UNIVERSITATEA LUCIAN BLAGA SIBIU FACULTATEA DE STIINTE ECONOMICE

Suport de curs Limba engleza Anul I

Titular curs: lect. univ. Greavu Arina

CONTENTS Chapter 1: Socializing ................................................................3 Chapter 2: Telephoning ............................................................27 Chapter 3: Meetings .................................................................37 Chapter 4: Presentations general considerations ...................51 Chapter 5: Company presentation ............................................56 Chapter 6: Presentations describing trends............................66 Chapter 7: Presentations product description ........................76 Selected bibliography: ..............................................................80

Chapter 1: Socializing

Social language skills are the skills which enable people to be comfortable with each other without a formal agenda- when meeting, when making small talk, when discussing matters of mutual interest and when partying. An effective socializer must be characterized by: 1. the ability to behave appropriately in different crosscultural situations 2. the ability to start conversations 3. the ability to reply appropriately 4. the ability to select safe topics for conversation 5. the ability to develop conversations around different topics Socializing covers a large range of situations requiring specific communication skills and language knowledge, such as: 1. first contact (introductions, opening small talk) 2. getting to know each other 3. more contacts (every day meetings, inclusive behaviour) 4. arrangements (understanding and responding to invitations) 5. dinner (hosting, complimenting, inclusive behaviour) 6. after work (choosing and developing topics for conversation) 7. farewells
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I. First contact 1. Greetings and introductions Welcoming Welcome to Its a (great) pleasure to welcome you to (F) On behalf of Id like to welcome you to (F) Greeting and introducing oneself at the first meeting Often the greetings and the introductions follow this sequence: greeting introducing oneself or someone else reply to introduction
Greeting How do you do Introducing yourself Im / My names . (F) Reply How do you do? Im./ my names (F)

Hello, you must be .

Let me introduce myself. Im . My names Im (job position) Nice to meet you. Mines / Pleased to meet you. Mines ..

How do you do? My names We havent met. Im

! How do you do? is not a real question: it is not a request for

information. It is a formal greeting used only when meeting someone for the first time. The standard reply is How do you do? not Fine, thanks How are you? is a real question and request for information. Fine, thanks and Very well, thanks are correct replies. There is usually a difference between meet for a first meeting and see for a second and subsequent meeting, e.g. Pleased to meet you (first time), Nice to see you (subsequent time). Introducing someone else May I introduce ? Id like to introduce you to (F) Have you met? , this is, 2. Opening small talk: topics Travel How was your trip? Did you have any trouble finding us? It was fine/ very smooth/ easy It was a bit delayed/ the traffic was terrible/ it was a bit rough. I missed my connection/ the plane was late There were no problems. Weather How do you find the weather here?
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What was it like when you left? So, how was the weather in ? What was the weather like in Isnt this weather terrible/ wonderful? Its lovely/ sunny/ warm. It was dismal/ cloudy/ cold/ damp/ wet/ stormy/ windy/ Oh, much the same as here. Much warmer than here. Absolutely awful/ fabulous. Accommodation Hows your hotel? Is everything all right? Its very comfortable/ convenient/ luxurious. The service is excellent. Its rather noisy/ dirty. The service is rather slow. The rooms are a bit cramped.

! We often modify our negative remarks by using words like a

little, a bit, or rather. When we insert these words, our remarks are softened. They become less direct and sound more natural !

1. The following dialogues contain examples of first contact exchanges. Underline all instances of welcoming, introducing ourselves or other people to each other.

1. A: Id like to welcome you to our Institute. I am Professor Stansilav B: Its an honour to meet you professor. A: Did you have a good trip? B: Yes, thank you. A: Good, so shall we start the tour? B: Certainly. Im looking forward to it. 2. A: Hello, Im Pete Stanford. B: Hi. Nice to meet you. Im Sheena, a friend of Pauls. A: So, do you know many people here? B: Most of them. Ill introduce you to a few if you like. A: Thanks. So where are you from? 3. A: Good morning, welcome to Bond Associates. B: Hello. A: My names Deborah Polovsky, but just call me Debbieeverybody does. B: Its a pleasure to meet you. My names Susan Denison. A: So, have you checked in to your hotel? B: Yes, I have. Ive got a great room overlooking the bay. A: Wonderful. Were having some lovely weather at the moment. Lets hope it continues. How was the weather back home? B: Pretty dismal actually. Cold and wet. It was great to step off the plane into all this sunshine. 4. A: Have you met Jonathan? B: No, I havent. Please introduce me.
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A: Jonathan, this is Maggie. She works in the research department C: Nice to meet you Maggie. How long have you been here? B: with the company? Oh too long nearly fifteen years. What about you? C: I dont work here. Im just on a visit for a couple of days. B: Oh? Where are you staying? C: Greg is putting me up. B: And have you seen much of the city? C: well, not so much as Id like to

2. Here are some answers, but what are the questions? a. Nice to meet you. Im Sarah Sarandon, Vice-President, Marketing. b. ... Thank you. Its a pleasure to be here. c. .. Not really. I guess weve never met. My names John Dunn. d. . How do you do. Im Tania Philips. e. . No, I havent. Why dont you introduce me?

II. Getting to know each other. 1. Language focus: Present Tense Simple Formation A. Sample sentences The marketing director reports to the MD. We usually hold our European meeting in Madrid. I don't understand these statistics. My plane leaves at 10.30 on Tuesday.

B. Form The present simple comprises: one part in the positive, i.e. VI(s) two parts in the negative and interrogative, i.e. do/does + VI 1. Positive form I/you/we/they work in different departments. He/she/it works in different departments. 2. Negative form I/you/we/they do not/don't produce a monthly report. He/she/it does not/doesn't produce a monthly report. 3. Interrogative form Do I/you/we/they need more information? Does he/she/it need more information? C. Uses We use the present simple to talk about: - general or permanent activities or situations - the frequency of activities - truths or current beliefs
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- fixed schedules in the future 1. To indicate a general or permanent activity: The company produces a wide range of pharmaceuticals. I live in Frankfurt. 2. To describe how often an activity is done: We appraise our employees once a year. 3. To describe a truth or current belief: Managers plan, organise, lead and control. 4. To indicate a fixed schedule in the future: The new training programme starts on 1 January. 5. With non-continuous verbs: At present our company belongs to the ABC Group, (nor: 'is belonging') At the moment the board consists of six people. The following verbs are usually used only in the simple form: hope forget belong have remain know imagine concern involve require understand remember consist of depend on like love prefer suppose contain cost owe possess mean want equal own

2. Small talk topics The range of acceptable topics for conversation will depend on: Where you are Who you are with Your relationship with the people
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Some topics may be considered to be taboo in some cultures. Here is a list of safe topics: House and home Life at home Education and career Work Free time and entertainment Travel Health and welfare Shopping Weather The economy Politics (can be a delicate subject in some parts of the world)

Topics which may be dangerous: Jobs Quite a lot of opening small talk centres around peoples jobs. Most of us classify people initially in terms of their work. What do you do? Im a teacher/ engineer/ lawyer/ factory manager (profession/ job title) I work for an electronics company (employer/ company
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Religion Death Family relationships

sector) I work for myself at the moment. (self-employed) Im retired/ I look after the children/ Im a housewife. What line are you in? Who do you work for? What do they do? Where are they based? And what exactly do you do? How long have you been with them/ there? Do you like it?/ Are they a good employer?/ Is your job interesting?/ How is business? Im in computing./ Im in marketing. I work for the ABC Corporation. We/ They make electronic components (activity) We are based in York. (location) Im responsible for the quality control of silicon chips. Five years now. Yes, I like it a lot.

Family and home So, where do you live? Do you live in a house or a flat? Are you married? Do you have any children? Just outside York In a house. Yes/ No/ Not at the moment. Yes, a girl and a boy./ No I dont. what about you.
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How old are they? And does your wife work?

The boys seven and the girls four. Not at the moment. Shes at home with out daughter.

Spare time

What do you do in the evenings?/ at weekends? Where do you spend your holidays? What do you do in your spare time? Do you like films/ gardening/ walking/ sports? What are your hobbies? Origins Where do you come from? Where were you brought up? Which part of were you born in? Where were you born?

3. Question types For a conversation to develop positively, the responder in any small talk exchange needs to give full answers. If possible these should include a comment. Closed questions elicit yes/no answers, and may be not very effective: Did you see that film on television? Do you live near here?
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Have you been here long? Open questions should elicit a fuller answer: Where do you spend your holidays? What about the country? Acknowledging information When we exchange information in a conversation, we have three strategies that we can use to indicate that we understand and to encourage the speaker to continue: Noises Uh-huh Mm Ah Oh Words/phrases Okay Right Fine Really? Amazing! I see I know Yes No I didnt know that I cant believe that Quite (so) Indeed Of course
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Echo Sixty thousand? Six hundred years? The biggest in Europe?

Answer the following questions: 1. What do you do? .. 1. How long have you been doing this job? .. 2. Do you like your work? .. 3. Hows business at the moment? 4. What do you do at weekends? 5. Do you like sport? . 6. Are you married? . 7. Do you have any children? 8. Where were you born? . 9. Were you brought up there? . Read the following dialogues and then decide whether they are instances of good or bad conversations. 1. A: What do you do for a living? B: Im in banking. A: Oh, what sort of banking? B: Foreign exchange transactions. A: I see. And have you always been in that line of work? B: Yes, I have.
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A: Personally, Ive changed my career twice already. I started out as a dentist, but I decided that peoples teeth didnt really interest me, so I moved on to become a salesman for one of the big pharmaceutical companies. After a while I couldnt stand it, and now Ive set up a garden centre just near here. B: I see. A: Right, well, I suppose I should think about going soon. 2. A: Where do you come from? B: India. A: Oh, whereabouts? B: The south. A: Interesting. Which city? B: Madras. A: Oh, I see and is your family here with you? B: No. A: So you left them at home. B: Thats right. A: I suppose that must be very hard for them. 3. A: Where were you brought up? B: In Greece, actually. But my parents are Danish. A: That sounds complicated. B: Not really. My father had a job as an adviser to the government. A: So, did you go to school there? B: Yes, I did. It was an international school and we had to speak English. A: Your English is very good. B: Thanks. In fact, I use it all the time in my current job. A: What do you do? B: Im a pilot you know, on a commercial airline.
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A: Really? My brother is training to become pilot. B: Oh? Wheres he training?

III. More contacts 1. Language focus Greetings Hello./ Hi. Good morning. / Good afternoon. How are you? How are things? Nice to see you again. (after a long gap) Very well, thanks. And you? Fine, and you? Not so bad. How are you?/ So and so./ Could be worse. Not too good, Im afraid. Absolutely awful/ terrible/ dreadful.

!The greeting How are you? is normally part of a ritual. We

dont expect people to reply honestly or in detail. Therefore in most situations, we dont respond by saying Not so well or Awful. Clearly these responses would invite further enquiries. Requests (favours) The language we use for making a request will depend on the nature of the request, and who we are asking. Normally we would use more formal or polite language for difficult or more personal requests, especially with someone we dont know well.
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For smaller requests, or with people we know well, we are usually less formal. We can make a request with either a direct question, an order or a request: Does your company organize training programmes? (direct question) Please finish the budget before you go home. (order) Would you mind repeating that, please? (request) The following phrases can be used as introductions: Im glad I bumped into you I wanted to ask you something. Have you got a moment? I wanted to ask you something. Im glad I saw you/ I caught you. Ive got a favour to ask. Please Can you .? Will you ? Could you ? Id like you to Perhaps you could Could you possibly .? Do you think you could ? Do you think I could ask you Ive got a favour to ask you. Could you ? Would you mind -ing ? I wonder/ wondered/ was wondering/ if you could/ if youd mind Sure./ Certainly./ Of course./ Go ahead Not at all. / Its a pleasure.
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I suppose so./ Should be no problem Well thats not so easy / a bit of a problem. 1. When we respond positively to a request we say No Would you mind postponing the meeting? No, not at all. / No, thats all right. When we respond positively we tend not to say Yes (I do mind) Would you mind cancelling the meeting? Well, Im not sure 2. We often ask people to lend us something. Be careful how to use lend and borrow: Could you lend me 10p for the phone? I wonder if I could borrow your copy of the agenda?

Complete the empty lines in the following dialogues with the missing words and expressions: A: Hi, Marion. How are things? B: ..? A: Fine, thanks. ask you a favour? B: .. A: Could I borrow your laptop for the weekend? B: .. Ill bring it in tomorrow. A: Thanks, Marion. Thats really good of you.

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A: Morning, Tom. How are you? B: .? A: Actually, Im feeling a bit rough. B: Oh, Im sorry to hear that. A: a couple of aspirin? B: Umm .. . Why dont you try Jonathan? Hes a walking medical chest. A: Good idea. See you later. B: Bye. Hope you feel better soon.

A: Hello. How are you doing? B: Hello. . A: Fine thanks. Actually, Im glad I bumped into you. B: Whys that? A: Well, I missed the meeting this afternoon? B: .. A: You see, Ive got to pick up my son from the doctors. B: If you have to, A: Thanks very much.

Invitations Inviting Wed like to invite you to Would you like to come to ? We wondered whether you could come to ? What about ? Responding Accepting Thank you
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Id love to. That would be nice. Id be delighted. Thats a good idea./ Lovely./ Id like to very much Declining Id love to, but Im sorry but Ive got another engagement. Im afraid I cant come/ cant make it tonight. Im going to

!When declining an invitation, an explanation or excuse should

normally be given. Decline or accept each invitation as indicated below. a. Could you come to dinner on Friday? Accept b. What about joining us at the opera on Friday? Decline (your mothers birthday) c. Wed like to invite you to our house on Sunday for lunch. Decline (away from the weekend) d. What do you think about eating out on Sunday? Accept e. Come on. Lets go for a drink. Accept f. We wondered whether youd like to come round for dinner one evening? Accept g. Were going out for a bite to eat. Why dont you join us? Decline (another dinner engagement) h. How about a drink after work? Accept i. Would you like to come home one evening? Accept j. Do you fancy a meal? Decline (work to do)

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Polite responses Knowing the right polite response can make everyone feel more comfortable. Here is a list of things to say and to reply in a variety of situations. 1. When someone thanks you Thanks for the present Thanks for a lovely evening You respond . . . Not at all Don't mention it My pleasure Glad you enjoyed it Never mind It doesn't matter Don't worry Not to worry Yes, of course Please do Certainly Go ahead (Refusing permission) Well, actually I'd rather you didn't (polite) Yes, I do actually (direct) (Giving permission) No, not at all Of course not

2. When someone apologises Oh, I'm so sorry. I seem to have lost his address

3. When someone asks your permission May I come in? Can I ask you a question? Do you mind if I smoke?

4. When you give something to someone Could you pass me the . . ., please? Of course. Here you are Yes, here they are
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Have you got the tickets?

Here are your tickets Sorry? (I beg your) pardon? I didn't quite catch that/what you said Could you repeat that, please?

5. When you haven't heard properly

6. To express comfort I didn't get that job. Well, never mind. Well, better luck next time. Oh, hard/bad luck! Oh, I am sorry (to hear that).

7. To express sympathy We missed the plane. My aunt died last night.

Vocabulary Types of business organisation in the United Kingdom We should ask ourselves the following questions when considering how types of companies differ. Where did the money to start or expand the business come from? Who owns or controls the company? What happens to the profit? What legal requirements must the company satisfy? Does the company have limited or unlimited liability*?

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* Unlimited liability means that if a business gets into debt and eventually fails then all the private wealth of the owner(s) can be used to pay the creditors - the people the business owes money to. If a business has limited liability and it fails, the owners lose only the money that they have invested in the company and no more.

The simplest form of business organisation is the sole trader or SOLE PROPRIETOR - one person who provides the capital (the money needed to start), has complete control of the business, keeps all the profit (or bears the loss), and has unlimited liability. It is not necessary to publish the accounts and there are no special legal requirements except that the name of the business must be registered if it is different from the owner's name. It is easy to start this type of business, but it can be difficult to compete with large firms, and difficult to raise money for expansion. When people open small shops, or work for themselves as plumbers, decorators and so on, they are usually sole proprietors. These are 'one-man businesses' but they can, of course, employ others. The amount of money available for investing in a business can be increased by forming a PARTNERSHIP of at least two people, who all contribute capital to the business and share the profit in agreed proportions. Like sole proprietors, partnerships have unlimited liability and there are no special legal requirements. Professional people such as doctors, accountants and solicitors often form partnerships. PRIVATE LIMITED COMPANIES have at least two but usually not more than fifty members who provide the capital which is divided into shares. A private limited company is controlled by a Board of Directors elected by the shareholders one share, one vote. Shares can be transferred only with the agreement of other shareholders and cannot be offered for sale to the general public. The profit is distributed to the shareholders in proportion to the number of shares they own. A
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private limited company has limited liability and this is indicated by the letters LTD after its name. There are several legal requirements, including the submission of a Memorandum of Association and other documents to the Registrar of Companies when the company is set up, and the publication of annual accounts. Many medium-sized companies in manufacturing and retailing are of this type. They do not usually become very large since they must obtain capital for expansion either from the profits or by borrowing from a bank. Sometimes a private limited company becomes a PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY - which must put the letters PLC after its name. A PLC has at least two members but no maximum since it can offer its shares for sale to the public and may, therefore, have hundreds of thousands of shareholders, who have one vote for each share they own. Like private limited companies, PLCS have limited liability, must have a Memorandum of Association, publish their accounts and are subject to many legal requirements as set out in the Companies Act, 1985. The shareholders are the owners of the company and elect the Board of Directors who control it. Shareholders cannot sell their shares back to the company but they can sell their shares to people who wish to buy on the Stock Exchange. The price of shares will go up if the PLC is making good profits and will go down if it is not doing so well. That part of the profit which is not re-invested in the company is paid out to shareholders as a dividend (e.g. 6p per share). It is possible for anyone who succeeds in buying 51% of the shares to gain control of a PLC. Match the terms with the definitions: 1. limited liability a. a company consisting of two or more owners who manage it together and have unlimited liability.
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2. sleeping partner 3. board of directors

4. sole trader 5. partnership

6. exchange

7. public 8. private 9. profit

10. loss

b. you make it when the company is not profitable c. the effective management committee of a limited liability company d. shares are traded on the stock . e. a limited liability company where anyone has the possibility to buy shares f. a person who has capital in a partnership but takes no part in its commercial and managerial activities g. a person who is the only owner of a business whose manager he also is. h. a company in which the shares are sold to a limited number of people. i. this means that no shareholder of such a company can be asked to pay more than the nominal value of his shares if the company goes bankrupt. j. you make it when the company does well.

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Chapter 2: Telephoning
Background The telephone is very much an essential part of business life. It brings with it certain advantages for the users, but also certain disadvantages. Let's look at both sides of the coin.
Advantages Immediate contact and feedback: the telephone enables people to communicate without a personal meeting Economy of time and money More personal than writing Can create, affect and correct relationships Demands and retains attention Disadvantages The receiver may be unprepared No record of the conversation No face-to-face contact If used badly, can damage relationships The receiver may feel that the call is an intrusion

Having looked at the advantages and disadvantages of the telephone as a medium, the next question is: when should you use the phone? 1. When speed is important. 2. When no written record is needed. 3. When you are sure you can contact the right person. 4. When you are sure that your call can be effective.
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Structuring a call Outgoing calls (i.e. when you make the call) Greeting Good morning/afternoon/evening. Hello, (informal) Identifying yourself My name is . . . (first introduction) This is . . . here, (second and subsequent introduction) This is . . . (speaking). Asking to speak to someone Could I speak to ... , please? Could you put me throught to ... , please. Could I have extension 4356, please? I'd like to speak to ... , please. John Brown, please. Giving further details It's in connection with . . . It's about. . . Explaining purpose of call I'm calling to ask about. . . I'm phoning to let you know the details of. . . I'm ringing to tell you about. . .

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Showing understanding I see. I understand. Yes/Right/Fine/Okay. Making an appointment Could we meet some time soon? When could we meet? When could I see you? What time would suit you? Would . . . (day) at. . . (time) suit you/be okay? Can you manage . . . (day) at. . . (time)? Leaving a message Could you give ... a message, please? Could you ask ... to call me (when he gets back)? (Could you tell. . . ) I'll call back later. Confirming details
meeting you next week, then. receiving the contract by fax, then. hearing from you later today, then.

Well, I look forward to

Thanking Well, thank you very much for your help. Well, thanks for the information. I'm much obliged to you.
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I'm very grateful for your assistance, (formal) Well, thanks a lot. (informal)

Ending the call I look forward to seeing/hearing from/meeting you. See you/speak to you soon, (informal) Goodbye/Bye.

Incoming calls (i.e. when you receive the call) Identifying yourself when you pick up the phone Hilary Beacham. Hilary Beacham speaking. Caller: Could I speak to Hilary Beacham, please? Receiver: Yes, speaking. Helping the caller Can I help you? Who would you like to speak to? Asking for the caller's identification Who's speaking, please? Who's calling, please? And who would like to speak to her, please? And your name is? Asking for further information
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What's it in connection with, please?

Explaining that someone is not available I'm afraid ... is not available this morning/afternoon/at the moment. I'm afraid ... is out/in a meeting/with a client at the moment. I'm sorry, but... is on holiday/not in the office today/this week. I'm sorry, but... is on the other line at present. I'm afraid his/her line's engaged. Do you want to hold? Alternative actions Could you ring/call/phone back later? Would you like to leave a message? Can I take a message? Confirming information Yes, that's right/correct. Confirming arrangements that suits me fine. Yes, that would be fine. that's fine. Declining arrangements and suggesting alternatives I'm afraid I won't be in the office on . . . (day). I'm sorry, but. . . (day/time) doesn't suit me at all.
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I'm afraid I can't manage/make . . . (day/time). Can you manage . . . (day) at. . . (time)? I could make it on . . . (day) at. . . (time). How about. . . (day/time)?

Responding to thanks Not at all. Don't mention it. You're welcome. Ending the call I look forward to seeing/hearing from/meeting you. See you/speak to you soon, (informal) Thanks for calling. Goodbye/Bye

Match the words and phrases with similar meanings. 1. the line is busy 2. will you hold? 3. Ill put you through 4. a code 5. an extension number 6. whos calling please? 7. hold on 8. this is ... a. Ill connect you b. one moment c. an office number d. could I have your name? e. Im ready f. the lines engaged g. a country or area number h. is that all?
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9. go ahead 10. anything else?

i. can you wait? j. ............. speaking

Supply the missing words in these conversations: 1. A: Sales Department, good morning. B: .................................................. Helena Steiner, please? A: Hold on. Ill get her. 2. A: Curtis Holdings. B: .................................2398, please. C: Accounts Department. B: ...................................... Jean Delmont? C: Yes, ................................. How can I help you, Mr. Keller? Read the following telephone conversations payng attention to the specific language used for this function. Conversation One

A B A B A C B

Galaxy Computer Supplies. Overseas Sales Department, please. The lines are busy. Will you hold? Yes. The line's free now. I'll put you through. Overseas Sales. Lynne Noon speaking. Good morning. I'm interested in your firesafe cabinets. Do you have a sales office in Spain?
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C B C B

C B C B

I'm afraid we don't, but I can arrange for a sales visit from our agent. No, no. That's not necessary. Could you quote me a price for 20 BZ11 cabinets, CIF Cadiz? May I have your name? Yes, it's Jose Rosales. That's J-O-S-E, R-O-S-A-L-E-S and my fax number is nine one, that's the code for Madrid, four three zero, six six eight seven. Could you read that back to me? Nine one four three oh, double six eight seven. And what company are you with, Mr Rosales? EVP. EVP. Right. I'll work out the price and fax a quotation through immediately. Thank you very much. Good bye.

Conversation Two A Galaxy Computer Supplies. B Extension 143, please. A Hold on. C Overseas Sales. B Could I speak to Mary Thatcher, please? C Who's calling, please? B Marcel Dupont of RGF France. D Mary Thatcher. B Hello. This is Marcel Dupont of RGF. I'd like to place an order. D Certainly Monsieur Dupont. Go ahead. B I'd like six photoconductor units, reference number seven six nine oh five, A stroke K. Do you have them in stock? D Yes, we do. Anything else? B No, that's all. This is an urgent order. D OK. We'll send them straight away. Could you confirm this in writing please, Monsieur Dupont? B Of course.
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D Thank you very much. B Good bye. Vocabulary: The market economy Match the words in column A with their definitions in column B. A. 1. subsidy 2. overstating 3. unemployment 4. supply 5. demand 6. ownership 7. bankruptcy B. a. The state of a company which is unable to pay its debts and has to be wound up. b. Inability to find a job. c. A component of the market forces which when it prevails makes prices of goods rise d. A payment by a government to producers of certain goods to enable them to sell their products at a low price. e. Rights over property. f. Employment of personnel in excess of the real necessities. g. A component of the market forces which when it prevails makes prices of goods fall.

Fill in the gaps with words from the list at the end of the text. A market economy is based on private ...(1) in contrast to planned economy where [2) ownership prevails. In a free market economy efficiency is the key word, while on the other
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hand command economy most likely leads to ...(3). In a free market economy efficient businesses go ...(4), whereas in a command economy businesses are ...(5), is allowing them to survive in spite of their non-satisfactory economic performance, is enables the latter type of economy to resort to ... (6), that is employing more personnel than actually required. Market economy leads to high ...(7) of goods and services, die on the other hand planned economy will not focus on offering high quality goods d services to ...(8). This is due to the fact that in the latter type of economy there is ually no ...(9), as there are state ...(10) and therefore the options of customers are merely restricted. On the other hand in a market economy companies freely ...(11) for a larger market .. .(12), and are thus forced to be efficient and employ .. .(13) according to real necessities and ...(14) their resources with utmost care. bankrupt; compete; competition; customers; inefficiency; manage; monopolies; overstating; ownership; quality; share; staff; state; subsidized.

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Chapter 3: Meetings
Background Meetings can be defined as: The gathering together of a group of people for a controlled discussion with a specific purpose Having defined a meeting, the next question is: when should you call a meeting? 1. When decisions require judgement rather than calculation or expertise, (problem-solving) 2. When pooling ideas improves the chances of good decisions, (idea-generating) 3. If 'acceptance' of the decision is an important consideration for members. 4. To discuss multi-faceted problems requiring different skills or specialists. So what are the essential elements of a meeting? 1. A purpose. The three basic purposes of meetings are problem-solving, idea-gathering or training.

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2. An agenda. Without a list of points any meeting will quickly go out of control, and an uncontrolled meeting is most unlikely to be effective or efficient. 3. Members. There are three types: the chairman (or chairperson) the secretary the other participants All the members will be expected to prepare for the meeting, and, when there, to concentrate, communicate and co-operate in order to produce . . . 4. A result: the whole object of the exercise. However, this will be insufficient without. . . 5. A report: normally the minutes of the meeting.

Chairing a meeting The chairman must control the meeting so that it can reach a successful conclusion and achieve its purpose. Although the exact style of chairing will depend on the purpose and type of meeting, the diagram on the next page shows the main tasks that the chairman needs to perform. Some meetings need a referee; some need a captain. But they all need someone to make sure that the maximum amount of business is conducted in the minimum amount of time. This is the role of chairman (addressed 'chairman', 'mister chairman' or 'madam chairman'), who needs a certain amount of language to get things started, keep them going and lead them to a conclusion. Here are some phrases you can use: Opening the meeting Good morning, ladies and gentlemen/colleagues.

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If we are all here shall we start/make a start/get started? let's start/make a start/get started? I think we should start/make a start/get started. I'd like to introduce First of all let me introduce two colleagues from our Munich office. Would you like to say a few words about yourselves? Right, thank you. Have you all got a copy of the agenda? If everyone has got a copy of the agenda, let me first explain the purpose of the meeting. The objective/purpose/aim/target of this meeting is to . . . Now let's look at the agenda in detail. As you can see there five main points/items. I propose/suggest that we take them in the following order. I think we will need about 30 minutes for point/item 1, 20 minutes for point/ item 2 As we have a lot to get through this morning, can we agree on the ground rules? I suggest/propose the following: . .

Moving to the first point Right. Now let's move on to/look at the first point.

Handing over to another person Right, Jeremy, over to you.

Bringing people in (encouraging hesitant speakers)

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We haven't heard from you yet, George. What do you think about this proposal? Would you like to add anything, Margaret? Anything to add, Peter?

Stopping people talking One at a time, please! We can't all speak at once. John first, then Mary, then Max. Would you mind addressing your remarks to the chair? (but don't silence the person who talks too much; you may need him or her later) Well, thank you, Deborah. I think that's clear now. Could we have some other opinions? Right, thank you, Peter. I think we've all got the point now. Shall we move on? Okay John, thanks. Susan, I think you wanted to say something?

Listening actively What to do Nod head Lean forwards Study the speaker Show interest Maintain eye contact What to say Right, I see Okay, I understand Um, that's interesting Right Okay

Asking for repetition or clarification 1. If you didn't hear, you can say:
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(I'm) sorry. I didn't hear what you said. Would you mind repeating it, please? 2. If you didn't understand, you can say: (I'm) sorry. I don't quite follow you. Could you go over that again, please? 3. If you feel the speaker is being vague or imprecise, you can say: What exactly do you mean by ... ? Preventing irrelevance I'm afraid that's outside the scope of this meeting. We're beginning to lose sight of the main point. Keep to the point, please. I think we'd better leave that subject for another meeting.

Paraphrase So what you're saying is . . . In other words . . . So you mean . . . So, if I understand you correctly . . .

Summarising To sum up then,. . . So, to summarise what has been said so far, . . .

Keeping an eye on the time We're running short of time. Could you please be brief?

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Moving to the next point Right. Let's move on to the next point Geraldine, would you like to introduce the next point? Okay, on to item 4. Who's going to open this one? Well, I think that covers everything on that point. Let's move on.

Controlling decision-making I'd like to (formally) propose that . . . I'd like to propose the following amendment. Can we take a vote on that proposal? All those in favour. Right. All those against. Right, thank you. So that motion has been accepted/rejected by 4 votes to 3. Very well, then, we agree with some reservations/ unanimously that Well, it seems that we are broadly in agreement that . . .

Indicating follow-up tasks Paul, do you think you could . . . ? Derek, how about preparing some figures for the next meeting?

Closing the meeting Right. That just about covers everything. I'd like to thank Marianne and Anke for coming over from Munich. So, the next meeting will be on . . . (date) at. . . (time)
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Thanks for your participation Right, I declare the meeting closed.

Language focus: a. Asking and giving opinions We can express our opinions on a scale from strongly to weakly. Below is a list of expressison to introduce the opinion: strongly I'm convinced/sure/positive that . . . I strongly believe that . . . I have absolutely no doubt that. . . I definitely/certainly think that. . . I really do think that. . . I really feel that. In my opinion I think/consider/feel that . I believe that . . . As I see it, . . . To my mind . . . From my point of view . . I'm inclined to think that. I tend to think that. . .

neutrally

weakly

Similarly we can ask for opinions on a scale from forcefully to tactfully. Below is a list of expressions to ask for an opinion: forcefully Do you really think that. . . Do you really believe that. . . Are you absolutely sure/ convinced/ positive that. . .
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neutrally

tactfully

Don't you think that. . . Do you think . . . Do you believe that. . . Do you consider that . . . Am I right in thinking that. . . Would I be right in thinking that. . .

NOTES 1. Notice the use of the positive and negative of think: I think we should invest in a new computer system. (positive) I don't think we should invest. (negative; not: I think we shouldn't invest) I think so. (positive) I don't think so. (negative) 2. Think versus mean What do you think about the new model? (= what is your opinion) What do you mean? (= what do you want to say?) 3. Other expressions to give opinions: As far as I am concerned, we should introduce the new security arrangements as soon as possible. According to the MD, the money is not yet available for the new system, {not: according to the MD's opinion) b. Agreeing/ disagreeing We can use the following scale to show the range from agreement to partial agreement to disagreement.

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We can also distinguish between agreeing with someone and agreeing to something.
Agreeing with someone agreement I totally agree with you I fully/completely agree I'm in total agreement with you there Up to a point/To a certain extent I'd agree with you, but... You may have something there, but... You could/may be right, but... (I'm afraid) I can't agree with you I don't agree I can't go along with you on that Agreeing to something I totally accept that I fully/completely agree I'm all in favour of that Up to a point/To a certain extent I'd accept that, but... That may be so, but... That may/might be right, but... (I'm afraid) 1 can't accept that I don't accept that I can't go along with that

partial agreement

disagreement

Agree and accept I agree with you. (with someone; not: I am agree with you) I agree with the chairman's statement. (with something; = I have the same opinion as) I agree with you about/on the new plans. (= to share the same opinion about/on something) I agree to your request to postpone payment. (agree to something = to be willing to accept or allow something) I agree to review your credit position in a few months. (agree to do something; not: accept to do something)
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I accept your invitation. (to accept something; not: to agree something) Study the following meetings paying attention to the specific language used. Sample 1 A The next item on the agenda is the new Spanish sales organization. As you know, we're going to open the new sales office in March and so we need to discuss recruitment. Basically, we have two alternatives. We can either take on new Spanish sales representatives and train them. Or we can teach our French sales reps Spanish and transfer them. Any views on this, Marcel? B Yes. The important thing here is product knowledge, not language. The French sales staff have already got the product knowledge. They know how the company operates too. I think we should teach them Spanish and transfer them. A How do you feel about that proposal, Carlos? C I don't agree. It takes years to learn a language. But why don't we employ Spanish staff, and send them to France for technical training? B No. It's a waste of time, if they can't speak French. C What do you think, Nancy? A I don't know. How long does it take to train a new sales rep, Marcel? B It depends on the rep. Usually about a year. A Mmm. That is a problem. But I think nationality is important here. It's a Spanish branch so I don't think we should employ French nationals. Now I know you're not going to agree with me here, Marcel, but as I see it we have no choice...

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Sample 2 A Right. Shall we get started? Everyone's got copies of the report so I'm not going to go through the figures in detail. The Parkview hotel isn't showing a good enough profit and we need to decide how to tackle the problem. Kim, would you like to begin? B Yes, thanks. First of all, I don't think this is a problem of bad management. It's a problem of investment. It's a beautiful building in a wonderful country setting. It should be a top class hotel but at the moment it's too cheap. Why don't we upgrade it? A What do you mean by 'upgrade' it? B I think we should redecorate, improve the services we offer, then we can increase our prices. I'm sure the investment will show good returns. A How do you feel about that, Oscar? C Well, I don't think investment is the key issue here. The Parkview hotel doesn't make money because it's in the wrong location, and that's our main problem. Why don't we make cutbacks in services and use the money we save to reduce prices? We could offer budget weekend breaks and special offseason deals. A I didn't follow what you said about the hotel's location. C Well, the hotel isn't in a prime site. It's way out of town and we can't fill it. That's why I want to reduce our prices. A I see. Any reaction to that, Miranda? D Yes, I think we're getting sidetracked here. This isn't a question of prices. This is a marketing problem. We need to decide what customers we want to attract, and the business conference trade is the growing market - day conferences, weekend conferences, weekday conferences - this market is booming and I think we should develop it at the Parkview. Of course, this means we have to provide the right facilities. We
47

need a new conference hall for a start and an office service centre but this is .... Vocabulary The business cycle The business cycle or trade cycle is a permanent feature of market economies: gross domestic product (GDP) fluctuates as booms and recessions succeed each other. During a boom, an economy (or at least parts of it) expands to the point where it is working at full capacity, so that production, employment, prices, profits, investment and interest rates all tend to rise. During a recession, the demand for goods and services declines and the economy begins to work at below its potential. Investment, output, employment, profits, commodity and share prices, and interest rates generally fall. A serious, long-lasting recession is called a depression or a slump. The highest point on the business cycle is called a peak, which is followed by a downturn or downswing or a period of contraction. The lowest point on the business cycle is called a trough, which is followed by a recovery or an upturn or upswing or a period of expansion. Economists sometimes describe contraction as 'negative growth'.

Match the words in column A with their definitions in column B. A. 1. boom B. a) An intermediate stage in the trade cycle when the upward movement has started but not reached its maximum.
48

2. slump 3. inflation 4. trend 5. recovery 6. recession 7. inflation 8. fluctuate

b) The point in the business cycle when prices and employment reach a peak. c) A persistent rise in the level of prices and wages in a national economy. d) The point in the business cycle when prices and employment are at their lowest. e) A slowdown in the growth rate during the trade cycle with falling levels of investment and employment. f) A persistent rise in the level of prices and salaries and wages in the economy of a country. g) To go up and down (of prices, rates of employment etc.). h) A tendency, a direction in which an economic phenomenon moves.

Fill in the gaps with suitable words at the end of the list. A business cycle, also called a .. .(1) cycle, is the fluctuating movement of a country's :onomy So if at the moment production has reached a peak, employment rates, wages id salaries are high, this stage of the cycle is called a ...(2). Sooner or later, sales of )ods will decline, and so will output, as well as the rate of ... (3). This means a ... (4) has t in. If the decline becomes very severe, the demand for goods reaches a minimum, ^employment... (5) dramatically, while output... (6), the cycle has reached the moment : ...(7), also called slump. This does not happen very often, as economies do not always ach the minimum level before starting up ...(8). Depressions are usually accompanied r a general fall in the level of prices, a
49

phenomenon termed ... (9). When the increase in itput and demand for commodities has started and unemployment ...(10) down, we y we have reached the point in the cycle called ...(11). again; boom; deflation; depression; employment; is falling; goes; recession; recovery; rises; trade.

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Chapter 4: Presentations general considerations

Background A presentation is a prepared talk given by a speaker (the transmitter) to one or more listeners (the receivers). To be effective, the speaker's message must pass to the listeners it must be heard and correctly understood. In general, two-way communication is more effective than one-way communication; so, encourage the audience to provide feedback by asking questions or making comments. In any case, remember that the talk is given for their benefit - not for the speaker's. So, what are the elements of an effective presentation? 1. The effective organisation of the information 2. The effective delivery of the information 3. The effective use of language

Preparing your presentation Five easy steps: 1. Collect your material/ideas, jotting them down as they come to you on a piece of paper or a board. Be as wide-ranging as possible.
51

2. Select the points which seem most relevant for the situation you have defined. 3. Group the points which have some common thread, each group having a rough heading for the moment ('historical background', 'features of the product', 'practical problems', etc.). 4. Sequence these groups into an order which will make most sense for the audience. 5. Consider ways of linking the groups together, by a common idea, an analogy, a visual.

Structuring your presentation The introduction Remember: First impressions count; so let the audience see your best qualities. In particular try to be: Organised - make your plan of your talk 'transparent'. Human - make some reference to the immediate situation, and relax. Fluent - learn this part perfectly. Brief - the audience have come for the information. Here are some phrases you can use to introduce yourself and your talk: Good morning/afternoon/evening, ladies and gentlemen/ colleagues. My name is . . . and I am marketing director of . . . I'd like to
say a few words to you today about the AZ120. talk to you today about the AZ120. explain to you today the operation of the AZ120.

I shall take about 15 minutes of your time. I aim to talk to you for abour 15 minutes.
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This will take about half an hour. I've divided my talk into five main parts. The subject can be looked at under five main headings. During my talk I'll be looking at five main areas.
please feel free to interrupt. If you have any questions, I'll be glad to try to answer them at end of my talk.

To start with, then, I'd like to consider ...

Linking Sentences You can use the following sentences to link the different parts or sections of your presentation. Remember that they also give a clear 'signal' to your listeners as to the point you have reached in the structure of your presentation. Introducing your first point To start with, then, I'd like to consider . . . First of all, I'd like to look at .. . Finishing a point Those are the main points on . . . That's all I have to say about. . . So that, then, is . . . Now we've looked at/dealt with . . . Starting a new point Now let's turn to . . . move on to . . .

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consider . . . examine . . . Next we come to . . . Turning now to . . . Let's move on now to . . . The next point I'd like to make is . . . I'd like now to

Referring to what you have said As I said at the beginning . . . I told you a few moments ago that. . . In the first part of my talk, I said . . . As I've already said, . . . As I mentioned earlier, . . . Referring to what you will say I'll come to that later. I'll return to this point in a few minutes. ... and I'll talk about this in the next part of my presentation. ... I'll comment on this in my conclusion. Summarising So now I'd just like to summarise the main points. In brief, we have looked at . . . Concluding That's all I have to say for now. (I think) that covers most of the points. That concludes my talk. Thank you for your attention. Inviting questions

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And now, if you have any questions, I'll be glad to (try to) answer them. Does anyone have any questions? Any questions?

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Chapter 5: Company presentation

We can describe the organization in terms of: 1. Hierarchy Examples: 1. The company is headed by the MD 2. The sales director reports to the MD. 3. The sales director is under the MD. 4. The sales director is accountable to the MD. 5. The sales director is supported by a sales team. 6. The sales director is assisted by a sales assistant. 2. Responsibilities/ functions Verbs frequently used to describe company organization include: to be in charge of to be responsible for to support or to be supported by to assist or to be assisted by to be accountable to Examples: 1. The finance department is responsible for accounting
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2. The R&D department takes care of new product development 3. The administration manager is in charge of personnel. 4. The marketing department is in charge of the sales force. 5. The marketing department is responsible for advertising, sales promotions and 6. market research. 7. The five department heads are accountable to the Managing Director. 3. Titles Below are the main managerial titles with the US equivalents in brackets: Chairman (president) Managing director (chief executive officer/ senior vice-president) Finance director (vice-president finance) Sales manager (sales director)

4. Affiliates X is the parent company. A, B and C are subsidiaries (more than 50 per cent owned by the parent) 5. Structure A company can be described in terms of its departments, divisions and sections. The most common verbs for describing structure are: consists of contains includes
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is composed of Examples:

is made up of

is divided into

1. The company consists of five main departments. 2. The marketing department is made up of three units. 3. The sales department is divided into two sections.

1. Read the following text on company structure. Most organizations have a hierarchical or pyramidal structure, with one person or a group of people at the top, and an increasing number of people below them at each successive level. There is a clear line or chain of command running down the pyramid. All the people in the organization know what decisions they are able to make, who their superior (or boss) is (to whom they report), and who their immediate subordinates are (to whom they can give instructions). Some people in an organization have colleagues who help them: for example, there might be an Assistant to the Marketing Manager. This is known as a staff position: its holder has no line authority, and is not integrated into the chain of command, unlike, for example, the Assistant Marketing Manager, who is number two in the marketing department. Yet the activities of most companies are too complicated to be organized in a single hierarchy. Shortly before the first world war, the French industrialist Henry Fayol organized his coal-mining business according to the functions that it had to carry out. He is generally credited with inventing functional organization. Today, most large manufacturing organizations have a functional structure, including (among
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others) production, finance, marketing, sales, and personnel or human resources departments. This means, for example, that the production and marketing departments cannot take financial decisions without consulting the finance department. Functional organization is efficient, but there are two standard criticisms. Firstly, people are usually more concerned with the success of their department than that of the company, so there are permanent battles between, for example, finance and marketing, or marketing and production, which have incompatible goals. Secondly, separating functions is unlikely to encourage innovation. Yet for a large organization manufacturing a range of products, having a single production department is generally inefficient. Consequently, most large companies are decentralized, following the model of Alfred Sloan, who divided General Motors into separate operating divisions in 1920. Each division had its own engineering, production and sales departments, made a different category of car (but with some overlap, to encourage internal competition), and was expected to make a profit. Businesses that cannot be divided into autonomous divisions with their own markets can simulate decentralization, setting up divisions that deal with each other using internally determined transfer prices. Many banks, for example, have established commercial, corporate, private banking, international and investment divisions. An inherent problem of hierarchies is that people at lower levels are unable to make important decisions, but have to pass on responsibility to their boss. One solution to this is matrix management, in which people report to more than one superior. For example, a product manager with an idea might be able to deal directly with managers responsible for
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a certain market segment and for a geographical region, as well as the managers responsible for the traditional functions of finance, sales and production. This is one way of keeping authority at lower levels, but it is not necessarily a very efficient one. Thomas Peters and Robert Waterman, in their well-known book In Search of Excellence, insist on the necessity of pushing authority and autonomy down the line, but they argue that one element - probably the product - must have priority; four-dimensional matrices are far too complex. A further possibility is to have wholly autonomous, temporary groups or teams that are responsible for an entire project, and are split up as soon as it is successfully completed. Teams are often not very good for decisionmaking, and they run the risk of relational problems, unless they are small and have a lot of self-discipline. In fact they still require a definite leader, on whom their success probably depends.

2. Which of the following three paragraphs most accurately summarizes the text, and why? First summary: Although most organizations are hierarchical, with a number of levels, and a line of command running from the top to the bottom, hierarchies should be avoided because they make decision-making slow and difficult. A solution to this problem is matrix management, which allows people from the traditional functional departments of production, finance, marketing, sales, etc. to work together in teams. Another solution is decentralization: the separation of the organization into competing autonomous divisions.

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Second summary: Most business organizations have a hierarchy consisting of several levels and a clear line of command. There may also be staff positions that are not integrated into the hierarchy. The organization might also be divided into functional departments, such as production, finance, marketing, sales and personnel. Larger organizations are often further divided into autonomous divisions, each with its own functional sections. More recent organizational systems include matrix management and teams, both of which combine people from different functions and keep decisionmaking at lower levels. Third summary: Most businesses are organized as hierarchies, with a clear chain of command: a boss who has subordinates, who in turn have their own subordinates, and so on. The hierarchy might be internally divided into functional departments. A company offering a large number of products or services might also be subdivided into autonomous divisions. Communication among divisions can be improved by the introduction of matrix management or teams.

Language focus A company can also be described in terms of its current projects. In order to refer to such projects we must use Present Tense Continuous. A. Sample sentences Sales are increasing at the moment. At present we are recruiting a new sales director.
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What are you doing? -I am just finishing this report. We are starting a new sales campaign next month.

B. Form The present continuous comprises two parts: the present tense of to be + V . . . ing 1. Positive form I am checking the stock. You/we/they are checking . . . He/she/it is checking . . . We/you/they are checking . . . 2. Negative form I am/'m not expecting a delivery today . . . You/we are not/aren't expecting . . . He/she/it is not/isn't expecting . . . 3. Interrogative form Am I getting the right results? Are you getting . . . ? Is he/she/it getting . . . ? Are we/you/they getting . . . ? C. Uses We use the present continuous: 1. To indicate an activity at the moment of speaking: What are you doing? I'm calculating the sales figures. 2. To indicate an activity around the time of speaking:
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We are installing a new assembly line.

3. To indicate the temporary nature of an activity: I'm working in Paris at the moment, (but normally I work in London) 4. To indicate a fixed arrangement in the future: We are running a training seminar next Monday. NOTES 1. With C l, 2 and 3, we can use the following time expressions (present time markers): at the/this moment, at present, currently, now 2. With C4, we normally use a word or expression to show that we mean future time. This avoids confusion with the present time: What are you doing this evening? (future) cf. What are you doing? (present) 3. Use the present tense continuous of the verbs below to complete the sentences. wait, expand, leave, phone, develop, stay, go, get, build, spend 1. Philips their activities in China. 2. Our research department a new drug. 3. They at the Dorchester Hotel. 4. Someone . For you in your office. 5. We .. a new factory in Barcelona. 6. I ..about order no. AJ/ 2496 7. These products .near the end of their life cycle. 8. The dollar .up.
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9. The EDP department a lot of money on new equipment. 10. Im tired so I . now. 4. Read the following company presentations and underline all instances of Present Tense Continuous. Also identify the words and expressions used to refer to the companies structure and organization. Presentation 1 The Philips group manufactures and sells over a million different electrical products. About half our sales are to the consumer market and half are to the professional and industrial markets. The group has a turnover of 24,560 million ECUs. Philips is a multinational company with organizations in sixty different countries. NV Philips is the holding or parent company and it's located in the Netherlands. It has over 120 subsidiaries worldwide and there are 304,800 employees. The group is also working in joint ventures with other partners. For example, we're expanding our activities in China at the moment, developing business ventures with the People's Republic. Presentation 2 BICC plc is a large multinational with 55,000 employees worldwide and a turnover of approximately three billion pounds. The group's main activities are construction and the manufacture of cables. I'd like to tell you about the five different divisions in the group and I'll begin with Balfour Beatty. Balfour Beatty is
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Britain's leading construction company with a turnover of around one thousand four hundred million pounds. The company is famous for its work constructing motorways and buildings. The next division is BICC Cables. The cables division is expanding fast in Europe at the moment. It now owns the Italian company, Ceat Cavi, Cel-Cat in Portugal, and part of CEGB in Spain. BICC Cables has a turnover of five hundred and eighty-three million pounds. Now I'll turn to BICC's overseas activities. There are two overseas divisions, Australasia, and North America Cables. Australasia's principal activities are cables, construction, and electronics, and it has a turnover of six hundred and eighteen million pounds. North America Cables has a turnover of two hundred and fifty-seven million pounds from its operations in the US and Canada. Its main activities are the manufacture of power and telecommunication cables. Now I'll move on to the final division, BICC Technologies. Technologies is a new division and it's growing fast. It manufactures communication and control systems for industry and has a turnover of one hundred and sixty-six million pounds.

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Chapter 6: Presentations describing trends

Language focus 1. Past Tense Simple A. Form 1. Positive form Last year I/you/he/she/it/we/they worked in personnel. 2. Negative form At that time I/you/he/she/it/we/they did not/didn't know the forecast. 3. Interrogative form Did I/you/he/she/it/we/they fill in the form correctly? B. Uses We use the past simple to talk about activities in the past. 1. To indicate an activity at a specific time in the past: Last week the ABC Group took over our company. 2. To ask when an activity happened: When did the new MD start? NOTES
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1. Once we have explicitly mentioned a specific time in the past, all the following activities are understood to happen within that time frame, i.e. in the past: Last year we appointed a new sales director. After he took up his post, he started to change the sales regions. 2. Typical past time markers include: yesterday . . . ago last . . . on + day/date, e.g. on Monday, on 21 January in + month/year e.g. in July, in 1983 at that time 3. Already and recently In American English already is used with the past simple: We already finished the figures. In British English the present perfect is used: We have already finished the figures. Recently is used with both the past simple and the present perfect: I met him recently. (at a specific time in the recent past) I haven't seen him recently. (in the period of time from the recent past till today)

2. Present Perfect Simple A. Form

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The present perfect simple comprises two parts: has/have + V3 1. Positive form I/you/we/they have/'ve finished the project. He/she/it has/'s finished the project. 2. Negative form I/you/we/they have not/haven't + V3 He/she/it has not/hasn't + V3 3. Interrogative form Have I/you/we/they + V3 Has he/she/it + V3 B. Uses In meaning, the present perfect simple belongs to the present tenses. This is because in the various uses below, the meaning is always linked to the present rather than the past. 1. To indicate an activity at some non-specific time in the past with an impact or result in the present or future: We have completed the feasibility study. (present result = study is now finished; future impact = we are ready to proceed to the next stage) cf. We completed the feasibility study last week. (specific time in the past) We have raised our prices. (present result = higher prices) cf. We raised our prices at the beginning of the year. (specific time in the past) 2. To indicate an activity within a period of time which is not yet finished, i.e. unfinished time:
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Sales have increased this year. (the year is not yet finished) Sales increased last year. (last year is finished) 3. To indicate an activity which started in the past and continues to the present: So far/Up to now we have tested three new applications. (in the period between then and now) He has worked as operations manager since 1989. (he started in 1989 and he is still operations manager today) The company has been based here for five years. (it moved here five years ago and is still here today)

NOTES 1. As the activity in Cl happened at a non-specific time in the past, no time marker is used. 2. In C2, typical time markers are: this morning/week/month/year today now Just and just now are considered as present time markers, so they are used with the present perfect or other present tense: We have just signed the contract. The delivery has just now arrived. Recently can also be used with the present perfect (see also Past Tense Simple): Recently there have been many changes in the department. Already and yet both provide a frame of unfinished time; the time frame starts at an unspecified point in the past and

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continues to the present. Already is typically used in positive sentences; yet in negative and interrogative sentences: Have you chosen an advertising agency yet? (between then and now) We have already appointed someone for the post, (between then and now) 3. In C3, typical time markers are: since (used to indicate the starting point) for (used to indicate the period) He has worked in this department since 1989. (starting point) He has worked in this department for five years, (period) Describing trends Trends are changes or movements. These changes are normally in numerical items, e.g. costs, production volumes or unemployment. There are three basic trends: upward, downward and no change (stable). For each of these there are a number of verbs and nouns to express the movement. We can divide these verbs into transitive and intransitive. After a transitive verb we must put an object: We have raised our prices in line with inflation. After an intransitive verb we cannot put a direct object. Our prices have risen in line with inflation. 1. Transitive verb increase raise

Intransitive verb increase rise rise

Noun increase

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put/push/step up Extend Expand

go/ be up grow expand boom growth extension expansion boom (dramatic rise)

2. Transitive verb decrease Drop put/push down Cut Reduce

Intransitive verb decrease fall drop go/be down decline decline cut decrease fall drop

Noun

reduction collapse slump collapse (dramatic fall) slump (dramatic fall)

3. Transitive verb keep/ hold stable/ constant maintain (at the same level) Intransitive verb remain stable stay constant Noun stability stability

4. Other expressions used to describe trends. To stand at. We use this phrase to focus on a particular point, before we mention the trends of movements.
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In the first year sales in our region stood at 109,000 units. To reach a peak of In the sixth year sales in our region reached a peak of 24,000 units. We can describe a trend by looking at: the difference between the two levels the end point 1. Describing the difference: This year sales have increased by 10 per cent. This year there has been an increase in sales of 10 per cent. Notice the prepositions. We use to increase by (with the verb) and an increase of (with the noun). 2. Describing the end point: This year profits have risen to $2m. This year there has been a rise in profits of $2m. Notice the prepositions. We use to rise to (with the verb) and a rise to(with the noun). Trends are changes. Sometimes we need to give more information about the change, as follows: Raw material cost have fallen slightly. (We modify a verb with an adverb) There has been a rapid increase in our expenses. (we modify a noun with an adjective)
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!Remember that most adverbs are derived from adjectives by

adding ly; adjectives ending in ic add ally: definite definitely, useful usefully, productive productively, dramatic dramatically, etc. Other adjectives and adverbs used to describe the degree or speed of change are: dramatic(ally), vast(ly), huge(ly), substantial(ly), considerable/ considerably, significant(ly), moderate(ly), slight(ly), rapid(ly), quick(ly), gradual(ly), slow(ly), etc.

Read the following presentations and identify all words and expressions used to describe trends. Presentation 1 A This graph shows the sales results for last year. Can everybody see it OK? Good. Perhaps you could run through the figures for us, Lester? B Yes of course. Er ... as you can see, we had a quiet start to the year. Sales remained steady at 6,000 units in January and February. C When did the Spring sales campaign begin? B In March. You can see that sales increased slightly to 7,000 then and they went up by another 1,000 units in April to stand at 8,000 units. C Why did we have that trough in June? B Ah, that was due to increased competition. Our competitors launched a rival product in May and sales fell to
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5,000 units. They decreased by another thousand units in June. But we increased our discounts to the wholesalers and sales rose steadily, back to 5,000 units in July and then 6,000 units in August. The dramatic rise came in the next two months. Sales increased from 10,000 units in September to 13,000 units in October. A Was that because of the Christmas orders? B That's right. And sales went down by 6,000 units in November when the Christmas orders stopped. They stayed at 7,000 until the end of the year. Er ... Are there any questions? C Yes. How do these figures compare with the previous year's? B Very well. I've got last year's graph here. Er ... You can see that there was a slight improvement in January and February but the figures for April ... Presentation 2 Inflation fell dramatically in the UK at the start of the eighties. It was nearly 20% in 1980 but down to 3.4% by 1986. Unemployment, on the other hand, increased sharply. It reached three million in the mid-eighties and then began to fall. By 1988, it was down to around two million. Consumer spending rose dramatically in the 1980s. Public spending increased by only 12% but consumer spending increased by nearly 40%. A large amount of this extra spending went on foreign goods. This resulted in an increase in imports. At the same time, a cutback in North Sea oil exports and a high sterling exchange rate led to a fall in exports. There was a small surplus of 0.2 billion pounds in the balance of trade in 1986. This changed to a deficit of 2.9 billion in 1987. The deficit grew and by 1989 it was over 20 billion pounds.

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The government took action. They increased interest rates sharply, to stop the rise in consumer spending. As a result, the mortgage rate doubled. It went from around 8% in Spring 1988 to 15.5% in Spring 1990. The high interest and mortgage rates led to an increase in inflation. It rose to around 9% in 1990.

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Chapter 7: Presentations product description

Language focus: Adjectives A. Form 1. Many adjectives are derived from nouns or verbs: Ending -ite -ial -ful -less -al -ic -ive -ous -ab/e/ ible -ing -ed Noun or verb define manager, accident use hope economy economy product number agree interest interest Adjective definite managerial, accidental useful hopeless economical economic productive numerous agreeable interesting interested

2. Other adjectives, especially one- or two-syllable adjectives, do not have a suffix:

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good

bad

young

old

big

small

NOTES 1. Some adjectives end in -ly: lively lovely friendly

lonely

2. Some adjectives have the same form as adverbs: early late straight hard direct short long high fast wrong C. Uses We use adjectives in the following instances. 1. To give more information about nouns: The recent figures show a sharp increase in productivity. Which figures? - The recent figures What type of increase? A sharp increase. The adjective normally comes before the noun. 2. After the verb be: We are pleased about the takeover, (adjective + preposition) We are pleased that the company was taken over, (adjective + that-clause) We were pleased to hear about the takeover, (adjective + infinitive with to) 3. After verbs of the senses: He sounds very pleasant on the phone.

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4. After linking verbs: Profits have remained stable for the last two quarters.

Read the following product descriptions and underline all the adjectives used. Think about the way they have been formed. Dialogue 1 A What was the trip like? B It was very interesting, thanks. A Tell me about the machines. What were they like? B Very quiet and very efficient. There was very little waste. A What about breakdowns? Were they reliable? B Yes. The Production Manager was very pleased with them. He says they're easy to maintain, too. I was interested in the controls. They're very user-friendly. A What was the output? B Around 6,000 packages an hour. A Not bad. A But there's a problem. A What's that? B Space. They're over 5 metres high. A How long are they? B Just under 5 metres. That's not a problem, but the height is.

Presentation 1 Good morning, everyone. Today I'd like to introduce you to the new product in the range next season - a new version of the aerobic cycle - the AC5.
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As you know, the previous model, the AC4, was very successful last year. It's popular with sports centres and commercial users, but it doesn't sell well in the domestic sector of the market. The AC5, on the other hand, is designed for the domestic user. It's lightweight, only eleven kilograms, so it's easy to pick up and carry about. It's only 38 cm wide and 65 cms long, but it has the same high stability as all our other aerobic cycles. It has most of the usual features too: modern design, comfortable padded handlebar grips and safety footstraps.It comes with a liquid crystal display meter, to measure speed and distance. The handlebars move from 75 to 102 cms and the seat is height adjustable. So the AC5 is suitable for every member of the family. But the special feature of the AC5 is that it's collapsible. When not in use, it folds up for easy storage. This will be a strong selling point in the domestic market.

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Selected bibliography:
1. Brieger, N and Comfort, J: Language Reference for Business English, Prentice Hall International, 1992 2. Hollett, V: Business Objectives, Oxford University Press, 1991 3. Comfort, J: Effective Socializing, Oxford University Press, 1997 4. Comfort, J: Effective Presentations, Oxford University Press, 1997 5. Stanton, AJ and Wood, LR: Longman Commercial Communication, Longman, 1992 6. Hollinger, A: Test Your Business English Vocabulary, Teora, 2004 7. Mascull, B: Business Vocabulary in Use, CUP, 2004 8. MacKenzie, I: English for Business Studies, CUP, 2002 9. Bantas, A, Nastasescu, V: Dictionar economic englez roman/ roman englez, Editura Niculescu, 2001 10. Longman Business English Dictionary, Pearson Education Limited, 2000

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