Why Most Work Messages Fail
Grammar: BE-1
A Business English English lesson exploring business.
What's in this lesson
A Business English ESL lesson on business, practising be-1. The worksheet has a reading, target vocabulary, a grammar reference with practice and discussion questions.
From the reading: Why Most Work Messages Fail
Roughly 28 percent of the working week is spent on email, according to a widely cited McKinsey Global Institute study. That is more than eleven hours for the average professional. Yet much of this effort is wasted, because the message does not convey what the writer intended. A request is read as an order. A deadline is misunderstood. A polite hint is ignored completely.
Vocabulary
- about
- of
- on
- to
Grammar: BE-1
- Informal signals
- Can you sort this out ASAP? — contractions, phrasal verbs, vague deadline
- Neutral signals
- Can you fix this by Friday? — plain verb, clear date, no slang
Discussion questions
- Tell me about a time a message at work confused you.
- When did you last have to re-read an email several times?
- Have you ever misunderstood a colleague's tone in writing?
Why Most Work Messages Fail
Grammar: BE-1
What's in this lesson:
Full lesson plan with reading, grammar, vocabulary, and discussion.
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