Lesson 4.

5 Functional language BULATS

Write one word which best fits each space.
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 is to confirm your order for five GH engines at a unit price of €5,000, which we received this
morning. I can confirm that we will
Correct answer: deliver
deliver the engines to your factory in Riga next Monday.
Correct answer: As
As agreed at our meeting last week, we can give you a discount of five percent providing you pay
for the goods on time. We
Correct answer: enclose
enclose our terms and conditions for your records. If you have any queries, please do not
Correct answer: hesitate
hesitate to contact me.

Lesson 5.1 Vocabulary BULATS/BECP

Choose the correct option.
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 The smartphone is perhaps the greatest symbol of our Select an

optionautomatedcustomiseddisrupted world, so we surveyed 3,000 people to find out what they

want from their phone. 70 percent said they wanted something which was

Correct answer: user-friendly

Select an optiondesignedhappyuser-friendlyuser-friendly. 65 percent said that it had to be

Correct answer: dependable

Select an optionclassicdependableinnovativedependable – in other words they wanted a phone

which worked properly all the time. 35 percent said they always bought top-of-the-

Correct answer: range

Select an optionchoicelinerangerange phones because having the most advanced technology was

important. A few people, about 8 percent, said they preferred the

Correct answer: classic

Select an optionadvancedclassicuniqueclassic mobile phones of the nineties, which surprised us.

Half the people we surveyed said they wanted their phone to be

Correct answer: stylish

 Select an optionautomatedmagicalstylishstylish and look good. 10 percent were even prepared

to pay more for something that was

Correct answer: unique

Select an optioninnovativeuniquewell-designedunique because they didn’t want to have the

same phone as anyone else. In fact 5 percent paid to have their phone

Correct answer: customised

Select an optionautomatedcustomisedswipedcustomised. 35 percent of people

Correct answer: swipe

Select an optiondisruptinteractswipeswipe their phones to pay for things and really enjoy

Correct answer: interacting

Select an optionchoosingdisruptinginteractinginteracting with technology.

Writing BECP/BULATS
Read this email from your boss about a 3D printer your company bought.

Here are my comments on the CCPrint3D printer we bought last week after a client
recommended it. Good points: fast; good quality machine; not expensive
Bad points: poor customer support
Could you post a review on their website, please?

Write a product review about the CCPrint3D printer:

• saying why your company chose this printer.

• giving details of good points.
• describing negative points.
• saying whether you recommend it or not.

Write about 60–80 words.

…..
Our decision to invest in the CCPrint3D printer stemmed from a client's enthusiastic
recommendation, and we have experienced both positive and challenging aspects. The printer
boasts impressive speed and consistently delivers high-quality prints, meeting our expectations
for efficient and reliable performance. However, the drawback lies in the subpar customer
support received, which has hindered issue resolution. Despite this setback, considering its
affordability and excellent print results, we recommend the CCPrint3D for those seeking a cost-
effective solution with impressive output.

Model answer
We chose the CCPrint3D model because a client recommended it to us. The printer is very fast,
which we like, and the quality of the machine is good. In addition, it is not too expensive. However,
the main downside is that the customer support isn’t very good. We could not speak to anyone when
we had a problem setting it up. If you are looking for an inexpensive printer, then I recommend the
CCPrint3D.

5.
Situation
You work as a Marketing Assistant for a company which sells office furniture. You have been
asked to write a letter to all customers telling them about your new range of office desks, the
Hinmere range. The main features are:

• modern, functional, elegant – created as a result of customer feedback

• solid wood; natural, white or black – different sizes and height adjustable
• lots of drawers you can lock, including a filing cabinet
• built-in charger for electronic device cables – safe, more space for charging devices

Task
Write a letter of between 150 and 200 words to all your customers introducing the Hinmere
Range and describing the key features. In addition, offer them a 20% discount if they make an
order by the end of the month.

Model answer
Dear Customer,
I am writing to you to introduce our new Hinmere range of office desks. We have developed this
range after listening to feedback from you, our customers. It is extremely modern and functional with
many practical features. Furthermore, it is elegant and will look good in any office.
The desks are made of solid wood, which will last a long time. They are available in a natural, white
or black colour. They come in several sizes which means that we have desks to suit any size office.
Another good thing is that you can adjust the height of the desks to suit anyone in the office. There
are several drawers, which you can lock. They also include either one or two filing cabinet drawers,
which allow you to store confidential documents safely.
Each desk also has a built-in charger so you can charge your electronic devices safely. This saves
space on the desk if you need to charge several devices at once. We are sure you will love these
new desks. We are therefore offering 20 percent discount on all orders for the Hinmere range before
the end of January.
Yours faithfully,

Unit 7
Writing BECP/BULATS
Read part of this email from your boss.

Please write a letter to the General Manager of FGL Supplies. Thank him
for their help last week completing your order for the new product.
Don’t forget to mention how quickly they handled the situation, especially
the extra shifts they worked to get the packaging to you for the launch. You
should also say a special ‘thank you’ to the Production Manager for his
help.

Write a thank-you letter to the General Manager:

• saying why you’re writing.
• giving details of what they did.
•saying who was most helpful.
• promising to recommend them.

Write about 60–80 words.

Model answer
Dear Mr Philips,
I am writing to thank you for your help last week to complete the order on time for the product
launch. We really appreciate your hard work, especially the extra shifts your staff worked in order to
finish the order. Any problems were sorted out very quickly, and the Production Manager was
extremely helpful. We will definitely use your company again and will recommend you to other
companies.
Thank you again for your hard work.
Yours sincerely,

Situation
You are the Administration Manager of a multinational company and are responsible for
organising business travel for company staff. Last week two managers and a senior director
were in Singapore when their flight back was cancelled. The director needed to get back to the
UK on time for an important meeting. You contacted BARK Travel, who arranged the trip,
informing them of the situation. They sorted everything out and now you want to write a letter to
thank them.

Task
Write a letter of between 150 and 200 words to BARK Travel saying why you are writing and
giving details of the help they gave. The information should include details of the travel
arrangements they organised:
• a new flight on the same day for the director
• private taxi pick-up at the airport for the director
• hotel overnight for managers
• new flights on the next day for managers.
Confirm that you wish to continue to use them and that you have told other companies about
their excellent service.

You may invent suitable addresses.

Model answer
Ms S Foley
Manager
BARK Travel
Court Avenue
London
EC1

20th September 20–

Dear Ms Foley,
I am writing to thank you very much for all your help last week. Your company organised return
flights from Singapore for one of our directors and two managers when their flights were cancelled at
the last minute.
I really appreciate everything you did to organise another flight on the same day for our director, who
needed to get back for a very important meeting. Fortunately, he arrived just in time for the meeting.
We are extremely grateful for the private taxi which you arranged to drive him directly to the meeting
from the airport.
The other two managers have also asked me to thank you. You managed to book them on a flight
the following morning and arrange a hotel for them overnight. We really appreciate all your hard
work and will definitely continue to use your company to arrange future business trips. We have
already recommended your company to other business partners.
Thank you once again for your excellent service.
Yours sincerely,

Lesson 8.1 Vocabulary BULATS/BECP

Choose the correct option.
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 It can be very difficult for some people to have a break from digital Select an

optioncommunicationorganisationproductivity . These are the people who normally

Correct answer: check

Select an optioncatchcheckreplycheck their email and social media pages every few minutes.

Many are addicted to the technology and hate not being able to

Correct answer: catch

Select an optioncatchcommunicateoverloadingcatch up on their emails. This problem is now in

the workplace where

Correct answer: internal

Select an optioncustomerinternalusefulinternal emails from colleagues can greatly affect work

performance. Staff

Correct answer: productivity

Select an optionorganisationproductivitytechnologyproductivity can suffer because so much

time is spent

Correct answer: replying

 Select an optioncatchingcommunicatingreplyingreplying constantly to emails. Although

companies have benefited greatly from the digital

Correct answer: transformation

Select an optionorganisationperformancetransformationtransformation that has taken place, it

is not without its disadvantages. For example, total

Correct answer: dependence

Select an optiondependenceoverloadproductivitydependence on technology can be dangerous.

Another problem is the way in which many people become

Correct answer: servants

Select an optionbossesmastersservantsservants of technology, allowing it to control them. They

are

Correct answer: overloaded

Select an optionorganisedoverloadedtransformed overloaded with all the information available

to them and become very stressed.

Reading BECP/BULATS
Read the article and choose the correct answer.
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Digital technology: Does it really improve work?
The digital revolution took many older, well-established businesses by surprise. Unfortunately, many of these
companies still do not use digital systems which are suitable for them. Larger organisations can often be much
slower to react to change than smaller businesses and do not adapt as quickly.
Due to this lack of vision, these companies have sometimes been slow to follow a new way of doing business.
As a result, they have had to watch new online shops eat into their market share. Technological innovation has
allowed many new online retailers to set up. Even individuals are now able to sell their goods worldwide
thanks to this technology.
However, when companies do allow technology to take over, the result is not always what was expected.
Colleagues no longer speak to each other face to face, but send hundreds of emails instead. This has led to
people feeling isolated and alone, and people working alone are more likely to suffer from depression.
Digital communication systems help companies be more efficient, but managers need a good strategy to ensure
that their staff know how to make the best use of system updates. Therefore, it is important that everyone is
given training each time new software is introduced. Otherwise, employees will get frustrated if they do not
know how to use the system effectively.
Two decades ago experts encouraged businesses to aim for paperless offices. While technology has made this
possible, security is a big issue: every digital system that exists could be hacked into or power cuts could make
the system crash completely. People therefore keep paper copies of important files in case these things happen.
A large percentage of the current workforce is made up of millennials, the generation brought up with digital
technology. They expect the digital systems at work to function as quickly and efficiently as their home
systems and this often is not the case. Companies which do not have up-to-date systems find that they are not
attracting younger employees.
It is true that many companies have not chosen digital systems which are right for them. However, experts now
recognise that one size does not fit all, which is good news for businesses who do not have extensive digital
knowledge. They can now use consultants to advise them and help them avoid making expensive mistakes.

Unit 8
Writing BECP/BULATS
Read this email from your manager about research into customer
service.

Please can you prepare a report about the customer service problems
we’ve had recently. I think the main one is that staff do not answer the
phone quickly enough. An additional problem is staff being rude.

Write part of a short report. Write an introduction and a paragraph

giving details:

• introduce the report.

• outline a key problem.
• give details.
• give reasons.

Write about 60–80 words.

Model answer
The aim of this report is to examine customer service problems and look at reasons for these. One
of the key problems is that staff are not answering the phone quickly. In addition, customers
complain that staff are rude. It was found that a few staff have left and have not been replaced, so
everyone else has too much work. It seems that staff are unhappy about this and that is probably
why they are not doing their jobs properly.

8
 Unit 8
LCCI Writing
Situation
You are the HR Assistant Manager of a national company which sells gift
products. Recently, you have noticed that a number of younger staff you
have employed are not staying long with the company. The HR Director
has asked you to investigate the reasons for this and think about ways to
improve the situation. Your HR Manager has asked for a summary of the
report before you give it to the Director.

Task
Write an email of between 150 and 200 words to the HR Manager giving
him a summary of your findings and recommendations. The two main
problems for younger staff are slow IT systems in the company; as a result,
orders take longer to process and staff often have to stay late. In addition,
there are not enough opportunities for career development. Explain what
effect these problems are having on the staff, then outline
recommendations.

Model answer
Dear Jack
Here’s a summary of the report which the HR Director requested. The aim of the report is to look at
reasons why younger staff are not staying with the company for long and to make recommendations
about how to keep our younger staff. Firstly, it seems that younger staff are unhappy with our IT
systems. They complain that they are too old and do not work fast enough. It is true that we have
had a lot of problems with the slow order processing system we currently use, which means that
staff often have to work longer hours. Another problem is that they feel there are too few
opportunities for career development. Consequently, they leave in order to work for larger
organisations offering better opportunities for promotion.
It is therefore obvious that, if we want to keep our younger staff, we need to upgrade our digital
technology systems. We also need to think about ways in which we could help them develop their
careers. I have asked the IT manager to investigate new systems and the HR manager to look at
how we can help staff develop their skills.
Kind regards,

1
Unit 1
LCCI Writing
Situation
You are the HR Manager of a large company. You have just appointed a new Marketing
Account Executive, Simon Peers.
Task
Write a memo of between 150 and 200 words to the Marketing team, introducing Simon and
saying when he is due to start work with the company. You need to give details of his
previous experience and achievements in the industry. Invite staff to a meeting on the day
Simon arrives and say that you expect them to attend and make him feel welcome
Model answer
From: HR Manager
To: All staff
Date: 26th November, 20–
Subject: New staff member

I am writing to you to introduce you to Simon Peers who has been appointed as the new Marketing
Account Executive for our company. He will start work next week, on Tuesday 1st December.
We chose Simon because he has excellent experience in the marketing field. He has worked for two
marketing companies since he left university six years ago. For the last three years, he has worked
in a similar position as an Account Executive with a major marketing agency. Last year, he led an
important multinational project for a client, and his team won an industry award for their work.
There will be a meeting at 10 a.m. for everyone on the day Simon starts work. The meeting will take
place in the boardroom. You are all expected to attend, and I am sure that you will make him feel
very welcome.
I very much look forward to seeing you all at the meeting.

Unit 1
Writing BECP/BULATS
Read this email from the Human Resources Director to the new Sales
Manager.

To: Gil Folds, Sales Manager

From: HR Director
Subject: New Sales Manager

Welcome to the company. I hope you have a good first day.

I have informed the staff that you are starting work today. However, I think it
would also be a good idea if you could send them all an email to introduce
yourself as soon as possible.
Write an email to all your colleagues:

Write an email to all your colleagues

• introducing yourself.
• saying what your previous job was.
• saying how you feel about the new job.
• inviting them to contact you if they have any problems.
Write about 60–80 words.

Model answer
Dear colleagues,
I would like to introduce myself. I have just been appointed as the new Sales Manager for the
company. Before I joined this company, I worked in a similar position in a smaller company in
France. I am really excited to be working for a larger company here in New York.
Please feel free to contact me by email or phone if you have any questions. I look forward to meeting
you all in person. Kind regards,
Gil Folds