Modals & Business Writing

English Writing III (Term 1, 2011)Uses of Modals/Modal AuxiliariesA1. ModalsModal auxiliaries can be used to express modal meanings like possibility, ability, advice, obligation, etc. The table below shows the modals that are commonly used and their corresponding modal meanings:Modal Meanings Modals Degrees ofDifferenceNegativeformPast TenseFormAbility canbe able to…None can'tis/are not able to...couldwas/were not able toRequests May I…Do/Would youmind…Will you please…Degree of politeness -More formal to lessformal or informalRequests are usuallymade in the positive.No past tense.Asking for permission May I go now?Would you mind ifI…Can I…Degree of politeness -More formal to lessformalAsking for permission isusually made in thepositive.(He is not allowedNo past tense.Necessity must…have tohave got to…Degree of urgency -strong to less strongLack of necessity:don't/doesn't have toProhibition:mustn't…had todidn't have toAdvisability had better…should…ought to…- Immediate action toless immediate action- Strong advice to lessstrong advicehad better not…shouldn't…(oughtn't…)should have doneought to have done(no past tense for"had better")Certainty must…may…might…could…can…He is sick. (100%)He must be sick.(95%)He may/might/couldbesick. (<50% sure)He isn't sick. (100%)He couldn't be sick.(99%)He can't be sick. (99%)He must not be sick.(95%)He may not be sick.+ve (past tense)He was sick. (100%)He must have beensick. (95%)He may/might/couldhave been sick.(<50%)Certainty (cont‟d)Future time:should…ought to…may…might…could…Future time:He will be heretomorrow. (100%)He should/ought to behere tomorrow. (90%)He may/might/couldbe here tomorrow.(<50% sure)-ve (Past tense)He wasn't sick.(100%)He couldn't/can'thave been sick.(99%)He must not havebeen sick. (95%)Expectation is/am/are expectedto…is/am/are supposedto…None. is/am/are not expectedto…is/am/are not supposedto…was/were expected/supposed to…was/were notexpected/ supposedPreference would rather(e.g.: I'd rather go toa movie than studygrammar.) None. would rather not(e.g.: I'd rather not tellyou.)would rather havegone(e.g.: I'd rather havegone to the concert.)would rather nothave gone(e.g.: I'd rather nothave gone to theconcert. tonight. ISuggestion couldA: I'm havingtrouble…B: You could talk toyour teacher….None A: I failed my mathtest.B: You could havetalked to yourteacher…(suggestion fromBelow are example sentences to show the use of modals and their corresponding Possibility (chances that something will happen):1. Maintaining a sense of balance and inner peace in our everyday lifecan be challenging.2. A packed work and play schedule may lead to stress3. Our mental health may suffer if we are under chronic stress.4. A level of stress that is too high or last for too long could bring aboutpsychological illnessesAbility:1. Our body is even able to cope with acute stress.2. Our body can deal with a certain level of stress.3. To be able to respond to stress is one of the natural instincts essential for survival.4. With this ability, we can escape from danger.Advice / Obligation (a duty or a necessity):1.You should listen to warning signals from your body.2.You have to be kind to your body.3.You must not smoke. 100% certainmodalsmustmaycanmightcould0% certainA2. Past ModalsRead the sample dialogue below. Pay attention to the use of past modals.modal + have + past participleAndy: You must have been up late last night. You look tired.Mei: I couldn‟t sleep. My boss passed me up for a raise. He should have givenme one. I deserve higher salary. I‟ve been there a whole year.Andy: I can‟t believe he did that! Well, the company must not have the moneyright now.Mei: Wrong. Jim got a raise and a promotion. And he‟s got to be the worstemployee there.Andy: Really? You should call me when you get upset. I might have been able tohelp last night.Mei: I did call you. You must have been out.Andy: I wasn‟t out. I must not have heard the phone. I could have been in theshower.Mei: Well, I ended up calling George. What a mistake. I shouldn’t have calledhim. He repeated everything to Jim.Andy: That‟s terrible! He ought not to have done that. I‟m going to talk to h imabout it.Mei: You‟d better not. He‟ll just repeat that conversation, too.adapted from Focus on Grammar: High Intermediate by Marjorie Fuchs & Margaret Bonner Uses of pastmodalsExamplesGuessing about the past 1. You must have been up late last night.2. I might have been able to help last night.3. You must have been out.4. I must not have heard the phone.5. I could have been in the shower.Advice & Obligation in the past 1. He should have given me higher salary.(He didn‟t give her a raise in salary. It wa s a mistake.) 2. I shouldn’t have called him.(She did call him and now she regrets.)He ought not to have repeated our conversation to Jim.(He repeated everything to Jim. That was wrong.)Modal Auxiliaries – Practice ExercisesPractice 1Below are sentences taken from a dialogue. Pay attention to the modals used in each case. Put a tick in the right column to identify the modal meaning expressed.Ability Advice/Possibilityobligationa It can’t be seven o‟clock already!b I can’t sleep.c They couldn’t be sleeping through that racket.d Somebody should call the police!e They must be having a good time.f They might be leaving.g He couldn’t be hammering at this time of night.h You should go back to sleep, Harriet dear.i It must be the garbage man.j Well, he couldn’t be planting tomatoes.k Do you think I should call the police?l I have to buy some new ones.Practice 2Online HelplineThe following questions and answers are taken from an online service called “Online Helpline.” Read the two extracts on the question-and-reply page and replace the words in italics with the appropriate modal auxiliaries or phrase modals. You may have to make other necessary changes to make the meaning clear. The first one is done for you as an example.Online HelplineYour questions answered confidentiallyE-mail Joyce Lim(A)From: James ChanSubject: She‟s designer-label obsessedhas to haveI am really worried about my friend. She (1) always feels it’s necessary to have the latest designer clothes. And she‟s getting worse. Now, if something isn‟t from the …right‟ label, she (2) refuses toallow it in the house. She‟s losing touch with reality. She (3) promised to come round for coffeewith me the other day, but then (4) wasn’t able to because (5) it was necessary for her to go to afashion show. As a good friend, (6) is it a good idea if I talk to her about it?Reply from Joyce Lim:Dear James:As a good friend, (7) it is essential that you talk to her about it. This label thing is certainly concealing a strong inferiority complex and (8) maybe she’ll find it hard to discuss it. But if you (9) manage to persuade her that she is loveable without designer gear, then you (10) are certain to do her a huge service.(B)From: Charlene ChanSubject: I‟m desperate to give up smokingWe (11) aren‟t allowed to smoke at work, which I find difficult. We (12)‟re obliged to leave thebuilding when we want a smoke, but we (13) …re only able to do this twice a day. I go out three or four times, but I know I (14) …m bound to get caught sooner or later. I think I (15) …d better give up before I lose my job. What do you suggest?Reply from Joyce Lim:Dear Charlene:Choose a day and just stop. (16) It’s possible that you’ll find it difficult at first, but persevere. (17) It’s very necessary that you don’t give in to temptation. When I stopped a few years back, I (18) wasn’t able to stop thinking about cigarettes, but bit by bit it got better. (19) If I were you, I’d try nicotine patches. (20) It is essential that you make the most of your current determination. Good luck!adapted from New Headway, Upper Intermediate Workbook by L. & J. Soars & S. WheeldonPractice 3Read the passage below. There are nine mistakes in the use of modals. Find the mistakes and correct them. The first mistake is already corrected.USELESS REGRETSNot only the saddest, but perhaps the most destructive. According to recent ideas in psychology, our feelings are mainly the result of the way we think about reality, not reality itself.According to Nathan S. Kline, it‟s not unusual to feel deep regret about things in the past that you think you should do [should have done] and did not do – or the opposite, about things you did do and feel you should do. In fact, we learn by thinking about past mistakes. For example, a student who fails a test learns that he or she must have studied more.However, thinking too much about past mistakes and missed opportunities can create such bad feelings that people become paralyzed and can‟t have moved on with their lives. Artheur Freeman and Rose DeWolf have labeled this process“woulda/coulda/shoulda thinking,” and they have written an entire book about this type of disorder.In Woulda/Coulda/Shoulda: Overcoming Regrets, Mistakes, and Missed Opportunities, Freeman and DeWolf suggest, “Instead of regretting, write down an example of a way in which you might had done better. In that past situation, exactly what should be to do to produce the desired result?When people examine their feelings of regret about the past, they often find that many of them are simply not based in fact. A mother regrets missing a football game in whic h her son‟s leg was injured. She blames herself. “I should had gone.” She keeps telling herself. “I could prevent the injury. Did she really have the power toprevent her son‟s injury? Probably not.Line # 1 2 34 5 6 7 89101112131415161718192021Once you listen to your own “woulda/coulda/shoulda” thoughts, it‟s easier to see their illogic. After you recognize how foolish most feelings of regret are, the next step is to forget them and to start dealing with life in the present. An Italian proverb notes, “When the ship has sunk, everyone knows how they could save it.” It‟s easy to second guess about the past; the real challenge is to solve the problems you face right now.adapted from Focus on Grammar: High Intermediate by Marjorie Fuchs & Margaret Bonner 22232425262728Tone and Language in Business WritingThe tone you use in your message reflects the relationship which exists between you and your reader. Tone is largely reflected in the “formality” of your writing. The level of formality of a language expression is conveyed through the use of modals. The table below shows the language expressions in their different degrees of formality:KeyI – InformalN – NeutralF - FormalLanguage / Expressions Formality(I)Asking for InformationI want you to pass me all the information you have about…I should like to know exactly what action has been taken…I should like you to give me a record of…(II)Asking for actionCan you please arrange for…?Do not forget to…Please find out…Could you please ensure that…?I would like you to…Do you think it would be possible to…?I am writing to remind you that…(III)Giving informationExplaining background to an enquiryI have looked into this matter…I have made enquiries / dealt with the enquiry / about…I have checked my records…I have investigated … as requested in your memo of 2 Feb.I have completed my study of…Explaining enquiriesI am told that…I am informed that…It is possible that Ms Ho was unaware of the situation.I told Mr Chan that… / Mr Chan was informed that…I made it clear that…I have found / discovered that…Explaining follow-up to an enquiryI have written to Mr Chan about this.I have recommended that…I have offered / arranged a discount of 10%...I have sent an invoice for the outstanding sum to Mr Chan.(IV)Making suggestions and recommendationsCan we get together sometime later this week to discuss…What about Thursday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.?We ought to be thinking about…You really ought to…Don’t forget to…It seems to me that you should…Perhaps it would be a good idea if you were to…If you wish, I can…May I suggest that…I suggest you…I think that we should…We need to…(V)WarningUnless we order… the store might run out in the middle of the heavyseason.Our supplies are becoming increasingly…We urgently need … if we are to meet demand.I am concerned that, unless we are very careful, our position will be compromised.(Source: Business Writing for Hong Kong, Longman)Language characteristics of different degrees of formalityFormal language tends to:●Use long words●Use complex grammar●Use precise and specific vocabulary●Use long sentences●Be distant in style●Be indirect i.e. it doesn‟t come directly to t he pointNeutral (semi-formal) language tends to:●Use clear and simple language●Be direct●Be politeInformal language tends to:●Use colloquial expressions●Show emotions●Use contracted words●Use imprecise vocabulary (e.g. stuff, things, do)●Treat the reader/listener casually●Use simple grammarFormality of ExpressionIt is important to have an awareness of the levels of formality of expressions for letter writing particularly when applying for employment, university admission or other business matters. These levels include informal, semi-formal or formal. The below activity will give you an opportunity to test your awareness of these levels.Tick the correct column for each letter expression below according to its level of formality.Neutral / Semi-formal InformalLetterThanks for your letter.openingsIt was great to get your letter.Thank you for sending me your brochure.I‟m writing to ask you a favour.My reason for writing is to apply for the job I saw advertised.Sorry for not writing for so long.I must apologise for not contacting you sooner.Unfortunately, I am writing to complain about the ...I am writing with reference to your letterSignalling the end of a letter I must go now.I look forward to hearing from you.I‟ll finish now as I‟m running out of space. Bye for nowIf you have any further questions, please contact me again.LetterclosingsYours faithfullyHope to hear from you soonYours sincerelyBest wishesPractice A – Jumbled Application LetterThe sample Application Letter shown below contains paragraphs that are not in the right order. Reorder the paragraphs so that the layout is appropriate and the information provided follows a clear and logical order.Sample Cover LetterRoom 354, Block 6Model VillageZhuhaiPRC 519082Mobile: 1367009123E-mail: wwm654@30 August 2011Mr William ChanPersonnel ManagerPearl River ConsultingZhuhaiPRC 519082(1) Yours sincerely(2) Working for Pearl River Consulting appeals to me because it has a good reputation and it provides excellent training. Your organization produces a high-quality service, and I can contribute to this with my leadership skills and my ability to work under pressure.(3) I am available for interview at any time. I can be contacted most easily on the mobile phone number given above. I look forward to meeting you.(4) I am writing to apply for the post of Management Trainee, which was advertised on the Student Affairs Office notice board of Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai Campus, on 30 August 2011.(5) Currently I am studying a B.A. in Management at the Business School of Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai Campus, graduating in 2012. Subjects which I am studying that are relevant to the post of Management Trainee include Operations Management, Human Resources Management, Accounting, Marketing and Strategic Management.(6) Application for the Post of Management Trainee(7) Wong Wai Man WilfredEncl: Resume(8) My final year project is entitled Knowledge Management Practices in South China. Carrying out this project has improved my communication skills, my leadership skills and my ability to lead and supervise subordinateseffectively. I have also learned how to run a project from the planning stage to its completion.(9) During my studies I have held the post of Executive in the Management Society. While leading and organizing Management Society activities I have improved my ability to lead and supervise subordinates effectively, ability to work under pressure and ability to work in a team environment.(10) Dear Mr Chan(11) My working experience at Lucky Star Garment Manufactory Limited improved my leadership skills, communication skills and ability to work in a team environment. I have fluent spoken and written English. I also have fluent spoken and written Chinese, and can therefore work in China and overseas.(adapted from .hk) Correct Order:1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 67. 8. 9. 10. 11~End~。