E-mail writing - Part 5

Level: Pre-intermediate and above

Brief description:

This unit is designed to raise student’s awareness of improving their writing skills with regard to being clear with the message of their letter or email.

KEY CONCEPTS:

Accuracy in writing: Do your readers understand the ideas you present using linking words?

Purposes in writing: Why do you use linking words in your email?

An inconsistent writer: How often do you use linking words to convey the message of your letter?

Conventions in writing: Do you vary the linking words you use?

Style in writing: Do you use formal or informal linking words in your emails or letters?

Let’s begin the adventure!!!! …

Once you have organised the information in your e-mail, it is necessary to link it together and signpost it, so that it is easy for the reader to follow. Careful use of tenses and time phrases or referring to previous subjects by using this and a synonym are useful techniques. More common, though is the use of linking phrases. These perform a number of functions.

Put the common linking phrases or signposts below into the correct box.

Glossary:

• To signpost (verb): to show clearly the way that an argument, a speech, etc. will develop (Chỉ rõ đường hướng phát triển tiếp theo của một bài viết, thuyết trình hay lý luận)

• Synonym (noun): a word having the same or nearly the same meaning as another in the language, as joyful, elated, glad (Từ đồng nghĩa)

• Connective (noun): a word that connects two parts of a sentence (Từ nối)

Writing Practice:

Join the following ideas using the connectives in brackets.

a) You are requested to submit drawings for the project. We should be grateful if you would inform us of the proposed start date. (furthermore)

b) The ICN machine is complicated to operate. It breaks down frequently. (besides)

c) Bid A quotes the lowest price. It does not meet the project specifications. (while)

d) It was originally suggested that another offline machine should be hired. Online equipment would best meet the needs of the department. (however)

e) The department could recruit another ten staff. The project could be contracted out. (alternatively)

f) The fax machine is accurate, compact and soundless. The hire rate is extremely expensive (on the other hand)

g) The official overtime limit is sixty hours each month. Overtime workers sometimes exceed 70 hours. (although)

h) The meeting discussed the staffing problem in the Petroleum Engineering Department. The meeting discussed the need for advanced training for several of the Department’s engineers. (both ..... and)

WELL- DONE! You have fulfilled another mission in the adventure to master Business English. See you in the next lesson.

ANSWERS:

a) You are requested to submit drawings for the project. Furthermore, we should be grateful if you would inform us of the proposed start date.

b) Besides being complicated to operate, the ICN machine breaks down frequently. / The ICN machine is complicated to operate, besides breaking down frequently.

c) While bid A quotes the lowest price, it does not meet the project specifications.

d) It was originally suggested that another offline machine should be hired. However, online equipment would best meet the needs of the department.

e) The department could recruit another ten staff. Alternatively, the project could be contracted out.

f) The fax machine is accurate, compact and soundless. On the other hand, the hire rate is extremely expensive.

g) Although the official overtime limit is sixty hours each month, overtime workers sometimes exceed 70 hours.

h) The meeting discussed both the staffing problem in the Petroleum Engineering Department and the need for advanced training for several of the Department’s engineers.

This material is provided by the Australian Centre for Education and Training (ACET).