Checking our inbox is something most of us do every day. In this episode, Andrew and Suzanne conclude their chat about email. Join them as they discuss some useful expressions to use, and some expressions to avoid, when writing emails!

Expressions included in the Learning Materials

* To dive into something

* Big

* A lightbulb goes off in your head

* A win-win

* A hack

* So-and-so

* A common courtesy

* A cover letter

Sample transcript

Suzanne: I do. I use Facebook Messenger a lot, exactly the same way. If I’m going to set up a meeting with one person, I might email them, but if I need to set up, maybe, a weekend getaway with a group of friends to go to a chalet in Quebec, maybe, or a ski trip or something, we’ll do a group message. And this way, we all can be chatting at the same time and giving input as far as what we want to bring, activities we’d like to do, or the menu, maybe, the food we want to buy at Costco; sometimes we go there.

Andrew: Yeah, that’s great.

Suzanne: But the bad thing is that, for example, when you get a response on Facebook Messenger, it pops up to the top of your Messenger, and if you’re not careful, you can reply to the wrong message group.

Andrew: OK. I see, I see.

Suzanne: So, for example, I was planning a surprise party with another girlfriend of mine for a third girlfriend. And we had three couples, so my boyfriend and I, my friend—we’ll call her Dee—and her boyfriend, and then the girl whose surprise party it was, and her boyfriend, all in this group chat.

Andrew: OK.

Suzanne: OK. And because we were planning a brunch… Also, D and I had a second email—or Messenger, I should say—open, where we were planning this surprise party. And instead of replying to just D, I replied to the big… Andrew: The group. Yikes.

Suzanne: The group message. And I said, OK, I’m so excited for seeing you on Saturday and then we can talk about [Marlene’s] special weekend, blah, blah, blah.

Andrew: You gave away the secret?

Suzanne: Yeah. And the girl messaged back: Well, I think you should ask me first which weekend I am available. And I had realized I had ruined the surprise. I completely ruined the surprise. Well, she doesn’t know what we’re going to do, but she does know that…

Andrew: Oh, it hasn’t happened yet?

Suzanne: The weekend for Marlene’s party has not happened yet, but she does know something is happening now.

Andrew: OK. So this is a good word of warning.

Audio/Learning Materials: Culips English Learning Podcast