Departamento de Línguas e Culturas – Universidade de Aveiro

English II – Course booklet

Mark J. R. Wakefield
2020-21

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 Index
Grammar Revision 3-28

Present Continuous 3-4

Present continuous and present simple 1 5-6

Present continuous and present simple 2 7-8

Past Continuous 9-10

Present Perfect 1 11 -12

Present Perfect 2 13-14

Present Perfect Continuous 15-16

How long have you (been) … 17-18

For and Since – When…? How long…? 19-20

Used to (do) 21-22

Present tenses 23 -24

Can, Could and Could have (done) 25 -26

Could (do) and could have (done) 27-28

Verb tense revision 29-30

Prefixes and Suffixes 32 -37

Suffixes 37 -38

Prefixes 39 – 40

Letter and Memo writing 41 – 42

Business letters 44 – 50

Letter Writing Errors 50 – 51

Memos 52 – 54

Communication in the Workplace 55 -56

Writing concisely 57 -58

Idiomatic Language 59 – 60

Negotiating: Kensington United negotiation team 61 –62

Universal Communications negotiation team 63

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 Verb Tenses Revision
1. SPOT THE WRONG TENSES

Decide which of the following sentences are right and which are wrong. Correct the incorrect sentences
(each incorrect sentence contains only one error):

1. The last lesson was very difficult. When the bell rang, nobody was finishing the exercise.

2. How long have you been living in Singapore?

3. I am coming from Bavaria. I was born in Munich.

4. Dennis is going to buy a new car next week.

5. The moment the weather will improve we are going climbing.

6. Raymond didn't have a chance to speak to Linda yet.

7. They didn't have much fun at the party.

8. Carol and Bill haven't been going out together very long when they decided to get married.

9. Where have you gone when I saw you in Oxford Street yesterday?

10. I go in a few minutes.

11. I've never been to Holland before.

12. Ted will be coming at about eleven o'clock.

13. Which film have you seen last Saturday?

14. Jack is liking my plan very much.

15. Rose spends next weekend with her parents because she hasn't seen them since April.

2. A DISAPPOINTING NIGHT OUT

Make all the changes and additions necessary to produce, from the following sets of words and phrases,
sentences which together make a complete letter.

Dear Sir

a. I / write / complain / waiter / serve us / your restaurant / last Saturday night.

b. We / sit / table number 8.

c. Firstly / we have to wait / about fifteen minutes / we get / menu.

d. Another ten minutes / go by / before / waiter / take / our order.

e. He / already /serve / two groups of people / who arrive / after us.

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f. When / we complain / he / be / very rude / us.

g. He /serve / us / very rudely / and / when / he / bring / our food / he / slam / each dish / down / table.

h. It / be / my birthday / and / I look forward / pleasant / night out.

i. One / not / expect / such poor service / restaurant / like yours.

j. Over the years / I always / enjoy / meals / your restaurant.

k. What is more / I / recommend it / several / my friends.

l. I / therefore / appreciate it / if / you look into / this matter.

Yours faithfully

Verb Tense Review

Complete 1-10 below with the appropriate tenses, answer questions 11-15

1. When the President ____________ (call) last night, he ____________ (watch) the night sky for signs of
the meteor.

2. I ____________ (work) on this project for more than four years, and I intend to stay here until we
____________ (solve) the problem!

3. Most researchers ____________ (love) to travel. They ____________ (go) abroad to conferences
whenever they can.

4. J R Green is a respected author in the area. He ____________ (write) articles and scholarly books but also
novels. He ____________ (write) since he was twenty-eight. Altogether, he ____________ (write) seven
novels, three collections of articles and a book on Early Darwinism.

5. We were late because we had some staff problems. By the time we ____________ (get) to the conference,
our host ____________ (wait) for us for more than two hours.

6. Sam ____________ (try) to change one of the meters at the top of the unit when he ____________ (slip)
and ____________ (fall) .

7. Every day I ____________ (wake) up at 6 o'clock, ____________ (eat) breakfast at 7 o'clock and
____________ (leave) for work at 8 o'clock. However, this morning I ____________ (get) up at 6:30,
____________ (skip) breakfast and ____________ (leave) for work late because I ____________ (forget) to
set my alarm.

8. Right now, Jim ____________ (read) the newspaper and Kathy ____________ (make) dinner. Last night
at this time, they ____________ (do) the same thing. She ____________ (cook) and he ____________
(read) the newspaper. Tomorrow at this time, they ____________ (do, also) the same thing. She
____________ (prepare) dinner and he ____________ (read) . They are very predictable people!

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9. By this time next summer, you ____________ (complete) your studies and ____________ (find) a job. I,
on the other hand, ____________ (accomplish, not) anything. I ____________ (study, still) and you
____________ (work) in some new high paying job.

10. If the students ____________ (be) taught properly, the exam results certainly ____________ (not be) so
disastrous

11.

Jane talks on the phone.

Bob has been talking on the phone for an hour.

Mary is talking on the phone.

Who is not necessarily on the phone now?

12.

I'm going to make dinner for Frank.

I'm making dinner for Judy.

I'll make dinner for Mary.

I make dinner for Ted.

I will be making dinner for Tony.

Who are you offering to make dinner for?

13.

Jane left when Tim arrived.

Bob left when Tim had arrived.

Tim arrived when Mary was leaving.

John had left when Tim arrived.

After Tim arrived, Frank left.

Who did not run into Tim?

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McCarthy, M. O’Dell, F. (1994) English Vocabulary in Use: Upper Intermediate & Advanced. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.

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Letter + Memo Writing

Letter Comparison

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Business Letter Excerpts

Excerpt 1

I noticed your advertisment in the Daily Planet amd I would be gratefull if you could sned me further
infomration about your products My company is considering subcontracting some of its office services and I
beleive that you may be able ot supply us with a sutiable service, Looking forware to hearing form you.

Yours faithfully.

Excerpt 2

Thank you very much for your letter of 15 January, which we received today. In answer to your enquiry we
have pleasure in enclosing an information pack, giving full details of our services. If you would like any
further information, do please contact me by phone or in writing and I will be pleased to help. I hope that
our services will be of interest to you and I look forward to hearing from you.

Excerpt 3

There are a number of queries that I would like to raise about your product and I would be grateful if you
could ask a representative to get in touch with me with a view to discussing these queries and hopefully
placing an order if the queries are satisfactorily answered.

Business Letter Excerpts

Excerpt 1

I noticed your advertisment in the Daily Planet amd I would be gratefull if you could sned me further
infomration about your products My company is considering subcontracting some of its office services and I
beleive that you may be able ot supply us with a sutiable service, Looking forware to hearing form you.

Yours faithfully.

Excerpt 2

Thank you very much for your letter of 15 January, which we received today. In answer to your enquiry we
have pleasure in enclosing an information pack, giving full details of our services. If you would like any
further information, do please contact me by phone or in writing and I will be pleased to help. I hope that
our services will be of interest to you and I look forward to hearing from you.

Excerpt 3

There are a number of queries that I would like to raise about your product and I would be grateful if you
could ask a representative to get in touch with me with a view to discussing these queries and hopefully
placing an order if the queries are satisfactorily answered.

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Business Letter Vocabulary
1. always at your service
2. as far as I'm concerned
3. as follows
4. as per your request
5. as soon as possible
6. at your expense
7. before the date we agreed upon
8. enclosure - attachment
9. for the kind attention of
10. further to our letter - following our letter
11. in compliance with - accordingly
12. in good condition
13. in partial payment
14. in the absence of
15. look forward to hearing from you
16. on arrival of the goods
17. on condition that - provided that
18. on receipt of the order
19. order to be confirmed
20. payable in advance
21. please send us your instructions
22. the following items
23. the goods are not similar to sample
24. the goods arrived in good condition
25. the matter in reference
26. to be held responsible for
27. to be overrun with orders
28. to come to a decision
29. to cope with the competition
30. to correspond with
31. to have the power to
32. to let someone know in advance
33. to meet a demand
34. to meet the demand
35. to our mutual benefit
36. to refer to
37. to submit a sample
38. under separate cover
39. utmost care
40. we apologise again for
41. we are sorry to have to
42. we hope we'll receive the goods soon
43. we must apologise for
44. we thank you in advance
45. we would appreciate it if you could answer
46. with no obligation - without commitment
47. with the compliments of
48. with two weeks' notice
49. without notice
50. would you please let us know
~
51. as agreed
52. as far as the payment is concerned
53. as per invoice
54. as requested
55. at your earliest convenience
56. awaiting your reply
57. due to oversight
58. following your instructions
59. from order receipt
60. goods listed below
61. in due time - in due course
62. in our favour
63. in reply to your letter
64. look forward to an early reply
65. on advanced payment
66. on behalf of
67. on delivery
68. on written request
69. our offer is still open
70. please allow us
71. the aim of this letter
72. the goods are available in our warehouse
73. the goods are sold out
74. the letter remained unanswered
75. to be authorised to
76. to be in arrears with payments
77. to be prepared to - to be willing to
78. to come to an agreement - to reach an agreement
79. to correspond to the sample
80. to fix an appointment
81. to inform in due time
82. to make the goods available
83. to meet customer's requirements
84. to notify in advance about
85. to pay maximum attention to the matter
86. to send under separate cover
87. to take into consideration
88. up to an amount of
89. we acknowledge receipt of
90. we apologise for
91. we are sorry to inform you
92. we look forward to your kind reply
93. we remain - our kindest regards
94. we wish to inform you that
95. we would appreciate your reply
96. with reference to
97. with the utmost care
98. without delay
99. would you please let us have
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Example + Guidance

MEGASOFT LTD
46 HIGH STREET, WOLVERHAMPTON, WEST MIDLANDS(1)

HIGGINS AND BROWNS

BROOKDALE
LANCASHIRE

Ref: DG (3) September 25th, 2013 (2)

Dear Sir,(4)
We would like to introduce ourselves as a manufacturer of software for the machines currently
used in your firm.

We specialise in spreadsheet packages. Our firm has established a reliable reputation in this
field over the past years, all over Switzerland, and we feel that we should like to extend our
activities to a more European market. (5)

Please find enclosed a pamphlet giving details of our range of software products and services.
Should you require any further information, we should be only too pleased to supply the
necessary details. (5.g)

I am looking forward to working with your firm in the near future.(6)

Yours faithfully (7)

David Graveney
David Graveney(8)
Sales manager

Encl.: pamphlet (9)

1. Sender's address:

Normally printed on the paper. On non-headed paper the address WITHOUT the sender’s name is typed out.

2. Date: various possibilities

In England : 28th December, 2013 / 1st April, 2013 / 28.12.2013

In the USA: December 28, 2013 / April 1, 2013 / 12/28/2013

3. Reference: This is usually an internal reference for filing purposes.

4. Salutation: This must agree with the address and closing:

a) If you don't have a contact name:

Dear Sir(s) Yours faithfully

Dear Madam (s) Yours truly

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b) If you know the name:

Dear Mr Jones (men) Yours sincerely

Dear Miss Jones (unmarried women) Yours truly
Dear Mrs Jones (married women)
Dear Ms Jones (married/unmarried women

5. Body of the letter: Expressions to use

This is the most important part of the letter, and may not contain all elements listed below.

a) To make the first contact : We would like to introduce… / I am writing to / inform you/ apply for /
request …

b) To respond with a reference: With reference to ….

c) To answer a letter: Thank you for… / I thank you for your letter of 1 July… / We were pleased to ….

d) To confirm a telephone call: Further to our telephone conversation

e) For requesting: I would be grateful if… / I would appreciate it if … / Could you please….

f) For making excuses: I regret that… / I am sorry… / I am afraid that… / I apologise for..

g) For enclosing documents: Please find attached… / Please find enclosed…

h) For confirming: I am pleased to confirm that… / I confirm that… / This is to confirm that…

i) To give information: I am writing to inform you that... / I would like to tell you about ...

j) To ask for information: We would like to know something more about... / Could you tell me about...?
/ I would like further information on...

k) To make a complaint: Unfortunately, we have had a problem with... / I am writing to let you know
that we are not satisfied with...

l) To change an arrangement: I know that we had arranged to..., but, unfortunately,... / I am getting in
touch because our requirements have changed / We would like to make a few change sto the
arrangements, if that is all right.

m) To arrange a meeting: I would like to call on you at your convenience. / Perhaps you could arrange
for one of your representatives to call on us. / I will be in Aveiro next month and was wondering if I
could drop in/visit you/your company.

n) For making a recommendation: I think you will find the best solution for your requirements is.. In
this area we like to recommend... / We have always worked with ... and been highly satisfied with
their performance.

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o) To thank: I very much enjoyed visiting your factory / I would like to thank you for looking after me
so well when I came to Aveiro / It was a pleasure to visit and I hope I will be back again in the near
future.

p) Asking for a quotation: I would like to know the price of... / What would the price be for... / Could
you give me an estimate for the price of...

q) Making an order: We would like to order... / I am writing to confirm our order for.../ I would like to
place an order for...

6. Ending the letter:

In English we use very simple and succinct formulas for ending a letter:

I am looking forward to …… / I look forward to… / I am sure that… / I hope…

7. The close formulae:

This depends on the salutation (see salutation). We use no commas or points here.

8. Signature: Here we need 3 items: signature / name / position

If someone signs the letter on behalf of someone else the initials p.p. (per pro) should be used before
he name to indicate this.

9. Enclosure: If there is an enclosure, we write the word : "Encl." or “Enc.” in the bottom left hand
corner

with a short description of the object.

Letter Exercise - Complete this letter according to the prompt given in brackets:

RAINBOW TRAINING INSTITUTE J. Fisher

53 Bradburn Close The Personnel Manager
Muswell Hill DJ Banking Corp.
London N10 IPJ 54 Smithson Ave.
London E17 6TY

20th February 2004

Re: International Sales Workshop 5 May

Dear Ms Fisher,

__________________________ (explaining the reason for writing) about the above mentioned workshop.
Unfortunately we have had to cancel it. However, we can include your staff in the July 8 workshop
instead if this is convenient.

___________________________(apologising) we were unable to inform you of this change earlier, and I hope
you will be able to attend at this date.

___________________________(requesting) you let me know as soon as possible the names of your staff
who will be attending.

____________________________(ending) your staff will find the workshop both useful and informative.

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Yours________________________(closing)

T. Reading
T Reading
Training Manager

Complete this reply to the above letter.

DJ BANKING CORP. T. Reading

54 Smithson Ave Training Manager
London E17 6YT Rainbow Training Institute
LONDON

23rd February 2004

Re:______________________

Dear_____________________

_________________________________ five members of our staff will be able to attend the July workshop.

_____________________________________ the names and addresses of the five participants.

___________________________________ you could send me 5 copies of the programme and maps showing
the location of the Institute.

____________________________________ meeting you on 8th July.

Yours______________________
J.Fisher
J. Fisher
Personnel Manager

Letter Writing Practice

• Situation 1:

– You are Head of Human Resources at an international cosmetics company.

– You have been in touch with an IT Training company about training for some of your staff.

– You have now received information about the training but need to change some of the details.

– With your partners, think of what kind of changes you might need to make (for example, the number
of people taking the training course).

• Situation 2:

– You are organising a conference for your company’s sales representatives from all over the country.

– You have already booked the hotel where the conference will be held and the sales reps will stay, and
have just received a letter of confirmation. However, you need to make some changes to the
arrangements.

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– With your partners, think of what kind of changes you might need to make (for example, the number
of hotel rooms you need).

Fine Foods Ltd.

10 Bridge Street

London

SW10 5TG

Mr. R. Jones

Sales Manager

Thames Software Systems

River Buildings

Stockwell Walk

London

SW17 5HG

12th September 2006

Dear Mr. Jones,

Re: Stock Control Software System

Thank you for your letter of 1st September and the information you sent regarding the stock control system
offered by your company. I certainly feel the system will meet our requirements. However, there are some
points which I would like clarified before we go ahead and order the system.

Firstly, although you mentioned that the system has recently been updated, I wondered whether we might be
eligible for a discount on any future upgrades.

Secondly, the installation and implementation period of three weeks, to which you refer in your letter, seems
rather long. Is there any possibility of getting the system up and running on a shorter timescale?

I would be very grateful for a swift response to these queries, so that we can begin the process as soon as
possible.

Thank you in advance for your assistance. I look forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely,

J. Brown

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Ms J. Brown
Purchasing Manager

Letter Writing Errors

Main Problems:
• Asking the wrong kind of question
• Contractions
• Demanding rather than negotiating
• Failing to be precise in the information given / requested
• Misuse of set/formal phrases
• Not logical
• Not understanding the question / answering a different question / writing to the wrong audience
• Overlong sentences
• Paragraphs that are all one sentence
• Sentences that contain more than one point
• Sentences that haven’t been checked
• Spelling
• Too direct (questions)
• Too informal
• Too negative – there must be something in it for both sides
• Unrealistic changes
• Wrong verb tense

Error Examples:
1. I’m sure you’ll accept the changes and we’ll have a great apprenticeship.
2. (Dear Sir or Madam)I am writing to apply for some further information about the training we talked about.
3. The initial number of people to stay at the hotel was 230. But 12 people confirmed their presence too, is I’m going to
need more rooms for them.
4. Firstly, we would like to tell you that you can spend all the time you think will be necessary in our SPA, because our
main goal is to treat you the best way we know.
5. Last, but not lest, we need two more conference rooms to accomplish all the activities planned.
6. My company has received more clients so we need 35 insted of 29 rooms, if it’s possible.
7. (first point: menu) Second, I’m asking you if we postpone the date of the conference because it’s nearly to Christmas
time and I am sure that we can arrange another date.
8. (end of letter) We apologise for not to inform you earlier, and hope you will be able at this date.
9. I'm addressing you to make some changes on our arrangement regarding some logistics points.
10. However, there is the need to make some changes to the arrangements.
11. We are sure that this can be the beginning of a mutual working relationship.
12. I really apologise for this changes.
13. Thank you for your letter of 1st March and the information about your company's I.T. training. We very much enjoyed it
and feel the training will meet Cosmetic Ltd.'s requirements.
14. I certainly feel that the conference will be a success due to our mutual work.
15. Firstly, the rooms provided by the hotel are not enough. It will take another five bedrooms, three of which are double and
preferably close to the remaining rooms. Room cleaning will have to be done during the conference, in order not to
disturb our sales representatives.
16. We are looking forward to make business with you.
17. Secondly, the lunch hour will have to be rescheduled in order to allow the conference speakers to conclude before the
mingle.

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18. Unfortunately, the schedule arranged for the IT training is impossible to be executed. Due to our staff's working hours,
we won't be able to let them go from 3 PM to 5 PM.
19. I hope we can continuing using your hotel.
Peer Letter Analysis - Criteria
With the letters you are looking at, make notes regarding:
1. How many paragraphs does it have?
2. How many topics in each paragraph?
3. How long is the longest sentence?
4. Does the letter contain these content points?
a) Context of communication
b) Reason for writing
c) Identification of writer
d) Relationship building
e) Call to Action
5. Any sentences with more than one idea in?
6. Anything that is superfluous?
7. Overall: positive feeling transmitted?
8. Requests: directness?
9. Consistent UK/US style?
10. Length: long / short / just right?
11. How many paragraphs? Sentences per paragraph?
12. Sentence length: varied? long sentences?
13. How many ‘points’? Are they sufficiently different?
14. Opening matches closing?
15. List some of the ‘fixed’ phrases

Memo Writing Criteria

1. Does the memo look good on the page (visual layout)
2. Is there a clear heading?
3. What is the overall purpose of the memo?
4. Is the ‘opportunity’ stated as the result of a ‘need’ and is this need mentioned first?
5. Is the purpose clear?
6. Are there any sentences that you have to think hard about before you are sure what
they mean?
7. Is it clear if the communication is vertical or horizontal in hierarchical terms?
8. Is there a reason why the writer should be selected to go?
9. Is the (formal / informal) style of the memo consistent?
10. Are the benefits to the company stated?
11. Does the memo have the right layout/content in terms of headings, addresses and
salutations?
12. Does the memo have around 100 words in the body?
13. Can you find any words, phrases or ideas that you think are superfluous?
14. Can you find these five points: context / identification / reason for writing / call to action
/ relationship building?
15. Is it accurate – does it contain any errors?
16. Are there plenty of specific details?
17. Are any of the points sufficiently unclear that the reader will have to ask an
information-oriented question?
18. Are the benefits to the individual stated?

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19. Is the writer’s past experience mentioned?
20. Is there any promise to bring something back?
21. Are bullet points (or similar) used?

Sample Memo

To: John Rinds, Purchasing manager

From: Tony Bates, Accounts
Subject: New Shredder
Date: 26 March 2017
Priority: Urgent

As you may be aware, we are now required to keep paper versions of all accounts related
documents for the last 5 tax years.

As the company is now entering its sixth year in business, it has become necessary to destroy
all the documents from 2013.

The accounts department has a small BDX 134X shredder that we use to destroy confidential
documents that are no longer needed. I would say that this involves shredding no more than
20 pages per day.

The new requirement will involve shredding up to 3,000 extra pages per month, something
that the current machine will be unable to handle.

Therefore, I would like to suggest we purchase the larger BFX 1425 model, which will be
suitable for the task as it has a capacity of up to 150 pages per day. I have researched prices
and possible alternatives (see attachment). We would need to order it in the next two weeks,
to allow for any delivery delays.

The benefit to the company of acquiring its own shredder will be that we will not incur any
security risk in sending the papers out for destruction. As I have worked with a very similar
model before, I would be happy to show my colleagues how to operate it.

If you would like to come down to our floor to assess the need for yourself, please give me a
ring on 23356. Our coffee is pretty good down here as well!

Do let me know if you need any other information.

Tony Bates
Senor Line Manager
Accounts Department
 
Memo Writing Feedback – General Points
General
• Make sure you have got the topic/question right.
• Spell check before sending the work to me (make sure your text is formatted to
English).
• Don’t name your work ‘memo’ – as I will have no idea whose file it is when I come to
correct it. Include you name in the filename.
• Make sure that you know whether you are writing in UK or US English and try to be
consistent.

Content
• Look at the materials from classes 9 and 10 and see what contents you have to include
and in what order.

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• Separate (but connected) reasons/arguments for why the company should go and why
you should be the person to go.
• Not enough place information – give the name of a hotel or conference centre, not just
a city.
• Going to the conference should not be a reward because you are a good employee. It
should be because, in some specific way, you are the best person to get the job done
and you will bring back the most.
• Check that one part of your contents does not logically contradict another part.
• Don’t forget to specify some kind of situational problem or context near the beginning
of your letter. The idea is that the knowledge you acquire at the conference will help
you/the company overcome this problem/situation.
• Don’t give too much information that is not needed for achieving the purpose of the
letter (in this case giving permission).

Structure
• You need to write ‘Dear…’ at the beginning – so I can see the level of formality you are
aiming for.
• Use bullet lists. These should comprise a topic (e.g. Date) followed by a colon (:) and
then the appropriate information.
• Do not spread your detailed information about the conference throughout the letter –
keep it all in one place (i.e. the bulleted list)
• No one-sentence paragraphs unless necessary and no long sentences.
• If you are writing to a superior end with a ‘thank you’ and with a ‘look forward’ (or
similar phrase) of some kind.

Language
• Simplify, simplify, simplify.
• Use verbs instead of nouns whenever you can.
• Use the active voice rather than the passive voice
• Present tenses as much as possible – but don’t use the present perfect with specific
past time periods (las year, two days ago, etc.)
• Currency symbols come before the numbers in English.
• The decimal divider in English is a . (point), not a , (comma).
• Time = am/pm or a.m./p.m.
• Don’t use contractions if writing to a superior. 

Communication
Written – Communication – Spoken
• It’s Uncle John’s 50th. Bring a bottle and a friend.
• Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?
• 74 people have died in a plane crash off the coast of Indonesia.
• Close the door next time.
• We all live in a yellow submarine.
• The Government may believe this is the right course of action, but history will not judge
it to have been so.

The Communication Process

Can you think of suitable verbs to complete this text?
For communication to occur a message must ____1____ from a sender to a receiver. This must
occur irrespective of the form of communication.
For communication to be effective it must be ___2_____ by the receiver and be able to be
____3____ to. This means that total communication ____4____ speaking, reading, listening, and
reasoning skills.
As communications pass from the source to the receiver there is plenty of opportunity for its
original meaning to ___5_____ or alter. Therefore listening, reasoning and feedback is an
important part of the process as it is an opportunity for the sender to ____6____ sure the
receiver has understood the message.

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The other consideration is the “noise” associated with the communication – what else is
____7____, what are the distractions, the baggage etc. Noise can have a big impact on the
message the receiver ____8____.
Now highlight what you consider to be the key words in the text.

Dealing with Communication Breakdown

What do you say in the following situations?

a. you don’t hear what someone says
b. the person speaks too fast or too quietly
c. you don’t understand a word or expression they use
d. you want to check the spelling of something
e. you want more information about a subject
f. the connection is not good and you can’t continue the conversation
g. you want to check the key points

Useful language - Complete these phrases

Asking for repetition Asking for clarification Solving a problem

Sorry / repeat / that? Spell? Bad line. Call back?

I not catch Read that back you?
Speak up? What mean by? Summarise the call
Say again? What mean?
Not follow you Me go over agree
More details? Just summarise
Clarify?
More specific?

Communication in the Workplace

54
 Communication in the Workplace

The importance of good communication skills in business

55
Communication plays a part in almost every aspect of your business, so being able to
communicate well can boost your overall performance.

Good communication is essential to building a cohesive and effective team. Good

communication skills are essential to managing the performance of your team members, and
if you know how to communicate well to large groups you can minimise the risk of industrial
problems developing in your workplace.

Communication skills can be particularly important during times of higher workplace stress,
for example during downsizing, where good communication is an essential part of change
management.

You also need to communicate well to build and maintain effective relationships with your
suppliers and clients. Communication skills are crucial to dealing with customer complaints
effectively and limiting any negative word-of-mouth about your business. You can draw on
communication skills when you assess the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns.

The first step in good communication is to listen effectively. Today’s trend is away from top-
down management, where decisions and policies are proclaimed from above. Good managers
now consult a lot with their teams, using them as a resource for information and suggestions.

Consultation is not only a good way to get ideas on business strategy, it is also a way of
making sure that when you do decide on policies, everyone feels like they have been
involved. Your team will be able to implement policies more effectively if they have been
involved in their formulation. They will be more familiar with the issues - you will have dealt
first-hand with any misgivings they may have.

Effective listening is based on having the trust of the people you are speaking to. People may
not offer their true opinions when they are wary about how they will be received. So being a
good communicator means winning the trust of those around you. It also means being able to
foster a work environment where people treat each other fairly, where they respect each
other’s opinions and where there is a minimum of anti-social behaviour such as backbiting or
rumour mongering. Bullying or harassment of any kind will build walls in a workplace. It will
stunt communication, shut down co-operation and hurt efficiency.

Good communication skills are a key part of managing individual employee performance. If
you have good communication skills, you will know how to give clear feedback on
performance while not denting people’s self-esteem. Good communication skills will enable
you to work more closely with your team members, determine personal goals that will suit
them and help them to work towards those goals.

As a good communicator, you will know the difference between being assertive and
aggressive (aggression merely gets peoples’ backs up). You will be able to keep a professional
and impersonal tone in the face of provocation and this will help you deal with conflict
situations. It will also help you set clear boundaries for acceptable behaviour, counsel those
who overstep them and, if necessary, fire people while minimising the risk of getting involved
in litigation.

Good communication skills also help when you are dealing with suppliers and clients. Business
operations are becoming very finely tuned, thanks to trends such as just-in-time
manufacturing or retailing, where goods are delivered precisely at the right time and place.

This means you need to be able to maintain close contact with your supply chain. You need to
be able to clearly explain any concerns you have and negotiate issues with a minimum of
friction. Your business partners also need to feel confident that they can raise issues with you
and that you will be responsive to them.

Being a good communicator will also help with your marketing. While you may not get closely
involved with the design of your marketing materials you will want to assess them. Honing
your communication skills will help you determine which materials are appropriate and they
will enable you to give clearer briefs.

Team morale tends to be higher in a workplace where communication is good. People feel
more in control when they have all the relevant facts and they are warned of issues well in
advance. They are likely to feel more confident and secure when they know where an
organisation is headed, where they have the information to plan their medium and long-term
future. The more people feel in control, the lower their stress levels tend to be.

Good communication generally means being open. It’s useful to keep everyone updated on
such issues as production, finance, important new contracts or company performance against
health and safety benchmarks. Some employers like to ration such information, as it
sometimes contains bad news. However, it’s often better to have bad news out in the open.
It’s generally better for you to provide bad news, rather than having it leak out at an
inopportune time and in a way that is distorted by rumour.

Being open, of course, does not mean being indiscreet. Where information is particularly
sensitive, good communication involves identifying how to distribute information effectively
on a need-to-know basis and deciding who needs to sign confidentiality agreements.

It also means realistic about what can be kept under wraps. Public companies need to provide
a lot of information as a condition of being listed. Private companies need to divulge less
information publicly, but quite a lot of information seems to leak out through informal
channels. For example, how much information have you picked up on your competitors
through informal sources?

Good communication skills thus involve good PR skills. Knowing when and how to release
information is an important way of maintaining your image with your team members, your
clients and the market in general.

Basically, your skills as a communicator are felt in nearly all of your business dealings. If you
and your team communicate well, you maximise efficiency. You find out about issues earlier
and can deal with them without adding further complications or misunderstandings. Having
good communications skills is like having a good IT system - information flows faster and this
saves you money.

http://businessmadesimple.co.uk/ArticleReview/tabid/79/ModID/0/ItemID/55/Default.aspx

Other texts:
• http://www.switzer.com.au/small-business/leadership/how-to-improve-your-
communication-skills/
• http://money.howstuffworks.com/business/starting-a-job/10-tips-for-effective-workplace-
communication.htm
• http://www.helpguide.org/mental/effective_communication_skills.htm
• http://hrprofessionalsmagazine.com/how-to-improve-workplace-communications/
• http://www.discoverysurveys.com/articles/itw-017.html
• http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Why-are-interdepartmental-relationships-so-
3752973.S.83453963
• http://www.ehow.co.uk/about_6607560_effective-interdepartmental-
communication.html
• http://hr.sparkhire.com/human-resources-news/interdepartmental-communication/
 

Writing Concisely

Exercise 1
1. 3 am in the morning
2. Absolutely spectacular
3. a person who is honest
4. a total of 14 birds
5. close proximity
6. cooperate together
7. each and every
8. end result
9. exactly the same
10. frank and honest exchange
11. free gift
12. she is a person who . . .
13. in spite of the fact that
14. in the event that
15. job functions
16. particular interest
17. personally, I think/feel
18. personal opinion
19. shorter/longer in length
20. we are in receipt of

Exercise 2
1. Her handbag was square in shape.
2. Detectives search for the true facts in an investigation.
3. The consensus of opinion on the basic fundamentals created the shortest meeting of the year.
4. If you refer back to the day of March 18 at eight o’clock in the morning, you will recall seeing a woman
wearing a dress that was red in color gather together her belongings before crossing the street.
5. Even though she had performed the operation a numerous number of times, she still reviewed the basic
essentials each and every day.

Exercise 3
1. It should be pointed out that after he died last Easter Sunday, an autopsy conducted to determine the actual
cause of death found that he was, in fact, strangled to death. (6,8,2,2)
2. In the past, he personally assembled together a dozen knowledgeable experts and insisted that they would like
the end result regardless of whether or not they were paid. (3,1,1,1,1,1,2)

Exercise 4
1. The first priority appears to be to group together the children that live in close proximity to one another.
2. The local residents filled to capacity the new auditorium as they waited to hear the developer recount the past
history of the archaeological site.
3. Advance planning can avoid total destruction of a historical site.
4. Fruit at Winn Dixie may possibly be cheaper in cost than fruit at Publix, but nevertheless it is of poorer
quality.
5. In my personal opinion, we shoulfd refer back to last year’s budget to see how we postponed that expenditure
until a later time.
6. Health inspectors are in the process of currently investigating the restaurant and may completely close it down
in about 3 to 5 days.
7. She spent every summer during her life in the cottage located at Lake Tahoe with her young infant, who is
now an attorney at law.
8. It's a very unique problem and, in an effort to prevent another violent explosion, they want to clean up the site
at the hour of 2 p.m. regardless of whether or not it's privately owned.
 
 Idiomatic Language

1. All of the following sentences contain an idiomatic phrase. Identify it and then substitute it with a synonym.

1. He was all ears when his boss talked.

2. He is a chip off the old block.
3. He is thick in the head.
4. His comments threw a wet blanket on the discussion.
5. They were beat after three days of hard work.
6. The IT breakdown left them all in the same boat.
7. The rejection by the board meant we had to start from scratch.
2. What's the missing food word in each of the following sentences?

a) The company managed to employ the __________ of the crop from the graduating class.
b) He ____________ the girl on until finally she actually did it.
c) This job is just my cup of _______________
d) He just sat there as cool as a ______________ .
e) Like most businessmen he's got a finger in every _____________ in town.
f) If you would just use your _____________ a bit you'd see what the answer is.
g) So, in a _____________, it's over, finished, no more.
h) Look what you've done. Now we're going to be in the ______________ .
i) The knack to doing this job is to make sure that all hot ____________ problems get kicked upstairs
immediately.
j) Who said he wouldn't eat humble ____________ and apologise to her?

3. In each of the following sentences, one or more of the phrases given may be used to complete the sentences, though
obviously with different meanings.

The boss said that the new recruit was ______________.

(a) polishing the apple (b) a piece of cake (c) out to lunch (d) the apple of her eye

She was ______________ during the job interview.

(a) as cool as a cucumber (b) in the soup (c) full of beans (d) the cream of the crop

He told everyone that they could have a holiday but he later had to ______________ and cancel it.
(a) make his mouth water (b) eat his words (c) polish the apple (d) take it with a grain of salt

He worked all summer and was able to ______________ quite a lot of money to go back to school.
(a) butter up (b) egg on (c) take with a grain of salt (d) salt away

She is a very good worker and is definitely ______________.

(a) worth her salt (b) souped up (c) nutty as a fruitcake (d) a hot potato

She has a lot of stress so recently she has begun to ______________.

(a) eat her words (b) have egg on her face (c) hit the sauce (d) upset the applecart

 
Your task
You are members of either the Kensington United or the Universal Communications negotiating team. Read your role
information card and prepare for the negotiation. Work out your objectives, priorities, strategy and tactics. Think
carefully about what concessions you are willing to make. An agenda has been prepared in advance of the meeting.

Before You Start

Listen to the excerpt from the radio program Sporting World. Discuss how it affects the result of your negotiation.

Meeting Agenda

Date: Time:

Conference Room, Kensington Football Ground

1. Total value of the contract

2. Timing of payments

3. Advertising

4. Control of players and club activities

5. Control of spectators

6. Official supplier of Kensington football boots

7. Other commercial opportunities

8. Fringe benefits for players

9. Other points

Kensington United negotiating team

There are two other companies interested in sponsoring the club if the negotiation with Universal Communications
(UC) fails. However, UC is an international company with excellent management and a high profile in the business
world. You want:

1. A four-year contract

The contract should have a total value of €80,000,000, with no conditions attached. €40,000,000 should be paid
within the first year, as you need the money to enlarge the stadium’s seating capacity, introduce sophisticated
surveillance technology and hire more staff for crowd control.

2. Limited advertising

Advertising of UC at the club ground should be limited. You want the ground to keep its identity and its intimate
atmosphere. Too much UC advertising could upset the fans.

3. Limited promotion by players

Players’ appearances and promotional activities should be limited to 10 days a year. Too much time doing promotion
work affects performance on the field. If the team fails to reach the final of the European Cup though, you could
increase players’ availability by five days.

4. Crowd control at home matches

You are working actively with the local police to deal with the problem of hooliganism at home matches.

5. An additional payment

UC should pay an additional €16,000,000 towards the cost of buying one or two star players. Marco Conti says this is
essential to Kensington’s success in the European Cup.

6. Diversification into other areas

You have contacted baseball clubs in the United States. Two US clubs have agreed to play a competitive match at
Kensington’s stadium during the summer. This will greatly enhance Kensington’s image.

7. A deal with a football boot manufacturer

You want to make a deal with Sprint PLC, a football boot manufacturer. Sprint has developed an innovative football
boot that gives players greater speed. It has offered Kensington €5,000,000 to sponsor the product.

8. Perks

Try to get as many perks as possible from UC, for example €20,000 for each goal that a player scores over his
individual target of 20 goals. Also, free cars for players, memberships to clubs, etc.

You can offer UC

• The advantage of being linked to the most exciting young team in English football
• The opportunity to work with one of the best managers in the Premier League
• The benefit of working with a brilliant Commercial Director, Ingrid Tauber
• The possibility of becoming well known throughout Asia
• The use of a hospitality box with space to seat 10 people

Universal Communications negotiating team

You are negotiating objectives are listed below. Keep them in mind when you plan your strategy and tactics. You
want:
1. A 4-year contract worth €50,000,000

In addition to €50,000,000 in sponsorship, you could offer Kensington an additional €20,000,000 if the club wins the
European Cup. Decide how much you wish to pay each year and when payments will be made. If Kensington play
badly and have to drop down to the next division, the sponsorship deal should be renegotiated.

2. Maximum advertising at the football ground

• Four huge billboards advertising the company at the sides and ends of the ground.
• The company’s logo on flags at all entrances
• The main stand to be renamed ‘The Universal Communications Stand’.
• The company’s name on the surface of the pitch

3. Maximum promotion by players of Kensington United

• Players wear the company’s logo on their shirts.
• The team’s shirts and shorts should have black and blue stripes – UC’s corporate colours.
• The two top goal scorers should do a minimum of 25 days promotional work a year for Universal
Communications (other players 15 days).

4. Crowd control
KU is totally responsible for controlling spectators at its home games. The club, not UC, should pay for any
investment in crowd control. If there is any serious disorder in the crowd, the club should pay a penalty of €1,000,000
for each incident.

5. Approval of Kensington’s new ventures

If KU wants to diversify into other businesses, UC should be consulted. The new ventures must be in keeping with
the company’s image.

6. Cancellation of Kensington’s deal with Sprint PLC

You have learned that KU is planning to make a sponsorship deal with Sprint PLC, a football boot manufacturer. You
insist that their players must use the football boots made by a small firm you have just bought.

7. Use of a hospitality box

Two hospitality boxes at the ground should be provided for the exclusive use of UC staff and guests. There should be
space for at least 30 people.

You can offer Kensington

• A sponsorship package worth a maximum of €50,000,000
• Perks, for example:
o A car with the company logo on it for all first-team players
o Free travel to holiday destinations
o Cheap loans for apartment/house purchases
o Media training courses for players to improve their presentation and interviewing skills
o Financial help for older players to attend coaching courses or obtain academic qualifications
• A financial contribution of €5,000,000 towards the cost of a new player