1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print. This seems easy enough to do, but if you write more, you will find yourself using more of these cliches, without even realising. Phrases like ‘run of the mill’, or ‘give light to’ seem to suggest themselves automatically. One of the problems with these are that they are old and overused, and so have lost their power as images. When writing business e-mail, however, this is not so important -we rarely want to create strong emotions when we are passing information and making requests in a business setting. However, when we do want to motivate people, and we use a cliche, people read it as exactly that -a tired old expression that means nothing, and if it means nothing, it is taking away from the meaning.
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
“Call” instead of “contact”. “Call back” instead of “return your call”. “Do” instead of “implement”. “Tell” and “ask” instead of “inform” and “enquire”. Long words do not mean right words! Every memorable quote is filled with short words, from Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream”, to Gordon Gekko’s “Greed is good”. There is a reason for this!
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
Extra words take away from the meaning, and potentially confuse your audience. Don’t run the risk of people reading a perfectly good message, and then sabotaging it with parenthesis.
4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
People will understand what is happening better if you tell them who is doing what. Even if you don’t know who, you can write that “The Calcutta office will check the data and send us confirmation”, instead of “The data will be checked, and confirmation will be sent.”
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
One function of specialist language is to exclude people from a group. We feel special when others cannot understand us. This is why each generation develops its own slang. Jargon is the exact same. However, if the purpose of your e-mail is for people to understand you, you should make sure. Use ‘plain English’.
6. Break any of these rules sooner than saying anything outright barbarous.
The “Joker card”, this is, of course, the most important rule. Rightfully, it is at the end, as this rule should be used as you are editing your e-mail. Follow the other rules, and then re-read your e-mail again, to make sure you have not written a load of nonsense, and that you have written the right e-mail to the right person on the right subject. | 
