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Collins
English for Business

Intermediate
BUSINESS GRAMMAR
& PRACTICE
Nick Brieger & Simon Sweeney

NTV @
COng ty TNHH nn,i xudt nAr tdro udP
NhAn Tri ViQt urAutt pnd nd cni uruu
 About the authors
the giobe in
Nick Brieger has worked around
team buiLding'
in" ii.LOt Language teaching'
"t training' He has
..rrr"i.r,ioninJintuttutturat international
*o.X.O with a wide range of major
He is atso the author ot more than
oroanisations.
i; the areas of [anguage' communication
;0';.;-[
and cutture'
in lnternationat
Simon Sweeney is a Lecturer
Euiin"it at The York Management Schoot'
numerous
University of York' He has written
Engtish and. business
i"-,t""Xi for internationat
jn a variety
."rrr.i..tion skitts and has worked
;;;;;.;i.t.nd trainins cory:Its with ttients from
across EuioPe, JaPan, and China'

Collins
_ INTEHIMEDIATE
BUSINESS GRAMMAR & PRACTICE

2013
Copyright @ HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

Published in Vietnam' 2014

Publishers Limited, UK and
under a license Agreement between HarperCollins
This edition is published in Vietnam
han Tri Viet Co ' Ltd'
or transmitted' in
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system'
I nll riohts reserved. No part of this publication
photocopying, recording, or othenryise, without the prior written
I ilr'r'J; ;,. by any means, erectronic, mechanicar,
II oermission of the copyright ownerr

I
Contents

lntroduction 5

GrammaticaI Terms 6

Grammar
Verbs - Main Tenses
Unit 1 The Present Continuous B

Unit 2 The Present Simpte 10

Unit 3 The Past SimPLe 12
Unit 4 The Past Continuous 14
Unit 5 The Present Perfect SimPte 16
Unit 6 The Present Perfect Continuous 1B

Unit 7 The'Past Perfect 20

Unit B The Future with Wil.t 22
Unit 9 The Future with Going To 24
Unit 10 The Conditionals [1) 26
Unit 11 The Conditionats [2J 28
Unit 12 Tense Review 30

Verbs - Other Forms

Unit 13 Verb ...ing 32
U it 4
n 1 lnf in itive 34
Unit 15 Verb ...ing or lnfinitive + to 36
Unit 16 Verb + Object + lnfinitive 3B

Verbs - Auxitiaries and Modats

Unit 17 WiLt and Woutd 40
Unit 18 May and Might 41
Unit 19 Can and Coutd 4L
Unit 20 Must, Mustn't and Needn't 46
Unit 21 ShaU. and ShouLd 48

Verbs - Voice
Unit22 Active 50
Unit 23 Passive 52

Verbs - Other
Unit 24 Be [1) 54
Unit 25 Be [2] 56
Unit 26 Verbs of Speaking 5B
Unit 27 Verbs of Reporting 50
Unit 28 Verbs of the Senses 62
Unit 29 Arise, Rise, Raise, Lie and Lay 64
Unit 30 Verbs + Adjectives 66
Unit 31 Have, Have Got and Get 68
Unit 32 Make vs. Do 70
Unit 33 Verb + Preposition 72
Unit 34 Verb + Object + Preposition t4
Unit 35 Verb + Adverb [PhrasaI VerbJ 76

www.nhantriviet-com J
Sentence and Ctause TYPes
Unit 36 Sentence Types - Simpl.e and Complex
Unit 37 Connecting ldeas
Unit 38 Subordinate Ctauses
Unit 39 Reported Speech [1)
Unit 40 Reported Speech (21
Unit 41 Questions
Unit 42 Retative Ctauses
Unit 43 Ciauses of Contrast
Unit 44 Ctauses of Cause or Reason
Unit 45 Ctauses of Purpose
Unit 45 Ctauses of Time
Unit 47 -ing and -ed Ctauses
i
Nouns
Unit 48 Nouns
Unit 49 Noun Compounds
Unit 50 Genitive Forms

Adjectives and Adverbs

Unit 51 Adjectives vs. Adverbs
Unit 52 Adjective Modification with Adverbs
Unit 53 Comparison of Adjectives
Unit 54 Expressions of Frequency
Unit 55 Degree with Very Too and Enough
Unit 56 So vs. Such
Unit 57 Atready, Yet, Again and Stil.L

Determiners
Unit 58 Articl.es
Unit 59 Pronouns
Unit 60 Demonstratives
Unit 61 Some, Any and Related Words (1)
Unit 62 Some, Any and Related Words (2]
Unit 63 Quantifiers [11
Unit 64 Quantifiers [2)
Unit 65 Both, Either and Neither
Unit 66 Each and Every
Unit 67 Compounds with Every
Unit 68 Nu mera [s

Prepositions
Unit 69 Time [1]
Unit 70 Time [2)
Unit 7'l Ptace
Unit 72 Like, As and Such As

Appendices 1-8
Answer Key

4 www.nhantriviet.r
lntroduction
Targets and objectives
Business Grammar & Practice: lntermediate is for intermediate leveI students who want to
extend their understanding of the grammar used in business contexts. lt initudes structures
which are often misused in EngLish, and mastering these witl give you confidence whatever
business you are in or hope to work in. lf you would first [ike a grounding in the core vocabutary
of business Engtish, the Pre-lntermediate [eve[ book in this series is the ptace to start.

To ensure that the [anguage you learn is retevant for the workptace, the book uses exampte
sentences from the Cotl.ins corpus. This is a constantly updated database of EngLish language
from a range of print and spoken sources. You can therefore be sure that any exampte used is
an authentic use of Engtish in a business context.

Business Grammar & Practice: lntermediate can be used together with any business EngLish
course book to provide more detaited exptanations and supptementary exercises in the
grammar of business Engtish. lt is suitabte for both classroom and self-study use.

There are 72 units and B Appendices.

Each unit consists of :

1. Language presentation through:
. sampte sentences to show the [anguage forms in use;
. an exptanation of the [anguage forms;
. a description of the uses of these forms.
'2. Practice through:
. controtted exercises to develop an awareness of the [anguage forms;
. guided exercises to practise expressing the range of meanings conveyed by these forms;
. a transfer activity which provides a framework for further free practice of the [anguage
presented in the unit.
3. Answers to the controlted and guided exercises

V^,, lL-^,,^L ^ ! LtJy:

VVUI A LIrIU!]9llo ^ Ultl(
^L^,,11..,^-l.
lUu 5llUULU
. reading through the sampte sentences and noting the use of the [anguage forms lsection AJ;
. studying the l.anguage forms presented lSection B];
. studying the uses of these forms lSection C).
Next you shouLd move on to the practrce exercises. There are three types of exercises:
controLLed, guided and transfer.

Before you start an exercise:

. make sure you ctearty understand the task;
. [ook at any examples that have been given;
. refer back to the [anguage forms and uses, if necessary.
After you have finished a controtled or guided exercise, check your answer with the key at the
back of the book.
Controtted exercises have onty one possibLe sotution; guided exercises have a mode[ or
suggested answer marked [M). lf your answers to a controtted exercise are wrong, look again
at sections B and C. lf your answers to a guided exercrse are different from those suggested,
check if your answers are possibte atternatives.
FinaLLy, a few words about the transfer activities; the reason for incLuding these is that they act
as a bridge to your wortd by providing an opportunity to transfer to your own personaI
situation the [anguage presented and practised in the previous exercises.

wurw.nhantriviet.com 5
GrammaticaI Terms
Active lsee also Passive and Voice]
A verb or verb phrase which has the person
or thing doing the action as its subject, e.g.
The government increased taxes.
Agent
The doer of an action in a passive sentence.
'by', e.g.
The agent comes after the word
The mistake was discovered by an accountant.
Articte
The words the or alan which afe used before
a noun, e.g. the manager, a aeLk, or the zero
articte e.g. subsidiaries
Aspect
The feature of a verb that shows the time when
an activity or state happens. ln Eng[ish the
aspects are either continuous lsee ContiQuousl
or perfect [see Perfect).
Auxitiary verb
The verbs be, have and do when they are used
with other verbs:
- continuous verbs [be), e.g. Sales are increasing.
- passive verbs [be), e.g. The factory was soLd
last year.
- the perfect Ihave and had], e.g. We have
already placed an order.
- negative and interrogative verbs [do], e.9. We
don't agree with the plan. What do you think?
Bare lnfinitive Isee lnfinitive]
Ctause
A group of words containing a subject and verb,
and acting as a fut[ sentence or part of a
sentence. The verb may be a finite verb, e.g.
The company has been operating for 10 years
[f inite ctause) or a non-finite verb, e.g. Having
founded the company,... Inon-finite ctause).
Conjunction
A word which [inks words, phrases or ctauses,
e.g. but, and, because.
Connector
A word which [inks ctauses that are separated
by a fuLL stop or semi-coton, e.g. however,
therefore, similarly.
Continuous [aspect)
A verb construction in the form be + Main verb
infinitive...ing, e.g. is working
Coputa [coputar verbl
'be' or'seem' which takes
A l.inking verb such as
a noun or adjective comptement that tetts us
what the subject is, e.g. He is the manager, or
She seems very busy.lt can atso tetl us what the
subject becomes, e.g. She became sales director.
6 lntermediate Business Grammar
Demonstrative
The words this, that, these and those when tl
are used in a noun phrase, e.g. This emaiL is
from James.
Derivation
A word that comes f rom another word, e.g.
management is derived from the verb manag
Determiner
A ctass of words which inctudes artictes,
possessive pronouns, demonstratives and
qua ntif ie rs.
Direct object lsee Object]
Diiect speech lsee also lndirect speech)
A way of showing what someone actuatly sa'
e.g. 'l'm very pteased to meet you.' Quotatio
marks are often used to show direct speech
Finite verb
A verb or verb phrase in one of the tenses.
Genitive
A noun written with an apostrophe which
shows possession or a simil.ar retationship,
e.g. the manager's decision, Last year's result.
the cou ntri es' eco no mi e s.
lndirect speech [see atso Direct speech)
A way of showing wha't someone etse has si
by using your own words, e.g. John announc
that the meeting was cancelLed.
lnfinitive Ior bare infinitive)
The base form of a verb without'to', e.g' be,
make, write.
lnfinitive + to
The base form of a verb with
'to', e.g. to be,
to make, to write .
lnterrogative
A group of words which asks a question.
lntransitive verb [see atso Transitive verb]
A verb which cannot take a direct object,
e.g. He died last year.
Some verbs can be both intransitive and
transitive, e.g. Production increased last year
(intransitivel. We increased production Last yt
[tra nsitive].
A verb which is neither a modal nor an auxi
verb. Be, have and do can be main verbs or
auxitiary verbs depending on their use.
ModaI verb
These verbs and their negative forms are mor
will, can, shall, may, must, would, couLd, shor
might
www.nhantriviel
Modats are fotlowed by a bare inf initive, e.g. You Reported speech lsee lndirect speech]
must attend the meeting.
Simpte
Needn't and daren 't are atso used in this way.
A verb construction in either the present simpte
0bject or past simpte tense.
A noun or noun phrase after a transitive verb,
Subjunctive
e.g. We increased production by 5%o
A verb form used to describe non-factual or
Participte hypotheticaI meaning. lt is shown either by the
A non-finite verb formed with an infinitive + rng bare inf initive e.g. Ihe shareholders demanded
Ipresent participle), e.g. developing, or the past that he resign or by were as in /f / were him, I
participLe form of a verb e.g. developed would resign.
Particte Tense
A grammatical word which does not be[ong to The grammatical form of a verb which shows
the main ctasses, e.g. to [in the infinitive] or not. the time of the action, e.g. present or past.
Passive lsee also Active and VoiceJ Time marker
A passive construction contains a verb or 'Aphrase which shows when something
verb phrase in the form be + past participl.e, happens, e.g. Last year, at the moment,
where the doer of the action is expressed as next week.
the agent rather than the subject, e.g. Iaxes
Transitive verb [see atso lntransitive verb]
were increased by the last government l'passive)
A main verb which takes a direct object, e.g.
versus The last government increased taxes
We played goLf Last week.
Ia ctive).
Verb .. .ed
Perfect laspectl
The verb form infinitive + ed, e.g. helped.
A verb construction in the form has/have + past
participle which puts the action or event in a Verb ...ing
different time from the time of speaking or The verb form infinitive + ing, e.g. heLping.
writing.
Voice
The present perfect shows that the action has
The grammaticaL category of either active or
been compteted by the time of speaking or
passive verb form.'
writing, e.g. We have aLready seen the report.
The past perfect shows that an action has been Wh-question
compteted by an earlier point of time, e.g. We A question beginning with who, what,why etc or
had already seen the report. with hor,v.
PhrasaI verb Yes/no question
A verb phrase that consists of a verb + adverb, A question to which the answer must be yes or
e.g. write up, pay out. no, e.g. ls your name Mary?
Phrase
A group of words, but less than a clause, i.e.
not containing a subject and verb.
Pronoun
A word that takes the ptace of a noun or noun
phrase, e.g. she, my, this, who.
Quantif ier
A word which describes quantity oi- amount,
e.g. all, many, some, few, no.

Question tag
A short question added to a statement, which
makes the statement into a question, e.g. We
sent the goods last week, didn't we?

Retative c[ause
A ctause beginning with a retative pronoun
such as who, whose, which, that or a retative
adverb such as when, where, why.

www.nhantriviet.com 7
 UNIT The Present Continuous
,l Unit 2 The present simpte
Unit 8 The future with witl
Unit 9 The future with going to

. The company is expanding its internationaI distribution.

. At present we are recruiting for a senior management post.
. What is happening in the economy? lt is just recovering from a two-year-tong slowdown.
. He knows what you need to do when you are launching a new brand.

B Form
The present continuous comprises two parts:
the present tense of to be + infinitive form of the verb ...ing

I am/'m checking the figures. I am not/'m not expecting a Am ldoin co rrectty?

repLy today.

We/you/they are checking We/you/they are not/aren't Are we/you/they doing .. .?

expecting ...
He/she/it is/'s checking He/she/it is not/isn't ls he/she/it doing ...?

C Usqs
We use the present continuous to tatk about:
activities at or around the time of speaking
-
- temporary activities in the present
- fixed arrangements in the future
1. To indicate an activity at the moment of speaking:
A: What are You doing?
B: l'm writing a business Ptan.
2. To indicate an activity around the time of speaking:
The group is setting up a new Hong Kong office.
3. To indicate the temporary nature of an activity:
Growth prospects are driving exchange rates at the moment.
Ibut this is not atways the situation].
4. To indicate a fixed arrangement in the future:
We are discussing further expansion of the programme at next month's meeting.

Notes
1. With C1, 2 and 3, we can use the foLlowing time expressions Ipresent time markers]
moment
at the/this currentlY
at present now

li
I
2. With C4, we normatly use a word or expressions to show that we mean future time.
l
This avoids confusion with the present time:
Where are you working next weeK? [f uture)
cf Where are You working? [Present]

8 lntermediate Business Grammar www.nhantriviet

ffiffiffi
Make six sentences based on the fotlowing options. You can make questions, too..

Now am/is/are pLanning withourR&Ddepartment

At the moment WE amlislare working a new project
At present our department am/is/are designing new soLutions
Cu rrentLy they am/is/are instaILing a new network

EierCise 2
Read the folloving text. lt contains five exampLes of the present continuous tense. CLassify them
according to different uses shown in the box beLow.
The department is presentty undergoing [1)major reorganisation. We are reducing [2] tlre
number of office staff and relocating [3] some personnel in other departments. This month
we are atso advertising [4] for two new senior management posts. 0ur present director is
leaving (5) at the end of the year.

activity at or around temporary activity fixed arrangement

the time of speaking in the present in the future

Exercise 3
Read the following dialogue

Michae[: What are you doing now, John?

John: l'm finishing preparations for our meeting tomorrow morning.
Michaet: ls Patrizia coming?
John: Yes, she's arriving this evening.
Michaet: 0h good. What are you doing this evening?
John: Noth ing.
Michaet: Wett, l'm meeting Fetix, to discuss the trip to Japan nextweek
Coutd you join us?
John: Er, no, I don't think so .. .

CompLete the foLLowing sentences:

1. Now John is
2. Tomorrow morning, MichaeL, John and Patrizia

3. Tonight MichaeI
4. Tonight John isn't
5. Next week they

Transfer
What are you doing now?
What are you doing tomorrow?
Think of a friend or colleague. What is he/she doing now?
Where are you going on Tuesday next week?
Are you working on any speciaL proiect at the moment?

aiww.nhantriviet.com I
a'

UNIT The Present SimPte

2 Unit
Unit
Unit 9
1

I
The present continuous lsee C4)
The future with witt
The future with going to
Unit 54 Expressions of f requency

o Every research report contains a proiected income statement.

We uluatl,y raise money by issuing new shares. How does your company raise money?
a Due to rounding, some of .these figures do not add up to 100 per cent.
a The meeting starts in another 10 minutes.

B Form
The present simpte comPrises:
one part in the positive, i.e. infinitive form of the verbIs]
two parts in the negative and interrogative, i.e. do/does + infinitive form of the verb

I work in different dePartments produce a ty report. more inf ormation?

We/you/they work ... We/you/they don't produce . Do we/you/they need ...?

He/she/it works .. . He/she/it doesn't roduce Does he/she/it need ...?

::,C J.g;Ur-..
We use the present simpte to tatk about:
characteristic or typicaI activities
'--
situations which are Permanent
fixed schedutes in the future
-
1. To indicate a general or permanent activity:
The company manufactures hair-care and cosmetics products.
2. To describe a truth or current betief:
Products devetop to meet changes in the market.
3. To describe how often an activity is done:
How often do buyers visit the factory? They usuatty visit every six months.
. 4. To indicate a fixed schedute in the future:
When does my subscription commence? tt commences at the beginning of next month.
5. With non-continuous verbs:
The prospectus contains information on the company's previous performance.
(not: is containingl
The fol.Lowing verbs are usuatty onty used in the simpte form:
hope know understand like love mean f orget contain imagine
remember prefer suppose want beLong concern consist of cost
equal have involve depend on owe possess own remain require
Notes
1. Remember the s in the third person singutar, i.e.:
positive - works negative - doesn't work interrogative - does ... wol
2. With C1 and 2, no adverb of time is needed.
3. With C3, we use time expressions to indicate how often something happens:
aLways usuau,y often sometimes rarely/seldom hardLy ever never
4. Note the position of indefinite frequency markers:
Absenteeism Usualtyincreases before Christmas. Ibefore the verb)
lJsuattyabsenteeism increases before Christmas. lat the beginning of the sentence]
Absenteeism is usuatly up before christmas. [after the verb to be)
10 lntermediate Business Grammar www.nhanti'ivi'
[Rsxs

Complete the following text with the correct employ use supply work deveLop
form of a verb from the list in the box.

Softcraft produces computer software for business apptications. The company

programs for generaI business apptications. ln addition, Softcraft
customised software for individuaI requirements. Softcraft B5 people.
About 40 of these in programme devetopment. The company atso
externaI consuttants.

Exercise 2
Write sentences to compLete a dialogue based on the flow chart beLow.

Ask what TMF produces

\ Office furniture
Ask about the number of emptoyees ,t'

500
Ask about the frequency of trade fairs ,"
and exhibitions
\ 1 or2ayear
Comment on the cost of trade fairs ,,,
Give your opinion [i.e. good investment)
Ask about next trade fair ,"
\ Frankfurt, September
Ask about fashion in design ,"
Changes frequentLy

Exeq_cise -3
lJse a f requency adverb f rom the List beiow to make senterrces using the given prompts.

aLways f requently usuaL[y

often sometimes occasionally
hardl ever never

1. We/provide/good service 5. He/have/meetings/in the morning

2. I lhav el f ace-to-face meeti n gs/new cu sto m e rs 6. l/see/the Senior Vice-President
3. Our com pany/empLoy/externaI consultants 7. We/write/reports
4. l/be/busy in summer

lranster
1. Read the foLLowing text.

rTt dl c based

2. Use the model above to write a similar description of your own company and your present
activities, or a company you know welL.

www.nhantriviet.com 11
UNIT The Past SimPte

3 Unit 5 The present perfect simpte

A Sampte sentences
. When the tax laws changed, [imited partnerships became bad investments'
. Last year, we instatted a new $3-miltion computer system.
. How did you hear about the merger? - I received an emait from a cotteague yesterday.
. During the recovery, British firms didn't need to invest as quickty.

B Fornr
The past simpte comPrises:
one part in the positive, i.e. past tense form of the verb
two parts in the negative and interrogative, i.e. did + infinitive form of the verb

Last yea r lyou I he I she litlwe/th ey

I At that time l/you/he lshe/itlwel hey fitt
worked in personnel. they didn't know the forecast. in the form correctty?

.g:,;tJ't'es,
We use the past simpte to tatk about activities in the past.

1. To indicate an activity at a specific time in the past:

The French government heard about the deat in January.
2. To ask when an activitY haPPened:
When did you retire?
Notes
1. Once we have expLicitl.y mentioned a specific time in the past, atL the fo[[owing
activities are understood to happen within that time frame, i.e. in the past:
Last year, we introducedthe new products with a print advertising campaign. The agency
came up with mul,ti-page ads that successfutty promotedlhe products. There were no
tetevision commerciats.
2. TypicaL past time markers lnctude:
yesterday on + day/date, e.g. on Monday, on 21 January
ago in + month/year, e.g. in JuLy, in 1983
last at that time
3. Al.ready and recenttY
ln American EngLish atready is used with the past simple:
We already appointed a committee to oversee his decision.
ln British Engtish the present perfect is used Isee Unit 5].
Recentty is used with both the past simpte and the present perfect:
! tatked to our bank manager recently. [at a specific time in the recent past)
I haven't needed to tatk to our bank manager recentty. [in a period of time from the
recent past tiLL todaY)

12 lntermediate Business Grammar www.nhantriviel

TASKS

Exercise 1

Complete the foLLowing paragraph with a correct form of the verb in brackets.

0n Monday Diano S.p.A. [report) increased profits for the year. Exports
lctimb) by 20 per cent last year but domestic sates [fatt) by
5 per cent. Two months ago the company [set up) new saLes off ices in France
and Singapore. On the Mitan Stock Exchange yesterday the company's share price
(riseJ by 0.15 euros to €1.11.

A journalist interviews a company-director about a joint venture with Fatton lnc., an American
company. Complete the sentences with an appropriate form of the verb given in brackets.

J: When Ibegin] negotiations?

D: We [startJ three months ago.
J: And you reached agreement this morning?
D: That's right.
J: Was the originaIrdea yours or Fa[ton's?
D: At first we [approach) Fatton and we Iput forward)
some outline proposats.
J: [havel any major probtems?
Dr No, as you know, we [meet] many times and we
Ireach) agreement today.

Exercise 3
Look at the following chart which shows the history of a joirtt venture between two companies.
Write a short paragraph which explains the main events.

TeleReseaich (TR) pr,6duces prototype of Linco Mobile, Phone

TR offers Telco a litence agreement

Tclco offers to buv Linco iVlobile Phone for 52.5nt

I

TR forn'l a' joi ntventu re

Trahsfer
Write six sentences describing either:
. the history of a project you know weLl
. your educationaI and/or professionaL background

13
www.nhanlriviet.com
UNIT The Past Continuous

4 Unit 3 The past simpte

A Sampte sentences
. we were trying to buitd the company, when the recession hit.
. White we were seeking a sotution, they were doing everything to stop us.
. A: Which team were you working with last year?
B: With Paut's team. We were trying to cut fuel costs'

;
B Form
The past continuou.s comprises two parts:
the past tense of to be + infinitive form of the verb tng

I was checking the stock. I was not/wasn't expecting a What was I doing at this time
detivery. [ast year?

We/you/they were checki n g We/yo u/they were not/weren't What were we/you/they
expecting ... doing .. .?

He/she/it was checking .. . H e/she/lt was not/wasn't What was he/she/it doing
expecting ...

C Uses
We use the past contlnuous to provide a past time frame for another activity.

Timeframing: discussion of hazards

The Heal.th and Safety Committee were discussing
hazards when the fire started.
The fire started at a past point of time [X)within a start of fire
period.
What were you doing at this time [ast year? what were you doing?
This trme [ast year = a past point of time
'what were you doing'
within a time frame;
indicates a past period of time and provides
'at this time last year'. this time last Year
a time frame for
Whi[e the fire brigade were f ighting the fire, we weTe fighting the fire
trying to save some of our works of art.
Here 'trying to save works of art' is not at a point of
time [X), but [asts for a period of time [indicated by
the lower brace]. ln fact the two actions happened at
the same time and for the same period. Therefore, trying to save works of art
both verbs are in the past continuous.
Notes
1. The past continuous does not indicate an activitythat lasted fora long time:
I was working with a well-known computer manufacturer for ten years.
(zYl

worked with a wett-known computer manufacturer for 10 years. (/l

I
I was working with a wett-known computer manufacturer when I was made redundant. [/l
2. Expressions with the preposition during can be changed to ctauses with white
+ past continuous:
During the [aunch period, outdoor advertising reached 6 per cent of the tota[ advertising budg
WhiLe we were taunching the product, outdoor advertising reached 6 per cent of the total
advertising budget.

14 lntermediate Business Grammar www.nhantriviet.,

ffiHow many sentence combinations can you make based on the following alternatives?

The manager was designing new ideas when they resigned

Mrs Ford were writing a new ptant he abandoned the
project
The production researching a report the Director
team found a solution
I
I
she

fxerci.se 2
Complete the foLlowing sentences by choosing a suitable form of the verb in brackets.
Use either the past simple or the past continuous.

1. We {review) safety procedures when theaccident {happen).

2. WhiLe we [cLean) the tanks the chemicats lpotlute) the river.

3. The pLant [operate] at ful.l. capacity before the exptosion [happen)

/r. We [turn off] the suppl.y because the pipe [teak).

5. As the equipment lget oLd) we ldecide) to replace it.

6. When the fire [start] she [wear] protective ctothing.
?. White the company (investigate) the accident the government
tintroduce) new regutations.
8. The risk of expl.osion Ibe) highest preciseLy when workers
lrepairlthe pipe.

Exercise 3
BeLow is an extract from a report on an accident at a construction site. CompLete the text
by choosing an appropriate f orm af each verb in brackets. Use eithe r the past sinple or the
past continuous.

On Monday at 16.30 a construction workerwas hurt at the lribas ptant. The

forernan said that four men [work) on a roof when a crane
[hit] the watl of the building. One of the men lslip) and
lfaLU to the ground. The crane driver ltry]to [rft a metat
pipe when he Itose] control.. A pre[iminary report identifies three
factors which contrrbuted to the accrdent: the injured worker In ot/
wearl a safety harness. The crane (workJ in a prohibited area, lt
lrain), so work shoutd have been stopped

iTransfer,
Think of your own career or work. Make sentences in which a past action occurs within a given
time period.

ExampLe:
We were doing a lot of work with Japanese supptiers when lmpreso bought the company'

15
www.nhantriviet.com
 UNIT The Present Perfect SimPte

5 Unit 3
Unit 6
The past simPte
The present Perfect continuous

A Sampl.e sentences
. BusinesE confidence has dropped as a resutt of the recession.
. Have you toLd investors what is happening in your sector?
.Theirsalarieshavenotincreasedinrealtermssincel992.
.High.pricedissueshaveledthemarketsince[astweek.
:)

B Foim
rts: has/have + the Past rti ci p Le rm of the verb
The resent P erfect slmP [e comprises two

Have l/you/we/theY + Pa st participle

l/you/we/they have/'ve Uyou/we/they have not/haven't +
past participte form of the verb form of the verb?
finished the Project.
He/she/it has not/hasn't + Past Has he/she/it + past participLe form
He/she/it has/'s f inished
form of the verb of the verb?
the project

C Uqes
because in the various
ln meaning, the present perfect be[ongs to the present tenses' This is
uses, the meaning is atways Linked to the present, ratherthan the
past.
time in the past with an impact or resutt in the
1. To indicate an activity at some non-specific
present or future:
emptoyees on payroLL)
The company has reduced its payrott to 28,300. Ipresent resu[t = fewer
cf The company reduced its piyiott last week. (specific time in the past)
We have recruited new tatent for our managemettt team. Ipresent
resutt =-new managers]
the beginning of May.
cf We recruited new tatent for our management team at
Ispecific time in the Past)
unfinished time:
2. To indicate an activitywithin a period of timewhich is notyet finished, i.e.
qual,ity has improved this year. [The year is not yet finished')
The company's credit
cf The company's creait quiUty impioved tast year. ILast year is finished')
3. To indicate an activity which started in the past and continues to the present:
so farlUp to now we have ignored the possibitity of repeat orders.
Iin the period between then and now)
gffice rents have fatten sharply since 2008. [They began to fai.l. in 2008 and are stit[ faLl'ing'l
The researth group has woried on the project for several years. llt started working on it
severaI years ago and is stil'L working on it today')
Notes
marker is used'
1. As the activity in c1 happened at a non-specific time in the past, no time
2, ln C2,typical. time markers are: this morning/week/month/year today no.w
with the present perfe
Just and just now are considered as present timl markers, and are used
They have just signed a deat on oil imports'
Recentty can atso be used with the present perfect [see a[so Unit 3, Note
3):

Many European airtines have recentty invested in American companies.

starts at an
Atready and yet both provide a frame of unfinished time;the time frame
unrp.iifi.d joint in the past and continues to the present. Atready is typicaLLy used in
poritiu" sentences; yet in negative and interrogative sentences:
i{"r" yo, signed the agreement yet? [between then and now] then and nov
Cutbacks have atready-brought inventories more in tine with demand. Ibetween
3. ln C3, tYPical' time markers are:
since [tt'indicate the starting point), for (to indicate the period)
She has worked here since 2006. lstarting point)
She has worked here for seven years' Iperiod)

li 16 inter-mediate Eusines: Gi^ammar \"'/vw'nhantriviet'(

TASKS

lExercise 1

Make six sentences based on the folLowing options.

Mennis ptc has ca[[ed yet

I has not contacted us recentty
We have sent the goods today
Pao[o have not ordered anything
Mr Joyce arrived to Frank
5he spoken

Exercise 2
CompLete the foLLowing extract by choosing the correct form of the verb in brackets.
Use either the past simpLe or the present perfect simple.

Last year our company Ireport) a sma[[ increase in profits. This year
we [see) continued improvement and our turnover [rise) by 15 per
cent. This is very good news in a difficuLt wortd market. ln fact international.Ly, the market
[fa[t). Naturatty, our costs lgo up]and so the rise in profits is not so
great. lt is true that our domestic performance lbe heLped] by the cotLapse of our
competitor, Capra & Pecora, which (go out of business) in January,

Exercise 3
JBM is a FinanciaL Services Company. The Managing Director is Martina Pavlovski. Here is an
extract from a speech she made to sharehoLders at the AGNI.
Read the extract from her speech and pLace the different actions in boLd in the appropriate column
in the box below, according to the meaning in the context. The first one has been done for ycu.
'For our sector, recent times have been difficutt. However, it is clear that we are not a[one.
The world economy has suffered a downturn and atLsectors of industry have experienced
difficutties. But this year we have atready seen signs of improvement; I am sure you know
that especiaLl.y in Asia there has been increased growth and this wiLt benefit us greatly. ALso,
turning to insurance, we have been invotved in the insurance market for onty a reLativety
short time, but it is good to see that this sector has grown rapidty since 2008.'

recent times have been

difficuLt

Transfer
Make sentences about the recent economic pertormance of either your own corapany, an industry you
know about, or the economy of your country. You can use both the present perfect and the past simpLe.

17
^iww.nhantriviet.com
 UNIT The Present Perfect Continuous

6 Unit 3
Unit 5
The past simPte
The present perfect simPte

A Sentences
A: How long have you been buying ptots of Land and devetoping them? about three years
B: First, we simpty sotd ptots of tina, but we've been devetoping them for
A: Have You done wetl from this?
B: Yes, we've been making a tot of money.
just the selter'
A: That's because you've 6ee-n acting as ihe property devetoper, and not

B Form
The present perfect continuous comprises two parts:
the present perfect of to be + infinitive form of the verb ' ' ing

l/you/we/they have not been Have l/you/weltheY been +

l/you/we/they have/'ve been
/haven't been + infinitive form infinitive form of the
using the agencY.
of the verb ...ing verb ...ing?

He/she/it has not been/hasn't Has he/she/it been + inf initive

He/she/it has/'s been using
been + infinitive form of the form of the verb ...ing?
the agencY.
verb ...ing

ic:.{i;c3,
in its uses, the meanin
The present perfect continuous betongs to the present tenses because,
perfect continuous:
is atways Linked to the present, ratheithan the past. We use the present
or resutt in the
1. To indicate an activity at some non-specific time in the past with an impact
present or future:
I have been reviewing last year's inventory levets'
period of time'
Here, the verb phrase-'have been reviewing' indicates an action over a
cf l've iust finished reviewing last year's inventory levets'
'have finished reviewing' indicates an action at a point of time. 'To fini
Here, the verb phrase
We use the prese
cannot happen over a period of time; it indicaies an instantaneous action.
perfect .oniinuor. for verb phrases which can happen over a period of time.
present:
2. To indicate an activity which started in the past and continues to the
for satespeopte since 1999'
I have been developing and teaching saLes training skitl,s
'have been developing' indicates an action over a period of time; in tl-
Again the verb phrase
case the period of time is specified.
Compare the fottowing sentences:
Sinie tast autumn, we have tested att of the corn leaving US ports.
We have been testing atL of the corn leaving US ports since last autumn'
and that
ln the first sentence we are interested in the fact that the tests are now finished
we can now come to some conctusions, or move on to a new stage in the deve[opment cyclr
in the second sentence we are interested in the action itself - the testing - and
its duration

www.nhantrivit
I
IL 18 lntermediate Business Grammar
Exercise 1

Make three sentences from each of the following prompts in the present perfect continuous. Make
first a positive statement, then a negative statement and finally a question.

You/work/Paul.us & Company/for many years

They/seLt/sha res/si nce Ja nua ry

rExercise 2
Read the following sentences. Decide which show examples of actions which continued over a period
'period' or'point'.
of time and which show actions which occurred at specific points in time. Write
1. George has been working too hard recentty.
2. He has r.n.d. . [ot of mistakes.
3. He has been travetting al.t over the country.
4. He's even had a coupLe of minor road accidents.
5. He's asked for some time off work.
5. We've been thinking of ways to heLp him.

,Exeqgise 3
To: bjmccusker.sales@ cottoniers.com
Use the following prompts to produce
a short email about recruitment probLems From: hcawley@cottoniers.com

in a clothing distribution company.

Subject: Recruitment of Sales Director (Northern Region)

Transfer
Describe a decision connected with
your own work. Use exampLes of both
the present perfect simple and the
continuous form.
ExampLe:
ABC has decided to change the
management structure. TheY have
been thinking about this for a long
time.
Dear Bob,
We/to advertise/for six months/national
newspapers. We/to interview/fi ve ca ndidates
buVto be not able to fiil/position.
This month/to place/an advertisemenVSales
& Marketing Journal.
l/to talk to/'Head Hunting' agency. This seems
to be an increasingly probable solution. Any
comments?
Best regards
Harriet

www.nhantriviet.com 19
UNIT The Past Perfect

7 Unit 3
Units 10 and
Unit 46
11
The past simPte
The conditionats [1) and [2]
C[auses of time

sente'nces
. By the time the company denied the report, the market had atready ctosed.
. 0nce we had franchised this function, we lost contact with those customers.
. A leading economist said the government's poticies were wrong and had increased
unemptoYment. .

B lorm
The past perfect is
past perfect past simple
<--\
the past of the
past simpte
past perfect present perfect

the past of the

(:^\
present perfect
The past perfect comprises two parts:
[6fl + past particip[e form of the verb

llyoulh he/it/we/they had/'d llyoulhe I shelit/we/they had not/hadn 't Had llyoulhelshelit/we/theY +
finished the roject + past participLe form of the verb participte form of the vet

,.c,iiili€;,
We use the past perfect to tatk about activities which happened at a time before the
past.

1. To indicate an activity at a time before the past:

As soon as John had finished his report on Austratia, we asked Sasha to 9o to Brisbane.
past perfect past present

announcement share Prices uP

Before we appointed the new chairman, our share prices had been very [ow.
past perfect past present

low share Prices appointment

2. To report a present perfect tense after a past tense verb of speaking:
The current chairman said, 'We have had merger tatks for about two years'.
years
The current chairman said the two companies had had merger talks for about two
The present perfect in the direct speech in the frrst sentence is changed to the past perfect
the indirect speech in the second sentence.
Notes
1. We often use a past simpte form where the sequence of events is ctear:
qu:
After the interest payment was added back, the bonds' toss was about 18 per cent in the
[The use of after makes it ctear that the first event was the addition of the interest paymen

2. We use the past perfect with the foLlowing time conjunctions:

after before once until when as soon as

20 lnte rmeCiate Business Grammar wrruw"nhantri'ri<

TA5K5

use the prompts below to write sentences which include a past perfect tense contrasted with a
simpte past tense. Use positive, negative and interrogative forms. Here is an eiample:
s pea k to/a g e n cyl/wh e n t h eylch a n g e/th e a g re e m ent

We had spoken to the agency when they changed the agreement.

We hadn't spoken to the agency when they changed the agreement.
Had we spoken to the agency when they changed the agreement?

1. pl.a ne/teave//when they/reach/ai rport

2. sh e/a lrea dyls g n/co nt ract//whe n yo u/ca [[
i

3. Yo u/se nd I reportl I befo re we/notice/m sta ke

i

Exercise 2

Look at the time Lines below to make sentences which contrast two diff erent actions.
Use already in each sentence. The first has been done for you.
1. agreement 2. sale of
on design meeting now shares market fall now
tll>
We had atready agreed the design before we had a meeting.

3 meet trade fair 4. design design

Mrs Haan in Seville now new logo packaging now

Exercise 3 i. r l 11i;i,:.:n 1",ir,!;-,,.

Your company has contracted an

advertising agency to market your
goods. You receive the foLlowing letter
from them, describing preliminary
results of a market research survey.
lmagine you teLephone a coLleague
to him about these results. What
teLL
would you say? Write five sentences
using past perfect tenses.
ExampLe:
More women than men had bought
ctothes in the previous week.

Transfer
Write four examples of sentences
describing events affecting your work,
in which a past tense is contrasted with
a past perfect tense. t5 pergen:

ExampLe:
I had atready worked in marketing
before ljoined my present company.

arww.nhantriviet.com 21
UNIT The Future with Witt

8 Unit
Unit 2
Unit
1

9
The present continuous lsection C4)
The present simpte [section C4]
The future with going to
Unit 17 Wil[ and woutd

A SampLe sentences
. 0K, l'l,t take the minutes of the meeting.
. l'L[ check on the financiat details before taking a decision.
. Trade barriers have been removed but this won't affect the trade deficit this
year.
. The European operations tvitt te restructured and ordered to cut 200 staff.

B Form
The future with wil.l' comprises two pa rts: the modaI wiLt + the infinitive form of the
verb

I shelit/we/they witt/'tt
lyou lhel l/you/he/sh e/it/we/they witt not/ Witt u/he/she/itlwe/they arr
deLiver the goods tomorrow. won't be at the meeting in time?

C Uses
We use the modat witL to talk about:
- the uture f - wiLlingness [see Unit 17]
decided at the time of speaking:
1. To indicate an activity
A: Have you totd investors what is happening in the company?
B: Not yet. I'tl,get on with it right away.
A: l'm sure they won't be very happy about it.
B: l'tt try to persuade them not to withdraw their investment'
2. To indicate a neutraI activity in the future or a part of a process:
A second conference witt be hetd in Paris from september 6th-8th.
First the commission witt present reports on emptoyment trends.
3. After verbs of mentaI activity, e.g. think, hope, expect:
Economists expect that the price increases wi[[ continue to slow.
4. After adverbs of certainty, probabil'ity and possibil,ity:
The firm wil,t probabty restructure the deat and offer new shares when market conditions
improve.
5. ln the main ctause of conditionat sentences type I [see Unit 10]:
Even if they decide to increase their quota, they'tt stitt be producing beyond
their attotme
(not: even if they wiLL decide.. 'l
Notes
1. The contraction't[ can be used after atL subjects Inoun and pronoun) - but onty in speech:
The new EU ruLes't[ be in force from 2013.
2. Future time markers are:
next. ..
on + day/date, e.g. on Monday, on 21 January
in + month/yeaI e.g. in JutY, in 1999
3. ln c3, the negative of 'l think he wiLl.' is usuatty'l don't think he wit[':
We think theY witt say Yes.
We don't think they wi[t say yes.lrather than: We think they won't say
yes.J

Notice atso: I think so. Ipositive) I don't think so. Inegative)

Notice, however, the fottowing equivatents:
We hope/expect (thatl they witt'say yes. We hope/expect (thatl they won't say no.
1.lnC4, notice the word order [wilt and adverb] in the positive and negative sentences:
The market witt definitety improve. The market definitetywon't improve.

22 lntermediate Business Grammar www.nhantrivie

TASKS
Exercise 1

Look again at the five uses of will explained on the opposite page. Then read the sentences below
and categorise them according to type of use.
1. I think l'LLgo to Athens soon.
2. Are you thirsty? l'LLget you something to drink.
3. We'LL watch a short fitm, then we't[ see the production p[ant.
4. HoLd on - l'ttjust phone Marta to ask her.
5. When you come, l't[ introduce you to Maria Penrose, our Finance Manager.
5. There'[[ probabLy be a fat[ in profits in the spring.
7. Perhaps l'Ltget to Sydney next year.
8. I expect you'[[ stay in a hote[, won't you?
9. John has arrived. l'lL go to meet him.
10. The report wrtt be ready on Monday.

2
Write appropriate sentences to complete the foltowing exchanges. lnclude a form of the word will.
The first has been done for you.
1. Martin: Sara has arrived.
Kevin: [comel
l'[[ come at once.
2. Sara: What'l.Lyour talk be about?
Hanna: [cost savings)

3. Emma:What do you think about the possibiLity of doing more business rn Europe?
Fred: [easy)

4. lsobet: The photocopier has broken down

Piers: [repair man)

5. Charlotte: Katrin is away today. She's at home.

Maeve: [te[ephone)

6. Lee:If we go to Paris, who witlwe meet?

Dietmar: Inot Bergit)

rExercise 3
Write sentences which use will and match the different uses indicated. The first has been done for you.
1. A neutraI activity in the f uture.
The meeting wi[[ start at 9.00.
2. After a verb of mentaIactivity.
3. A neutraI activity as part of a process, e.g.a presentation.
4. A neutraI activity in the future
5. Activity decided at the time of speaking.
6. ln the main cl.ause of conditionaLl sentences. [see Unit 10)

iTraniier
Answer the folLowing questions about your work.
1. What specialprojects do you think you wittbe working on next year?
2. What are you doing [ater today?
3. Who'l.L you see tomorrow?
4. What do you expect you wi[[ be doing this time next year?
5. lf business drops by 50 per cent witLyou,tose your job?
wvvw.nhantrivie:.cc.i',-r 23
 UNIT The Future with Going To

9 Unit
Unit 2
Unit
1

I
The present continuous
The present simPte
The future with witt

. We need to attack the probtem right now: How is the business going to survive?
. We are going to aim our marketing at young peopte.
. Exportihavl increased by onty 7.4 pei cent. That means the yearty target of $1.3 bittion
isn't going to be achieved.'
. What sort of insurance ar6 you going to need?

'B 'Fdrm-
The future with going to comprises three parts
to be + going to + infinitive form of the verb

lam going to
Iam not/l'm not r Aml going to
He/she/it is He/she/it is not/isn't I ls he/she/it analyse
anatyse
the resutts
He's/she's/it's not I going to
the resu Lts?
We/you/they are We/you/they are not/ | anatyse Are you/we/they
aren't I the results
We're/you're/tney're J
not

,C;:,;Ui!,9.,
We use going to to tatk about activities in the f uture.

1. To indicate an action that has atready been decided:

They are going to reduce their workers by 25 per cent by putting in robots.
2. To indicate an intention:
It is an expensive product, but we are going to push it strongty'
3. To indicate a future activity based on the present situation:
They have cut production temporarity. Some ptants are going to shut for a month
Note
l
Future time markers are:
next ...
on + dayldale, e.g. on Monday, on 21 January
in + month/year, e.g. in JuLy, in 2009

I
24 lntermediate Business Grammar www.nhantrivie
IA5K5

Look at three uses of the future with going to described on the previous page.
Categorise the following examples in the box beLow.

1. The internationatmarket is increasingty competitive. We are going to have to improve

our saLes performance.
2. Laconte & Cie are going to open a ptant in Rouen.
3. There's no way this situation can continue. l'm going to insist on a different strategy.
4. There's going to be a new range of products very soon.
5. What are we going to do about the suppty probtem?
6. Fred's going to Singapore tomorrow.

atready present
Sentence situation

2
,____r___I

--1----.---
5

E49rcis9 2
Look at the graph beLow. lt shows saLes and expected saLes for three products, A, B and C
Com plete the fo llowi ng' pa ra g ra p h.

Key:
Product A
Product B
Product C ------
-
$

B
A C

Years
1234567
A
NOW
'Product A is an otd product, nearing the end of its life. As the graph shows, sates for Product
A [fal.l.J whereas sates for product B, which is very profitable, [rise).
Because of this, we [cut) production of A and at the same time concentrate efforts
on B. ln addition, we ltaunch] a new product, C.'
Transfer
Write sentences on any of the folLowing:
r youI intentions
. an action already decided
. some future activity based on the present situation

www.nhantriviet.com 25
UNIT The Conditionats [11

0 Unit 11 The conditionats [21

1 Unit
Unit
17

19
Witt and woutd
Can and coutd

Unit 21 5hatt and shoutd

A" Sample sentences

. lf taxes don't go up, etiminating a budget deficit of 10o/o of GNP won't be possibte'
. we woutd hav-e to ctose the ptant if tabour costs went up by 20 per cent'
. lf investors trad teft their money in the bank, they woutd have received interest payments'
o lf theY raise prices, they risk losing customers'
B'iForm'
A conditional sentence comprises two ctauses: the if ctause the
+ main c[ause
l, conditional ll, conditionaI
There are four principal types of conditionaI sentences: conditional'
I

and universaI conditions

l present simPte future with'witt

il past simpte conditional with woutd
lil past perfect past conditionaI with woutd have
un iversa L present simP[e present slmpte

Notice the retationship between the tenses in the table above:

1. ln the if ctause section:
tense back from the pas
0ne tense back from the present simpte is the past simp[e;and one
simPl.e is the Past Perfect.
2. ln the main ctause section:
Thepastofwittiswould;andthepastofwou[diswouldhave.
The fol.towing contractions are common in speech:
witt='tL,"e.g. l'tt, the company't[ woutd ='d, e.g. they'd, it'd, the organisation
the organisation'd
woutd have =woutd've or'd've, e.g. we'd've had ='d, e.g. they'd, it'd,
C:,Uses
and their consequen
we use conditional sentences to tatk about the relationship between events
company's first group finance director'
lf he accepts the appointment, he witt become the
reflect the probabiLity of
As we have seen, there are four types of conditional sentences. These
event and, therefore, its consequence'
1. Conditiona[1. Here the speaker sees the consequence as a reaL posslbitity:
sustained growth in
lf the rural. economy doesn't pick up, it witl, be difficuLt to achieve
domestic demand.
possibitity:
2. Conditional ll. Here the speaker sees the consequence as a remote
become major sharehotders in the new company
lf we agreed to his proposals, we woul.d
is an impossibitity' i'e' ca
3. ConditionaL lll. Here the speaker recognises that the consequence
be fulfitLed:
got off the ground'
lf we had not got backing from the bank, the business woutdn't have
fottows the e
4. UniversaI conditions. Here the speaker indicates that the consequence atways
lf a company chooses the wrong technotogy, its money wiLt be wasted' [Wrong techno[ogy
atways a waste of moneY.)
Notes
1. Wil.t is a modaLverb; in conditionaI l, other modatverbs can be used in
the main clause, e.g
may, can, and must; simiLarLy in conditionaLs lland lll, the modal in the main ctause can be
woutd or might or coutd or shoutd:
charges.
lf we sett/sotd the waste materiats, we may/might avoid $30 a ton of tandfitt
2. There are certain poLite formutae where we can use would or coutd after if :

We woutd be very gratefut/much obtiged if you woutd/coutd

advise us about the business 1

26 lntei-meCiate EusinesE Gramrnar w\ r'jv'nhantiivi€

 5KS

Complete the missing part of each of the foLLowing conditionaL sentences.

1. lf you [come], we't[ discuss it in detait.
2. ll we IreachJ agreement, we'd sign the contract the same day.
3. Unless there is a major problem, we lneed] only one day.
4. lf we have good advertising, the product [be] a success.
5. lf there [be) an easy so[ution, we would have avoided the problems
6. lf we had taken your advice, we (spend) more money.

Look at the fotlowing scenarios showing events and their consequences. Write three conditionaL
sentences for each situation, one for each of the three categories below. Ttre first one has been
done for you.
- reaI possibiLities
- remote possibitities
- impossibilities
Consequences
---'r' l ncrea:e'pir:duciion l

____> Cha'',3e UTSII OJL OU 'c.i.-'{.

...-.-..> lrrcrc,ase Export. liales leant
Droo r',llorld rraT<:-
-.>we witt increase production.
1. lf there is an increase in sales,
!f there were an increase in sates, we woutd increase production.
tf there had been an increase in sales, we woutd have increased production.

lmagine you work for Big lnsurance Company, a subsidiary of lnternationaL Credit Bank. You write
to the bank's customers to tell them about the risks involved in not having insurance with Big
lnsurance Company.
ln your letteryou describe the consequences of various disasters. Write a sentence for each of the
foLLowing events and possible consequences. The first has been done for you.
1. accident -+ stop work
lf you had a serious accident, you would have to stop work.
2. stop work ---+ no protection for famil.y
3. period in hospitaL+ no cover for hospitaI fees
/r. house fire + insufficient cover to replace lost items
5. road accident + no cover for tegal expenses
6. death + no life assurance
7. no life assurance + famil.y with no money

f,ransfer
1. Write a note to a colleague or a friend suggesting an economy measure to reduce costs
[conditionaL ll).

2. Write another note to a coLleague or friend describing a decision you took which had serious
consequences.
Suggest what you shouLd have done and what the alternative resuLt wculd have been
(conditional lllJ.
3. Think of your own company or country and write sentences containing different conditiortals.
Example lcompanyl:
ConditionaI I investment row+ benefits in the future
ConditionaL ll new products + new markets/increased market share
Conditional lll past investment --> bigger turnover 27
 UNIT The Conditionats [21

11 Unit'10
Unit
Unit
'17

19
The conditionats
Witt and woutd
Can and coutd
[1 |

unit 21 Shatt and should

A Sam sentences
provided we have a normat
a He expects a good increase in earnings and sates tor 2012,
year.
^L-r _-__-r
palrott and other expenses in the event that normal r-..-inaca
business
a The company can meet
operations are interruPted.
be seized to pay debtors'
a shoul.d the company go uankrupt, the pension fund cannot

B Form
clauses or phrases:
The fo[l,owing words and expressions can atso introduce conditionaI
provided/providing (that) on condition.that so Long as
'if and onty if''
These expressions mean
incaseinthecaseofintheeventthatintheeventof
Theseexpressionsindicatethatafutureeventmayormaynothappen.
unless
'if + negative"
This word means
l, ll and lll'
We can atso use inverted constructions as atternatives to conditiona[s

ConditionaL l-
inverted construction with shoutd:
shoutd the business fai[, they witt be able to recover their toan.
inverted construction with the subjunctive were ... to;
conditional. ll -
were the business to fait, they woutd be abte to recover their toan.
conditionaI lll - inverted construction with the past perfect:
Had the deat gone ahead, around 75o/o ol the market for
textites woutd have ended up in tht
hands of two firms.

C Uses
1. provided/providing [that) on condition that so long as
These expressions are used in conditional land ll constructions:
on condition that you offer
Some creditors witt agree to your offer of reduced payments
some form of securitY.
period so long as your
It wouLd be easy to renew your overdraft at the end of the fixed
business prospects tooked promising'
2. in case in the case of in the event that in the event of
I constructions:
These expressions refer to future events and are used in condltional
I

proof of purchase in case they wish to make a comptait

customers are reminded to keep
from a chartered account
ln case proof of payment of taxes is not aviitabte, a certificate
must be submitted.
gotn in lthe)case of and in the event of are used with a noun phrase:
The tand devetopment company woutd be required
to redeem the debt in the event of a mr
written documents, e'9. [ega[
3. The inverted constructions are widety used in formal
contracts or agreements'

wwry'r.nhantrivi
28 lntermediate Business Grammar
TAsKS

Exercise 1

Look at the foLlowing extract from a tour

operator's terms and conditions and
u nde rline the co nditional ma rke rs.

We reserve the absolute ilght to terminate rtrithout

notice the holiday arrangemenls ol any person in the

that our

Match a clause on the left with a clause on the right to make six sentences.

1"
2.
3.
1.
5.
e.
6. i. re de

ri*aE:rl
Change the if constructions in the foLlowing LeqaL contract clauses into inverted constructions.

1. lf the poticyho[derwishes to extend this poLic'* he must notify the company before the
poticy expiry date.
2. If the poticyhol'der does not contact the company befcre the expiry date, the company
shaL|. be entitled to terminate the agreement.
3. lf the poticyhoLder subsequently decided to renew the poticy, the company wouLd be
entitted to charge an introductory fee.
4. However, if the company decided not to renew the poLicy, for whatever reason, they
must inform the poticyhotder within seven days.
5. lf the company did not inform the pol.icyhotder within the specified time, they may not
refuse to renew the poLicy.
6. The company may terminate the contract if the po[icyhoLder:
a. does not disctose ail. the reLevant information;
b. did not comptete a[[the sections;
c. had faited to pay the fu[l' premium by the agreed time.

Transfer
As we have seen in this unit, some conditionaL constructrons are more comrnonLy found
in formaL documents such as Legal contracts.
Write six clauses from your contract of employment or invent six cLaitses for the contract you
wouLd Like to have.

www.nhantriviet.com 29
L

UNIT Tense Review

12
PAST PRESENT FUTURE

It now operates in several countries. We are moving to a new factory

It was originally a family company.
It is expanding rapidlY. next year.
It had only one Product.
We will continue to expand
It started in 1 902.
We are going to launch a sales
It was founded bY two brothers,
campaign in EuroPe.
who were working as engineers.

They had done It has been a market

some market leader for several Years.
research before
they set up the
It has been producing
company.
plastics since 1958.

1902 1958 20__

lf it had not diversified, lf we don't invest in new Plant, we
it would not have survived. won't survive.

lf we didn't harre a strong marketing

department, our products simply wouldn't sell'

www.nhantrivi
30 lntermeCiate Business Grammar
 TAsKS

Exercise 1

Look at the foLlowing summary of the history of Mantegna S.p.A., an ltalian engineering
company. Write a short paragraph about the company, using as many different tenses as you can.

1972 Mantegna S.p.A. founded by Leonardo Mantegna.

1972-75 Smat[ factory in Verona. Main product: steel pipes.

1976 New production ptant in Mitan. Began vatve manufacturing.

1995 Head Office moved to Mitan.

2000 Rejected attempted takeover by Echo lnc., Chicago.

2001-2010 Sates offices estabtished in 48 different countries.

20'10-now Turnover $aSOm. Range of over 400 products.
P[anning expansion into automotive sector.
Next year: new pLant in United Kingdom.
ln three yeaFS: new pLant in Boston, Massachusetts.

Look at the diagram on the previous page. Think of the history of a company you know weLl
and write a paragraph about it.

www.nhantriviet.com 31
UNIT Verb ...ing

13 Unit
Unit
14
'1
5
lnfinitive
Verb ...ing or infinitive + to

A Sa
. The customer care team are responsibte for managing our 8,000
registered customers'
. we look forward to working with you to achieve our common
goats.
. The company witt start producing the screens at a new ptant in
Himeji City'
. Advertising in traae pubtications has boosted sates enormousty.
. These schemes are all wo-rth investing in, but wiLt they prove to
be superior investments

B Form
The verb ...ing form comPrlses:
infinitive form of the verb + ing
It can be seen in:
continuousverb, e.g. lam going [see Unit 1)
- the presentforms, e.g. an interesting product
- adjective e.g. lheard the MD presenting the resutts
- the present participLe,
e.g' We are interested in increasing our market share
- noun forms,
'Uses', deats with the noun form'
The foLtowing section,

C [.!ses'
ln noun forms, the verb ...ing functions aS a noun and can be ca[ted a verbaL
noun - a noun-

made from a verb. lt is atso calted a gerund. We use it:

- as thea subject or object of a verb

- after PrePosition
1. As the subject of a verb:
Leading a team is a key management function'
2. As the object of certain verbs:
certain verbs are foll.owed by a verb ...ing [and not an infinitive).
coverage'
lf you have a home office, you shouLd consider buying additional business
the troubl'ed conipany'
The debt restructuring ptin woutd invotve sel,ting ofi much of
These verbs inctude:
acknowledge dislike miss risk avoid enioy
postpone stop consider finish practise suggest
'detaty
involve regret deny don't/doesn't mind
3. After a PrePosition:
verbaL noun:
Prepositions are atways fotlowed by nouns, so can be followed by the
estima
After reading the replrt, the MD fromised that the group woutd improve its risk
Nationat energy is stitt interested in acquiring controt of the company.

4. After certain Phrases:

(not) worth have trouble/difficulty spend/waste time
products.
The company has spent a lot of time fine-tuning its existing
Note
To can be either a preposition or a particte:
Commerciat banks are used to buying back their loans at deep discounts'
Ipreposition foLtowed by verb .. .ing)
Consumers can no tonier afford"what they used to buy. IparticLe foLlowed by infinitive)

www.nhantrivi
32 lntermediate Business Grammar
Exercise 1
To: p.andersson.accounts@hanis.co.uk
Read the following email and underline
From: harriet_ramsay@gorlizandzimmerman.com
uses of the verb ...ing form. Then
classify them according to use in the Subject: Harawi Project 201 2

table beLow.
Dear Peter
Subject 0bject After ' Continuous
preposition On (heking the above Rle we find that you are correct in thinking the
of verb of verb form <ost estimater for the coming year are excessive. We regret that in
calculating labour costs some errors appeared in our analysis. We are
presently repeating the study whi(h involves reviewing all the figures.

working in partnership with Har.is & Co is proving very useful and we

are sure that there will be many beneflts. We look foMard to having a
ioint meeting soon. We are also involved in calculating costs for the
Exercise 2 foliowing year and will let you know as soon as they are finished.

we must meet ron. otheMise we risk not having everything readyfor

Complete the following sentences by the MD in June, but it's not wofth fixing a date toda, as I don'tyet know
my'movements for the rest ofthis month.
adding subjects or objects with the
Best wishes,
verb ...ing form. Use the verbs given
in the box. Harriet

GORLIZ & ZIMMERMAN

Lose hear Launch meet 'I 1436 S. Bundy Drive, Au(kland 46032

Telephone (l) 503 786432,Fax (1) 503 786333

cLarify see

1. We are interested in
your ptant.
2. new products is
essentiaLfor the survivat of the
company.
3. We look forward to from you
4. He suggested us next month.
5. our poticy is an essentiaI prerequisite to improving products.
6. By deLaying we risk the contract.

EXercrse J
Hutchison & liunt is a company which is iosing money. Tne Cnief Executive askeci an exrernai.
consultant to anaLyse its problems and make suggestions. Make sentences based on the notes beLow.

falLing sates change advertising, improve products

qua[ity deficit introduce new Qrrality ControI system
oLd products invest in more Research & Devetopment
[ack of money have a rights issue
ove rstaffi n g reduce workforce

Two have been done for you as examples.

1. The consuttant said fatting sates was a problem. She sugEested changing the
advertising strategy and improving the products.
2. She said there was a quality deficit. This coutd be improved by introducing a new
quatity control system.

Transfer
TaLkabout your work or studies. Use the verb ...ing form.
o current projects . tikes, disLikes
. your responsibitities Iuse'be responsibLe for'j o recent suggestions Iuse'suggest')
r recent successes Iuse 'succeed in'] . the f uture Iuse 'took forrruard to')
www.nhantriviet.com 33
UNIT lnfinitive

1 lr
Unit 13 Verb ...ing
Unit 15 Verb ...ing or infinitive + to

I'l.Sff tip't6 .se n t e nco3

. We ptan to grow by 30-35 per cent this year'
. The airl,ine decided not to pursue the bid'
'. Suppty pressures appearto be easing'
The situation seems to have worked out wett for investors.
. lt is essentiat to reduce att operating costs, wherever possibte.
. To restore quotas for at ltlast six months woutd be impossible.

reiiffirfrff
There are three infinitive forms:
the present simpLe infinitive - inf initive form of the verb
the present ,oiilnuout infinitive - to be + infinitive form of the verb ...ing
the present perfect infinitive - to have + past participLe form of the verb
'bare infinitive'without to Isee Note 1)'
We distinguish between the infinitive with to and the

,c ',Ud6-.s,
We use the infinitive:
as the subject or object of a verb
- - after certain adjectives
1. As the subject of a verb:
To train emptoyees adequatety is an expensive business'
2. As the object of a verb:
They have agreed to setl their 69% stake in the company'
3. After an adjective:
We are pteased to announce our return to profitabitity'
to the othe
The simitarity of the systems makes it easy for customers to switch from one
4. The tenses:
we normatly use the present simpte infinitive to link two verbs:
They intend to boost their spending on ptant and equipment this year.
at the timt
We use the present continuous infinitive to highl.ight that the action is happening
of speaking:
any effic
Any efficiency savings seem to be going straight to the operators. Ilt seems that
savings are going straight to the operators.)
We uiethe presJnt periect infinitive to highLight that the action of the infinitive happened b'
the action of the first verb:
SeveraI members were atleged to have broken trading rutes.
[lt is aLleged that severat members broke trading Laws')
The dispute was thought to have deterred foreign investors'
Ilt was ihought that the dispute deterred foreign investors )
Notes
1. The particte to is needed to Link a fu[[verb with an infinitive;the bare infinitive
is

used after modats:

iii/rouu may/might shat'L/shoutd wilUwould must needn't
Two exceptions are help and dare, when the bare infinitive may or may not be used
He doesn't dare leave the office before his supervisor'
She hetped introduce a minimum wage to the postal sector'
2. ln adjective + infinitive constructions, notice the use of the preposition for:
!t woutd be good for you to track expenses and costs'
3. Notice the form of the negative infinitive:
They have promised not to raise income tax'
The board has decided not to extend his contract'

34 lntermediate Business Grammar www.nhantrivii

TAsKS

Exercise 1

The board of a car manufacturing company is discussing falling sa|es.

Here is part of a talk by the Director of R & D. ldentify alL infinitives in the text then list them
under the following headings:
Present simpLe infinitive Present continuous infinitrve Present perfect infinitive
'We need to increase research to deve[op a compLetety new modet. To have begun the research earlier
wouLd have cost much less money. However, to delay now wi[[ cost even more. Some members of the
board appear to be recommending simpte modifications to the existing range. This is a very short-
sighted strategy. To reLy on otd modets during a faLl' in the market is quite wrong. We have to p[an for the
[ong-term deveLopment of our product range. As I said, it wou[d have been better to have put more
cash into the pro.ject two years ago. Now, to be tatking about retying on continued production of a range
that is decLining is c[early not sensibte.
This, to me, is absotuteLy ctear. lf we want to be in control of the situation in the future, we have
to understand it now.

Exercise 2 To: t.reeves@creativa.com

Look at the emaiL opposite which From: oni@creativa.com

concerns discussions before negotiations
Subject: vertising contract negotiation
to fix an advertising contract.
Choose a verb from the box to compLete the spaces
DearTerry,
in the text. The first has been done for you.
It is going to be difficult agreement with

take on clarify reach resolve Emmy over the advertising material.Their principal negotiator,
Stella Ragione, appears a large downpaymenton
be teLI agree discuss want signature of contEct - probably near 50 per cent. We plan
. her that this ls impgssible. We are happy
the possibility of an advance but personally I
believe it would be a mistake to anything abov€
Exercise 3 20 per cent. our position immediately could save
us time. I suggest we infom Miss Ragione ofour views on the
Decide if the foLLowing sentences are matter. We should also make it clear that Morreille
Partnership (Marseille) are happy ,". -. -- the prcject and
grammatically correct or not. lf they are their reputation for high standards is as good as Emmy's. We
wrong, correct them. ned - this very soon, as time is short.

1. We want to taLk about the probtem Best wishes

Sarah
of transport.
2" We delayeC tc heve a meeting
3. We decided not to have a meeting.
4. We started to consider the atternatives
5. We avoided to have an accident.

Exercise /r
Choose the correct infinitive form from the box to complete the phrases beLow.
1. the research earlier woutd have cost much rnore money. tncrease
2. now wiLL cost even more. begin decide
3. We have on our priorities. commission
4. My impression is that production is a high-risk strategy. put
invest
5. more during a falt in the market is quite wrong. deLay

6. lt woutd have been better more cash into the project two years ago
7. more market research woutd have hetped.

Transfer
Think of a problem you are/were personaLLy involved with. Now ansv\/er these questions:
. ls/was the probtem getting worse?
. What do/did you pLan to do to reach a sotution?
. Think of another probLem that you tried to solve, but faii.ed. What shouLd you have done?
ctr
www.nhantriviei.com
UNIT Verb .. .ing or lnfinitive + to
gee atso

15 Unit
Unit
13

14
Verb ...ing
lnfinitive

A number of manufacturers have stopped producing the drug.

I like working for this company.
As investors, we like to have a certain consistency in investment poticy.
We woutd tike to increase our stake in the company.
We are trying to negotiate a new.three-year contract.
We have atready tried running niarketing campaigns based on safety.

B Form
The verb phrase comprises two verbs. The second is
a verb ...ing or an infinitive

C, ,.-u..se;-
1. The meaning of the verb is different depending on the construction:
Manufacturers have stopped producing the drug. lThey stopped the production.)
We stopped work to have a cup of coffee. [We stopped working in order to have a cup of coffee.)

2. The meaning of the verb changes sl.ightty with the construction:

I like working for this company. Il enjoy it.]
We tike to have a certain consistency in investment poLicy. [lt is a good thing to do.J

Other verbs are:'

remember forget try attempt regret
You must remember to keep your data up-to-date. [don't forget)
I remember receiving the updated client database. Il received it and I remember it.]
We are trying to keep down the costs. [attempting]
We have atready tried running marketing campaigns based on safety. [experimented with)

3. There is no systematic difference in meaning between the two constructions:

Property prices started to fatl, in the summer.
Property,prices started fal.ting in the summer.
Other verbs are:
begin continue intend Love prefer hate

36 lntermediate Business Grammai- www.nhantriviet.corn

TASKs

Exercise 1

Complete the f ollowing sentences.

1. l'd Like [attend]the conference.
2. 1 remember Imeet] your co[[eague in 0saka.
3. I tried Iphone) you last week but I think you were away.
4. We tike Itest] the goods before we despatch them.
5. We tried [ask) for payment on detivery but in practice we had to atlow 30 days
6. We would Like [make] a forma[ agreement.

EXerclse z
Read the sentences given here and decide which of the given meanings is the correct one

1. We'd [ike to have a meeting.

a. We enjoy meetings.
b. We want a meeting.
c. lt's good to have meetings.
2. We stopped to visit supptiers in Budapest.
a. We do not visit them anY more.
b. We interrupted our journey so we cou[d visit them.
c. We ended our journey by visiting them.
3. Have you tried sending goods by train?
a. Have you experimented with the idea of using the train?
b. Have you attempted to send goods by train?
c. Have you studied the possibiLity of sendrng goods by train?
/r. We remembered to send publ.icity materiaI with the goods.
a. We did send the materiaI and I recat[ sending it.
b. We toLd you to send the materiaI with the goods.
c. We did not forget to send the materiaI with the goods.

Ekercise 3
Rewrite the folLowing sentences from a teLephone call, repLacing the phrases in brackets with a
verb
combination from the box below. lJse either verb .. .ing or the infinitive + to.

remember/send try/call stop/think like/contact

1. I lattempted to caLL] you yesterday but without success'

2. I {recaL[that I sent] you a tender for the Appl.e Project but we have had no reply.
3. We (think it is a good idea to contactl potentiaI customers to check their reactions
to tenders.
4. lamsurethatif youtdelayyournextmoveandthrnk) aboutourofferyouwittagree
that the price is fair.

,rTransfer
Make sentences about yourself using any of the following verbs'

prefer hate Like try remember intend stoP begin start love

ExampLe:
I tike tistening to music at home but I prefer going to concerts'

37
rvww.nhantriviet.com
 UNIT Verb + Object + lnfinitive

15 Unit
Unit
Unit
13

14

15
Verb ...ing
lnfinitive
Verb ...ing or infinitive + to

. We have asked the court to give our claims priority.

' The financiaI services company invited shaiehotders
to sel,l, shares at prices between 962
and $70 a share.
' The new guidelines tet us atloqate our own budgets.
Management believes this makes us
identify with the ;
company.
. B ,Form
The construction comprises:
transitive verb + noun or pronoun object + infinitive.

C.;tJs-eg
1. verbs which are atways for.towed by an infinitive with
to:
They want to work from 9 to 5.
They want us to work from 9 to 5.
(not: They want that we work from
9 to 5.)
Other verbs are:
ask expect woutd tike would prefer
2. verbs which are fou.owed by verb .. .ing or an object +
infinitive:
The emaiI advised making copies ot itt trard ALfs.
[not: The emai[ advised to ma[e copies of ar.t hard disks.]
The emait advised staff to make copies of att hard
oisks.
Other verbs are:
allow permit recommend encourage
3. Verbs which onty take an object + infinitive:
The Director totd them to improve their performance.
[not: The Director totd to impiove their perform.r;;.i-'
0ther verbs are:
enabLe persuade order warn invite
These are key tactics which witt enabre us to
achieve our goals.
4. verbs which take an object + bare infinitive (without
to]:
Keeping costs 10w lets us offer customers a cheaper
way to fty.
Such verbs are:
make help let
We can heLp you [tol setect the right insurance
firm.
Notes
1. Compare the fol.l.owing sentences:
He totd them to prepare a business ptan.
He said lto themr that they shoutd piepa.e a
business pran.
[nof: He said them to prepare a business pLan.)
Tet[ takes an object + infinitive; say takes an indirect
object Ioptionat) + a ctause.
2. Expect can be foiLowed by an infinitive or a ctause:
We expect spending for the program to decline
next year.
we expect that spending forthJprogram wirt dectine
next year.
3g lntermediate Business Grammar www.nhantriviet.conn
 Exercise 1

Read the short text. Underline examples

of verb + object + infinitive constructions.
The first has been done for you.

Exercise 2
Make sentences based on the following
words. Each sentence should contain a preferto simply ring 0800 and
for .Freefone
verb + object + infinitive construction.

I persuaded purchasers understand

Joanne can hetp new recruits to resign
We does not atlow the report to come
She want me to accept gifts
Henry woutd prefer you to be destroyed
1. I

2. Joanne
3. We
4. She
5. Henry

Exercise 3
Decide if the sentences below are right or wrong. Mark them with a tick Z o, , cross I
Then correct the mistakes where necessary.
1. The report made us to review our forecasts. E
2. The report fai[ed to identify the cause of the accident. E
3. This attows to make further investments. E
4. We want that you respect the terms of the contract. fI
5. We asked them to advance the order bv two months. E
6. We woutd Like that you come to the meeting. E
7. The contract does not permit that we.increase the price. E

Transfer
Have you ever been persuaded to buy something
you did not want? To:

Write an emailwarning or advising someone not From:

to be persuaded to do something.
Subject
ExampLe:

To: fred.pope@ecobuild.co.uk

From: essica.newman@ecobuild.co.uk

Subject: Warninq

I advise you not to speak to Gubu Ltd.They will

try to persuade you to order goods we do not
want. I advise you to send them away.

www.nhantriviet.com 39
UNIT Witt and Woutd

17 Unit
Unit
10

11
The future with witt
The conditiona[s [1]
The conditionats [2]

A Sampte sentences
. l'1[ find out the detaits and catl you back.
. We asked their opinion, but they woutdn't comment on these figures.
. Would you re-emptoy this person?
. Witt you ptease let me see Anna's fax before the next meeting?
. A: Whenwittyou let me knowaboutthejob?
B: We'l[ be in touch next week.

B Form
Witt and woutd are modal's. Woutd is the past tense form of wiLt. Both forms take the bare
infinitrve form of the verb. The contracted forms are't[ and'd.
The negative forms are witl not/woutd not. The contracted forms are won't/woutdn't.

C Uses
We use witl and woutd to tatk about wil.l'ingness
1. ln requests for action or information:
witl, you catt me back later, ptease? [Are you wir.[ing to cat[ me back Later?)
Woutd you sit down, please?
The past tense form woutd is more remote Iin time] and, therefore, [ess direct and more potite
2. ln repties to requests:
A: Wilt you ca[[ me back [ater, ptease?
B: Yes, of course I wi11. At what time? [Yes, of course I am wiLLing to.]
3. ln offers:
l'tl' send you a cheque for the futl amount. Il offer to send you a cheque for the fuLt amount.]
4. To express witlingness and refusat:
A: How did the discussions go?
B: Quite wel't. They haven't decided whether they witl, accept the bid. [They haven't decided
whether they are witl.ing to accept the bid.)
A: And the price?
B: No, l'm afraid they wouldn't accept the reduction in price. [They refused to accept the
reduction in price.l
Notes
1. ln c1, witl. and wou[d are onty used in requests with the subject you.
2. ln C2, we can use different subjects:
A: WilL you accept this offer?
B: Either we witt or another company wi[.

40 lntermediate Business Grammar www.nhantriviet.com

TASKs

Exercise 1

Here is a conversation in vthich two partners are discussing a contract for the transport of goods.
lnsert contractions where appropriate.

A: This is the contract for the transport of the order to Singapore. Woutd you check it
for me?
B: 0f course. I witl do it now.
A: You witt see, they woutd not agree to pay the insurance.
B: Real.Ly? I think that other company, TransWorld, wou[d pay it.
A: No, on the contrary, theywoutd not. But if you [ike lwittaskthem.
B: No, do not. I am sure You are right.

Exercise 2
Look at the foLlowing dialogue. Complete the spaces with an appropriate word. Use contractions
where appropriate.

Hetena: Oh, Martina. You know about the despatch of the KMB order tomorrow?
you check that the transporters wit[ arrive earty?
Martina: 0f course I ,I phone them now.
Helena: And do you know if they reach the ferry terminal in time for the
2 o'c[ock saiLing?
Martina: I spoke to them yesterday. They said they
Hetena: And they agree to bring back the fautty goods?
Martina: No, they do that this time because the lorry is going on to Bari with
other goods. They said they bring the fautty goods another time.
Hetena: I see. That's a PitY.

Write appropriate sentences using the fcllowing prompts. Use will or would and contractions
where appropriate.

1. Ask someone to hetp you book a fl.ight to Manchester.

'Excuse me, 2',

2. Someone asksyou to phone a colteague, Ms Cain. \{hat do you say?

'0f course
3. You are telephoning a hauLage company who are going to detiver some goods'to you
tomorrow. Offer to hetp them unload the goods.
'lf you want,
'WiLt the ship arrive by the end of the month?'
4. Answer the foLLowing.
'Yes

5. Answer the foLLowing. 'Are they going to present al.t the documentation to the customs?
'No

Transfer
Write the foLlowing sentences, incLuding a form of wiLL or woutd in each sentence.
. a request for help ' a reP[Y to a request ' an offer of heLp
. an expTession ofwi[Lingnessto dosomething . a refusatto dosomething

41
www.nhantriviet.com
UNIT May and Might

1 I Unit 19
Unit 20
Can and could
Must, mustn't and needn't

. There may be a waiting period before a licence witt be permitted.

' They might have to putL back on pro-motion spending to maintain short-term
earnings.
' May ljust interrupt for a moment? Might ljust poiniout a mistake in
the figures?
' A comPany may not change its name without prior approval of
the association.
' The computer system has just crashed. t think we might have lost a Lot
of data.
:Broi',
Mayand might are moda[s' ln form, might is the past tense of may.
Both verbs teke the infinitive
form of the verb without to. The negative forms are may not and might
not. The contracted form of
might not is mightn't.
c UiCs
we use may and might to tatk about possibir.ity or permission.
1. Present possibility:
A: When witl house-buitding pick up again?
B: very soon. r think that the worst of the recession may be over.
or
B: very soon' I think that the worst of the recession mijnt be
over. llt is possibte that the worst
of the recession is over.J
Both may and might express present poss.ibitity. May expresses
stronger possibiLity than might:
A: When will house-buitding pick up again? itrere nas been a downturn
in construction.
B: lt shoutd pick up very soon. I think that the worst of the recession
may be over. Ilt is
possibte that the worst of the recession is over.l
2. Future possibitity:
Both may and might gxPres: future poss.ibitity May expresses
stronger possibitity than might.
The company may/might relocate to !ndia *'h"r" ihe environment
iaws are not so stringent.
Ilt is possibl.e that the company wi[[ retocate.)
By this time next year the company may/might have relocated
to India. Ilt is possib[e that by
this time next year they wiLt have retocated.)
lf we retocate, we may/might avoid environmental regutatlons.
- Ilt is stiLL possible that we wi[L
avoid environmental regutations.)
3. ln requests for permission:
l.laylmight ljust interrupt here? [ls it permitted for me to interrupt
here?J
The past tense form might is more remote Iin time]and,
therefore, less direct and more potite.
4. ln permission and prohibition:
A: May/might I make a comment at this point?
B: Yes, of course you may. {not: ol course you mightl (lt is permitted
for you to make a comment.)
A company may not change its name withoul prior
approval of the association. [not: A
company might not) [A company is not permitted to .t',rng.
its name without prior approval
of the association.)
Notes
1. ln c3, may and might are only used in requests with the
subject r.
2. ln C4, we can use different subjects:
A: Maylmight we point out a mistake in the figures?
B: Yes, of course you may or one of your coil,eagues may.
3. Normatty we use may rather than might to indicate
permission and prohibition.
Howeven in indirect speech we can uie might after past
a tense verb of speaking:
The asssciation said that a company mighi change its
name after approval, had been given.
This sentence has two possibte inteipretitions,
The association said that it was permitted for a company
to change its name.
The association said that it was possible for a company
to change its name.
42 lnterniediate Busi;:ess Grarnmar
www.nhantriviet.corn
Exercise 1

Rewrite the underlined parts of the folLowing sentences to form new sentences which incLude may
or might and a negative form if necessary. Retain the original meaning.
1. lt is possib[e the!SIS4-.!CyC-LS.]&{l rise in the finat quarter of the year.
2. I don't know if we have any SuperFix in stock.
3. We are considering changing to a just-in-time method of procurement.
4. lt is possibLe that we wit[ need to increase the quantity we hotd in stock but there is a stight
possibil.ity that our present su Liers wit[ not be able to meet our needs.

5. lf the quaLity is not good enough it is possibte that we wit[ change our supptiers.
6. ls it okay if I check stock levets today instead of tomorrow?.
7. lf you check stock levets today instead of tomorrow there is a stight possibiLitv that you witl
get inaccurate information for the month.
8. lt is possibLe that we ar using that supptier.

Exer:cise 2
BeLow are six questions and answers. CompLete the answers using may or might.
use a negative form if appropriate.

1. Q: Do you think this is a high risk product?

A: Yes, it damage our rePutation.

2. Q: Why do you think we need to exptain the project to the press?

A: lf we don't, the publ.ic misunderstand our intentions.
3. Q: What are we going to do?
A: We'LL have an 'open' day when everyone visit the factory'

4. A: Why do you want to exptain everything about the product?

A: lf we don't, we get the support rve want.

5. 0: Did you tet[ the press they were not invited?

A: No, I said theY come.

6. Q: Do you think the newspapers wiLt write about this probtem?

A: I don't know. TheY , or theY

Transfer
1. We use may or might to predict future events which we are not certain about.
M ake p redi ctio n s a bo ut:
. the future of the economy in your country
. unemployment
. manufacturing industries
Z. Now write your plans for tomorrow. Describe something that you will possibLy do and
about
something else that there is a smaller possibility that you will dc'

43
www.nhantriviet.com
UNIT Can and CouLd

1 9 Unit
Unit
18

20
May and might
Must, mustn't and needn't

A Sampte sentences
. Customers can use the card for many different purchases in many different outlets.
. They buitt more cars than they coutd selt earlier in the year.
. A tenant injured in a househotd accident can't receive payment for medicat expenses.
. A: Can I hetp you?
B: Yes, can you put me through.to extension 234?
A: l'm afraid I can't. The tine istusy at the moment.
. How is a trave[ agent going to set[ a hotiday when he cannot guarantee a return ftight?

B Form
Can and coutd are modals. Coutd is the past tense form of can. Both verbs take the bare infinitive
form of the verb.
The negative forms are cannot and coutd not; the contracted forms are can't and coutdn't.

C U'sei
We use can and cou[d to ta[k about ability, possibitity or permission.
1. AbiLity:
Creditors can start legaI actions immediatety.
IPresent abiLity: creditors are abte to start [egaI actions.)
He can buy the shares back later at a tower price.
IFuture abitity: we wit[ be abte to buy the shares back.)
At that time, we coutd not afford to continue to make payments.
IPast ability: we were not abte to continue to make payments.)
2. Possibitity:
Both can and coutd express present and future possibil.ity. Can expresses stronger possibitity
than coutd:
Enough stock can/couLd be purchased to acquire control of the company.
IPresent possibiLity: it is possible to purchase enough stock.)
If they earn too much next year, they can/coutd tose their benefits.
IFuture possibil.ity)
The meeting has been going on for two hours, so they coutd have decided by now.
Inof: they can have decided] [Present possibitity'in retation to eartier action: it is possibLe
that they have decided.)
They didn't meet yesterday, so they can't/couldn't have made the decision then.
IPresent impossibiLity in retation to earlieraction: it is impossibLe that they made the decision
yeste rd ay. I
3. Permission:
Onty staff can enter the hospital, and patients have been banned from leaving.
IPresent permission: 0nLy staff are permitted to enter the hospitaL.l
0nty the board can authorise a person to approve investments of a certain amount.
IPast permission: only the board was permitted.]
Fifteen-year-olds stit[ can't buy knives in supermarkets.
IPresent prohibition:fifteen-year-olds are not permitted to buy knives in supermarkets.)
Ten years ago fifteen-year-olds couldn't buy knives in supermarkets.
IPast prohibition:fifteen-year-oLds were not permitted to buy knives in supermarkets.)
Notes
1. As the can of possibitity has the same meaning as the may of possibiLity, we can use may to
avoid any possibte ambiguity.
They can detiver on time fThey are abLe to.)
They may detiver on time Ilt is possibte that they witt..)

44 lntermediate Business Gremmar www.nhantriviet.com

,Exercise 1

Rewrite the following sentences, changing the underLined words for new phrases"incLuding can
or could and a negative form where appropriate.
Ar ls it possibte fpuqlp see you next week?
B: 0f course it is possibte. Are you abte to come on Monday?
A: No, sorry, l('m unabLe to come then. lf it is okaywith you, it is possib[e for me to come on
Tu esd ay.
Br Excetlent. ls it possibte for vou to confirm by emalL?
A: Certainty. lt is possibte for me to do that now. 0h, another question. ls it okay if I bring my
cotteague, Mr Lee Wang?
B: 0f course it's okay. I [ook forward to meeting hinr.
A: Thanks very much. See you next week.

txercrse z
Complete the unfinished sentences beLow based on the given prompts. lncLude can or could in
yaur answer, and a negative form if appropriate. The first has been done foryau.

1. Present possibiIity: 0nLy lower-grade personnet/take part in the trainrng course.

0nLy lower-grade personne[ can take part in the training course.
2. Future possibility: they/find theory difficuLt.
They
3. Past permission: I'lanager totd Piero/do the course
The manager totd Piero that
4. Future abiLity: After the course you/carry out major maintenance
After the course you
5. Present impossibitity in retation to earlier action: Course not avai[able [ast year/so not
possib[e that Gautier has this quatification.
This course was not avaitabte last year so Gautier
5. Past prohibition: The company cut back on training and totd the department that spending
on the course was not possibl.e.
flrro tn .^mn2n\/ rrrtc tha danertmant
"",,.i.-,,./"..-'.'.---r'''-,.

Exercise 3
Read the passage. Then put each
exampLe of can or could [numbered 1-7]
into the correct coLumn in the table
below, depending on its use.

r;Trqnsfeq.
l.WriteashortdtaLoguesimiLartotheoneinExercisel inwhichyoumakeanappointmentwith
a colLeagie.

2. Think of the place where you work or study. Describe something that you do have permission to
do and something that you do not have permission to do.

lts
www.nhanliiYiet.coni
UNIT Must, Mustn't and Needn,t

20 Unit
Unit
18

19
May and might
Can and couLd

A sarnpte:tenienceb
. Protective equipment must be used; however, it needn,t
be worn in the packing
-""'z 'room.
.'
lf the fraud has been going on for a year, he must have far,sifiea
nrJ taxe!.
Budget deficits mustn't exceed 3% of GDp.

Fo'r'rii
Must, mustn't and needn't are modats. They take the bare
infinitive form of the verb. we use the
negatives must not and,need not in writing and speech,*"
g.n"ratty use the contracted forms
mustn't and needn't onty in.speech. The
i:ositive of needn't is need. Need is a fuI verb and takes
an infinitive + to [see Note 4].

C Uses
We use must, mustn't and needn't to tatk about
- necessity to do something [obtigationl
- no necessity to do something
- necessity not to do something [prohibitionl togical deduction
-
1. Necessity to do something Iobtigationl:
Funds must seek permission from locaI regulators.
Ilt is necessa ry that funds seek permission.J
2. Necessity not to do something lprohibition]:
The yearly turnover of the tottery must not exceed
€5m. Ilt is necessary for it not to exceed
f5m, i.e. it is prohibited.l
3. No necessity to do something:
Graduates needn't begin repaying their loans untit they
earn more than E21,oooa year. [lt is
not necessary to begin repaying their toans.J
4. LogicaL deduction:
A: we ordered 5000 of these parts. There are only 2000 in this
box. There must be another
boxsomewhere! flt is a togicat deductron, fromihe totat number
ordered that there is
another box somewhere.)
B That s true. But they needn.t att have arrived
in the same detivery. [lt is not a logicaI deduction
that they arrived in the same del.ivery.) !n fact, now I remember!
Cithy must have taken them.
Notes
1' The past of must [obLigation) is had to;the past of must
Itogicat deduction) is must have + past
participte form of the verb:
Buyers had to make a 40% down payment before receiving
the goods. Ilt was necessary to
make the payment.)
They must have made the payment yesterday.
llt is togicatty necessary that they made the
payment yesterday because, for exampte, they have ."."iu"i
the goods.)
2. The past of mustn't [prohibiilon) is was/were not attowed/permitted
to:
The manufacturer wasn't attowed to setl new products
untit finat approvat of the FDA.
3' Mustn't {prohibition), can't lno permission], and may not
[no permission] have simitar meanings:
The retail industry is tightty regulated and hypermarkets mustn't/can't/may
4' The positive of the modaIneedn't is the fuLtverb need. Need is fottowed
i"t,.ir below cost.
byan infinitive + to.
We need to increase sales to existing customers.
ln the negative, we have two possibLeionstructions:
to increase sates to existing customers./We needn't increase
sates to existing
ffi,lfl1;:ed
The past of need is needed; the past of needn't is didn't
need. Both
- are fottowed by an inf initive + to:
They needed to raise prices in order to fund ttre expansion.
They didn't need to raise prices in order to fund the expaniion.

46 irternrcdiate Business G:ei: -,-: ranti.iviet.com

 ......-

TASKS

Decide which of the following show examples

of obligation [0+J, no obligation [-0), prohibition
(0-) or logical deduction lDl.

Exercise 2
write sentences which describe the situations shown in the pictures.

{0bviously/not/potlute/rivers) [buil.d/expensive purification ptant] (make smal.l. changes to production methods)

ff

Exercise 3
Change the folLowing text into the past form.

Exercise 4
compLete the folLowinE sentences with a modaL form from the box beLow.

didn't need to must must have have to mustn't to needn't

had

1. Miriam is Late. She had another meeting this morning but it finished by now
2. The goods are faulty so we pay for them.
3. The production costs are too high. We reduce them.
4. The system is dangerous. We continue using it.
5. The vatve broke sowe rep[ace it.
6. The supervisor says we report any leakage. Last year we
report sma[[ teaks.

[ransfer
Write six sentences about your work environment. Your sentences shouLd describe the folLowing:
. obtigation
. prohibition
. no necessity to do something
. [ogicaI deduction

ww.nhantriviet.com /r7
UNIT ShaLt and ShouLd
S€e also

21 Unit
Unit
Unit
10

11

17
The conditionats [1

The conditionats [2]

Witt and woutd
)

Unit 20 Must, mustn't and needn't

A Samp[e sentences
. Shatl I ask him to appear for a further review of his operating initiatives?
. Should we accept or reject his proposat?
'. An identicat basket of traded gpods shoutd cost the same in a[[ countries.
we shoutdn't rush into negotiations untit we've seen the report.
' An lnvestment Bank shatt provide a periodic statement of the customer's account on his request.
' Should you experience a prolonged tack of success in finding a job, seek a second opinion.

B l-orm
ShaLL and should are moda[s. Both verbs take the bare infinitive form of the verb.
The negative forms are shatl not and shoutd not;the contracted forms are shan't and shoutdn,t.

C Uses
We use shatl and shoutd to:
- future
tatk about the
- give advice
- express obtigation
- make suggestions -express probabitity
- express a condition
1. The future. After land we, we can use sha[[ in p[ace of witt:
I shatl read the report with great interest.
2. Making suggestions. We use shatt and shoutd fottowed by I orwe in the question form:
Shatt we make goods to order onty?
Shoutd I not advertise, and simpty rely on a cheap price to sett my product?
The past tense form shoutd is more remote fin time) and, therefo.u,-t.r= direct and more polite,
3. Giving advice. We use shoutd to give advice:
You should atways estimate cash ftows on an after-tax basis.
(lt is atways a good idea to estimate cash ftows on an after-tax
basis.l
You shoutdn't buy stocks that anatysts expect to grow long-term earnings at greater
than
30% per year.
(lt woutd be a good idea not to buy these stocks.l
4. Expressing probabiLity. We use shoutd to express probabil.ity:
A: .Can I speak to Judith Franks, ptease?
B: Yes, her meeting shoutd be over now.
(Present probabil.ity: it is probabte that her meeting is over
now.)
An election for a new board chairman shoutd take ptace by next summer.
(Future probabil.ity: it is probabl.e that an etection wil.i take pi"ce.)
Economists project that the us producer price index should have risen 0.3%.
IPresent probabiLity in relation to eartier action: it is probab1e that it has risen 0.3%.)
5. Expressing obtigation [very formal.).
We use shatl to express obtigation - particutarty in officiaL orders and legaI documents:
The chairman shalt notify the members of the date, ptace, and time of att meetings.
[The chairman must notify the members of the date, ptace, and time of att meetings.)
An lnvestment Bank sha[[ not enter into any transaction directty or indirectty with associated
companies.
[An lnvestment Bank must not enter into any transaction.)
6. Expressing a condition. we can use an inverted construction with shoutd in the first conditionaL.
I can obtain fhe price information for a few other years, shoutd you wish to perform the
catcutations.
!f you wish to perform the catcutations, you can obtain the price information.l
The construction with shoutd is ratherformat. We use it in officiat letters and documents.

48 lntermediate Business Grammar www.nhantriviet.com

TASKS

Eieidi;A.1'
Read the foLlowing dialogue and decide how the forms shall and should are used. Decide if they
are used in suggestions [Sugg), taLking about the future [Fut), advice [Ad), probabiLity [Pr),
obLigation [0bt] or conditions (CondJ.

A: ShaLLwe wait for Peter?

B: Yes, he shouLd be atong any moment.
A: ls he staying at[ morning?
B: He certainty shouLd. We've important things to discuss.
A: White we're waiting, shaLt I show you the report?
B: No, I shaLttook at it in detaiLthis afternoon. I think you shouLdn't say anything about it untiI
Peter',s here. ShouLd it be controversiat, he'd want to be the first to know.

Exercise 2

Look at the pictures below. Match each one to a quote from the List.
B D F
August
YEAR 5
ro iz zrrf,t
t2 19 26
t3 20 27
t1 2\ 20
t, 22 29

\o
9--\

1. 'Henryl You shouLdn't drink before a meeting with the vice-President!'

2. 'shouLd the deLivery be late, ABC wiLLbe entitted to compensation.'
3. 'lthink the SaLes Team shouLd resignl'
' 1.'The deLivery shoutd be before the end of August.'
5. 'We shat[ have 50 per cent of market share in five years' time.'
5. 'ShaLLwe finish now?'
Exercise 3
Rewrite the foltowing sentences using shalt or should. Use a negative form if appropriate.

1. What about having some [unch now?

2. ls it a good idea for us to change the schedute?
3. I think it wouLd be crazy for you to continue with this.
4. I think she wiLL arrive at about 5 o'clock.
5. The report wi[L probabLy be a good one.
6. lf you want to see the machine in operation, ptease contact us.

Exercise 4
Here are the opening remarks of a
Production Manager talking to some
colLeagues about two production Lines in
Italy. Change the underlined words for other
phrases which include shall or should. Now, stad at
50 per.cent
Transfer
Write a short paragraph about your present
situation. lncLude uses of shall or should in
phrases which:
. tal.k about the future . express probabiLity
. make suggestions . express obLigation
. give advice . express a condition
49
yr.ryyy",.;i 11 3 nitlrriei.CC i;,
UNIT Active
I
22 Unit 23 Passive

A Sampte sentences
. The company decided to devetop the new chemicals two years ago.
. They witl [aunch a tender offer later this week.
The company witt move its corporate headquarters to a larger buitding next year.
.' They expect to complete this phase of the project in two years.
' The two companies have been discussing ctoser cooperation for months.
' The Board has said that it is exltoring ari avaitabte options.
B Form
The active sentence contains:
- a subject - an active verb form
The subject normally comes before the verb:
The company offers a ful[ range of consumer and business banking services.
The active verb is transitive or intransitive. A transitive verb is fottowed by a direct
object,
i.e. a noun phrase or a gerund. This object comes after a verb:
The company oflers a futl range of consumer and business banking services.
[object: a f ut[ range of consumer and business banking services)
They hope to offer better services to customers. [object, to offer better services to
customersJ
They acknowledged receiving the letter. (object: verb . ..ing)
The Board has saidthat it is exptoring al,t avaitable option!.
(object: that it is exptoring aItavail.abte options)
An intransitive verb is not foltowed by a direct object:
Next year they will rnove into Eastern Europe. Iinto Eastern Europe = prepositibnaL phrase]
Domestic consumption of petroleum is increasing.
The active verb form can be:
- a futl verb:
They are developing products for wortd markets.
- an infinitive:
They hope to develop products for wortd markets.
- verb .. .ing:
They acknowtedged receiving the [etter.
The active verbs can be in different tenses and forms:
- fut[ verbs {see Units 1 , 2,3,5,7)
- infinitives (see Unit 14)
- verb . ..ing lsee Unit 13J.
C Uses
We use the active form in both spoken and written [anguage to describe events
and activitres.
We use the passive form in spoken and written tanguage tL achieve a specific
effect [see
Unit 23J. ln genera[, the active creates a more p.r=onaieffect:
First we discuss industry suppty. [Here 'we' can mean the speaker and the listeners
or
simpty'one' - an unidentified person.J
cf. First industry suppLy is discussed. lpassive and impersona[)
Notes
1. The normaLword order in active sentences is:
subject verb object rest of the sentence
They launched the product two years ago
2. we use an active subject construction after happen, arise, and occur:
An accident happened at the ptant. [not: lt happened an accident at the pLant.)
The probtem arose when the loans were repaid. [not: lt arose a probtem when the loans
were repaid.J
50 ;;-;'i:rrrre-iia.'-. E':'r;.rj: ti-:1.'li,:r- ..,ir;w,,rrr.nhantiiv;et.:c;.1,
IASKs

Exercise 1

Decide which of the foLLowing sentences contain a transitive verb ITJ and which contain an
intransitive one (ll.
1. The cost of living is rising fastei- than ten years ago.
2. We need to reduce costs.
3. Manufacturing companies are experiencing major probtems.
4. Service companies are doing better.
5. Unemp[oyment is increasing in the United States.
6. Property vatues show a sLight fa[t.
7. ln spite of the problems, economists are optimistic.

Here is an extract from a radio net,rts repart:

Use an appropriate form of one of the verbs in the
box below to compLete the sentences which folLow.

say worsen pay be raise increase

1. The bank is going to raise interest rates.

2. The cost of borrowing by 2 per cent.

3. Many companies heavy costs.

4. An interest rate rise industry's probtems.

5. A representative the news a disaster.

!x.grc.!sg 3
The prompts below outLine the steps that a company foLlows to process an order and despatch goods.
Use the prompts.to make six active sentences. Note: the prompts contain subject + verb + object.
1 . Fi rst/Load/goods/l.orry
2. After that/Lorry/ta ke goods/port
3. Then/driver/hand over/d ocket
4. Next/customs/si gn/docket
5. Driver/keep/docket
6. Fi na Lty/we/f i [e/d ocket
Exercise 4
Write a sentence for each of the prampts given beLow. Use an appropriate verb from the box and
select an appropriate tense and either a negative or positive form. Each prompt contains a subject
and an object and a time marker

repair take patroL check manufacture cook make test

1. Vice- President/i m porta nt decision/tast week

2. Tetephonist/too many private catts/recentty
3. The nightwatchman/just/the factory
4. Pl.ant/prod ucts/durin g the Au g ust hol.iday
5. Laboratory/new product/next week
5. Company doctor/emptoyees/every month il
7. Maintenance staff/production [ine/next Monday
8. Canteen staff/food/at the weekends
Transfer
Describe the typicaL actions and responsibilities you have in a normal day.

51
vww.nhantriviet.com
UNIT Passive

23 Unit22 Active

The initiat investment was made at the offering price.

a After packaging, the goods are stored off-site so there is no pressure on space.
a It is rare for advertising expenditure to be carried forward to the next year.
a An effective board insists on being informed of at[ decisions.

B Form

Present they are devetoped they are being devetoped

to be [present] + past participle form to be Ipresenl] + being + past participLe
of the verb form of the verb
Past they were deve[oped they were being developed
to be Ipast) + past participle form to be {past) + being + past participle
of the verb form of the verb
Present perfect they have been devetoped
to be [present perfectl + past participle
form of the verb
Past perfect they had been deve[oped
to be Ipast perfect) + past particip[e form
of the verb
Present infinitive to be deve[oped to be being developed
to be + past participte form of the verb to be + being + past participl.e form
of the verb
Present perfect to have been devetoped
inf initive to be Ipresent perfect) + past participte
form of the verb

Usgs
We use the passive:
- to avoid mentioning the doer
- to emphasise the doer with a 'by' phrase
- in process descriptions
- in impersona[ [anguage
1. Avoiding mentioning the doer:
An annua[ report has been prepared for each of the uK timited companies.
We are not interested in who prepared the annuaI report; so an active sentence cannot
be used.
2. Emphasising the doer:
The financiat statements in this Annua[ Report have been prepared by the Board of Directors.
ln speech, we usuatty put the information to be emphasised at the end of a ctause. We caLt this
'end-weight'. So here'the Board of Directors'gets more focus than'the financiaIstatements'.
3. ln process descriptions:
Personnel are sent across the borderto inspect factories and production lines before start-up.
We are not interested in the agent, but in the action.

4. ln impersona[ [anguage:
Uniforms must be worn.on the job in accordance with an employer! directive.
The passive is widety used in formaI written announcements, where an impersonaI tone
is intended.

52 !nterrnedrate Business Grammar www.nhantriviet.com

Exercise 1

Create five passive sentences in different tenses, using the prompts in the tabLe below.

Staff store R & D staff

Finished products manufacture severa[ locations
New products open warehouse
Goods recruit Corporation President
New ptant devetop Human Resources Dept

Exercise 2
Describe what happens in the production process shown by the sequence of pictures below. Use
the verbs beLow each picture.

Liquid A Liquid B

pour mLx add

6t-

'160 .l
U
140

120 \--.-
heat Ieave pour

/iUr U
t
ctose aPPtY convey

Exercise 3
Change the following f rom the active to the passive.
1. We are going to make 50 per cent of our production at our Bahrain ptant.
2. The company is expanding its range of services.
3. We are retocating our headquarters in Mataysia.
4. The Sates Manager increased the commission paid to agents'
5. Employees must wear protective clothing inside the production ar^ea.
5. We were considering the merger proposaI for most of [ast year.

,Transf,qr.
Describe a process that you are familiar with. Has it changed in recent years? How was it different
a few years ago?

www.nhantriviet.con: 53
UNIT Be [11

24 Unit
Unit 4
Unit 6
1 The present continuous
The past continuous
The present perfect continuous
Unit 23 D--^i.,^

Unit 25 Be [21

Unit 51 Adjectives versus adverbs

a The board is very interested in receiving your bid.

a Have you ever been to Japan before?
a Many entrepreneurs are moving their factories out of Taiwan.

B Form

U ncontracled Con Lracted

Present
I am/'m am not Iaren't]/'m not
You/we/they arel're are not aren't/'re not
H e/she/it isl's is not isn't/'s not
Past
I WAS was not wasn't
You/we/they were were not we re n't
Helshe/it was was not \l/a s n 't
infinitive form of the verb .. .inEl being not being
st participLe form of the verb been not been
Notes
1. We use aren't I as the first person singutar contracted negative:
l'm giving the presentation on Monday morning, aren,t l?
However, there is no paralteL contracted form for dectarative sentences.
2. ln negative commands, we use the modaIdon't:
Don't expect that numbers in your balance sheet can protect you frorn harsh economic reality.

C Uses
We use be:
-
as a fu|'L verb
- as an auxiliary verb
- in the construction be to (see Unit 251.

1. FuI'L verb:
We are keen to invest in buitding the business.
2. Auxitiary verb:
We use be in the continuous verb forms:
Profit margins are approaching their highest in three decades.
and in the passive verb forms:
The drug is being tested in ctinicat triats.
Notes
1. We use an adjective after be, not an adverb:
It is usua[ to compare financial ratios with the ratios of other firms in the same business.
cf. We usualty compare financiat ratios with the ratios of other firms in the sarne business.
2. We use be in the continuous form when we want to emphasise the verb's activity meaning:
Music divisions are being very successfut in expanding markets. [They are having succiss.)

54 lnierr,:::i;ic,3;sli:e::s.J:at;:;,e:- wrruw.nhantri,riet.ccrn
TA5K5

Exercise 1

Complete the sentences below by filLing in the correct forms of the verb be.

We reviewing sataries at the moment. However they untikety

increased by more than the current rate of inftation, which
3 per cent. The future strength of the company depends on capitaI investment. When costs
increase too much, capital investment reduced. This sure to
affect the profitabiLity and Long-term strength of the company. We committed
to the devetopment of the company. This has atways our objective and witl
continue so in the coming decade.

Exercise 2

This information appeared in a trade

journaI about the Greek company
Papandreos Mechanica.

lmagine a newspaper journalist wants

confirmation of this information and teLephones
the Public Relations department of Papandreos
Mechanica. He asks a series of questions. Write down what he says. The first is done for you.

1. There are four production plants, aren't there?

2. One responsible for half the production ?
3. And that one in Athens, ?
4. The Thessalonika plant the smallest, ?
5. And the newest, ?
6. lt opened in 2009, ?
7. And a new ptant opened next year,

Exercise 3
CompLete the Letter b1r putting a Dear [,4rAntrobus
suitabLe form of the verb be in the spaces.
We very pleased to hear that you
interested in our new TESPO-2
Transfer account. Unfortunately, the documentation
not ready until next month.
1. ls there a company in your town that Therefore I enclosing with this letter
the preliminary details.
employs more than 4000 people?
As you no doubt aware, TESPO-1
. issued at the end of last summer
2. Are there many smail companies and ._. -_ agreatsuccess.We _ ..
confident that TESPO-2 a great
near where you Live?
success, too.

We hope that this information ,._ __ of

3. Think of one of these companies. use to you. However, if there, .
, - other
ls it a manufacturing company?
aspects that you interested in, we
delighted to talk to you by phone.

Yours sincerely
1. This was a short Transfer exercise,

?
W Sa.iky
M Bailey
lnvestment Consultant

ruww.nhantriviet.com trtr
UNIT Be [2f

25 Unit 24 Be [1J

A SampLe sentences
. The MD is to visit the ptant on Monday.
'. There is no doubt that the company is performance driven.
lt is very difficutt to estimate the size of the market.

B Form
For the forms of the verb be, see finit 24.

C Uses
1. We use the construction be to:
to indicate what must or must not happen:
Apptications are to be submitted in duplicate by May 23.
to indicate what shoutd happen:
Construction of the pipetine is to start in 2012.
to indicate what is going to happen:
Selection for interview is to be made by a panet of managers.
to indicate what cannot or coutd not happen:
The company is in the hands of the receiver. There,s
nothing to be done.
This construction is widety used in formaI announcements
such as directives, timetabtes
and memos to indicate that an action is fixed either
in time or by obr.igation.
2. lt is versus there is
Compare the fottowing sentences:
Having given aid to the banks, it is time to hetp companies
and protect jobs. Inow]
Don't worry. There is time to hetp companies pioi".iJoos.
'lt is time to do something' i.nougr, timei
meani 'we must do"noit now'; 'there is time to do something,
means 'there is stil.l. enough time to do it,.
Now compare the fottowing sentences:
A: Have you visited their head office?
B: Yes, it's in New york now, isn,t it? [the head office]
A: Do you know their management structure?
B: Not reatty.
A: Wett, there is an MD supported by a Finance Manager.
[There exists an MD.]
A: We could se[[ more of the product.
B: I know, but being hand-crafted, it is not easy to increase production.
[To increase production is not easy.l
ln the first exchange it refers to information that has
atready been identified, i.e. the head
office' ln the second exchange there introduces new information
there' The word there has no specific meaning; it indicates
- the introjuctory
that the key information wiL
fo[tow, i.e. the management structure that B doesn,t know.
cf A: Do you know their management structure?
B: Yes, it's quite simpte, isn,t it? [B atready knows .it..]
In the third exchange, the.it is an'empty it'. rn o.rderto
give more emphasis to this
information [that to-find office space is not easy), *. nuiJ
io put it at the end of the
sentence lsee Unit 23,c21, resulting in the'empty it'conitruition.
lnformation at the
end of a sentence carries more emphasis.
3. There can be fo[[owed by.a singutar or pluraI ve_rb form,
depending on the subject:
lncluded in the review, there was a package of measur"r
io ,upport smatt businesses.
There were 100 union members and supporters
inside the pl.ant, and another 750 outside.
55 lniei-mediate Business Grammar v,rww.nhantrivier.corn
TASKS

Exercise 1

Are the foLLowrng sentences right or wrong? lf wrong, correct them.

1. I am being a Little over-optimistrc, aren't l?
2. The situation is clearty more vo[atite than I expected.
3. Companies are meeting the chatl.enge by be more cautious.
4. 0ur advice to new investors is: Don't be putting aLLyour capitaLinto one fund
5. This service has been being offered to ctients for twenty years now.

Rewrite the underLined words in the sentences below using a construction with be.
The first one has been done for you.

1. The company's new headquarters are under construction just outside Brussets.
The company's new headquarters are being constructed just outside Brussets.
2. 0riginal.l.y the project shoutd have been compteted by the end of next year.
3. Unfortunatety, the buLLding company ran into some financiaL difficuLties.
4. Final.l.y, thev abandoned the proiect afterwe demanded they keep to the deadtine.
Iput into the passiveJ
5. Because of the detav, there is a [ot of pressure on us to find a replacement.
6. At the moment we are invitino int sted compa nies to submit tenders.
Iput into the passive)
7. 0riginaLly, a[[ tenders ought to have been submitted by the end of [ast month
8. Honestlyspeaking, we are untikeLyto be in the new buiLding on time.

Exercise 3
Use the words f rom the box to complete the text beLow. Write one word in each space.

there are were it /J wiLL they be

Europa.
an airline in France calted Air .: owned by a
consortium of French, German, Danish and Dutch companies. too many
airlines in Europe and Likety that Air Europa bought out
by one of the larger nationatcarriers. a smatl company and untikety
to remain independent. This a common iattern in Europe where a fewyears ago
many more airlines.

Transf'er
Describe a company that you know weLl. You can start:
There is a company I know we[[. It's called ...

trn
www.nhantriviet.com
UNIT Verbs of Speaking

25 Unit 27 Verbs of reporting

. He said that in August stock fund assets grew

. I didn't tett my employers about the job f *",
by $A.S Oittion.

.'
were retuctant to discuss-their ptans "ppivin-olor.
JJeity'yesteraay.
'fficials
A: I recommend that you tatk to a financial ,-
.ari!or.-,
B: Yes, I spoke to the bank yesterday. They
i.io1i"t they wiLt recommend someone.
g rbrm' ;

say said
tett said
totd
taLk totd
tatked
speak tatked
spoke
discuss spoken
discuss ed
discussed

C Uses
say
- to say lto someone] that .. .
He said (to usl that in August, stock fund
assets grew by $4.S bittion.
[not: He said us that in AArsi,to.fiiuno
assets grew by$4.5 bittion.)
Tett
- to tetI someone that .. .

- to te[[ someone to do something

- to tet[ someone something
I didn't tett them that I was ipptying
for a new job.
lle totd me to keep the intervie* i".."t.
I totd the interviewer a tittte about" my previous
work experience.
mY previous *o.t .rp"lience/t toLd
to ir-,Jr,"rr;.*er abour my previous
3?:l :"J:.:,bout work
Tatk
- to taLk [to someone] about something IBrE]
- to tatk [tolwith someonej about somJthing tAmE)
Have you tatked to financiaI backers
"tiutiin"ncing the
project?
Totatk refers to a whote conversation. Tatk
is not a reporting verb. [nof: He taLked
woul.d like to see me.) that he
Speak
- to speak ftolwltfr someonej about something
I spoke to financiat backers about
financing the project yesterday.
To speak refers to a whote or part
of a conversation.
Can lspeak to MrJones, ptease?
[not: Can,l tatk with Mr Jones, ptease?]
a reportins verb [not: si,. i[0r."
;ffil ltrl"t that she woui; ii;; more information about

Discuss
- to discuss something [with someone]
,fficiats were retuctanl to discuss their ptans
openry yesterday.
[not: 0fficiaLs were reIuctant to discuss
about their ptans openty yesterday.)
58 inier,"ni.Ciaie 3,_:sir-ress Grarnri^r:i- v,;r,vw.nhantrir;iet.c,:n^
 TA5.KS

Exercise 1

ldentify mistakes in the foLLowing text and correct them.

The board met to discuss about the new financing arrangements. The Charrman toLd to the
meeting that changes were necessary to reduce costs. He asked to the Finance Manager to
describe the new pLan. She first talked on the reasons for the changes. Then she totd about
the new ptan.

Complete the text by adding a correct form

of one of the verbs in the box.
say tell talk discuss ask

I filst heard about the problem when Jane me about it. We it for an hour.
I her to me the reasons but she coutdn't what the reasons were.
We agreed to about it again before the meeting next week.

Exercise 3
CompLete the conversation beLow.
Arione: Pronto, Arione, SpA.
Karamura: HeLLo, this is Yu-Ling Wu, from Karamura. Can I to Ms Rina Arione, ptease?
Arione: She's in a meeting just now. Can you me what you want to about?
Karamura: Certainly. Ineed to our meeting next month. lwoutd like to Ms
Arione for some suggestions for the agenda. When cou[d I to her?
Arione: I think she'Ll be free in about an hour. l'[[ her to catl you, shatl l?
Karamura: 0h yes please. Did you about an hour?
Arione: Yes,approximatety.She'[tcattyouthen.
Karamura: Many thanks. Goodbye.

1. Give an example of something you discussed recently.

I recently
2. Say who you discussed this subject with.
I
3, Say what you said.
I
1. Say what you asked.
I
5. What are you going to talk about next time you meet the person in Question 2 above?

Next time we meet, we'll probably

6. WiU you speak to this person tomorrow?

l'tt probabty

rywvrr.n ha ntriviet.com 59
UNIT Verbs of Reporting

27 Unit
Unit 25
Unit 39
15 Verb + object + infinitive
Verbs of speaking
Reported speech [11

Unit 40 Reported speech {2)

A' ,Sampl.i senlences

.'
The company announced that it has cancetted ptans to sell its North
American division
He admitted receiving interest on a loan from ihe detivery company.
. He asked me not to resign.

B-,.-For-m n

Verbs of reporting can take different constructions. Be[ow is

the range of constructiond and
a range of verbs.

infinitive with to (11

that + ctause [2]
verb ...lng [3)
object [4)
object + infinitive with to (51

Here are some sampte sentences which show the use of these
verbs:
He said that consumers don't want to have to pay the new
tax.
He presented his findings to senior management.
He asked to be retieved of his duties for hlalth reasons.
The bank asked him to filt out an apptication for a mortgage.
He admitted att the charges against him.
' He admitted receiving interesi on a toan from the detivery
company.
He admitted that 92 bittion has been wrongty accounted
f;r.
C r,Ulses'
Betow are some of the more common verbs of reporting, ctassified
according to the
constructions 1-5 in the table above.
1. These verbs take an infinitive with to [Type 1]; if they take
any other constructions
as we[t, they are shown in brackets:
agree 12) claim 12) consent dectine (41 demand [4,2] promise 14,21
propose V,2,3l refuse 14) swear l2l threaten (4, 2)
2' These verbs take that + clause lType 2]; if they take any other constructions
as wett, they are
shown in brackets:
announce l4l assume beLiev,e (41 conf irm t4l consider 14,31 decrare
demonstrate [4] disclose l4l estimate [4] expLain (41 guess (41 hold indicate l4l
inform [4] maintain [4) notify (4) presume prove "
{41 report l4l say ,ioi tll state (41
3' These verbs take a verb ...ing lType 3); if they take any other constructions
as wett, they are
shown in brackets:
admit [4,5,21 advise 14, s, zr authorise 14, sl recommend 14, s, zl require t4, s,2l
suggest t/-,5,21 urge 14, S, Zl
4. These verbs onty take an object [Type 4]:
describe outline present
5' These verbs take an object + infinitive with to [Type 5); if they take any
other constructions as
wett, they are shown in brackets:
ask (1, 4)command [4]
direct instruct (Lr (41 invite (41 order (4,21
persuade 12, 4l
telt 14,21 warn [4,2l
60 lntermediate Business Grammar
www.nhantriviet.com
TA5K5

Exercise 1

Complete the tabte beLow by adding ticks l/) to indicate how each of the given verbs is used
SeveraL of the verbs are used in more than one way.

l rrr I sugsest promrse require exptain ]advise '*o.n

infinitive + to ['l]
that + c[ause [2]
ve rb . .ing (31

obje, ct [4]

object + infinitive
with to [5]

Exercise 2
CompLete the text beLow with the correct form urge recommend threaten accept
of an appropriate verb from the alternatives agree admit promise indicate
given. ln some cases, more than one verb claim ask
couLd be used.

The HeaLth & Safety Committee has {11 a fuLLinvestigation into the accident on the
driLLing rig Puffin in the North Sea. The Ministerfor Energy has [2J the Committee
to produce an interim report. The company concerned, Genera[ 0i1., has [3]
responsibility for the accident and has [4) carrying out immediate safety checks on a[[
simitar instattations. The government has [5] to force the ctosure of the rig but the
company [5) this is not necessary. A member of the Committee, Grete Arnheim, has
17) the company to [Bl to a futl pubLic enquiry. Genera[ OiL has
t9) that they do not think this is necessary but that they probabLywouLd
t10l the conctusions of an independent investigation.

Exercise 3
Choose the correct ending for each of the phrases beLow. ln some cases two alternatives are possibLe

1. The [abour costs are too high so the 3. The probtems require
Board recommend a. looking for an immediate soLution.
a. to reduce the number of workers. b. an immediate sotution.
b. reducing the workforce. c. that we find an immediate soLution
c. the workforce to be reduced.
4. We maintain
2. The R & D budget has been reduced ancj a. a high leveI of quaLity.
the Head of the Department has warned b. to keep a high [eve[ of qua[ity.
a. to resign. c. having a high levelof quaLity.
b. resigning.
5. The resutts prove
c. that she wiL[ resign.
a. doing investing was right.
b. that we were right to invest.
c. to invest was right.

Transfer suggest advise recommend invite

Think of your own work or studies. Write
instruct indicate prove report
sentences about the Last few days incLuding
authorise ask threaten Present
any of the verbs in the box opposite.
prapose shovr Lain

www.nhantriviet.com 61
UNIT Verbs of the Senses

28
A Sampte sentences
Unit 30 Verbs + adjectives

' We're going to took at new opportunities and new technotogies for growth,
going to watch a short video about incorporating new technor,ogy.
but first we,re
. Consumer spending on these items tooks very
fromising.
. The CEO said that the price sounded fine.
. Mary, you don't Look too we[. What's the matter?

,BilFr-o-L* ,
There are five senses: sight, hearing, smett, taste and touch. Each
sense has three activities
associated with it:
intentional activity, e.g. to [ook at the figures
unintentional activity, e.g. to see an accident
describing the currenl sensation, e.g. to [ook attractive

sight look at {a static object}

watch [a moving or
changing object or activity)
tisten to hear sound
smeLI smetI smet[
taste taste taste
feeI touch/feet touch/feeI feet

C Uges';
1. lntentionaI activity:
We must look at the costs to banks of hotding excess reserves.
[The costs are a static object.l
You can watch att the channels that you havJpaid for on
any device. [The channets are an
activity invotving cha nge.l
Executives must not forget how to tisten to customers or to staff.
lf you touch this new fabric, you can feet how soft it is.
Note
I didn't notice the figures. can t see the sampte account
statement again? [experience visuau.y,
though without a lot of attentionJ
2. UnintentionaI activity:
Did you see the promotion for the new product?
I didn't hear what he said about pensions.
Can you smett anything strange in here?
3. Current sensation:
These verbs of sensation are foltowed by adjectives.
You look great! Have you been on hotiday?
The Chancettor talked about mitigating the recession. His
economic measures sounded
impressive.
A: This is the new synthetic fabric.
B: Very attractive. yes, and it feels very smooth, too.
Notes
1' We use wett ladj.)to describe heaLth and good to describe
- - positive attributes:
He looks/feels very wett. [heaLthy, not it.L) '

cf The future looks very good. lpositive, not badJ

2' We do not use the present continuous for unintentionatactivity
and current sensation verbs:
Do you see the screen on the right? (not: are you
seeing?)
You needn't move the OHp. I can see quite wett from
hire. [nof: I am seeing.i
62 lrrtermediate Business Gramn-:ar www.nhantrirriei.corn
rnsxs
Exercise 1

Each of the sentences beLow contains a mistake. Underline the mistake and then write the
correct form.
1. After work I tike [ooking at tetevision.
2. I am smetting something strange. ls it a gas leak?
3. lwant look at the resutts but not in any detait.
4. I'm hearing you, pLease carry on.
5. This surface is feeting very good. What is it made of?
6. lf you watch over here, l'[[ show you something interesting.
7. The wine is tasting good.

r,Exercise 2
Here is an agenda for a visit to a chemical manufacturer, )xweLl Laboratories.

10.00 Welcome
10.15- lntroduction:Presentation of Oxwet[ by Robin T. Robins, Vice-President
1 0.45 Short f itm: The ChemicaL lndustry Market

11.15 Discussion
11.L5 Tour of PLant [ed by Joanna P. Tarrant, Vice-President, Production
13.00 Lunch
At the beginning of the meeting, Sonny R. Spencer, Manager, Human Resources, introduces this
programme. FiLL in the spaces with appropriate verbs of the senses.
'Wetcome to Oxwe[[. Now, l'd [ike to outtine the programme forthe morning. We're going to
a presentation by our Vrce-President, Robin Robins. Then we'[[ a

fiLm about the chemical. industry market. Then we'[thave an opportunity to tatk about the
fi1m. After that at about 11.45 Joanna Tarrant wiL[take us the ptant. You'1.[ be
able to the production process in action. Then we'l.[ have [unch and I promise
you'tt be able to some locaLspecialrties.'

Exercise 3
The following is part of a discussion between two managers watch Look smeLl taste
of a soft drinks manufacturer. Fill in the spaces with the 5ee feeL
correct form of one of the verbs'in the box.
Pau[: How do you about the Ptans?
Angeta: l'm optimistic. Do you want to the latest forecasts?
Paut: lcan't just now. l'l.L at them tomorrow. l've got to go and
a demonstration of a new testing machine by Horrowitz & Co'
Angela: Before you go, the [aboratory has produced a variation on the RT4 flavour for
the new Zappo drink. Have you it?
Paut: Yes, it was okay but it Like bad eggsl

Transfer
Where are you now? Answer the folLowing questions.

1. What are you at?

2. What can you rf you out of the window?
3. Can you anything? Ftowers or perfume for exampte?
4. What did your last drink Like?

www.nhantriviet.corn 63
UNIT Arise, Rise, Raise, Lie and Lay

29
. lf a problem arises, tatk to creditors immediatety.
' European firms raised the atarm about further Japanese encroachment into their
market.
' I expect that the centraI bank witt raise interest rates in coming months. They have
atready risen three times this year.
' The papers were lying atl over the office. I gathered att the information I had
on the merger
and taid it out on his desk.

B Form

A TISE a rose 'afl5en

rise rose risen
ra ise ra ised ra ised
Lie tay Lain
tay ta id ta id

C Uses
Let's [ook at the uses of each of these verbs:
Arise is intransitive. lt needs a subject.
An opportunity has arisen for a bright MBA graduate to join the group.
[nof: lt has arisen an opportunity.)
Rise is intransitive.
lnterest rates rose by 2 per cent last year.
Inot: The banks rose interest rates l.asi year.)

Raise is transitive.
The bank has raised interest rates by 1 per cent.
lnof : lnterest rates have raised by 1 per cent.)

Lie is intransitive.
The papers were lying a[[ over the office.
[not: The papers were [aying a[[ over the office.]

Lay is transitrve.
I gathered atl the information I had on the merger and taid it out
on his desk.
[nof: The information [ays on his desk.]

64 lntermediate Business Grammar

www.nhantriviet.conr
TASKS

iExercise 1

Mark the foLlowing as transitive {T) or intransitive 0).

raise rise lay lie arise

Select correct sentences from each group below. ln some cases, two sentences are correct.

1. a. We arise different probtems.

b. Different probtems arrse.
c. This arises another problem.
2. a. The costs have risen every year.
b. We have risen the costs every year.
c. Every year has risen the costs.
3. a. We can raise the prices.
b. The prices can raise.
c. The prices can be raised.
1. a. lf we [ie the materiaI directty on the ftoor it wiLt be okay.
b. lf the materia[ lies directty on the ftoor it wit[ be okay.
c. lf the materialis lied directly on the floor it witLbe okay.
5. a. Lay the picture on the tabte and we't[ see it ctearty.
b. lf the picture is [aid directty on the tabte we'ttsee it ctearty.
c. The picture lays on the tabte so we can see it ctearty.

Exercise 3
Read the foLlowing dialogue. Then write a short email to a coLLeague telling her what you have
discussed.

A: A probtem has arisen over the traveI

arra ngements to Switzerla nd. To: ;smart@alma.com
B: Reatty? \/hat's that?
A: The airtine has raised its fares by 20 per Subject: to

cent so we're above the budget agreed.

B: ReaLLy? WeLl. the prob[em ties in the
budget being too smaLLl We have rising
costs and a budget that hasn't been
rarsed in two years.
A: Coutd you get authorisation for the
increased cost?
B: I'LLsend the Finance Department the
detai[s. I'Ll. caLL you [ater.

llTl.ansfer
Write a short email to a colleague about rising costs or a decision to raise prices, or a probLem
that has arisen in your work.

www.nhantriviet.com 65
UNIT Verbs + Adjectives

30 Unit 28 Verbs of the senses

A Sample sentences
. We al[ know that corporate tife is stressful.
' Centrat bankers are becoming anxious about the levet of risk involved.
' I am gtad to report that staffing levets have remained retativety constant.
' I don't want to sound alarmist, but the situation we're experiencing now is
worse than it
was at the start of the recession.

B Form
Verbs which take an adjective are ca[[ed tinking or copuLarverbs. We can divide them into:
- current verbs, which indicate what the subject is:
He is/appears/seems/sounds content in his new job.
- resulting verbs, which indicate what the subject becomes:
The directors became/got/grew anxious after the results were reteased.

be become
remain faLL
a ppea r 'turn
feel get
look go
pr0ve grow
seem run
sound
stay
keep
smet[
taste

C Uses
1. Current verbs:
The share of GDP going to domestic programmes has stayed/remained constant.
Demand has stayed strong and ittegat trade has proved hard to combat.
The latest design for the device sounds promising.
They kept quiet about malpractices they discovered in the organisation.
We want our customers to feel confident about shopping here.

2. Resulting verbs:
The property bubbte burst, gLobat markets got nervous and unemptoyment jumped.
Att of the bidders remained keen, even when credit markets turned sour.
Seasonat ctothing prices have becorne more votatite.

66 lntermediate Business Grammar

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lrasxs

Eiercise 1

How many phrases can you make by combining the verbs in the lefthand coLumn with the adiectives
in the rig'hthand coLumn below?

feeL opti mistic/pessimistic

sound rig ht/wrong
[ook wiLd
tu rn itt
p r0ve happy/u nha ppy
run sweet/bitter
become sce pti ca L

seem co nfi de nt
appear crazy
taste absu rdlsensi bte
fa[[
g0

;Exeqcise,2,
complete the following sentences by choosing the most appropriate ending
1. Share prices are very voLatite and 4. PauLa has read the report on the product
the market and says she
a. has grown pessimistic. a. sounds interesting.
b. appears stabte. b. feets good.
c. looks retaxed. c. remains pessimistic.
2. The company has invested a lot in new 5. After a good start the project
products and everyone a, went wrong.
a. appears interestrng. b. fel.L iU.. '
b. appears confident. c. sounded critrcat.
c. is il.L.
3. After tooking at the spLendid resutts ARDILLA INVERSIONES (IBERICA)
Calle Gerona 46, Earcelona,SPain
the Board Ms May Ling-Wu
a. is becoming anxious. Head of Financial Pianning
Ardilla lnvestments (USA)
b. proved right. Stephenson Building
c. fee[s excited about future prospects 220-228 Colorado Boulevard
Ohio

4th October 20_ _

Exercise 3 1

Dear Ms Ling-Wu
Complete the Letter by adding an
appropriate form of the correct verb Thank you for your letter of 8th October

from the list below. Use each word once As you know the prospects for a good return on investments in
Spanish companies have sour.There is a lot of instability
remain turn feel be aboutas a consequence of changes in exchange rates and a general
prove look run sound loss of confidence. Share prices have wild, with some
companies showing large gains and othel falls.

On thetelephone yesterdayyou surprised when I told you

Transfen
What is the present economic state
of a country you know welL? Write five
sentences on the present outlook.
thatdidn't
I confident.Myfeelings last week have
right.Things bad just now so probably our analysis will
pessimistic. Even the large investment houses
very sceptical about prospects in the short term.
I will contact you at the end ofthe week but I don't expect prospects
to improve until interest rates fal!.

ExampLe: Regards

The economy tooks strong iust now. Maria tsabelVaoqucz

Maria lsabel Vasquez
lnvestments Consultant

www.nhantriviet.com 67
 UNIT Have, Have Got and Get

31 Unit
Unit
Unit
5
6
7
The present perfect simpLe
The present perfect continuous
The past perfect

. The brokerage firm didn't have enough tirne to update

its market commentary.
' lnvestors have gotquite a bit of protection against
norsiig urrt.
' on Friday, we got the news that unemptoymint naa"
srrot uf.in o.,ob".. when can you get
November's unemptoyment figures to us?

H Fonm

have had had

don't/doesn't have didn't have hasn't/haven't had
doldoes subject have? did subject have? have/has subject had?
get got got
don't/doesn't get didn't get hasn't/haven't got
do/does subject et? did subject ? have/has sub got?
1' Have is both a fut[ verb and an auxitiary. IFor the forms
of the auxitiary see Unit 5.) The
negative and question forms of the fuLl.verb have
foLLowthe normaI patterns:see the
tabte above.
2' Get is a fuLL verb' The negative and question forms
fottow the normaI patterns, so the
form have got is in effeclthe present perfect of get.

C U!-e-s
1. Have. we use the appropriate forms of do and
did in negatives and questions.
We don't have a representative on the board.
[not: We haven't a representative on the board.]
Do you have an agent who has given you good
service in the past?
[nof: Have you an agent who haigiven you good service
in the past?J
some committee members didn't have a chance
to question the interviewee.
[not: they hadn't a chance to question the interview...i--
Did you have a chance to think about the investment?
[not: Had you a chance to think about the investment?]
2' Get' ln the present, past and past perfect, the main
meaning of get is 'receive, or .obtain,
A: How often do you get a statement from the bank?
B: I get a statement every month.
A: And when did you get your last statement?
B: I got one on Monday. At that time, I had just got
a new [oan.
The present perfect have got means'have', i.e.
with a present meaning:
ln terms of advertising, ye have got a very
heatthy budget for this year.
Have they got their new financial, product Lut yet? - --J:

cf. Didthey get their [ast financiat product out

in time?
[not: Had they got their [ast financia[ product?)

68 lntermediate Business Grammar

www.nhantriviet.com
Exercise 1

Write sentences based on the foLLowing prompts.

I. The company/get/new dir^ector/next month. Ipositive)
2. I gellyour Letter/yesterday. ( positive)
I

3. l/just/f i nish/report. Ipositive)

4. The government/get/a workabLe economic p[an. lnegative)
5. 0ur competitors/have/good products/at present. Inegative)
6. You/get/my Letter/yet? [interrogative)
7. TS Corporation/have/ptants in Korea? [interrogative)

Exercise 2
Some of the sentences beLow contain mistakes. UnderLine them and correct them.

1. We have gotten a good deaI from the negotiations.

2. Partour Smith had major [osses [ast year.
3. They hadn't a good management organisation.
4. Had they the same director then as now?
5. We've got a new poticy on sales discounts.
6. Had you got any benefit from the training course you did [ast week?
7. Have you an agent in Morocco?
8. I got your letter this morning.

Exercise 3
You have heard that a
You Harrow lLondonl
company called Harrow se/ls
automotive parts in Japan. Harrow/manufacturing pLant/Japan?
You telephone Harrow at their
London office to ask about
\,.
their operations in Asia.
From where/Japanese ,r''
saLes reps/get/Harrow goods?
Nor... We/have/ptant in Seout
Reco nstruct the d i alog u

based on the folLowing

e
Harrow/agents l)apan?
,' )
prompts. \ yes/agents.
No soLe distributor/Japan
Thank you. Goodbye ,,r'

Transfer
Describe the production and distribution network of any companyyou know.

piant domestic

parent company sote distributsr

agenls sote distributor

Begin, for exampLe, as foLLows

'ABC It has a domestic distribution network ...'
has a plant in etc.

wwui.nhantriviet.com 69
 UNIT Make vs. Do

32 Unit 16 Verb + object + infinitive

. He made a preparing his tax return.

. The productmistake
recatls did tastiig aam.g" to the
. t, What does your company do? business.
B: we make the components that do the catcutations
in computers and mobite phones.

B Form
Past tense for"r:n otthe verh
Past participte form of thE ver:b
make
de
d made
did
done

C Uses-,
There are no clear ru[es about the
meanings of make and do. Genera[ty,
when there is an end product, e.g.
rnut.. profit, make. _irt.t ., and weweuseuse make
the activity is an end in itsetf, ..gi " do when
Oo iu.ln".., d".l;;.-
Below is a list of common combinations:
do
accounts/budget/forecast business
the
damage
anexercise a f
repairs , ,rru,fr[ou' *offoo *r::;o
make
an apology an appointment arran
certain a choice a complaint ,:il:[;, a budget/forecast
an effort an enquiry an excuse
friends [with]
a loss a mistake money
an offer
.uuL . progress a report sure
/:t
d l.t
^ ^ --

a trip [someoneJ welcome work [for others)

Notes
Notice the difference between thebe
sentences:
We do atl the forecasts in Novembe..
i= Oo the activity)
I am going to make a forecast at the
next meeting. [J present the end_product)

70 lntermediate Business Grammar

www.nhanriviet.com
'Exercise 1

Which of these are correct?

1. The Chairman made a [ong speech.

2. He said the company did a good profit in the year.
3. He said the companywoutd remain independent, though a [arge competitor had made
an offer to buy a 25 per cent stake in the company.
4. The sharehoLders coutd do a choice between independence and prosperity or the
uncertainty of being taken over by a [arge multinationat.
5. The Chairman said thatthosewho recommended setling shareswere making a big mistake
6. He betieved that independently the company couLd stit[ make progress.
7. ldid a trip in South America and was made wetcome everywhere lwent.
8. They made the repairs without doing any comp[aints.

Exel.cise 2
0pposite is a list of nouns each of which can be an exercise a favour speech a plan
a
used with make or do. Decide which can progress money damage a decision
be used with make, and which with do. an appointment a profit a compLaint a job

Exercise 3

To: n.orq
Look at the emaiL opposite then
From: n.or9 answer the questions which folLow.
Subject: Re: Market Research
1. What is the choice HaI has to make?
Oear Anthony,
We have to make a choice between two market research r1
n 2. Has Bow made an offer?
organisations, Arow and Bow. Bow have made us an offer ii 3. S/hat does Hat know about Arrow?
but they are very expensive. Arow do very good work and
ii
are cheaper. I will make an effort to visit them but I haven't
4. What must HaIdo before she visits
made an appointment yetCould you do me a favour and tell il Arrow?
me ifyou know any reason why we shouldn't use Anow? We
lt 5. What does Hal.want Anthony to do?
don't want to make any mistakes on this.
Thank, U
Hal : MON'DO INTERNAT1ONAL

Ar Elchctrmld 270
Kilse!
113902
G€mery
Exercise 4 Mondo Sport Surfaces
I 200 Laird Boulevard
Here is a letter from a Production Washington DC
Manager to a colLeague in a subsidiary of 38632 USA

a synthetic sports surfaces manufacturing 12 May 20_-

company. The company is deveLoping
Dear Bernadette,
a new kind of surface for tennis courts
Re: Tennis SSR567 Project
but is having problems.
Further to my telephone call last week, there
in the spaces in the Letter with an
FiLL is some more news I have to tell you.
appropriate form of make or do. We a mistake in the initial
design stage. We need to some more
research on the effects of high temperatures
on the surface areas. Please
arrangements for a new test in the Schuster
Laboratories. I have enquiries
Have you made any trips, appointments, about exactly what we need to and
presentations or important decisions Lately? Uli and Rosa are going to contact me as soon
as they ... . a decision on the tests.
Have you made any mistakes or made Please sure Gerd knows about the
delay and tell him we'll our best
any excuses? to resolve the problem as soon as possible.
Have you done anyone a favour or done
Regards,
any damage to anything?
Have you done any good recentLy?
y'A.*o*Pt *1"",..,
Marcus Pressman
Assistant Director of Production

www.nhantriviet-rom 71
 UNIT Verb + Preposition

33 Unit
Unit 26
'13
Verb ...ing
Verbs of speaking

' I agree with you on the need to update our

course content.
' The security of the annuity depends on the issurng-rnsurer.
' we look forward to having them as long-term p"rin"ii
in the growth of our business.
' Not alt customers have paid for goods ind services
ieieivea.

, g-;, Por, ;
Prepositionatverb phrases take two forms:
1. verb + preposition + prepositionaI object
We apotogise for any inconvenience caused
by the detay.
--'-'
2. verb + preposition + infinitive form of the verb
.'..ing
They succeeded in boosting pre-tax profits.
Note
where a preposition is fot[owed by a verb, the verb
form is atways infinitive form of the verb . tng

C Uses
For a [ist of the more common prepositionaI
verbs, see Appendix 1.
Note
We do not use a preposition after these verbs:

anSWer: The best way to answer that question/you

is to use another exampte.
ask: Excuse me. l'd tike to ask you a question, ptease.
cf: l'd like to ask you for some more information.
'ask for' .,vs -= r'indirect
r[,you, Iu, s object;
= prepositional verb]
catt/phone/ring: Ptease could you catUphone/ring me back
later.
discuss: They won't discuss the terms otine agreement.
enter: No one can enter the hospitat, and sta-ff
and patients
have been banned from
leaving.
meet: We are to meet a delegation from China.
[BrEj
We are to meet with a detegation from
China. [AmEJ
reach: when we reached the airport, we discovered
that our ftight had been
cancetled.
suit: As an occasional user, a pre-paid card
tet[:
wilt suit you best.
I totd the foreign bankers thai they
lent at their own risk.

72 lntermediate Business Grammar

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TA5K5

1
iExercise
FiLl in the missing prepositions.

1. toagree someone 8. to rely someone

2. to attow somethrng 9. to wait someone

3. to apotogise something 10. to agree something

4. to consist something 11. to appLy something

5. to hear something 12. to approve something

6. to look something 13. to depend somethrng

7. to refer s0meone 14. to insist something

Exercise 2
Two managers are discussing a strike by lorry hope for agree to hear about
drivers working for road hauLage companies. insist onamount to
Complete the spaces in the diaLogue by seLecting alLow for depend on wait for
an appropriate form of the torrect verb from those think about rely on
given here. The first two have been done for you.

A: Have you heardabout the road transport strike?

B: Yes, lt's terribLe. We rety on the drivers for at[ our components.
A: We shoutd using our own drivers.
B: That whether they wou[d be happy to drive during a strike.
A: We can them meeting their contractuaI obligations!
B: Yes, but we have to the probtems they coutd meet on the roads.
A: That supporting the strrkel
B: Perhaps. Anyway, we should have a meeting with our drivers and a simple
sotution.
A: Yes, they might move our components.
B: lf not, we'[[ have to the end of the strike

Transfer
Think of your awn family or the place where you work or where you study, or your country.
Write six sentences with verb + preposition combinations.

ruww.nhantriviet.com 73
 UNIT Verb + Object + preposition

3lr Unit
Unit 26
16
Verb ...ing
Verb + s[js61 + infinitive
Verbs of speaking

.'
canadian rules prevert foreigners from b^uying
l01trot of pubtishing
companies.
They were accused of evadin! more
than $525,000 in income taxes.
.'
consumers preferred our-poiato chips to
pr.aLl"Juv our main competitor.
The company has spent a fortune on fno.se
new technotogy.

Object + prepositionaIverb phrases take

two forms:
1. Verb + object + preposition + prepositionaL
object
protect us from unfair competition
2' Verb + object + preposition + infinitive
foim of the verh inn
prevent us from entering the Japahes;;;;k;t
Note
where a preposition is followed by a verb,
the verb for-m is always infinitive form
of the verb ...ing

C':-,Ui'ei
For a [ist of the more common examp[es
of object + prepositionaI verb, see Appendix
2.
Notes
1' The preposition from is used after'disabr.ing'verbs
such as:
prohibit restrain forbid prevent ban veto
.
Engineers kept rework!ng stop
products, which prevented th-em
trom getting to market.
2' The'enabting'verbs, on the other hand,
allow authorjse. he]p permittakeenabLe an oblect + infinitive. EnabLing verbs are:
' -'rnrourrgu
. hetped
A major commerciaI. bank us to fund product u"n"ropr"nt.

74 lntermediate Business Grammar

www.nhantriviet.com
1!iergise. ! I

Belaw are six exampLes of the construction verb + object + preposition. They have been mixed up.
Rearrange and add to them to create six correct sentences. The first has been done foryou.
accused our competitors into the eventuaL users
spend with investment
prevent product A on two parts
divide Large sums to stea Lin g
compare the tatk from product B
expta in the software gaining an advantage

t. He accused me of steating. 4. They'lt ...

2. I want to ... 5. We ...
3. Let me ... 6. We must...

Exq,rcise 2
The extract opposite is from a letter in which a We regret rhar we need co remind
the terms of rhe contracc when
campany is unhappy about the quality of service
you supplied rhe goods. Accord.ng ro
provided by an electricaL components Anicle 31 Paragraph 4 you would provide
manufacturer FiLL in'the spaces with suitable full insri.ucrions on
words from those given here. rhe inscallation of rhe H50. Your
representative, Mr Yogi, has consistenriy
failed to explain
our rechnicians.
the matter to
y0u to Six weeks ago we preferred

the instattation with rival products, Ur, cn" i.iri..

you have provided is lamenrable. lf chis
u5 to
problem is nor resolved immediacely and tc
the H50 of our total satisfaction, we will have ro
refer _.,_._. ,_- *._ .-_ ,-,--_-.__ .._- our lawyers.
--
Exercise 3
Read the foLLowing diaLogue

AC: I've compared the NdLovu products with Rosario's and have reached a ctear decision
I prefer the Ndlovu ones. Howeveq they are more expensive.
BR: So, you't[ have to convince me of the benefits.
AC: Ndl.ovu is better - I think by 20 per cent.
BR: Coutd you remind me of the cost difference?
To:

AC: $23 per unit. From: a.curran@solutionslive-(ofr

BR: Hmmm. We're spending a lot of money on this 5ubject: Ndlovu products

'so the decision is very important. Can you tet[

me about the benefits of the Ndtovu product?
AC: I think it's a better design - it'l.L be easier to use
BR: 0kay, if you prefer Ndtovu to the others that's
okay. Wil.L you tet[ Pat about this?
AC; Sure, l't[ send an emaiI right away.
Now write the short email to Pat, telling her of the decision reached

lranster
When did you last remind someone of something? What was it?
When did you Last accuse someone of something? What was it?
When did you last provide someone with something? What was it?
When did you Last teLl someone about something? What was it?
When did you Last interest someone in something? What was it?
When did you Last convince someone of something? What was it?

www.nhantriviet.com 75
UNIT Verb + Adverb [phrasat Verbl

35
' Emproyees must fitt in a form if they
want to opt out of the pension
scheme.
' we have had a lot or requests to put on
trade rlrnii"iu for smat[ businesses.
.'
The ptan wirt speed up the cor.eciion
p.yr"iii.;'t-rom targe companies.
Union members voted to turn down "f
a pay offer of 3o/o.
' T"n'
applicants turn up for intervie*!
*ittr riiti; id;; of what the organisation job
or is tike
ts horm
Verb + adverb phrases are atso ca[[ed
phrasarr*.0r. tr,"y consist of:
y-9fb * adverb [+objecti + rest of sentence
fi*' in a forrn th.ey wantto ipt out of the pension
turn up ]f
for in-terviews
scheme
The fo[lowing atternative word order
is atso possible:
verb+adverb+object
fitL in a forrn
verb+object+adverb
fitt a forrn in
verb + object pronoun + adverb
fitt it in
Inof : fiLl. in it]

Common adverbs used in phrasaIverbs

are:
ab.out aLong away back
off on out over rounddown
through
forward tn
up

C Llses'
Some phrasaIverbs keep the individual.
m.eanings of the verb and the
Much of the equiprnent is being orougnt adverb:
back across the border.
phrasaIverbs have a different meaning
from the individuaI parts:
'ther
Managers are anxious to bring about a turn"around
in p"rio.r"nce. lbring about
= cause]
ln styte most phrasaIverbs are informa[,
atthough this does not mean
they are uncommon.
For a Iist of the more common phrasaIverbs,
see Appendix 3.

76 intermediate Business Grammar

www.nhantriviet.com
TA5K5

Exercise 1

Match the verbs on the left with a phrasaL verb on the right which means the same.

a rrive caLt off

ca use send back
d iscover turn up
stop working bring about
close [a factory) find out
abandon [a meeting) shut down
complete [a formJ break down
reject Igoods received) fiLt in

Exercise 2
Read the formal report. ln the diaLogue which The pump slopped vrorkinq and so tl e sipenrisor stopFed
pro-duclion.. Marntenance staif examined ihe u/nole pump
folLows, two peopLe discuss the report.

Fill in the spacps with phrasal verbs which mean

the same as the non-phrasaL verbs in the report.

Tomas: What happened?

Janet: First the pump and so the supervisor
p rod uctio n.
Tomas: Then what?
Janet: We the pump assembty and saw
that the ftow into the pump was too fast.
Tomas: And did that a pressure buiLd-up?
Janet: WeLL, I think so, yes.

Exercise'3
Here is an extract from a teLephone conversation.
Date: Jan 26 20 10
Jean: 0h, tetl Eva that if she comes atong next To: eva.von.heiine@xrz.com

week, l'Lt be pteased to look over the resuLts From: <dengineering.com

with her. lt Ccesn't mattei-w'he;i, she cai-r Subject: Next Week
just turn up any day. 0h, and tetl her Tom
is going to come atong tomorrow. A[so, tet[
her next Monday's saLes meeting has been
catted off.
Write a brief emaiL to Eva giving her the required
information from this extract. Use non-phrasaL verbs.

Transfei
Answer the foLLowing questions usrng phrasal verbs
in your answer instead of the underLined non-phrasaL
verbs. The first has been done for you.

1. When did you take possession of the house you

now live in?
I moved in to my present house in January of
tast year.
2. When was the [ast time you invented an excuse for not doing something?
3. When was the [ast time someone arrived unexpectedLyto see you?
4. Give an exampLe of something surprising that you discovered recentty.
5. Have you ever rejected an offer of work?

www.nhantriviet.com 77
 UNIT Sentence TypBS - Simpte and Comptex
36
* . .si rii[ ti ;idii"n -qes,
.
Managers ptan activities.
'
Managers plan activities but must atso ptay personne[
a role.
'
Ar[ managers are invorved in personnet mitters
u"..ur. they must
ensure that each team member operates
efficientty.
g:'P6i111jr

A simpte sentenllgo.mprises jusflone

ctause, i.e. with one verb phrase:
Managers ptan activities.
A comptex sentence comprises more
than one c[ause, i.e. with more than one
we connect the clauses by coordination, su-bordination verb phrase.
or'generaL purpose'connectors.
Managers ptan activities but must atso ptay
a p".ronn"iiole. {coordination with butJ
A1[ managers are invotved in personnet'mitters
member operates efficienil,y. [s u b o rd n a tio
bd;;;th"y must ensure that each team
i n with U"..
company which mares ;;"p,,r;;
r..i'
desktop pubrishins proEram.
;::XJ.li:it;i;'#lXrl*
C,,:Uteg,
1. A simp[e sentence can be a statement,
a question, a command or an exctamation:
Switzerland teads the world in farm subsidies.
[statementl
"
Who teads the wortd in farm subsidies?
f qr.rii"ni-'-
Don't sign the new account agreement immediatety.
What a waste of taxpayers, ,on"y this Icommand]
is! f
2' we can use coordination to connect clauses
.r.t.r.ii."l
with the coordinating conjunctions and,
The card a[ows a user to spend first or or but:
and pay later.
to
', H:rT; tt"r.::::*'ration connect ctauses with subordinatins conjunctions, e.g. when,
bonds are more attractive to investors
because there is less currency risk.
*olTo-o"nominated
1' we can use a simp[e.statement or question
in a presentation to get the audience.s
We are on the right track. attention:
When witt the date be fixed?
2' coordination is often more vague, less emphatic
than subordination:
we witl review our recruitme-nt poticy
rear. we hope to make a clear decision and
imptement it by the middte of June ana1e1t
snouto r"" ilr" I"rrlts by the end of
cf we wi[[ review our recruitment policy next yeai. the year.
decision which we can impLement uv ttre
Ai;;i time we hope to make a ctear
mioal. ot irii.Jr,"r"to." we should see results
by the end of the year.
subordination reduces the subordinated
ctause to a less important rote, and thereby
retative importance of the two pieces " ", shows the
of inf;;;i;;.'"""
, lwho and whichJ have an unemphatic connectins
I;;.:ffi::.llr,L:.,::.".jors effect,
Banks wilt have to offer better deals
to customers, who wir,r be empowered
Banks witt have to offer better deals to shop around more.
around more.
to customers, .;; ;;y
y, v,,s rrrt, witl
wrlr be
ue empowered
srnpowereo to shop
4' After a coordinating conjunction, we
can om.lt the foLLowing sentence etements if they are
the same as in the mainctause. We
can omit:
a. thesubject b. theauxil.iaryormodatverb c. thetofromtheinfinitive.
We can send your order by post or
detiver it ourselves. [we can is omitted]
We woutd like to make a sma[ donation
on show our appreciation in some way. lto is
Tg omitted)
intenniedjate Buslness Gremmar vlwvrr.nhantriyie_i.ccm
 Read the advertisement for a clothing
manufactu rer.

There are eight sentences in the

a dverti se me nt. C La ss ify th e m a cco rdi n g
to the foLLowing sentence types.

A Simpl.e statement sentence

B Simpl.e interrogative sentence
C negative sentence
Simpl.e
D exclamative sentence
Simpl.e
E Complex sentence with subordinate ctause
. F Comptex sentence with retative ctause

Below are pairs of simpLe senfences. Join them together to form compLex sentence.s using the
method indicated in brackets.
1. We are reorganising the department. We are recruiting new staff. Icoordination)
2. We are advertising for a new computer anatyst. lrene has retired. (subordination)
3. The position is at supervisory leveL. The position carries a high saLary. (retative pronoun)
4. We need a young person. We need a skiIted programmer. IreLative pronoun)
5. We wiLt advertise in various countries. We witLadvertise in speciaiist journal.s. IcoordinationJ
6. We need someone with experience. We don't need a comptete expert. [subordination]

Exerclse J
1. Here is some information about a Research
Department in a smaIL telecommunications
company. The information is presented first in a
paragraph containrng five simpLe sentences. Then
in an improved version, the same information is
presented in onLy two compLex sentences, but the
paragraph is irtcompiere. Compiete this version by
putting one word in each space.
We need to increase the quaLity of our research wiLLbe expensive. 0ur present
research, a nevy pocket-sized communications device,
potentiatty very exciting a major technotogicaI advance is possibl.e.
2. Now Look at the paragraph opposite in which
an employee taLks about her company. How
many sentences are there? Are they simple
or compLex?

BeLow is the same paragraph, rewritten using

complex sentences. Complete it by fiLLing in one
word for each space.
'l work for ABC makes mechanical eLectricaI parts for automobites.
We sell.throughout Europe Asia, not in America. Our biggest
customers, Japanese, some of the best known car
manufacturers in the world.'

.Traqsfq.r
Write a similar paragraph about a company that you know weLl. lncLucie contplex sentences.

wwiL:.n nan triviet.com 79

 UNIT Connecting ldeas

37
a The product was launched ten years
ago, at a time when competition
Therefore it was difficutt for uito g"ift,; was fierce.
commitment or ari Jur senior management.
addition' bank interest rates made-it tr"ra rn
ro. us to gei ihe-i'"-.lrr.ry financiat
especialty since they were very high backing,
initiatty.

E, rorm
,

There are four main ways of connLcting

cl.auses:
1. Coordination with and, or or but
[see Unit 36J.
, *,,n a subordinatins conjunction,
e.s. when, thoush, because
;::TT[1,;;..
3. GeneraI purpose' connectors with who and
which fsee Unit 42].
4. AdverbiaL connectors, e.g. so, yet,
then.
bv either a full stop [.J or a semi-coron
lffiiiH:1::"r;::.T:t'd (;J and then connected by

at a time when competition was fierce'

Thereforeit was difficult for us get
commitment of att our senior managemen to the
l. ln additior, i.nr interest rates made
us to get the necessary financiat
bacling, it hard for
were very high initiatty.
"tp"riili "iri.l',n"v
,.9,$!s
methods to express the same sentences
[::1?.[iff.-rm*:tins and ideas.
The mobire-phone business is stilt
ctauses are given equaI or simitar
o""r:? ,,, rndia but growth there is stowing.
importancej [coordinated
Although the mobile-phone uusineslis
stitl booming in lndia, growth there
lsubordinated ctause is reduced t. . L=, is stowing.
important ro[e)
The mobite-phone business is stitibooming
in lnOiai-i'o*"n"r,growth there
in [onger stretches of [anguage to
inoL.t. tfie retationsn-rf, il"t*..n sentencesis stowing. Itypicat
and ideasJ
Betow are some of the more common
adverbiaI connectors:

therefore SO
as a resu[t
yet however
then in that case
simi[arly in the same way
a nr//ay at any rate
in fact a ctua Lly as a matter of fact
instead a [ternative ly
a [so in addition too
to sum up ove ra [[ in brief/short
in conctusion f ina tty tastty
in other words that means namety
for exampl.e for instance such as as fol.lows
in particutar especia Ity
usua lLyln o rma LLy as a rute in generaI
o bvio u s[y naturatly of ccurse

B0 lntermediate Business Grammar

urww.nhantriviet.com
Exercise 1

BeLow are sixteen common adverbial connectors. The list contains eight pairs of connectors
with a similar meaning. ldentify the eight pairs. The first has been done for youl
in the same way [1) to sum up too finalLy
aLternatively aLso yet similarly [1]
naturaLly however Lastly as a rule
of course instead usuaLLy in short

.A
Exerctse I
The extract beLow is from a presentation in which a manager expLains changes in company
organisation. CompLete the spaces with a word or phrase from the box.
natu ralLy and in general furthermore
for exampLe in addition especiaLLy therefore
but so

ln recent years the company has expanded

the workload for the management has increased. Department and a Human Resources department.
, we have decrded to reorganize our , the Sates & Marketing Department wi[[

management structure. This picture shows the new be divided into two. . a new Management
organisation. Services Department wit[ be created. We betieve
communication channets within the company, witl be
simptified, decision-making witl be more
Fig.l New Management Structure simptified. , decislons which solety
il affect personnel wi[[ now be taken at the [eve[ of
ii Human Resources. , the principLe is that
il decisions shoutd be taken at the lowest practicable
[eve[, those everyday decisions which

@@E@We ptan to divide the present Administration

Managemenl
SeflicB
witlflot atfect the whoteorganization.
the changes wi[[ take some time to be futty
understood, overatl everyone shoutd
notice immediate benefits.
,

Department into two, creating a new Finance

Exercise 3
Connect the ideas in the pairs of sentences beLow using the method shown in brackets.

1. We have an important domestic market. We are also an exporting company. IcoordinatronJ

We have an important domestic market but we are atso an exporting company.

2. We se[l. our goods abroad. We have to set prices with the exchange rates in mind. Icause
and stating the obvious]
3. Ftuctuation in exchange rates causes instabi[ity. lt makes forecasting more difficu[t. Iaddition]
4. We prefer a stabte exchange environment. We have to accept instabitity. [subordination]
5. 0ur best products are severatyears oLd. The F23 was [aunched in2002. Iincl.usion]
6. We need to expand saLes abroad. We need more saLes in America. IhighLight]
7. Sates in [eisure products have increased. We expect a 25 per cent rise during the
summer. Igeneratisatron)

Transfer
Write sentences about a subject or company you know weLL. lncLude adverbiaL
connectors with the folLowing meanings:
1. highIight 2. generatisation 3. contradiction
4. contrast 5. comparison 6. concLusion

wrsw.nhantriviet.com 81
 UNIT Subordinate Ctauses

38
' At the AGM the chairman said that he
presented the results' he invited
was satisfied with the progress
made. After he had
comments and questions from
shareholders could ask for whatever the audience so that the
other informition il,"v wanted.
were good' many sharehol'ders fett Atthough the results
that ttt" iorp"iv."rta have achieved
beiter resutts_

.. 6
..... ..
Form
r;.(...,.r..,r":n;;;:.

Asubordinate ctause depends on a

main clause - it cannot stand by itself as a sentence.
subordinate cLause
After he had presented the resutts,
he invited comments
,. clause starts with one of the fottowing: "#'#"li,:t; from the audience.
L.ai::.,nate
The chairman said that he was satisfied
with the progress made.
b. a subordinating conjunction
sood, manysharehorders fert that the company
fllH:l;:ir:;r.::t,Hre courd have
c. a wh-word
predict when negotiations
a. ]fiffilffatsocouldn't woutd be compteted.
we use this information to find out
what site features are most popurar.
e. a verb .. .lng

- li}!,: tost €6.3 birtion last year, the group is expected to return to profit this year.
Atlanta' the companv provides accounts-payabte
,. f,i::.1j| audit services for retaiters.

companies, prease tick the appropriate

:#:[Ji"'"Y:'#:l""Jtl?liihese box on the
2. ,A subordinate ctause contains:
a. a finite verb in the active or passive:
The chairman said that he was
satisfied with this performance.
b. a non-finite verb, i.e. infinitive, ,".0-_'.rg
or verb ...ed:
we use this information to rino out
wtrai site r"aiuie, are most poputar.
Notes
1' The use of the subjunctive verb forms
is possibte in that ctauses after
demand requirg insist ,uggrrt be necessary/obhgatory the foltowing:
The government demanded that
th'J.orp.ny shut down production for
We suggest that you begin by U"fiig a month.
market values.
The subjunctive has the infinitive "t
form of the verb inaltperson.s.
mainty in formaI sVLe;.in informaI we use the subjunctive
stfte we use
we suggest that you shourd regin-byiooking shoutd + infinitrve:
at market vatues.
The subjunctive is more wideLy
used in American Engl.ish.
2' were subjunctive in ctauses of condition
Llt
lf I were you, t would shut down tf," and contrast is a[so used:
iii and open a new one.
"..ount,

82 lni*rrreciiate Business Gi-an:mar-

www.nhantriviet.com
t\
U leac
IvJsr

Betow are the main types of subordinate clauses.

1. Cause or reason:
The cab cornpanies tike the [aws because they limit competition.
2. Condition:
lf they are more tightly regulated, they could have less scope to make profits.
[see Unit 10]
3. Contrast:
Even though domestic consumption accounts fsr ahout 60 o/o
of GDP, exports produce the
butk of corporate profits.
lsee Unit 43]
4. Purpose:
The union insists that ernptoyees have a large enouEh stake in the transaction so that
'they
can influence major corporate decisions.
5. Result:
The company had invested enough money sa (thatl they could cover their bad debts.
Note that this is drfferent from the adverbiaLconnector of reason so:
The Finance Manager had earned enough money; so he could cover their bad debts.
(see Unit 441

6. Time:
The Hang SenE index rose SYo, afterthe dea{ was announced.
(see Unit 461

7. Reported speech:
She reptied that he wasn't interested in a hostile attempf.
lsee Units 39 and 40]
8. Reported questions:
Mone than 1m depositors want to know why regulators did not discaver the f raud
earlier.
lsee Unit 40J

9. Rel.ative clauses:
The judge ordered the cornpany to postpone its AGM, which had been scheduled
for today.
(see Unit 42]

www.nhantriviet.com 83
 Exercise 1

underLine the subordinate clauses in the foLlowing sentences and then

c:assify them in the tabte
beLow. There is one of each type.

1. The committee met to discuss a river poIution

prob[em.
2' lf the pollution
was caused by tocat industries, ti uv
3. The pottution concerned chemrca[s which had
*.uio have to pay compensation.
leaked rnto the river.
4' The probtem was noticed when dead fish were
found in the river.
5' ALthough companies had strict regutations ,n
il-. lLp"r"i or .n".ica[s, mistakes
occurred.
enquiry asked what traininq workers had
,
9. Ih" been given.
don..*.vir.,ins possiore to avoid rhe reakase of
li:;r::,1r::;?l1iil.on.[.n/r,.0

Exercise 2
Match the cLause on the,Leftwith an appropriate
cLause on the right to create a meaningfultext
The first one has been done for you.

The Chairman said

how Long this wiL[ take.
The industry has suffered setbacks,
to exptain our case.
Now we must rebuiLd our image
the outLook wiil. be bLeak
I don't know
we deserve fair treatment from the press.
ShouLd we fait,
choosing those that witt be most effective.
We need to Look at the aIternatives
some of which coutd have been avoided.
We must take every opportunity
that the industry faced a pubtic
Having exptained our position, re[ations chatlenge.
which is essentiaL for future p rity

Exercise 3
Provide subordinate clauses to combine
with the given main clause. lJse the type of
cLause indicated by the prompt subordinate
in brackets. The first h* irrn'aone for you.
1. The press were criticaI of the company
lcause or reason) -+.staff training [ad not improved
The press were criticat of the .imp"ny
because staff trainlng had not impnoved.
2. The company organised a press conference
tpurposeJ -+ anSWer criticisms
3. The chairman said
lreported speechJ + safety record retatively good

84 . r.-,.''; - i : ::..' ...:., ?.:-i..-:..r-a

,..,rr;r.,i1"_.i1..;,,.€:.:_,.;^^
 4. The Heatth & Safety Executive supported the company
[timeJ -r they investigated safety procedures
5. Every precaution had been taken
Iresu[t] '+ management confident
5. The press wrote artictes
Iretative ctause] + exaggerated probtems
7. .. . accidents can sti[[ happen.
lcontrast] + company carries out regutar checks

Write three senfences about the political or economic situation in your country.
lncLude different kinds of subordinate cLause.

Example:
Atthough the government tries to improve heatth care, there are many probtems. They
build more hospitats to treat more patients. lf the government spent more on heatth
education, the cost of treating peopte woutd fall.

ryww.nhantriviet.com 85
 UNIT Reported Speech [11

39
see also
Unit 26 Verbs of speaking
Unit 27 Verbs of reporting
[Jnit 40 Reported speech [2J

A Sampte sentences
. They say that they witt consider the deat.
. He mentioned that he was a software professional.
' promised that it woutdn't ouy more
tt an 19.9%of the jewetry company,s
H:..""r:.iter
B Form ;
Reported speech takes two forms:
1. A main c[ause with a verb of spbaking/asking +
a subordinate c[ause:
main clause subordinate cLause
They say that they witl consider the deat.
2' A main ctause with-a.verb.of speaking/asking +
an infinitive with to [see Unit 40):
He asked us to hetp him deveiop thjmanagement
team.
lndirect speech is derived from direct speech:
He said, 'We have considered the deati.
[direct speechJ
He said that they had considered the aeal (indii!.i.p"".frf
The basic rute to determine the tense of the
verb in the subordinate ctause is as foI Iows

Tense of uerb/ Tense of verb

of speaking in of words spoken 1.t r
direct speech --- past
past perfe-r
+
--> ^
fruJ
past or past Berfect
perfecr -- * pasl perfecl
would ,

Direct speech
lndirect speech
She says, 'We have a deat.,
She says (thatl we have a deat.
She said, 'We have a deat.,
She said lthatl we had a deat.
She said, 'l have made a dea[.,
She said that she had made a deal.
She said, 'l wiU, confirm the deat next week.,
She said that she would confirm the deaL
the
fottowing week.
Other changes are to the pronouns and the
time adverbials.

Note
The tense of the words sp oken does not
change where the words spoken are stit[
He said, 'The accou nting statement witt true
not show a c harge for the resource.,
He said the accounting statement witt
not show a charge for the resource.
been subm itted yet.) [The statement hasn.t

C Uses
A tist of common verbs of speaking
to introduce reported statements is given in Appendix
4.
B6 lnte:-;neciai: Br:siness Gran.:ma:
w.n hantrl,;iei.corn
 Below is an extract from a newspaper report on
a politicaL meeting. Complete the spaces with an
ask warn beLieve say remind
appropriate form of one of the verbs from the box.
The Minister the audience that 20 years ago things were very different. He
the time had come to face reatities and he we had to choose
between cooperation or isotation. He that major prob[ems woul.d arise if we made
the wrong choice and if we wanted to be an isolated and friendtess country.

Exercise 2
Here is an interview between a journalist and a rise predict continue ask change
Finance Minister. Complete the newspaper report say work
which follows by adding an appropriate verb.

J: Has the poLicy of the government changed?

M: No, we are working towards increasing the qual.ity of services and making
-'the
economy strong.
Jt What do you predict as a [eve[ of inf[ation over the next 12 months?
M: lnflation witLcontinue at present [eve[s - about 2.5 per cent.
Jt Are you confident that economic growth witl remain strong?
M: Economic growth is now at 2 per cent and shoutd rise to 4 per cent over the coming year.
if the pol.icy of the government , the Minister the
government towards increasing the quatity of services and making the economy
strong. He that inflation at present levels - around 2.5 per cent -
and economic growth, now at 2 per cent, to 4 per cent.

Here is an extract from a teLephone conversation between a

fashion designer, Marianne, and a clothes manufacturer, Juan.

Marianne: Did you get the photographs I sent? MODA SPECIALE

Via Vittorio Emanuele ll 2OO
Juan: Yes they were reatty good. I [iked them a [ot. 34000 Milano
. L^- --^,,^, ^^*:^- !^ lr:'--a Telelono 39 (2) 56567888
l\uv!
^l^,^, - vvi rcr I or tr yurt LUt I til 19 Lu lvll[ol i I Fa 39 (2J 56785490

Marianne: Soon, next month maybe, I'tI come at the end Rel: JS/23i04

of the month. Dear Rina

Juan: And witl. you bring the new designs? I spoke to Marianne y€sterday I told hsr
Marianne 0f course! Not onty the designs, I'l.Lbring the the photographs. Sh€ sid to Milil
clothes. They're aLready made and you can at the €nd o, next month. She d$ sid
see them whenever you Like.
the designs ad the finished clothes. She . -._ - -- ,
m6 to Emind you that She Baid you
Juan: I know Rina wants to see them. l'LLtetl her in her

you're coming next month. bank last Tuesday but arrived.

Marianne: Fine. 0h, by the way, Rina stiLl. owes me some

Finally, she if you call her
money, you know. I think she has probabLy She $id Friday.
forgotten. She said the money woul.d be in my
bank tast Tuesday and it hasn't arrived yet.

k
Ciao
Juan: 0kay, l'LL teIL her. That's al.L, isn't it?
Marianne: Yeah, I think so. Can you ask Rrna to caL[
me? l'tt be in at[day Friday.
Juan: Okay, I LLte[L her. Bye for now.

Write a brief letter to Rina teLLing her the detaiLs of this conversation. Use the letter above as
an outline.

www.nhantriviet.com 87
UNIT RePorted SPeech [21

lr0 Unit
Unit 27
Unit 39
26 Verbs of speaking
Verbs of reporting
Reported speech [1)

a Iwarned them not to discuss the project with other government agencies
a The group toLd pubtic sector investors to sel,L their stakes in other funds'
o The company asked the union to.reduce its demands'
;

B Fonrn
See Unit 39

'i,iUitj
speech:
ln addition to reported statements, there are the fol.l.owing types of reported
t. Reported commands:
She totd them to improve their performance'
The court ordered them to pay $9 bittion in damages'
a month. Isubjunctive)
The government demanded-ttrat the company shui down production for
Al.istofcommonverbsofcommandingisgiveninAppendix5.
2. Reported requests:
The company asked the union to reduce its demands'
A List of common verbs of requesting is given in Appendix 5'
3. Reported questions:
There are two types of direct questions lsee Unit 41J:
wh-questions', e.g. When witt tne growth of the core domestic business begin
to slow?
- yes/no questionsl e.g. Does your company try to devetop leaders wherever it operates?
-
ln reported wh-questions, we use the wh-question word:
He asked when ihe growth of the core domestic business woutd begin
to stow.
ln reported yes/no questions, we use if or whether:
She asked iilwtretner our company tried to devetop leaders wherever it
operated.

Al'istofCommonverbsofquestioningisgiveninAppendix5.
4. Other rePorted forms:
bank.
The Bani<ing Commissioner urged them not to putt their funds out of the
they had received a takeover proposat.
He cautioned them not to disctose that

A List of otherverbs of reporting is given in Appendix 5'

urww.nhantriviet.com
88 lnternnediate Busine ss Gramrnar
TASKS

Underline the verbs of speaking in the following text and classify them as:
- verbs of speaking
- verbs of commanding
- verbs of requesting
- verbs of questroning

Exercise 2
Are the f oLlowing sentences right or wrong? lf wrong, correct them.

1. The company has totd to adopt Vision 2020 as our aim for the next five years.
2. Vision 2020 urges that we adopt a range of internaI measures to improve productivity
and quatity throughout the company.
3. lndividual. managers are asked to imptement Vision 2020in their own departments.
4. Having presented the po[icy in outtine, managers have asked their teams what training
wouLd they [ike.

5. Most teams have asked to not have theoreticaI training courses.

6. ln fact they have atl' suggested to have project groups to exptore the best way to
impLement Vision 2020.

Exercise 3
Report the folLowing exchange between a training manager and a personnel manager. You need to
choose an appropriate verb of speaking to introduce each sentence. The first sentence has been done
for you.

PM: When wit[ the new training programme be introduced?

TM: I don't know. But we have approached a number of outside
training organisations.
PM: Could I see the [ist of supptiers?
TM: Yes, l'Ll. let you see the detaits.
PM: Why don't we make a finaI decision together?
TM: Wett, I prefer to make the finaI decision myse[f.
The Personnel Manager asked when the new training woutd be introduced ...

Transfer
Write a report of a face-to-face conversation that you have had with someone in your company.

www.nhantriviet.com 89
UNIT Questions

41 Unit 39
Unit 40
eech l1l
Reported speech {2)

A Sampte sentences
A: Who approved this order?
B: I'm afraid I real,l,y have no idea.
A: lt was Jim, wasn't it?
B: Jim, you approved this order?
C: Yes, I did. Why? ls there a problenn?
A: Yes, hatf of the goods haven'Lbeen detivered.
C: Yes, I know. But coutd you just look at the accompanying note?
!t explains everything.

B Foim'
There are three forms of question:
- direct questions
- indirect questions
- statement questions [+ question tag)
1. Direct questions
There are two types of direct questions:
- wh-questions, which start with a wh-question word Iincluding how)
Who approved this order?

- yes/no questions, where the answer is yes or no:

ls there a problem? - Yes.
Note that aLternative questions have the same form as yes/no questions:
Did Heten or Peter check the batance? - Peter.
The basic ruLes to form a question are shown in the fLowchart bel.ow.

Select question word(s)

Subject?

Word order = question word Look at verb

(+ noun) + verb phrase

phrase
includes a modal

Select form of do

Change verb phrase to appropriate

form of do + stem

Word order =
question word (+ noun) + modal auxiliary + subject + other elements of verb plurals

90 lntermedrate Business Grammar www.nhantriviet.com

 2. lndirect questions
lndlrect questions comprise:
word lwh-, if or whether]
- a questionwith
- a c[ause the verb in statement word order:
I don't know which resutts you are tatking about. [not: are you talking about]
But could you tett me where I can find the best dea[? [not: can I find)
3. Statement questions
There are two types of statement questions:
- a statement with rising intonation:
Jim, you approved this order?
+ question tag:
- a statement
Jim, you approved this order, didn't you?
Jim, you didn't approve this order, did you?

C Uses
1. Direct questions
Betow are the main wh-questions according to question word:

a. Asking about peopte - who, whom:

Who approved this order? [who asks about the subject.l
Wholml are you going to visit in Japan? [ln normaI speech we use who to ask about
the object as wett; in formal speech and writing we use whom.)
Wholml did you ptace the order with? [ln normaI speech we use who to ask about
the prepositional object; in formaI speech and writing we use whom.)
With whom did you go to France? lwhom asks about the prepositionaI object.
This structure is more formaI than the previous one.)
b. Asking about things - which, what:
Which assets have performed best? [which + noun asks about the subject.]
What did you decide in the tast meeting? fwhat asks about the object.)
c. Asking about the time - when, (atl what time:
When do you expect to break even?
lAtlwhat time/when did you leave the office? (specific ctock timel
d. Asking about the ptace - where:
Where did you buy the new comPuters?
e. Asking for the reason - whY:
Why are you in this business?
f. Asking about the [ength of time - how [ong:
How [ong have you been based in Tokyo?
How tong does it take on average to find a new job? [not: How I'ong time?]
[How l,ong refers to time or dimension; see below.l
g. Asking about the distance - how far:
How far do you have to travel each day?

h. Asking about the frequency - how often:

How often do you trave[ abroad?
i. Asking about the manner - how:
How are you going to compete in internationaI markets?
j. Asking about quantity and amount - how many, how much:
How irany shares witt Ue invotved in the buy-back? [asking about the subject]
How many shares do you want to sett? [asking about the objectl
How much did you pay for the new equipment? [not: How much money?J
k. Asking about dimensions and specifications - how long/smatt, etc'
How big/tong/wide/deep/high witt the cabinet be?
How smatl witt the miniature version be?
91
www.nhantriviet.com
2. lndirect questions
We use indirect questions in:
Reported questions [see Unit 40]:
- She asked which order Jim had approved.
- Potite requests:
Coutd you tetL me which order you approved?
3. Statement questions [+ question tag)
We use these to ask for confirmation.
- Asking for confirmation of a positive statement:
Jim, you approved this order?
Jim, you approved this order, didn't you?
- Asking for confirmation of a negative statement
Jim, you didn't approve this order?
Jim, you didn't apProve this order, did you?

92 lntermediate Business Grammar urww,nhantriviet.com

Exercise 1

Read the following List of questions. Classify them according to the question types.

1. Are you agents for Fischer equipment?

A.
2. Where can I f ind this type of product?
3. You're not serious?
4. Fischer are market teaders, aren't they?
5. So you betreve they're expensive?
6. Do you think there are better goods avaitabte? E. Slatemeni questions + taq
7. Can you tet[ me how retiabte they are?

Exercise 2
The FUB Group is a drug research body. The group has worked for ten years and has massively
exceeded its budget. A journalist asks a leading figure in the group some questions.

Are the questions correctLy formed or not? lf wrong., write the corrections.
0: How long time have you been working on the research?
A: Ten years.
0: Coul.d you tet[ me who were the main partners in the project?
A: FRS, UBDuss A. G., and Bokal.
0: And you didn't ptan to spend so much money, didn't you?
A: 0f course we didn't.
Q: You say the forecasts were inaccurate. Who did resign after these forecasts?
A: Kar[ Drew resigned.
0: Was that a correct decision?
A: I don't know - it was his decision.

.tfip[1ttt,
ExpLo Corporation is an Australian oil company based in Sydney. 0ne of their technicaL managers
calls Bruck Engineering in Singapore for some information.
t^ tL^ ):^l^^,,^ ,^l^,.. r1"^ -,,--L;-^- ^-- :^-- *^i-r- l/'/-:t- t\^ ---^.1^L^ z ^-Lt---
I't LttC UtaLJge tr LcLu/! (/,e-
9qcJ!/v'ta otc tttevtttPtJtc. ttt /Lc (,/s -utttp\v.c 9eci(ru',J.

Expto [1] me something about Expto: I see. And they [5] Sydney?
your company? Bruck: That's right.
Bruck: Yes, we're market leaders for joints Explo: And suppose I wanted to buy direct
for the pipeLine business. from you, the manufacturer?
Expto: And where l2l? Bruck: No, sorry you coutdn't do that.
Bruck: 0ur manufacturing base is in Expto: I have to 16)?
Singapore but we have a distribution
Bruck: Yes, you do.
and sales network throughout
Austra [asia. Expto: And WalL & Martin are the onty agents
in Sydney, l7l?
Explo: Can lask t3)?
Bruck: They are.
Bruck: Yes, we have an agent in Sydney.
Explo: What [4) agent's name?
Exptor How [B] Watt & Martin?
Bruck: You should write directty to them.
Bruck: WaLL & Martin Joints Ltd.

Transfer
Think of a situation where you might telephone an organisation and request information. Write
exampLes of questions you might ask. Use a variety of question forms and different wh- words.

www.nhantriviet.com 93
UNIT Relative Clauses

42
. The ptant which produced the keyboards and the mouse coutd be shut down.
. The lNJ300, which produced reasonable copy qual,ity, has been reptaced by the lNJ400.
. Jim Carter, who runs the rendering plant, has no ptans to move.
. Any person who is registered as unemployed can access these services.
. There are over 1000 empl,oyeeson the site where the ongoing redesign project is taking place.
. The product is hitting the marl(et at a time when European auto makers are reeting from
rising prices.

B Form
There are two types of retative c[ause:
- defining retative ctauses
- non-defining retative ctauses
We can distinguish them by the punctuation. Non-defining ctauses are enctosed by commas;
defining c[auses are not.
The ptant which produced the keyboards and the mouse could be shut down.
[defining: no commas)
Jim Carter, who runs the rendering plant, has no plans to move. [non-defining: commas]

C Uses,

su bjective who which that

objective who{m} which
a
ge n itive whose of which/whose
|'ocative where
temporaI when'

Retative clauses are subordinate ctauses lsee Unit 38)which provide information about a
noun or noun phrase. There are two types of retative ctauses: defining and non-defining.
Defining retative ctauses provide essentiaI information which restricts or ctarifies the
meaning of the preceding noun ornoun phrase byspecifying its meantng more ctearty.
Any person who is registered as unemployed can access these services.
The ctause'who is registered as unemployed'identifies the person;without this essentiaL
informatiori, the sentence has a very different meaning.
Non-defining retative ctauses provide additionat, non-essentiaI information.
The lNJ300, which produced reasonable copy quality, has been repl,aced by the lNJ400.
The ctause'which produced reasonabte copy quatity'provides additionat, non-essentiaI
information; without this information the basic meaning of the sentence remains the same.
1. Tatking about people (personaU:
The person who/that prepared that report no [onger works for us. [subjective - def ining)
Carla Jensen, who prepared that report, no longer works for us. [subjective - non-defining)
l've spoken to the workers who(ml/thallzero [no pronoun) we are going to Lay off.
Iobjective - defining)

9'4 lntermediate Business Grammar www.nhantriviet.com

 l've spoken to Andrew Green, wholml we are going to tay off.
Iobjective - non-defining)
Andrew Green, with whom I discussed the tayoff yesterday, has agreed to leave.
(objective after preposition - non-defining)
The workers with whom I discussed the tayoff have agreed to teave.
[objective after preposition - defining]
He witt be reptaced by a man whose management skitts are unproven. Igenitive - definingl
l'd like to thank John Spencer, whose company sponsored the report.
[genitive - non-defining)

2. Tatking about things Inon-personat):

This is a powerful machine that can run the payrott, handle sales, and churn out bitts.
lsubjective - defining]
l'm afraid that the lNJ200, which produced reasonabte copy quatity, has been withdrawn.
(subjective - non-definingl
Many of the speciat-purpose machines which/that/zero (no pronounl we use are
fabricated or refabricated here., {objective - definingl
We think that the lNJ300, which you demonstrated a coupte of weeks ago, meets our needs.
[objective - non-defining)
The fund [ooks for sma[[ companies whose sates/the sates of which are growing rapidly.
(genitive - defining)
And final,ty we have the lNJ300, whose speed/the speed of which is much higher than
the lNJ200. [genitive - non-defining]
3. Tatking about places Itocativel:
0rders are placed direct with the factory where the modet is manufactured. Idef ining]
The factory, where the strike began tast Aprit, is manned by about 250 emptoyees.
Inon-def ining)
4. Tatking about the time (temporat):
I witt not be here when the product is [aunched. [definingl
0n December 21,when the product is taunched, I shatl be out of the country.
Inon-def ining]
Notes
1. The relative pronoun after the reason:
One of the reasons that/why economies in developing countries grow so slowty is that
they do not have well-devetoped financial markets.
The reason that/whylhe proposa[ cottapsed wasn't disctosed. [not: the reason because)
2. The retative pronoun after att, each, every and compounds:
Computer users aren't upgrading systems fast enough to absorb att the new products
Ithatl firms are producing.
We have tried everything lthatlwe coutd.
You shoutd create a separate CV for each company tthatl you approach.

www.nhantriviet.com 95
 TASKS

underline the rerative clauses in the foilowinq extract and write

defining (D) or
nan-defining IND) by each one.

Flebearch
whowilt will,not

the best

BeLow are six extracts from a report on a meeting

between the Chief Executive of a chemicaL
company and an environmentalist group. Converl each
extract into a singLe sentence by using
a reLative clause. The first has been done for you.

1. The chref Executive Looked confident. He spoke for 20

minutes.
The chief Executive, who tooked confideni, spoke
tor 2.0minutes.
2. He said the environment was everyone's responsibitity. rt
is a key issue.
3. Lockvi[[e is now abeauty spot. There used to be a chemicar.
p[ant there.
4. we made mistakes in the past. we knew less than we
know now.
5. The captains of industry have major responsibitities.
we depend on them.
6' The industries produce the products. we criticise the industries.
we buy the products.

Eiercise 3
combine the prompts beLow to write sentences in which
reLative cLauses.
the information in brackets is given in

1 factory 2. reprocessing plant

+
+
(produces PCBs) (subject of protests)
I I
closed down expanding its operations.

3. factory 1. plastics recycling

+
(in town centre)
(expensive)
+
+
(many people live)
only possible in some countries
I I
a major employer (sophisticated equipment is available)

96 lntermediate Business Grammar

www.nhantriviet.com
 5. many products 6.
of people
I I
(claim to be environmentally friendly) (houses are centrally heated)

I I
are not contribute to global warming

Transfer
Write a series of sentences about entertainment and sociaL Life in your area. lncLude various
reLative clauses.

Examples:
There are many cinemas where you can see films in the originat version.
The best theatre, which is in the town centre, is 200 years otd.
The owner of the ctub in the town centre, whose wife is a dancer, is Ukrainian.

www.nhantriviet.com 97
UNIT CLauses of Contrast

l*3
A: ,5ampte sentences
' The city centre is a prime [ocation but it is atso very expensive.
' Though the company has 100,000 emptoyees in 40 countries, most of its
units are British.
' Our sates have dropped by only 6.6%, white/whereas theirs have fatlen
by 23.go/o.
' ADT has been the leader in this technology, even though Japanese compinies
dominate
the market.
B,l,.For'm ;
C[auses of contrast are subordinate ctauses [see Unit 38) which provide
information which
contrasts with the main ctause. Ctauses of contrast start with either the
coordinating conjunction but
[see Unit 37] or a subordinating conjunction [see Unit 3BJ. The nn.in
=unorJin.,ing .;nlrnctionsare:
. though atthough even though *h\, whereas
1. coordination is more vague and less emph\tic than subordination:
The city centre is a prime location but it is also very expensive.
2. Subordination reduces the subordinated ctause to a less important rote:
Though the company has 100,000 emptoyees in 40 countries, most of its
units are British.
we can onty use white and whereas to contrast equivalent ideas:
white their sates have fatten by Z3.|o/o.ours have aropped by onty 6.6%.
[not: white their sates have fatten by 23.Bo/o,we decided to expano.]

c Uses
C[auses of coritrast present a situation which is unexpected or surprising
in view of the
rnformation in the main ctause.
1. Contrast with but:
The city centre is a prime location but it is atso very expensive.
'Uv
Free trade means that firms are no longer Limited ttre size of their home country, but can
se[[ into bigger markets.
2. Contrast with though, al.though and even though:
Atthough we have introduced our own range of Looks on lndian cuisine, our
focus is on cD-R0Ms.
Even.though is more emphatic than though or atthough:
Exports produce the butk of corporate profits, even ihough domestic consumption
accounts
for about 60% of GDp.
(nof: Exports produce the bu[k of corporate profits,
even domestic consumption accounts for
about 60% of GDP.)
3. contrast with white and whereas to contrast equivalent ideas:
white/whereas their sales have fa[en by 23.gyo,ours have dropped by onty 6.6%.
Notes
1' Subordinate ctauses with though, atthough and even though can come before
or after the
main ctause:
Though the company has 100,000 emptoyees in 40 countries, most of its units are
British.
Most of the companyl units are British, though it has 100,000 empl,oyees in 40 countries.
2' Subordinate ctauses with whiLe and whereas can come before or after the main ctause and,
if totatty paratLeI in construction, can be reversed:
Our sales have dropped by onty 5.6%, white theirs have falten by
23.g%.
white our sales have dropped by onty 6.5%, theirs have fatten by 23.g%.
Their sates have fallen by 23.go/o,white ours have dropped by onty 6.5%.
white their sates have fatten by z3.gyo, ours have dropied by onty 6.6%.

98 intermediate Business Gi-ammer wlvw.nhantiiviet.com

Exercise 1

Rearl the conversation below. First mark the coordinating conjunctions (CC) and the subordinating
conjunctions [Sd. Then underline the clauses of contrast.
John: lf we discuss ways to reduce costs, one area we shoutd think about is packaging.
Janina: WeLL, though packaging is expensive, it can hetp promote the product. Good
packaging atso reduces probtems in transit.
John: Yes, of course, but we have to cut the costs. Even though we use our own designers,
the costs are very high.
Janina: Atthough it's an expensive part of the production, it is very difficuLt to reduce costs.
John: Whil.e we agree that it's expensive, we don't seem to be abLe to decide how to
reduce the expense!
Janina: I see packaging as part of pubLic rel.ations, whereas I think you are Looking at it onty
in terms of packing the productl

Exercise 2
Combine the foLlowing pairs of sentences using the conjunctions given.

1. The market has probabty passed rts peak.

Computer sales are stiIl very high. Ial.though)
2. Costs have come down.
The advances in computer technology have been considerabte. [though)
3. More people own comPuters.
The number of manufacturers has gone down. [whi|.e]
4. Machines are more reLiabte.
They are more comp[ex. [but)

5. Computing capabiLity has increased.

The physicaI size of the equipment has diminished. luvhereas]
6. Users experience diff icutties with compatibil"ity.
A l.ot of money has been spent on this problem. Ieven though)

;E-xe-rc[sg p
Complete the foLtowing short text on the computer software market by adding suitabLe coniunctions.

there are mitlions of different software programs avaitable, onty a few become
international.[y successfuL. The best become standards which others fot[ow, the
originals do not atways benefit from this. 0f course, different programs work with
different operating systems, , there are many more programs than operating
systems. the industry is very competitive, it is dominated by a few big software
producers. Many of these are closely connected with the major computer manufacturers,
there are atso many independent software houses. Atso, producing new
software is not necessarity expensive, innovations in computer hardware
certainty invotve massive costs.

'Transfer
Think about changes in the pLace where you work. Write five sentences cantaining
clauses of contrast.

99
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UNIT Clauses of Cause or Reason

44
' As these fitms use less materiat, they
are cheaper to produce.
' ;[r,N;;'""*iJi,$ir""T#h, we subtra.t n"[r orri'e mortsase
amount rrom our cheque
' we were able to attract some new advertisers
because this is something new.

,,6i..Form, ; '

reason are subordinate clauses

fi'ilffii:1:::jt lsee Unit 38] which exptain the information

Ctauses of cause or reason start

with a subordinating conjunction
The main subordinating conjunction= [see Unit 38].
because ..",
as since

C Uses
ctauses of cause or reason answer
the question 'why?.; they present
for the information in the main the reason
.t"ui..
A: Why are these fitms cheape, to proOucea
B: Because they use [ess materiat.
Because, as and since have the
same meaning and take the same
construction.
the environment is soiavourabte
,ffiffiYfi(t"'ff" in Asia, consumer banking has

Notes
After because we need a finite
verb; after because of we need
Because the market is open, a noun phrase
th" ;;;;;; iuture is uncertain.
of the open maiket, tt.
P_":":r" i.irii
[not: Because the open market, th; gr;;;,.
iutur" is uncertain.
future is uncertain.]

100 lnternrediateBusinessGrammar
www.nhantriviet.com
,:Eiercise 1

Below is part of a Letter from an oiL company offering an appLicant a research position.
Link the main cLause on the left with a phrase or cLause of cause or reason on the right and
add a
suitable connector The first ttas been done for you.

We are offering you the job since we need someone with post-graduate
quatifications
You are especiatly suitabte you are in work just now
Your academic record is ideat you are the most experienced candidate
We need you to start as soon you want the job
as possible
We understand that an immediate your work in the oil. sector
start is a probtem
You need to tett your present this sort of thing happens atl the time
emptoyer today
Just say you have to leave we are beginning a new research
project this month
l'm sure it witl not be a probtem this offer

Exercise 2
Look at the foLLowing pictures. Each shows an alternative distribution system. Write two sentences,
one explaining an advantage, the other a disadvantage, of each system. Your sentences shouLd
contain a main clause and a cLause of cause or reason.

Advantage: direct suppI.y to customers/no

intermediate stage. 1 C

Disadvantage: difficutt to meet sudden orders c C

for [arge quantities/very smatL stock. F+W

C C

c c
2 c C
c
F + W = f:ctory and warehouse
c c C = customer

c c
Advantage: lmmediate response to [arge
c c orders/ distribution handted from centraI
warehouse.
C c
c c c Disadvantage: increased storage costs/more
C c
goods hetd in stock.

Transfer
Write six sentences to describe changes that have been made in your crganisation. ln each
sentence describe the change and justify it by using a cLause of cause or reason.

ExampLe:
We promoted the Sales Manager because she had performed very wet[.

ruuw.nhantriviet.com 101
UNIT Clauses of Purpose

l*5 Unit 14 ln f in it ive

rA,r,.S e fi p,[ij en 1.9 n Cq s,

. We are going to open the market to rivat setlers
lin orderl to enhance competition.
. Shipments wiil. be rearranged so as to avoid detays.
' we are going to streamtine our operations so tnal ttrey
are more efficient and profitabte.
' companies must disclose materiaI business ana rinantlaI
information in order that
investors may make informed investment decisions.

ig'irForfi. ;
Ctauses of purpose are subordinate clauses
[see Unit 3BJ.
Ctauses of purpose consist of:
1. a subordinating conjunction fottowed bya frnite
verb [see Unit 3B):
we are going to streamline our operaiions so ttriitirev
are more efficient and profitabte.
2. infinitive + to [see Unit 38]:
We are going to open the market to rival selters
lin ordert to enhance competition.
3. for + noun fottowed by an infinitive + to:
For them to continue to operate, we must provide
them with some short-term financing.
(= so that they can continue
to operate, we must provide them with some short-term
financing.i
The main subordinating conjunctions are:
so that that in order that
Before the infinitive + to we can put:
in order [to] so as [to)
Note the negative forms:
They have to cut prices for existing clients,
so as not to lose them.
Bidders are offering less than ttrey ttrinr the bondsmay
ie wortn, in order not to be caught out.
C Uses
ctauses of purpose answerthe question 'why?'or'what
...for?';they present the purpose of the
information in the main ctause.
Ar Why must we reduce the company,s cost structure?
B: So that we can compete more-effectivety anO profitalfy.
Why are we upgrading
f:
B: ln order
our production facitities ?
not to fatt further behind our competitors.
1. we use to, in orderto and soasto + infinitive
to tatk about the doer,s prrrpose:
we witt borrow short-term to take advantage of
row in-te.est-rate costs in the future.
[0ur purpose is to take advantage of tow inteiest-rate costs
in the future.)
2' we use that, so that or in order that where the subject
of the ctauses is different:
we witl borrow short'term so that wecan take advantage
of low interest-rate costs in the future.
we can atso use that, so that or in orderthat where
il-LJsuu;ect of the ctauses is the same:
We bought enough shares so that we,d receive
$100 in liviaenOs per month.
3. We use to + n11n;1,re to talk about the purpose
f
of something: ''
The meeting is consider and approv" tf," ,".g"..'-'""
!g
When we are tatking about the pr.poru of equipm-ent
we can say:
The moving arm is to paint the arms and legs'of
the chair.
The moving arm is for painting the arms and
tegs of the chair. [for + verb ...ing)
Note
The fottowing sentences are wrong:
We reduced costs forcompete m6re effectivety.
fto compete)
We reduced costs forto compete more
effectir"ry-fi" .Jrp"t"l
We reduced costs forcompeiing more
effecti*ri fi" .#J",.f
102 lntermediate Busiress Grammar wr,,r,,v.nhaniriviet.corn
Exercise 1

CompLete the foLLowing text by adding appropriate so as not to in order.that so that

words or phrases from the box opposite. in order to for

1. a new buitding to be a success it has to be the right design.

2. understand design objectives it is necessary to consider the ultimate function

3. We have chosen the bestarchitects we can be sure of good resutts.
4. They are preparing sketches we can consider their basic ideas.
5. The architects exp[ained some principtes about materiaLs leave us confused.

Exercise 2
Read the folLowing exchanges and then write a single
sentence containing a ctause of purpose. Use each of the so that in orderto so as to
phrases from the box once. in order that to

1. A: Why are the distribution channels being changed?

B: To avoid de[ays at the ports.

2. A: Why do we need to spend so much money?

B: To guarantee a top quatity product.

3. A: Why is it necessary to book in advance?

B: We won't need to worry about space on the ship.

4. A: Why wilI costs have to be reduced?

B: Then we can have increased profitabi[ity.

5. A: What is the red switch for?

B: lt switches off the motor in an emergency.

Exercise 3
Study the flow chart beLow showing the main areas in a small
chocoLate factory. Then complete the text to explain the to for in order to
function of the four departments. Use each phrase in the in order that
box once to begin each clause of purpose.

2 Production makes finished products

3 0uaLity Contral

quatity and maintains

1 Services

The Laboratory is . Then there is a Production Department . Next we

have a Quality ControL Department standards. FinaLLy there is a Customer
Services Department

Transfer
Write four sentences each containing a cLause of purpose describing the functions of any
organisation you know welL.

www.nhantriviet.com 103
 UNIT CLauses of Time

46 Unit 68
Unit
Unit 70
69
Numerals
Time {1}
Time [2)

A Sample ienlences
. When an accident happens, you need to ca[[ the doctor.
'. Having catled the doctor, don't leave the patient unattended.
white waiting for medical help, don't give the patient any medicine.
' 0nce reported, al[ serious accidents must be recorded in the accident tog.
' After recording the accident, you wi[[ be contacted by an accident investilator.
tF'orm,
, a ,

CLauses of time are subordinate cLauses lsee Unit 38]. Clauses of time comprise:
1. a subordinating conjunction fottowed by a finite verb [see Unit 38):
When an accident happens, you wiLt need to catt the doctor.
2. a subordinating conjunction foLtowed by a non-finite verb [see Unit 38]:
After recording the accident, you witt be contacted by an accident investigator.
3. a non-finite verb ...ing or verb ...ed fsee Unit 3BJ:
Once reported, atl serious accidents must be recorded in the accident tog.
we use the fottowing subordinating conjunctions with f inite verbs:
after as before once since tilt until when{ever)
while/whiLst now [thatJ as Long as as soon as
After you have reported the accident, stay with the patient.
We use the fo[towing subordinating conjunctions with verb .. . ing:
after before since until when(everl whiLe
Before leaving the patlent, make sure which family members shoutd be informed.
we use the foltowing subordinating conjunctions with verb .. . ed:
once untiL when(ever) white
0nce reported, a[[ serious accidents must be recorded in the accident tog.

Ctauses of time ask the question 'when?'; they present the time of the information
in the main clause
A: When do you need to catt the doctor?
B: After an accident has happened.
We'use ctauses of time to show that the time clause happens:
- eartier than the main ctause [ater than the main ctause
- at the same time as the main ctause - a non_specific time
at
1. Eartier than the main ctause:
Before catling/you catt the doctor, make sure the patient is comfortabte.
2. At the same time as the main ctause:
Whil,e lyou arel waiting for the doctor, stay with the patient.
I have been with the patient since the accident happened.
3. Later than the main ctause:
After/once/as soon as the doctor has arrived, you may leave the patient.
lAfterl having reported the accident, don't forjet to record it in the tog.
4. At a non-specific time:
Always contact the doctor whenever you are in doubt.
Note
we use the present or present perfect with before, after, once, until and when(ever)
for future reference:
We witt discuss the matter before the inspector visits us.
lnof: witt visit)
We witt discuss the matter again after the inspector has visited
us. (not:wil.t visit]
104 lniermediate Business G;ammar y,rurw.nhantriviet.com
fasrs
1

Match the clause of time on the left with a suitable main clause on the right'
Then ctassify the clauses of time according to the table beLow'

wc ar:e dciighted wiih the agcncy

E ned a marketin concept

WC c*Rtmissioned agency
p rr:d u ce .lrr dve slng

Subordinate Subordinate Non-finite

Subor.din'ite
conjunction conjunctlon verb ...ing
conjunction
r-finite verb + non-finite + non-finite or verb ....e c
verb.",rlt,l .verb..,ed

rExercise 2
CLassify the following sentences according to the reLationship between the main cLause
andthetimeclause.SaywhetherthetimecLauseoccurred:
main cl.ause IE]
- eartier than the
at the same time as the main cLause {=}
- than the main ctause (L]
- [aternon-sPecific time [?J
- at a a new Finance Manager' n
1. After experiencing a perlod of instabiLity, the company recruited
2. Since she arrivedlthe company has gone frcrn str-ength to str-ength' I
ioLution. n
3. Whenever she sees problems i5. 6.. an innovative n
4. As soon as she decrdes on a change, it is readil.y absorbed by her colteagues
probtems.
5. Until. the department was reorganised, there were repeated
expansion' E
6. Srnce she hasworked forthe company, there has been a period of unprecedented

1E1e-ryise 3-

The sentences of the text below are in the wrong order. Rewrite them in the correct order'

a. When we read it we were very optimistic'

an agency'
b. Once we had agreed we neeied an advertising campaign, we contacted
work on a marketing concept for the product'
c. As soon as thei had finished this, they began
the market was so Large'
d. Until. they produced their report, we had not imagined
to study the potential market'
e. After explaining the nature of the product, the ,gLn.y began

Transfer
Think of the economic situation in a country you know weLL' once until before
as soon as while after
Writefivesentencesexplainingrecentactionsbythegovernment. now fthat) since
lJse time clauses beginning with the coniunctions in the box'

105
www.nhantriviet.corn
 UNIT -ing and -ed Clauses

l+7 Unit 13 Verb ...ing

' Having been promoted to senior technician,

his work has become more futfiil,ing.
'. considering the size. of thesares,
the perroim.n." oi il,.
Jita pri." is encouraging.
Given.his energy and technic.t
he may succeed.
' tf werl maintained, this machi^""rp"iti"",
;;;;i; give you'yea* o-r?ouote_free service.

-ing and -ed ctauses are non_finite

subordinate clauses lsee Unit
3BJ.
1. We can put a subord,l:1,n, conjunction
before the clause [see Unit 38]:
ltfl we* maintained, this irachii. ,r,"rio gir"
you y""i, ,iLrure-free service.
subject of rhe subordinate ctause
' [:H:[:L[I,rnr is the same as the subject of
Designed to handte 1 20m passengers
a year, the airport is expected
to be the world s busiest.
Note.. This rute is often broken:
Since moving to the UK, their production
has dropped.

'C Uses
-ing and -ed ctauses fwithout a subordinating
conjunction] can be interpreted
in different ways.
supported by the ratest software,
this machine is what every manager
This can mean if it is supported,when needs.
it is lupported orbecaui. it ir
inctude the subordinating conjun.,i.. rupported. so, we often
it ..r.e the meaning ctear.
1. Condition [see Unit 101:
lf completed, the sale witl be a
major step toward their ptan
to selt $5.S Oitfion in food assets.
2. Contrast [see Unit 43]:
Atthough pteased with the resutts,
we stilt have a tong way to go.
3. Cause or reason [see Unit 44J:
Having improved budgeting procedures,
projects are more successfut.
4. Time [see Unit 46]:
UntiI registered , a company may
not start tradlng.
5. Manner:
the number of PCs they use, they
hope to transform the way the
company is run.
*o3'ntttsing
The fottowing phrases are used
in speech to contradict a previous
that said having said that statement:

]l;[::::'r'#"?,ffi[;,',:Tl#:JfiT#J.u on the wav. rhat said, there

are st*r many
be danserous instruments.
;:""["Jtlf ;:tJ:t#t"t :iL,::t Havins said that, our forecasts
have

106 lntermediate Business Grammar

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 1

Classify the six sentences below according to the following uses of the -ed or -ing clause,

Condition

1. Despite having innovative and stytish design, Atvo cars do not reach a wide market.
2. ALthough they have performed wetl in ralty sport, the cars are not known for their rel.iabitity.
3. Having won fame in the domestic market, the company pushed for sales in the United States.
4. lf wel.l. received there, then the car woutd genuinety make an international impact.
5. Experiencing continuaI technical prob[ems, the car faited to convince.
5. However, through improved quality controt, the company has improved its reputation.

A company noticed a gap in the market and began to develop an innovative cooking system which
uses only 20 per cent as much heat as conventionaL cooking methods. The flow chart below shows
the stages in the development of the product.

]UEfiEIEIIETI*IT Use the fLow chart to

complete the description
below. Use the correct
non-finite form of the
verbs in the box beLow,
succbssfu[ tests to show the sequence of
events, reason for
fina*ciaI suppopt production events, etc.

design set up obtain

deveLop carry out compLete

some market research SALLO identified a gap in the market. a

product, they deveLoped a prototype. successfuI tests, S,ALLO received a
patent. The company I.ooked for iinanciaIsupport. that, the company deveLopeci
the production capability the necessary production facilities, the company entered
production. in only 12 months, the SALLO product coutd revotutionise cooking

Exercise 3
The following sentences are ambiguous. Rewrite them in order to remove the ambiguity and offer two
possibLe interpretations. The first has been done for you.

1. Devetoping the product, we are optimistic.

a. lf we devetop the product we wi[[ be optimistic.
b. Now we are devel,oping the product and we are optimistic.
2. With our software instatted, you have more computing power.
3. Cal.l.ing our service team, your satisfaction is guaranteed.
4. Stored in the warehouse, goods deteriorate.
5. Cutting the workforce, the company improves its profitabitity.

Transfer
Make five sentences containing -ed or -ing cLauses about a product you know and Like.

ExampLe: Made in Taiwan, my ABC is excettent quatity.

www.nhantriviet.com 107
 UNIT Nouns

lrg Unit 58
Unit 68
Articles
Numera[s

. ABC witt announce the verification service

today.
. The equipment is working to its futt potentiat.
. The machines wi[ cost around $te
. ,2S0.
The board increased its number of directors
to nine.
rB Form
We can ctassify nouns as shown in;
Nouns
the foltowing chart.
1. Proper nouns are names and are Proper nouns Commin nouns
written with a capita[ letter:
Susan 5mith, Great Britain, Countable nouns Uncountable nouns
Generat Etectric
ln exceptionaI cases they take the: the Hague,
the usA, the Bank of Engtand [see be[owJ.
2' common nouns can be divided into countable and
uncountabLe.This distinction is a grammaticaI
distinction, not a reat-wortd distinction, e.g. money
is grammaticatty uncountabte lsee ber.owl,
but is clearly countab[e in reatityl
a' countable nouns have a singutar and a pturat, e.g. machine machines,
e.g. people. - or a pturat onty,
b' Uncountab[e nouns have onty one form. This
may be grammaticatty singul.ar; e.g. equipment,
information' money, news, advice, or grammaticattyiturat,
e.g. personner., potice.
A grammaticatty singutar noun takes a singutar
verb; a grammaticatty pturat noun takes a
pturaI verb.
The information is free for access.
The personnel are expected to have good contacts
in the industry.
You cannot put a/an or a number in front
of an uncountabte noun. you cannot say an
an information. a news etc;you can say a piece equipment,
or rquip,iiir, ), ir"* of information/news.
Note
Singutar countabte nouns normatly take a singular
verb: The machine is operating.
sometimes' however, a singu[ar countabte noun
'more can take a pturaI verb when the noun refers
to than one person':
The board are discussing that question now.
[board = more than one person)
re,,,Uses
1. Proper nouns refer to unique peopte or objects,
i.e. Norway refers to one country and
susan smith fin a given .onu..r.iionJ refers to'on"
take the definite articte: ;;;; The foil.owing proper nouns
a. PturaI names:
the Nethertands the Midl.ands the Al,ps
the Thomsons lthe Thomson famityl
b. PubLic institutions and facitities:
the Hitton the Odeon lcinema) the British
Museum
c. Newspapers:
The Times the Daily Express
2. Common nouns:
Most common nouns are countabLe. They
can take an indefinite or definite articte,
or no articte at aU.. [See al.so Unit SB.J
The corporation needed a bank loan.
The corporation needed the bank Loan.
At the time it was difficul,t to get bank loans.
For a [ist of uncountabte common nouns
and other exceptions, see Appendix 6.
108 lntermediatg Business Grammar www.nhantriviet.com
f
Exelcise',1
Underline the mistakes in the folLowing sentences and correct them. Some sentences have more than
one mistake

1. The informations you need are in the post.

2. There's three thousand people coming to visit the exhibition.
3. Atison and Sara read the Times.
4. When I go to The Hague I stay in Hitton Hotet.
5. The headquarter is in United States.
5. We have had a lot of troubtes with the machinery.
7. WoodpohI makes top quatity furnitures.
8. Twetve persons work in my section.
9. This is an expensive equipment.
10. The import agency gave wrong advices.

lExtlrci"ie,z-
ldentify the cauntabLe [C) and uncountabLe IUJ nouns in the List below and write C or U in the boxes.

moneyZ chequeJ safetyZ deskA assetsl

machineryJ machineO plantJ productiona praductA
supervisorJ foremanA chargehandJ workerZ
furnitureA newsl spokesmanZ mathematicsA

,Exercise 3
Make sentences using the prompts beLow. The first has been done for you,

1. premises/buil.d/l 9BB.
The premises were buitt in 1988.
2. Economics/be/i nteresti ng.
3. What/be/trou bte/with/eq ui pme nt?
4. Where/be/head qua rters?
5. U n ive rs ity/rece ive/f u n d s/f ro m/g ove rn m e nt.
6. Funds/be/insufficient.
7. United States/consist of/50 states.
8. You r/a dvice/Last week/be/g ood.

'Trangtqr,,
Make a l"ist of 12 uncountabLe nouns. Most of these wiLL be grammaticaLLy singutar,
e.g. information. ldentify any that are not.

www.nhantriviet.com 109
 UNIT Noun Compounds

49 Unit 48 Nouns

. The cornpany conducted a market survey in the city.

. ! am now a saLes managgr with the company.
. Taxpayers face rising property tax rates across the country.
. The legislation deals very harshty with taw-breakers.

E, Form
A noun compound comprises two or more nouns which are combined
together into
a phrase. A noun compound comprises:
one or more modifying nouns + a head noun

The modifying noun acts [ike an adjective and gives more information
about the head noun.
A: The company conducted a survey. lhead noun]
B: What type of survey?
A: A nnarket survey. [modifying noun]
1. The modifying noun, Like an adjective, comes before the head
noun:
research firm [= a firm that carries out researchJ
nnarket research [= research into the market)
2. The modifying noun, [ike an adjective, remains in the singuLar:
newspape!- pubtisher [= a publisher of newspapers)
taxpaye!' [= a person who pays laxes]
- cf sales nnenaEer [= the manager responsibl.e for saLes; nof: the manager
responsib[e for sa[e]
3. There aTe no fixed rutes about writing compounds:
conversion Frocess [two separate wordsJ '
[aw-breaker I hyp he nated ]
timescale [one word]
As [anguage changes, there is a tendency for new compounds
to be formed and for
famitiar compounds to be written as one word. The fotLowing are
aLlpossib[e:
work force work-force workforce

:C r,Usb'E'

1. Noun compounds are shorter and more convenient than noun phrases:
a taxpayer versus a payer of taxes

2' Noun compounds are more concise - and therefore have qreater impact
ph ra ses:
- than noun
a product design brief versus a brief for the design of a product
3. Noun compounds can be ambiguous:
crimina[ lawyer Ia speciaList in crimina[ law or a lawyer who is
a criminaLl
4. Noun compounds can become too long and difficutt to understand:
quality control management development officer officer
[= for the devetopment of
management in the controI of quatity)
It is easier and more comprehensibte to say:
the management development officer responsibte for quatity
controt

110 lntermediateBusinessGramnrar
www.nhantriviet.com
TASKS

iExercise 1

Read this short newspaper

Alpo wlns Jordan order
report and underline all examples
of noun compounds.

Exercise 2
and.a
Rewrite the following phrases as
noun compounds.

a concession on taxes
a machine which is a toot
a holiday which lasts ten days
ARROW Ltd
a report on an accident Widtord Hall Lane
Croydon Suney CR5 6TT
a court of law
a licence to export Silver Moon lnsurance Company
440-.142 Parliffi ent Street
York Y01 42BU

se3 Flef: LRBE/SS

6th June 20..
You work for Arrow and you have to
Dear Sir
arrange insurance for the plant.
)pposite is a letter to an insurance Re: lnsurance quotation

company requesting a visit and a quote We are in the process of reviewing our
for insurance. Using words from the box, insurance cover and would be interested in
receiving a quotation lrom you. Please contact
fill in the spaces with appropriate us in order to arrange a visit to our plant.
noun compounds.
The plant consists of a car , the
Iacilities, a bay and
administration park despatch Loading a area. There is also a
production storage " depot, an block and a
canteen.

The total area covered is 1 202m2.

Exercise 4
I look foMard to hearing from you so we can
Below are seven newspaper headlines. arrange a visit.
Break the noun compounds into longer
Yours faithfully
phrases which could be the opening lines
for each report. The first has been done
for you.

1
Government policy crisis
Thbre is a crisis in government policy
3.
North Sea oil
2. rig accident
6.
4.
speed record industry results disaster

7
5 CARBON EMISSIONS ROW

Transfer
How many noun compounds can you make with sales?

ExampLes: sates figures company sales

r,vww.n rr 111
h a n t rivi et.co
UNIT Genitive Forms

50 Unit 48
Unit 59
Nouns
Pronouns

a The company's organization was efficient.

The new tariffs on steel imports have angered the country's trading partners.
He cticked open the tid of the taptop.
a Today's rise in share prices has amazed everyone.
a The president's election was widety forecast by the potts.
a The emptoyees'anger was thetesuLt of bad working conditions.

'B ..Form
The genitive is written with an apostrophe + s if the noun is singutar, with an apostrophe after the s
in pturaL nouns, or with the preposition of:
this year's resutts [= the resuLts of this year]
the Last two quarters' results [= the resuLts of the [ast two quarters)
the devetoprnent of a new distribultion network
the prices of atl new products
Note
The word chitdren takes apostrophe + s.
The chitdren's teacher was unwetl yesterday.

C Uses
1. We typicatty use the genitive with 's or s'with the fottowing nouns:
a. human nouns:
the president's election MP's expenses emptoyees'anger
b. animaI nouns:
the [ion's share
c. time nouns:
the last two quarters' results
d. [ocation nouns:
the country's trading partners the country's devetopment
e. organisation nouns, where an organisation is a group of peopte:
the government's decision the board's reaction
2. We use the genitive with of with things:
the tid of the taptop [not: the Laptop's tid)
the devetopment of new technology
3. We can use either the apostrophe form or the of form with organisation nouns
the company's results or the resutts of the company
the meeting's decision or the decision of the meeting.

112 lniermediate Business Grammar www.nhantriviet.com

TASKS

Exercise 1

l.)nderline examples of the genitive forms in the advertisement below.

Email us and placeyour order

country's of
the very

Each of the sentences below contains a genitive using of. lf it is grammatically correct to do so,
change it to a construction with an apostrophe.

1. The results of the pharmaceuticaI group Physic are encouraging.

2. Turnover for the first two quarters has shown a 20 per cent rise.
3. The workforce of the company witl benefit.
4. ALl. the pay packets of the emptoyees wi[L inctude a bonus.
5. A meeting of the sharehotders scheduted for the end of September wiLL be a cheerf u[ affair.
6. The Chairman of the Board cetebrates ten years in that rote.
7. Profits for each year of his tenure have increased wetl above the industry average. '

dividend r,,vas agaihst

Dolcetto lnternational is being investigated shareE
by the Serious Fraud 1ffice, a special police
unit. The following is an extract from a
newspaper report. lmprove some of the
sentences by changing the genitive forms.

EEtrMII
Look through any printed or electronic
document or newspaper and highlight
or underline the first ten genitive forms
you find.

www.nhantriviet.com 113
 UNIT Adjectives versus Adverbs

51 Unit 24
Unit 25
Unit 28
Be [1]
Be [2]
Verbs of the senses
Unit 30 Verbs + adjectives

.' she lived in Rome, so she speaks ltatian fluentty.

she's also ftuent in Engtish and German.
staff and vehicles suricieniio cope with nJrmar
ffi1,?,j,ilT:""jj"rmanent dairy
' filter is permanentty fixed in front of the [ens to protect it from fingerprints and dust.
A
iB, Fonm ;
1' Manyadjectivesarederivedfromnounsorverbs.Forthemostcommonadjective
derivations, see Appendix 7.
2' 0ther ad]ectives, especiaIty one- or two-syt[abte
adjectives, do not have a suffix:
good bad young oLd big smaiL
3'Most adverbs are derived from adjectives byadding
-ty; adjectives endrng in -ic add -El.l.y:
def inite - definitety usefuL - useiutLy priarrtir:J
- f ,odurtir"Ly
dramatic - drama,carLy systematii - systematiiciLty"''-
But: public - pubticLy
Notes
1' Some adjectives end in -ty: Livety LoveLy friendty Lonety
2. Some adjectives have the same form as adverbs:
earLy late straight hard short Long fast
I intend to take the earl'y ftight to Paris so thit
I can arrive earty at your office.
3' some adverbs ending in -ty have a d.ifferent meaning
from the ad1ective without -ty:
He is a hard worker. He works hard.
Bul: He hardty works. [= atmost not at ail.)
4. lrregutar forms: good _ weLL
C:'Uses
We use adjectives in the foLLowing instances:
We use adverbs in the fottowing instances:
1. To give more information about nouns:
1. To give more information about a verb:
The economrc situation has deteriorated further.
Sales are stitt rising stightly.
Which situation? The economic situation.
How are they rising? Slighil.y
2. After the verb be Isee tJnit24):
2. To give more information about an adjective
They were angry about the breakdown.
The overatt resutt was extrernelygood.
[adjective + preposition)
How good? Extremety good
Theywere angrythatthe machine had
broken down. [adjective + that_clause) 3. To give more information about an adverb:
They were angryto hear about the Market prices stabilized relativety quickty.
breakdown. [adjective + to + infinitive) How quickty? ReLativeLy quickty

3. After verbs of the senses [see Unit 2Bl: 4. To give more information about a sentence:
The new furniture looks very nr'ce. Firstly, [et's look at tast year! results.
4. After tinking coputar verbs [see Unit 30J:
Profits have remained sfable this year.
Note
Be careful of the difference in meaning between
' these adjectives and adverbs
economic lin the economy) economicaf tro*V_i.ringf
interesting [to someonel interestedtin.orltn,"gl
late [not earLy; adj.) /afely lrecentLy; ''
shorf fnot tong; adj.J snoittytroon, "du.]'
present (current; adj.J
.Ju.l'
presentLy lsoon; a
jv.J

114- lntermediate Business Grarnmar

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 TASKS

Give the corresponding adverbs for the following adjectives.

1. retiabte 5. [ate
2. necessary 6. traditionaI
3. erratic 7. competent
4. stow 8. excetlent

Exercise 2
Each of these sentences contains a mistake. Correct them.

1. The economicaI arguments for reducing the investment are very strong.
2. The ptane arrived Latety so I missed the start of the meeting.
3. I am not interesting in seeing the museums.
4. My [ast job was in software programming but actuatty lwork in quaLity controI
5. Reducing R & D spending is not economic in the tong term.
6. The Director is in hospital because she has been working too.hardLy.

Exercise 3
circLe the correct word from the choices given in the sentences below.

1. The profit forecast is reat/reatty good.

2. Poorlpoorty sales were caused by a drop in confidence.
3. The presentty/present board has insufficient experience.
4. We are very interesting/interested in your proposat.
5. The President sounded optimistic/optimisticatty about the prospects for growth
6. He spoke enthusiastic/enthusiasticatty about the new products.

Exercise 4
Read the following extract from a sales
manager's presentation on the sales of two 6000 386
ranges of personal computers over five years. 5000 286 -----
He is describing the graph. Use adjectives 4000
or adverbs from the box ta fill in the spaces. 3000
2000
clearly important graduaL
1 000
considerable faster naturaLly
dramaticalLy f irstly greater yr1 yr2 yr3 yr4 yr5
, l'd tike you to look at the
graph here which compares the sates of the 385 models with the 286s over five years.
there has been a change with the consumer showing
taste for 386 machines. The dectine in the poputarity of the 286 reflects the
compLexity and range of software and the fact that users need to have
operating machines. As for the 386, sates have indeed increased ln response
to these changes, we have concentrated our efforts o n devetoping
improved 386 modeLs.

Transfer
Write a short paragraph describing changes in a market that you are famiLiar with. lnclude various
adjectives and adverbs.

lrww.nhantriviet.com 115

1t
uNlr Adjective Modification with Adverbs

52 Unit 51 versus adverbs

. We carried out extremety thorough market research.

. Everybody loves a free gift, even if it,s comptetety usetess.
' It seems highly probabte that the company witt push ahead
with research and devel,opment
in this fietd.
' The firm has spent 1 0 years devetoping the technotogy to
a standard and price that is
commercialty viabl,e.

.$-.ff1ry1
Most adverbs are derived from adjectives by adding -ty; adjectives
ehding in -ic add -atty:
definite - definitery usefuL - usefurLy productivi -
.
dramatic - dramaticaLly systematic _ systematicaLLy
[roductiveLy
Bul: public - pubLicly

c. U-s-et,

Adverbs modify adjectives in two ways:

- by intensifying their meaning, e.g. an extremerygood year; reasonablygood resutts
- a point of view, e,g. technicatty posiiule [= pos.iute
ll.ill::.,ing from ] technicaI point
OI VICW]

1. lntensifying adverbs:
We carried out extrennelythorough rnarket research.
How thorough? Extremety thorough.

We can classify intensifying adverbs on a scate from 'totalty'to 'moderately',

where 'totatty
intensifies the adjective to a high degree and 'moderat"tyrint.n.iries
the adjective to a
moderate degree.
whotty
totatty
completety
f utty
absolute[y
entirety
extremety
highty
very
fa i rty
reasona bty
quite
moderatety

2. Point of view adverbs:

The product is fechnicalty viabl,e.
viabLe from which. point of view? From a technical point
of view. [i.e technicatty viabLe)
Notes
1. Rea[ versus reatty:
I was real interested in the job.
[AmE _ informaU
I was'reatty interested in thl job.
IBrE and AmE]
2. The position of quite:
We have secured quite an important contract.
Itl quite a big task.

116 lntermediateBusinessGrannmar
www.nhantriviet.com
 Which pairs of words in the fotlowing list have similar meanings?
entirety quite highty reasonabty extremely total.ty

,Exercise 2
Complete the foLLowing exchanges by adding an moderately whoLLy f airLy
appropriate adverb from the box in the spaces. very extremely

1. A: lt was a good year.

B: How good?
A: good. As good as we coutd expect

2. At There was a smal.[ fa[t in output in the first quarter of the year.
B: How smatt?
Ar smati - onLy about 5 per cent.

3. A: The exhibrtion was successfu[.

B: How successfu|.?
A: successfu[ - we met very many prospective customers
4. A: The report was critrcat.
B: How criticat?
A: critica|'. They condemned everything about the p[ant.

,!xerq[se 3
Change the sentences below so that the underLined adjective is repLaced by its corresponding
adverb. The first has been done for you.

1. From a commerciaI point of view the deciston was ctever.

It was a commerciatly ctever decision.
2. From an economic perspective the poLicywas catastrophic.
Tl. o ^^lia',
r r rr PvrrL]
3. ln theory the desrgn was innovative
the design

4. But to be frank, it was wrong

But it

5. From a logicat point of view your argument is unsustainabte

Your argument

6. From an academic standpoint you are right.

You are

'Transfer
strong weak independent
Write six sentences about your country's economy. optimistic pessimistic weLl d
lncLude the folLowing adiectives with adverbs
which modify them.

Example:
Singapore has a particularly strong economy.

117
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UNIT Comparison of Adjectives

53 Unit
Unit
51

52
Adjectives versus adverbs
Adjective modif ication with adverbs

A Sampte sentences
' we deliver relativety high technotogy and good
quatity at tower prices than our rivats.
'. The company is among the most expensive producers
- atuminium in the wortd.
of
lf you have any further questions, ptease
. There are far more attractive investment
.ont".i r".
oppo.tuniiies.
B Form
The comparative form adds -er a.rb th. supertative form is made by using the and adding -est.
1. Adjectives with one syttab[e:
long longer the Longest
big bigger the big-gest
Low Lower the lowest
rdre
l=f a
nter
t.
the Latest
Two-sytlabte adjectives ending in _y, _ow,
-.2. and _te:
easV easier the easiest
narrow naTrower the narrowest
simPle simpler the simpLest
3. Other two-syllabte adjectives and longer ad.lectives:
reLiabLe more reLiabl, in" most retiabLe
expensive more expensive the most expensive
Longeradjectives use more in the comparative
and the most in the supertative.
4. lrregutar adjectives:
good better best tittLe /ess /east bad worse
much more most far farther/further farthest/furthestworst
C Uses
1. Comparison of objects:
- To compare two objects:
0ur prices are lower than theirs.
- To compare more than two objects:
Our prices are the lowest. fof att the prices]
- To compare an object and a definite
siandard,
sales are already high, but the new initiatives
shoutd push them
stilt higher.
- To show that one comparison depends
on another. We can use the + comparative

The better your preparation, the more

confident you are tikety to be.
Ii'e' lf you prepare wett, you witt feet more confident.J
2' Modification of comparison' we can use an
adverb before a comparative adjective
the degree of comparison: to indicate
Our prices are much lower than theirs.
far
much
substantiatl.y
considera bty
significantty

I moderatety
/ somewhat

lL:",?,i:,'
Note
You cannot say; 'Rossomon are
more bigger than Matushi.. lbigger)
118 lntermediate Business Grammar
www.nhantriviet.com
TASKS

Complete the foLlowing tabLe

slow
more difficutt
modern
the easiest
ca pa bte

drier
quick
the worst
far
m0re
a tittLe
the most advanced

Read the two descriptions of computer systems. Write five sentences which explain differences
between the two machines.
ExampLe:
The Carro XT has a more powerful processor.

ihe Carro XS 386 x

2'6GHz Processor
- exPandable to 3GB
2GB RAM memory
4 USB Ports
DVD Rewriter
monitor
18" widescreen colour
'i
u"." on-site warrantY Plan
Price f350 Price{120C

,Exe,rcise 3
Use the graph below to compare the effects on the enviranment of four dif f erent means of transport.
Write sentences which compare the levels of C0remissions of planes, taxis, cars and buses, using
different forms of the folLowing adjectives.
clean dirty much littLe
250 Comparison of CO, emissions for different
Example:
meons of tronsport (per possenger kilometre).
Cars are more pottuting than taxis.
200

Transfer
1s0
Compare your country and two
other countries that you know welL.
Write at Least six sentences. 100
0r
Compare a product you know well 50
with two other simiLar products f rom train
different manufacturers. Write at
0
least six sentences.

,ryww.nhantriviet.com 119
UNIT Expressions of Frequency

5lr Unit
Unit 5l
Unit
2

66
The present simple
Adjectives versus adverbs
Each and every

ASa sentences
. We are always open to new ideas.
. 0rders are usuatty detivered the next working day.
. The board of directors meets once a month.
' we very rarety get compraints but occasionatly problems occur.
B Form ;'

We can divide expressions of frequency inlo indeftnite frequency and definite frequency.
1. We can cLassify expressions of indefinite frequency on a scaLe from'always'to
never,,
where 'aLways'= 100 per cent and neveT'= 0 per cent. These numbers aie on[y a
generaL indication, not exact vaIues.
'100% always
95o/o nearly always/aLmost always
90ok usuat[y/normatty/generaLty/reguLarty
75% ofte n/f req u entty
50% sometimes
40Yo occasionaL[y
25o/o rareLy/setdom
1]Yo hard[y ever/scarce[y ever
0%o never
2. lf wewanttobemoreprecise,wecanuseoneof thefottowingtypesof expressions:
a. on celtwice/th ree ti mes a day/week/month/yea r
b. every hou r/daylweek/month/yea r
c. h o u r[y/d a Lylwe e k Lylm o n t h l'y/q u a rte rLyla n n ua LLy I y earLy
i

Note
Hourty, daity, weekl.y, monthty, quarterty, yearty are both adjectives and adverbs;
annuatty is only an adverb ladjective = annuaU.
We review the figures monthty. [adverb) We have a monthty review of the
figures. [adjective)
C Uses
1. Questions about frequency:
How often do service peopte fix a probtem on the first visit?
2. Statements about frequencyr
lndefinite frequency:
0rders are usualty detivered next day. fnormal position for adverbs of frequency is
before the verb]
Ctinics are rarety open after office hours or at weekends. [adverb of frequency
after the verb be)
For emphasis the fo[[owing adverbs can be put at the beginning of the sentence:
usuaLly normaLly generaLLy reguLarly often frequentLy sometimes occasionaLLy
0ccasiona[[y, deliveries are delayed for technicaI reasons.
Definite frequency:
Meetings of sharehotders are hetd at teast once a year.
Once a week I emai[ a progress report to my manager.
The normaI position for expressions of definite frequency is at the end
of the sentence.
However, for emphasis the expression of frequency..n b. put at the
beginning of the sentence.
Notes
1. Per is officiaLand formaL:
Interest witt be charged at the rate of 2.So/o per month.
2. Every is atways singular:
we are getting four mittion hits on our website every year. [not: every years)
cf We are getting four mittion hits on ourwebsite every six months. t= Lr..y period
of six months]
120 iniei-r-nediate Busines.s G:at-rr,::i- in;ww.nhantrirriet.ccm
Exercise'1
Two sales representatives meet in a hotel. They have very different ways of doing business.
Complete the conversation using frequency expressions from the box so that Keriy aLways
has quite the opposite way of doing things! Use each expression once.

seldom hardLy ever nearLy aLways never normalLy aLways sometimes

Lee: I atways fly here.

Kerry: Do you? I fl.y, I come by car.
Lee: By car? How awfut!What about this p[ace? I rarety stay in this hoteL. Do you often
come here?
Kerry: I stay here, though I stay at the place opposite.
Lee: I see. What about your customers - is this a good ptace for you to meet them?
Do you do much business here? lthink it's terribte. I setlanything!
Kerry: ReaLly? No, lthink it's great. I sel.Lquite a lot here. l've severalgood
customers here.
Lee: Fancy a drink?
Kerry: Thanks, l'il. have an ordnge juice.
Lee: Orange? I drink orange. I prefer appte juice.

Exer-cise 2
Complete the f oLLowing sentences by putting a frequency expression in each space.

1.I watk to work, I go by car. I take the bus.

2.1 travelabroad. When I travelabroad I stay in a hotet.
3. lf I go a long way I fl.y. When I arrive at the airport I take a
taxi to my hotet. I hire a car.
4. We have a regutar meeting with the Director of the Department every
5. We phone our most important customers.

Exercise 3
Complete the following sentences with an expression of definite f requency based on the f requency
given in brackets.

1. We hoLd our sharehotders' meeting . [December]

2. I meet my deputy . [Monday and Thursday)

3. I send a report to Head Office Uanuary March,

May, JuLy, September etc.)

4. I teLephone our agents . IMonday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday etc.]

5. We pubLish a profit and [oss account [Juty and January)

6. We produce detailed sates results [April., JuLy, 0ctober, Januaryl
7. I meet the Managing Director every fweek 1 ,3,5,7,9,11,13, etc.J

Transfen
Write six sentences describing things that you do or don't do and indicate how often you
do them by incLuding frequency expressions.

www.nhantriviet.com 121
UNIT Degree with Very, Too and Enough

55 Unit 52 Adjective modif ication with adverbs

' lnduction training aims to hel,p new emptoyees feet comfortabte in their new jobs very quickty.
o lf they wish to buy property, this month would be a very suitabte time.
'. We many firms believe that inferior service is acceptabte.
Too
did not spend enough time buitding our brands.
' The company's product portfotio is not strong enough to support its cost
structure.
;
,
''f,6li
Very, too and enough are adverbs Isee Unit 51J.

Very and too come before the adjective or adverb:

wc aim to hetp new employees feel comfortable in their new jobs very quickly.
lf an investment seems too good to be true, then it probabty is.
The adverb enough comes after the adjective or adverb:
The company's recovery was not strong enough.
The determiner enough comes before the noun:
We have enough offers to make a decision soon.

C Uses
1.
lery is a degree adverb; it intensifies the meaning of an adjective or adverb:
The company is gl-owing at a very fast rate.
We have to respond very quickty to chaltenges at atl levets of the business.
2' The adverbs too and enough have retated meanings. Too means'more than
enough'
or more than acceptabte':
0ur present office is too big. Ii.e. it is not acceptable)
Enough means that something is acceptabLe:
Gur present office is biE enough. Ii.e. it is acceptabLe)
Compare too and enough in foLLowing sentences:
The present office is too smaL[.
The present office is not big enough.
Too smat[ means 'too smat[ for us to work in'; not big enough
means 'not big enough
for us to work in'; therefore too and enough function by reference to a
leve[, J p.r.on
and an activity:
LeveL person activity
This office is too sma[[ forus to work in
0ften we do not mention the person and the activity because theyare
obvious from
the context:
Your prices are too high. [for us to buy)
3. The determiner enough aLso refers to a levet:
We have enough offers.
As with the adverb enough, often we do not mention the person
and the activity:
We have enough offers. lto make a decision)

122 lntermediate Business Grammar

www.nhantrivier.ccm
Exeriise 1

Decide if the foLlowing sentences are both grammaticaLLy and LogicaLLy correct. lf wrong, correct them.

1. The price is too high but I can sti[L afford it.

2. We don't have peopte enough to meet the order.
3. lt doesn't cost verY moneY.
4. The ptant at Lagos is very [arge. ln fact, it is too big.
5. We sol.d very few products. ln fact, we sotd enough.
6. The country is very smat[ and it has a very [arge population It is enough heavitY
popu l.ated.

fiXer:cise 2
Below is an bxtract f rom an emaiL from a printing firm to a dissatisfied customer F|LL in the spaces
with very, too or enough.

O
eoo

We were sorry to heor thot you ore not sotisfied wiih the printing work which we
is
sent lost week ond in porticulor thot the colour red strong. we checked the work
corefully before ii wos despotched ond we felt thot it wos good to
meet our high stondords. However, since you ore not hoppy. our representotive
hope
will visit you on Fridoy to discuss lhe problem. we understond your need is urgent so I
soon
this is is
to fit in with your schedule. lf it lote pleose telephone us'

Lxercrse J
Complete the sentences below by using a construction with very, too or enough. The
first has
been done for you.

1. The delivery time is too Long. ln other words it is nct short enough for us'
2. The service you provide is too stow for us. ln other words it is not
3. The quaLity of the workmanship is disappointing. ln fact it is not
4. The report is not [ong enough. ln otherwords it is
5. The conference is not earty enough in the year. ln otherwords it is
6. The registration fee is very expensive. ln fact it is
7. The venue is far away. ln fact it is

ffi;ftHiei,
enough in
Describe the business and economic environment in your country using very, too and
at least five sentences.
ExampLes:
It is easy enough to conduct business here but taxes are too high.
It is very difficutt to invest targe quantities of the nationaI currency in other countries.

123
www.nhantrivlet.com
 UNIT 50 vs. Such

55 Unit 38
Unit 45
Subordinate ctauses
Ctauses of purpose

' The new system was so efficient that the company

was abte to reduce its staff.
' He did such a good job that the company awarded
him a certificate.

tt
R
Form
We use so before an adjective or anradverb,
The new system was so efficientlhat the company
was able to reduce its staff.
He spoke so quiettythat r had to ask him to ..p""i rrirr"irl
We use such before lan adjective +] a noun,
He did such a lgoodrjob that the company awarded
him a certificate.
Note the position of such:
such an lefficientl machine fbefore the indefinite
articte with countabte singu[ar nouns)
such (efficientl machines [with countabte prurat nounii
such lefficientl machinery lwitlr uncountabte nouns)

1c.:,Us65,
1. As adverbs of degree Isee Unit 55):
The hotet was so noisy that we couldn't sleep. (=
the hotet was too noisy for us to steep
or the hoteI was not quiet enough for us to sl.eep)
2. To indicate the resutt:
The hotel was so noisy that we had to leave.
[with the result that we had to [eaveJ
3. To add emphasis:
The food was so deticious!
We got such a warm reception!
4. ln negative comparisons:
company taxation is not so high as it was some years
ago. for not as high as]
. 5. Phrases with so, such as so long as, [in) so far as,
so far:
so long as their poticy does not change, we can,t
do business with them.
(conditionconcerned with timel
Their offer is attractive - (inl so far as it goes.
We have received three offers so far.
'- ''
[extent)
tup io no*i

124 lntermediate BusinessGramrnar

www.nhantriviet.com
.Exercise 1

Complete the foLlowing sentences by adding so or such.

1. The workwas bad that we refused to pay.

2. The payment was Late that we contacted our lawyers.

3. After a long time we had given up hope of payment.

4. lt was a large debt that we had to try to recover it.

5. expensive items cost a lot to repair.

6. Costs increased rapidly that we abandoned the research

Exercise 2

Read the phrases on the Left and f ind the correct ending from the alternatives on the right to make
seven meaningfuL sentences. The first has been done for you.

The work is so bad that are very vatuabte.

We are so late that operating it is easy.
It is such a good design that the meeting wi[[ be over.
With such good progress it witl have to be re-done.
Such materiat we accepted his idea.
Such customers we wit[ finish earty.
He argued so convincingty that can be recycted easity.

Exercise 3
Rewrite the foLLowing senfences using the words given in brackets. Sometimes onLy a smalL change
is necessary. Do not change the originaL meaning. The first has been done foryou.

1. The very high quatity justif ies the price. Isuch/justif ies the price)
Such high quaLity justifies the price.
2. The project has gone weLL untiI now. lso farj
3. lf the weather remains good, the buil.ding work wiL[ be compteted before Christmas.
Iso Long)

4. I was surprised by the excetlent performance. [such/surprised me]

5. The engine was not as noisy as I had expected. [sol

6. The service we received was not good enough for us to continue with that supptier.
Iso bad/changed)

Transfer
Write five sentences about the quaLity of service you received from an institution or company
recentLy. Use so and such in your sentences.

,rrww.n ha ntiivi et.com 125

UNIT Already, Yet, Again and Stitt

57 Unit 5 The present perfect simpte

o [l/g have exploited

. !{ave you signed themost markets atready.
contract yet?
. Let's meet to discuss this again next week.
' we sti[[ have a long way to to before these ideas are actuatly put into practice.
B..Fffi.
ALready, yet, again and stil.t are adierbs
of time.
1. We can put al.ready at the end of the sentence:
We have exploited most markets atready.
Note the other possibte positions:
A number of existing customers are atready
showing interest. [after be)
We have already exptoited most,markets.
[ifter tf.l" fi*i modaI or auxitiary)
companies have atreadv investei heavity in
techn;t;y:ina equipment. Ibefore the main verb]
2. Yet usuatty comes at the end of the sentence:
A: Have you signed the contract yet?
B: Yes, but I haven,t sent it back yet.
3. Again usuatty comes near the end of the sentence:
Let's meet to discuss this again next week.
4. Stitt is used as fottows:
The matter is stitt under discussion.
[after beJ
various possibitities are stilt being discussed.
[after the first mo!at or auxitiary)
We stitt intend to pursue the idea iext year.
[before the main verbJ
C Usei,
1. Al'ready means-'by this/that time'; we
use it in positive statements:
We have exptoited most marketsatready.
f Oy [fr,i. ii.", ie. oy nowl
2. Yet means'by now';we-normatly use it jn
negative statements and questions:
A: Have you received the contiact yet?
tOV nowl
B: No' I was totd yesterday that it hadn't 6een
ctrecred yet. Iby that time, i.e. yesterdayl
3. Stitt means 'up to this/that time':
They stitt use otd production methods.
[up to this time)
= They haven't stopp.ed using the otd productio,
Last month r was stitt tryin! to find a suitabte
,"tno-i. yet. Iby now)
supptier.
= I hadn't found a suitabte supplier yet. [by th.nl -",
fup to that time]
'
4. Again means 'another time, or ,as before,:
We have asked for the same discount again.
[another time or as beforeJ
Notes
1. Tenses with al.ready and yet:
They have atready announced detaits of
their pl.ans. [present perfect in BrEJ
They haven,t announced details of their pt"nr'y"i.
They atready announced detaits of their
ip.!..., perfect in BrE)
bf"nr.
They didn't announce detaits of their pr.n,
p.iirirnpt.
f in AmEl
y"i.'tp..i .i#pt. in AmE)
2. Notice the tink between yet and stitt:
A: Have you madea decision yet, orare you sfitl
discussing it?
B: Yes' last week' ButI was totd yesterday
that ffre aecision hadn,t been approved yet
that we are sfill waiting for thi board,s and
approval.

126 intermediate Business Grammai

www.nhantriviet.com
:Exercise 1

BeLow is the text of an internal phone call between two saLespeople in an engineering firm. They are
discussing a problem with an export Licence. Use already, yet, again and still to co'mpLete the spaces.

A: l'm afraid we haven't received authority to export the goods.

Br Has the Trade Department contacted ? you
A: No, not . l't[ te[ephone them
to see why there's such a de[ay.
B: 0kay. 0ur customers have compLained about the delay and I
can't give them a detivery date.
A: I know. l'[|. callyou this afternoon.

Exercise 2
Read the foLlowing sentences and pLace an arrowl+l in tne place where the word in brackets can be
placed. lf two pLaces are possible, put in a second arrow.

1. She has arrived. [aLready)

2. She has not arrived. [stilLJ
3. Has she arrived? [yet)
4. She has not arrived. [yet]
5. I'lLtel.ephone his office. [again)
5. We hope to see Eddie Roberts soon. [again]
7. We are developing a new system. [again]
8. We use an American consuttant. [stitt)

Exerctse J
Look at the figures below and compLete the sentences with appropriate words. lncLude already,
yet, again or still in your answeTs.

l-'l last vear 1. A is the top seLting product

LJ this year
2. Sates for C are
Comparison of sales
of Produds A, B and C
last year and this year. Product A Product B Product C

3. The PDS market shai-e

Market share ol
market leadeis (tast
r&E
@_/E
PDS
Excel
Toro
28 per cent.

year and this year). last year this year LJ Tiasu

Sates
4. At the end of the third quarterwe
500
' --- projected the target for
sates
Projeded and actual 250 the end of the year.
_ actual
sales for cunent year sates
at end of third quaften 01 Q2 03 04

25 5. Sales not
20
'1
5 20,000 units
'10
Sales development
5
for Haracel
(years 1-3). 12345

lransler
Think of any pLans that a company you know weLL or your government has followed in recent months.
Write five senlences describing the progress of these pLans. Use already, yet, again and still.

www.nhantriviet.c0m 127
UNIT Articles

58 Unit 48
UNII 6I
Nouns
Some, anyand reLated words [1]

A 'Saffiptesenterlce'i'

.'
A bank loan is a form of credit which is often
extended for a specified period of time.
we atso provide information and advice, .rp".i.itvlir
imatt businesses.
' The company uses the rnternet to carry out
marketing campaigns.
B ,,Fot:m
There are three forms of the artic[ei:
aIn) - the indefinite articte
the - the definite articte
0 - the zero articte

C.,,Uses.
1. We use the indefinite a,rtic-le with singutar countab[e
nouns [see Unit 48], when we
introduce a word or idea for the firsitime:
lf you have a problem, send us an email.
2. We use the zero articie with uncountable nouns
and most proper nouns [see Unit 48],
when we introduce a word or idea for the first
The price inctudes transport and accommodation.
time: '-

[not: atransport, an accommodationJ

cf lwas given the accommodation rent free as p.rioirV job. fspecific accommodation]
Pau[ Berisford is in charge of devetoping
the company,s website. [not: the pauI Berisford,
PauI BerisfordJ a

We also use the zero articte with pturaL

countabte nouns Isee Unit 48J, when we are
speaking genera[ty:
We invite sharehotders to our annuat meeting.
cf we invited the shareholders to our annualheeting.
[specific sharehotders]
3. We use the definite article in the fotlowing cases:
a. When we mention a word or idea for the second
time:
A company promotes a brand by advertising
,o .rrtorers stay toyat to the brand,
maintaining the cornpany,s rnaifet share.
ta for tne trrst mention; the for the second.J
b. When the speaker presumes that it is ctear
what he/she means:
There are four.points on the agenda.
[There i.;rty';; agenda.l
lf there is anything in the instructions that you
,niu." about, ptease ask. [The listener
knows which instructions.) "."
The economy is showing signs of accelerating.
[There is onty one economy.)
c' when the speaker makes it ctear what he/she
means:
we would be pteased to meet to discuss the
recommendations in our tetter. [specific
recommendations, i.e. in our tetter)
Ensure you are getting ail. the benefits to
which you are entiil,ed. [specific
benefits, i.e. to which you are entitLed)
d. When we tatk about institutions:
Did you see the news on the TV tast night?
I read an interesting articte in the newspaper
this morning.
e. We can use the with some nationatity words:
A recent survey showed that the French
admire hard work, the Germans are
to'o"titive and ambitious, and the British pr"r".io
*oa.
to.k in the r".uiity oi g.oup.
"
we do not use an article with the names
of mea[s, orwith the rnstitutions and othercommon
words listed in Appendix B.

128 lnterrnediate gusinessGramnrar

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 1
iExercise
Read the fottowing sentences, where each articLe orthe absence of the articLe is numbered.Then
piace each number in the table according to the particuLar use of each article.

a. Harris and Col make car components2. The3 company has ana agent in Paris.
b. As Long detay occurred when a6 document was [ost. TheT de[ay almost resulted in thes
customer canceL[ing thee order. An10 internaI enquiry found that all computeT error
caused the12 problem.
c. lnformationl3 on thela history of Albal5 can be found at the16 Tourist 0ffice.

II

Exei-cise 2
Add articles where necessary in the foLLowing sentences.

1. University of Leeds is one of biggest in England. lt is atso

important centre for medicaI studres.
2. Butter is major agricultural product in European Union. Another
is rape seed oit. Most of butter is consumed by EU countries.
3. super Motor Company makes range of high-performance cars,
incLuding luxurious Grosso 55XT. This is perfect exarnple of
modern automotive engineering.

Exercise 3 Make -,--- - right connections in Dubai-

business Gentre of , Middle East.
Here is a text adapted from an
advertisement produced by the
When it comes to selecting base for your
Bahrain Tourism Board. lf
regional headquarters, Dubai is logical choice.
appropriate, add an articLe a,
an, or the in the spaces in the
,, - city has become,.. -,,-, region's
-- leading centre
text. lf the zero article is
for - , trade, ,.... . transport and .---.--.-
required, leave the space bLank. distribution, industtY, . . conferences and

--*-- exhibitions. For good reason. Dubai encourages

enterprise. *--*-,- state-of-the-art telecommuni-
.

cations system puts you in instant touch with

Tranifer
Select any two paragraphs
from an English newspaper or
magazine. Highlight or underline
the articles and classifY their
uses as in Exercise 1.
world..*-* -- 120 international airlines link Dubai with
over 260 destinations worldwide. And *.--- city
boasts sophisticated --* banking,*-- finance
and . other services, as well as world-class office
accommodation. And lifestyle is great too!

www.nhantriviet.com 129
 UNIT Pronouns

59
. They sent me a copy of their report.
' I realty appreciate the hetp and support that
sites tike yours give to those of us who need it.
' witt you please tet the ctient know? r,d catt her
mysetf, uuti, very busy today.

B ,F-pifi,l
we can divide pronouns into three fypes: personar,
refrexiveand posse5sive

1st person sing. me mysetf my mine

pt. WE US oursetves our ours
2nd person sing. y0u y0u yoursetf you r yours
pt. you you , yoursetves you r yours
3rd person sing. masc he him himsetf his his
fem she her herself her h ers
non-personaI it it itsetf its its
pt. they them ' themselves their thei rs

.eii rug6g
1. Personat pronouns:
Theysent me a copy of their report.
Please don't hesitiate to contait me any time.
[me = the person]
For further information, please contact
us at the fottowing address. [us the company)
=
2. Reftexive pronouns:
we use a reflexive pronoun when the object
is the same as the subject:
First fd tike to introduce myself,then i'd tlre youio
We need to ask ourselvessome tough questions. --'
- sav.t r"* words about yourselves.

3. Possessive pronouns:
Ar ourcompany has its brochures printed by a company
_ yours? lyours = your organisation] ' '--, in Manchester. How about
B: Ours are printed tocalty. [ours = our brochures)
Notes
1' when using personaI pronouns you usuar.r.y
mention yoursetf [ast:
My cotteagues and t were treated with reipect
anA courie sy. hot:l and my cotteagues)
My advice is that one shoutd atways tisten'careiutry
lone = indefinite pronoun, i.e. a personl
bJ;;"i one speaks.
---' --'-'
2. Reftexive pronouns:
I did it myself. (l did it; not anybody etse)
I did it by mysetf. (without .nyon. .tr..s
hetp)
3. PersonaI pronouns with own add emphasis:
we use our own components in the manufacturing
process. [rather than anyone etse,s
components)

130 lntel.mediateBusinessGramrnar
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TASKS

iExercise 1

Replace the underlined words beLow with appropriate pronouns.

1. PauI designed the system without any hetp.

2. Jane is my boss. Mv boss and I have worked together for years.
3. I understand that your company has an off ice in Buenos Aires. 0ur company has
one there too. 0ur off ice is in the south of the city. Where is vour office?
4. Mary ca[ted in. Marv left a package for John. Can you take the package to John?
5. Hernandez and Fernandez make Life difficuLt for Hernandez and Fernandez.

[1e-(-ise l
Replace the underLined words with an appropriate pronoun in the foLLowing sentences.

1. Oh, Mr BeardlMrs Ford phoned. Mrs Ford asked me to ask Mr Beard to phone
Mrs Ford back as soon as Mr Beard can.
2. JJD make p[astic joints. .JJD have supptied our company, Thomson Boro Ltd, for years.
JJD have atways provided Thomson Boro Ltd with good service but a recent supplywas
very poor quaLity. I teLephoned their sates rep. I told their sales rep about the probtem
and the sal.es rep said the probLem woutd be resoLved easity.
3. The supptiers phoned a moment ago. The supptiers said the goods were damaged in
transit and that the responsibiLity is not the supptiers'. The supp[iers are sending one of
their representatives here tomorrow to discuss the probtem. ln any case, the goods are
useless. We must not pay for the goods.

The text below is part of an advertisement for an electronic components manufacturer UnderLine
the pronouns in the text and then labet them as personal subiect [PS), personal obiect (P0),
reflexive {R) or possessive [P). Do not underline any possessive determiners.

Hambro - do yourself a favour!

Harnbro you call us - we serve You!
-
Harnbro products - they work for you!

Write five sentences about your company or some pLace you know welL. lJse exampLes of different
types of pronouns.

't31
www.nhantriviet.com
 UNIT Demonstratives

50
. A: ls that the customer service department?
B: No, this is the technicat Aepartieni.
' These figures shoutdn't rea*y be
ioiria"."o in isor.ation.
' ,T;X"iH',TJ:j[j*:
mv straiesvt il;
do r want io J, i'irz rhose are the two most

B Forrn
Demonstratives are words which point
to something in the context _
something distant. They can b. pionouns something near or
tsee Unit 59J or determiners.
These are the forms of the demonstratives:

this
that

'c':lUffi
this and that can point backwards
'' lfi,t:r.nstratives to something we mentioned
That/this was a great learning experience
for us. [pronoun]
ln:i:i$y ;:ffi .;ffi I i:::::m ;;;il ;:J-";;["; ;J,,. ny rh islt ha t co m pa ny wa
;
n ted .

2' The demonstrative this can point

forwar!1to something we are going
This is the way that we ptan to proceed. ';lrL to mention later:
f pr.;;;nf *9
costs. By unnecessary costs r mean wilt reduce atl unnecessary
ilresi tvpes labour and other
non-fixed overheads. Ideterm iner) ";;;;;inventory,
' I*t,::ff;tJratives this and that can point to something in the reaIwortd, i.e. outside
l'd like to draw your attention to
two sets of figures. Thesee
situation; and those ltherel referioiastyear. lherel snowthe
lnere, show the pre
present
Notes
1. We use that and those before
a retative clause:
Those who have to operate ilre
system atso have to appreciate
its objectives.
2' ln coLLoquiatspeech we use the forward-pointing
going to describe more futty aftenryards: this to introduce a subject thatwe
are
So, I went into this shop in town,
.nJf was tooking for a present.

132 lntermediate Business Grammar

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 ldentify exampLes of demonstratives in the following extract from a conversation and cLassify them
according to the uses listed beLow:

1. Pointing backwards [B] 4. lntroducing a re[ative ctause IRCJ

2. Pointing forwards [F) 5. Coll.oquial. speech [CS)
3. Referring to something in the reaLworl.d IRW]
'The company sent us a Letter. That was the first indication
that they were interested in
the proposaL. We read this with much interest because theywere offering us something
we had asked for:a 50 per cent share in royaLties on a[[the products they made,
obviousty meaning a[[ those we agreed to let them make. This is it - here - read it.
And then can you put it on that fil"e over there? I need to show it to that consuttant
feltow who's coming in [ater. lrlow look ... I want to say this. We should not necessarity
accept what is on offer. Accepting it straight away ... that wou[d be a mistake.'

Read the extracts from two job vacancy

announcements. Circle the
demonstratives in each one, then Link
them to the phrases that they refer to.
The first has been done as an exampLe.

@,, .n oOoonrnity to work in a research organisation publishing

economic surveys on Eastern Europe.This is a new position created
to meet growing demand for products in this area.

Those applicants with a good economics degree,experience in

publishing and a good knowledge ofthe region should email with
a concise CV attached to: steven.wright@recruitment.ges.co.uk

Monica Schmidt has some money to invest and so she has a meeting with a financial advisor,
Corina Lopez, at her bank. BeLow is part of therr conversation togethervyith tvtc tab[es that Corina
used to ilLustrate what she was saying. FiLL in the blanks with demonstratives.

MS: What are two tabtes?

CL: Good question, now [et's [ook at them. one shows how we caLcu[ate investment
income, white shows an examp[e.
MS: I see. Coutd you expl.ain them?
CL: of course. The basic calcutation is Like . The investment muLtiptied by interest rate
muttiptied by running period in days - aL[ over 100 " 360.
M5: lsee. And in example, it's for much - 100,000 euros?
CL: Yes, the interest rate - 's 7.5 per cent, the time is three months, 's
3 times 30. lf you finish the caLcutation you have much: 1875 euros.

Transfer
Write a brief paragraph about where you work and the products or services you produce. Use
s o f d e m o n st ra tiv e s thi s/th at/the se/th ose.
exa m p le

www.nhantriviet.com 133
UNIT Some, Any and Retated Words [11

61
A SamrpLe
Unit 62

sentences
Some, any and related words {2]

a Do you have any questions about how to do this?

a I asked him for some information about the product.
l'm afraid we can't do anything about it at the moment.
a We are not planning to change any of our investments.

B Form

Note
Somebody = someone; simi[arty, anybody = anyone.

i.#
1. Uses of some and compounds. Some is a determiner and a pronoun; someone and
something are pronouns. We use some words in:
a. Positive statements:
We have some new ideas we want to try out. [determiner + pturaI countab[e noun]
Losing some money is an inevitabte part of investing. [determiner + uncountabte nounJ
These are just some of the areas where we could cut costs. Ipronoun)
There's someone waiting for you in your office. Ipronoun)
b. PoLite offers in the question form:
Do you have some other questions? (inviting questionsl Woutd you tike some more coffee?
Both some and any are correct, but some is feLt to be more pol.ite.
2. Uses of any and compounds. The uses of any + compounds are paraLLetto the uses of
some + compounds above. We use any words in:
a. Negative statements:
They did not receive any documents concerning their transactions.
Ideterminer + pturaI countabte nounJ
b. Direct questions [see Unit 41):
Does anyone have any comments? (pronoun; determiner + plural countabte noun]
c. Yes/no indirect question lsee Unit 41J:
I wonder if anyone can answer that question.
d. ConditionaI ctauses lsee Unit 10]:
lf anyone would [ike more information, please visit our website.
e. Comparisons after -er, more [see Unit E3l, Less, as, too (see Unit 55]:
The stockmarket has done better than anyone could have hoped.
tt's too [ate to do anything today, but we'tt took at it first thing tomorrow.
f. To mean every' or 'a[t' (see Unit 65] - any + singutar countabte noun, or. any + uncountabte noun:
The emphasis in any sales pitch shoul,d be on the benefits to the recipient.
[every sales pitch or at[ sates pitches]
The website shoutd have structures that make it easy for the user to access any
information on the site. [att information)
Note
We do not use any [unstressed) with singutar countabte nouns:
Are there any questions? (not: any question)
134 lntermediate Business Grammai- www.nhantriviet.com
iExercise 1

The following sentences aLL contain one mistake. Correct them.

1. I haven't seen some exarnptes yet.

2. There were any questions so the meeting ended.
3. We don't need no heLp with this.
4. I didn't have probtems coming to see you.
5. The meeting was longer than someone would have wanted

;E4e-1qfse-,2
Choose the sentence with the closest meaning (a, b or cJ to the one given.

1. Some companies raise money by issuing qhares.

a. A number of companies raise money by issuing shares.
b. Companies raise money by issuing shares.
c. At[ companies raise money by issuing shares.
2. I spoke to someone yesterday'about investing in shares.
a. I spoke to some peopl'e yesterday about investing in shares.
b. I spoke to a person yesterday about investing in shares.
c. I spoke to some person yesterday about investing in shares.
3. I don't think just anyone can answer this question.
a. I don't need anyone speciaI to answer this question.
b. I need some speciaI peop[e to answer this question.
c. I need someone speciaI to answer this questron.
4. Any of the goods in this section are avaitabte within two vueeks.
a. Some of the goods in this section are avaitabte within two Weeks
b. Al.t of the goods in this section are avaitabte within two weeks.
c. Most of the goods in this section are avaitab[e within two weeks.

Exercise 3
The foLLowing is an extract from a teLephone conversation between a computer user and the
Customer Service Centre of a major software manufacturer Fill in the spaces with a suitabLe ward
from the box.

someone any some anyone anything some something

Customer: l'd tike information about upgrading software ptease. Iunderstand that
[ast month you were offering Grapho 5.1 free of charge to users who had bought 5.0
in January or February. I bought mine in January but I haven't received
information and now the free offer is closed.
CSC: Yes, l'm sorry, that's correct. who was a registered user shou[d have
received news of the offer.
Customer: ldidn't receive
CSC: l'm sorry about that. Have you been receiving our regul.ar newsletter since you
bought your Grapho software? There's always in there about offers.
Customer: No, I haven't.
C5C: HoLd on please, there's here I can ask about this ...

rTransfer
Think of a situation where you have had to complain about some aspect of service. Write exampLes
of the kinds of things you say in this situation. Use exampLes of some and any words.

www.nhantriviet.com 135
UNIT Some, Any and Related Word s l?,l

62 Unit 61 Some, any and retated words [1)

Sampte sentences
. You must have those detaits recorded somewhere.
. I don't think l'd ever work with that company again.
' lt is not at a[[ unusual for a four-year degree to cost upward
of $s0,000.
B Fornn

i neeil some rti

llie docu:ni:,r[l;
I told someone
rn tre;rci ollil:e
i'd Iikr: k: sal.
ething

C Uses
1. Uses of some and some words
some is a determiner and a pronoun; someone and something
are pronouns;
and other some compounds are adverbs:
Prices are somewhere between $50 to $ZO. 166r.r01
Apptication forms sometimes have questions retating
to heatth. IadverbJ
2. Uses of any and any words:
Has anyone ever heard of this company?
l'm afraid that I can't find your CV anywhere.
3. Uses of no and no words:
There are no envelopes leJt in the tray. ldeterminer + pluraI
countabte noun)
we had no idea what the finat price might be. [determin.rl
un.orntabte noun]
Unfortunately none of our sates or maiketing st.f ,pif1
GJrman. [pronoun)
!t is not at atl uncommon for financing to be
frovid.o' rv it. government. [adverb)
Note
Some time ltwo words] is a time-when adverb; sometimes (one
wordJ is a time_frequency adverb
We visited them some time last year. We visit
them sometimes.

136 lntermediate Business-Grammar

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TASKS

rExercise 1

Are the following sentences right or wrong? lf wrong, make the necessary correction.
1. I sometime give presentations to other companies.
2. lf there is anything I can do to he[p, p[ease contact me.
3. I was something impressed by her performance.
4. l'm afraid I don't have any more information to give you.
5. So, if nobody has some questions, [et's move on to the practicaI demonstration
6. To be honest, we don't ever exceed our agreed budget.

i[lgqcise !,
Complete the following dialogue with some, any or a related word/phrase
A: Do you visit the Asian ptants?
B: Wett, l'm surewhatwiLl'happen nextyear, though lam tentativetyptanning a trip
in the autumn.
A: And do you ptan to go in particutar? -
B: WetL, lsuppose if lgo , itwitlbeto Korea and Taiwan.
A: 0h, that's interesting. I qo out there mysetf. Usual.ty at very short notice.
B: I see.
A: I must say there is that I distike more than these hastily arranged trips.
B: I agree. is better than frnding yoursetf in a meeting without of the
right papers.
A: Absotutety!
B: Wett, I think we shoutd try to do about it.

Exercise 3
Below is part of a presentation about data security from a
manager to staff in a bank. Match the phrase on the left with ever anyone anything
an appropriate phrase on the right to create complete some time any somewhere
senfences. Then fill in the spaces with words from the box anybody not at aLL no-one
opposite. The first has been done for you.

0f course, the security of our data it witl. just be forgotten.

0f course there is but I'm sure we've solved atlthe

probI.ems.
lf suspects that
and there't[ be no problem.
Don't think that
is somgthing we a[[ regard as an important
It wil.[ turn up
issu e.
Does have
information has been lost or
ago we had a meeting changed, the incident must be reported.
specificatty on this here who doesn't understand the
criticaI nature of tight security in banking.
to say on this?

Transfer
Write a brief imaginary conversation about your work that incLudes words from the box
in Exercise 3 above.

www.nhantriviet.com 137
 UNIT Quantifiers [11

53 Units 51 and 62
Unit 64
Unit 66
Some, any and related words
Quantifiers [2]
Each and e.rery
[1 ] and t2]

' None of these techniques can sotve ar,r. the probtems

that a company faces.
'. Many of the interviewees r see have ritfl,e rdea ot
wtrai i, L*p".t"d
--r of them.
lVc
tend to put too much faith in technotogy.
.'
TheY have few qualifications and even fewer
of the ski[s demanded by employers.
We have no plans to merge theiompanies, at
least for ttre iext few years.
B Form

Iir
{ol rnoJ
{oi thel

M tne j

Notes
1. A tot of and lots of are more col.toquial. than
many and much.
' 2. The use of the definite article:
Att equipment needs reptacing. Iunderstood from
the contextJ
Att lofl the equipment needs replacing. Irp..ir,.
"qrlpr.", in the ptant or other [ocationJ
Att equipment is dangerous. (ati equiphent in th";;It;i

lclifi$,68i
1. Much, many, a tot of and lots of when used in positive
statements:
Many of the skitts that companies are tooking
ror are availabre overseas.
A tot of the skitts that companies are tookingior
overseas.
How much and h.ory many are the question words "."-.r.lt.rre
to ask about quantity:
How much does it cost to rent? [how much
= money)
How many shares do you want to sett?
2. A few and few versus a Littte and tittte:
We have a few retiabte supptiers. (not many
but enough)
We have few retiabl,e supptiers. lnot many ind
not enJugh)
We have tittte time before the end of the meeting.
tnot ,ir.n and not enoughl
We often use a few and a tittte with onLy:
a,re. ontV a few organisations operating
Ir:*
tnot: onLy tew organisationsl
in our market niche.
cf There are few organisations operating in our market
niche. [simil.ar meaning to onty a few]
3. We often use verywith few, tittte and ffior!:
The ptant was not visited by very many peopte.
We had very littte money and very few suppl,ies.
Note
We do not use the before most:
Most (of thel data witt be collected from within
the organization. lnof : the most]
138 lntermediate Business Grammar www.nhantriviet.com
TASKS

Place the following in order from 1 [maximum] to 7 [minimumJ.

! Several of our products are made from recycted ptastic.

E None of our products are made from recycted plastic.
E Few of our products are made from recycted ptastic.
! Many of our products are made from recycted plastic.
n Most of our products are made from recycted pLastic.
tr A few of our products are made f rom recycted ptastic.
! Al.l. of our products are made from recycted p[astic.

Exercise 2
Replace the underlined words with a word a few much aLL no few most
or phrase from the box.

1. Not manv but some of our ctients responded to the survey.

2. The majority of them had some positive comments to make.
3. Not one of our customers thought our products were unretiab[e.
4. A tot of constructive criticism centred on product distribution and detivery.
5. Not many and not enough customers wanted regutar news on our new
products and services.
6. Every one of the respondents said our packaging was good.

Exercise 3
The Management Communications ConsuLtancy runs intensive training courses. They have carried
out a survey of cLient opinion on their courses. Here is a summary of the resuLts.

Make eight sentences based on the above using the quantifiers a[t, many, much, severat,
[al few, tittte and no.
ExampLes:
SeveraI respondents were not satisfied with the materiats'
A few respondents were not satisfied with our services and products.

tuffinbkffi
Write comments on a company that you know wett, or its products. Use the quantifiers at[,
many, much, severat, (alfew, [al Littte and no.
Example:
Al,l, ABC products are very good - a few are very expensive.

www.nhantriviet.com 139
UNIT Quantifiers lZl

5lr Units 61 and 62

Unit 63
Unit 66
Some, any and retated words
Quantif iers [1)
Each and every
[1 ] and t2l

' r was asked to rewrite the whole document,

amending arl the detaits.
' Each manager has. personnel responsibil,ities
in rerat-ion to att their staff.
' we regret that under no circumstances can money
be refunded.

;
B .Form
See Unit 63.

C Uses
1. Att the versus the whote,
The whole + singutar countabte noun is more
common than aLt the + singutar countabte
noun:
I was asked to rewrite the whote document.
I was asked to rewrite att the document.
lmore common] -
'
tt.s, .orrrni
2. Each/every versus a[t:
Each/every + singutar countabte noun has the
same meaning as atl + pturaI countabte
noun:
Each manager has personnel responsibitities
in reration to their staff.
A[[ managers have personnet responsibiLities in
relation to their staff.
3. No words:
The determiner no is retated to the for.r.owing
nobody, nothing:
no words - no-one, nowhere, never,
No one can predict the course of a pR campaign.
[pronounl
A: Where have you been?
B: Nowhere interesting. ladverb of pLace)
I have never heard of anyone with that name.
fadverb of time]
lf you use no or a no adverb phrase at the beginning
of a sentence, use an inversion
constru ction:
we regret that under no circumstances can money
be refunded.
c/. we regret that money cannot be refunded
unoer.nv.ir.urrtances.
Never had r dear.t with so many difficutt events
in such a short period.
cf' I had never deatt with so ,"ry difficutt events
in ,r.r, i ,i,ort period.
Nowhere else can you.see such a variety of
home products under one roof.
c/. You cannot see such a variety of homl products
anywhere etse under one roof.

140 lntermediate Business Grammar

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Fas6 5
1
Bxercise
t)nderline all the quantifiers in the foLLowing advertisement for an insurance broker.

clients require
their
can

satisil most of the

2
with different
Again, underline the quantifiers in the text below and then rewrite the sentences
quantifiers but without changing the meaning.

Exercise 3
Organise the jumbled text below into a paragraph'
earn an income
1. There are severaI reasons, but the simpl.e answer is that they aLL need to
the goods and services
2. At the same time, through their work most of them produce
needed by the PoPutation.
3. Of course, there are a few people vrrho can afford not to work'
for the
4. ln this way they are hetping to ensure that a high standard of Living is maintained
communitY as a who[e.
5. Every day in the UK more than 29 million peopLe go to work'
6. But why do PeoPLe work?
7. But for most of them, this is not an end in itsetf'
8. And, unfortunateLy, there aTe some peopLe who can't find work'
9. Some of these peopte work in factories, but most of them work in offices'
needs'
10. with this money they can buy the goods and servlces that everybody

Transfer
Write some sentences about business practice in your country. Write about:
. business meetings ' personal contact
. trmekeeping hosPitaLitY

Remember to use as many quantifiers as you can'

141
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 UNIT Both, Either and Neither

55
. Both of these poticies wit[ encourage consumer spending.
. Goods are classified as either consumer goods or capita[goods.
. Neither of these approaches is entirety satisfactory.

E,. Fqr"Et',
Both, either and neither are determiners, pronouns and conjunctions.
Both candidates were perfect for the position. Ideterminerl
Neither of these approaches is satisfactory. Ipronoun]
. Staff are paid either a weekty wage or a monthty satary. [conjunction)
1. Both takes a pturaI verb:
Both parties wiLl have an opportunity in the interview to ask questions.
(determiner + pturaI countabte noun)
Both lof the candidatesl were over-quatified. Ipronoun)
2. Either and neither:
Either candidate could get the job. [determiner + singutar countable nounl
Neither lof the cdndidatesl got the job. Ipronounl

ie_iig$ffi
Both, either and neither indicate quantities.
1. Both indicates a quantity of two:
Both of these policies witt encourage consumer spending. [There are two pol.icies.l
we plan both to study the alternatives and to impiement one soon. [There are two ptans.)
2. Either indicates:
a. one of two possibLe atternatives:
We can accept either offer. [There are two acceptabte offers.]
The company can either reduce its prices or use the increased profits to develop new
products. [There are two atternative actions.)
b. addition of negation ['and atso not']:
A: I haven't had a singLe refusat today.
B: No, I haven't either. ('and r atso not'; see a[so neither ber.ow]
3. Neither indicates:
a. that both options are exc[uded:
Neither of these approaches is satisfactory. [There are two unsatisfactory approaches.)
We have neither the money nor the resources avaiLabte. IBoth are ,n.r.it.bi..]
b. addition of negation ['and atso not'l:
A: I haven't had a singl,e refusal today.
B: Neither have l. ('and I atso not'; see atso either above, and inversion beLowJ
Notes
1' lf youusbneitherornoratthebeginningof asentenceorctause,useaninversionconstruction:
Neither have we the money, nor the resources.
2. lf you use the articte with both, put it afteq not before both:
Both the sotutions are acceptable. [not: the both]
3. We can reptace both with each [see Unit 66]:
we have doubted our training budget in both/each of the tast two years.
Both companies have set out defined objectives./Each company has set out
defined objectives.
4. We do not use a negative verb after neither:
Neither the money nor the resources are avaitabte. [nof : are not avail.abLeJ
5. The emphatic use of both .. . and:
Our costs are directed towards buiLding business in both the short and
the long term.
142 intermediate Business Grammar
r,rrww.nhantriviet.com
Ei€;ii;e'i i

Write sentences based on the folLowing prompts including the word[s] in brackets. The first has been
done for you.

1. (Bothl Jean/Jacques speaK EngLish.

Both Jean and Jacques speak Engtish.
2. IBoth] Simone speaks ltalian/Spanish.
3. (Either . . . orj We continue/stop investment.
4. (Not onty... a|.soJ Singapore is a vibrant business centre. lt is in the centre of a
spectacuLar economic region.
5. INeither .. . norJ We don't setl/don't rent equipment.

Exercise 2

Rewrite the following pairs of sentences as single sentences using the words in brackets.
1. Phitipisnottherightcandidate.Arneisalsonotsuitable.[neither...nor]
2. Marta wrote to me with a good proposat. Juana atso sent a good one. [both ... and)
3. I criticised the poor quatity of the printing. Edith criticised it too. Iboth ... and]
4. I can book the seminar rooms. Atternativety you can do it. [either ... or]
5. Akira is a very creative designer. He atso works very efficientty. Inot onty ... but also]

Exercise 3
Uta and Marina are trying to arrange a time to meet. Look at their diary extracts and then
complete the spaces in the extract from their conversation.
Marina's diary Uta's diary

c AL
Meet Ann 10.30

am:
pm: Milan

10.00
pm: Meet AD 3.00

Marina: Can we meet during week 33?

Uta: Yes, lthinkso. l'm quite busy but l'm surewe'ttfind a time.
Marina: How about Monday or Tuesday?
Uta: l'm afraid l'm very busy on Monday Tuesday. I could
ma nage Wed nesday Friday.
Marina: Let me see. I can manage Wednesday morning Wednesday
afternoon. Friday? Yes I can manage the morning the
afternoon.
Uta: Friday morning woutd be okay. Can we say 10 o'c[ock?

Transfer
Write six sentences comparing two simiLar service companies that you know'weLL, e.g. training or
language teaching organisations. Use both, either and neither.

www.nhantriviet.com 143
UNIT Each and Every

66 Unit 63
Unit 64
Unit 65
Quantifiers [11

Quantifiers [2]
Both, either and neither
Unit 67 Compounds with every

a Every few months we alter our forecasts to reflect current thinking.

a Each department is asked to keep to its budgeted costs.
a Each of these issues wi[[ now'be examined.

B Form.
Each is a determiner and a pronoun; ever! is a determiner:
Each/every company has distinctive characteristics. Id ete rm i ne r]
Each of these markets witt buy different goods. Ipronoun]

1. The determiners each and everytake a singularcountab[e noun and a singularverb.

2. The pronoun each takes a singutar countab[e noun and a singutar verb.
Note
After a plural subject each is p[ural:
The departments each have their own areas of responsibility.
cf Each of the departments has its own areas of responsibitity.
C Uses.
1. We use each for any number of peopLe/things taken separatety [minimum two),
when we think about them one at a time:
Each of the departments wilt receive a copy. Imany individuaL departmentsl
Each member is required to contribute to the fund. [many members)
This represents a profit of more than $45 mittion for each of the ltwol directors. ltwo directo
2. We use every for a group of peopte/things taken separatety (minimum three),
when we think about them as a whote group:
You must pay attention to every detait of your marketing campaign. [aLl the detaiLs]
Every agency wiLt tett you they have the best people. [at[ agencies)
Every + singu[ar noun = at[ + pturaI noun:
We've checked every page of the document/att the pages of the document.
)
3. Expressions of definite frequency lsee Unit 54]:
a. We can use each or every with singte periods:
We check the stock each/every hour/morning/afternoon.
b. We use every where the period inctudes a number greater than one:
Every three months, he reviews the performance of his team. [not: each three months]
cf Every/Each month, he reviews the performance of his team.
The ptan is reviewed every two years. [not: each two years]
cf The plan is reviewed every/each year.
Notes
1. After every, we can use a pl.uraI pronoun to avoid using 'he' or'she':
Every employer is required to prepare a written statement of their general poticy on heatth
and safety.
2. We do not use each or every with a negative verb:
None of the companies reported a deficit during that period. (nof: each of the companies
didn't report)
3. Every day [t*o words) is an adverb; everyday Ione word] is an adjective:
We receive over 5,000 hits on our website every day.
Bad news is a fact of everyday business [ife.
'
1/+4 lntermediate Business Grammar www.n ha nti'iviet'cofil
TASKS

How many combinations can you make with each and every + the foLlowing phrases?

day peopLe of the departments

of the two rs twoyears equipment

Exercise 2

Plural nouns and uncountable nouns cannot be used with each and every, but they can be used
with atl. Link each phrase on the left containing allwith a phrase on the right containing each or
every to make six sentences.

We've,checkeci the a,question naire

every buitdinq se eq", Io cC --rrpir.
down tc evety lasL cc,tr

VE 4p pra r sed rso n el, nd every ast d eta i L.

n d d a

lExelqise 3
Complete the foLtowing senlences using a phrase with each or every. The first one has been done
for you.

1. We accept sterting, euros, dottars etc.; in fact you can pay us in every major
currency .

2. We have tried to get accommodation in atL the hotets in Prague but

is taken.
but
3. We have given him a lot of sound advice falls on deaf ears.

4. I think I Left my baggage on the plane; of my two has my name

on it.
5. We need to renew a lot of our existino machinery as nearty
in the ptant is more than 20 years oLd.
6. lt is important to make progress, but we need to take with care.

7. There is so much traffic on the roads that I think it is a good idea to tax
according to its engine size.
8. Overseas travel can be very tedious, especiatly when involves a

weekend away from home.

g. To anatyse work, you can take and subdivicje it into its constituent parts.

i- i ,")'':
, I rans-t,sr
'top down' description when we talk about individual parts or
We can use each and every in a
items. 0ne example would be when describing an organisation:

The company is divided into three divisions. Each division is responsibte for one product
tine and each division is headed by a director who has responsibility for the division's
activities. Each director reports to ...
Now write about your company in the same way.

www.nhantriviet.com 115
UNIT Compounds with Every

67
Seii btso
Unit 60 Both, either and neither
Units 63 and 64 Quantifiers [1] and [2]
Unit 66 Each and every

sentences
. We want everybody to have this technology at
their fingertips.
' I have found everything that has been said-here
very interesting.
' Every time a PC company makes a change, the softwaie
has to
-be
tested again.

B. Fogni ;
PersonaI pron6un eve ryb ody
Non-personaI pronoun
Adverb of pLace
Adverb of frequency eve ry me

c !'ts*'
Every compounds:
Everybody lthatl I have spoken to has been very excited
about the project. [not: at[ peopte what)
The committee hasa record of everybody wtro/irrat prr.iar"a
a ticket. [not: a[[ peopLe whati
We did everything that was possibte to stop the
takeove r. {not:everything what}
we want to make our merchandise more accessibte
to consumers everywhere.
Our products can be found everywhere (wherelttratl
tnere-are peopte.
Every time lthatl a PC company makes a change,
the software has to be tested again.
[not: every time when]
Notes
1' After every compounds,-ry::.n use a p[urat pronoun
to avoid using 'he' or.she.:
Everyone who is against this suggestion shoutd grve
their re.ron, briefty.
2. Everyoneleverybody/everything [pronounsJ are written
as one word; hut every one
leach singLe one] is written as t,iro',
We've contacted everyone and offered refunds.
[al.Lthe peopte)
We set up onlin6 tinks with every one of our supptiers.
teach singl.e one of our suppliersl

14Q lntermediate Business Grammar

www.nhantriviet.com
TAsKS

Read the extract below from a textile company's website. ldentify the seven mistakes and correct
them.

everywhere each everyone

every day everything every
Fill in the spaces with words from the box.

1 in this workshop has done an apprenticeship with an engineering company.

2. More than 400 machine toots are produced here , except Saturday
and Sunday.
3. productron line runs continuousty, for 24 hours.
1. eight hours a supervisor checks the [eve[ of output.
5. is maintained by our own team of fitters
6. Al.L the production is distributed to agents in Europe

Exercise 3
Replace the underLined words in the folLowing sentences with each, every ar a compound with
every, and make any other necessary changes in the rest of the sentence.
1. We design everv articte we make.
2. At[ the emptoyees here receive a productivity bonus.
3. Every worker is entitled to 30 days' paid hoLiday.

4. ALL the decisions are taken by the Board.

5. A new worker is etected to the Board after two vears, in other words
in 201 1 , 2013, 201 5 etc.

6. ln every pLace you go here you see examp[es of our company's good organisation.

Transfqr.
Write five sentences, using each, every or compounds with every, about your home town or the
place where you Live or work.

ExampLes,
Every apartment in the btock where I tive has a garage and a balcony.
Everyone who [ives here pays for the maintenance of the tift.

www.nhantriviet.com 147
 UNIT Numerals

58
A'"'Sa .. ei'en1e!l$,,

.'
Two high-profite overseas directors
witr soon be added to the board.
About a quarter of our protits
are made in the UK.
' The dresses, which retait at
iooo each, are art timited edition.
' The market is held twice a year, "rro,
once in March and once in
,ctober.
,B.:Formi
we can divide numerats into
cardiniLs, ordinals, fractions
and decimars and frequency
1. Cardinats expressions
Here are some examptes:
0 - nought, zero [especiar.r.y
'oh'[in telephone in mathematics and for
,. temperatures),
numbe.sJ, nit tln ,ooii,,"
r'"'"'7on" i.,j*,i.J,rrerenr prans and price
rB?- :i:x ffrj::i# schedures.
000 thousand peopte are expected
I _
il|i:::',i:il1r:'"li " to attend the conrerence.
1,101 one thousand, one hundred
and one

.1,000,000
"":
iliil:::il::.][::*m, *;ev rorms were distributed across the citv.
:::- a/one miU.ion
2. Ordinats
Here are some examptes:
1st _ first. The first of Aprit.
[spokenl.
2nd - second rhe second day!
session fottowed the same
3rd - third. we are the third basic format.
Lrgesl travel ."t"iLrii the country.

21st - twenty-first. we musi

."marn competitive in the 21st
100th - century economy.
The companv cetebr"t",
f Hli:^o'edth' iir-ion"r hundredth anniversary tnis
101st
- {onel hundred and f irst
000th _ [one] thousandth
1

1000000th _ [oneJ miil.ionth

Note atso: next last {an)other additional

The next/tast five_years wilt
belwere criU."l. irol.five next/tast
we need another/an aooitionaitw-o yearsl
We have invited another p".ron.'iO*
ieers to finatise the designs.
more person has been invited.)
We have invited five_other p""pi;:l;er
can mean more or different)
We have invited another rir"plipr".'[i,r.
,o.. peoptel
3. Fractions and decimats
Here are some examptes:
1/z
- [a) haLf. About_lal hatf lofl our profits are
l/e made in the UK.
- a/one-third we .* ,r;;iil*i.
2r - two-thirds oiscount or oi"-liiia off the
Two thirds;i;;;;;"n!iture
" r,ist price.
th - lal quarter. The soes into salaries.
meeting ,t"rt"i? lal quarter past six.
lr, - l);:: ,::rrii{::il:ffr: l:itlT"';ffiiftiliili"',o,hree quarters of an hour
,r, - ,*1",f;;i*-,, on" and a harf nours/one hour
i;:,ill..::,: ffi and a harf.
'148 lntermeoiate Business Gramri:a:-
urr1,r!..nhantriviet.com
 2.5 - two point five
3.75 - three point seven five [not: seventy-five)
26.012 - twenty-six point zero [or'oh'] one two
4. Frequency expressions
once twice three times four times
The market is hetd twice a year.

iC Uses
1. Dates
Notice the difference between the written and the spoken forms and between British and
American EngLish:
We opened our new office on 5 Aprit 2010. IBrE written] or on the f ifth of April./on Aprit
the fifth, two thousand and ten/twenty ten IBrE spoken).
We opened our new office on Aprit 5th 2010. [AmE written] or on ApriL fifth, two thousand
ten/twenty ten [AmE spoken).
51412010 5 Aprit2010, i.e. date/month/year IBrE written)
11512010 5 April. 2010, i.e. month/date/year [AmE writtenJ
z. I tmes
Notice the written and spoken forms:
The meeting witl start at 9.00/9.00 a.m.lg o'clock [written] orat nine a.m./nine o'clock Ispoken)
The meeting witt finish at 4.30 p.m./I6.30 (written) or at four thirty p.m./hatf past
four/sixteen thirty (spoken).
There witt be cocktaits lor 11/z hours from 5.15117.15 [writtenJ or for one and a hatf hours/an
hour and a half from five forty-five/(al quarter to six/seventeen forty-five [spoken].
3. Dimensions and specifications
Below are some expressions in both the written and spoken forms:
a. Money:
f125 - a/one huncjied and twenty-f ive pounds
$1m - a/one mitlion doltars
€1 bn - a/one biil.ion euros [1 biLlion = 1,000 mittionJ
b. Dimensions:
D ista nce:
1 mm - a/one mittimetre
l0cm - ten centimetres
5m -fivemetres
7.5 km - seven point five kitometres
2 m, 5 m - two metres byfive metres
Mass:
109 -tengrams
1,000 kg - a/one thousand kilos/kiLograms
Square measure:
100 cm2 - a/one hundred square centimetres
10,000 m2 - ten thousand square metres
Capacity measure:
10 ct - ten centititres
2l - two [rtres
Cubic measure:
1,000 cm3 - a/one thousand cubic centimetres
100 m3 - a/one hundred cubic metres

rww.nhantriviet.com 149
 c. M ath e mati ca I sym b ols :

2+2-twoand/plustwo - is greater than

= 4 - ls/equa[s/is equaI to four - is less than
-Z -minus/tesstwo - is identicaL with/is equivatent to
x6 - times/muttipl.ied by six - is approximatety equaI to
+3 - divided by three t' - two squared
12 - divided by two 23 - two cubed
tl - brackets 24 - two to the power four
i) - braces 2n
r- - two to the power n
tl - square brackets l4 - the square root of four
w - the cube root of twenty-seven
Notes
1. And in numberi [BrEJ, ;
175 - a/one hundred and seventy-five (BrE)
175 - a/one hundred seventy,five [AmE)
1005 - a/one thousand and five IBrE];a/one thousand five [AmE]

2. Singutar and pturaI forms:

Hundred, thousand and mittion need a or one in the singutar:
About a/one hundred people attended the. meeting. [not: hundred)
Hundred, thousand and mittion do not take a pturat -s in precise numbers
or after quantifiers, e.g. severat, a few:
$SOO - five hundred dottars [not: five hundreds orfive hundreds of)
several miltion pounds [not: severaI mittions of pounds)
Hundred, thousand and mittion take a pLuraL -s when the number is not precise
or after rrsh|:
hundreds of customers
thousands of enquiries
many mitlions of doltars
3. ln approximations we put the smaLter number first:
four or five hundred peopl,e [not: five or four hundred peopte)
4. Another versus different
Woutd you like another glass of wine? [one more gLass]
The wine tasted quite different from what I expected. [not: quite anotherJ
5. Next versus nearest
We use next to mean 'the nearest in time':
We will, discuss this matter at our next meeting.

But we say:
In the near future [nof: in the next future]

we use nearestto mean'the next in distance, time, degree and quatity':

Do you knowwhere the nearest chemist is, please? [niot: next crremist)
The nearest cotour to your sampte is this one here.

150 lntermediate Business Grammar www.nhantriviet.com

ASKS

L.A
txerclse I

Write how you wouLd say the following numbers.

1,000,000 5,000,000,000 4,385,567

US $5.3 m € 7.Zbn Y 5,753
$t o.zo t1 00 t3.99
1/, t/s
4.56
3,1 56 3.1 56
260C 1 250'C
44.5 kg 22.47 9
102 km 500 m 225 cm

Exercise 2'
Hannah Dobson is a marketing consultant who is out
of the office today. Her assistant, Pierre, takes down
the following notes from a telephone conversation
about a seminar Hannah has to attend in a few
weeks' time. Later Hannah telephones Pierre and Harrow Co
he gives her the message. Below are his exact words. 189 B
Fitl in the spaces by writing all the numbers as Pierre
wouLd say them. The first two are done for you.

'Hannah? Therd's an important message about the

Marketing Twenty Eteven conference. lt's on the

twenty-third of May and on . lt starts Lun
at and finishes at m E
It's in room at the Harrow Conference
Centre which is at Beechlands Parade,
N EG. The Phone number is . The cost for each ParticiPant is
VAT and there wil.[ be between and ParticiPants.
FinatLy, the [unch, which [asts for , wiLt be at the Btack Swan Hotel and

witl cost

txerctse J
you say'
Explain the following information to a colleague. Write down exactLy what

The actuaI sates were units compared with the forecast sates of
a percentage difference of ln terms of turnover, actual turnover was
with the forecast turnover of a drop of
, compared
per cent on the forecast.

Transfer
such as product
Practise reading numbers from any document orwebsite you can find,
specifications, financial details, economic trends, etc'

151
www.nhantriviet.com
UNIT Time [11

69 Unit 70 Time {21

A Sampte sentences
. We can deliver the finished sample of a fabric in two weeks.
. We'[[ meet in my office tomorrow morning at eight o'clock sharp.
. The f unds transfer was compteted on Ju[y 7,2010.

B ,F6rnn

We can divide prepositrons of time ihto:

1. time-when prepositions, which answer the question: 'When did it happen?'
2. time-duration prepositions, which answerthe question: 'How Long did it l.ast?
1. Time-when prepositions:
at in on by during before after between
meeting started

past 9 o'clock present future

The meeting started at 9 o'clock. Ipoint of time when the meeting started)
2. Time-duration prepositions:
in from .. . to . . . up to until till
*"*''n_'-r::r_1
T:lrjinished

past ? 12 o'clock present future

The meeting lasted untit 12 o'ctock.

C Uses
1. At, in, on and by:
At + clock time 0n + dates
at 6 o'clock on 3rd May lspoken: on the third of May)
0n + days of the week ln + rn6n16. and years
on Monday in May
on Thursday afternoon in2012 [spoken' in twenty twetve/two thousand
ln + parts of the day [and] twetveJ
in the morning/afternoon/evening By + a deadLine
but: at night It must be finished by I January. [at the latest)
Note: in time = in sufficient time with time to spare and on time = punctuat[y.
2. By and untiL/titt:
We use by for an action which happens at or before a deadtine:
Both parties have agreed to have a document signed by t January.
We use untiI or tiLL for an action which continues up to a deadtine:
The store wi[[ remain open untit/tilt 1 January.
3. 0mission of time preposition:
a. before this, [ast and next when we use the above words in retation to now:
this evening Inot: on this evening); [ast week [not: in [ast weekJ
b. in phrases beginning with yesterday and tomorrow:
yesterday afternoon [not: in yesterday afternoon); tomorrow morning
c. in expressions indicating the time frame:
! travel worldwide 60 days a year. [not: in a year]
The high speed train travels at 300 kitometres an hour. [not: in an hourl
but ln serious thunderstorms, a downpour can produce 75mm [inl an hour.

152 iniei-mediate Business 0rammar www.nhantriviet.corn

 underline aLl the time prepositions and label them TW [time-when) or TD (time-durationJ.

Complete the spaces in the follouring with an appropriate preposition. lf no preposition is needed,
Leave the space blank.

1. The meeting wiLt be heLd Sth Jul'y 2012.

2. The project began June.

3. We'Lt have a 20-minute break 4 o'ctock.

/r. The report won't be ready we've collected atlthe fiel'd survey data.

5. The work, which has already started, wil"l' be finished the end of
the week at the latest.
6. Make sure you've read the survey before our meeting next week.

7. We'Ll. work a[[ day and retax the evening

Exercise 3
Write an appropriate sentence for each of the
foLLowing time line oiagrams. The iirsi has been 3. 01.00 hrs -+ 02.30 hours
done for
1. occurrence of accident past I -fire burned- | present future

4. advertise for job

past Thursday p future
.+
night

The accident occurred on Thursday night. the end of next week

2. accident happened
5 now last day of month

past 12.30 a.m. Present future

this mo nth I next month I

I submission of applications I

Transfer
Describe a typical working day in your company and also any seasonal variation in your company's
activities during the Year

153
rrvv,uw.nha ntriviet.co m
UNIT Time [21
See also

70 Unit 69 Time (11

A Sampte sentences
. Our turnover rose during the last quarter.
. Next year we expect growth ol2.1o/o.

B Form
See Unit 69. .

,cj'lqjg6*;
1. For and during: meetingstarted finished
The meeting tasted for two hours.
ILength of activity]
l------* I
present
2 hours

During the meeting we had a meeting

short adjournment.
Iperiod within which another
activity happened) f-ft--, present
adjournment

The computer went down computer went down

during the night.
Iperiod of time providing a t
time frame when the event present
ha ppened I
the night
2. Before and after:
Before making any decision, I want to examine a[[ possible alternatives.
We cancelted the contractjust 11 months after signature.
3. During and white:
During is a preposition;white is a subordinating conjunction [see Unit 46]. Notice the
parattel meanings in the fottowing sentences:
During our visit to the ptant, we saw the equipment in operation.
White we were visiting the ptant we saw the equipment in operation.
Notes
1. Last night and tonight:
Last night = the night of yesterday [not: yesterday night orthis night)
Tonight = the night of today [not: today night)
2. The before previous, fottowing, next and tast with day or parts of the day:
We use the when we use the above words in time expressions not retated to now.
The previous evening = the evening before the one mentioned [not: in the previous evening]
The fottowing morning = the morning after the one mentioned [not: in the foLlowing morning)
The next afternoon = the afternoon after the one mentioned
3. Beginning, middte and end:
At the beginning of the year I received a catl from a production company.
but: ln the beginning, we were nervous about the deal.
She interrupted us in the middle of the meeting.
At the end of each proiect the team manager assesses the performance of the team.
ln the end, and after much discussion, both sides agreed to a compromise. [final.ty)
154 lntermediate Business Gramnrar www.nhantrirriet.com
TASKS

rExerciie'1
Are the fotlowing sentences right or wrong? lf wrong, make the necessary correction

1. We finished the project on time; so we had three days to spare.

2. We worked on the study for two weeks.
3. Whi[e the two-week period, we had no technicaI support at att.
4. Before to start on the next study, there wilLbe a short training course.
5. The next year we are sure to see the resutts of our efforts.
6. The foLLowing day they agreed to sign the contract without any condrtions.

Exercise 2
Put a suitable preposition into the bLanks so that your compLeted sentences are chronologicalLy
and grammaticalLy correct. The first one has been done for you.

I. We completed the user study in January. After this stage we moved on to the
market study.
2. Unfortunatety the user study overran by one week. The reason was that
the analysis stage, we encountered some unexpected probtems with the data.
3. So we f inalLy managed to input atl the data 15 January.

/r. We continued to receive dataoutput another week.

5. NaturaLtywe had toverifythe results we coutd hand overthe results to the ctient.

6. So the beginning and the end of the project we needed a totat of 8 weeks.

7. the beginning of our first meeting, the ctient totd us that time was of the
essence; the middle I expLained about the unexpected problems. So,
the end I don't think the overrun wil.L be a significant factor.

Exercise 3
Below is an extract from the tog of Sygma lt, an oiL pLatform in the North Sea. Complete the text by
writing suitabLe prepositions in the gapS-

the day the sea had been very rough. .

16.00 the helicopter arrived bringing the replacement

drillers. These were needed as 2 of our crew had gone sick the
previous night. The new drillers are to stay with us .------
the
end of next week. They have just worked 2 months
onshore and are happy to have a change -
the evening
the sea calmed down and we were able to start working comfortably
again. However, just . the evening shift started, the
computer went down again. The computer technicians were called in
and -- " " .. 22.00 they had the computer running again. -.--.-- . "

that, there were no problems .. the night shift. The

morning shift reported for duty - time at 06.00.

Transfer
'tf
Murphy's Law states, anything can go wrong, it wil.L.' Write about one such occasion in the form
of a Log and use as many prepositions of time as possibLe.

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UNIT Ptace

71
. We had to wait in a queue of traffic to get into the parking area.
. The goods are moved from the stock room to the shop shelves.
. The stores have prices disptayed on the shelves.

B Form
We use a preposition before a noun oi noun phrase:
into the parking area
from the stock roorh
We can divide prepositions of ptace into:
1. p[ace prepositions
2. position prepositions
3. movement prepositions
1. Place prepositions
The preposition we use depends on our view of an object. The object may be

flli:1/ a votume with three dimensions of height,

[ength and width, e.g. a room, a carton

f.i a surface with two dimensions of tength and width,

e.g.apage,ashelf

D an area enctosed by boundaries,

e.g. a car park, a garden
a line with one dimension of length,
e.g. a conveyor bett, a motorway
a location without any specific dimensions,
X
e.g. a meeting, work
So we have the fol'lowing prepositions:

out of
in[to] inside
ffi ^flffi
in, out of outside of through

ffi across,
onIto] 0n off off over throuoh
-7-t-ri
1:i 4-j 4i i\j
......'. (.,

out of I

E -il
in(tol in, inside out of outside of
fl ^D
through

E*
off off across, over atong
---l ^l -l* /l
[to] on
-1
on

/
[away) laway)
to at from from

-x X X-*X

156 lnterrnediateBusinessGrammar www.nhantriviet.com

 2. Position prepositions
These describe the retative positron between two objects. The main prepositions are
above beLow over under in front of behind
by beside on top of beneath next to

The hotet is next to the airport.

There is a car park behind the hotel.
Notes
Over/under a nd above/betow:
We normaL|.y use over and under to describe a direct verticaI retationship:
Finatty, print your name under your signature.
We use above and betow to say that one object is hrgher or lower than another:
300 metres below sea level
20 degrees above zero

3. Movement prepositions
The main prepositions are:
into out of from aLong
towards away through
behind in front of aLong across over onto
up down around outside
Go through that set of doors and atong the corridor to the main office.
There's no need to knock; iust go straight into the room.

C Uses
ln addition to the above rutes, notice the fottowing expressions:
1. With at:
At the top/bottom of the next Page
At the beginning/end of the contract
At the front/back of the factory
I arrived at the station shortty before the scheduted three o'ctock departure.
Iarrive at a buiLding)
cf. I arrived in Portugatyesterday. Iarrive in a country or city)
Some students stay at university untit they are 30. [also: at schooUwork]
She started work at 16/at the age of 16.
Weeks later, the damage was at last repaired.
2. With in:
She is in the UK/in London. [with countries, towns and vittages)
He is in hospitat for a check-uP' (He is a patient')
cf. He is at the hospital'. IHe is visiting, i.e. not a patient'l
She is in prison/church/school'/work. I i. e. i nstituti o ns J

She is in business/computers/ptastics/medicine. Ishowing type of employment)

3. With on:
Take the first turning on the left/right. [not: on the I'eft side)
You'tL find my office on the ground ftoor.
We use an organic fertilizer on top of the soit.
London is on the river Thames.
4. ln versus into versus to:
We drove in France. (inside France)
We drove into France. [We entered France from another country.)
We drove to France. lFrance was our destination by car.]

5. To have been to:

Haveyou ever been to the USA? [have been + to = to have gone and returned from,
i.e. Have you ever visited .. .?)

157
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 CompLete the spaces in the folLowing conversation
using words f rom the box. You will have to use
at through over in to f rom on
some of the words more than once.
near along around out of across

A: What fietd of business are you ?

B: Computers.
A: 0h, that's interesting. I have a sister who used to be computing but she's
prison now.
B: Prison? ;
A: Yes - software fraud.
B: 0h dearl Are you American?
A: No, l'm Canada. And you?
B: F[orence, ltaLy.
A: 0h how beautifuI I was there a few years ago with my wife
B: ReaLLy?
A: Yes, we ftew London, hired a car the airport, had a look
London, took a ferry the Channet, drove Fra n ce,
theAtps...
B: You didn't go Monte Bianco?
A: Mont Btanc? No, we went a [onger route, Co[ di Tenda. Then we drove south
F[orence. What's the river Ftorence? I never remember.
B: The Arno.

A: 0h yes, Ftorence is the Arno.

B: Where did you stay?
A: I don't remember; a hote[. Maybe the Grand Hotet, is that possibte?
B: The Grand? No, l don't know that one. Did you go anywhere etse rtar.y?
A: Sure - we went Rome. We walked the Via Appia Antica for six hours!
It was wonderfut! Then we had to leave. We ftew
Rome.
B: lt sounds a good trip.
A: lt was greatl Say, have you ever been Ca nada ?
B: Yes I have. I stayed with a friend . Vancouver - about 40 mi[es away

158 intermediateBusinessGrarnmir
rvww.n han tri'riet.corn
lExercise 2

The text below describes the processing of

sugar beet to make sugar and animal feed.
out of outside onto into
aLong of f in
Fill the spaces in the text with an appropriate
prepcsition from the box. You may have to use
some of the words more than once.

/
.._1

\s2
/k
4
ffi

0
J,J

The beet is taken lorries and stored pil.es the

processing area. The beet is sent a system of channets the
processing area. lt is shredded and dried a huge cylindrical drier. Dried shreds of
beet are packed bags and so[d as animaI feed. The sacks of animaLfeed are stored
a [arge warehouse before being loaded [orries for despatch. The
main sugar production invotves treating the Liquid sugarwhich comes the beet
the drying process.

Transfer
Write a short description of a process you are famiLiarwith. Your chosen process
could relate to any of the folLowing: production, payment, distribution, research, etc

159
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UNIT Like, As and Such As

72
a As I said at our last meeting, I hope to be abte to give a more detaited report soon.
a she has worked for the corporation as a fietd manager for the last three years.
a We offer hetp in areas tike acquiring premises or employing staff.

B Form
Both tike and as are prepositions. As is atso a subordinating conjunction Isee Unit 38)

C Uses
Both as and [ike mean 'the same as' or 'similar to'.
1. As:
She works as a fieLd manager. [That is her reatjob.)
As !said at the meeting, I hope to give a detailed report soon. {as + subject + verb;
not: [ike + subject + verb)
The prices are as shown on our website. [= those shown on the website]
The current yearty rates of subscription are as foltows: Ordinary f3.00; Junior f 1.50;
Househotd f4.50. [= those now to be specified)
We accept credit cards, such as American Express and Visa. lfor exampl.e)

2. Like:
The otfice is a lot tike a famity, and everyone seems to have a l,ot of fun. llt is not reatLy a famiLy.]
We accept credit cards like American Express and Visa. [such as)
We offer hetp in areas like acquiring premises or employing staff. [not; to acquire, because
tike is a preposition and is therefore fottowed byverb ...ing - see Unit 131
These companies, and others like them, are reptacing the otd system with a digitat system.
[= simitar to; notice the object pronoun after the preposition [ike - see unit 59]

3. Like versus as:

After the restructuring we started to operate as a profit centre. (= We became a prof it centre.)
After the restructuring we started to operate tike a profit centre. [but we did not actualty
become a profit centreJ

160 lntermediate Business Grammar www.nhantriviet.com

 rcise 1

ln the foLLowing passage, label the uses of aswith C (for conjunctionl or P (for preposition).

As you know, we have an important decision to make. As we ptan for the new year, we have
to decide if we want to continue advertising through sponsorship, as we did this year, or
change our poLicy. As sponsorship is expensive, to staywith it is not a smat[ decision. 0n
the other hand, other forms of advertising, television as much as ontine advertising, may be
[ess effective. As marketing manager, ldo of couTSe have a personaIview on this.

EXerclSe I
The foLLowing extract is part of an email f rom a marketing manager of a European subsidiary to his
Head ]ffice in the United States.

ooe O

We use soles stoff who work os independent operotors. They cooperote with our
btonches which operole like independent businesses.

The morketing consultont we use works os o freeloncer. He recommended

odvertising in o mogozine like Conslruction Weekly.

He wonts to see o report such os on onnuol report. The report lsent yesterdoy is
exoctly the some os our weekly soles review.

Now mark the following as TRUE or FALSE.

1. 0ur sales staff are not actuatty independent operations.

2. Our branches are not reaLly independent, but they work in a way that is simitar to
independent operations.
3. We use a marketing consuttant who is independent from us.
4. He suggested advertising in Construction WeekLy.
5. He wants to see a report which is simitar to an annuaI report.
6. The report was just l.ike the annuaI sates review.

Exerctse J
Complete the spaces in the foLlowing sentences with an appropriate word or words.
The Munich Trade Fair was successful in previous years.
The [ast day was there was such optimism f rom everyone
a carniva[ -
invotved. A fair al.ways has usefutadvantages, meeting new customers,
seeing competitors'work, meeting friends and of course it gets a [ot of pubticity.
But a [asting benefit is atways that a good stand at an internationaI exhibition
Munich cLearty shows that we are a [eading ptayer in the wortd
market. we know, a high profite is essentiaI to maintain our reputation
for strength in the market.

Transfer
Write five sentences about yourself incLuding as, like or such as.

www.nhantriviet.com 161
 refer to something
Appendix 1 lf you refer to the contract, you wil.t find detail.s of
the schedu[e.
PREPOSITIONAL VERBS rety on somebody/something
See also; Unit 33: Verb + preposition You can re[y on them; they are totaU.y
dependabte.
agree to something [= accept]
succeed in something
They have agreed to our proposa[ to speed up the
Congratutationsl You have succeeded in getting
whote project.
the Saudi contract.
agree with somebody/something
think about something [= concentrate]
I agree entirety with you.
At present we are thinking about your offer and
atlow for something
witt get back to you shortty.
ln the winter we must attow for delays of up to
think of something [= consider)
3 weeks.
We are thinking of setting up a joint venture, but
amount to something
we woutd like some more information about the
The consuttancy fees amounted to more than we
trading possibitities f irst.
had expected.
wait for somebody/something
apotogise for something
We must contact them; they are waiting for our
I muit apotogise for keeping you att waiting.
answer.
appty for something
I have just appLied for membership of a
professionaI organisation.
approve of somebody/something
Appendix 2
After watching the way George handled the 0BJECT + PREPOStTtONAL VERBS
crisis, I have to say I comptetety approve of his
action. See also: Unit 34: Verb + obiect + preposition
attend to somebody/something accuse somebody of something
I witt attend to this matter as soon as possibte.
They accused the Finance Manager of fatsifying
INote' to attend a meeting] the company's accounts.
comptain lto somebody) about somebody/something advise somebody oflabout something
l'm going to comptain to them about their poor Please advise us about any changes in the
detivery. [egistation.
conform to something compare somebody/something with so me body/
At[ our products conform to European standards. something
consent to something 0f course you can't compare peter with George.
They have consented to a dispLay of their new
- products at the show.
They are totatLy different.
congratutate somebody on someth ing
consist of something We'd tike to congratulate you on your
The equipment consists of three main parts. appointment.
depend on something convince somebody of something
The date of the meeting witt depend on when the We just can't convince them of the superiority cf
saLes director is free. our products.
hear about something describe something to somebody
Have you heard about the new appointment? Let me describe the main parts to you.
hear from somebody divide/cut/sptit something into so meth i n g
I hope to hear from you after you have Looked at l've divided my presentation into three main parts.
our proposat. do something about somebody/something
hope for something We must do something about Sarah. She seems
We are hoping for a big improvement in very unhappy.
productivity next year. exptain something to somebody
insist on something First of atl. l'd tike to exptain the operating system
They have insisted on a meeting with the director. to you.
look at somebody/something Flrst of al.[ l'd tike to exptain to you how the
Have you had a chance to Look at our proposal system operates.
yet? interest somebody in something
look for somebody/something Finatty we have managed to interest them in the
We are Looking for enthusiestic agents in at[ new modet.
parts of Europe. prefer somebody/something to som ebody/
look fonvard to something something
We are att tooking fonarard to meeting you. ln fact we preferred the otd modeI to the new one.
PaY fsomebody ] for something prevent somebody from something
We must pay them for the parts before the end of The bad weather prevented us from deLivering the
the month. goods on time.

1 tz I ntermediate Business Grammar www.nhantriviet.com

rotect somebody/something f rom somebody/ speak up
:mething I'm sorry. I can't hear you very wet[. Coutd you
The new Legislation protects us from unfair ptease speak up. [speak [ouderl
competition. speed up
rovide somebodY with something This is a very busy period for us; so we need to
Wewould be happy to provide you with references speed up production. Imake faster)
amind somebodY of something throw away
Let me remind you of the recent changes in Ptease make sure that you throw away the empty
the organisation. packaging.
pend money on something turn down
Last year we spent a [ot of money on new It's a very attractive offer, but l'm going to have to
equipment. turn it down. {reject)
stt somebody about something turn up
Ptease can you tetl us about the new devetopments You don't need a ticket to get in; you just turn up.
Ia rrive )

watk through
\ppendix 3 0n the next part of the tour, we are going to watk
through the despatch hatt.
)HRASAL VERBS write down
They've quoted a price but they haven't written
,ee atso: Unit 35: Verb + adverb lphrasal verbl
down the Part numbers.
rreak down
l'm goihg to cal.[ the engineers because the
rn.&in" has broken down again. [stop working]
rring about
Appendix 1
The new appointments shoutd bring about radicaI VERBS OF SPEAKING
changes in the organisation. lcause)
:att off See atso: Unit 39: Reported speech 11l

l'm afraid l'm going to have to ca[[ off the accept add affirm agree allege announce
meeting. Icancet) answer argue assert claim comment
:at[ round communicate convey declare demonstrate
The next time that you're in the area, ptease ca[[ disclose divutge emphasise explain highlight
round. [visit) inpty indicate inform maintain notify prove
:tose down recount repeat reply report restate reveal
After Long negotiations they have decided to close show state stress suggest transmit telL
down the factory. lstop the operations of)
:ome atong
As you are here, why don't you come atong for a
mea[ with us this evening. [come] Appendix 5
iitt in
D.f^r:
utrlll= thc
tii= 11-61ia=l
o/F' urr-- intarlTia'17 r.'=ke sL:fe that VERBS OF COMMANDING,
you fitl this form in. [comptete by writing in REOUESTI NG, OUESTION ING
retevant information) AND REPORTING
lind out
See atso: Unit 40: Reported speech l2l
Can we find out how long they have been buying
from ABC? [discover] 1. CommanCing:
look over brief conmand direct instruct request
l'd tike haLf an hour to [ook over the figures before require teLl
the meeting. [examine quicktY) 2. Requesting:
make uP ask beg catL for implore invite press urge
I don't betieve that story about the contract in
3. Questioning:
China; I think he made it up. Iinvent something
ask demand examine inquire investigate
that is not truel
query question
move in
Everything is ready at the new offices; we're moving 4. Reporting:
in next week. (move to a new office or house) Some of theseverbstakea subordinate cl'ause ('l l;
put on some take an infinitive with to (21; and some take
Why don't you put on the heating; it's very cotd in both [1,2).
here. [turn on] convince 11 ,21 encourage \1 '2]i entreat l2l
send back indoctrinate l2l invitetr2) motivate l2l
lf you don't tike the goods, you can atways send persuade 11 ,2) threaten l2l urge 11,2)
them back. Ireturn] warn 11,2)

163
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Appendix 5 Appendix I
NOUNS ZERO ARTICLE
See atso: Unit 68: Nouns See atso; Unit 58: Artictes

1. The fol.towing nouns have onty a pturaI form [-s]
and take a pturaI verb:
archives arrears assefs Ibetonging to a
company) contents customs ltaxes] funds
Imoney) headquarters outskirts premises
Ibuitdings) savings surroundings thanks
2. The foLtowing nouns are uncountable singutar:
accommodation advice baggage equipment
' furniture information luggage machin€ry
permission progress traffic travel
weather work
We're.planning to invest in new machinery.
Iuncountabte]
We're planning to invest in new machines.
Icountabte ptural.)
3. Uncountabte common nouns:
a. These nouns ending in -ics are usuatly
singutar:
economics tactlcs politics mathematics
ethics
b. News is atways singutar.
c. Substances are often singutar, e.g.
oiL, butter, petrol, coal and wine.
They can be used as countabte nouns when
they mean 'a type of':
We now sell three butters. lthree types of
butter)
We do not use an article [the ora) with certain types
of words.
1. Names of meals:
breakfast lunch dinner supper
I usuatty eat tunch in the company canteen.
What do you eat for breakfast?
Buf: I usuatty eat a smatt breakfast before going
to the office.
2. lnstitutions:
tiouble school college university church prison
hospital
I went to university in Sheffietd, before joining
the company.
cf The University of Sheffietd has quite a good
reputation,
The university in Sheffiel.d has quite a^good
reputation.
3. Some common words:
bed work home
What time do you normatty finish work?
l'm usua[ty at home at the weekend.
most hatf both
Most managers have had some overseas
experience before joining us.
At teast hatf of the probtem was their fault.
Both ptans have been approved.

Appendix 7
ADJECTIVE DERIVATIONS
See atso: Unlt 51 : Adjectives versus adverbs

adjective
-ite def ine definite
-fut use usefu I
-aI economy economicaI
-ive product productive
-abte/ibte agree agreeabte

-(ilat ma nager manageriaI

accident accidentaI
-tess hope hopeless
-ic economy economic
-ou5 num ber numerous
-ing interest interesting
-ed i nte rest interested

164 lntermed!ate Business Grammar www.nhantriviet.com

\nswer Key
Ml = Modet/suggested answers

Exercise
t'AsKs 1
3-

1. We atways provicie a good service.

[he Present Continuous
Exercise 1 [Ml
'low I am pLanning a new project.
\t the moment we are working with our R & D department.
\t present our department is designing new soLutions.
)urrentty they are installing a new network.
'low we are planning new soLutions.
\re they pLanning a new network at the moment?
Exerctse I The Past Simpte
l. Now John is f inishing preparations for a
meeting tomorrow.
l. Tomorrow morning, Michaet, John and Patrizia
are having a meeting.
|. Tonight MichaeI is meeting FeLix to discuss
the trip to Japan next week.
!. Tonight John isn't meeting Fetix and Michae[.
i. Next week they are going to Japan.
tAsKs 2 forward some outtine proposa[s.
Ihe Present Simple
e*"iiii* r
ioftcraft produces computer software for business
lppLications. The company suppties programs for
SeneraI business apptications. ln addition, Softcraft
levelops customised software for individuaI
-equirements. Softcraft emptoys 85 peopLe. About 40 of
.hese work in program development. The company atso
rses externaI consuLtan[s.
,E1erglsq 2
2. I often have face-to-face meetings with new
customers.
3. 0ur company occasionaLty empLoys external
co nsu tta nts.
4. I am/l'm usuatty busy in summeT.
5. He hardty ever has meetings in the morning.
6. I rarety see the Senior Vice-President.
7, We never write reports.
TASKS 3
Exercise i
0n Monday Diano S.p.A. reported increased profits for
the year. Exports cLimbed by 20 per cent [ast year but
domestic sales fetl by 5 per cent. Two months ago the
company set up new sates offices in France and
Singapore. 0n the MiLan Stock Exchange yesterday the
company's share price rose by 0.,15 euros to €1.1 1.
Exercise i
J: When did you begin negotiations?
D: We started three months ago.
Jt And you reached agreement this morning?
D: That's right.
Jz Was the originaL idea yours or FaLLon's?
D: At first we approached Fatton and we put
)z Did you have any major probtems?
D: No, as you know, we met many times and we
reached a g reement today.
hxerctSe J
ln January 2AlA TELC} reported profits of $28m - an
increase of 25 per cent. ln June TeleResearch {TRl
produced a prototype of the Linco MobiLe Phone and in
)ctober offered TeLco a licence agreement. 0ne month
later Telco offered to buy the Linco Mobile Phone for
$2.5m. TR relected the offer and then in .|anuary 2011
Telco suggested a ioint venture. Negotiations began
and in April 2011 TeLco and TR formed a ioint venture
company, Linco.

TASKS t+

The Past Continuous

I was researching new ideas when they found a solution.

Mrs Ford was writing a report when she resigned.
The production team were designing a new pLant when
the Director abandoned the project.
ii itxi
The manager was researching a report when I resigned'
.;'
EXerclSe z
h a.!ie
1. We were reviewing safety procedures vvhen the
accident happened.

www.nhantriviet.com 165
2. White we were cteaning the tanks the chemicats
pottuted the river.
TASKS 6
3. The pLant was operating at fuLl. capacity before
the exptosion happened. The Present Perfect Continuous
4. We turned off the supply because the pipe was
teaking. gxercise:i
5. As the equipment was getting otd we decided to 1. You've been working for Pautus & Company for
reptace it. many years.
6. When the fire started she was wearing 2. working for Paulus & Company
You haven't been
protective ctothing. for many years.
7. WhiLe the companywere investigating the accident 3. Have you been working for Pautus & Company for
the government introduced new regutations. many years?
8. The risk of exptosion was highest preciseLy when 4. They've been se[l.ing shares since January.
the workers were repairing the pipe. 5. They haven't been se[Ling shares since -.January.
6. Have they been setting shares since January?
Exercise 3
0n Monday at 16.30 a construction worker was hurt Z.
at the lribas ptant' The foreman said that four men 'Er"t'.ir"
were working on a roof when a crane hit the wat[ of 1. George has been working too hard recentty.
(periodl
the buitding. 0ne of the men stipped and fet[ to the
ground. The crane driver tried to tift a metaI pipe 2. He has made a lot of mistakes. Ipoint)
when he [ost controt. A pretiminary report identifies 3. He has been travel.[ing al'[ over the country.
three factors which contributed to the accident: the Iperiod)
injured worker was not wearing a safety harness. 4. He's even had a coupLe of minor road accidents
The crane was working in a prohibited area. lt was {po in t}
raining, so work shoul.d have been stopped. 5. He's asked for some time off work. (point)
5. We've been thinking of ways to hetp him.
Iperiod)
TASKS 5
b.xerctse 3
The Present Perfect Simpte
Exer!i9# Dear Bob,

We've been advertising for six months in national

1. Mennis ptc have not contacted us relentty. newspapers. We've interuiewed five candidates
2. I have not spoken to Frank yet. but we haven't been able to fill the position.

3. We have not ordered anything today. This month we've placed an advertisement in the
4. Paoto hasn't calted you yet. Sales & Marketing Journal.

5. Mr Joyce has sent the goods today. l've talked to the'Head Hunting'agency.This
5. She has not arrived yet. seems to be an increasingly probable solution.
Any comments?
f-'
Exercrse Z Best regards
Harriet
Last year our company reported a smat[ increase
in profits. This year we have seen continued
improvement and our turnover has risen by 15 per
cent. This is very good news in a difficutt wortd TASKS 7
market. ln fact internationatty, the market has fatten
Natura[ty, our costs have gone up and so the rise in The Past Perfect
profits is not so great. lt is true that our domestic
performance has been hetped by the cottapse of ,Exqrcise i
our competitor, Capra & Pecora, which went out of 1. The ptane had Left when they reached the airport.
business in January. The ptane hadn't Left when they reached the
a i rport.

Had the pl.ane left when they reached the airport?

Activity,atsome'nqn! 2. She had atready signed the contract when you
specific timein,thd
ca LLed.
past withr an impact
or result in the She hadn't [aLready) signed the contract when
present. oafuture" you caLted.
Had she a[ready signed the contract when you catled?
3. You had sent the report before we noticed
the mistake.
You hadn't sent the report before we noticed
the mistake.
Had you sent the report before we noticed the
m ista ke?

166 lnterrnediateBusinessGrammar www.nhantriviet.com


l. We had aLready sold the shares when the market fet[.
l. I had aLready met Mrs Haan before the Sevi[[e
Trade Fair.
'r. We had atready designed a new [ogo before we
designed the packaging.
iExercise 3
{MJ
71 per cent af women aged 18-25 had bought clothes in
the previous week.
52 per cent of men aged 1B-25 had bought cLothes in
the previous week.
1? per cent of men aged 26-35 had bought cLothes in
the previous week.
)nLy 31 per cent of men aged 36-45 had done so.
Vore women than men had bought clothes in the
previous week in aLL age groups.
cor both men and women the youngest had bought
clothes more than older age groups.
TASKS 8
The Future with WiLt
Exercise 1
1. I think l'lL go to Athens soon. [1]
2. Are you thirsty? l'tL get you something to drink.
3. watch a short fi|.m, then we't[ see the
We'Ll.
production pl.ant. [2]
4. HoLd on - l'LL just phone Marta to ask her. [1)
5. When you cbme, l'tl introduce you to Maria
Penrose, our Finance Manager. [1 )
5. There'tL probab|.y be a fatt in profits in the spring. [4]
7. Perhaps l'tt get to Sydney next year. [41
8. I expect you'l.L stay in a hotet, won't you?
9. John has arrived. l'tt go to meet him.
10. The report witL be ready on Monday.
Exercise 2
2. lt'tL be about cost savings.
3. Il think] it't[ be easy.
4. I'l.t catL the repair man.
5. l'LL tetephone her.
5. We won't meet Bergit.
'*['l:i;;5Ji[iT'
2. After a verb of mentaI activity.
I expect there'll' be a rise in inf Lation.
3. A neutral. activity as part of a process, e.g.
resentatio n.
p the Export Sa[es team.
First I tl explain the background.
4. A neutraI activity in the future.
The launch witL be in January.
5. Activity decided at the time of speaking.
It's time for the news. l't[ go and listen, then l'tL
tetl you if there's anything there about share
prices.
6. ln the main ctause of conditionaL I sentences.
lf I go to Warsaw visit Mr Zabrinski, our sa[es
l'l.l.
rep there.
www.nhantriviet.com
TASKS 9
The Future with Going To
Exercise i"
'Product A is an otd product, nearing the end of its
tife. As the graph shows, sates for Product A are
going to fat[ whereas sates for product B, which is
very profitabLe, are going to rise. Because of this,
we are going to cut production of A and at the same
time concentrate efforts on B. ln addition, we are
going to [aunch a new product, C.'
TASKS 10
[1)
The Conditionats [11
1. lf you come, we't[ discuss it in detait.
2. lf we reached agreement, we'd sign the contract
the same day.
3. Untess there is a major probtem, we't[ need onty
[3) one day.
(11 4. lf we have good advertising, the product witt be
(2) a success.
5. lf there were an easy sotuticn, we wculd have
avoided the probtems. '
5. lf we had taken your advice, we woutd have spent
more money-
Exercise 2
2. lf the sates are pool we'tL change the distribution
network.
lf the sates were poor, we'd change the distribution
network.
lf the sates haC been pooc we wou[d have
changed the distribution network.
a 3. lf there is high demand overseas, we't[ increase
lf there were high demand overseas, we'd
increase the Export Sales team.
lf there had been high demand overseas, we
woutd have increased the Export SaLes team.
4. lf there is a world recession, there't[ be a drop in
the wortd market.
lf there were a world recession, there woutd be a
drop in the world market.
lf there had been a wortd recession, there wouLd
have been a drop in the wortd market.
167
 b. yrere the poticyhoLder not to compLete ail. the
2. lf you stopped work, there would be no protection sections;
for your famiLy. c. had the poLicyhotder faited to pay the fuLt
3. lf you spent a period in hospitaL, you wouLd have premium by the agreed time.
no cover for hospitaI fees.
1. lf your house caught f ire, you woutd have TASKS 12
insufficient cover to reptace [ost items.
5. lf you had a road accident, you woutd not be Tense Review
covered for [egaL expenses.
6. lf {the worst happened and} you died, you wou[d
el,iri$t-
have no life assurance. Mantegna S.p.A. was founded by Leonardo Mantegna in
7. lf you had no life assurance, your famiLy wouLd be 1972. Until 1975 the company had only a small factory
Left with no money. in Verona producing mainLy steeL pipes. ln 1976 a new
plant was opened in MiLan and the company began
TASKS 11 ; manufacturing valves. ln 1?95 the Head Office was
moved to Milan. ln 2000 Mantegna rejected an attempted
The ConditionaLs (21 takeover by Echo lnc., Chicago. ln the next ten years sales
off ices were established in 48 different countries. Now the
Exercise 1
company has a turnover of $450m and produces a range
of over 400 products. The company is pLanning expansion
into the automotive sectoc Next year there will be a new
pLant in the United Kingdom and the company plans to
open a plant in Boston, Massachusetts in three years.

TASKS 13
Verb ...ing
Exercise 1

Dear Peter

On checkino the above file we find that you are correct in thinkino the
cost estimates for the comino year are elcessive. We reo-?Eithiili
calculatino labour costs somE irrors aooeared in our an"alvsis. We are
presently reoeating the study which in\iolves reviewing afi the figures.

Workino in partnership with Hatris & Co is orovino veru useful and we

are sure that there will be many benefits. We l6-5l-fomiard to havino i
ioint meeting soon. We are also involved in calculatino costs E-rlfiE
following year and will let you know as soon as they aie finished.
We must meet soon, otheruise we risk not havino evervthino readv
for the MD in June, but it's not worth ifrI?EGtoda?, as t?on'i'vet
know my movements for the rest ofthis mionth.
Best wishes,
have a probtem
Harriet
GORTIZ & ZIMMERMAN
I I 436 S. Bundy Drive, Auckland 46032
Telephone ('t ) 503 786432, Fax 0 ) 503 786333
iEii,#fr
1. d. 2. t. 3. a. 1. e. 5. b. 6. c.

:Ei_ei&,3
1. Shoutd the poticyhoLderwish to extend this poticy he
must notify the company before the poLicy expiry date.
2. ShouLd the poticyhotder not contact the company
before the expiry date, the company shatl. be
entitLed to terminate the agreement.
3. Were the poticyhoLder subsequentty to decide to 1. We are interested in seeing your ptant.
renew the po[icy, the company wou[d be entitLed
2. Launching new products is essential for the
to charge an introductory fee. survivaI of the company.
4. However, were the company to decide not to 3. We took forward to hearing from you.
renew the poticy, for whatever reason, they must 4. He suggested meeting us next month.
inform the policyhotder within seven days. 5. Ctarifying our poticy is an essentiaI prerequisite
5. Were the company not to inform the poLicyhotder to improving products.
within the specified time, they may not refuse to 6. By detaying we risk tosing the contract.
renew the poticy.
6. The company may terminate the contract: F$td"
a. shoutd the poticyhotder not disctose aLL the 3. She said the products were otd, and investing
retevant information; more in R & D was essentia[.
168 lntermediate Business Grammar
www.nhantriviet.com
i. There was a lack of money in the company, and 5. To invest more during a fat[ in the market is
she suggested having a rights issue. quite wrong.
i. Overstaffing shoutd be solved by reducing the 5. lt wouLd have been better to have put more cash
workforce. into the project two years ago.
7. To have commissioned more market research
rASKS lt+ woutd have hetped.

rnfinitive TASKS 15
::r: '1.':l*fj:*ieH?
E!.litifigs Verb ...ing or lnfinitive + to
We need to increase [PS) research to devetop
PS) a comptetety new modet. To have begun (PP)
Exerclse t
he research eartierwoutd have cost much less 1. l'd tike to attend the conference.
noney. However, to detay [PS] now wit[ cost even 2. I remember meeting your colleague in 0saka.
nore. Some members of the board appear to be 3. I tried to phone/phoning you [ast week but I think
'ecommending IPC) simpte modifications to the you were away.
-,xisting range. This is a very short-sighted strategy. 4. We Like to test the goods before we despatch them.
lo rety on (PSl oLd modets during a fatt in the 5. We tried asking for payment on detivery but in
narket is quite wrong. We have to ptan [PS] for the practice we had to altow 30 days.
ong-term development of our product range. As 5. We woutd Like to make a formaI agreement.
said, it woul.d have been better to have put [PP)
nore cash into the project two years ago. Now, to be- Exerclse 2
:atking about (PC) retying on continued production of
1. We'd [ike to have a meeting.
r range that is dectining is ctearty not sensibte.
b. We want a meeting.
I-his, to me, is absotutety ctear. lf we want to be IPSJ
2. We stopped to visit supptiers in Budapest.
n controI of the situation in the future, we have to
b. We interrupted our journey so we coutd visit them.
lnderstand (PSl it now.'
3. Have you tried sending goods by train?
a. Have you experimented with the idea of using
Exercise 2 the train?
4. We remembered to send publicity materiaI with
DearTerry the goods.
c. We did not forget to send the materiaL with the
It is 9oin9 to be difficult to reach agreement with Emmy
over the advertising material. Their principal negotiator,
goods.
Stella Ragione, appears to want a large downpayment on
signature of contract - probably near 50 per cent we plan EXerclse J
to tell her that this is impossible. We are happy to dis(uss
the possibility ofan advance but personally I believe it 1. I tried to cat[ you yesterday but without success.
would be a mistake to agree to anything above 20 per
<ent. To clarify our position immediately could save us
2. I remember sending you a tender for the Appte
time. Project but we have had no repLy.
3. We tike to contact potentiaI customers to check
I sugqest we inform Miss Ragione ofourviews on the
matter. We should also make it clear that Morreille their reactions to tenders.
Partnership (Marseille) are happy to take on the project 4. I am sure that if you stop to think about our offer
and their reputation for high standards is as good as
you wi[[ agree that the price is fair.
Emmy's. we need to resolve this very soon, as time is
short.

Best regards TASKS 16

Sarah
Verb + Object + Infinitive
Exerctse I
;Exg1_gise,3
1. We want to taLk about the probtem of transport. M
2. We delayed having a meeting.
3. We decided not to have a meeting. A
4. We started to consider the atternatives. @
5. We avoided having an accident.

Exercise 4
1. To begin the research earlier wouLd have cost
much more money.
2. To detay now wit[ cost even more.
3. We have to decide on our priorities.
1. I persuaded you to come.
4. My impression is that to increase production is a
2. Joanne does not atlow purchasers to accept gifts
high-risk strategy.

www.nhantriviet.com 169
 destroyed'
3. We want the report to be TASKS 18
i. Sf-r. can heLp new recruits understand'
to reslgn'
5. HenrY wou[d Prefer me May and Might
Exercise 3' ,e1drd;ia!,
to review our forecasts' tr
1. The report made us
1. Stock levets may rise in the finaI quarter of the year.
The report made us review our forecasts'
the cause of the 2. We may not have any SuperFix in stock.
2. The report fai[ed to identify
M 3. We may/might change to a just-in-time method
accident investments'
S. iLir a[tows to make further
tr of procurement.
allows us to make further investments' 4. We may need to increase the quantity we hoLd in
This
the terms of the stock but our present supptiers might not be abLe
4. We want that you respect
contract tr to meet our needs.
the terms of the conti'act. 5. lf the quatity is not good enough we may/might
We want you to respect
them to advance the order by'two change our supptiers.
5. We asked e V 6. May I check stock levets today instead of tomorrow?
months. 7.
to the meeting El lf you check stock levels today instead of tomorrow
5. We woutd ilke that you to come
you to come to the meeting' you might get inaccurate information for the month.
We wou[d Like
does not permit that we increase 8. We may atready be using that suppLier.
7. The contract
the Price. tr
The contract does not permit
us to increase the price. iffi?:
l. Yes, it might damage our reputation.
17 2. lf we don't, the public may/might misunderstand
TA5K5 our intentions.
3. We'tt have an 'open'
Witl, and WouLd the factory.
day when everyone may visit

,'rig.riiie,i 4. lf we don't, we may/might not get the support

we want.
A: This is the contract for the transport of the order
5. No, I said they may come.
to Singapore. Would you check it for me?
6. I don't know. They may/might, or they may/might not.
B: 0f course l'[i do it now'
A: You'tt see, they woutdn't agree to pay the
nsu ra nce'
i TASKS 19
B: ReatLy? I think that other company' TransWorld,
wouLd PaY it'
Can and Coutd
No, on the contrary they woutdn't' But if
you Like
A: iffif.frp,rfi
l'tL ask them'
B: No, don't. I'm sure You're right' A: Can I see you next week?
B: 0f course you can. CouLd you come on Monday?
Ex;i;is;',l A: No, sorry I can't come then. lf it is okay with you,
I couLd come on Tuesday.
Helena: Oh, Martina. You know about the despatch of
B: Exceltent. Can you confirm by emait?
the KMB order tomorrow? Woutd you check A: CertainLy. I can do that now. 0h, another question.
that the transporters wil[ arrive ear[y? Coutd I bring my cotteague, Mr Lee Wang?
Martina: 0f course I witL, l'tt
phone them now.
if they'tt reach the ferry
B: 0f course you can. I Look forward to meeting him.
Hetena: And do you know A: Thanks very much. See you next week.
terminaI in time for the 2 o'cLock saiting?
I spoke to them yesterday. They said they ,l -F tt:
Martina:
woutd. "EX!r_cis.e |,
Helena: And did they agree to bring back the fautty 2. fhey coutd find the theory difficutt.
oods?
g 3. The manager totd Piero that he coutd do the course.
this time
Martina: No, they woutdn't do that 4. After the course you can carry out major
because the [orry is going on to Bari with maintenance.
other goods. They said they'd bring the 5. This course was not avaiLabte [ast year so Gautier
faul.ty goods another time. coutdn't/can't have this qua[if ication.
Hetena: I see. That's a PitY. 6. Due to company cuts, the department coutd not
spend money on the course.
,E;giiise s, j:'':l'"'--:11\-.:r:
Exerq"'.Fs.3
1. Excuse me, wouLd you he[p me book a flight to
Manchester?
2. 0f course I wiLL. Il'[t do it now]'
3. lf you want, l'LL help you unLoad the goods'
4. Yes it will
5. No theY won't'

170 lntermediate Business Grammar www.nhantriviet.corn

rASKS 20
1. ShatL we have some Lunch now?
vlust, Mustn't and Needn't 2. Shoutd we change the scheduLe?
3. You shouLdn't continue with thisl
:xerctse :l
4. She shoutd arrive at about 5 olclock.
5. The report shouLd be good.
6. Shoutd you want to see the machine in operation,
pLease contact us.

hxercrse 4

. 0bvioustywe mustn't poL|.ute rivers.

l. We needn't buitd an expensive purification pLant.
l. \l/e must make smaL[ changes to production
methods.

Exergi.s.9,!.,

TASKS 22
Active
Exgr.ci.se,1.

1. The cost of [iving is rising faster than ten years

ago. Il)
Exercis-q 6
2. We need to reduce costs. (T)
l. Miriam is [ate. She had another meeting this 3. Manufacturing companies are experiencing
morning but it must have finished by now. major problems. (T)
l. The goods are faulty so we needn't pay for them. 4. Service companies are doing better. ITJ
l. The production costs are too high. We must 5. UnempLoyment is increasing in the
reduce them. United States. Il)
'r. The system is dangerous. We mustn't continue 6. Pi-operty vatues show a sLight fatL. [T]
using it. 7. ln spite of the prob[ems, economists are
i. The vaLve broke so we had to replace it. optimistic. Il)
i. The supervisor says we have to report any Leakage.
Last year we didn't need to report sma[[ leaks. ixeicise e

1. The bank is going to raise interest rates.

IASKS 21 2. The cost of borrowing wit[ increase by 2 per cent.
3. Many companies are paying heavy costs.
ShatL and ShouLd 4. An interest rate rise wil.t worsen industry's
probtems.
Ex-e-rgiseJ, 5. A representative said the news woutd be a

\: Shatt we wait for Peter? (Sugg) d isaster.

3: Yes, he shouLd be along any moment. IPr]
txerctse J
\: ls he staying aLL morning?
3: He certainLy shouLd. I0bLl We've important 1. First we toad the goods onto the Lorry.
things to discuss. 2. After that the [orry takes the goods to the port.
\: White we're waiting, shaLL [Sugg] I show you the 3. Then the driver hands over the docket.
report? 4. Next, the customs sign the docket.
Br No, lshaLL IFut] look at it in detaitthis afternoon. 5. The driver keeps the docket.
I think you shouldn't [Ad) say anything about 6. Fina[y we fiLe the docket.
it untiI Peter's here. ShouLd ICond] it be
controversiaL, he'd want to be the first to know. Exerclse 4'

Exergise 2 1. The Vice-President took an important decision

[ast week.
rictureA-2 PictureD-6 2. The teLephonist has been making/has made too
)ictureB-1 PictureE-4 many private ca[Ls recentlv.
rictureC-3 PictureF-5 3. The nightwatchman has just patroLLed the factory.

,\lww.nhantriviet.com 171
4. The pl.ant does not manufacture products during -t..^
ExerclSe z
the August hol.iday.
5. The [aboratory wiLL test/is going to test/is testing
;. o ;;;;ponsibre for haLf the production, isn't it?
3. And that one is in Athens, isn't it?
the new product next week.
4. The Thessatonika ptant is the smatlest, isn't it?
6. The company doctor checks the employees every
5. And it's the newest, isn't it?
month.
5. lt was opened in 2009, wasn't it?
7. The maintenance staff are repairing/wilL repair/are
7. And a new ptant witL be opened next year, won't it?
going to repair the production [ine next Monday.
8. Canteen staff do not cook food at the weekends. - .;l'-.t-$! 1:.t - l
:F.xe-rsiid'?

TASKS 23
The Passive

1. Staff have been recruited by the Human

Resources Department.
2. Finished products are stored in the warehouse.
3. New products are going to be devetoped by the
R & D staff.
4. Goods a.re manufactured in severaL [ocations.
5. The new pLant wil.L be opened by the Corporation
Pres id e nt.

rExercis-e,2

Liquids,4 and B are poured into a container. They are

mixed and materiaL C is added. The mixture is heated
to 220'C and left to coot. Then the mixture is poured
TASKS 25
into smaLL cans. The tins are ctosed, labels are appLied
and the goods are conveyed to the warehouse.
Be l2l
:"-'rtr3:13!#1t f i":l d -

:F-#.,Kts6-1:
1. Right.
1. 50 percent of our production is going to be made 2. Right.
at our Bahrain ptant. 3. Wrong. Companies are meeting the cha[tenge by

2. The company's range of services is being being more cautious.

expa nded.
4. Wrong. 0ur advice to new investors is: don't put
at[ your capitat into one fund.
3. 0ur headquarters are being retocated in Mataysia
4. The commission paid to agents was increased by 5. Wrong. This service has been offered to clients
the Sates Manager.
for twenty years now.
5. Protective ctothing must be worn by emptoyees '- ''" "'i jii
:: i
inside the production area.
Exerclse' z
5. The merger proposaI was being considered for 2. 0riginatly the project was to have been compteted
most of last year. by the end of next year.
3. lt is unfortunate that the buiLding company ran
into some financiaI difficutties.
TASKS 2I- 4. Finatty, the project was abandoned after we
demanded they keep to the dead[ine.
Be [11 5. Because there has been a detay/we have been
deLayed/the project has been detayed, there is a
Exeicise 1 lot of pressure on us to find a reptacement.
We are reviewing sataries at the moment. However
6. At the moment interested companies are being
they are untikety to be increased by more than the invited to submit tenders.
current rate of inflation, which is 3 per cent. The 7. 0riginatly, at[ tenders were to have been
future strength of the company depends on capitaI submitted by the end of last month.
investment. When costs increase too much, capital 8. To be honest, we are untiketyto be in the new
investment is reduced. This is sure to affect the buiLding on time.
profitabiLity and [ong-term strength of the company. ' ..rr€ff:,"',.,'.
'EXerclse J
We are committed to the development of the
company. This has aLways been our objectlve and ;;;;;; ;irrine in France catted Air Europa tt is
wiI continue to be so in the coming decade. owned by a consortium of French, German, Danish

172 lntermediate BL-lEiness0ramrn;i- www.nhantriviet.com

 rnd Dutch companies. There are too many airlines exptaih advise warn ctaim
n Europe and it is LikeLy that Air Europa witt be
:ought out by one of the [arger national carriers.
[hey are a smatl company and are untikety to remain lhat r

ndependent. This is a common pattern in Europe

,vhere a few years ago there were many more
r i rti nes.

TASKS 26 Exercise 2
Verbs of Speaking The HeaLth & Safety Committee has promised a
f ulL investigation into the accident on the dritting rig
Exgrclsg.1 Puffin in the North Sea. The Minister for Energy has
The board met to discuss the new f inancing asked the Committee to produce an interim report.
The company concerned, Genera[ 0iL, has admitted
arrangements. The Chairman totd the meeting that
changes were necessary to reduce costs. He asked responsibitity for the accident and has recommended
the Finance Manager to describe the new pLan. carrying out immediate safety checks on att similar
She first tatked/spoke about the reasons for the instattations. The government has threatened to force
changes. Then she spoke/tatked about the new plan the closure of the rig but the company ctaim this is
not necessary. A member of the Committee, Grete
Exercise 2 Arnheim, has urged the company to agree to a fu[[
pubtic enquiry. GeneraL 0it has indicated that they do
I first heard about the prob[em when Jane totd me not think this is necessary but that they probably woutd
about it. We discussed it for an hour. I asked her accept the concLusions of an independent investigation.
to tet[ me the reasons but she cou[dn't say what the
reasons were. We agreed to speak/tatk about it EXerctse J
again before the meeting next week.
1. The [abour costs are too high so the Board
txerctse J recommend
b.
reducing the workforce.
Arione: Pronto, Arione, SpA. 2. The R & D budget has been reduced and the Head
Karamura: Hetlo, this is Yu-Ling Wu, from of the Department has warned
_
Karamura. Can I speak to Ms. Rina c. that she r,viL[ resign.
Arione, ptease? 3. The probLems require
Arione: She's in a meeting just now. Can you b. an immediate sotution.
tetl me what you want to tatk about? c. that we find an immediate soLution.
Karamura: Certainl'y. I need to discuss our 4. We maintain
meeting next month. I would [ike to ask a. a high leveI of quatity.
Ms Arione for some suggestions for the 5. The resutts prove
agenda. When coutd I talk to her? b. thai we wei-e right to invest.
Arione: Ithink she'LL be free in about an hcur.
l'tt ask her to ca[[ you, shal.t l?
Karamura: 0h yes ptease. Did you saY about an
TASKS 28
hour?
Arione: Yes, approximatety. She'tt caL[ you then.
Verbs of the Senses
Karamura: Many thanks. Goodbye. Exercise 1

1. Afterwoi-k I [ike Looking at television.

I Like watching teLevision.
TASKS 27 2. iam smetling something strange. ls it a gas leak?
I smett/can smetl something strange.
Verbs of Reporting
3. lwant look at the resuLts but not in any detaiL.
I want to look at the results. ..
elei-lifir;
4. I m hearing vou, ptease carry on. (note: this is
say. sugg.est acceptabl.e in American Engtish.)
I
I
l'm [istening, p[ease carry on.
5. This surface is feeLing very good. What is it
made of? This surface feets very good.
5. lf you watch over here, l'[L show you something
nte resti n g.
i

lf you look ovei- here. ..

7. The wine is tasting good.
The wine tastes good/The wine's good

www.nhantriviet.com 173
 fe e l./so u nd/Loo k/p rove/see m/a ppea r/ta ste/g o +
right/wrong
'Welcome to Oxwett. Now, I'd [ike to outLine the
feeUsou nd/Look/ru n/becom e/seem/a ppea r/g o + witd
programme for the morning. We're going to hear a f ee t/s o u n d/too k/b eco m e/see m/a p pea r/f a LL + il.t
presentation by our Vice-President, Robin Robins. feet/so u nd/Look/prove/becom e/seem/a p pea r *
Then we'tt watch a fitm about the chemical industry happy/unhappy
market. Then we'[[ have an opportunity to tatk about turn/become/see m/taste/go + sweet/bitter
the fil.m. After that at about 11.45 Joanna Tarrant feel./sou nd/Look/tu rnlprove/become/see m/a ppea r *
witl. take us to see the ptant. You'tt be abte to watch/ scepticaI
see the production process in action. Then we't[ have feet/sound/Look/tu rnlp rove/become/seem/appea r *
[unch and I promise you'tL be abte to taste some confident
[ocaI speciatities.' sou nd/Look/prove/seem/a ppea r/go + crazy
so u nd/too k/prove/lbecome]/seem/a p pea r +
Exercise 3: absurd/sensibte
Paut: How do you feel about the pl.ans?; ::i14fl;ffi
'#Ig,rg.Fffii
Angela: l'm optimistic. Do you want to see the iatest
forecasts? 1. Share prices are very votatiLe and the ma'rket
Paut: I can't just now. l't[ [ook at them tomorrow. a. has grown pessimistic.
I've got to go and watch a demonstration of 2. The company has invested a lot in new products
a new testing machine by Horrowitz & Co. and everyone
Angela: Before you go, the [aboratory has produced b. appears confident.
a variation on the RT4 ftavour for the new ^ 3. After looking at the sptendid results the Board
Zappo drink. Have you tasted it? c. feels excited about future prospects.
Paut: Yes, it was okay but it smett tike bad eggs! 4. Paula has read the report on the product and says
she
c. remains pessimistic.
TASKS 29 5. After a good start the project
a. went wrong.
Arise, Rise, Raise, Lie and Lay -
r:'1*..'.::-:l lj'
Exenctse J
Exercise 1,
raise {Tl nse [l) laylTl 1ie [lJ arise [l)

Exercise 2
1. b. Different probtems arise.
2. a. The costs have risen every year.
3. a. We can raise the prices.
c. The prices can be raised.
4. b. lf the materiaL ties direct[y on the floor it wiLL
be okay. yourlelter of 8th Or-tobei.
5. a. Lay the picture on the table and we'Ll see it
c[ea r[y.
b. lf the picture is Laid directLy on the tabte we'LL
see it cLear[y.

Exercise 3
bad just now
Dear Mary

A problem has arisen over <osts for the above trip.

The airline has raised prices by 20 per cent so the budget
is too small.

Please raise the budget to meet the extra cost.

Thanks.

TASKS 30 TASKS 31
Verbs and Adjectives Have, Have Got and Get
E*"iiiii'i iEfr'ffrrf:
fe e Uso un d/to o k/t u rn/p rove/b e co m e/s ee m/a p p ea r* 1. The company witt get a new director next month
optimistic/pessi m istic. 2. I got your [etter yesterday.

174 lntermediate Business Grammar www.nhantriviet.com

. l've just finished the report. 6. He betieved that independentty the company could
. The government hasn't got a workable economic make progress. [correct]
stiLL
pla n. 7. I dida trip in South America and was made
. 0ur competitors haven't got any good products at welcome everywhere I went.
resent.
p made a trip
,. Have you got my letter yet? 8. They made the repairs without doirg anv
'. Does the TS Corporation have any pLants in Korea? compLa ints.
They did the repairs without making any comptaints.

tsxerctse z
. We have gotten a good deaL from the negotiations
No mistakes. This form is common in AmE.
l. Parlour Smith had major Losses [ast year. da an exercise do a favour make a speech

No mistakes.
make a pLan make progress make money
do damage make a decision
l. They hadn't a good management organisation.
make an appointment make a Profit
They didn't have.. .

make a compLaint do a iob

i. Had thev the same director then as now?
Did they have. . . ?
i. We've got a new po|.icy on sates discounts.
No mistakes. 1. HaI has to choose between Arrow and Bow.
i. Had you got any benefit from the training course 2. Yes, they have made an offer.
you did last week? 3. They do good work and are cheaper than Bow.
Did you get any benefit.. . ? 4. HaL must make an appointment.
l. Have vou an agent in Morocco? 5. To say if there is any reason why Arrow should not
Do you have an agent. .. ? do the work.
l. I got your Letter this morning.
No mistakes. ,Eigrqisg,{,

TASKS 32
Make vs. Bo
rPieriise t
1. The Chairman made a Long speech. Icorrect]
2. He said the company did a good profit in the year.
made a good profit
3. He said the company wou[d remain independent, TASKS 33
though a [arge competitor had made an offer to
buy a 25 per cent stake in the company. Icorrect]
Verb + Preposition
4. The shareholders coutd do a choice between rEi;r;isa:i,
independence and prosperity or the uncertainty of
being taken over by a large mu[tinational.. 1. to agree with someone
make a choice 2. lo altow for something
5. The Chairman said that those who recommended 3. to apotogise for something
seLting shares were making a big mistake. [correct) 4. to consist of something

www.nhantriviet.com 175
 5. to hear of/about something
6. to Look forlat something
TASKS 35
7. to refer to someone
8. to reLy on someone
Verb + Adverb IPhrasat Verbl
9. to wait for someone
Exercise 1
10. to agree to something
1 1. to app[y for something 1. arrive turn up
12. to approve (of) something 2. cause = bring about
13. to depend on something 3. discover find out
14. to insist on something 4. stop working break down
5. ctose Ia factory] shut down
eieiciie z 6. abandon (a meeting) catt off
7. comptete [a form] fiLt in
A: Have you heard about the road transport strike?
8. reject Igoods receivedl = send back
B: Yes, it's terrible. We rety on the drivers for aLL our
components. ;
Exercise 2
A: We shou[d think about using our own drivers.
B: That depends on whether they would be happy to Tomas: What happened?
drive during a strike. Janet: First the pump broke down and so the
A: We can insist on them meeting their contractuaL supervisor shut down production.
ob [igatio ns I Tomas: Then what?
B: Yes, but we have to attow for the problems they Janet: We looked over the pump assembty and saw
coutd meet on the roads. that the flow into the pump was too fast.
A: That amounts to supporting the strike! Tomas: And did that bring about a pressure
B: Perhaps. Anyway, we shoutd have a meeting with bu il.d -u p?
our drivers and hope for a simpte soLution. Janet: Wett, I think so, yes.
A: Yes, they might agree to move our components.
Br lf not, we'LL have to wait for the end of the strike. EXerctse J

TASKS 31 Dear Eva

You can visit Jean any time next week to examine results.
Verb + Object + Preposition Tom is going to arrive tomorrow.

EXerclse 1 Monday's sales meeting has been cancelled.

Regards
2. I want to divide the tatk into two parts.
3. Let me compare product A with product B.
4. They't[ explain the software to the eventuaI users.
5. We spend [arge sums on investment.
TASKS 36
6. We must prevent our competitors from gaining
an advantage. Sentence Types - Simpl,e and
Complex
Exercise 2
We regret that we need to remind you of the terms of
E1ffi
the contract when you suppLied the goods. According A. Simpie statement sentence: 1 5 8
to Article 31 Paragraph 4 you woutd provide us with B. SimpLe interrogative sentence: 6
fulI instructions on the instatLation of the H50. Your C. SimpLe negative sentence: 4
representative, Mr Yogi, has consistentty faited to D. Simpte exclamative sentence: 7
expLain the instattation to our technicians. E. Comptex sentence with subordinate ctause: 3
F. Comptex sentence with relative clause: 2
Six weeks ago we preferred the H50 to rival
products, but the service you have provided
is [amentab[e. lf this probtem is not resolved
ffiffi
immediately and to our totaI satisfaction, we 1. We are reorganising the department and
wiL[ have to refer the matter to our Lawyers. recruiting new staff.
2. We are advertising for a new computer anatyst
L,xercrse 3 because/since/as I rene has retired.
3. The position, which is at supervisory levet, carries
Dear Pat, I a high satary.
I compared the Ndlovu product with the Rosario product, and
4. We need a young person who is atso a skitLed
Ndlovu is better lt is more expensive. However, I convinced programmer.
BR ofthe benefits.He agreed to buy Ndlovu products. 5. We wiLL advertise in various countries and in
He asked me to tell you of the decision.
speciatist journa[s.
Cheers 6. We need someone with experience but not a
Anthony comptete expert.

176 lntermediate Business Grammar www.nhantriviet.com

EXerctse J 7. SaLes in[eisure products have increased. We
generatty expect a 25 per cent rise during the
l. We need to increase the quatity of our research summeT.
which witL be expensive. 0ur present research,
which is on a new pocket-sized communications
device, is potentiatl.y very exciting and a major TASKS 38
technoLogicaI advance is possibLe.
2. I work for ABC which makes mechanical and Subordinate Clauses
electricaI parts for automobiLes. We seL|. throughout
Europe and Asia, but not in America. 0ur biggest Exercise 1

customers, who are Japanese, are some of the 1. The committee met to discuss a r iver ooltution
best known car manufacturers in the wortd. probtem.
2. lf the potlution was caused bv [ocaI industries,
they woutd have to pay compensation.
TASKS 37 3. The pottution concerned chemicats which had
leaked into the river.
Connecting ldeas 4. The probtem was noticed when dead fish were
found in the river.
Exercise t 5. Atthough comoanies had strict regutations on the
f . in the same wa! = simi[arty disoosaI of chemicats, mistakes occurred.
2. to sum up in short 5. The enquiry asked what training workers had
3. too atso been given.
6. finatly tastLy 7. The Manager said her companv had done
5. atternativeLy instead everything possibte to avoid the [eakage of
6. yet however chemica[s into the river.
7. natu ra Lty of course
8. as a rute usualty Reported I Conditrcn I Time i Relat;vc Contrast
I
eurpose
I
Rnported.
questionl I Jctause J I speech

6 2'1 3 5 1,7
Exercise 2
In recent years the company has expanded and the Exercise 2
workLoad forthe management has increased. Therefore,
we have decided to reorganise our management The Chairman said how Long this witl take
structure. This picture shows the new organisation. The industry has to expLain our case.
suffered setbacks,
We plan to divide the present Administration
Department into two, creating a new Finance Now we must the outtook wi[[ be bleak.
Department and a Human Resources rebuitd our
Department. ln addition, the Sales & Marketing I don't know we deserve fair treatment
Department wiLL be divided into two. Furthermore, from the press.
a new Management Services Department wit[ be ShouLd we fai[, chocsing those that wil[
created. We betieve communication channe[s within be most effective.
the company witi be simpl.if ied, so decision-making wi[[
We need to Look some of which couLd have
be more streamtined. For exampte, decisions which the aLternati been avoided.
solely affect personnel witl now be taken at the level
We must take that the industry faced a
of Human Resources. ln general the principle is that
every opportunity pubtic retations chaltenge.
decisions shou[d be taken at the lowest practicable
Levet, especiatty those everyday decisions which wi[L Having exptained which is essentiaI for
not affect the whoLe organisation. Naturatty, the our position, future prosperity.
changes wiLl take some time to be futly understood,
but overa[L everyone shoutd notice immediate Exercise 3 (Ml
benefits.
2. The company organised a press conference to
answer criticisms.
Exercise 3 [Ml
3. The chairman said that the safety record was/had
2. We se[L our goods abroad,. so obviousty we have to been retativeLy good.
set prices with the exchange rates in mind. 4. The HeaLth & Safety Executive supported
3. F[uctuation in exchange rates causes instabiLity. the company when they investigated safety
ln addition, it makes forecasting more difficuLt. p roced u res.
4. Atthough we prefer a stabte exchange 5. Every precaution nad been taken so the
environment, we have to accept instabitity. management was confident.
5. 0ur best products are severaI years otd. The F23, 6. The press wrote artictes which exaggerated the
for instance, was Launched in 2002. probLems.
5. We need to expand sates abroad, especialty in 7. ALthough the company carries out regular checks,
America. accidents can stiL[ haPPen.

www.nhantriviet.com 177
 4. Wrong. Having presented the poLicy in outtine,
TASKS 39 managers have asked their teams what training
(11 they woutd [ike.
Reported Speech 5. Wrong. Most teams have asked not to have
theoreticaI training courses.
Exercrse-l
6. Wrong. ln fact they have at[ suggested having
The Minister reminded the audience that 20 years ago project groups to exptore the best way to
things were very different. He said the time had come imp[ement Vision 2020.
to face reatities and he betieved we had to choose
between cooperation or isotation. He warned that
major probtems woutd arise if we made the wrong
The Personnel Manager asked when the new training
choice and asked if we wanted to be an isotated and
programme would be introduced. The Training
friendtess country.
Manager replied that she didn't know. But she added
. :']'| |,i "^i ] that they had approached a number of outside training
i
'..

.ExeJ:f;,ips a organisations. The Personnel Manager asked if he

Asked if the poLicy of the government woutd change, could see the list of suppliers. The Training Manager
the Minister said the government was working towards agreed to let him see the details. The Personnel
increasing the quatity of services and making the Manager suggested making a final decision together.
economy strong. He predicted that inftation would The Training Manager replied that she preferred to
continue at present levets - around 2.5 per cent - make the final decision herself.
and economic growth, now at 2 per cent, woutd rise
to 4 per cent.
TASKS I+1
Ex6.it, t'r
0uestions
&toIlA SPF]CIAI,E
Exercise 1

1. Are you agents for Fischer equipment? A

2. Where can I find this type of product? B
uear Hrna 3. You're not serious? D
they?
4. Fischer are market leaders, aren't E
5. So you betieve they're expensive? D
6. Do you think there are better goods avaitabte? A
7. Can you tetL me how retiable they are? C

Fjnally; slre asked rl yorisould cir I hei. She said she would be in
1. How [ong time have you been working on the
resea rch ?
How [ong ha're you been working cn the
research?
2. Coul.d you tetl me who were the main partners in
the project?
. .. who the main partners in the project were?

TASKS Ifi 3. And you didn't p[an to spend so much money,

didn't you?
... did you?
Reported Speech [21 4. You say the forecasts were inaccurate. Who
did resign after these forecasts?
Exercise 1
Who resigned ...?
verbs of speaking - agreed commented 5. Was that a correct decision? Correct.
verbs of commanding - totd instructed
verbs of requesting - invited urged
verbs of questioning - asked inquired 1. Can you te[[ me something about your company?
2. And where are you based?
i*!.cise i 3. Can I ask if you have an agent?
1. Wrong. The company has totd us to adopt Vision 4. What's the agent's name?
2020 as our aim for the next five years. 5. And they are in Sydney?
2. Wrong Vision 2020 urges us to adopt a range of 6. I have to go to the agent?
internaI measures to improve productivity and 7. And Wal.t & Martin are the only agents in Sydney,
quaLity throughout the company. are they?
3. Ri9ht. 8. How do I contact Watt & Martin?

"|.78 lntermediateBusinessGrammar www.nhantriviet.com


TASKS 42
Relative Clauses
Exercise 1
txercise z
2. He said the environment, a key issue, was
everyone's responsi bility.
3. Lockvil.l'e, where there used to be a chemicaI
ptant, is now a beauty spot.
4. We made mistakes in the past when we knew Less
than we know now.
5. The captains of industry, on whom we depend,
have major responsibilities.
6. The industries which we criticise produce the
products which we buy.
Exercise 3
1. The factory which produces PCBs has closed
down.
2. The reprocessing ptant which has been the
subject of protests is expanding its operations.
3. The factory which is in the town centre, where
many people [ive, is a maior employer.
4. Plastics recycLing, which is expensive, is on[y
possible in some countries where sophisticated
equipment is avail.ab|.e.
5. Many products which c[aim to be environmentaL|.y
friendLy are not.
5. The majority of peopie, whose houses are
centraL[y heated, contribute to gtobaI warming.
TASKS 13
Clauses of Contrast
Janina: WeLt, thouqh ISC] packaging is expensive, it
can hetp promote the product.
John: Yes, of course, but ICC] we have to cut the
costs. Even though {SCl we use our own
designers, the costs are very high.
Janina: ALthough [SC] it's an expensive part of the
production, it is very difficuLt to reduce costs.
John: White [SC] we aE ee that it's expensive,
we don't seem to be abte to decide how to
reduce the expensel
www.nhantriviet.com
Janina: I see packaging as part of pubtic relations,
whereas ISCl I think vou are Looking at it
ontv in terms of packing the productl
Exercise 2
1. The market has probabty pasbed its peak,
atthough computer sales are stitt very high.
2. Costs have come down though the advances in
computer technotogy have been considerab[e.
3. More peopte own computers, whiLe the number of
manufacturers has gone down.
4. Machines are more retiabte but they are more
comptex.
5. Computing capabitity has increased whereas the
physicaL size of the equipment has diminished.
6. Users experience difficuLties with compatibil.ity
even though a iot of rnoney has been spent on
this probtem.
While there are miltions of different software
programs avaitab[e, only a few become internationatly
successfut. The best become standards which
others fotlow, but the originats do not always benefit
from this. 0f course, different programs work with
different operating systems, but there are many
more programs than operating systems. Al.though
the industry is very competitive, it is dominated by a
few big software producers. Many of these are ctosety
connected with the major computer manufacturers,
even though there are atso many independent
software houses. Atso, producing new software is
not necessari[y expensive, whereas innovations in
computer hardware certainty in'rotve massive costs.
TASKS t 4
Clauses of Cause or Reason
iiififfiffii
You are especiatty suitabte because of your work in
the oiI sector.
Your academic record is ideal as we need someone
with post-graduate quatifications.
We need you to start as soon as possib[e because we
are beginning a new research project this month.
We understand that an immediate start is a problem
because you are in work just now.
You need to teti. your present emptoyer today since
you want the job.
Just say you have to leave because of this offer.
I'm sure it wiLL not be a probLem as this sort of thing
happens at[ the time.
2
1. The advantage in this system is that there is
direct suppty f rom production to customer, since
there is no intermediate stage.
The disadvantage is that it i3 difficuLt to meet
sudden orders for targe quantities because of very
smaL|. stock leveLs.
179
2. The advantage of this system is that we can give 8. The campaign finished, we're now looking ahead
an immediate response to large orders because to the next one.
distribution is handl.ed from a central warehouse.
The disadvantage is that there are increased storage
costs because more goods are hetd in stock.

TASKS 15
Clauses of Purpose Exercise 2

,exeriiia1. 1. tE) 2. (E) 3. t?l

1. Fora new bui[ding to be a success it hasto be
4. t=l 5. IL] 6. t=l
the right design.
Exercise 3
2. ln order to understand design objectives, it is
necessary to consider the uttimate functi6n. 1. b 2. e 3.d
3. We have chosen the best architects in order that 1. a 5. c
we can be sure of good resuLts.
4. They are preparing sketches so that we can
consider their basic ideas. TASKS 1,7
5. The architects exptained some principtes about
materiats so as not to leave us confused. -ing and -ed Clauses
Exercise 1
EXerclse z
1. The distribution channe[s are being changed in
order to avoid detays at the ports.
2. We need to spend a lot of money so as to
guarantee a top qual.ity product.
3. We shoutd book in advance so that we won't need Exeicise 2;
to worry about space on the ship.
Having carried out some market research SALLO
4. Costs wit[ have to be reduced in orderthatwe can
identified a gap in the market. Having designed a
have increased prof itabil.ity.
product, they devetoped a prototype. Having compteted
5. The red switch is to switch off the motor in
successfuI tests, SALL0 received a patent. The company
an emergency.
looked for f inancial support. 0btaining that, the
company developed the production capabitity. Having
r*"iiEat-ipii set up the necessary production facilities, the company
The [aboratory is for testing new recipes. Then there is entered production. Devetoped in onl.y 'l 2 months, the
a Production Department to make finished products. SALLO product coutd revotutionise cooking.
Next we have a QuaLity Control Department in order to
monitor quality a nd maintain standards. Finatty there is EXerclse J
a Customer Services Department in order that we can 2. a. ll you instatl our software you wi[[ have more
deaI with matters relating to customer retations. computing power.
b: With our software instalted, you have improved
your computing power.
TASKS t+6 3. a. lf you cat[ our service team your satisfaction
witt be guaranteed.
Clauses of Time b. As you have caL[ed our service team, your

ai;;; i' satisfaction is guaranteed.

4. a. lf goods are stored in the warehouse they
;. ;;;;ins we courd not work arone, we deterio rate.
commissioned an agency to produce an b. Whlte stored in the warehouse, goods deteriorate.
advertising campaign. 5. a. lf the company cuts its workforce, profitabitity
2. 0nce they had studied the product and the witl' improve.
market, they designed a marketing concept. b. WhiLe cutting the workforce, the company is
3. Before agreeing to their proposats, we studied improving its profitabitity.
them very ctosely.
4. Whil.e studying the advertising ptans, we had
many doubts.
TASKS 18
5. Once understood, they seemed okay. Nouns
5. Wheneverwe discussed the product Launch we
had disagreements. Exercise 1

7. Having seen the success of the launch, we are 1. The informations you need are in the post.
deLighted with the agency. information is

180 lntermediate Business Grammar www.nhantriviet.com

2. There's three thousand peop[e coming to visit Exercise 4
the exhibition.
2. There has been a disaster invotving chemicats
There are
that are highLy poisonous . . .
3. Al.ison and Sara read the Iimes.
The
3. There has been an accident at an oiI rig in the
4. When I go to The Hague I stay in_HiLton HoteL.
NorthSea...
the Hitton 4. The record for speed in the air"has been broken ..

5. There is a probLem in the Level of congestion at

5. The headquarter is in_United States.
airports . ..
headquarters are in the United States.
6. The resuLts for the chemica[s industry have been
5. We have had a lot of troub[es with the machinery.
troubte adisaster...
7. There has been a row over carbon emissions ...
7. Woodpohl makes top quaLity furnitures.
fu rnitu re.
8. Twelve persons work in my section.
peopte
TASKS 50
9. This is an expensive equipment. Genitive Forms
piece of equipment.
0. The import agency gave wrong advices. Exercise 1

- advice.

:xefCISe Z

roney {U) cheque {C} safetylU) desk [C]

ssets lCl machinery lUl lCl pLant tCl
machine
roduction lU) product lC) lCl foreman lCl
supervisor
hargehand lC) worker lC) IUJ news [U]
furniture
pokesman IC] mathematics (Ul

rxerclSe
l:.
J
.,.::.-,.-:. ...-:: -.

l. Economics is interesting.
l. What is the trouble with the equipment?
,. Where are the headquarters?
i. The university receives funds from the government.
,. The funds are insufficient.
'. The United States consists of 50 states.
l. Your advice [ast week was good.

rAsKS 19 1. The pharmaceutrcaI group Physic's resuLts are

encouraging.
tloun Components 2. The first twc quarters'turnover has shown a
20 per cent rise.
Exercise,l ,
3. The company's workforce wil.l. benefit.
4. ALL emptoyees' pay packets witl include a bonus.
5. A sharehol.ders' meeting schedu|.ed for the end of
September wiLL be a cheerf uL affair.
6. The Chairman of the Board cetebrates ten years
in that role. {no change)
7. Profits for each year of his tenure have increased
weLL above the industry average. Ino change)

,Exercis_q 3

Exercise 2
r tax concession an accident report
r machine tool a law court
r ten-day hotiday an export Licence

txerctse J

vww.nhantriviet.com 181
 A: Fairl.y/Moderatety good. As good as we cou[d
TASKS 51 expect.
2. A: There was a smat[ fal.[ in output in the first
Adiectives and Adverbs quarter of the year.
B: How smatt?
A: Very smal[ - onty about 5 per cent.
1. reLiab|.e - reLiabty
3. A: The exhibition was successfut.
2. necessary - necessarily B: How successfu[?
3. erratic - erratically A: Extremety/very successful - we met very
4. sLow - slowly
many prospective customers.
5. late - [ate
4. A: The report was critica[.
6. traditiona[ - traditionaL[y B: How critica[?
7. competent - competently A: Extremety/whotLy/very critica[. They
8. exceLLent - exce[entLy
condemned everything about the ptant.

Exercrse 2
.. " r;-.
;;";.-l:ri.i.:l
'EXercEe J
1. The economic arguments for reducing the ,. ;;i;; was economicalty catastrophic.
investment are very strong. 3. TheoreticaLiy, the design was innovative.
2. The p[ane arrived late so I missed the start of the 4. But frankty, it was wrong.
meeting. 5. Your argument'is togicatty unsustainab[e.
3. I am not interested in seeing the museums. 6. You are academicalty right.
4. My last job was in software programming but
now/presentty I work in quality control.
5. Reducing R & D spending is not economical in TASKS 53
the [ong term.
5. The Director is in hospitaI because she has been Comparison of Adjectives
working too hard.
Eieqcige !

1. The profit forecast is reatty good.

2. Poor sates were caused by a drop in confidence.
3. The present board has insufficient experience.
4. We are very interested in your proposat.
5. The President sounded optimistic about the
prospects for growth.
6. He spoke enthusiasticatty about the new products.
..:.,'-.,
hxercrse 4
Firstty, l'd tike you to look at the graph here which
compares the sates of the 386 models with the 286s
over five years. Ctearty there has been a considerabte
Exercise 2 {M)
change with the consumer showing greater taste for The Carro XT has more memory capacity.
386 machines. The gradual dec[ine in the poputarity of It has a bigger monitor.
the 286 reftects the comptexity and range of software It also has a [onger warranty.
and the fact that users need to have faster operating It is more expensive.
machines. As for the 386, sales have indeed increased
dramaticatty. ln response to these important changes, J
we have naturatty concentrated our efforts on
developing improved 386 mode[s. Trains are the cleanest form of transport.
Ptanes are the dirtiest in terms of C0, emissions
Ptanes produce the most C0, emissions.
TASKS 52 Cars are more poltuting than trains.
Trains produce the least C0, emissions.
Adjective Modification with Adverbs Cars produce more C0, emissions than taxis per
, ii"iiir" i passenger kitometre.

nti re Lyltota lly

e
qu ite/rea so na bty
TASKS 54
extrem e Lylh ig h Ly
Expressions of Frequency
Exercise 2 ,fffffi#.r,
1. A: lt was a good year. Lee: I atways fl.y here.
B: How good? Kerry: Do you? I never fl.y. I atways come by car.

182 r-.-.:'r:^.-.-:.. --tsi; j-,:Lr-, ',,' w,arw.n han tri vl et.co m

,ee: By car? How awful.l What about this pl.ace?
I rare[y stay in this hotet. Do you often come
here?
lerry: I nearty atways stay here, though
sometimes I stay at the p[ace opposite.
,ee: I see. What about your customers - is this a
good pl'ace for you to meet them? Do you do
much business here? lthink it's terribte.
hardty ever/setdom se[[ anythingl
(erry:
Reatty? No, I think it's great. I normatty
sel[ quite a lot here. I have severaI good
customers here.
.ee: Fancy a drink?
(erry: Thanks, l'tL have an orange juice.
.ee: 0range? lseLdom/hardty ever drink orange,
I prefer apple juice.
Exeicise 2 [Ml
,. I never walk to work, I usually go by car. I
sometimes take the bus.
l. I often traveI abroad. When I traveL abroad
a|'most atways stay in a hoteL.
l. lf I go a long way I atways fiy. When larrive at the
airport I generatly take a taxi to my hotet. I raretv/
hardLy ever hire a car.
i. We have a regu[ar meeting with the Director of
the Department every fortnight.
i. We frequently phone our most important customers
txerclse J
l. We hotd our sharehoLders'meeting annuatty.
!. I meet my deputy twice a week.
l. send a report to Head Office everytwo months.
I We are so Late that the meeting will be over.
i. tetephone our agents daitY.
I It is such a good design that operating it is easy.
i. We pubLish a profit and [oss account twice yearty.
l. We produce detaited sates results quarter[y.
7. I meet the Managing Director every fortnight.
rAsKs 55
Degree with Very, Too and EnouEh
txerctse I
l. The price is very high but I can sti[[ afford it.
2. We don't have enough peopte to meet the order.
3. lt doesn't cost very much moneY.
6. The ptant at Lagos is very [arge. ln fact, it is too
big. (correct)
5. We soLd very few products. ln fact, we didn't seLL
enough.
5. The country is very small and it has a very [arge
poputation. lt is too heavi|.y populated.
It.xerclse z
ooo
We were very sony to hear thot you ore not sotisfied with the
printing work which we sent lost week ond in porticulor thot
the colour red is loo strong. We checked the work very
corefully before it wos despotched ond we felt thot it wos
good enough to meet our very high stondords. However,
since you ore not hoppy, our representotive will visit you on
Fridoy to discuss lhe problem. We understond your need is
urgent so I hope this is soon enough to fit in with your
schedule. lf it is loo lote pleose telephone us.
txerctse J
2. The service you provide is too stow for us. ln other
words it is not quick enough.
3. The quaLity of the workmanship is disappointing.
ln fact it is not good enough.
4, The report is not Long enough.'ln other words it is
too short.
I
5. The conference is not early enough in the year. In
other words it is too late.
6. The registration fee is very expensive. ln fact it is
too expensive.
7. The venue is far away. In fact it is very far/too far.
TASKS 55
5o vs. Such
,Exercise 1,
I 1. The work was so bad that we refused to pay.
2. The payment was so late that we contacted our
Lawyers.
3. After such a Long time we had given up hope of
payment.
4. lt was such a [arge debt that we had to try to
recover it.
5. Such expensive items cost a lot to repair.
6. Cost increased so rapidty that we abandoned the
resea rch.
txerclse z
With such good progress we wi[ finish earty.
Such materiaI can be recycted easity.
Such customers are very vaLuabte.
He argued so convincingLy that we accepted his idea.
rxeicise 3
2. The project has gone weLL so far.
3. So tong as the weather remains good, the building
work wiL[ be compteted before Christmas.
/.. Such an excetLent performance surprised me.
5. The engine was not so noisy as I had expected.
6. The service we received was so bad that we
changed supptier.
TASKS 57
Already, Yet, Again and Stitt
'i*..iir*'i,
A: l'm afraid we stit[ haven't received authority to
export the goods.
B: Has the Trade Department contacted you yet?
Ar No, not yet. l'tt telephone them again to see why
there's such a deLay.
B: Okay. Our customers have atready complained
about the deLay and I stit[ can't give them a
detivery date.
A: I know. l'LL caLL you again this afternoon.
183
:t: ': ;; :::"^
tExerctse z TASKS 59
;.;;;iarrived IaIready)
2. She has t not arrived. Istitt) Pronouns
3. Has she arrived t? Iyet]
4. She has not arrived t. lyetl Exercise 1

5. I'tL tel.ephone his office t.
5. We hope to see Eddie Roberts soon t [agaln)
7. We are t devetoping a new system t.
8. We t use an American consuttant.
1. A is stiLL/again the top seLting product.
2. Sates for C are again/stitt the lowest.
3. The PDS market share is again/stitt 28 p€r cent.
4. At the end of the third quarter we have aLready
reached the target for the end of the year.
5. Sates have not reached 20,000 units yet.
TASKS 58
Artictes
Exercise 1 sates rep. I totd him/her about the probtem and
[again) 1. PauL designed the system himsetf.
2. Jane is my boss. We have worked together for years.
{again) 3. I understand that your company has an office in
Isti tt] Buenos Aires. 0ur company has one there too.
0urs is in the south of the city. Where is yours?
4. Mary catted in. She ieft a package for John. Can
you take it to him?
5. Hernandez and Fernandez make Life difficul.t for
themsetves.
;i*"r.islip.
1. 0h, Mr Beard! Mrs Ford phoned. She asked me to
ask vou to phone her back as soon as yeu can.
2. JJD make plastic joints. They have supptied our
company, Thomson Boro Ltd, for years. Thev have
always provided us with good service but a recent
supply was very poor quatity. I tetephoned their
he/she said it woutd be resotved easity.
3. The supptiers phoned a moment ago. Thev said
the goods were damaged in transit and that the
responsibility is not theirs. They are sending one
of their representatives here tomorrow to discuss
the problem. ln any case, the goods are usetess.
We must not pay for them.
.j;:,a'::: i-a, a:a:. :a-
'Exercise 3;

throughout the world.

export

1. The University of Leeds is one of the biggest

in EngLand. lt is aLso an important centre for JS"counUie$.
medicaI studies. our
2. Butter is a major agricutturaI product in the
European Union. Another is rape seed oi[. Most of
the butter is consumed by EU countries.
3. The Super Motor Company makes a range of
high-performance cars, inctuding the [uxurious in the the products
Grosso 55XT. This is a perfect examp[e of modern
automotive engineering.
.lt.-"'.'"-
Exe1,ci9q.Q Hambro - do vourself a favour!
--R-
Hambro - vou call us
FS P]O
- FS
we serve vou!
FO
Hambro oroducts - PS-
thev work for vou!
' FO

rea50n: Dubai encourages

TASKS 50
.

telecommunications

Demonstratives
'ffi[ili!61'.
'The company sent us a letter. That [1]was the first
indication that they were interested in the proposa[.
184 lntermediate Business Grammar
Ve read this [2] with much interest because they 3. We don't need any heLp with this.
rere offering us something we had asked for: a 50 4. I didn't have any probtems coming to see you.
er cent share in royatties on a[[ the products they or I had no probtems coming to see you.
nade, obviousty meaning at[ those [3] we agreed 5. The meeting was longer than anyone would have
c tet them make. This [4] is it - here - read it. And wanted.
hen can you put it on that [5] fite over there? I need
o show it to that [6] consuttant fettow who's coming Exercise 2
r [ater. Now took ...1 want to say this [7). We shoutd
rot necessarity accept what is on offer. Accepting it
1.a 2.b 3.c l+.b
,traight away ... that [8) woutd be a mistake.'
Exercise 3
.B 2.8 3. RC 4. RW
Customer: I'd [ike some information about
i. RW 6. CS 7.F 8.8
upgrading software ptease. I
understand that last month you were
Exercise 2
offering Grapho 5.1 free of charge to
users who had bought 5.0 in January or
Europe
February. I bought mine in January but
an opportunity organisation publishing I haven't received any information and
surueys position created to now the free offer is ctosed.
meet growing
CSC: Yes, l'm sorry that's correct. Anyone
G6pri-nD-ith a good economics degree,experience in who was a registered user shoutd have
pu5lishinq;fr4 qood knowledge ofthe region should email with a
a
received news of the offer.
concise CV attached to: steven.wright@recruitment.ges.co.uk
Customer: I didn't receive anything.
CSC: I'm sorry about that. Have you been
receiving our regutar newstetter since
Could you help to influence economi< Policy in London or Brussels?
you bought your Grapho software?
Government Economic Servie offers the chance to work at the heart of There's atways something in there
economic decision-mat ins(ffilGffnEt
about offers.
Customer: No, I haven't.
CSC: Hotd on ptease, there's someone here I

industry
affect the whole economy. We offer can ask about this ...

you
research, welldeveloped communication and analytical skills,
problem-solving abilities and a serious motivation towards a career TASKS 62
European Union.

lf you an email for further information and

Some, Any and Related Words
an application
Exerciie i
1. Wrong. I sometimes give presentations to other
Ele1gise Q,. companies.
M5: What are these two tables? 2. Right.
3. Wrong. I was somewhat impressed by her
CL: Good question, now Let's look at them. This one
performance.
shows how we catcuLate investment income,
whiLe this shows an example.
4. Right.
5. Wrong. So, if nobody has any questions, let's
MS: I see. Could you exptain them?
move on to the practicaL demonstration.
CL: 0f course. The basic calcuLation is Like this.
The investment muLtipLied by interest rate
5. Wrong. To be honest, we never exceed our agreed
budget.
muttiptied by running period in days - at[ that
over 100 x 360. lrxeqcisf
MS: I see. And in this examp|.e, it's for this much - 2,
1 00 000 euros? A: Do you ever visit the Asian ptants?
CL: Yes, the interest rate - that's 7.5 per cent, B: Wett, l'm not at atUnever sure what wilt happen
the time is three months, that's 3 times 30. lf next year, though I am tentativeLy pLanning a trip
you finish the catcuLation you have this much: some time/somewhere in the autumn.
1,875 euros. A: And do you plan to go anywhere in particuLar?
B: WeLl", I suppose if I go anywhere, it wit[ be to
TASKS 51 Korea and Taiwan.
A: Oh, that's interesting. I sometimes go out there
Some and Any myself. UsuaLLy at very short notice.
B: I see.
Exercise t A: I must say there is nothing that I dislike mcre
than these hastiLy arranged trips.
1. I haven't seen any examptes yet.
B: I agree. Anything is better than finding yourself in
2. There weren't any questions so the meeting ended.
a meeting without any of the right papers
orThere were no questions so the meeting ended.
185
A: Absotutety! There was much criticism of the seminar rooms.
B: Wett, I think we shoutd try to do something about it. There was [ittte criticism of the qtratity of the
products and services.
ffi TASKS 5t*
0f course, the wiLL just be forgotten
of our data
0f course there is but l'm not at at[ sure we've
Quantifiers [2f
sotved at[ the prob[ems. Exercise t
lf anyone/anybody d there'IL be no probtem
suspects that very
Don't ever think is something we at[ regarC
that as an important issue.
out ln clienls
It wit[ turn up information has been mix of
yEzt
somewhere lost or changed, the
incident must be reported !n we can

Does anybody/anyone no-one here who doesn't

have anything understand the criticaI
nature of tight security in
Exercise 2
banking.
Some time ago we had a say on this?
meeting specificalty on this of them have

EiltalEE! heen a

TASKS 53
Quantifiers [11
ixercise 1

4. Several of our products are made from recycted Exercise 3

stic.
pLa
Every day in the UK more than 29 mitLion peopte go
7. None of our products are made from recycled to work. Some of these peop[e work in factories,
p La st ic. but most of them work in offices. 0f course, there
6. Few of our products are made from recycted are a few peopte who can afford not to work. And,
pLastic. unfortunatety, there are some peopte who can't find
3. Many of our products are made from recycled work. But why do peopte work? There are several
pLastic. reasons, but the simpte answer is that they at[ need to
2. Most of our products are made f rom recycted earn an income. But for most of them, this is not an
pLastic. end in itself. With this money they can buy the goods
5. A few of our products are made from recycted and services that everybody needs. At the same time,
-l^-!:-
Prd5LrL. through their work most of them produce the goods
1. Att of our products are made from recycLed and services needed by the poputation. ln this way
prdsLrc. they are heLping to ensure that a high standard of
tiving is maintained for the community as a whote.
Exelcise 2
1. A few of our ctients responded to the survey. TASKS 55
2. Most of them had some positive comments to
make. Both, Either and Neither
3. No customers thought our products were fi, ^ r ilit:i:1m$:1!:i:t

unre[iabte. rExeiCi6€ 1l
4. Much constructive criticism centred on product i. itr"." rpeaks both ltaLian and Spanish.
distribution and delivery. 3. Eitherwe continue orwe stop investment.
5. Few customers wanted regu[ar news on our new 4. Not onty is Singapore a vibrant business centre,
products and services. it is atso in the centre of a spectacutar economic
6. Att respondents said our packaging was good. region.
5. We neither se[[ nor rent equipment.
.'.,'
Exerclse Z
A[[ respondents said the organisation was very good.
Few said the seminar rooms were satisfactory.
1. Neither Phitip nor Arne is the right candidate.
Most said the [eve[ of professiona[ism was satisfactory.
2. Both Marta and Juana wrote to me with good
p roposa [s.
Many of the respondents said the products and
services were satisfactory.
3. Both Edith and I criticised the poor quatity of the
pri nti n g.

186 lntermediate Business Grammar www.nhantriviet.com

i. Either you or I can book the seminar rooms.
i. Akira is not onLy a very creative designer but he
aLso works very efficiently.
EXerctSe J
vlarina: Can we meet during week 33?
Jta: Yes, I think so. l'm quite busy but I'm sure
we'tL find a time.
tlarina: How about Monday or Tuesday?
Jta: I'm afraid l'm very busy on both Monday
and Tuesday. I couLd manage either
Wednesday or Friday.
\4arina: Let me see. I can manage neither
Wednesday morning nor Wednesday
afternoon. Friday? Yes I can manage either
the morning or the afternoon.
Uta: Friday morning wouLd be okay. Can we say
'l
0 o'ctock?
8. 0verseas travel can be very tedious, especia[[y when
each/every trip invotves a weekend away from
home.
9. To anatyse work, you can take each/every job/task
and subdivide it into its constituent parts.
TASKS 67
Compounds with Every
txerclse 'l
Every products are made using the finest quality
woven fabric.
Every/each product is made ...
Everything what you see on our website is based on
traditionaI checked patterns.
Everything you see ...

TASKS 66 Everyone of our fabrics is made using the best

quaLity ctoth avaitab[e.
Each and Every Each or Every one

rxergisi i ALmost every time when you visit a top fashion fair in
day: each day every daY Mitan or Paris you wi[[ see examptes of our fabrics.
peopte: neither word can be used with Almost every time you visit ...
peopte as it is a pLuraI noun.
Every where we enter competitions we receive some
departments: each of the departments recognition of our high standards.
managers: each of the tv'vo managers Everywhere we enter ...
two years: every two years
equipment: neither word can be used with We can finish evervthing material in any way you
equipment as it is an uncountabl'e want, including various speciaI effects.
noun. We can finish every material or everything ...

tsxerctse z Every dves we use contain only natural cotours.

We've checked aLt the facts down to every Last detaiL.
We've serviced al.t the equipment, incLuding each
device we checked in the summer.
We've reviewed aLL the news thoroughly and Listened
again to every item.
We've checked aLL the premises and every building
seems to be empty.
We've appraised at[ the personneL and each
interviewee compteted a questionnaire.
We've counted alt the money again down to every
Iast coin.
txerclse J
2. We have tried to get accommodation in aLL the
hotels in Prague but every bed/room is taken.
3. We have given him a Lot of sound advice but every/
each suggestion/recommendation fa[l.s on deaf
CA TS.
/.. I think
I Left my baggage on the plane; each of my
two bags has my name on it.
5. We need to renew a lot of our existing machinery
as nearty every machine in the pLant is more than
20 years o[d.
6. lt is important to make progress, but we need to
take each/every step with care.
7. There is so much traffic on the roads that I think it
is a good idea to tax each/every vehicte according
to its engine size.
Each/e'rery dye we use contains ...
txercrse z
1. Everyone in this workshop has done an
apprenticeship with an engineering company.
2. More than 400 machine toots are produced here
every day, except Saturday and Sunday.
i. Eacfr production Line runs continuousLy, for
2L hcurs.
4. Every eight hours a supervisor checks the Level of
o utp ut.
5. Everything is maintained by our own team of
fitte rs.
'6.
AtLthe prociuction is distributed to agents
everywhere in Europe.
ffiffiffi
1. We design everything we make.
2. Everyone here receives a productivity bonus.
3. Each worker is entitted to 30 days' paid hotiday.
4. Every decision is taken by the Board.
5. A new worker is etected to the Board every two
years, in other words...
5. Everywhere you go here you see examptes of our
company's good organisation.

187
w\ 1w"nhaniriviet.conn
TASKS 68 TASKS 69
Numerals Time (11

Exercisel Exercise 1

1. The meeting wil.L be held on 5th Juty 2012.

2. The project began in June.
3. We'l.t have a 20-minute break at 4 o'ctock.
4. The report won't be ready untiI we've cotlected at[
the fieLd survey data.
5. The work, which has aLready started, wiLt be
i ::: '':::1::!:?-
finished by the end of the week at the latest.
ExgrcisQ.|,, 6. Make sure you've read the survey before our
meeting next week.
'Hannah? There's an important message about the
7. We'U.work a[[ day and retax in the evening.
Marketing Twenty Eteven conference. lt's on the
r-: i-'1j:
twenty-third of May and on the twenty-second of 'Exerctse J
June. lt starts at ten thirty/hatf past ten/ten thirty
a.m. and finishes at three o'clock/three p.m. lt's in t. ;;;.nt occurred on Thursday night.
room two oh four at the Harrow Conference Centre 2. The accident happened at 12.30 a.m.
which is at a hundred and eighty-nine BeechLands 3. The fire [asted from 1 a.m. untiL 2.30.
Parade, N ten seventeen EG. The phone number is 4. The job wiLl" be advertised untiL the end of next
oh eight one two doubte nine five oh doubte five. The week.
cost for each participant is a hundred and ninety- 5. Apptications must be submitted by the end of next
five pounds p[us seventeen point five per cent VAT month.
and there wiLL be between eighty and a/one hundred
participants. Final.l.y, the [unch, which [asts for one
and a hatf hours, witl be at the Btack Swan Hotet and
TASKS 70
wi[[ cost seventeen pounds fifty.'
Time l2f
del#iffi:el Exercise 1

The actual sates were a/one hundred and three 1. Wrong. We finished the project in time; so we had
thousand seven hundred and sixty-four units three days to spare.
compared with the forecast sates of a/one hundred 2. Right.
and twenty thousand, a percentage difference of 3. Wrong. During the two-week period, we had no
minus thirteen point five three. ln terms of turnover, technicaI support at at[.
actuaI turnover was one point five nine mitl.ion 4. Wrong. Before starting on the next study, there
do[[ars, compared with the forecast turnover of wiLt be a short training course.
one point seven five mitlion, a drop of nine point 5. Wrong. Next year we are sure to see the resutts of
one four per cent on the forecast. our efforts.
6. Riqht.
Note; ln large numbers and is deleted in American
Eng Lish.

188 lntermediate Business Grammar wwv'r,n ha ntriviet.com

 l,Ex6'r.(!s.6,r?,t

Z. duringlat The beet is taken off l'orries and stored in pites

l. bylon outside the processing area. The beet is sent atong
6. for a system of channe[s into the processing area. lt
i. before is shredded and dried in a huge cy,[indricaI drier'
5. between Dried shreds of beet are packed in bags and sold as
7. at ... in ... animaI feed. The sacks of animaI feed are stored in
a Large warehouse before being loaded onto torries
,Exergise 3_, for despatch. The main sugar production invotves
treating the tiquid sugar which comes out of the beet
in the drying process.

TASKS 72
Like, As and Such As
hxerclse I

As [C) you know, we have an important decision to

make. As IC] we ptan for the new year, we have to
decide if we want to continue advertising thibugh
sponsorship, as ICJ we did this year, or change our
TASKS 71 poLicy. As [C) sponsorship is expensive, to stay with
it is not a smatL decision. 0n the other hand, other
Ptace forms of advertising, te[evision as IP) much as IP]
ontine advertising, may be [ess effective. As (P]
marketing manager, I do of course have a personal
;Exe_!q!se'.!,1
view on this.
A: What fieLd of business are You in?
B: Computers. r.-r'ii::ir:!i--
.r4...: i:. l

A: 0h, that's interesting. I have a sister who used to Exerclse z

be in computing but she's in prison now.
1. F - they are independent.
B: Prison? 2. T.
A: Yes - software fraud. 3. T.
B: 0h dear! Are you American? 4. F - he suggested advertlsing in a magazine
A: No, l'm from Canada. And You? simitar lo Constructian Weekty. He may atso
B: F[orence, ltaLy. mean that Construction"Weekly is a good ptace to
A: 0h how beautifut. I was there a few years ago
advertise.
with my wife.
5. T - or to see the annuaI report itsetf.
B: Realty? 6. F.
A: Yes, we flew to London, hired a car at the airport,
had a took around London, took a ferry across
the Channet, drove through France, over the iExp.rft-s,e,{
Atps... The Munich Trade Fair was as successful as in
B: Youdidn't go through Monte Bianco? previous years. The Last day was like a carnival -
A: Mont Btanc? No, we went a longer route, over there was such optimism from everyone invotved.
Col di Tenda. Then we drove south to Ftorence. A fair always has usefuI advantages, tike/such
What's the river in Ftorence? I never remember. as meeting new customers, seeing competitors'
B: The Arno. work, meeting friends and of course it gets a [ot of
A: 0h yes, Ftorence is on the Arno. pubticity. But a l"asting benefit is atways that a good
B: Where did you staY? stand at an internationaI exhibition tike/such as
A: I don't remember, in a hoteL. Maybe at the Grand Munich ciearly shows that we are a I'eading ptayer
Hote[, is that PossibLe? in the worLd market. As we know, a high profiLe is
B: The Grand? No, I don't know that one. Did you go essential to maintain our reputation for strength in
anywhere etse in ItatY? the market.
A: Sure - we went to Rome. We walked along the
Via Appia Antica for six hours! lt was wonderfut!
Then we had to [eave. We fiew out of Rome.
B: lt sounds a good triP.
A: lt was greatl Say, have you ever been to Canada?
B: Yes I have. I stayed with a friend near Vancouver -
about 40 mites awaY.

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