Netiquette: a guide to using IM at work.

Colleges all over America are blocking standard Instant

Messaging ports, yet strangely more and more businesses are
encouraging employees to use IM. Especially in large offices, IM
is much quicker than using the telephone or sending email.

While many companies have been quick to embrace the IM

technology, they've been reluctant to integrate any set policies
for its use; and this can turn out badly for the employee who over
uses IM.

Here is a straightforward guide to using IM in the workplace:

 Don't overdo it. A lot of employees tend to overuse IM, and

waste valuable hours talking to friends and family. Chats with
employees should be short and professional ("here's that website
link", or "can we meet over lunch to discuss this proposal?").
 Use your away message. If you're working, use your away or
status message (or at the very least your profile) to let people
know you're busy, then just glance at it to see if a coworker is
trying to talk to you.
 Don't talk about confidential information. IM isn't secure, so you
shouldn't be using it to discuss company secrets.
 Make sure you stick to company policy. Ask your supervisor if you
can install an IM client like AIM, MSN, Yahoo, or ICQ. While
some companies understand the huge benefits of using IM at
work others severely frown upon its use as a waste of time, so
make sure you find out which category your company belongs to.
 Don't use slang. You won't impress the boss by using "lol" instead
of a period (.) after every sentence; supervisors just aren't
impressed by IM slang.

Mark what is true [T] or false [F] according to the text (correct when it’s false):
1. Some companies are in favor of the use of IM at work; others are against its use. [ ]
____________________________________________________________________
2. The number of companies encouraging their employees to use IM at work is increases
more and more. [ ]
____________________________________________________________________
3. The excessive use of IM at work is a waste of time. [ ]
____________________________________________________________________
4. If you are working you should set your status as “busy”. [ ]
____________________________________________________________________
5. You should use IM according to your company’s policy. [ ]
____________________________________________________________________
6. The companies that allow IM use at work are reluctant to adopt a policy for its use. [ ]
____________________________________________________________________
7. Slang is highly recommendable to avoid waste of time at work. [ ]
____________________________________________________________________
Personal Questions:
1. What’s your favorite IM software?
________________________________
2. How often do you use IM?
 We love grammar, don’t we? – Tag Questions
❶ USAGE: A tag question is a special construction in English. We use it to confirm information or if we are
not sure about something.
I am awesome, arent I?
❷ EXAMPLES:
Statement Question tag
We are late, aren’t we?
 This is very complicated, isn’t it?
You were shopping, weren’t you?
It has rained, hasn’t it?
Joe will come to the party, won’t he?
We work hard, don’t we?
She won, didn’t she?

❸ FORM & RULES:

The whole sentence is a "tag question", and the mini-question at the end is called a "question tag". (A tag
is something small that we add to something larger. For example, the little piece of cloth added to a shirt
showing size or washing instructions is a tag.)
You need to follow the following rules (in German):
Wenn die Aussage ein Hilfsverb (be, have + modal verbs) enthält, wird es im Frage Anhängsel
weiterverwendet (auch in der Kurzantwort):
The film was great, wasn’t it? - Yes, it was. /No, it wasn’t.
Wenn die Aussage ein Vollverb enthält, wird im Frage-Anhängsel entweder do – don’t oder does -
doesn’t oder did - didn’t verwendet.
Peter likes pizza, doesn’t he? - Yes, he does. /No, he doesn’t.
You know a lot, don’t you? - Yes, I do. /No, I don’t.
Lisa called you, didn’t she? – Yes, she did./ No, she didn’t.
Wenn die Aussage positiv (d.h. nicht verneint ist), wird das question tag verneint; wenn die Aussage
negativ (also verneint) ist, wird das Anhängsel positiv.
Ausnahmen:
You say: I’m not the last, am I? Aber: I’m the last, aren’t I?
Let’s go to the cinema, shall we? Let’s eat a pizza, shall we?
Nach dem Imperativ (orders): Take it, will you? Sit down, will you?

❹Exercises
A: Write the correct tag question and the short answers
1) Max is in his room,……………………? Yes,…………./No,…………
2) Your new neighbours are nice,……………………? Yes,…………./No,…………
3) Your dad was in China last month, ,…………………? Yes,…………./No,…………
4) Columbus discovered America in 1492, ,……………………? Yes,…………….., but the Vikings were there
500 years before him!
5) Andy has been here before,………………..? No, ………………. this is his first visit.
6) There is a strong smell in this room,……………. Yes, there is.
7) There weren’t any problems, …………………….. No, there weren’t.
8) Stop that noise,……………………..? OK, sorry.
9) Let’s go there,………………….
10) Your dog eats carrots,………………..? No, ……………..! Who told you that?
11) Emily can be quite arrogant, ……………….? Oh, yes, she ……………and that’s not nice.
12) Your mother works at a hospital, …………………..? Yes,………….. She’s a nurse.
13) You haven’t read this book,…………………? No, I ………………, but I’d like to read it now.
14) You don’t believe me,……………….? No, I ……………
15) Clean the bathroom, …………………? No, I ……………