaced your submission so this information well help them find your work. Just remember to give them ...

There are many good and great writers in the world to learn from. You need not track down Faulkner. It is most likely a quest that will result in much wasted time and little gain. Many very great writers are easily accessible in their posts as college professors, where they have offices on campus you can find without any special effort, and get a chance to ...

First of all, don't let yourself be intimidated by this effort. You need to be yourself and remain respectful, and you will be fine. I would recommend opening your letter with a standard salutation: "Dear Sir", or simply "Professor Xxxxx". Next, introduce yourself and briefly explain your reason for writing. Follow up with a brief summary of your work ...

Make sure you have a job specification on hand and relate relevant experience for the new job. General platitudes are best avoided. Re-read the letter thinking "What justification do I have to rejecting this candidate based on this letter?". If you cannot come with anything, you probably did a good job. As a side note, if this is a professional ...