Business writing sample

I’m afraid Wednesday is not 2 good for me because I meet 3 am having an important meeting with another client that day.. Other phrases with similar meaning are: I’m afraid I can’t do am

WRITING FOCUS Unit 8: Appointments

Dear Mr Jacob,

Thank you to inform (1) for informing me I’m afraid Wednesday is not (2)

good for me because I meet (3) am having an important meeting with another client that day I can do you on (ugh ugh, be careful!)(4)

Thursday 9th, (period) Does that work for you (5) are you ok on the 9th?

If that’s not good for you (6) (great), what is about (7) the 10th?

Regards,

ABC

Notes:

1 Thank sb for V-ing st Remember the famous song by Bon Jovi

“Thank you for loving me” !!?

2 After ‘to be” must be either a Noun, Adjective, or V-ing Other phrases

with similar meaning are:

I’m afraid I can’t do

am tied up/pretty busy have got plans/something on

3 When you talk about definite plans for the future, you should use the

present continuous (be+V-ing) In this case, your plan of meeting another client is already fixed, therefore you can’t say “I meet client that day”

4 “To do somebody” alone can mean “to have sexual intercourse with

sb” Try not to scare your client away with such a fatal English mistake :P

Similar phrases are:

I am available

am free Thursday 9th

can make

Thursday works for me

Suits me

5 You are asking about someone’s state of health when you say “are you

ok”, and should be used in informal writing only Instead you should say “does that work for you/ does that suit you”

6 Good job for using this phrase You can also use: If that doesn’t work

for you

Suit you

7 What is…? Is to ask for description/explanation of something Here you

want to raise a suggestion of a date to the client, not asking them to explain/describe that date for you

You should say: How about/ What about the 11th ?

How does the 11th sound?

Word power

1 Appointment(n)

Make/break/keep an appointment

By appointment

2 Organize (v)

3 Organization (n)

e.g.: WTO, WHO, FAO

4 Schedule (N,v):

To be ahead of/behind schedule

To schedule something for somebody

5 Decide (v)

To decide to do st

To decide on st

6 Cancel (v)

To cancel a reservation/an order

E.g.: The flight was cancelled because of bad weather

7 Suggest (v)

To suggest V-ing/ that sb V

8 Happen (v)

St happen

To happen to do st

9 Postpone (v)

Shall we postpone the meeting?

10 Plan (v,n)

Make plan to do st/for st

11 Delay

e.g.The train was delayed for 2 hours

12 Apology (n)

to offer/make/accept an apology to sb

13 Apologize (v)

To apologize to sb for st

14 interview (n,v)