UNIT 7: LEAVING AND TAKING MESSAGES

Structure

7.0 Objectives
7.1 Warm up
7.2 Reading: Preparing for a Business Call
7.3 Vocabulary
7.4 Listening - Speaking
7.5 Grammar: To+ Infinitive
7.6 Writing
7.7 Pronunciation: Stress Patterns in English Words-I
7.8 Let Us Sum Up
7.9 Answers

7.0 OBJECTIVES

This Unit will familiarize you with the telephoning language used to leave and
take messages. It will also take you into further details of preparing for a
telephone conversation, especially in situations where you know you may
need to take or leave important messages. You will learn how to:

• take a message on the telephone

• leave a message on the telephone
• clarify that the message has been received right

Additionally, you will learn how speaking style influences the effectiveness of
speakers.

7.1 WARM UP

When you call someone for work, which are the kind of people you find it
easier to communicate with? Do some attitudes put you off? What are these?
Do you find it really difficult to get information out of some people, as if you
were asking them to give out a state secret? But then are there others who
make the same process much more comfortable with their helpful and
encouraging attitude. How much does the tone of the speaker on the other end
of the line determine the outcome of the conversation? Ask yourself all these
questions and then move with this unit.

7.2 READING: PREPARING FOR A BUSINESS CALL

People make business calls for various reasons. Generally, calls are made to
give information, or receive it, or a little of both. Whatever be your objective,
it is imperative that you go into it prepared. How do you prepare for a
telephone call? 37
 Telephone
Conversation Unless your objective is to merely give a terse instruction, the basics would be
to have at hand a notepad and pen; a file you may need to refer to for details or
a particular folder opened on your computer, maybe even a calendar. That’s as
far as physical preparation goes. What you also need is to be mentally
prepared. Recall the last communication on the topic you want to raise, any
new development that has taken place since, and then go over your objective
for making the call, and have ready any question you may need to ask.

With all preparation done, you make the call and are told that the person you
want to speak to is not available. What do you do now? Do you make an
impromptu decision about whether you just want to leave a short message or
also add some important, maybe urgent information to be conveyed by the
message taker? In retrospect, would it not have been better if before dialing
you had decided what you would do in such an eventuality? Preparing for this
possibility in advance allows you to predetermine exactly what information
you want to include in the message you leave.

Exactly the same goes for when you receive a call. You may need to take a
message for someone, or take down important notes from the conversation. Of
course you don’t always know when someone is going to call, but you usually
have some idea, based on what work is going on. But especially if you know
someone is going to call, it’s advisable to think about what they will be talking
about and try to anticipate what they may say and questions they may ask.
This way you can be prepared with any details or reasoning you would be
expected to give regarding the status of work. If, however, the queries exceed
the level of your preparation, you can always tell the caller you will call back
later – just ensure that you remember to do so.

Then there is the case for active listening. What is active listening, or, more
importantly, who is an active listener? You can show the person on the other
end of the line that s/he has your full attention by interjecting with relevant
short phrases or words like ‘yes’, ‘okay’, ‘I understand’, ‘hmm-hmm’, or even
by repeating important information or asking for a repetition or clarification.
When you ask for a repetition, remember to always acknowledge it by
repeating the same yourself, to ensure there is no ambiguity in understanding.

Finally, however you look at it, being prepared not only helps you conduct the
talk confidently, it is also much more professional, and helps avoid wastage of
precious time.

Check your progress 1

Read the passage once again and try to answer the following questions without
looking at the text. Then check your answers with the answer key.

1 What are the things you need to keep handy while making a business
telephone call?
…………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………..
38
2 What mental preparation should one make before making such a call?
…………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………….. Leaving and Taking
………………………………………………………………………….. Messages

3 Why is it better to prepare for the eventuality that the person you are
calling may not be available?

…………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………..
4 How can you show the person you are on the phone with that s/he has
your complete attention?
…………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………..
5 How does preparation help in conducting a business conversation on
the telephone?
…………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………..

7.3 VOCABULARY

Check your progress 2

1 Pick words from the text closest in meaning to the following:

i Essential
ii Short and snappy
iii Spur-of-the-moment, unprepared
iv Hindsight
v A possible occurrence or circumstance
vi To decide in advance
vii Doubtfulness

2 We can make nouns from verbs by adding the suffix – ation at the end
of verbs. Some change in spelling is necessary in some cases. For
example:

Verb Noun
prepare preparation
communicate communication

39
 Telephone Pick out three more instances from the passage in the Reading
Conversation Section. Also write the verb form of these nouns.
…………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………..
3 Complete the following phrases by using the nouns formed from the
verbs given in the box.

celebrate decorate explain

cancel imagine circulate
declare starve donation

i A fertile ……………………………
ii The wedding ……………………………..
iii Blood ………………………..
iv Asked for an…………………………………
v …………………. of independence.
vi Died of ……………………………………….
vii Annual day……………………………
viii Railway ……………………………………………

7.4 LISTENING - SPEAKING

7.4.1 Taking Messages

Listen to two telephone conversations (Tape script 1 and 2) and note how the
speakers ask for and acknowledge information by using repetitions to take
down messages.

Tape script 1
A: Good morning, Global Publishing.
B: Hello, I’m Radha Seth, from Pune. I’d like to speak with Mr. Suresh
Rathi, please.
A: Oh, I’m sorry; Mr. Rathi isn’t here at the moment. This is Meena
Sinha, his Executive assistant. Er…. May I have your name again,
please?
B: Yes, Radha Seth.
A: Thank you and are you calling from Pune?
B: That’s right. Could you ask him to call me as soon as it’s convenient?
A: Ma’am he’s meeting clients all day, and won’t be coming into office
40 today. Would you like to leave a message?
B: Could you just tell him that I’d like to speak with him regarding the
cover design for my new novel?
A. Certainly. Shall I ask him to call you sometime tomorrow?
B. That would be fine.
A: And does he have your contact number?
B: Yes, I think so, but please take it down anyway. It’s 9811944432. Leaving and Taking
Messages
A: I’ll repeat that - 9811944432.
B: That’s right.
A: Thank you for calling, Ma’am. I’ll give him your message, and he’ll
call you tomorrow.
B: That will be excellent. Thanks a lot. Bye.
A: You’re welcome. Bye.

Tape script 2
A: Hello. Batra Housing Corporation. How may I help you?
B: Good afternoon. May I speak with Mr. Batra please?
A: May I know who is calling please?
B: I’m calling from Mr. Iyer’s office.
A: Please hold. I’ll check if Mr. Batra is available.
…
A: I’m sorry. Mr. Batra is unavailable at the moment. He will be able to
take phone calls after 5pm. Or if you’d like, you could leave a
message. I’m Shalini, his secretary.
B: Yes, alright. I’ll leave a message.
A: Yes. Could you repeat where you’re calling from please?
B: Mr. Iyer’s office, Bestech Solutions. He is in the process of finalizing a
deal with Mr. Batra.
A: And what message would you like to leave?
B: Mr. Iyer was scheduled to meet Mr. Batra at the Gurgaon office on the
15th. However, he will not be able to keep this appointment. My Iyer
has to leave the city urgently due to a personal emergency. He would
like to reschedule the meeting.
A: Yes sir. Is there anything else?
B: Yes. Mr. Iyer wanted to set an appointment with Mr. Batra before he
schedules his other meetings after he returns from his trip. He
considers this high priority and has asked me to schedule the meeting 41
 Telephone at the earliest. Please let Mr. Batra know this, so that the appointment
Conversation
can be fixed as soon as possible.
A: Yes, sir. Would you like to add anything else?
B: No that’s it, thank you.
A: Alright sir. I’ll repeat your message. Please confirm if this is right. Mr.
Iyer needs to leave town suddenly due to personal reasons and will
therefore not be able to make it to the meeting on the 15th at the
Gurgaon office. He’d like to set a date for this meeting before he
organizes the rest of his schedule after he returns. Is that right sir?
B: Yes, that’s right.
A: And when is Mr. Iyer expected to be available after his return, sir?
B: He should be available from the 22nd.
A: Alright sir. Could you give me the number on which we should contact
you for the appointment date?
B: Sure. It’s 26814690.
A: I’ll repeat that. 26814690. Is there anything else?
B: No, that’s it. Thank you.
A: Thank you for calling. Have a nice day.

Check your progress 3

Listen again and complete the missing information on the message pads
below.

To ______________________________ Date ____________________

From ____________________________ Time ___________________

Of (office) ________________________ Phone __________________

Message
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Signed ____________________________

42
B

7.4.2 Effect of Speaking Style Leaving and Taking

Messages
Now listen to a third conversation on the phone and focus on the speaking
style and tone of the person who receives the call. Listen again to the first two
conversations and compare the speaking styles in those conversations with
that of the third conversation. Do you find a difference?

Tape script 3
Receptionist: ABC Corporation, Nancy speaking. How may I help
you?

To ______________________________ Date ____________________

From ____________________________ Time ___________________

Of (office) ________________________ Phone __________________

Message
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Signed ____________________________

Mary: Good afternoon Nancy, this is Mary from Smith and

Jones. May I please speak with somebody from the
Accounts Payable?

Receptionist: Is there anyone in particular that you wish to speak to?

Mary: Well, anyone in Accounts Payable would be fine.

(Call is transferred to Accounts Payable. No response, it gets transferred back

to the receptionist).

Receptionist: I’m afraid they are not at their desk right now.

Mary: In that case, could I leave a message?

Receptionist: Okay.

Mary: My name is Mary; I’m calling from the Accounts

Receivable team at Smith and Jones. My contact
number is 1-800-411-0000 and the reference number
for this call is 612345.

Receptionist: All right!

Mary: Thank you Nancy. Good bye. 43

 Telephone
Conversation Check your progress 4

1 Listen again to the third conversation, then mark the statements below
as ‘True’ or ‘False’ based on the content of the talk and on the
speaking style of the two persons (listen to Tape script 3).

i Nancy’s speaking style showed she wanted to help the caller.

ii She did not greet the caller when she introduced herself, and
did not even respond to the caller’s greeting.
iii She offered to take a message.
iv She did not ask the caller to repeat her message so as to make
sure she got it right.
2 Now write a comparison of the speaking styles of the call takers in all
three conversations, and how these affected the conversation.
…………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………..

7.5 GRAMMAR: TO + INFINITIVE

Read the sentences given below which are taken from the Reading text:

i Generally, calls are made to give information…….

ii ………..and are told that the person you want to speak to is not
available.

iii You may need to take a message for some one…

The verbs to give, to speak, to take are infinitives. Although the infinitive is a
verb, it is often used as a noun. It can be the subject or the object of a verb. In
sentences, 1, 2, and 3 the infinitives to give, to speak and to take are objects
of the verbs made, want and need, respectively.

The infinitive can also be used as a subject of a verb or a complement of a

verb or an object.

44 Example:
To find fault is easy. (subject of is)
His job is to repair old cars. (used as a complement)

Activity 1

1 Complete the sentences with the infinitives of the verbs in the box:

complete quit hire meet

ask buy contact weigh

i Please do not hesitate ……………………..me if you have

further queries.
ii I am writing …………………..you for your help.
iii I have arranged ………………….. the visitors at the factory.
iv We use scales ………………….. things. Leaving and Taking
Messages
v I stayed up late ………………….. my Project Report.
vi I went shopping last Sunday ………………….. gifts for our
buyers from London.
vii There are a lot of companies who want …………………..
engineers for short term projects.
viii Marie was getting tired of her job so she decided ………… it.

2 Rewrite the following sentences using the verbs in the brackets given
below + object + to + infinitive. One is done for you as an example:

i “You may leave early if you like,” said the Manager to his
secretary. (allow)
ii “Don’t forget to send the email,” said the team leader. (remind)
iii “Go on, apply for the job,” said Anita’s husband. (encourage)
iv “Can you finish the report as soon as possible?” said the
Finance Manager to his team. (ask)
v “I think you should inform the GM about the theft,” said the
Manager. (advise)
vi “If you want to get good Indian food, go to Just Indian,” said
Rohan to the buyers. (recommend)

i Allow: The Manager allowed his secretary to leave early.

ii …………………………………………………………………..

iii …………………………………………………………………..

iv …………………………………………………………………..

v …………………………………………………………………..

vi …………………………………………………………………..
45
 Telephone
Conversation 7.6 WRITING

Check your progress 5

Given below are situations that different people are in. Based on their
situations, think of what each one’s objectives might be and write them down.
The first one is done for you.

i A medical representative wishing to demonstrate a new blood pressure

measuring machine to a hospital manager.

Objectives
- To seek an appropriate appointment time
- To inform him how much of the potential client’s time he will
take
- To assure him that the product he wanted to show was of a
reputed company

ii A customer wishing to complain about an inflated telephone bill.

iii A Purchase Manager who has received an incomplete delivery.
iv A Sales Manager wanting to book the convention hall of a hotel for a
sales drive.

7.7 PRONUNCIATION: STRESS PATTERNS IN ENGLISH

WORDS-I

Consonants and vowels combine to form a word. Every English word must
have at least one vowel, but it may or may not have a consonant sound. A
vowel, in other words, is central to a word. A consonant, on the other hand, is
optional. The words eye, ear, oh, ah, for example, have only one vowel but no
consonants. All, cat, spoil, spilt, on the other hand, have one, two, three and
four consonants respectively, in addition to one vowel each.

All three words have only one vowel each and are therefore words of one
syllable each. However, many English words have more than one vowel and
therefore have more than one syllable. In other words, there are as many
syllables in a word as there are vowels. For example, the words thirteen (thir-
teen) and shortage (short-age) have two vowels and therefore two syllables
each, the words disappear (dis-ap-pear) and educate (e-du-cate) have three
vowels and therefore three syllables each.

An English word consisting of more than one syllable is said in such a way
that one of its syllables stands out from, or is more prominent than the
other syllable or syllables in the same word. For example, in the word father
(which has two syllables /fa:/ and /ðə/) the first syllable /fa:/ is more
prominent than the second syllable /ðə/. But, in the word cassette (which also
has two syllables /κəset/), the second syllable /set/ is more prominent than the
first. Similarly, when we pronounce the word gigantic (which has three
46
syllables /dʒaIgæn.tIκ/) the second syllable /gæn/ is more prominent than the
first and the third syllables. The syllable which stands out or is more
prominent than the others in the same word is called the stressed syllable or
the accented syllable.

The speaker spends more energy while producing the stressed syllable than
s/he does while producing the other syllables in the same word. The listener
hears the stressed syllable as being louder than the other syllables in the same
word.

The syllables which are not stressed in a word are called unstressed or weak
syllables.

Most modern dictionaries adopt the following method to mark stress. The
stressed syllable is marked with a vertical bar (the mark ') above and before
the syllable that is stressed. For example, the word approve (which has two
syllables /ə/ and /pru:v/ is stressed on the second syllable and it is marked Leaving and Taking
thus: Messages

/ə'pru:v/

Here are a few examples of words stressed on different syllables. Listen to

each word and repeat it.

i Words stressed on the first syllable:

Two-syllable words Three-syllable words Longer Words

'action 'analyse 'aristocrat
'govern 'calculate 'automobile

ii Words stressed on the second syllable:

Two-syllable words Three-syllable words Longer Words

nar'rate cor'rection par'ticipant
at'tend ac'countant ri'diculous

iii Words stressed on the third syllable:

Three syllable words Four-syllable words Longer Words

guaran'tee appli'cation irre'sponsible
engi'neer appa'ratus satis'factory

iv Words stressed on the fourth syllable:

civili'zation
exami'nation mechani'zation
partici'pation inferi'ority

The above lists clearly show that stress in individual words has to be learnt
individually.

Check Your Progress 6

47
 Telephone
Conversation A number of English words are given below. Say them yourself and ascertain
which is the stressed syllable in each word. Then mark the stressed syllables
by using the appropriate mark (/ ' / for primary stress) before the syllables that
are stressed. After you have marked all the words, check your answers with
those provided at the end of this unit and then say the words with the correct
stress patterns. You can also listen to these words on the audio recording.

1 account 2 across
3 address 4 collection
5 arrive 6 provider
7 invoice 8 atmosphere
9 attempt 10 behave
11 behaviour 12 broadcast
13 authorization 14 clearing
15 code 16 mortgage
17 equity 18 bankrupt
19 vendors 20 contain

7.8 LET US SUM UP

In this unit we have tried to build activities around taking and leaving
message(s) on the phone. In the reading section we have given you tips on
taking a business call. In order to enhance your vocabulary we have given you
activities which involve suffixes. You are required to listen to the Listening-
Speaking activities as well as enact a role play. In the grammar section we
have given you practice in the use of to + infinitive, while in the pronunciation
section we introduced you to word stress which contribute to a large extent in
making your English intelligible and acceptable.

7.9 ANSWERS

Check your progress 1

1 i a notepad and pen

ii a file you may need to refer to for details
iii a folder opened on your computer
iv a calendar.
2 Recall the last communication on the topic you want to raise, any new
development that has taken place since, and then go over your
objective for making the call, and have ready any question you may
need to ask.

3 You need to decide whether you only want to leave a short message or
48 also add some important information to be conveyed by the message
 taker. Preparing for this possibility in advance allows you to
predetermine exactly what information you want to include in the
message you leave.

4 You can show such interest by interjecting with relevant short phrases
or words like ‘yes’, ‘okay’, ‘I understand’, ‘hmm-hmm’, or even by
repeating important information or asking for a repetition or
clarification.

5 Being prepared helps you conduct the talk confidently, shows the other
person your professional approach, and helps avoid wastage of time.

Check your progress 2

i Essential - Imperative
ii Short and snappy - Terse
iii Spur-of-the-moment, unprepared - Impromptu
iv Hindsight - Retrospect
v A possible occurrence or circumstance - Eventuality Leaving and Taking
Messages
vi To decide in advance - Predetermine
vii Doubtfulness - Ambiguity

2 Verb Noun
i Inform information
ii Converse conversation
iii Clarify clarification

3 i imagination
ii decoration
iii circulation
iv explanation
v declaration
vi starvation
vii celebration
viii cancellation

Check your progress 3

A

To Mr. Suresh Rathi Date (As applicable)

From Ms. Radha Seth Time (As applicable)

Of Pune Phone 9811944432.

Message Call Ms. Radha Seth tomorrow (date), regarding cover design
of her new novel.
Signed Meena Sinha

49
 Telephone B
Conversation

To Mr. Batra Date (As applicable)

From Mr. Iyer Time (As applicable)
Of (office) Bestech Solutions Phone 26814690
Message: Mr. Iyer asked to cancel meeting Gurgaon office 15th, out of
town. To return on 22nd. Would like meeting to be fixed asap after
return.
Signed Shalini

Check your progress 4

1 i False
ii True
iii False
iv True
2 You can give your own interpretation of the style, but here are some
observations that show that the people who received the calls in the
first and second tape script were more professional than the third.

• The people who received the calls in the first two conversations were
active listeners who showed interest in the caller, whereas the third one
seemed bored and uninterested.

• The first two greeted the caller while the last one, Nancy, did not do
so.

• They offered to take down a message from the caller while Nancy did
not do so. She agreed to take the message when the caller asked to
leave one.

• They repeated information to make sure it was correct, but she did not
do so.

• As a result of this attitude, she also appeared rude in contrast to the

other two call takers.

Activity 1

1 i to contact
ii to ask
iii to meet
iv to weigh
v to complete
vi to buy
vii to hire
viii to quit

2 ii The team leader reminded him to send the email.

50
 iii Anita’s husband encouraged her to apply for the job.
iv The Finance Manager asked his team to finish the report as
soon as possible.
v The Manager advised him to inform the GM about the theft.
vi Rohan recommended the buyers to go to ‘Just Indian’ for good
Indian food.

Check your progress 5

Possible objectives, though you may add your own.

ii - To complain about the inflated bill.
- To give details of the bill.
- To ask the executive to tally the phone number and address with their
record.
iii - To tell the supplier that the delivery is incomplete. Leaving and
Taking Messages
- To complain about the poor service.
-To ask for the rest of the delivery at the earliest.
iv -To find out the size of the hall
-To find out its availability on the required date
-To find out the cost of renting it for the day.

Check Your Progress 6

1 ac'count 2 a'cross
3 ad'dress 4 col'lection
5 ar'rive 6 pro'vider
7 'invoice 8 'atmosphere
9 at'tempt 10 be'have
11 be'haviour 12 'broadcast
13 authori'zation 14 'clearing
15 'code 16 'mortgage
17 'equity 18 'bankrupt
19 'vendors 20 con'tain

51