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. 3. Stop hedging everything "I was wondering if perhaps it might be possible to..." reads as uncertain , not polite.…