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Writing an e-mail is not the same as writing a text message. It may be simple, easy and convenient, but you need to follow e-mail etiquette or risk alienating your friends, family — and your boss. In addition to using a specific subject line and replying as quickly as you can to the e-mails you receive, Grammarly.com has five other e-mail etiquette tips, some of which may surprise you.

1. Don’t start an e-mail with “Sorry to bother you…”
That kind of opening line is more of a bother than you will ever be. Get to the point and don’t waste your recipient’s time by having to read a needless apology. This is especially true for business e-mails when you should never apologize for asking someone to do his or her job. Be polite, but don’t grovel.

2. Be small screen-friendly.
Be aware that your e-mail may be read on a mobile phone or tablet instead of a desktop computer. Keep the text of your message short and to the point. If you must send a long message, write a summary of it at the top so the recipient can go back and read the rest later but get the gist of it quickly.

3. Think before you CC.
Most people who are CC’ed in e-mails ignore them. You may be trying to keep others in the loop, but the result may be to irritate them with extraneous e-mails. Grammarly.com says that doesn’t mean you should never use the CC option–just carefully consider who needs the info before you do it.

4. When you send bulk mail, use BCC.
If you’re sending an e-mail to a lot of folks–a party invitation, for example — send it to yourself and BCC everyone else. This not only prevents a long, cumbersome list of names and e-mail address from appearing at the top of your message, but also protects others’ privacy.

5. Grammar counts
E-mail may not be as formal has a handwritten letter, but you should still respect the language when you write an e-mail, be it personal or business. Capitalize when needed, use punctuation and proof your message before you send it. Your recipient will thank you because it makes your e-mail far easier to read and understand.