Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we’re saving the English language sixty seconds at a time! I’m Lauren Smyth, and chances are, if you’re a student, you’ve recently gone back to school. That means it’s email-writing season, and time to start saying “please. “ “Please may I take this course,” “please may I not buy this two-thousand-dollar textbook,” and so on.

Here are some top tips for writing professional, friendly email requests.

Don’t sign off with just your name. Use terms like “respectfully,” “sincerely,” and “best regards.”

Use proper spelling and grammar. If you have questions about this, tune in to some more Grammar Minute episodes!

Use paragraph breaks to keep things easy to read. Bullet points are acceptable if you have multiple questions, but use full sentences.

Pay attention to your email address. Don’t send your professor messages from the email address you unwisely chose in middle school.

That’s your Grammar Minute! Visit thegrammarminute.com for more tips and tricks.