Basic English Language Skills (E-Book)

A great e-book to help develop your basic English language skills, especially if you are a student, working professional, job-seeker.

This e-book covers the following important topics:
- Parts of speech.
- Punctuation.
- Commonly confused words and phrases.
- Tips for filling in a college registration form.
- Learning how to summarise.
- Tips for completing written assignments.
- How to answer exam questions.
- How to write a cover letter when applying for a job.
- How to write a resignation letter.
- How to write e-mails.

1. Basic English
Language Skills
For Distance Learning
Students

2. 1.GeneralLanguageTipstoGetYouStarted
2.PartsofSpeech
3.Punctuation
4.CommonlyConfusedWordsandPhrases
5.TipsforFillinginYourCollegeRegistrationForm
6.LearnHowtoSummariseYourStudyMaterial
7.HowtoAskforHelpfromYourTutor
8.TipsforCompletingYourWrittenAssignments
9.TipsforAnsweringExamQuestions
10.LanguageSkillsatWork–HowtoWriteaCoverLetter
11.LanguageSkillsatWork–HowtoWriteaResignation
Letter
12.LanguageSkillsatWork–SendingE-mailstoYour
Colleagues
TABLE OF CONTENTS:

3. VISUAL HERE
Thischapterfocusesontheimportance
oflanguageskillsintheworkplace,and
coversbasictipsforhowyoucan
improveyourcommandoftheEnglish
language.
CHAPTER 1:
General Language Tips to Get
You Started

4. Whenwethinkaboutourcareers,andwhatweneed
todotoestablishthem,weoftenforgetaboutthe
needtodevelopanessentialskill:communication.If
youstartreadingthroughthejobdescriptionsinany
industry,youwillfindthatthevastmajorityofjobs
requireoneormoreofthefollowing:
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS
“Grammar is a litmus test. If job hopefuls can’t distinguish between ‘to’
and ‘too,’ their applications go into the bin.”
–Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit
“Grammar often seems to be a low priority in education. Are schools
undervaluing grammar, given that employers may rule out
applications with sloppy writing?”
–The New York Times

5. •Effective communication skills
•Interpersonal skills
•Ability to work in a team
•Negotiation skills
•Conflict resolution skills
•Report writing skills
Whatalloftheseskillshaveincommonisthatthey
involvetheuseoflanguagetoachieveaparticular
purpose.Andforthisreason,havinggoodlanguage
skillsisessentialinanyworkingenvironment.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

6. Inacareercontext,goodlanguageskills
canalso:
•Affectyourcredibility.Poorgrammarindicates
toaprospectiveemployerthatyouaresloppy,
whileflawlessgrammarindicatesthatyoupay
attentiontodetail.
•Improveyourrelationshipswithyourco-
workers.Ifyouareabletoexpressyourself
clearly,youcaneliminatetheconfusionand
misunderstandingthatoftenleadstoconflict.
•Increaseyourchancesofbeingpromoted.
•Helpyoutocreateagoodimpression.
•Improveyourabilitytopersuadeothers
(whichisavaluableskillintheworkingworld).
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

7. Inthise-book,we’llbehelpingyouto:
•DevelopyourbasicEnglishlanguageskills.
•ImproveyourEnglishgrammar.
•Applyyourlanguageandcommunicationskillsin
abusinesscontext.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

8. Tostartoffwith,hereareafewtipsfor
improvingyourgenerallanguageand
communicationskills:
1.Readasmuchaspossible.Readingimproves
yourvocabulary,andhelpsyoutobecome
familiarwithsentencestructure,wordorder,and
thecorrectuseofpunctuation.
2.Investinagooddictionary.Whenyouareunsure
ofthemeaningofaword,orwhenyoucome
acrossanunfamiliarword,makesuretolookit
upinyourdictionary.
3.Keepajournal.Thiswillgiveyouanopportunity
topracticeyourwritingskillsonaregularbasis.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

9. Languageismadeupofmanydifferentcombinationsofwordsand
sentencesthatweusetocommunicatewithoneanother.Differenttypesof
wordshavedifferentrolestoplaywithinsentences,anddifferenttypesof
sentencesperformdifferentfunctions.
Inthischapter,we’llbeshowingyouhowdifferenttypesofwords(called
partsofspeech)areusedtoconstructmeaningfulsentences.
CHAPTER 2:
Parts of Speech

10. Nouns
Thejobofanounistonamesomething.Itmightbean
object,aperson,aplace,orevenathoughtoridea.There
aredifferenttypesofnouns:
Commonnouns:Refertoanobjectthatyoucanseeor
touch.
Propernouns:Indicatethenameofapersonorplace.
Propernounsalwaysstartwithacapitalletter.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS
Example: table, chair, dog
Example: South Africa, Oxbridge Academy, Desmond Tutu, Toyota

11. Abstractnouns:Refertoconcepts,ratherthantothings
thatyoucandetectwithyoursenses.
Collectivenouns:Areusedtonameagrouporcollection
ofpeopleorthings.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS
Example: love, courage, hope, innovation
Example: “board” of directors, “litter” of puppies, “herd” of cattle

12. Pronouns
Apronounisawordthatcanbeusedtoreplaceanoun,
andisusuallyusedtoavoidrepetitionofthenoun.
Verbs
Verbs are “doing” words. They express actions.
Verbs can be used in the past, present, or future tense.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS
Example: Mr Smith is late for hismeeting today, because heoverslept and missed
hisbus.
Example: reading, speaking, walking, swimming

13. Subject-verbagreement:InEnglish,thereisarulethat
verbsmustagreewiththeirsubjectsinnumberand
person.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS
Example: Pasttense: MrSmithdrovetowork.
Presenttense: MrSmithisdrivingtowork.
Futuretense: MrSmithwilldrivetowork.
Example: Hedrivestowork.Heisdrivingtowork.(insingularform)
Theydrivetowork.Theyaredrivingtowork.(inpluralform)

14. Adjectives
Adjectivesarewordsthatareusedtodescribenouns.
Theyusuallygivemoreinformationaboutthenouns,and
answerquestionssuchas:“Whatkind?”“Whichone?”
“Howmany?”“Howmuch?”
Adverbs
Adverbsarewordsthatgivemoreinformationaboutverbs.
Theyanswerquestionssuchas:“How?”“Where?”
“When?”“Towhatextent?”
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS
Example: theredbus
theunscheduledmeeting
aninaccuratereport
ahard-workingemployee

15. Prepositions
Aprepositionisusedtodescribetherelationshipbetween
anoun(orpronoun)andanotherwordorphraseina
sentence.
Conjunctions
Conjunctionsarejoiningwords.Theyareusedtojoin
words,phrasesandclausesinasentence.Themost
frequently-usedconjunctionsinclude:and,but,for,nor,or,
yet.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS
Example: Themeetingwaspromptlyadjourned.(How?)
Shesawthedirectoryesterday.(When?)
Example: Shefoundthereportonherdesk.
Thedoorisbehindhim.
Hewalkedaroundtheoffice.

16. Toreadmoreaboutpartsofspeech,youcan
clickonthefollowinglinks:
•http://www.5minuteenglish.com/grammar.htm
•https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/parts-of-
speech-table.htm
•http://www.english-grammar-revolution.com/parts-of-
speech.html
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS
Example: Sheworksinsalesandmarketing.
Hewantedtoattendtheconference,buthecouldnotfindthevenue.
Ican’trememberwhetherheisstudyingbookkeepingoraccounting.
Hemissedhisbus,yethestillmadeittoworkontime.

17. Punctuationreferstothevarioussignsandsymbolsthatareused
inwrittenlanguageto:
•Clarifymeaning
•Showemphasis
•Breakpassagesoftextintoseparateparts,makingthem
easiertoread
CHAPTER 3:
Punctuation

18. Punctuationrulesaretheretomakesurethatweall
usepunctuationmarksconsistently.Ifweallused
punctuationaccordingtoourownpreferences,it
wouldbecomeincrediblyconfusing,anditwouldno
longerhelptoclarifythemeaningofourtext.
Have a look at the table on
the next page to see the
most important punctuation
rules:
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

19. Punctuation
Rules: Examples:
Full stop
A full stop is used to end a
sentence.
Mary iswriting an exam on
Monday. If she passes the
exam, she will be able to
apply for her dream job.
Question
mark
A question mark replaces a
full stop at the endof a
sentence if the sentence is
phrased as a question.
Will you please close the
door?
Exclamation
mark
An exclamation mark is used
insteadof a full stop to
indicate strong emotion in a
sentence. Exclamation marks
should be used sparingly,
especially in academic work.
He made me so angry!
Hurry up!
Semicolon
A semicolon is used to link
two related clauses, or to
separate items in a list (where
the list already contains
commas).
Linkingrelated clauses: Your
report was helpful; it explained
the reasons for the committee’s
decision.
Separating items in a list:
Switzerland, Germany, and
Austria are in Europe; Brazil,
Uruguay, and Argentina are in
America; and Japan, Korea, and
China are in Asia.

20. Comma
Commas are used:
•To separate items in a list.
•To separate clauses in a
sentence.
•To separate quotations
from the rest of a
sentence.
•Before co-ordinating
conjunctions when they
join two independent
clauses.
•After a dependent clause
at the beginning of a
sentence.
•When addressing
someone or something
directly.
•She bought bread, milk,
and eggs at the shop.
•My friend,who is also an
athlete, gave me a pair of
running shoes for my
birthday.
•Heasked, “How far do we
still have to go?”
•It was raining outside, but
they decided to go
swimming anyway.
•When I arrived at work, I
realisedthat I had left my
office key at home.
•“John, will you please
print this document
before the meeting?”
Colon
A colon is used to introduce
the second part of a sentence
when the second part
explains or expands upon the
first part.
There is only one way tofix
this: we have to start over.
The following items must be
included with your CV: a cover
letter, a copy of your ID, and a
copy of your Matric
certificate.

21. Apostrophe
An apostrophe is used to
indicate possession, or to
indicate that letters have
been omitted from a word.
Possession: The director’s
office was locked.
Omission: He wasn’t there.
(“was not” becomes “wasn’t”)
Inverted
commas
Inverted commas, or
quotation marks, are used to
indicate direct speech, or to
indicate that text is being
quoted from another source.
“Where have you been?” he
asked.
Hyphen
A hyphen is used to join
words, or to join words and
letters/numbers.
Forming compound
adjectives: rose-coloured,
prize-winner, hand-picked
Addingprefixes: pre-release,
pre-production, pre-qualify,
non-verbal
Joining words with
letters/numbers:pre-2014,X-
ray, C-section
Endash
Endashes are used to replace
the words“to” or “through”.
The company’s financial year
runs fromMarch –February.

22. Emdash
An emdash is used to
emphasisethe clause that
follows it, to separate a
phrase from the rest of a
sentence, or to indicate an
interruption or change in
thought.
Emphasisinga clause: I’m the
serious one —
you have all the fun.
Separating a phrase: He was
the one —the only one —
who wasbrave enough to
enter the building.
Indicating a
change/interruption: “I really
need a new —oh,never
mind, I found the old one.”

23. Wordsarethebuildingblocksofourlanguage,andchoosingthecorrect
wordsisvitalforcommunicatingeffectively.Choosingthecorrectwordina
givensituationcanmakethedifferencebetweengettingyourpointacross
clearlyandoffendingyouraudienceunintentionally.
Unfortunately,Englishisatrickylanguage,filledwithmanyconfusing
wordsandphrases.Andasaresult,it’softendifficulttorememberwhich
wordsyouneedtouseinaparticularcontext.
CHAPTER 4:
Commonly Confused Words and
Phrases

24. Asyoucanprobablytellfromtheimageabove,usingthewrong
wordcansometimeshaveamusing(andembarrassing)results.In
somesituations,however,theeffectofusingincorrectwordsmay
bemoreserious.Inacademicorbusinesswriting,forexample,
thewordsthatyouchoosewillinfluencethereader’sopinionof
you.
Incorrectwordchoiceinanexamorassignmentmaycauseyouto
losemarks,whileusingthewrongwordinabusinesslettermay
createabadfirstimpression.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

25. Tohelpyouchoosetherightwordsinvarious
situations,we’vecompiledalistofcommonly
confusedwordsintheEnglishlanguage,alongwith
examplesofhowtousethemcorrectly:
Accept/Except
To “accept” something means to receive or approve of it.
E.g. Jane acceptedthe apple gratefully.
“Except” means that something is being excluded.
E.g. She would eat any fruit exceptoranges.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

26. Advice/Advise
“Advice” is a noun.
E.g. John gave him adviceregarding his bank loan.
“Advise” is a verb.
E.g. John advisedhim that it was a bad idea to take out a third bank loan.
Affect/Effect
To “affect”something is to make some change to it.
E.g. The power cuts affect the company’s ability to manufacture goods.
To “effect”something is to bring it about, to put it into effect.
E.g. He effected the change in schedule when he realised that production
was too slow.
An “effect” is a change that occurs as a consequence of something
else.
E.g. The power cuts had a negative effect on the company’s ability to
manufacture goods.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

27. Approve/Approve of
To “approve” something is to give consent.
E.g. The director approvedthe budget.
To “approve of” something is to express a favourable opinion
about it.
E.g. The mother did not approve ofthe way her daughter was dressed for
the school dance.
Borrow/Lend
To “borrow” something is to take it with the intention of giving it
back.
E.g. He borrowedthe book from his colleague.
To “lend” something is to give it to someone with the expectation
that they will give it back.
E.g. She is lendingthe car to him so that he can drive to work today.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

28. Compliment/Complement
You “compliment” someone when you make a favourable
comment about them.
E.g. He complimentedher by telling her that she was a good writer.
You “complement” something (or someone) when you add
something else to it that suits or fits it well.
E.g. That scarf complementsher dress.
Continual/Continuous
If something happens frequently, it is “continual”.
E.g. The trains were continuallylate.
If something happens all the time without interruption, it is
“continuous”.
E.g. It rained continuouslyfor three days.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

29. Its/It’s
“Its” indicates possession.
E.g. The company improved itsperformance by hiring new staff members.
“It’s” is a contraction of “it is”.
E.g. It’suncertain whether the company will meet the financial targets this
year.
Principal/Principle
A “principal” is the head of a school or college.
E.g. The principaldeclared that the school term would be extended by a
week.
A “principal” thing is a main or most important thing.
E.g. His commitment to the task was the principalreason for his success.
A “principle” is a fundamental rule or belief.
E.g. It goes against my principlesto eat meat.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

30. Stationary/Stationery
“Stationary” means not moving.
E.g. The stationarytruck held up the traffic.
“Stationery” refers to writing materials.
E.g. She needed new stationeryfor school.
There/Their/They’re
“There” is a preposition that refers to a place.
E.g. He will be therein ten minutes.
“Their” is a possessive pronoun. It indicates that something
belongs to them.
E.g. Due to unforeseen circumstances, theirmeeting was cancelled.
“They’re” is a contraction of “they are”.
E.g. They’renot going to be pleased when they find out that he lost the
report.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

31. To/Too/Two
“To” is a preposition, and indicates the relationship between one
thing and another.
E.g. I gave the letter tohim.
“Too” means “also”, “additional” or “more than what is necessary
or desirable”.
E.g. He is going on holiday too. As a result, there are toofew people
available to work over December.
“Two” is a number.
E.g. There are only twostaff members in the office.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

32. Uninterested/Disinterested
“Uninterested” means not interested.
E.g. The spectator was uninterestedin the outcome of the game, as he
did not support either of the teams on the field.
“Disinterested” means impartial or unbiased.
E.g. The judge was disinterestedin the matter.
Your/You’re
“Your” is a possessive pronoun.
E.g. Yourassignment was due two days ago.
“You’re” is a contraction of “you are”.
E.g. You’resupposed to be at work today.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

33. Applyingforcollegecanbeadauntingexperience.Notonlydoyouneed
tochooseacourse,butyoualsoneedtomakesurethatyou:
•meettheentryrequirements
•meetthedeadlines
•fillintheformscorrectly
•sendtheformstotherightaddress
•includeallthenecessaryattachments
CHAPTER 5:
Tips for Filling in Your College
Registration Form

34. Tomakethecollegeregistrationprocesseasierforyou,
we’vecompiledacomprehensiveguideonhowtoregister
atOxbridgeAcademy.Theguidealsoincludesgeneraltips
thatwillberelevanttotheapplicationandregistration
processesatothercolleges.
Thereare4stepsyouneedtofollowwhenyou
wanttoregisterasastudentatOxbridge
Academy:
1.SelectYourCourse
2.FillinYourStudentDetails
3.SelectYourDeliveryOption
4.PayYourRegistrationFeeandSendinYourForm
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

35. Step 1 –Select Your Course
•Beforeyoustartfillingintheregistrationform,youneedto
chooseyourcourse.Onceyou’veidentifiedthecoursethat
youwouldliketostudy,remembertocheckthatyoumeetthe
entryrequirements.
•Youcanfindthecoursenameandcoursecodeforyour
chosencourseontherelevantdetailedcourseinformation
pageonourwebsite.Havealookattheexampleinthe
screenshotbelow(thecoursenameandcoursecodeare
circledinred):
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS
Oxbridge Academy Short Course: Marketing Management
ADV101

36. •Pleasemakesuretochecktheaccreditationstatusofyour
chosencourse.Someofourcoursesarenon-creditbearing
skillsdevelopmentcourses,whichareneitheraccreditedby
externalbodiesnorregisteredontheNQF.Clickhereformore
informationaboutourskillsdevelopmentcourses.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

37. Step 2 –Fill in Your Student Details
•Tocompletethissection,youneedtoprovideuswithyour
personaldetails:
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

38. E-mail address
Pleaseprovideavalide-mailaddressthatyoucheckonaregular
basis,aswe’llbeusingthisaddresstocommunicatewithyou
throughoutyourstudies.
Occupation
Referstoyourcurrentjob(ifyouareemployed).Ifyouare
unemployed,youcansimplywrite“unemployed”or“not
applicable”.
Delivery address
Refers to the address at which you want your study material to be
delivered. The reason why we prefer you to select your work
address is so that there will always be someone available to
receive your study material, even if you are not there when the
courier arrives.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

39. •Pleaseremembertoattachthefollowingdocumentstoyour
registrationform:
A copy of your ID
Proof of your highest grade passed
Proof of any other relevant qualifications you have obtained
Step 3 –Select Your Delivery Option
•Inthissection,youneedtoplaceacrossintheboxnextto
themethodbywhichyouwouldliketoreceiveyourstudy
material.Intheexampleabove,thestudenthasindicatedthat
theywouldliketoreceivetheirstudymaterialviaregistered
post.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

40. Step 4 –Pay Your Registration Fee and
Send in Your Form
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

41. •Differentcourseshavedifferentregistrationfees.Pleasecheck
thecoursefeeslisttofindouthowmuchyouneedtopayto
registerforyourchosencourse,andpaythisamountusingthe
bankingdetailsprovidedatthebottomoftheregistration
form.Remembertoattachyourproofofpayment.
•Ifyouareundertheageof18,yourparentorguardianwill
needtosignthissectionoftheformtostatethattheyare
awareofyourregistrationwithOxbridgeAcademy,andthat
theydonothaveanyobjections.Ifyouareunemployed,
youwillneedaguarantortosignthissectionoftheform.Your
parentorguarantorwillbeheldresponsibleifyoumissanyof
yourpaymentsinrelationtoyourcoursefees.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

43. Tobesuccessfulinyourstudies,youneedtolearnhowtocreate
meaningfulsummariesofyourcoursematerial.Thisisespeciallyimportant
ifyouareadistancelearningstudent,asyouwon’thaveateacheror
lecturertopointoutkeyconcepts,ortogiveyoutipsaboutthetypesof
questionsyoucanexpectintheexams.
CHAPTER 6:
Learn How to Summarise Your
Study Material

44. BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS
Summarising your work gives you an
opportunity to:
Organiseyourstudymaterialintoastructurethat
makessensetoyou.
Arrangeyourstudymaterialintoaformatthatsuits
yourlearningstyle.
Creatememoryaidsforyourself.
Identify key ideas and concepts.
Focus on what’s important.
Prepare for exams more easily.

45. Sowhatexactlyisasummary?
Asummaryismorethanjustacondensedorshortenedversionof
yourwork.Asummaryrequiresyoutoanalyseyourstudy
material,toidentifythekeyconcepts,andtoexplainitinyour
ownwords.
Tomakeagoodsummary,youneedto:
•Keepitbrief.
•Makesuretousemainheadingsandkeywords.
•Focusonthemainideas.
•Classifyandorganisetheinformationinalogicalmanner.
•Useyourownwordswherepossible.
•Includeexamples.
•Rememberthatyoursummariesaretheretohelpyou.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

46. Youcanmakeyoursummariesindifferent
formats.Herearesomeexamples:
Mind Maps (Spider Diagrams)
Amindmapisavisualexpressionofthoughts,ideasand
concepts.Itusuallytakestheformofadiagram,withthemain
conceptinthecentre,andtherelatedconceptsbranchingout
fromthere.Hereisanexample:
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS
HR
Manager’s
Duties
Payroll
Discipline
Staff
Training
Contracts

47. Thebenefitsofusingmindmapsincludethefollowing:
•Theyhelpyoutoseehowthedifferentbitsofinformationfit
intothebiggerpicture.
•Theyhelpyoutounderstandtherelationshipsbetween
concepts.
•Theyhelpyoutomemoriseinformationmorequickly(by
engagingbothhemispheresofyourbrain).
Tipsformakingmindmaps:
•Usedifferentcolourstodistinguishbetweenconcepts.
•Usekeywordsandphrases,insteadofwritinginfull
sentences.
•Includeimages/drawingsthatarerelevanttothetopic(s).
•Usearrowstoshowhowdifferentconceptsarerelated.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

48. Bullet Points or Lists
If you find that you memorise things more easily when they are in
list form, then it might be a good idea to use bullet points
when summarising your work.
Usingbulletpointscanhelpyoutounderstand(and
memorise)yourworkmoreeasily,asitrequiresyouto:
•Identifythekeypointsthatyouwanttoincludeinyourlists.
•Come up with a logical structure for your lists.
•Categoriseinformationintorelevantlists.
Here is an example:
HR Manager’s Duties
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS
Payroll
•Pay salaries on
time
•Make necessary
deductions
•Calculate
overtime
Contracts
•Draft
employment
contracts
•Ensure
safekeeping of
employment
contracts
Training
•Establish staff
training needs
•Establish skills gaps
•Take responsibility for
succession planning

49. Flash Cards
Flashcardsarepiecesofpaper(orcard)withquestionsonthe
oneside,andcorrespondinganswersontheotherside.
Here is an example:
Tips for using flash cards:
•Includeimages/visualcuesonyourflashcards,asthiswillhelpyouto
memorisethecontents.
•Whenstudying,shuffleyourdeckofflashcardsregularly(tomakesure
thatyouaren’tsimplymemorisingtheorderoftheanswers).
•Addnewflashcardstoyourdeckasyoucovernewtopicsorlearnnew
concepts.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS
What does
‘OHS’
stand for?
Occupational
Health and
Safety

50. GeneralTipsforMakingSummaries
•Underlineorhighlightkeypointsasyouworkthroughyour
studymaterial,andmakenotes.
•Whenyoucomeacrossawordorconceptyoudon’t
understand,lookitupinadictionary,ordosomeresearchon
theconcept,andaddyourowndefinitiontoyoursummary.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

51. Asastudent,youaregoingtoexperiencetimeswhenyouneedhelpwith
yourstudies.Youmightbeunsureaboutanassignmentquestion,you
mightbeconfusedbyaparticularconcept,oryoumightbestressedabout
theupcomingexams.
Andifyouarestudyingviadistancelearning,whereyoudon’thaveany
face-to-faceinteractionwithlecturers,youwillneedtorelyonyourtutors
forthenecessaryacademicsupport.
CHAPTER 7:
How to Ask for Help from Your
Tutor

52. If you have any questions about your course work, you are always
welcome to approach your tutors for help. Just remember that
your tutors cannot guess what your needs are: you will have to
make contact with your tutors −− and communicate your
questions clearly −− if you want to get the assistance that you
need.
Whenitcomestocontactingyourtutors,yourbestoptionwill
usuallybetosendane-mail.
Herearesomeimportanttipstokeepinmind
whenrequestinghelpfromatutorviae-mail:
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

53. 1.Usearelevantanddescriptivesubjectline.
Thisway,yourtutorwillimmediatelyknowwhatyoure-mailis
about,andheorshewillbemorelikelytoopenit.Agoodsubject
linemightreadasfollows:“EnquiryregardingAssignment1for
SafetyManagement101”
2.Bepolite,anduseanappropriateformof
address.
Alwaysstartyoure-mailwithanappropriateformofaddress,such
as“HelloMr/Ms…”andsignitoffwithyourfullnameandstudent
number.Thiswillhelptogiveyourmessageafriendly,yet
professionaltone.
3.Beclearandconcise.
Makesurethatyourtutorwillbeabletounderstandwhatitisthat
youareasking.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

54. Compare the following examples:
Example A
Example B
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

55. Bystatingtheproblemclearly,andbyaskingaspecificquestion
thatyouwouldlikeyourtutortoanswer,suchasinexampleB,
youaremuchmorelikelytogetameaningfulresponsefromyour
tutor.
4.Don’tusetext-speak(suchas“ur”and“pls”)in
youre-mail.
Notonlydoesthislookunprofessional,butyourtutormayhavea
hardtimeunderstandingwhatitisthatyouaretryingtosay.You
shouldalsoavoidusingemoticons(),asthesedon’tbelongin
formalcommunication.
5.Proofreadyoure-mail.
Readthroughyoure-mailtomakesureyouhave:
•Statedyourquestion/problemclearly.
•Usedasuitabletone.
•Usedcorrectgrammar.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

56. Alsousespellchecktomakesurethattherearenospelling
mistakes.Ifyoumakespellingmistakes,youwillgiveyourtutors
abadimpression,asitmakesyourwritinglooksloppy.
6.Checkthatyouhavetypedinthecorrecte-mail
address.
It’seasytotypeinthewrongaddressbymistake.
7.Takecarewhensendingattachments.
If you need to send an attachment, make sure that it is in an
accessible file format, and that the size doesn’t exceed the
maximum limit. Many e-mail clients limit the size of attachments
to 5 MB -- and if your attachment exceeds this size, your e-mail
might not be delivered.
8.Say“thankyou”.
Ifyoureceiveareplyfromyourtutor,itisgoodmannersto
acknowledgereceiptoftheresponsebysendinga“thankyou”e-
mail.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

57. Byfollowingthesetips,youaremorelikelytoestablishgood
relationshipswithyourtutors,aswellastogetthetypeof
academicsupportthatyouneed.
Rememberthataskingforhelpisasignofstrength.And
askingforhelpearlyoninyourstudieswillincreaseyour
chancesofsuccess.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

58. Dependingonwhichcourseyoustudy,youwilleitherbeassessedby
meansofwrittenassignments,orthroughacombinationofwritten
assignmentsandexams.Assignmentsnotonlyhelptodeepenyour
understandingofthework,buttheyoftenalsocounttowardyourfinal
mark.
Itisthereforeimportantthatyouputeffortintoyourassignments,and
thatyoucompletethemtothebestofyourability.
CHAPTER 8:
Tips for Completing Your Written
Assignments

59. Werealisethat,likemanyotherstudents,youmightbeunsureof
howtogoaboutcompletingyourassignments,orthatyoumight
beafraidoffailure.
IfyouareanOxbridgeAcademystudent,we’dlikeyoutoknow
thatweareheretohelpyoueverystepoftheway,andthatwe
willgiveyoutheopportunitytoresubmityourassignmentsifyou
don’tachieveapassmarkthefirsttimearound.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

60. Hereare10tipsforhowyoucanachieve
highermarksforyourwrittenassignments:
1.Read(andfollow)theinstructionscarefully.
IfyouareanOxbridgeAcademystudent,thegeneralassignment
guidelineswillbeprovidedinyour“Success”StudyGuide.Specific
instructionswillalsobeincludedatthebeginningofeachofyour
assignments.
2.Readthequestionscarefully.
Makesureyouunderstandwhatisbeingaskedofyou,sothatyou
focusonansweringtherightquestions,insteadofproviding
irrelevantinformation.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

61. 3.Rememberthatpresentationisimportant.
Neatness,spelling,andthestructureofyourassignmentwillall
counttowardthemarkthatyoureceiveforyourassignment.
4.Useyourcoursematerialandotherexternal
sourcestofindanswerstotheassignment
questions.
Butmakesuretouseyourownwords–don’tjustcopy.Youneed
toshowthepersonmarkingyourassignmentthatyouhave
developedasoundunderstandingofthesubject.
5.Whenyouuseexternalresources,rememberto
referencethemproperly,andtoincludethemin
abibliography.
Ifyoudon’t,youmaybeguiltyofplagiarism,whichisaserious
offence.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

62. 6.Ifyoudiscusstheassignmentquestionswith
otherstudents:
Alwayshandinyourownwork,andmakesurethatyouuseyour
ownwordswhenyouformulateyouranswers.
7.Whenitcomestoessayquestions:
•Plan/outlineyouranswerbeforedoingthefinaldraft.
•Rememberthatessayshavetitles,introductions,bodies,and
conclusions.
•Useheadingsandparagraphstostructureyouranswer.
•Eachparagraphshouldcontainonemainthoughtoridea,and
thereshouldbealogicallinkbetweeneachparagraphandthe
next.
•Makesurethatyoufocusonansweringthequestion–only
includerelevantinformation,andremembertopresentlogical
argumentsinsupportofyouranswer.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

63. 8.Proofreadyourassignmentbeforehandingitin.
Tip:readyouranswersoutloudtomakesurethattheysound
logical.
9.Alwayskeepacopyorelectronicbackupofyour
assignment.
Thisway,youwon’thavetostartoverifyourcomputercrashes,
orredothewholeassignmentiftheoriginalgoesmissing.
10.Whenyougetyourassignmentbackfromyour
tutor:
Readthroughthefeedback,andlearnfromyourmistakes.This
willhelpyoutoprepareforyourexams(ifyouhavetowrite
them),aswellastohelpyouachievebettermarksinfuture
assignments.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

64. Typesofquestionsthatyouwillfrequently
comeacrossinassignments
Inyourassignments,youwilloftenbeaskedtowriteshort
paragraphsorlongeressaysinwhichyouhaveto“explain”a
particularconcept,“identify”certainfeatures,or“prove”acertain
point.
It’ssometimesdifficulttofigureoutexactlywhatthesequestions
mean--whichiswhyweareprovidingyouwiththefollowing
explanations:
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

65. BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

66. BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

67. BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

68. BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

69. You’resittingatatableinaroomfullofstudents,hunchedoveryourexam
paper,withyourpeninhand.Yourbrainfeelsfried,andyourhandis
startingtocramp.Youlookattheclock,andyourealisethatyouhaveonly
tenminuteslefttoanswerQuestion5b–whichcountsfor50marks.
Examscanbeastressfulexperience.Tohelpreducethestressandanxiety
surroundingexams,andtohelpyouachievethebestpossiblemarks,
we’vecompiledalistofexam-writingtipsforyou.
CHAPTER 9:
Tips for Answering Exam
Questions

70. Hereare15thingsyoucandotoimproveyour
resultsinyournextexam:
1.Checkthatyouhavereceivedthecorrectexam
paper.
Youdon’twanttowasteprecioustime(andenergy)bystarting
withthewrongpaper.
2.Readtheinstructions.
Youdon’twanttoanswerallthequestions,onlytorealisehalfway
throughthelastessaythatyouweresupposedtochooseonlyone
outofthethreetopicsforQuestion3.
3.Readthroughthewholequestionpaperbefore
youstartwriting,andworkouthowmuchtime
youwillhavetoanswereachquestion.
Asyoureadthroughthepaper,highlightkeywordsandphrases,
sothatyouknowwhattofocusonineachofyouranswers.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

71. 4.Readthequestionscarefully,tomakesurethat
youunderstandwhatisbeingaskedofyou.
Youwon’tgetmarksforprovidinginformationthat,despitebeing
correct,isirrelevanttothequestion.
5.Remember thatyoudon’thavetoanswerthe
questionsinnumericalorder.
Justmakesurethatyounumberyouranswersclearly.
6.Ifyougetstuckonaparticularquestion,leaveit
andmoveon.
Youcanalwaysgobacktoitlaterifyouhavetimeleftoveratthe
endoftheexam.
7.Beclearandconciseinyouranswers.
Lookatthemarkallocationtogaugehowdetailedyouranswers
shouldbe.Makesurethatyoufocusonansweringthequestion,
insteadofsimplywritingdowneverythingthatyouknowabout
thetopic.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

72. 8.Writeneatly.
Thepersonmarkingyourpaperwon’thavetimetositand
decipheruntidyhandwriting.
9.Usecorrectgrammarandspelling.
Thiswillcontributetotheclarityofyouranswers,andwillprevent
thepersonmarkingyourpaperfromhavingtoguesswhatyou
mean.
10.Forlongerquestionsandessay-stylequestions:
planyouranswersbeforeyoustartwriting.
Thiswillhelpyoutoformulatelogicalarguments,aswellasto
structureyouranswersclearly.Inessayquestions,youwillget
marksforusingthecorrectformat,whichincludesmakingsure
thatyouhaveanintroduction,sub-headingsandparagraphs,and
aconclusion.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

73. 11.Whererelevant,giveexamples.
Thiswillhelptodemonstratethatyouunderstandthetopic.
12.Ifyouarewritinganopen-bookexam,keepin
mindthatyouwon’thaveenoughtimetolook
upalltheanswers.
Makesurethatyouknowyourwork,andthatyouknowwhereto
lookforkeyinformation.Thesetypesofexamsaremorefocused
ontestingyourunderstandingthanontestingyourknowledge,
whichmeansthatyouneedtohaveathoroughgraspofthework.
13.Ifyouhavetoanswermultiple-choice
questions,makesurethatyoureadthe
questionsverycarefully.
Trytothinkofthecorrectanswerbeforeyoureadthroughthe
options,asyouarelesslikelytobecomeconfused.Whenin
doubt,gowithyourfirstinstinct.Ifthereismorethanonecorrect
answer,gowiththeanswerthatappearstobemostcorrect.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

74. 14.Ifyoustartrunningoutoftimetowardsthe
endoftheexam,writeshortnotesasanswersto
eachoftheremainingquestions,insteadof
tryingtoanswereachquestionperfectly.
Thisway,youshouldstillearnsomemarksforwritingdownthe
mostimportantpoints.
15.Ifyouhavetimeleftattheendoftheexam,go
backandreadthroughyouranswerstomake
surethatyouarehappywiththem.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

75. Ifyou’veeverappliedforajob,you’llknowthatwritingthecoverletteris
themostdifficultpartofalmostanyjobapplication.Yourcoverletter
createsthefirstimpression,andoftendetermineswhetheranemployer
willevenlookatyourCV.
Youneedtousethisopportunitytointroduceyourselfandyourskills,and
tosetyourselfapartfromalltheothercandidates.Youcanalsousethis
opportunitytoexplainanygapsinyourCV,andtomotivatewhyyouare
therightpersonforthejob.
CHAPTER 10:
Language Skills at Work –How
to Write a Cover Letter

76. Let’shavealookattheformatofyourcover
letter:
•Yourcoverlettershouldbeclearandconcise.Keepitshort–
ideally,yourlettershouldfitontoonesideofanA4page.
•Useastandardfont,suchasArialorTimesNewRoman,to
typeyoure-mail.
•Ifyouaresendingahardcopyofyourcoverletter:usethe
standardletterformat,withyouraddressatthetopright,and
therecipient’saddressbelowthat,ontheleft.
•Ifyouaresendingyourcoverletterviae-mail:writetheletter
inthebodyofthee-mail,andstartwiththesalutation
(insteadofyouraddress).
•Ifyouarerespondingtoajobadvertisementviae-mail,use
thesubjectlineprovidedintheadvertisement.Ifnosubject
linewasprovided,usearelevantsubjectlinethatreferstothe
positionbeingadvertised.E.g.“ApplicationforProject
ManagementAssistantposition(ref.no.4231)”.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

77. Salutation
Ifyouknowthenameofthepersontowhomyouarewriting:
•Startyourletterbyaddressingtherecipientbyname:e.g.
“DearMrJohnSmith/DearMsJoanneSmith”
Ifyoudon’tknowthenameofthepersontowhomyouare
writing(andonlyifyouhavenowayofestablishingtherecipient’s
name):
•Startyourletterbyaddressingtherecipientinoneofthe
followingways:“DearHiringManager”or“DearSir/Madam”
Inane-mail,youcanalsoleaveoutthesalutationentirely(and
replaceitwithasubjectline)ifyoudon’tknowthenameofthe
intendedrecipient,andyoufeeluncomfortableusingan
impersonalsalutationsuchas“DearSir/Madam”.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

78. First Paragraph
Introduceyourself,andexplainwhyyouarewritingtheletter.
Ifyouarerespondingtoajobadvertisement,statewhich
advertisementyouarerespondingto,andindicatewhereyou
foundit.
Forexample:
“IwouldliketoapplyforthepositionofGraphicDesigner,as
advertisedintheCareerTimeson1March2015.”
Ifpossible,mentionamutualcontactoracquaintance.
Forexample:
“SamanthaStevensmentionedthatyouarelookingforan
experiencedGraphicDesignerwithakeeninterestinthefashion
industry.”
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

79. Second Paragraph
Mentionyourqualifications,skillsandexperience,andrelatethem
totheneedsofthecompany.Giverelevantexamplesofhowyou
haveusedyourskillsinthepasttoperformsimilartasksand
responsibilitiestothosesetoutinthejobdescription.
ThirdParagraph
Explainwhyyouwanttoworkforthisorganisationinparticular.
Whererelevant,explainanygapsinyourCV.Ifyoudon’thavethe
requiredacademicqualifications,forexample,youcanexplain
howyourpracticalworkexperiencemakesupforit.
Fourthparagraph
Mentionanydocumentsorattachmentsthatyouhaveincluded
withyourcoverletter,andstateyouravailabilityforaninterview.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

80. Close
Thanktherecipientfortakingthetimetoreadyourletter,and
signoffwithaprofessionalgreeting,suchas“Yourssincerely”or
“Kindregards”,followedbyyourfullname,telephonenumberand
e-mailaddress.
For example:
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS
Thank you for taking the time to consider my application.
Yours sincerely
Bradley Jones
021 111 0000
[email protected]

81. Additional Tips:
Proofreadyourcoverlettertomakesurethatthereareno
grammarorspellingmistakes.
Keepthetoneprofessional,butchooseawritingstylethat
suitsthepositionyouareapplyingfor.Whenchoosingyour
writingstyle,takeintoaccountboththeindustryandthe
corporatecultureoftheorganisation.
Asfaraspossible,writeyourletterintheactivevoice.
Don’toverusetheword“I”.
Insteadoffocusingonyourself:focusontheorganisation,and
onhowyoucanhelptheorganisationtosolveitsproblems
andachieveitsgoals.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

82. Doplentyofresearchontheorganisationtohelpyou
determinewhattheirvaluesare,whattheirgoalsare,and
whattheirmajorchallengesare.Thiswillhelpyoutoexplain
whyyouwanttoworkforthisparticularorganisation,aswell
aswhyyouaretherightpersonforthejob.
Insteadoftellingtheemployer(orrecruiter)thatyouarethe
rightpersonforthejob:useexamplestoshowthemthatyou
aretherightpersonforthejob.Youcan,forexample,tella
briefstoryabouthowyousolvedasimilarproblem(or
achievedasimilargoal)inyourcurrentorpreviousjob.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

83. Remembertopersonaliseoradapteachcoverletterto
matchthepositionyouareapplyingfor.Youcanstill
keeparoughtemplateonwhichyoubaseallyourcover
letters,butyouneedtomakesurethateachcoverletteryou
sendaddressestheneedsandexpectationsofthe
organisationtowhichyouareapplying.
Linkstousefulresources:
Clickonthelinksbelowtoaccesscoverlettertemplates,writingtips,and
otherusefulresources:
•CoverLetterTemplates-Jobsearch
•HowtoWriteaCoverLetter–TotalJobs
•ThreeExcellentCoverLetterExamples–TheGuardian
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS
Rememberthattheaimofyourcoverletteristogettheemployerto
gofurtherandreadyourCV.Toachievethis,youneedtomakesurethat
yourlettersetsyouapartfromalltheothercandidates,andthatit
conveysyourenthusiasmforthepositionandorganisationtowhichyou
areapplying.

84. Nomatterwhatthereason,resigningfromyourjobislikelytobean
uncomfortableexperience.
Ifyouareleavingforpersonalreasons(suchasmovingaway,startingafamily,
orretiring),youmayfeelsadaboutleaving.Butifyouareleavingforabetter
opportunity,oryou’vesimplyhadenoughofyourcurrentjob,youmaybeglad
tobemovingon.
Eitherway,it’salwaysgoingtobeinyourbestintereststoleaveonapositive
note,andtoresigninaprofessionalmanner.
CHAPTER 11:
Language Skills at Work –How
to Write a Resignation Letter

85. Thepurposeofaresignationletter:
Thepurposeofaresignationletteristogiveyouremployerofficial
noticethatyouwillbeleavingtheorganisation.However,itis
usuallyappropriatetoinformyourmanagerofyourintentionto
resigninperson,andthentofollowupyourconversationwiththe
formalresignationletter.
Whattoinclude:
Yourresignationlettershouldbeshortandtothepoint.Keepit
positiveandprofessional–thisisnottheplacetovoiceyour
dissatisfactionwithyourjob.
In your letter, you should make sure that you
include the following:
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

86. 1.
A clear statement of your intention to resign.
Example:
“Pleaseacceptthisletterasformalnoticeofmyresignationfrom
mypostasAssistantITManageratXYZ.”
2.
Reference to your notice period (where applicable), as
well as your last working day with the organisation.
Example:
“Mylastworkingdaywillbeintwoweeks’time,on31August
2015.”
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

87. 3.
Your reason for leaving.
Youdon’tneedtoelaborateonthisifyoudon’twantto.
Remembertokeepitpositive,andnottomakeanyrude,
offensiveorinsultingremarksabouttheorganisationoryourco-
workers,nomatterhowtemptingitmightbe.
Example:
“IhavebeenofferedanopportunitytoworkasanITManager
abroad,andIhavedecidedtoaccepttheoffer.”
4.
A sentence or two in which you thank your employer
for the opportunities you have been given during your
time with the organisation.
Example:
“Iwouldliketothankyouforthewonderfulopportunitiesyou
havegivenme,bothtodevelopmyskills,andtoworkwithsuch
knowledgeableandinspiringpeople.”
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

88. 5.
An offer to help with the transition.
Onlyincludethisifyouaresincere,anddon’tmakeanypromises
thatyouwon’tbeabletokeep.Youcould,forexample,assure
youremployerthatyouwillfinishyourcurrentprojectsorhand
themovertoacolleague.Youcouldalsooffertotraintheperson
whowillbereplacingyou.
Example:
“Duringthenexttwoweeks,IwilldoeverythingIcantoensurea
smoothtransitionforthecompany.Ifrequired,Iammorethan
willingtoassistwiththehiringandtrainingofthenewAssistant
ITManager.”
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

89. 6.
A suitable closing.
Itisimportanttouseaclosingthatisappropriateinthe
circumstances.Ifyouhaveagoodrelationshipwithyour
employer,youmaywanttowishhim/herwellforthefuture,and
providecontactdetailsthathe/shecanusetogetintouchwith
youonceyouhavelefttheorganisation.Youcanthenendyour
letterwithagreetingsuchas“Kindregards,”followedbyyour
signature.
Rememberthatyourresignationletterwillbekeptonfile,asit
formspartofyouremploymentrecord.Itisalwaysbesttokeepit
professional,asyoumayneedareferencefromyouremployer
lateroninyourcareer.
Itisalsonotworthburningbridges,anddamagingpotentially
valuablerelationships,justtohaveyoursayaboutthe
organisationandyourfeelingstowardit.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

90. AdditionalResources:
Click on the following links for more tips on how to write a
resignation letter, as well as to find useful templates for
different types of resignation letters:
•jobsearch.about.com
•www.totaljobs.com
•www.careerfaqs.com.au
•www.sample-resignation-letters.com
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

91. In today’s working environment, it is almost
guaranteed that
you will be required to communicate
with colleagues via e-mail
on a regular basis. And due to the large number of e-mails we
now send
and receive each day, proper e-mail etiquette is
more important than ever.
CHAPTER 12:
Language Skills at Work –
Sending E-mails to Your
Colleagues

92. Hereareafewguidelinestokeepinmind
whensendinge-mailstoyourcolleagues:
•Alwaysusearelevantanddescriptivesubjectline.
E-mailswithblanksubjectlinesmaybemarkedasspambythe
recipient’se-mailclient,ande-mailswithnon-descriptivesubject
linessuchas“Hello”or“Meeting”maybeignored.
•Writeyoure-mailinclearandsimplelanguage.
Don’ttrytosoundtooformal,anddon’tusecomplicatedwords
whensimpleoneswouldworkjustfine.Asfaraspossible,writein
theactivevoice.
•Structureyourmessageclearly,andincludeonlythe
necessaryinformation.
Takecarenottoconfusethemessagebyincludingtoomany
topicsinonee-mail.Respectyourcolleagues’time,andtryto
keepyourmessagesasshortaspossible.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

93. •Don’ttypeyoure-mailinALLCAPS.
Thisisregardedastheonlineequivalentofshouting.
•Alwaysproofreadyoure-mailbeforeyouhit‘send’.
Grammarandspellingerrorscomeacrossasunprofessional.
•Ifyouincludealinkinyoure-mail,makesurethatyou
providesomecontext.
Yourrecipientsareunlikelytoclickonalinkiftheydon’thaveany
ideaastowhattheyaregoingtoseewhentheyopenit.
•Onlymarkane-mailas‘urgent’whenitreallydoes
requireimmediateattention.
What’surgenttoyoumaynotalwaysbeurgenttoyourrecipients.
•Don’tusethe‘CC’or‘ReplyAll’functions
unnecessarily.
Onlysendyoure-mailstothepeoplewhoreallyneedtoseethem.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

94. •Onlyincludenecessaryattachmentswithyoure-mails.
Rememberthatmanye-mailclientshaveasizelimiton
attachments,andthatattachmentsoveracertainsizemaycause
youre-mailtobeblocked.
•Keepitprofessional.
Don’tpassonspame-mails,chainletters,orinappropriatejokes,
anddon’tspreadgossipviae-mail.
BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

95. Did you enjoy
reading this e-book?
Why not share it with your
friends?