Business English- Christmas Cards Do's & Don't's

Business English- Christmas Cards Do's & Don't's

Imperatives and conjunctions practice/ Giving instructions and giving reasons

 

Imperatives practice

Write the correct positive or negative imperatives in the sentences below depending on whether you think they are things you should or shouldn't do.

___________________________________ (send) a business Xmas card to a client's home address, _____________________________________ (send) it to their office.

________________________ (handwrite) something in your business Christmas cards.

_____________________________________ (make) homemade business Xmas cards

_____________________________________ (send) separate Xmas cards to each person you deal with in a client company or a supplier, including secretaries and assistants

____________________________________________ (buy) Christmas cards in January

__________________________ (write) the same message in every card that you send

_______________________________________________________________ (include) the names of a business associate’s family in a business Xmas card

_____________________________________________________ (write, print or stamp) your company name in the Christmas card

________________________________________________________________ (send) two separate Xmas cards if your friend or family member is also your business associate

_________________________________________________________________ (send) Christmas cards with general, non-religious messages and pictures like “Happy Holidays” or “Season's Greetings” to your overseas clients

____________________________________________ (buy) Xmas cards from a charity

________________________________________________________________ (send) Xmas cards made of recycled paper and clearly marked as such

Match the sentences to the sentences on the next page giving reasons for the things above, then use the reasons to check your original answers above.

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Reasons to match to the imperatives

The main reason for this is to show that they are important enough for you to spend time on.

 

to show that your company is caring and matches the ideals of Xmas.

 

One reason for this is to help them keep all their business Xmas cards together in case they need to send replies.

 

This is because it looks cheap.

 

as any business cards you include might become separated from the Xmas card, making it difficult for them to remember who it is from.

 

as it makes your company look ecologically friendly.

 

in order to avoid offending people who are not Christian.

 

so that you don't have to worry too much about sending them a similar card or message as you send to people you know less well.

 

in order to get them on your side next time their boss has to make a decision involving your company.

 

so that you can get them half price.

 

in case two people compare cards and see you have not put any thought into what you have written.

 

to show a personal touch.

 

Check your answers with the answer key and add the correct punctuation you see there to the sentences above.

Underline all the expressions for joining ideas together and giving reasons above.

Tell your partner some things you do and don't do at Xmas (either at work or at home) and see if they can make a correct sentence with the reason why you do it or don't do it.

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Suggested answers

Many of the things below vary from situation to situation, so please ask about any you wrote differently.

Don't send a business Xmas card to a client's home address, send it to their office. One reason for this is to help them keep all their business Xmas cards together in case they need to send replies.

Handwrite something in your business Christmas cards. The main reason for this is to show that they are important enough for you to spend time on.

Don’t make homemade business Xmas cards. This is because it looks cheap.

Send separate Xmas cards to each person you deal with in a client company or a supplier, including secretaries and assistants in order to get them on your side next time their boss has to make a decision involving your company.

Buy Christmas cards in January so that you can get them half price.

Don't write the same message in every card you send, in case two people compare cards and see you have not put any thought into what you have written.

Include the names of a business associate’s family in a business Xmas card to show a personal touch.

Write, print or stamp your company name in the Christmas card, as any business cards you include might become separated from the Xmas card, making it difficult for them to remember who it is from

Send two separate Xmas cards if your friend or family member is also your business associate so that you don't have to worry too much about sending them a similar card or message as you send to people you know less well.

Send Christmas cards with general, non-religious messages and pictures like “Happy Holidays” or “Season's Greetings” to your overseas clients in order to avoid offending people who are not Christian.

Buy Xmas cards from a charity to show that your company is caring and matches the ideals of Xmas.

Send Xmas cards made of recycled paper and clearly marked as such, as it makes your company look ecologically friendly.

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Linking phrases practice

Without looking back at the previous worksheets, add one word to each of the sentences below

Don't send a business Xmas card to a client's home address, send it to their office. One ___________________ for this is to help them keep all their business Xmas cards together in case they need to send replies.

Handwrite something in your business Christmas cards. The ______________ reason for this is to show that they are important enough for you to spend time on.

Don’t make homemade business Xmas cards. This is _______________ it looks cheap.

Send separate Xmas cards to each person you deal with in a client company or a supplier, including secretaries and assistants _____________ order to get them on your side next time their boss has to make a decision involving your company.

Buy Christmas cards in January so ____________ you can get them half price.

Don't write the same message in every card you send, ______________ case two people compare cards and see you have not put any thought into what you have written.

Include the names of a business associate’s family in a business Xmas card ___________ show a personal touch.

Write, print or stamp your company name in the Christmas card, ______________ any business cards you include might become separated from the Xmas card, making it difficult for them to remember who it is from.

Send two separate Xmas cards if your friend or family member is also your business associate ___________ that you don't have to worry too much about sending them a similar card or message as you send to people you know less well.

Send Christmas cards with general, non-religious messages and pictures like “Happy Holidays” or “Season's Greetings” to your overseas clients in __________ to avoid offending people who are not Christian.

Buy Xmas cards from a charity ________ show that your company is caring and matches the ideals of Xmas.

Send Xmas cards made of recycled paper and clearly marked as such, _______ it makes your company look ecologically friendly.

Check your answers above.

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Instructions language practice

Choose one of the situations below and give your partner instructions on what to do and not to do, including reasons why. When they have guessed which situation you are talking about, discuss if they agree with your advice or not and why.

• Going to a dinner party at someone’s house
• Going to someone’s wedding
• Dismissing someone or making them redundant
• Telling a subordinate that they have done something wrong
• Asking your boss for a pay rise
• Quitting your job
• Socializing with your colleagues
• Chairing a meeting
• Meeting someone for the first time
• Applying for a job
• Sending a first email to someone you haven’t contacted before
• Having a job interview
• Running for president or prime minister of your country
• Being a CEO of a big company
• Fixing a jammed photocopier
• Fixing a jammed printer
• Writing a report
• Writing a note
• Taking a message
• Setting up a new answer machine.
• Writing a memo
• Getting rid of computer viruses
• Choosing a new computer
• Getting on with your colleagues

 

Continue the game above with other situations you can think of.