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When can you meet?
Arranging a meeting
02.May.08
This writing activity will give your students the opportunity to do the following:
- Consider the difference in register between emails and letters.
- Email colleagues to arrange a meeting.
The activity is suitable for students at intermediate to upper-intermediate level (B1/B2)
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Comments
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Don't some people begin emails without any form of salutation? (i.e. without "Dear ..." ) Secondly, in question 3, option a. is "Best". Should there be a word after it, like "wishes", or is this a new form of salutation I've never seen before?!! One more point, I always teach "Kind regards" and consider "Best regards" a mistake. This second form has become very widespread I know, but do we have to change correct usage just because a mistake has become commonly used?
Emily, Italy
Thanks for the comments, Emily.
Yes, you're quite right, some people just begin emails with the person's first name - that's option 1d. (Personally I don't care for it much and think it sounds quite abrupt, but that's just personal preference).
Some people do sign of just with "Best". Again I find it fairly abrupt, but it's certainly common, so we felt it should be included.
I'm intrigued that you consider "Best regards" a mistake - that's what I've been using for nearly 15 years now! (Not that that makes it right, of course). I notice quite a few other people use it as well so have never considered it incorrect. I wonder if this is a British/American English thing - I tend to use British English; is most of the correspondence you have with American speakers I wonder? (You've made me curious now!)
As for your question:
Do we have to change correct usage just because a mistake has become commonly used?
That tends to be the way things go, yes - otherwise we'd still all be speaking Latin :-)
Thanks for your comments!