Question

Read the interview with a journalist. Then complete the article. A: What mistakes do people make when they write e-mails? B: Often they’re too vague. A: Are there any other common mistakes? B: Yes, they ask for information they don’t need - this wastes everyone’s time. A: So how can we make a good first impression in an e-mail? B: Be specific about the subject - and for goodness’ sake, don’t use words like ‘hello’ on the subject line! A: How formal should we be? B: Be as formal or casual as the person who sent you the e-mail. A: Do people send too many e-mails? B: Yes. E-mails are for giving and confirming information. Don’t use them for negotiations. A: Could you tell me why companies monitor their employees’ e-mails? B: Many reasons. Sometimes they want to be sure that employees aren’t giving secrets away to competitors. Writing Emails I asked Hamish Elphinstone (17) ........................................................................... when they wrote e- mails and he replied that people were often unclear about what they wanted. I asked him (18) ........................................................................... any other common mistakes and he said that people wasted time by asking for information they didn’t need. Next, I asked him (19) ........................................................................... a good first impression in an e- mail. Hamish told me (20) ........................................................................... specific about the subject and (21) ........................................................................... words like “hello” on the subject line. On the subject of style, I asked Hamish (22) ......................................................................... in an e-mail. His suggestion was that we should be as formal as the sender of the original e-mail. Then we discussed how to use e-mail most effectively. I enquired (23) ............................................ ............................................ too many emails and not surprisingly, he said that, yes, they did. He went on to say that e-mails were for giving and confirming information and he told me (24) ............................... ............................................ them for negotiations. Finally, I asked him (25) ........................................................................... their employees’ e-mails. Apparently, some businesses are concerned that employees might be selling secrets to competitors.