Question

dear ivory,

we have missed having you in the office over the past few months. we were worried about you during your absence, but we are grateful to hear that you feel better after surgery.

while you were gone, we hired another dental hygienist, suzanna, to cover your appointments. however, nearly all of your patients preferred to postpone their appointments until your return. now that you are back in the office, we can reschedule those patients. we will adjust suzannas schedule to focus on new patients.

other than that, i think you will find that its business as usual around here. not much has changed, with the exception that we got a new refrigerator in the break room.

if you have any questions, please dont hesitate to ask. im here to support you as you transition back into your work routine.

best,

benjamin bristle
office manager
bayram dentistry

what is the main purpose of this letter?

to check in on the status of the employee after surgery
to express how much the patients missed the employee
to inform an employee that she has been replaced
to welcome an employee back to work after medical leave

Explanation:

Analyze the letter's opening context

Using the Reading Comprehension and Business Letter Analysis knowledge points, we examine the opening lines. The letter is addressed to "Ivory" from the office manager of Bayram Dentistry. It begins by welcoming her back: "We have missed having you in the office... we are grateful to hear that you feel better after surgery." This establishes the context of an employee returning from medical leave.

Evaluate the body paragraphs

The body of the letter discusses transition details: rescheduling her patients who postponed appointments during her absence, adjusting the temporary hygienist's schedule, and mentioning minor office updates (a new refrigerator). This aligns with the Business Letter Analysis concept of identifying operational transition details for a returning worker.

Determine the main purpose

Using the Main Purpose Identification knowledge point, we synthesize these elements. The overall goal of the letter is to welcome Ivory back to work after her surgery and help her transition back into her routine.

Evaluate the given options

• "to check in on the status of the employee after surgery": Incorrect. She is already back in the office ("Now that you are back in the office...").
• "to express how much the patients missed the employee": Incorrect. While mentioned, this is a supporting detail to explain why they need to reschedule appointments, not the main purpose.
• "to inform an employee that she has been replaced": Incorrect. The letter states they will adjust the other hygienist's schedule so Ivory can resume her appointments.
• "to welcome an employee back to work after medical leave": Correct. This matches the welcoming tone and the transition details provided.

Answer:

• to check in on the status of the employee after surgery
• to express how much the patients missed the employee
• to inform an employee that she has been replaced
• to welcome an employee back to work after medical leave (Correct answer)