Use of English – English Grammar Exercises for B2
You are a newly hired employee who just drafted an email to your boss to ask for a report approval. However, your draft sounds far too bossy, direct, and informal. To maintain professionalism and show respect, you must transform these direct sentences into polite, diplomatic B2-level structures. Choose the correct option (A, B, C, or D) to upgrade your email perfectly.
1 Direct Draft: Reply to me soon.
Professional Upgrade: I would be highly appreciative ______ to this email at your earliest convenience.
(A) if you reply
(B) if you could reply
(C) of you replying
(D) that you reply
2 Direct Draft: You made a mistake in the quarterly budget.
Professional Upgrade: It appears that there ______ in the quarterly budget.
(A) is a slight mistake made by you
(B) might be a slight discrepancy
(C) has been your error
(D) happens to be a fault
3 Direct Draft: We need to change our marketing strategy right now.
Professional Upgrade: It is high time we ______ our marketing strategy.
(A) reconsider
(B) reconsidered
(C) must reconsider
(D) have reconsidered
4 Direct Draft: Tell me if you need more help with the files.
Professional Upgrade: ______ any further assistance with the files, please do not hesitate to contact me.
(A) If you will need
(B) Provided you need
(C) Should you require
(D) In case of requiring
5 Direct Draft: Look at the file I attached.
Professional Upgrade: Please ______ the detailed report for your review.
(A) find attached
(B) see the attached
(C) look attached
(D) find attachment
6 Direct Draft: I want to meet you tomorrow to talk about this.
Professional Upgrade: I was wondering ______ available for a brief meeting tomorrow to discuss this.
(A) whether you would be
(B) if you are
(C) that you will be
(D) whether are you
7 Direct Draft: Don’t forget to sign the contract before 5 PM.
Professional Upgrade: This is just a gentle reminder ______ the contract before the close of business.
(A) of signing
(B) for signing
(C) to sign
(D) that you sign
8 Direct Draft: Give me an update on the project today.
Professional Upgrade: Could you kindly ______ on the current status of the project?
(A) give me a know
(B) provide me with an update
(C) update to me
(D) provide an update for me
9 Direct Draft: Why haven’t you answered my previous email?
Professional Upgrade: I am writing to ______ my previous email regarding the new campaign.
(A) follow up on
(B) catch up with
(C) keep up with
(D) trace back to
10 Direct Draft: You have to finish this task by Friday.
Professional Upgrade: It would be highly appreciated if this task ______ by Friday.
(A) could be completed
(B) can complete
(C) is completed
(D) completes
11 Direct Draft: I can’t meet you on Monday.
Professional Upgrade: I am afraid I ______ to make it to our scheduled meeting on Monday.
(A) am not capable
(B) won’t be able
(C) cannot be possible
(D) haven’t the ability
12 Direct Draft: I didn’t understand what you meant in the meeting.
Professional Upgrade: Could you possibly ______ on the last point you mentioned during the meeting?
(A) make clear
(B) expand detail
(C) elaborate a bit
(D) explain me
13 Direct Draft: Sorry for replying late.
Professional Upgrade: Please accept my sincere apologies for the ______ to your email.
(A) late reply
(B) delayed response
(C) delay in responding
(D) slow answer
14 Direct Draft: I want to complain about the new software.
Professional Upgrade: I am writing to express my ______ the new software update.
(A) dissatisfaction with
(B) un-satisfaction of
(C) complaints for
(D) annoyances about
15 Direct Draft: Please approve this document as fast as you can.
Professional Upgrade: I would be grateful if you could approve this document ______.
(A) as your fast convenience
(B) at your earliest convenience
(C) with your earliest time
(D) in your most convenient
16 Direct Draft: Tell me what you think about this idea.
Professional Upgrade: I would highly value ______ regarding this proposal.
(A) your thoughts of
(B) your feedback
(C) your mind
(D) your comments for
17 Direct Draft: I promise I will finish the presentation by tomorrow.
Professional Upgrade: I would like to ______ that the presentation will be ready by tomorrow morning.
(A) assure you
(B) ensure you
(C) promise to you
(D) make sure for you
18 Direct Draft: Thanks a lot for helping me with the data.
Professional Upgrade: I would like to express my gratitude for your ______ the data analysis.
(A) help to
(B) assist in
(C) assistance with
(D) supporting of
19 Direct Draft: Call me if there are any problems.
Professional Upgrade: Please do not hesitate to ______ if you have any further questions or concerns.
(A) catch me up
(B) reach out to me
(C) give me a ring
(D) call me back
20 Direct Draft: I want you to read the report before the meeting.
Professional Upgrade: It is advisable that the report ______ before the meeting commences.
(A) is reading
(B) be read
(C) will be read
(D) reads
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) if you could reply
Explanation: When making polite requests in professional English, we use the Second Conditional structure “I would appreciate it if you could + V”. This creates hypothetical distance, making the command sound like a polite option.
2 (B) might be a slight discrepancy
Explanation: In corporate environments, you never say “You made a mistake” (pointing fingers). Instead, use “There might be” (softening) and replace “mistake” with the highly professional noun “discrepancy”.
3 (B) reconsidered
Explanation: The grammatical structure “It’s high time + Subject + Past Simple” is a classic FCE transformation. It is used to express that something should have been done already and needs to be done urgently.
4 (C) Should you require
Explanation: This is an Inverted First Conditional (Should + Subject + Verb). It replaces “If you need” to sound significantly more formal and professional.
5 (A) find attached
Explanation: “Please find attached…” is the standard, fixed business English phrase to refer to an email attachment.
6 (A) whether you would be
Explanation: “I was wondering whether you would be…” uses the past continuous (“was wondering”) and a modal verb (“would”) to make the request extremely polite and non-intrusive.
7 (C) to sign
Explanation: The noun reminder takes the infinitive to do something. “A gentle reminder to [verb]” is the perfect way to tell a superior to do something without sounding bossy.
8 (B) provide me with an update
Explanation: The verb provide takes the structure provide someone WITH something. It is the formal equivalent of “give me”.
9 (A) follow up on
Explanation: “To follow up on [an email/issue]” is a crucial business phrasal verb. It means to inquire about something that was previously discussed or sent, rather than accusing someone of ignoring you.
10 (A) could be completed
Explanation: To avoid giving direct orders (“You must finish”), we shift to the passive voice (“if this task could be completed”). This focuses on the task itself, rather than the person who has to do it.
11 (B) won’t be able
Explanation: “I won’t be able to make it” is the standard professional way to say “I can’t come”. It sounds regretful and polite.
12 (C) elaborate a bit
Explanation: If you don’t understand your boss, never say “I don’t understand”. Say “Could you elaborate?” (meaning: could you explain in more detail). Adding “a bit” softens the request further.
13 (C) delay in responding
Explanation: “Delay in responding” transforms the action into a formal noun phrase. It is the gold standard for apologizing for a late email.
14 (A) dissatisfaction with
Explanation: “Express dissatisfaction with” is the formal equivalent of “complain about”. Notice the dependent preposition is with, not of or about.
15 (B) at your earliest convenience
Explanation: This is a fixed idiom in business English. It means “as soon as you are free to do it”, which replaces the aggressive “as fast as you can”.
16 (B) your feedback
Explanation: “Feedback” is an uncountable noun used professionally to ask for opinions or thoughts. You value feedback, you don’t value a mind.
17 (A) assure you
Explanation: You assure a person (make them feel confident), you ensure an outcome (make certain it happens). “I assure you” is the formal way of saying “I promise you”.
18 (C) assistance with
Explanation: “Assistance” is the formal noun for “help”. The dependent preposition is assistance WITH something.
19 (B) reach out to me
Explanation: “Reach out” is a very common professional phrasal verb meaning to contact someone for help, communication, or networking.
20 (B) be read
Explanation: This is the Subjunctive Mood. After formal adjectives like advisable, essential, crucial, the following clause takes a bare infinitive verb (or be + V3 in passive). Therefore, “that the report be read” is correct.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
When you take the FCE exam or write a professional email in real life, you must master the art of “Distancing”. Distancing means using grammar to put space between the speaker, the listener, and the problem.
1 Distance through Passive Voice:
Instead of accusing a person, focus on the object/task.
- Direct: You need to finish the report.
- Diplomatic: It is essential that the report be finished.
2 Distance through Conditionals & Modals:
Instead of using the present simple, use past tenses and modals (would/could) to make requests sound hypothetical and polite.
- Direct: I want to meet you.
- Diplomatic: I was wondering if we could meet.
3 Distance through Vocabulary (Nominalization):
Turn ugly verbs into professional noun phrases.
- Mistake → A slight discrepancy
- Complain → Express dissatisfaction
- Help → Require assistance
- Answer → Provide feedback
- Look into → Follow up on