Email functions- Correcting & Brainstorming

Emailing functions correction and brainstorming

Work in pairs to correct the sentences below. Each sentence has one mistake.

1. Dear all students

 

2. Dear Sirs or Madams

 

3. Dear Mr Alex Case

 

4. This is Alex Case and I work for the BBC.

 

5. Thank you for meet me last week.

 

6. Thank you for quick reply.

 

7. How do you do?

 

8. I write to you about…

 

9. I’m afraid but…

 

10. We like to apologise for…

 

11. Would you send me your name and address?

 

12. You must to apply at your local ward office.

 

13. You are advise to apply at your local ward office.

 

14. Please turn left.

 

15. Am I allow to…?

 

16. I would like to meet you on Friday afternoon, if you are convenient.

 

17. Please complete it until Friday.

 

18. The document attached.

 

19. I look forward to hearing from you today or tomorrow./ If you have any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

 

20. Best regard

Check your answers as a class.

 

What are the functions of those sentences? (They should all have at least slightly different functions).

Try to think of and/ or remember phrases for each of the functions below:

1. Addressing a group of people

 

 

 

2. Addressing people by name

 

 

 

3. Addressing people whose names you don’t know

 

 

 

4. Apologising/ Dealing with complaints

 

 

 

5. Asking for permission

 

 

 

6. Closing greeting

 

 

 

7. Closing line

 

 

 

8. Explaining the topic of the email/ Explaining the reason for writing

 

 

 

9. Friendly opening lines/ Opening lines with a personal touch

 

 

 

10. Giving bad news

 

 

 

11. Giving deadlines

 

 

 

12. Giving directions

 

 

 

13. Introducing yourself

 

 

 

14. Mentioning previous contact

 

 

 

15. Mentioning previous email communication

 

 

 

16. Requests

 

 

 

17. Soft obligation/ Polite obligation

 

 

 

18. Strong obligation

 

 

 

19. Suggesting appointments/ meetings

 

 

 

20. Talking about attachments and links

Put your pens down and look back at your corrected previous page for one minute, then stop looking at that page and add things you remember above. 

Look again at that previous page and use that to help you come up with more suitable sentences.

Check your answers as a class or with the key on the next page.

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Suggested answers

1. Addressing a group of people – Dear all/ Hi everyone/ To: All students
2. Addressing people by name – Dear Alex/ Dear Mr Case/ Dear Alex Case (but only if you don’t know the gender or which name is which)/ Hi Alex
3. Addressing people whose names you don’t know – Dear Sir or Madam/ Dear Sir/ Madam/ Dear Sir/ Dear Sirs (but the last two are quite old fashioned)/ To whom it may concern (but only if you really have no idea who or how many people might read it)
4. Apologising/ Dealing with complaints – We would like to apologise for…/ Please accept our (sincerest) apologies for…/ We are very sorry that…
5. Asking for permission – Am I allowed to…?/ Is… allowed?/ Do I have permission to…?/ Is it okay for me to…?
6. Closing greeting – Best regards/ Regards/ Yours/ All the best/ Best wishes
7. Closing line – I look forward to hearing from you soon./ If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me./ If you need any further information, please let me know./ Thanks in advance./ Thank you for your cooperation (but only when giving rules or commands)
8. Explaining the topic of the email/ Explaining the reason for writing – I am writing to you about…/ I am writing to you regarding…/ I’m writing to you in connection with…/ Re:…
9. Friendly opening lines/ Opening lines with a personal touch – How are you?/ How are things?/ How’s it going?/ I hope you had a good weekend./ I hope you have recovered from your cold./ I was sorry to hear
10. Giving bad news – I’m afraid…/ Unfortunately,…/ I’m sorry but…/ We regret to inform you that…/ I’m sorry to have to tell you that…
11. Giving deadlines – Please complete it by Friday./ Please complete it before the weekend./ The deadline for this is Friday./ We cannot accept … later than Friday.
12. Giving directions – Take the.. turning on the left./ Turn (into the street on your) left.
13. Introducing yourself – My name is Alex Case and I work for the BBC./ I should perhaps start by introducing myself. My name…
14. Mentioning previous contact – Thank you for meeting me last week./ It was a pleasure to meet you last week./ Thanks for taking the time to meet me last week.
15. Mentioning previous email communication – Thank you for your quick reply./ Thank you for getting back to me so quickly./ Thank you for your email.
16. Requests – Would you send me your name and address? – Could you (possibly) send me your name and address?/ I would be grateful if you could send me your name and address.
17. Soft/ Polite obligation – You are advised to apply at your local ward office./ You should apply at your local ward office./ We recommend applying at your local ward office.
18. Strong obligation – You must apply at your local ward office./ You are required to apply at your local ward office./ It is vital that you apply at your local ward office.
19. Suggesting appointments/ meetings – I would like to meet you on Friday afternoon, if that is convenient with you./ I would like to meet you on Friday afternoon, if you are available./ I would like to meet you on Friday afternoon, if you are free.
20. Talking about attachments and links – The document is attached./ I have attached the document./ Please find the document attached./ Please see the attached document.

Test each other on the language above.