Basic English Commercial Manual

-L
■ Basic Business
English
■
Basic Business
English
Module 1
TOPIC 1. Business meetings in English
TOPIC 2. Telephone communications
TOPIC 3. Talking about prices in English
module 1
Basic Business English
Business meetings in English
1. Introduction to business meetings in English
2. Organization of a business meeting in English
3. The alphabet
4. The article
5. Pronouns
6. The verb to be
7. Nationalities and countries
8. Greetings
9. Dialog: Nice to Meet You
10. Presentations
11. The Saxon Genitive
12. Vocabulary: Business meetings in English
item 1
Objectives:
♦ To know what is a job interview in English and the phases for its preparation.
♦ Know how to manage in a social situation of presentation.
♦ To know the alphabet.
♦ Use the verb To Be correctly in oral and written form.
♦ Know how to greet.
♦ To know the vocabulary related to business meetings in English.

1.1. Introduction to business meetings in English.
We can define business meetings as groups of people convened to work together for a specific time, with a specific
objective.
Two statements stand out: "with a specific objective" and "for a specific period of time". It is these two elements that
differentiate productive business meetings from ineffective ones.
Many business meetings are held in an organization. But how many of these run satisfactorily? How often do you
achieve the objectives you set out to achieve? Are the objectives clearly defined?
We can distinguish three types of business meetings.
• Information: meeting whose purpose is to provide or collect information.
• Action: meeting whose purpose is to act on information.
• Combination: we combine the previous ones and the purpose would be both to share information and to act.
Having a business meeting is always a bit stressful and even more so if it is in English. Although mastering the
language helps, this is not always the case. In fact, we do not usually use complicated language, on the contrary, it
tends to be quite colloquial and simple, since our main objective is to be able to communicate and not to boast that we
have a very advanced knowledge of vocabulary or grammar.
Generally, the tricky thing about these circumstances and meetings is to express one's opinions without giving the
impression of imposing on others and to make oneself heard when everyone seems lost.
Throughout this topic we will see some terms and grammatical aspects related to the organization of meetings and also
some useful expressions for exchanges in these contexts.
1.2. Organization of a business meeting in English.

If it is clear to us that we must call a business meeting, we must also know how to plan it correctly.
Here are some tips to help you plan, conduct and coordinate meetings to make them truly effective:
1. Before the meeting:
• Prepare it in advance.
• Select the people who will participate. Only those persons whose presence is necessary shall attend.
• Create a meeting schedule. We will determine in this document aspects such as the reason for the meeting, the
objectives to be achieved, the topics to be discussed, the time to be devoted to each issue...
• Convene attendees in advance so that everyone has time to prepare their presentations.
• Send the schedule to all participants.
2. During the meeting:
• Start on time. Punctuality is a fundamental aspect. The meeting must begin and end at the established time.
-3-
• Clarify the key points of the meeting at the beginning of the meeting. The importance of the topics to be discussed,
the main reason for the meeting, the objectives to be achieved and the working method to be followed as well as the
rules of participation and intervention shall be proposed.
• Follow the development foreseen in the plan. Try to follow the planned outline at all times, using the necessary
time for each section and not dealing with topics that are not covered in the outline. At the end of each stage or point,
make a brief summary of what was discussed.
• Use the central part of the meeting to deal with the most important points.
• The meeting director or coordinator should focus on directing the process of the discussions, but not their content.
It must ensure the progress and progression in the development of the meeting. A particularly important aspect is to
encourage participants to speak. It is essential to seek the active participation of the attendees, in this way we will get
more out of their attendance.
• Prevent some of the participants from dominating and monopolizing the meeting. This can negatively affect the
positive climate of communication and cooperation that we must try to create and maintain.
3. At the end of the meeting:
• Allow time at the end for the participants to express doubts, suggestions, comments...
• Synthesize the essential conclusions
• Summarize the positive contributions, opinions, suggestions and agreements adopted.
• Thank the participants for their attendance.
4. After the meeting:
• Prepare a summary of the meeting to be sent to all participants during the following days. This summary should
include whether the objectives previously set have been achieved, the tasks that may have been entrusted to the
different participants, the time they have to carry them out, the most important conclusions, the agreements adopted,
etc.
• If necessary, the attendees would be summoned to the next meeting.
1.3. The alphabet.
The English alphabet, unlike the Spanish alphabet, has a completely different way of pronunciation. Let's see how to
pronounce each letter to start our basic English course in business.
-4-
A very common exercise that helps to improve the pronunciation of each word is spelling, in which each word is spelled
letter by letter . Done out loud and slowly it gives very good results.
United Kingdom or Great Britain?
England is part of an island called Great Britain, the largest in Europe. Great Britain is the name given to the kingdoms
of England, Scotland and the principality of Wales.
However, Great Britain is often incorrectly used as a synonym for the sovereign state of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland.
Great Britain is a political term comprising only England, Wales and Scotland. When Northern Ireland is introduced,
then the United Kingdom is meant.
It is true that many people use Britain to refer to Great Britain.
-5-
1.4. Article.
The
It is the definite article and its translation in Spanish is equivalent to: el, la, los, las, las, i.e., it is used for both
masculine and feminine, for singular and plural:
The house The house The boy The boy

The houses The houses The boys The boys
The house is White The house is white

The houses are red Houses are red
We use the when we refer to something specific:
The house is white La casa es blanca (we are referring to a specific house).
A/An
They are called indefinite articles and their translation is equivalent to: un, uno, una.
A : When the following word begins with a consonant (e.g. a boy), with an aspirated h (e.g. a house), with u, eu, ew
when pronounced /ju:/ (e.g. a European, a university), and in front of words beginning with o when pronounced /u/ (e.j.
a one way ticket):
a house a boy a European a university a one way ticket
An: When the following word begins with a vowel or an unpronounced h (e.g. hour):
an elephant an island an heir
We use a / an when the object or person we are referring to is not specified:
A car (we do not refer to any particular car)
Curiosities of introductions and greetings in English.

Let's take a look at some curiosities when introducing yourself/addressing someone in English:
• Mr is used for men (married or single) and Mrs for married women. Miss is used with the surname or with the first
and last name: Miss Pinder or Miss Jane Pinder but never used with the proper name only. Ms is used only for
women when their marital status is unknown.
• How do you do? (Encantado, Mucho gusto, Un placer conocerte) is used for formal introductions and when
responding to this greeting the other person responds by repeating the same formula, How do you do? On the
other hand, the expression How are you? (How are you?) is used for informal situations and is answered with
Fine, Very well, Great, Not so well, etc. (Bien, Muy bien, Fantástico, No tan bien, etc...).
• In English, you can express the family name in two ways: with the word family (the Stenvenson family) or pluralizing
the family name (the Smiths). On the contrary, in Spanish the article is pluralized and not the surname (the
Geoghegans).
• In British English, Excuse me is used to interrupt someone and Sorry is used to apologize for something. In
American English, Excuse me is preferred to Sorry.
• When you sneeze you can excuse yourself with Excuse me and our "cheers" or "jesus" would be translated as
Bless you! However, it is unusual for English or Americans to make such comments.
• The word cheers is for the British a catch-all word. They use it to toast and also to say goodbye and sometimes as
a substitute for hi or hello.
-6-
1.5. Pronoun.
Subject pronouns substitute for the noun when they serve as the subject. They are as follows.
I I
You
You
He/She/It
He/She/It We/We
We You/You/You/Your
You They Them
Object pronouns are used to replace a noun, it can be a person, animal or thing, as long as they are not the subject of
the sentence, as we have already seen that it is the personal pronouns that perform this function. These
pronouns always follow the verb.
me me, I
you him her you,you,it,it,it,you
it lo,le,se
la,le,se
lo
us
us
os,les,las,las,los
you them
les,los,las,las,se
Be careful with the verb like (gustar). It does not work like Spanish and we could create the opposite sentence of
what we want to express. I like you would not be "yo te gusto" but "tú me gustas".
We will see how to express possession in English in section 6, and to this we must add the possessive determiners
and pronouns (mine, yours...).
We have the following possessive determiners, which will always accompany a noun.
my my its su (of thing or animal)
your your our our
his his, his (of him) your yours
her his, her (hers) their su,sus (of them)
As for the pronouns we have:
It's his fault It's his fault/ it's his fault. Give me
Give me that ball. It's mine the ball. It is mine.
mine mine its his (of thing or animal)

yours yours ours our
his his (his) yours yours

hers his (hers) theirs his (theirs)
-7-
1.6. The verb "to be
In Spanish, ser and estar are two different verb forms, but in English there is no such difference. In English we only have
the verb to be.
Affirmative
I am I'm I am // I am
You are You're You are // you are
He is He's He is // he is
She is She's She is // she is
It is It's It is // it is
We are We're We are // we are
You are You're You are // you are
They are They're They are // they are
Negatives
I'm not I am not / I am not
You aren't You are not / you are
He isn't He is not / is
She isn't She is not / is
It isn't It is not / is not
We aren't We are not / we are
You aren't You are not
They aren't They are not / are
Interrogative
Am I? Am I / am I?
Are you? Are you / are you?
Is he? Is he / is he?
Is she? Is she / is she?
Is it? Is it/is it?
Are we? Are we / are we?
Are you? Are you / are you?
Are they? Are they/are they?
I am a doctor I am a physician
He is a mechanic He is a mechanic
They are politicians They are politicians
Vocabulary
among on
award award
boxes boxes bread bread
card card cheese cheese
coffee coffee contest contest
drink drink everyday every day
everywhere everywhere except except
-8-
excuse me excuse me, excuse me eye eye
get up get up go to go to
hard hard high high
kiss kiss, kiss leave home leave the house
go to lose news news
newspaper newspaper nowadays today
painter painter passenger passenger
play play reader reader
school school, school seat seat
spell spell statue statue
strange stranger surname last name
teacher professor teeth teeth
underground subway wagon wagon
waiter waiter week week
weird rare
amusing entertaining beautiful nice
big grande boring boring
cheap cheap cold cold
expensive expensive fast fast
funny fun hot hot
important important interesting interesting
long length narrow narrow
new new old old
short short slow slow
small small strong strong, resistant
ugly ugly warm tempered
weak weak wide width
-9-
1.7. Nationalities and countries.
Let's see in this section how to ask for the country of origin of each person. Obviously, we have used the most frequent
countries or those that we will be able to make greater use of in our work.
Where are you from? Where are you from?

What's your nationality? What is your nationality?
I am from I am from...
I am... I am (nationality)
Countries
Austria Austria Spain Spain

Belgium Belgium Sweden Sweden
Brazil Brazil Switzerland Switzerland
Denmark Denmark Russia Russia
Finland Finland United States United States
France France China China
Germany Germany Japan Japan
Greece Greece Australia Australia
Ireland Ireland Great Britain Great Britain
Italy Italy England England
Holland Netherlands Scotland Scotland
Norway Norway Wales Wales
Portugal Portugal
My name is David. I am from Germany

My name is David. I am from Germany
My name is David. I'm German. My name is David. I am German.

Nationalities
Austrian Austrian American American

Belgian Belgian Chinese Chinese
Brazilian Brazilian
Japanese Japanese
Danish Danish Australian Australian
Finnish Finnish British British
French French
Español English
German German Scottish Scottish
Welsh Welsh
Greek Irish Italian

Dutch Norwegian
Portuguese Greek Irish Italian Dutch
Spanish Swedish Norwegian Portuguese
Swiss Swiss Spanish Swedish
Russian Swedish Swiss Russian
On the left or on the right?

It is well known that the British are very conservative and, of course, tradition is tradition: tea at five o'clock, wigs at the
Court of Justice, antique cars acting as cabs, bowler hats and, lately, not accepting the euro as the currency of course
- 10
-
for not abandoning their powerful Sterling Pound.
In the past, when the means of locomotion par excellence was the horse-drawn carriage, it was established that riding
on the left would protect pedestrians on the sidewalks from a possible whiplash from the driver, who was always on the
right of the vehicle. Since the handling of the whip was generally done with the right hand, the impact of the whip
towards the central side of the street -a horse coming from the front would get an eye popped out from time to time-
when the carriages were driving on the left.
This was not only customary in Great Britain, but in all countries where there was any common sense. However, with the
advent of mechanical traction and automobile bodywork, the left seat of the car was adopted as the best position for the
driver, in order to operate the gear shift with the right hand. This, in turn, led to the acceptance that driving on the right
was more ideal, so that the visibility of the other lane would always be on the driver's side.
... But the British did not. They do not. In order not to change tradition, they preferred to become left-handed inside the
car and shift gears with their left hand. As he said, "I didn't send my cars to fight the elements".
1.8. Greetings.
We now move on to the different types of greetings that can be found in the language.
Hello Hello
Hi Hello
How are you? How are you doing?
How do you do? How are you doing?
Fine, thanks / thankyou, and Fine, thank you, how about
you? you?
Not too bad, thank you Not bad, thanks
So-so Regular.
Sorry! Sorry
Excuse me Sorry.
Please Please
Bless you! Jesus!
Happy birthday Happy Birthday.
Merry Christmas Merry Christmas.
Happy New Year Happy New Year.
Good luck Good luck
Well done! Well done.
Congratulations Congratulations.
Good morning Good morning
Good afternoon Good afternoon
Good evening Good evening
Good night Good evening
Goodbye / Bye / Bye, bye Goodbye, see you later.
Cheers Cheers (in a toast)
You are welcome / Not at all You are welcome
When we do something wrong we usually say sorry or I'm sorry, while if we say excuse me we are asking for
permission or asking for something to be repeated.
How do you do? is answered with the same phrase how do you do?
Good night is only used when we say goodbye to someone in the evening or go to bed.
The use of these expressions is explained in more detail on the following page.
- 11
-
Good morning
It means good morning. It is usually used until 12 noon.
Good afternoon
It means good afternoon. It is usually used from 12 noon to 4 or 5 pm.
Good evening
Good afternoon or good evening. It is usually used from 4 or 5 o'clock in the afternoon. We must take into account that in
the British Isles it gets dark earlier than in Spain.
Good night
It means good night. It is used when we are going to say goodbye to someone until the next day.
How do you do (encantado, mucho gusto) is used for formal introductions and when answering the formula is repeated,
while How are you? (How are you?) is used for informal situations and is answered with Fine, Very well, Great, Not so
well, etc. (Bien, Muy bien, Fantástico, No tan bien, etc...).
In British English, Excuse me is used to interrupt someone and Sorry is used to apologize for something. In American
English, Excuse me is preferred to Sorry.
When you sneeze you can excuse yourself with Excuse me and our "cheers" or "jesus" would translate as Bless you!
However, it is unusual for English or Americans to make such comments.
The word cheers is for the British a catch-all word. They use it to toast and also to say goodbye and sometimes as a
substitute for hi or hello.
1.9. Dialog: Nice to meet you.
Emma: What's your name?

Brian: My name's Brian Netzer
Emma: Where are you from?
Brian: I'm from Germany
Emma: What's the name of your company?
Brian: It's City Consulting
Emma: What's your job?
Brian: I'm a businessman
1.10. Presentations.
Here is an example of a dialogue between two people meeting for the first time. Ann and Robert. Ann then
introduces Robert to her friend Jenny.
Ann. Hello, my name's Ann Peters

Hello, my name is Ann Peters.
Robert. How do you do? My name's Robert White

How are you doing? My name is Robert White
Ann. How do you do? Robert, this is my friend Jenny

How are you doing? Robert, this is my friend Jenny
Jenny. Hello, Robert, how do you do?

Hi Robert, how are you?
Robert. Hello, Jenny, it's a pleasure

Hi, Jenny, it's a pleasure.
1.11. The Saxon Genitive.
The Saxon possessive or genitive case in English is used to indicate ownership or possession when the possessor is a
person or persons.
Possession is expressed in English as follows: first we will place the possessor followed by a comma, which we will call
apostrophe, secondly the letter -s and lastly we will place what we possess. To give an example:
- 12
-
Mary's house Mary's house
Never place an article or determiner in front of the possessor. Therefore, phrases such as * would be wrong.The
Mary's house o *A John's car.
In the same sentence we can find two or more genitives.
She is your mother's father's daughter She is the daughter of your mother's father.
When the possessor is not a person, the preposition of is usually used to express possession.
The door of the house The door of the house.
Qualifying adjectives
Unlike in Spanish, we will place it before the noun to which it refers.
Examples:
A red car Yellow a red car (red is the qualifier, car is the noun) yellow roses
roses A tall boy a tall boy
Clever children A smart kids
good beer a good beer
Adjectives do not have feminine and masculine or singular and plural, they are invariable.
1.12. Vocabulary: Business meetings in English.
We will see in detail the elements included in the different parts that make up a presentation and the most appropriate
formulas that we can use in each of them.
A. The Introduction
1. Greeting and welcoming the public
• Good morning / afternoon ladies and gentleman...→ Buenosdías / tardes señores y señoras....
• Hello. I would like to thank everyone for coming. → Hello. I would like to thank you all for coming.
2. Introduce yourself
• My name is...→ My name is....

• I work in...→ I work in...
• My field is...→ My specialty is...
3. The title or subject of the paper, presentation, etc...

• I plan to say a few words about...→ I come to say a few words about....
• I am going to talk about...→ I am goingto talk about....
• The subject of my talk is...→ The subject / topic of my talk is....
• The theme of my presentation is...→ The theme of my presentation is....
4. The structure of the presentation

• My talk will be divided in four parts. → My talk is divided into four parts.
• I have divided my presentation in two parts. → I have divided my presentation into two parts.
• Firstly...→ Firstly....
• Secondly...→ Secondly....
• Thirdly...→ Thirdly...
• In the first part...→ In the first part...→ In the first part...→ In the first part...→ In the first part...
• Finally...→ Finally...
- 13
-
5. Give the audience the possibility to make interruptions, ask questions, request clarifications, etc...
• Please interrupt if you have any questions. → Please interrupt me if you have any questions.
• After I finish my talk, there will be time for a discussion and to raise any questions. → Once I have
finished my presentation, there will be time for discussion and questions.
6. The duration of the presentation

• My talk will take about 30 minutes. → My talk will last about 30minutes.
• The presentation is around 1 hour long. → The presentation lasts about one hour.
• There will be a 15 minute break in the middle of my presentation. → There will be a 15-minute break in
the middle of my presentation.
7. End of introduction
• So, that concludes the introduction.→ So, that finishes off the introduction.
• That's all for the introduction. → That is all with respect to the introduction.
8. The main body (The main body)

1. Move on to the central part of the presentation.
• Now, let's go on to the first part of my talk, which is about... → Now, let's go on to the first part of my
presentation, which is about....
• So first, let's move to the first part of my presentation... →
presentation.
First, let's move to the first part of my
2. List the information.
• There are three things to consider. First.... Second...and Third......→ There are three things to keep in
mind. First... Second... and Third...
• There are two types / kinds of... The first is... The second is...→ Existen dos tipos de.... The first is... The
second is...
• We can see one advantage and three disadvantages. The advantage is ... ,The disadvantages are
first.... And the second is......→ We can observe one advantage and three disadvantages. The advantage is
The disadvantages are first...And the second is .......
3. Linking parts within the body of the presentation.
• That concludes / completes....→Esoconcludes / completa....
• That's all I want to say on...→ That's all I wanted to say on...
• Let's move on to the next point on...→ Let's move onto the next point on....
• Now I want to describe / talk about...→ Now Iwant to talk about....
4. Explain a process in an orderly manner.

- The process has five different steps / stages. First... Then... Next... After that, the last step is... → The
process has five different steps / stages. The first one is...Then...The next one...After that, the last step is....
5. Finalize the central part or body of the presentation.
• Ok, that ends the last part of my talk...→ That concludes the last part of my presentation.
• That's all I wanted to say about / on...→ That's all I wanted to say about / on...→ That's all I wanted to say
about / on...
C. The end (The end)
1. Enter the final summary.
• I would like to end by stressing / emphasising the key points...→ Me gustaría terminar incidiendo /
enfatizando los puntos clave....
• I would like to finish with...→ Me gustaría terminar con....
2. Conclusions.
• The final conclusion could be...→ The final conclusion could be....
• There are two clear conclusions...→ There are two clear conclusions....
- 14
-
3. Open the floor for discussion and question time.
• Now I would like to invite you to make questions / comments...→ Now Iwould like to invite you to make
questions / comments....
• Now we have half an hour for questions and discussion. → We now have half an hour for questions and
discussion.
• Right. Now, any questions or comments? → Good. Now, any questions or comments?
- 15
-
Telephone communications
1. Introduction to telephone communications in English
2. Telephone basics
3. Most common expressions used in telephone communications
4. Verb Have Got
5. Order of Adjectives
6. The present simple tense of verbs
7. Prepositions
8. Leave a message on the answering machine
9. Nouns, Verbs and Adjectives
Objectives:
♦ Know how to hold a telephone conversation in English.
♦ Know the expressions and vocabulary used in a telephone conversation in English.
♦ Use the verb Have got in sentences.
♦ Use adjectives correctly in a sentence.
♦ Recognize and know how to write sentences in the present simple tense.
♦
item 2
Differentiate between different categories of words and appreciate the versatility of multiple-meaning words.
♦ Apply the vocabulary and expressions learned to leave a message on the answering machine.
2.1. Introduction to telephone communications in English.
In this topic we will discuss how to make phone calls in English.
For whatever reason, phone calls in English are much more complicated than talking face-to-face with a person. Most
people panic every time they have to engage in a telephone conversation in English.
It is true that it is much more difficult than having a conversation in person, but in both business and travel situations, it is
essential to be able to communicate by telephone in English. It may be because you cannot see the other person's
expressions or because you cannot deduce what they mean from their gestures. Or maybe it's because he's already
nervous before the call.
Preparing in advance for a phone call in English is one of the best ways to overcome these difficulties. Make a list of the
vocabulary and phrases you will need to obtain the information you are looking for. Finally, do not hesitate to ask your
interlocutor to repeat what you have said or to speak more slowly.
2.2. Telephone basics.
Business relationships are often conducted over the telephone. A general vocabulary is given here.
Address book Phone book

Answerphone Answering machine
Cordless phone Cordless phone
Dial Bookmark
Dial tone Ring tone
Extension Extension
Handset Headset
Hands-free Hands-free
International call International call
Local call Local call
Message Message
Mobile phone Cell phone
Pager Search (people)
Redial Callback
Ring Sonar
Switchboard Switchboard
Tone Tone
EXPRESSIONS
WHEN WE CALL
-We identify ourselves...

My name is __________.
This is _________(here).
- If we ask for someone...

Could I speak to _________please?
Could you put me through to _____________please?
Could I have extension 123, please?
I'd like to speak to ___________ please.
- 17
-
- We explain the reason for the call...
I'm calling to ask about...
I'm phoning to tell you about...
- If we want to leave a message...

Could you give _______a message?
Could you ask ___ to call me when he gets back?
- Thank you for your attention...

Thank you very much for your help.
Thanks for the information.
- Closing the call...

Good bye.
Bye.
WHEN THEY CALL US.
- We answer the phone.

Good morning. / Good afternoon. / Good evening.
Paul Smith speaking.
Who's calling, please?
- We introduce ourselves.
This is Paul Smith speaking.
Hello, this is Paul Smith from IHU
- We asked for someone.

Could I speak to Mr Roger, please?
I'd like to speak to Mr Roger, please.
Could you put me through to Mr Roger, please?
- We apologize for not being able to communicate with the person you are requesting.
I'm afraid Mr Roger isn't in at the moment.
I'm sorry, he's in a meeting at the moment.
I'm afraid he's on another line at the moment.
- We put someone on hold.

Just a moment, please.
Could you hold the line, please?
Hold the line, please.
- We do not understand or do not listen well to the interlocutor.

I'm sorry, I don't understand. Could you repeat that, please?
I'm sorry, I can't hear you very well. Could you speak up a little, please?
Could you spell that, please?
- We passed the call on to someone else.

One moment, please. I'll see if Mr Roger is available.
I'll put you through.
I'll connect you.
I'm connecting you now.
- The person is communicating
I've tried to get through several times but it's always engaged.
- We take note of a message.

Can I take a message?
Would you like to leave a message?
Can I give him a message?
I'll tell Mr Roger that you called
I'll ask him to call you as soon as possible.
2.3. Most common expressions.
The following is a series of very common and habitual expressions that we can use in our telephone communications.
►Makingcontact
• Hello / Good morning / Good afternoon.
Hello / Good morning / Good afternoon
- 18
-
• This is John Brown speaking.
John Brown speaking.
• Could I speak to __________ please?

I'd like to speak to ____________please.
May I speak to ________________please?
I would like to talk to _________________please.
■■...................................................................................................................................................1
Basic Business English...............................................................................................................2
Module 1.................................................................................................................................2
Basic Business English...............................................................................................................3
Business meetings in English.................................................................................................3
Objectives:..............................................................................................................................3
1.1. Introduction to business meetings in English..........................................................3
1.2. Organization of a business meeting in English........................................................3
1.3. The alphabet.............................................................................................................4
United Kingdom or Great Britain?..................................................................................5
1.4. Article......................................................................................................................6
a house a boy a European a university a one way ticket.................................................6
an elephant an island an heir.........................................................................................6
Curiosities of introductions and greetings in English..................................................6
1.5. Pronoun........................................................................................................................7
1.6. The verb "to be.........................................................................................................8
1.7. Nationalities and countries.....................................................................................10
My name is David. I am from Germany.......................................................................10
On the left or on the right?............................................................................................10
1.8. Greetings................................................................................................................11
1.9. Dialog: Nice to meet you.......................................................................................12
1.10. Presentations.......................................................................................................12
Ann. Hello, my name's Ann Peters..........................................................................12
Robert. How do you do? My name's Robert White......................................................12
Ann. How do you do? Robert, this is my friend Jenny...........................................12
Jenny. Hello, Robert, how do you do?..........................................................................12
Robert. Hello, Jenny, it's a pleasure..............................................................................12
1.11. The Saxon Genitive............................................................................................12
Qualifying adjectives......................................................................................................13
1.12. Vocabulary: Business meetings in English........................................................13
Basic Business English.............................................................................................................17
Telephone communications..................................................................................................17
Objectives:............................................................................................................................17
- 19
-
2.1. Introduction to telephone communications in English..........................................17
2.2. Telephone basics....................................................................................................17
EXPRESSIONS..............................................................................................................17
2.3. Most common expressions.....................................................................................18
2.4. Verb Have Got.......................................................................................................26
2.5. Order of Adjectives................................................................................................27
2.6. The Present Simple of verbs..................................................................................27
2.7. Prepositions............................................................................................................28
2.8. Leave a message on the answering machine..........................................................29
2.9. Nouns, Verbs and Adjectives.................................................................................30
Talk about prices in English.................................................................................................27
Objectives:............................................................................................................................27
3.1. The numbers...........................................................................................................27
3.2. Ordinal numbers.....................................................................................................27
3.3. Countable / uncountable........................................................................................29
Can I have three apples, please?....................................................................................29
3.4. Some / any..............................................................................................................29
3.5. How much / how many, a lot of, much, many.......................................................30
3.6. A little / a few........................................................................................................32
3.7. There is / There are (Haber)...................................................................................32
3.8. The Price................................................................................................................33
3.9. Age.........................................................................................................................35
3.10. Infinitive with and without "to".........................................................................35
Module 2...............................................................................................................................39
Writing e-mails in English....................................................................................................40
Objectives:............................................................................................................................40
4.1. How to write e-mails in English............................................................................40
4.2. The Date.................................................................................................................40
4.3. Greetings in emails................................................................................................40
4.4. Introductory sentences and body of the email.......................................................41
4.5. Finalize an email....................................................................................................42
If you need any further information, feel free to contact me........................................42
I look forward to hearing from yousoon.......................................................................42
4.6. Simple past.............................................................................................................42
- 20
-
4.7. Regular and Irregular Verbs...................................................................................44
4.8. A formal letter........................................................................................................48
A formal letter..................................................................................................................48
JL.1]----3...............................................................................................................................48
Vancouver Manufacturing................................................................................................49
3 Septevder, kdecvse it was ivcpveplete pn. rrival...........................................................51
4.12. A business letter to apologise.............................................................................51
Basic English............................................................................................................................54
Commercial..............................................................................................................................54
Writing a job application in English.....................................................................................54
Objectives:............................................................................................................................54
5.1. Present continuous.................................................................................................54
5.2. Future.....................................................................................................................55
I will / I'll have a coffee, please. I'll have a coffee, please.........................................56
I will not go / I won't go I will not go.........................................................................56
Will you go Will you go?...........................................................................................56
I'm going to spend all my money I'm going to spend it all.........................................56
Look at these clouds. It's going to rain. Look at those clouds. It's going to rain........56
She is not going to smoke She is not going to smoke................................................56
Are you going to go Madrid tomorrow? Going to Madrid tomorrow?......................56
5.3. The comparative.....................................................................................................56
5.4. The superlative.......................................................................................................59
British English Vs. American English (II)....................................................................59
5.5. Write a cover letter. Introduction...........................................................................60
I am writing in response to your advertisement posted on............................................61
I refer to your advertisement in...dated... .....................................................................61
I read your advertisement for an experienced...in the...issue of...with great interest....61
I have pleasure in applying for the advertised position, as...........................................61
I would like to apply for the position of........................................................................62
Currently I am working for... and my responsibilities include.....................................62
5.6. Write a cover letter.................................................................................................62
Argumentation and explanation........................................................................................62
I am particularly interested in this job, as.....................................................................62
I would like to work for you, in order to.......................................................................62
My strengths are............................................................................................................62
I would say that my only weakness / weaknesses are... . But I am looking to improve
in this / these area/s.......................................................................................................62
- 21
-
I would be well suited to the position because..............................................................62
Although I have no previous experience in..., I have had.............................................62
My professional qualifications / skills appear to be well suited to your company's
requirements..................................................................................................................62
During my time as ..., I improved / furthered / extended / my knowledge of..., I
improved / furthered / extended / my knowledge of.....................................................63
My area of expertise is..................................................................................................63
Whilst working at... I became highly competent in......................................................63
Even when working at high speed, I do not neglect accuracy and would therefore be
particularly suitable for the demands of working as ....................................................63
Even under pressure I can maintain high standards......................................................63
And thus I would have the opportunity to combine my interests with this placement. 63
I have a lively interest in ... and would appreciate the opportunity / chance to broaden
my knowledge by working with you.............................................................................63
As you can see from my enclosed resume, my experience and qualifications match this
position's requirements..................................................................................................63
In addition to my responsibilities as..., I also developed... skills..................................63
5.7. Write a cover letter.................................................................................................64
Skills and abilities.............................................................................................................64
My native language is..., but I can also speak...............................................................64
I have an excellent command of....................................................................................64
I have a working knowledge of.....................................................................................64
I have ...years experience of working............................................................................64
I am an experienced user of...........................................................................................64
I believe I possess the right combination of...and... .....................................................64
Excellent communication skills....................................................................................64
Deductive reasoning......................................................................................................64
Logical thinking............................................................................................................65
Analytical skills.............................................................................................................65
Good interpersonal skills...............................................................................................65
Negotiation skills...........................................................................................................65
Presentation skills..........................................................................................................65
5.8. Write a cover letter. Completion............................................................................65
I am highly motivated and look forward to the varied work which a position in your
company would offer me...............................................................................................65
I see new tasks / this position as a welcome challenge, which I look forward to.........65
I would welcome the opportunity to discuss further details of the position with you
personally......................................................................................................................65
Please find my résumé / CV attached............................................................................65
- 22
-
I can supply references from...if required.....................................................................65
References can be requested from.................................................................................66
I am available for interview on.....................................................................................66
Yours faithfully,............................................................................................................66
Yours sincerely,.............................................................................................................66
Respectfully yours,........................................................................................................66
Kind/Best regards,.........................................................................................................66
Business English phrasal verbs.............................................................................................69
Objectives:............................................................................................................................69
6.1. Phrasal verbs. Classification..................................................................................69
6.2. Phrasal verbs 1.......................................................................................................69
6.3. Phrasal verbs 2.......................................................................................................71
6.4. Phrasal verbs 3.......................................................................................................74
6.5. Phrasal verbs 4.......................................................................................................76
6.6. Phrasal verbs 5.......................................................................................................80
Module 3...............................................................................................................................83
Legal and commercial vocabulary........................................................................................84
Objectives:............................................................................................................................84
7.1. Prepositions............................................................................................................84
Before the exam everybody was nervous......................................................................84
I ate chocolate during the film.......................................................................................84
We didn't say a word while we were at home...............................................................84
After having dinner, we went to the cinema.................................................................84
On a table......................................................................................................................85
Under the chair..............................................................................................................85
Mary is next to Peter.....................................................................................................85
The house is between the mountain and the river.........................................................85
The church is in front of the park..................................................................................85
The door is opposite the window..................................................................................85
7.2. The city. Businesses and professions.....................................................................85
7.3. Shopping................................................................................................................88
7.5. In the shop..............................................................................................................90
7.6. Money....................................................................................................................90
7.7. Buying and selling.................................................................................................91
- 23
-
7.8. Packing.......................................................................................................................92
7.9. Transport....................................................................................................................93
7.10. Human Resources...............................................................................................95
Look at those black clouds. It's going to rain this evening...........................................96
7.11. Companies..........................................................................................................96
7.12. Contracts and jobs skills.....................................................................................97
English numbers in...............................................................................................................99
professional oral presentations.............................................................................................99
Objectives:............................................................................................................................99
8.1. Introduction to the use of numbers in oral presentations.......................................99
8.2. Say 0 in English.....................................................................................................99
8.3. Percentages in English.........................................................................................100
8.4. Fractions in English.............................................................................................100
8.5. Decimals in English.............................................................................................101
8.6. Measurements in English.....................................................................................101
8.7. Years in English...................................................................................................101
8.8. Expressions with ordinal numbers.......................................................................102
8.9. Operations in English...........................................................................................102
Basic Business English...........................................................................................................105
E-commerce vocabulary.....................................................................................................105
Objectives:..........................................................................................................................105
9.1. E-commerce. Definition.......................................................................................105
9.2. Vocabulary...........................................................................................................105
Basic Business English...........................................................................................................107
Communicative skills in business English.........................................................................107
Objectives:..........................................................................................................................107
10.1. Verb + Object + Infinitive with or without to..................................................107
Let me know about the meeting..................................................................................107
It makes you think.......................................................................................................107
He helped me paint the house.....................................................................................107
10.2. Relative sentences with "who" and "which"....................................................107
Our designs, which are all in plastic, have won many awards....................................107
Helen, who is a computer technician, has made a fortune..........................................107
I love the plants which decorate this office.................................................................107
There are agents who can help you around the world.................................................107
10.3. (Be) going to.....................................................................................................107
- 24
-
10.4. Will or Going to. Predictions...........................................................................108
10.5. Requests with Can and Cloud..........................................................................108
Can you put me through the sales department?...........................................................108
Could we send 50 pounds next week?........................................................................108
10.6. Complaints and apologies................................................................................109
►Takinga call
• speaking
________speaking.
• Can I help you?

How may I help you?
►Askingfor a name / information

• Who's calling please?
Who is calling please?
• Who's speaking?
Who is speaking?
• Where are you calling from?

Where are you calling from?
• Are you sure you have the right number / name?

Are you sure you have the correct number / name?
►Askingthe caller to wait
• Hold the line please.
Please do not hang up.
• Could you hold on please?

Can you please wait?
• Just a moment please.

One moment please.
►Connecting
• Thank you for holding.
Thank you for waiting.
• The line's free now Mr. ______________. I'll put you through.
The line is now free Mr. _____________________. I'll pass.
• I'll connect you now / I'm connecting you now.

I'll pass you now
►Givingnegative information
• I'm afraid the line's engaged. Could you call back later?
Sorry, the line is busy. Can you call back later?
• I'm afraid he's in a meeting at the moment.

Sorry he is in a meeting at the moment.
• I'm sorry. He's out of the office today / He isn't in at the moment.
Sorry. He is out of the office today. / It is not at this time.
• I'm afraid we don't have a Mr / Mrs / Miss ___________________here.

I'm afraid we don't have any Mr/Mrs/Miss. ______________________________________here.
• I'm sorry. There's nobody here by that name.

Sorry. There is no one by this name here.
• Sorry. I think you've dialled the wrong number.
- 25
-
Sorry. I think you have dialed the wrong number.
• I'm afraid you've got the wrong number.

I'm afraid you have the wrong number.
►Telephoneproblems
• The line is very bad. Could you speak up please?
The line is very bad. Can you speak up please?
• Could you repeat that please?

Can you please pass it on?
• I'm afraid I can't hear you.

I'm afraid I can't hear you.
• Sorry. I didn't catch that. Could you say that again please?
Sorry. I didn't get it. Can you say that again please?
►Leaving/ taking a message.

• Can I leave / take a message?
May I leave a message?
• Would you like to leave a message?

Would you like to leave a message?
• Could you give him / her a message?

Could you give him/her a message?
• Could you ask him / her to call me back?

Can you tell him/her to call me?
• Would you like him / her to call you back?

Would you like him/her to call you back?
• Could you tell him/her that I called?

Can you tell him/her that I have called him/her?
• Could you give me your name please?

Can you please tell me your name?
• Could you spell that please?

Can you spell it please?
• What's your number please?

What is your number please?
2.4. Verb Have Got.

Have got is used to indicate belonging. What we are going to conjugate is the verb have and the particle got does not
change and we will not translate it either.
The verb have means to have or to have but with the addition of got it only means to have.
This verb has two forms: has for the third person singular(he,she,it) and have for the rest.
I have got a pencil I have a pencil
She hasn't got a dog She doesn't have a dog
As we see in the second example, have got does not need the auxiliary do to ask, so we will use have as if it were an
auxiliary.
We should also know that in American English we have the expression do you have... instead of have you got....
They haven't got/don't have a bicycle They don't have a bicycle.

Have you got/do you have that book? Do you have that book?
- 26
-
2.5. Order of Adjectives.
As we already know, adjectives in English come before nouns, unlike in Spanish:
I bought a pair of blue jeans I bought blue jeans
Sometimes we want a noun to be accompanied by more than one adjective. We can do it, but these adjectives must be in
a particular order(blue suede shoes NOT suede blueshoes). Here we have the correct order of most adjectives:
Opinion Size Other qualities (shape...) Age Color Nationality Material
lovely new pink

hideous ancient purple Spanish foreign
gorgeous big tiny soft warm soft tight young beige Swiss silk fur suede
It is most common to find 2 adjectives in front of a noun and occasionally 3:

Two black wooden chairs Two black wooden chairs
2.6. The Present Simple of verbs.
English verb tenses do not have the difficulty we have in Spanish of conjugating the verb with the person. Except for the
third person singular, which we will see in the next topic, verbs will not change form.
Starting with the present simple, the affirmative form is constructed with the personal pronoun and the infinitive of the verb.
I speak German I speak German.
The interrogative form is constructed using the auxiliary do before the subject, usually at the beginning of the sentence.
Do you speak German? Do you speak German?
The negative form is constructed by putting the subject first, then the auxiliary doin the negative, i.e., do not or don't, and
finally the infinitive verb.
I don't speak German I don't speak German.
As we have seen in the translations of the examples, the auxiliaries are not translated, they are there so that we can form
various types of sentences.
To finish the present simple we have the third person singular pronouns: he, she and it.
When we have the affirmative form of the verb we will add an -s to the verb. Also when the verb ends in -ss, -sh, -ch and -
x.
She sleeps She sleeps
When the verb ends in -o, such as do or go, -es is added to the verb.
He goes He will
If the verb ends in a consonant plus -y, the ending would be -ies.
She studies She studies.
The verb have is irregular and the third person of the present tense would be has and not haves. We will see the
use of irregular verbs when we talk about the simple past.
As for the negative form, we will say that we must use the auxiliary do in the third person does at the beginning of
the sentence and in the negative, doesn't.
- 27
-
2.7. Prepositions.
The prepositions at and in indicate place. In means in, inside (car, store, etc), but at, although translated as "in", does not
indicate a place as clearly as with in, is more ambiguous and is used in idioms, such as at home:
She is at home She is at home
Peter waited at the door Peter waited at the door
My briefcase is in the car My briefcase is in the car
In the third example, the briefcase is inside a place, while in the second Peter is not inside any place. The first is an
exception.
On also indicates place (on, on top of):
He's sitting on the chair He's sitting on the chair
To and by express movement. To means to, towards and by in, using a means of transportation (by train, by plane, etc.),
but not on foot, which is on foot:
I went to the shops I went to the stores
I went by bus I went by bus
Expressions of place to designate the parts of a letter:
at the top / bottom at the beginning / end

on the right / left right / left
near the bottom left almost at the end on the left
in the centre in between
below the... underneath...
above the... above...
Phrases of place with the most common at's:

at home
at home at school
at school at work
at work at the end of the class
at the back of the class at the at the beginning of the class
front of the class at a concert at a concert
Finally, we also use at to tell the time:
at two o'clock at two o'clock
Vocabulary
Capital capital, money Chain chain

Decide decide Discuss discuss
Forget forget Get real! be realistic
Grateful grateful / to Holiday vacations

Joke joke Keep conserve
Lawyer lawyer Make a go boldly attempt
No chance! no way Present, gift gift
Regret regret Run address

Sell sell Silly fool / a
Sum (of money) sum (of money)
- 28
-
2.8. Leave a message on the answering machine.
Sometimes when we call the person is not found and we have to leave a message on the answering machine. Follow the
outline below to ensure that the person receives all the information he or she needs.
1. Introduction:
Hello, this is Ken. Hi, I'm Ken.
Hello, My name is Ken Jamison (more formal). Hello, my name is Ken Jamison (more
formal).
2. State the time of day and your reason for calling:
It's ten in the morning. I'm phoning (calling, ringing) to find out if ... / to see if ... / to let you know that ... / to
tell you that...
It is ten o'clock in the morning. I am calling to find out if ... / to see if ... / to let you know that ... / to tell you that ...
3. Make a request:
Could you call (ring, telephone) me back? Could you call me back?
Here is an example of a message:
Would you mind...? Would you mind...?
4. Leave your telephone number:
My number is ___________. My number is ____________.
You can reach me at _____________. You can reach me at ________________
Call me at __________. Call me at ____________.
5. Finish:
Thanks a lot, bye. Thank you very much, goodbye.

I'll talk to you later, bye. Talk to you later, bye.
Telephone: (Ring... Ring... Ring...) Hello, this is Tom. I'm afraid I'm not in at the moment. Please leave a message
after the beep......................................................................................(beep)
Ken: Hello Tom, this is Ken. It's about noon and I'm calling to see if you would like to go to the Mets game on
Friday. Could you call me back? You can reach me at 367-8925 until four this afternoon. I'll talk to you later, bye.
As you can see, leaving a message is quite simple. You just need to make sure that you have left the essential information:
your name, the time of the call, the reason for the call, your phone number, your telephone number, and so on.
- 29
-
2.9. Nouns, Verbs and Adjectives.
It is important to know how to differentiate types of words when reading or listening to a conversation or taking part in a
conversation:
It belonged to Giusseppe He Belonged to Giusseppe He

was a tailor was a tailor.
The marked words are, respectively, a verb and a noun. But there are times when the same word can play a different role
in the sentence:
It was a surprise to see you I want It was a surprise to see you

to surprise her Peter had a I want to surprise her
surprise visit Peter received a surprise visit
Surprise can be a noun, verb or adjective. There are more words, such as:
noun verb adjective
will will (aux. future) -
adult adult - mature / a
tailor tailor - custom-made
look appearance see
- 30
-
Talk about prices in English
1. The numbers
2. Ordinal Numbers
3. Countable / uncountable
4. Some / any
5. How much / how many, a lot of, a lot of, much, many
6. A little / a few
7. There is / there are (Haber)
8. The Price
9. Age
10. Infinitive with and without to
Objectives:
♦ Know how to distinguish between countable and uncountable nouns and be able to use the quantifiers that
accompany them.
♦ To know ordinal and cardinal numbers.
♦ Know basic payment and pricing vocabulary.
♦ Knowing how to express age.

item 3
♦ Differentiate verbs that govern infinitive with or without "to".
3.1. The numbers.
Let's look at the numbers from 1 to 20.
1 one 6 six 11 eleven 16 sixteen

2 two 7 seven 12 twelve 17 seventeen
3 three 8 eight 13 thirteen 18 eighteen
4 four 9 nine 14 fourteen 19 nineteen
5 five 10 ten 15 fifteen 20 twenty
From 20 to 90 we will see how they are formed using the ones we already know.
21 twenty-one 33 thirty-three 47 forty-seven
59 fifty-nine 62 sixty-two 75 seventy-five
86 eighty-six 94 ninety-four
To express the hundreds we will use the word hundred preceded by the numbers of hundreds. For example.
571 five hundred and seventy-one
To express the thousands we will do the same as with the hundreds but using the word thousand. For example.
9362 nine thousand three hundred and sixty-two
For the millions we will use million and follow the same steps.
What help can a good dictionary provide?
A good dictionary is an important tool for effective language learning. It contains not only the meaning of the words, but also
their grammatical category, pronunciation and accentuation. Sometimes it also provides examples.
The achievement of the different elements in the dictionary is distributed as follows:
1. The word.
2. The accent where the word carries the voice stroke (').
3. The pronunciation represented by phonetic characters and always written between slashes /'LIsn/.
4. The grammatical category (v.) together with the accompanying part of speech (to st/sb).
5. The meaning of the word "listen".
6. A context in which the word is used: He often listen to the radio.
Example:
Listen /'LIsn/ v. (to st/sb) listen. He often listen to the radio.
3.2. Ordinal numbers.
Ordinal numbers are formed by adding the suffix -th to the number, except for the first three (first, second, third).
They are expressed in abbreviated form by adding the last two letters of the ordinal to the numbers.
1º = 1st 2º = 2nd 3º = 3rd 4º = 4th 5º = 5th ....................................................................................
- 27
-
As we did with the cardinal numbers, let's look at the ordinals from the first to the twentieth. The rest will be formed by
adding -th to the number, except for the first three numbers of the corresponding ten, which will be formed with first, second
and third respectively.
1st first 6th sixth 11th eleventh 16th sixteenth

2nd second 7th seventh 12th twelfth 17th seventeenth
3rd third 8th eighth 13th thirteenth 18th eighteenth
4th fourth 9th ninth 14th fourteenth 19th nineteenth
5th fifth 10th tenth 15th fifteenth 20th twentieth
To express a fractional number we name the numerator as a cardinal number and the denominator as an ordinal
number.
Candy bonbon Disguise Disguise yourself
Independence independence Neighbourhood neighborhood
Partner partner Rose pink
The day before the day before
Chickenpox chickenpox Cold cold
Cough coughing, coughing Fever fever
Flu flu Headache headache
Illness disease Measles measles
Smallpox smallpox Sore throat sore throat
Stomachache stomach pain
- 28
-
3.3. Countable / uncountable.
We have countable and uncountable nouns. Countable names are those that can be counted, such as apple or spoon.
Can I have three apples, please?

Can I have three apples, please?
Uncountable nouns are those nouns that cannot be counted as units, such as sugar, furniture or money.
Is this luggage yours? Is this your luggage?
There are many uncountable nouns that belong to names of foods or beverages: rice , butter, bread, water.
These names can become countable if we use a unit of measurement. For example:
Three slices of bread Three slices of bread

A glass of milk A glass of water
3.4. Some / any.
Indicate an undetermined amount. They are used with uncountable or countable nouns. They can be translated as something
from, some-as, some-as, some-as. Some is used in affirmative sentences:
With countable nouns (apples, coins)
I want some apples I want some apples.
With uncountable nouns (water, sugar)
There is some sugar. There is some sugar.
Any is used in negative and interrogative sentences:
With countable nouns (potatoes, boys)
I don't want any potatoes I don't want potatoes.
With uncountable nouns (water, sugar)
Do you need any sugar? Do you need sugar?
However, in interrogative sentences when we offer or ask for something we use "some".
Would you like some orange juice? Do you want (some) orange juice?
Can I have some sugar, please? May I have some sugar, please?
- 29
-
3.5. How much / how many, a lot of, much, many.
Much is translated as "a lot" and is used with uncountable nouns.
Tom hasn't got much money Tom does not have much money
Many translates to many, and is only used with countable nouns in the plural.
Peter has got many friends Peter has many friends
We also have two expressions to ask how much of something we want.
We will use how much to ask the quantity of an uncountable noun and when asking the quantity of something countable we
will use how many and the plural noun.
How much sugar do you need? How much sugar do you need?
How many eggs do you need? How many eggs do you need?
Wildcard verbs: have and get
When the verb have accompanies a food or one of the daily meals, it is translated as tomar. For example,have a coffee, tomar
un café. Or it may take on the meaning of the verb that would correspond to the action:
have a cigarette, smoking a cigarette.
Idioms with the verb have followed by a / an and a noun are very frequent. In these cases the verb have adopts the meaning of
the verb corresponding to that noun.
Have a shower, shower.
On the other hand, the verb get has very different meanings:
Arriving at a place. Get home, Get to get home. Get to work.

Receive. a letter, Get a receive a letter.
catching the bus.
Coger. bus,
Sometimes it indicates a change of state and is translated as a reflexive:
Get married, get married
Get old, getting old.
A lot of
It translates as "a lot", and can be used with countable plural nouns and with uncountable ones. It can be used in all types of
sentences (affirmative, negative and interrogative).
Examples:
I spent a lot of money yesterday. I spent a lot of money yesterday
There are a lot of flowers in the garden. There are a lot of flowers in the garden
- 30
-
VOCABULARY
bullfighting bullfighting cooking cooking
cycling cycling flatmate flatmate
free free fun fun
gardening gardening good-looking handsome
hate hate relaxing relaxing
retired withdrawn smoke smoking
anchovy anchovy angler fish monkfish
cod cod conger eel conger eel
dogfish dogfish eel eel
elver elver gilt-head golden
grouper mere hake hake
halibut halibut herring herring
mackerel mackerel pike pike
pompflet permit red mullet mullet
salmon salmon sardine sardine
sea bream sea bream sea-bass sea bass
sun sole swordfish swordfish
trout trout tuna tuna
turbot turbot white tuna northern bonito
whitebait rattlesnake
- 31
-
3.6. A little / a few.
The adverb a little is used with uncountable nouns and we will translate it as "un poco de".
I have a little money I have a little money
We can use little without the a, but in this case it will be translated as "poco/a" and expresses a negative idea.
I have little money I have little money
A few is used with plural countable nouns and translates as "a few". It is equivalent to saying "a few" but "not many".
I know a few stories I know a few stories
We can also use few without the a, but as with little, it expresses a negative idea and we will translate it as "pocos/as".
I say few words I say a few words
We can also use these determiners as pronouns:
Only a few come to the party Only a few come to the party.
3.7. There is / There are (Haber).
The meaning of the verb "haber" is expressed in English with there and the verb to be. We will use the form,
there is, contracted there's for the countable singular and the uncountable, and there are for the plural.
There is an orange on the table There is an orange on the table

There are two doors There are two doors
The negation is formed by adding not after is and are. We can also use the contracted forms isn't and aren't.
There isn't an orange on the table There is no orange on the table

There isn't any milk in the fridge No milk in the refrigerator
There aren't two doors There are no two doors.
To formulate questions we reverse the order between there and is or are. We will consider the use of some
(affirmative) and any (negative and interrogative).
Is there an orange on the table? Is there an orange on the table?

Is there any milk in the fridge? Is there milk in the refrigerator?
- 32
-
VOCABULARY
air conditioning air conditioning cathedral cathedral
cupboard cupboard dry dry
hang out hang however however
island island keep save
mileage kilometer located located
rhythm rhythm satellite satellite
shine shine sun sun
train train
3.8. The Price.

To ask how much something costs , we use the formula "how much", followed by is (for singular) or are (for plural)
and the thing we are asking the price of. Examples:
How much is this shirt? How much does this shirt cost?
How much are those shoes? How much do these shoes cost?
To answer the above questions we will use it's ( for singular) or they're (for plural) and the price. Examples:
It's 35€. It costs 35 €.
They are 67€. They cost 67€.
How much is it? Prices in the United Kingdom
This is the pound sign: £ ,and is placed in front of the amount, sometimes simply "L" is used.It's £6. The word pence is
often used instead of pounds or sterling pounds. Pence is pence and its singular form is penny.
We will refer to coins as coins and bills as notes. For example, a five pounds note, a five pound bill, or a 20 pence coin,
a 20 pence coin.
To ask for the price of a product, we will use the expression how much is it? To express how much something costs and
the amount we are paying we will use it's expression + the price + the quantity. For example, it's + 2 pounds + a kilo
(the kilo costs two pounds).
Although the United Kingdom is in the European Economic Community, it has not implemented the euro currency and
continues to maintain the pound, which is usually exchanged at approximately one and a half euros.
- 33
-
The following is a series of words related to the field of purchasing and pricing.
Credit card Deposit Credit card
Currency Discount Deposit
Note Currency
Receipt Discount
Sign Ticket
Receipt
Traveller's check Cash
Sign
Traveler's Checks
Cash
VOCABULARY
Alone only Business business
Coin currency King king
Lover mistress Millionaire millionaire
Murder assassination, murder Partner partner
Someone someone Suspect suspect
Tip tip Truth truth
Here is a list of expressions you can use when talking about prices. Each of these expressions is accompanied by its
respective use and exemplification:
1.It was quite cheap / It wasn't very expensive:

It is a fairly common expression in English. Using adverbs and adjectives such as "quite" and "very" is very natural in
spoken English.
- How much was this jacket?
- It was quite cheap!
2.It didn't cost that much / It wasn't that expensive, really:

By using the term "that" we are emphasizing the fact that it was not as much as we expected. Generally these
expressions are used to justify the purchase of something:
- I don't think you needed that pair of shoes.
- It's possible but they weren't that expensive, really.
3.I'm happy with the price:

This phrase indicates our approval of the price of what we want to buy. We can use it when we negotiate a price and
finally reach an agreement.
- You won't find anything cheaper in other place!
- Don't worry; I'm happy with the price!
It was good value for money:

By using this expression, we are talking about the added value that an object can have even though it may be a bit
expensive.
- Were you sure about buying this house?
- Of course I was! It was quite expensive but it was good value for money!
- 34
-
3.9. Age.
How old are you? How old are you?
I am.........years-old I have...
When answering this question we can say I am .....years-old or I am..., but never I am ..... years.
I am 30 years-old I am 30 years old.

She is 21 She is 21 years old.
He is 40 years Incorrect
We can also ask for the date or place of birth of each one. For this we will use the vocabulary seen in the first topic
of the course about days of the week, months and the correct way of expressing the date that we will see in the
following point.
We must also express it with a verb in the past tense to be born. We will now see how to create this expression and
leave the past to later topics.
Where were you born? I was born in Málaga Where were you born? I was born in Malaga
3.10. Infinitive with and without "to".
Verb + object + infinitive with to
Some examples are: allow, persuade, get (persuade, arrange for), tell, order, remind, warn, force, invite, encourage,
teach and enable.
He allowed me to come. They let me come.

They got me to sign. They made me sign.
She persuaded me to come. He convinced me to come.
After allow, two structures are possible: Compare:
Verb+ -ing (without an object) Verb + objects +to
They don't allow parking in front of the building. They don't allow people to park in front of the building.
Verbs +infinitive with to
After these verbs you can use the infinitive with to.
Offer, decide, hope, deserve, promise, agree, plan, manage, afford, threaten, refuse, arrange, fail, forget, and learn.
I agree to help her. I agree to help her.

Don't forget to post the letter. Don't forget to send the letter.
Verbs that can be followed by -ing or to without modifying their meaning
Begin, start, continue, intend and bother
Therefore, it is correct:
- 35
-
The baby began to cry in the middle of the night.
The baby began crying in the middle of the night.
The baby started crying in the middle of the night.
It has started raining or It has started to rain. It has started to rain.
Like/love/hate
When we talk about repeated actions, we can use -ing or to... after these verbs.
I don't like flying or I don' like to fly. I don't like to fly.
I love meeting people or I love to meet people. I love meeting people.
But: We use -ing and (not to) when we talk about a situation that already exists.
Example:
Peter lives in Manchester now. He likes living there. He lives in Manchester and likes it.
Would like/would love/would hate/would prefer usually follows the infinitive with to.
Example:
I'd like to go to the cinema every Saturday. I would like to go to the movies every Saturday.
Would mind is always followed by -ing
Would you mind cleaning the bathroom? Would you mind cleaning the bathroom?
Finally, there is a group of verbs whose meaning can be altered depending on whether they are followed by -ing or to.
Remember
I remember doing something = I did it and now I am remembering it.
I remembered to do something = Yo recordé que tenía que hacer algo y lo hice.
Example:
I know I locked the door. I clearly remember locking it.
I remembered to lock the door, but I forgot to shut the window.
Regret
I regret doing something = I did it and now I regret it very much
I regret to say/to tell you/to inform you = Siento lo que he dicho (etc).
Example: I believe that what I said was fair. I don't regret saying it.
I knew they were in trouble, but regret to say I did nothing to help them.
Go on
Go on doing something = Continue with the same thing.
Go on to do something = to say or do something new.
Example:
- 36
-
The book goes on to describe his experiences in the army.
We need to change. We can't go on living like this.
Need to... and need -ing
I need to do something = it is necessary for me to do it:
I need to take more exercise. I need to exercise more.
Something needs doing = Something needs to be done .
The windows are dirty. They need cleaning.

The windows are dirty. Need to be cleaned
VOCABULARY
Actually in fact Arrival arrival
As usual as usual At least at least
Carefully carefully Catch catch
Enclose include Excited excited
Follow follow Hope wait (to hope)
Next next Postcard postcard
Recent recent Sure insurance / a
That's fine is fine That's right that is
Underground subway
- 37
-
Module 2
TOPIC 4. Writing e-mails in English
TOPIC 5. Writing a job application in English
TOPIC 6. Business English phrasal verbs
module 2
Writing e-mails in English
1. How to write e-mails in English
2. The Date
3. Greetings in e-mails
4. Introductory sentences and email body
5. Finalize an email
6. Simple Past
7. Regular and Irregular Verbs
8. A formal letter
9. A letter of enquiry
10. A letter to reply
11. A letter to complain
12. A business letter to apologise
Objectives:
♦ Learn the greetings, courtesy and farewell formulas for writing e-mails in English.
<
♦
♦
Learn the use of the simple past tense.
0
0
Differentiate between regular and irregular verbs.
♦ Know how to express the date in English.
♦ Know the different types of letters that exist in business English.
)
4.1. How to write e-mails in English.
When e-mail did not exist and business was done by paper letters, formality was much stricter. New technologies have made
us a little more flexible when it comes to interacting with others in writing, even if it's just an email or a formal letter.
In any case we must assess the degree of formality we need to communicate, what relationship we have with the person to
whom we send the email. Taking into account these questions and our common sense we will be able to write a letter or an
email with the necessary formality for each case.
As in Spanish, the Subject field must inform precisely and concisely about the content of the message. Therefore, this field
must express the purpose of your email. When reading the subject line of the e-mail, the recipient must know precisely
whether it is a presentation, request, clarification, reminder, application, complaint, response to a question or offer, etc.
An easy way to write the subject line is to write it after having written the entire body of the message and carefully reread it.
After defining a subject line, always ask yourself this question: does your subject line make the content of the e-mail clear?
4.2. The Date.
In English, ordinal numbers (first, second, third...) are used to express dates, unlike in Spanish where cardinal
numbers (one, two, three, etc.) are used.
Today is the 2nd of June Today is June 2
To express days we use the preposition on. On the other hand, the preposition in is used to express months or years.
You came on the 12th of May You came on May 12

You came in May You came in May
In English, unlike Spanish, months and days are capitalized.
March March
Monday Monday
Normally, dates are written in the following order: day / month / year. But we must also take into account that in American
English the date is ordered as month / day and year.
VOCABULARY
Anniversary anniversary Businessman businessman
Case suitcase Disappear disappear
Hope have any hope of Offer offer
4.3. Greetings in emails.
Both in a letter and in an email we must greet the person who is going to read our message. Here are some of the greetings
we can use:
An informal greeting could be:

Hello Peter or Hi Peter (implying either equal treatment or continuous correspondence).
A formal greeting would be:

Dear Tom (neutral), Dear Mr. Tom (neutral), Dear Mr. Tom (neutral), Dear Mr. Tom (neutral). Simon (very
formal, to address a client, for example).
A greeting to an unknown addressee (for example, in an application) would take the following form:
To whom it may concern.
Another similar form would be:
- 40
-
Dear Sir or Madam.
Dear form implies a formal way of addressing someone in writing. It would be the equivalent of our Dear Sir.
Learning to use titles correctly in English is essential for both spoken and written English. With this chart you will learn more
about personal titles, be able to write essays and refer to people correctly.
Rar amerite used today, it is used

for young men accompanied by the Master
Master first name Phiiippe
Used for adult men, married or
Mr. single. Mr. Vargas
Used for young or adult single
Miss women Miss Ryan
Mrs. Used in Married women Mrs. Geller
Used for married or single women,

generally in formal or business
Ms letters. Ms. Green
4.4. Introductory sentences and body of the email.
The introductory sentence should give a precise indication of the purpose of the e-mail and should be consistent with the
subject line. It is not necessary to introduce yourself in detail at the beginning of the e-mail, if precise information about your
identity is given in the signature. Some of the following phrases may be used in the body of the message:
In the presentation:
I'm writing in connection with (+ e-mail subject). I am writing in regards to I am writing with regard to (+ e-mail
subject). I am writing to you regarding ...
I am writing to you regarding ... Your name (or Your e-mail contact) was given to me by ....(if there is a need for
contextualization).
I am writing to you on behalf of... I am writing on behalf of ...
In response:
Thank you for your consideration on that matter. Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
Thank you for your availability/quick answer.
Thank you for your availability / prompt response.
In an informative message (neutral/positive/negative):

I'm writing to let you know that (neutral). I am writing to let you know that...
I (we) am (are) delighted to tell you that (positive information).
I am/we are pleased to tell you that ...
We regret to inform you that (refusal or rejection of a request from the interlocutor). We regret to inform you that ...
For an application:
- 41
-
I'd be very grateful ifyou could (formal). I would be very grateful if you could Would you be so kind as to
(formal). Would you be so kind as to...?
Could you please? (neutral) Could you please?
In a reminder:
To this day, I haven't received any answer from you regarding... I would like to kindly remind you that... As of
today, I have not received any reply from you.... / I would like to kindly remind you that ...
Further to... In connection with ...

With reference to... With reference to ...
For acknowledgments:
I (We) would like to express our gratitude for all your help in this matter (very formal). I/we would like to
express our appreciation for all your help in this (very formal) matter.
Request for information/clarification:

Could you give me some information/tell me more about...
Could you give me some information / tell me more about ...
I'm interested in receiving... I am interested in receiving ...
There are several points we don't quite understand regarding... Would you mind giving more details about...
There are several issues that I do not understand very well ... Would you mind giving more details about ...?
4.5. Finalize an email.

We can finalize our e-mail in several possible ways, depending on the nature of the message:
If you need any additional assistance, please contact me (for example: with a client, after a
response detailing the next steps).
If you need any additional assistance, please contact me.
If you need any further information, feel free to contact me.

If you need any other information please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you in advance.. .(if a request is made in the message).

Thank you in advance.
I look forward to hearing from yousoon.

I look forward to hearing it again soon.
Finally, certain polite formulas at the end of an e-mail (Yours faithfully, Yours sincerely) are widely used in written
correspondence. In an e-mail, the most common are:
Kind regards Greetingskind regards
Best regards Greetingskind regards
Regards (among colleagues) Greetings
4.6. Simple past.
This tense is used to refer to actions already past and closed in time.
Its formation will depend on whether the verb to be conjugated in the past tense is regular or irregular.
If the verb is irregular , we take the second form from the list of irregular verbs:
drink - drank
If the verb is regular we add -ed:

work - worked
To form a negative sentence in the past tense, we have to resort to the past auxiliary didn't; this auxiliary does not
differentiate between the third person singular and the rest, as was the case with the present simple.
I didn't play tennis I didn't play tennis.
- 42
-
We have to take into account that when using the past auxiliary didn't the main verb is no longer in the past tense, but in
the infinitive.
In interrogatives, we have to resort again to the use of the past auxiliary did. The main verb is again used in the infinitive ,
since it is the auxiliary verb that indicates the past form:
Did you play tennis? Did you play tennis?
To form the short past answers we will use only the auxiliary.
Did you go to the cinema? Yes, I did. Did you go to the movies? Yes, I went.
- 43
-
4.7. Regular and Irregular Verbs.
Irregular verbs are those that have three forms, one for the infinitive-present, one for the past and one for the past
participle.
Let's take the verb drink, which means to drink, as an example.
Present Past Participio
Drink Drank Drunk
Sometimes the forms for the past and for the past participle are the same. Let's take the verb buy as an example.
Buy Bought Bought
On the other hand, we have regular verbs. They are those that present two forms, one for the infinitive and the other
for the past and the past participle.
The formation of these last two tenses is done by adding -ed.
Play Played Played
VOCABULARY
Busy occupied Come on! Come on!
Else more Floor ground
Glass glass, glass Gun gun
Hand hand Hear listen
Leave leave Papers papers
Short under To be in love with be in love with
Unusual unusual
Beard beard Blonde blond
Brown eyes brown eyes Dark hair dark hair
Fat fat Medium height average height
Moustache mustache Overweight overweight
Slim slim Tall high
Thin delga
- 44
-
Irregular verbs
We must recognize and learn most of these verbs in order not to make their past tense and participle as if they were regular
verbs.
A-HVERBS
Present Past Past participle Meaning

awake awoke awoken wake up
be was/were been to be, to be
become became become become, become
begin began begun start
bet bet bet bet
bite bit bit/bitten bite
bleed bled bled bleed
blow blew blown blow
break broke broken break
bring brought brought bring
build built built build
burn burnt burnt burn, burn
buy bought bought buy
catch caught caught catch, catch
choose chose chose choose
come came come come
cut cut cut cut
deal dealt dealt try
dig dug dug dig
do did done make
draw drew drawn drawing, drawing
dream dreamt dreamt dream
drink drank drunk drink
drive drove driven drive
eat ate eaten eat
fall fell fallen fall off
feed fed fed feed
feel felt felt feel
fight fought fought fight
find found found find
fly flew flown fly
forbid forbade forbidden prohibit
forget forgot forgotten forget
forgive forgave forgiven sorry
freeze froze frozen freeze
get got got/gotten achieve, obtain
give gave given give
go went gone go to
grow grew grown grow
hang hung hung hang
have had had have, have
hear heard heard hear
hide hyd hidden hide
hit hit hit hit
hold held held hold, grasp
hurt hurt hurt hurt, hurt
- 45
-
K-S VERBS

keep kept kept keep, conserve
know knew known know, know
lead led led guide
learn learnt learnt learn
leave left left leave
lend lent lent provide
let let let allow, let
lie lay lain to lie, to lie down
light lit lit illuminate
go to lost lost lose
make made made make
mean meant meant signify
meet met met find, know
melt melted melted or molten melt
pay paid paid pay
put put put put, place
quit quit quit leave, go
read read read read
ride round ridden riding, riding
ring rang rung ringing, ringing the bell
rise rose risen to raise, to lift
run ran run run
say said said say
see saw seen see
seek go to go to search
seal sold sold sell
send sent sent send
set set set set, establish
sew sewed sewn sew
shake shook shaken shake, shake
shine shone shone shine
shoot shot shot fire
show showed shown show
shut shut shut close
sing sang sung sing
sit sat sat sit
sleep slept slept sleep
slide slid slid slip
smell smelt smelt smell
speak spoke spoken speak
speed sped sped speed up
spell spelt spelt spell
spend spent spent spend
spit spat spat spit
spread spread spread scatter
booth stood stood to be, to stand
- 46
-
S-Z VERBS

spin spun spun turn
split split split from
spoil spoilt spoilt spoil
spread spread spread scatter
booth stood stood to remain on/standing
steal stole stolen steal
stick stuck stuck glue, fix

sting stang stang nibble
stink stank stunk stink
strike struck stricken strike, attack
swear swore sworn swear
sweep swept swept sweep
swim swam swum swim
take took taken catch, take
teach taught taught teach
tear tore torn tear
tell told told say, count
think thought thought think, believe
throw threw thrown throw, throw
tread trode trodden visit
understand understood understood understand
wake woke woken wake up
wear wore worn wear, use
weep wept wept crying, sobbing
win won won win
write wrote written write
- 47
-
4.8. A formal letter.
If you are used to using email to communicate, you may find it strange to write a formal email. Our letter or email should be
clear, brief and appropriate. We must say what we need to express without much beating around the bush and using
appropriate language.
Some expressions are:
A formal letter
You write to: How to say hello: How to say goodbye:
Dear Sir or Madam Yours faithfully

A person or company you do not know Yours truly
To whom it may concern
Truly yours
Yours faithfully
A lady whose name you do not know Dear Madam Yours truly
Truly yours
Yours faithfully
A gentleman whose name you do not know Dear Sir Yours truly
Truly yours
A person whose name you know Dear Mr / Mrs / Ms Fisher Yours sincerely Very truly
yours Sincerely (yours)
(With) best wishes
Someone you know personally Dear John / Ann Yours Love
All the best
Kindest / Best regards
6123 Road
Apt. Bl 1
Here is an example of Chnpai Hill. Nil
a formal letter. January Tfr JOdj Tayfpr. IE.
B94 nockstar Lane
Durham, NC277QB
Dear Sir Madam:
I just read an article in the News end Observer about 1 aylor 's new computer centre just north of Durham. I would like to apply for a
position as a programmer at the centre.
I understand that Taylor produces both in-house and customer documentation. My tec hn ical-yvrit ¡ng Ekills, as described in the enclosed
CV, are well suited to your company. I am a recent graduate of DeVry Institute of Technology In Atlanta wiiliili an Associate's Dogrec in
Computer Science. In addition to having taken a broad range of courses, I served as a computer consultant at the college's computer centre
where I helped train computer users on naw systems.
I will be happy to meet with you at your convenience and discuss how my education and experience match your needs. You can reach me
at my home address, at (919) 2331552, Of at krockidevry.alumni.edu.
Sincerely.
NOTE: We put our
address at the top right,
and further down but JL.1]----3
this time on the left, the
destination address. M Warrens (Mr)
- 48
-
4.9. A letter of enquiry.
A letter requesting information on a subject normally contains two paragraphs. The first paragraph usually states who is writing
the letter, by way of introduction, and explains why the letter is being written. In the second, we explain how we learned about
the company to which we are sending the letter and make a request.
Some useful expressions that can be used are the following: use when writing this type of letter
I was given your name by... I was given his name in...
I saw your advertisement in... I saw your ad in...
We... (say what your company does) We...
(say what your company does)
At the moment we are... At this moment we are...
Could you please send us...? Please could you send us...? Would you be so
Would you kindly send us? kind as to send us...?
Please can you let me have...? Would you please allow me to have...?
Yours faithfully. Sincerely yours.
Sample letter
Vancouver Manufacturing
9102 NW 99a Stet, Vancouer, Washington 98665
(800) 555-1212 - wwwexample.com
September 25, 2005
Mr. John Taylor

Director of Operations
ABC Corporation
100 E Main Street
Vancouver, WA 98685
We are a large discoteque in the centre of London.

We are organizing a series of dance competitions and are thinking of giving
away specially designed T-shirts as prizes.Isaw your adevertisement for T-
shirts in last week's Discoworld and am interested in knowing more about your
service.
Could you please send us a free full color information pack as soon as
possible?
Yours faithfully,
Al Olsen
President; Vancouver Manufacturing
Letter of reply
In a commercial letter in which we answer about some kind of information that has been requested, we must follow certain
guidelines:
1. We thank the potential customer for their interest in our products.
- 49
-
4.10. A letter to reply.
2. In case we send any additional sample or document, it must be detailed in the letter in two ways: writing it in the letter
itself, and writing under our signature 'enc.' (= enclosed), to indicate that something else accompanies our letter.
3. We try to convince the customer to do business with us.
4. Encourage the person for future contacts or requests for information.
Sample letter
Teresa Volpe
12 High Street
Highbury Tees Total
London N5 Printing and
Embroidery of
Leisurewear
18 May 2006 Highstreet

Wooton Bassett
Nr. Swindon
Wiltshire
SN47AB
PHONE (01793) 849888
FAX (01793) 849890
Dear Ms Volpe,
Thank you for your enquiry regarding the printing of T-shirts to your own design.
Please find enclosed our latest information package, which we hope is of interest to you.
We offer professional design of your motif free of charge, a free proof garment, top
quality shirts, speedy UK and worldwide delivery, and a friendly and efficient service.
Together with our unconditional guarantee, this adds up to an unbeatable service.
We hope that Tees Total will have the pleasure of printing for you in the future and look
forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely, Rachel Sturdy Tees Total Jan.
- 50
-
4.11. A letter to complain.
A letter of complaint
A typical letter of complaint is usually three paragraphs long:
• In the first paragraph, we state the reason for writing the letter. We must provide all the necessary details, such as
serial number of the product purchased, where and when the purchase was made, etc;
• In the second paragraph, we explain the problem(s) that led us to contact the person or company, giving as many
details as possible;
• In the third paragraph, we suggest a solution or measures to be taken with respect to the problem that has been
presented to us. You can also warn that you will take certain action (such as going to the authorities) if you do not receive
a response within a certain period of time (which should be reasonable);
In this type of letter, we must try to explain very clearly what has happened to us. Receipts, contracts or other
documents relevant to the resolution of our case should be included. Originals are never sent, always copies.
Sample Letter
near Mr Htarvís,
t úv wrítíno wíth reserevce tp order No. OV533 of

3 Septevder, kdecvse it was ivcpveplete pn. rrival
this MpFíMO-
The vovevt ( opevted the irst chest, ( voticed that vve itevs were vssíno- These vcLude
twp opmplete hí-is Avd three sets of Lpudspeúkers.
i the whple cpnsiovvevt do es vot arrive befare Ootpker 1S, the order wiLLL tie
cünceLled And we wiLL ivd Aipther supplier.
Ypurs sivcerel j,
Jasov. Adavs
4.12. A business letter to apologise.
A business letter of apology
• Type the letter using an unobtrusive font such as Times New Roman or Georgia and print it in good quality, on
good quality paper as well.
• Begin the letter with your apology and clearly explain the problem.
• Explain what happened.
- 51
-
• Focus on the actions you are going to take to rectify the problem.
• Sign the letter of apology by hand, using a black pen.
Remember: say you are sorry as soon as you feel it is necessary. You will find that a letter of this type not only helps to
preserve friendships and business associates, it can also make small problems go away and prevent them from becoming
more important.
Sample Letter
Dear Mr Fehr,
Thank you for informing us about the damage done to all the goods we sent you on 9
June (order n 0.2981)
We appreciate the problems this lias caused you, but we hope we can find a solution as
soon as possible.
Could you please return the whole consignment to us so that we can inspect the damage
for insurance purposes?
We will dispatch a new consignment immediately. Fortunately, we have everything you

need in stock.
- 52
-
Basic English
Commercial
Writing a job application in English
1. Present continuous
2. Future
3. The Comparative
4. The Superlative
5. Write a cover letter. Introduction
6. Write a cover letter. Argumentation and explanation
7. Write a cover letter. Abilities and skills
8. Write a cover letter. Completion
Objectives:
♦ Knowing how to express ideas in the future.
♦ Know how to compare using the degrees of the adjective.
♦ Be able to apply for a job in English.
♦ Be able to write texts in English with clarity and coherence.

item 5
5.1. Present continuous.
The present continuous is formed with the verb to be and the verb we are conjugating + -ing.
For example, if we form the present continuous of the verb to play, we do it like this:
You are playing You are playing
This verb form is used with two meanings:
To refer to an action takes place at the same time we are speaking:
I'm watching TV I'm watching TV
To refer to situations that have not yet taken place, but are to be realized in a short period of time.
I'm leaving tomorrow I leave tomorrow
When adding the suffix -ing to the verb we will take into account:
- If the verb is monosyllabic and ends in a consonant preceded by a vowel, the consonant is doubled:
run running stop stopping cut cutting
- This also happens with verbs that have more than one syllable but the stress is on the last one.
begin beginning admitting
- If the verb ends in a voiceless -e, i.e. it is not pronounced, it is deleted and the -ing ending is added:
love loving come coming drive driving
- When the word ends in -y, unlike the present tense, no change has to be made:
play playing stay staying buy buying
- When the verb ends in -l, the consonant is doubled:

travel travelling cancel cancelling impel impelling
- If the word ends with -ie, you must change -ie to -y before adding -ing.
die dying lie lying
The pronoun "one
The pronoun one is used to refer to something that has already been named. In this way we repeat the same idea but without
repeating the same word.
I need a pencil. I need a pencil

I can lend you one. I can lend you one
If the word we are going to substitute is in plural, we will use ones instead of one.
I like those shoes. I like those shoes
Which ones? Which
ones?
- 54
-
VOCABULARY
concert hall auditorium culture culture
dark dark head toward head for
history history language language
light of course mean signify
pit pit side side
belt belt blouse blouse
boots boots bra bra
briefs underpants children's clothes children's clothing
coat coat necklace neck
cuff fist cuff-links cufflinks
dress dress girdle girdle
gloves gloves high-heeled shoes high heels
jacket jacket jeans jeans
jumper jersey knickers panties
ladies' wear women's clothing men's wear men's clothing
nightdress nightgown pyjamas pajamas
sandals sandals scarf scarf
shirt shirt shorts shorts
skirt skirt slippers house slippers
socks socks suit suit
suspend league sweater sweater, sweatshirt
thong thong tie tie
tights leotards tracksuit tracksuit
trousers pants t-shirt T-shirt
underwear underwear vest undershirt
waist slip petticoat waistcoat vest
5.2. Future.
We will see in this topic that we can express the future with will or the expression be going to. Let's focus on the
- 55
-
use of will.
We will use will to indicate a future decision made on the spot.

I will / I'll have a coffee, please. I'll have a coffee, please.
It is also used to make a prediction or express an opinion about the future.

Tom won't pass the exam. Tom will not pass the exam.
This verb tense is formed with will followed by the verb. We also have the contracted 'll form as we have seen in the first
example.
The negation is formed by adding not between will and the verb.
I will not go / I won't go I will not go
To ask questions the order is will + subject + verb.

Will you go Will you go?
The structure to be going to, formed by the present tense of the verb to be plus going to plus the infinitive of the verb
being conjugated, is used to indicate the immediate future.
It is a very common way to refer to an action related to an intention or a decision that had been taken
previously.
I'm going to spend all my money I'm going to spend it all.
It can also be used when there are indications that something is about to happen:
Look at these clouds. It's going to rain. Look at those clouds. It's going to rain.
If we want to create a negative sentence with going to we must add not after the conjugated form of the verb to be.
She is not going to smoke She is not going to smoke.
If we want to create an interrogative sentence with going to, we must change the order of the auxiliary to be and the
subject.
Are you going to go Madrid tomorrow? Going to Madrid tomorrow?
Will and going to. Further explanation

Let's talk about the future with will and be going to:
In English there are several options to express the idea of future, as it happens in our language, e.g. "Tomorrow I'm
going to the movies" -presentesimple-, or "I'm going to order chicken." -ira + infinitive verb-, or "I'll finish the salad first."
In English, the two most common forms -orthe ones that interest us now- to express the notion of future are:
• One of the forms of the verb "TO BE" (AM / IS / ARE) - depending onthe subject of the sentence - followed by
GOING TO and the VERB in its basic form. Ex. "I am going to stay at Imaginary Hotel next vacation."
• The auxiliary verb WILL followed by the basic form of the main verb: "I will have chicken."
In dialogue, the use of the future tense with will denotes intention on the part of the speaker. Will is used when we
decide something at the moment we speak, or when we make promises. When we talk about plans, things we will do
that are already conceived, we prefer to use the future with be going to + verb.
5.3. The comparative.
For the formation of the comparative of superiority we will take into account the following rules:
To adjectives with one or two syllables we add -er.

old old older older
Monosyllables that are formed by consonant + vowel + consonant, double the last consonant and add -er
big grande bigger bigger

Two-syllable adjectives ending in -y lose the -y ending and add -ier
easy easy easier
- 56
-
The rest of the adjectives do not undergo any change in form, but are preceded by the adverb more.
expensive caro more expensive more expensive
VOCABULARY
appointment citation awful horrible
backache back pain bay bay
careful care come back back to
country field Cyprus Cyprus
galaxy galaxy hill hill
interested in interested in patient patient
oil gasoline pk tablet
spend spend tip tip
trouble problem turn into become
checked plaid cotton cotton
denim denim linen linen
plain smooth silk silk
spotted polka dot striped striped
wool wool
- 57
-
There are a number of irregular adjectives, for whose comparative form there are no rules. Of these irregular adjectives,
the most common are:
good good bad better better worse
bad worse farther
far far further
When comparing two terms, we will use than after the comparative form of the adjective.
Mary is more intelligent than Peter. Mary is smarter than Peter.
We must add to our explanation the comparatives of equality and inferiority. To say that two terms have a quality
in the same proportion we will use the structure as + adjective + as.
Mary is as tall as me. Mary is as tall as I am.
Finally, the comparative of inferiority is made with the structure less + adjective + than, and is translated as "less +
adjective + than".
John is less fast than Mike. John is less fast than Mike.
British English Vs. American English
People in the United States and Great Britain understand each other perfectly, but sometimes there are differences in
grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation or how a word is spelled. With vocabulary, the same word can have a different
meaning. For example, what the British know as chips, the Americans know as Frenchfries and for the Americans chips
are the British crisps. Other times, there are completely different words for the same object: lorry and truck serve to
designate the word "truck" in British and American English respectively.
There are also words that are becoming more frequent in British English that come from American English and vice
versa. For example, the word movie in American English is replacing the British word film. Another word like guys
(informal word for uncles, colleagues...) in British English refers only to men, while in American English it refers to both
men and women.
American English tends to be simpler in its writing. For example, words that in British English end in -our or -re, in
American English end in -or and -er. For example, the words color/color and center/center. Another example is in the
writing of syntermediain some words. For example realise in British English and realize in American English. Then there
are other differences in words ending in gh, as in the case of plough in British English and ruff in American English.
- 58
-
5.4. The superlative.
We use the superlative degree of an adjective to express its maximum degree. The adjective in the superlative
degree is preceded by the.
To adjectives with one or two syllables we add -est.

old old the oldest the oldest
Monosyllables that are formed by consonant + vowel + consonant, double the last consonant and add -est.
fat fat the fattest the fattest
Two-syllable adjectives ending in -y, lose this ending and add -iest.
heavy heavy the heaviest the heaviest
The rest of the adjectives do not suffer any change in their form, but we will place the adverb most between the and
the adjective.
interesting interesting the most interesting the most interesting
There are a number of irregular adjectives, for whose comparative form there are no rules.
good well the best the best
bad bad the worst the worst
far far the furthest the farthest
Tom is the youngest member in his family

Tom is the youngest member of his family.
That is the most interesting book. That is the most interesting book.
It's the worst film I've ever seen. It's the worst movie I've ever seen.
British English Vs. American English (II)
Let us now look at more comparisons and vocabulary on this subject:

British English American English •
Cab Cab Cab
Return ticket Round trip Round trip ticket
Petrol Gas Gasoline
Main road Highway Main road
Motorway Freeway Highway
Underground Subway Metro
Subway Underpass Underpass
Pavement Sidewalk Sidewalk
Lorry Truck Truck
Car Park Parking Lot Parking
Luggage Baggage Luggage
Puncture Blow-out Puncture
British English American English
Autumn Fall Vacation Autumn Vacation Fortnight In queue
Holiday Two weeks In
Fortnight On Line
Queue
- 59
-
Tap Faucet Faucet
Rubbish Garbage/trash Garbage
Dustbin Trashcan Garbage garbage
Toilet Bathroom can Services
Wardrobe Closet Cabinet
Aerial Antenna Antenna
Rubber Eraser Rubber
Curtains Drapes Curtains
Sellotape Scotch tape Fixo
Garden Yard Garden
British English American English

Flat Apartment Floor
Ground floor First Floor First floor
Lift Elevator Elevator
Toilet (Gents/ladies) Bathroom (men's/ladies's room) Services
Trousers Pants Pants
Waistcoat Vest Vest
Vest Undershit Undershirt
British English
Trainers American
Sneakers English Sports shoes
Biscuits Cookies Cookies
Sweets Candies French Candies
Chips Fries French fries
Crisps Chips Potato chips
5.5. Write a cover letter. Introduction.
Below is a series of phrases that we can use when commenting on our letter. This is the first form of contact and we
must know how to present ourselves correctly.
• Distinguished Sir: Dear Sir
Formal, male addressee, name unknown.
• Distinguished Madam: Dear Madam
Formal, female addressee, name unknown.
• Distinguished Gentlemen: Dear Sir / Madam
Formal, name and sex of recipient unknown.
• Dear Sirs
Formal, when addressing several unknown persons or a department.
• To whom it may concern: To whom it may concern
Formal, name and gender of recipient completely unknown.
- 60
-
• Dear Mr. Perez: Dear Mr. Perez. Perez
Formal, male addressee, known name.
• Dear Mrs. Perez: Dear Mrs. Perez. Perez
Formal, female addressee, married, known name.
• Dear Miss Perez: Dear Miss Perez
Formal, female addressee, single, known name.
• Dear Ms. Perez: Dear Ms. Perez. Perez
Formal, female addressee, name known, marital status unknown.
• Dear Mr. Perez: Dear John Perez
Less formal, if you have had previous dealings with the addressee.
• I would like to apply for the position of.... advertised on... on....:
I wish to apply for the post of...which you advertised in...on...
Standard formula used when applying for a job found in a newspaper or magazine.
• I am writing in relation to the advertisement found in....:
I am writing in response to your advertisement posted on...
Standard formula used when applying for a job found online.
• I am writing in reference to your advertisement in.... dated ....:
I refer to your advertisement in...dated... .
Standard formula used to explain where the advertisement for a job was found.
• I have read with great interest your advertisement for an.... with experience... in the editing of...:
I read your advertisement for an experienced...in the...issue of...with great interest.
Standard formula used to apply for a job found in a newspaper or magazine.
• I have the pleasure to apply for the advertised position, as....:
I have pleasure in applying for the advertised position, as...
Standard formula used to apply for a job.
• I would like to apply for the position of....:
- 61
-
I would like to apply for the position of...
Standard formula used to apply for a job.
• I am currently working in... and my responsibilities include....:
Currently I am working for... and my responsibilities include...
It is used as an introductory sentence to describe your current work situation and what it involves.
5.6. Write a cover letter.

Argumentation and explanation.
When we write a letter we must explain the reasons for the letter and why we are talking to a company. Here are some
phrases that will be useful for this purpose.
• I am particularly interested in this job, as...
I am particularly interested in this job, as...
It is used to explain why you would like to apply for a specific position.
• I would like to work for you because of...
I would like to work for you, in order to...
It is used to explain why you would like to apply for a specific position.
• My strengths are...
My strengths are...
It is used to expose what your main attributes are.
• I would say my only weak point(s) is/are..................................................But I intend to improve in that area(s).
I would say that my only weakness / weaknesses are... . But I am looking to improve in this / these
area/s.
It is used to reflect on your weaknesses, but showing that you are determined to improve in those areas.
• I am qualified for the position as...
I would be well suited to the position because...
It is used to explain why you are a good candidate for the job.
• Although I have no previous experience in..., I've had...
Although I have no previous experience in..., I have had...
It is used if you have never worked in a certain field, but you can demonstrate qualities from other experiences you
have had.
• My professional qualities/skills seem to suit your company's requirements.
- 62
-
My professional qualifications / skills appear to be well suited to your company's requirements.
It is used to explain what skills make you a good candidate for the job.
• During my experience as... I improved / broadened / expanded my knowledge of...
During my time as ..., I improved / furthered / extended / my knowledge of..., I improved / furthered /
extended / my knowledge of...
It is used to demonstrate your expertise in a certain field and the ability to acquire new skills.
• My area of expertise is...
My area of expertise is...
It is used to show in which field you have developed.
• While working in... I developed the ability to...
Whilst working at... I became highly competent in...
It is used to demonstrate your expertise in a certain field or demonstrate the ability to acquire new skills.
• Even when I work very quickly, I do not neglect precision and would therefore be particularly suited to the
demands of this position as...
Even when working at high speed, I do not neglect accuracy and would therefore be particularly
suitable for the demands of working as ....
It is used to explain why you would be a good fit for a position based on experience gained in previous jobs.
• Even under pressure I can maintain high standards.
Even under pressure I can maintain high standards.
It is used to show that you can work in a demanding business environment.
• And so I would have the opportunity to combine my interests with this job.
And thus I would have the opportunity to combine my interests with this placement.
It is used to show that you have a personal interest in the work.
• I have a strong interest in... and would appreciate the opportunity to expand my knowledge by working with
you.
I have a lively interest in ... and would appreciate the opportunity / chance to broaden my knowledge
by working with you.
It is used to show that you have a personal interest in the work.
• As you can see from my resume, my experience and capabilities match the requirements of this position.
As you can see from my enclosed resume, my experience and qualifications match this position's
requirements.
It is used to highlight your resume and demonstrate how qualified you are for the position.
• My current position as... at.... has given me the opportunity to work under pressure in a team environment
where it is essential to work in close communication with colleagues in order to meet deadlines.
- 63
-
My current position as...for...has provided me with the opportunity to work in a high-pressure, team
environment, where it is essential to be able to work closely with my colleagues in order to meet
deadlines.
It is used to show what skills you have gained from your current job.
• In addition to my responsibilities as... I also developed skills as...
In addition to my responsibilities as..., I also developed... skills.
It is used to show additional skills obtained from your current job.

Skills may or may not be associated with your position.
5.7. Write a cover letter.

Skills and abilities.
When we approach a company to apply for a job, we must express our skills and abilities in order to convey to the
company what we know how to do.
For this we can use phrases such as:
• My mother tongue is..., but I also speak...
My native language is..., but I can also speak...
It is used to refer to the mother tongue and second languages.
• I have an excellent command of...
I have an excellent command of...
It is used to refer to the foreign languages you are fluent in.
• I manage the... in a work context.
I have a working knowledge of...
It is used to refer to the foreign languages you speak at an intermediate level.
• I have... years of experience working as a...
I have ...years experience of working...
It is used to show expertise in certain business areas.
• I am an experienced user / an experienced user of...
I am an experienced user of...
It is used to refer to the software you manage.
• I believe I possess the right combination of... y...
I believe I possess the right combination of...and... .
It is used to show how balanced your skills are.
• Excellent communication skills
- 64
-
Excellent communication skills
The ability to share and explain information to your colleagues.
• Deductive reasoning
Deductive reasoning
The ability to understand and explain things quickly and effectively.
• Logical reasoning
Logical thinking
The ability to develop one's own ideas accurately and analytically.
• Analytical skills
Analytical skills
The ability to assess the situation thoroughly.
• Good interpersonal communication
Good interpersonal skills
The ability to manage a group of colleagues and to communicate effectively with them.
• Negotiation skills
Negotiation skills
The ability to do business effectively with other companies.
• Public speaking skills
Presentation skills
The ability to communicate ideas effectively in front of an audience.
5.8. Write a cover letter. Completion.
The beginning as well as the end of our letter is as important. We should end by clarifying the points we consider
necessary and concluding our explanation. We must be cordial and express our desire for a response.
• I am immensely motivated and would be happy to take on the variety of tasks that a position with your
company would offer me.
I am highly motivated and look forward to the varied work which a position in your company would
offer me.
It is used when concluding to reiterate the desire to work for that company.
• I see this position as a challenge and would welcome the possibility of obtaining it.
I see new tasks / this position as a welcome challenge, which I look forward to.
It is used when concluding to reiterate the desire to work for that company.
• I would welcome the opportunity to discuss the details of this position personally.
- 65
-
I would welcome the opportunity to discuss further details of the position with you personally.
It is used when concluding to suggest the possibility of an interview.
• You will find my resume attached.
Please find my résumé / CV attached.
Standard formula used to communicate to the employer that your CV is included with the cover letter.
• I can provide references... (personal, work) if required.
I can supply references from...if required.
Standard formula used to communicate to the employer that you are willing to provide references.
• References can be requested to...

References can be requested from...
It is used to communicate to the employer that you are willing to provide references and who they can contact.
• I am available to be interviewed on...
I am available for interview on...
It is used to indicate when you are available for an interview.
• Thank you for your time and consideration. I would welcome the opportunity to personally discuss why I am
qualified for this position. Please, contact me by...
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to the opportunity to personally discuss
why I am particularly suited to this position. Please contact me via...
It is used to provide contact information and to thank the employer for considering your job application.
• Cordially yours sincerely,
Yours faithfully,
Formal, recipient's name unknown.
• Sincerely yours,
Yours sincerely,
Formal, widely used, known addressee.
• Respectfully,
Respectfully yours,
Formal, not so used, known addressee.
• Greetings,
Kind/Best regards,
Informal, between business partners who are on a first-name basis.
- 66
-
Business English phrasal verbs
1. Phrasal verbs. Ranking
2. Phrasal verbs 1
3. Phrasal verbs 2
4. Phrasal verbs 3
5. Phrasal verbs 4
6. Phrasal verbs 5
Objectives:
♦ To know the types of phrasal verbs that exist in English.
♦ Learn the most common phrasal verbs in business.
item 6
6.1. Phrasal verbs. Classification.
Phrasal verbs are verbs that are accompanied by an adverb or preposition that modifies the meaning of the verb it
accompanies.
We can divide them into three groups according to the position of the particle.
1. Intransitive: these verbs do not have an object (ex. The car broke down yesterday).
2. Inseparable: the object must follow the phrasal verb (ex. I'm too busy to deal with the client right now).
3. Separable: the object can be interposed between the verb and a preposition or adverb (ex. The waiter added the
bill up *or* The waiter added up the bill).
6.2. Phrasal verbs 1
The following is a list of the most common phrasal verbs in English that you can use in your business dealings.
ADD UP
ADD UP TO reach a total of
total
ANSWER
BACK
ANSWER FOR answer for
answer in a bad way
ASK ABOUT
ASK AFTER ask about health
ask about (a matter) ask
ASK FOR
ASK UP TO order up to (one price)
for, ask about
ASK BACK invite to return ASK DOWN invite to download
ASK IN invite to enter ASK OUT ask out
ASK UP invite up
BACK
back
AWAY
BACK OUT go back
BACK UP reinforce BE ABOUT be by (a place)
BE AWAY be away
- 69
-
BE FOR be in favor of BE IN being at home
BRING UP raising, educating BRUSH OFF dusting
BE OFF to go away, to be off BE ON be on

BURN AWAY burn out (fire) BURN DOWN collapse (by fire)
BE OUT be away BE OVER be finished

BURN OUT burn out (fire) BURN UP consumed (by fire)
BE UP be up BEND DOWN duck

BUY FOR buy by or for BUY OVER bribe
BEND OVER lean BLOW AWAY carry away (the wind)

BUY UP hoard
BLOW
collapse in the wind BLOW OFF let off (steam)
DOWN
blasting (with
BLOW OUT extinguish (a flame) BLOW UP
explosives)
BREAK
go to BREAK DOWN collapse, break down
AWAY
BREAKIN burst in, interrupt BREAK OFF break (relationships)
ending the course or a

BREAKUP BREAK OUT break out (a war)
relationship
BRING BACK return BRING ABOUT carry
BRING BRING DOWN to demolish, to lower

bring (with you)
ALONG
to make public, to
BRING IN bring in BRING OUT
publish
BE BACK be back
- 70
-
CALL AT Visit, stopover CALL AWAY Continue to call
CALL BACK Calling (someone) to return CALL FOR Ask loudly, demand
CALL IN Call (someone) to come in CALL ON Go to see (someone)
Roll call, list,

CALL OUT Scream CALL OVER
enumerate
Calling (someone) to
CALL UP Phone CALL DOWN
come downstairs
CARRY
Persuade CARRY OFF Take away by force
ALONG
CARRY ON Continue to CARRY OUT Carry out
CLEAR
Disperse (se) CLEAR OFF Go to
AWAY
- 71
-
Clarify (time, a
CLEAR OUT Go to CLEAR UP
mystery)
CLOSE
Close CLOSE UP Approach
DOWN
COME
Suceder COME ACROSS Meeting with
ABOUT
COME To accompany, to come along

COME AT Ramming
ALONG (the street)
COME
Detach COME DOWN Download
AWAY
COME FOR Coming for (in search of) COME FROM Coming from
COME IN Enter COME OFF Detach
COME ON Let's go (in the imperative) COME OUT Exit
To ascend (a sum), to come to

COME TO COME UP Upload
oneself.
COME UP
Approach COUNT IN Include
TO
COUNTON To have COUNT UP Calculate
COUNTUP
Count to CRY FOR Crying for
TO
CRY OUT Crying bitters CRY OVER Regret
- 72
-
CRY TO Calling out CUT DOWN Reducing costs, cutting
- 73
-
CUT IN Interrupt CUT OFF Separate with a slash
CUT OUT Trimming, omitting CUT THROUGH Shorten by a shortcut
CUT UP Carving, grinding
DIE AWAY Cesar little by little DIE DOWN Appease
DIE OUT Extinguish DO UP Fasten
DO
Pasarsesin (lack of) DRAW AWAY Go to
WITHOUT
DRAW BACK Back DRAW DOWN Download
DRAW IN Economize, shrink (se) DRAW OFF Go to
Drawing, drafting,
DRAW ON Approach, withdraw funds DRAW OUT
lengthening (day)
DRAW UP For (one vehicle) DRIVE AWAY Drive away, drive away
DRIVE BACK Reject DRIVE BY Passing by car
DRIVE IN Enter by car, enter DRIVE OUT Driving off, ejecting
DRIVE OFF Drive away, drive away
- 74
-
EAT AWAY Erosion EATINTO Roer
EAT UP Devour FALL OFF Decrease, detach
FALL DOWN Falling FIGHT OFF Scare away
FALL OVER Tripping FIGHT UP Fighting bravely
FIGHT ON Keep fighting FILLUP Fill, fill
FILL IN Fill in FIX UP Arrange (a matter)
FIND OUT Find out FLY AT Attack
FLY ABOUT Flying back and forth FLY DOWN Download
FLY AWAY Flying away GET ALONG Making progress
FLY OFF Detach GETAWAY Escape
GET ABOUT Going back and forth GETDOWN Download
GET AT Implying GET IN / INTO To enter, to get in
GET BACK Return, recover GET OFF Get on, get off
GET TO Reach GETOUT Produce, output
GET OUT (OF) Exit, get off GETTHROUGH Abrirsecamino
GET ON Climbing, progressing GIVE AWAY Distribute, denounce
- 75
-
GET OVER Jump over, recover GIVE OFF Dispatch (smoke, odor)
GET UP Get up GIVE UP Surrender, surrender
GIVEBACK Return GO ALONG Go along
GIVE OUT Exhausting, distributing GO AWAY Go to
GO ABOUT Going from one side to the other GO DOWN Download
GO AT Attack GO OFF To explode, to leave
Going out, going out of fashion

GO BY Pass through GO OUT
going out
GO IN / INTO Enter GO THROUGH Penetrate, suffer
GO ON Continue to GO UP TO Approach
GO OVER Review GO WITHOUT Overdoing it without
GO UP Upload HANG BACK Retract
GO ACROSS Cross HANG FROM Hanging from
HANG ABOUT Vagar HANG UP Hanging (a picture)
HANG BEHIND Stay behind HOLD ON Continue to
HANG OFF Hang up (the phone) HURRY ALONG Hurry up
HOLD BACK Stop HOLD OUT Resist
- 76
-
HURRY AWAY Leaving quickly HURRY OFF Leaving quickly
HURRY UP Hurry up
KEEP AWAY Keeping away KEEP BACK Keeping separate
KEEP DOWN Control KEEP OFF Refrain
Knocking here and

KEEP UP Standing up, resisting KNOCK ABOUT
there
KNOCK AT Knock (at the door)

KNOCK DOWN Take down
KNOCK OUT Knocking out
LOOK AFTER Care

LOOK AT See
LOOK BEHIND Looking back LOOK DOWN Look below
LOOK FOR Search LOOK FORWARD TO Anhelar
LOOK IN Look inside LOOK LIKE Appear
LOOK OUT Looking outside LOOK OVER Look over
LOOK ROUND Looking around LOOK UP Look up, search
- 77
-
PUT BACK Put in place
MOVE AWAY Go to
MOVE ALONG Pass, don't stop

MOVE DOWN Download
MOVE IN Moving (moving house)

MOVE OFF Go to
Do not stop, move on to

MOVE ON
(other business)
MOVE OUT Moving (moving house)
MOVE UP Move (to make room)

PASS AWAY Decease
PASS BY Passing through (a place)

PASS IN Enter
Passing (from hand to

PAY FOR Pay PASS ON
hand)
PAY OFF Settle (an account), pay PAY IN Deposit (money)
PAY UP Pay (a debt)

POINT AT Point to
POINT TO Point to POINT AWAY Pointing in the distance
POINT OUT Highlight POINT DOWN Point below
PULL AWAY Start POINT UP Point to top
PULL OFF Start PULL DOWN Take down
PULL UP Stop (one vehicle) PULL OUT Remove
- 78
-
PUT AWAY Set aside
SET DOWN Settling, placing
To write down, to bring

PUT DOWN
down (something)
SHUT IN Lock up
PUT IN To put in, to install
PUT ON Put on (a garment)
PUT OFF Postpone
PUT UP To climb (something), to lodge
PUT OUT Turn off, remove
RUN ABOUT Running back and forth

PUT UP WITH Support
Stopping (a watch), getting

RUN DOWN
sick Running into, running
RUN ACROSS
through
RUN OFF Running away

RUN IN Running in
RUN OVER Run over
RUN OUT Running away
SEE ABOUT Inquire

RUN UP Running up
SEE TO To be in charge of
SEE OFF Dismiss (someone)
SEND DOWN Lower (something)
SEND ALONG Dispatch
SEND OFF Dispatching, firing (workers)

SEND FOR Send by
SEND UP Up (something)
SEND ROUND Circular
- 79
-
STOP BY Staying by the side of
SET ABOUT Get (to work)
STOP UP Fill (a tooth) stopper (a bottle)

SET OFF Departure (for a trip)
SIT UP Sit upright, sit upright
Shut up, close (a store)

SHUT UP
SPEAK FOR Speak in favor of
SIT DOWN Sit SPEAK UP Speaking out loud
STAND OFF Keeping away

SIT FOR To take (an exam)
STAND UP Standing up
SPEAK TO Talk to
STAY BY To remain at the side of

STAND BY Staying close
STAY OUT Staying away from home

STAND OUT Highlight
STEP DOWN Download

STAY AT Lodging
STEP OUT Exit

STAY IN Staying at home
STEP UP TO Approach (someone)

STEP ACROSS Cross
STOP IN Staying at home

STEP IN Enter
STEP UP Upload
- 80
-
Writing to dictation, downloading TAKE FOR Take for (mistake)

TAKE DOWN
(something)
To take off (a garment), to take

TAKE IN To deceive, to trick, to put TAKE OFF
off
TAKE OUT Remove, take out TAKE TO To take to
TAKE UP Up (something) TALK ABOUT Talk about
TALK OF Talking about TALK TO Talk to
TEAR AWAY Remove (tearing) TEAR OFF Separating (tearing)
Throw away (something

TEAR UP Tearing (tearing) THROW AWAY
unusable)
THROW BACK Return THROW DOWN Pull down
THROW IN Pull inward THROW OFF Casting out
THROW OUT Throw THROW UP Pull up
TRY ON Trying on a garment TURN AWAY Look the other way
TURN BACK Turn around TURN DOWN Turn upside down
TURN OFF Turn off (the light), lock (a key) TURN ON Turn on (the light), open (a key)
TURN OUT Shutdown TURN OVER Tipping, turning upside down
TURN INTO Become TURN UP Reach
- 81
-
Walking
WALK ABOUT Going from there to there WALK ALONG
around
WALK AWAY Walking away WALK DOWN Download
WALK IN Enter WALK OFF Go to
WALK UP Upload WORK OUT Calculate
WORK UNDER Working under the orders of WRITE DOWN Annotate
- 82
-
Basic Business
English
Module 3
TOPIC 7. Legal and commercial vocabulary
TOPIC 8. English numbers in professional oral presentations
TOPIC 9. E-commerce vocabulary
TOPIC 10. Communicative skills in business English
module 3
Legal and commercial vocabulary
1. Prepositions
2. The city. Businesses and Professions
3. Shopping
4. Shops
5. In the shop
6. Money
7. Buying and selling
8. Packing
9. Transport
10. Human Resources
11. Companies
12. Contracts and job skills
Objectives:
♦ Know the use of prepositions in English.
♦
♦
To know vocabulary related to places in the city and to businesses and professions.
To know the vocabulary related to stores, shopping, money.

<
♦
♦
Learn vocabulary related to commercial transactions: buying and selling, packaging, transportation, companies.
To know the vocabulary related to human resources, contracts and work.

0
)
7.1. Prepositions.
Before Before
During During
While While
After After
From...to From...to
Until + end of a period To
Aug ago
Before the exam everybody was nervous
Before the exam everyone was nervous.
I ate chocolate during the film.

I ate chocolate during the movie.
We didn't say a word while we were at home

We didn't say anything while we were at home.
A noun or a verb in the -ing form must be placed after before and after. These prepositions can never stand alone.
After having dinner, we went to the cinema

After dinner we went to the movies
In, at
In en, within
At in (without being inside a site)
The difference between in and at is determined by the location, if you are inside a site it is in, but if you are in a specific
site but not inside it then it is at.
Peter is in the room Peter is in the room

Mary is at the bus stop Mary is at the bus stop.
However, we have several exceptions that are not governed by this rule.
- 84
-
Other prepositions
On on top of, on
Under underneath
Next to together with
Between on
In front of in front of
Behind behind
Opposite in front of
On a table.
On the table.
Under the chair.

Under the chair.
Mary is next to Peter.

Mary is standing next to Peter.
The house is between the mountain and the river.

The house is between the mountain and the river.
The church is in front of the park.

The church is in front of the park.
The door is opposite the window.

The door is opposite the window.
7.2. The city. Businesses and professions.

The city is where we do most of our business. A useful list with this vocabulary.
STREET STREET
SQUARE PLAZA
SHOP SHOP
FACTORY FACTORY
CHURCH CHURCH
HOSPITAL HOSPITAL
COFFEE CAFETERIA
BAR BAR
RESTAURANT RESTAURANT
BANK BANK
DEPARTMENT STORE DEPARTMENT STORES
SHOPING CENTER SHOPPING MALL
MARKET MARKET
BUILDING BUILDING
SCHOOL COLLEGE
POLICE STATION POLICE STATION
BUS STATION BUS STATION
BUS STOP BUS STOP
- 85
-
TAXI RANK TAXI STOP
RAILWAY STATION TRAIN STATION
AIRPORT AIRPORT
PORT PORT
MARKET MARKET
GARDEN GARDEN
PARK PARK
TOWN HALL CITY HALL
CATHEDRAL CATHEDRAL
CINEMA CINEMA
THEATRE THEATER
MUSEUM MUSEUM
FURNITURE AND FIXTURES STREET FURNITURE

ROUNDABOUT ROTONDA
ROAD SIGN / TRAFFIC SIGN TRAFFIC SIGNAL
TRAFFIC LIGHTS SEMAPHORE
PAVEMENT ACERA
ROAD HIGHWAY
CORNER CORNER
ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISING POSTER
STREET LIGHT FAROLA
NEWSPAPER STAND KIOSK

BENCH BANK
PROFESSIONS
Remember that to refer to the profession someone has, we will always use the verb "to be" followed by 'a' or 'an':
Will is a butcher Will is a butcher
Otherwise, neither the article nor the verb "to be" need to be used.
The firemen are here The firemen are here
In this last example I don't mean that someone has a profession, I'm just saying that they are here.
- 86
-
JOB PROFESSION, EMPLOYMENT
BUILDER, BRICKLAYER WORKER
ARCHITECT ARCHITECT
POLICEMAN/POLICEWOMAN POLICE
ACCOUNTANT ACCOUNTANT
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
SECRETARY SECRETARY
SHOP ASSISTANT DEPENDENT
CASHIER CASHIER
RECEPTIONIST RECEPTIONIST
COOK COOK
WAITER WAITER
WAITRESS WAITRESS
FIREMAN BOMBERO
CLEANER CLEANER
JANITOR DOORMAN, JANITOR

BAKER BAKER
GROCER VERDULERO
BUTCHER BUTCHER
FISHMONGER FISH STORE
FISHERMAN FISHER
PLUMBER PLUMBING
PAINTER PAINTER
PILOT PILOT
STEWARD AZAFATO
STEWARDESS HOSTESS
SAILOR MARINO
TEACHER TEACHER
COMPANY OWNER BUSINESS OWNER
SELF EMPLOYED SELF-EMPLOYED

NURSE NURSE
- 87
-
7.3. Shopping.
In the following we will study a series of useful expressions to use when we are going to buy or sell something:
I'm looking for... I am looking for...

What size are you? What is your size?
What material would you like? What material would you like?
Fit To fit well in size
Suit To look good, to favor
Match Combine well
Can I help you? May I help you?
Let's have a look Let's take a look
Can I try on? Can I try it on?
Fitting-room Tester
Here you are Here you have
I'll take it I'll take it
Now we will see a dialogue in which we will apply some of the expressions we have learned.
AT THE SHOE SHOP (IN THE SHOE SHOP)

SHOP ASSISTANT: Good morning, madam. Can I help you?
DEPENDENT: Good morning, ma'am. May I help you?
CUSTOMER: Yes, please. I've just bought a dress and I'm looking for a pair of shoes.
CUSTOMER: Yes, please. I just bought a dress and am looking for a pair of shoes.
SHOP ASSISTANT: All right madam. I suppose you'll like them high heeled. DEPENDENT: Okay, ma'am. I guess
you will like them with high heels.
CUSTOMER: Yes, please, and I'd like them in a dark color.

CUSTOMER: Yes, please, and I would like them in a dark color.
SHOP ASSISTANT: I think these ones would match very well the dress.
DEPENDENT: I think these would go very well with the dress.
CUSTOMER: Oh, I love them. Can I try them on?

CUSTOMER: Oh, I love them. Can I try them on?
SHOP ASSISTANT: Sure, madam. What size are you?

DEPENDENT: Of course, ma'am. What size are you?
CUSTOMER: A size 40, please.

CUSTOMER: One size 40, please.
SHOP ASSISTANT: Here you are. Do they fit you? You'd better walk along the corridor. DEPENDENT: Here you go.
Do they fit? You'd better walk down the hall.
CUSTOMER: Yes, they fit me. How much are they?

CUSTOMER: Yes, they fit me well. How much do they cost?
SHOP ASSISTANT: They're 65 €.

DEPENDENT: They cost 65 €.
CUSTOMER: That's fine. I'll take them.

CUSTOMER: Okay. I'll take them.
- 88
-
7.4. Shops.
The following is a list of stores that will be very useful when carrying out your work activity.
Bakery Bakery
Bookshop Bookstore
Butcher's Butcher's shop
Clothing store Clothing store
Dry cleaner's Dry Cleaning
Estate agency Real estate
Fishmonger's Fishmonger
Florist's Florist
Furniture Store Furniture store
Greengrocer's Greengrocer
Grocery Ultramarinos
Hairdresser's Hairdresser
Hardware store Hardware
Jewellery store Jewelry
News-stand Newsstand
Optician's Optics
Pet shop Pet store
Shoe shop Shoe store
Sports store Sport store
Travel agency Travel Agency
Belong belong Business trade, business
Busy busy / to Expensive expensive / to
Great-uncle great-uncle Hope hope, expect
Involve imply Leave go to
Letterbox mailbox Lucky lucky
Polite educated Promissing promising / a
Relative family Risk risk, risk
Solve solve Stressed stressed out

suburban residential
Suburbs neighborhood Suddenly suddenly
Tailor tailor
- 89
-
7.5. In the shop.
A store is a place where we usually do business. Here is some vocabulary on the subject.
Cash register Cash register

Changing room Tester
Closing time Closing time
Counter Counter
Deal with Dealing with
Exchange Replace
Fold Fold
Inventory Inventory
Match Go with
Opening time Opening time
Person in charge Responsible
Persuade Persuade
Queue Cola
Refund Reimbursement
Serve Attend
Shop assistant Dependent
Sliding door Sliding door
Try (something) on Try something on
Anger anger, anger Angry angry
Behave behave Guess assume
No wonder no wonder Straight direct
7.6. Money.
Money is an essential part of business relationships. Here are a number of related words.
Account Account (bank)

Afford Allow
Bill Account (Restaurant)
Borrow Borrowing
Decrease Lower (price)
Earn Win
Fare Tariff
Fee Fee
Fortune Fortuna
Gain Benefit
Hire Rent (car)
Lend To lend
- 90
-
Pay Pay
Reduce Rebajar
Rent Rent (House)
Treasure Treasury
7.7. Buying and selling.

Buying and selling are part of the commercial process. To do so, we must use the right words.
Application form (Application) form
Assets Goods
Check Check
Collect Collect
Competitor Competitor
Credit Credit
Display Exhibit
Exporter Exporter
Importer Importer
Insurance Insurance
Liabilities Debts
Premises Premises, establishment
Profitable Profitable
Purchase Buy
Retailer Retailer
Sales Sales
Ship Send to
Supply and demand Supply and demand
Turnover Billing
Wholesaler Wholesaler
Anxious concerned / a At the latest at the latest
Be based have a basis Deposit deposit
Discount discount Gift bag gift bag
Give away give a gift Helpful helpful
Partner partner / a Proof test
Return back to Return of post by return mail
Single single / a
- 91
-
7.8. Packing.
The packaging of our commercial products is essential and therefore we must know how to express ourselves.
Bag Bag
Bale Fardo
Barrel Barrel, barrel
Bottle Bottle
Box Box
Bubble wrap Bubble wrap
Bundle Bulge
Can Can
Carton Tetrabrick
Closure Closing
Container Container
Crate Drawer
Crepe wrap Protective foam
Jar Jar, canister
Packing case Packing case
Pail Cube
Paperboard Cardboard
Plastic film Plastic wrap

Sack Saco
Strapping Packing tape
Belonging membership Ensure secure
Fragile fragile Gross gross
Number number Overload overload
Reinforced reinforced / a Waiscoat vest
Wheel wheel
Transport Information
Bill of Landing - is an official and legal document signed by the captain of a ship or the agents or owners of vessels,
to confirm that they have transported goods. It details the quantity and quality of the goods shipped by sea to their
destination. It represents the ownership of a vessel, is a document to receive goods and is a contract between the consignor
(who places the order) and the carrier, it can also be called "B/L" or "blading".
Airway bill - This is another legal document, but this time the shipment is made by air.
Consignment note - It is a document that serves as a receipt for the goods being shipped and as proof of the freight
contract. It sets out the rights and obligations of the shipper and the carrier, as well as limits the carrier's liability in case of
- 92
-
loss, damage or delay of the goods. It is not a document of title to the goods.
Single Administrative Document (SAD) - Created in 1998, it is a standard document that replaced most of the
existing documents in the member states of the European Union. Required to export, import or transport "goods in
transit" in the Free Trade Area of the European Union.
On the transported goods, we can see these signs. We also provide examples of products to which these phrases are often
attributed:
Phrase Phrase Example Example
This side up This side up Plastic bottles of juice Plastic juice bottles
Corrosive Corrosive Acid Acid
Fragile Fragile Glass Crystal
Poison Poisonous Insecticide Insecticide
Keep dry Keep dry Clothes Clothing
Handle with care Handle with care Stereo equipment Music equipment
7.9. Transport.
In business relationships we must travel from one place to another and what better than this vocabulary to help us.
(Air)plane Aircraft
Balloon Balloon
Bus Bus
Bicycle Bicycle
Canoe Canoe
Car Car
Cruiser Cruise
Ferry Shuttle
Helicopter Helicopter
Lorry Truck
Moped Moped
Motorcycle Motorcycle
Raft Raft
Scooter Scooter
- 93
-
Ship Ship
Streetcar Tramway
Cab Cab
Train Train
Underground Metro
Van Van
Available available Be in touch be in touch
Complain complain Consignment shipping
Cover cover Damaged damaged / to
Fail fail to Forwarding company issuing company
Freight charge Get back return
Hauler carrier However however
Insurance insurance Loss loss
Post e-mail Prove demonstrate
Shipment mailing Theft theft
Therefore therefore Unsaleable unsaleable
(Air)plane aircraft Balloon balloon
Bicycle bicycle Bus bus
Canoe canoe Car car
Cruiser cruise Ferry shuttle
Helicopter helicopter Lorry truck
Moped moped Motorcycle motorcycle
Raft raft Scooter scooter
Ship boat Streetcar streetcar
Cab cab Train train
Underground subway Van van

Uncountable nouns always go with the verb in the singular:
This information is useful This information is useful
Some uncountables are countable in other languages.
- 94
-
The following words are never countable: accomodation, news, advice, permission, furniture, homework, traffic, information,
weather, money, work, etc.:
His work is very good Your work is very good
To ask questions about them, we use how much:
How much (money) do you earn? How much (money) do you earn?
Much and any are used for the negative form:
They don't do any work They do not do any work at all
Some nouns can be countable and uncountable, depending on their meaning: iron, an iron.
7.10. Human Resources.

The Human Resources department is a place where part of the commercial work is carried out. If we work in this sector, we
must improve our vocabulary.
Absentee Absent
Applicant Candidate
Apply for Request
Appoint Nominate
Dismiss Farewell
Dismissal Dismissal
Human resources Human Resources
Interview Interview
Subconteact Subcontract
Overtime Overtime
Payroll Nómima
Planner Planner
Prevention Prevention
Resign Resign
Remove Retire
Rise Increase
Strike Strike
Unemployment Unemployment
Welfare Unemployment or social security benefits
Abroad abroad Adjustment modification
Charge charge Deduct deduct
Draft bill of exchange Maturity maturity
Media media outlets Quiz questionnaire
Statement extract The charts the list of successes

Will or Going to - Predictions
• Another use of these two verbs is to express a future prediction. But there are differences between the two
times.
• The future with will only expresses what we think will happen, but there is no evidence in the present that it
will happen that way:
It will rain this evening (there is nothing to indicate that this will happen).
- 95
-
• However ,going to indicates a prediction for which we have clear evidence or proof in the present and
makes us think that something will happen that way in the future:
Look at those black clouds. It's going to rain this evening

(Clouds are proof in the present that it will rain in the future).
7.11. Companies.
The company is the most important place to develop our commercial work.
Cooperative Cooperative
Corporation Society
Family business Family business
Holding Participation
Public Limited company Public limited company
Limited liability company Limited partnership
Partnership Society
Private company Private company
Public company Public company
Share Action
Small and medium enterprise Small and medium-sized companies
Social enterprise social enterprise
Subsidiary branch
Trading company industrial company
Unlimited company company not limited
Brand brand Fine excellent
Franchise franchise Income income
Range range Record relationship
Smooth soft Soft soft / a
Track trail
- 96
-
7.12. Contracts and jobs skills.
The following vocabulary related to the Human Resources department is offered.
Agreement Agreement
Appendix Appendix
Appraisal Valuation
Article Article
Clause Clause
Coach/Form Form
Cooperate Cooperate
Coordinate Coordinate
Creative Creative
Delegate Delegate
Effective Cash
Negotiate Negotiate
Organize Organize
Party Part
Punctuality Punctuality
Resourceful Entrepreneur
Sign Sign
Stipulate Stipulate
Terms Conditions
Warrant Guarantee, guarantee
A few a few Apologize apologize
Appointment citation Bear run with
Even including Furthermore in addition
Perusal thorough reading Promote promote
Quarter quarter Set up establish
Undertake commit to
- 97
-
English numbers in
professional oral presentations
1. Introduction to the use of numbers in oral presentations

2. Say 0 in English
3. Percentages in English
4. Fractions in English
5. Decimals in English
6. Measurements in English
7. Years in English
8. Expressions with ordinal numbers
9. Operations in English
Objectives:
♦ Know the different ways of using numbers in English.
♦ Apply the use of numbers to oral presentations.
item 8
8.1. Introduction to the use of numbers in oral presentations.
Making oral presentations is not an easy thing to do, let alone doing it in English. In fact, formal oral language requires a
specific technique both in one's own language and in a foreign language, and especially in English, since it is the language
most used in the commercial and financial world.
Before looking at the use of numbers in oral presentations, there are a number of issues to consider:
- General issues: use of voice, gesticulation, timing, etc.
- Support material
- Organization and structuring of the exhibition
- Presentation of contents
Support materials are routinely used in oral presentations. This material complements the learning process and makes it
easier to assimilate the contents, facilitates comprehension and ensures better retention of the message. However, to
achieve all this, it is necessary to make appropriate use of supplementary material. Among the most commonly used support
materials are electronic presentations using computer programs (Power Point, Prezzi), transparencies (although these are
somewhat in disuse), the distribution of handouts or handouts or the projection of film and video fragments, to mention some
of the most common.
If we use a lot of numbers in an oral presentation, our listeners may lose the thread of the narration. To facilitate our
presentation we should use tables although they should not be too large, they should not exceed 4 rows by 4 columns. If
more complex tables are needed, they should be divided into several slides.
An alternative to including tables in the slides is to include them in a supplementary copy that can be distributed at the
beginning of the session, visually highlighting the cells that are really relevant to our oral presentation and on which we
should focus our attention in the presentation.
Another alternative is to use a graph. We also use numbers in the graphs. In case of using them in our presentation, they
should not be too complex. In the opinion of Martinez (2001) "a) the bar chart should not exceed 8 single bars or 4 pairs of
bars; b) a slide should not contain more than two pie charts and c) the line chart should not exceed 3-4 curves".
8.2. Say 0 in English.
Even if it is just a number, there are several ways to say it in English depending on the context. Although its use may vary
from one English-speaking country to another, we will indicate the most common uses. In our oral presentations we can use
this number in different contexts, that is why we are going to focus in this section on its pronunciation, since its written form is
always the same.
In the following scheme we will indicate in a generic way the different ways of pronouncing the number zero and if there are
differences between American and British English we will indicate them.
"Zero"
• Figure by itself
• Decimals: 0.9 - zero point nine
• Percentages: 0% - zero per cent
• Telephone numbers: in American English only: 451 90 35 -four - five - one, nine - zero, three - five
• Temperature: - 0º - below zero
• Some idioms.
• Before the decimal point of a decimal in American English only: 0.5426 - zero - point - five - four - two - six
- "0" (as in the letter O)
• Phone numbers: 402586- four or two five ...

• Hotel room numbers: 205- two o five
• Years: 1909 - nineteen or nine
• After a decimal point: 7.04 - seven point o four
- 99
-
8.3. Percentages in English.
The use of percentages is very common in an oral presentation. The percentage is a number associated with a ratio, which
represents a given quantity as a fraction in 100 parts. It is commonly used to define ratios between two quantities, so that the
percent of a quantity, where percent is a number, refers to the proportionate share of that number of units out of every
hundred of that quantity.
To orally express percentages in English is easy. We say the number and then add the word "percent".
80% - Eighty percent*.

3.5% - Three point five percent
60.29% -Sixty point two nine percent
0.05% - zero point zero five percent
*Percent" can also be written "per cent".
8.4. Fractions in English.
Fractions are as common as percentages when making an oral presentation. In English, we orally express a fraction using
the cardinal number for the numerator and the ordinal number for the denominator. If the numerator is greater than 1, the
denominator is plural. The only exception is 2, which is read "half" when the numerator is 1 and "halves" when it is greater
than 1.
1⁄2- one half 2⁄2- two halves*.

31⁄2- three and a half 1⁄3- one third
2⁄3- two thirds 31⁄3- three and a third
1⁄4- a quarter 2⁄4- two quarters
21⁄4- two and a quarter

* Caution: the plural of 'half' is not 'halfs' but 'halves', it is irregular.
- 100
-
8.5. Decimals in English.
Unlike Spanish, where we use a comma, decimals in English use a period to separate the whole number from the rest. To
orally express a decimal in English, we read the whole number if there is one, then say "point" and read each decimal
number individually. Generally, we do not say the zero before the period.
2.5 - two point five

1.26 - one point two six
In the written language In oral language
0.5 point five

0.25 point two five
0.73 point seven three
0.05 point zero five
0.6529 point six five two nine

2.95 two point nine five
If the decimals refer to money, they are expressed in a different way: first we indicate the whole number, then the name of
the currency and finally the decimal. If the number contains decimals, we read them after the period as a whole number and,
if the currency to which they refer has a name, we add it (for example, in dollars we would say "cents" after the decimal).
35$ thirty-five dollars

51€ fifty-one euros
240₤ two hundred and fourty pounds
$43.25
forty-three dollars and twenty-five cents
(in everyday language, we shorten it to "forty-three twenty-five").
€12.66 twelve euros sixty-six
₤10.50 ten pounds fifty
8.6. Measurements in English.
In our oral presentations we may also need to know how to say measurements in English. To do this, we say the number
followed by the unit of measurement, which will normally be abbreviated in the written language.
60m sixty meters
25km/h twenty-five kilometers per hour

11ft eleven feet
2L two liters
5tbsp five tablespoons

1tsp one teaspoon
8.7. Years in English.
It is relatively complex to get the years right in English. In general, if the year has 4 digits, we read the first 2 as a whole
number and the next two as another. There are some exceptions. The first 100 years of a millennium can be read as 4-digit
or 2-digit numbers. Millennia as such are always read as 4-digit numbers. The new centuries are expressed as whole
- 101
-
hundreds. We do not use the word "thousand", at least for figures pertaining to the last 1000 years.
As for the years that have three digits, we can read them as a three-digit number or as a one-digit number followed by a two-
digit number. One- or two-digit years are expressed as whole numbers.
We can say "the year" before a particular year to give more clarity to the meaning of the phrase, which is common with two-
and three-digit years. Years before year 0 are followed by BC, pronounced as two letters of the alphabet.
Interestingly, these reading rules are also applied to say street numbers in
English-speaking countries. Over United States, addresses often have numbers
1000.

2014 twenty fourteen or two thousand fourteen
2008 two thousand eight

2000 two thousand
1944 nineteen fourty-four
1908 nineteen or eight

1900 nineteen hundred
1600 sixteen hundred
1256 twelve fifty-six

1006 ten o six
866 eight hundred and sixty-six / eight sixty-six

25 twenty-five
3000 BC three thousand BC
3250 BC thirty two fifty BC
8.8. Expressions with ordinal numbers.

We have already seen in another section how to express quantities with ordinal numbers. The following is a series of
expressions that can be useful in our presentations.
First impression - first impression

First class - first class, business class
Second-hand - second-hand
Third time lucky - third time's the charm

Sixth sense - sixth sense
Seventh heaven - seventh heaven

At the eleventh hour - at the last minute
8.9. Operations in English.
Although it is not very common in many cases we may need to say some of the different mathematical operations in our
presentation.
Below is an example of each of them.
+ Addition
10 + 20 = 30 Ten plus twenty equals / is equal to thirty
- Subtraction
- 102
-
35 - 25 = 10 Thirty-five minus twenty-five equals / is equal to ten
x Multiplication
2 x 10 = 20 Two multiplied by ten equals / is equal to twenty
/ Division (division)
70 / 10 = 7 Seventy divided by ten equals / is equal to seven
- 103
-
E-commerce vocabulary
1. E-commerce. Definition
2. Vocabulary
Objectives:
♦ To know the meaning of the term e-commerce.
♦ Learn basic e-commerce vocabulary.
item 9
9.1. E-commerce. Definition.
The term e-commerce appeared at the end of the 1990s and is used to refer to a type of business that uses the Internet and
other electronic media to present and sell its products or services. Originally the term was applied to the conduct of transactions
by electronic means such as Electronic Data Interchange.
The virtuality of e-commerce stands out as the main difference between this type of business and what is traditionally known as
brick-and-mortar, with physical stores and/or offices. There is also a combination of these two extremes, the so-called click-and-
mortar companies with both physical and virtual commercial presence, such as FNAC, ING, IKEA etc.
E-commerce has forced us to rethink some of the aspects of traditional commerce, such as product presentation, customer
acquisition, the reliability of online payment and distribution. The purpose of this part is to know some of the concepts that we
need to consider when we want to start a virtual business and some of the terms related to this topic.
9.2. Vocabulary.
Here we present a series of terms used in e-commerce.

Internet Internet
Intranet Intranet
Electronic commerce E-Commerce
Electronic business E-Business
Hosting Hosting
Enterprise Resource Planning ERP - Enterprise Resource Planning

Customer Relationship Management CRM
Supply Chain Management (SCM)
SCM - Business solution focused on optimizing the company's supply

chain planning and operations.
Business Intelligence
Decision support tools that enable real-time, interactive access,

analysis and manipulation of business-critical information.
Back End Final state of a process.

Front End Initial state of a process.
Business to Business
B2B. A form of electronic commerce in which commercial
transactions are between companies and not with end users.
Business to Consumer
B2C. From business to consumer. A form of electronic commerce in
which commercial transactions are between a company and an end
user.
Business to Government
B2G. It consists of optimizing the negotiation processes between
companies and the government through the use of the Internet. It
applies to sites or portals specialized in the relationship with the
public administration.
- 105
-
Communicative skills in business English
1. Verb + Object + Infinitive with or without to

2. Relative clauses with "who" and "which".
3. (Be) going to
4. Will or Going to. Predictions
5. Requests with Can and Could
6. Complaints and apologies
Objectives:
♦ Know and use fixed structures in sentences with two verbs and object.
♦ Recognize and use adjective or relative clauses.
♦ Expressing oneself in the future by using the verb be going to.
♦ Formulate complaints and apologies.
item 10
10.1. Verb + Object + Infinitive with or without to.
We know that when a verb accompanies another verb, it can be in the infinitive with to or in -ing.
On this occasion we find two structures different from the two cases previously studied: advise, allow, ask, invite, persuade,
order, tell, etc:
Verb + object + infinitive without to. Let and make follow this model:
Let me know about the meeting. Let me know about the meeting
It makes you think. Makes you think
We also include the verb help:
He helped me paint the house. Helped me paint the house
Verb + object + infinitive with to. There is a group: series of verbs that we can include in this
You can ask them to pay. You can ask them to pay
In both cases, we are talking about an expression in which one person wants to influence the behavior of another and asks
him/her to do something.
10.2. Relative sentences with "who" and "which".
Relative clauses are added to a sentence to give more information about the people or things we are talking about. If the
sentence refers to things, it begins with which; if to persons, it begins with who:
Our designs, which are all in plastic, have won many awards
Our designs, which are all made of plastic, have won many awards.
Helen, who is a computer technician, has made a fortune

Helen, who is a computer scientist, has made a fortune
Commas indicate that the sentence adds extra information. The meaning of the sentence is complete without the need for the
relative clause to appear. We call them nondefining (explanatory).
On the other hand, defining (specifying) expresses information essential to understand the meaning of the complete sentence:
I love the plants which decorate this office

I love the plants that decorate this office
There are agents who can help you around the world
There are agents that can help you all over the world.
10.3. (Be) going to.

As we have seen above, there is no single way to express future.
We have studied the present continuous with future value and the future with will. Let us now look at the construction be going
to + infinitive.
It is formed using the present simple of the verb to be + going to + the infinitive of the verb we want to use in each sentence:
I'm going to stay in England for a month. I am going to stay in England for a month
When we want to describe our future intentions or what we have planned (such as a project), we use this verb tense:
I'm going to have dinner with Silvia. I'm having dinner with Silvia
- 107
-
In the first example we want to say that it is my intention to stay in England, but I don't have anything prepared yet, I have only
made the decision beforehand.
In the second example, something similar occurs. I may not yet know where we are going or have made a reservation, but the
decision has already been made and is not improvised.
10.4. Will or Going to. Predictions.

Another use of these two verbs is to express a future prediction. But there are differences between the two times.
The future with will only expresses what we think will happen, but there is no evidence in the present that it will happen that way:
It will rain this evening. (there is nothing to indicate that this will happen).
However, going to indicates a prediction for which we have clear evidence or proof in the present and makes us think that
something will happen that way in the future:
Look at those black clouds. It's going to rain this evening (The clouds are proof in the present that it is going to
rain in the future).
10.5. Requests with Can and Cloud.

The verb that accompanies the modal verbs can and could, goes in the infinitive without to:
Can you put me through the sales department?

Can you put me through to the sales department?
Could we send 50 pounds next week?

Can we send 50 pounds next week?
These verbs can have several meanings. In this case we are going to focus on its value for making requests of various types, but
generally formal.
With these verbs we can:
- Ask permission:
Can I open the window? Can I open the window?
- To ask someone to dosomething:
Could you confirm that? Could you confirm this?
- 108
-
10.6. Complaints and apologies.
Useful expressions:
I'm very sorry, we haven't any left. Sorry, we have none left.
I apologize. It'll never happen again. Sorry, it won't happen again.
I'm afraid we haven't any left. I'm afraid we have none left.
I'm sorry. I'll change it immediately. Sorry, I will change it immediately.
My apologies. I'll see what I can do. My apologies, I will see what I can do.
Do you bring the receipt, please? Can you bring the ticket, please?
We need the receipt to change it for another one. We need the ticket to exchange it for another one.
I'm afraid we are not allowed to give refunds. I'm afraid we can't refund the money.
There isn't any problem, we can change it. No problem, we can exchange it for another one.
The damage is due to the usage. The damage has been caused by wear and tear.
We can refund your money. We can refund your money.
We can give you a voucher for the same value. We can give you a voucher for the same value.
AT THE MOBILE PHONE SHOP (AT THE MOBILE PHONE STORE)
CUSTOMER: Excuse me. I bought this mobile phone in your shop last week and it doesn't work properly.
CUSTOMER: Excuse me. I bought this cell phone from your store last week and it is not working properly.
SHOP ASSISTANT: Do you have a receipt?

DEPENDENT: Do you have the ticket?
CUSTOMER: Yes, here you are.

CUSTOMER: Yes, here you go.
SHOP ASSISTANT: Yes, it seems that it doesn't work. Did you drop it?
DEPENDENT: Yes, it doesn't seem to be working. Did you drop it?
CUSTOMER: No. It didn't work when I took it out of the box.

CLIENT: No. It was not working when I took it out of the box.
SHOP ASSISTANT: But sir, we inspect all the telephones before selling them and you bought it a week ago. How can
you be sure you didn't damage it?
DEPENDENT: But sir, we inspect all phones before we sell them, and you bought it a week ago. How can you be sure that you
did not damage it?
CUSTOMER: Because it didn't work when I got home.

CUSTOMER: Because it wasn't working when I got home.
SHOP ASSISTANT: I'm afraid we don't give refunds. Look at the notice of that wall: "Please, inspect goods at the
- 109
-
moment of sale as we cannot give refunds".
DEPENDENT: I'm afraid we don't refund the money. Look at the notice on that wall, "Please inspect items at time of purchase as
we are unable to refund."
CUSTOMER: Well, that's ridiculous. I've never heard such a nonsense. I'm never buying anything here again.
CUSTOMER: Well, that's ridiculous. I have never heard such nonsense. I will never buy anything here again.
- 110
-

Basic English Commercial Manual

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

You might also like

Basic English Commercial Manual

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Basic English Commercial Manual

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

-L

TOPIC 1. Business meetings in English

TOPIC 2. Telephone communications

TOPIC 3. Talking about prices in English

Business meetings in English

1. Introduction to business meetings in English

2. Organization of a business meeting in English

7. Nationalities and countries

9. Dialog: Nice to Meet You

11. The Saxon Genitive

12. Vocabulary: Business meetings in English

♦ Know how to manage in a social situation of presentation.

♦ To know the alphabet.

♦ Use the verb To Be correctly in oral and written form.

♦ Know how to greet.

♦ To know the vocabulary related to business meetings in English.

We can distinguish three types of business meetings.

• Information: meeting whose purpose is to provide or collect information.

• Action: meeting whose purpose is to act on information.

1.2. Organization of a business meeting in English.

1. Before the meeting:

• Send the schedule to all participants.

2. During the meeting:

3. At the end of the meeting:

• Synthesize the essential conclusions

• Summarize the positive contributions, opinions, suggestions and agreements adopted.

• Thank the participants for their attendance.

4. After the meeting:

• If necessary, the attendees would be summoned to the next meeting.

1.3. The alphabet.

United Kingdom or Great Britain?

It is true that many people use Britain to refer to Great Britain.

The house The house The boy The boy

The house is White The house is white

We use the when we refer to something specific:

A car (we do not refer to any particular car)

Curiosities of introductions and greetings in English.

my my its su (of thing or animal)

your your our our

his his, his (of him) your yours

her his, her (hers) their su,sus (of them)

As for the pronouns we have:

mine mine its his (of thing or animal)

his his (his) yours yours

boxes boxes bread bread

card card cheese cheese

coffee coffee contest contest

drink drink everyday every day

everywhere everywhere except except

hard hard high high

kiss kiss, kiss leave home leave the house

go to lose news news

newspaper newspaper nowadays today

painter painter passenger passenger

play play reader reader

school school, school seat seat

spell spell statue statue

strange stranger surname last name