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Avalern · by SimmondsB25 min · English

AI and emails in English: vocabulary, dialogue and conversation questions

Editorially responsible: James Simmondspublished 28 Sept 2026AI-generated text (learn more – how we use AI on these pages)

Live rounds with a trainer and a small group. To warm up: Theo asks, you answer.

Allow the microphone – Theo asks the first question.

AI conversation partner, synthetic voice · your voice is processed live by Google Gemini, we store no audio and no transcript · max. 5 minAbout the AIWith headphones you can interrupt Theo. Without them, the microphone only listens once Theo has finished.

AI at workB2 – Practise speaking English: a conversation about whether AI should write your emails (level B2)Business tripA2 – Practise speaking English: a conversation about your last business trip (level A2)First day at workA2 – Practise speaking English: a conversation about your first day at work (level A2)

Question of the day

Why does Maya change a sentence in the draft?

  1. It uses a rude greeting.
  2. It promises a delivery date she cannot confirm.
  3. It asks the client to call Ben.
Show the answer – Open the answer to the question of the day

Correct answer: It promises a delivery date she cannot confirm.

You can find the answer in the English introduction.

Listen to the introduction

Speed

Transcript

Before sending an email to a client, Maya asks an AI tool to suggest a draft – Jump to the vocabulary entry for draft. The message is polite, but it promises a delivery date she cannot confirm – Jump to the vocabulary entry for confirm. She changes that sentence and checks the tone – Jump to the vocabulary entry for tone. Her colleague Ben prefers to write his own emails, then use AI to proofread – Jump to the vocabulary entry for proofread them. He worries that accepting every suggestion could stop him from practising his English. Maya sees the tool as support, but agrees that the sender is responsible – Jump to the vocabulary entry for responsible for the final message. Both follow their company's rules about confidential – Jump to the vocabulary entry for confidential information. What would you check before sending an email written with AI?

Vocabulary

draft/drɑːft/
Meaning: An early version of a text that you may change.
Example: I read the draft before sending the email.
confirm/kənˈfɜːm/
Meaning: To say that something is true or definitely going to happen.
Example: Could you confirm the delivery date?
tone/təʊn/
Meaning: The attitude or feeling expressed by the words you choose.
Example: The tone of the email was friendly but professional.
proofread/ˈpruːf.riːd/
Meaning: To read a text carefully to find and correct mistakes.
Example: Could you proofread this message before I send it?
responsible/rɪˈspɒn.sə.bəl/
Meaning: Having a duty to look after something and answer for what happens.
Example: The sender is responsible for checking the facts.
confidential/ˌkɒn.fɪˈden.ʃəl/
Meaning: Private and intended only for the people allowed to see it.
Example: Please do not share confidential information outside the team.

Dialogue

  1. MayaCould you read this email before I send it? I used AI for the first draft.
  2. BenOf course. It sounds polite, but can we really deliver by Friday?
  3. MayaGood catch. That date came from the draft. I need to confirm it.
  4. BenThat's why I prefer to write the message myself and use AI to proofread it.
  5. MayaThat's a fair point, but a draft helps me decide how to structure an email.
  6. BenDo you compare it with what you would have written?
  7. MayaYes. I check the meaning and tone, then put it into my own words.
  8. BenThat makes sense. We still need to take responsibility for the final version.

Questions for your conversation

Partner A

Easier: Do you use AI to help you write? Why or why not?

Do you use AI tools to write emails at work?

More challenging: Under what circumstances could using AI to write emails strengthen, rather than weaken, someone's language skills?

Partner B

Easier: Would you write a personal thank-you message yourself? Why or why not?

What should people always write themselves?

More challenging: Where would you draw the line between acceptable writing support and a message that no longer reflects its sender?

Partner A

Easier: Do you read an email again before you send it? Why or why not?

How do you check an email before you send it?

More challenging: If an AI-assisted email contained a misleading promise, how should responsibility be shared between the sender and the organisation?

Useful phrases

  • That's a fair point, but …
  • In my experience, …
  • It depends on who the email is for.
  • Could you check the tone?
  • I need to confirm that first.
  • I'll put it into my own words.

Topic quiz

Five quick questions check vocabulary and listening comprehension.

All conversations – Back to all conversations of our English conversation classes

Questions

Who is Theo?

Theo is an AI conversation partner for warming up, not a teacher. The voice is synthetic. In the live rounds, a trainer talks with you.

Is my conversation stored?

We store neither audio nor a transcript. During the conversation, your voice is sent to Google (Gemini) for processing. The conversation ends after no more than five minutes.

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