Placing an Order
This lesson focuses on the process of placing an order, including selecting products, providing necessary information, and confirming order details.
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Part 1
Pre-Reading
Answer the questions
Do you have an email account?
Do you like corresponding via email?
Who do you write to?
Have you ever ordered anything online?
What do you do when the price of your order increases?
Match the words on the left with the correct meanings on the right.
order ___
the final price with all costs included
catalog ___
to check, to confirm
grand total ___
a request to purchase things
ship ___
to submit, to give
online ___
a document that shows the prices for the order
verify ___
available
software ___
added as a file to an email message
in stock ___
an accounting program file for a computer
place ___
to send
supplies ___
yellow writing paper used to take notes
attached ___
things used in an office
spreadsheet ___
a large folder with rings used to hold paper
invoice ___
a book or magazine that shows items for sale and their prices
three-inch binder ___
an amount or number needed
legal pad ___
computer programs
quantity ___
found on the Internet
Part 2
Reading
Practice reading the email messages out loud with your teacher.
Underline any words or phrases you don’t understand.
A. Email #1
To: [email protected]
Subject: Order for Supplies
Date: July 22, 2015
To whom it may concern,
My name is Lee Timson and I’m the new sales representative at River Education Books.
I need to place an order for supplies.
I need to order three-inch binders, disks, legal pads, computer software, and pens.
Required quantities of each product are on the attached spreadsheet.
I looked up the prices in your catalog. The grand total for the order will be $255.99.
Please include an invoice when you send my order so I can prepare your payment.
Sincerely,
Lee Timson
B. Email #2
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Order for Supplies
Date: July 23, 2015
Dear Mr. Timson,
Thank you for your recent order.
All of the items are in stock and can be shipped immediately.
However, I’d like to verify the prices.
The prices of disks and computer software have increased, so your grand total would be $305.99.
You can find the most up-to-date pricing in our online catalog that is updated weekly.
Please let me know if you’d still like to place this order.
Sincerely,
Mandy Noland,
Customer Service Representative
Part 3
Comprehension
Read the emails carefully. Then answer the following questions based on the information provided in the emails.
Where did Lee attach the information about the quantity of supplies he needed to order?
What did Lee ask to receive along with his order?
What does the customer service representative say about the stock?
Where can Lee find the most up-to-date pricing?
Part 4
Vocabulary Review
Complete the sentences using vocabulary from Vocabulary Preview section.
You may need to change the word forms.
I needed to buy a few things for my office, so I looked at the ____________ from Office Hut.
Michelle made a list of office ____________ she needed to purchase next week.
Quality is often more important than ____________.
I called the supply company because I wanted to ____________ that everything was in stock.
The ____________ on his computer needs to be updated once a year.
To make sure Mona had the right order, she checked the ____________ catalog for the most up-to-date pricing.
The secretary called the supplier to make sure that all of the items she purchased were ____________.
I wanted them to ____________ my order to my home address.
Katy noticed that the ____________ on the invoice did not match the purchase order price.
The customer service department sent Jason an ____________ with a final price of $99.99.
Part 5
Speaking
Work with a partner and imagine that you are opening a small business together. You have an office space but no supplies. What will your business be? What items will you need to order for your office? Share your business idea and office supply list with your class. Use a dictionary if necessary.

Part 6
Writing
Write an email message with an order for the supplies you chose in the speaking activity above. Include the items you want and their prices. Then give the email to your teacher.

Part 7
Listening
Fill in the blanks as you listen to the recordings.
A. Email #1
To: [email protected]
Subject: Order for Supplies
Date: July 22, 2015
To whom it may concern,
My name is Lee Timson and I’m the new sales representative at River Education Books.
I need to _______________ an order for _______________.
I need to order _______________, disks, legal pads, computer ____________, and pens.
Required _______________ of each product are on the _______________ spreadsheet.
I looked up the prices in your _______________.
The grand total for the order will be $255.99.
Please include an invoice when you send my order so I can prepare your payment.
Sincerely,
Lee Timson
B. Email #2
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Order for Supplies
Date: July 23, 2015
Dear Mr. Timson,
Thank you for your recent order.
All of the items are _______________ and can be _______________ immediately.
However, I’d like to _______________ the prices.
The prices of disks and computer software have increased, so your grand total would be $305.99.
You can find the most up-to-date pricing in our online catalog that is updated weekly.
Please let me know if you’d still like to place this order.
Sincerely,
Mandy Noland,
Customer Service Representative
Part 8
Correspondence Building
The correspondence below is not in the right order. Cut up the strips, and then work alone or with your teacher to rearrange them into the correct order. Then read the emails out loud.
A. Email #1
a) I need to place an order for supplies. I need to order three-inch binders, disks, legal pads, computer software, and pens. |
b) I looked up the prices in your catalog. |
c) To: [email protected] Subject: Order for Supplies Date: July 22, 2015 |
d) To whom it may concern, |
e) Lee Timson |
f) Please include an invoice when you send my order so I can prepare your payment. |
g) Required quantities of each product are on the attached spreadsheet. |
h) The grand total for the order will be $255.99. |
i)My name is Lee Timson and I’m the new sales representative at River Education Books. |
j) Sincerely, |
B. Email #2
m) Dear Mr. Timson, |
n) The prices of disks and computer software have increased, so your grand total would be $305.99. |
o) Please let me know if you’d still like to place this order. |
p) Thank you for your recent order. |
q) All of the items are in stock and can be shipped immediately. |
r) You can find the most up-to-date pricing in our online catalog that is updated weekly. |
s)To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Order for Supplies Date: July 23, 2015 |
t) Sincerely, |