David worked in a large office with more than two hundred employees. He liked his job, but some days were very stressful. One Monday morning, David arrived at the office feeling tired. He had not slept well because his neighbors had a loud party. David made himself a large cup of coffee and sat down at his desk. He opened his email and saw many new messages. Most of them were about a company meeting scheduled for Friday. The director, Mr. Thompson, had sent a long email to everyone. David read the email quickly while drinking his coffee. He thought the meeting would be boring, like always. His colleague Sarah came to his desk to say hello. 'Did you see the email from Thompson?' she asked. 'Yes, another long and boring meeting,' David replied with a sigh. Sarah laughed and went back to her desk. David decided to write a funny reply to Sarah about the email. He clicked on 'Reply' and started typing. 'Thompson's meetings are so boring, I always fall asleep!' 'Maybe I should bring a pillow this time,' he wrote. David smiled at his own joke and looked for Sarah's email address. But he was still tired and his eyes were not working well. Without thinking, he clicked the wrong button. He had pressed 'Reply All' instead of 'Reply'. His message about boring meetings went to all two hundred employees. It also went directly to Mr. Thompson himself. David did not notice his mistake at first. He continued drinking his coffee and reading other emails. After five minutes, Sarah ran to his desk with a worried face. 'David, did you see what you just did?' she whispered. 'What do you mean?' David asked, feeling confused. 'You sent your message to everyone in the company!' Sarah said. David's face turned completely white. He quickly checked his sent messages and saw the terrible truth. 'Oh no, this cannot be happening,' he said quietly. People around the office started laughing and looking at him. Some colleagues were trying hard not to smile. David wanted to disappear under his desk. Then his phone rang, and he saw it was Mr. Thompson calling. David's heart started beating very fast. He slowly picked up the phone and said hello. 'David, please come to my office right now,' Mr. Thompson said. David walked to the director's office feeling very nervous. He thought about what to say, but his mind was empty. When he entered the office, Mr. Thompson was sitting at his desk. The director looked at David with a serious expression. 'So, you think my meetings are boring?' Mr. Thompson asked. 'I am so sorry, sir. I did not mean to send that to everyone,' David said. Mr. Thompson was quiet for a long moment. David was sure he would lose his job today. Then something unexpected happened. Mr. Thompson started laughing loudly. 'I have to admit, my meetings are sometimes too long,' he said. David could not believe what he was hearing. 'But next time, please check before you click send,' Mr. Thompson added. David thanked him and quickly left the office. For the rest of the day, his colleagues made jokes about his email. Someone left a pillow on his desk as a joke. David learned an important lesson that day. He promised himself to always check the 'To' field carefully. And he never wrote funny comments about his boss in emails again. Well, at least not in work emails.
English Story (A2)The Accidental Reply All
This A2 English story is designed for elementarys learning English. It includes simple vocabulary and short sentences to help you improve your reading and listening skills. Click any word to see translations and hear pronunciation.
About this story
David accidentally clicks 'Reply All' instead of 'Reply' and sends a funny message about his boss's boring meetings to all two hundred employees. After a terrifying meeting with the director, he learns that everyone makes mistakes, but it's important to always check before sending emails.
Translations in English
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Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
Why did David arrive at the office feeling tired on Monday morning?
2
What did David write in his message to Sarah?
3
How did David's colleagues react after the accidental email?
4
How did Mr. Thompson react when David came to his office?
Vocabulary
30 words from this story
