B1 · Module 01 · Class 03 — What They Really Said
Narrative Scene
Santiago sent the proposal on Thursday, as promised. He thought it was strong — four phases, a clear timeline, competitive pricing. He spent most of Friday morning waiting. At 3:47 p.m., Claire Beaumont called.
She was professional but direct. She said the methodology section was excellent, but she had concerns about the fee structure. Altius had proposed a project-based fee of $420,000 for the full six months. Vantage's investment committee, she explained, preferred a retainer model — fixed monthly payments with clearly defined deliverables at each stage. She also advised Santiago to revise the risk section, saying their legal team had flagged several items that needed more detail. And she told him not to include the energy fund case study without written client permission.
That last point stung. Santiago had assumed the case study was fine to use — he'd cited it without naming the client. But Claire was firm: her legal counsel, Ingrid, had recommended that all third-party references be cleared in advance.
After the call, Santiago had ten minutes before his next meeting. He opened his laptop and began typing a debrief to Elena. She needed to know what had changed, what Claire had asked for, and what the revised proposal would need to include. The details needed to be exact —
Vocabularydebrief: a structured conversation after an event to summarise what happened and what was learned assumption: something accepted as true without direct evidence or confirmation liability: legal or financial responsibility for a loss or damage client feedback: a client's response to a proposal, deliverable, or interaction revise: to change or improve something based on new information or feedback flag: to draw attention to a concern or issue (professional usage) revert: to respond or come back to someone (business usage, especially British English: "I'll revert to you") sticking point: an issue that prevents agreement from being reached payment milestone: a defined point in a project at which a payment is triggered indemnity clause: a contractual provision that transfers legal liability from one party to another procurement: the process of obtaining goods or services, usually following formal procedures sign-off authority: the designated person or level in an organisation who can formally approve something |
Reported Commands, Advice, and Warnings
A. Reported Commands and Requests
When someone tells or asks another person to do something, we use: verb + object + infinitive (with to).
Direct | Reported |
"Revise the fee structure." | She told us to revise the fee structure. |
"Please send the legal risk matrix." | She asked us to send the legal risk matrix. |
"Don't include the case study." | She told us not to include the case study. |
"Could you clarify the timeline?" | She asked us to clarify the timeline. |
Key verbs for reporting commands:Positive: told, asked, instructed, ordered, invited, encouraged, reminded Negative: verb + object + not + infinitive: "She told us not to include..." / "He warned us not to underestimate..." |
B. Reported Advice and Recommendations
Advice uses different structures depending on the reporting verb.
Three key patterns: advised / recommended / urged + object + infinitive: "She advised us to revise the risk section before resubmitting." suggested/recommended + gerund (no object): "Ingrid suggested clearing all third-party references in advance." suggested / recommended + that + subject + bare infinitive (formal): "She recommended that Altius obtain written permission before using any case study." |
C. Present vs. Past Reporting Context
Not all reporting requires backshift. If the reported information is still true NOW, present tense is often acceptable: "Claire says the committee meets every Monday." (still true — present tense fine) If the reported information is from a PAST conversation and context has moved on, use backshift: "Claire said the committee met every Monday." (past conversation, formal record) In professional writing (emails, minutes, reports), always use full backshift — it signals precision. |
Phrasal Verbs in Contextflag up: "Ingrid flagged up several legal concerns about the case study." (= draw attention to a problem) come back with: "Claire asked us to come back with a revised fee structure." (= return with a response or updated version) stand by: "Santiago stood by his timeline estimate despite the pushback." (= maintain a position under pressure) |
From: [email protected] Subject: Vantage call debrief — action required Elena, I had a 25-minute call with Claire Beaumont this afternoon. Here is a full summary — I need your sign-off on two decisions before I can revise the proposal. What she said about the fee structure: Claire said that the investment committee preferred a retainer model over a project-based fee. She asked us to resubmit with monthly payment milestones tied to specific deliverables. She also mentioned that $420,000 was above their initial budget estimate, and suggested that we consider a phased approach — beginning the engagement at a lower fee with options to expand scope after Phase 1. What Ingrid flagged about the case study: Claire told us not to include the energy fund reference without written clearance. Ingrid had advised that all third-party references in proposals submitted to Vantage required sign-off from Altius's own legal team before distribution. She also recommended that we add an indemnity clause to the engagement letter. Positive signals: Claire confirmed that the methodology section was strong and required no changes. She noted that Altius was the preferred firm on the shortlist. She said they wanted to move quickly — their procurement process required a signed engagement letter before the end of January. Decision needed from you: ● Agree to retainer model? (I recommend yes — it actually gives us better cash flow.) ● Contact legal about the energy fund case study? I need both decisions by tomorrow morning to hit the revised proposal deadline. Thanks. Santiago |
Practice Exercises
3 questionsNew exercises to reinforce what you learned. Different from the lesson material.
Client: "Your fee of $420,000 is significantly above what we budgeted." Which is the professional response?
Client: "We don't feel the risk section is detailed enough." Which is the professional response?
Client: "We're also speaking with two other consultancies." Which is the professional response?
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