Outlook and the parts of an email
Email is like a letter that flies through the internet in seconds. Outlook is the mailbox where your letters arrive, and it also has a calendar so you remember when things are happening.
- Outlook comes in several versions: new Outlook for Windows, classic Outlook for Windows, Outlook for Mac, and Outlook on the web / Outlook.com in a browser. Menus differ a little between them, so if a step does not match your screen, check which version you have.
- A free Microsoft account comes with 15 GB of Outlook.com email storage, separate from the 5 GB of free Microsoft cloud storage (OneDrive). Outlook.com attachments count toward the 5 GB cloud storage.
- Parts of an email: To (main person), Cc (people who should see it), Bcc (hidden copy), Subject (the headline), Body (your message), Attachments (files).
- Bcc: a Bcc recipient gets a copy, but their name and address are not visible to the other recipients. In new Outlook for Windows you turn it on with Options > Show fields > Show Bcc.
- Quick navigation: Ctrl+1 goes to Mail and Ctrl+2 goes to Calendar (Windows); Cmd+1 and Cmd+2 on Mac.
- Open Outlook and note which version you have: new Outlook for Windows, classic Outlook, Outlook for Mac or Outlook on the web (menus differ a little).
- Click New mail.
- Find the fields To, Cc, Subject, body and attachments.
- In new Outlook for Windows, open Options > Show fields > Show Bcc to see the Bcc field.
- Press Ctrl+1 for Mail and Ctrl+2 for Calendar (Cmd+1 and Cmd+2 on Mac).
- Check: you can say what To, Cc and Bcc do.
Videos by other creators on YouTube, for reference. They are not made by or affiliated with The Future Market.
Read the video script
[Host] "Email still runs school and work. Let's learn the mailbox properly."
[Screen: new message window with To, Cc, Subject labelled] "To is who you're talking to. Cc is who should know. Subject is your headline."
[Screen: Options > Show fields > Show Bcc] "Bcc hides addresses. Use it when you email a big group that don't know each other."
[Text on screen: Ctrl+1 Mail, Ctrl+2 Calendar] "Ctrl+1 for mail, Ctrl+2 for calendar. On a Mac, use Cmd."
Open Outlook (or outlook.com). Find the Inbox, Sent Items, Drafts and Calendar. Start a new message and make the Bcc field appear, then close it without sending.
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I'm learning "Microsoft Outlook & Email Basics" on The Future Market. Lesson 1: "Outlook and the parts of an email". What the lesson teaches: - Outlook comes in several versions: new Outlook for Windows, classic Outlook for Windows, Outlook for Mac, and Outlook on the web / Outlook.com in a browser. Menus differ a little between them, so if a step does not match your screen, check which version you have. - A free Microsoft account comes with 15 GB of Outlook.com email storage, separate from the 5 GB of free Microsoft cloud storage (OneDrive). Outlook.com attachments count toward the 5 GB cloud storage. - Parts of an email: To (main person), Cc (people who should see it), Bcc (hidden copy), Subject (the headline), Body (your message), Attachments (files). - Bcc: a Bcc recipient gets a copy, but their name and address are not visible to the other recipients. In new Outlook for Windows you turn it on with Options > Show fields > Show Bcc. - Quick navigation: Ctrl+1 goes to Mail and Ctrl+2 goes to Calendar (Windows); Cmd+1 and Cmd+2 on Mac. The exercise I'm working on: Open Outlook (or outlook.com). Find the Inbox, Sent Items, Drafts and Calendar. Start a new message and make the Bcc field appear, then close it without sending. I'm stuck. Please: 1. Explain the main idea in plain, simple words with one everyday example. 2. Walk me through the exercise one small step at a time. Ask me what I've done so far before giving the next step. 3. Don't just give me the final answer. Help me do it myself, and check my work when I share it.
I'm a parent helping my child (about 8 years old) with a lesson called "Outlook and the parts of an email" from the course "Microsoft Outlook & Email Basics". Here's what the lesson says: Email is like a letter that flies through the internet in seconds. Outlook is the mailbox where your letters arrive, and it also has a calendar so you remember when things are happening. The activity: Open Outlook (or outlook.com). Find the Inbox, Sent Items, Drafts and Calendar. Start a new message and make the Bcc field appear, then close it without sending. Please explain this so an 8-year-old understands: short sentences, a fun everyday example, and no hard words. Then give me 3 simple questions I can ask my child to check they understood, and a way to do the activity together, one tiny step at a time.
Sources
- Microsoft Support, Storage limits in Outlook.com: support.microsoft.com/office/storage-limits-in-outlook-com-7ac99134-69
- Microsoft Support, Microsoft storage FAQs: support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/microsoft-storage-faqs-8fca6272-342
- Microsoft Support, Show, hide and view the Bcc field in Outlook for Windows: support.microsoft.com/office/show-hide-and-view-the-bcc-blind-carbon-c
- Microsoft Support, Keyboard shortcuts for Outlook: support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/keyboard-shortcuts-for-outlook-3cde
- Microsoft Support, Keyboard shortcuts in Outlook for Mac: support.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/outlook/mac/keyboard-shortcu
Writing an email people actually read
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Attachments vs sharing a link
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Taming the inbox
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Schedule send, undo send and the calendar
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Staying safe: spotting phishing
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Final project
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Quiz
What is the difference between Cc and Bcc?
Cc recipients are visible to everyone; Bcc recipients get a copy but are hidden from the other recipients.
Shortcut to send a message in new Outlook for Windows? On Mac?
Ctrl+Enter; Cmd+Return.
Shortcut to forward on Mac?
Cmd+J.
When should you share a OneDrive link instead of attaching a file?
When the file is large or when people need to work on the same file.
What are the two tabs of Focused Inbox?
Focused and Other.
Where does a scheduled message wait in new Outlook?
In the Drafts folder.
How much free Outlook.com email storage comes with a Microsoft account?
15 GB (separate from 5 GB of cloud storage).
Where can you report fraud?
Your country's fraud-reporting agency or the police (in Canada, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, 1-888-495-8501 or reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca).
Final exam
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Certificate
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