sorry seems to be the hardest word - utebescht.de · sorry seems to be the hardest word… there...

ENGLISH Upstream – not curing… but preventing from language diseases…

Ute Bescht | Business Arts + more utebescht.de mailto:[email protected]

1

SORRY SEEMS TO BE THE HARDEST WORD…

There are many ways to say you're sorry, but not all of them are suitable for a

reply to a complaint. Let’s have a look how to solve that in business…

HOW TO APOLOGIZE IN BUSINESS

Verb: regret to + infinitive

Use "regret to + infinitive" to express sadness about what you are going to say or write.

We regret to inform/tell/advise you that….

Verb: regret + noun

Verb: regret that

Use "regret that" to express an apology for or sadness over something unpleasant.

I very much regret that I have not met these years’ sales figures due to the economic situation.

Noun: regret

Use "regret" to show sadness or disappointment about something.

Sam deeply regrets the fact that he has now applied for South Africa as a Key Account.

Adjective: sorry

Use "be sorry" to express sadness or regret. Use "feel sorry" to show sympathy.

Oh, I feel sorry for your hospital stay – haw did that happen?

Verb: apologize + for + (doing) something

We apologize for sending the wrong order. Please allow us one week for correcting this.

Verb: apologize + to + something + for + (doing) something

I must apologize to the board for not having the correct sales figures – I hand them in later.

Noun: apology

Use "apologize" or "apology/apologies" to say something you have done that was wrong or

has upset someone else; to express regret for something you have done.

http://www.utebescht.de/



2 EMAIL WITH A SPECIFIC PURPOSE 😊

Dear Sir/madam/automated telephone

answering service

Having spent the past twenty minutes

waiting for someone at Leith police station

to pick up a telephone I have decided to

abandon the idea and try e-mailing you

instead.

Perhaps you would be so kind as to pass

this message on to your colleagues in Leith by means

of smoke signal, carrier pigeon or ouji board.

As I'm writing this e-mail there are eleven failed medical experiments (I think you call them youths

or kids) in West Cromwell Street which is just off Commercial Street in Leith. Six of them seem

happy enough to play a game which involves kicking a football against an iron gate with the force

of a meteorite. This causes an earth shattering CLANG! This rings, by the way, throughout the

entire building. This game is now in its third week and as I am unsure how the scoring system

works, I have no idea if it will end any time soon. It could happen that this is set out to be a century

match!

The remaining five walking abortions are happily rummaging through several bags of rubbish and

items of furniture that someone has so thoughtfully dumped beside the wheelie bins. One of them

has found a saw and is setting about a discarded chair like a beaver on speed or dope. I fear that it's

only a matter of time before they turn their limited attention to the bottle of calor gas that is lying

on its side between the two bins. If they could be relied on to only blow their own arms and legs off

then I would happily leave them to it. I would even go so far as to lend them the matches.

Unfortunately they are far more likely to blow up half the street with them and I've just finished

decorating the kitchen.

What I suggest is this. After replying to this e-mail with worthless assurances that the matter is

being looked into and will be dealt with, why not leave it until the one night of the year (probably

bath night) when there are no mutants around then drive up the street in a panda car before doing

a three point turn and disappearing again. This will of course serve no other purpose than to remind

us what policemen actually look like.

I trust that when I take a claw-hammer to the skull of one of these throwbacks you'll do me the

same courtesy of giving me a four month head start before coming to arrest me.

I remain sir, your obedient servant…




3 Prepositions might be small, but they can cause huge problems when you’re trying to express

yourself well in English. Here are some useful prepositions that are common in business communication.

Time

I’ll see you on Friday.

What are you doing at the weekend (US: on the weekend)?

We’re staying in the hotel over the weekend and

will leave on Monday.

We’re leaving for the US in three weeks.

I’ll be travelling for two weeks.

His plane should have arrived by now.

I have to finish my project by Thursday.

I’m working until ten o’clock tonight.

He’s been in charge since February.

You called at two? I was out of the office.

Could we talk after I’ve finished this?

We wasted time at the beginning of the meeting.

Could I come and see you in the morning?

I’ll be free at noon. Could we talk over lunch?

I’ll be here from Monday to Friday (US also: Monday through Friday).

Prepositions of place

I’ll be at work till ten.

She’s not at her desk right now; can I take a message?

I’ll be at home, should you need to reach me.

I’ll be working from home tomorrow.

Could I have a word with you in my office?

I’ll see you in London.

We’ll be in Greece for two days.

My daughter is at university/college.

Are you going to be at the trade fair?

We met on the plane.

It’s a lovely little hotel on/by the lake.

I’ll be arriving at the airport an hour earlier.

Will you be at the restaurant?

Let’s not discuss this on/over the telephone.

I’m afraid she’s on the other line right now; can I take a message?




4

Prepositions in expressions

On the one hand, we’re financially

secure; on the other, we need new

customers.

In fact, I’ve been thinking the same thing.

I think we should go ahead with A. In other

words, B can wait.

I don’t believe we should go ahead with the

project. For one thing, it’s far too expensive.

I’d like to go over the figures with you at four.

My offer has been on the table for three days now; all you have to do is take it.

This project is very urgent. We’ll have to put everything else on the back burner for now.

In the long run, we should invest in telecommunications.

That’s not really the point under discussion here — let’s deal with that later.




5 APPENDIX – NEEDFUL THINGS

50 IMPORTANT VERBS &

COLLOCATIONS FOR BUSINESS Improving your business English vocabulary means more than learning new words. You also need to know which words typically go together. Word partnerships, or collocations, build the bridges between individual words and the full sentences you need for business communication. This will present 50 key verbs together

with some of the nouns and noun phrases with which they are typically used. Note that

the German translation of the verbs often depends on the nouns.

COLLOCATIONS Example:

verb + noun phrase offer a discount

einen Preisnachlass anbieten Corbis (2)

I

■ We entered into the agreement blindly. [ein Abkommen schließen] ■ The parties agreed to enter into talks. [Gespräche aufnehmen]

■ We established the firm in 1987. [ein Unternehmen gründen] ■ I’ll establish a production timetable. [einen Zeitplan erstellen]

■ We are facing new challenges. [vor schwierigen Aufgaben stehen] ■ Commuters face long delays. [mit Verspätungen rechnen müssen]

■ I’ve fixed an appointment with Jackie. [einen Termin machen] ■ I think we’ve fixed the problem now. [ein Problem lösen]

■ We’re following developments in Asia. [Geschehnisse verfolgen] ■ Follow the instructions in the guide. [Anweisungen befolgen]

■ I believe I fulfil all the criteria for the job. [Vorgaben erfüllen] ■ It didn’t really fulfil our expectations. [Erwartungen erfüllen]

■ We gained an advantage by waiting. [sich einen Vorteil verschaffen] ■ We are gaining a reputation for service. [einen Ruf erwerben]

■ They got approval for the project. [Zustimmung erhalten] ■ Did you get permission to go? [Genehmigung erteilt bekommen]

■ They can’t guarantee good quality. [Qualität gewährleisten] ■ We’ll guarantee the success of the project. [Erfolg garantieren]

■ He can’t seem to handle pressure. [mit Druck umgehen] ■ Can you handle the team? [ein Team im Griff haben]




6 ■ Let’s hold a meeting to discuss this. [eine Sitzung

abhalten] ■ We’re holding talks with two other firms. [Gespräche führen]

■ Scientists achieved a breakthrough. [einen Durchbruch schaffen] ■ He achieved his objective of lowering costs. [ein Ziel erreichen]

■ We should adopt a new pay policy. [eine Politik beschließen] ■ Let’s adopt Sarah’s proposal. [einen Vorschlag annehmen]

■ If you apply enough pressure, they’ll give in. [Druck ausüben] ■ We must apply the regulations strictly. [Vorschriften anwenden]

■ Management blocked the pay deal. [eine Einigung verhindern] ■ My boss has blocked the proposal. [einen Vorschlag blockieren]

■ The job boosted her confidence. [das Selbstvertrauen steigern] ■ Our advertising will boost sales. [den Verkauf ankurbeln]

■ I’ll carry out that decision today. [eine Entscheidung umsetzen] ■ He carries out his duties efficiently. [Pflichten erfüllen]

■ We hope to complete the deal soon. [ein Geschäft abschließen] ■ Please complete the questionnaire. [einen Fragebogen ausfüllen]

■ It is essential to control costs. [die Kosten eindämmen] ■ How can we control spending? [die Ausgaben kontrollieren]

■ We have to cut costs by 20 per cent. [die Kosten senken] ■ If we cut jobs, there will be protests. [Arbeitsplätze streichen]

■ I like dealing with complaints. [sich mit Beschwerden befassen] ■ I really enjoy dealing with customers. [Kunden betreuen]

■ We are developing a new product. [ein Produkt entwickeln] ■ We’d like you to develop your skills. [Fähigkeiten ausbauen]

■ We do business in 25 countries. [Geschäfte tätigen] ■ I’m doing a course in bookkeeping. [einen Kurs besuchen] ■ We want to do a deal with Microsoft. [ein Geschäft abschließen]

■ Can you draw up the agenda? [die Tagesordnung erstellen] ■ Are we ready to draw up a contract yet? [einen Vertrag entwerfen]




7

LEARNING TIPS Write collocations, not single words, in your vocabulary book. When you read, mark the collocations you find. Make a note of the collocations you hear used in meetings. Memorize 2 new collocations each day. Make up sentences with collocations and record them.

■ I put forward an alternative. [eine Alternative vorbringen] ■ I’ve put forward a proposal. [einen Vorschlag unterbreiten]

■ Steve raised an interesting point. [ein Thema ansprechen] ■ We will raise prices by 10 per cent. [die Preise erhöhen]

■ We’ve reached an agreement on pay. [zu einer Einigung kommen] ■ Let’s reach a decision today. [zu einer Entscheidung kommen] ■ We failed to reach our target last year. [ein Ziel erreichen]

■ We have to reduce overheads. [die Fixkosten reduzieren] ■ We’ve reduced the workforce again. [die Belegschaft verkleinern]

■ That’s no way to run a company! [ein Unternehmen führen] ■ We’re running a serious risk here. [ein Risiko eingehen]

■ Could we set a date for the meeting? [einen Termin festlegen] ■ We set a target of 15 per cent growth. [ein Ziel setzen]

■ We set up the company in 1996. [ein Unternehmen gründen] ■ Jo has set up a PR department. [eine Abteilung aufbauen]

■ I’ll submit a new bill today. [eine Rechnung stellen] ■ We submitted a new estimate. [einen Kostenvoranschlag abgeben]

■ Could you take the minutes today, Jack? [Protokoll führen] ■ We must take steps to deal with this. [Schritte unternehmen]

■ I’ve taken on more responsibility. [Verantwortung übernehmen] ■ We’re taking on new staff next year. [Mitarbeiter einstellen]

■ Shall I take part in the meeting? [an einer Sitzung teilnehmen] ■ We’re taking part in talks on pay. [an Gesprächen teilnehmen

■ I’m happy to undertake this assignment for the company. [eine Aufgabe/einen Auftrag übernehmen] ■ We’re undertaking research on this. [Recherchen durchführen]

■ We’re wasting our efforts on this job. [Mühen verschwenden] ■ She’s wasting her talents in this company. [sein Talent vergeuden]

■ We’ll implement this decision later. [eine Entscheidung umsetzen] ■ How can we implement your plan? [einen Plan ausführen]




8 ■ This machine will improve our efficiency. [die

Effizienz steigern] ■ We improved our service last year. [den Service verbessern]

■ We increased our market share in Italy. [den Marktanteil erhöhen] ■ We haven’t increased prices for two years. [die Preise erhöhen]

■ They are launching a new campaign. [eine Kampagne starten] ■ We’ll launch the product at the trade fair. [ein Produkt lancieren]

■ Michael will lead the discussion. [eine Diskussion moderieren] ■ Margaret will be leading the new project. [ein Projekt leiten]

■ I liaise with the authorities. [mit den Behörden zusammenarbeiten] ■ I’ll liaise with my colleagues. [sich mit den Kollegen beraten]

■ I hope we can maintain contact in the future. [Kontakt halten] ■ We have to maintain our good image. [sein Image wahren]

■ I wish to make a complaint. [eine Beschwerde vorbringen] ■ We made some major concessions. [Zugeständnisse machen] ■ We need to make a decision soon. [eine Entscheidung treffen]

■ Brian always meets his deadlines. [Termine einhalten] ■ The job didn’t meet my expectations. [Erwartungen erfüllen] ■ We met our sales target for 2009. [eine Zielvorgabe erreichen]

■ We’re monitoring his progress. [den Fortschritt im Auge behalten] ■ We’re monitoring the situation in Italy. [die Situation verfolgen]

■ It seems impossible to obtain these goods. [Waren erhalten] ■ We’ve obtained Pete’s support for this. [Unterstützung bekommen]

■ We can offer a small discount. [einen Preisnachlass anbieten] ■ They offered me a full refund. [eine Rückerstattung anbieten]

■ Can you provide an estimate? [einen Kostenvoranschlag machen] ■ We provide this service free of charge. [einen Service bieten]




9

FAMOUS LAST WORDS… to all of my great team

I am so happy having trained with you – you are a fantastic team!

Every single one of you, Meike + Ingo + Torsten + Matthias + Albert + Silke + Holger + Tatjana + last but not

least: the two Ullas 😊 … you made this class a special joy and some great input for me!

I`d be happy to welcome you again – or maybe for one of my art shows.

I open up my private home gallery in Harpstedt as well, my artwork is upon my private walls – just drop a

line or give a message via mobile.

Should you fancy another seminar – let me know.

For the time being: Have a great time, enjoy your family and the language and remember:

Individualized we are a drop – together we are an ocean!

Ute Bescht

Ahhh, you know me … this is not the end 😉




10 50 THINGS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW

(or 50 Completely Useless Facts just in order to bet and gamble for a beer!)

The word "queue" is the only word in the

English language that is still pronounced

the same way when the last four letters

are removed.

Beetles taste like apples, wasps like pine

nuts, and worms like fried bacon.

Of all the words in the English language,

the word 'set' has the most definitions!

What is called a "French kiss" in the

English speaking world is known as an

"English kiss" in France.

"Almost" is the longest word in the English

language with all the letters in alphabetical

order.

"Rhythm" is the longest English word

without a vowel.

In 1386, a pig in France was executed by

public hanging for the murder of a child

A cockroach can live several weeks with

its head cut off!

Human thigh bones are stronger than

concrete.

You can't kill yourself by holding your

breath

There is a city called Rome on every

continent.

Honey is the only food that does not spoil. Honey

found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs has been

tasted by archaeologists and found edible.

Months that begin on a Sunday will always have a

"Friday the 13th."

Coca-Cola would be green if coloring weren’t

added to it.

On average a hedgehog's heart beats 300 times a

minute.

More people are killed each year from bees than

from snakes.

The average lead pencil will draw a line 35 miles

long or write approximately 50,000 English words.

More people are allergic to cow's milk than any

other food.

Camels have three eyelids to protect themselves

from blowing sand.

The placement of a donkey's eyes in its' heads

enables it to see all four feet at all times!

The six official languages of the United Nations

are: English, French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian and

Spanish.

Earth is the only planet not named after a god.

It's against the law to burp, or sneeze in a church

in Nebraska, USA.




11 It's against the law to have a pet dog in

Iceland!

Your heart beats over 100,000 times a

day!

Horatio Nelson, one of England's most

illustrious admirals was throughout his life,

never able to find a cure for his sea-

sickness.

The skeleton of Jeremy Bentham is

present at all important meetings of the

University of London

Right handed people live, on average, nine

years longer than left-handed people

Your ribs move about 5 million times a

year, every time you breathe!

The elephant is the only mammal that

can't jump!

One quarter of the bones in your body,

are in your feet!

Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print

is different!

The first known transfusion of blood was

performed as early as 1667, when Jean-

Baptiste, transfused two pints of blood

from a sheep to a young man

Fingernails grow nearly 4 times faster than

toenails!

Most dust particles in your house are

made from dead skin!

You're born with 300 bones, but by the time you

become an adult, you only have 206.

Some worms will eat themselves if they can't find

any food!

Dolphins sleep with one eye open!

It is impossible to sneeze with your eyes open

The world’s oldest piece of chewing gum is 9000

years old!

The longest recorded flight of a chicken is 13

seconds

Queen Elizabeth I regarded herself as a paragon of

cleanliness. She declared that she bathed once

every three months, whether she needed it or not

Slugs have 4 noses.

Owls are the only birds who can see the color

blue.

A man named Charles Osborne had the hiccups

for 69 years!

A giraffe can clean its ears with its 21-inch tongue!

The average person laughs 10 times a day!

An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain

---------------------------------------------------

One of these amazing, but useless facts is false.

Can you guess know which one?

Answer, which fact was incorrect? - The 'fact' about pet dogs in

Iceland is incorrect. However, it is true that an epidemic once killed

most of the Icelandic dog population




12

The present population of 7 billion plus

people of the world is predicted to

become 15 billion by 2080.

Women blink nearly twice as much as men.

Adolf Hitler was a vegetarian, and had

only ONE testicle.

There is only ONE fact which is… true/false?

Find out…

Illustration: Ute Bescht for the book: Haie auf Bulldozern/ Eulen und andere Verwandte…. Read chapters online for free:

http://haieaufbulldozern.utebescht.de/


http://haieaufbulldozern.utebescht.de/

sorry seems to be the hardest word - utebescht.de · sorry seems to be the hardest word… there...

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