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Section 1 / 8
Warm-up
Lesson 3
Emails & Business Correspondence
Business English B1Lesson 38 sections41 exercises
1.1
Emails & Business Correspondence
Today is about writing (and reading) emails that sound professional without sounding stiff — how to make a request, follow up firmly but politely, and handle a complaint.
1.2
After this lesson you'll be able to...
- Use correct email register and structure
- Make polite requests and firm follow-ups
- Write and respond to a complaint professionally
- Read a business email out loud fluently
1.3
Get to know each other (3 minutes)
- How many work emails do you write in English per week?
- What's the hardest kind of email for you to write — requests, complaints, or something else?
- Do you find English emails more or less direct than Ukrainian ones?
1.4
Say it out loud
Practise a professional opening line. → I hope this email finds you well.
1.5
Fact worth knowing
The average office worker receives over 120 emails a day — a clear subject line and a short first sentence dramatically increase the chance yours actually gets read (and answered).
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Section 2 / 8
Vocabulary
2.1
Email vocabulary
2.2
Email openers and closers
| I'm writing to follow up on… | Пишу, щоб дізнатись про статус… |
| I'd appreciate it if you could… | Буду вдячний, якщо ви зможете… |
| Please find attached… | Прикріплюю до листа… |
| I look forward to hearing from you. | З нетерпінням чекаю на відповідь. |
| Please don't hesitate to reach out. | Не соромтеся звертатись. |
2.3
Try out the new words
Say what you'd write to follow up on a late reply. → I'm writing to follow up on … .
Say a polite closing line. → I look forward to … .
2.4
Which word is it?
Someone who receives a copy of an email but isn't the main recipient
CC (carbon copy)
A polite way to say "please answer soon"
at your earliest convenience
A formal complaint about a service or product
grievance / complaint
A gentle reminder email
a follow-up / a gentle nudge
The line summarising the email's topic
subject line
2.5
Fill in the missing word
Please find ____ the revised contract.
I wanted to ____ up on my previous email.
Could you please ____ me on the timeline? (update)
2.6
Translate the phrase
не соромтеся звертатись →
буду вдячний за швидку відповідь →
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Section 3 / 8
Grammar
3.1
Polite requests: indirect questions
| Direct (too blunt) | "Send me the report." |
| Polite request | "Could you send me the report?" / "I was wondering if you could send me the report." |
| Very formal request | "I would be grateful if you could send me the report." |
| Firm follow-up (not rude) | "I understand you're busy, but I'd appreciate an update by Friday." |
3.2
Rank from direct to most polite
"Send it now." / "Could you send it?" / "I'd be grateful if you could send it." — which is most polite?
"I'd be grateful if you could send it."
3.3
Fill in the correct request form
I was wondering ____ you could send the invoice. (if/that)
I ____ be grateful if you could confirm. (would/will)
3.4
Make this request more polite
"Confirm the meeting time." →
"Send the contract today." →
3.5
Say it about your own work
Make one real polite request you'd actually send to a colleague, using "I was wondering if…" or "I'd be grateful if…".
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Section 4 / 8
Reading
4.1
Read: a follow-up email
Subject: Following up — Invoice #4521
Hi Daniel,I hope this email finds you well. I'm writing to follow up on the invoice I sent over two weeks ago (attached again for convenience). I understand things get busy, but I'd appreciate it if you could confirm the payment status at your earliest convenience.
Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about the invoice.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
Olena
4.2
True or false?
This is the first time Olena has sent this invoice.
False — she is following up, and attached it again.
Olena is asking for the payment status.
True
The email sounds rude or impatient.
False — it's firm but polite.
4.3
Why is this a strong email?
What makes the follow-up firm without being rude?
She acknowledges he's busy ("I understand things get busy") before making the request — this softens it while still being clear about what she needs.
Find the subject line — why is it effective?
"Following up — Invoice #4521" — it's specific and instantly tells the reader what the email is about.
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Section 5 / 8
Practice
5.1
Picture the structure
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Greeting → Purpose (in the first sentence!) → Request/info → Polite close. Keep this shape for every email today.
5.2
Match the phrase to its purpose
"I'm writing to follow up on…"
"I was disappointed to find that…"
5.3
Put the words in order
appreciate / it / could / if / you / I'd / confirm
5.4
Fill in the missing phrase
Please find ________ (attach/attached) the signed document.
5.5
An email fact
Emails that state the purpose in the first sentence get replies significantly faster than emails that bury the request at the end of a long paragraph.
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Section 6 / 8
Speaking — Draft It Out Loud
6.1
How to use this section
Today's speaking practice is about composing emails OUT LOUD before you ever write them — dictating the sentences to your tutor, sentence by sentence, as if you were speaking to a colleague. This builds the muscle memory so writing becomes fast and natural.
6.2
Dictate: a request email
🎙️ Task: dictate a full email asking a colleague to send you last month's sales figures.
Starter: "Subject: Sales figures for September. Hi [name], I hope you're doing well. I'm writing to ask if you could send over…"
6.3
Dictate: a firm follow-up
🎙️ Task: you sent an email 10 days ago with no reply. Dictate a firm-but-polite follow-up.
Starter: "I understand you're likely very busy, but I wanted to follow up as I haven't heard back yet. Could you let me know…"
6.4
Dictate: a complaint
🎙️ Task: a supplier delivered the wrong items. Dictate a complaint that is firm but professional.
Starter: "I was disappointed to find that the shipment we received on [date] did not match our order. Specifically, …"
6.5
Respond to a complaint (the other side)
🎙️ Your tutor reads you a complaint email. Respond out loud, apologising and offering a solution.
Starter: "Thank you for bringing this to our attention, and I sincerely apologise for the inconvenience. To resolve this, we'll…"
6.6
Dictate: declining a request politely
🎙️ Task: a colleague asked you to take on extra work you can't fit in. Decline politely.
Starter: "Thank you for thinking of me for this. Unfortunately, given my current bandwidth, I don't think I'd be able to do this justice. Would it be possible to…?"
6.7
Reading an email out loud
🎙️ Task: reread the Reading passage (4.1) out loud, as if you were the sender speaking it to Daniel directly.
Focus on natural pausing and a confident, warm tone — not a flat, robotic read.
6.8
Rapid-fire opener drill
RAPID FIRE
Your tutor will name a situation (a request / a complaint / a follow-up / good news / bad news). You must say an appropriate opening line within 5 seconds — no long pauses. Do this for at least 6 rounds.
6.9
Full email, start to finish
FULL RUN-THROUGH
Pick one real email you actually need to send this week. Dictate the whole thing out loud to your tutor — subject line, greeting, purpose, body, and closing — entirely in English.
6.10
Let's talk — reflection
- Which is harder for you — writing a request or a complaint?
- Did dictating out loud feel different from typing?
- Which phrase from today will you actually use this week?
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Section 7 / 8
Cool down
7.1
Now I can...
- Use correct email register and structure
- Make polite requests and firm follow-ups
- Write and respond to a complaint professionally
- Read a business email out loud fluently
7.2
One more thing before you go
Say your favourite polite-request phrase from today one final time, from memory.
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Section 8 / 8
Homework
How to do your homework
- Do the exercises below and press Check in each one. Green = correct. Red shows what was expected.
- Do the writing and speaking tasks and tick them when they are done.
- Write your name and press Copy my result, then send the text to your tutor.
8.1
Words to remember
| to attach / subject line | прикріпити / тема листа |
| CC / to follow up | копія листа / нагадати про статус |
| at your earliest convenience | якнайшвидше, коли вам зручно |
| a complaint / a grievance | скарга |
| to reach out / prompt reply | звернутись / швидка відповідь |
8.2
Fill in the polite request
I ____ be grateful if you could send the file today. (would)
8.3
Translate the phrase
з нетерпінням чекаю на вашу відповідь →
8.4
Write it yourself
Write a real follow-up email (or a practice one) using today's structure: greeting → purpose in sentence one → polite request → closing line.
8.5
Practise out loud
Read your homework email out loud three times before your next lesson, as if reading it to the recipient's face.
Tick what you have done
- 8.4 Write it yourself: Write a real follow-up email (or a practice one) using today's structure: greeting → purpose in s…
- 8.5 Practise out loud: Read your homework email out loud three times before your next lesson, as if reading it to the re…