Finding out about objects and places - BULATS Speaking Part Three

Part One - Describing objects

Your partner works for a manufacturer of office equipment and stationery. You are a retailer who is
thinking of selling one of their products in your shops. Ask them about at least three of the things
below, leading the conversation.
Price Payment terms
Dimensions Weight
Appearance Functions
Power consumption Guarantee/ Warrantee
Servicing/ After sales service Green?/ Ecologically friendly?
elia!ility Special features/ "ni#ue selling points/ "SPs
Choose one of the objects below to ask questions about:
A hole punch Post its A Dictaphone $% voice recorder&
A ruler A notice !oard A headset
A paper clip 'hum!tac(s An ashtray
A laptop A wastepaper !as(et A mouse pad
A stapler A drin(s machine A fire alarm
A !o) of staples A vending machine A smo(e detector
A calculator A !allpoint $pen& % A !iro Pot plants
A pair of scissors A fountain pen *oc(ers
An A+ ring !inder ,oo(ends A coat rac(
A ream of photocopy paper ,oo(shelves A pro-ector screen
A diary A cu!icle An um!rella stand
A date stamp An intercom An automatic pencil
An address !oo( A mo!ile phone A $permanent& mar(er
A photocopier A fa) $machine& A picture frame
A mouse A monitor A pro-ector
An answer machine Sellotape A video ca!inet
An eraser ,linds A glue stic( $% a Pritt stic(&
A ru!!er !and An electronic dictionary A !o) of tissues
A printer An instruction manual A white!oard mar(er
An envelope A clip!oard A !riefcase
A $postage& stamp A des( calendar A light switch
A des( lamp A !usiness card holder A plug
A filing ca!inet A (ey ring A soc(et
A cup!oard A partition A security !adge
Some drawers A !oard room ta!le A coat hangar
A tu!e of glue A swivel chair A !utton
A water cooler A notepad A !ul!
A fire e)tinguisher A first aid !o) A fluorescent light
o the same, but this time without knowing what product they are talking about. !hen you have
finished the conversation, try to guess what thing they were thinking of.
!hat could the questions for each of the things at the top be" #ry to think of at least two options
for each type of question, including one not using the words above.
$ow discuss this question together:
What are the most important factors when choosing office e#uipment and stationery?
Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com 2011
Part Two - Describing places
Your partner is someone from the trade promotion agency of a city. You are thinking of setting up a
new %& facility somewhere. Ask about at least three of the things below, leading the
conversation.
Population/ Si.e Economic growth
Availa!ility of suita!le staff /ther !usinesses0 including 1D
2uality of life/ Standard of living Prices/ 3osts
Availa!le premises "SPs
'ransport connections *ocation of city
Choose one of the places below to answer questions about:
3ologne 4unich ,ruges ,russels
Florence Geneva 5enice ome
Paris Athens 6aples 'urin
4ilan 4oscow ,ei-ing 'he 7ague
Prague Seville 8iev Warsaw
,elgrade Guang.hou/3anton Shen.hen *eicester
7am!urg Antwerp 3herno!yl 3openhagen
Porto St Peters!urg Sara-evo Stras!ourg
Stuttgart '!ilisi 5alencia 5atican 3ity
5ersailles 5ienna *A 9ogya(arta
'he ,ig Apple 7avana 2ue!ec 3ity Seattle
5ancouver Edin!urgh :a(arta :erusalem
8ol(ata/ 3alcutta 8yoto 'o(yo /sa(a
8uala *umpur 4um!ai/ ,om!ay Singapore
o the same again, but this time without knowing which city they are talking about. !hen you have
finished, try to guess what place they were thinking of.
!hat could the questions for each of the things above be" #ry to think of at least two options for
each type of question, including one not using the words above.
$ow discuss this question together:
What are the most important factors when choosing the location for a !usiness premises?
!here are the places above" !hat are the differences in pronunciation between 'nglish and your
language"
Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com 2011
Suggested answers
Describing objects
Price ; 7ow much does it cost?/ What is its usual price?
Payment terms ; What are the payment terms?/ When do we have to pay?/ 3an < get credit to !uy
this?
Dimensions ; 7ow thic(/ long/ high/ tall/ wide is it?/ What are its dimensions?
Weight ; 7ow much does it weigh?/ What is its weight?/ 7ow heavy is it?
Appearance ; What does it loo( li(e?/ What colour is it?
Functions ; What can it do?/ What are its functions?/ 7ow can < operate it?
Power consumption ; 7ow much power does it use?/ <s it power efficient?
Guarantee/ Warrantee ; 7ow long is it guaranteed for?/ Does it come with a warrantee?
Servicing/ After sales service ; 7ow can < get it fi)ed if it !rea(s down?/ <s there a service plan
availa!le?
Green?/ Ecologically friendly? ; <s it good for the environment?/ 7ow is it greener than other
products?
elia!ility ; <s it li(ely to !rea( down?/ 3an anything go wrong when < use it?
Special features/ "ni#ue selling points/ "SPs ; 7ow is it different from similar products?
Describing places
Population/ Si.e ; <s it a !ig city?/ 7ow many people live there?/ What is the population?
Economic growth ; <s the local economy doing well?/ Are local !usinesses doing well?/ What=s the
local economy li(e?
Availa!ility of suita!le staff ; 3an we recruit from local universities?/ Are there lots of #ualified
people?/ What=s the unemployment rate?
/ther !usinesses0 including 1D ; What are the largest local companies?/ Are there any similar
companies in that area?
2uality of life/ Standard of living ; <s it a good place to live?/ Are there many green spaces?/ <s it a
good place to !ring up a family?
Prices/ 3osts ; What is the cost of living?/ What are rents li(e?/ 7ow much would it cost to>?
Availa!le premises ; <s there much empty office space?/ <s there an industrial estate?
"SPs ; <s there anything special a!out this place?/ 7ow is this city different from others?
'ransport connections ; <s there an international airport near!y?/ <s it easy to get to>?
*ocation of city ; Where is it?/ 7ow far is it from the capital?
Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com 2011