Sending an email message to an instructor is not quite the same as the informal messages you send to your friends. Educational email should be slightly more professional. I know I personally take special care to show respect in my emails to students and have grown to expect the same thing from them. Don t labor over your emails too long but please proofread and be certain you are conveying the content and emotion appropriate to the situation. Because of its speed and broadcasting ability, email is different from paper-based communication.
Email also tends to be more conversational.
In a paper document it is essential to be clear and concise because your audience can t ask about it. With email however, the recipient can ask questions immediately. Thus email may tend to be sloppier like a personal conversation. You need to be aware that the recipient will not have certain cues such as dress, diction, and dialect. You have to decide when to be sloppy and when to be professional.