Series 3 Examination 2011

ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS

Level 2

Wednesday 1 June

Subject Code: 2041

Time allowed: 2 hours 30 minutes

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CANDIDATES

The time allowed for this examination is 2 hours 30 minutes.

Answer all 3 questions. Candidates should note that they are required to answer only one option
in Question 1.

All questions must be clearly and correctly numbered but need not be in numerical order.

Credit will be given for correct spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Adequate and appropriate communication is required rather than a particular number of words.

When you finish, check your work carefully.

The use of standard English dictionaries and cordless non-programmable calculators is permitted.
Candidates whose first language is not English may use a bilingual dictionary.

2041/3/11 Page 1 of 7 ASE 2041 3 11 1

QUESTION 1

Answer ONE of options (a), (b) or (c):

Option (a)

Setting

You work at Greenlawns Hotel, Lichfield, England. The Manager, Mrs Guyatri Cheema, gives you the
following notes and says, Please use the notes to write a leaflet about the hotel. Put the ideas into a
sensible order and remember I do not like leaflets that have words scattered over the page! Write in
good, connected English, please ... Im sure I dont need to tell you that the leaflet should encourage
people to come here ... holidays ... business trips ... conferences ... parties ... weddings ...dances ... etc.

Here are Mrs Cheemas notes:

Greenlawns Hotel
Highley Road Lichfield WS14 3AG
Phone 01384 753421 Email greenlawns@btinternet.com
Website www.greenlawnshotel.co.uk

Open 365 days every year

Hotel (+ Restaurant) simply relax or explore Central England
60 en-suite bedrooms and 20 suites (lounge, bedroom and bathroom) - all with
FREE high-speed internet access, television + 24 hour room-service.
Award winning restaurant - superior food. 24-hour room service available.
Swimming pool, modern gym, sauna, gardens, tennis courts.
Several air-conditioned venues for your private party, wedding reception.
Delightful gardens for great wedding photographs etc.
CONFERENCES.
Conference room, meeting rooms . Broadband.
Gardens, free car park, tennis courts.
Hospitality service - you will enjoy your visit and you will make Greenlawns
your first choice.

PLEASE ADD FURTHER INFORMATION IF YOU WISH.

Task

Write the leaflet.

(Total 40 marks)

2041/3/11 Page 2 of 7 ASE 2041 3 11 1

Option (b)

Setting

Mrs Stanisawa Duda is the Manager of Manor Close, a 3-storey block of apartments for elderly people.
She says, You know how unreliable the residents lift has become. You wrote a memo to all our
residents saying that we would need to have it fully serviced and important parts replaced. Well, the job
is being done in September of this year. Following advice we have been given, we have decided to install
a second lift as well. Can you write a notice about the work that will be done and explain some of the
help we shall offer to residents? Ive written some notes to help you. See if you can make sense of
them. Write the notice in paragraphs and full sentences please, and make the message very clear.

Here are Mrs Dudas notes:

Notice
(Place notice in several places including Residents Lounge and Cafeteria)

Lift to be repaired.

There will be inconvenience SORRY!

We can organise ordering/delivery of grocery (if wanted) (and anything else
you need) deliver to your door (if wanted). Tell your relatives/visitors what is
happening. We have given you warning of the inconvenience already memo.

Anyone likely to have great difficulty we shall put them (residents) up in a

hotel (free).

Second lift also being installed (HUGE JOB!) Safety/fire advice - therefore
work necessary. During repair + installation of lifts - work also on Residents
Lounge work likely to take (at least) 4 weeks. Stairs unaffected BUT noise
from work dust etc - Kept to minimum but will happen Work begins
September 22 2011.

Managers Office + Gymnasium + Residents Cafeteria WILL NOT BE

AFFECTED. Workers vans, cars, lorries etc WILL take up parking space
Problem? - See Manager.

Task

Write the notice

(Total 40 marks)

2041/3/11 Page 3 of 7 ASE 2041 3 11 1

Option (c)

Setting

You are Senior Manager in a large commercial business. The Company Secretary (CS) asks to see you
to talk over how various departments organise their departmental meetings. Here is part of your
conversation:

YOU As you know, its part of the Senior Managers job to attend departmental meetings. I dont go
to all the departmental meetings, but I try to visit each of them at least once every three months
or so sometimes more often.

CS Thats fine; no-one should expect you to attend every meeting. It would be impossible
anyway ... What worries me is that I dont think some of the meetings are well organised ...
They dont follow the recommended pattern ... or even discuss all the issues that should be
discussed ... Im afraid that some Heads of Department try to finish early.

YOU I know, and some dont even check if everyone who should attend has bothered to do so.
Its essential that all meetings have a list of those attending and a list of apologies...

CS ...with the reason for not attending also being included in the minutes. That brings me to the
point of this chat. I would like you to write a memo to all heads of department telling them
that we think many meetings are held properly, but some are not! There must always be a
basic pattern that we all follow. Weve already mentioned some of the things we expect. Lets
make a few notes of items that must also be mentioned in the memo.

Here is the list of points which you and the Company Secretary agree might be included in the memo:

ORGANIZE MEETINGS EFFICIENTLY

Start on time (dont wait for those who are late). (Heads of Department are never late!!!!)

Build idea of departments as teams. Always review items from previous minutes.

End meeting with summary of main decisions, and items to be followed up (and who will do the
follow up work)

Chairperson usually Head of Department (encourage everyone to participate).

Send out agenda early at latest, one week before meeting.

Send relevant decisions etc to all who apologized (copy to Senior Manager!)

Keep to the agenda.

Task
Write the memo.
(Total 40 marks)

2041/3/11 Page 4 of 7 ASE 2041 3 11 1

QUESTION 2

Setting

Mr William Burgess is the Editor of The Devon and Exeter Gazette, a newspaper that serves the whole of
Devon. He asks you to reply to the following letter, which he has received. He says that he is very keen
to help Mrs Foxton. We need to talk with her about the possibility of her writing a series of articles for us.
Shes an expert in local history and thats a subject that the Gazette has ignored recently. Perhaps her
contacting us about this other matter is exactly the introduction we need. Suggest she gets in touch with
us ... preferably by phone: 01392 272466 to make an appointment. Id like it if both you and I could meet
her.

3 Byrnecroft Lane
Devon
Exeter
EX4 8JL

1 June 2011

The Editor
The Devon and Exeter Gazette
134 - 138 Main Street
Devon
Exeter
EX1 3AG

Dear Sir or Madam

I wonder if you can help me. I am writing a book and need to research the recent history (1950 to
present day) of Crediton, which, as you know, is only about 7 miles from Exeter.

I believe that you have copies of the Gazette going back to the 1930s. Would it be possible for me
to have access to them? It would help me considerably. Also would you give permission for me to
quote from the Gazette, and possibly to use photographs from your newspaper to illustrate my
book?

I look forward to your reply and hope that you can support my project.

Yours faithfully

Angela Foxton
Angela Foxton (Mrs)

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

2041/3/11 Page 5 of 7
QUESTION 2 CONTINUED

Mr Burgess later sends you the following email:

From editor@DEGazette.org
To deputyeditor@DEGazette.org
Date 1 June 2011
Subject Mrs Foxton
_________________________________________________________________________________

Hi

Ive been thinking we can give permission for Mrs Foxton to use any of our material (articles, letters to
the editor, photographs etc), but we have to insist that it is made clear in the book that each item is the
copyright of the Gazette.

Let her know how keen we are to help her. (We can even offer a small office here in which she can
work.)

Regards

William

Task

Write the letter.

(Total 30 marks)

2041/3/11 Page 6 of 7
QUESTION 3

(In answering Question 3, remember that it is very important to use your own words whenever
possible, and to organise the list of main points in a logical way.)

Setting

A local college has asked you to talk to students of Business Studies about what businesses can do so
that their customers are satisfied with the services they receive. In a magazine, you read the following
extract from an article and decide to write a list of its main points to help you in planning your talk.

TAKE THAT EXTRA STEP.

Successful business relies on good customer service. If youre a skilful salesperson, you can sell
anything to anyone - once. But it will be your approach to customer service that decides whether
or not youll ever be able to sell anything else to that person.

How do you go about giving good customer service? Firstly, you have to remember the main
motto, which is: You will be judged by what you do, not by what you say you will do. Words
are easy but helpful actions are much more difficult and, at the same time, much more effective
in impressing customers.

Another important piece of advice is, Dont make promises unless you will keep them. Notice
that I did not say plan to keep them, but will keep them. If you say, Your new office
furniture will be delivered on Tuesday, make sure it is delivered on that day.

Listen to your customers. Show them that you are listening by making the appropriate responses,
such as suggesting possible solutions to a problem or giving sensible advice to guide a
customers decision in such a way that he or she feels that your advice is genuine, and not
based on what you want to sell to him or her.

Make sure you train your staff to be helpful and to know everything about what you supply, or
sell ... I always remember being in a supermarket and looking for an ingredient. I had forgotten
its name. One of the supermarkets assistants not only worked out what I was searching for, but
she actually took me to the place where it was displayed. Genuine advice and real help. Thats
right I still shop at that same supermarket.

Task

Write the list of the main points from the article.

(Total 30 marks)

2041/3/11 Page 7 of 7 Education Development International plc 2011