LESSON C1

BUSINESS ENGLISH 7

Passing on Information Informally

I. WARM-UPVocabulary

Look at the words written in boldface in the Dialogue Box. Guess their meanings by
how they are used in the sentences.
II. DIALOGUE BOX
A : Did you hear about the news? The other day?
B : No.
A : I’m really worried, you know.
B : Why? What’s up?
A : Mark hinted to me that we’re going to be taken under new management. He suggested to start
looking for a new job because there’ll probably be a lot of work to be done.
B : They said that the new president was a wicked lady from a mysterious town.
A : Oh! That sounds horrific.
B : Yes, I think it’s time to clean up our desks and leave.
A : That’s a good idea. Mark phoned me to tell me that he’d pick us up here in the office.

Comprehension Check
1. What news does speaker A share with speaker B?
2. Who does speaker A get the news from?
3. How does speaker B react to the news?
4. What would you do if you were speaker B?

BUSINESS ENGLISH 7

Passing on Information Informally
III. LANGUAGE BOXReported Speech
Reported Speech is also called Indirect Speech. In Reported Speech, we tell what anotherperson has said. It does not repeat the exact words of the speaker. This is widely used in
spoken English.
• Anna said, “I cleaned the dirty window.” -? Anna said (that) she had cleaned the dirtywindow.
• Jason said, “I can drive a car.”-? Jason said (that) he could drive a car.
• Daniel said, “My mother went with me to the theatre”-? Daniel said (that) his motherhad gone with him to the theatre.
1. The tense in the reported speech is one step back into the past.
• present – past
• past – past perfect• present perfect – past perfect• present progressive – past progressive• can, will, may – could, would, might
2. That may be used to introduce the quoted statement.
3. Replace the pronouns to suit or match the subject of the sentence.
For example: I-He/She; my mother – his mother
4. If the reporting verb (e.g. said) is in the past, the reported clause will be in the past form. If
simple present, present perfect or future is used in the reporting verb (e.g. says) the tense isretained.
• He says the test is difficult.
• Jack will say that he comes to work early everyday.
IV. SAY IT! Ask your teacher the following questions and take good notes of his/her answers.
After you have finished the questions, report back to your teacher what you
learned about him/her, using reported speech.
• What is your idea of a summer vacation?
• How long have you known your best pal? Can you describe him/her?
• What kind of movies do you like? Have you always watched that genre?
• What did you used to like when you were younger that you don’t like anymore?
• Do you have any future plans? What are they?
• How do you spend your weekends?
• Who were you talking to at this time yesterday?
• What made you study English?
• How determined are you in studying the language?

LESSON C2

BUSINESS ENGLISH 7

Welcoming, Introducing, and 					Thanking Guests

I. WARM-UP

Vocabulary

Look at the words written in boldface in the Dialogue Box. What do you think thewords mean?
II. DIALOGUE BOX
Jamie : Hi! Mr. Thompson. I’m delighted to see you again.
Mr. Thompson : The pleasure is all mine, Jamie. By the way, I’d like to introduce you to Mr. GregPeterson, the Marketing Manager of Skin Deep Essentials.
Jamie : Hello, Mr. Peterson. I’m pleased to have you here tonight.
Mr. Peterson : Thank you Jamie. It’s my pleasure.
Jamie : How did you find the launching so far?
Mr. Thompson : Great product launching. Congratulations! We’re fortunate to be the first ones
to see your new cosmetic line. How did you come up with an idea as excellent
as that?

Comprehension Check1. What event is being celebrated?
2. Who do you think Jamie is?
3. What is her role in the event?
4. Who are Mr. Thompson and Mr. Greg Peterson? What are their roles in the event?
5. Have you been to a product launching?

BUSINESS ENGLISH 7

Welcoming, Introducing, and 					Thanking Guests
III. LANGUAGE BOX
We use focus adverbs to highlight key information. The position of the adverbs can change
the meaning of the sentence.

I’ve got just the present for you. (The sentence means “the present is perfect or suitable for you”)
I’ve got the present just for you. (The sentence means “the present is specifically for you andnot for somebody else”)
Daniel worked only on the lighting. (The sentence means that Daniel worked the lighting and notother stuff)
Only Daniel worked on the lighting. (The sentence means that it was only Daniel who worked on
the lighting, no other person did it)
There is at least one distributor interested. (“At least” means “a minimum of”)
At least there is one distributor interested. (“At least” means “fortunately, happily, luckily”)
You might even meet someone famous. (The sentence means there’s a chance for you tomeet someone famous)
Even you might meet someone famous. (The sentence means it’s unusual for you to meetfamous people)
IV. SAY IT! You have just finished hosting an event for sponsors held at a major art gallery inthe city. The venue was perfect for the number of guests, the food was delicious,and the gallery owner went out of his way to make the evening a success. All theguests complimented you on an excellent evening. Now, it’s your turn to thankthe gallery owner.

LESSON C3

BUSINESS ENGLISH 7

Making Short Speeches at aSocial Function

I. WARM-UP

Vocabulary

Look at the highlighted words in the Dialogue Box. What do you think the words
mean?
II. DIALOGUE BOX
Sample Retirement Speech
It is hard to believe this day has finally come. I should have done this a month ago, but I was notready to leave you guys. I have to say that I have mixed feelings today. It is wonderful to lookforward to a more leisurely future, doing all the things I said I would get around “someday” but I
also feel blue leaving what has been such an important part of my life. I might have a hard time
getting over my work life. And a while ago I was thinking, I should have asked each of you youremail adds so still we can have a chat everyday. (laughs)
This company is like a family and though I know I will see many of you around town, this day iskind of like moving away from home. It has a great promise and yet, knowing that I won’t see themembers of my family every day anymore is hard to imagine. I should have been declaring myage as 20 years younger, by that I can stay here longer with you.
I won’t see Tim every day as I walk into the building, there at the front desk. I won’t see Margaret
at the desk in front of my office door. I won’t see all the rest of you in the hallways and theeatery and we won’t be having those daily chats about Smallville and the Heroes and when thewinter is going to be over. I will miss all of you and all of the conversations, not just the ones I
have mentioned. I could have been the so called bad guy if I didn’t move in this department. So,my warmest thanks to all.
But it is time to move on. I have enjoyed my time here at Josh Wealth and I know we have donesome great things.

BUSINESS ENGLISH 7

Making Short Speeches at a
Social Function
Comprehension Check

1. Where is the speaker going?
2. How does the speaker feel?
3. What will the speaker miss?
4. How does the speaker treat the people he was working with?
III. LANGUAGE BOX
The modal verbs must, could, might, and should are used with have + past participle toexpress several concepts about the past.
1. Must is used to express a logical deduction about a past action or event.
2. Could is also used to express a possible reason or cause of a past action.
3. Might or may is used when there is more doubt or uncertainty.
4. Should is used to express an event that was scheduled but did not happen or when apossibility happened which is difficult to understand.
• He finished all the work in just one hour. He must have worked diligently.
• The polluted air in the city could have been the result of carelessness.
• He may have phoned me while I was out. / He might have phoned me while I was out.
• An honest man should have been the leader of the country.
• I should have asked her name before she left.
IV. SAY IT! Your friend, the owner of a grocery store, invited you to attend the opening of her
new branch and as a well-known business woman you are asked to deliver theopening speech.

BUSINESS ENGLISH 7

LESSON C4

Guiding Visitors Around Your 			Workplace

I. WARM-UP

Vocabulary

Match the underlined words with their meanings.
1. The conference with the managers will start at 9 in the morning.
2. He was asked to clip the visitor’s pass to his shirt while inside the company.
3. The newly-painted corridors made the offices looked nicer.
4. The studio is a soundproof area where any noise can’t get in or out.
5. The staff should always make their working tables neat and not messy.
6. For safety, people at a construction site should wear headgear.

a. long passages in a building		
b. a covering or protective device
for the headc. a meeting		

d. special material to stop sound from getting in or out
e. to put together
f. dirty

II. DIALOGUE BOX
Mart : How nice to see you again, Ms. Crow. We met at a conference in Japan. I’ll be showing you
around the company.
Ms. Crow : Oh, I see. Nice to meet you again, too.
Mart : Well, I think we’ll start our tour now.
Ms. Crow : Okay. Let’s move on.
Mart : Could you just clip the visitor’s pass, please? You’ll need it to open the red security 		door between the main corridor and the soundproof offices. Oh, by the way, I would like
you to meet the lady behind the success, Lourene.
Ms. Crow : It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lourene.
Lourene : The pleasure is mine, Ms. Crow.
Mart : Shall we proceed? Straight through here is the main office. That’s Jadie the staff in-chargeof web orders. They’ve become our major growth. Now, if you turn around, that messy parton the left-hand side is my desk. So, don’t mind it... And that green-colored door at theback of the storage area is the entrance to our production floor.
Ms. Crow : Do we have to wear all this gear?
Mart : Yes. It’s Health and Safety regulation.

BUSINESS ENGLISH 7

Guiding Visitors Around Your 					Workplace
Comprehension Check
1. Where are Mart and MS. Crow?
2. What does Mart want Ms. Crow to do before starting the tour?
3. Which areas of the building is Mart showing Ms. Crow?
4. Who does Ms. Crow meet?
III. LANGUAGE BOX
A noun phrase is a piece of language that acts as if it was a single noun.
To check if it’s a noun phrase just substitute the phrase with a pronoun.
Example:The person wearing a red shirt is my mom. --- She is my mom.
noun phrasepronounIV. SAY IT! There is a new employee in your company. Show her around the offices andintroduce her to all the colleagues.

LESSON C5

BUSINESS ENGLISH 7

Telling and Listening to Anecdotes

I. WARM-UP

Vocabulary

Match the underlined words and expressions with their meanings.
1. How come he hasn’t been as good this year?
2. My uncle’s job is to serve in the customer service department
3. You have to use a sieve when putting sugar onto the cake.
4. A robber is a threat to businessmen.
5. The employees demand an increase on their salary.
6. The customer paid with a five pound note for the office table.
a. to help people with what they want
d. a tool used for separating larger pieces
b. an expression to show surprised by 			 of something from smaller pieces
something and ask why it happened		 e. danger
c. short for ‘banknote’		 f. to ask something in a very forceful way
II. DIALOGUE BOX
Brian : You know, I’ll never forget my first day working at Macy’s.
Sarah : How come?
Brian : Well, I was serving a customer, when another one, a very tall guy, came up.
Sarah : What did he do?
Brian : He was holding a sieve. When it was his turn, he paid with a twenty pound note for theitem. I wasn’t sure what he wanted this sieve for.
Sarah : But you have to serve him.
Brian : Right, unless he was a threat, which he wasn’t.
Sarah : Okay, Go on.
Brian : So, he paid with a twenty, took the sieve, then screamed. “I DON’T WANT THIS SIEVE!” andthrew it back, then demanded his money back.
Sarah : Very Scary.
Brian : It was. But I had to hold in the laughter, though. God knows what he would have done if I
had laughed.
Sarah : I would have called the security.
Brian : Hahaha.

BUSINESS ENGLISH 7

Telling and Listening to Anecdotes
Comprehension Check

1. Where does Brian work?
2. What is Brian’s job?
3. What happened on his first day of work?
4. What did he do with the incident?
5. What would have Sarah done in the event? What would you do?
III. LANGUAGE BOX
Simple Past and Past Continuous
The simple past tense is used to:
1. describe actions in the past• We had to make twenty people redundant last year.
• Our previous factory was really old-fashioned.
2.

Show a sequence of events• I took a deep breath, smiled at the audience, and started to speak.
• She stopped the car, got out, and went inside the building.
The past continuous describes actions in progress at a particular time in the past.

1.

In the early 90’s, I was studying economics at a university.
When, while, and as are to show that one past event happened while another was inprogress.
• My boss walked in as I was talking about him to my colleague.
• While our company was expanding we took several new employees.

IV. SAY IT! Share a story about your unforgettable experience in your:
1. First job
2. college/high school days
3. vacation