Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
The Basics
Contents
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
Register (formal/neutral/informal)
Missing words
Abbreviations
Opening and Closing
Endings
Subject Lines
Etiquette Dos and Donts
Key Phrases
Writing Exercise
Adrian ODonnell Lado Business English Specialists
Register
1.
2.
3.
Formal
Standard/Neutral
Informal
Formal
What are the characteristics?
Neutral/Standard
Informal
Exercise
Rewrite the emails in your handout by
substituting the phrases in italics with more
informal phrases. Use contractions (e.g. Ill)
where appropriate.
Example
I am afraid I will not be able to attend the
meeting on Thursday.
Sorry I cant make it on Thursday.
Informal
help, because of, ask, more, tell, facts, get, job, have,
give, fix, ask for, needs, book, check/prove
Missing words
Missing out words is common in emails and informal
speech. It happens where people know each other very
well and the situation is relaxed and friendly. The
meaning is clear from the context, so the full grammatical
form is not necessary.
Example
Thats a good idea!
I hope everything is ok. -
Good idea!
Hope everything is ok.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Great evening, wasnt it. Really enjoyed the meal, and nice to
see Mary and Roger again. Had a chance to speak to Lucy yet?
Dont worry if you havent, will be seeing her tomorrow.
Anyway, got to go now. Hope youre well. See you next week.
Abbreviations
Only use common abbreviations or abbreviations
you are sure the reader will understand!
Examples
i.e.
e.g.
NB
PS (postscript)
BTW (by the way)
asap (as soon as possible)
Adrian ODonnell Lado Business English Specialists
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Some Endings
Subject Lines
To consider the reader, use only one subject
per email.
The subject line should:
- be clear and short
- tell the reader exactly what is in
the email
Example Email
Subject: Funded speaking engagement at Taichung University
Message:
Dear Dr. Lee,
My name is Joe Chen and I am the office manager for the Department of
Engineering at Taichung University. I am contacting you at the request of Dr.
Wang, the chair of the Department of Engineering to arrange for a speaking
engagement at our university.
We bring in some of the best minds in the field of Engineering each year to speak
to our graduating seniors. This year we hope that you will be able to join us.
The session will take place in the afternoon on Friday, March 5. If you are
interested please let me know at your earliest convenience. We can further
discuss funding, travel arrangements, and other specifics at that time.
Sincerely,
Joe
Etiquette
Email Attachments
Clearer layout
Hello,
I read on your web site that you offer Music CD copying for large
quantities of CDs. Please could you tell me:
Are the files transferred online, or are the titles sent by CD to you
by standard mail?
How long does it usually take to produce approximately 500
copies?
Are there any discounts on such a large quantity?
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. I look
forward to your response.
Joe Thomson
Sales Manager, Young Talent Inc. (509) 467 - 3458
Key Phrases I
Name
Dear Eva
Hi/Hello Melissa
Key Phrases II
Previous Contact
Re your email
Sorry, I havent written for ages, but Ive been really busy.
Im writing about
Key Phrases IV
Good news
Good news!
Key Phrases V
Bad news/Apologising
I apologise for
Sorry for
Unfortunately,
Key Phrases VI
Requests
Could you
Can I have
Formal/Neutral Style
Write to a customer to tell them that the product/service
they want is not available at the moment.
Check
Grammar
Spelling
Punctuation
Style
Is everything clear, well-structured and
easy to understand?
Thank you!!