LET’S START!

In pairs, discuss how people can

be impolite in these situations.
UNIT 2
Manners &
1 at a movie
2 while driving a car
3 in a restaurant
4 on public transportation

etiquette

E
PL
M
SA

UNIT OBJECTIVES
 Read about netiquette
Unit 2: Manners & etiquette

 Write an anecdote about a time

someone was rude to you
 Listen to people discussing
changing rules of etiquette
 Discuss appropriate behaviour in
different situations
 Create an e-newsletter 17
informing employees of
Look at the photos of people being impolite. What exactly etiquette policies
are they doing wrong? What would you say to them?
Discuss.
 MEMO
From: HR

To: New Employees

READING STRATEGY
Subject: Netiquette We Take
Seriously Many texts are written with
a clear purpose in mind.
Date: 12 February 2014 Knowing that purpose can help
you better understand the text.

The purpose of this memo is to share our company’s netiquette policy. We understand that everyone employed by this
company has a basic sense of netiquette, or the unwritten rules of etiquette we need to follow when we participate in
Internet communication. However, what individuals believe to be proper netiquette varies widely. This memo is part of
ongoing efforts to make our expectations of employee netiquette more uniform and understandable.

Remember the Person

E
Whether you use a computer to compose an email or post a message on an internal discussion board, it is important never to
forget that you are communicating with other people. In the anonymous world of the Internet, sometimes people feel they can
be rude to others because there is little or no risk of an in-person confrontation. As employees of this company, you should
PL
always treat each other in the same ethical manner online as you would if you were speaking together in person. For example,
you would never shout at a colleague in the office; likewise, in emails or posts, do not use capital letters unnecessarily. In
Internet communication, using all capitals is the same as shouting, and it can be considered rude. Emoticons such as :-)
(smile) or ;-) (wink) are a good way to share emotions online, as long as they are not overused. In addition, it is important to
remember that certain kinds of humor which are funny in person don’t always work in written communication. What might be
a funny or sarcastic remark in person could lead to a misunderstanding when written in an email or a post.
M
Texting Language
While texting language terms such as LOL, OMG, or gr8 have become very popular, we discourage their use in company
communications as they have an unprofessional feel. Please make an effort to follow proper English usage in your written
SA

company communications.

Composing Emails
Your company email account is to be used for company business only. Any unauthorized private use of your account is
strictly prohibited. In addition, when you write emails, please keep your messages as brief as possible. All of our employees
are busy and don’t have time to read long messages. You can do your part to reduce everyone’s workload by keeping
messages short and to the point. Always fill in the subject line with a phrase describing the content of the email in order to let
people know what it is about before they actually open it. This important convention is easy to do and saves everyone time.
Another email convention encouraged in this company is using a signature at the end of all messages with your name, job
title, and contact information. This makes it much easier for people to identify and contact you.

Email Attachments
If you have a very large file to send, do not send it as an email attachment. Large attachments slow down the system, which
impacts everyone. If you have a large file to send, be courteous and use one of the many free online file-sharing services
such as RapidSend.

Replying to Emails
When you receive an important email that you don’t have time to deal with straight away, try to send a quick reply so the
sender will know you got it. If you receive a message at work copied to several email addresses, it is proper netiquette to
Reply All when writing a response. However, when you are writing about unimportant matters, it is a good idea to remove the
email addresses of senior staff members. There is no need to distract them with information they don’t need to be informed
B2.3

about. And most importantly, never distribute employee email addresses to people outside the company, either in emails or in
posts. If email addresses are not kept confidential, it can result in employees receiving spam or other unwanted messages
18 at work.
We understand new employees may need some time to get used to these guidelines. If you bring an example of poor
netiquette to a colleague’s attention, please be understanding and courteous. We appreciate your assistance in making sure
that all of our employees use proper netiquette.
 Lesson 1 2

READING
A Skim the memo. What is its purpose?

a to inform new employees about company policy b to warn new employees that rude behaviour must stop
c to praise new employees for their excellent manners d to let employees know what emoticons to use in emails

B Which points of netiquette C Circle T (true) or F (false).

in the reading do you agree
with? Which do you disagree
with? Discuss.
1 T / F Emoticons are not supposed to be used in employee emails.
2 T / F Sarcastic jokes in employee emails are not recommended.
3 T / F Company email accounts may be used for personal emails.
4 T / F The company wants employees to close emails with a signature.
5 T / F Large files should be sent using an online file-sharing service.
6 T / F Staff members copied in on an email must always be copied in on the reply.
7 T / F The company encourages the use of texting language.

E
D Write questions for the answers. E Complete the nominal and
participle clauses from the
1  memo.
PL
It is the unwritten rules of etiquette for Internet communication.
1 employed
2  company
Because there is no risk of an in-person confrontation. 2 what individuals
3   netiquette
M
It means the same thing as shouting. 3 what might
 person
4 
They should be brief whenever possible. 4 describing
email
SA

5 
5 encouraged
You should send a quick reply so the sender will know you got it.
company
6  6 receiving
It can result in employees receiving spam at work.  work

F Complete the sentences with the words in bold from the memo.

1 I know a few words in Russian, but I’m not sure about their proper
.
2 I thought she stole my computer, but she only borrowed it! It was just a
.
3 Pretending you’re someone else online can be fun, but it’s not really
.
Unit 2: Manners & etiquette

4 Could you email me that file again? I can’t open the .

5 Are you willing to in a short netiquette survey?
WORD WORK
6 use of company vehicles will result in dismissal.
Use vs. Usage
7 Ed insulted his colleague during a heated in her office. The noun use is general and
8 By , a fork is placed on the table to the left of the plate. employed much more widely
than the noun usage. Usage
9 Personal information about employees is strictly . implies something conventional or 19
customary, such as how language
is customarily spoken or written (for
example, English usage).
 2

WRITING
G Complete the email with the phrases in the box.

do people care if you’re a few minutes for inviting people we meet to our house what is the general sense of time
late
from someone immediately or refuse it a when presents are appropriate
don’t want to offend anyone or be rude few times

MY_MAIL MY_MAIL MY_MAIL

From: Jake Lewis

Subject: Visiting your home country

Guess what! Sheila and I are going to live in your home country this year! We’re a little concerned,
though, because we don’t know the MY_MAIL
customs and we (1) MY_MAIL
. So, we
have a few questions for you. MY_MAIL MY_MAIL MY_MAIL

First, (2) ? I mean, in what kinds of situations is it better to be Give one or

early, late, or on time? For example, (3) MY_MAIL when you’re meeting two examples
to have coffee?

E
We were also wondering (4) . We’d love to give gifts to our new
friends, but we wouldn’t want it to be awkward in any way. We’re also not sure if it’s more polite to Explain some
unwrap a gift (5) . usual customs
PL
We were also wondering about the proper etiquette (6) . Is that
normally done, and is there anything we should know so that we don’t seem rude? Give some
advice
We really hope you can meet us once we’ve settled in. Will you be our first visitor?

Talk to you soon, Of course! Let

me know…
Jake
M

H Read the email and notes in G. Complete the last note with your own I In pairs, write examples of
SA

information, and then write a response to Jake. Write about 160 words. how people can be rude. Then
discuss what you would do in
each situation.
J Read Lisa’s anecdote and number the sections in the correct order.
1 at a sports event


A ¨ B ¨
Ten minutes later, a woman walked On Thursday afternoon, I was 2 waiting in line
up and got in front of me in the line! standing in line at the post office 
I tapped her on the shoulder and waiting to mail some letters. There 
asked, ‘Excuse me, ma’am, do were a lot of people, so I made
you have a number?’ At first she sure to take a number before I 3 in a class
ignored me, but when I tapped her stood in line. 
shoulder again, she just looked at 
me and made a shrugging gesture. D ¨ 4 visiting someone’s home
I couldn’t believe it! You won’t believe what happened

to me last week. I think it might

C ¨ be the most inconsiderate thing
Has something like this ever someone has ever done to me!
happened to you? I’m surprised K Write an anecdote (120–150
someone could be so disrespectful! words) about a time someone
B2.3

An anecdote is a short story was exceptionally rude to you.

20 that a person tells about
something that happened to HOMEWORK
them. Anecdotes are often
funny or surprising. Complete Activity K at home if
necessary.
 Lesson 2 2

LANGUAGE BUILDER
A Look at the pictures and complete the sentences with the words in the box.

behaviour blunder conduct courtesy etiquette manners old-fashioned proper rule

1 Please 2 What is the 3 We have an 4 Some

animal
yourself way to hold fridge in our
like a chopsticks? kitchen. is similar
gentleman. to the way
humans
behave.

5 6 7 8 9
Never

Always

One In many parts of Dining My mother-in-law’s He’s cute, but his

E
in this park is that you Asia, when two is name is Shelly, but table
cannot step off the people meet for the a set of polite I accidentally called need a lot of
trail. first time, they bow practices related to her Sarah. What improvement.
to show a !
.
PLeating.

B Circle the correct answers. C Complete the sentences with the words in the box.
People call me (1) old-fashioned /
etiquette because I love the way behaviour blunder conduct courtesy manners proper
people did things long ago. I wish I
M
lived when it was good (2) manners 1 Knocking before entering a room is just common .
/ courtesy for a man to remove
his hat in front of a lady. You know, 2 Be quiet and mind your .
back when wearing torn jeans was
a fashion (3) rule / blunder , not a 3 All employees must follow a code of .
SA

fashion statement. Of course, I don’t

blame people today for having such
terrible (4) behaviour / proper . It’s
because nobody teaches them how
to (5) courtesy / conduct themselves
in public!
4 Jill is a little boring because she is so prim and .
5 The prisoner’s sentence was shortened due to good .
6 Using a soup spoon to stir your coffee isn’t such a serious .

D Track 4 Listen and circle
the correct answers.
1 Why is the woman embarrassed?
a She forgot to thank her boss.
b She didn’t bring her boss a gift.
c She forgot to put her napkin in
her lap.
2 What was the TV show about?
a bad manners
b human and animal behaviour
E In pairs, ask and answer the questions.
1 Do you think you are modern or old-fashioned? Why?
2 How can we teach children to have good manners?
3 In what ways can we show courtesy to elderly or disabled people?
4 What are some examples of bad conduct in sports?
5 What patterns of behaviour have you noticed from people in this class?
6 Do you think it is proper to wear jeans to work? Why?
Unit 2: Manners & etiquette

7 What is an example of a social blunder someone might make at a party?

c dining etiquette
3 What is the problem with Joey? 8 If you had the power, what rule would you make everyone follow?
a His conduct at school is
unacceptable.
b His manners at school are
unacceptable. USEFUL EXPRESSIONS
c His etiquette at school is
unacceptable. It’s good rule of thumb to keep most 21
4 Why did the woman like the emails under 100 words.
wedding?
a It was proper. The hotel provides guests with a free
b It was old-fashioned. daily newspaper as a courtesy.
c It was modern.
 2

Nominal clauses

Why you did that is a mystery to me. From what I saw, you were being very rude.
Young people these days can be whoever they want. The fact that you’re avoiding my calls means there’s a problem.
The insult was that he lied to her face. I’m amazed that you even bothered to call.

On the Internet, people think they can write whatever comes to their mind.
You can call him what you like, but I think he’s nice.
I think I’ll give what you suggest a try.

F Answer the questions. G Correct the sentences.

1 What words begin the nominal clauses in the chart? 1 I hope they’ll what make you recommended a habit.
 

2 What are the main verbs of the nine sentences in the 2 I’m shocked who he even wanted to go.

chart?
 3 In college, people dream that they can become
 wherever they want.

E

3 Are nominal clauses independent or dependent 
clauses?
4 The blunder was that he forgotten her name.

PL 
4 In the first seven sentences in the chart, which part of 5 The fact they’re running away that means they’re afraid
speech could replace the nominal clause? of us.
a adjective b noun c verb 
6 What from I heard, Chris was being extremely nice.

M
H Complete the second sentence so that it has a
similar meaning to the first sentence. Use no more 7 Why she does that a problem for me.
than five words including the word given. 
8 You can tell her what you want her do, but I think she
SA

1 From the view I had, the confrontation looked like his

fault. (saw) won’t like hearing it.

From , the confrontation 
looked like his fault.
9 Young people in the past couldn’t whoever marry they
2 Behaviour training classes are really needed for that dog. wanted.
(needs) 
is behaviour training 
classes.
3 I’ll go to the dance with the person that asks me first. I Complete the sentences with your own opinions
(whoever) about manners and etiquette. Then discuss your
I’ll go to the dance with . answers with a partner.
4 The shocking thing is his terrible etiquette. (that) 1 I’ll never understand why some older people … .
The shocking thing is . 2 Whoever has travelled to another country has learned … .
5 A polite dinner guest must eat anything that is served. 3 Why some young people … is a mystery to me.
(whatever)
4 I definitely admire whoever … .
A polite dinner guest must eat .
5 From what I’ve seen, … .
6 I’m really sorry about not sending a card. (didn’t)
6 The fact that people are online so much … .
I’m really sorry .
7 Whoever wants to improve their manners should … .
B2.3

8 I’m not happy that some people … .

22
J In groups, discuss your answers in I.
 Lesson 3 2

COMMUNICATION
A Track 5 Listen and circle the correct answers.

1 Who never looks at a smartphone on a date? 5 Who has a copy of Emily Post’s book?
a Jack a Reggie
b Reggie b Jack
c Carol c Carol
2 Reggie wishes he could __. 6 Who says he is old-fashioned?
a study modern etiquette a Jack
b stop worrying about etiquette b Reggie
c turn back the clock c Carol
3 Who read an article about etiquette? 7 Reggie says good manners are important for getting __.
a Reggie a a date
b Jack b a job
c Carol c into college
4 What did Carol and Reggie make fun of? 8 In the future, Reggie thinks young people’s manners will __.
a the article that Jack read a improve
b Emily Post’s book b worsen
c George Washington’s rules of etiquette c continue unchanged

B Track 5 Listen again. C Track 5 Listen again. What rules of etiquette do you hear? Write notes.
Circle T (true) or F (false).

E
1 T / F The first known book on
etiquette was written in 2400 B.C.
Rules of Etiquette
2 T / F The word etiquette originated
in the United States.
PL
3 T / F George Washington was
the first person to use the term
netiquette.
4 T / F George Washington wrote 110
rules of etiquette.
5 T / F Emily Post wrote a book on
M
etiquette in 1922.
6 T / F The title of Emily Post’s
book was Etiquette—In Society, In
Business, In Politics, and At Home.
SA

7 T / F Carol thinks Emily Post’s book

is up-to-date.
8 T / F Jack and Reggie think Emily
Post would probably oppose wearing
jeans to work.

D Track 5 Complete the conversation. Then listen to check your answers. E In what ways do you think
A: Did you know that in 1746, when George Washington was only 14 years old, etiquette and manners are
he wrote 110 rules of (1) on how to properly behave? changing today? Do you wish
we could turn back the clock,
B: Wow. I can imagine some of the (2) . ‘Always take your hat or do you like the direction
off when a lady enters the room.’
things are going? Discuss in
C: Or, ‘Always lay your coat across a puddle for a (3) to walk pairs.
over.’
B: Or, ‘A lady must never leave the house without gloves on.’ I think people don’t dress up
as much as they used to.
A: You guys are too funny. Anyway, in 1922 the American author Emily Post
Unit 2: Manners & etiquette

wrote a very influential (4) entitled Etiquette—In Society, In

Business, In Politics, and At Home.
Yeah, I agree. Casual
C: Oh my goodness! I have that book at home! I think it’s great! clothes seem to be
B: Wow, Reggie. No wonder you’re so (5) . The etiquette in accepted nearly
that book is completely out-of-date. everywhere now.

C: Well, I may be old-fashioned, Carol, but good (6) are never

out-of-date, because employers aren’t interested in hiring
(7) people with bad manners. 23
A: That’s true, Reggie, but the definition of (8) is changing all
the time. I mean, Emily Post probably wrote that wearing jeans to work or
restaurants is unacceptable.
 2

F In pairs, imagine you are writing a book on etiquette. Each student picks one column and brainstorms one rule
of etiquette for each photo. Discuss your answers.

Student A Student B

E
PL
M
SA

G Discuss in pairs. Then share your ideas with the class.

1 How are the rules of etiquette different in your two pictures?

2 How are they the same?
3 Which situation do you prefer? Why?

H Work in groups. Suggest rules of behaviour or etiquette to the group. Discuss whether the rules are old-
fashioned or modern and relevant. Complete the chart with five rules for each category.

Rules of behaviour or etiquette

Old-Fashioned Modern and Relevant

1  1 
 
2  2 
 
3  3 
B2.3

 
24 4  4 
 
5  5 
 
 Lesson 4 2

LANGUAGE BUILDER
A Look at the pictures. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the words in the box.

appreciate appropriate care considerate disrespect gesture impolite offend respect

1 2 3 4

If you about He me by What does this I really

others, you should cover your sticking out his tongue! mean in these flowers. Thanks!
mouth when you sneeze. your culture?

5 6 7 8 9

Mike Taking off your hat is a It’s very These shoes aren’t Please be

E
Sarah when he forgot sign of . to talk loudly in a for and stop using your
her birthday. library. running. smartphones!

B Match the definitions to the words. C Complete the text with the
PL words from A.
1 appreciate ¨ a having bad manners or etiquette
It has come to our attention that certain
2 appropriate ¨ b rudeness or discourtesy
employees aren’t following office rules
3 care ¨ c to be grateful or thankful for something
of etiquette. We do not want to
4 considerate ¨ d showing concern or interest
(1) anyone by
5 disrespect ¨ e positive feeling of esteem for a person mentioning names—we simply want
M
6 gesture ¨ f to hurt someone’s feelings to resolve the issue. One significant
7 impolite ¨ g suitable for a particular purpose problem is the dress code. People are
8 offend ¨ h a body movement with a particular meaning wearing things like ripped
9 respect ¨ i to be concerned for or aware of others’ feelings jeans and other clothes that are not
SA

(2) in an office.
Dirty or torn clothes show
D In pairs, complete the chart. If necessary, use a dictionary to help you. (3) for our workplace
and your colleagues. Another issue is
Noun Verb Adjective people talking loudly on their phones
and disturbing their coworkers. Please
appreciate
show (4) for others by
be appropriate appropriate keeping your voices down. Our office
walls don’t keep out any sound, so
care please be (5) of your
considerate neighbours. One final problem is a
certain hand (6) that
disrespect disrespect some of our younger employees use to
gesture X greet one another. The president feels
that this is (7) and asks
be polite impolite that you stop using it. As always, we
offend (8) about your opinions,
Unit 2: Manners & etiquette

so please stop by the HR office if you

respect have any questions.

E Interview a partner.

1 How could a company show that it cares about its workers?
2 Tell me about an important favour someone did for you.
How did you show your appreciation?
3 What kinds of casual clothes are considered appropriate
in workplaces these days?
4 In what ways can people be considerate of others on
public transportation?
5 What types of gestures are popular in your home culture? 25
Do they mean the same thing in English-speaking
cultures?
6 Tell me about a time that someone was impolite to you.
 2

Participle clauses

There was a woman yelling at her children in front of everyone.

If you think you’ve received a message containing spam, just delete it.
People exchanging emails often forget to be polite.

Sally was the only one not informed about our netiquette policies.
The man caught deleting emails was later let go.
Sometimes people involved in the merger expect immediate replies to their emails.

F Write the correct answers. G Correct the sentences.

1 Do participle clauses come before 1 There is a man talked loudly on his phone in the library.
or after the noun they modify? 
 2 I think I heard a man spoken disrespectfully to the mayor.
 
2 With which verb tenses can you 3 Students found are writing on their desks will be sent to the principal’s office.
use participle clauses? 

E

4 I think I was the only person told not about the new dress code.


3 Which present participles appear in
PL
5 Commuters are rushing home frequently impolite to each other.
the participle clauses in the chart? 

6 The window broke by that youngster has already been replaced.


4 Which past participles appear in 7 Any employee not comply with company policy will be reprimanded.
the participle clauses in the chart? 
M

 8 The employee was parked in the president’s space was told to move his car.

SA

H Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the I Complete the story with the
first sentence. Use no more than five words including the correct form correct form of the words
of the word given. in brackets and your own
information.
1 An employee that had flip flops on was sent home today. (wear)
An employee was told to go home today. I was a stranger in town. I saw
2 Several employees that the boss disrespected have complained. (offend) two old men (1) (play)
Several employees boss have filed complaints. in front of a hotel (2)
3 Anyone ignoring the office dress code will be reprimanded. (follow) (paint). There was music
Anyone the dress code policy will be put on (3) (come).
probation. The hotel had a front door
4 Any office equipment that is taken out of the building must be signed out. (4) (make). I went inside
(remove) and spoke to a young man
Any office equipment the building must be (5) (stand). There was a
authorized by HR. picture of a big man
5 Letters that customers receive must be written on company stationery. (send) (6) (hold) on the wall
Business letters the company must be written on behind him. I asked the clerk if
official stationery. there were mice
6 Lunches left in the employee refrigerator will be disposed of each night. (7) (live). He said no,
(take out) because he had a cat
Lunches of the employee refrigerator will be thrown (8) (train). I asked for a
away each evening.
B2.3

room (9) (face), and he

gave me a key.
26 J In pairs, tell your story in I. Discuss any differences in your answers.

I was a stranger in town. I saw two men playing chess in front of a

hotel painted bright yellow. There was music coming from inside ...
 Lesson 5 2

PRE-TASK
A You are going to create an e-newsletter with guidelines on proper etiquette and conduct for a multinational
corporation. Tick the areas that might be addressed in such an e-newsletter.

1 3 4
2

food consumed at work commuting to work phone calls at work

dress code

5 7
6

greeting people in the office reading books

office and cubicle appearance

E
In groups, create a company. Brainstorm the information and create a company logo.

Company name:  Your

Type of company: 
PL corporate
logo:
Number of employees: 
Countries you do business in: 
M
C Brainstorm ideas for the introductory paragraph of D Brainstorm etiquette and conduct guidelines for
your e-newsletter. Write notes. your company. Write notes.
SA

Phone etiquette (answering Netiquette (including email)

calls, personal phone use,
etc.)

Dress code Cubicle conduct

(decorations, neatness,
noise, etc.)

Greeting company guests Employee spaces and food

and employees
Unit 2: Manners & etiquette

Other

27
 2

TASK
E Now create your e-newsletter. Include your company logo, an introductory paragraph, and guidelines for each
of the areas you brainstormed. Give each area its own heading.

 
 
 
 
 

E
 
 
 

PL 
 
 
 
 
M
 
 
 
SA

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

POST-TASK
F Imagine that your classmates are employees of G Invite employees to ask questions about the
B2.3

your company and that your group members are information you presented.
human resources officers. Present the information
28 in your e-newsletter to your employees.