Writing bank

Prononciation Writing bank

Functional language
1 Emails
Starting and ending an email
Lead-in In general, emails are either informal or formal/semi-formal. Emails to people inside your
organisation may use less formal language than those sent to people outside of the company.
Formal/Semi-formal Informal
Before writing an email, think about the level of formality needed and make sure the information
you want to communicate is clear to the reader: Greeting Dear Sir or Madam, Hi/Hello, Anton,
Dear Ms/Mrs/Miss/Mr/Dr Peck, Good morning, Jasmine,
1 Who is the email to and what level of formality is needed?
Dear Katrin,
2 Is the main information that you want to communicate clear to the reader?
Closing I’m looking forward to our meeting next week. Looking forward to speaking on Thursday.
Model answers Do let me know if you have any queries. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Perhaps we could arrange a lunch meeting to discuss? Shall we have a brief chat to discuss progress?
Dear Miku and Chris, It was a pleasure meeting you and thank you for It was great meeting you and thanks for your interest
choosing our company. in our company.
I’d like to introduce myself to you both. My name is Luiz Sousa and I am the new project leader for the Marshall
account. Before joining the team, I worked in a similar role in the PR department of Kline and Marriott Associates Please do not hesitate to get in contact if you require Let me know if you need anything else.
any further information.
for almost a decade.
It’s a pleasure to work with you on such an exciting account. You’ve both worked on this project for some time and Signing off Kind regards, Best wishes,
I would therefore like to discuss the background and hear your ideas. Regards, All best,
I’d like to request a meeting on Tuesday 12th at 10 a.m. This will be both an update meeting as well as a discussion Yours,
on how to proceed with this account. Could you let me know if this is convenient for you?
In the meantime, could you prepare a brief update report for me to read prior to the meeting? Chris, I’d like to know Main sections of an email
what strategy has been used in managing the Marshall account. Miku, it would also be useful to have a summary of
any interaction with this client in the last six months. Linking to previous Many thanks for attending the meeting.
I’m looking forward to meeting you both and working with you on this project. communication It was great to meet you last week.
Kind regards, Introducing yourself I’d like to introduce myself, I’m …
Luiz
Can I take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is …
I’ve recently joined the finance team.
I’m the new Sales Manager.
Hi Miku and Chris, I’m delighted to join the team in my new role as Media Coordinator.
Many thanks for attending the meeting on Tuesday and for preparing the project updates. Both were very I am the HR Director at LMK.
productive and informative. In my previous position/role I worked in the manufacturing sector.
As we discussed in the meeting, strategy for managing the Marshall account hasn’t changed in over two years. Thanking I am writing to thank you for your help arranging the training seminar last week.
However, the industries and sectors that Marshall operates in have experienced many technical advances in recent
years. In order to do the best for our client, we agreed that we should explore a variety of potential new directions I am writing to say thank you for the excellent service that we received at your hotel during our visit.
for the account. Please find below a summary of the main action points from our meeting: Thank you very much for your help with our order.
• Chris to research and share information related to technology and energy industries and automotive sector for We really appreciate all your hard work on this project.
the Marshall account. Deadline Monday 18th. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your help.
• Team meeting (Chris, Miku and Luiz) to finalise strategy and prepare presentation. Tuesday 19th. We appreciated your assistance with the presentation.
Your team was most helpful and the event was a great success.
• Miku to contact Dev Saunders and organise initial meeting to share findings and discuss expansion of the
Marshall account. By Thursday 21st. We would recommend your products and excellent service.
We would certainly use your company again.
• Luiz to present new strategy to board of directors at Marshall. Arrange by w/c 25th.
Thank you again for sharing your thoughts and ideas. This is an exciting opportunity to explore new directions for Requesting an update Could you prepare a brief report to update us?
this key account. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Can you let me know where we are with the Andrews project?
Best wishes, Would you talk me through the stages of the process?
Luiz I’d like to request a meeting to discuss how the project is progressing.

Subject: Customer service feedback
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to thank you for the excellent customer service which I experienced when hiring a car from your company last week.
While travelling on business with two colleagues, we hired a Hyundai Tucson to drive to a conference in Budapest. Unfortunately,
on the second night of our stay the car was stolen. When we spoke to your customer care team, the response was excellent. Within
two hours one of your representatives, Gergo Belov, had driven to our hotel and delivered a replacement vehicle. In addition,
Mr Belov stayed with us and helped complete the insurance form. I wanted you to know how much we appreciated his assistance.
Action points
These list points where action is required and add the name of the person who will do the task.
Note: Bullet points and numbered lists are often used to summarise action points. For more information, see Instructions and
warnings, in section 4 of this Writing bank.
As we discussed in the meeting, the date of the office move is now 26th April.
The aim of the meeting was to discuss important changes in the pharmaceutical industry.
Here is a summary of the main action points from the meeting:
Please find below a list of the key points from the meeting:

We look forward to returning to your beautiful country in the future and we would certainly use Alcan Car Hire again. Here are some phrases and acronyms that are used when discussing dates and deadlines:
Yours faithfully, • w/c – week commencing (the date at the start of the week) We’ll finalise the brochure w/c 24th May.
Max Hastings (HR Director)
• EOD – end of day I’ll send you the update by EOD Monday.
• latest – the final date/time that something is needed The team will need the marketing data my Friday morning latest.

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Functional language
2 Letters
Opening and closing a letter
Lead-in Letters usually have a more formal style than emails and do not usually use contractions.
The greeting and ending of a letter changes when you know the name of the person that Name of person is known Name of person is not known
you are writing to.
Opening Dear Ms/Mrs/Miss/Mr Peck, Dear Sir or Madam,

Model answers Letter confirming an order Ending We look forward to working with you. Looking forward to seeing you at the
conference.
If you have any queries, please do not
hesitate to contact us. Let me know if you have any questions.
Natalia Bray Marcus Dale Do let me know if you need any further If you need anything else on this, just let
Kendal House Sales Manager information. me know.
Westfield Business Park Bloom Floristry Supplies
Newmarket 22 Lark Avenue Closing Yours sincerely, Yours faithfully,
NM82 SJP Ashford Note: Only the Sincerely, (U.S.) Yours truly, (U.S.)
Kent first word uses
KH12 0PA capital letters.

Wednesday 4th October Subject line and enclosing documents

Subject line Re:

Dear Ms Bray, Referring to Please find enclosed (a copy of the invoice).

documents
Re: Order 245192/DS The enclosed (documents) …

Further to our telephone conversation on Monday, I am writing to confirm your

order for plants and flowers for the new headquarters in Kendal House. Details
As discussed, twelve large houseplants will be delivered and installed in your
reception area on Thursday 12th November. The upkeep of all plants will be Referring to past Further to our meeting last week, …
contact
arranged by members of the Bloom Floristry team. In addition, we will supply It was a pleasure meeting you and your colleagues at the conference in Basel.
fresh, seasonal flowers twice a week in the boardroom.
Saying why you I am writing to confirm your order.
As agreed, payment terms are monthly and you will receive the first invoice thirty are writing
days after the plants have been installed. Thank you for the deposit, which we We are pleased to confirm your order.
received yesterday, and a receipt for this is enclosed. I would like to request a copy of your latest price list.
Please also find enclosed an order confirmation which includes a list of plants I have an enquiry regarding order number DET/34P.
selected and a current price list. If you would like to amend or add to your order,
Terms and Payment terms are €2,500 per month.
please do not hesitate to contact me.
conditions
Goods will be delivered within five working days.
It was a pleasure speaking to you about your requirements and sincere thanks for
choosing Bloom Floristry Supplies. Please arrange payment within twenty-one days of receiving the invoice.

Yours sincerely,
Marcus Dale
Enclosed: order confirmation, price list, receipt

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Functional language
3 Product reviews
Brief review
Lead-in Product reviews can be brief, informal comments on a website or longer, more formal
reviews in a blog or magazine. A balanced review will highlight both positive and negative Section Information Examples
aspects of a product or service and include details to support opinions. Online reviews
Headings Some website reviews have Great performance
are increasingly important to businesses. If a company responds to a review online, the
headings. They can be used to
language should remain neutral and try to encourage a solution to any problems. Excellent value for money
summarise opinion but usually
don’t repeat the exact words Unhelpful customer service
used in the review.
Model answers Brief review Good idea, poor design

Identify positive or Brief reviews often use This machine makes great bread.
negative short sentences, cutting out Makes great bread!
unnecessary words.
Attractive design, bad fit The service is very slow and too expensive.
Slow and expensive service.
Comment
This smart cover looks great but doesn’t fit my device. Product details are wrong. The design is beautiful and I would recommend the product.
Wouldn’t buy again – very disappointed. Beautiful design – would recommend.

Responses An online response from the Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We are
supplier should be polite, use delighted that you had such a positive experience – customer
Reply neutral language and a more satisfaction is very important to us.
We are very sorry to hear that you have experienced this problem with our formal, professional style.
product. Customer satisfaction is very important to us and we will be in contact We are very sorry that you experienced this problem with our
to arrange a suitable replacement or offer a full refund. service. We will be in contact soon to discuss the issue and offer
a solution.

Longer review
Longer review
Introduction After a lot of research, I chose the updated model.
I opted for the premium package.
SmarTech Interior Systems Rating RRP €2,700 I selected model X145.

After a lot of research I selected SmarTech Interior Systems to fit smart Describing the The website says that the products are high quality.
technology in our house. I sometimes work from home but also frequently travel product or service The package includes consultation, fitting and repairs.
on business, so I needed a system which was flexible and reliable and could also The specifications include additional memory and storage.
be fitted quickly.
The product features a front- and back-facing camera.
I approached two other companies for quotations, but they were both more
expensive and also took a minimum of six weeks to complete the task. In Good points I was impressed by the quick delivery.
contrast, the online reviews and testimonials on the SmarTech website said that The product matched the online description.
they offered quick, dependable service and worked closely with customers. I was It has an attractive and stylish design.
impressed by the expertise and experience they displayed in our initial
consultation and opted for the silver package. This package included fitting Support with detail The goods arrived on time and in excellent condition.
smart technology to my home office, kitchen and living areas. This machine cleans perfectly every time.
The technology I purchased in the silver package included: Bad points Unfortunately, the product stopped working after three days.
• smart lighting, where lamps turn on and off automatically when a person
The product did not match the description.
enters or leaves the room in the evening.
• device-connected technology in the kitchen (so that appliances can be It has a lot of features but the results are not always reliable.
checked and controlled from my phone when I am out of the house). The main downside is the cost.
• multiple screens so that video conferences can be held in different rooms. One thing I didn’t like was the colour.
The company fitted the technology within the agreed deadline and were friendly Support with detail The quality was poor.
and helpful. They have a great deal of experience in fitting this home technology,
Each time I turn on the device, it makes a noise.
which helped me feel confident.
I rang the company twice but received no response.
At first, I was delighted with the work they carried out. They fitted the items
For example, the plug gets very hot when the printer is in use.
within the agreed deadline and offered advice on use. Unfortunately, despite this
positive experience, the customer service stops this from being a five-star review. Compare or contrast In contrast, the previous model, Zi24, was much slower.
I have needed to contact the company three times with queries and problems The software update is an attractive design, but it has fewer features compared to the original
with the technology. Each time I have had to wait several days to receive a version.
response from an engineer. This can lead to frustration and delays in solving
Despite the fact that it is less expensive than most of its competitors, it is a better design.
simple technological issues.
So, in summary, I would certainly recommend the products that the company Conclusion To summarise, I would recommend this product for quality, price and reliability.
uses and also their expertise and their excellent, speedy fitting service. However, In summary, the design is innovative but not all the features work effectively.
the poor after-sales care makes it impossible to give a full recommendation. My
advice to SmarTech is improve your customer service and you will soon have
five-star feedback.

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4 Instructions and warnings Functional language Imperatives You use the green button to switch on the machine and the red
button to switch off.
Lead-in Instructions, warnings and guidelines are all used to communicate key information to Switch on the machine using the green button.
employees clearly and contain important information. Switch off the machine using the red button.

• A warning is usually a brief notice (e.g. to alert staff about potential dangers when using Sequencing Beginning
equipment or machinery). Firstly …
• Instructions or guidelines provide more detailed information about how something First …
works or how to carry out a task. To start with …
• Any important notes and warnings go at the start of the instructions or guidelines. Continuing
• For clarity, instructions should be organised with headings to summarise each new part Secondly …
of the task and numbered lists or bullet points to list information step by step. Second …
• It should be clear to the reader what to do when the task is complete. Then …
• Instructions and warnings use clear language and contain only essential information. Next …
• Sentences are often short and direct to prioritise key information. Ending
Finally …
Model answers Notice
Linking words for Before …
time After …

Stop!
As soon as …
While …
During …
At the same time …
Safety helmets must be worn on site at all times.
To finish …
At the end …

Adverbs of Always tell a member of staff if you feel unwell.

Guidelines frequency Never open the door while the kiln is in use.

Modals Visitors must sign in at reception.

Sample tests for drinking water Floors should be cleaned every day.
Windows must not be opened.
Follow the instructions to take samples of drinking water. Warning! All samples must
be sent to the laboratory within 24 hours of collection.
Organising information
Collection
There are different ways to help the reader follow instructions. These include:
1 Collect sample from a cold water tap.
2 Do not take samples from drinking water fountains or garden taps. Headings Use headings to break the information into sections to make it
3 Let the water run for one minute before taking the sample. easy to read.
4 Remove the cap from the sample bottle. On arrival
Safety checks
5 Avoid touching the top of the bottle or inside the bottle with fingers.
In the building
6 Fill the bottle to the 100 ml line. Do not overfill.
Before leaving
7 Replace the cap on the bottle.
8 Store sample in refrigerator. Bullet points and Use numbered lists when the order of information is important
lists and put the most important information first.
Testing In the event of a fire:
1 Deliver the water sample within 24 hours to laboratory 315. 1 Leave the area by the nearest exit.
2 Leave samples in laboratory during opening hours only: 2 Do not stop to take bags or coats.
9 a.m.–4 p.m, Monday–Friday. 3 Once away from the fire, phone emergency services.
3 Complete form 12AEW with name and the location where the sample was taken.
Use bullet points when the order of information is not essential.
4 Keep one copy of form 12AEW and attach the other copy to the sample. The reader can choose which points are most useful.
5 Samples must not be left at reception. • Leave work boots and hard hats in the staff room.
Test results • Report any loss of equipment to a supervisor.
1 Results are available within 48 hours. • Give the team leader the time sheet before leaving
the building.
2 Collect results online using website password shown on form 12AEW.
3 Contact laboratory reception with any queries about test results.

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5 Short reports Functional language

Lead-in The content and style of reports may differ from company to company. Consider these Section Function Examples
points when writing a report: Introduction It states the purpose of the The purpose of this report is to identify ways to reduce costs.
report. The aim of the report is to communicate the main findings from
• A short report might be sent in an email or as a separate document.
our recent research trip.
• Headings and bullet points are used to organise information.
• Sections of a report may include an introduction, findings, recommendations and Findings A summary of key findings, We found that less than half of those questioned would buy
a conclusion (the recommendations may sometimes function as a conclusion). e.g. results of experiments, the product again.
research or surveys. A small number of those interviewed disliked the material.
• Edit your report to check punctuation, spelling and grammar.
The results of the research show that fresh vegetables contain
more vitamins.
Model answer We discovered that the majority of those tested preferred
bottled water.
Introduction
Recommendations Bullet points or numbered lists The main recommendations are as follows:
The purpose of this report is to investigate a recent communication problem between may be used to highlight key • It is recommended that all employees undergo safety
the sales department and the warehouse, which led to significant delays in fulfilling information. training.
orders to some of our key customers. We looked into some of the issues which For more information on • The kitchen area should be cleaned every day.
contributed to the problem and then made recommendations to avoid any reoccurrence bullet points and lists, see
• The teams need to identify solutions.
for future orders. Instructions and warnings, in
section 4 of this Writing bank. • We might consider contacting suppliers to discuss possible
Findings price reductions.
Firstly, we interviewed members of staff in both the sales department and the warehouse Conclusion It summarises the main In summary, the sales promotion was a success.
in order to clarify details and explore why the problem occurred. We then spoke to the message of the report. The main conclusion is that objectives need to be clearly
customer service department to understand what impact this had on customers. communicated to the teams.
Until recently, the sales department sent orders to the warehouse using a computer system In conclusion, there will be major changes to company
which automatically raised the order and also sent an email confirmation to the warehouse. strategy.
The email confirmation was used by both departments to show any urgent orders and also
included information about any special requirements connected to the order.
We discovered that the sales department recently updated their computer software. Language and register
The sales team received full training in the new system but the warehouse team did not.
One of the main issues with the new software is that the warehouse no longer receives Sequencing Firstly, the calculations were checked.
additional notes with orders. As a result, the most recent communication from the sales Then the findings were compared with the same sales figures from the last financial year.
department did not inform the warehouse which orders were a priority. After that, the data was put into the computer system.
We found that the warehouse administration team arranged a delivery schedule in the Finally, we looked at strategies which could improve the process.
sequence that each order arrived. Unfortunately, they did not check the delivery
schedule with the sales department. As a consequence, Customer Services received five Communicating We discovered that the security system had not worked.
complaints from clients because their goods were received after the agreed date. Two of findings One of the key issues is the location of the business.
the complaints were from major customers. As a result, the team was able to improve the design.
As a consequence, the wrong goods were delivered.
Recommendations
We recommend the following suggestions for consideration: Personal or We can be used to indicate that more than one person was involved in gathering the information
• Provide training for all departments when new computer software in installed. impersonal? included in a report. It can also be used to deliver the information in the report in a more formal
and less personal style.
• Carry out a risk assessment to identify potential issues before software is updated.
I researched ways that new technology could improve communication.
• The sales team need to inform the warehouse about urgent orders.
We looked into ways to improve customer experience in our stores.
• The warehouse administration team should check final delivery schedules with the Information can also be made more impersonal through the use of grammar. Compare:
sales department.
I asked the sales team to prepare a report. (Past Simple)
• A weekly briefing meeting between the Sales Manager and the Warehouse Manager
The sales team was asked to prepare a report. (Past Simple passive)
would be useful in order to improve communication between the departments.
• Send a letter of apology and a credit note to customers who experienced late delivery.

Conclusion
In summary, the findings show that good communication is essential between all
departments. This is especially important when there are changes in one department
which might have an impact on another, such as technological improvements. It is also
vital that we communicate with our customers and are open when problems occur. The
main conclusion is that all teams need to learn from any communication issues so that
we can continue to improve and find solutions, not only within our company but also for
our clients.

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