TABLE OF CONTENTS

STATEMENT OF REVIEW .......................................................................... i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .............................................................................. ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................... iii

MODULE 1: PAST ACTIVITIES …………………………………………. 1

1.1 Concepts ………………………………………………………….. 1
1.2 Case ………………………………………………………………. 4
1.3 Practice …………………………………………………………… 6
MODULE 2: PRODUCTS AND SERVICES ………………..……………. 9
2.1 Concepts ………………………………………………………….. 9
2.2 Case ………………………………………………………………. 13
2.3 Practice …………………………………………………………… 14
MODULE 3: DESCRIBING TRENDS …….……………………………… 16
3.1 Concepts ………………………………………………………….. 16
3.2 Case ………………………………………………………………. 21
3.3 Practice …………………………………………………………… 22
MODULE 4: GIVING ADVICES …………………………………………. 26
4.1 Concepts ………………………………………………………….. 26
4.2 Case ………………………………………………………………. 28
4.3 Practice …………………………………………………………… 29
MODULE 5: DESCRIBING PEOPLE …….………………………………. 32
5.1 Concepts ………………………………………………………….. 32
5.2 Case ………………………………………………………………. 44
5.3 Practice …………………………………………………………… 45
MODULE 6: E-MAILS …………………………………………………….. 48
6.1 Concepts ………………………………………………………….. 48
6.2 Case ………………………………………………………………. 53
6.3 Practice …………………………………………………………… 56
MODULE 7: ACHIEVEMENTS ……………..…………………………… 58
7.1 Concepts ………………………………………………………….. 58
7.2 Case ………………………………………………………………. 55
7.3 Practice …………………………………………………………… 56
MODULE 8: BUSINESS TRAVEL ………………..……………………… 59
8.1 Concepts ………………………………………………………….. 59
8.2 Case ………………………………………………………………. 61
8.3 Practice …………………………………………………………… 61

LIST OF REFERENCES …………………………………………………… 63

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 MODULE 1
PAST ACTIVITIES

Meeting/s : 1, 2
Teaching Aids : Computer, LCD projector, dictionaries, internet
connection
Specific Objective : Students are able to use the past tense properly to
describe company histories and talk about past
activities. (C3)

1.1 Concepts
1.1.1 Introduction
Every company has a history. Even famous companies and brands such as Apple,
Starbucks, Walmart, etc. started out small, `but as time went by, these companies grew
and expanded into the big companies they are today. By knowing a company’s
history, we can learn about the activities and events that happened in their past that led
them to become more successful. In this chapter, we will discuss how to describe a
company’s history and talk about past activities.

1.1.2 Language Expressions

When describing a company’s history, there are several things that we can talk about.
These things usually involve the 5 wh-questions, that is who, what, when, where, and
why. Below are some expressions we can use to ask about a company’s past:
 Who was the founder of McDonald’s?
 Ray Kroc was the founder of McDonald’s.
 What happened to Nissan in 1935?
 Nissan opened the Yokohama plant in 1935.
 When did Steve Jobs pass away?
 He passed away on October 5th, 2011.
 Where did Samsung open its Academy in 2012?
 Samsung opened its Academy in Turkey in 2012.

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  Why did Hanamasa close their restaurant in Bintaro Plaza?
 Hanamasa closed their restaurant in Bintaro Plaza because it wasn’t
making much profit.

From the examples above, we can see that a company’s history may include
information about who founded the company, what events happened at a specific
time, where it happened, etc. Since it is talking about events in the company’s past, it
is often important to know the specific time or year in which something happened, so
that we may chronologically follow the company’s developments.
In addition to the information discussed above, other facts regarding a
company’s history that can be inquired include information on a company’s products
and services, business expansions, plants and factories, and many more. Nevertheless,
to find out these information, we still use the wh-questions as can be seen below:
 When did Sony release the Playstation 4 in the US?
 Sony released the Playstation 4 in the US in November 2013.
 Where did Universal Studios open a new theme park in 2010?
 Universal Studios opened a new theme park in Singapore in 2010.
 What did Nissan do in 1966?
 Nissan set up its first foreign manufacturing operation in Mexico in
1966.

Besides talking about a company’s history, we can also talk about past
activities in general. For instance, we can report on a business trip, we can ask about
somebody’s weekend, etc. The following are some examples of past activities that we
can talk about:
 How long did you stay in Bali for your business trip?
 I stayed in Bali for five days.
 Where did John meet his client?
 John met his client in Starbucks in Plaza Senayan.
 What did they watch in the cinema on Saturday night?
 They watched The Wolf of Wall Street on Saturday night.
 Who did Mary go out with last weekend?

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  Mary went out with Joseph last weekend.
1.1.3 Grammar Focus
When we want to talk about a company’s history or past activities in general, we use
the simple past tense. The function of the simple past tense is to talk about activities
that happened and finished in the past.
 Pizza Hut opened its first restaurant in 1958.
 Nintendo did not release the 3DS until 2011.
 Did Bill Gates establish Microsoft in
1975?
 VHS was very popular up until the late
90s.
 Steve Jobs was not the founder of Microsoft.
 Was Megawati the fifth president of Indonesia?

In the simple past tense, we use the second form of the verb. In English, there
are two kinds of verbs, regular and irregular verbs. Regular verbs are usually added
an –ed ending after the root verb for the past tense, whereas irregular verbs do not
follow this general rule. Below are some examples of regular and irregular verbs:

Regular verbs: Irregular verbs:

- stay => stayed - begin => began
- carry => carried - drive => drove
- stop => stopped - buy => bought
- die => died - grow => grew
- occur => occurred - spend => spent

1.1.4 Vocabulary
The following are some vocabularies that can be used to describe company histories
and past activities in general.
Nouns Verbs Adjectives
Achievement begin bankrupt
Advantage earn competitive
Expense establish confident
Goods evolve fierce
Plant expand overseas
Premise launch tiring
Rival merge
spend
visit

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1.2 Case
Take a look at an excerpt of the history of BreadTalk below. It briefly describes the
start of the company’s business and its early developments.

Our Company was incorporated in Singapore on 6 March 2003 as an

investment holding public company.
Our principal subsidiary, BreadTalk Pte Ltd, is a private limited company
incorporated in Singapore under the Companies Act on 24 April 2000. It was
founded by our Chairman, Dr. George Quek and our Deputy Chairman,
Katherine Lee.
(1) Our Chairman, Dr. George Quek, first conceptualised "BreadTalk" in
April 2000 when he saw an opportunity for starting a bakery selling freshly
baked breads and buns which are visually creative and attractive.
(2) Our first BreadTalk retail outlet commenced business on 1 July 2000
at Parco Bugis Junction. We opened our second retail outlet within five months
of our first retail outlet in December 2000 at Novena Square. Our first retail
outlet situated in the HDB heartlands was also opened in December 2000 at
Junction 8 Shopping Centre.
(3) In 2001, we expanded our operations by opening another five retail
outlets.
When we first commenced operations, the whole baking process, from the
preparation of the dough to the final topping of the bakery items, was done at
each individual retail outlet.
As our operations continued to grow, and in preparation for our franchising
plans, (4) we set up our central kitchen and shifted our corporate headquarters
to our present premises at KA FoodLink, Kampong Ampat in September 2001.
To expand our production capacity, we acquired more space, machinery and
equipment in 2002. The expansion of our central kitchen was completed by
November 2002.

Source: <http://www.breadtalk.com/history-milestones.html#m2011>

From the excerpt above, we can see that in general the past tense was used to
describe the company’s past. Let us look at some of the sentences more closely.
 (1) Our Chairman, Dr. George Quek, first conceptualised "BreadTalk" in
April 2000

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 This sentence describes the ‘origin’ of BreadTalk. It mentions that the idea or
concept for selling freshly baked breads was formed in 2000. The person who
had this idea was Dr. George Quek. The verb conceptualised is in the second
form and added an –ed ending.
 (2) Our first BreadTalk retail outlet commenced business on 1 July 2000 at
Parco Bugis Junction
In this sentence, it talks about the first outlet that was opened. It started its
business on July 1st, 2000. The location is at Parco Bugis Junction. Therefore,
this sentence describes the what, when, and where. The verb commence is a
regular verb and thus added the –ed ending.
 (3) In 2001, we expanded our operations by opening another five retail
outlets
Here, the expansion of BreadTalk is briefly mentioned. It states that in the
following year, they expanded their operations by opening another five retail
outlets. The main verb in this sentence is expand, which is also a regular verb.
 (4) we set up our central kitchen and shifted our corporate headquarters to
our present premises at KA FoodLink
This sentence continues to talk about the development of the company. It
mentions that they had to do some activities in order to prepare for their
expansion. There are two main verb here, set up and shift. The verb set up is
irregular; hence, the verb is not added an –ed ending. However, the verb shift
is a regular verb, so it is added an –ed ending.

Based on the explanations above, it can be seen that when we want to talk
about a company’s history, we will always deal with the wh- questions. It will
commonly include information about who did what, where they did it, etc.
Additionally, since it is talking about things that happened in the past, it often
important to include specific dates. Moreover, it is also important to note that for all
of the activities and events, they started and finished in the past. Therefore, for the
activities conceptualised, commenced, expanded, set up, and shifted, they all took
place in the past and finished in the past.
As has been previously mentioned, we can also use the past tense to talk about
past activities in general. For example, we can use it to ask about somebody’s
weekend, to report on a business trip, to ask about a place previously visited, and

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many other past activities. The following dialogue is an example of how we can use
the past tense to ask and talk about past activities in general.

Jenny : How was your weekend?

Gary : It was pretty boring, actually. I visited my parents on Saturday and I
studied all day yesterday. Last night I was so tired I went to bed early.
How about you? What did you do?
Jenny : Sherry and I went out Saturday night.
Gary : So, what did you do?
Jenny : Oh, we went to the movies.
Gary : What did you see?
Jenny : We saw Gone with the Wind.
Garry : Oh, I saw that last year. I didn’t like it much, though.
Jenny : Really? Why not?
Gary : I guess I just don’t like romantic movies.

Source: <Warshawsky, 1993>

1.3 Practice

1. Choose the correct verbs from the box on the left to complete the passage.
Change the verbs into the past tense.
Be sell establish
grow import have
Find decide begin
become achieve be able to
have to supply win
be be set up
launch start

1) ____________________
2) ____________________
3) ____________________
4) ____________________
5) ____________________
6) ____________________
7) ____________________
8) ____________________
9) ____________________
10) ___________________ Taken from: <Hollett, 1996>

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 11) ___________________
12) ___________________ 16) ___________________
13) ___________________ 17) ___________________
14) ___________________ 18) ___________________
15) ___________________ 19) ___________________
2. Change the following verbs into the past form.
a) apologize = __________ h) rise = __________
b) buy = __________ i) spend = __________
c) cut = __________ j) tie = __________
d) drown = __________ k) tear = __________
e) keep = __________ l) think = __________
f) meet = __________ m) worry = __________
g) repeat = __________ n) write = __________

3. Identify the mistakes in each of the sentences below and correct them.
a) What time did you arrived at the party yesterday?
____________________________________________________________
b) She not finished her breakfast this morning.
____________________________________________________________
c) Do they watched the new Captain America movie last night?
____________________________________________________________
d) Who the CEO of Apple in 2000?
____________________________________________________________
e) The pizza we eat for lunch not very good.
____________________________________________________________
f) They drived for three hours yesterday because they trapped in the flood.
____________________________________________________________
4. Grammar - Multiple Choice
Choose the best answer to fill in the blank.
1) VCDs _____ before they were replaced by DVDs.
a. was very popular
b. were very popular
c. very popular
2) When _____ the I-Pad Air?
a. Apple launched
b. did Apple launched
c. did Apple launch
3) How long _____ in Singapore for your holidays?
a. did you stay
b. you did stay
c. was you stay

viii
 4) The company _____ a new factory in Tangerang last year.
a. was built
b. built
c. did built
5) John _____ when he was young, but now he is very hardworking.
a. did not very diligent
b. was not very diligent
c. not very diligent
6) _____ you _____ your parents when you went back to your hometown?
a. Did, visited
b. Was, visit
c. Did, visit

5. Make questions based on the underlined information in the answers below.

a) ___________________________________________________?
PT XYZ opened a new branch in Bekasi in November 2012.
b) ___________________________________________________?
Stephen went with Judy to the funeral.
c) ___________________________________________________?
My holiday in Bali was wonderful.
d) ___________________________________________________?
The new product was launched in Jakarta on November 25, 2013.

6. Pair up with a friend and practice asking and answering questions about their
past. You could talk about their childhood, their previous schools, offices, and
other past activities. Take turns asking and answering the questions. Be sure to
use the past tense correctly.

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 MODULE 2
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Meeting/s : 3, 4
Teaching Aids : Computer, LCD projector, dictionaries, internet
connection
Specific Objective : Students are able to use expressions and
vocabularies for describing products and services
as well as exchange information regarding them.
(C3)

2.1 Concepts
2.1.1 Language Expressions
a) Products Description
In the lesson in the introduction, we are going to focus on four different categories in
which people usually describe products. The first to describe is the type of the
products. It might seem obvious; however, it is always the first thing to be mentioned
when we first describe a product to other people.
Here are some expressions that can be used to describe the type of the products.
 This is the newest Smartphone from Samsung….
 It is a vacuum cleaner….
 This is one of the sewing machines made by….
 This is a tool…..
Note that the ones in bold are the type of the products being described. In addition,
since a product description is usually provided as one of selling instruments, it would
be nice to include some ‘good’ adjectives to complement the products as seen above
(e.g. newest smartphone, the bold is an example of an adjective). Other examples
might be:
 Latest Smartphone…..
 Best tools…..
 Coolest looking toy….
 etc.

1
 The second to be described is what the products look like. This could be
related to the size, color, and sometimes shape of the products. Here are some
examples of the expression used.
 It is very compact, the dimension (it) is only about 4 inches tall and 2 inches
wide, and it is very thin, it is only about 2 mm thick. It comes in / has different
colors…..
 This tool has a long, rectangular shape, and it is not that big. Children will be
able to use it easily…..
After discussing the size, color, and shape, the next thing that can be described
is the material, which makes the products. Here are some examples on the materials.
 This phone is made entirely of high quality metal, with some ABS plastic for
the casing….
 Some materials are made of wood, while others in metal….
 The vacuum is made of strong fiber…..
Sometimes, it is not enough to say it is made of metal, wood, or plastics. Sometimes
people need to know the type of plastic or metal used in making the products (see
ABS plastic or high quality metal above).
After describing about the materials, it is time to discuss about the features
and position of some visible features, like one-touch button, on-off switch, etc. Here
are some useful expressions, which can be used.
 This phone has voice recognition software, one-touch button, and smart
charging system. The one-touch button is located in the center of the
phone…..
 The vacuum is equipped with a self-vacuuming feature. The switch for that is
located on the left side of the machine…..
 The tool has double flip unit, it is located inside the handle….
Note that to talk about features, we can use the expression ‘has’ or ‘equipped with’.
Moreover, to talk about the position, we use ‘….is/are located in/on….’.

b) Services Description
As with the description of products, in services, you need to categorize the items,
which you will put forward. The first one is the types of service, which you provide,

2
of course. It would definitely help if you also include the clients who have used your
service. Here are some examples of expressions.
 We provide securities to huge companies like Wiley and sons….
 Our service includes providing highly intelligent workers for factories all over
Jakarta….
As can be seen above, there are at least two ways to express the description of your
products. Do not forget that when you are using the latter, use gerunds to replace the
verb (see our service includes providing…).
The next to describe is the advantages of the service that you provide. The
following are some expressions, which can be used.
 Unlike other companies our service also includes providing employment to
some middle schoolers…..
 Different from other companies, we also provide after sales service and after
service-service to all of our customers….
Notice that we can simply use word that differentiates two items such as ‘unlike’ or
‘different from’ to compare between your services and the service of other companies.
The other thing that can be stated is the plan for the future services, and here
are some expressions that can be used.
 In the near future, we will also provide sales services to our customer….
 Our plan for the future will be providing people with direct sales service and
after sales service….
Note that it is the same with the description on the type of service. The only difference
is that it is using future tenses, such as ‘will’ (see example above) and ‘is/are going
to’.

c) Exchanging Information
We have already discussed how to describe products and services. In this section, we
will look into how we can inquire about the specifics of the products and services.
Some expressions that we can use are as follow:
 Tell me about your new product!
 It is the newest Tablet in the Lenovo Idea Tab series.

3
  What’s new / different about this particular model?
 Different from the previous models, this one includes an improved OS and
overall specifications in the hardware.
 What kind of service does this Hotel provide?
 Our Hotel provides various first-class accommodations, including a state-
of-the-art grand meeting room….
 What is the phone made of?
 The phone is made of high quality metal around the main body and some
ABS plastic in the middle parts.
 What are the special features of this stationary bicycle?
 This bicycle is equipped with the latest heart rate monitoring device.

In addition to the expressions above, if we want to ask specific questions

regarding the size and dimension of a particular product, we can say things such as:
 How long is the truck?
 The truck is 475 cm long. / The length is 475 cm.
 How wide is it?
 It’s 152 cm wide. / The width is 152 cm.
 How high is it?
 It’s 148 cm high. / The height is 148 cm.
 How heavy is it? / How much does it weigh?
 It weighs 2,480 kg. / The weight is 2,480 kg.
 How much can it carry?
 It can carry 1,200 kg.
 What is the maximum load?
 It is 1,200 kg.

2.1.2 Vocabulary
Below are some vocabularies you can us to describe products and services.
Nouns Adjectives
call center unfriendly
outsourcing inexperienced
cargo entertaining
pick-up truck inefficient

4
 technical support five-star
retail store uncomfortable
convenience store reliable
dealership sophisticated
auto shop well designed
user-friendly
portable
compact

2.2 Case
The following dialogue will completely exemplified the description of products and
services from a single company. At the end of the discussion, it is hopeful that you can
also do the same thing with your own products and services.
Dialogue:
Two men are discussing about the uniqueness of their companies’ products and
services. Here is their dialogue.
Man 1: So, tell me about this new product your company is making.
Man 2: Okay. Where do I start now…oh alright, we are making this new toy called
spin-a-rooney. It is a small thing, only about 15 cm tall. It comes in two
colors, black and grey. This toy is made of high quality ABS plastic, only
several parts of it are made of thin metal. The toy has some moveable parts,
some you can even twist it 360 degree, hence the name. It is also equipped
with a speaker with an on and off switch. The switch is located under the
body. How about you? I heard you work in a service business. What kind of
service does your company provide?
Man 1: Our company provides workers to big companies outside greater Jakarta.
What makes our service different from the other employee-based company is
that we also train them before we send them to companies. In the near
future, we will be providing advices for the clients who have used our
services.
Man 2: That sounds really nice.
Man 1: Yeah, the new toys from your company is not that bad as well.
Man 1 & 2: Hahahaha….

5
2.3 Practice

1. Fill in the blanks with words from the box below. Use each word once.
auto shop convenience store portable outsourcing
unfriendly inexperienced compact reliable

a) The _______________ design of the machine allows it to be stored away

easily in the small room.
b) The restaurant does not have many customers because the waiters and
waitresses there are very _______________.
c) I didn’t bring my car today because it is still being repaired in the
_______________.
d) You could tell that the waiter is still _______________ by the way he walks
slowly and carefully as he carries the food and beverages.
e) The company relies on an _______________ company to provide the cleaning
service.
f) You cannot find this product in an ordinary _______________ in the
neighborhood.
g) Nowadays, there are _______________ scanners that you can carry around in
case you need to scan something on the go.
h) The hotel is very successful because they provide _______________ services.

2. Look at the pictures below and make questions based on the products and
services. Ask your partner to answer your questions.
a)

Taken from: <Hollett, 1996>

b) c)

d)

6
 e)

3. Presentation and Group Work

a) Find a product in a newspaper provided by your lecturer. Find as much
information on it by searching for it from the website or by asking your
friends. Take turns in presenting your products.
b) Choose a service-based company and find out what it has to offer, what
difference it has with another similar company, and its future services. Explain
to your friends and lecturer about such company.
c) Your lecturer has given you flashcards explaining the roles that you will have
to play (in it is a description of products and services. Each student will have
different roles). Create a dialogue based on the flashcards.
d) With some friends, create a group. Later on, you will have to describe a
product and service of the company, which is given to you by your lecturer.
Each student should have a role in the description.

7
 MODULE 3
DESCRIBING TRENDS

Meeting/s : 5, 6
Teaching Aids : Computer, LCD Projector, Dictionaries
Specific Objective : Students are able to deliver a presentation in
describing trends and changes. (C3)

3.1 Concepts
Trends are the changes or movements in facts and figures over a period of time. We
can use different verbs and nouns to describe trends. The following are some common
figure of charts, graphs, and tables.
 A chart is a diagram that makes information easier to understand by showing how
two or more sets of data are related. There are two common types of chart, a pie
chart and a bar chart.
 A pie chart is a circle divided into segments. It is usually used to show
percentages.

 A bar chart is a diagram that makes information easier to understand by

showing how two or more sets of data are related. A bar chart is divided into
columns.

8
 A graph is a diagram, usually a line or curve, which shows how two or more sets
of numbers or measurements are related.

 A table is a set of facts and figures arranged in columns and rows. A table is a
very useful way of organizing numerical information.

3.1.1 Language Expressions

In presenting the trends movements, we need to specify the topics into points that we
are going to explain further. The following are the steps for the presentation:

1. Introducing topics:
 I want to look at…
 I’d like to review…
 I want to discuss…
 I’m going to analyse…
 I want to cover…
 I’d like to talk about….
At this part, specific topic explains about what
kind of graphic or diagram that the presenter
would like to discuss and which period and
area are covered. The presenter may also
shortly elaborate the points that he or she may
explain further.

9
 2. Moving on:
 I'd like you to look at this graph...
 Let me show you this pie chart...
 Let's have a look at this model...
 Let's turn to this map...
 To illustrate my point let’s look at some diagrams...
 As you can see from these figures...
 If you look at these photographs you'll see...
 If you look at this bar chart you'll notice...
 If you look at this histogram you'll appreciate...
 If you look at this flow chart you'll understand ...
 If you look at this matrix…

Furthermore, these expressions are used to bridge the introduction with the
main points of the speaking, which in this case is describing trends. Pay attention to
the types of chart, graph, or diagram that you would like to explain. On the other
hand, you could use general words like map, model, or figures.

Between your points or movements, you may add the following connectors such as:
 In addition…
 I might add that…
 Furthermore…
 Moreover…
 On the other hand

3. Summarising and concluding:

 To sum up then, ...
 To summarise my main points ...
 I'd like to conclude by reminding you that ...
 Let me end by ...
 I'd like to finish ...
 In conclusion, may I remind you ...
 Finally, ...

10
 To end your presentation, you may conclude the presentation based on the
points you have mentioned previously. In addition, you have to insert the final closing
whether the trends is overall increasing, decreasing, or remain steady.

3.1.2 Vocabulary
Describing Graphs
Below are some words that describe the trend movements. Generally, there are five
movements of a trend, those are vertical up or down lines, horizontal lines, and
diagonal up or down lines. Pay closely to the direction of the arrow. Vertical up or
down movements are usually used to describe the increase or decrease of a certain
number; on the other hand, horizontal movement is used to describe a stable amount.
For diagonal up or down lines, they also describe a slight movement of a trend. Study
the following vocabulary for each described line.

constant rise increase decrease drop

stable rocket climb up climb down fall

11
steady surge improve go down collapse
stay at go up grow weaken decline

Giving Reasons
When we explain about trends and changes, sometimes we need to explain why the
change happen or provide some reasons for the change. Some expressions that we can
use to give those reasons can be seen below.

The rise in delivery cost was due to the rise in gasoline prices.
Result resulted from Reason
The rise in gasoline prices resulted in the rise in delivery cost.
Reason led to Result

Other examples:
 The decrease in sales was due to the launch of a new competitor product.
 The economic crisis resulted in some employee layoffs.
 The increase in profit resulted from the popularity of the new line of clothings.
3.1.3 Grammar Focus
Describing Changes
Verbs that are used to describe trends and changes can often be used as nouns with no
change of form, but sometimes the form changes. Pay attention to the following table.

VERB NOUN
(action) (thing)
to rise a rise
to fall a fall
to increase an increase
to decrease a decrease
to improve an improvement
to recover a recovery

If the verb form is used then its form should also be adjusted according to the tense
used. See the example given.
(1) Our market share increased by 5% last month.

12
 verb (past)

(2) We had an increase in market share last month.

noun

Based on the example given, the word increase can be made into two different
forms, as a verb and a noun. Since the first sentence happened in the past; therefore,
the verb ‘to increase’ is changed into the past form as ‘increased.’ On the other hand,
the second sentence uses the word as a noun form which requires an indefinite article
‘an,’ thus the form became ‘an increase.’
Besides as nouns and verbs, there are other functions used to describe the
trends movements. These forms are adjectives and adverbs. They add further detail or
give certain effect whenever the noun or verb in trend movements are used. Study the
difference below together with the meaning:

ADJECTIVE ADVERB
(describes a noun) (describes a verb)
slight slightly
sharp sharply
dramatic dramatically
steady steadily

 slight : a very small change

 sharp : a sudden and sharp change
 dramatic : a sudden and very large change
 steady : a regular change (not sudden)

To describe a noun, an adjective is needed; however, in order to describe a verb, an

adverb is needed. Below are more examples:
(1) There was a slight fall in the production cost in 2009.
adj n
(2) Costumer complaints went up sharply for the last two years.
verb adverb

13
3.2 Case

Travel Expenses 1998

Based on the graph above, we can create a short presentation in describing the trend
movements during the year. Below are the steps and examples:

Good morning ladies and gentlemen. At the moment I’d like to describe about
the trend changes of the Travel Expenses for six months in 1998. First of all, I’d like
to review the expenses on ‘food.’ The expenses on food climbed up from 13% to 22%
during the first three months. However, there was a sudden fall in April and continued
to May. In June, the expenses went up to nearly 20%.
Furthermore, as you can see from these figures, the expenses on gas rose up
dramatically to 29% in March. On the other hand, it dropped sharply to 10% in April.
In the following month, the graphs rose by 17% continued with a slight decrease by
2%.
Next, let’s turn to the Motel’s expenses. It started in January from 10% and
suddenly grew up to 21% in February. The expenses weaken in March but slightly
improved in April. It fell down again in May but suddenly increased in June.
To sum up, the highest expenses for food happened in March, as well as for
gas expenses. In addition, Motel’s expenses got its highest percentage in February.
Thank you.

14
3.3 Practice

2. Fill in the following blanks according to the line shown next to the sentence.

a. The line graph shows that turnover _______________ last May.

b. You can see here that interest rates _______________ at the end of last year.
c. Last January, sales _______________.
d. The number of online stores _______________.
e. The oil price _______________ after the fire in an oilfield.

3. Sales results
Choose the correct words in italics to complete the report.
Sales began the year at 30,000 units in January and increased 1. slight / slightly to 32,000
units in February. There was 2. a sharp / sharply rise by 38,000 in March due to the
introduction of a new price discounting scheme. This was followed by 3. a slight / slightly fall
in April when sales dropped to 36,000 units. Our competitors launched a rival product in the
spring and this resulted in 4. a dramatic / dramatically fall to 25,000 in May. But we ran a
summer advertising campaign and sales increased 5. steady / steadily by 2,000 units a month
throughout June, July and August until they stood at 33,000 in September. The 6. dramatic /
dramatically rise to 45,000 in October resulted from the launch of our new autumn range.
But then we experienced problems meeting demand and sales fell 7. sharp / sharply in
November and remained 8. steady / steadily at / by 39,000 in December.

15
4. Read the reports on the sales results of different division of Sony and match each
one to the correct graph below.

1. Music group sales went up slightly in 1991, then fell slightly in 1992 and 1993.
But best-selling record releases by Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Mariah Carey,
Pearl ( _____ )

2. There was a sharp increase in Audio Equipment sales in 1991 and another increase
in 1992. But European market conditions were difficult in 1993 and 1994 and as a
result, sales fell. ( _____ )

3. Other sales increased steadily between 1990 and 1994 as a result of the strong
performance of semiconductors, telephones and CD-Rom drivers. ( _____ )

4. There was a dramatic rise in Pictures Group sales in 1991 and sales continued to
increase in 1992 and 1993. But the strong yen resulted in a fall in 1994. In fact, hit films
such as Sleepless in Seattle and Philadelphia resulted in a rise in sales on a local
currency basis in the US where we achieved a 19% market share. ( _____ )

5. Video Equipment sales rose up sharply in 1991 but then fell in 1992 and 1993.
The decline in the camcorder market led to a further sharp drop in 1994. ( _____ )

6. Television sales went up in 1991 and continued to rise steadily until 1994 when
they dropped slightly. This was in spite of the fact that sales of computer
displays and wide-screen TVs were strong. ( _____ )

16
5.

Taken from: <Hollett, 1996>

6. Choose one trend below and design a short presentation about the changing prices
or shares. Apply all the techniques and vocabulary that have been practiced
previously. Work in small groups.

1998 World’s Clothing Sales

Percentage

17
18
 MODULE 4
GIVING ADVICE

Meeting/s :7
Teaching Aids : Computer, LCD Projector, Dictionaries
Specific Objective : Students are able to ask and give opinions,
advices, and suggestions in general and business
contexts. (C3)

4.1 Concepts
4.1.1 Language Expressions
a) Asking For and Giving Opinions and Advice
When having discussions with colleagues or friends, we ask for and give opinions
very often. The way we do so vary greatly. We sometimes give advice when having
the discussions. However, we do not give advice in a discussion or in a meeting only,
but we do it when our friends or people we know have problems or they are in a
difficult situation. The following are some expressions to ask for and give opinions
and give advice.

Asking for Opinions Giving Opinions

What about … ?
How do you feel about … ?
What do you think of …?
What’s your opinion on …?
What’s your position on…?
I was wondering where you stood on As far as I'm concerned, unless they
the question of … ?
In my opinion, it's a good idea.
To my mind, we need to revise the
materials.
If you don't mind me saying, yellow
really suits you.
Personally, I don't think we should rush
to a decision.
Frankly, I think this is a bad idea.
increase their offer, I'm not interested.
If you ask me, we should buy it.
You know what I think? It's a great
restaurant.
I reckon it's the best film I've seen this
year. (reckon is informal and used more in
British English than American English.)

19
 The way I see it, it's better to keep trying
than give up now.

Giving Advice
You should quit smoking.
You had better quit smoking.
You ought to quit smoking.
If I were you, I would / wouldn’t… ……….

b) Making Suggestions
In addition to giving opinions and advice, we can also suggest a solution to a
particular problem. Below are some expressions for suggestions.

Making Suggestions Accepting Rejecting

Why don’t we …? That’s a good idea. Yes, but …
Shall we …? Yes, let’s do that. That’s a good idea but …
We could … Great. I’m not sure about that.
Source: <Hollett, 1996>

4.1.2 Grammar Focus

Should, ought to, and had better
In English grammar, should, ought to, and had better are called modal verbs. They
can be used to ask for and give advice. The grammatical form is as follows:

subject + should / ought to / had better + bare infinitive (infinitive without to)

The negatives are as follows:

You shouldn’t smoke.

You ought not to smoke.

You had better not smoke.

20
4.2 Case
When giving opinions, frankly is used when what you are about to say is your honest
opinion, even though others might not like your view, while I reckon is informal and
used more in British English than American English.
Should and ought to are basically synonyms. Although ought to is generally
more formal, they are used for giving advice, i.e “It would be a good idea if you quit
smoking (You ought to quit smoking.)”
Had better has a slightly different meaning; it implies that if the advice is not
followed, something bad could happen. In this context maybe the speaker could be a
doctor warning a patient about the results of a recent test. In this way had better can
also be used to threaten:

A: Hey! Where’s that money you owe me?

B: I’ll pay you on Monday.
A: You had better.
Here had better contains the implication of violence.

You can use should after a number of verbs, especially demand, insist,
propose, recommend, and suggest.
Examples:
 They insisted that we should have dinner with them.
 I demanded that he should apologise.
 What do you suggest I should do?
 I insist that something should be done about the problem.

The following dialogue is another example of how we can ask and give
opinions and suggestions in a business context. Here, the organization faces a sort of
problem, and it is discussed by the managers.

21
Source: <Hollett, 1996>

4.3 Practice
1. Asking for and giving opinions.
You and your friends are having a meeting on your English club activities. You
are discussing new plans or programs for the club. Practice using the
expressions used for asking for and giving opinions in the discussion.

2. Giving advice.
a) Your best friend is always flirting with your girlfriend. He always pays her lots
of compliments like “Wow! You look fantastic tonight!” Also, when you go to
parties he often asks her to dance. It’s making you really angry. Think of the
best advice for this situation and practice using the expressions used to give
advice.

b) You share a flat with a friend and she keeps borrowing your things without
asking. At first it was just little things like books and DVDs, but now she’s
started borrowing your clothes and when you want to wear your favourite
dress for example, you find it on her bedroom floor unwashed! What advice
can you think of for your “desperate” friend?

3. Complete the sentences with the words in the box.

employ training train sales cost

22
 open hire start catalogue sit

a) We’re going to _______________ the new sales office in March.

b) I think we should _______________ new employees. What do you think?
c) Don’t worry. Our _______________ staffs know the product knowledge very
well.
d) In my opinion, we should send some of our staffs to Spain to have technical
_______________. They will be more skillful after having it.
e) How long does it take to _______________ a new sales rep, Marcel?
f) I don’t think we should _______________ French nationals. We can hire the
Spanish ones.
g) We’re going to _______________ down and _______________ the meeting
now.
h) This is our _______________. You can see our best products there.
i) How much is it going to _______________?

4. For each situation, write a sentence with should or shouldn’t + the following:

go away for a few days go to bed so late look for another job
put some pictures on the walls take a photograph use her car so much

a) Liz needs a change. She___________________________

b) Your salary is very low.
c) Jack always has difficulty getting up.
d) What a beautiful view!
e) She drives everywhere. She never walks
f) Bill’s room isn’t very interesting.
You__________________________
He__________________________
You __________________________
She_______________________-
He___________________

5. Read the situations and write sentences with had better or had better not. Use
the words in brackets.
a) You’re going out for a walk with Tom. It looks as if it might rain. You say to
Tom: (an umbrella)
_________________________________________________________________.
b) Michael has just cut himself. It’s a bad cut. You say to him: (a bandage)
_________________________________________________________________.
c) You and Kate plan to go to a restaurant this evening. It’s a popular restaurant. You
say to Kate: (reserve)

23
 We ______________________________________________________________.
d) Jill doesn’t look very well – not well enough to go to work. You say to her:
(work)
_________________________________________________________________.
e) You received the phone bill four weeks ago, but you haven’t paid it yet. If you
don’t pay it soon, you could be in trouble. You say to yourself: (pay)
_________________________________________________________________.
f) You want to go out, but you’re expecting an important phone call. You say to
your friend: (go out)
I ________________________________________________________________.
g) You and Liz are going to go to the theatre. You’ve missed the bus and you don’t
want to be late. You say to Liz: (a taxi)
_________________________________________________________________.

24
 MODULE 5
DESCRIBING PEOPLE

Meeting/s :8
Teaching Aids : Computer, LCD Projector, Dictionaries
Specific Objective : Students are able to describe people's appearance
and characteristics. (C3)

5.1 Concepts
Introduction
There are two kinds of people’s description possible. One could describe a person’s
look and the other a person’s characteristics. In the description on look or appearance,
the description is focused on several items such as the height, body shape, age, and
special features. Whereas for the description of the characteristics, it is focused on
several vocabularies related with people’s personality. The discussion in this module
will be aimed at the expression and vocabularies used in such description.

5.1.1 Language Expressions

To talk about someone’s height, here are some expressions that can be used.
 Sue is a bit tall
 Mark is quite short
 Brad is average height
Sometimes, you can also talk about someone’s height with numbers. The numbering
could be measure by meters / centimeters or by feet as it is mostly done in English as
First Language countries. Here are some examples.
 Mindy is about 6 feet tall
 Randy is approximately 178 cm tall

The next is the discussion on body size and shape. Here are some common
expressions.
 Mike is really fat
 Dora is very slim now
 Hans is so skinny

25
Please note that when we talk about body size and shape, you can also state the
followings.
 Greg is very muscular
 Hannah is very well-built
 Sarah is very plump

The next description on people’s appearance could be about their age. The
followings show you how the topic on age is usually stated.
 Brenda is quite old
 Harvey is very young
 Ralph is a teenager
Additionally, you can also describe someone’s age using numerical data such as:
 Steven is in his 20s
 Michael is in his early 30s
 Rachel is in her late 20s
 Brenda is in her mid 20s / mid-20s
 Ruth is 23 years old
It should be noted that there is a slight difference in the way to utter someone’s age
using numbers. Notice that there is the preposition in before the pronoun and the
number of the age. However, the same is applicable if you say the exact age like the
one in the last example.

The last description, the special feature, is about distinctive specifics that
could make the differentiation between people become more apparent. It could be
about facial hair, facial mark, the shape of the nose, color of the eyes, skin color, etc.
All distinctive features are using verbs of possession has. Here are some examples.
 Ralph has a goatie beard, spiky hair, and a scar on his left cheek.
 They have tanned skin, crooked nose, and blue eyes.
Actually, there are still a lot more features to be described. More on these features will
be discussed in the part about vocabularies, along with the discussion on people’s
characteristics. For the last discussion, when people want someone to describe another
person’s appearance or characteristics, these questions can be asked:
 What does the man look like?
 What does the woman look like?
 What do they look like?

26
  What is he like?
 What is she like?
 What are they like?

5.1.2 Vocabulary
Here are some vocabularies that describe people’s characteristics, along with their
definition.
o Active - Tending to move around often; full of energy
o Bossy - Likes to boss or order others around
o Conceited - Having or showing a high opinion about oneself (a bragger)
o Adventurous - Willing to take risks; likes new adventures & experiences
o Brave - Having or showing courage
o Concerned - Worried; anxious; troubled
o Affable - Easy to talk to; friendly; pleasant
o Brilliant - Full of light, shining brightly, extremely intelligent
o Confident - Feeling confidence
o Affectionate - Showing affection; tender; loving
o Busy - Always working or active
o Confused - Bewildered, perplexed, mixed up
o Afraid - Filled with fear; fearful
o Calm - Peaceful, quiet and does not get excited often
o Conscientious - Careful and thinks about what is right or proper
o Ambitious - Eager to succeed; full of desire
o Candid - Direct and frank, straightforward – will openly say ones opinion
o Considerate - Thinks about other people's feelings
o Amiable - Friendly; good natured
o Capable - Having ability or capability to do something well
o Cooperative - Willing to help or work with others
o Angry - Feeling or showing anger
o Careful - Pays attention to possible danger
o Courageous - Showing courage or bravery
o Animated - Lively; moving in a energetic, lifelike way
o Caustic - Very sarcastic personality
o Cowardly - Lacking or not having courage
o Annoying - Troublesome or irritating
o Cautious - Watchful or careful of possible danger
o Crafty - Cunning, deceitful, good at lying
o Anxious - Uneasy, worried
o Charismatic - Showing a special ability to lead people, win people's devotion
o Critical - Tends to judge severely and find faults or problems often

27
o Argumentative - Tends to argue or likes to argue
o Charming - Delightful, attractive, pleasing person
o Cross - Showing anger or irritation
o Arrogant - Having or showing lots of pride in oneself
o Cheerful - In good spirits; happy; bright
o Cruel - Likes to cause pain or suffering
o Astonished - Filled with wonder or a feeling of amazement
o Childish - Immature, foolish or silly
o Cultured - Well-educated
o Attentive - Alert and shows careful attention to others
o Clever - Able to learn and think quickly
o Curious - Eager to learn more, asks lots of questions
o Babyish - Like a child or baby
o Clumsy - Awkward; not able to move gracefully, carefully
o Dangerous - Able or likely to cause harm
o Bewildered - To be surprised or confused
o Coarse - Rude, often using vulgar or offensive language
o Daring - Willing to take risks
o Blasé - Uninterested or unexcited
o Cold-Hearted - Lacking or not having sympathy for others
o Dauntless - Brave and without fear
o Boorish - Crude, rude and offensive
o Compassionate - Showing compassion or caring towards others
o Decisive - Able to make firm decisions and settle things quickly
o Bore - To be an uninteresting person or thing
o Complacent - Satisfied with one’s own success, not ready for trouble or
danger
o Dependable - Trustworthy
o Determined - Showing determination (focus on a purpose or goal)
o Energetic - Having or showing lots of energy
o Garrulous - Talking too much; pointlessly talking; using too many words
o Diligent - Regular, constant effort towards a goal
o Enthusiastic- Having or showing lots of interest or excitement for a cause
o Generous - Willing to give money, help or time freely
o Discouraged - Less hopeful, less confident
o Exacting - Making lots of demands, asking for lots of attention or effort
o Gentle - Kind, using very little violence
o Discreet - Able to control & be careful about what one says or behaves
o Excited - Showing lots of emotion
o Giddy - Acting without thinking, behaving foolishly
o Dishonest - Tends to lie, lacks honesty or integrity

28
o Expert - Having a lot of knowledge, skill or experience with a field or activity
o Giving - Generous to people in need
o Dismayed - Filled with anxiety, fear or dread
o Exuberant - Full of happiness and vitality
o Glamorous - Dressed with high fashion and in a stylish way
o Disparaging - Speaks in an insulting or disrespectful way to others
o Facetious - Humorous but often silly or inappropriate
o Gloomy - Dark, sad and hopeless
o Disrespectful - Rude, showing lack of respect of courtesy to others
o Fair - Acting according to the rules
o Glum - Sad, melancholic and miserable in a quiet way
o Dissatisfied - Feeling lack of satisfaction or being displeased
o Faithful - Trustworthy and loyal to a person, a promise or a duty
o Grateful - Feeling or having a desire or reason to thank somebody
o Distressed - To feel or having pain or suffering of the mind or body
o Fanciful - Led by imagination rather than reality
o Greedy - Having a strong desire to have more of something: money, food, etc.
o Domineering- Often controls or rules over others in an arrogant way
o Fearless - Courageous in the face of challenges or fear
o Gregarious - Very friendly and likes to be with many groups of people
o Doubtful - Suspicious or causing doubt
o Fidgety - Restless; moving around often; feeling ill at ease
o Grouchy - Bad-tempered
o Dutiful - Obedient; very careful to finish one's job, tasks or duty
o Fierce - Showing violence, aggression, or anger or intensity
o Grumpy - Easy to make irritated and cranky
o Eager - Showing keen interest or desire
o Finicky - Tends to concentrate on small, unimportant little details
o Gullible - Tends to trust and believe people too easily and so gets easily
tricked
o Easygoing - Relaxed, not hurried, carefree
o Foolish - Feeling or looking ridiculous because of one's actions or speech
o Happy - Feeling or showing pleasure, joy
o Effervescent - Lively, in high spirits, bubbly
o Formal - Doing things in an organized way based on the rules
o Hardy - Strong and able to endure or stand difficult situations
o Efficient - Able to do things using the least amount of effort or materials
o Fortunate - Enjoying or having good luck
o Harried - Bothered or agitated
o Eloquent - Skillful in speech and ability to persuade people
o Frank - Open, honest & strongly showing true feelings and opinions to others

29
o Harsh - Cruel or unkind
o Embarrassed - Self conscious or insecure
o Frustrated - Feeling unsatisfied or irritated
o Hateful - Horrible and detestable
o Encouraging - Giving hope, confidence and courage
o Funny - Causing people to laugh
o Haughty - Proud
o Helpful - Ready to lend a hand to people
o Inimitable - Impossible to imitate, unique
o Malicious - Wanting to cause harm or pain to others
o Honest - Never cheating, lying or breaking the law – always telling the truth
o Innocent - Pure; more trusting or naïve than most people
o Mature - Grown-up; acting, thinking, speaking like a fully adult person
o Hopeful - Feeling sure and confident that something good will happen
o Insipid - Dull and without flavor; not very lively
o Mean - Unkind, cruel and bad tempered
o Hopeless - Feeling or showing no hope or unable to succeed or improve
o Insistent - Constantly asking for something or for attention
o Meticulous - Very careful and detailed
o Hospitable - Friendly, welcoming and kind to guests or strangers
o Insolent - Showing violence or lack of respect in speech or behavior
o Mischievous - Acting in a troublesome way but only for fun, not to cause harm
o Humble - Not showing a high opinion about ones achievements or abilities
o Intelligent - Having intelligence, very smart, gifted
o Moody - Hard to predict; changing mood from cheerful to angry unexpectedly
o Humorous - Able to make people laugh
o Intrepid - Fearless and constant when pursuing or aiming for something
o Mysterious - Difficult to understand or explain; Strange
o Ignorant - Not having knowledge or education about a subject
o Jealous - Feeling unhappy or bitter about someone else's luck or success
o Naïve - Showing a simple and trusting view of the world and human nature
o Ill-bred - Rude or impolite; not having good manners because of family
o Jovial - Cheerful and good humored
o Negligent - Being careless or irresponsible
o Imaginative - Good at thinking of new ideas and seeing things that have not
been seen
o Keen - Sharp; quick to understand things
o Nervous - Easily worried, frightened or stressed
o Immaculate - Showing perfection without any mistakes or faults
o Lackadaisical - Careless, not having much energy, not giving much effort
o Noisy - Making loud sounds often

30
o Immature -Young and lacking wisdom
o Languid -Lifeless; without energy; slow moving
o Obedient -Able to carry out orders from someone in authority without
question
o Impartial - Having no interest – not favoring one side or person more than
another
o Lazy - Not willing to do any work or make any effort
o Obliging - Willing to help others or do favors for people
o Impatient - Eager to something right away or immediately
o Lively - Full of life and energy
o Obnoxious - Very unpleasant or offensive to others
o Impolite - Not showing proper manners or respect
o Logical - Able to think and make decisions based on facts and clear thinking
o Obsequious - Eager to please people and listen/obey all instructions
o Impudent - Showing lack of respect, rude
o Lonely - Feeling alone and sad; lacking friends or encouragement
o Observant - Paying careful attention to everything
o Impulsive - Acting on sudden desires or urges without thinking about it first
o Loquacious - Talking a lot
o Obstinate - Stubborn; Unwilling to change; Choosing not to agree with others
o Inactive - Taking no action, not being involved in an activity
o Loving - Showing affection; doing things with care and joy
o Opinionated - Always ready to express opinions, not listening to others
opinions
o Independent - Able to stand on their own; not controlled by anyone else
o Loyal - Staying faithful to country, people, friends or a belief
o Optimistic - Hopeful about the future
o Peaceful - Quiet, calm and nonviolent
o Rambunctious -Very active, noisy and hard to control
o Scared - Full of worry or fear
o Pensive - Thoughtful and serious
o Rash - Acting without thinking
o Scornful - Feeling great anger for somebody or something
o Persevering - Adamant – not giving up easily
o Rational - Able to think clearly and based on reason
o Secretive - Tending to keep information secret
o Persistent - Continuing to try even if there are problems or difficulties
o Refined - Being very polite
o Secure - Safe; Not feeling fear or doubt
o Pessimistic - Feeling negative distrustful
o Reliable - Able to be trusted; very dependable

31
o Sedate - Lacking any sense of hurry or urgency
o Petulant - Snappy and irritable; having a bad temper
o Religious - Believing or following the practices of a religion
o Self-centered - Selfish and only caring about oneself
o Picky - Hard to please or satisfy
o Respectful - Showing respect; polite
o Selfish -Self-centered, thinking only about personal needs or wishes
o Pleasant - Enjoyable to be around; friendly
o Responsible - Able to be counted on and trusted
o Self-reliant - Independent and not needing the help of others
o Polite - Showing good manners
o Responsive - Reacting quickly to something
o Sensitive - Easily hurt or irritated physically or emotionally
o Pompous - Snobby; thinking that one is very important
o Restless - Constantly moving; unable to be still
o Shrewd - Able to make decisions about business or politics
o Popular - Liked and accepted by many people
o Retiring - Shy
o Silly - Stupid, lacking any common sense
o Positive - Confident; focused on the good rather than the bad
o Risk-taking - Adventurous; daring
o Sincere - Honest and acting based on what is really deeply felt, genuine
o Precise -Very careful about small details; very accurate
o Rowdy - Noisy and disorderly
o Skillful - Clever and having a special ability
o Proud - Feeling pleased and satisfied about doing something well
o Rude - Impolite with bad manners
o Slovenly - Sloppy, careless, not concerned about personal cleanliness
o Punctilious - Very careful and showing correct behavior
o Safe - Able to trust or rely on
o Sly - Crafty; not honest
o Puzzled - Surprised; confused or perplexed
o Sarcastic - Mocking or making fun of something or somebody
o Smart - Showing intelligence and mental alertness
o Quarrelsome -Tending or wanting to argue with people
o Satisfied - Happy and pleased with what has happened or how things are
o Snobbish - Arrogant; acting superior to others
o Quick - Moving or doing things fast and sharply
o Saucy - Showing a lack of respect; cheerful
o Sociable - Friendly, likes to be around the company of other people
o Quiet - Making little or no noise in a calm way

32
o Stingy - Not generous; not wanting to give or spend money
o Stolid - Showing little or no emotion
o Strange - Odd, out of the ordinary
o Thoughtful - Treating people in a kind way, thinking about their needs
o Vulgar - Having no manners, acting in a rude or offensive way
o Strict - Maintains discipline and makes sure rules are followed
o Thoughtless - Showing lack of consideration for people; careless
o Warm - Showing kindness and friendliness
o Stubborn - Difficult to deal with, talk to or reason with
o Thrifty - Uses as little money as possible, wastes very little
o Weak - Not physically, mentally or emotionally strong
o Studious - Careful, serious, likes to study
o Timid - Shows lack of courage or confidence; a nervous person
o Whimsical - Having a great imagination; acting in hard to predict ways
o Suave - Charming; smooth; polite to people in a dishonest way
o Tolerant - Able to put up with difficult situations; open-minded
o Wise - Showing good sense based on knowledge & experience
o Sullen - Showing bad temper; refusing to talk
o Touchy - Easy to become angry or upset
o Witty - Able to use words in a clever and amusing way
o Supercilious - Full of arrogance, pride and disrespect for others
o Trusting - Gullible; tending to trust people easily
o Zany - Acting in an entertaining or unusual way
o Superstitious - Believing in good or bad luck, the supernatural
o Trustworthy - Able to trust; dependable; responsible
o Surly - Unfriendly, rude and a little threatening
o Uncontrolled - Wild
o Suspicious - Usually believes that something is wrong
o Uncouth - Clumsy; behaving in an ungraceful way
o Sweet - Lovable and kind
o Unfriendly - Acting cold or mean towards people
o Taciturn - Often silent, does not like to communicate often
o Unruly - Rowdy, hard to control or discipline
o Tactful - Knowing ways to avoid offending or upsetting people
o Unscrupulous - Dishonest
o Talented - Being gifted and able to do something well
o Unselfish - Puts the good or needs or interests of others first
o Talkative - Talking a lot and for a longtime; chatty
o Upset - Unhappy; emotionally stressed because of something
o Tasteful - Having good taste
o Useful - Able to help or be a benefit to something or someone

33
 o Tenacious - Sticking to any decision, plan or opinion without doubt
o Versatile - Able to learn quickly or get used to change easily
o Tense - Stressed out; not very relaxed
o Vivacious - Lively, showing high spirits

Taken from: <http://www.scribd.com/doc/21422849/Characteristic-List-Definitions>

In addition, here are some vocabularies that describe people’s special features.
a) Build

She is skinny. (negative) She is fat. (negative)

She is anorexic. (medical) She is tubby. (negative)
She is underweight. (negative) She is overweight. (negative)
She is thin. (negative) She is plump. (neutral)
She is slim. (positive) She is stocky. (neutral)
She is slender. (positive) She is bonny. (positive)

b) Type of Hair
He has
She has She has
She has long no hair. She has
She has medium medium
hair. = He is short hair.
short hair. length hair. length hair.
bald.
She has She has
She has She has She has
medium medium
+ long, black short, black -
length, blonde length, red
short,
hair. hair. blonde hair.
hair. hair.
She has
She has She has She has
medium She has
long, short, medium
++ straight, straight,
- length,
length, wavy,
short, curly,
straight, blonde hair.
black hair. black hair. red hair.
blonde hair.
Her hair is
Her hair is Her hair is Her hair is
medium Her hair is
long, short, medium
or straight and straight and
- length,
length, wavy
short, curly
straight and and blonde.
black. black. and red.
blonde.

c) Type of Complexion (Skin Color)

He has light- He has fair She has lightly She has very
brown skin. She has dark skin. tanned skin. pale skin.

34
 skin.

Taken from: http://www.learnenglish.de/basics/appearances.html

Moreover, here are some other definable features of physical appearance.

Remember that all of them can be described using the verb of possession has.

Physical
Vocabulary for Description
Feature
Arm long, short, lank, lanky, bony, rounded, well-shaped
Bearing posture, bear oneself well, hold one's body upright, stooping
large, small, powerful, slight, heavy, slim, solid, delicate, strong,
Build
spare, stocky, neat, sturdy, graceful
Cheekbones long, high, prominent, perfect, sculptured, broken, cracked, fractured
wide, chubby, plump, hollow, sunken, with dimples, with creases,
blushing, pink, rosy, scarlet, ashen, pale, pallid, pasty, cool, smooth,
Cheeks
soft, flushed, hot, ruddy, tear-stained, wet, hamster, hamster-like,
rouged, stubby, unshaven
Chin clean-shaven, double, protruding, massive, pointed, round, decided
Constitution strong, feeble, vigorous, frail, rugged, delicate, iron, weak (poor)
Ears curving, earlobe, lop-eared, pointed, pointy, floppy
Eye-lashes winged, straight, thin, artificial, false, thick, short, long, curling
amber, arched, bushy, dark, jet-black, heavy, thick, enquiring,
querying, questioning, quizzical, cynical, sardonic, sceptical,
Eyebrows surprised, amused, derisive, mocking, lifted, raised, pencilled, raise
(knit) one's brows, shaggy, unkempt, plucked, shaped, straight, thin,
well-marked
big, large, heavy, hooded, drooping, swollen with tears, lower, upper,
Eyelids
closed, half-closed, lowered
firm, blue, brown, bulging, close-set, cross-eyed, dark, deep, deep-
set, full and blood shot, gray, hazel, hazel-eyed, pale, sunken, wide-
set, left / right, green, greedy, hungry, downcast, sad, solemn, soulful,
cold, expressionless, glassy, glazed, lifeless, steely, vacant,
penetrating, piercing, intelligent, keen, sharp, shrewd, curious,
prying, anxious,, angry, cruel, fierce, mad, staring, wild, dazed,
unfocused, unblinking, half-closed, narrowed, short-sighted,
Eyes
sightless, unseeing, dry, cloudy, misty, moist, rheumy, tear-filled,
tearful, watery, soft, velvety, warm, clear, limpid, liquid, bright,
brilliant, luminous, lustrous, sparkling, starry, sleepy, tired, weary,
dark-ringed, exhausted, red-rimmed, bleary, bloodshot,, baggy, puffy,
swollen, beady, piggy, protuberant, sunken, hooded, hollow, heavy-
lidded, wide-apart, wide-set, close-set, narrow, wide, enormous,
large, huge, big, golden
Face dark, fair, florid, olive, pasty, sallow, pale, sunburnt, swarthy

35
 Physical
Vocabulary for Description
Feature
(complexion)
clear-cut, clean-cut, craggy, delicate, fine, prominent, striking,
Face (in general) indistinct, vague, coarse, ugly, plain, ordinary, soft, small, regular,
sharp, large, irregular, f ull face, profile,
angular, oval, square, long, round, thin, wrinkled, freckled, with a
Face (shape) beauty spot or a mole, with a dimple in the chin, with a pointed beard
and moustache
well-made, shapeless, graceful, ill-made, lithe, clumsy, superb,
Figure ordinary, perfect, flawed, lean, tat, slight, stout, neat, well-fed, bony,
paunchy, slim, plump, slender, stocky
thumb, forefinger, bony, lean, skeletal, skinny,, delicate, elegant,
slender, slim, chubby, fat, plump, podgy, blunt, spatulate, square-
Fingers tipped, gnarled, arthritic, gentle, capable, deft, nimble, skilful,
skilled, nerveless, nervous, clumsy, dirty, filthy, grubby, sticky, index
finger, middle finger, ring finger, little finger, finger nail
broad, narrow, domed, retreating, furrowed, wrinkled, smooth,
Forehead
sloping, high, domed, low, large, wide, small
Steady, unsteady, heavy, light, swaggering, rolling, strolling,
Gait shuffling, stumbling, waddling, walk with a stoop, a limp, halting,
walk with a halt (with a limp), awkward, swaying
flaxen, auburn, golden, red, reddish, fair, blond(-e), ash-blond,
chestnut, silvery, grey(-ing), black, jet-black, brown, brunette, dark,
Hair mop of hair, abundant, thin, luxuriant, short, spiky, thick, straight,
long, bald-headed, wavy, dishevelled, crisp, cumpled, curly, mangled,
silky
Hair (men's
closely cropped head of hair, crew cut, head of curly hair, partly bald
hairstyle &
head, bald patch, bald head
haircut)
ponytail, swept-back hair, swept-up hair, pinned up hair, bun,
chignon, plaits, bunches, chaplet hairstyle, gretchen style, chaplet,
Hair (women's
coiled plaits, curled hair, falling downwards curls, shingle, shingled
hairstyle)
hair, bobbed hair, pageboy style, earphones, earphone, hair rollers,
hair pin, hair spray (fixing spray)
hair-cut, hairdo, hairstyle, hairset, hair waving, hair-dressing, grow
one's hair, wash one's hair, brush one's hair, comb one's hair, wear
one's hair short, shoulder-long, shoulder-length, braided, wear one's
Hairdo hair parted In the middle, on one side, wear one's hair In a knot,
fringe (AmE: bang), knot of hair, strand of hair, wisp of hair, tuft of
hair, lock, hair care, trimmed, bow, ribbon, afro look, parting, centre
parting, side parting, hair drier, cap, gown
Hands beautiful, delicate, pretty, soft, firm, soft, limp, knotted, claw-like,
hairy, clammy, nervous, shaking, trembling, unsteady, steady,
careless, clumsy, capable, expert, practiced, skilful, skilled, open,
outspread, clean, glowed, ringed, ringless,, dirty, filthy, greasy,
grubby, sticky, sweaty, unwashed, frail, arthritic, gnarled, delicate,
well-manicured,, coarse, rough, work-roughened, work-reddened,

36
 Physical
Vocabulary for Description
Feature
work-worn, plump, fat, thick, Short
Head & Neck big, small, round, square, hold one's head high, slender, thin, thick
artificial, false, pointed, square, bottom, lower, broken, dislocated,
Jaws fractured, top, upper, jutting, lantern, thrusting, slack, clenched, set,
firm, strong
Leg, long, short, stumpy, slender, crooked, beautiful, good, shapely
Legs (fine), muscled, muscular, powerful, strong, bow-shaped, skinny,
findly, thin, bandy, hairy, lank, stout, large, small, narrow, limb
weak-willed, full, sensual, sensuous, well-shaped, parted, well-cut,
Lips thin, top, upper, bottom, lower, fleshy, thick, moist, chapped, cracked,
dry, painted, compressed, firm
Marks mole, scar, dimple
side-whiskers, sideboards, sideburns, clean shaven, smooth cheeks,
Moustache, stubby, unshaven, stubble beard, full beard, moustache, military
beard and moustache, English-style moustache, shadow, thick, thin, bushy,
whiskers clipped, curly, drooping, droopy, neat, military, pencil, handlebar,
toothbrush, tufty, walrus, waxed, nicotine-stained, false
Mouth firm, hard, strong, big, cavernous, enormous, generous, huge, large,
wide, full, sensual, sensuous, well-shaped, lopsided, wet, dry, tight,
gaping, half-open, cruel, hungry, swollen, toothless, full-lipped,
lipless, thin, loose, slack, soft, hot, warm, stern, small, beautiful,
chiseled, handsome, lovely, pretty,, strong-willed
Nose aquiline, big, bulbous, enormous, huge, large, nostrils, aristocratic,
elegant, pink, red, shiny, bridge of the nose, flat, flattened, tip of the
nose, curved, Roman, flat, beaky, hooked, crooked, snub, tip-tilted,
narrow, thin, straight, pointed, sharp, little, small, stubby, tiny, fleshy,
long, prominent, strong, turned up, upturned
big, broad, great, huge, manly, massive, muscled, muscular,
powerful, strong, wide, tense, tight, tired, bare, square, round, bony,
Shoulders
bowed, delicate, shapely, slim, sloping, high, narrow, thin, hollow
chest, throw one's chest with pride, waist, be slim at the waist
Stature, height & imposing, diminutive, short, middle-sized, be 6 feet high, be of
shape, medium / average height, tall
firm, careful, gingerly, heavy, delicate, light, brisk, quick, rapid,
Step
smart, slow, measured footstep, stride with a firm step
twisted, close-set, big, enormous, huge, sparse, even, straight, gappy,
crooked, jagged, misshapen, broken, missing, needle-sharp, razor-
sharp, sharp, baby, milk, wisdom, canine, savage, back, front,
Teeth bottom, top, capped, false, gold, loose, wobbly, yellow, decayed,
rotten, perfect, splendid, strong, white, pearl-like, pearl-white, good,
healthy, uneven, prominent, sticking out, large, small, perfect,
imperfect

Taken from: http://www.iluenglish.com/describing-people-a-persons-physical-appearance/

37
5.2 Case
The following will completely exemplified the description of people’s appearance and
characteristics between two people. At the end of the discussion, it is hopeful that you
can also do the same thing with your own description.

The case:
A Police is interrogating an elderly woman about the mugging that she has just
experienced. The woman claimed to have seen the attacker, here is their dialogue.

Elderly Woman (EW) : Why am I here?

Policeman (P) : We would like to ask your help to identify the muggers. You
say that you saw his face? What does the man look like?
EW : Did I say man? I believe it was a woman!
P : Oh? Okay. What does she look like?
EW : Wait….now that I think about it, I believe he was a man…
P : Really? Which one is it then???
EW : It was a man. I am sure of it now.
P : Alright…What does he look like?
EW : He is…not very tall, about five feet tall, I presume. A bit
stocky, and he has this dark tanned skin and a really long
blonde hair.
P : Any distinctive features on him?
EW : Yes, he has a very crooked nose, and small lips. His eyes
are dark, it must be dark brown. Moreover, he has
this mole above his right eye. He also has very thick
eyebrows.
P : Wow, that is a complete description. With this, I am
sure that we can catch your mugger very soon.
EW : That is very nice of you, officer. You remind me a lot of my
late husband.
P : Is that a fact? What kind of man is he? What is he like?
EW : He is very active, and very bossy. Sometimes, he is a bit
conceited, but he is very adventurous. Yet one thing that I
really like about him is that he is very brave.

5.3 Practice
1. Fill in the blanks in the sentences below using one of the words in the box.
reliable self-confident frank selfish well-behaved
strict sympathetic dishonest witty self-conscious

38
 a) If I were you, I wouldn´t trust Joanna. She´s very _______________ and she´s
always trying to cheat people.
b) My Math teacher is very _______________, but I look up to him because he
also works hard and he is very respectful.
c) I took my cousin´s children to the cinema yesterday. I was surprised how
_______________ they are. They have very good manners.
d) When I told my boss that my father was seriously ill, he was very
_______________.
e) Maggy is such a _______________ girl! She always comes out with clever and
amusing remarks about any sort of things.
f) I hate _______________ people who only think and care about themselves.
What about everybody else´s rights?
g) He´s a hundred per cent sure that he is going to succeed in the film industry. He
´s very _______________.
h) I regret being so _______________ with her about her new boyfriend, but I like
giving my opinion straightaway.
i) My friend Sally always wears glasses because she´s very _______________
about the scar on her eyebrow.
j) You can trust her. She is very _______________. If she says she won´t tell
anybody, she won´t.
Taken from: <http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=7620#a>

2. Crossword Puzzle
Complete the crossword puzzle based on the clues below.
1 12

4 13

10

2 9

6 15

3 5 11

14

Across:
1) Troublesome or irritating

39
 2) Tending to move around often; full of energy
3) Not physically, mentally or emotionally strong
4) Full of life and energy
5) Feeling alone and sad; lacking friends or encouragement
6) Easy to make irritated and cranky
7) Charming; smooth; polite to people in a dishonest way
8) Careful, serious, likes to study
Down:
3) Able to use words in a clever and amusing way
9) Able to put up with difficult situations; open-minded
10) Able to be trusted; very dependable
11) Easily worried, frightened or stressed
12) Dark, sad and hopeless
13) Having no manners, acting in a rude or offensive way
14) Shows lack of courage or confidence; a nervous person
15) Quiet, calm and nonviolent

3. Try describing yourself (especially characteristics) to your friends. Then ask

your partner to describe their characteristics.

4. Bring a picture of a woman or a man. Try describing them to your friend. Ask
your friend to do the same.

5. Work together in a group. Find one person that you want to describe from other
groups. Ask the rest of the group to identify the person being described.
Continue with other groups.

40
 MODULE 6
E-MAIL

Meeting/s :9
Teaching Aids : Computer, LCD Projector, Dictionaries
Specific Objective : Students are able to compose E-mails for both
professional and casual purposes. (C3)

6.1 Concepts
Introduction
Nowadays, technology has advanced with unbelievable speed. One of the greatest
technologies ever invented in the 20th century is Internet. By relying on the Internet,
people can do almost anything, starting from browsing for information to shopping!
One of the features that are made possible by the existence of Internet is
communicating with anyone from any place at any time via electronic mail (e-mail).
Nowadays, e-mail has been a very common tool to communicate both in formal and
informal situations.
Shirley Taylor in her book, Model Business Letters, E-mails, & Other
Business Documents (2009: 50), states that people often use e-mail because it is both
user friendly and time-zone friendly. It is low in cost, practical, and relatively easy to
use. Moreover, people can send e-mail any time they want, and it arrives instantly.
Nowadays, people from different backgrounds use e-mail in their everyday life
for different kinds of purposes. The most common purposes of sending e-mail are for
professional purpose (which is usually related to works) and for casual purposes.
Emmerson (2003: 8) states that there are three kinds of writing styles in
composing letters or e-mails: formal, neutral / standard, and informal styles. The
formal styles are characterized through the existence of long-winding sentences and
fancy expressions which are rarely used nowadays. Neutral / standard style is simpler
and more direct compared to the formal style although the wordings still reflect
politeness and formality. Lastly, the informal style creates relaxed and friendly
atmosphere, and the wordings are commonly found in daily conversation.

41
 In composing e-mail for professional purpose, the writing style that is usually
used is the normal / standard style. In the case of e-mail for casual purpose, informal
style is more often used.

6.1.1 Language Expressions

a) Components of an E-mail
Whether it is e-mail for professional or casual purpose, the same rules apply to both
kinds. Both e-mails have the same components, and it is important to pay attention to
those components in order to compose a good and effective e-mail. Those
components include:
 Salutation
According to Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a salutation is “a
word or phrase used at the beginning of a letter or a speech.” Similar to a
letter, an e-mail also begins with a salutation at the very beginning. Salutation
of e-mail usually begins with the word Dear … and it continues with the title
and the full name / surname / first name of the recipient.
 Dear Sirs (if the letter is addressed generally to an organization, not a
specific person)
 Dear Sir or Madam (if the recipient is unknown)
 Dear Mr. Albert Jones/Dear Mr. Jones
 Dear Ann
 Hi / Hello Matt
 Introduction
Based on Taylor’s 4 Point Plan (2009: 23), the introductory part usually
contains the reason of the communication. However, it can also contain
explanation and information about the identity of the sender (if it is the first
time the sender sends an e-mail to the recipient) or the inquiry about the
recipient’s condition (if the relationship between the sender and the recipient is
close).
 My name is Jane Smith. Your name was given to me by Mr. Julian
Hammer.
 I am writing with regard to the bazaar that will be held next month.
 I would like to respond to your latest email about your complaint
towards our product.
 I am sorry I have not written to you for ages.
 Thanks for your e-mail.

42
 Details
The details part, according to 4 Point Plan by Taylor (2009: 23), explains
clearly about the intention of the sender or provides information that the
recipient needs. It is suggested that the detail should be brief, simple, and
organized to ensure the recipient understands the content of the e-mail.
 Conclusion
Taylor (2009: 23) states that conclusion should “state the action expected from
the recipient.” It means that the conclusion expresses what the sender hopes
the recipient to do regarding the information which is conveyed in the
previous part. The conclusion also explains the result and consequences if the
recipient fulfills or fails to fulfill the expectation.
 Please send me your latest catalog with the list of price.
 Please contact us as soon as you get the confirmation.
 It would be a great honor for us if you are able to attend this event.
 Could you send me the last month’s financial report?
 Call me when the decision is made.
 Closing
As the name suggests, this part acts as a closing which concludes the whole e-
mail. It usually only consists of one short sentence to conclude the overall of
the e-mail.
 Please let me know if you need further information.
 I look forward to receiving your reply.
 A prompt reply would be appreciated.
 Best wishes to your big family.
 See you soon.
 Sign Offs
The sign offs are put at the bottom of the e-mail, and they are followed with
the name of the sender. For the case of e-mail for professional purpose, below
the sign offs should be added with the name and the position of the sender and
contact information of the company.
 Yours faithfully
 Yours sincerely
 Hugs and kisses
 Love

43
 Have a look at the example below.
From sarah.kingston@briggs.com
To garrett.miles@eduhouse.com
Subject Customer Services Training

Salutation Dear Mr. Garrett Miles

My name is Sarah Kingston, the head of Human Resources Department of
Introduction Briggs, Co. Your name was given to me by Ms. Anne Mildred from Warring, Ltd.
Our company would like to hold training course for our new staffs in Customer
Services Department, and Ms. Mildred strongly recommended your assistance.
Details
Therefore, we are wondering whether you are willing to be the one of the
speakers for one of our training sessions entitled ‘The Essence of Customer
Services.’
I am attaching the poster and the program of the training course. We hope that
Conclusion you would consider our proposal.

Closing Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need further information.

Sign Off Yours sincerely

Sarah Kingston
Head of HRD
Briggs, Co.
Telephone +665 239709
www.briggs.com

Other important points in composing e-mail are the correct usage of

punctuation and capitalization. Punctuation includes a period (.), a question mark (?),
a comma (,) and so on. Capitalization covers the usage of capital letters. Regardless
how informal the content of the e-mail, it is necessary to use proper punctuation and
capitalization so that the recipients do not experience any confusions or
misunderstandings while reading the e-mail.

b) Writing an E-mail for Professional Purpose

Nowadays, it is common for working people to use e-mails as a mean of
communication. For example, staffs of international companies communicate with
their international clients through e-mail instead of wasting money to make an
international phone call.
However, people often find difficulties in composing a good and effective e-
mail for professional purpose. Since the situation is formal, the way to compose the

44
message is certainly different from those informal or casual e-mails. Therefore, it is
important to learn how to compose e-mail correctly and professionally in order to
avoid miscommunication and misunderstanding.

c) Writing an E-mail for Casual Purpose

Aside from its function in the business world, e-mail is often used as a tool to
communicate among friends and relatives. For example, there are cases of a family
whose members are living in different parts of the world, or there are people who like
to make friends with foreigners. Using Internet, there are many ways to communicate.
One of them is through e-mail.
E-mail for casual purpose is not as rigid and formal as e-mail for professional
purpose. However, in the process of composing e-mail for casual purpose, the sender
still has to consider about the components, punctuations, capitalizations, and the
choices of expressions in the e-mail.
E-mail for casual purpose applies the same rules as the e-mail for professional
purpose. The components still include salutation, introduction, content, closing, and
sign offs, although different expressions are used. The punctuations and the
capitalizations also have to be applied no matter how casual the content is or no
matter how well the relationship between the sender and the recipient is. Moreover,
avoid unfamiliar abbreviations and misspellings since they might confuse the
recipient.

6.1.2 Vocabulary
Below is a list of expressions and vocabularies that you can use to compose e-mails
for both formal and informal purposes.
Formal/Neutral Informal
Salutation Dear Sirs Dear Mary
Dear Sir or Madam Hi/Hello Travis
Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms. Allen (No salutation at all)
Previous Contact Thank you for your e-mail of … Thanks for your e-mail.
Further to your last e-mail, … Re your e-mail, …
I apologize for not getting in contact Sorry I haven’t written in ages, but
with you before now. I’ve been really busy.
Reason for Writing I am writing with regard to … I’m writing about …
In reply to your e-mail, here are … Here’s the … that you wanted
Your name was given to me by … I got your name from …
Giving Information I am writing to let you know about … Just a note to say …

45
 I am delighted to tell you that … Good news!
We regret to inform you that … Unfortunately, …
Attachment Please find attached my report. I’ve attached …
Attached in this e-mail is … Here is the … that you wanted.
Asking for I would like to know … I’d like to know …
Information I am interested in finding out … Please send me …
Could you give me some information Can you tell me a little more about
about …? …?

Requests I would be grateful if you could … Please could you …?

I wonder if you could … Could you …?
Thank you in advance for your help I’d appreciate your help on this.
in this matter.
Promising Actions I will … I’ll …
I will investigate this matter. I’ll look into it.
I will contact you again shortly. I’ll get back to you soon.
Offering Help Would you like me to …? Do you want me to …?
If you wish, I would be happy to … Shall I …?
Please let me know whether you Let me know if you’d like me to …
would like me to …
Closing Thank you for your help. Thanks again for …
Please feel free to contact me if you Just give me a call if you have any
have any questions. questions.
A prompt reply would be appreciated. Reply back to me as soon as you can.
Please give my regards to … Best wishes to …
I am looking forward to hearing from I hope to hear from you soon.
you soon.
Adapted from Emmerson (2003: 74); Taylor (2009: 23)

6.2 Case
Have a look at the e-mail below. The e-mail is an example of a poorly constructed e-
mail for professional purpose. The sender of the e-mail is Janet Brown and the
recipient is Shinji Takamura. The content of the e-mail is to propose a meeting in
order to talk about the possibilities of cooperation between their companies.

From janet.brown@pronto.com
To shinji.takamura@sakamoto.com
Subject HELLO!!!
a

c hello shinji b d

46
 i’m janet, secretary of director of pronto co., ltd. our company specializes in logistics and
e postal services. the head office is located in madrid spain and we have subsidiaries ALL
OVER THE WORLD. currently, we’re voted as one of the most reliable logistics and postal f
service in the wolrd. g
i’m writing 2 u bcos our director think that ur company can help us in expanding our
business further. so our director invites u as representaive of ur company for lunch meeting
to talk about the possibilities of cooperation @ Sushi Bay on tuesday 24 february 2014. Pls
reply ASAP.

h
thnx & rgs i
janet j

a. The subject line of e-mail acts as the title. Therefore, be as specific as possible so
that the recipient can see how important the e-mail is.
b. In the example above, the salutation is too informal, and it does not sound
professional.
c. It is important to pay attention to the capitalization. Use capital letter for the first
letter of the first word in a sentence, the pronoun ‘I’, the names, and so on.
d. Do not forget to put punctuation. Put periods (.), commas (,) and question marks
(?) when necessary.
e. Avoid using capital letters for the whole word since it is considered as shouting,
and it gives rude impression.
f. Avoid giving unnecessary information. The content of the e-mail has to be polite
yet straightforward at the same time because the recipient might not have much
time and might end up ignoring the e-mail if it is too long.
g. Pay attention to the spellings. Remember that once the e-mail is sent, it is
impossible to be revised. Therefore, avoid misspelling since it gives bad
impression.
h. Avoid using informal abbreviations, slangs, and symbols because the e-mail is for
professional purpose. Therefore, it is important to stay as formal as possible.
i. Use the correct way in writing day and date (Day, Month Date, Year) and do not
forget to capitalize when necessary.
j. The sign off in this e-mail is too casual. It is a must to use a proper sign off to
ensure and maintain formal and professional images.

Below is the revised version of the e-mail above. Pay attention to the points which
were revised.

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 From janet.brown@pronto.com
To shinji.takamura@sakamoto.com
Subject Invitation for Lunch Meeting

Dear Mr. Shinji Takamura

I am Janet Brown. I am the secretary of director of Pronto Co., Ltd. which

specializes in logistics and postal services.
I am writing to you because our director finds your company very influential in
helping our company to expand further. Therefore, our director would like to invite
you as the representative of your company for lunch meeting in order to talk about
the possibilities of cooperation at Sushi Bay on Tuesday, February 24, 2014.

Please inform me whether you are available for the meeting or not.

Yours faithfully
Janet Brown
Secretary
Pronto Co., Ltd.
Telephone +62 24 3089978

Moreover, below is an example of an e-mail for casual purpose. The sender is

Mrs. Emily Grayson, and the recipient is her son, Dale Grayson who worked in
Berlin. Mrs. Grayson would like to remind Dale about the annual Christmas dinner
and ask him to come back home for Christmas.

From emily.grayson@echomail.com
To grayson-dale@echomail.com
Subject How are you?

Dear Dale

How are you? I hope Berlin is treating you well this year. I heard it is getting snowy
and colder at this time of the year.
I’m writing to remind you about the annual Christmas dinner. Do not expect me to
forget about your absence last year, young man. I’m still really upset. Your brother
and his family will come and stay until the 26 th before leaving for their trip to
Beijing, China, and your sister is coming over with her fiancée. Now, the Christmas
dinner will not be complete without you, so I expect you to be home before
Christmas. I don’t want to hear ‘No’ for your answer, so take some days off and book
your ticket as soon as you can, okay?

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 Try to call home more often. Your father really misses talking to you. Reply back as
soon as you can.

Lots of love
Mom

6.3 Practice
1. Compose an e-mail with the information below:
 Sender: Lillian Sanders (lily-xanders@freemail.com)
 Recipient: Catherine Lee (cath.lee@freemail.com)
 Situation: Lillian and Catherine are friends. Lillian lives in New York while
Catherine lives in London. Lillian heard that Catherine will come to New York
for her holiday.
 Content: Lillian is so excited that Catherine is going to visit, so Lillian asked
Catherine when she will arrive at the airport and where she will stay during her
holiday in New York. Lillian also would like to take Catherine on a walk around
the city and she would like to recommend her favorite restaurant to Catherine.

2. Compose an e-mail with the information below:

 Sender: Maya Tanner from Green Planet Co., Ltd.
(maya.tanner@greenplanet.com)
 Recipient: Elizabeth Murray from Farm Life Inc. (emurray@farmlife.com)
 Situation: Mrs. Tanner has never met Ms. Murray before. She got Ms. Murray’s
contact information from the organizing committee of Save Our Earth, an
upcoming greenery exhibition.
 Content: Mrs. Tanner would like to invite Ms. Murray to meet up to talk about
Save Our Earth exhibition. The meeting is going to be conducted at Bella Ami
Italian Restaurant on March 12th, 2014.

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3. Compose an e-mail replying to the previous e-mail with the information below:
 Sender: Elizabeth Murray from Farm Life Inc. (emurray@farmlife.com)
 Recipient: Maya Tanner from Green Planet Co., Ltd.
(maya.tanner@greenplanet.com)
 Content: Ms. Murray cannot meet up with Mrs. Tanner on March 12 th, 2014
because she is going to have staffs meeting. She asks Mrs. Tanner whether the
meeting can be rescheduled to March 13th, 2014.

50