BUSINESS NEWS LESSONS

Keeping up with your inbox – the evolution of

the email signoff
7. arsenal
Level: Advanced (C1–C2)
8. deploy, deployed
9. resort to
Time: Approximately 90 minutes
10. sprawling
11. bombardment
Business topics: Communication, email
12. menace
Business language: Useful business 13. deluge
vocabulary, email language 14. balloon, (have) ballooned

Activities: Key words, understanding the text, 4. Understanding the article

register, discussion, emailing conventions and
register a. Ask students to scan the article individually to
complete this activity and then to compare their
Groups: Whole class, one-to-one, answers. Remind them that they don’t need to read
small groups the whole article each time but that they should rather
look over it very quickly to locate the information and
then read carefully.

Overview: This article discusses the current Key:

(dire) state of work email, including the
1. b 5. b
trend of using self-promotional sign-offs and
2. a 6. b
permanent out-of-office replies.
3. a 7. a
4. b 8. b

1. Warmer 5. Business language

a. Ask students to discuss the questions in pairs or a. First check understanding of register by asking
small groups. Elicit the main ideas that arise from the students to give examples of formal and informal
discussion from the whole class. greetings. (E.g., formal: Good morning, Ms West. /
Dear sir or madam / Ladies and gentlemen;
2. Reading for gist Informal: Hi Sue / Hey)

a. Have students skim the article (perhaps give them a Ask students to complete the activity in pairs or small
time limit of two minutes) and choose the main idea. groups and to discuss each word or phrase. Then
elicit answers from the whole class.
Key: 2
Key:
3. Key words 1. formal passive voice structure and the word
choice “deem”
a. Have students scan the article and find the key words 2. informal word choice
individually and compare their answers in pairs. Elicit 3. informal choice of content ”workout onesie”,
answers from the whole class. which is very familiar
Advanced

4. formal word choice instead of “said”

Key: 5. neutral word choice
1. dire 6. informal word choice “loads”
2. naff 7. slightly formal structure “as … confirmed”
3. earshot 8. formal word choice and structure as opposed to
4. rummage “I won’t be able to”
5. nudge 9. formal word choice and structure as opposed to
6. irksome “I won’t be able to”
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 BUSINESS NEWS LESSONS

b. Ask students to discuss possible substitutions/ Informal: A guy I know who works for a massive
international network where he’s always
paraphrasing in pairs or small groups.
overwhelmed by emails has a sign-off that says:
Key (suggested answers): “I get a lot of emails and can’t reply to them all.
1. other people had already called (it) Please call if it’s urgent.”
2. unstylish, tasteless, unfashionable
3. becoming increasingly unpopular, going out of 6. Discussion
vogue, no longer in vogue
4. said / wrote a. Put the students in pairs or small groups and ask them
5. confusing to discuss the questions. When students have covered
6. multitudes / a surprising number of people all the questions, bring the whole class back together so
7. a look through my inbox confirmed this / I saw this that they can share their answers and any interesting
was true when I looked through my inbox information that arose from their discussions. Make
8. I won’t be able to / It won’t be possible for me to note of good examples of vocabulary and language on
9. It won’t be possible to the board, as well as incorrect usage that needs to be
corrected. Ask the class to identify which is which and
c. Ask students to work together to rewrite the sentences. help you with corrections.

Key (suggested answers): 7. Wider business theme – email writing

1. Formal: Others, employed by performance
coaches, were doubtless encouraged to produce a. For this first step, first ask students to work in pairs or
such lines. small groups. Then go over the answers with the class.
Informal: Other people, who work for performance
coaches, were probably told to write things Key:
like that. 1. d (This is formal and the tone is respectful.)
2. Formal: The fact that it did not come to my 2. c (Formal. Informal could be:
attention what anyone was currently reading or Hi Ross,
engaged in, until I purposely investigated, most Could you please help us to schedule/arrange
likely suggests these alerts are not as useful as a visit to our factory? Our DWXN-03 machine is
senders intend them to be. due a service.)
Informal: I didn’t notice what anyone was currently 3. a (Neutral. More informal could be: “How are
reading, or focusing on, until I went looking for it, things? Wanted to ask you about …” More formal
which probably means these comments aren’t as could be: “I hope this email finds you well. I am
useful as senders reckon. writing with regard to/with reference to …”)
3. Formal: Likewise, this is true for a more sobering 4. e (Slightly formal – previous activity contained
development that is itself a telling comment on the more formal and informal versions)
state of corporate email: the burgeoning number of 5. b (Informal. More neutral could be “Best” or
people resorting to a sign-off that politely informs simply ending with your name; More formal could
senders not to expect a response. be: “Best regards”, “Kind regards”)
Informal: The same goes for another trend that
exposes the shocking state of office email: the b. If you have more time, you can ask students to
number of people that now use a sign-off that research all the different elements mentioned in the
Advanced

politely tells emailers they won’t be getting a reply. previous activity. Alternatively, you can assign one or
4. Formal: An acquaintance from a sprawling two elements to each group or ask each group to focus
international network where email bombardment is on a different register. Give students time to do their
a constant menace has deployed a sign-off that research and encourage them to find several examples
informs the sender: “Due to the high number of of emailing phrases for each section.
emails I receive daily, I am unable to respond to all Ask students to include something that is relevant to
messages. For urgent matters, please call …” their work in “other”. E.g. giving customers information,
asking for a quote, asking a provider for changes.
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c. Regroup students so they can share their phrases with each other to complete the table.

Key (possible answers):

Informal Neutral Formal

Greeting Hey Hello James Dear Ms Fines
Opening How’s things? Wanted to ask I hope your week is going well. I hope this email finds you well.
you about … I’m writing because … I am writing with regard to/with
reference to …
Giving I saw your talk about citizen My name’s Jenny Arnaux. My name is Jenny Arnaux
background journalism the other day. It was I’m a journalism student at and I am in my third year of
information really interesting! Sunhill University. I came to Journalism Studies at Sunhill
your recent talk on citizen University. I was delighted to
journalism, and I found your attend your presentation on
points fascinating. citizen journalism last week.
Making a Could you please help us to We would like to schedule a I am writing to request your
request schedule/arrange a visit to visit to have our DWXN-03 assistance with our DWXN-
our factory? Our DWXN-03 machine serviced. 03 machine, which requires a
machine is due a service. service.
Signing off “Live long and prosper” – Star Currently reading: Best regards,
Trek Best/Regards, Kind regards,
Cheers,
Out of office I get a lot of emails and can’t Thank you for your email. I’m Due to the high number of
reply / reply to them all. Please call if away from the office until 5 emails I receive daily, I am
Permanent it’s urgent. June. If you have an urgent unable to respond to all
no reply request, please contact Noah messages. For urgent matters,
Simons. please call …
Advanced

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