Exercise 1

Which of the following statements best describes the purpose of Icarus' email?

He wants to describe some of his responsibilities as an accountant

He wants the company to buy him a new stapler

He wants to be repaid for his purchase of a stapler

He wants Polly to inform the staff that his possessions are being borrowed too frequently

I don't know

Which of the following statements best describes the purpose of Icarus' email?

He wants to describe some of his responsibilities as an accountant

This is not the best choice. Although Icarus does describes some of his responsibilities ("I do a lot of stapling. As an accountant, I deal with many papers"), this is not the main purpose of his email. He is actually asking Polly for repayment of his stapler.

He wants the company to buy him a new stapler

This is not a true statement. Icarus has already purchased a stapler. He wants to be reimbursed for this purchase if other people in the office are going to use the stapler which he bought for himself.

He wants to be repaid for his purchase of a stapler

This is the best choice here. Icarus writes this email first to announce that he has bought a new stapler, and eventually to request that he be reimbursed by the company. His last line "In short, if the company could reimburse me the cost of the stapler, I would appreciate it" is a clear indication that Icarus wants to be repaid for his purchase.

He wants Polly to inform the staff that his possessions are being borrowed too frequently

Icarus does not at any point ask Polly to inform the staff that his possessions are being borrowed too often. He does express concern about having guaranteed access to the stapler, but this is not the main purpose of his email.

Exercise 2

Icarus asks Trey "How can I ever thank you?" to express his great personal gratitude.

Choose the expressions from the list below which also express great personal gratitude.

Be careful, there may be more than one correct choice!

I am eternally grateful.

How can I ever repay you?

Thanks for your feedback.

I appreciate your attention in this matter.

I am eternally grateful.

This is an expression of sincere personal gratitude. To be "grateful" to someone expresses to be thankful or very appreciative of someone, often for an action or service they have provided. Example: I am eternally grateful for the help you gave my family.

How can I ever repay you?

This is an expression of sincere personal gratitude. The verb "repay" can express that a debt is owed to someone else, and does not necessarily suggest a financial debt. It is possible to repay a debt of honor or a debt of gratitude. Example: I will probably never be able to repay you for saving my life.

Thanks for your feedback.

"Thanks for your feedback" isn't an expression of sincere personal gratitude. "Feedback" is the return of information about something, usually an evaluation of something or someone relating to a process, activity or performance. "Thanks for your feedback" is generally used in professional situations and doesn't express the same sort of great personal gratitude that Icarus' does.

I appreciate your attention in this matter.

"I appreciate your attention in this matter" isn't an expression of sincere personal gratitude. The expression "I appreciate your attention in this matter" would likely be found in an a letter or email to thank someone professionally. This expression is formal and even a bit impersonal.

Repay meaning in English

Definition

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