Lesson 14 — Emails & Messages 📧📱

LESSON 14 — Emails & Messages 📧📱

Level: B1+
Topic: Communication in the Digital World
Grammar: much, many, few, a few, little, a little
Skills: Speaking • Reading • Vocabulary • Grammar • Writing

WARM-UP

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Discussion Questions

  1. How many messages do you send every day?

  2. How often do you check your email?

  3. Do you prefer texting or calling? Why?

  4. What is the most useful communication app on your phone?

  5. Have you ever sent a message to the wrong person?

  6. How much time do you spend checking messages every day?

  7. Do people communicate better today than in the past?

  8. Is it acceptable to ignore messages from friends?

  9. Have you ever received an email that changed your plans?

  10. Do you think people spend too much time on their phones?

VOCABULARY: EMAILS & MESSAGES






VOCABULARY PRACTICE

Complete the sentences.

  1. I forgot to ______ the document to my email.

  2. Could you ______ this message to Sarah?

  3. I tried to call him, but I ______ his call.

  4. Please ______ to my email as soon as possible.

  5. My manager sent an important ______ yesterday.

  6. I'll ______ you back after the meeting.

  7. I always ______ my inbox before work.

SPEAKING

Communication Habits

Answer in detail.

  1. How many messages do you usually send in a day?

  2. Do you receive many emails?

  3. Do you prefer work emails or phone calls?

  4. What kinds of messages annoy you?

  5. Have you ever written an email you regretted sending?

  6. Is it easier to express feelings in a message or face-to-face?

  7. How has technology changed communication?

  8. Should people answer work emails after working hours?

READING

The Office Manager Who Sent 58 Emails



    Emma Wilson works as an office manager for an international company. Her job requires constant communication with clients, colleagues, and suppliers. Every day she receives dozens of emails and messages.

    Last Monday was especially busy. When Emma arrived at work, she discovered that her inbox contained more than 120 unread emails. Throughout the day she replied to 58 emails, answered several phone calls, and attended two online meetings.

    By the afternoon, Emma felt exhausted. She realised she had spent nearly four hours reading and writing emails. Many of the messages were short questions that could have been answered in a quick phone call.

    A few weeks later, Emma introduced a new communication rule in her department. If an email exchange became longer than five messages, employees had to call each other instead.

    After several months, the company noticed positive results. Employees spent less time writing emails, projects moved faster, and there were fewer misunderstandings.

    Emma now believes that technology is useful, but only when people use it wisely.

READING COMPREHENSION

Answer the questions.

  1. What does Emma do?

  2. How many unread emails did she have?

  3. How many emails did she reply to?

  4. Why did she feel exhausted?

  5. What new rule did she introduce?

  6. What happened after a few months?

  7. What does Emma think about technology?

  8. Do you agree with Emma? Why or why not?

VOCABULARY FROM THE TEXT

WordMeaning
supplier            a company/person who provides goods or services
inbox            where incoming emails arrive
exhausted            very tired
realise            understand something suddenly
exchange            a series of messages between people
misunderstanding            a situation when people do not understand each other correctly

GRAMMAR FOCUS

Quantifiers:

much • many • few • a few • little • a little

MANY

Use with countable plural nouns.

Examples:

  • I receive many emails every day.

  • She gets many messages from clients.

MUCH

Use with uncountable nouns.

Examples:

  • I don't have much free time.

  • There isn't much information in the email.

FEW

Almost none (negative meaning).

Examples:

  • Few people answer unknown numbers.

  • I have few contacts in that company.

A FEW

Some (positive meaning).

Examples:

  • I received a few emails this morning.

  • We made a few phone calls.

LITTLE

Almost none (negative meaning).

Examples:

  • I have little patience for spam emails.

  • There is little information in this message.

A LITTLE

Some (positive meaning).

Examples:

  • I have a little time before the meeting.

  • We need a little help with the project.

QUICK SUMMARY

Countable NounsUncountable NounsMeaning
manymucha large quantity
fewlittlealmost none
a fewa littlesome

GRAMMAR PRACTICE 1

Choose the correct answer.

  1. How ______ emails do you receive every day?
    (much / many)

  2. I have very ______ free time this week.
    (few / little)

  3. There are only ______ messages in my inbox.
    (a few / a little)

  4. She doesn't have ______ information about the problem.
    (much / many)

  5. We made ______ phone calls yesterday.
    (a few / a little)

  6. There were ______ people in the office because it was Saturday.
    (few / little)

  7. I don't spend ______ time on social media.
    (many / much)

  8. We still have ______ minutes before the lesson starts.
    (a few / a little)

GRAMMAR PRACTICE 2

Complete the sentences with:

much • many • few • a few • little • a little

  1. I receive ______ emails every morning.

  2. There is ______ information in this message.

  3. We have ______ time before the meeting.

  4. She has ______ friends in this city.

  5. I made ______ phone calls yesterday.

  6. There were ______ customers in the shop.

  7. We need ______ help with the presentation.

  8. I don't send ______ text messages during work.

SPEAKING: AGREE OR DISAGREE

Discuss the statements.

  1. People send too many emails.

  2. Phone calls are more effective than messages.

  3. Young people spend too much time texting.

  4. Work emails should not be answered after 6 p.m.

  5. Face-to-face communication is better than online communication.

  6. Email will disappear in the future.

Give reasons and examples.

ROLE PLAY

Situation 1

You sent an important email three days ago and received no reply.

Call your colleague and politely ask about it.

Situation 2

You accidentally sent an email with the wrong attachment.

Call your manager and explain the situation.

Situation 3

A customer left a voicemail. Call them back and offer help.

WRITING

Write a Professional Email (120–150 words)

You are organising a meeting with a colleague.

Include:

  • reason for writing

  • date and time suggestion

  • attached document

  • request for a reply

  • polite closing

Useful phrases:

  • I am writing to...

  • Please find the attached file.

  • Could you let me know...?

  • I look forward to your reply.

  • Best regards,

HOMEWORK

Write 10 sentences about your communication habits.

Requirements:

  • 2 sentences with many

  • 2 sentences with much

  • 2 sentences with few

  • 2 sentences with a few

  • 1 sentence with little

  • 1 sentence with a little

Example:

  • I receive many emails at work.

  • I don't have much time to answer messages during the day.

  • I have a few close friends who prefer phone calls.