Lesson 12: Sending and Receiving Emails

Understanding the Email Interface

When you open your email account, you'll see an interface designed to help you manage your messages. While different email providers look slightly different, they all have similar basic elements that make sending and receiving emails straightforward.

The main areas you'll see include: your inbox (where received emails appear), a compose button (to write new emails), folders for organizing messages, and tools for managing your emails. Learning these basics will help you use email confidently.

💡 Email Interface Basics

Most email interfaces have: Inbox (received emails), Sent (emails you've sent), Drafts (unsent emails you're working on), Trash/Deleted (deleted emails), and Spam/Junk (unwanted emails). The "Compose" or "New" button is usually prominent—click it to write a new email. Take time to explore your email interface—familiarity makes everything easier!

How to Send an Email

Sending an email is a simple process once you know the steps:

Click "Compose" or "New": Look for a button labeled "Compose," "New Message," "Write," or a "+" icon. This opens a new email window
Enter the Recipient's Address: In the "To" field, type the email address of the person you're sending to. Make sure you type it correctly!
Add a Subject: In the "Subject" field, write a brief description of what your email is about. This helps the recipient understand the email's purpose
Write Your Message: In the large text area, type your email message. Write clearly and include all the information you want to share
Review Before Sending: Read through your email to check for spelling, clarity, and that you've included everything you wanted to say
Click "Send": When you're ready, click the "Send" button. Your email will be delivered almost instantly!

Email Composition Tips

Always include a subject line—emails without subjects often get overlooked or marked as spam. Be clear and concise in your message. Use proper grammar and spelling when possible. Include a greeting (like "Hello" or "Hi") and a closing (like "Best regards" or "Thank you"). Double-check the recipient's email address before sending—typos can send your email to the wrong person or cause it to bounce back!

Understanding Email Fields

When composing an email, you'll see several fields to fill out:

To: The primary recipient's email address. This is required—you must have at least one recipient
Cc (Carbon Copy): Sends a copy to additional people. All recipients can see who else received the email. Use for people who should be aware but don't need to respond
Bcc (Blind Carbon Copy): Sends a copy without other recipients seeing their address. Useful for privacy when sending to multiple people
Subject: A brief summary of your email's content. Helps recipients prioritize and organize emails
Body: The main message area where you write your email content
Attachments: Option to attach files (photos, documents, etc.) to your email (covered in next lesson)

💡 Using Cc and Bcc

Use Cc when you want others to see the email but they're not the main recipient. For example, emailing a colleague and Cc'ing your supervisor to keep them informed. Use Bcc when sending to multiple people and you want to protect their privacy—no one can see the other recipients' email addresses. Bcc is also useful for large group emails to prevent reply-all chaos. When in doubt, use "To" for the main recipient and "Cc" for others who should see it!

Receiving and Reading Emails

When someone sends you an email, it appears in your inbox:

Inbox Location: Your inbox is usually the default view when you open your email. It shows a list of received emails
Unread Emails: New emails you haven't opened yet are usually shown in bold or with a different color. They may also have a blue dot or indicator
Opening Emails: Click on any email in your inbox to open and read it. The email opens in a new window or panel
Email Information: Each email shows the sender's name/address, subject line, date and time received, and the message content
Automatic Updates: Most email services automatically check for new emails and update your inbox
Refresh: You can manually refresh your inbox by clicking a refresh button or pressing F5 if new emails aren't appearing

Reading Emails

Emails are displayed with the most recent at the top. Unread emails are usually highlighted or shown in bold. Click any email to read it. After reading, the email is marked as read (no longer bold). You can mark emails as unread if you want to remember to read them again later. Take your time reading emails—especially important ones. Don't feel rushed to respond immediately unless it's urgent!

Replying to Emails

When you receive an email, you can respond by replying:

Reply Button: Click the "Reply" button (usually an arrow icon pointing left) to respond to the sender
Reply All: If the email was sent to multiple people, "Reply All" sends your response to everyone, not just the original sender. Use carefully!
Automatic Addressing: When you reply, the recipient's email address is automatically filled in—you don't need to type it
Original Message: Your reply usually includes the original email below your response, providing context
Subject Line: The subject line usually starts with "Re:" (meaning "regarding") followed by the original subject
Write and Send: Type your response and click "Send" just like composing a new email

💡 Reply vs Reply All

Use "Reply" when you only want to respond to the person who sent the email. Use "Reply All" only when your response is relevant to everyone who received the original email. Be careful with Reply All—it can send your message to many people, including people you might not know. When in doubt, use "Reply" to just the sender. You can always forward your response to others if needed!

Forwarding Emails

Forwarding lets you send an email you received to someone else:

Forward Button: Click the "Forward" button (usually an arrow icon pointing right) on any email
Add Recipient: Enter the email address of the person you want to forward the email to
Add Your Message: You can add a note at the top explaining why you're forwarding the email
Original Content: The original email is included below your message, so the recipient sees the full context
Subject Line: Usually starts with "Fw:" (forward) followed by the original subject
Privacy Note: Be careful forwarding emails—the recipient will see the original sender's email address and the full email content

When to Forward

Forward emails when you want to share information with someone else. For example, forwarding a helpful article to a friend, or forwarding an important message to a colleague. Always add a brief note explaining why you're forwarding—it's polite and helpful. Be mindful of privacy—don't forward personal or sensitive emails without permission. Consider whether the recipient needs or wants the information before forwarding!

Email Formatting Basics

Most email programs let you format your text to make messages clearer:

Bold Text: Make important words or phrases stand out by making them bold. Select text and click the "B" button or press Ctrl+B (Cmd+B on Mac)
Italic Text: Emphasize words using italics. Select text and click the "I" button or press Ctrl+I (Cmd+I on Mac)
Font Size: Adjust text size for readability. Larger text is easier to read for some people
Bullet Points: Create lists using bullet points for better organization of information
Paragraphs: Break your message into paragraphs for easier reading. Press Enter twice to create space between paragraphs
Colors: Some email programs let you change text color, though use this sparingly for readability

💡 Formatting Tips

Keep formatting simple and professional. Use bold for important information, but don't overdo it. Break long messages into paragraphs. Use bullet points for lists. Avoid using all caps (IT LOOKS LIKE SHOUTING). Simple, clear formatting is usually best. Remember that some email programs don't support all formatting, so keep it basic for maximum compatibility!

Draft Emails

You can save emails you're working on without sending them:

Auto-Save: Many email programs automatically save drafts as you type, so you won't lose your work
Manual Save: Look for a "Save Draft" button if you want to manually save your work
Accessing Drafts: Go to your "Drafts" folder to find and continue working on unsent emails
Editing Drafts: Click on a draft to open it, make changes, and send it when ready
Deleting Drafts: You can delete drafts you no longer need to keep your drafts folder organized
When to Use Drafts: Perfect for emails you want to think about before sending, or when you need to gather information before completing the message

Draft Management

Drafts are useful for emails you're not ready to send yet. Write your message, save it as a draft, and come back to it later to review and send. This is especially helpful for important emails where you want to think about your wording. Regularly review your drafts folder and either send or delete old drafts to keep it organized. Don't let drafts pile up—they can become overwhelming!

Email Etiquette

Following good email etiquette helps ensure effective communication:

Clear Subject Lines: Write descriptive subject lines so recipients know what the email is about
Professional Tone: Use appropriate language for your audience. Be polite and respectful
Keep It Concise: Get to the point—long emails can be overwhelming. Break complex topics into multiple emails if needed
Respond Promptly: Try to respond within 24-48 hours when possible, especially for important emails
Use Proper Greetings: Start with "Hello," "Hi," or "Dear" followed by the person's name
Sign Your Emails: Include your name at the end so recipients know who the email is from
Proofread: Read through your email before sending to catch typos and ensure clarity

💡 Professional Email Tips

For professional emails: Use a clear subject line. Start with a greeting. Be concise and organized. Use proper grammar and spelling. End with a closing (like "Best regards" or "Thank you") and your name. For personal emails, you can be more casual, but still be clear and respectful. Good email etiquette makes communication smoother and more effective. When in doubt, err on the side of being more formal and polite!

Checking for New Emails

Your email account automatically checks for new messages, but you can also check manually:

Automatic Checking: Most email programs check for new emails every few minutes automatically
Manual Refresh: Click the refresh button (usually a circular arrow icon) or press F5 to check for new emails immediately
Email Notifications: Your computer or phone may show notifications when you receive new emails (you can adjust these in settings)
Unread Count: Your inbox usually shows a number indicating how many unread emails you have
Mobile Apps: Email apps on phones can send push notifications when new emails arrive
Regular Checking: Get in the habit of checking your email regularly, especially if you're expecting important messages

Email Notification Settings

You can control how often you're notified about new emails. In your email settings, you can: Turn notifications on or off, choose which types of emails trigger notifications, set quiet hours when you don't want to be disturbed, and adjust notification sounds or alerts. Find a balance that works for you—you want to know about important emails, but constant notifications can be distracting. Adjust settings based on your needs and preferences!

Common Email Actions

You'll frequently use these actions when managing emails:

Mark as Read/Unread: Mark emails as read after viewing them, or mark as unread to remember to read them later
Star/Flag: Mark important emails with a star or flag for easy finding later
Archive: Remove emails from your inbox without deleting them. They're saved but out of the way
Delete: Remove emails you don't need. Deleted emails go to Trash and can usually be recovered for a period
Move to Folder: Organize emails by moving them to specific folders (covered in lesson 14)
Search: Use the search box to find specific emails by sender, subject, or content

💡 Email Organization

Regularly manage your inbox to keep it organized. Delete emails you don't need. Archive emails you want to keep but don't need in your inbox. Star or flag important emails for quick access. Use folders to organize emails by topic or sender. A well-organized inbox makes it much easier to find what you need and stay on top of important messages. Spend a few minutes each day organizing your emails!

Troubleshooting Email Issues

Sometimes emails don't work as expected. Here are common issues and solutions:

Email Not Sending: Check your internet connection. Verify the recipient's email address is correct. Check if the email is too large (especially with attachments)
Email Not Received: Check your spam/junk folder—legitimate emails sometimes end up there. Verify the sender has your correct email address
Can't Find an Email: Use the search function. Check other folders (Sent, Trash, Spam). Look in your archive if you archived it
Email Looks Wrong: Some emails don't display formatting correctly. This is usually a compatibility issue, not a problem with your email
Slow Loading: Large inboxes or slow internet can make email load slowly. Try refreshing or clearing your browser cache
Can't Sign In: Double-check your email address and password. Use the "Forgot Password" option if needed

Getting Help

If you're having persistent email problems, check your email provider's help center or support pages. They usually have troubleshooting guides for common issues. You can also search online for solutions to specific problems. Most email issues are solvable with a bit of troubleshooting. Don't hesitate to ask for help from someone tech-savvy if you're stuck—email is important, and it's worth getting it working properly!