Email English

EXERCISE 1. Reading.
Pre-reading task :
Warm-up activity. Students in pairs/small groups discuss questions.

1. Brainstorm all the vocabulary you know connected to 'E-mails'

2. Do you send E-mails? At home? At work?
3. How many do you usually send a day/ a week?
4. Have you ever regretted sending an E-mail? Why?

Reading tasks:
Questions:

1. What does the company 'Emphasis' do?

2. What does the article say about using humour in e-mails?

3. And being organised with your e-.mails?

4. And attachments?

5. And complaining about colleagues?

6. And how they are written?

7. What's the advice on sending mails if you're angry?

8. What attitude should you take towards other people's e-mails?

9. Which two points do you feel are the most important out of the ten?

Text

Are you wasting hours of your time sending and managing too much worthless
email? Jane Perrone provides ten top tips for how to stay on message.

Pointless email messages are costing UK businesses millions of pounds a

year, according to new research by business writing consultants Emphasis. It's not
a surprising conclusion, considering that Emphasis makes a living teaching
employees how to make effective use of email. But there's little doubt that for
many workers email has become a preoccupation that distracts them from the job
in hand. As Emphasis senior consultant Robert Ashton puts it:
"Just because email is free, that doesn't mean it's cheap."
So how does one navigate the minefield of workplace email
communication? After more than a decade of using email, I have established my
personal email diktat:

1. Think before you send every email: would it be quicker, more efficient, and
more friendly to phone or even walk over to the person and talk to them in person?

2. If you're emailing Doris in accounts, don't cc your message to everyone in the

company just so you can share your razor-sharp witticism about P60 forms with
200 people. It wastes bandwidth (a measure of the amount of data that can be
transmitted by your email network at any time), clogs up other peoples inboxes and
ultimately, isn't that funny. In fact, people will hate you for it.

3. Don't let your email inbox overflow. Try to deal with every email as soon as
possible by responding to the message, deleting it, flagging it for attention later or
filing it away.

4. Don't send email attachments unless you absolutely have to. They eat up
bandwidth and often can't be opened by other people. Could you place the
document on a server that everyone can access or add the text to the body of the
email instead?

5. Don't forward every "hilarious" jpeg/virus warning/chain letter you receive from
friends to everyone in your address book. If it's a virus warning it's probably a
hoax, and if it's that funny, most people will already have seen it. If you must, limit
your forwards to a few close friends and clearly mark your email as frivolous spam
in the subject line. People will begin ignoring every email that you send - including
the important ones - if you bombard them with spam.

6. Always include an informative subject line in your email: this helps your
colleagues to locate it in their inbox and gives them an idea of how important it is,
so they can read the message marked "your pay rise" before the one called "has
anyone seen my X Files mouse mat?"

7. Try to avoid bitching about colleagues to other members of staff via emails: the
old adage applies: if you wouldn't write it on a postcard, don't write it in an email.
Many firms monitor staff email usage and you never know when someone could
be reading messages over your shoulder. And it is all to easy to hit the reply button
rather than forward and end up sending your rant to the very person you are
moaning about.

8. Before you fire off an angry email to someone, save the message on draft and
take half an hour (or a day if you're really angry) to let yourself cool down. Then
take another look at the message and decide whether to send or delete it.
9. Make every email you send count: don't rush a message off in 10 seconds.
Spelling mistakes, sloppy grammar and half-formed sentences make you look
slapdash. Having said that, each company has its own unwritten rules about the
degree of formality required in electronic communications: work out what they are
and follow them.

10. And finally, be forgiving of colleagues' email faux pas. If a colleague sends
you an email that you deem to be rude, just remember that tone is completely lost
in electronic communications, and it may be that they were trying to be funny or
simply rushed off a message in a moment of anger and instantly regretted it.

EXERCISE 2. You are going to look at the text from three emails that contain
words which can often be confused. Underline the correct or most appropriate
word.

EMAIL 1
I am writing with (1) connection/reference/regarding to our telephone
conversation this morning about your order 7895LG. I must (2)
regret/apologise/sorry for the delay in processing this order. I an now confirm that
the goods have been shipped and should (3) arrive/reach/deliver you within 10
working days. We have taken special (4) care/attention/caution to make sure that
the items are exactly as you requested.
Once again, please (5) take/have/accept our apologies. If you have any
further questions, do not (6) stop/fail/hesitate to contact me again.

EMAIL 2
I was (1) sorry/unhappy/afraid to hear about the damage to the products that
you received this morning. However, I am (2) afraid/apologise/regret that we
cannot (3) accept/except/have responsibility in this (4) topic/material/matter. All
our products are (5) controlled/checked/looked very carefully before leaving the
factory, and the damage in this case must have been caused in transit. I (6)
propose/suggest/tell that you contact the shipping company directly about possible
compensation.
In the meantime, we can ship the same order to you again, if it would help. If
you give us a firm instruction to do so (7) until/by/within the next few days, it
should reach you (8) until/by/within the end of the month.

EMAIL 3
I am writing to you (1) affecting/connecting/concerning the meeting that we
(2) combined/appointed/arranged for this Friday. I am afraid something urgent has
come up and I will not be able to attend. Can we (3) cancel/postpone/schedule the
meeting until next week? I can make any time Wednesday or Thursday.
I apologise for any (4) disadvantage/inconvenience/unfortunate this may
cause, and I (5) look forward/wait/anticipate to (6) hear/hearing/know from you.
EXERCISE 3. Email opening and closing jigsaw puzzle game ” Formal,
neutral and informal emailing phrases”. Brainstorm at least two phrases into
each of the boxes below:

Very formal (e.g. Standard/ Neutral/ Informal/ Friendly

job applications Medium-level
and legal-sounding formality/
complaints) Everyday business
level
Opening greeting
Opening line
Closing line
Closing greeting
Name at the end

EXERCISE 4. Look at the emails below in the order given when your teacher
tells you to. Each one has one more mistake than the previous one, including
all the kinds of the errors of the previous emails plus one different one.
Identify and correct the errors each time.  

Email 1
Dear Alex
Thanks for your class on Tuesday. It should really help me with the paper I am
working on.
Please find attached last week’s homework. I could not find any line graph related
to my topic, so I had to choose something rather random.
I would like to do this week’s homework, too. Please let me know the topic. 
Thanks in advance.
Best regards,
Hendrik
 
Email 2
Dear Alex,  
Thank you for your reply.
I am sorry that I am sending the essay so late.
I just came back from Thailand yesterday and I was not able to send it earlier. 
I was not really sure if I understood your instruction for the assignment, but in the
attached essay I explained about the fundamental terms which appear in my
research area.
Will you check it? 
See you in the next class. 
Best regards,
Gregorio
 
Email 3
Dear Alex 
I’m sorry for missing the last class.
Would you please let me know the homework for this week?
I’ll try to email the previous homework beforehand.
Have a lovely day.
Warm regards
Frederique

Email 4
Dear Alex,
I’m afraid I will have to miss today’s class due to another engagement.
Kindly let me know the homework for the next class. 
Thank you in advance.
Regards
Ignacio
 
Email 5
Dear Professor Case Sorry for not attending your last class.
I’d like you to tell me how to prepare to attend this week’s class. Best regards,
Elizabeth

Email 6
Dear Mr. Case
Sorry for my absence in the last class.
I will send you my homework which I intended to turn in two weeks ago.
I would appreciate it very much if you could correct it.
I also heard from a classmate that we are going to have a test in the next class.
Would you kindly let me know some details about the test?
Sincerely,
Catherine

EXERCISE 5. Send your teacher an email for which a reply from that person
would really be useful.
Suggested topics
1. Advice about an application/ Asking for feedback on an application
2. Advice about studying abroad
3. Advice on a paper/ essay/ dissertation you are writing or thinking of writing
4. Advice on getting published (perhaps with samples of articles in suitable
publications and/ or a link to
5. Advice on one aspect of academic writing, e.g. titles or references
6. An enquiry about something you didn’t (fully) understand in class
7. Asking for feedback on some aspects of something you have written
(probably attaching it)
 8. Asking for more details about something the teacher presented/ said
9. Asking how to catch up with missed lessons and/ or homework
10.Asking the teacher to clear up an apparent contradiction (e.g. between what
this teacher said and what someone else wrote or said, or between two things
the teacher said)
11.Explanation of a language point
12.Following up something you said to the teacher
13.Self-study advice
14.Something related to a future lesson or course

Ex.2 Answers

Email 1 Email 2 Email 3

1 reference 1 sorry 1 concerning

2 apologise 2 afraid 2 arranged
3 reach 3 accept 3 postpone
4 care 4 matter 4 inconvenience
5 accept 5 checked 5 forward
6 hesitate 6 suggest 6 hearing
7 within
8 by

Ex.3 Suggested answers

Very formal (e.g. Standard/ Neutral/ Informal/ Friendly
job applications Medium-level
and legal-sounding formality/
complaints) Everyday business
level
Opening greeting To one person To one person To one person
Dear Sir or Madam Dear Mr Jones Hi John
Dear Mr Jones Dear Ms Jones John
Dear Ms Jones Dear Dr Jones Hi!
Dear Dr Jones Dear Professor (nothing)
Dear Professor Jones Dear John To more than one
Jones To more than one person
To more than one person Hi guys
person Hi everyone
To whom it may Dear all
concern To: All sales staff
Opening line Topic Topic Topic
I am writing to you I’m writing to you About…
in connection with/ about… Re:…
with regards to/ Last contact Last contact
 concerning/ Thanks for your I got your mail. I
regarding… email yesterday. just got your reply.
Last contact After reply After reply
Thank you for Thanks for your Wow! That was
your email, which quick reply. quick!
I received General social General social
yesterday. question question
After reply How are you? I How’s it going?
Thank you very hope you are well. How’s life? How
much for your are things?
rapid reply. Wassup?
General social
question
I hope you and
your family are
well.
Closing line Reply! Reply! Reply!
I look forward to I’m looking Write soon!
hearing from you forward to hearing Offer more info
soon. from you soon Just drop me a line
Offer more info Offer more info if you need more
If you require any If you need any info.
further more information,
information, please please let me End a request
do not hesitate to know. Cheers.
contact me at any End a request Apology (again)
time. Thanks. Thanks in Sorry ‘bout that.
End a request advance. Sorry!
Thank you in Apology (again)
advance. Any Sorry about that.
assistance you Please accept my
could give me in apologies for any
this matter would inconvenience
be greatly caused.
appreciated.
Apology (again)
Once again, please
accept our
sincerest apologies
for any
inconvenience that
might have been
caused by this
problem.
Closing greeting Yours sincerely Best regards Yours Lots of love
 Yours faithfully All the best Best Hugs and kisses
Sincerely yours wishes XXX
Name at the end A.M.Case (Mr) Alex Alex Case A (nothing)

Ex.4 Answers
Email 1
One mistake – Command rather than request
 
Email 2
Two mistakes – Command rather than request and starting new lines inside
paragraphs
 
Email 3
Three mistakes – Command rather than request, starting new lines inside
paragraphs and not giving reasons
 
Email 4
Four mistakes – Command rather than request, starting new lines inside
paragraphs, not giving reasons and inconsistent commas
 
Email 5
Five mistakes – Command rather than request, starting new lines inside
paragraphs, not giving reasons, inconsistent commas, and no closing line
 
Email 6
Six mistakes – Command rather than request, starting new lines inside paragraphs,
not giving reasons, inconsistent commas, no closing line, and no paragraphing.