On the job:English for secretaries and administrative personnel

part one listening & speaking

unit one: locating people

topics: talking on the phone

requesting

answering requests

spelling

acronyms

nationalities

structures: to be-present

will-simple future

modal verbs for requesting: can, could, may ,would, will

imperative forms

question words: who , where, what, when

personal pronouns

prepositions: on, in, at, from, through

pronunciation:

unit two: people at work

topics: company organization

job description

asking about someone's job

. habitual actions

structures: simple present

frequency adverbs

adverbs of time

question word: how often

possessive adjectives

object pronouns

indefinite articles

pronunciation: / i /

unit three: dealing with numbers

topecs: cardinal numbers

ordinal numbers

money

the time

structures: there is/there are

to be: present & past

simple present (habitual present)

question words: how often, how long, how far, how much, how
many ,what time

pronunciation:
unit four: taking and giving messages

topics: taking messages

passing messages on

filling in message forms

structures: present continuous

simple past tense(regular & irregular verbs)

modal verbs: would, may, could, shall,can

pronunciation: the /-ed / suffix

unit five: receiving visitors

topics: greetings and introductions

office hospitality

giving directions

small talk

-the flight

-the weather

-the hotel

-country or place of origin

structures: simple present

simple past

present continuous

modal verbs: will, would, may, can

question words: what...like, when, how long, where, who ,how

about, how, why

pronunciation: stress and intonation

part two writing

unit six: forms, envelopes and letters

topics: form filling

addressing envelopes

the layout of letters:

-essential & optional parts

-british & american styles

structures: punctuation:

-the period

unit seven: requests

topics: writing requests

responses to requests

structures: modal verbs: could, would

present continuous

simple future

unit eight: quotations and orders

topics: quotations

guidelines for writing quotations

requests for quotations

orders

structures: imperative form

modal verb: would

simple present

present continuous

unit nine: resumes and letters of application

topics: job adverts

resumes or curriculum vitae

-essential parts

letters of application:

-guidelines for writing letters of applications

structures: simple past

simple continuous

modal verb: would

unit ten: inter-office memos

topics: the memorandum

inter-office memos:

-reference to previous communication

-requesting something

-asking someone to do something

-sending enclosure

structures: simple past

simple continuous

modal verbs: would, can,could

imperative form

part three reading

unit eleven: reading skills

topics: purpose

skimming

scanning

cognates and false cognates

text structure

unit twelve: personal qualities

topics: reading personal letters

cultural connection:

-introducing the united kingdom

structures: simple present

adjectives

affixation

suffixes: -y, -able

reference elements

connectors: although, though, even though, while, whereas, however, nevertheless

modal verb: should

unit thirteen: office duties

topics: office tasks and duties

applying for a job:

-job interviews

cultural connection:
-introducing the usa

structures: connectors: so, but, besides, moreover, furthermore

reference elements

prepositions: from, between, beside, among, next to, near,on, at, in, off, among

relative clauses:

-defining and non-defining

unit fourteen: office equipment

topics office equipment

telecommunication

cultural connection: -the commonwealth

structures: two-word verbs

passive voice

noun groups(adj. + noun)

prepositions: within, under

prepositional phrases: regardless of ,in charge of .on behalt of
unit fifteen: working with computers

topics: computer quiz

common menu instructions

computers: a complement or a threat

cultural connection:

- canada

structures: reference elements

affixation: -tion, -ation,-sion,-ition,-ity,-cy

prepositions: by, as

comparatives/superlatives: as...as,-er...than/more...than,the...-est/the most...

mini-workbook

grammar overview