English reading: inference and register in a workplace memo
A short memo reads: 'Staff are reminded that requests for remote work must be submitted at least five working days before the intended start date. Managers may approve requests only when operational coverage is confirmed. Approval is not automatic and does not create a precedent for future requests.' An employee submitted a request on Monday for the following Wednesday, and the manager approved it orally. A colleague claims the approval is valid because the manager has discretion. Another claims the request is void because it was late. The memo does not state what happens to late requests.
1. Based on the memo alone, what can be concluded about the employee's request and the oral approval? Distinguish what is stated, what is implied, and what is unknown.
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Stated: requests must be submitted at least five working days before the start date; managers may approve only when coverage is confirmed; approval is not automatic and sets no precedent.
Implied: a Monday request for the following Wednesday does not meet the five-working-day minimum. The memo's use of 'must' makes timeliness a requirement, not a suggestion. Oral approval is weaker than the written process the memo implies, since approval depends on confirmed coverage and is discretionary.
Unknown: the memo does not say late requests are void, nor that oral approvals are invalid. It also does not say the manager lacked coverage information.
Conclusion: the colleague who says the request is void goes beyond the text; the one who says discretion makes it valid ignores the timing requirement. The safest reading is that the request is late and the approval is questionable, but the memo alone does not resolve the outcome. This is inference, not recall.
2. Identify the modal verbs in the memo and explain how they change the force of the obligations.
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- 'must be submitted': strong obligation on staff; no discretion.
- 'may approve': permission/discretion for managers, not a duty to approve.
- 'only when': restricts the permission; coverage is a necessary condition.
- 'is not automatic': negates any entitlement; approval requires judgment.
- 'does not create a precedent': limits the future effect of any approval.
Together, the modals create a hierarchy: a firm duty on employees, a limited permission for managers, and an explicit denial of automatic rights. Reading 'may' as 'must' or 'must' as 'should' would distort the memo's meaning.