Attachments
“If you attach a document to an email, you may want to draw the recipient's attention to it or check that they have received it. Here are some useful phrases:”
• “Please find attached…”
• “I have attached …”
• “Please see the attached document for further details.”
• “Could you please confirm that you have received the attachment?”
Exercise
Complete the following sentences:
1. Please see the _______________ document for further details.
2. I have _______________ the invoice.
3. Please find ___________________ the order form.
Follow-ups
You have exchanged emails with someone or spoken to them on the phone. Now you want to follow up on the conversation or ask for further information.
You could use phrases like:
• “I am writing to follow up on my previous email.”
• “Could you please look into this matter?”
• “I would appreciate a response by Friday.”
Reminders
Things are not running as smoothly as you would like. You ordered something, but it has not arrived on time. Or an invoice has not been paid. Now you write an email.
In English, polite reminders often use questions or indirect requests rather than direct statements or accusations. Some useful phrases are:
• “I am writing to inquire about our order.”
• “Could you please provide an update on the delivery?”
• “Could you let us know when we can expect the shipment to arrive?”
You may also want to add words that imply uncertainty, such as “seem”, for example: “You seem to have overlooked the invoice.”
• “The shipment is late”
• “The invoice still has not been paid.”
Writing a Polite Reminder
You have sent Ms Taylor an invoice, but she has not paid it yet. Since this is the first time she has missed a payment deadline, you are concerned that she may not have received the invoice.
Write a polite email to Ms Taylor. Remind her about the outstanding invoice and mention that you have attached a copy. Ask her to let you know if she has already arranged payment.
Common Mistakes
Common pitfalls for Germans learning to speak English include:
1. Information
The word “information” is an uncountable noun in English, which means that there is no plural of it. Like with “knowledge”, you can have more or less information, or another piece of information, but the word itself is always singular.
2. Look Forward To
Expressions that need to be followed by an -ing form or noun, for example: “Look forward to” – for example, it is “I look forward to hearing from you”, or “I look forward to the meeting”, and not “I look forward to hear from you”. Since German and English have different grammatical structures, this can be hard to keep in mind.
3. Discuss
The word “discuss” is often difficult for Germans because the word “diskutieren” in German is very similar, but used slightly differently. “Diskutieren über” is a normal grammatical construction in German, yet in English, it is always “to discuss a problem”, there is no need to add an “about” – and indeed, doing so would make the sentence incorrect.
4. Meet
Germans can feel tempted to use an “us” when talking about a meeting, for example: “We will meet us tomorrow.” In English, “We will meet tomorrow” is a complete sentence. If you want to put an emphasis on meeting someone (as opposed to talking about when the meeting takes place) you can also say “We will meet each other tomorrow”.
5. From, By and Of
“From”, “by” and “of” can all translated into “von” in German, depending on the context. But there is a difference in meaning in English.
“From” is used to talk about where someone or something has come from.
“By” is used to talk about who created something in passive voice, for example: “The car was driven by the chauffeur.” It can also mean that something is located nearby, for example “The tree by the house”, just like in German.
Meanwhile “of” is used when something consists of something, or belongs to it, for example: “A glass of water” but also titles like “William of Canterbury”.
Common Mistakes: Examples
|
Incorrect |
Correct |
|
Please send me informations. |
Please send me information. |
|
I look forward to hear from you. |
I look forward to hearing from you. |
|
We discussed about the problem. |
We discussed the problem. |
|
We will meet us tomorrow. |
We will meet tomorrow. |
|
This email was sent from me. |
This email was sent by me. |
Exercise: Can You Improve the Email?
Subject: Important
Dear Mr Brown,
I am agree with your offer, but I have some questions about the delivery.
We haven't received no information about the delivery date. Please send us informations as soon as possible.
I look forward to hear by you.
Best regards,
Anna Miller
Solution (Example):
Subject: Questions about the delivery date
Dear Mr Brown,
I agree with your offer, but I have a few questions about the delivery.
We haven't yet received any information about the delivery date. Could you please let us know when we can expect the delivery?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
Anna Miller
Further Examples
|
Incorrect |
Correct |
Explanation |
|
We discussed about the proposal. |
We discussed the proposal. |
Transferring über from diskutieren über. |
|
Please explain me the problem. |
Please explain the problem to me. |
Transferring a familiar German sentence structure to English. |
|
We are interested for your products. |
We are interested in your products. |
Using the wrong preposition for interested. |
|
I look forward to hear from you. |
I look forward to hearing from you. |
Treating to as an infinitive marker rather than a preposition. |
|
I wait for your answer. |
I look forward to your reply. |
Translating a familiar expression too literally instead of using a natural English business phrase. |
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