You speak English well. You understand meetings, read articles, follow conversations. But when you write — Slack messages, emails, LinkedIn posts — something feels off. Not wrong, exactly. Just not

quite native.

Here are the patterns that give away non-native writers, and how to fix them.

1. Cut the formal opener

Starting with "I hope this email finds you well" or "As per my previous email" — technically correct, but native speakers almost never write this. It reads as bureaucratic.

Instead:

❌ "I am writing to inquire about the status of my application."

✅ "Just checking in on my application — any updates?"

2. Use contractions in casual contexts

Non-native writers avoid contractions because they learned formal grammar first. "I am," "it is," "do not" — stiff when the context is casual.

In Slack, casual emails, LinkedIn comments — use contractions. Save full forms for legal documents.

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