Business Hedging Register Shifts BE - Exercise Worksheet

Business English · BusinessRead the Room: Internal Comms That Workclassplan.aiGrammar

GrammarBusiness · Hedging & Register Shifts

Hedging & Register Shifts

Article excerpt · target grammar marked

Writing to a line manager calls for hedged requests — I was wondering whether it might be possible to... — while writing to a direct report typically allows greater directness — Please confirm by Friday. Neither approach is universally correct.

Grammar Reference · Hedging & Register Shifts

Hedged upward request

Use modal stacks to soften requests to senior contacts. I was wondering whether it might be possible to extend the deadline.

Direct downward

Use imperative + please for clear instructions to reports. Please send the updated figures by noon on Thursday.

Distancing modal

Use 'might' or 'may' to signal uncertainty or caution. There may be some aspects of the proposal we cannot accommodate.

Common error

Avoid informal contractions in formal emails upward. I can't make it. ✗ → I am unable to attend. ✓

01Exercise 1 — Form · Write the Correct Form

Hedging & Register Shifts

1.I wondering whether you could review the proposal before Thursday.

2.Please your attendance at the briefing by end of day.

3.There be some aspects of the plan that are difficult to implement.

4.I grateful if you could provide the updated figures by Friday.

5.It recommended that the Finance team be consulted before the decision is finalised.

6.I writing to follow up on our conversation from last week's briefing.

02Exercise 2 — Transform

rewrite with the new structure

1.Can you fix the schedule?

2.Send me the report today.

3.We can't do this.

4.Let's meet tomorrow.

03Exercise 3 — About You

in your notebook

Personalise: complete five sentences about yourself using the target grammar.

Hedging & Register Shifts01classplan.ai