“Please send me answer today” could be perfectly easy to get, but it just doesn’t seem like a usual business email. The problem is not only grammar. Too often, your sentence is translated directly from your first language into English without the word order or tone or email habit being changed. While direct translation will preserve the meaning, it loses the courtesy of business English.
Business English emails tend to keep sentences concise and direct, with the point coming early. Your first language might encourage you to construct a long introductory phrase, followed by the request. But in English, it can take some time to get to the point of what you’re asking. “Regarding the question we spoke about yesterday as well as the file which your group sent me, I am wondering if I could ask that you check it” is rather awkward. “Could you check the document we spoke about yesterday?” is clearer.
Another problem with direct translations of phrases is tone. Something you might think of as polite in your first language could seem rude, overly formal, or too blunt in English. “You must confirm the deadline” is something that may be fine when directly translated into English, but it could seem like you’re pressing the other party in English. “Could you please confirm the deadline?” or “Would you please be so kind as to confirm the deadline?” keeps the request, but is softer.
One technique to test the tone of your email is to write two versions of your message. Draft a first draft of the message you want to send as you might speak it, even if you think it has been direct translated. Then write another version, the way you’d draft an email at work that begins with a salutation, contains only one request, and provides only one detail. For example, “Please give me your reply about the meeting” becomes, “Could you please tell me if the meeting time works for you? Thank you.” This allows you to see what parts of the message have a business style to them versus a normal English style.
Another common problem is that direct translation of short phrases can be confusing because you rely on your vocabulary, not word order. You know how to use the verbs schedule, attach, reply, forward, request, confirm and other business words, but it doesn’t always sound right because the sentence structure still follows your first language. This is why learning short English email phrases will help. Instead of creating all your sentences from scratch, use a small bank of templates that you can reuse in many of your business emails. A few examples: “Could you please confirm,” “I’m checking in on,” “Please see attached,” “Can you please review?” These short phrases will help your sentences carry meaning and a polite tone.
You may also find that your direct translation of a sentence is too long. Many workplace emails become clearer when one long sentence becomes two shorter ones. “I just want to write to you asking if you got the document I emailed you yesterday, and whether or not I can have you respond before tomorrow’s meeting” can be two sentences: “I’m writing to follow up on the document I emailed you yesterday. Could you let me know whether you could reply before tomorrow’s meeting?” The second version has a clearer follow-up and a cleaner request.
If one thing sounds off about your email, identify that sentence and then determine if you have been clear in your request, used the right level of politeness, or if it was too complex. If so, replace that sentence with one of the short English email templates rather than trying to re-translate it. If you use these phrases enough, soon your emails will no longer read as direct translations, but as clear messages with a sense of urgency and a timeline and a request for action.