Understanding what a message is asking
Ist das eine Bitte oder eine Bestätigung?
Distinguish requests, confirmations, cancellations and unanswered questions in short messages.
Look for what the sender wants to achieve, not only familiar words. Könntest du mir die Liste schicken? is a request. Ich habe dir die Liste geschickt reports an action. Hast du die Liste bekommen? asks about receipt. A message can acknowledge one thing while leaving another open: Danke für die Liste; die Uhrzeit ist noch unklar. Noch nicht and nicht mehr differ: a meeting not yet confirmed may still happen, while a cancelled meeting no longer applies. Identify who should reply and which question remains unanswered. Do not turn a question into a fact when summarising it.
Könntest du mir die Liste schicken?
Could you send me the list?
Ich habe dir die Liste schon geschickt.
I have already sent you the list.
Hast du die Liste bekommen?
Have you received the list?
Danke, die Liste ist angekommen.
Thank you, the list has arrived.
Die Uhrzeit ist noch nicht bestätigt.
The time has not yet been confirmed.
Der Termin findet nicht mehr statt.
The appointment is no longer taking place.
Look for what the sender wants to achieve, not only familiar words. Könntest du mir die Liste schicken? is a request. Ich habe dir die Liste geschickt reports an action. Hast du die Liste bekommen? asks about receipt. A message can acknowledge one thing while leaving another open: Danke für die Liste; die Uhrzeit ist noch unklar. Noch nicht and nicht mehr differ: a meeting not yet confirmed may still happen, while a cancelled meeting no longer applies. Identify who should reply and which question remains unanswered. Do not turn a question into a fact when summarising it.
Distinguish requests, confirmations, cancellations and unanswered questions in short messages.
“Hast du die Liste bekommen?” asks whether it arrived. It does not confirm that the recipient received it.
Request, report, question or cancellation? Identify sender, requested action and what is still unknown.
Write four short messages about one meeting: a request, a confirmation, a question and a cancellation. Label each intent.