Your syllabus may contain information about course assignments, deadlines, class policies, and assignment formatting. If your professor only gives you a list of readings, it’s fine to email them with a question that isn’t answered in the syllabus.
For instance, you could write “Question about Current Assignment” or “Final Essay. "
If you’re not sure if the professor has a doctorate, you can address them as “Professor Jones. " You can use a bit more informal greeting, such as “Hello Dr. Jones,” if you’ve had personal interactions with the professor.
For instance, if you have a question about an assignment, get to the point: “I have a question about the assignment you gave us last Tuesday. Do you want us to work in groups or alone?”
For instance, don’t write, “Awesome class, man. . . stellar!” Instead, write, “You gave an enlightening lecture last class. "
For instance, you may want the professor to give you an extension on a paper. Don’t say, “My grandmother died. Give me an extension on this paper. " Rather, say, “I’ve had a difficult week with the death of my grandmother. Would you please give me an extension on this paper?”
Don’t forget to run your email through spellcheck.
For instance, you could say, “Thank you for addressing my question. I’ll see you in class. " If you’d like to meet, you could write, “I appreciate your thoughts on this issue. Would you mind if we met in person to discuss it in more detail?”
