English · Email Writing
Email Writing Format for SSC & HSC
The header fields, the message structure and the register the board expects in an email.
A board email answer has a header — To, and a Subject that names the topic — followed by a salutation, a message of two or three short paragraphs and a closing with your name. Cc, Bcc and the date are optional and rarely required. The subject line carries its own mark, so it must be specific rather than a single word.
The format
What an email answer must contain
Boards mark an email on four things: the header fields, the salutation, the message, and the closing. Of those, the header is what distinguishes this question from letter writing, and it is where most avoidable marks are lost — usually because a candidate has written a letter and put a subject line on it.
The parts, in order
| Part | What to write | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| To | a plausible email address | yes |
| Cc / Bcc | usually left out | no |
| Subject | a phrase naming the topic | yes — carries its own mark |
| Salutation | Dear [name], / Dear Sir, | yes |
| Message | two short paragraphs | yes |
| Closing | Yours ever, / Regards, / Yours faithfully, | yes |
| Name | your first name, or full name if formal | yes |
| Postal address | — | 🚨 never |
Writing the subject line
The subject is a summary, not a greeting. It should tell a reader scanning a list of messages what this one is about, in about four to seven words, with no full stop. A vague subject is one of the easiest marks in the paper to lose and one of the easiest to secure.
- ✓ Invitation to my birthday party on Friday
- ✓ Application for leave on 12–14 September
- ✗ Hello · ✗ Important · ✗ Letter to my friend
- Match the subject to what the message actually says.
Informal and formal email
The header is the same in both; the register is not. An informal email to a friend can use contractions, questions and a warm closing. A formal email to a principal, an officer or an employer avoids contractions, states its purpose in the first line, and closes with Yours faithfully or Yours obediently.
| Element | Informal | Formal |
|---|---|---|
| Salutation | Dear Rafi, / Hi Rafi, | Dear Sir, / Respected Sir, |
| Opening | a greeting, then the point | the point, immediately |
| Contractions | fine | avoid |
| Closing | Yours ever, / Take care, | Yours faithfully, / Yours obediently, |
| Name | first name | full name, class and roll if a student |
Length
Aim for 120 to 150 words in the message. Email is a short form and the mark scheme reflects that: a 250-word email is almost always a letter that has been reused, and it will read as one.
Model answers
Informal skeleton
Subject: My aim in life
Dear Rafi,
Opening paragraph — say why you are writing, in the first or second sentence. In an informal email one line of greeting is enough before you reach the point, and anything longer reads as padding.
Second paragraph — develop the subject with two or three specific sentences, then turn to your reader with a question or an invitation so the message has somewhere to go.
Yours ever,
Sabbir
Formal skeleton
Subject: Application for leave on 12–14 September
Dear Sir,
First paragraph — state who you are and what you want, immediately: your name, class and roll number, and the request. A formal email does not open with pleasantries.
Second paragraph — give the reason and the exact dates, then the request itself in one sentence. Close with a line of thanks and finish; no extra courtesies are needed after the request.
Yours obediently,
Sabbir Hossain
Class XII, Roll 24
What earns and loses marks
- 🚨 A postal address anywhere in an email answer is the clearest possible sign that a letter has been reused. Leave it out entirely.
- Write the subject before the message, not after — it forces you to decide what the email is about.
- Two body paragraphs, 120 to 150 words. Email is short by design and the mark scheme knows it.
- Match the closing to the salutation: a friend gets Yours ever, a principal gets Yours obediently, an employer gets Yours faithfully.
- Invent the email address; never write a real one in an exam script.
Mistakes to avoid
- ✗ Subject: Letter ✓ Subject: My aim in life — the subject names the topic
- ✗ Green Road, Dhaka / 5 September 2026 / Dear Rafi, ✓ To: … / Subject: … / Dear Rafi, — an email has a header, not an address block
Frequently Asked Questions
The header and the length. An email opens with To and Subject rather than an address and a date, and its message runs to two short paragraphs rather than three fuller ones. Everything else — salutation, register, closing — behaves as it does in a letter of the same formality.
No. To and Subject are the only header fields the mark scheme requires, and adding the others simply uses space. Include them only if the question specifically asks you to send a copy to someone.
About 120 to 150 words in the message. Examiners expect an email to be shorter than a letter on the same topic, and an answer that runs to 250 words usually shows that a letter has been adapted rather than an email written.
In an informal email to a friend, yes — they suit the medium. In a formal email to a principal or an employer, write the words out in full. The register rules are the same as for letters; only the header changes.
Keep going
Model answers, formats and grammar rules for every SSC and HSC writing question.