ENGLISH START

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INTRODUCTORY UNIT I. The alphabet These are the letters of the English alphabet and their phonetic transcription:

At the beggining of a line or for names we use the term capital. When we have a double letter we use the word double. Exercises: 1. Spell your name: Ex: T [ti:] A [ei] T [ti:] I [ai] A [ei] N [en] A [ei] 2. Give examples of words beginning with each letter of the alphabet. II. Numbers Write the missing numbers: 1 one 11 eleven 2 two 12 twelve 3 three 13 thirteen 4 four 14 fourteen 5 five 15 fifteen 6 six 16 sixteen 7 seven 17 seventeen 8 eight 18 eighteen 9 nine 19 nineteen 10 ten 20 twenty 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 fifty

51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 sixty

21 twenty-one 22 twenty-two 23 twenty-three 24 twenty-four 25 twenty-five 26 twenty-six 27 twenty-seven 28 twenty-eight 29 twenty-nine 30 thirty

31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 forty

61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 seventy

71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 eighty

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81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 ninety

91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 one / a hundred

Ordinal numbers 1st first 2nd second 3rd third 4th fourth 5th fifth 6th sixth 7th seventh 8th eighth 9th ninth 10 th tenth

11th eleventh 12th twelfth 13th thirteenth 14th fourteenth 15th fifteenth 16th sixteenth 17th seventeenth 18th eighteenth 19th nineteenth 20th twentieth

1,000 one / a thousand 10,000 ten thousand 100,000 one hundred thousand 1,000,000 a / one million

21 st twenty-first 22 nd twenty-second 23 rd twenty-third

II.Articles Indefinite articles: a / an We use “a” if the word begins with a consonant and “an” if the word begins with a vowel. e.g. a manager an Englishman It is used in the following situations: when we mention someone or something for the first time in our conversation or text - e.g. I finally found a job. To refer to a particular member of a group or class -e.g. He wants to be a dancer. To talk about price, weight, speed, etc - e.g. It is 10 euros a kilo. In front of certain numbers - e.g. a thousand In exclamations - e.g. What a busy day! b) Definite article: the We use the definite article in the following situations: When we talk about someone or something that has been previously mentioned in our conversation or text e.g. I bought you a present. The present is a special one. Family names in the plural - e.g. The Smiths live in Chicago Public buildings, institutions e.g. The Palace of Parliament is an imposing building. Names of countries (made up of several states or containing the word “republic”), mountains ranges, regions, rivers, seas, oceans, deserts

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e.g. The United States of America; The Rocky Mountains; The west of Australia; The Thames; The Black Sea; The Pacific Ocean; The Sahara Desert When both the speaker and the listener know what is being talked about e.g. Where is the bathroom? When we define or identify a person or object - e.g. My house is the one with blue door. Before superlatives and ordinal numbers - e.g. the highest building; the first c) No article We don’t use an article in the following situations: Names of towns, streets, airports, continents, countries, mountains e.g. Bucharest, Bond Street, Heathrow, Europe, Romania, Mount McKinley Names of languages, meals, days of the week, colours, seasons e.g. French, lunch, Monday, red, summer Titles and names e.g. Prince Charles Uncountable nouns and plural words used generally e.g. Milk is often added in tea in England. Books are quite expensive nowadays. In some fixed expressions e.g. by car (by + means of transport) on foot - on holiday - at school / work - in church / prison/ bed III. WH- questions Wh- questions are formed with words that are known as “wh- words”: WHO (persons) e.g. Who is the chief of your department? TO WHOM e.g. To whom are you sending the email? WHAT e.g. What day is today? WHAT TIME e.g. What time does the meeting start? WHAT KIND / SORT / TYPE OF e.g. What kind of paper do you want? WHERE e.g. Where does the conference take place? WHEN e.g. When is the next flight to Boston? WHICH e.g. Which colour do you prefer? WHOSE e.g. Whose are these keys? WHY e.g. Why do you say that? HOW e.g. How does this fax work? HOW FAR 4

e.g. How far is Brasov from here? HOW LONG e.g. How long will it take? HOW MANY e.g. How many cars do you have? HOW MUCH e.g. How much money do you have? HOW OLD e.g. How old is your secretary?

IV. Pronouns

a) Personal pronouns: Object pronoun

Subject pronoun I You He (male) She (female) It (animals, objects, things) We You They

Me You Him Her It Us You them

Examples (in each case, the first example shows a subject pronoun, the second an object pronoun): I like coffee. John helped me. Do you like coffee? John loves you. He runs fast. Did Ram beat him? She is clever. Does Mary know her? It doesn't work. Can the engineer repair it? We went home. Anthony drove us. Do you need a table for three? Did John and Mary beat you at doubles? They played doubles. John and Mary beat them. We often use it to introduce a remark: It is nice to have a holiday sometimes. It is important to dress well. It's difficult to find a job. 5

Is it normal to see them together? It didn't take long to walk here. We also often use it to talk about the weather, temperature, time and distance:  It's raining.  It will probably be hot tomorrow.  Is it nine o'clock yet?  It's 50 kilometres from here to Cambridge. b) Demonstrative pronouns A demonstrative pronoun represents a thing or things:  near in distance or time (this, these)  far in distance or time (that, those) near

far

singular

this

that

plural

these

those

Here are some examples with demonstrative pronouns:  This tastes good.  Have you seen this?  These are bad times.  Do you like these?  That is beautiful.  Look at that!  Those were the days!  Can you see those?  This is heavier than that.  These are bigger than those. They are also used as adjectives: Examples: This project was rejected. These ideas are great! That office belongs to my chief. Those figures tell us everything about the business. c) Possessive pronouns We use possessive pronouns to refer to a specific person/people or thing/things belonging to a person/people (and sometimes belonging to an animal/animals or thing/things). Number singular

plural

Person 1 st 2 nd 3 rd 3 rd 3 rd 1 st 2 nd 3 rd

Pronoun Mine Yours His Hers Its Ours Yours Theirs

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            

Look at these pictures. Mine is the big one. (subject = My picture) I like your flowers. Do you like mine? (object = my flowers) I looked everywhere for your key. I found John's key but I couldn't find yours. (object = your key) My flowers are dying. Yours are lovely. (subject = Your flowers) All the essays were good but his was the best. (subject = his essay) John found his passport but Mary couldn't find hers. (object = her passport) John found his clothes but Mary couldn't find hers. (object = her clothes) Here is your car. Ours is over there, where we left it. (subject = Our car) Your photos are good. Ours are terrible. (subject = Our photos) Each couple's books are colour-coded. Yours are red. (subject = Your books) I don't like this family's garden but I like yours. (subject = your garden) These aren't John and Mary's children. Theirs have black hair. (subject = Their children) John and Mary don't like your car. Do you like theirs? (object = their car)

d) Reflexive pronouns We use a reflexive pronoun when we want to refer back to the subject of the sentence or clause. Reflexive pronouns end in "-self" (singular) or "-selves" (plural). reflexive pronoun singular

myself yourself himself, herself, itself

plural

ourselves yourselves themselves

Examples: I saw myself in the mirror. Why do you blame yourself? John sent himself a copy. Mary sent herself a copy. My dog hurt itself. We blame ourselves. Can you help yourselves? They cannot look after themselves.

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V. Adjectives Adjectives usually come in front of the noun or pronouns that they describe and do not change their form. There are several types of adjectives: 1) qualitative: they give information about the noun regarding age, size, colour, shape, origin, use etc. a) opinion: good, pretty, right, wrong, funny, light, happy, sad, full, soft, hard, beautiful, important, cheap etc. b) size: big, small, little, long, tall, short etc. c) age: old, young etc. d) shape: oval, round, square, rectangular etc. e) colour: red, yellow, white, black, blue etc. f) origin: German, Chinese etc. g) material: straw, cotton, steel etc. h) distance: short, long, high, low, far, close etc. i) temperature: hot, cold, cool, warm etc. j) time: late, early etc. 2) Number 1 st 2 nd 3 rd 3 rd 3 rd 1 st 2 nd 3 rd

Possessive Possessive adjective My Your His Her Its Our Your Their

Examples: My hobby is collecting coins. Is that your phone? I think his car is very expensive. What happened to her sister? I bought a new carpet. What attracted me was its design. Our aim is to increase the sales figures. Your office will be renovated soon. Their participation was not confirmed. 8

Degrees of comparison

Positive

Cheap (onesyllable) Useful (twosyllable) Expensiv e (3 or more syllables ) Good / well Bad/ ill Much many Little far

/

Comparati ve of inferiority Less cheap than / not as cheap as

Comparati ve of equality As cheap as

Comparati ve of superiority Cheaper than More useful than More expensive than

Better than Worse than More than Less than Farther than further than

/

Superlati ve of inferiority The least cheap of/ in

Superlati Superlati ve relative ve absolute The Very cheapest cheap in / of The most useful of / in The most expensive of / in

The best of / in The worst of / in The most of / in The least of / in The farthest/ furthest of / in

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UNIT 1 PEOPLE AND JOBS “Managers have to learn how to be teachers, counselors and friends…”

Key vocabulary Most people work because they need to earn a salary, but money is not the only motivation or reason why people work. People get job satisfaction from different factors, such as social interaction with colleagues. Status, that is your professional position, and achievement, doing something well, can be important. Some companies really value their employees and see them as the company’s main asset. Managing people well can lead to better results and higher productivity for the company, but this can be difficult to do. People respond differently to different styles of management. Some organizations give their workers freedom to develop their roles and others don’t. 1. The following text is about the different styles that men and women have in the workplace. Read the text and solve the task below.

Men and women do things differently. There are, of course, exceptions to every generalization, including this one. Cristina Stuart is a managing director of Speakeasy training, a consultancy that runs courses for men and women working together. Here she describes a few key differences between the sexes in the workplace. 1 Working together The male approach to business is competitive, direct and confrontational. The end justifies the means*. Personal status and a focus on the individual are important. The female method is collaborative. Collective action and responsibility are more important than personal achievement. Lateral thinking*, as well as goodwill and the well-being of the individual,

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2 Tackling problems The male approach is to go to the heart of the problem, without taking into account secondary considerations. The female preference is to look at various options. 3 Body language Male body language tends to be challenging. Female body language tends towards selfprotection. A stereotypical female pose is sitting cross-legged; the male sits with legs apart to give an impression that he is in control. Male behavior can include forceful gestures for example banging a fist on the desk for effect. The female style does not usually include aggressive gestures. 4 Language The male way of speaking does not encourage discussion. Women tend to welcome others’ opinions and contributions more. 5 Conversation Men like to talk about their personal experiences and achievements or discuss ‘masculine’ topics such as cars or sport. Women tend to talk about staff problems and personal matters. 6 Meetings If a woman does not copy the male confrontational style, she is often ignored. 7 Self-promotion Men find it easy to tell others about their successes. Women tend to share or pass on the credit for a success. 8 Humour Men’s humour can be cruel – a man’s joke usually has avictim. Female humour is less hurtful. A woman often jokes against herself.

HABITS-STYLES Many men have a female style of working. Equally many women have a male approach. As Ms Stuart says many of the current management theorems – flatter organizations*, empowerment, managing by consensus* – have a female style to them. *the end justifies the means: it doesn’t matter what methods you use; success is the only important thing *lateral thinking: thinking in a creative way, making unusual connections 11

*flatter organizations: organizations in which there are fewer managers and people have equal status *managing by consensus: managing by getting everyone to agree According to the text, which of these phrases are typically used by men and which by women? Example:“It’s very simple. The point is…” (men- go to the heart of the matter) 1.“But we need to take account of…” 2.”You look worried. What do you think about the new plan?” 3.”That’s rubbish!” 4.”I built the department from nothing.” 5.”Thanks for your kind words, but this really was a team effort.” 6.”It was so funny. He looked ridiculous!” 2. Look at the photos and say which figures you think represent men and which represent women?

confrontational, competitive

personal achievement comes first

share credit for success

forceful, self-protective, challenging, direct

in control

collaborative

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welcome contributions

talk about personal matters

hysterical WORD BUILDING 1. Complete the table with words from the text: VERB NOUN 1 to compete competition 2 to confront confrontation 3 to collaborate collaboration 4 to control ___________ 5 ___________ encouragement 6 to achieve ____________

ADJECTIVE competitive __________ __________ controlling encouraging achieving

2. Complete the following sentences using one of the words from the table: 1. It was a great _______ to win the company’s prize for excellence. 2. This is a really difficult job at times. I’d like a bit of ________ from my boss occasionally. 3. I hate having meetings with Alan. He’s always aggressive and _________. 4. I don’t like working on my own, I need other people to _________ with. 5. It’s impossible to _______ events, but you can influence them. USEFUL VOCABULARY- JOBS We usually form the names of people and their jobs by adding ‘-er’ or ‘-or’ to the verb describing their activity. Examples: Operate – operator Inspect – inspector Manage – manager Supervise – supervisor

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1 Form job titles by adding the necessary ending: 1. Drive – 11. Plan 2. Work – 12. Administrate 3. Coordinate – 13. Translate 4. Lead – 14. Recruit 5. Design – 15. Train 6. Observe – 16. Employ 7. Clean – 17. Install 8. Assemble – 18. Control 9. Build – 19. Advise 10. Write – 20. Examine 2 We often use a/ an in front of the job names. Study the examples and complete the rules below, then complete the sentences with a/ an. a) I’m an engineer. b) Julie is a sales manager. 1 We use ___ before words that start with consonant sounds (b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, z). 2 We use ___ before words that start with vowel sounds (a, e, i, o, u). a) b) c) d) e) f) g) h)

Lara is ___ lawyer – she helps people with legal problems. Marco is ____ architect – he builds offices. Stella is ___ salesperson – she’s good with cars. I’m ___ accountant – I work with money. Gregor is ___ teacher – he gives lessons at the college. Philo is ____ designer – she’s good at art. Ronaldo works at Walmart – he’s ____ salesperson. Helen is ___ receptionist – she welcomes visitors to the company.

LANGUAGE: GREETINGS AND MAKING INTRODUCTIONS GREETINGS: Good morning! Goodbye! Good afternoon! Bye! Good evening! See you soon! Good night! See you later! Hello! How do you do! Hi! How are you? MAKING INTRODUCTIONS (from formal to informal): a) Introducing other people: I would like you to meet Mr/ Mrs/ Miss/ Ms/ Dr. (last name) I would like to introduce you to …. (First name), this is (first name). 14

b) Introducing yourself: I don’t think we have met. May I introduce myself? Hello. My name is (first and last name). Hi. I’m (first name). Now introduce yourself to the other course attendants. GRAMMAR: PRESENT TENSE SIMPLE Present Tense Simple is translated in Romanian by “prezent”. Forms: a) Affirmative: SUBJECT + VERB (-s/ -es for 3rd person singular) Example: The manager usually works in his office. b) Negative: SUBJECT + DO/ DOES (3 rd person singular) + NOT + VERB Short forms: DON’T/ DOESN”T Example: The agent doesn’t use the company car. c) Interrogative: DO/ DOES + SUBJECT + VERB? Example: Do you want a coffee? Yes, I do./ No, I don’t. Adverbs of time: a) every day/ week/ month/ year/ Sunday/ summer etc (placed at the beginning or ending of the sentence) Example: I check my emails every day. b) Always/ usually/ often/ frequently/ sometimes/ rarely/ seldom/ never (placed before the verb) Example: My boss always drinks a black coffee in the morning. Use: a) To talk about facts or permanent activities Example: The company has 1,000 employees. b) To talk about habits Example: I go to work by bus. c) To talk about activities which are part of a fixed programme. Example: The meeting begins at 10 am. !!! We add –es for 3rd person singular for verbs ending in: -ch, -ss, -sh, -x, -zz, -o, consonant+y (y-i) Examples: watch- watches miss – misses finish-finishes fix-fixes buzz-buzzes go-goes fly-flies

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!!! TO BE Affirmative: I am (I’m) You are (You’re) He is (He’s) She is (She’s) It is (It’s) We are (We’re) You are (You’re) They are (They’re) Negative: I am not You are not (You aren’t) He is not (He isn’t) She is not (She isn’t) It is not (It isn’t) We are not (We aren’t) You are not (You aren’t) They are not (They aren’t) Interrogative: Am I? Are you? Is he? Is she? Is it? Are we? Are you? Are they? !!! 3rd person singular for the verb TO HAVE is HAS 1. Underline all the present verbs in the reading text. 2. Fill the blanks with the present form of the verbs in brackets: 1. The secretary _____________ (usually, answer) the phone in my office. 2. My boss __________ (not have) lunch at the cafeteria. 3. Our manager ________ (want) us to meet weekly. 4. Your plan _______ (be) is good. 5. _______(you, like) working here? 6. When ______ (he, finish) his business meeting? 7. The company ________ (want) to recruit 5 agents. 8. Our office _______ (provide) business consultancy. 9. Where ______ (she, keep) her files? 10. What ______ (you, need) from the secretary? 3. Put the following verbs in the 3rd person singular, present simple and then make up sentences with them. Put the sentences in the negative and interrogative: 1. Welcome 2. Buy 3. Apply 4. Deliver 16

5. Include 6. Publish7. Increase 8. Work 9. Develop 10. Do –

WRITING EMAILS      



Email is much less formal than a written letter. Emails are usually short and concise. If you are writing to someone you don't know, a simple "Hello" is adequate. Using a salutation such as "Dear Mr Smith," is too formal. When writing to someone you know well, feel free to write as if you are speaking to the person. Use abbreviated verb forms (He's, We're, He'd, etc.) Include a telephone number to the signature of the email. This will give the recipient the chance to telephone if necessary. It is not necessary to include your email address as the recipient can just reply to the email. When replying eliminate all the information that is not necessary. Only leave the sections of text that are related to your reply. This will save your reader time when reading your email.

MODEL

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Now write an email to your colleague in the sales department to inform him/ her about the meeting which takes place the following day (include information about the subject, place, time, materials that will be presented.)

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UNIT 2 CHANGING TO COMPETE

Key Vocabulary In the past, companies tried to be more competitive by offering a better price, service or product. In today’s market it is also important to find ways to be different from the competition. To help them to do this, companies often carry out market research to find out what customers think. Then they use the information to help them increase their market share.

READING 1. Read the following article. Which of these sentences summarises Ratan Tata’s ideas? A A successful chairman is only interested in profit. B A company can be competitive and help people. C A group with a lot of companies is easy to manage. The Shy Architect Ratan Tata trained to be an he worked for the family firm, the one of the biggest companies in companies in many different including the car industry and the The company’s latest project is that costs under $3,000.

architect. Then Tata Group – India. It has sectors, steel industry. producing a car

Mr Tata does not drink or smoke and he does not like publicity. He became chairperson in 1991. At that time, Tata was a difficult organization to manage. There were more than 300 different companies in the group and some were old-fashioned. Today, there are only 96 companies and the group is more modern. In the past, it was difficult for Tata to trade outside India because of competition from other countries. Now it exports internationally. The Tata Group is also buying companies in different countries. At the moment, one of the companies in the group, Tata Steel, is trying to buy Corus, a European steel company. But it has a competitor: CSN, a Brazilian company, also wants to buy Corus.

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Ratan Tata is making changes to the company. Many of these changes help make the group more competitive. But he isn’t changing all the group’s traditions. For example, the Tata Group still tries to help its workers – the children of Tata’s steelworkers first started to have free education in 1917. Two thirds of the Tata Group is owned by charitable foundations, and today they are still helping people in India. Investors sometimes ask: “Is Tata doing the right thing? Is charity good for business?” But Mr Tata thinks it is possible to help people and be competitive at the same time. 2. Do the following refer to the Tata company in the past or at the moment? One thing refers to both. 1 producing a cheap car 2 300 companies in the group 3 96 companies in the group 4 helping its workers 5 a Brazilian competitor 3. Read the article again and answer the questions. 1 Which two sectors does the Tata Group have companies in? _____________________________________________________ 2 How much does Tata’s new car cost? _____________________________________________________ 3 What doesn’t Ratan Tata do? _____________________________________________________ 4 What doesn’t he like? _____________________________________________________ 5 When did he become chairperson? _____________________________________________________ 6 When did Tata first give free education to employees’ children? _____________________________________________________ 7 How much of the group is owned by charitable foundations? _____________________________________________________ 8 Who asks if helping people is good for business? _____________________________________________________ VOCABULARY 1. Find words in the article to complete the table. Verb Noun (person) trainer/ trainee compete competitor invest manager trader publicise publicist exporter

Noun (thing) training investment management trade export

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2. Complete the sentences with the correct words in italics. 1 Shell and Esso are competition/ competitors in the oil market. 2 Did they publicise/ publicity the launch date of their new product range? 3 Giles is working as a trade/ trader on the Japanese stock market. 4 We lost a lot of money – it was a bad investment/ investor. 5 Westfern run training/ trainer courses for financial organizations. 6 How long did you work as a management/ manager al Dell? 7 Do Lancome export/ exporter to Taiwan? 3. We use market to describe any area where we can sell products or services. All the words in the box can be used with the word market. Decide if they go before or after market. Asian

leader

market ______ market ______ market ______ market ______

share

research

luxury

place

budget

domestic

_______ market _______ market _______ market _______ market

4. Match the compound nouns above with the definitions. 1 __________ the area where products are cheap to make and buy 2 __________ people and activities involved in buying and selling a particular product 3 __________ how much of the market buys a company’s products or services 4 __________ surveys to find out what customers think about a company 5 __________ the area where products are expensive to make and buy 6 __________ customers in, for example, Japan, Thailand and China 7 __________ the product or service that most people buy 8 __________ the market in a company’s own country

GRAMMAR – PRESENT TENSE CONTINUOUS Form Affirmative: SUBJECT + TO BE (present) + VERB-ING Example: Tata Steel is trying to buy Corus. Negative: SUBJECT + TO BE (present) + NOT + VERB-ING Example: He isn’t changing all the group’s traditions. Interrogative: TO BE (present) + SUBJECT + VERB-ING? Example: Is Tata doing the right thing?

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Adverbs of time: - now - at the moment - today, tonight - this week/ month/ summer/ year etc Use: 1. to talk about things that are happening now (at the moment of speaking) 2. for temporary actions (things that are happening around now) 3. definite plans for the near future !!!! Verbs ending in consonant + vowel + consonant double the last consonant Example: to cut – I am cutting to swim – I am swimming to travel – I am travelling !!!! Verbs ending in consonant + e lose their last sound Example: to make – I am making to live – I am living to hire – I am hiring !!!! to die – it is dying to lie – I am lying to tie – I am tying 1. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in italics. 1 I work / am working for Corus plc. I started here seven years ago. 2 What do you do/ are you doing at the moment? 3 I organize / am organizing a project in Rotterdam this month. 4 What time do they have/ are they having breakfast in the morning? 5 Martina finishes/ is finishing a report at the moment. 6 How do you usually travel / are you usually travelling to work? 7 I’m driving/ drive at the moment, but usually I’m taking/ take the train. 8 Are they sending/ Do they send the report now? 2. Study these examples. Do they refer to something that is happening now (N) or in the future (F)? How do you know? A I’m starting work again next September. B I’m just finishing work now. C Then in July I’m staying with my brother in New Zealand. D At the moment, I’m having fun looking at maps and imagining the journey. E I’m not enjoying work very much at present. F After a fortnight in Thailand, I’m taking a train to Malaysia. 3. Rewrite the sentences using the present continuous of the verbs in brackets. Decide if they are about now (N) or the future (F). 1 We (export) ________________a lot of rice to Europe this month. 22

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

I (fly) _____________ to Munich the day after tomorrow. You (go) ____________ to the Tokyo trade fair in July? He (have) ___________ a meeting later this afternoon. They (not look) _____________ for a new supplier. What time he ______________ (arrive)? I (take) __________ my car to work next week. We (prepare) _____________ the presentation at the moment.

4. Use the prompts to make sentences about future plans. 1 Jane / meet/ the design team / next week. 2 We / fly / Athens / next Thursday. 3 Polly and Tom / leave / in a moment. 4 Douglas / move / Prague / next year? 5 I / do / a presentation / the day after tomorrow. 6 You / see/ the HR manager / later today? 7 They / sell / the company / in six months’ time? 8 The finance director / not come / to the meeting / tomorrow.

DATES, TIMES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS Dates The UK and most European countries put the day before the month: 21st July In the US and some other countries, the month comes first: July 21 We can say dates in two ways: 10th December The tenth of December December the tenth Years We write: 1807 1995 We say: eighteen oh seven Nineteen ninety-five Two thousand and eight

2008

Times English speakers don’t often use the 24-hour clock, but prefer am and pm. Morning = am Afternoon / evening = pm The conference starts at 10 am. The meeting finishes at 5pm. We use am and pm when we say the hour before the minutes: Example: five ten am, five fifteen am, five forty pm, five fifty-six pm etc. We can say five pm but not five o’clock pm. 23

The 24-hour clock is used for travel. Example: My plane leaves at 14:45 and arrives at 18:20. Note that we don’t usually write: o’clock or half past, quarter to, etc. We usually use these expressions when we are speaking. Prepositions of time on Friday the sixteenth of May Monday morning

in 2009 two hours the evening July the spring

at 7:30 (seven thirty) night the weekend New Year

Telephone numbers We usually say telephone numbers as smaller groups of numbers. We write: 36288 419005 We say: three six two, double eight, four one nine, double oh five Telephone numbers can also have a country code or an area code. There are some differences in the way we usually say telephone numbers in the UK and the USA. 040 UK oh-four-oh USA zero four zero 3557 UK USA

three double five seven three five five seven

WRITING – MEMO Here is a sample memo: MEMO

A To: Marketing department B From: Felix Moyles, Sales director C Subject: Dates for sales conference D Date: 2 nd September E F This is to inform you that the sales conference will have a new date and location this year. Sales conference New date 18-20 November

New Location Epoc Conference Centre 24

G We recommend staff to contact the travel office as soon as possible to book accommodation for the conference. H FM

A memo (full name: “memorandum”) is a short, official note. It is usually sent from one person to other people in the same company. We send memos:  To give information (e.g. about events, activities, changes)  To ask for information (e.g. about holiday dates)  To give instructions or remind people to take action (e.g. new procedures)  To make recommendations (e.g. how to solve a problem)  To send a report, summary, notes from a meeting, etc. Layout This is the usual way to organize a memo: A name of person / people who will receive the memo B name of person / people sending the memo C the subject of the memo D date E note that no opening is necessary F main message G action or recommendation H name or initialts of the person sending the memo, but this is not necessary No closing is necessary. Useful phrases for memos Giving information This is to inform you that… I am / We are pleased / sorry to inform you that… I / We wish to inform you… Requesting information I / We would like to have… Could you give me / us…? Giving instructions Please follow the new procedures. Check… I / We want… Reminding people to do something Don’t forget to… Please remember to… 25

Making recommendations I / We think it is best to change supplier. I / We recommend the new design. Asking for action Please send your sales figures to Gillian by Tuesday. Do… Write… Phone… Contact… Now write a memo asking the chief of your department about the date of the following holiday.

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UNIT 3 TRAVEL

Key Vocabulary Business today is international. Business people often have to travel a lot. They have to plan an itinerary for a foreign business trip to make good use of their time. On a business trip people may meet colleagues and business partners for the first time. It is usual for colleagues from different countries to experience cultural differences. In other words, they may be surprised by foreign social conventions, that is the different ways that other nationalities or different cultures do things. READING Read the following text about business travel and solve the tasks below:

Business travel is not like a vacation. Sure, it can involve exotic places, a variety of cultures and customs, and introductions to new people, but it can also be tiring and stressful, whether you are going abroad for a meeting or flying to a nearby city to meet your staff or boss. A Whether you will travel to Bankok or Rome, go online and read about the area and its points of interest. Also, if you ask the person you will meet some questions about it you will prove that you are interested in more than just business. Understanding local practices, food specialities and other specific things will help you to make a positive impression with your customers or associates. There are many cultural differences in the handling of business cards, the use of first names, the importance of being on time, and the significance of certain gestures. B Plan your schedule with plenty of time between your expected arrival and your first meeting. Flight delays happen, also do traffic delays on the way to the airport. A smart business professional will allow extra time into the schedule for unexpected delays. C Before leaving, make sure that you have all the necessary documents: passport, ID card, visa, tickets. Your professional image will suffer if you cancel a meeting or presentation 27

because you forgot your documents at home. Also, if you have important business documents put them in your baggage. D Have some cash in your pocket for immediate needs like taxis or tips. Check before if your ATM card will work in the country you will be in. This will avoid problems with money in case you need to pay at the restaurants or when you go shopping. E No matter what type of industry you’re in, business travel will usually be necessary as you climb the corporate ladder. Even if you detest travelling, you should not refuse without a very strong reason. Focus on the long-term benefits, accept the assignment and make the most of your trip. By planning ahead, you’ll reduce the chances of unexpected problems, increase your personal enjoyment and enhance your professional image. Have a nice trip!

1. Choose the most suitable title for each of the paragraphs A, B, C, D or E: Make the Best of It Carry Necessary Documents with You Research Your Destination Carry Cash Allow for Delays

2. Answer the following questions: a) What can involve a business trip? _____________________________________________________________ b) What will help you make a positive impression with customers or associates? _____________________________________________________________ c) What should you take into account when planning your business schedule? _____________________________________________________________ d) Which documents must you prepare before leaving? _____________________________________________________________ e) Why should you have some cash ready in your pocket? _____________________________________________________________ f) What are the benefits of planning ahead? _____________________________________________________________

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VOCABULARY Means of transport a) Air: airplane, aircraft, plane

b) Rail: train, tramway, tube/ underground

c) Road: car, bus, truck/ lorry, motorcycle, bicycle/ bike

d) Water: ship, boat, yacht

Useful phrases: Travel by ….. (means of transport) Go by…(means of transport) Arrivals/ departures Where is the nearest bus stop? Here is the entrance. Here is the exit. 29

I would like a ticket to…. How much is the ticket to…? What bus goes to…? I am lost. Go straight ahead. Turn left/ right. When does the next bus/ train leave? What time do we arrive at …?

Adjectives of nationality Adjectives of nationality have five different types of ending: 1. –ese Examples: Japan – Japanese China – Chinese Portugal – Portuguese 2. –an Examples: America – American Germany – German South Africa – South African Europe – European 3. –ian Examples: Australia – Australian Russia – Russian Nigeria – Nigerian Asia – Asian 4. –ish Examples: Sweden – Swedish Spain – Spanish Turkey – Turkish 5. –i Examples: Saudi Arabia – Saudi Kuwait – Kuwaiti Pakistan – Pakistani What are the adjectives of nationality for these countries? a. Belgium - ____________ b. Brazil - ______________ c. Britain - _____________ d. Canada - ____________ e. Denmark - ___________ f. Finland - ____________ g. Hungary - ___________ 30

h. i. j. k. l. m. n. o. p.

Bahrain - ____________ Ireland - _____________ Oman - __________ Italy - ___________ Malta - __________ Mexico - ________ Poland - _________ Singapore - ________ Vietnam - ___________

GRAMMAR – FUTURE TENSE SIMPLE Future Tense Simple Form: a) Affirmative: SUBJECT + WILL (‘LL)+ VERB Example: I’ll deal with this application. b) Negative: SUBJECT+WILL+NOT+VERB Short form: WON”T Example: Don’t worry, I won’t be late. c) Interrogative: WILL+SUBJECT+VERB Example: Will they ask us to have a test? Adverbs of time: - tomorrow (morning/ at 10 o’clock etc) - next week/ Monday/ summer/ month etc - in the future Use: a) to talk about the future Example: The training programme will teach you about organizations. b) to make official announcements Example: The manager will make a business trip to Argentina next week. c) to talk about the weather Example: Tomorrow it will be sunny. !!! Never use Future Tense in temporal clauses. Use instead Present Tense: Example: I will call you as soon as I have an answer.

1. Translate the following sentences in English: a) Te voi ajuta mai tarziu, acum sunt ocupat. ____________________________________________________ b) El ne va trimite informatiile necesare maine dimineata. ____________________________________________________ c) Secretara mea va traduce emailul imediat. 31

____________________________________________________ d) Esti obosit? Iti fac o cafea. _____________________________________________ e) Va fi o alta conferinta saptamana viitoare. _____________________________________________ f) Sedinta va avea loc pe 20 mai la ora 10 dimineata. _____________________________________________ g) Va termina documentele in 20 de minute. _____________________________________________ h) Cred ca maine va ploua. _____________________________________________ i) Promit ca voi ajunge la timp la tine la birou. _____________________________________________ j) Nu ma cauta martea viitoare, voi fi la o conferinta la Paris. _____________________________________________ 2. Put the following sentences into the negative: a) The President will make an announcement this afternoon. _____________________________________________ b) Tomorrow the weather will be warm and sunny. _____________________________________________ c) I think I will finish the report in time. _____________________________________________ d) He will come with us at the presentation. _____________________________________________ e) The debate will be interesting. _____________________________________________ 3. Ask questions for the underlined words. Use WH- questions from the Introductory Unit. a) They will buy a new fax machine next week. _____________________________________________ b) It will be a difficult year for all of us. _____________________________________________ c) The secretary will postpone all my meetings next week. ______________________________________________ d) My assistant will help you with everything. ______________________________________________ e) You will write the letters first thing tomorrow morning. ______________________________________________

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USEFUL LANGUAGE – Making arrangements In business, we often have to make arrangements to meet clients and colleagues. Look at these ways of making arrangements and decide which phrases are used to do the following. suggest a date or time (X 4) politely say yes (X 2) politely say no (X 2) confirm the arrangement (X 1) a That’s fine. b I can’t make (ten o’clock). c Can we meet (on Tuesday)? d Sorry, I’m busy then. e So, I’ll see you (on Thursday at 11:30).

f What about (Thursday)? g That’s good for me. h Are you free (at ten o’clock)? i How about (11:30)?

1. Put the words in the correct order to make sentences. 1 we / meet/ on/ Can/ afternoon/ Wednesday? 2 I/ Wednesday/ make/ can’t. / about/ What/ Thursday? 3 good/ Yes, / that’s/ me/ for. / you/ free/ at/ Are/ ten o’clock? 4 make/ I/ ten o’clock/ can’t. / about/ How/ 11:30? 5 that’s/ Yes, / fine. 6 see/ Great, / so/ I’ll/ on/ Thursday/ you/ at/ 11:30. 7 looking/ it/ I’m/ to/ forward. / then/ you/ See. 2. Put the phone conversation in the correct order. B OK, bye. B That’s fine. How about 10 am? A Hi, I’m arranging a sales meeting next week. Are you free on Thursday? B 11:30? Yes, that’s good for me. A Oh, OK. Can we meet on Friday? A So, I’ll see you on Friday at 11:30. A I can’t make 10 am. What about 11:30? B Sorry, I’m busy on Thursday. WRITING – Telephone messages Here is an example of a telephone message: Telephone Message To: Danny Randall Name of caller: Brett Sinclair Date: 7th April Time: 10.15 am Message: Meeting place with Adriana changed from Grappa’s to Café Continental. Be there at 9.00 pm Action: Call back if problems 01699 720 7743 Signed: Frank Churchill

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Tips: For a telephone message, write down only the important information. Use note form. Make sure you write the correct telephone number of the caller. Include your name as well. Write a telephone message for this conversation: Claire: Hello, finance department. Female: Hello, can I speak to Mr. Adrian Hopwood, please? Claire: I’m afraid he’s in a meeting at the moment. Can I help? Female: No, I need to talk to Mr. Hopwood, I think. What time will he be out of the meeting? Claire: In about an hour. Can you call back later? Female: Okay, I’ll do that. Claire: Or can I take a message? Female: Actually, would you mind? Could you tell him that Jennifer McAndrews called and that I’m waiting for monthly sales report? And that I’ll be in my office until 5 pm if he needs any further information? Claire: Can I take your number, please? Female: Yes, it’s 555 68 72. Claire: 555 68 72. Okay, I’ll make sure he gets the message. Female: Thank you very much for your help, bye. Claire: Goodbye.

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UNIT 4 PASSION INTO PROFIT Key Vocabulary A start-up is a new business. Many people decide to start up their own business because they have what they think is a good business idea and they want to become entrepreneurs. But it is important to prepare a good business plan before you start. You need to know if there is a demand for the products or services you want to offer. If you can finance the operation, find customers and beat the competition, you have a good chance of making a profit. Then you can call your business a success. READING 1. Read the article below. Why do you think PJ Smoothies is a successful company? A Harry Cragoe first tried a fruit smoothie in California in the early 1990s. He had no idea then that he was on the road to corporate success. Now he heads a multi-million-pound company – and it’s all because of his passion for healthy eating. B “When I arrived in Los Angeles, I rented an apartment near the beach,” he remembers. “I was very English, very white and overweight. Everyone was focused on looking good and being healthy. There were juice bars that sold drinks called smoothies and I loved them.” C When he returned to Britain, he found they weren’t available. “All you could find were cartons of apple or orange juice. I could see there was a real opportunity.” D Cragoe sold his flat, car and investments and flew back to California. He returned with a cool box packed with frozen drinks and persuaded a friend, Patrick Folkes, to help him import and sell them. E They founded PJ Smoothies in 1994. Initially, the firm imported frozen smoothies from America, but the business grew quickly and they didn’t have the stock to meet demand. “Up to then, we just imported the finished product,” Cragoe says. “If a store ordered 200 bottles, we began defrosting.” F In 1996 Cragoe decided to set up production in Britain. He found a factory site in Nottingham, equipped it and began production. Since then, PJ Smoothies has gone from strength to strength. The company is now Britain’s market leader in the fresh drinks sector, controlling just under 50% of the market. Cragoe sells more than 250,000 drinks a week in summer to big supermarkets. G There have been problems along the way. Cragoe lost £30,000 when his distributor went bankrupt, leaving him with hundreds of boxes of juice to distribute. But he has never lost confidence in his concept. H “Most of all, you’ve got to have fun,” he says. “You must feel really passionate about what you’re doing.” Glossary 35

Smoothie a mix of fruit juice and fruit puree which is thicker than normal juice Defrost make frozen goods warmer so that they are not frozen 2. Read the article again to find out when these things happened. a) Harry Cragoe lived in California. b) Harry Cragoe and Patrick Folkes founded PJ Smoothies. c) Cragoe and Patrick Folkes imported smoothies from America from … to …. d) They started production in the UK. 3. Answer the following questions: a) Why did Cragoe think that smoothies were good? b) Why did he decide to sell smoothies in the UK? c) How did he finance the business? d) Why did he start production in the UK? e) What is PJ Smoothies’ market share? f) Who or what are PJ Smoothies’ main cutomers? g) How did Cragoe lose £30,000? h) Does Harry Cragoe think it is possible to run a business when you don’t enjoy it? VOCABULARY 1. Opposites Find words in the article with the opposite meaning to these words and phrases. 1 failure (paragraph 1) 2 slim (paragraph 2) 3 became smaller (paragraph 5) 4 weakness (paragraph 6) 5 earned (paragraph 7) 2. Business failure bankrupt equipped

Complete the text with the following words and phrases. distribute sold cool order set up

Snack 2U was a small firm that produced fresh snack foods and (1) _______ them to shops, cafes and bars in the region. To (2) _______ the snacks, it used trucks which it (3) ______ with refrigerators to keep the food (4) _______. The business was a successful until one day a new producer (5) _______ in the same area. It supplied exciting new snack foods at a lower price. Shops and cafes started to (6) _______ products from the new company. Snacks 2U wasn’t able to compete, and six months later it went (7) _______. 3. Collocations Combine words from A and B to make phrases. Use the phrases to complete the sentences below. A

B 36

a) b) c) d) e)

Heads demand Rent fun Meet an apartment Lose a company Have money The person who _______________ usually has the title of CEO. Companies sometimes ________________ when the economic situation is bad. More and more people wanted to buy the new snack food. The company had to increase production to ____________. When Patrick moved away from home to start work, he had to ______________. Running your own business is hard work, but you can ____________ too.

GRAMMAR PAST TENSE SIMPLE Past Tense Simple Form: Affirmative: SUBJECT + VERB – regular:-ED - irregular – second form Example: I called you last night. (regular verb) They bought too much furniture. (irregular verb: buy-bought-bought) Negative: SUBJECT + DID + NOT + VERB (short infinitive) Short form: didn’t Example: I didn’t call you last night. They didn’t buy too much furniture. Interrogative: DID + SUBJECT + VERB (short infinitive) Example: Did you call me last night? Yes, I did./ No, I didn’t. Did they buy too much furniture? Past Tense Simple of the verb TO BE Affirmative Negative Interrogative I was I was not (wasn’t) Was I? You were You were not (weren’t) Were you? He/ She/ It was He/ She/ It was not Was he/ she/ it? We were We were not Were we? You were You were not Were you? They were They were not Were they? Adverbs of time: yesterday last week/ Monday/ month/ year/ summer etc five minutes ago in 1990 NOTE: For more irregular verbs, see appendix A at the end of the course. We use Past Tense Simple to talk about completed actions in the past.

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1. Put the following regular verbs into past tense simple, then turn them into negative and interrogative: a) The manager _______ (talk) to the employees about the new strategy. N: _____________________________________________________ I: ______________________________________________________ b) We _______ (wait) for two hours to hear the results. N: _____________________________________________________ I: ______________________________________________________ c) Our new secretary _______ (study) French in college. N: _____________________________________________________ I: ______________________________________________________ d) She ______ (work) a lot at the presentation last week. N: _____________________________________________________ I: ______________________________________________________ e) They ______ (stop) to admire the paintings. N: _____________________________________________________ I: ______________________________________________________ 2. Put the following irregular verbs in the past tense simple, then turn them into negative and interrogative: (You may use the list at the end of the course) a) They ______ (meet) to discuss some important issues. N: _____________________________________________________ I: ______________________________________________________ b) Our company ______ (buy) office supplies last month. N: _____________________________________________________ I: ______________________________________________________ c) The Jones ______ (sell) their house two years ago. N: ______________________________________________________________ I: _______________________________________________________________ d) They ______ (break) the agreement last month. N: ______________________________________________________________ I: ______________________________________________________________ e) She ______ (lose) all her money after a bad investment. N: _____________________________________________________________ I: ______________________________________________________________ 3. Choose the correct past tense form: 1 I ______ very busy at work yesterday. a) were b) was 2 They _____ many things to solve before the meeting. a) had b) haved 3 We _____ him an ultimatum last month. a) give b) gave 4 I ____ back to Paris on the 9th of March. 38

a) flied b) flew 5 They ___ a presentation on their products last week. a) maked b) made 6 I ____ everything in detail. a) prepared b) preparing 7 Last week we ____ 500 units – a record! a) selled b) sold 8 The special deals ____ two months ago. a) ending b) ended 9 The goods ___ the warehouse on 28 th February. a) leaved b) left 10 They ____ hard on the sales campaign from February to November. a) working b) worked USEFUL LANGUAGE – Presenting a product BUYER Asking for information Can you tell me about…? I’d like some information about… Target market Who is it for? What’s the target market? Colours What about colours?

Features Does it have any special features?

Price How much is it/ are they? Delivery What about delivery?

SELLER Of course. What would you like to know? Our most popular model is…

It’s for people with/ who…

It comes is four colours. It’s available in four colours.

It has an unusual design. It’s easy to use. It’s very reliable.

The trade price is ….

We can deliver within three days. We offer free delivery within three days.

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Imagine you are at a trade fair. Role-play this situation. A Store manager You are the manager of a diving equipment store and you want to buy some divers’ watches. Ask the manufacturer about:  the most popular model  the features  the colours  the price  the delivery  the guarantee B Watch manufacturer Read the description of a divers’ watch. Answer the Store Manager’s questions. Add any other details you wish. Your most popular model: Quartz watch, Model P1005 Features: waterproof to 600 feet; very reliable; smart design Colours: silver with black dial and black strap Price: $450 Delivery: usually ten days Guarantee: five year WRITING – SHORT COMPANY PROFILES Here is an example of a short company profile BASLE BANKING SERVICES Our Mission Basle Banking Services (BBS) is the main provider of solutions in the market for business-to-business financial services. We want to be the number-one partner for your business. Our Services BBS offers a wide range of services, including sales and investment financing, fund management and insurance. Benefits for our Customers With our customers, we want to create growth. To do this, we: • connect industry and technology know-how with the financial markets. • offer new financial products and solutions, which we develop together with our customers. • give fast and friendly support. TIPS:  Short company profiles are often found in publicity material.  They tell the customer what your company does.  They should be short, easy to read and interesting.  Make sure the customer can see why your company is the best for him/ her.  Use bullet points to highlight the main points. Imagine you are the owner of a company renting offices. Write your company profile. 40

UNIT 5 A COMPLAINT IS A GIFT

Key Vocabulary Customer satisfaction is an important part of a company’s sales strategy, so companies try to provide good customer service. That means offering high quality products and services, answering queries, making it easy for customers to order and pay for goods, and delivering on time. Companies also need to have a system for handling complaints, so that if they make a mistake or offer poor service, they can deal with the problem. Most companies train their customer service staff to deal politely with customers.

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READING 1. Read the following article and choose the sentence, a or b, that best describes the main point. a Companies that receive no complaints offer the best service. b It’s good for companies to receive complaints.

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Australians call the British “whingeing Poms” because they complain so much. But a new study suggests that Brits should whinge more, not less. A team led by Chris Voss of the London Business School found that service quality in Britain is typically worse than in America. One reason, the research suggests, is that British customers complain less about bad service than hard-to-please Americans do. The failure to complain is everywhere in Britain. Hunter Hansen, an American who runs the Marriott Hotel in London’s Gravenor Square, notes that a British guest would make a fuss only about a significant problem – and even then, would do so in a roundabout way. Americans are critical of even small mistakes. The result, Mr Voss finds, is that Brits suffer. But so do companies in Britain’s service industries: they do not receive much feedback, and so lose a chance to improve service quality. Indeed, they may spend more than they need on servicequality improvements, because they do not get direct help from customers. Management gurus know more about how companies respond to complaints than about why the British are phlegmatic. In America, well-run companies have “service recovery” strategies. Staff at the Marriott Group are trained in the LEARN routine – Listen, Empathise, Apologise, React, Notify. The final step ensures that there is a record of each complaint. The Ritz-Carlton hotel chain, another with a good reputation for handling complaints from customers, trains its staff not just to say “sorry” but “please accept my apology” and gives them a budget to reimburse angry guests. When Brits finally complain, they get what they want. Mr Voss told his doctor that he would like to have the results of test more quickly. “The next time, I got them sooner,” he says, in surprise.

2. Are these statements true or false? 1 Australians are correct when they say that the British complain too much. 2 The British aren’t very direct when they make complaints. 3 Americans only complain when there is a big problem. 4 British companies don’t spend much on service. 5 The Marriott Hotel Group trains its staff to follow a fixed routine when handling complaints. 6 Complaining about bad service in Britain doesn’t bring any results. VOCABULARY 1. Match the steps from the LEARN routine with the explanations a-e. 1 LISTEN a Show that you understand how the customer is feeling. 2 EMPATHISE b Tell management about the problem.

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3 APOLOGISE problem. 4 REACT 5 NOTIFY

c Don’t interrupt when customer explains the d Promise to do something. e Say “Sorry”.

2. Choose the word or phrase that has a similar meaning to the ones in italics. 1 It’s a significant problem and a lot of people are complaining about it. a minor b typical c important 2 Our business is suffering as a result of poor service. a doing badly b recovering c failing 3 If the service is poor, the company will reimburse you. a ask you for money b recover the money c refund your money 4 The hotel has a good reputation. a has had a good report b is known to be very good c is very expensive 5 You need to improve this field of activity. a make better b make worse c work

3. Cross out the noun in each group which does not go with the verb. 1 make a complaint/ a customer/ an apology 2 deal with a service/ a customer/ a problem 3 handle a query/ a need/ a complaint 4 offer a refund/ an apology/ a complaint 5 satisfy a need/ a customer/ a complaint 4. Choose the correct verb in italics to complete the text: If a company doesn’t satisfy/ offer a customer’s needs and he or she makes/ offers a complaint, the company should respond immediately and deal with/ satisfy the customer’s problem. Businesses that don’t try to satisfy/ handle their customers usually receive more complaints. If the company offers/ deals with a refund, the complaining customer will often come back. But if the company fails to even make/ handle an apology, the customer will not only change to another company, but may also tell other people about their bad experience. 5. Complete the following comments to a holiday travel company with the following words. apology useful

dissatisfied mistake

friendly dirty

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pleased rude

wrong poor

excellent

We had _______ service from first enquiries on the telephone to arrival at the resort. Staff very ______ and efficient. Very _____ to receive the receipt and confirmation the day after booking. We were very _____ with the service at the hotel. Our room was _______ and the hotel receptionist was _____. When I booked my holiday, your representative quoted me the ______ price. I pointed out the _____, but she made no ______. The holiday representative had good local knowledge and gave ______ information. The service in the hotel restaurant was _____. USEFUL LANGUAGE – DEALING WITH PROBLEMS When you have a problem, you have to look at all the possible options and find the best solution. The following phrases are useful for discussing problems. Match the five steps in problem-solving with the phrases a-e. Step 1: Explain the problem Step 2: Present the options Step 3: Consider the result of each option Step 4: Choose the best solution Step 5: Promise action could could (do Y)

a If you (do X), it will mean… b I’ll arrange … c It’s better/ best if I (do Y). d I’ve got a problem… e There are two possibilities: you either (do X) or you

An office worker (A) phones a technician (B). Put the dialogue in the correct order. B OK, but if we send someone to you, you may have to wait till this afternoon. B Fine. Then I’ll arrange for someone to come to you. A I’ve got a problem with my laptop – it isn’t working. A That’s OK, I can wait. B Right. Well there are two possibilities: we could send someone to you to look at it, or you could bring it to us. A I can’t bring it to you very easily – it’s connected to other equipment at my desk. 45

WRITING – A LETTER OF COMPLAINT Jonathan Webb, Marketing Director of Executive Golfing Ltd, placed an order for an advertisement with an agency. On 15 May he stated the following requirements to Rachel Levy at RL Media:  Publication: Ambition magazine  Last date for submission of text: 10 June  Issue date: 27 June  Position: as specified – no alternative position accepted  Payment: on last day of month following publication  Advertisement to be approved before publication It is now 5 July. Jonathan Webb has just received a copy of the latest issue of Ambition magazine with the advertisement in it. He has noticed that the advertisement did not appear as requested. Read the letter that he sends to Rachel Levy, pointing out the mistakes and refusing to pay the agreed price. Executive Golfing Ltd 25 Holland Park Avenue London W11 2KL Rachel Levy RL Media West View Rd London W1 6PL 5July Dear Rachel, I have just received the latest issue of your magazine and checked our advertisement. I’m sorry to tell you that a number of mistakes have been made by RL Media. I wrote to you on 15 May saying the details of the advertisement. Unfortunately the following mistakes occurred:  The advertisement appeared in the issue of 4 July instead of 27 June.  It was on a left-hand page instead of a right-hand page.  It was placed in the last part of the magazine. We specified that it should be in the front part. We made it clear that the correct position of the advertisement was the most important thing. As you can imagine, the incorrect placing of the advertisement has caused us great inconvenience and will no doubt affect sales of our new product range. Due to all these errors, we feel unable to pay the full cost of the advertisement. I am, however, prepared to pay 40% of the cost and trust that you consider this acceptable. I look forward to receiving your comments as soon as possible. Yours sincerely, Jonathan Webb Marketing Director 46

Study the expressions in the Useful language box, then choose one of the situations below and write a letter of complaint. USEFUL LANGUAGE Opening the letter I am writing to complain about…. I am sorry to tell you that… I am writing with reference to… Explaining why you are dissatisfied There seems to have been an error. There appears to be a mistake/ a misunderstanding. Requesting action I would be glad if you would look into the matter. Suggesting action The best solution would be to… I’d like to suggest that… 1. You have booked a holiday in a five-star hotel but the services were poor and the staff unfriendly. Write a letter to the travel agency asking for a refund. 2. You have purchased a product and you are not satisfied with it. Ask the company to replace it. GRAMMAR – Past Tense Continuous It is usually translated by “perfect compus” or “perfect simplu”. Form: Affirmative: SUBJECT+ TO BE (past) + VERB-ING Example: They were discussing the problem when the secretary called. Negative: SUBJECT + TO BE (past) + NOT + VERB-ING Example: She was not (wasn’t) talking on the phone when I entered the office. Interrogative: TO BE (past) + SUBJECT + VERB-ING Example: What was he doing when I called? Use: A) Action in progress in the past interrupted by another past action Example: I was sending an email when the computer broke down. B) Two or more simultaneous actions in progress in the past Example: The manager was presenting the project while the sales representative was taking notes.

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1. Choose the correct alternative: 1. The secretary ______ on the phone when the manager called her. a) was talking b) were talking 2. The workers _____ the products while the supervisor was checking the boxes. a) were packing b) was packing 3. The phone operator ____ a message when the connection was interrupted. a) was taking b) were taking 4. The agent _____ to the shop owner when the fire started. a) was talking b) were talking 5. The manager _____ some documents when he received an important fax. a) was filing c) were filing

2. Ask questions for the underlined words: 1. The car dealer was presenting their new brands. ___________________________________________________ 2. The receptionist was completing some documents when I came. ___________________________________________________ 3. The company was selling stylish products before the crisis. ___________________________________________________ 4. They were changing the office because the building was old. ___________________________________________________ 5. They were feeling better when I visited them. ___________________________________________________

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UNIT 6 CORPORATE CULTURE

Key Vocabulary: Corporate culture stands for the values, beliefs and traditions in a company which influence the behaviour of its staff. It is important for job-seekers to know about the culture of an organisation before accepting a job.

READING:

Quiz: Corporate Culture

Read this quiz to find out what kind of company culture is best for you. Circle A for agree or D for disagree. ‘What kind of company culture would suit you?’ Section A 1. I like taking time to have a chat with colleagues even if this means spending more time at work. A/D 2. It’s nice when people at work celebrate birthdays or special occasions. A/D 3. I prefer people to fix a time to meet me rather than come to my office or my desk at any time. A/D 4. I don’t like working in an open space with everyone’s desk in the same area. I work better in an office of my own. A/D 5. I like to put photos and personal objects in my workspace. A/D

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Section B 6. If I disagree with my boss, I can tell him/her.

A/D

7. I prefer to receive a formal report about my work, not just casual comments. A/D 8. When my boss gives me something to do, I like to get detailed instructions that I can follow. A/D 9. It’s important for met o feel I am involved in the decision-making process at work. A/D 10. A company should have standard procedures and policies that everyone must follow, not ones which change with people’s situations or personalities. A/D

Section C 11. A company must keep up with the times.

A/D

12. I need to take on challenges to make my job interesting. A/D 13. When planning a strategy, it is useful to look at what has worked well in the past. A/D 14. A company should be proud of its traditions. A/D 15. Finally, which of these proverbs do you prefer? a. Better safe than sorry. b. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Add up your scores for sections A,B or C Section A 1. A=1

2. A=1

3. A= 0

4. A=0

5. A=1

D=0

D=0

D= 1

D=1

D=0

Questions 1 to 5 are about your relationship with colleagues. A score of higher than 2 suggests that you like to work for a company where employees are friends and can talk about personal matters. A score of 2 or less means that you prefer to keep your work life separate from your personal life.

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Section B 6. A=1

7. A=0

8. A=0

9. A=1

10. A=0

D=0

D=1

D=1

D=0

D=1

Questions 6 to 10 are about your relationship with your managers. A score of higher than 2 suggests you like to work in a company where roles between managers and staff are flexible. A score of 2 or less means that you like to work in a company where people have clearly defined roles and there is more distance between staff and managers.

Section C 11. A=1

12. A=1

13.A=0

14. A=0

15. a=0

D=0

D=0

D=1

D=1

b=1

Questions 11 to 15 are about your attitude to tradition. A score of higher than 2 means you like to work in a company which values new ideas and takes serious risks. A score of less than 2 means you prefer the security of a company with strong traditions.

READING:

Gap-filling: About Olympus

Read the following text about the Olympus company and fill in the blank spaces with an appropriate word: People talk a lot about corporate culture 1)………..days but at Olympus we really pay attention to it. We aim 2)………..offer people challenging and rewarding work in a pleasant environment. Employees dress casually on days 3)………there is no customer contact and this helps to create a 4)…………..atmosphere. Developing and maintaining close partnerships with our customers i sone of the keys to our 5)………….. Our customers appreciate that we offer high quality product sat competitive prices and a high level of customer care. They rely on us to come up with solutions 6)…………their needs. And of course, customer care is not just about external customers. It is also about how we relate to each other and work together to pool our ideas. We also work in close contact with other Olympus employees 7)………….the world. This interaction creates many opportunities to travel and to learn from other offices. We realise that our most valuable resource is our employees. This is why we 51

strongly support the professional and personal development of our staff 8)…………workshops, classes and short courses. We aim to help all our employees reach their full potential. Our management style is open door and staff have 9)………………to management at all levels at all times. We pride ourselves on our good communication. We hold quarterly meetings 10)……………employees can put forward any new proposals and we have regular communication meetings to inform employees about all company activities. In short, Olympus is a great place to work in. VOCABULARY:

Matching

A. Use the verbs (1-7) and nouns (a-g) to make common collocations. You can use some of the words more than once. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

pay create pool put forward hold reach come up with

a. a proposal b. a meeting c. our ideas d. a solution e. attention f. an opportunity g. your full potential

B. Do the same with these adjectives (1-6) and nouns (a-f). Again, you can use the adjectives more than once. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

challenging rewarding close friendly competitive valuable

a. atmosphere b. work c. resource d. partnership e. contact f. price

C. Complete the text with the following words: hierarchy

level

reward

senior superiors subordinates responsibility seniority

Some companies have a complex 1)_____________with many levels of management; 2)______________managers are very powerful, so it is important to show them great respect and 3)_______________are generally afraid to question the decisions of their 4)_________________. Other companies are less hierarchical. People respect each other because of their skills, not because of their 5)________________. These companies give younger employees more 6)____________________. They 7)_______________good ideas from every 8)__________________in the organisation. 52

GRAMMAR

Present Perfect Simple&Present Perfect Continuous

Present Perfect Simple: S+ have/has +past participle (affirmative) S+haven’t/hasn’t+past participle (negative) Have/Has+ S+ past participle (interrogative) The Present Perfect Simple has the following uses: 

recent events: Sales figures have improved recently. We haven’t seen a big rise in demand. Has your manager just started?



events that affect the present situation (but we don’t say when they happened): Prices have gone up so they’re very high now.  unfinished events starting in the past and continuing up to the present (using for and since): I’ve been in sales since 1992 The company has been the market leader for three years now. *-answering How long….? about an unfinished event: How long have you worked for Exxon? Key words: recently, in recent months/years, inn the last month/year, just, now, since, for (except with finished periods of time) Present Perfect Continuous: S+have/has+been+vb-ing (affirmative) S+haven’t/hasn’t+been+vb-ing (negative) Have/Has+S+been+vb-ing (interrogative) The Present Perfect Continuous has the following uses: 

a state which lasts up to the present moment: e.g. I’ve been working in the private sector for three years.



an incomplete activity: e.g.I’ve been working on this report for two hours but I still haven’t finished.



to emphasise duration: e.g. I’ve been sending emails all morning.



a recently finished activity: e.g. We’ve been arranging the new HR department. That’s why we look tired.

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A. Choose the best explanation, a or b, for each sentence: 1. Profits have continued to fall for several years. a. profits are still falling b. profits fell in the past, but now the situation has changed 2. Recent job cuts have caused staff to feel demotivated. a. staff are now feeling demotivated b. staff felt demotivated in the past, but now they feel differently 3. The company has stayed ahead of its competitors for seven years. a. it is still ahead of its competitors b. it is no longer ahead of its competitors 4. Jean Deneuve has been a member of the design team since 2001. a. Jean is still a member of the design team b. Jean is no longer a member of the design team B. Complete the sentences with the Present Perfect Simple and Present Perfect Continuous: 1. They………………….(prepare) the documents for the meeting all week. 2. Mike works for MV. He……………(be) with the company for five years now. 3. Jude……………………(work) at head office since June. 4. The company’s sales figures……………(grow) slowly in the last two years. 5. How long………………………..(work) for Hewlett & Packard? 6. I………………..(think) I……………….(not

about

their

job

offer

for

two

days

but

decide) whether to accept it or not. 7. Chris and Sonya ……………………..(discuss) a new project. They have had some good ideas. 8. Mr. Johnson……………………….(check) the accounts and has found something interesting.

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C. Choose the correct answer: 1. She has been trying/has tried to ring you all morning. 2. How many times have you discussed/have you been discussing this matter with the CEO? 3. He has started/has been starting his new job. 4. The secretary has written/has been writing four reports so far. 5. Mr. Rufer has run/has been running this company for ten years. 6. A complete new management style has developed/has been developing in this company in the last two years. 7. Has the staff completed / Has the staff been completing the agenda of the meeting Yet? 8. The head of the HR department has tried/has been trying to contact possible candidates for this job since Monday. USEFUL LANGUAGE:

Expressing arguments

The following phrases are useful for putting forward arguments and responding: The fact is …, so…

Yes, but…

My view is…, because…

I understand your point, but…

Surely the main point is…

On the other hand…

You have to consider…

That’s right

Don’t you think…?

WRITING:

Short reports

Types of report: A. B. C. D. E.

Visit report- gives details of a trip or visit Progress report- tells other people about the progress of a project Departmental report- what you have done recently Research report- reports on research, gives conclusions and recommendations Proposal- makes suggestions for action, with facts and arguments 55

Reports can be: A. External- for people from another company (e.g. clients or suppliers). These reports are formal. Write full sentences and avoid contractions (I’ll, You’re). B. Internal- for people in your own company. Reports for senior managers should be formal. Reports for colleagues can be semi-formal. Layout: A. B. C. D. E.

Title of report Introduction- purpose of report Main part of report organised into sections with headings Bullet points to make points clear and easy to read Conclusion with recommendations for future action

Useful phrases for reports Giving the objectives The purpose of this report is to… This report shows…./describes…/gives the results of… Describing activities you have carried out I have started a new project to… We have completed work on… Giving facts Profit remained steady last year. The cost of materials increased by twelve per cent Giving reasons We increased our prices because… The project was behind schedule because of… Referring to illustrations See figure 14 Figure 14 shows… Giving opinions or comments The sales last month were excellent The new design is successful

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Giving the conclusion We need to reduce costs by five per cent The results of the survey show that… Making recommendation We recommend that… We should…

Sample of short report Martinez House project report Introduction The purpose of this report is to look at the reasons why the Martinez House project was over budget and behind schedule. Martinez House is a new building project with seventy apartments for use by businesspeople when they visit conferences in the area. Budget The budget for the project was € 2.5 million. The budget was agreed in January before building started. There were a number of reasons that made the project go over budget:  Cost of building materials- these went up by fifteen per cent during the project  Cost of skilled workers- wages increased by eight per cent  Changes to the original designs for the apartments Schedule In the contract, we agreed to finish the project by October. The architects finished the original design on schedule and this was sent to the building committee. The committee suggested a number of changes to the plan. The architects agreed to make the changes but this took four weeks. The new design was better but because of the delay building started one month late. Conclusion Martinez House is successful and popular with businesspeople. The project has made a profit and bookings will continue to increase during the next twelve months. For future projects we need to speak to our suppliers and agree a price for materials before the project begins. We should also employ a training manager to teach our workers new skills. Finally, the committee should agree a new deadline if they make changes to future building plans.

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UNIT 7: JOB- SEEKING

Key Vocabulary:

Job seekers look for work in the job market. Employers offer jobs to people with the right qualifications and experience. People who know what kind of job they want can look at job advertisements for a suitable position. Others may go to careers advisers to ask for help in starting or managing their careers. Large companies have a Human Resources Department, which deals with recruitment and hiring employers, and also manages career development within the company.

READING:

The online job market

Read the text and answer the questions: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Does Monster.com make a profit? What two advantages does Monster.com offer to job-seekers? Find two advantages for employers of using the Monster.com site? Which two kinds of business are losing money because of Monster.com’s success? 5. What advice does the article give to people who want to use the site to find a job?

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Monster.com, the world’s biggest online job-search site, shows how electronic marketplaces reach more people and can offer more efficiency than physical markets. It also shows that money can be made in such markets: Monster has a long record of profitability. Jeff Taylor, who launched the site in 1994, says that the Monster.com name is the firm’s ‘single most important success factor’. It introduces an image of youthful fun in what is basically a boring business. Supporting the brand is a big advertising budget which accounts for a quarter of the firm’s costs. He runs expensive ads during key sporting events such as the Super Bowl. Job-seekers supply resumés and employers pay to scan them or to post job ads. Most of the services that jobseekers get are free, but they have to pay for a service that allows them to contact each other for advice and

career management. They can use this service to ask each other questions about, say, what it is like to work for a firm that they are thinking of joining. The main contribution of Monster has been to speed up hiring and vastly increase the accuracy of the job-search process. ‘You can post a job at 2 p.m. and get your first response at 2.01,’ Mr. Taylor says proudly. And an employer who knows exactly what he wants can use Monster’s filters to search vast numbers of resumés with precise accuracy. Monster is a serious threat to newspapers, which historically made 40% of their revenues from carrying ads, up to half of which were for staff. Headhunting firms have also lost business, because demand for their help in filling lower-level jobs has fallen. The online job market works well for workers and employers who know what they 59

want. It works badly for people who are unsure. Check that your resumé says clearly what kind of job you want. The filters will then make sure that it reaches the right human resource departments.

READING:

Online recruitment

Many companies and organisations now recruit directly through the Internet. This is quicker and cheaper 1)…………..paying a recruitment agency or placing an advertisement 2)…………..a newspaper. Sometimes they recruit 3)………..using the company website. They set up a page 4)…………..shows vacancies within the organisation and applicants can email the company directly with their CVs. Some other websites just work 5)……….databases for online CVs. These are used 6)………….employers who are looking for candidates. Usually, you 7)………..to pay to put your CV on one of these sites, but it can be an effective way 8)…………finding out about new vacancies. 9)……… employers access these sites, they search for key words in each document. You need to think 10)………….this when you write your CV. Think about the words that 11)……….. often used in your area of employment and 12)…………sure you include them several times.

1. a) of

b) that

c) than

2. a) on

b) in

c) for

3. a) from

b) by

c) with

4. a) who

b) which

c) where

5. a) as

b) for

c) with

6. a) by

b) with

c) from

7. a) must

b) should

c) have

8. a) of

b) in

c) to

9. a) When

b) What

c) Which

10. a) to

b) about

c) at

11. a) have

b) is

c) are

12. a) make

b) do

c) take

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A. Look at these words connected to work. Underline the two words or phrases in each group that can go with the verbs in bold.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

recruit earn work send interview require

a) staff a) a living a) knowledge a) a resumé a) a department a) qualifications

b) employees b) a trainee b) placement b) a CV b) a candidate b) references

c) information c) a salary c) experience c) a placement c) an applicant c) recruitment

B. Match the types of work with the definitions: 1. full-time

a. work from home using a computer

2. part-time

b. work that needs special training

3. flexi-time

c. start and finish work at convenient times

4. job-share

d. work shorter hours or fewer days each week

5. contract work

e. sometimes work at night and sometimes work in the day

6. tele-working

f. go to a place of work five full days a week

7. shift work

g. work for a company for a fixed time until a project is finished

8. skilled work

h. divide a job between you and another person

C. Complete the stages of a career with the right verbs in the box. Then put the stages in order. take

apply

go

accept

get

1.___________ promotion 2.___________ a CV 3. ___________ a job offer 4.____________ early retirement 5.____________ for an interview 6. ____________ for a job 61

write

D. Finding a job Complete the text with the following words or phrases: accept, applications, interview, job ads, recruit, selected, resumé, offered

Esther Garcia graduated from university with a degree in telecommunications. But finding her first job was very hard. She searched all the 1) ______________ in the newspapers and on the internet. She made lots of 2) _________________ to different companies. She also sent her 3) ______________ to all the big telecommunications companies. But most companies didn’t even invite her for 4) _______________. It seemed that they only wanted to 5) ______________ people with job experience. After several months, a finance company in Madrid 6) ________________ Esther a place on a three-month graduate trainee scheme. At the end of the three months, Esther was the only person out of the ten trainees to be 7) _____________ for a permanent job. Of course, Esther was very happy to 8) ______________. GRAMMAR:

Gerunds&Infinitives

Gerunds have the following uses: 

after prepositions: Before launching the campaign, the agency did extensive market research.  as a noun: Finding the right person to endorse a product is never easy.  after certain expressions: It’s no good trying to sell it now. Key words: be/get used to, have difficulty, it’s no good, it’s no use, it’s not worth, look forward to, object to, there’s no point  after certain verbs: He proposed using TV commercials. Key words: admit, avoid, consider, delay, deny, discuss, dislike, enjoy, finish, go, go on, hate, imagine, involve, keep, like, mention, miss, postpone, practise, prefer, propose, recommend, report, risk, suggest



instead of a relative pronoun + main verb: There is a new series of commercials advertising their products.

Infinitives have the following uses:  after adjectives: They are unlikely to ban the advert Key words: able, amazed, difficult, disappointed, due, easy, happy, likely, prepared, Surprised, unable, unlikely, unwilling, willing 

show purpose: The company is sponsoring an extreme sports event to raise their profile. 62

 after certain verbs: They have decided not to run the commercial before 10 pm. Key words: afford, agree, aim, arrange, choose, decide, demand, fail, expect, forget, hate, hope, need, offer, plan, prepare, promise, refuse, seem, tend, train  after certain verbs + object: I urge you to think carefully about the content. Key words: advise, allow, ask, cause, enable, expect, help, invite, permit, remind, trust, urge, use, warn  after certain nouns: Competitors make every attempt to find new angles. Key words: ability, attempt, chance, effort, failure, need, opportunity, refusal, way Some verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive with no difference in meaning: The agency continued promoting the product despite poor sales. The agency continued to promote the product despite poor sales. Some verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive but with a difference in meaning: He stopped sending emails. (He didn’t continue the activity) He stopped to send an email. (He interrupted what he was doing in order to do something else.)

A. Choose the correct answer: 1. Do you enjoy……………..the only male in your company? a) to be

b) being

c) you are

2. He hates……………….minutes after each meeting. a) writing

b) written

c) to be writing

3. I persuaded Jill……………….me a lift to town. a) giving

b) to gave

c) to give

4. I hope……………..a new computer course next month. a) to start

b) start

c) starting

5. Do you mind………………me with all this work? a) to help

b) to helping

c) helping

6. They can’t help…………..sorry that they missed the interview. a) feeling

b) to feel

c) to be 63

7. I’m sorry………………..that you are leaving our company. a) to hear

b) hear

c) hearing

8. Are you interested in………………..to the conference with me on Sunday? a) to come

b) will come

c) coming

B. Circle the right answer: 1. We can’t afford to hire/hiring new staff this year. 2. Can you concentrate on doing/to do your own work? 3. He persuaded me accompanying/ to accompany him at the presentation. 4. You promised to take/taking us on a visiting tour of the company. 5. Carol enjoys to sit/sitting in her armchair after a tiring day at work. 6. They admitted to borrow/borrowing the report without permission. 7. Don’t you want to listen/listening to my job offer? 8. We’ll be sorry seeing/to see you leave this workplace.

C. Tick (v) the correct sentence: 1. We regret accepting their offer because the product is not of high quality. ……… We regret to accept their offer because the product is not of high quality.

………

2. We allowed them to use our office while we were away.

……….

We allowed them using our office while we were away.

……….

3. The secretary denied breaking the fax machine.

……….

The secretary denied t break the fax machine.

……….

4. Now I remember speaking to you at the meeting.

……….

Now I remember to speak to you at the meeting.

……….

5. I need to talk to you about the new project.

………

I need talking to you about the new project.

………

6. Would you like to attend our seminar on successful business tomorrow? Would you like attending our seminar on successful business tomorrow? 64

……… ………

USEFUL LANGUAGE:

Explaining what to do

When you start a new job, your new colleagues may have to explain a lot of things to you in the first few weeks. When you have more experience, you may need to give explanations to other new staff. The following phrases are useful for explaining how to do something: 1. Make sure that…. 2. It’s important/essential that… 3. Remember to… WRITING:

4. Don’t forget to… 5. It’s a good idea to… 6. It may be better/best to…

Covering letter (Letter of application)

It's clear that you don't just send your CV without enclosing a letter! Earlier, some applicants preferred to send a longer letter of application with lots of information, but nowadays it is considered to be better to send a short covering letter with your CV instead. In this you state that your CV is enclosed; your CV has all the factual information needed (personal details, education, qualifications, experience) so you don't need to repeat this information. But you are "selling yourself" so your covering letter must interest the reader in your qualifications, show that you're serious and have shown this in the past. You also want your application to bring results! You need to draw attention to the valuable strengths that you have - these might remain unnoticed in a factual (chronological) CV. Language style As it is a very formal type of letter, the following opening and closing formulas must be used: Opening:  

Dear Sir/Dear Madam (when you don’t know the name of the person you are writing to) Dear Mr./Dear Mrs/Ms. Edwards

Closing:  

Yours faithfully (Br English)/Yours truly (US English) Yours sincerely (Br.English)/Sincerely(US English)

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Useful phrases Introductory paragraph: a) State your purpose/reason for writing: "I should like to apply . . ." b) State the post/position for which you want to apply: " . . .for the position of Research Technician . . ." c) Cite the source and the date/issue from which you learned about the job: "which was advertised recently in the October 10th issue of the New Scientist . .." Body of the letter: a) Introduce yourself with any relevant personal data (e.g. age, marital status, nationality): "I am 23 years old, single and am willing to relocate abroad." b) Briefly include your current job, length of employment and any duties and responsibilities which might be relevant to the job: "I am presently employed as a . . . and have held this position for the last three years." c) Point out your highest academic qualification "As you will note from my CV, I hold a master's degree in . . . from the University of Turku, where I specialised in . . ." d) Mention any earlier experience (e.g traineeships) or special skills which could be valuble to the employer: "I have also had experience in . . .while working as a trainee in a work study programme at . . ." ". . . and am familiar with . . . /have much experience in using . . ." e) Emphasise the benefits to the employer of hiring you, and mention any reasons why the job would be beneficial to you (this shows that your motivation is not purely financial!): "I believe that my knowledge of . . . would be of great value/benefit to this position . . ." "I feel that this position would give me the opportunity to further develop my skills in the field of . . ." Closing paragraph: a) Mention the documents (e.g. CV) which accompany your covering letter: "Please find enclosed my curriculum vitae . . ." b) Mention your willingness or ability to come for an interview or to give more information: "I should be pleased to attend an interview at any time which is convenient to you. I can be contacted at the telephone number given at any time /during office hours / after 5 p.m." "I would be most happy to provide any further details you may require." c) If the advertisement specifies that further information concerning conditions of employment, job description, or salary can be obtained by writing: "I should be grateful for further details concerning . . ." d) Finally, indicate your interest in getting a reply even if it isn't what you'd hoped for: "I look forward to hearing from you (soon)."

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UNIT 8 TEAMWORKING Key Vocabulary:

Teamworking, or the ability of a group of people to work well together to achieve a common goal is one of the main characteristics of the world of work. Successful teams accomplish their objectives because they are committed, respect the roles in a team and meet their deadlines. A team member usually organises members and listens to their opinions. It is difficult for teamwork to be effective without good communication. Team building is a process that develops cooperation and teamwork within a work unit and stresses that each member of a team plays an integral part in the success of the company.

READING: „The stuff teams are made of” 1. Read the article and match these headings with the sections marked 1-6:  Open communication  Leadership  Common goals with challenging targets  Involvement of all team members  Conflict resolution  „Teamworking’ has infiltrated just about every organisation. You can’t get away from „teams’ that are supposed to create something that is greater than the sum of its parts. Or so the theory goes. Yet the truth about teams is different. For example, poor teamworking is the cause for frequent arguments between team members or when there is an unhealthy level of competition between individulas. Other signs of unproductive teamworking are people not always completing tasks or last minute panics to meet deadlines. More often than not, ineffective teams are the result of poor planning.

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There are some measures that need to be taken to make a team work: 1

………………………………………………………………………. In other words, a clear reason for the team to exist. The goals have to be achievable, yet challenging enough to motivate team members. 2 ………………………………………………………... Members must be able to express their opinions freely and feel that suggestions will be taken seriously. The team can also decide what topics of discussion in meetings should be kept confidential or shared with other employees. 3

…………………………………………………………….. It is easy to think that a junior team member has less to contribute than more experienced members. This is not only demotivating, it also makes no sense. You need to ensure that every member has an opportunity to add his or her ideas to discussions. 4 ……………………………………………………………. Disagreements are natural and, in fact, debate and discussion should be encouraged. A team made up only of ‚yes men’ can make disastrous decisions that few people can agree with. Thus, there should be explicit rules on how disagreements should be tackled. 5 ………………………………………………………………. Most teams (whether it is in the workplace, sports or even in a pub) have leaders. A good leader should be able to encourage individuals’ ideas and compensate for their weaknesses. „A good leader is critical’, says Gary Spellins, Managing Director of Managed Services. „It should be someone who can act as a catalyst and a constant reminder of what the team needs to achieve.’ The leader must, above all, share responsibility, delegate work to others and provide constructive feedback on how the task went.

Word partners - An important part of improving your English is learning which words go together to make natural English sentences. These combinations of words are called collocations. E.g. complete/accomplish tasks

make a suggestion

meet deadlines

make a decision

achieve a goal

tackle disagreements

READING:

‘Team roles’

1. Read the article below about team roles and decide whose role is to do the following: a. establish ground rules ……

c. remain neutral ……

b. provide updates to the team ….

d. provide feedback to team members …..

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1. Team leader The team leader’s job is to provide an environment that helps teams get their work done. The leader organizes locations and times for meetings and is responsible for providing resources required by the team. It is also the job of the leader to remind the team the result the organisation expects of them. He/She works closely with the facilitator in planning the agenda of a meeting, setting outcomes and communicating on the team’s progress. 2. Team facilitator The team facilitator helps develop and apply the procedure of teamwork. He/She establishes the ground rules and then makes sure that they are respected. It is also the role of the facilitator to make sure decision-making is not

dominated by strong personalities in the team. Although the role of the facilitator in decisionmaking is neutral, it is a good idea to rotate from member to member. 3. Timekeeper The timekeeper’s role is to monitor how long the team is taking to accomplish its tasks and provide regular updates to the team on how well or poorly they are using their time. 4. Team members All team members must be enthusiastic and committed to the team’s purpose. They must share knowledge and expertise and never keep information to themselves. They should respect the opinions and positions of others in the team.

VOCABULARY:

Prefixes

A. Match the prefixes of these words to their meanings:

Prefix

Meaning of prefix

1. mismanage

a) not

b) badly

c) former

2. pro-European

a) opposite

b) in favour of

c) before

3. predict

a) not enough

b) against

c) before

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4. post-industrial

a) after

b) too much

c) not enough

5. dishonest

a) two

b) former

c) not

6. ex-president

a) opposite

b) former

c) after

7. underdeveloped

a) against

b) not enough

c) opposite

8. antisocial

a) opposed to

b) two

c) before

9. bilateral

a) against

b) after

c) two

10. reconnect

a) again

b) former

c) after

11. irresponsible

a) again

b) not

c) against

12. hyperactive

a) not enough

b) very

c) opposite

B. Add prefixes to the words in the box to give their opposite meanings:

communicative

decisive

efficient

enthusiastic

imaginative

loyal

organized

popular

practical

sociable

stable

tolerant

…………………………

…………………………

…………………………

…………………………

…………………………

…………………………

…………………………

………………………….

…………………………

………………………….

…………………………

………………………….

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GRAMMAR:

Modals The most common modal verbs are: can (ability), cannot/can’t (inability), must (internal obligation), mustn’t (prohibition), have to (external obligation) may (permission), may not (lack of permission), might (possibility), should (advice), ought to (moral obligation) Characteristics of modal verbs:  

they take no –s in the third person singular; they have no infinitive or participle forms so they cannot be used in the continuous tenses;  they are followed by bare infinitive (without ‘to’),except for ought to and have to  they function as auxiliaries: May I?/ I can’t/Must he?/You shouldn’t Uses of modal forms include the following:    

possibility: We may/might/could get more people working on the project. obligation: There must be good working relationships between team members. advice: The team should/ ought to be experienced enough by now. deductions: - positive: They’re not back home yet; they must be working late. - negative: They’re very late. They can’t know the time of the meeting.

Past modals have the following uses: 

possibility about a past action: The misunderstandings may/might/could have been caused by a lack of communication.



advice about a past situation: You should have/ought to have organised that meeting better.



deductions about a past situation: -positive: The team must have been very tired after working all weekend. - negative: They can’t have done their research properly.

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A. Complete the sentences with an appropriate modal verb: 1. The secretary……………..speak French because she’s lived in Paris for years. 2. ………………you help me with these papers, please? 3. We………………make a noise because the meeting is taking place now. 4. He…………………get up at six o’clock every morning to go to work. 5. You……………..fill in the form before joining our company. 6. This…………..be the manager; he looks so ordinary. 7. You………………need some help with that report. 8. You………………to phone the manager tonight. 9. ……………I borrow your typewriter? 10. They…………………..decided to come to the teambuilding after all.

B. Choose the correct forms of the words in italics: 1. All meetings can’t be/mustn’t be a waste of time, surely! 2. You really should have completed/must have completed the planning phase before you started executing the project. 3. We still might come/must come in under the budget, but it looks unlikely. 4. There must have been/should have been some mistake; those are not the plans. 5. He might have been/must have been there but there were so many people that I can’t say for sure. C. Find the extra word and write it in the space: E.g. She will must leave the meeting early.

will_

1. We have to not get to the office by half past eight tomorrow.

…………….

2. You must to make notes on what the manager says.

…………….

3. Did she have to have put down all the details of the meeting?

……………..

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4. What must I be do to show I’m interested to be part of this team?

……………..

5. They don’t have to must pay for the computer now.

…………….

6. Why does he do have to stay to the office tonight?

…………….

7. You mustn’t be interfere while a team member expresses his viewpoint. ………… 8. Must I to write the whole report by myself?

…………….

USEFUL LANGUAGE: Resolving conflict

Expressing your feelings:

Making suggestions:

My main concern is……

One thing you could do is….

Expressing satisfaction:

Expressing dissatisfaction:

Yes, that would be very helpful….

I don’t think that would do much good…

Agreeing action:

Showing sympathy:

Ok, this is what we’ll do…

I know hoe you feel

Stating common goals:

Identifying the real problem:

We’ve all got the same objective…

What’s really bothering you?

Resolving the conflict

Reviewing the situation

How do you think we should deal with this?

Let’s meet next week and see how things are going.

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Role play the following situation: A team of four multinational staff are having a meeting in order to decide the installation of spy software at work. One member of the team is uncooperative and difficult to work with. Use the phrases from the Useful Language to discuss the problem.

WRITING:

Minutes of a meeting

At every business meeting someone is assigned to ‘take the minutes’. This person notes down all the important points made at the meeting and later writes up a clear summary of what was said and decided. It is generally agreed that the minutes should be sent within 24 hours to all the participants and anyone affected by the content.

Layout: When writing minutes, you should follow the standard format. There are different components that should appear on the page: a. subject and date of the meeting b. list of participants c. summary of the chairperson’s introduction d. summary of opinions and suggestions exchanged e. decided action points, people assigned to each action and deadlines given f. date and time of next meeting Language style: The style of language is quite formal. Sentences should be short, clear, concise and easy to read. It is important to summarise only the most important points by using bullets.

Useful phrases: Giving the list of participants: Present: followed by the list Summarizing the chairperson’s introduction: Mr/Ms X opened the meeting with the following points: (+bullets) Summarizing a discussion:

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Mr X was the first to speak/contribute/react and put forward the following ideas… Mr Y agreed and added….. Mr Z disagreed and argued… Mr X agreed/offered/promised/refused/wanted…(followed by to+infinitive) Mr Y denied/admitted/suggested/recommended… (followed by the gerund) Everyone agreed on………. Action points and deadlines: The following action points were decided upon: …… Mr X will look into/research/study…..by the end of next week. Mr. Y will speak to….before the 15 th. Mr Z will send a report to the Finance Committee within the next few days.

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UNIT 9 POLITENESS AT WORK

Key Vocabulary: Politeness is important for people who often have to make new contacts and build relationships in their work. It can also help to improve the working environment for people in the same office. Some cultures and situations are formal, which means that we have to follow rules; other cultures and situations are more informal.

READING:

Office workers ‘admit being rude’

Read the article again and answer the following questions: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

What reason do office workers give for their bad manners? Why is it impolite to answer a mobile phone during a meeting? Are people today more polite than they were 20 years ago? What are some organizations doing to improve workers’ manners? What are the benefits of avoiding bad manners at work?

Most office workers say they are rude or bad-mannered at work. Two out of three workers regularly arrive late for meetings, most ignore emails and three out of four use bad language. In a survey of 1,000 workers, two thirds say that pressure of work is the reason for their bad manners. Other common examples of bad office etiquette include ignoring colleagues and answering mobile phone calls during meetings. Using mobile phones in meetings is impolite and distracts others, research by the University of Surrey shows. If you respond to a call when speaking to somebody, it means that the phone call is more important than the person, the survey said. If you answer a call during a meeting, it could mean that you think the meeting is not important. Mr. Jacobs, managing director of Office Angels, a recruitment firm, says it is easy for people to forget their manners in the working environment, which is often very informal and very busy. Workers can forget proper etiquette such as introducing people at meetings and this is often bad for working relationships.

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Psychologist Dr. Colin Gill believes that people are not as polite as they were twenty years ago. He said: ‘Courtesy is no longer something that is so much respected in our society. People think it is stuffy to be polite or formal.’ Now some organizations are actually investing money in training their junior managers to be polite. Office Angels is encouraging people to arrive on time for meetings, turn off mobile phones and avoid bad language. ‘Avoiding bad manners at work is such a simple thing to do,’ Mr. Jacobs says, ‘and it can have a dramatic impact on improving your working environment and your relationships with others.’ READING Look at these notes and messages. For each one, which answer (a-c) is correct? 1.

Judith Re: Order number HJ 195 Mr. Danson phoned-part of this order is missing. Please call his office urgently-05505841243

What is the problem? a. the order did not arrive b. some of the order did not arrive c. some machine parts are missing 2.

Bridget I have two tickets to the MBA conference next Thursday. Are you free? Can you get back to me by 3 pm?

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Bridget should contact Sue: a. before 3 pm b. after 3 pm c. at 3 pm 3. __________________________________________________________ To: George Hawkins ___________________________________________________________ Telephone message from: Clarissa at Zeno Media. You are invited to their launch party on Friday 4 April at 7.30 pm. Casual dress. RSVP by Thursday 1 April

George has to: a. go to a party on 1 April b. order new clothes c. reply before 1 April 4.

Louis Westpark Foods phoned Your order can’t be dispatched unless paid for at the time of ordering. To make special arrangements contact their accounts office.

Westpark Foods’ customers normally pay for goods: a. when the order is delivered b. when the order is placed c. when the accounts office sends an invoice

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5. Hi Sean Mr. Lopez called. His flight is delayed. Arriving Manchester airport at 2.30 pm. He is hiring a car but will take at leas two hours to get to the office. Would you like me to postpone the meeting? Mr. Lopez will probably arrive a. after 4.30 pm b. at 4.30 pm c. before 4.30 pm VOCABULARY - A. Complete the text with these words: admit avoid ignore

introduce

invest

improve respond

A recruitment firm gives this advice to new workers: It is important to 1)…………. time in your relationships with others at work. Get to know the people who work near you: 2)……………..yourself. If people ask for your help, always 3)…………. positively. Don’t 4)……………..emails or phone calls just because you are busy. If you make a mistake, it is better to 5)……………….it and then apologise. When things go wrong, stay calm and 6)……………..shouting and using bad lanuage. Remember, good manners help to 7)………………..your working environment, and you will find you can enjoy your work more. B. Word building Use the correct form of these words to complete the first two columns of the chart: Noun

1. patience 2. calmness 3. weakness 4. credibility 5. emotion 6. consistency 7. sympathy 8. formality 9. enthusiasm 10. creativity

Adjective

Opposite

…………………..

…………………..

…………………..

…………………..

…………………...

…………………..

.…………………..

…………………..

…………………...

…………………..

……………………

…………………..

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C. Synonyms Look at the following groups of words. Which word does not belong in each group? 1. rude, stuffy, bad-mannered, impolite

………………

2. courtesy, politeness, etiquette, impact

………………

3. communicate, answer, reply, respond

………………

4. regularly, commonly, rarely, often

………………

GRAMMAR:

Conditionals

Zero Conditional: If + present tense Main Clause + present tense  

cause and effect: If Opec increases production, prices fall. request action in the event of a likely situation: Let me know if you get any more information.

Type 1: If + present tense Main Clause + will/won’t e.g. If our competitors find out about our new product, they’ll want to copy it. If + present tense Main Clause + can/can’t e.g. We’ll be very happy if you can join us for dinner. 

talk about the future results of a possible action or event: If we spend too much , we’ll run out of money. They won’t buy our products if they aren’t good quality.



terms in a contract or agreement: If you are not fully satisfied with this product, we will refund your money.

 Type 2: If + past tense Main Clause + would/wouldn’t e.g. If the price was lower, I would buy it. If + past tense

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Main Clause + could/might e.g. If you reduced the price, we might be interested.  

unreal situations: If everyone used email, we wouldn’t need to send letters. results of improbable actions or events: If our sales increased by 15 per cent, we’d make a lot of profit.

Type 3: If + past perfect Main Clause + would have+ Past Participle 

hypothetical situations in the past: If we had used a better shipping company, the accident would never have happened.

A. Complete the sentences with the appropriate conditional: 1. If we……………….(ask) the customers for feedback, we can find out what they want. 2. If you………………(pay) within 10 days, you………………(receive) a refund. 3. Most people…………………(be) satisfied if you apologise. 4. I………………(not forget) about the meeting if you had reminded me. 5. If you had an accident, the insurance company………………(pay) the costs. 6. If you can’t replace the product, ……………………….(you/give) a refund? 7. If they…………………(not ask) for a pay rise, the boss wouldn’t have given one. 8. People would suggest more new ideas if they…………………..(not be) afraid of criticism. 9. If I……………….(not have) so much work to finish by this evening, I would have gone with you to the conference. 10. We……………………(deduct) 10 per cent from the price if you..…………(order) before October 31 st .

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B. Choose the correct form of the verbs in italics: 1. If I think of any new ideas, I’ll/I’d phone you. 2. If we had more time, we can/could do more careful research. 3. People would be more creative if they weren’t/wouldn’t be so stressed. 4. They will have understood/would have understood the problem if you had explained it more clearly. 5. Will/Would companies be more innovative if they encouraged more discussion? 6. If Carol had applied/applied for the job, she would have got it. 7. If we don’t /didn’t take risks sometimes, we would never make any progress. 8. She would have been able to get a promotion if she spoke/had spoken English.

C. Find the extra word and write it in the space: 1. If I were you, I would be take his advice.

………..

2. Will she be upset if I would forget to call her?

………..

3. If they hadn’t been told me about the meeting,

………..

I wouldn’t have known. 4. You would learn a lot if you had watched documentaries.

……….

5. If she weren’t so responsible, they wouldn’t have let her

……….

do such an important job. 6. If I will cut this number from her agenda, would she get angry?

……….

7. If someone offered you a very good job in China, what would

……….

you be do? 8. I would work as a tour guide if I had spoke three languages.

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……….

USEFUL LANGUAGE:

Making suggestions

When you work in a company, it is important to contribute ideas. When meetings are held, you have the chance to make suggestions. Study the expressions below for making suggestions and responding. Which responses mean ‘yes’ and which mean ‘no’?

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

How about/What about + -ing? Why not…? I think we should… We need to… Perhaps we could…

WRITING:

a. That’s a good idea b. I’m not sure about that c. That could be difficult d. I like that! e. Brilliant!

How to write a meeting agenda

An agenda is a written plan showing the order of what is to be discussed or is to take place at a meeting. This helps you to stick to a plan and by doing this you will achieve more in your meetings and everyone should be satisfied:   



head your agenda with the title, date, time, venue and purpose of the meeting; create a welcome message for your staff. An inspirational quote, a list of items to bring to the meeting or a list of tasks must be completed prior to the meeting; approximate the time that will be spent on each item. This will help your staff determine the importance of each item and prepare to participate in the discussion if time allows; complete the agenda by adding a task for staff to complete or a question they must reply to. Remember to follow up on these tasks so the staff knows they are important.

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Sample of Agenda

Management Committee Meeting Agenda

Date:

7 April

Time:

14.00

Venue:

Building B Room 10-213

Participants:

JS, AH, RG, PK, TB

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Apologies, minutes of last meeting and matters arising. Sales projections for next quarter. Recruitment and capital expenditure required for no.2. Company bonus scheme. A.O.B. Date of next meeting.

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UNIT 10: ADVERTISING Key Vocabulary:

Advertising is a means of communication between an organization and its target audience using time and space purchased in the media (TV, radio, magazines, newspapers, websites, etc.). Businesses generally use the services of advertising agencies to create advertising campaigns that use commercials, posters or print adverts to publicise their products or services and persuade consumers to buy. READING: Targeting the audience - Read the following article about advertising and answer the questions: 1. Why is the advertising industry going through a difficult period? 2. What alternatives to advertising can be used nowadays? 3. Which is a highly cost-effective way of advertising according to some advertisers? It was Lord Leverhulme who complained that he knew half of his advertising budget was wasted, but didn’t know which half; in some cases, it can be a lot more than half of the budget that is going down the drain. The advertising industry is going through one of the most difficult periods in its history. This is due to the growing diversity of media and the arrival of new technologies, notably the internet. With better-informed consumers, the result is that some of the traditional methods of advertising and marketing no longer work. There are plenty of alternatives to advertising. They range from public relations to direct email and include special offers, telemarketing, exhibitions, display ads, sponsoring events and others. As ever, the debate in the industry centres on the best way to achieve results. It is more costeffective, for instance, to use a public relations agency, to invite a journalist out to lunch and persuade him to write about a product than to pay for a display ad in that journalist’s newspaper. Some other advertisers think that another highly cost-effective way of advertising is the internet, but not everyone uses the internet and it is not seen as being particularly good at building brands. Despite all of these new developments, many in the advertising business remain confident. Rupert Howell, chairman of McCann Erickson, points out that TV never killed radio, which in turn never killed newspapers. They did create huge challenges, but that’s OK, he maintains: „The advertising industry is continuously inventive; that’s what we do’. 86

READING:

The origin of advertising

Read the following text about the origin of advertising and fill in the gaps with an appropriate word that makes sense in the context.

Advertising dates back to early history and initially consisted simply (1)…….people communicating messages orally about where certain items could be found. It was the invention of printing that really launched written messages (2)……..a vehicle for promoting the sale of products. In London, the first print ads to appear were posted on (3)………….. doors of churches, announcing that prayer books were available from a local printer. Newspapers accelerated the growth of advertising, and with more and (4)………..people able to read, businesses began to take out adverts to sell goods like tea and coffee. However, it was in the USA that advertising really became an industry in (5)…………. Some of the key moments in this process were: 1882- Procter and Gamble launch their Ivory Soap ad spending a record sum of $11,000 on the campaign. 1922- AT&T’s New York radio station introduces broadcast (6)…………..inviting listeners to buy ten minutes of radio time for $100.

advertising

1957- The first broadcast television commercials are made, opening up a new medium for advertisers. 1995- MTV’s new style of video images starts to revolutionise the way (7)……….TV commercials are made. 1995- The amount of money spent on internet advertising continues to rise and reaches $2 billion for the first time. 2004- Procter and Gamble manages to attract more (8)…………four million consumers to its website for the launch of its new toothpaste.

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VOCABULARY:

Marketing terms

1. Read the following dictionary definitions (1-6) then unscramble the words at the start of each to make six terms connected with marketing. Write the correct word next to each definition:

1 ……………… nadbr = name used to identify a particular product or service; 2 ……………… gool = symbol used by a company to advertise its products; 3 ……………….nsogal = a short phrase that is easy to remember and which is used to advertise a product; 4 ………………pimagnca = advertising of a product or service during a particular period of time; 5 …………… kamtre rahes = the percentage of sales that a company has for a type of product compared with its competitors; 6 ……………kamtre raleed = a company which sells more products than its competitors.

Quantity 2. Put the following words and phrases in the correct group: a bit of, a few, huge, millions, a mountain of, substantial, tiny, wide, enormous, a fraction Large/a lot

Small/Not many

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GRAMMAR:

Countable and uncountable nouns

Countable nouns:    

have singular and plurals; use a/an with the singular; use either singular or plural verb forms; e.g. book, desk, machine, coin, company, suggestion, etc.

Uncountable nouns:    

have no plural form; never use a/an; use only singular verb forms; e.g. staff, oil, water, equipment, money, information, news, furniture, advice, advertising, coffee, etc.

Some 

in positive sentences: - with countable nouns in the plural; - with uncountable nouns e.g. We’re having some problems. There’s some coffee on the table.



in offers and requests: - with both countable and uncountable nouns; e.g. Would you like some tea or some biscuits?

Any 

in negative sentences and questions: - with countable nouns in the plural; - with uncountable nouns; e.g. We don’t use any videos on our website. There isn’t any information about hotels. Do you have any details about this?

Much 

mainly in negative sentences and questions: - with uncountable nouns: e.g. We haven’t got much time. Is there much demand in Europe?

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Many 

in negative sentences and questions: - with countable nouns in the plural: e.g. Do you have many customers in the south? No, not many.

A lot of/lots of (infml) 

in positive sentences: - with countable nouns in the plural; - with uncountable nouns. e.g. You see a lot of surveillance cameras in the streets in London. There’s a lot of computer crime nowadays.

A. Which of the following nouns in bold are countable (C) and which are uncountable (U)? 1. Do you have any statistics on web users? 2. We have a lot of information about shopping on the internet. 3. Some people dislike shopping on the internet. 4. Do you have many customers in the US? 5. We don’t have much time to analyse all the data. 6. Do you use much surveillance equipment in your company? 7. There’s a camera in reception. 8. We can’t give you any advice on security. 9. The company doesn’t have any problems with security. 10. This website doesn’t have many pages. B. Complete the conversations with a/some/any:

……… ……… ……… ……… ……… ……… ……… ……… ……… ………

A: Can you send me 1)……….information about the hotel, please? B: I’m afraid we don’t have 2)……….leaflets here. If you go to their website, you can find 3)……….details there. A: Are there 4)……………..messages for me? B: There’s 5)……….message for you on your desk. Complete the conversation with a lot of/ much/many: A: Do you get 1)…………useful information from your web report? B: Yes, the report gives us 2)…………interesting data. For example, we know that 3)………….people in the US visit our website. But we don’t have 4)………..hits from people in Australia.

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C. Complete the following job advertisement with a/an if the noun is countable and singular. Leave the space blank if the noun is uncountable or plural.

Looking for 1)………work in 2)……..advertising? Blatch and Moore is recruiting 3)………writer to prepare the copy for 4)………direct mailshots. You may also from time to time be asked to write 5)………advertisement or leaflet. 6)………..formal qualifications are not necessary, but 7)………experience in 8)…………marketing is desirable. We are offering 9)…………permanent contract to the right person. 10)………satisfactory performance will lead to 11)………..quick promotion. For the right person, our company is 12)……..business with 13)………future.

USEFUL LANGUAGE:

Describing brands

It’s aimed at/targeted at………….. It is seen as (traditional/reliable/fun) It has a reputation for………..

Work in pairs. Choose a famous product and describe it to your partner who must guess what it is. Talk about the following things:   

its target market/the people who mainly buy it (e.g. teenagers, parents with children, homeowners, etc.) the values associated with the brand ( e.g. quality, value for money, tradition, novelty, etc.) its logo

WRITING:

Faxes

Many people still use faxes in these situations:      

to place and confirm orders for goods and supplies; to make hotel and travel bookings; to request and confirm payment; to make and answer enquiries; to request action or give instructions; to send copies of documents (e.g. fliers, order forms, invoices and contracts)

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When people have important documents to send they often send a copy by fax first and the original document by post or courier later Layout: A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I. J.

Letterhead (company name) Name of person the fax is to Name of the person sending the fax Sender’s fax number Date Number of pages Subject Body of the passage Closing Signature (handwritten)

Useful phrases:

Placing orders: We wish to place an order for……………. I look forward to receiving your confirmation. Making hotel and travel bookings: I would like to book/make a reservation for……………… Confirmation: Thank you for your order/your booking dated 3rd May Making enquiries and requests: Could you please fax your latest price list? Could you send us by fax your price list and delivery dates? Answering enquiries and giving information: Thank you for your enquiry. Following your request for………………. We are pleased to inform you that…………….. We are sending you our price list as requested. 92

Sample fax:

Howard Velmont Designs 56 Manningtree House Sussex Fax Transmission

TO:

Hawthorn Plastics, Auckland, New Zealand

FROM:

Vanessa Livingstone, Project manager

FAX NUMBER: DATE: NUMBER OF PAGES:

00 57 92 48 77 38 11th January 200_ 2

RE: Changes to design Please find attached the new design that you requested. Could you let me know if the size is now correct? I will also send a copy of the design to you by email. You should receive this by Friday.

I look forward to hearing from you. Regards, Howard Velmont

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APPENDIX 1

IRREGULAR VERBS

Infinitive

Past

Past Participle

Be

was/ were

been

Become

became

become

Begin

began

begun

Blow

blew

blown

Break

broke

broken

Bring

brought

brought

Build

built

built

Buy

bought

bought

Catch

caught

caught

Choose

chose

chosen

Come

came

come

Cost

cost

cost

Cut

cut

cut

Deal

dealt

dealt

Do

did

done

Drink

drank

drunk

Drive

drove

driven

Eat

ate

eaten

Fall

fell

fallen

Feel

felt

felt

Find

found

found 94

Forget

forgot

forgotten

Forgive

forgave

forgiven

Get

got

got

Give

gave

given

Go

went

gone

Grow

grew

grown

Have

had

had

Hear

heard

heard

Hold

held

held

Keep

kept

kept

Know

knew

known

Lead

led

led

Learn

learnt

learnt

Leave

left

left

Lend

lent

lent

Let

let

let

Lose

lost

lost

Make

made

made

Meet

met

met

Pay

paid

paid

Put

put

put

Read

read

read

Ring

rang

rung

Say

said

said

See

saw

seen

Sell

sold

sold

Send

sent

sent 95

Speak

spoke

spoken

Spend

spent

spent

Spread

spread

spread

Stand

stood

stood

Take

took

taken

Tell

told

told

Throw

threw

thrown

Understand

understood

understood

Win

won

won

Write

wrote

written

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