Common Mistakes in Emails Pairwork- Speaking Error Correction Game

Emailing phrases pairwork error correction game

Work in twos (or threes) with one Student A worksheet and one Student B worksheet per group. Without showing your worksheet to your partner, try to work out whose version of each phrase below is the correct one and change the wrong version. There is always one right version and one wrong one, so you have to find the (only) correct one (not just the best phrase). The wrong ones could be the wrong function, grammatically incorrect, rude, etc.

Useful phrases for doing the activity Useful phrases for checking what your partner said “Can you say that again (more slowly)?”/ “Could you repeat the (last)…?” “Did you say… (or…)?”             “Can I check that back?”/ “Can I read that back?”   Useful phrases for discussing the activity “Mine says… (dot dot dot)” “… is different”/ “The difference is…”/ “Yours says… but mine says…” “I think my/ your version is correct/ wrong because…” “Okay, let’s move onto the next one”

 

Student A

Opening emails

Opening greetings

Opening greetings to one person

Dear Sirs or Madams

 

Dear Alex

 

Dear John. Hi!

Opening greetings to more than one person

To everyone

 

Dear all HR staff

Opening lines

Opening lines mentioning the last contact between you

Thanks for your quick reply.

 

It was a pleasure to meet you last week.

 

Sorry for my late replying.

Opening lines with the subject of the email

I write to you about your latest model.

 

This is just a quick note to say…

Social opening lines/ Friendly opening lines

I hope you are well.

 

How’s it going?

 

Body of the email

Mentioning information elsewhere (attachments, text pasted in, links, websites, etc)

Please find the information attached.

 

Please see the below information.

Requests

If possible, can you finish it by Friday?

 

… as possible as you can.

 

Could you send me…?

Enquiries/ Asking for information

First of all, I’d like to know…

 

I also have question about…

 

Could you tell me…?

Answering questions/ Giving information

In answer to first question,…

 

You also asked me about…

 

At last, here’s some information about...

Making arrangements/ Invitations

Would you like to go out for dinner on Wednesday?

 

… if you are convenient.

 

I love to come, but…

 

That would have been great, but at that time I’m meeting…

Making complaints

Unfortunately, it was not what I expected.

Closing emails

Closing lines

Closing lines talking about the next contact between you

I’m looking forward to your reply.

 

I look forward to hear from you.

 

If you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

 

Tomorrow is fine. See you later.

Closing lines for (big) requests

Thanks in advance.

Closing lines when responding to complaints/ apologising

I hope you are acceptable.

Social closing lines/ Friendly closing lines

Have a good weekend.

Other closing lines

Thanks again.

 

I hope it helps.

Closing greetings

Best wish

 

Best regards, Alex

Name at the end

Smith                                                                                       

 

 

 

Hint: The same number of lines are wrong on each worksheet.

Student B

Opening emails

Opening greetings

Opening greetings to one person

Dear Sir or Madam

 

Dear Mr Alex

 

Hi John

Opening greetings to more than one person

Hi everyone

 

To: All HR staff

Opening lines

Opening lines mentioning the last contact between you

Thanks for your quickly reply.

 

It was pleasure to meet you last week.

 

Sorry for my late reply.

Opening lines with the subject of the email

I’m writing to you about your latest model.

 

This is just quick note to say…

Social opening lines/ Friendly opening lines

I hope you well.

 

How are you going?

 

Body of the email

Mentioning information elsewhere (attachments, text pasted in, links, websites, etc)

Please check the attached file.

 

Please see the information below.

Requests

If possible, can you finish it until Friday?

 

… as soon as you can.

 

Please send me…

Enquiries/ Asking for information

At first, I’d like to know…

 

I also have a question about…

 

Please tell me…

Answering questions/ Giving information

In answer to your first question,…

 

You also ask me about…

 

Lastly, here’s some information about...

Making arrangements/ Invitations

Would you like to go out for dinner on this Wednesday?

 

… if you are available.

 

I’d love to come, but…

 

That would have been great, but at that time I will meet…

Making complaints

I’m afraid but it was not what I expected.

 

Closing emails

Closing lines talking about the next contact between you

I’m waiting for your reply.

 

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

If you need any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

 

Tomorrow is fine. See you then.

Closing lines for (big) requests

Thanks for cooperating.

Closing lines when responding to complaints/ apologising

I hope that is acceptable with you.

Social closing lines/ Friendly closing lines

Have good weekend.

Other closing lines

Thanks you again.

 

I hope that helps.

Closing greetings

Best wishes

 

Best regards, Alex Case

Name at the end

John Smith                                                                             

 

 

 

Hint: The same number of lines are wrong on each worksheet.

All errors stage

These are all wrong, so make sure these versions are not on your corrected worksheets.

Opening emails

Opening greetings

Opening greetings to one person

Dear Sirs or Madams

 

Dear Mr Alex

 

Dear John. Hi!

Opening greetings to more than one person

To everyone

 

Dear all HR staff

Opening lines

Opening lines mentioning the last contact between you

Thanks for your quickly reply.

 

It was pleasure to meet you last week.

 

Sorry for my late replying.

Opening lines with the subject of the email

I write to you about your latest model.

 

This is just quick note to say…

Social opening lines/ Friendly opening lines

I hope you well.

 

How are you going?

 

Body of the email

Mentioning information elsewhere (attachments, text pasted in, links, websites, etc)

Please check the attached file.

 

Please see the below information.

Requests

If possible, can you finish it until Friday?

 

… as possible as you can.

 

Please send me…

Enquiries/ Asking for information

At first, I’d like to know…

 

I also have question about…

Please tell me…

Answering questions/ Giving information

In answer to first question,…

 

You also ask me about…

 

At last, here’s some information about...

Making arrangements/ Invitations

Would you like to go out for dinner on this Wednesday?

 

… if you are convenient.

 

I love to come, but…

 

That would have been great, but at that time I will meet…

Making complaints

I’m afraid but it was not what I expected.

 

Closing emails

Closing lines

Closing lines talking about the next contact between you

I’m waiting for your reply.

 

I look forward to hear from you.

 

If you need any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

 

Tomorrow is fine. See you later.

Closing lines for (big) requests

Thanks for cooperating.

Closing lines when responding to complaints/ apologising

I hope you are acceptable.

Social closing lines/ Friendly closing lines

Have good weekend.

Other closing lines

Thanks you again.

 

I hope it helps.

Closing greetings

Best wish

 

Best regards, Alex

Name at the end

Case                                                                                        

 

Without looking at the previous worksheets, correct all the phrases above. Then check with the corrected versions of your original worksheets. Other corrections are possible, so please check if you changed it in a different way.

Brainstorming stage

Without looking above, write at least two suitable phrases of each kind below. Phrases not above are also fine as long as they match the category.

Opening

Opening greetings

Opening greetings to one person

 

 

 

 

Opening greetings to more than one person

 

 

 

 

Opening lines

Opening lines mentioning the last contact between you

 

 

 

 

Opening lines with the subject of the email

 

 

 

 

Social opening lines/ Friendly opening lines

 

 

 

 

Main body of the email

Mentioning information elsewhere (attachments, text pasted in, links, websites, etc)

 

 

 

Requests

 

 

 

Enquiries/ Asking for information

 

 

 

Answering questions/ Giving information

 

 

 

Making arrangements/ Invitations

 

 

 

Making complaints

 

 

 

Closing

Closing lines

Closing lines talking about the next contact between you

 

 

 

 

Closing lines for (big) requests

 

 

 

 

Closing lines when responding to complaints/ apologising

 

 

 

 

Other closing lines

 

 

 

 

Closing greetings

 

 

 

 

Name at the end

 

 

 

Use the worksheets above to help with the brainstorming task, brainstorm more, then compare your extra phrases as a class or with a big list of phrases.