Writing Effective Email Subject Lines | Business English B1

Your subject line is why your email gets opened — or ignored.

Make it specific

• Weak: “Update” → Strong: “Q3 Sales Report — Ready for Review by Friday”
• Weak: “Question” → Strong: “Clarification needed: Budget approval deadline”

Keep it under 50 characters

Many mobile screens cut off anything longer. Count before you send.

Use action words when you need a response

• “Action required: sign off by [date]”
• “Decision needed: project timeline”
• “Please review: draft attached”

Avoid

• ALL CAPS — reads as shouting
• Vague words: “update”, “info”, “hi”
• Starting with “RE:” when it is not a reply

Practice

Rewrite these subject lines to make them specific and action-oriented:
1. “About the meeting”
2. “Question about the budget”
3. “FYI”