Beginner · Communication Skills
Write Clear Emails and Messages at Work
Write emails and messages that get read, understood and answered. Short lessons, plain words, simple habits.
Course complete. You have finished every lesson.
What you’ll learn
- Why work messages are skimmed in seconds, and how to put the point in the first two lines
- How to keep messages short without sounding curt, and why your tone is less clear than you think
- How to make a reply easy, and when to use email, team chat or a call
- How to write clear next steps and recap emails, and handle feedback and saying no in writing
- How to manage your inbox, spot phishing, and use AI to draft safely
This course is for anyone who writes emails or chat messages at work, anywhere in the world, including people writing in a second language. Each lesson takes about two minutes and teaches one habit, with simple pictures and plain words.
Lessons
Chapter 1: Getting read
How people read work messages, putting the point first, and short but warm.
- Lesson 1 Why Clear Writing at Work Matters for Every Message See how people really read work messages, and learn the four habits that help yours get read, understood and answered. 2 min Completed.
- Lesson 2 Put the Point First: Write Emails That Get Read Learn to put your request and deadline in the first two lines of an email, and to write a subject line that says what it is for. 2 min Completed.
- Lesson 3 Short, Not Curt: Keep Emails Brief but Warm Learn how to keep emails short enough to get read while staying friendly, polite and accurate, with one warm line and a quick check. 2 min Completed.
Chapter 2: Getting understood
Tone, easy replies, and choosing email, chat or a call.
- Lesson 4 Your Tone Is Less Clear Than You Think in Writing See why readers often miss your tone in emails and chat, and use three simple habits to make yours clear and avoid misreading others. 2 min Completed.
- Lesson 5 Make It Easy to Reply: Ask Clearly and Follow Up Learn to ask in a way that gets a quick reply, with one ask per email, easy answers and a friendly follow-up when nothing comes back. 2 min Completed.
- Lesson 6 Email, Chat or a Call: Pick the Right Channel Decide when to write, when to talk, and how to stop a message feeling more urgent than you meant, with a reply-by date or a no rush line. 2 min Completed.
Chapter 3: Getting things done
Next steps and recaps, and tricky messages.
- Lesson 7 Clear Next Steps and Recap Emails That Get Done Write next steps with one owner, a verb and a date, name one person even in a group email, and send a short recap that people confirm. 2 min Completed.
- Lesson 8 Tricky Messages: Feedback, Disagreement and Saying No Handle feedback, disagreement and a no calmly: talk first, describe one event, say no with a reason and an option, and sleep on angry replies. 2 min Completed.
Chapter 4: Staying on top
Your inbox, phishing, AI drafting and your writing checklist.
- Lesson 9 Your Inbox: Fewer Checks, Filters and Spotting Phishing Check email less often, let filters sort it, write a good out-of-office message, and spot a fake email before you click. 2 min Completed.
- Lesson 10 AI for Emails and Your Writing Checklist Use AI to draft emails safely, keep private details out and your personal notes your own, then finish with an eight-point writing checklist. 2 min Completed.
Videos coming soonAbout this course
Each lesson is a written page with pictures, a “Try it” step and the full script. A short video of each lesson is coming soon. Follow the lessons in order, or jump to the habit you need.
What you need: your own sent folder. Each “Try it” step uses a real message you’ve written or are about to write.
The lessons draw on our guide to writing a professional email, asynchronous communication, communication skills and using AI to write emails. Workplace norms and rules differ, so follow your organisation’s policies, especially on email security and on which AI tools you may use.
Good questions
Answers, plainly
How long does the course take?
10 lessons, about 21 minutes in all. Most lessons take about 2 minutes, so one fits into a short break. Take them in order, or jump to the one you need.
Do I need to sign up or pay?
No. Every lesson is free and open, with no account and no email address. Your progress ticks are saved in your own browser only.
Can I watch it instead of reading?
Not yet. Every lesson is a written page with pictures and the full script. Short videos of each lesson are coming.
Who is it for?
Complete beginners, anywhere in the world. Plain words, round example numbers and no background needed.