Earlier this season, we showed you how to write a professional email in English . , much of your workday is spent both sending and receiving emails. So today, we want to help you decode common phrases and learn how to . Sometimes, we get an email that seems polite but could also be interpreted differently. Your correspondent might be frustrated about not receiving a reply fast enough or would like you to do something for them, so they use one or more of the following 10 common phrases to show their real intentions while maintaining a respectful front. Most likely they aren’t meant to be passive-aggressive and you can take them literally, but it doesn’t hurt to know that there are other ways to interpret them.
1. Just following up…/Just checking in…/Not sure if you received my last email…
The writer has been waiting for your reply for a long time and is getting impatient, so they are sending you a reminder.
2. This is just a friendly reminder…
The reminder is not as friendly as it sounds. You were supposed to do something in a given time frame and it still hasn’t been done.
3. Thanks in advance!
You haven’t agreed to anything yet but your conversation partner is already thanking you, thus implying you don’t have a choice in the matter. It can also be used if you want to thank someone because what you’re asking is a lot of effort, even if it’s their job to do what you’re asking for.
4. Could you do me a quick ?
Again, you don’t really have a choice and the favour might not be as quick as the writer makes it sound.
5. As per our earlier conversation…/As per my last email…/As stated below…
This is something often written after a verbal conversation with someone and we want to put it in writing or add information to the conversation. It can also be said if the sender has to repeat themselves, which they consider a waste of their time as the information was in their previous message.
6. Let me clarify. / Sorry for being unclear.
You must have misunderstood or misinterpreted (maybe on purpose?) the original message and the sender either genuinely wants to clear up the misunderstanding or is not impressed.
7. Hope this helps! / Let me know if there is anything I can do. / If you have any questions and concerns, please let me know.
The correspondent thinks they explained everything in detail and is bringing the conversation to a close.
8. As per our policy…
If a company policy is mentioned, the person you’re talking to can’t do anything to help you out.
9. Let’s circle back on this.
You must have mentioned this topic a couple of times, your conversation partner doesn’t know the answer or doesn’t want to discuss this any further right now (or ever).
10. According to my records…
Maybe you didn’t double-check your facts? The sender of this email may think that you’re and wants you to know that they know what they’re talking about.
Have you ever received a professional email that seemed nice but wasn’t? Let us know on social media, or email us at lesbonsmots@lesateliers.ca.