Practice the vocabulary of professional writing with this business letters exercise. The terms here reflect the conventions and expressions of formal and semi-formal business correspondence in English.
💬 Useful phrases “Let me clarify what I mean by that.” — used to prevent misunderstanding by providing further explanation “If I understand you correctly...” — paraphrasing the other person's point to confirm comprehension “Would you be able to expand on that?” — asking for more detail on a point someone has briefly mentioned “That's an interesting perspective. Have you considered...?” — engaging constructively with someone's idea while introducing a new angle “I'd like to revisit this point later if that's okay.” — noting something to return to without interrupting the current discussion “To be transparent about our situation...” — signaling honest and direct communication about a limitation or constraint “We're aligned on the goal, but differ on the approach.” — clearly identifying where agreement and disagreement exist “Let's define what success looks like for this project.” — proposing to establish shared expectations and measurable outcomes
READY TO PRACTICE? LET’S GO!
Choose the correct response to complete each sentence.
1. This is the best way of __________________________ (= making sure) that everyone knows what's going on.
Correct answer: ensuring.
2. I'm attaching an __________________________ (meaning: detailed) list of damages.
Correct answer: itemized.
3. We require 20% of the total payment ____________________, with the balance due upon delivery.
Correct answer: upfront.
4. I haven't had a chance to __________________________ (= look over) your file yet.
Correct answer: review.
5. I'm going to ___________________________ (meaning: send) your email to my supervisor.
Correct answer: forward.
6. I'll be able to ___________________________ you a price (meaning: give you an estimate) by Friday.
Correct answer: quote.
7. Could you tell me more about the steps ____________________ in this process? (meaning: steps that make up this process)
Correct answer: involved.
8. Orders are usually processed __________________ (meaning: in the span of) two business days.
Correct answer: within.
9. How long does it ___________________________ (meaning: usually) take to produce 1,000 bags?
Correct answer: normally.
10. Unfortunately, we don't ___________________________ any discounts at this time.