Almost All Email Users Have Made Workplace Writing Mistakes: Study

Grammarly, the firm that corrects your grammar, reports that few people have mastered the art of writing workplace emails.

The company surveyed 3,400 members of its global community, and found that while 36% spend more than three hours a day on reading and sending email, most lack confidence when pushing send.

To start with, 93% admit they have committed a faux pas in email. That includes:

  • Making embarrassing typos and grammatical errors — 64%
  • Pushing send on an incomplete email — 63%
  • Writing an email that was misunderstood by the recipient — 50%

All this causes stress, a problem that happily declines with age: 95% of 25- to-44-year-olds worry about sending emails, versus 82% of people over 65.

Many use too harsh a tone. That charge has been leveled against 18% of women and 23% of men. But it has also been made of 38% of nonbinary people, an 44 of gender-nonconforming individuals.

Women tend to be more careful — 56% will read an email two to four times before sending, versus 48% of men.

And 41% men are satisfied with a single reading, versus 33% of women.

Overall, almost one third have use the “unsend” functions in their emails.

The study also answers this question: Should you use exclamation points?

Of the respondents, 19% say you should use no exclamation points. Another 37% feel that one is right, and 17% specify two. In addition, 4% say that three should be used, and 23% say to use as many as necessary. But it varies by age. Of those younger than 35, 88% believe you should use at least some. But 30% of people aged 65 and more feel you shouldn’t use any.

 

 

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