Advanced Business Writing Life Worksheet 1: A CV or resume Read Paul Lyons’ CV, or resume, and answer these questions Where does Paul currently work? What sort of company does he want to work for? What positive nouns and adjectives does Paul use to describe himself and the type of people he wants to work with? Paul uses positive verbs to make his CV dynamic and interesting Match the verbs 1–8 from the CV to these synonyms providing showing helping examining analysing ensuring demonstrating talking to keeping up making certain putting into action implementing liaising with delivering assisting in upholding Clauses with reduced past and present participles are often used to provide information in CVs They can go before or after the main clause Look at the example then rewrite the sentences using reduced past and present participles I am a highly motivated individual and I possess the enthusiasm and drive needed to succeed I am looking to join a dynamic company A highly motivated individual, possessing the enthusiasm and drive needed to succeed, I am looking to join a dynamic company 4 Samantha is an experienced engineer who is prepared to work long hours She is looking to take on more responsibility An _, Samantha is looking to take on more responsibility Andrew is a senior manager who is committed to improving the profile of his company He has the ambition required to take the company forward A _ Stephen is a well-regarded manager who works in the oil industry He would like to gain experience in HR A _ Read the job ad Decide what experience, skills and personal qualities an applicant will need Then write the CV TECHNICAL CONSULTANT DFT International is a global leader with over 20 years’ experience providing recruitment solutions to the energy sector We are looking for a Technical Consultant to be based in Dubai Ideally you will have over five years’ experience of working for a multinational resource & energy company Life Advanced Business Writing ©National Geographic Learning Paul Lyons Resume PERSONAL DETAILS Paul Lyons 12 Rugby Avenue Rugby R32 7FT Mobile: 0870 007 2222 PROFILE A highly motivated individual, possessing the enthusiasm and drive needed to succeed in this competitive industry, I am looking to join a dynamic company of conscientious professionals Prepared to travel to projects around the world, I am committed to producing the highest quality work for my clients EDUCATION Midlands University, BSc (Hons) Structural Engineering 2007–2010 Moseley Central College 2004–2007 A levels: Maths (A) English (B) Technology (B) Science (B) WORK EXPERIENCE Midlands Construction Company, UK Kuwait Construction Trainee civil engineer Civil engineer April 2011 – June 2011 June 2011 – present Responsible for managing projects, including budgeting, forecasting, scheduling and quality assurance Day to day responsibilities include: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● analysing and reviewing design plans and drawings implementing plans according to schedule assisting in the supervision of building works ensuring compliance with Health & Safety regulations liaising with clients and contractors upholding best working practices demonstrating high performance standards, including deadlines and quality work delivering final construction projects maintaining long term client relationships REFERENCES Available on request I CAN organise and write a CV use positive verbs, nouns and adjectives to make a CV dynamic use reduced past and present participles Life Advanced Business Writing ©National Geographic Learning Advanced Business Writing Life Worksheet 2: Meeting minutes Read the extract from what was said at the weekly meeting of Lyons’ Digital Exports Limited Then read John Grogan’s notes Decide which information in John’s notes needs to be included when he writes up the meeting minutes Chair (Dan Clarke): So, where are we up to with the new laptops? Have they arrived yet? I can’t believe we’re still waiting for them Export sales manager (Peter Lewis): Well, it’s OK.The new shipment’s just arrived This morning, in fact But that means they’re a week late Marketing manager (Colin Scott): In that case late payment fees should come into play We get a 10% reduction for late shipment Chair (Dan Clarke): OK But we need to seek legal advice on this Let’s agree on that Marketing manager (Colin Scott): Sure Meeting minutes (John Grogan) 4th July Present: Dan Clarke (chair), Peter Lewis, Colin Scott, John Grogan Dan – queries arrival of new laptop – expresses disbelief that they’re late Peter – new shipment has now arrived – arrived this morning – a week late Colin – late payment fees apply – 10% reduction Dan – need to seek legal advice – agreed by all John has started writing up the meeting minutes (the notes of what was discussed at the meeting) Read his write-up and answer these questions What reporting phrases does John use in his minutes? Which phrase is impersonal? What tenses does John choose to use when reporting what was said? Why does he choose these tenses? Meeting minutes (John Grogan) 4th July Present: Dan Clarke (chair), Peter Lewis, Colin Scott, John Grogan At the meeting, export sales manager Peter Lewis reported that the new shipment of laptops arrived this morning Marketing manager Colin Scott pointed out that late payment fees apply because the shipment is a week late It was agreed that the company should seek legal advice before imposing late payment penalties Life Advanced Business Writing ©National Geographic Learning Read these sentence pairs and decide which sentences sound better for meeting notes and minutes a b a b a b Dan Clarke said the next meeting will be next Tuesday Dan Clarke said the next meeting would take place the following Tuesday Peter Lewis reported that the new shipment arrived today and is ready for processing Peter Lewis reported that the new shipment had arrived that day and was ready for processing Colin, Dan and Peter agreed that we need to seek a legal opinion It was agreed that we need to seek a legal opinion Now read these notes from a board meeting at Lucas Petroleum What all the participants agree to do? Meeting minutes Paul Jones 6th August Present: Harry Lime (chair), Joe Phillips, Paul Jones Joe – figures show 10% rise in profits this year Paul – need to invest in new infrastructure – company healthy so time is right Joe – better to consolidate now – oil prices to fall (probably) next year Paul – invest or it will be wasted opportunity Harry – invest in core projects in Middle East but not globally? Joe – good idea Paul – good idea – but should be significant investment Write up the meeting minutes as a report using some of these reporting phrases Remember that we not move tenses back Use impersonal as well as personal reporting phrases explained that argued that … suggested that … agreed that … announced that … pointed out that … produced figures to show that … e.g Joe Phillips reported that It was announced that I CAN write up meeting minutes in a report use reporting phrases to create a sense of immediacy Life Advanced Business Writing ©National Geographic Learning Advanced Business Writing Life Worksheet 3: A business proposal Read the information box and the summaries of the three parts of a business proposal (a–c) Then read the sections (A–C) of the model proposal Match these to the three summaries, then put them in a logical order 1–3 In a business proposal, a company tries to win a contract from a client by showing that it understands the problems the client faces, that it can offer solutions to those problems, and that it has the experience and market knowledge to be trusted a The problem statement In this section, the proposal shows an understanding of the problems the client faces b The proposed solution In this section, the proposal offers expert solutions to all the problems c The promise of reliability In this section, the proposal makes a statement of your company’s credentials, experience, knowledge, reliability and costs UNIVERSAL OFFICE SOLUTIONS It is strongly recommended that Ostrich Publications promotes its products on all of the major social media channels However, that is just a first step on the road to an effective marketing strategy While showing the products on social media platforms is all well and good, it is vital that the company creates a revitalised brand that is more suited to being promoted on social media platforms Notwithstanding the company’s wide range of publications, few of them are obviously adapted to this new and expanding market It is clear that this has to change A A marketing campaign must be created which engages with its young audience In order for this to be successful, it is essential that Ostrich Publications acquires fans, followers and subscribers Moreover, it is advisable to make connections with subscribers by inviting them to join in particular discussions or attend specific events The purpose of this is not only to promote Ostrich Publications, but also to gather useful feedback from the target audience B At Universal Office Solutions, we pride ourselves on our expertise in the growing sector of social media marketing In contrast to other marketing solution providers, we have experts worldwide who have unrivalled experience in dealing with the marketing problems of evolving businesses in a wide variety of contrasting sectors For further details and a breakdown of costs please contact our head office C Although Ostrich Publications continues to be a significant player in the world of magazine publishing, it is beginning to lose market share This is a consequence of the company’s reliance on a traditional approach to marketing In today’s digital world, it is necessary to make the leap to social media marketing Our research shows that rival publishing companies have increased their market share by 10 to 20% as a direct result of adopting social media marketing techniques It is likely that this trend will continue Life Advanced Business Writing ©National Geographic Learning Read the proposal again and answer the questions What evidence does Universal Office Solutions provide to persuade Ostrich Publications to consider change? What specific changes does Universal Office Solutions want Ostrich Publications to make? Add the linking words and expressions underlined in the text to these categories addition: in addition to contrast: in spite of result and consequence: It is common to use expressions with it in business proposals, e.g it is clear that , it is necessary to Find five other expressions with it in the proposal Rewrite these sentences using an it expression We need to respond to a growing demand for our products in new markets It _ We recommend a restructuring of Grey Industries’ sales department It _ Having personal contact with customers is very important, so we should open more local branches It _ You work for High Street Solutions Read the information about both companies then write a business proposal for your client, Lemon Bookshops Lemon bookshops High Street Solutions Traditional family-run shop selling fiction and non-fiction books Twenty years’ experience of helping re-invent local shops Need to diversify to reflect changing trends in the book-buying industry Experts with local knowledge Need to add coffee shop and comfortable seating area Proven track record in promoting local businesses Need to have website where customers can browse and order books Need to organise local events (book clubs; book signings by local authors; book readings for children) to entice customers Need to redecorate shop – use clean, bright colours I CAN write a clearly structured business proposal use linking words and expressions use it expressions Life Advanced Business Writing ©National Geographic Learning Advanced Business Writing Life Worksheet 4: A mail shot Discuss the following questions 2 Have you ever received a mail shot or e-shot? If so, how effective are they? What features of a mail shot make it successful? Have you ever sent a mail shot or e-shot? If so, what were you trying to sell or promote? What techniques did you use? Read the mail shot and answer the questions Which company has sent the mail shot, what service they offer, and why has Jack been chosen as a recipient? Which of the following techniques are used in the mail shot to get Jack’s interest and attention? using first names and ‘you’ to make it personal and direct flattering the reader and making them feel special and unique providing an ‘objective’ testimonial from a happy customer using a formal, polite tone providing a special offer or offer of preferential service providing a sense of urgency giving a lot of detail about any offers made being chatty and conversational in tone using a PS at the end to grab the reader’s attention one last time Hi Jack! As a frequent flyer and valued customer, we wanted to drop you a line to say thank you for recently choosing BigFlightSite We are the world’s most popular flight-booking site owing to our unbeatable prices and great special offers, so it’s really smart of you to have chosen BigFlightSite to book your recent flight to London We wanted to remind you that BigFlightSite can help you save by tracking airfare prices before you book so that you get the best possible offer, as well as by tracking prices after you’ve booked in case you may be eligible for a partial refund Just think – you really can’t lose if you choose BigFlightSite! Don’t take our word for it though Check out our testimonials from satisfied customers ‘I’ve saved my company over three thousand dollars this year by booking with BigFlightSite’ Brad Lewis, Electron Inc., Houston ‘No other flight site can compete with BigFlightSite’s reliability and customer service.’ Susie Scott, Elegance Fabrics, Seattle And, remember, as well as providing great service, we offer regular promotions so as to keep our best customers satisfied So, we’re offering you a 10% discount on top of any other saving on the next flight you book as long as it’s a business-class flight with one of our selected airlines So, happy flying and stay smart – keep using BigFlightSite Yours All at BigFlightSite PS Hurry! Our special offer is only available to the end of the month! Life Advanced Business Writing ©National Geographic Learning Match these ‘money-saving’ phrases from the mail shot to their definitions (1–5) unbeatable price regular promotion when you get some of your money back when the cost is so low nobody else can better it when you get a reduction, service or gift that is usually given when an amount of money is taken off the price when you get a reduction, service or gift that is not usually given Replace the expressions in bold (1–6) with the expressions in the box that have the same meaning partial refund so that special offer 10% discount owing to so as to as long as on top of in case You can make great monthly savings because of our unique way of tracking prices Join our website in order to take advantage of our very special offers We contact all major retailers, our aim being that we can find the best price for you Provided that you return the product in seven days, we won’t charge you anything Our service will provide you with a full guarantee as well as lots of useful extras You’ll want to take out our insurance protection as a provision against a situation in which something unforeseeable goes wrong Write a mail shot to a regular customer from one of these companies Include a special offer or promotion, at least one testimonial, and a PS PC PROTECT Reliable protection for people who regularly work and play online ENJOYFILMS Great movies to rent online for people who really know about cinema! SPONGE CAR CLEANING Immaculate care and cleaning service for executives who take pride in their cars I CAN write a mail shot using the correct register recognise and use some features of mail shots use linking expressions Life Advanced Business Writing ©National Geographic Learning Advanced Business Writing Life Worksheet 5: Advertising copy Match each set of adjectives (1–4) to the product they describe How these adjectives create a positive impression of the product? a type of box of chocolates a type of clothing or footwear a type of pan a type of jewellery a type of vehicle a type of building a type of tool or gadget a type of tea or coffee fresh wild sharp remote rare unique great-tasting lightweight versatile comfortable top-of-the-range waterproof rust-free light state-of-the-art innovative hard-wearing heat-resistant exclusive stainless steel removable perforated Read the four product descriptions in the advertising copy on the next page Check your answers to Exercise These opening sentences are missing from the four product descriptions Match each sentence (1–4) with its advertising aim (a–d) Believe it or not, we aren’t pulling your leg! Readers of Hiker International Magazine have praised Target boots for their rugged reliability Have you ever thought to yourself that there must be an easier way of doing this? Meet the next generation of outdoor cookware! a b c d an independent and authoritative recommendation of the product a question that the reader will want to know the answer to a funny or intriguing comment that makes you want to read more an introduction to the product that makes it sound new and special Read the four product descriptions again Match the missing sentences in Exercise with the product descriptions Complete the sentences with the missing prepositions 10 It’s great opening cans or bottles Thanks our use of new technology, it never breaks down It comes lots of original features They’re admired their beautiful designs It’s made lightweight materials It’s just right covering up unattractive walls It’s free harmful additives It’s been praised its state-of-the-art technology It’s designed your needs in mind We’re proud our product Life Advanced Business Writing ©National Geographic Learning Thumbsavers A Well, that’s why we’ve invented Thumbsavers From now on, whenever you hammer in a nail, you can use our innovative, state-of-the-art Thumbsavers to protect your fingers and thumbs Thumbsavers come with a built-in magnet at the end of the plastic-coated handle which grips nails, pins, screws and tacks nice and tight while you place them just right for hammering or drilling Made of light, rust-free aluminium, hard-wearing Thumbsavers are great for positioning nails and screws in locations that your fingers just can’t get to Monkey-picked tea B Specially trained monkeys are used to climb steep cliffs to pick this rare, wild tea in a remote mountain region of China Grown for centuries, and admired for its fresh, sharp taste by legendary emperors, monkey-picked tea has to be tasted to be believed Order a packet today, and we’ll throw in a free booklet about how the tea is prepared and how the monkeys are trained And remember that our product is free of additives, and no monkeys were harmed or mistreated in order for us to bring this unique, great-tasting brew to you! The Steel Grill Pan C Designed with the perfect garden barbecue in mind, our innovative, heat-resistant frying pan makes it easy to cook crowd-pleasing stir-fries, vegetables and more on your grill Thanks to our exclusive, perforated design, your favourite foods will take on a savoury, fire-smoked flavour with the Steel Grill Pan Tiny perforations on the pan’s surface expose your foods to the fire, adding a fabulously rich, smoky character Constructed of rugged stainless steel, its unique, patented design keeps even the smallest ingredients safely inside the pan, and it has a removable handle, which you can detach before cooking, and reattach when you’re ready to easily move the pan on and off the barbecue Target Boots D And we at Target are proud of our top-of-the-range product – Target Boots are the four-wheel drive of walking shoes Our walking shoes are lightweight and comfortable, waterproof and durable They will provide you with great traction control as well as the torsion stability needed to allow you to be well supported wherever the trail takes you! Target Boots are crammed with the latest refinements and technological ideas such as the tridensity foot bed However, what is most important about these walking shoes is that they are versatile – you can wear them for activities ranging from gardening to dog walking to trekking Prepare advertising copy and a detailed product description for one of the products below Remember to use an opening line that grabs the reader’s attention, and lots of positive descriptive adjectives Luxury Hands-free Car Phone Super Deluxe Portable Fan Spike Sports Trainers Kitchen Giant Refrigerators I CAN write an attention-grabbing opening use positive descriptive adjectives use the correct preposition with a verb or adjective Life Advanced Business Writing ©National Geographic Learning Graham Lewis wrote on May Dan Harris wrote on 10 May Dear Mr Harris Dear Mr Lewis Thank you for your email As requested, I am attaching details of our range of Saxon precision tools along with a breakdown of our prices I can confirm that we offer a discount of 5% on orders of ten or more large items Please feel free to contact me on my office telephone number should you require any further information Thank you for sending your brochure and price list Would it be possible for us to place an order for ten Saxon XR300 Magnetic Drill Presses? It is imperative that we have the tools in place by Monday 15th so please let us know whether you can meet this short deadline Thanks in advance Yours sincerely, Dan Harris Graham Lewis Graham Lewis wrote on 10 May Dan Harris wrote on 15 May Dear Dan Hi Graham Further to our telephone conversation earlier this morning, I have made arrangements to deliver ten Saxon XR300 Magnetic Drill Presses to your workshop They should be with you by noon on Monday 15th As discussed, the full brochure price has been charged However, if you were to order any further drill presses these would be charged at the reduced price So far today, the drill presses we ordered from you have not arrived _ Could you look into this and get back to us as soon as possible? Yours Dan All the best Graham Graham Lewis wrote on 15 May Graham Lewis wrote on 16 May Dear Dan Dear Mr Harris Please accept our apologies for the late arrival of the tools you ordered I have contacted the delivery company Please let me know immediately if the tools fail to show up tomorrow Further to your telephone calls, I can only apologise for the error in sending you Saxon XR200 Magnetic Drill Presses As agreed, I have now arranged to have ten XR300 drill presses delivered to you as soon as possible at the reduced price Thank you for your patience and understanding in this matter Best wishes Graham We look forward to doing business with you again soon Yours sincerely Graham Lewis I CAN write business emails request, negotiate, demand and complain use modal verbs to be tentative Life Advanced Business Writing ©National Geographic Learning Advanced Business Writing Life Worksheet 12: A formal letter of agreement Discuss these questions How often you send letters in your job? In which of these situations might you choose to send a formal letter rather than an email? a job offer an agreement to purchase or provide a service a legal notice an official warning a notice of dismissal an invitation to a meeting Read the formal letter on the next page and answer the questions Read the rules for writing formal letters then find three mistakes in the letter The writer’s name or company name and address goes at the top right of the letter or, if using headed paper, it is generally at the centre top The recipient’s full name, company name and address goes on the left side, below that of the writer The date goes below the recipient’s address It can be written with the number before or after the month, and with or without the ordinal, so November 8th 2013, 8th November 2013 and November 2013 are all correct However, the month should not be shortened, to Nov, for example If you know the recipient’s name, use Mr or Ms and the surname Do not use their first name Write Dear Sir or Madam when you don’t know names If you write Dear Sir or Madam, use Yours faithfully at the end If you use the recipient’s name, use Yours sincerely before your signature, name and job title Match the formal phrases in bold in the letter to these informal phrases What revised offer is Mike Dragon making? Why has Mike decided to write a letter not an email? but only if you agree to these suggestions of mine until now about that plan we agreed on following on from that chat we had a really big change before we sign anything legally binding I bet you already know this Match the adjectives and adverbs 1–6 from the letter to their definitions (a–f) exclusive initial viable considerable mutually beneficial Life Advanced Business Writing a b c d e f first helpful for both limited to one person / company possible a lot ©National Geographic Learning Read the information from a meeting Write Frank’s revised letter of agreement to Sophie Meeting between Frank Field (manager, Amazing Websites, Hill Road, Lowestoft) and Sophie Lawes (owner, Play Toys, Eden Drive, Totnes) Agreements made to give Sophie exclusive right to trade toys on Amazing Websites Agreed 5% commission on Sophie’s sales Amazing Websites now wishes to raise this to 7% due to unforeseen difficulties with costs Write and explain this to Sophie Wizard Bookstores Workshop Estate, Wolverhampton WV18 6KZ I CAN Ms Catherine Hill start the email Coffee Shakers refer toRoad past contact 17 Fell refer to Staffordan attachment offer more information end 12ththe Febemail 2014 Dear Ms Cathy Hill With regard to our discussions last week relating to an arrangement to open exclusive outlets of your coffee shops in our bookstores, I am writing to confirm that we would like to accept your initial offer, subject to the following terms and conditions As you may be aware, ground rents for business premises have risen sharply in recent months Consequently, and further to our conversation on the 28th of last month, we feel that we would need to charge a monthly rent on your coffee shops 10 per cent higher than has been suggested thus far, in order to make the arrangement financially viable for us Your agreement to this would need to be confirmed in writing prior to going to contract We are aware that this is a considerable amendment to our original spoken agreement However, we believe that this arrangement continues to be mutually beneficial for both our companies We sincerely hope that this new offer is acceptable and we look forward to hearing your response Yours faithfully M J D gon Mike Dragon Managing Director I CAN write a formal letter of agreement set out a letter correctly use formal fixed expressions Life Advanced Business Writing ©National Geographic Learning Notes to Worksheet A CV or resume Learning aims: to write a CV that projects a positive image to use positive verbs to make a CV more dynamic to used reduced past and present participles to present information in a concise way Lead in by asking students the following questions: When did you last write a CV? What information you include in your CV? What words or phrases are useful when preparing a CV? Explain that in British English, we say CV or curriculum vitae In American English, we say resume (pronounced /rezjuːˌmeɪ/) Organise the class into pairs Ask them to read Paul Lyons’ CV quickly and discuss the questions In feedback, build up the answers on the board Follow up by asking students what other positive adjectives could be used in a CV, for example, enterprising, experienced, hardworking / industrious, organised, passionate, reliable Ask which are most important in their line of work Answers He works for Kuwait Construction a dynamic company of motivated professionals, he’s prepared to travel, so he may want to join an international company motivated, enthusiasm, drive, dynamic, conscientious, quality Go through the task with the students and ask them in pairs to match the verbs from the CV to their synonyms Ask students to use the text to help them In feedback, point out the use of prepositions: assisting in, liaising with relative clauses can help to avoid repeated relative clauses, or clauses beginning with I Answers An experienced engineer willing to work long hours, … A senior manager committed to improving the profile of his company, Andrew has the ambition required to take the company forward A well-regarded manager working in the oil industry, Stephen would like to gain experience in HR Ask students to prepare notes for their own CV You could ask students to decide what information they will need to mention in the first place You may also want to set this task as a discussion in small groups of three or four After discussing ideas in feedback, ask students to write their CV in class, or, if short of time, as homework At Advanced level, it is a good idea to involve students in correcting and commenting on each other’s work This gives students a sense that they are supporting and teaching each other It also makes full use of the business and language knowledge of all your students After students have written their CVs in class or at home, organise the class into pairs and ask one pair to swap their CVs with another pair Pairs then work together to make comments and corrections on the other students’ CVs, according to the checklist below (which you could write up on the board) As they this, monitor to support and make suggestions, and to note any good or incorrect language that you could focus on as a class at the end of the session When students have finished, mix pairs so that students can report back directly to each other on their CVs Answers examining putting into action helping making certain talking to keeping up showing providing Writing a CV: a checklist Ask students to look at the rubric and the Does it include positive, dynamic nouns, adjectives and verbs? example and rewrite it as a class Point out the use of reduced relative clauses in the CV to introduce the main clause The subject is then in the main clause, e.g Prepared to travel to projects around the world, I am committed to … Ask students in pairs to complete the task Explain that in a CV reduced Life Advanced Business Writing: Teacher’s notes Is the layout clear? Does the CV emphasise information that is relevant to the job applied for? Does it use reduced participle clauses accurately? ©National Geographic Learning Notes to Worksheet Meeting minutes Learning aims: to assess what information from a meeting to include in the minutes to report what was said at a meeting using the present simple and past simple to use impersonal reporting phrases for a more objective tone Lead in by asking students the following questions: When did you last have a business meeting? Did you write anything down? What kind of information did you write? Ask students to read the extract and the notes below quickly, and cross out the information that should not be included Ask students to check their answers with their partner ANSWER Dan – queries arrival of new laptop – expresses disbelief that they’re late Peter – new shipment has now arrived – arrived this morning – a week late Colin – late payment fees apply – 10% reduction Dan – need to seek legal advice – agreed by all Organise the class into pairs Ask students to read and discuss the questions Check the answers as a whole class Ask the students what other reported speech phrases can be used in meeting minutes and elicit the following: stated that, explained that, suggested that, announced that, pointed out that, argued that, agreed that Point out that in meeting minutes and similar reports, personal phrases are often changed to impersonal, for example, John reported that … > It was reported that … NOTE Using impersonal reporting phrases makes meeting minutes more formal They also make the writing sound more objective and neutral Answers John uses the following phrases: reported that , pointed out that , it was agreed that It was agreed that is impersonal John uses the present simple instead of the past simple, and the past simple instead of the past perfect tense, because these notes were written up immediately after the meeting By not going one tense back, the notes are given a sense of immediacy and urgency Ask students to read through the sentence pairs and choose the best sentence Answers a a b Ask students to read through the notes from a board meeting and answer the question Get students to compare their answers in pairs ANSWER They agree to invest in core projects in the Middle East, but not globally Ask students to remember when they last had a meeting and ask them to prepare meeting notes for their report using the reporting phrases in the box Point out that they should use impersonal as well as personal reporting phrases and should not move tenses back You may ask students to write their meeting minutes in class, or, if short of time, as homework At Advanced level, it is a good idea to involve students in correcting and commenting on each other’s work Organise the class into pairs and ask one pair to swap their meeting minutes with another pair Pairs then work together to make comments and corrections on the other students’ work according to the checklist below (which you could write up on the board) Writing meeting minutes: a checklist Do the minutes include all relevant information? Do the minutes use reporting phrases accurately and appropriately? Are the minutes a clear and accurate record of the meeting? Life Advanced Business Writing: Teacher’s notes ©National Geographic Learning Notes to Worksheet A business proposal Learning aims: to write a clearly structured business proposal stating problems, proposing solutions and promising reliability to use linking words and expressions to extend the vocabulary of transport from Student’s Book Unit in a business context Lead in by asking students if they have ever had to produce a business proposal, and, if so, what information they included Organise the class into pairs Ask students to match the three sections to the summaries, then put the sections in the correct order In feedback, build up the answers on the board Answers Ab2 Bc3 Ca1 Ask students to read the proposal again and Give students some time to read through the text again and find five other expressions In feedback, point out that it is common to use expressions with it in business proposals, because this makes the style more formal and impersonal Answers It is strongly recommended that It is vital that It is essential that It is advisable to It is likely that Ask students to rewrite the sentences using an expression with it Do the first sentence as a class, then ask students in pairs to complete the task Answers It is necessary to respond to a growing demand for our products in new markets It is recommended that Grey Industries restructures its sales department It is important to have personal contact with customers so we should open more local branches answer the questions Divide the class into groups of three or four Ask Answers Their research shows that rival publishing companies have increased their market share by 10 to 20% by adopting social media marketing techniques to promote the brand on social media platforms, to market its products for a younger audience, and to invite subscribers to join discussions and attend events You could ask students to write their proposals in class, or, if short of time, as homework Ask students to look at the underlined linking words and expressions in the text and put them into three categories Answers addition: in addition to, not only … but also, moreover contrast: in spite of, however, while, notwithstanding, in contrast to, although result and consequence: this is a consequence of, as a direct result of students to read the notes about the companies and prepare a business proposal using these notes Ask students to use it expressions and the phrases expressing addition, contrast and result At Advanced level, it is a good idea to involve students in correcting and commenting on each other’s work Organise the class into pairs and ask one pair to swap their business proposals with another pair Pairs then work together to make comments and corrections on the other students’ work according to the checklist below (which you could write up on the board) Writing a business proposal: a checklist Does the proposal have a clear layout and does it state problems, propose solutions and promise reliability? Does the proposal use linking words accurately? Does the proposal use it expressions accurately? Are the minutes a clear and accurate record of the meeting? Life Advanced Business Writing: Teacher’s notes ©National Geographic Learning Notes to Worksheet A mail shot Learning aims: to write an effective mail shot using a personal, chatty style to use features such as a PS, a testimonial and a sense of urgency to persuade the reader to respond to use linking expressions Lead in by asking students the following question: What is a mail shot or e-shot? (A promotional mailing or email informing regular customers about special offers, sales, etc.) Divide the class into pairs or groups of three and get students to answer the questions Ask students to read the mail shot quickly and answer the questions You could also ask students to try to predict the answers first in small groups then read and check their ideas Answers BigFlightSite, a site offering a flight-booking service Jack is on the mail-list because he used the website to book a flight, so he will probably be interested in the site's special offers All of the techniques are used, except for using a formal, polite tone and giving a lot of detail about any offers made Answers You can make great monthly savings owing to our unique way of tracking prices Join our website so as to take advantage of our very special offers We contact all major retailers, so that we can find the best price for you As long as you return the product in seven days, we won’t charge you anything Our service will provide you with a full guarantee on top of lots of useful extras You’ll want to take out our insurance protection in case something unforeseeable goes wrong Ask students to read the task and prepare notes for their own mail shot using as many techniques from Exercise as they possibly can Alternatively, you could ask students to discuss ideas first in small groups of three or four After you've got the feedback, ask students to write their mail shots in class Alternatively, set the writing task as homework At Advanced level, it is a good idea to involve students in correcting and commenting on each other’s work Organise the class into pairs and ask one pair to swap their mail shots with another pair Pairs then work together to make comments and corrections on the other students’ work according to the checklist below (which you could write up on the board) Ask students to read through the text again and Writing a mail shot: a checklist match the phrases to their definitions Get class feedback Does the mail shot have an effective, personal, chatty style? Answers partial refund unbeatable price regular promotion 10% discount special offer Does the mail shot make good use of techniques – using testimonials, using a PS, etc.? Does the mail shot use money-saving expressions? Does the mail shot use linking expressions effectively? Ask students to read the expressions in the box, then find their synonyms in the sentences Do the first example as a class, then ask students in pairs to complete the task Life Advanced Business Writing: Teacher’s notes ©National Geographic Learning Notes to Worksheet Advertising copy Learning aims: to write a product description using an attention-grabbing opening to use the correct prepositions with a range of verbs and adjectives to use a range of adjectives to give a positive impression of a product Lead in by writing coffee, shoes, computer and pan on the board and asking students to think of the adjectives they would use to promote these types of products Get class feedback Ask students to look at the four sets of adjectives and match them to the products in the box Ask them to discuss in pairs how the use of adjectives creates a positive impression For example, unique means that the product is the only one, etc Ask students to read the descriptions and check their answers to Exercise in pairs Answers a type of tea or coffee a type of clothing or footwear a type of tool or gadget a type of pan Ask students to match each opening sentence to its advertising aim Do the first as an example as a class Then ask students in pairs to complete the task Answers c a b d Ask students to read the texts again and match the missing opening lines in Exercise to the product descriptions Answers Text B Text D Text A Text C Answers for to with for of for from for with 10 of Start by eliciting adjectives that could be used to describe the three products Then ask students in pairs to choose one of the products and to prepare advertising copy If you this activity in class, ask pairs to work together to assemble and compare ideas (as if they were advertising executives) Alternatively, set this activity for homework At Advanced level, it’s a good idea to involve students in correcting and commenting on each other’s work After students have written their advertising copy in class or at home, organise the class into pairs and ask one pair to swap their advertising copy with another pair Pairs then work together to make comments and corrections on the other students’ copy according to the checklist below (which you could write up on the board) As they this, monitor to support and make suggestions, and to note any good or incorrect language that you could focus on as a class at the end When students have finished, mix pairs so that students can report back directly to each other on their advertising copy Writing advertising copy: a checklist Is the layout clear? Does the advertising copy use an attentiongrabbing opening? Does it use positive adjectives appropriately to describe the product? Does it use verbs and prepositions accurately? Students complete the sentences with the missing prepositions Life Advanced Business Writing: Teacher’s notes ©National Geographic Learning Notes to Worksheet An internal report Learning aims: to write a clear, precise internal report using bulleted or numbered points and imperative forms to organise a report, including terms of reference, findings, conclusions and recommendations to use passive constructions appropriately to use formal expressions for presenting findings Lead in by asking students whether they have to write internal reports for their job Ask what the specific features of internal report are in terms of style, register and language Ask students to read the tips for writing internal reports first and tick the three that are correct Check the answers as a class Answers 1, and are correct Students in pairs read the report and match the headings to the four sections Get class feedback Answers B D A C Students in pairs read the report quickly again and match the phrases with their synonyms Answers it can be concluded carried out comment considered was commissioned by was found worth noting reviews in detail Divide the class into groups of three or four to discuss the questions Then have whole-class feedback Life Advanced Business Writing: Teacher’s notes Answers Whereas in sections 1–3 the writer is reporting context, findings and conclusions and uses the passive voice to be impersonal, in section the writer is providing his/her personal recommendation To provide simplicity and clarity The modal verbs are used in the ‘conclusions’ section of the report to say where changes are needed Look at the two diagrams as a class Ask a few questions to make sure that students understand what information is given in the pie diagram and the block graph For example: What percentage of employees are unsatisfied with the catering? Which specific problems are most important to employees? What recommendations would you make based on these findings? Students work in pairs to plan and write an internal report including terms of reference, findings, conclusions and recommendations based on the graphs Alternatively, set this writing task for homework At Advanced level, it is a good idea to involve students in correcting and commenting on each other’s work After students have written their reports in class or at home, organise the class into pairs and ask one pair to swap reports with another pair Pairs then work together to make comments and corrections according to the checklist below (which you could write up on the board) As they this, monitor to support and make suggestions, and to note any good or incorrect uses that you could focus on as a class at the end When students have finished, mix pairs so that students can report back directly to each other on their reports Writing an internal report: a checklist Is the report clear and precise? Does the report include terms of reference, findings, conclusions and recommendations? Does it use passive constructions appropriately? Does it use formal expressions for presenting findings? ©National Geographic Learning Notes to Worksheet A financial report Learning aims: to write a clear, precise financial report using a variety of tenses to organise a financial report in terms of context, performance, outlook and recommendation to understand and use a range of verbs and idiomatic expressions for discussing financial information Recommendation (the writer is giving a recommendation using should, and using the passive voice to sound impersonal) Outlook (the writer uses the modal verb may to be tentative and express future uncertainty) Recommendation (the writer is giving a recommendation using ought to, and using the passive voice to sound impersonal) Students categorise the words Check answers as a class Organise the class into pairs Ask students to read Answers a rise / to rise: rocket, boost, grow, jump, climb, boom a fall / to fall: be down, slump a change / to change: diversify, overhaul, turn into, reposition, transform the two financial reports and discuss the questions Students match the definitions to the idiomatic Answers pharmaceutical and food processing sectors The first report is broadly negative (although it says that it could be worth investing in Browning in the long run, it also says that is currently ‘hit by the credit crunch’ and that investors should be ‘wary’) The second report is very positive (it advises investors that Danner is a ‘consistent performer’) expressions in the two texts Get class feedback and check the answers Ask students to match the section headings to Read the information about Swirling Guitars as a the four parts of report A Check answers as a class class Ask a few questions about what information students would include in the context, performance, outlook and recommendation sections of the report Lead in by writing rise and fall on the board and brainstorming as many synonyms for these words as you can from the students Answers c a d b Answers had a rough ride once a safe bet avoids the pitfalls hit by the credit crunch a wait and see approach don’t bet your bottom dollar on it has its finger in lots of pies Divide the class into pairs to write a financial report for Swirling Guitars Ask pairs to compare their report with another pair Divide the class into pairs to decide where in a Alternatively, set this task for homework financial report the extracts should go Then discuss reasons why as a class Organise the class into pairs to make comments and corrections on each other’s work according to the checklist below Answers Performance (writer uses the present continuous to state a temporary situation) Outlook (the writer uses will + verb to talk about future facts and predictions) Context (the writer uses the present perfect to talk about the situation over a period of time) Life Advanced Business Writing: Teacher’s notes Writing a financial report: a checklist Is the financial report organised in terms of context, performance, outlook and recommendation? Does it use a range of verbs and idiomatic expressions for discussing financial information? ©National Geographic Learning Notes to Worksheet A newsletter Learning aims: to organise and write the different sections of a newsletter to use sequencers to order news events to use a range of different tenses appropriate to giving news to use news vocabulary to make stories more dynamic and interesting Discuss the questions in small groups or as a class Students match each element to one of the numbered sections of the newsletter Answers A B C D E F Students read quickly through section and find the sequencers in bold to match the near synonyms Ask students what they notice about the register of the newsletter and elicit any features that they notice (e.g the use of idiomatic expressions – who’s on the move and who’s staying put; informal language – brilliant, info, what’s up? and short sentences) Make sure students recognise that the style is very informal and chatty Answers First up In other news, Next up Last but not least Students match the underlined words in section of the newsletter to their synonyms Answers boost boasting hit the market bidding booming Organise the class into pairs or groups to make their lists If possible, try to pair students who are in the same company If your students not currently work for a company, tell them to choose a company they know well (for example, a major multinational) Once students have their lists prepared, tell them to plan then write the newsletter Alternatively, set this task for homework At Advanced level, it is a good idea to involve students in correcting and commenting on each other’s work This gives students a sense that they are supporting and teaching each other It also makes full use of the business and language knowledge of all your students After students have written their newsletters in class or at home, organise the class into pairs and ask one pair to swap their newsletters with another pair Pairs then work together to make comments and corrections on the other students’ newsletters according to the checklist below (which you could write up on the board) As they this, monitor to support and make suggestions, and to note any good or incorrect uses that you could focus on as a class at the end When students have finished, mix pairs so that students can report back directly to each other on their newsletters Writing a newsletter: a checklist Ask students to work in pairs to identify examples Is the layout clear and well organised? of the tenses, according to the instructions Does the newsletter use sequencers to order news events? Answers Section 2: it's been (present perfect active); we've been doing (present perfect continuous); have been launched (present perfect passive); has been opened (present perfect passive); has raised (present perfect active) Section 3: are booming (present continuous); are boasting (present continuous); are bidding (present continuous) Life Advanced Business Writing: Teacher’s notes Does it use a range of different tenses appropriate to giving news? Does it use news vocabulary to make stories more dynamic and interesting? ©National Geographic Learning Notes to Worksheet A mission statement Learning aims: to set out the aims and values of a company in a mission statement to use a more personal style, with simple concise sentences to use strong verbs to make a mission statement more effective to use strong adjectives and idioms Lead in by going through the list of values with the class and checking their meaning by eliciting examples Organise the class into pairs or small groups to choose a company and discuss the importance of each of the values to that company If your class is made up of students with little knowledge of any particular companies, tell them to think of major multinationals, and imagine what their core values might be In feedback, build up a list of any useful or key comments on the board Ask students to read the mission statement for Answers rely = depend (value 2) promote = encourage (value 2) achieve = realise (value 2) vow = promise (value 5) strive = endeavour (value 3) intend = aim (Orbit mission) integrate = combine (Orbit mission) Students choose the correct definition for the words and check in pairs Answers a a b a b Support students by eliciting the values that the three different types of business might have Build up a list on the board for each company In class, ask students to work in pairs to prepare their mission statement You could then pin the statements up on the walls, and ask students to circulate and read them, and decide which one is most effective Orbit Energy and match the headings from Exercise to the numbered sections of the mission statement In feedback, ask students to say which words or phrases helped them decide Alternatively, ask students to write a mission statement for a company that they know well for homework Answers personal engagement with customers team spirit innovation shareholder commitment integrity sustainability At Advanced level, it is a good idea to involve students in correcting and commenting on each other’s work If you don’t the mingling task above, organise the class into pairs and ask one pair to swap their mission statements with another pair Pairs then work together to make comments and corrections on the other students’ work according to the checklist below (which you could write up on the board) Ask students to discuss in pairs which verbs in bold in the mission statement have a similar meaning to the verbs in the box Make sure they understand that some of the verbs in bold not match any of the verbs in the box Then elicit ideas from the class as a whole After checking the answers, ask students why they think the statement uses we and our Elicit that this makes the mission statement more personal and suggests pride and togetherness in the company (it’s ours!) The statement also uses active more than passive forms for a more personal style Life Advanced Business Writing: Teacher’s notes Writing a mission statement: a checklist Does the mission statement use simple concise sentences and a personal style? Does it use strong verbs effectively? Are the aims and values of the company clearly stated? ©National Geographic Learning Notes to Worksheet 10 Email style Learning aims: to understand the key features of effective emails and put them into practice to use a variety of styles and fixed expressions in emails to use adverb–adjective collocations in emails Lead in by asking students the following questions: How often you send work emails? What are the most common types of email that you send? Who you send emails to? Are most of your emails formal or informal? Discuss the pieces of advice as a class and decide which are appropriate, and why or why not Answers 1, and are appropriate Emails can be informal as well as formal, so using first names and contractions are acceptable in emails in a way that is not the case with letters Ask students to read the emails and match them to the types Let students compare their answers in pairs before discussing as a class Answers A B C All three are friendly but quite formal is most formal, and is least formal Ask students to complete the emails with the missing phrases Let students compare their answers in pairs before discussing as a class Answers c g h i e j f a b 10 d Life Advanced Business Writing: Teacher’s notes Read through the examples of adverb–adjective collocations in bold in the emails Then ask students to match the adverbs with the set of adjectives that they collocate with Answers b a d c Start by brainstorming ideas for the subject line and any useful phrases students could use in each of the potential emails Then ask students to choose one situation and to write the email In class, organise students into pairs to prepare and write their emails When they have finished, ask them to exchange emails with another pair Tell pairs to comment on the accuracy and use of language in their classmates’ email Alternatively, set this task for homework At Advanced level, it is a good idea to involve students in correcting and commenting on each other’s work After students have written their emails in class or at home, organise the class into pairs and ask one pair to swap their emails with another pair Pairs then work together to make comments and corrections on the other students’ emails according to the checklist below (which you could write up on the board) As they this, monitor to support and make suggestions, and to note any good or incorrect uses that you could focus on as a class at the end When students have finished, mix pairs so that students can report back directly to each other on their emails Writing emails: a checklist Does the email incorporate the key features of an effective email? Does it use fixed expressions? Does it use adverb–adjective collocations? ©National Geographic Learning Notes to Worksheet 11 Emails to a client Learning aims: to write formal and informal emails to a business client to request, negotiate and make demands or complaints to use a variety of modal verbs for being tentative Discuss the questions as a class Ask students if they have ever had to write a difficult email to a client (demanding money, for example), and, if so, what were the circumstances, and what language did they use Ask students to read the emails and answer the questions Let students compare their answers in pairs before discussing as a class Answers Dan orders ten Saxon XR300 Magnetic Drill Presses, but Graham sends Saxon XR200 Magnetic Drill Presses instead The exchange is formal and businesslike at the beginning, then changes to more personal and friendly, then becomes formal and businesslike again when things go wrong Ask students to complete the emails with the missing phrases Let students compare their answers in pairs before discussing as a class Answers 1b 2e 3a 4d 5c Ask students to match the nouns and verbs from the text to the definitions Tell them to refer to the text to work out the meaning from context if necessary Answers 1c 2e 3a 4f 5d 6b Ask students to discuss the use of modals in pairs first Then have a class discussion Answers … should you require any further information Here, should means ‘if’ or ‘in the event that’ It is a formal, polite, written use Life Advanced Business Writing: Teacher’s notes Would it be possible for us to … ? Here, would is used as part of a fixed expression to form a very polite, formal, tentative request They should be with you by noon … Here, should expresses an expectation In the normal course of events, this is what is expected to happen these would be charged at … Here, would is part of a second conditional sentence It is also a formal, tentative way of expressing this idea Could you look into … ? Here, could is used to make a polite request I can only apologise Here, in this fixed expression, can is used to say, the only option open to me is to … Note that using past modal forms (could, should, would) makes English seem polite, formal and tentative (i.e it leaves the question open for discussion) Start by brainstorming ideas about what information students need to include in each email Then ask students to choose one situation and to write the emails In class, divide students into pairs to prepare and write their emails When they have finished, ask them to exchange emails with another pair Tell pairs to comment on the accuracy and language use in their classmates’ emails Alternatively, set this task for homework At Advanced level, it is a good idea to involve students in correcting and commenting on each other’s work Organise the class into pairs and ask one pair to swap their emails with another pair Pairs then work together to make comments and corrections on the other students’ work according to the checklist below (which you could write up on the board) Writing emails to a client: a checklist Does the email have the right level of formality? Does it use language effectively to request, negotiate and make demands or complaints? Does it use a variety of modal verbs for being tentative? ©National Geographic Learning Notes to Worksheet 12 Students find the formal phrases in bold in the A formal letter of agreement letter and match them to the informal phrases with similar meanings Let students compare their answers in pairs Learning aims: to write a formal letter of agreement to understand and follow formal rules for writing and setting out a letter to use formal fixed expressions Discuss the questions as a class Encourage students to tell you about letters they have sent or received in a business context Answers Formal letters tend to be sent when the situation requires a document which is formal and legally binding A job offer or official warning may be deleted and lost easily if in email form Such documents need to be printed off and signed Ask students to read the formal letter and find answers to the two questions Let them compare their answers in pairs Answers He wants to charge Coffee Shakers a monthly rent on their coffee shops which is 10 per cent higher than has been suggested Mike has decided to write a letter, not an email, because this is effectively a tender for a contract, and, therefore, if accepted, is legally binding Read through the rules as a class You could ask students to give you the rules first then check with this checklist if you prefer Ask students how formal business letters in English vary from those in the students’ L1 Students read the letter again and find three errors Answers 12th Feb 2014 This should be February NOT Feb Dear Ms Cathy Hill This should be Dear Ms Hill – don’t use first names Yours faithfully This should be Yours sincerely Answers subject to the following terms and conditions thus far relating to an arrangement further to our conversation a considerable amendment prior to going to contract As you may be aware Students match the adjectives and adverbs from the letter to their definitions Answers d a e f c b Start by reading through the information from a meeting with the class Ask students to explain what has happened and what information Frank needs to include in his letter In class, organise students into pairs to plan, map out and write their letter If possible make sure students have computer access so that they can produce the letter correctly then print it out Alternatively, ask students to write letters for homework At Advanced level, it is a good idea to involve students in correcting and commenting on each other’s work Organise the class into pairs and ask one pair to swap their letters with another pair Pairs then work together to make comments and corrections on the other students’ work according to the checklist below (which you could write up on the board) Writing a formal letter of agreement: a checklist Does the letter follow formal rules for writing and setting out a letter? Does it use formal fixed expressions appropriately? Life Advanced Business Writing: Teacher’s notes ©National Geographic Learning ... preposition with a verb or adjective Life Advanced Business Writing ©National Geographic Learning Advanced Business Writing Life Worksheet 6: An internal report Read the tips for writing internal... clearly structured business proposal use linking words and expressions use it expressions Life Advanced Business Writing ©National Geographic Learning Advanced Business Writing Life Worksheet... reporting phrases to create a sense of immediacy Life Advanced Business Writing ©National Geographic Learning Advanced Business Writing Life Worksheet 3: A business proposal Read the information box