Approximately A2 · 104 words

A Small Mistake

An email goes to the wrong person, but the mistake starts a useful conversation at work.

Read at your own pace. Use the English meanings below, then answer the questions. The level is a teaching guide, not an assessment. Original stories include some British spellings and settings.

An email message

The story

Last month I made a small mistake at work.

I wrote an email about a problem in our team.

I wanted to send it to my friend Anna.

But I clicked the wrong name.

I sent it to my manager, Anne.

When I saw what I had done, my face went red.

I could not take the email back.

I did not sleep well that night.

The next morning my manager asked me to come to her office.

She said, "Thank you for the email. Nobody told me about this problem before."

We changed the way our team works, and it is better now.

English meanings

Save words to your review deck.

manager
A person responsible for a team or part of a business.
clicked
Pressed a computer button or link with a mouse or finger.
take back
To undo or remove something already said or sent, in this story.

Check your understanding

Choose an answer for each question, then open its explanation. You can try again as often as you like.

1. Who was meant to receive the email?
Show answer and story evidence

Anna

Anna was the intended recipient; Anne was the manager who received it. Read the guide

The story says: “I wanted to send it to my friend Anna.”

2. Who actually received it?
Show answer and story evidence

The manager, Anne

The two similar names caused the mistake. Read the guide

The story says: “I sent it to my manager, Anne.”

3. What happened to the team's work afterward?
Show answer and story evidence

It changed for the better

The final sentence reports an improvement after the problem was discussed. Read the guide

The story says: “We changed the way our team works, and it is better now.”