[Writing] Business Email Exercise

Usage of common phrase in business email

Apologizing: We would like to offer our sincere apologies for our mistake.
Attachments: Please find the document attached
Clarifications: There several points we don't quite understand; we feel there may have been misunderstanding between us
Closing: We look forward to receiving your reply; Regards, Joe Blunt
Complaints: We are very surprised and disappointed by this.
Congratulations: We would like to congratulate you on your recent good news.
Meeting: Would Tuesday 26 October be convenient for you? ; Would it be possible to postpone the meeting until next week?
Openings: We are waiting to inquire about...; I am writing on behalf of...
Orders: Re oder no. XJ 8103; Goods shipped today
Payments: We have not yet received payment for order no.XJ 8103. Could you please attend to this matter as soon as possible.
Requests: We would be very grateful if you could send us your catalogue and current price list.
Suggestions: Another option would be to...
Thanks: We would just like to express our gratitude for all your help in this matter.

[Vocabulary] Phrasal Verbs with GET

Below we have a list of Phrasal verbs that begin with GET and then an explanation of each one with some examples

• Get across
• Get along
• Get on with
• Get around
• Get at
• Get away
• Get Down
• Get down to
• Get over

1. Get across
• to communicate
• to make someone understand something. (Especially if the details are too difficult to understand or if the person being explained to understands poorly).
• Although I couldn't speak the language, I managed to get my meaning across when necessary.
• Your meaning didn't really get across.
2. Get along - Get on with (Get on is used more in Britain)
• to have a good/friendly relationship with someone
• Even though there are six of them sharing the house , they all get on well with each other.
• He doesn't get along well with his mother-in-law
• Our new boss is very easy to get on with.
3. Get around
• To become known. To spread or circulate. If news or information gets around, people tell other people, so that soon many people know about it.
• It's a small place, so news and gossip get around pretty quickly.
• The news of his arrest got around quickly.
• New soon got around the Matthew was back in town.
• To find a way of avoiding a difficult or unpleasant situation, so that you don't have to deal with it.
• There is no way of getting around it - you are going to have to tell her the truth.
• Isn't there any way getting around the regulations?
4. Get at
• To reach, to access to something.
• The cupboard is to high for me to get at.
• The report is locked in the cabinet and I can't get at them.
• To suggest something indirectly, to imply. (used only in the continuous tense)
• What exactly are you getting at? (= trying to say, suggest)
5. Get away
• To go way from someone or something
• Get away from me!
• Get away from that cake!
• It's was so busy that Francisca could get away from the phone all day.
• to escape from someone who are chasing you.
• They tried to get away from the police but thy weren't quick enough.
• to have a holiday
• We hope to get away for the couple of weeks around Christmas.
6. Get Down
• To cause someone to be depressed
• This weather is getting me down.
• Don'r let these problems get you down to much.
7. Get down to
• To reach the point of dealing with something.
• to begin to work on something seriously. To give serious attention to something.
• To finally start doing something, after you have been avoiding it or after something has prevented you from doing it.
• Now, let's get down to business.
• It's time I got down to some serious work.
8. Get over
• To recover from something or return to you usual state of health or happiness.
• I thought he would never get over he illness.
• It look her a long time to get over their separation.
• He never got over the shock of losing his wife.
• To overcome o deal with or gain control of something.
• She can't get over her shyness.
9. Can't get over
• To be amazed or surprised by something.
• I can't get over how much your kids have grown.

Source: http://www.vocabulary.cl/Advanced/Phrasal_Verbs/GET.htm

[Grammar]Like vs. As

Differentiate LIKE and AS

LIKE

The structure of the sentence is usually: VERB + LIKE + NOUN/PRONOUN

• He speaks like a native speaker
• She looks like a supermodel.

AS

The structure of the sentence is usually: AS + SUBJECT + VERB

• Nobody sings as she does.
• They went to the party as they were

It is very common in American English to use LIKE instead of AS. However, it is generally considered informal to use in this way.

• We play football like champions do.

Another use of AS is to say what the role/function of person/thing is

• He started work as a carpenter.
• She used the tapestry as a decoration in her living room

LIKE vs. AS

Be careful, in similar sentences that use LIKE and AS, the meaning of each sentence are very different.  For example:

• As your boss, I must warn your to be careful. (I'm your boss.)
• Like your boss, I must warn you to be careful. (I am not your boss, but he/she and I have similar attitudes.)

AS IF

In English we also use as if to make comparisons. However, it has a few distinct characteristics to its use:

1. The verb after AS IF is always in the past subjunctive, no matter what tense the sentence is.
2. If the verb BE directly follow AS IF, we use were for all personal pronouns.

• He looks as if he knew the answer.

(The verb looks indicates this sentence is in the present - the the verb after AS IF - Knew - is in the past subjunctive).

• She walks as if she were a supermodel.

(The verb after AS IF - be - has been changed to were and not was).

• He boarded the air plane as if he were a seasoned traveler.
• He spends money as if he owned a bank.

Source: http://www.grammar.cl/Notes/Like_vs_As.htm