Creating Opportunity Worldwide

Pro-ELT Teacher Training Materials

Model Texts
Example Aptis Part 4 Question:
You see the following message in your weekly memo at work:
Dear Employees,
Due to unforeseen events, the organiser for next weeks proposed trip to the tea plantation in the
Cameron Highlands, Mr. Smith, has had to take leave. As a result the event has been cancelled. We are
sorry for any inconvenience.
The Management
Formal Email
Write a response to the management saying how you feel and suggesting alternatives. Aim for 150
words

Dear Management,
I was very disappointed to hear that our staff outing has been cancelled. It is very unfortunate that Mr.
Smith is unavailable.
I know that everyone was very keen to visit the Cameron Highlands next week and I am sure that this
will be a blow to staff morale. I am particularly unhappy with the cancellation because it is so rare I get
the opportunity to socialise with my colleagues.
I wonder if there is any way to still have the trip. Would it be possible to find another organiser? Perhaps
you could make a general announcement calling for volunteers. I would even be happy to take on the
responsibility myself.
Please let me know if I can assist in any way as I would very much like the outing to go ahead.
Best regards,
Miss Simone De Beauvoir
140 words

Contributed by: Justin Miller

The British Council, 2014
The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and education opportunities.
British Council Malaysia is a branch (995232-A) of the British Council, registered as a charity in England and Wales (209131) and Scotland (SC037733)

Creating Opportunity Worldwide

Pro-ELT Teacher Training Materials

Informal Email
Write a response of about 50 words to your friend saying how you feel and suggesting alternatives.
Hello Jean-Paul,
I dare say youve seen the news about our trip. Its been cancelled. What a shame! I think the
management should try to find another organiser a.s.a.p. I dont suppose youd volunteer, would you?
Let me know if youre interested.
See you,
Simone
45 words

Contributed by: Justin Miller

The British Council, 2014
The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and education opportunities.
British Council Malaysia is a branch (995232-A) of the British Council, registered as a charity in England and Wales (209131) and Scotland (SC037733)

Creating Opportunity Worldwide

Pro-ELT Teacher Training Materials

PART B
Vocabularly
B1. Find words in the formal email text that have similar meanings to the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Not happy
Enthusiastic
Trip
Fellow employees
Unusual
Help
Unlucky

B2. What does the lexical chunk a blow to staff morale mean?
B3. Find the two words in the formal email that use the root cancel. Write these words down and
say what part of speech each one is (e.g. preposition, adjective, etc.).
PART C
Look back at the email texts. The formal email has seven parts and the informal one has four parts.
Can you give a name for each of these parts? Type them in the text boxes below in bold. The first
one is done as an example
Formal Email
Opening Salutation

Contributed by: Justin Miller

The British Council, 2014
The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and education opportunities.
British Council Malaysia is a branch (995232-A) of the British Council, registered as a charity in England and Wales (209131) and Scotland (SC037733)

Creating Opportunity Worldwide

Pro-ELT Teacher Training Materials

Informal Email

Signature

PART D
Useful Phrases
Look at the two emails and see if you can find any useful phrases that will help you in the future. Type them into
the appropriate text box from Part C.
E.g. What a shame! from the informal email.

Contributed by: Justin Miller

The British Council, 2014
The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and education opportunities.
British Council Malaysia is a branch (995232-A) of the British Council, registered as a charity in England and Wales (209131) and Scotland (SC037733)