Staff training memo

Reading strategy

Grasp the text's purpose first from its title and type.
Do not stop at unknown words; follow the flow. Hover the underlined key words to jump to the vocabulary track.
Find the clue each question asks about directly in the passage.

Passage

Memo: Mandatory Software Training

To all department staff: As you know, our company will switch to a new project-management system at the beginning of next month. To make sure everyone is ready, we have arranged a series of training sessions that all employees must attend.

Each session will last about two hours and will be held in the third-floor conference room. During the training, an instructor from the software company will show you how to create tasks, share files, and track deadlines. You will also have time to practice on your own computer and ask questions.

Because the sessions have limited seats, please sign up for the time that works best for you using the link in this email. If none of the listed times suit your schedule, contact your supervisor, who will arrange an alternative.

After completing the training, every employee will receive a short guide and a certificate. We ask that you keep the guide at your desk so that you can refer to it during the first few weeks.

We understand that learning a new system takes time, but we believe this tool will make our daily work much smoother. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and patience.

Hover the underlined words for their definition and a link to the vocabulary track.

Sentence structure

Key sentences split into meaning units, showing the role of each part.

To make sure everyone is ready, we have arranged a series of training sessions that all employees must attend.

ModifierTo make sure everyone is readypurpose infinitive (to make sure ...)

Subjectwesubject

Predicatehave arrangedpresent perfect

Objecta series of training sessionsobject

Clausethat all employees must attendrelative clause modifying the object

The fronted "To make sure ..." is a purpose infinitive phrase meaning "in order to / so as to." In "make sure (that) everyone is ready," the "that" is omitted. After the object "sessions," the relative clause "that all employees must attend" restricts those sessions — here "that" is a relative pronoun functioning as the object of "attend."

If none of the listed times suit your schedule, contact your supervisor, who will arrange an alternative.

ClauseIf none of the listed times suit your scheduleconditional (none of ...)

Predicatecontact your supervisorimperative (subject omitted)

Clause, who will arrange an alternativenon-restrictive relative (comma + who)

In the conditional "If none of the listed times suit ...," "none of + plural" is a total negation: "not any of them." The main clause is the imperative "contact your supervisor," and the following comma "+ who ..." is a non-restrictive relative clause adding information about the supervisor — "contact your supervisor, and he/she will arrange an alternative." A "who" with a comma adds information rather than restricting.

Questions

Q1Who is the training for?

Q2What if none of the listed times fit your schedule?

Q3What do employees receive after the training?