Tell your partner something that someone said or wrote to you at the weekend. They should guess who said it, what they were talking about and what kind of communication it was. You can start all sentences with “He/ she said…” to make guessing more difficult.
Possible kinds of communication
– text (= SMS)
– social networking site (e.g. Facebook, My Space, Orkut)
– micro blogging site (e.g. Twitter)
– comment on your blog or photo or video sharing page
– comment on what you wrote on an online forum
– letter
– postcard
– card (= a greetings card, e.g. birthday card, Xmas card, get well soon card)
– note (e.g. a Post It on your desk)
– memo
– poster or sign on the wall
– online chat
– phone call
– message on your answer machine
– conference call
– video conference call
– video phone call (including Skype)
– through an intercom
– face to face
Possible people
– a shop assistant
– a waiter or waitress
– cabin crew
– a relative, e.g. one of your in-laws
– a distant relation, e.g. a great uncle or a second cousin
– line manager
– boyfriend/ girlfriend/ spouse/ partner
– door to door salesman
– taxi driver
– acquaintance
– stranger
Possible things they said
A
I look forward to hearing from you soon
Dear Sir or Madam
B
LOL/ ROTFL
afaik
gr8
imo/ imho
:(
CU@4
C
I can see you. Can you see me?
Your image is frozen
D
To: All staff
E
Wish you were here
As you can see on the other side…
F
Back in 20 minutes
Tom called. Can you call him back?
G
XXX (= kisses)
luv
XOXO (= hugs and kisses)
H
To John
From Alex
I
This is John
Please hold
J
Alex is looking forward to his holiday
John has given you a nudge
K
I’m running out of credit
My battery is running out
I’m going into a lift/ tunnel
L
I’m here to see…
I’m buzzing you in
Come up to the third floor
Mr Jones is here to see you/ for his 3 o’clock appointment
Which kind of communication do each of the examples above probably come from?
What other examples of common language do you know for each one, especially telephoning and emailing?
What are the differences between formal and informal emails? Which other forms are they similar to?
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PDF version for easy saving and printing: Types of communication weekend
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