Mdlina MATEI

LIMBA ENGLEZ

ANUL I, SEMESTRUL 2
2008 2009
REPROGRAFIA UNIVERSITII TRANSILVANIA DIN BRAOV

Cuprins
UNIT 1
Business terms general approach
Business Cliches
Figures
Cash Terms
Tax
Sexist Language
UNIT 2
Credit
Business Documents
Listening for detail
Polite forms
Prepositions
Email Abbreviations
Mergers and Acquisitions
Export Sales
UNIT 3 Business letters and Documents
A letter of thanks
A formal email
An informal email
A formal description
Covering letters
A report
Action minutes
Formal letters

UNIT 4 Grammar notes

The Present Tenses
The present continuous
The simple present tense
The Past and Perfect Tenses
The simple past tense
The past continuous tense
The present perfect tense
The present perfect continuous tense
The past perfect tense
The past perfect continuous tense
The future

UNIT 5 Progress Tests

Corporate culture Progress Test
Customer support Progress Test
Products and Packaging Progress Test
Careers Progress Test
Answer key for tests

BIBLIOGRAPHY

UNIT 1

Aim:
To recognize and use the business English terms included in this unit.
To be familiar with the formats of different documents pertaining to commercial
correspondence.
To acquire new grammar structures and revise the ones acquired so far.

Objectives:
On successfully completing this unit the student should be able to:
-

assimilate and properly use the business English terms pertaining to different areas
such as marketing, accounting, finance, management, foreign affairs, etc.

identify and write various documents pertaining to commercial correspondence;

use various modal structures in giving advice;

to express opinions about the company ethical code.

Unit 1
1. Choose the right answer.
1. If production in the factory exceeds the target, the workers get a
a) bonus
b) donation
c) gratuity
d) premium
2. Income tax is..to ones annual income.
a) associated
b) based
c) dependent
d) related
3. The kidnappers demanded a ..of $ 1,000,000.
a) fine
b) penalty
c) ransom
d) reward
4. The World Bank has criticised the United States for not giving enough
financial.. to the East European countries.
a) aid
b) allowance
c) loan
d) premium
5. The President admitted taking..and had to resign.
a) bribes
b) fees
c) fines
d) premiums
6. Mr. Mean cannot bear to .. even the smallest sum of money for a charity
appeal.
a) give in
b) let out
c) part with
d) pay off
7. Mr. Rich earns $ 8,000 a month and $ 5,000 a month net.
a) bulk
b) gross
c) mass
d) wholesale
8. If I had another $ 25,000 a year, I would consider myself.
a) well deserved
b) well done
c) well-made
d) well off
9. The bank will require two signatures when you open an account.
a) natural
b) sample
c) specimen
d) trial
6

10. The debt should be paid .within thirty days of receiving this statement.
a) all over
b) as a whole
c) for good
d) in full
Business clichs
The Chief Executive Officer has had an attack of clichs. Help him translate his speech into plain
English by substituting each of the words or phrases in bold (1 -21) with one of the phrases (a-u).
Ladies and gentlemen.
1. I want to take on board a number of important points.
2. Kazoulis Communications is now a major player in the communications industry.
3. Our strategic aim is to grow the company.
4. We always focus on the big picture.
5. If we see a window of opportunity, we go for it.
6. We work for lasting relationships with our business partners.
7. We employ cutting-edge technology.
8. We want to produce the most user-friendly products on the market.
9. In our business relationships, we aim to be proactive every time.
10. We propose only tailor-made solutions.
11. We never lose sight of the bottom-line.
12. We work hard to get synergy between subsidiaries.
13. We will not hesitate to downsize the organization for maximum efficiency.
14. We will use our war chest to buy up rivals in the marketplace.
15. We will find solutions to business problems even when we do not have a level
playing field.
16. If anyone tries to move the goalposts on our commercial agreements.
17. .we will blow the whistle.
18. We aim to become a truly global operator.
19. Bu we will also stick to our knitting.
20. Unfortunately I am not a number cruncher.
21. So I can only give you ballpark figures today.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
m.
n.
o.
p.

cut the workforce of

business conditions are unfair
have a general view of the situation
customized
a leading company
change the rules (without consultation)
worldwide
the people we do business with
increase the size of
understand and accept
concentrate on core activities.
dynamic and productive relationships
approximate
anticipate needs
our basic objective (usually to make profit)
good at figures
7

_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____

q.
r.
s.
t.
u.

up-to-date
easy-to-use
protest at unfair treatment
a change to do business
a large amount of readily available cash

Other popular phrases are: market-driven, results-driven, client-focused

Figures
How do you say the following numbers? Choose the correct options.
1. The year 2005:
a) twenty hundred and five
b) two thousand and five
c) twenty thousand five
2. $1 = DM 1.46. The exchange rate is:
a) one point four six Deutschmarks to the dollar
b) one forty-six Deutschmarks for a dollar
c) one dollar equalling Deutschmarks one point four six
d) one dollar making one four six Deutschmarks
3. The period from about 1994 to about 1996:
a) the midnineties
b) the medium nineties
c) the middling nineties
d) the midway nineties
4. Seven correct answers in a test of ten items. The result is:
a) seven over ten right
b) seven out of ten right
c) seven on ten right
d) seven right over ten
5. The dimensions of a rectangle 3 metres in length and 2 metres in width:
a) three for two
b) three by two
c) three across two down
d) three to two
6. The result of an opinion survey:
a) One of ten people think that
b) One in ten people think that
c) One to ten people think that
d) One over ten people think that
7. Approximately six:
a) nearly six
b) six-ish
c) sixy
d) sixer
8. At football, Germany 0, Brazil 0:
a) Germany oh, Brazil oh
b) Germany zero, Brazil zero
c) Germany nil, Brazil nil
d) Germany and Brazil love

9. 3:2 as a ratio:
a) three over two
b) three under two
c) three to two
d) three at two
10. A $10m loan:
a) a ten-million-dollars loan
b) a ten-million-dollar loan
c) a ten millions of dollars loan
d) a loan of ten million dollar

Miscellaneous cash terms

Match the words in column A with their definitions in column B:
A

a) blank check

1. shares in a company

b) deflation

2. money taken out of an account

c) assets

3. does not have an amount on it

d) withdrawal

4. rate of change in output from year to year

e) stocks

5. the Government spends more money than

it receives

f) interest rate

6. decline in the general level of prices

g) angel

7. money put into an account

h) fiscal deficit

8. private individuals with capital to invest

in business enterprises

i) economic growth

9. valuable things that you own

j) deposit

10. the percentage used to calculate the

interest to be paid.

Circle the word that best fits the definition:

1. Investments offered by governments or corporations in which you lend a sum of money to the
issuer for a set amount of time, at a fixed rate of interest:
a) bank rate

b) bonds

c) cheque

2. Property (real, personal or otherwise) pledged as security for a loan.

a) debt

b) credit risk

c) collateral

3. Company earnings that may be paid out to shareholders according to the number of stocks
they hold.
a) EFT

b) fiscal surplus

c) dividends
9

4. The right to sell products or services under a corporate name or trade mark

( established

by someone else). This right is usually purchased for cash in a addition to a fee on, or a
percentage of, all sales.
a) imports

b) franchise

c) inflation

5. Also known as the profit & loss statement P&L, enables you to calculate your companys
pretax profits by subtracting total expenses from total revenues.
a) income statement

b) lease

c) inventory

Tax
Complete each sentence with a word or phrase from the box:
allowance
havens

corporation
deductible
evasion
exile
incentives
inheritance
inspector
rate
relief
return
value-added

free
progressive

1. The standard _______________ of income tax in my country is 16% but well-off people pay
more.
2. Marbock has been sent to prison for tax _____________. He didnt pay any tax for five years.
3. In my country, tax on income is ______________ : rich people pay a bigger percentage of
their income than poor people.
4. I have to fill in my tax ______________ before the end of the week.
5. Some of the items you can see here are tax-______________so you dont have to pay tax on
them at all.
6. You have to pay almost 20%________________tax on things like perfume, alcohol and
petrol.
7. We have been told that we will shortly receive a visit from the tax _____________ who plans
to look at all our accounts for the last three years.
8. The Bahamas and the Channel Islands are two popular tax ______________ because taxes
are low so that foreigners who want to pay less tax invest there.
9. The government is keen for foreign businesses to come to this region and therefore gives
them a lot of tax _______________.
10. These businesses are given a number of other tax ______________as well.
11. The government has increased the rate of _______________tax we have to pay so the net
profit for the business is likely to be down next year.
10

12. He could have received a lot of money after his fathers death but he was badly advised and
the state took nearly all of it in _______________ tax.
13. He earns so much money and taxes are so high in his own country that his accountants have
advised him to move abroad and become a tax ______________.
14. I pay less tax than other people because I have a big family and there is a generous state tax
______________ for this.
15. She has to wear special clothes for her job but she gets some of the money back from the
government because they are tax-_______________ items.

Sexist language
Identify and underline the problems of sexist language in the sentences below and use of the
terms from the box to make each sentence less offensive. You can use two of the terms more than
once.
appropriate clothes
sales representatives

chair
employees face-to-face
spokeswoman
staff(verb) staffing

Ms
one
their women

1. We expect all our managers to wear suits and ties when on company business.
2. Every executive knows that people form judgements about his company on the basis of his
personal behaviour.
3. It is the responsibility of the chairman to ensure that meetings are conducted efficiently.
4. A spokesman for the company said that she was convinced that the new equal opportunities
programme would be a success.
5. The companys manpower needs will continue to grow next year.
6. Nearly all our salesmen are against the proposed changes to the bonus system.
7. We have to man the assembly line on a 24-hour basis.
8. We congratulate both Mr. Smith and Miss Duffy on their success in the recent sales
competition.
9. If a customer complains, his complaint should be reported to the customer complaint
department immediately.
10. You have to be careful what you say round here nowadays. The girls in the office downstairs
might object.
11. I always thought that Sylvie was the odd man out in that department.
12. I think you and I should have a serious man-to-man talk, Janet.
13. Men found guilty of fraud will be fired.

11

UNIT 2

Aim:
To recognize and use the business English terms included in this unit.
To be familiar with the formats of different documents pertaining to commercial
correspondence.
To acquire new grammar structures and revise the ones acquired so far.

Objectives:
On successfully completing this unit the student should be able to:
-

assimilate and properly use the business English terms pertaining to different areas
such as marketing, accounting, finance, management, foreign affairs, etc.

identify and write various documents pertaining to commercial correspondence;

12

Unit 2
Discussion:
1. Answer the question below, then compare your answers with a partner:
1. What is your philosophy on credit?
a) never borrow money
b) use credit in moderation
c) get as much credit as you can
2. If you have to ask someone to repay money they owe you, how do you feel?
a) embarrassed
b) angry
c) nothing, its only money
3. What would you write to remind someone they owe you money? Why?
a) a text message
b) an email
c) a letter
Reading and analysis
2. Read the emails below. Which email is:
a request
a reminder
a refusal
a final demand
1.
According to our records, our invoice number 061704 for 15,789 is now
overdue. If however, this invoice has already been settled, please disregard this
email.

2.
In answer to your enquiry of 2 September about trading on open account, we
regret to inform you that we are unable to agree to your request due to our
insufficient credit rating. We hope you will understand the reasons for this
decision, and we trust that we can continue to do business together as in the past.

3.
Further to our email of 23 May, we have still not received payment for the
outstanding sum of 15, 789. We regret to inform you that we are s uspending
all shipments until this outstanding balance has been settled.

4.
As we now intend to place regular orders with your company, we would
being able
to tradebyonusing
openone
account.
areeach
confident
this arrangement
3.appreciate
Make complete
sentences
phraseWe
from
column.
will be to our mutual benefit, and we look forward to an early reply.
13

1. I am writing to enquire

agree to

which is still outstanding

2. I am afraid group policy

the sum of 21, 552

3. We are pleased to

whether you would be able

4. May I remind you that

your early settlement

5. We wrote to you on 4 Nov does not allow us

to extend credit terms of 60

days
of this outstanding balance.
the terms you propose
to our legal department

6. Would you let us

regarding the balance of 12,650 is still outstanding?

7. We would appreciate

but the pass the matter on

as soon as possible?

8. We shall have no
alternative

know your decision

to give more than 30 days

credit

Which of these sentences are used in :

a request

a reminder

a refusal

an agreement

a final demand

4. Which is the most polite form, a) or b)?

1. a) In view of the increase in our volume of business,
b) Considering how much more business were giving you,
2. a) About the longer credit you asked for,
b) With regard to your request for improved credit terms,
3. a) Re: your letter dated 31/1,
b) Further to your letter of 31 January
4. a) We look forward to receiving your order.
b) We expect you to order quickly.
5. a) Were giving you a week to pay,
b) Unless we receive payment within seven days,
6. a) We would like to apologize for the delay in sending the enclosed cheque.
b) We are sorry we took so long to send the enclosed cheque.
7. a) This was an unfortunate oversight due to circumstances beyond our control.
b) We forgot, but it wasnt our fault.
8. a) We can assure you that it will not recur.
b) Dont worry, it will never happen again.

14

5. Use each preposition once to complete the schedule.

during

within

at

from

in

until

by

for

after

on

Preliminary studies will be carried out ____________ January to June of next year.
______________ this period, the exact scope of the work will be evaluated, and a definitive
quotation will be submitted _____________ 15 June the latest. The customer will then have
____________ mid-September to study the proposal. After signature of the contract, work will
begin _______________ 1 October and is expected to continue _______________ 18 months. A
deposit of 20% will be payable at signature ______________September; thereafter, invoices will
be issued _______________ one week of completion of each stage of the project, for payment
_____________ 90 days. The final 15% will not be invoiced until ______________ reception of
the completed building.

EMAILS
Email abbreviations
TLAs (three-letter acronyms)
In order to keep email messages short, people sometimes use abbreviations for common
expressions, just as they do in text messaging. These are known as TLAs (three-letter acronyms),
although some of them are more than three letters long. Here is a list of some of the most
commonly used TLAs:
AFAIK _______________________________________________________
BFN _________________________________________________________
BTW _________________________________________________________
COB _________________________________________________________
FYI __________________________________________________________
IOW _________________________________________________________
NRN _________________________________________________________
OTOH ________________________________________________________

Mergers and Acquisitions

1. Match the words from the box to their definition (and extra information) below.
climb

dip
peak

rise

deteriorate
slide

fluctuate
soar

15

jump
stabilize

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

become higher (literally: to move up using your hands and feet)

become less (literally: to put something into a liquid and quickly lift it out again)
change frequently, especially from a high level to a low one and back again
stop changing and become steady
get worse (opposite: improve)
get worse gradually (literally: to move smoothly and quickly across a surface)
increase (opposite: fall)
increase quickly to a high level (to fly high in the sky)
increase suddenly and by a large amount (literally: push your body off the ground using
your legs)
10. reach the highest point before becoming lower (the noun means the top of a mountain.)

2. In each set of four below, match a verb on the left with a noun on the right to make phrases
about export sales:
1. Dont sell
2. Be
3. Make
4. Think

proactive with local distributors.

a firm commitment to export.
outside the box.
on price rather than quality.

5. Trade
6. Sign
7. Be prepared
8. Invest

an exclusive deal.
time, effort and money.
on open account.
to modify product specifications.

9. Ask
10. Chasing
11. Focus on
12. Dont assume

payments can be done by the credit agency.

a credit agency about a customers creditworthiness.
that what works in your domestic market will also work abroad.
one market, rather than trying to sell all over the world.

3. Find one word in the previous exercise that means:

the ability of a company to repay debts:..

4. The collocations below are used in international business transactions. Cross out the one verb
in bold in each group that does not collocate with the noun.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

issue / reach / settle / query an invoice

assume / provide / load / ship goods
chase / comply with / state / meet conditions
negotiate / reach / sign / state a deal
check in / check out / check up on a customers creditworthiness
fall behind with / get behind with / move behind with payments.

6. The words in bold below are all in the wrong places. Put them in the correct places.

16

After the exporter and foreign customer finally (1) check up on a deal, the exporter will (2)
comply with the goods and (3) reach an invoice. The exporter must (4) issue all the conditions in
the contract, and if they do they can expect to be paid on time. It is a waste of time if they have to
(5) ship customers who (6) chase payments. If there is a problem with payment, the exporter can
use a credit agency to (7) get behind with a customers creditworthiness.

7. Complete the text with these time prepositions: at, during, from, in, until, within.

________________the 90s we worked with a series of different local agents. _____________

2002 we started using APL, and they have been our exclusive agent ________________ that time
________________ now. They are very good at collecting payment from local customers, and we
give them the discretion to ask for payments _________________ either 60 or 90 days. They
forward to us all payments they have collected, after taking their commission, and we receive
money from them __________________ the end of every month.

17

UNIT 3

Aim:
To acquire new document patterns and revise the ones acquired so far.

Objectives:
On successfully completing this unit the student should be able to:
- assimilate and properly use the document writing patterns both theoretically and in
context.

18

Unit 3 -BUSINESS LETTERS AND DOCUMENTS

A letter of thanks
Mr Geoffrey Thomson
Marketing Manager
Cambro Corp.
Gates Drive
Littlehampton
August 13, 2006
Dear Mr Thomson,
I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for sponsoring my intern ship this summer
with Cambro Corp. My experience was extremely rewarding. In addition to sharpening my
marketing skills and maturing professionally, I thoroughly enjoyed working with such a great
team of people. It was a pleasure to watch and learn from my colleagues.
In particular, I want to thank you for the time you spent with me discussing my professional
development. Our weekly meetings were very helpful and provided me with insightful
constructive criticism of my work. The market study I conducted to identify customer needs for
electronic gearboxes for industrial conveyor belts was extremely interesting. I hope the study
has provided the marketing department with solid data and some fresh ideas. If anyone has
questions about the study I can be reached via email at frances.orford@coolmail.com.
In addition, thank you for agreeing to write a letter of recommendation on my behalf. It will be
particularly valuable to me as I search for full time positions next spring. I will contact you
periodically to let you know how my career search is progressing.
Please extend my thanks and appreciation to the entire marketing team for such a valuable
internship experience.
Yours sincerely,

Frances Orford

19

A formal email
from: Customer Service <customer.service@johnston-technology.com>
sent: Tuesday 2 April 09:33:25
to: "O. Poujade" <oliver.poujade@hmail.com>
re: your service request
Dear Mr Poujade,
Thank you for your email concerning your memory module. We are sorry that you are not satisf ied with
this product; we will be pleased to exchange it under the terms of our guarantee.
Please do not return the module until you have received an RMA (return merchandise authorization).
To issue the RMA we require the revision number of the module (th e long alphanumeric number,
beginning with 00) and your delivery address, telephone and fax number.
You will then receive a fax, containing details of where to send your original product, together with your
RMA number and the name and email address of the RMA department representative handling your case.
The fax should be returned to the RMA department together with the faulty module. Your request will
normally be processed and your replacement module shipped within 2 4 working days.
Yours sincerely,
Bernard Thomas

Customer Service Executive

An informal email
from: Customer Service <customer.service@johnston -technology.com>
sent: Tuesday 2 April 09:33:25
to: "O. Poujade" <oliver.poujade@hmail.com>
re: your service request
Hi Oliver,
Re: your request to replace your DRAM module with SDRAM; unfortunately we can only replace faulty
modules with an identical product.
To exchange your module for another product, we suggest contacting the retailer who sold you the
module.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Bernard
Bernard Thomas
Customer Service Executive

20

A product description

Hello. Were Fonelink and weve got something nice for you.
You see, theres this simple piece of software weve made and we really think youd like it. It lets
you make calls from your computer to anywhere in the world. And the best thing is we want to
give it to you absolutely free.

Fonelink 1.1, now with video conferencing

The lovely new Fonelink 1.1

Laugh, smile and wave goodbye to friends around the world with free one-to-one video
conferencing.
The clearest audio quality yet.
Easily categorize your contacts as friends, colleagues and family.
Display your location, e-motion messages and even the song youre listening to , so people
know where you are, how youre feeling, and your taste in music.

System requirements

Mac running OS X (10.3.9 10.4.x) or PC running Windows 2000 or XP.

Internet connection (broadband is best; results may vary on a satellite connection).
Speakers and microphone built-in or separate.
A webcam, (if you want to do video conferencing).
We also recommend that you have at least 600 MHz processor, 128 MB RAM and 30
MB free space on your hard drive.

Fonelink toolbar

Download the Fonelink toolbar for Safari, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Fi refox and Outlook,
and expand Fonelinks functionality. (Oh, and thats free too.)

21

Covering letter
Adriana Fernandez
C/ Pablo Casals
n 23, 5 dcha.
08080 Madrid

Mr. Roger Miller

Access Airlines
13 South Street
Bishops Stortford
Hertfordshire CM23 3BQ
Dear Mr. Miller,
I am currently studying at ESADE business school in Madrid and will graduate next
June. Last year I completed an internship with Air France in Paris where I acquired
extensive knowledge of the airline industry. I am also now working as a part-time
check-in agent for Iberia in Madrid.
At present, I am focusing on profit centre business models, and I am keen to pursue
my career development in the field of air transport. Access Airlines is well-known
for its innovative approach to financial management: with the theoretical knowledge
and the practical experience I have acquired, I feel I could make a significant
contribution to profitability as a future profit centre manager in your organization. I
will be available to work from the beginning of July next year. Please find enclosed
my resume and a copy of my Air France internship report.
I would be grateful for the opportunity to meet you to discuss the possibility of a
position with your company. You can reach me at the above address. Thank you for
your interest: I look forward to speaking to you in the near future.
Sincerely yours,
Adriana Fernandez

22

A report

PETERSEN MUSIC SALES

Feasibility Report
Introduction
Our two major competitors have recently introduced animated sales reps to their web sites. This report
examines the marketing, technical and financial issues involved, and outlines the benefits we could expect
to gain from using this technology.
Summary
Studies show that conversational agents can increase sales by 30% by converting browsers to customers.
Easytail, our application service provider, have made a proposal to design and install a conversational
agent; the system could be operational in two months, and the cost represent s an increase of approximately
12% over our current e-tailing overhead. Results from focus groups show that 20% of visitors to our site
would appreciate the help of an animated sales rep, 55% are not sure of the benefits, and 25% would
definitely not use the service.
Conclusions
Installing a conversational agent will ensure that we do not fall further behind the N. American market
leaders. It will also give us a competitive advantage over our smaller, European competitors. Even without
achieving the objective of a 30% increase in turnover, a small increase of 6 to 7% in sales will be
sufficient to cover investment and running costs.
Recommendations
We should install the conversational agent as soon as possible. However, we should insist that Easytail
ensure that interactive help is only offered to those customers who have expressed an interest in the
service, in order not to intrude on our customers privacy.
Emily Hansen
E-sales manager
22 February 2007
Appendices
Marketing Background
Our existing e-tailing business
The proposed new service, design & costs
Focus group results
Summary table

23

Action minutes

Minutes of the Management Committee meeting, 22 January

Follow-up action
Next meeting
Get quotations for alarm systems/upgrades from three suppliers
Implement new maintenance schedule
Invite applications for part-time work
Draw up budget for group football competition

Person
All
J-J.C.
I.C.
A.F.
C.T.

Date
30 January, 5pm.
30 January
ASAP
30 January
6 February

Present
Jan Navratil, MD (Chair)
Ines Caba, Production
Christopher Taberley, Sales & Marketing
Alison Foster, HR
Jean-Jacques Chavent, Finance
Apologies for absence were received from Harry Finnegan, IT
Agenda
1 Alarm system for discussion
2 Maintenance schedule for decision
3 Diversity; measures to avoid risk of discrimination for discussion
4 AOB.
Alarm system
I.C. reminded those present that the old alarm system was no longer adequate. It was agreed that the
system should be upgraded or replaced: J-J.C. agreed to get quotes.
Maintenance schedule
J-J.C. enquired why the new maintenance schedule decided in September had not been implemented. A.F.
explained that there had been some resistance from the unions; it was felt that full consultations we re
necessary before making changes. I.C. stressed that regular maintenance was essential to avoid the risk of
breakdowns. It was decided that the new schedules should be introduced asap, in spite of the unions
reservations.
Diversity
J.N. reported pressure from Head Office to reflect the increasing diversity in society by employing more
women and ethnic minorities. A.F. and C.T. objected that positive discrimination would result in
recruitment of less qualified staff. I.C. suggested part -time positions to allow more women with children
to work. It was decided that applications for part -time work from new and existing staff should be
encouraged.
AOB
C.T. suggested the company organize next years group football competition. J.N. asked C.T. to draw up a
budget for discussion in two weeks.

Provisional agenda for 30 January

Alarm system decision on upgrade or replacement
Marketing plan presentation and discussion

24

Formal letters
1 A reminder

Dear Mr Black,
I am writing to remind you that your account with us is currently overdue. Please find enclosed a statement of
your account, which shows a balance due of $1,750.
If there is some reason why you have not been able to send your payment, please call us to discuss the
problem. If it would be more convenient, please feel free to reply by email to h.koch@ voronox.com.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Yours sincerely,
Hannah Koch
Sales Manager

2 A final reminder
Dear Mr Black,
On January 14 we called your attention to the outstanding balance of $1,750 on your account. According to
our records we have still not received payment nor have we received a reply to our letter.
We extended credit to you on your account in good faith and expected payment under our normal thirty day
terms, which we feel are most reasonable. So that no further action on our part will be necessary, we would
appreciate your immediate settlement or the courtesy of a reply explaining why payment is being withheld.
Yours sincerely,
Hannah Koch
Sales Manager

3 An apology
Dear Ms Koch,
Your letter arrived while my assistant was on vacation and I am afraid your invoice was mislaid. I enclose a
cheque for $1,750 please accept my sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused.
Our customers are very pleased with your spare parts, and I look forward to placing another order with you in
the near future.
Sincerely,
Gilroy Black

25

UNIT 4

Aim:
To acquire new grammar structures and revise the ones acquired so far.

Objectives:
On successfully completing this unit the student should be able to:
- assimilate and properly use the grammar notions both theoretically and in context.

26

Unit 4 Grammar notes

The present tenses

There are two present tenses in English: The present continuous: I am working. The simple
present: / work.

The present continuous

Form
The present continuous tense is formed with the present tense of the auxiliary verb be + the
present participle:
A Affirmative

Negative

Interrogative

/ am working

I am not working

am I working?

you are working

you are not working

are you working?

he/she/it is working

he/she/it is not working

is he/she/it working?

Negative interrogative: am I not working? are you not working? is he not working? etc.
11 Contractions: the verb be can be contracted , so the present continuous of any verb can be
contracted:
Affirmative

Negative

Negative interrogative

I'm working

I'm not working

aren't I working?

Note the irregular contraction aren't I? for am I not?

Interrogative contractions: am, is, are may be contracted as shown:
Why's he working? Where 're you working?
I <.r> The spelling of the present participle
A When a verb ends in a single e, this e is dropped before ing:
argue, arguing hate, hating love, loving except after age, dye and singe:
ageing dyeing singeing and verbs ending in ee:
agree, agreeing see, seeing
B When a verb of one syllable has one vowel and ends in a single consonant, this consonant is
doubled before ing:
27

hit, hitting run, running stop, stopping Verbs of two or more syllables whose last syllable contains
only one vowel and ends in a single consonant double this consonant if the stress falls on the last
syllable:
admit, admitting bdgin, beginning prefer, preferring but
^budget, budgeting senter, entering (stress not on the last syllable). A final 1 after a single vowel
is, however, always doubled:
signal, signalling travel, travelling except in American English.
C ing can be added to a verb ending in y without affecting the spelling of the verb:
carry, carrying enjoy, enjoying hurry, hurrying

Uses of the present continuous tense

A For an action happening now: It is raining.
I am not wearing a coat as it isn 't cold. Why are you sitting at my desk? What's the baby doing?
He's tearing up a 5 note.
B For an action happening about this time but not necessarily at the moment of speaking:
/ am reading a play by Shaw. (This may mean 'at the moment of speaking' but may also mean
'now' in a more general sense.) He is teaching French and learning Greek. (He may not be doing
either at the moment of speaking.) When two continuous tenses having the same subject are
joined by and, the auxiliary may be dropped before the second verb, as in the above example. This
applies to all pairs of compound tenses: She was knitting and listening to the radio.
C For a definite arrangement in the near future (the mod usual W M
expressing one's immediate plans):
I'm meeting Peter tonight. He is taking me In tht lh< "'" Are you doing anything tomorrow afternoon?
~ Yes, I'm filtt tennis with Ann.
Note that the time of the action must always be mentioned. I
otherwise there might be confusion between present and luiin.
meanings, come and go, however, can be used in this way wit IN ml .1
time expression.

Other possible uses of the present continuous

A With a point in time to indicate an action which begins before this point and probably continues
after it:
At six I am bathing the baby. (I start bathing him before six.) Similarly with a verb in the simple
present:
28

They are flying over the desert when one of the engines fails.The present continuous is rarely used in
this way except in descriptions of daily routine and in dramatic narrative, but the past continuous
is often combined with a point in time or a verb in the simple past.
B With always:
He is always losing his keys. This form is used, chiefly in the affirmative:
1

For a frequently repeated action, usually when the frequency annoys the speaker or seems

unreasonable to him: Tom is always going away for weekends (present continuous) would imply
that he goes away very often, probably too often in the speaker's opinion. But it does not
necessarily mean that he goes away every weekend. It is not a literal statement. Compare with
always + simple present:
Tom always goes away at weekends =
Tom goes away every weekend, (a literal statement)
I/we + always + continuous tense is also possible here. The repealed
action is then often accidental:
I'm always making that mistake.
2

For an action which appears to be continuous:

He's always working = He works the whole time. This sort of action quite often annoys the
speaker but doesn't necessarily do so: He's always reading could imply that he spending too much
time reading, but could also be said in a tone of approval, The first person could be used here too.

Verbs not normally used in the continuous tenses

The continuous tenses are chiefly used for deliberate actions. Some verbs are, therefore, not
normally used in the continuous and have only one present tense, the simple present. These verbs
can be grouped as follows:
A Verbs of the senses (involuntary actions): feel, hear, see, smell; also notice and observe (=
notice), and feel, look, taste used as link verbs
Verbs such as gaze, listen, look (at), observe (= watch), stare and | watch imply deliberate use
of the senses, and can, of course, be used in the continuous tenses:
Watch! ~ I am watching but I don't see anything unusual.
He is listening to a tape, but he's wearing earphones so nobody else
hears it.

29

B Verbs expressing feelings and emotions, e.g. admire (= respect), adore, appreciate (= value),
care for (= like), desire, detest, dislike, fear, hate, like, loathe, love, mind ( = care), respect,
value, want, wish.
But the continuous can be used with admire meaning 'look at with admiration', appreciate
meaning 'increase in value', care for meaning 'look after', long for, mind meaning 'look
after/concern oneself with', value meaning 'estimate the financial worth of, enjoy and sometimes
like/love meaning 'enjoy', and hate meaning the opposite, though it is safer to use the simple
tenses with like, love and hate:
He's enjoying his holiday in the Arctic. He hates touristy places and
he doesn 't mind the cold.
I'm minding my own business.
How are you liking/Do you like your new job? ~
I'm hating it/I hate it. I just don't like work, you see.
C Verbs of mental activity, e.g. agree, appreciate (= understand), assume, believe, expect (=
think), feel (= think), feel sure/certain, forget, know, mean, perceive, realize, recall,
recognize, recollect, remember, see (= understand), see through someone (= penetrate his
attempt to deceive), suppose, think ( = have an opinion), trust (= believe/have confidence in),
understand. But the continuous can be used with appreciate meaning 'to increase in value'.
1) Verbs of possession: belong, owe, own, possess:
How much do I owe you?
E The auxiliaries, except be and have in certain uses
F appear (= seem), concern, consist, contain, hold, keep (= continue), matter, seem, signify,
sound
It concerns us all. This box contains explosives. But appear meaning 'to come before the public'
can be used in the

feel, look, smell and taste used in the continuous forms

A feel
feel, when followed by an adjective indicating the subject's emotions or physical or mental
condition, e.g. angry/pleased, happy/sad, hot/cold, tense/relaxed, nervous/confident, is normally
used in the simple tenses but can also be used in the continuous:
How do you feel/are you feeling? ~ I feel/am feeling better. feel meaning 'touch' (usually in order to
learn something) can be used in the continuous:
30

The doctor was feeling her pulse. Similarly, feel for meaning 'try to find something by touching':
He was feeling for the keyhole in the dark. But feel is not used in the continuous when it means
'sense':
Don't you feel the house shaking? when it means 'think':
I feel you are wrong and when it is used as a link verb:
The water feels cold.
\\ look
The continuous is not used with look used as a link verb, e.g. That cake looks good, or with look
on (= consider), look up to (= respect) and look down on (= despise) (see chapter 38). But look
(at), look for/in/into/out and look on (= watch) are deliberate actions and can be used in the
continuous tenses:
He is looking for his glasses.
I'm looking out for a better job.
C smell
The continuous is not used with smell meaning 'perceive a scent/an odour', e.g. I smell gas, or
with smell used as a link verb, but can be used with smell meaning 'sniff at':
Why are you smelling the milk? Does it smell sour?
I) taste
taste as a link verb is not used in the continuous:
This coffee tastes bitter, (has a bitter taste)
But taste meaning 'to test the flavour oi' can be used in the continuous:
She was tasting the pudding to see if it was sweet enough.

see and hear used in the continuous forms

A see can be used in the continuous when it means 'meet by appointment' (usually for business),
'interview':
The director is seeing the applicants this morning.
I am seeing my solicitor tomorrow. Also when it means 'visit' (usually as a tourist):
lorn is seeing the town/the sights. It can also be used in the continuous in the following
combinations: see about = make arrangements or enquiries:
We are seeing about a work permit for you. (trying to arrange this) see to = arrange, put right, deal
with:

31

The plumber is here. He is seeing to the leak in our tank. see somebody out = escort him/her to the
door, see somebody home = escort him/her home, see somebody to + place = escort him/her to +
place:
ANN: Is Bill seeing you home after the party?
MARY: No, he's just seeing me to my bus. see someone off = say goodbye to a departing traveller
at the starting point of his journey (usually the station, airport etc.):
We're leaving tomorrow. Bill is seeing us off at the airport.
B hear can be used in the continuous when it means 'listen formally to' (complaints/evidence etc.):
The court is hearing evidence this afternoon. hear meaning 'receive news or letters' can also be
used in the continuous form but only in the present perfect and future:
I've been hearing all about your accident.
You '11 be hearing about the new scheme at our next meeting.

think, assume and expect used in the continuous forms

A think can be used in the continuous when no opinion is given or asked for:
What are you thinking about? - I ' m thinking about the play we saw t
last night. But
What do you think of it? (opinion asked for) ~ / don't think much of
it. (opinion given)
Tom is thinking of emigrating. What do you think of the idea?

B assume can be used in the continuous when it means 'accept as a starting point':
I'm assuming that you have time to do a lot of research. assume power/control of a country or
organization can also be used in I the continuous:
The new government is assuming power at once.
C expect can be used in the continuous when it means 'await': I'm expecting a letter. She's
expecting a baby in May.

The simple present tense

Form
A In the affirmative the simple present has the same form as the infinitive but adds an s for the
third person singular.

32

Affirmative

Negative

Interrogative Negative interrogative

/ work

I do not work

do I work?

you work

you do not work

do you work? do you not work?

he/she/it

he/she/it does

does he/she/it does he/she/it

works

not work

work?

we work

we do not work

do we work?

you work

you do not work

do you work? do you not work?

they work

they do not work

do they work? do they not work?

do I not work?

not work?
do we not work?

Irregular verbs form this tense in exactly the same way.

B Contractions: the verb do is normally contracted in the negative and negative interrogative :
don't work, he doesn't work, don't I work?
C Spelling notes
Verbs ending in ss, sh, ch, x and o add es, instead of s alone, to for m the third person singular:
/ kiss, he kisses

I box, he boxes

I rush, he rushes

I do, he does

I watch, he watches

I go, he goes

When y follows a consonant we change the y into i and add es:

/ carry, he carries I copy, he copies I try, he tries but verbs ending in y following a vowel obey
the usual rule:
/ obey, he obeys I say, he says
The simple present used to express habitual action
A The main use of the simple present tense is to express habitual actions:
He smokes. Dogs bark. Cats drink milk. This tense does not tell us whether or not the action is
being performed at the moment of speaking, and if we want to make this clear we must add a
verb in the present continuous tense:
He's working. He always works at night.
My dog barks a lot, but he isn 't barking at the moment.
\\ The simple present tense is often used with adverbs or adverb phrases such as: always, never,
occasionally, often, sometimes, usually, every week, on Mondays, twice a year etc.:
How often do you wash your hair?
I go to church on Sundays. It rains in winter.

33

or with time clauses expressing routine or habitual actions. whenever and when (= whenever) are
particularly useful:
Whenever it rains the roof leaks.
When you open the door a light goes on.

Other uses of the simple present tense

A It is used, chiefly with the verb say, when we are asking about or quoting from books, notices or
very recently received letters:
What does that notice say? It says, 'No parking.'
What does the book say? It says, 'Cook very slowly.'
I see you've got a letter from Ann. What does she say? ~ She says
she is coming to London next week.
Shakespeare says, 'Neither a borrower nor a lender be.' Other verbs of communication are also
possible:
Shakespeare advises us not to borrow or lend.
A notice at the end of the road warns people not to go any further.
B It can be used in newspaper headlines:
MASS MURDERER ESCAPES PEACE TALKS FAIL
C It can be used for dramatic narrative. This is particularly useful when describing the action of a
play, opera etc., and is often used by radio commentators at sports events, public functions etc.:
When the curtain rises, Juliet is writing at her desk. Suddenly the window opens and a masked man
enters.
D It can be used for a planned future action or series of actions, particularly when they refer to a
journey. Travel agents use it a good deal.
We leave London at 10.00 next Tuesday and arrive in Paris at 13.00. We spend two hours in Paris
and leave again at 15.00. We arrive in Rome at 19.30, spend four hours in Rome etc.
E It must be used instead of the present continuous with verbs which cannot be used in the
continuous form, e.g. love, see, believe etc., so that we can say / love you but not / am loving you.

F It is used in conditional sentences, type 1: If I see Ann I'll ask her. Unless you take the brake off
the car won't move.
G It is used in time clauses

34

(a)

when there is an idea of routine:

As soon as he earns any money he spends it. She takes the boy to school before she goes to work.
(b)

when the main verb is in a future form: It will stop raining soon. Then we 11 go

out. = When it stops raining we '11 go out.

The past and perfect tenses

The simple past tense
Form
A The simple past tense in regular verbs is formed by adding ed to the infinitive: Infinitive: to
work Simple past: worked
Verbs ending in e add d only: Infinitive: to love Simple past: loved
The same form is used for all persons:
/ worked you worked he worked etc.
The negative of regular and irregular verbs is formed with did not (didn't) and the infinitive:
/ did not/didn 't work
you did not/didn't work etc.
The interrogative of regular and irregular verbs is formed with did I subject + infinitive:
did I work? did you work? etc.
Negative interrogative: did you not/didn't you work? etc.
H Spelling notes
The rules about doubling the final consonant when adding ing apply also when adding ed:
admit, admitted stop, stopped travel, travelled Verbs ending in y following a consonant change the
y into i before adding ed:
carry, carried try, tried but y following a vowel does not change: obey, obeyed.

Irregular verbs: form

These vary considerably in their simple past form:
Infinitive: to eat, to leave, to see, to speak
Simple past: ate, left, saw, spoke

35

Use for the relation of past events

A It is used for actions completed in the past at a definite time. It is therefore used:
1

for a past action when the time is given:

/ met him yesterday. Pasteur died in 1895.

2

or when the time is asked about:

When did you meet him?

3

or when the action clearly took place at a definite time even though this time is not

mentioned:
The train was ten minutes late. How did you get your present job? I bought this car in Montreal.
4

Sometimes the time becomes definite as a result of a question and answer in the present

perfect:
Where have you been? ~ I've been to the opera. ~ Did you enjoy it? (See 184 A for further
examples.)
B The simple past tense is used for an action whose time is not given but which (a) occupied a
period of time now terminated, or (b) occurred at a moment in a period of time now terminated.
These may be expressed diagrammatically. TS here stands for time of speaking in the present.
TS I-------------------------------- --1 ................................ ..
X TS (b) | ................. ................. | ................................ .....
Examples of type (a):
He worked in that bank for four years. (but he does not work
there now)
She lived in Rome for a long time, (but she is not living there now) Examples of type (b):
My grandmother once saw Queen Victoria.
Did you ever hear Maria Callas sing? These will be clearer when compared with the present
perfect
C The simple past tense is also used for a past habit: He always carried an umbrella. They never
drank wine.
D The simple past is used in conditional sentences, type 2

36

The past continuous tense

Form
The past continuous tense is formed by the past tense of the verb to be + the present participle:
Affirmative

Negative

Interrogative

/ was working

I was not working

was I working?

you were working

you were not working were you working?

he/she/it was working

he/she/it was not working was he/she/it working?

we were working

we were not working

you were working

you were not working were you working?

they were working

they were not working were they working?

were we working?

Negative contractions: / wasn 't working, you weren 't working etc. Negative interrogative: was he
not/wasn't he working? etc.

Main uses of the past continuous tense

A The past continuous is chiefly used for past actions which continued for some time but whose
exact limits are not known and are not important
It might be expressed diagrammatically. ' .......... ' indicates uncertainly
about times of starting or finishing:
................... --------------------- ............
H Used without a time expression it can indicate gradual development: // was getting darker. The
wind was rising.
( Used with a point in time, it expresses an action which began before that time and probably
continued after it. At eight he was having breakfast implies that he was in the middle of breakfast
at eight that he had started it before eight. He had breakfast at eight would implicitly he started it
at eight.
11 If we replace the time expression with a verb in the simple pi When I arrived
Tom was talking on the phone.
E We use the continuous tense in descriptions. Note the combination of description (past
continuous) with narrative (simple past):

37

A wood fire was burning on the hearth, and a cat was sleeping in front of it. A girl was playing the
piano and (was) singing softly to herself. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. The girl stopped
playing. The cat woke up.

Other uses of the past continuous

This tense can be used as a past equivalent of the present con tinuous:
A Direct speech: He said, T am living in London.' Indirect speech: He said he was living in
London.
B Just as the present continuous can be used to express a definite future arrangement:
I'm leaving tonight. I've got my plane ticket. so the past continuous can express this sort of future
in the past:
He was busy packing, for he was leaving that night. (The decision to leave had been made some
time previously.)
C The past continuous with always:
He was always ringing me up. He was always working.

Past continuous as an alternative to the simple past

The past continuous can be used as an alternative to the simple past to indicate a more casual, less
deliberate action:
/ was talking to Tom the other day. The past continuous here gives the impression that the action
was in no way unusual or remarkable. It also tends to remove responsibility from the subject. In the
above example it is not clear who started the conversation, and it does not matter. Note the
contrast with the simple past tense, I talked to Tom, which indicates that I took the initiative.
Similarly:
From four to six Tom was washing the car. This would indicate that this was a casual, possibly
routine action. Compare with:
From four to six Tom washed the car. (implying a deliberate action by Tom)

The present perfect tense

Form
The present perfect tense is formed with the present tense of have + the past participle: / have
worked etc.

38

The past participle in regular verbs has exactly the same form as the simple past, i.e. loved,
walked etc.
In irregular verbs, the past participles vary.
The negative is formed by adding not to the auxiliary.
The interrogative is formed by inverting the auxiliary and subject.
Affirmative

Negative

Interrogative

/ have worked

I have not worked

have I worked?

you have worked

you have not worked have you worked?

he/she/it has worked

he/she/it has not worked

has he/she/it work 4

Negative interrogative: has he not worked? etc.

Use
This tense may be said to be a sort of mixture of present and past. It always implies a strong
connexion with the present and is chiefly used in conversations, letters, newspapers and television
and radio reports.

The present perfect used with just for a recently completed action
He has just gone out = He went out a few minutes ago. This is a special use of this tense, just must
be placed between the auxiliary and the main verb. This combination is used chiefly in the
affirmative, though the interrogative form is possible:
Has he just gone out? It is not normally used in the negative.

The present perfect used for past actions whose time is not definite
A The present perfect is used for recent actions when the time is not mentioned: / have read the
instructions but I don't understand them.
Have you had breakfast? ~ No, I haven't had it yet. Compare with: / read the instructions last
night, (time given, so simple past)
Did you have breakfast at the hotel? (i.e. before you left the hotel: simple past) Note possible
answers to questions in the present perfect:
Have you seen my stamps? Yes, I have/No, I haven't or
Yes, I saw them on your desk a minute ago.
Have you had breakfast? ~ Yes, I have or
39

No, I haven't had it yet or

B Recent actions in the present perfect often have results in the present! Tom has had a bad car
crash. (He's probably still in hospital.) The lift has broken down. (We have to use the stairs.) I've
washed the car. (It looks lovely.)
But actions expressed by the simple past without a time expression do not normally have results in
the present:
Tom had a bad crash, (but he's probably out of hospital now) The lift broke down, (but it's probably
working again now) I washed the car. (but it may be dirty again now)
Actions expressed by the present perfect + yet usually have results in the present:
He hasn 't come yet. (so we are still waiting for him)

The present perfect used with for and since

A for is used with a period of time: for six days, for a long time. for used with the simple past
tense denotes a terminated period of time:
We lived there for ten years, (but we don't live there now) for used with the present perfect denotes
a period of time extending into the present:
We have lived in London for ten years, (and still live there) for can sometimes be omitted, especially
after be, live and wait:
We've been here an hour/two days.
for (of time) is not used before expressions beginning with all: They've worked all night.
B since is used with a point in time and means 'from that point to the time of speaking'. It is
always used with a perfect tense, except as shown in D below and in 188.
She has been here since six o'clock, (and is still here)
We've been friends since our schooldays.
C Note that there is a difference between last and the last. Compare:
(a) / have been here since last week {month, year etc.) and
(b) / have been here for the last week.
last week, in (a), means a point in time about seven days ago.
the last week, in (b), means the period of seven days just completed.
D since + clause is also possible:
I've worked here since I left school and ever since (adverb):

40

He had a bad fall last year and has been off work ever since.

The present perfect continuous tense

Form
This tense is formed by the present perfect of the verb to be + the present participle:
Affirmative: / have been working, he has been working etc.
Negative: / have not/haven't been working etc.
Interrogative: have I been working? etc.
Negative interrogative: have I not/haven't I been working? etc.
Use
This tense is used for an action which began in the past and IN Mill continuing:
I-------------------------------- ---- -------------or has only just finished:
|-------------------------------- ------------------ 2?
I've been waiting for an hour and he still hasn't turned up.

The past perfect tense

A Form
This tense is formed with had and the past participle:
Affirmative: I had/I'd worked etc.
Negative: / had not/hadn't worked etc.
Interrogative: had I worked? etc.
Negative interrogative: had I not/hadn't I worked? etc.
B Use
1

The past perfect is the past equivalent of the present perfect. Present: Ann has just left. If

you hurry you'll catch her. Past: When I arrived Ann had just left.
Present: I've lost my case. Past: He had lost his case and had to borrow Tom's pyjamas. Unlike the
present perfect the past perfect is not restricted to actions whose time is not mentioned. We could
therefore say: He had left his case on the 4.40 train.

41

The present perfect can be used with since/for/always etc. for an act which began in the past

and is still continuing or has only just finished. The past perfect can be used similarly for an action
which began before the time of speaking in the past, and
(a) was still continuing at that time or
(b) stopped at that time or just before it.
But note that the past perfect can also be used:
(c)

for an action which stopped some time before the time of speaking

Examples of types (a), (b) and (c) are given below:

(a)

Bill was in uniform when I met him. He had been a soldier for ten years/since he was

seventeen, and planned to stay in the army I ill he was thirty.

Ann had lived in a cottage for sixty years/ever since she was born and had no wish to move to a
tower block. (The past perfect continuous tense had been living would also be possible here.)
(b)

The old oak tree, which had stood in the churchyard for 300 years/since before the

church was built, suddenly crashed to the ground. (The past perfect continuous tense had been
stamina would also be possible here.)
(c)

He had served in the army for ten years; then he nlm,! tiiui married. His children were

now at school.
3 The past perfect is also the past equivalent of the simple past tense, and is used when the
narrator or subject looks back on earlier action from a certain point in the past:
Tom was 23 when our story begins. His father had died five years
before and since then Tom had lived alone. His father had advised
him not to get married till he was 35, and Tom intended to follow
this advice.

The past perfect continuous tense

Form
This tense is formed with had been + the present participle. II IN therefore the same for all
persons:
/ had/I'd been working
they had not/hadn 't been working
had you been working?
had you not/hadn't you been working? It is not used with verbs which are not used in the
continuous forms, except with want and sometimes wish:

42

The future
Future forms
There are several ways of expressing the future in English. The forms are listed below and will be
dealt with in the order in which they are given. Students should study them in this order, as
otherwise the relationship between them will not be clear.
(a) The simple present
(b) will + infinitive, used for intention
(c) The present continuous
(d) The be going to form
(e) The 'future simple' will/shall + infinitive
(f) The future continuous
(g) The future perfect
(h) (h) The future perfect continuous
(i) For be + infinitive used to express future plans. For be about + infinitive and be on the point
of + gerund

43

UNIT 5

Aim:
To revise grammar and vocabulary structures

Objectives:
On successfully completing this unit the student should be able to:
- assimilate and properly use the grammar and vocabulary notions both theoretically and
in context.

44

Unit 5 - PROGRESS TESTS

Corporate Culture Progress Test

Name: _______________________________

Part 1 Reading
Task 1

Read the text below about cultural change in companies.

Choose the best word to fill each gap from A, B, C or D b elow.
There is an example at the beginning.
American President J.F. Kennedy and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill were both
nappers. They had short sleeps naps during the day to help them work (0) A . It might be
just what you need to wake up your company and improve your (1) ____.
Do energy levels drop in the afternoon? Do your (2) ____ seem a bit slow and sleepy after lunch?
In Spain the traditional siesta is making a comeback in good companies who want their workers
to work smarter, not (3) ____. These companies are realizing that their (4) ____ work better with
a rest in the afternoon. They are more productive, make fewer mistakes and are happier. Its not a
case of decreasing their (5) ____ they do even more work.
In Californias Silicon Valley, hi-tech companies provide chill-out rooms for employees to relax
in, along with pool tables and gyms. Even family pets, such as dogs, are allowed to go to work
(6) ____ their owners. A New Zealand company achieved change in the whole compa ny by
encouraging staff in one (7) ____ to go home when they had done all the assignments they could
do that day, without any loss of pay.
Other employers want their employees to take responsibility (8) ____ their own success by letting
them set their personal work (9) ____. Like all these ideas, this only works when everyone in the
company (10) ____ believes in the changes. Even the best intentions of written (11) ____ can
mean nothing if one person does not follow them. Everyone from the (12)____ on down should
(13) ____ the new rules and follow them themselves.
But perhaps the most important thing to remember is to have a good life -work (14) ____. Go
home at five, on time, and enjoy the rest of your life. Take control. Lifes too short to let anyone
else (15) ____ it for you.
0
1
2
3
4
5

A. better
A. attitudes
A. employers
A. hard
A. company
A. workforce

B. best
B. profitability
B. employed
B. harder
B. managers
B. workspace

C. good
C. working
C. employ
C. hardest
C. staff
C. working
45

D. worse
D. shareholders
D. employees
D. well
D. interns
D. workload

6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15

A. by
A. company
A. in
A. ideas
A. corporation
A. guidelines
A. project leader
A. write
A. situation
A. set

B. with
B. organization
B. with
B. objectives
B. structure
B. rule
B. director
B. ensure
B. routine
B. run

C. for
C. unit
C. to
C. criteria
C. subsidiary
C. complaints
C. manager
C. focus
C. balance
C. rule

D. together
D. place
D. for
D. jobs
D. department
D. instructions
D. supervisor
D. enforce
D. plan
D. decide

Task 2
10 points
Complete the text with the best form of the verbs in brackets.
John Coady (1) _______ (take) his employers to court because his boss (2) _______ (check) on
his computer use. Coady (3) _______ (find) out that his supervisor
(4) _______ (put) a key-logging program on his computer to record what Coady
(5) _______ (do). He asked his supervisor what he (6) _______ (do) and his supervisor (7)
_______ (threat) to sack him because he (8) _______ (use) the Internet all the time and (9)
_______ (send) many emails. Coady (10) _______ (lose) the case.

46

Part 2 Writing
Task 1
Write an email based on the following brief. Write about 50 60 words.
You have just finished a two-month summer placement with an international company.
You would like to thank your line manager, Julie Johns, for all her help and support and
let her line manager know she did a good job.
Write an email to Julie Johns:

Thank her for the opportunity to work with the company

Thank her for all her support during your placement
Identify one occasion where she really helped you
Say what you learned

To: Julie Johns

Cc:
Subject: Thanks
Dear

Task 2
Rewrite these sentences so they are more diplomatic. Use the beginning of the new sentence
given.
1 Dont wear jeans to work.
47

Wouldnt it be ___________________________________________________________?

2 Ask John for help.

Why___________________________________________________________________?

3 You should learn to delegate.

Its a ___________________________________________________________________

4 No. Wrong. Do it this way.

You could _______________________________________________________________

5 Thats a terrible idea, isnt it?

Wouldnt you agree ______________________________________________________?

Customer Support Progress Test

Name: _______________________________
Part 1 Reading
Task 1
Read the article below about call centres.
Choose the best sentence from AG below to fill each of the gaps.
For each question 16, mark one letter.
Do not use any letter more than once.
There is an example at the beginning.
Outsourcing call centre work to countries like India is increasingly seen as a high risk and low
return strategy by some UK companies. (0) G . Among the reasons are the danger of fraud, the
bad publicity of cutting jobs and, most importantly, customer dissatisfaction.
In 2005 there were reports from India of large-scale fraud in call centres. The Cyber Crime Cells
in Puna arrested 17 people in a $400,000 fraud case. The workers were able to transfer money
from US accounts into their own accounts. (1) ____. Industry representatives in India have
already promised to look into these problems and improve data security. They argue though that
they have highly competent staff and many satisfied customers.
In India the systems for background checks on employees is not as well established as in Britain.
(2) ____. An analyst said, Banks and building societies will lose peoples trust if there are any
48

more such scandals. Security is not as tight in India as it is in Britain. Some people are already
checking where call centres are located.
Industry analysts question whether it is sensible to outsource customer services on the basis of
cost alone. Linda Twillings of Bucky Consultants argues that the customer relationship is at the
heart of most businesses and the key is to satisfy the customer and deal with any problems not
deal with the volume of calls as cheaply as possible. Of course there are great costs savings, she
says, but if you outsource your customer care to a third party then you are putting your entire
company future in their hands. (3) ____.
Although call centre jobs are sometimes seen as low skill and low wage dead-end jobs, in some
areas of the UK these positions are highly sought-after and when a call centre closes it can have a
big impact on the local community. In Witheringham, the towns largest employer, a local call
centre of a big bank, was closed and moved to Bangalore in India. (4) ____.
Customer satisfaction surveys show that people are often very unhappy with the service they get
from call centres, whether in the UK or abroad. The British standards Institute (BSI) reports that
resolution rates are very low only at 50% of calls, while the target for the industry as a whole is
85%. This means that people have to call again and again. Typical complaints about the serv ice
are having to work through automated menus and then being told there is a queue, not knowing
how long you will have to wait, and the high cost of the calls. (5) ____.
Call centre staff themselves sometimes have to put up with frustrated and abusive callers who
have been annoyed by being on hold, have tried to get through many times, and find the whole
process very irritating. (6) ____. The work is often monotonous answering the phone all day
but it can be challenging when talking a customer through a complicated process, and satisfying
when a problem is sorted out. Unsurprisingly, there is high staff turnover in most call centres.
A It had a huge impact on the community, said the Mayor of Witheringham. We were doing
well, but overnight it was all gone.
B More and more people are not waiting when they are put on hold.
C The staff have to be cheerful and understanding as many calls are recorded, and if they answer
back they can be fired.
D Security consultants had been warning of such risks for years.
E In other cases callers have been tricked into revealing their PIN numbers to the operators,
which provides access to their accounts.
F This risk to the company brand is a big factor in some companies not offshoring their call
centres.
G This is causing them to rethink plans to move services offshore.

49

Task 2
Complete the text by putting an appropriate wor d from the box into each gap. There is an
example at the beginning.
service symptoms process refund customer support looking technician supervisor

I had terrible problems with a laptop I bought recently. It looked great but when I got it home it
wouldnt start. I tried everything but had to call (0) customer support. They were great and very
competent. They talked me through the whole (1) __________ of connecting all the cables and
stuff but still it didnt work. They put me through to the
(2) __________ and he arranged for a visit from their (3) __________ and he fixed it. Then it
kept crashing I couldnt do anything on it. I called again and described the
(4) __________ and they called me back and in the end they gave me a full
(5) _________ . It was excellent (6) _________ but I still don't have a computer and I'm still (7)
_________ for one.

50

Part 2 Writing
Task 1
Write an email based on the following brief. Write about 50 60 words.
You have Googled your old school friends and found the website of John Edwards, who
you think is a good friend of yours from high school who you havent seen for many
years.
Write a personal email to John:

Introduce yourself
Check that this John Edwards is the one from your school
Give some personal details about yourself
Suggest that you meet

To: John Edwards

Cc:
Subject: Hello!
Dear

Task 2
5 points
Write questions for these answers using the word given.
1 How ________________________________________________________________?
51

Im having problems with my laptop.

2 Can _________________________________________________________________?
No, nothing happens when I press the on button.

3 What ________________________________________________________________?
John Smith. S-M-I-T-H.

4 Can _________________________________________________________________?
Its WWTO 5689 THHY KLIO 9000

5 Can _________________________________________________________________?
OK, Ill be here until 5pm. Use this number 872
Part 3 Speaking
Prepare a one-minute presentation on one of these topics. You have one minute to prepare
your talk.
A
What is important when solving a problem?
Defining the problem
Talking to people involved
B
What are the advantages of setting up a call centre in India?
Low wages
High profits
C
What is the impact of call centres on industrialized countries?
Loss of jobs
Higher profit for companies

52

Products and Packaging Progress Test

Name: _______________________________
Part 1 Reading
Task 1
Look at statements below and the extracts from an article on product development.
Which extract (A, B, C or D) does each statement 17 refer to?
For each statement 17 mark one letter (A, B, C or D).
You will need to use some of the letters more than once.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Companies should test products with lots of people.

There are formal and informal ways of getting ideas for new products.
One of the final stages of product testing is exposing it to a trial market.
Products should be available in stock before they are introduced into the market.
There are three main reasons to decide to develop a product.
If forecasts dont predict good profitability for a product then it should be reconsidered .
It is important to test that the company can make enough of the product to meet demand.

A
Ideas for new products can come from many different sources: from customers, from R&D, from
competitors, employees, casual conversations and focus groups, or they might be generated by
brainstorming teams. Once ideas have been generated, they have to be screened to eliminate wild
and unsound concepts which could be a loss to the company. Ideas have to benefit the market in
some way, be feasible to produce (technologically and cost-wise) and be profitable. Once the go
decision has been taken for a potential new product then funds can be allocated for concept
development testing.
B
At this stage the company needs to conduct a pre-commercialization business analysis which will
include what-if contingency planning. Full-scale commercial production will then be started
before the new product is launched on the market with advertisements and special promotions.
The distribution pipeline should be full of the product , ready for when the consumers rush to the
stores.
C
At this stage there will be preliminary market and technical assessments to see if there is a market
for the product, see how potential consumers react to the concept and decide how it will be
produced and what the estimated costs are. A good sized sample of consumers should be
surveyed about the product so that the results are valid. If the results are favourable then the
company needs to do a business case. The selling price, volume and profitability and breakeven
point should be estimated and if the figures are unfavourable then the product should be
reviewed, re-tested or abandoned.
D
Total product development is the prototype stage where a mock-up is built and tested in typical
situations where it may be used. Changes might be made before an initial test run of the product
is produced and tested in a test market in real-life conditions. The company may trial the product
with trial marketing and this will also test the packaging which the consumer sees , and the
53

transport packaging, if this is different. The production process also has to be trialled to see if the
production facilities are sufficient to cope with the production run planned.

Task 2
Complete the text with a, an, the or no article. The first two are done as an example for you.
(00) The key to (0) a successful business is marketing. Marketing focuses (1) ____ companys
resources on (2) ____ most promising market opportunities and keeping
(3) ____ customer satisfied. There are (4) ____ lot of external factors to monitor, such as (5) ____
interest rates, (6) ____ fashion trends and (7) ____ legal requirements you must meet. This is (8)
____ external environment which you cannot control. You can control (9) ____ internal
marketing mix and (10) ____ marketing process. (11) ____ marketi ng mix is often known as (12)
____4Ps. These are product, price, promotion and place.
(13) ____ successful mix of these factors will enable you to match (14) ____ customers needs
better than your competitors can and this will give you (15) ____ advantage . You need to attract
new customers and increase your market share by offering better benefits (perhaps through
improved features, or just better promotion) to (16) ____ customer at (17) ____ price which is
attractive and make your product available from (18) ____ convenient place, including on the
Internet.

54

Part 2 Writing
Task 1
Write an email based on the following brief. Write about 50 60 words.
You have just listened to an interview with Charlie Wang, President of New China
Packaging, and it has completely transformed the way you think about packaging design.
Write an email to Mr Wang:

Say where you heard him speak

Thank him for the insight he has given you
Say what you will change about how your company designs packaging

To: Charlie Wang

Cc:
Subject: Packaging design
Dear

Task 2
Join these pairs of sentences together with an appropriate relative clause.
1

This is the new product. It was launched last week.

55

_______________________________________________________________________

This is a low-selling product. We have to relaunch it.

_______________________________________________________________________

Bill Gates is the worlds richest man. He is the chairman of Microsoft Corporation.

_______________________________________________________________________

Apple is an American computer company. Its products are beautiful.

_______________________________________________________________________

Google is a very successful company. It is based in America.

_______________________________________________________________________
Part 3 Speaking
Prepare a one-minute presentation on one of these topics. You have one minute to prepare
your talk.
A
What is important when making a presentation?
Hook
Clear objective
B
What is important when designing packaging?
Differentiation
Task force
C
What is important when describing a product?
Background
Overview of benefits

56

Careers Progress Test

Name: _______________________________
Part 1 Reading
Task 1
Read the article on job interviews and sentences 16 below.
For each sentence 16 mark one letter (A, B, C or D).
It makes sense to interview no more than six candidates because of the cost and time involved.
After the short-listing process of reviewing CVs or application forms against the job description
and person specifications, preparation for the interviews can be started.
The aim of the interview is to collect information about the suitability of the candidate for a
particular post, not to find out if the candidate is likeable. Individual interviews can be useful, but
panel interviews can help protect against individual bias, though they are more expensive. Too
many people on the panel can be intimidating: three seems to be a good number, with one
chairperson. The interviewers should review the job description, person specification and
applications, and be familiar with the requirements of the job. They should make notes of the key
areas and discuss these with their colleagues. It should be clear before the interviews start who
will ask which questions, because a free-for-all can be confusing for the candidate.
The interview should have a clear structure and this should be explained to the candidate at the
very start. The chairperson should link between the phases of the interview and between the
panelists. This is especially true for telephone interviews.
There are five phases to the interview. An introduction to the interviewers helps to settle the
candidate. Then the structure of the interview should be explained.
The main phase is the questioning of the candidate to obtain the information necessary to make a
good decision. Questions should focus on the past, not the future and the panel should avoid
hypothetical questions. General questions should lead to more focused questions which are
looking for evidence of what the candidate did in certain situations. You will use the CV or
application form as the basis for this stage. You are looking for concrete answers which highlight
learning experiences and achievements. You should also explore the candidate's background,
expertise, knowledge and skills as well as what they think of as their strengths and weaknesses.
You are also checking to see if there are any inconsistencies between what the application and the
candidate says.
After this, the longest phase, the candidate should be invited to ask any questions they have about
the job, the company, or anything else they might want clarified . Remember that the interview is
not just about whether you feel the candidate is right for the job: it is also the time for the
candidate to decide if the job and the company are suitable for them, and the opportunity for the
candidate to question you is essential for them to be able to make this decis ion. At the conclusion
of the interview the chairperson should make it clear when the candidate will hear the results of
the interview.
An interview should be relaxed and friendly, but the interviewers should remain in control and be
able to draw out nervous or shy candidates and to manage over-confident ones. Making a
recruitment error can be very expensive and difficult to correct and interviewing should be seen
57

as a moment of truth in the selection process.

1 In the first paragraph, the writer suggests that six people should be interviewed because
A not everyone deserves an interview.
B it is the right thing to do.
C it takes a long time to read all the applications.
D it is expensive and time-consuming to interview more than six.
2 In the second paragraph, the writer suggests there should be
A a large panel of good interviewers.
B four on a panel including one chairperson.
C a good number of people on the panel.
D a chairperson and two others on the panel.
3 The questioning phase of the interview is
A when the candidate can ask questions about the company.
B the longest and most important part of the whole interview.
C a time to talk about the past and future of the candidate.
D when you can ask what the candidate would do in certain situations.
4 The chairperson's role is important because they
A introduce the interviewers and close the interview at the end.
B control the structure of the interview and connect the phases.
C decide if there will be a second interview or not.
D check to make sure the candidate did not lie on their CV.
5 According to the text the candidate can ask questions
A about what they have forgotten to say in the interview.
B to find out more about the interview.
C to find out when the results will be known.
D to help them decide if they are a good match for the job.
6 Which of the following best summarizes the text?
A An interview takes a long time.
B Interviews should be the same for everyone.
C Interviews are too important to get wrong.
D There are lots of documents for interviews.

Task 2
20 points
Complete this text with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. There are two examples
at the beginning.
Professor Jake K. McLear (00) is (be) a leading light in the Open Source Movement. He (0)
devotes (devote) his life to the crusade against software giants: he (1) ________ (travel) the
world from conference to conference arguing for Linux, Openoffice.org and other open source
initiatives as the only sensible and cost-effective alternative to products like Microsoft Office.
There (2) ________ (be) no answer to the Open Source Movement, he says, Microsoft is a
giant which (3)________ (need) to be killed. It is least innovative in those areas it (4) ________
(dominate) like Office and Explorer and most innovative in new areas like gaming. Its too
big, too fat and lazy.
58

Professor McLear (5)________ (be) an unlikely champion for open source software as his
background was as an engineer for a large software company which (6)________ (sell) very
expensive network solutions to corporate clients. He worked there for ten years before he (7)
________ (be) made redundant in a takeover of the company. It
(8) ________ (be) the best thing which (9) ever ________ (happen) to me, he now says. I (10)
________ (go) out to teach in Asia and found myself coming into contact with people who,
incredibly, were contributing to software projects for free. They
(11) ________ (be) part of a huge worldwide network of committed and highly -skilled software
writers who were willing to spend their time doing something they
(12) ________ (believe) in. Even at that time, they (13) ________ (have) great contacts with
people in Silicon Valley.
Professor McLears experience in Asia (14) ________ (be) a turning -point in his life. Since then,
he (15) ________ (give) hundreds of presentations and written many papers on what he calls the
this living breathing collective of cool people. At the moment he (16) ________ (write) a book
about his experiences and achievements. He (17) ________ (write) about half of it and (18)
________ (have) offers from interested publishers. Open source (19) ________ (be) the best
experience of my life and, at the moment, this book (20)________ (be) the second best, he
laughs, as he packs his bags for another flight to another city and another conference.

59

Part 2 Writing
Task 1
Write an email based on the following brief. Write about 50 60 words.
Your friend Diane, who works in another company, is thinking of taking a year off to
travel the world and reassess her career.
Write an email to Diane:

Say that you think it is a good idea

Suggest good reasons for taking a year off
Mention some things she could do
Wish her luck

To: Diane
Cc:
Subject: Year off
Dear

60

Task 2
Write sentences using the words given.
1 unique opportunity
____________________________________________________________________
2 intensive course
____________________________________________________________________
3 applied for
____________________________________________________________________
4 negotiating skills
____________________________________________________________________
5 resigned from
____________________________________________________________________
Part 3 Speaking

Prepare a one-minute presentation on one of these topics. You have one minute to prepare
your talk.
A
What is important when choosing a career?
Personal interests
Salary
B
What is important when changing jobs?
Salary
Responsibility
C
What is important when having a job interview?
Being prepared
Smiling

61

Answer key for tests

Corporate Culture Progress Test Key
Part 1 Reading
Task 1

B profitability
D employees
B harder
C staff
D workload
B with
C unit
D for
B objectives
B structure
A guidelines
B director
D enforce
C balance
B run
Task 2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

took
was checking
found
had put
was doing
had done
threatened
was using
(was) sending
lost

Part 2 Writing
Task 2
Suggested answers below. Accept grammatically correct and suitably diplomatic alternatives.
1
2
3
4
5

Wouldnt it be better to wear smarter clothes to work?

Why dont you try asking John for help?
Its a good idea to learn to delegate.
You could perhaps try to do it this way instead.
Wouldnt you agree that its not a very good idea?

62

Customer Support Progress Test Key

Part 1 Reading
Task 1
G This is causing them to rethink plans to move services offshore.
E In other cases callers have been tricked into revealing their PIN numbers to the operators,
which provides access to their accounts.
D Security consultants had been warning of such risks for years.
F This risk to the company brand is a big factor in some companies not offshoring their call
centres.
A It had a huge impact on the community, said the Mayor of Witheringham. We were doing
well, but overnight it was all gone.
B More and more people are not waiting when they are put on hold.
C The staff have to be cheerful and understanding as many calls are recorded, and if they answer
back they can be fired.
Task 2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

process
supervisor
technician
symptoms
refund
service
looking

Part 2 Writing
Task 2
1
2
3
4
5

How can I help you?

Can you switch it on?
What is your name?
Can you give me the serial/reference number?
Can I call you back?

63

Products and Packaging Progress Test Key

Part 1 Reading
Task 1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

C
A
D
B
A
C
D

Task 2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

a / the
the
the
a
No article
No article
the
the
the
the / no article
The
the
A
the
an
the
a
a

Part 2 Writing
Task 2
1
2
3
4
5

This is the new product which was launched last week.

This is a low selling product which has to be relaunched. / which we have to relaunch.
Bill Gates, who is the chairman of Microsoft corporation, is the world s richest man.
Apple is an American computer company whose products are beautiful.
Google, which is based in America, is a very successful company. / Google is a very
successful company which is based in America.

Careers Progress Test Key

Part 1 Reading
Task 1
64

1
2
3
4
5
6

D it is expensive and time-consuming to interview more than six.

D a chairperson and two others on the panel.
B the longest and most important part of the whole interview.
B control the structure of the interview and connect the phases.
D to help them decide if they are a good match for the job.
C Interviews are too important to get wrong.

Task 2
1 travels
2 is
3 needs
4 dominates
5 is
6 sold
7 was
8 was
9 happened
10 went
11 were
12 believed
13 had
14 was
15 has given
16 is writing
17 has written
18 has had
19 has been
20 is

65

BIBLIOGRAFIE

SMITH, T. (2000)

Market Leader, Edinburgh,

Pearson Education Limited

SWEENEY, S.(2002)

Professional English: Finance, Edinburgh,

Penguin Books

SWEENEY, S.(2002)

Professional English: Management,

Edinburgh, Penguin Books

FLINDERS, S.(2002)

Professional English: Business Intermediate,

Edinnburgh, Penguin Books

ALLISON, J (2007)

The Business Intermediate, Oxford,

Macmillan Publishers Limited

ALLISON, J (2007)

The Business Intermediate DVD ROM

ASHLEY, A (2003)

Oxford
Handbook
of
Commercial
Correspondence, Oxford, Oxford University
Press

66