SILC Campus Connect
English Lab
Participant Manual
1
Dear Student,
Greetings from Professional Skills Development!
Industries across the globe have recognized the challenge of preparing new Engineering
Graduates to become industry ready. Apart from technical competencies, entry level
engineers need to develop professional competencies that are essential for their success in
today’s workplace. Process, Behavioral and Business competencies will provide an edge and
enable them to face the real-life challenges when they join an organization.
Education and Research (E&R) function is focused on developing holistic competencies of
Infoscions from Campus to Delivery and beyond. E&R delivers education interventions for
Infoscions to meet the synergistic needs of client delight, Infosys vision and individual
aspirations. Professional Skills Development, a sub-function in E&R focuses on developing
behavioral and business competencies.
The STAR Infoscion program works at three levels. The STAR Campus Connect program,
offered for undergraduate engineering students at Campus Connect partner colleges help to
enhance communication skills and develop business English language fluency. The STAR
Foundation Program offered as a part of Infosys Foundation Program for entry level
engineers builds a strong foundation of behavioral and business skills and helps to build
confidence. The STAR Continuous Education program is the culminating part of the STAR
Infoscion programs that enables them to practice the concepts learnt and enhance selfesteem.
One of the core competencies expected from a new graduate is his/her ability to
communicate well in English. We have put together the English lab module to assist you in
developing your English language proficiency. The four sub-skills of language development
are covered in this 30 hour module. They are
1. Reading.
2. Listening
3. Speaking
4. Writing
Other dimensions of language proficiency such as vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation etc
have also been covered in this comprehensive package. We hope you will benefit from the
attending this program.
Please share your valuable suggestions to help us make the facilitator manual more useful
to you. Happy Interactions!
With Best Regards
Team SILC-campus connect
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A story to understand the importance of communication at workplace:
PROBE TO PROVIDE PRECISELY
Background:
I am part of the testing team in Infosys and work on test case preparation and execution. The test cases
prepared by me are also used by the regression team for regression testing so it is very important that each
test case has clarity on the scenarios.
A request from the client:
An old rule followed by us for a long time was to club many scenarios into one test case. The client now
wanted to change it as the regression team found it difficult to test selective scenarios. So she communicated
to me that all the test cases prepared in the last 6 months should be split into unique test case based on
unique scenario.
My action:
A per the client's email I split the last 6 months test cases based on unique scenarios and presented it to the
client.
What had gone wrong?
The new test cases which I was preparing for the current project still followed the old rule of many scenarios
in one test case. When the client reviewed it she was disappointed to see that the new rule was not being
followed.
Miscommunication here was from both ends. I did not ask the client if the new test cases had to follow the
new rule because her email mentioned that she wanted me to correct the past 6 months test cases only. The
client had not specified clearly that the new rule should be followed for all the new test cases going forward.
What could I have done better?


I should have clarified at the time she sent the mail to split the test cases, whether the new rule
should be followed for new test cases as well.
When I was sending the new test cases for review I should have highlighted the fact that the old rule
has been applied here and let me know whether they need to be changed.
The takeaways:



It is very important to set expectations with the client.
It is always good to clarify the questions before working on the task.
It is important to communicate to the client about the progress of the task regularly to avoid rework.
Praful Bodas is a test engineer with IVS and has been with Infosys for nearly three years.
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Acknowledgement
Some of the worksheets in this Participant’s Workbook have been taken/adapted from the PHOTOCOPIABLE
activity sheets of the following books published by Cambridge University Press
1. Business Benchmark , Upper-Intermediate, Teacher’s Resource Book by Guy Brook –Hart, 2006
2. Business Benchmark, Advanced, Teacher’s Resource Book by Guy Brook- Hart, 2006
Where the activity has been reproduced exactly as in the books mentioned above, the unit and page
numbers of the worksheets have been printed for reference at the beginning of the activity.
The listening skills enhancement tasks have been adapted from the Listening Section of the BULATS sample
paper from the website www. bulats.org
Other books and websites referred to:
1. Pronunciation Practice Activities - A resource book for teaching English pronunciation by Martin
Hewings. Cambridge Handbook for Language Teachers, CUP 2004.
2. English Pronunciation in Use by Mark Hancock. CUP, 2003.
3. www. bbclearningenglish.com
4. www. businessenglisgonline.net
Our BULATS Department have confirmed that the Business Language course designed by Mind Speed does not
impend on Cambridge ESOL copyright as all BULATS materials used in the course have been acknowledged.
I hope that this is of assistance.
Terry Collins
Helpdesk Analyst
ESOL Helpdesk
University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations
1 Hills Road, Cambridge, CB1 2EU
Telephone: +44 (0) 1223 556070
www.cambridgeesol.org
Experts in Language Assessment
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Course details-This course has been designed to:

Make you keenly aware of the primary skills and sub skills involved in using English effectively at the
contemporary corporate workplace with a global presence.
Provide practice and guidance to enhance your skills to the proficiency level set by your organization. The level
of proficiency that has been set is the Upper-Intermediate (B2 level of the BULATS of Cambridge University).

You will practice the following skills during the course:
Listening
 Capture relevant information and ideas presented verbally in the form of mini-presentations, telephonic
conversations and discussions and make accurate notes
 Make accurate inferences about the key ideas being presented or discussed
Speaking
 Express ideas with clarity and minimal intrusive errors on familiar business topics and keep up a conversation
on a fairly wide range of workplace topics
 Get across messages that are likely to be communicated during a normal working day, with minimal intrusive
errors
 Use the telephone with good understanding of its unique speech requirements
 Use accurate word and sentence stress and intonation to make speech clear and comprehensible
Reading
 Skim, scan and do detailed reading of texts
 Read and understand requests, instructions and reports that could be part of your job
 Read and understand more complex and possibly non routine correspondence and documentation with the
help of a dictionary
Grammar and Vocabulary
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Understand accurate usage related to key grammatical elements
Tenses
Modal verbs
Subject-verb agreement
Countable and uncountable nouns
Articles
Prepositions
Phrasal verbs
Collocations
Business Vocabulary
Writing
 Respond to requests regarding products and services via e-mail and business letters
 Write short descriptions and reports on routine workplace topics and trends
 Write complex messages with reference to models
5
My English Learning Track
Day 1
Introduction to English and Grammar
Introduction
One hour
Day 2
Speaking face to face vs. over the phone
Speaking
One hour
Day 3
Auxiliary and Modal verbs
Grammar
One hour
Day 4
4 Techniques of reading- Skim, Scan, Intensive, Extensive
Reading
One hour
Day 5
ABC of writing, The KISS concept
Writing
One hour
Day 6
Presenting ideas, information and opinions with clarity
Speaking
One hour
Day 7
Listening for information and making inferences
Listening
One hour
Day 8
Different types of Essay writing, write sample essay
Writing
One hour
Day 9
Intonation, Word stress, Pacing, Sound clarity
Pronunciation
One hour
Day 10
Articles, countable/uncountable nouns
Grammar
One hour
Day11
Second level of reading to interpret information
Reading
One hour
Day12
Subject Verb Agreement
Grammar
One hour
Day13
Understanding ideas and making inferences
Listening
One hour
Day 14
Précis writing, memos and notices
Writing
One hour
Day 15
Indianism, Question Tags, Phrasal verbs
Speak/Grammar
One hour
Day 16
Prepositions, Active and Passive voice
Grammar
One hour
Day 17
Third level reading and data interpretation
Reading
One hour
Day 18
Sentence stress, connected speech
Pronunciation
One hour
Day 19
Tenses
Grammar
One hour
Day 20
How to write reports, report writing
Writing
One hour
Day 21
Adverbs, Adjectives, Modifiers, Collocation
Grammar
One hour
Day 22
Discussing data and coming to conclusions
Speaking
One hour
Day 23
Link expressions, Compound nouns
Grammar
One hour
Day 24
Negotiation skills
Vocabulary
One hour
Day 25
E mail etiquette
Speaking
One hour
Day 26
Business quiz, idioms and phrases
Writing
One hour
Day 27
E mail writing
Vocabulary
One hour
Day 28
Individual presentation
Writing
One hour
Day 29
Individual presentation
Speaking
One hour
Day 30
Feedback and Poster creation
closure
One hour
6
Day One
Introduction:


Did you know that of
all the world's
languages (over 2,700)
English is arguably the
richest in vocabulary;
and that the Oxford
English Dictionary lists
about 500,000 words,
and a further halfmillion technical and
scientific terms remain
un-catalogued!
Importance of proficiency in English Language
English Grammar
About the Course
1.
2.
3.
What is business English?
What are you good at?
What is this course about?
Discussion points
What is Business English? How is it different from ‘General’ English?
What do you expect or hope for in this Business English Course?
How would you describe your English skills at the moment? Write down where you think you need
improvement.
4. How is communicating in English face to face different from communicating in English over the
phone?
5. Which one do you find more challenging?
1.
2.
3.
Introduction to Grammar:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What is grammar?
What is a sentence? What are the different types of sentences?
Difference between phrase and clause
Difference between Subject and Predicate
The eight parts of speech.
Day Two
Speaking
 First time meetings face to face
 Telephonic conversations
Face to face and telephone conversation:
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Here are two sets of tasks, one relating to face to face interactions and the other with telephonic
interactions. One half of your class will work on the former and the other half on the latter. Your facilitator
will guide you.
Task 1 a. Face to face conversations
Your facilitator will give you role cards to play out one of the situations, in pairs. Your conversation can last
for about 3 to 4 minutes. You have three minutes to prepare by yourself using the information on the role
card given.
Situation 1: Requesting your senior in college to review the assignment prepared by you before submitting it.
Situation 2: Requesting your HOD for leave to attend a family function on the day of your module test.
Situation 3: Confirming the dates of an event in college with the sponsors and ensuring their support.
Situation 4: Requesting a senior help in completing a task assigned to you.
Situation 5: Explaining the need for an extension of time to complete an assignment with your HoD
Situation 6: Giving suggestion to a classmate on preparing for an audition.
Situation 7: Seeking information from the placement officer on recruitment process.
Situation 8: Giving tips to a friend of how to avoid getting punished for a violating a college rule
Situation 9: Giving explanation on why you delayed completing an assignment within deadline.
Note: It is essential that you be able to talk clearly when you interact with colleagues and clients at the
workplace. You create an impression not only about yourself but also about your team and your organization
when you participate in interactions.
Task 1 b. On the telephone
Your facilitator will give you role cards for each of these situations. Get into pairs and role- play these
conversations. Do not face each other while practicing and presenting the role play to the rest of the class.
Do not forget to start and close the conversation properly and don’t forget to be polite!
Situation 1: Calling a colleague to confirm the agenda for the weekly review meeting.
Situation 2: Calling a colleague to remind about an important update
Situation 3: Answering a call from a manager about the delay in submitting a report
Situation 4: Informing a colleague about not attending a meeting.
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Situation 5: Calling a automobile showroom to check on latest two wheelers available on sale.
Situation 6: Calling up Airtel customer service to complain on faulty bills
Situation 7: Giving directions to a new recruit on reaching the office from the railway station
Situation 8: Answering a call from Security Office on a missing id card
Situation 9: Requesting permission from your professor to exempt you from the Industry visit.
Tip: It's better to ask for help or clarification when you're having a telephone conversation, than to pretend
you understand something that you didn't. It's perfectly acceptable to use phrases like 'Could you repeat that,
please?' 'Could you speak a little more slowly, please?' and 'would you mind spelling that for me please?'
Using phrases like these will help make sure that you have a successful phone call, and may save you from lots
of problems later on. You could always say that the line's very bad today if you can't hear very well. And it's
also a good idea to practice words, phrases and vocabulary before you make the call!
Post- speaking task:
During the role-play, you would have performed a range of language functions besides greeting and
introducing yourself. What are some of the expressions that one can use for doing these in a polite and
professional manner? Some functions are specific to face to face interactions and some to telephonic
interactions
Function
1
Introducing oneself
2
Introducing another
3
Greeting
4
Asking for someone
5
6
Checking if you have reached the
right number
Checking if it’s alright to speak
7
Enquiring/socializing
8
Stating the purpose
9
Seeking clarification
10
Offering to clarify/explain
Face to face
9
On the phone
11
Confirming
12
Requesting confirmation
13
Paraphrasing
14
Checking audibility
15
Summarizing
16
Agreeing
17
18
Disagreeing/expressing difficulty to
comply
Asking for a repetition
19
Offering to repeat if necessary
20
Checking spelling
21
Offering to spell something out
18
Signaling end of conversation
19
Closing the conversation
Additional Notes:
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Day Three
Grammar
 Modal verbs
1. Modal verbs
Modal verbs are used extensively in business conversations both face to face and via telephone and emailing. They are useful for expressing a variety of language functions such as expressing possibility,
certainty, requesting, enquiring, expressing ability or willingness, confirming, suggesting, recommending etc.
Can you provide the examples for each of the language functions listed in the table?
Verb
Will
Shall
May and
Might
May
Might
Would
Function or Use
Making personal predictions
Talking about the present with certainty
Talking about the future with certainty
Talking about the past with certainty
Reassuring someone
Making a decision
Making a semi formal and (perhaps blunt )request
Offering to do something
Making a promise or a threat
Making offers
Making suggestions
Giving an order ( too officious and authoritative not used today)
Talking about the past or the future with
uncertainty
Requesting permission formally
Giving permission
Talking about things that can happen in certain
situations
Conveying very weak possibility
As a past tense of ‘will’
Polite requests and offers
To indicate imagined, unreal , impossible
situations
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Example
Can and
Could
Must
Should
Ought to
To show regret or irritation over someone’s
refusal or their insistence on doing something
Talking about past habits
Talking about a future event when narrating the
past
Talking about ability
Making requests
Asking permission
Reported speech
General possibility
Choice and opportunities
Future probabilities
Present possibility
Past possibility
Necessity and obligation
Strong advice and invitations
Saying that you think something is certain
Giving advice
Weak obligation
Things which didn’t happen or may (or may not)
have happened
Used almost like should. Used for expressing
obligation

To improve your use of modal verbs observe conversations that happen at the workplace and also
business conversations in the visual media where people ask and give information and state
opinions politely.

Common errors to avoid : ‘I can able to…’; ‘If I will …’
Here are some useful phrases for writing business messages. In each sentence, put the verb in brackets into
the correct form. You may have to put it into a tense, active or passive, an infinitive, verb +ing form, or + ed
form, or add a modal verb (may, might, could etc.)
(From: Business Benchmark, Advanced, Teacher’s Resource Book, Guy Brook- Hart, CUP, p 93)
Starting a message
1. Thank you for your e-mail dated 28th January, in which you....................... (Enquire) about our service
fees.
2. I am writing to apply for the position of Business Development Officer............ (Advertise) on the
Infosys intranet.
3. This is regarding our telephone call this morning. I’d like to confirm the schedule of meetings
we.................. (Arrange) for you during your visit.
4. We are a provider of IT solutions. We......... (Base) in Bangalore, India and would like some
information on the collaborative projects you enter into with IT organizations.
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Giving good news
1. I am writing........ (Inform) you that your order No. 234 for 15 laptop computers has been dispatched.
2. We are pleased to announce that our prices..... (Cut) by 10 per cent.
3. I am writing to invite you to our conference.......... (Hold) at the Grand Hotel on 21st April.
Giving bad news
1. We regret to inform you that the goods......... (delay) owing to the air traffic controllers strike.
2. I’m sorry to inform you that we are unable to offer you the position of consultant which you..........
(Applied) for.
3. I’m afraid that we are unable to grant you the 10 per cent discount that you.......... ( request)
Requests
1. Could you please let us know whether these items ....... (be) still available?
2. I would appreciate it if you ....... (send) me the latest update.
3. I would appreciate it if you ........ (recommend) a good hotel for my stay.
Complaints
1. I am writing .......... (complain) about the delay in our order of 1st may.
2. I regret ........ (say) that the delivery did not arrive in perfect condition.
3. We are not satisfied with the way your company .......... (act) in this matter.
Apologies
1. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this ......... (cause) you.
2. I am very sorry about the delay in .......... (deliver) your order. This was caused by a shortage of
components from our suppliers.
3. We regret that this mistake was the result of the person who normally ........... (handle) your
transactions ............. (be) on holiday.
Attachments
1. Please ............... (find) attached the following documents
2. I ....................... (enclose) our latest company presentation.
Day Four
Reading
 Identifying the central theme or topic through skimming
 Identifying specific information through scanning
There are different styles of reading which depends on the purpose. For e.g. you might read for enjoyment,
for deeper understanding of the subject, to get certain data from a passage or to review a written document.
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A few of the reading techniques we are going to address in this lab are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Skimming
Scanning
Intensive reading
Extensive reading
Skimming is used when you wish to get the gist of a text. You can skim by allowing your eyes to run over the
sentences quickly capturing key words or you can read just the first or the last sentence of a paragraph and
make suitable inferences about the primary focus of the text. e.g-we skim through the newspaper to get to
know the main points of an article. Skimming is done 3 to 4 times faster than normal reading.
Scanning is used when you are searching for specific information. You look out for words that are related to
the information you are searching for. Skimming and scanning help us use time optimally while reading. e.g.
to look up a word in the dictionary. in most cases, you already know what you are looking for.
In Intensive reading, you read carefully for an exact understanding of the text, giving strict attention to
details such as grammar, structure, data etc. This is particularly necessary for legal documents, financial
documents, a reports and anything to do with business. Therefore, intensive reading is regarded as a very
effective means of reading comprehension.
In Extensive reading, you read chiefly for pleasure, and only needing a general understanding of the content.
This kind of reading emphasizes less on gaining accuracy and more on gaining fluency. Since extensive
reading is usually done outside the classroom and for the readers' own pleasure, it is less strict and requires a
little less attention
Tips for reading comprehension:
1. Practice reading to get the main idea of a passage.
2. Take notes while you are reading.
3. Practice looking for words in the passages that point to its structure and meaning, words and phrases
such as "however," "but" and "in addition."
4. Answer the questions quickly after reading the passage. It may even be beneficial to read the
questions first.
5. Practice using the process of elimination.
Activity on Skimming
Task 1: Read the following e-mail from a client in about 30 seconds. What is it about? What does it say?
From: [email protected]
To : you @infosys.com
Subject: Project ZEE
Hi xyz,
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Following our telephone conversation late Wednesday, I would like to express my dissatisfaction with
your company’s recent service.
Last Monday, I requested for two important manuals which were urgently needed for the project we
are carrying out in Delhi.
According to your recent mail, we understand we would have these manuals within 24 hrs and so we
organized our work schedule to take this into account. However, the documents did not arrive until late
on Wednesday, nearly 48 hours after placing the order, and instead of sending Version 5, your company
delivered Version 4, which does not meet our requirements.
As a consequence of this, we were forced to entirely reorganize our design teams and our schedules
until the correct version arrived. Thisinvolved a considerable amount of extra work and loss of time on
projects where costs have been calculated very exactly.
We have, over the years, been very happy with your service and we have recommended you to other
companies working in the sector. A repetition of last week’s incident would result in our having to look
for other service providers, which is something we would prefer to avoid.
Regards
Client
Task 2: Read this e-mail written by a team member to the Team Lead in 30 seconds.
From: Team member @ organization.com
To : Team Lead @ organization.com
Subject: Re: New assignment
Hi Ravi ,
Thank you for having considered me for the new assignment from Client ABC. I’m afraid I will not be
able to take it up as I already have two ongoing projects at critical phases. I would like to take them to
their successful completion as I have been deeply involved from the start phase of these projects and
have got myself certified on the specialization required for them.
Moreover I had applied for leave for two weeks from Dec 20th and have been granted the same. This
happens to be my first long leave in the four years that I have worked at Infosys and I have to be part of
an important family event.
Much as I would like to take up the assignment I am at this moment severely constrained not to.
If it’s alright for me to suggest, Rima who has the same background as I do, should be able to handle the
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new assignment as well as I am expected to.
Thank you for understanding.
Regards,
Fouzia
Now answer the following questions with a yes/no
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Fouzia has thanked the team lead for giving a new assignment.
Fouzia has apologized for his inability to take up the new assignment
He has given the reason for not accepting the new assignment
He has suggested an alternate person to do the job
He has requested for permission to decline the assignment.
He has assured the team lead of taking up a new assignment later on.
He has thanked his team lead in advance for considering his request.
“The quick brown fox
jumps over the lazy dog."
contains all the alphabets
of English Language.
A sentence which uses
every letter of the alphabet
at least once is called
PANGRAM
Task 3: Activity on Skimming
(Business Benchmark, Advanced, Teacher’s Resource Book,Guy Brook- Hart, , CUP, 2007, p 19 and 20)
1. Read the article that follows in about three minutes and find six suggestions it gives in dealing with bad
bosses.
2. Work in pairs. Without looking back at the article, try to remember and write a list of all the
suggestions the article contained for dealing with bad bosses.
3. When you have finished, check back in the article to see if your list is complete.
Don’t be bullied by a bad boss
by Hilary Whitney
How do you become a good manager? Judging by the abundance of information, from books to CDROMS to residential courses, on how to become a better boss, one might suppose that there was no
reason for anyone to suffer from bad management any longer. However, the unfortunate reality,
according to a recent survey carried out by the University of Manchester Institute of Science and
Technology, is that you are likely to encounter a bad boss as a good one.
Everyone would like to work for a focused and dynamic boss who is secure enough to encourage the
careers of colleagues without feeling threatened in his or her own career. Unfortunately many
employees have to deal with a lesser breed of managers who use bullying and manipulative methods
to get their own way and show themselves in the best light.
Third is where incompetent management becomes actively malevolent. Take your pick from a
catalogue of sins: criticizing competent staff, taking away responsibilities and assigning trivial tasks
instead, shouting at a staff, picking on people in front of colleagues, blocking promotion, setting
impossible deadlines, and regularly making the same person the butt of jokes. Sound familiar? If so,
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you are likely to appreciate the devastating effect this kind of behavior can have on employees- both
physically and psychologically. A de motivated workforce simply does not perform as effectively, and
there is the risk of a huge loss of resources, as experienced staff leaves the organization in despair.
Perhaps surprisingly, unless you can prove that the motivation behind the behavior is sexually or
racially motivated, there is no law against bullying. But that doesn’t mean you should give in without
standing your ground. A new book, Where Egos Dare by Dean McFarlin and Paul D. Sweeney, argues
that while ignoring the problem may seem the solution, in the long term it may not be the wisest way
to proceed. The book is packed with depressing examples of Atrocious managers, but the authors- both
academics- offer plenty of constructive advice on how to handle tem, ranging from getting the support
of colleagues to making contingency plans and , in particular, putting everything in writing. You may
ultimately decide you will be happier else-where, but making a positive decision to move is at least
preferable to being signed off sick because of stress and depression.
Angela Ishmael from the Industrial society stresses that, however malevolent your manager, it is
important not to lose your personal power. She agrees that it is important to keep a diary of aggressive
incidents and suggests confiding in a colleague you trust who might be able to help you develop a
strategy to cope. Don’t be afraid to contact your HR department or another manager if that is
unsuccessful, she says – that’s what they are there for after all- but if you still feel unsupported, it
might be worth talking to a solicitor.
If all else fails and you feel you really must move on, don’t let it shake your own self esteem, say
McFarlin and Sweeney. ‘On your way out, demand exit interviews with top managers and tell anyone
who will listen about what has happened. Doing so will allow you to leave with a clear conscience.’ And
you’ll probably feel a lot better for it.
Work alone. Read the article again and answer these questions.
1. What is the main point of the first paragraph?
a.
b.
c.
d.
In general, managers are better now than in the past
Managers nowadays find it easy to improve their performance
There is an increasing number of bad managers
Although help is available, there are still many bad managers.
2. What reason is given for bosses treating their staff badly?
a.
b.
c.
d.
They believe their staff will be more obedient.
They want to appear more competent themselves
They believe it improves staff performance
They want to encourage incompetent staff to leave.
3. What, according to the writer, is the result of a bullying manager?
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At college or university, the
average student spends 4 to 5
hours a day reading and
studying.
In business, the average person
spends 2-3 hours a day on workrelated information
management, 90% of which is
acquired by reading.
The average reading speed is
200 – 250 words a minute for
non-technical material – roughly
2 minutes per page.
For technical material, the
average reading rate is approx
50 – 75 words a minute –
roughly 5 – 6 minutes per page.
a.
b.
c.
d.
It is something other workers find amusing
It reduces productivity
It demoralizes other managers
It means the company will become unprofitable
4. What is the main piece of advice offered by McFarlin and Sweeney?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Pay no attention to a boss who bullies
Ask for help from your co-workers
Keep a record of incidents.
Leave the company
5. According to McFarlin and Sweeney, if you decide to leave the company, what should you do when you
leave?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Leave without making a fuss
Explain why you are leaving to the senior managers
Make the top managers feel guilty about you leaving
Make your boss realize how he or she has failed.
Post reading discussion:
 In groups, put down your suggestions on how organizations can deal with people who have a
tendency to bully others.
 Share your ideas with the rest of the class.
Euphemism:
Euphemism is a substitution for an expression that may offend or suggest something unpleasant to
the receiver, using instead an agreeable or less offensive expression. (Wikipedia)It is a nice way of
telling things.
Example: Handicap-differently abled, Short-vertically challenged, Obese-ample proportions
Task 4: Activity on Scanning:
First read the following questions and then use the TV Schedule to find the answers.
1.
2.
3.
Jaya wants to watch both the highlights of the cricket match as well as the road show- can she?
Is there a show about making good investments?
You are thinking about traveling to the USA for a vacation. Which show would you watch?
18
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Your friend is fond of movies and loves to know what happens in Bollywood. You invite her over to
watch this show with you. What time would that be?
Priya is interested in keeping fit, which show should she watch?
You love outdoor games! Which sport can you watch that takes place outside?
Which sport can you watch that takes place inside?
You want to catch up on the latest movie to be released. Which program should you watch?
How often can you watch the news?
Is there a horror film on this evening?
STAR Minus
24X30
Ace TV
6.00 p.m.: Headlines Today- join 6.00 p.m.: News In-Depth - In- 6.00 p.m.: Travel Abroad - This
Ketan Mehta for your daily news depth coverage of the most
week Dev and Rea take us on a
roundup.
important national and
trip to sunny California!
6.30: Ghar Ghar ki Kahaniinternational news stories.
6.30: Enemies-watch another
Phalguni walks out of her house.
7.00: Nature Revealedentertaining episode of the four
See more in today’s episode. Interesting documentary taking
enemies.
7.00: Sports Review- Watch
a look at the microscopic 7.00: The Bikers- watch the action
highlights of IPL’s final fight
universe in your average speck
in the thrilling reality show.
between CSK and MI’s.
of dust. 7.30: Ping - Pong
9.00: Film Fare award night-be
8.30: - In news today: Meet Palit Masters- Live coverage from
with the dazzling stars in the
Jodi who is in the thick of
Peking. 9.30: It's Your Moneyglittering award ceremony.
controversy over IPL. 10.30:
That's right and this favorite 10.00: Slim Fit- A guide to losing
News at Bedtime- A review of the game show could make or
weight to getting fit and healthy.
day's most important events.
break you depending on how 11.30: Review The Three Idiots11.00: MOMA: Art for Everyone- you place your bets. 10.30:
Amir and Maddy come together
A fascinating documentary that
Green Park- Stephen King's
to showcase their new movie
helps you enjoy the difference latest monster madness. 0.30:
Three Idiots.
between socialism and fatalism. Late Night News- Get the news 1.00: Countdown- a close look at
12:00: Late Night dramayou need to get a hard start on India’s participants to the Miss
Reflections from Barkha on
the upcoming day.
world contest-their trial and
parliament today.
triumphs.
Task 5: Activity on intensive reading:
Is intensive reading really reading?
This question may seem a bit strange. Obviously, intensive reading is at least one kind of reading, a slow,
careful reading style that is appropriate for very difficult texts. However, in many ways, intensive reading
is really more of a language study method than a form of reading. Intensive reading is useful for English
19
study because its slow speed allows students to stop and look new words up in the dictionary; it also
allows students to pause and carefully study long or difficult sentences to get a better understanding of
their grammar.
However, intensive reading alone will not make students good readers. In fact, too much intensive reading
may actually cause students to develop bad reading habits. For example, because intensive reading
requires students to pay attention to every detail, it often encourages the habit of paying more attention
to the vocabulary and grammar of a text than to its overall meaning. It also encourages the habit of
reading English very slowly, and students who become accustomed to reading English in this way often
never learn to read any faster. Finally, intensive reading tends to be relatively boring, so students who fall
into the habit of reading everything intensively often come to dislike reading in English.
The main purpose of most reading is to understand the meaning of the text, usually as quickly as possible,
so extensive reading is more like "real" reading than intensive reading is. In order to become good
readers, students need to practice reading extensively as well as intensively. It is good for students to read
intensively sometimes so they can study a text's grammar and vocabulary. They also need to read
intensively if a text is very difficult. But it is equally important for them to spend time reading texts in an
extensive style, focusing mainly on the meaning of the text, not stopping to look up every new word.
Furthermore, to become good readers, students need to read a lot - entire books or magazines - instead
of just short articles or passages from English textbooks. Just as a runner must run a lot every day in order
to build muscles for running, good readers need to read frequently and extensively to build good reading
skills.
According to the passage, what are the main purposes of intensive reading?
1. What are some things students can learn through intensive reading?
2. What are some bad habits intensive reading may encourage?
3. What is the main purpose of extensive reading?
4. How do students become good readers?
5. What would help students to develop good reading skills?
6. Match the words from the text (1-8) with their meanings (a-h)
1. inherit
a. attempted to agree on a price or condition by arguing
2. stretching jobs
b. form a close connection with other groups
3. assignments
c. contacts, friends and acquaintances who may help
you professionally
4. networks
d. work which makes you learn new things and use
your skills and experience more than you have done
before
5. bond
e. person who tries to persuade someone to leave their job by
offering them another job with more pay and a higher position
6. role models
f. receive something when someone dies
7. haggled
g. pieces of work given to someone , typically as part of their
studies or job
8. Headhunter
h. people you admire and whose behavior you try to copy.
20
Tautology:
[From Greek , 'tauto': the same, and 'logos': word/idea] -using different words to say the same thing even if the
repetition does not provide clarity. (Wikipedia) This leads to redundancy and wordiness of your message.
HeE 1. Ravi wrote a short summary of his findings (short, summary)
Examples:
2. In my personal opinion, the movie was a flop. (personal, opinion)
A read – at- home assignment
Reading is one of the ways in which we expand our vocabulary and learn to use words in the right context.
Here’s an article from the Harvard Business Review Read and check if you are sure of the expressions used
in the article.
Reinventing Your Business Model
by Mark W. Johnson, Clayton M. Christensen, and Henning Kagermann
One secret to maintaining a thriving business is recognizing when it needs a fundamental change.
In 2003, Apple introduced the iPod with the iTunes store, revolutionizing portable entertainment, creating a
new market, and transforming the company. In just three years, the iPod/iTunes combination became a
nearly $10 billion product, accounting for almost 50% of Apple’s revenue. Apple’s market capitalization
catapulted from around $1 billion in early 2003 to over $150 billion by late 2007.
This success story is well known; what’s less well known is that Apple was not the first to bring digital music
players to market. A company called Diamond Multimedia introduced the Rio in 1998. Another firm, Best
Data, introduced the Cabo 64 in 2000. Both products worked well and were portable and stylish. So why did
the iPod, rather than the Rio or Cabo, succeed?
Apple did something far smarter than take a good technology and wrap it in a snazzy design. It took a good
technology and wrapped it in a great business model. Apple’s true innovation was to make downloading
digital music easy and convenient. To do that, the company built a groundbreaking business model that
combined hardware, software, and service. This approach worked like Gillette’s famous blades-and-razor
model in reverse: Apple essentially gave away the “blades” (low-margin iTunes music) to lock in purchase of
the “razor” (the high-margin iPod). That model defined value in a new way and provided game-changing
convenience to the consumer.
Business model innovations have reshaped entire industries and redistributed billions of dollars of value.
Retail discounters such as Wal-Mart and Target, which entered the market with pioneering business models,
now account for 75% of the total valuation of the retail sector. Low-cost U.S. airlines grew from a blip on the
radar screen to 55% of the market value of all carriers. Fully 11 of the 27 companies born in the last quarter
21
century that grew their way into the Fortune 500 in the past 10 years did so through business model
innovation.
Stories of business model innovation from well-established companies like Apple, however, are rare. An
analysis of major innovations within existing corporations in the past decade shows that precious few have
been business-model related. And a recent American Management Association study determined that no
more than 10% of innovation investment at global companies is focused on developing new business models.
Yet everyone’s talking about it. A 2005 survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit reported that over 50% of
executives believe business model innovation will become even more important for success than product or
service innovation. A 2008 IBM survey of corporate CEOs echoed these results. Nearly all of the CEOs polled
reported the need to adapt their business models; more than two-thirds said that extensive changes were
required. And in these tough economic times, some CEOs are already looking to business model innovation to
address permanent shifts in their market landscapes.
Senior managers at incumbent companies thus confront a frustrating question: Why is it so difficult to pull off
the new growth that business model innovation can bring? Our research suggests two problems. The first is a
lack of definition: Very little formal study has been done into the dynamics and processes of business model
development. Second, few companies understand their existing business model well enough—the premise
behind its development, its natural interdependencies, and its strengths and limitations. So they don’t know
when they can leverage their core business and when success requires a new business model.
After tackling these problems with dozens of companies, we have found that new business models often look
unattractive to internal and external stakeholders—at the outset. To see past the borders of what is and into
the land of the new, companies need a road map.
http://hbr.harvardbusiness.org/2008/12/reinventing-your-business-model/ar/1
Scribble pad:
Day Five
Writing


Effective writing
Accuracy, Brevity, Conciseness and Clarity in messages
22


Punctuation and proper grammatical usage
The KISS concept
Let us look at the Hallmarks of good writingThe ABC of good writing is Accuracy, Brevity and Correctness.
Accuracy
Using appropriate words is an integral part of being able to communicate effectively. The way you use words,
avoiding ambiguity, and punctuate your message will actually reflect the tone of your message.
Some examples of ambiguity

We dispense with accuracy
She was driven from her home by her husband.
Inappropriate punctuation can change the meaning of a sentence.
Eg: Hang him not leave him.
Active voice and passive voice: we will have to choose the right voice usage depending on the idea we want
to convey. A sender who uses the passive voice may convey a sense of powerlessness. In business writing
passive voice often appears to be indirect and wordy. It conveys a negative feeling to the receiver.
Active voice is direct, concise and conveys your commitment.
Eg; ‘I am working on your request’ is more reassuring than ‘Your request is being processed’.
Tip- all sentences which begin with a subject is in active voice.



I went to Thailand last week.
We read the Sunday times without fail.
Renee banged the door with force.
Brevity-Another characteristic of effective writing is to be brief and simple. The point of brevity is not to say
less, but to communicate a message more concisely. By deleting needless words or sentences and editing,
this is possible.



Use familiar words, short sentences and short paragraphs.
Cut needless words and needless information.
Avoid redundancy of words.
Eg. 1. ‘His past history is questionable’.
Here past and history duplicate the meaning.
23
Eg. 2. What I have done is read every one of the memos in question and pulled out all the relevant ones
that I think we should have the lawyers look at.
Eg 2 is rewritten to make it brief and simple I have identified the relevant memos that need legal review.
 I have identified the relevant memos for the lawyers’ perusal.
When your communication fails to be brief and loses clarity, we say that it has a high fog index. Fog index is a
tool which is used to measure the complexity of a written piece. The higher the fog index the higher is the
difficulty in understanding the message. This can be reduced by using less number of words, more number of
sentences and less number of hard words (words which use 3 or more syllable, eg., comfortable).
Correctness and Clarity-Written language is very different from face to face communication. The words
used must be correct, professional, and the tone positive.
Clarity is the gateway standard. If a statement is unclear, we cannot determine whether it is accurate or
relevant. In fact, we cannot tell anything about it because we don't yet know what it is saying.
Positive mirroring-Almost every day we are caught in situations where we should logically say ‘No” but don’t.
Often our difficulty is caused by a desire to be a good person.
Instead of telling someone what we cannot do, we can tell them what we can do. Avoid negative words such
as cannot, mistake, failure, inconvenience etc. This is where positive mirroring comes. Positive wording
increases the possibility of forming a pleasing and comfortable link with the reader. Emphasize positive
features and deemphasize the negative ones.
Eg:
You cannot return the product after a week.
The product can be returned or exchanged within a week.
Professional writing- Written language is very different from face to face communication. The words used
are more formal.
For Eg.
 Don’t worry; we will be able to handle it.
Rest assured, we will be able to handle it successfully
The ‘KISS’ concept




Keep it short- short sentences, short paragraphs, no redundant/obsolete words
Keep it simple- simple words, no acronyms, jargon etc
Keep it strong- use data, concrete words, examples, avoid ambiguity
Keep it sincere- polite tone, sound friendly and sincere
To summarize:

Accuracy, Brevity and Clarity are the three most important facets of effective writing.
24



Keep your writing short and simple.
Understand the purpose behind your writing and the audience it is addressed to.
Oblige the needs of both the skimmers and the skeptics.
Task: Editing for conciseness and clarity
1. Using too many short sentences can at times make e-mail messages difficult to read . Here are a re
a few such examples. Try joining the sentences using conjunctions like and, but, however,
although, besides, etc.
a. There was a technical problem. The server went down. The technicians had left by that time.
b. You had sent the query last week. We had sent the solution yesterday. You may not have
seen it.
c. Our company has the culture of hard work. Our executives seem to be facing burnout. We
need to improve their efficiency.
d. Short sentences are easy to write and understand. Long sentences are confusing. A simple
writing style is recommended.
e. All business messages should be courteous. People like to be treated with respect. It is
inappropriate to use a style that makes others feel humiliated.
2. Rewrite these sentences to make them crisp.
3.
i.
As requested, I have attached the latest report and feel sure that you will find it useful to
make your presentation, particularly to the clients who are onsite who have specific
requirements regarding the new project.
ii.
Working in this team requires a great deal of specialist knowledge, including mastery of the
complex documentation, an awareness of the various methods of data processing available
and the ability to interact with customers located in various global locations.
iii.
One of the most difficult aspects of communicating with people who you have not face to
face is establishing a personal relationship with them in order to show them that you are not
just a distant voice somewhere but a real person, a part of the team .
Correct the punctuation mistakes in this e-mail.
i am afraid that we have not been able to contact you by telephone as my colleague called throughout the
day yesterday at half hourly intervals but was told that you were not available so please contact me as soon
as possible as we need to check a number of details in your order
you can reach me by phone at any time this afternoon or tomorrow morning and our office hours are 9 to 6
so you can leave a message for me to call back if necessary
25
4. Read this e-mail. In most lines, there is one extra word. Strike out the word. If a line is correct, put
a tick (√).
From HR Director
To: Management team
Subject Highly confidential : Staff problems
Attachments: Chart 1,xls, Chart2.xls, Table.xls
Dear all,
Please see the attached charts and accompanying report which they
show figures for staff turnover in our company, with particular
attention is being paid to our Bratislava office. As a result of these
figures, I have recently been conducting the exit interviews with staff
who are leaving in order to determine the reasons for the high
turnover.
As you are all made aware, staff turnover represents a significant cost
to our organization because in terms of loss of skilled workers and
recruitment expenses. However, I should add that in Bratislava, we
experiencing difficulties in recruiting people of caliber we require them.
I would also like to point it out in February of last year, our very
experienced manager director at Bratislava, Birgit Larsen, who was
promoted to Head Office and replaced by Simon Horvak. This fact may
have a bearing on to the attached table.
I suggest that we ought to hold a meeting next week to review the
situation and consider our options. What I suggest Wednesday at9.30
a.m. In the meantime, I would welcome making any comments.
I would like to remind that you to treat this matter as strictly
confidential.
Many thanks,
Gizela Dembkowski
Human Resources Director
5. Identify and remove the redundant word in the below sentences:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Renu went home at 12 midnight.
This is the most perfect sketch of the victim.
Circle around the correct alternatives
We could not reach to the consensus of opinion in the meeting.
Infosys encourages new innovations
26
Synonym (same)
Synonyms are different
words which have the same
meaning or almost the same
meaning. E.g. Baby and
infant
Antonym (opposite)
Antonyms are words which
have opposite meanings.
E.g. big and small, hot and
cold
Homonym (sound alike)
A homonym is a word that
has the same pronunciation
and spelling as another
word, but a different
meaning. E.g. coach(vehicle)
and coach (mentor)
6. If dissatisfied, you can return the product back in a days time.
7. People will remember this date in the future to come.
8. In my personal opinion the movie was bad.
6. Identify the correct and the confusing word in the sentences:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
I have to pay the principle/principal amount first.
The bride looked radiant as she walked down the aisle/isle.
A horde/hoard of curious bystanders were watching the movie shoot.
No heavenly body is stationery / stationary.
Rahul complimented/complemented Rita on her new attire.
It is better to be discreet/discrete than make a blunder.
The ‘Diary/ Dairy of Anne Frank” gives us a glimpse of the Nazi regime.
After much thought, he gave assent /ascent to my idea.
Additional Notes:
Speaking
Day Six


Presenting ideas and information with clarity
Speaking fluently
Presenting ideas, information and opinions with clarity
Discussion
In this session you will practice fluent and clear speech. You will present your ideas and opinions on
workplace issues and topics. Before starting, could you share your answers to these questions?
27



What makes a presentation of ideas and information (apart from visual aids, body language and
content) appealing?
How does one get to presenting fluently and clearly?
How does one overcome English language related difficulties if one’s proficiency is limited at
present? What strategies can one use to get one’s message across?
Activity
Imagine that you are attending a business seminar conducted at Infosys. Your team of 4 or 5 executives has
been invited to make a presentation on any relevant business topic. Each person in a group can speak for 2
minutes (10 minutes for a group of 5).
You and your group have 10 -12 minutes to choose, plan and prepare before you present. You can use these
steps:
1. Brainstorm your ideas
2. Select the most relevant and important them. Assign an idea/set of ideas to each member of
your group.
3. Organize your ideas in the order of importance
Difference between ‘a little’ and
4. Think of examples to support these ideas.
‘little’:
5. Think of a good opening.
6. You can use some of these expressions:
A little= positive
a. The subject of my presentation is…
Little = negative
I have a few books to read (positive)
b. I’m going to talk about…
I have few books in my collection (negative)
c. I’d like to start off by saying that…
d. I’d like to make three main points…
Difference between’ talk to’ and ‘talk
e. There are three main points to be considered…. with’:
f. The first one is that
'Talk to' = the simple action (as opposed to
g. Now, moving to point number two…
remaining silent)
'Talk with' = an extended conversation.
h. The second thing I’d like to point out is …
i. My thirds ad final point is
j. To conclude
k. Finally…
Here are some topics you can speak on. You can speak on any other topic of your choice as well.







My role model
The business leader I admire
Are customers always right?
What makes people work harder?
The path-breaking technological innovation in the last ten years
The best mobile phone in the market today
To be or not to be
28



When in Rome do as the Romans do
How to walk the tight rope
Peer pressure
TIP: Speaking fluently
One of the requirements at the workplace is to be able to use English fluently, i.e. get across messages without
intrusive hesitations, self – corrections, repetitions and pauses. Frequent practice makes this possible. Here is a
technique for you to develop fluency. You can try it out.
Choose a topic that is of interest to you. Collect your thoughts and order them. You need to be able to speak on the
topic for at least 2 minutes. Present your ideas for 2 minutes. Then, present the same topic for 1 minute. The final
time, present your topic in just 30 seconds.
You can use this technique while practicing English by yourself OR else, you can try this with friends and colleagues.
You can get together in groups and conduct business seminars of your own!
Additional Notes:
Day Seven
Listening



For specific information
For ideas and opinions
Interpreting speaking style
Simple Listening
When interacting face to face or over the phone, a critical skill is listening. Active and empathic listening
which are important skills at the workplace are possible only when we have understood the words, phrases,
sentences, tonal variations and pauses used by the speaker. In the listening sections of this course you will
check your ability to understand, make inferences and take notes during conversations and short
presentations. In case you have a difficulty in understanding the accents used in the recordings, make the
best guess possible and try answering the questions.
29
Discussion
1. What are some of the challenges you have faced while listening to English during your workplace
interactions?
2. What skills do you think you need to listen and understand conversations accurately?
You will hear Parts 1 and 2 of the Listening section of the sample BULATS test. Listen and work on the tasks
given below. The questions have been numbered according to the numbers mentioned on the tape. You can
request for a replay of the recordings once if you wish to listen to them again.
Part One - Questions 1-10
(Source: www.bulats.org ; http://www.bulats.org/docs/samplepaper_en000.pdf)
You will hear 10 short recordings.
For questions 1-10, circle one letter A, B or C for the correct answer.
You will hear each recording twice.
1. Which graph is the speaker referring to?
A
B
C
2. How many new jobs were created in January?
A. 108,000
B. 193,000
C. 240,000
30
3. What does the company import?
A
B
C
4. What prevented the consignment from being delivered on time?
A
B
5. Where has the company sold most of its new products?
A
c
c
B
6. Which company do they decide to use for their re-branding exercise?
A. Neptune
b. Goldberg
c. Hambleton
7. Why didn’t the woman accept the job offer?
A. She thought the company was disorganized.
B. She wasn’t happy with the package.
C. She wants to work for a larger organization.
8. What does the man say about the course?
31
A. It was badly organized.
B. There were not enough speakers.
C. It was not well attended.
9. What information does Gallico Ltd need from its supplier?
A. the delivery date for some goods
B. an update on prices for some components
C. insurance details for the transportation of orders
10. Why did the construction company decide to sponsor the golf championship?
A. Sponsorship will generate more publicity than traditional advertising.
B. It gives customers a positive association with the company.
C. The returns from other sponsorship have been very good.
PART TWO - Questions 11-22
You will hear three conversations.
Fill in the numbered spaces, using the information you hear.
Conversation One (Questions 11-14)
Look at the form below
You will hear a man telephoning to place an order.
Intertech Publications
Order Form
Date: June 21
Order Taken by: Gina
Customer Name:
Intertech account number:
(11) Mr.........
(12).........
Company name:
Brandmart Inc.
Address:
(13) The ........., Hopeville, Ohio
Publication Title:
(14) .........
Quantity:
12
Price per item:
$18.99
Conversation Two (Questions 15-18)
Look at the note below
32
You will hear a man leaving a message for his company’s printing department about changes needed on a
print order.
Message from:
Paul Kwok, Accounts Department
(Job reference (15) ..............)
Requirements:
Letterhead:
Put correct (16)..............
Invoice Pro Forma:
Include space for writing in the (17)..............
Expenses forms:
Add category for (18).............. (Visitors)
Conversation Three -Questions 19-22
Look at the notes below
You will hear a woman telephoning a customer to ask for feedback on her company’s service.
Customer Feedback on Engineer’s visit
Engineer’s name: Tom Engels
Start date of work: (19)..........
Customer’s general comments:
Problem of two-day wait for delivery of a (20)..........
His (21) ......... was very good
Quality of work: Good, especially on machinery for (22)..........
Listening for information and making inferences
You will hear Part 3 of the Listening Section of the sample BULATS test. Listen and work on the tasks given
below. The questions have been numbered according to the numbers mentioned on the tape. You can
request for a replay of the recordings if you wish to listen to them again.
Part Three Section One
(Source: www.bulats.org ; http://www.bulats.org/docs/samplepaper_en000.pdf )
33
Questions 23 - 27
You will hear five people talking about the difficulties they faced when they gave up fulltime jobs to become
freelance consultants. As you listen, decide which difficulty each speaker mentions. Choose your answer from
the list A- I, and write the correct letter in the space provided.
A not leading a team
23. Person 1..................................
B lack of promotion prospects
C loss of status
24. Person 2..................................
D lack of training opportunities
E financial insecurity
25.Person 3..................................
F lack of IT support
G judging which job offers to turn down
26. Person 4..................................
H no informal input from colleagues
I lack of administrative support
27. Person 5..................................
Part Three -Section Two - Questions 28-32
(Source: www.bulats.org ; http://www.bulats.org/docs/samplepaper_en000.pdf )
You will hear five people talking about methods of promoting products that five different food companies
are currently using. As you listen, decide which method each company is currently using.
Choose your answer from the list A – I and write it in the space provided.
28. Person 1………………
A running a direct mailing campaign
B adding new products to the range
29. Person 2……………..
C reducing the price of the products
D giving away a free product with every purchase
30. Person 3……………..
E introducing new packaging for an existing product
G running a special offer with another company
34
31. Person 4……………..
H giving out samples of products in shops
I launching a media campaign
32. Person 5……………..
Day Eight
Writing
Essays




Comparative
Persuasive
Descriptive
Evaluative
Discussion
Here are some skills that writers of ‘good’ essays use. Which of these skills are used in business writing such
as reports, proposals, white papers, research reports as well?
a. Use logic to present an idea or a piece of information in an impactful manner
b. Use a well knit and concise structure to get across even complex ideas in limited words.
c. Weave together ideas and information so that the reader can understand and be influenced by
them.
d. Use simple but well crafted phrases to appeal to the reader’s sense of ‘verbal’ elegance and
beauty.
e. Intelligently develop ideas to evoke the right emotions in the reader and prompt him/her to action
f. Use a neat format for quick reading and accurate comprehension.
g. Directly or indirectly present a new way of looking at things which can be a solution to an existing
problem.
Note: The ability to write essays ensures these fundamentals of writing:



logical and coherent presentation of ideas and information
persuasive structuring and formatting
the use of simple but elegant expression
35
With these fundamentals, one can adapt one’s writing skills to different writing contexts at the
workplace.
4 Basic Essay Formats
Comparative
Descriptive
1. Art films versus commercial flicks
2. Eastern culture Vs Western culture
3. Dog Vs Cat as a pet
4. Capital punishment is more effective than
life imprisonment
Evaluative
1. The Infosys campus at Mysore
2. An interesting training program you have
attended so far
3. Your role model
4. A memorable holiday
Persuasive
1. Is the Internet the best technological
innovation in the last twenty years?
2. Work abroad or work in India
3. Why doesn’t India produce more Nobel
Laureates?
4. English for bread and butter and mother
tongue for heart and soul?
1.
2.
3.
4.
The best bike in the market today.
Why we need to donate our eyes.
We have a dream.
Let’s save test cricket.
1. In which kinds of business writing do these different formats and style put to use?
2. Can all these formats get used within a single piece of writing? Can a descriptive text be narrative and
an argumentative text is persuasive?
Planning and drafting an essay
Remember:
Five pillars of Essay Writing:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Ideas and content
Structure and organization
Conventions
Sentence fluency
Word choice
Main aspects of Essay writing:
1.
2.
Purpose and Audience
Sketch your plan, research and put your Initial thought together
36
3.
4.
5.
Use various techniques to put your ideas on paper Bullet points, Mind map, Doc Spider
Select the appropriate Style and Approach
Create the structure with the help of the 5 pillars
Persuasive Essay, also known as the argument essay, utilizes logic and reason to show that one idea is more
legitimate than another idea. The argument must always use sound reasoning and solid evidence by stating
facts, giving logical reasons, using examples, and quoting experts.
Comparitive Essay demonstrates similarities and differences between two topics. We use comparison and
contrast thinking when deciding which university to attend, which car to buy, or whether to drive a car or
take a bus or an airplane to a vacation site.
To write a comparison or contrast essay the writer will have to first decide what are the
o
o
Similarities or differences.
Which are more significant, the similarities or the differences?
Descriptive essays contain detailed descriptions about something. When you need to describe a thing, a
picture or an emotion, it would help to list the way you see, think and feel about the subject or topic.
The style of the essay should be as if you were selling the idea or as if you would be paid if you convinced the
person that they could actually imagine the subject of description.
Evaluative essays are about thinking and evaluating the topic, forming a point of view about it, presenting
your point to the readers and may be to make them agree with your view point.
Evaluation can be used in book and movie reviews or it can be used to describe a work process. We evaluate
employees and employers; we evaluate the success of particular programs in government or education.
Your facilitator will guide you in writing a short essay of about 150 to 200 words on a topic of your choice.
Here are some suggested topics.
Tip to write persuasively





Establish facts to support an argument
Clarify relevant values for your audience (perspective)
Prioritize, edit, and/or sequence the facts and values in importance to build the argument forming
and stating conclusions
"Persuade" your audience that your conclusions are based upon the agreed-upon facts and shared
values
Establish credibility and state ideas with confidence
37
Day Nine
Pronunciation




Intonation
Word stress
Using a listenable pace
Sound clarity
"Pronunciation" refers to which sounds one says and what stress patterns one uses. For example, does the
pronunciation of data resemble "d-at-uh" or "day-tuh"? Is the pronunciation of formidable more like
"FORmidable" or "forMIDable"?
Using Appropriate Intonation
One of the ways in which we get our messages across accurately and appropriately is by using appropriate
intonation. Intonation becomes especially important when talking over the phone, when we cannot express
ourselves through body language.
What is intonation?
When speaking, your voice goes up or down depending on the feeling you want to communicate. This
variation in the way the voice rises and falls while you speak is called intonation.
Intonation is very important especially in telephonic or faceless communication. It provides the clues that
your facial expression would.
It changes the main idea of what is said, going beyond the exact meaning of the words to indicate how the
speaker feels.
Intonation and punctuation can change the meaning of a message:
For eg:
1. The Manager left his team feeling very depressed. (The team felt depressed)
2. The Manager left his team, feeling very depressed. (The Manager felt depressed)
Task 1
38
Say Hello to mean the following
Say NO to mean the following
How nice to see you after such a long time
You cannot take leave tomorrow. SORRY!
Is something going wrong?
That’s amazing! I am hearing about this for the
first time!
Why do I get to see you so many times in a day !
That’s quite impossible. You don’t really think it to
be true do you?
Say YES to mean the following:
Say REALLY to mean the following
It’s hard for me to agree with you.
Your ideas are so boring.
I’ve been asked to go to Switzerland for three
months. Just what I wanted!
It’s too hard to believe!
Trust me, it is true!
This person is annoying but I have to clarify his/her
doubt.
Note: Intonation depends on context as well as culture based conventions. However certain intonation
patterns make English sound the way it does and need to be followed!
Task 2
a. Read this exchange using the tones indicated. Note that we generally use a falling tone when we
ask for information and a rising tone when we want to check information.
What’s your name? (Falling)
Lily
Voice Modulation
And which team are you working in? (Falling)
Control
Quality
Is that the one in Block 3? (Rising)
Variation
Yes, it is
And how long have you worked with this team? (Falling)
For six months
I see. Are you staying on the campus? (Falling)
Stability
Clarity
Audible
No , not now.
And what do you do? (Falling)
I’m an auditor
You’re an auditor? (Rising)
39
b. Agreeing and disagreeing tones
When we agree our voice generally goes down at the end, because we are confident that the other person
will not get upset. When we disagree our voice generally goes up at the end, because we do not want to
upset the other person.
1. Read this exchange making your voice go down at the end of each line.
Statistics is so confusing isn’t it?
Yes. I don’t enjoy it. (Agreement)
2. Now read making your voice go up at the end of each line. Is there any difference in meaning?
You like going out, don’t you?
Not really. I like being at home. (Disagreement)
c. Our voice goes up with a question and goes down with an opinion. Read these out as indicated.
1. How’s the project going, tough isn’t it? (Opinion)
2. Federer wasn’t at his best yesterday, was he? (Question)
3. The presenter had not prepared well, had he? (Question)
4. The team’s been working very hard, haven’t they? (Opinion)
5. She’s a good manager, isn’t she? (Opinion)
6. He’s a pleasant person, isn’t he? (Question)
Using a ‘listenable’ pace
When we communicate with others, there is a preferred "speed" at which people have the highest amount
of "connect-ability," or the ability to hear, comprehend, and understand our words. Get out a stop watch
and see where your listenable rate of speech is! Read the following passage out loud and time yourself.
READ OUT LOUD:
As a representative of your organization, it is important that you speak clearly. That means that you must
articulate. It also means that you must speak so that you can be understood. Although there is no set rate
of speech, most expert speakers talk at between one-hundred-forty and one-hundred-sixty words per
minute. That is a good speed for verbal communication. It is not too fast to be understood. It does not
give the listener the impression that you are under pressure nor is it too slow. The one-hundred-sixty
word rate adds an element of dignity to your voice. The one-hundred-sixty word rates also give a sound
image to your audience that establishes both you and your company as efficient and well-organized. To
give the audience the kind of impression of yourself and your company that you wish, speak correctly;
speak at one-hundred-sixty -- that's one-hundred sixty words per minute.
40
If you read the passage above in 60 seconds, you are reading at 160 words-per-minute, which is the
preferred speed. If you're at 75 seconds, you could be considered a "bore" by your audience or the person
with whom you are communicating. If you read the above passage faster than 60 seconds, your audience or
person with whom you are communicating just might consider you a "salesperson."
Sound clarity-As part of your work, you will be required to speak with people around the globe. It would
help if you used pronunciation that most people around the globe would understand. Understanding of the
ways in which English sounds are articulated and practicing could help you use as clear an accent as possible.
Task 1 Here are some sentences which bring out the difference in some vowel and consonant sounds.
Read aloud these sentences twice, once with the first word in bold letters and then with the second one.
Do this activity in pairs.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
I’m not sure I like that vine/wine.
Can you pass me that thin/tin box?
I’d like to buy my mother a new clock/cloak
Why not use the new bowl/ball?
I woke/walk in the morning.
Are you sure it is a load/allowed ?
Should I ? /Shoe dye?
The family worked/walked all day.
We need some peas/peace
Looks like he hasn’t saved/shaved
Did they suit/shoot him?
Don’t sit on the seat/sheet.
Did you remember the code/coat?
It’s a very wide/white table.
Why don’t you sit/have a seat?
Note: If you are not able to pronounce certain words correctly you are possibly not articulating certain
sounds as they should be. Our speech mechanisms are attuned to articulating the sounds of our mother
tongue. At times we will need to consciously move our tongue, jaws, and lips in a particular way to
pronounce English sounds correctly.
Word stress
Stress is an important aspect of English pronunciation. Not all parts of a word are said with equal force.
Some parts are said louder, longer and at a higher pitch. To identify stress we need to be able to identify
the syllables in a word or phrase. For example the word examination has 5 syllables.
Task1
41
a. The facilitator will read these words with the right stress. Listen and underline. After that read these
words with the right stress.
expectation photograph
ability
management development software
industry
collaboration account product
technology
There are two basic rules for word stress in English:
 One word has only one primary stress. (A secondary stress is much smaller than the main [primary]
stress, and is only used in long words.)
 We can only stress vowels, not consonants.
b. Note how the stress in these words shifts. Read these words out with the right stress.
c.
product
productivity
analysis
apology
apologetic
drama
photograph
photographic
cylinder
Iceland
Icelandic
irony
ironical
catastrophe
catastrophic
manager
managerial
technology
technological
develop
analytical
dramatic
cylindrical
developmental
Read aloud to bring the difference between nouns and verbs.
9. They won the contract to manufacture cars
As they cool, metals contract.
10. You need a permit to mine here.
The rules don’t permit cameras in the temple.
11. He set a new world record.
I asked if I could record his song
d. Read as appropriate.
1. I’ve always wanted to conduct a class for children.
2. The children’s conduct during the concert was admirable
42
Scribble pad:
3. She gave me an ipod as a present.
4. Shall we present her an ipod?
5. He was the main suspect in the crime.
6. Do you suspect that he committed the crime?
7. What’s that funny looking object?
8. Would anyone object if we finish the discussion early?
9. What’s the agricultural produce you import?
10. She has to produce the evidence within a week’s time.
11. Sally was not content with the salary package.
12. The content of the email had to be restructured.
Day Nine:
Usage of Articles:
Grammar


Articles
Countable and uncountable nouns
Use of 'a' and 'an' article depends on phonetics of noun before
which they are placed. So, 'a' is used before the word 'user' and
'an' is used before the word 'honest'. Use of article 'The' has
many exceptions like 'the' is not used before names of the
countries except the 'Netherlands' and the 'US'.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/48288
Articles
Look at the use of a and an in these sentences. Correct the ones which are wrong. If a sentence is already
correct, put a tick mark against it.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
He put advertisement for new project managers on the Net.
Advertising is very expensive form of publicity.
We need higher training budget.
Effective way to reach target customers is through a direct mail.
Our office needs new furniture.
If you need a work, there is job being advertised at ABC Soft.
I have a qualification in business management and an experience in marketing.
The key to a business success is innovation.
He enjoys business travel. Recently he went on trip to Kenya.
For an information or advice ring, 234 00000.
43
Complete using a, an, the or ‘x’ if you feel no article is needed.
CoffiBean , …….. world’s largest and most ethically questioned food and drink company, yesterday
launched …… fair trade certified coffee brand in India. But ….initiative divided …… company’s critics,
some of whom congratulated it for encouraging ……growth of ….. fair-trade, while others said it was
…. Cynical attempt to improve …. company’s global reputation.
CoffiBean, which has a turnover of 70 bn dollars and buys 80,000 tonnes of …..coffee beans …. Year,
refused to say how much …. fairly traded coffee it was expecting to sell under its new partner Super
label, but said it was serious about wanting to improve ….. conditions of …….. small farmers in South
America.
‘This represents …. fundamental, serious commitment to help some of ….. poorest farmers in ……
world. We want …. whole fair-trade market to grow,’ …. company spokes woman said yesterday.
CoffiBean said it was spending a million dollars promoting its new brand and …..similar amount
supporting ….. health and education projects for its new suppliers in Africa.
Fill in the blanks in the following texts with appropriate articles – a, an and the. If no article is needed,
then write x.
a. It is important to help ….women develop…..entrepreneurial skills to boost ….economy.
…..University of Mumbai recently held ……..seminar entitled” Women Mean Business” to
identify….barriers that block….women in India from doing….business.
b. ……..Supreme Court has issued……notice to …..Union Government on ….special petition
challenging…..judgment made by …..Delhi High Court regarding tax on gifts to relatives.
c. ….weekly index of food prices has risen by 19 % in ….week ended 28 Nov. There has been….steep
increase in ….food prices this year. The government has altered…..calendar for releasing
….inflation data.
d. …..Wholesale Price Index will now be made available once….month.
Countable and uncountable nouns
a. Classify the following nouns by writing them in the correct column of the table.
virus
properties
locale
knowledge
brainstorming
learning
productivity
Quantifiers
44
hardware
confidence
deletion
desktop
b. Complete these sentences by writing some, any, few, little, many , much, a or an in the gaps. In
some gaps more than one answer is possible.
1.
Our newly designed website has brought in ……………………new business, but not enough.
2.
In such a slow and dull working environment, it’s hard to take …………..initiative.
3.
How ………experience does he have of software design. The other candidate didn’t have
…………..experience at all.
4.
Adding the touch screen to the phone was …………….excellent innovation, but not ……….progress
has been made since then.
5.
Advertising is of ………….significance in our business but we have ……… large budget for it.
6.
We needed………..advice about how to carry out ……………product promotion, so we went to
………….firm of consultants.
7.
……………..businesses are slow to realize the value of having ……………company website.
Day Ten
Reading


Levels of Reading comprehension
Identifying core message for paraphrasing
Levels of Comprehension
The three levels of reading comprehension are presented in the following hierarchy from the least to the
most sophisticated level of reading.
Poor Reading Habits:
 Least = surface, simple reading
 Most = in-depth, complex reading
1. Reading word by word 2. Sub vocalization 3. Inefficient eye
Level One
LITERAL - what is actually stated.



motion 4. Regression 5. Poor concentration 6. Linear reading
More information on:
http://www.mindtools.com/speedrd.html
Facts and details
Rote learning and memorization
Surface understanding only
TESTS in this category are objective tests dealing with true / false, multiple choice and fill-in-the blank
questions.
Common questions used to illicit this type of thinking are who, what, when, and where questions.
45
Level Two
INTERPRETIVE - what is implied or meant, rather than what is actually stated.





Drawing inferences
Tapping into prior knowledge / experience
Attaching new learning to old information
Making logical leaps and educated guesses
Reading between the lines to determine what is meant by what is stated.
TESTS in this category are subjective, and the types of questions asked are open-ended, thought-provoking
questions like why, what if, and how.
Level Three
APPLIED - taking what was said (literal) and then what was meant by what was said (interpretive) and then
extend (apply) the concepts or ideas beyond the situation.



Analyzing
Synthesizing
Applying
In this level we are analyzing or synthesizing information and applying it to other information.
Task 1: Activity on interpretive reading:
(From BEC vantage Test Builder, Jacob Allsop, Tricia Aspinall, Macmillan, page 6&7)
Read the statements below and connect them to the job advertisements A,B,C,D given in the boxes. You
may need to use some of these letters more than once.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
You will need a foreign language for this job.
Your letter of application should not be typed.
You must have a science degree for this job.
If you are interested in this job send for an application form.
The advertiser wants to know how much you earn in your present job.
This is a managerial position.
To stay in this job, you need to renew your contract annually.
You could get this job without having a degree or diploma.
A. Lecturers in Tourism, Business Management or Media studies required for the Rosas
Excellence Institute> the posts are on the basis of a one year contract renewable.
Candidates need a degree or diploma in a relevant subject and five years’ teaching
experience. Send CV with covering handwritten letter and details of current salary.
46
B. Automotive Engineer to take charge of busy vehicle Maintenance Workshop. The
job involves working as part of the management team, and in particular organizing
and supervising work schedules and assisting with staff training. A higher
qualification in mechanical engineering and previous experience of heavy goods
vehicles essential, send career details with photograph and three professional
references.
C. Medical representative to sell pharmaceutical products to doctors and pharmacies.
You need to have a degree in a relevant subject, preferably in biology or chemistry,
experience in sales/marketing, and an ability to get on with people. The job offers
an excellent salary, benefits and career opportunities. Applications should include
CV and mention of expected salary.
D. Junior Officer (Accounts) to help with overseas customer accounts. The Successful
applicant will be bilingual (in English and Spanish), and will have at least three years’
relevant experience. We offer a competitive salary, holiday allowance, bonus
scheme and free medical insurance. For further details and an application form,
phone or write to personnel Officer Provenza SA.
Task 2: Activity on Interpretive reading:
(From BEC vantage Test Builder, Jacob Allsop, Tricia Aspinall, Macmillan, page34 & 35)
Match the statements below to the descriptions of events in the boxes.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
A good opportunity to meet new people who could be of use to you.
There is no charge for this event.
This event will be useful if you have a number of people working under you.
If you want to learn how to get on in your career, go to this event.
If your job involves documents in foreign languages, this event will interest you.
This event is of particular interest to people who work in financial institutions.
This is the course for you if you want to learn about organizing events.
A. Personal Assistants. This event is of particular interest to senior secretarial staff working in
specialist areas, including banking accountancy, investment and stocks and shares. Seminar topics
include technical report writing, machine translation and interpreter skills. There will also be
workshops in specific computer related areas, including graphics packages and the use of
spreadsheets and databases. Please note that the fee covers all seminars, one workshop and all
course materials.
47
B. Business Communications. If you are ambitious, this course is for you! it is designed for PA’s
and private secretaries who want to improve their presentation skills, to gain added confidence
through assertiveness training and to learn about the latest developments in office technology.
The course also includes a session on further opportunities for professional training. Conference
fees include accommodation in twin bedded rooms*, all meals and transfer to and from the
conference centre.
*single –room supplement available.
C. Senior secretaries. This event offers an opportunity for Executive Secretaries to keep abreast of
developments in their field, to gain an insight into the changes influencing their roles, and above
all to demonstrate ways of developing their careers. The key issues to be covered include: dealing
with change, managing staff; setting up in house training programs; and personal career planning,
the cost of the two day conference includes all course notes, refreshments and lunch.
D. Executive Secretaries. This event provides an opportunity to broaden your business contacts
and to gain practical advice from experts in such areas as choosing the best office products,
staying abreast of technology, and planning successful conferences, trade fairs and exhibitions.
Experts will also be on hand to advice on effective purchasing practices and ways in which to
increase the efficiency of your office. Admission is free, but you are advised to book early as
places are limited.
Task 3: Activity for intensive reading:
(From BEC vantage Test Builder, Jacob Allsop, Tricia Aspinall, Macmillan, page 66&67)
Bullying in the workplace:
Do you know or work with someone who undervalues other people’s efforts, ignores their viewpoint,
and even publicly insults his or her coworkers? That person is a bully and is bad news for any company,
though often the people at the top don’t know, or worse, don’t want to know. A bully will set impossible
deadlines, make fun of people and ridicule them whenever they make mistakes. The worst type will also
shout and be abusive. What motivates bullies? No one is sure, but it may be that they are suffering from
some kind of inferiority complex.
According to a recent survey, the situation is far worse than originally thought, and has become worse in
the past year. It’s quite likely that the increase is a direct result of the current business culture with its
emphasis on competition and aggressive ‘masculine’ management styles combined with the stress of
‘job insecurity’, that is, the ever present fear of losing one’s job. The survey quotes the example
involving the appointment of an ageing male manager who could not come to terms with women in
management positions. His relationship with the mainly female staff created massive problems
throughout the whole organization. The oppressive atmosphere did nothing to promote efficient
working practices, with stress levels rising and confidence and spirits falling. it wasn’t easy for the staff
48
to report him and it took a while to convince those at the top, but they did the wise thing and got rid of
him.
Bullying must be recognized and dealt with. A fair disciplinary procedure should be in place. Once a
bully has been identified, employers must ensure that both sides have the opportunity to make their
case and be able to appeal against any disciplinary action taken.
If you work with someone who uses inappropriate or threatening language or behaves in a rude or
abrupt manner, you could be dealing with a bully. Whatever you do, you must not become a victim. If
you do not fight back, you are giving the bully encouragement to continue. On the other hand, try not
to get upset, you will feel worse and the bully will be very satisfied. So, keep cool, be patient and take
action when you are sure you can be effective. Talk to colleagues, see what they think. Make a note of
conversations; keep memos and letters as these will be needed as evidence to back up your case. Bullies
always don’t realize that their behavior is offensive, upsetting and threatening, and it may be that a few
well chosen words will defuse the situation. But if this fails, the employer will have to intervene, give
proper warnings and be prepared to dismiss the persistent offender.
1. According to the writer, bullies are people who
a. use cruel teasing to make others feel inferior
b. enjoy upsetting other people by spreading bad news
c. cannot get on with people who work under them
d. believe that they are better than everyone else
2. According to the survey, bullying has become more common recently because
a. age and gender difference between management and staff cause tension
b. people are afraid that they might lose their jobs if they are not strict
c. people feel they must be competitive and tough in order to survive
d. most managers prefer to ignore bullying in the workplace.
3. In the given example, what effect did the bullying manager have on the company?
a. Staff morale was very low as a result of his behavior
b. He was finally dismissed when the senior management realized what was happening.
c. People felt bad about reporting him to senior management
d. He got on much better with male colleagues than with female colleagues
4. To deal with bullies, there should be a proper procedure so that
a. people who have been bullied can appeal to senior management against dismissal
b. both the person accused and the people accusing can put their point of view
c. management can dismiss anyone suspected of bullying other employees
d. everyone will know that the company has a definite policy on bullying
5. If you feel you are the victim of bullying, the writer recommends that you should
49
a.
b.
c.
d.
repay bullies by being rude and aggressive to them in turn
collect evidence to prove that the person is guilty of bullying
persuade other members of staff to support you
report the situation immediately to your supervisor
6. What does the writer mean by the phrase ‘a few well chosen words will defuse the situation’?
a.
b.
c.
d.
It’s a good idea to give the bullies a list of words that people find offensive.
Employers should be told very diplomatically about the bully’s behavior.
Bullies should be told that they will be sacked if the bullying doesn’t stop.
Bullies might change their behavior once it is pointed out to them.
Task 4: Activity for intensive reading:
Competition and cooperation:
Explanations of the inter relationship between competition and cooperation have evolved over time.
Early research into competition and cooperation defined each of them in terms of distribution of
rewards related to each. Competition was defined as a situation in which rewards are distributed
unequally on the basis of performance; cooperation, on the other hand was defined as a situation in
which rewards were distributed equally on the basis of mutual interactive behavior among
individuals. By this definition, a competitive situation requires at least one competitor to fail for each
competitor that wins, while cooperative situation offers a reward only if all members of the group
receive it.
Researchers have found definitions of competition and cooperation based upon rewards inadequate
primarily because definitions of these two concepts based upon rewards depict them as opposites. In
current understanding, competition is not viewed as the opposite of cooperation; instead, cooperation
is viewed as an integral component of competition. Cooperation is necessary among team members,
perhaps in a sporting event or political race, in order to win the competition; it is equally important to
understand that cooperation is of great importance between teams, in that same sporting event of
political race, inasmuch as the opposing teams need to be in agreement as to the basic ground rules of
the game or election in order to compete.
Interestingly, the word “competition” is derived from a Latin verb which means “to seek together.” An
understanding of the derivation of the word “competition” supports the understanding that
cooperation, rather than evoking a characteristic at the opposite extreme of human nature from
competition, is in reality a necessary factor in competition.
1. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence
in paragraph 1?
50
a. Unequal rewards for competition should be distributed equally to achieve cooperation.
b. Earlier definitions of competition and cooperation described them in basically the same
manner.
c. Competition and cooperation were seen as opposites, with rewards distributed equally to
those who competed and unequally to those who cooperated.
d. Competition was defined in terms of unequal distribution of rewards and cooperation in
terms of equal distribution of rewards.
2. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the first highlighted
sentence in paragraph 2?
a. It does not work well to define competition and cooperation in terms of rewards because
definitions of this type incorrectly indicate that the two are opposites.
b. Researchers tend to define competition and cooperation on the basis of rewards because this
shows how the two differ.
c. Researchers are looking for ways to define cooperation and competition in terms of rewards
but have so far not been able to come up with definitions.
d. Research has shown that the optimal definitions of competition and cooperation are those
indicating that the two are opposites.
3. Which of the sentence below best expresses the essential information in the second highlighted
sentence in paragraph 2?
a. Because sports and politics are so competitive, participants may appear to be cooperating
but are not really doing so.
b. In a number of contexts, cooperation is necessary both among team members and between
opposing teams.
c. When cooperation exists in contests such as games and elections, competition naturally
decreases.
d. In sports, cooperation is necessary among team members but should not take place between
opposing teams.
4. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence
in paragraph 3?
a. The derivation of the word “competition” indicates that competition and cooperation are
clearly opposing forces.
b. The derivation of the word “competition” shows us that competition is necessary for
cooperation to succeed.
c. The derivation of the word “competition” demonstrates that cooperation is an integral part
of competition.
d. The derivation of the word “competition” leads to the conclusion that cooperation cannot
exist without competition.
51
Task 5: Remove the extra word from the passage below:
We all rely on answering machines and voice mail. Yet a research shows that they are
among the most hated things in business life. What’s worse, you can easily upset
callers with a bad message. Here it is how to improve your message. First state your/
your company’s name. It is frustrating enough not to have speak to someone without
wondering if you have even so reached the right person. Ask callers to leave their
name, reason for calling and phone no. Also, if you leave out an alternative no., say it
slowly. It’s a good idea to let the people know when you will pick up your messages.
Next, make sure of the bleep sounds immediately after the outgoing message. It is
irritating for callers to have to start there message all over again because the bleep
interrupted them. Researchers say that seven out of ten callers do not leave messages
so far it may be better to get a phone answering service to handle your calls.
In the end, it will cost you too much less to pay an agency to handle your callers
than to lose a client but who is unable to get through to you.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Day 12
Grammar

Subject Verb Agreement
It is the subject which determines the verb. When a subject is with its correct verb, we call it as Subject Verb
Agreement. A singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject takes a plural verb. The important
thing is to recognize if the subject is singular or plural and then identify the singular or plural verb.
Eg:


Jack is going on a picnic
Jack and his friends are going on a picnic
Subject-Verb Agreement
1. If you fail/ fails to clear the test, you has/have to do it again.
2. I belong/belongs to Batch 2.
3. Neither the Business Communication Test nor the Analytical test has/have been completed.
4. None of my requests for leave was/were granted so far
5. Either the system or the network needs/need to be checked.
52
6. The committee has/have asked me for a reason for my late-coming.
7. A distance of 2 kilometers separates/separate my room from the Food Court.
8. What is needed is/are additional resource.
A malapropism is the use of an incorrect
word in place of a similarly sounding correct
word.
9. Some of the figures is/are incorrect.
10. A number of errors was/were found in the reports
Example:
Ram is affluent in French, Italian, Latin, and
Greek."
(The correct word is fluent)
11. Everyone is /are invited for the presentation.
12. Every conference room has/have been booked.
a. None of the equipment is/are available.
b. Some 10% of the trainees is/are expected to be absent.
c. Gymnastics is/are my favorite sport.
Day 13
Listening



Understanding explanations
For ideas and information
Making inferences
Understanding ideas and opinions and making inferences
You will listen to Part Four of the Listening Section of the sample BULATS test .As you listen tick the correct
answers. You have 20 seconds to read the questions before you listen to the recording.
PART FOUR
(Source: www.bulats.org ; http://www.bulats.org/docs/samplepaper_en000.pdf )
Section One -Questions 33-38
You will hear a web designer called Paul Doherty giving advice about creating a website to a group of people
who own a small business. For questions 33-38, circle one letter A, B or C for the correct answer.
33. Paul Doherty advises getting ideas from websites which
53
A. Have been set up by local competitors.
B. Are offering a range of different goods.
C. Are based abroad.
34. According to Paul Doherty, what is the advantage of using a website designer?
A. It may be cheaper than doing it yourself.
B. It is likely to be quicker than doing it yourself.
C. It will be more professional than doing it yourself.
35. Paul Doherty says that when producing your own web pages you should
A. Make the pages bright and colourful.
B. Use the same typeface throughout.
C. Put your logo on every page.
36. Paul Doherty says that a good website should also include
A. A counter to see how many hits you’ve had.
B. Background information on staff.
C. A range of charts and graphs.
37. Paul Doherty says that many companies fail to
1 -There are basically
three elements in any
face-to-face
communication:
• Words
• Tone of voice
• Body language.
2 - These three elements
account differently for
the meaning of the
message:
- 7% Words
- 38% Tone of voice
A. Display full contact details.
B. Update their web pages regularly.
C. Employ someone to check emails.
- 55% Body language
38. Paul Doherty thinks one good way to get customers to return to a site is
A. to offer a new tip each day.
B. to provide a free calculator.
C. to have quizzes for customers.
Section Two -Questions 39-44
You will hear part of a radio interview with Simon Butcher, a business analyst from a management
consultancy firm. For questions 39-44, circle one letter A, B or C for the correct answer.
39. As part of his job, Simon Butcher is
A. Helping to design a sales system.
B. Working at his client’s offices.
C. Travelling widely to see clients.
40. What does Simon Butcher say about the training provided by his firm?
54
A. There is an induction course for all new graduate employees.
B. New graduate recruits choose which courses they want to do.
C. All the introductory courses are attended over three days.
41. When Simon Butcher joined the company, what did he expect to be doing?
A. working with teams providing technical services
B. working on a wide range of projects
C. working more on the business side
42. Within Simon Butcher’s firm, new employees go up the payscale
A. After a six-monthly review.
B. According to their annual performance.
C. At the same time as their colleagues every year.
43. What does Simon Butcher say about his working hours?
A. He has to work over the weekend if there are schedules to meet.
B. He is prepared to work long hours when there are things to do.
C. He finishes at 7 o’clock every evening so he can play sport.
44. What does Simon Butcher think of his company as a place to work?
A. There is little time to learn things you previously knew nothing about.
B. There are too many targets to be achieved each year.
C. There are very rigid and inflexible structures in place.
You will listen to Part 4 section Three of the Listening Section of the sample BULATS. Test. As you listen work
on the exercise given below.
PART FOUR
(Source: www.bulats.org ; http://www.bulats.org/docs/samplepaper_en000.pdf )
Section Three - Questions 45-50
You will hear a conversation between Elizabeth and Bill, two members of the purchasing department, about
dealing with their colleagues in IT. For questions 45-50, circle one letter A, B or C for the correct answer.
45. Elizabeth is concerned about how the IT department makes purchases because it has failed to
A. Involve the purchasing department enough.
B. Follow advice given by the purchasing department.
C. Issue purchase orders to the purchasing department.
55
46. What opinion does Bill express about the conduct of IT personnel?
A. They don’t appreciate input from staff in other departments.
B. They rarely choose their suppliers successfully.
C. They often ignore instructions given by purchasing staff.
47. Bill is reluctant to approach the company directors for change because he thinks
A. The directors would side with the IT department.
B. Too much work would be created for the purchasing department.
C. Internal company relationships would be damaged.
48. Elizabeth suggests persuading IT staff of the value of her departments skills by
A. Offering them training in key areas of the purchasing process.
B. Completing evaluation questionnaires for IT about their suppliers.
C. Writing a plan highlighting where the two departments can work together.
49. Bill says that companies who supply IT departments often
A. Insist on contracts that run too long.
B. Dictate contract terms without negotiation.
C. Fail to fulfill contract terms for after-sales care.
50. Elizabeth suggests finding problems in previous IT purchases in order to
A. Prevent the IT department being involved in future purchasing.
B. Support her case to assist purchasing in the IT department.
C. Weaken the IT department’s position in the company.
Seven C’s of writing:
CONCISE, CLEAR, CORRECT, COURTEOUS, COMPLETE, CREDIBLE, CONVERSATIONAL
Day 14
Note: You write memos to people within your
place of work, and you write letters to people
outside your place of work.
Writing


Précis Writing
Memos and Notices
Use Active voice when writing a memo.
56
Précis writing is where an article is condensed to one fourth its size ensuring that the article does not lose out
on the message to be given. Some of the examples of précis writing in business correspondence are writing
memos, notices, condensed reports etc.
The three C’s of précis writing:
1. Condensation – The précis should be a brief, shortened version of the original article. In general, the précis
should be one fourth the length of the original.
2. Comprehension – Although it is important to reduce the article to one fourth its size, it should not lose its
meaning in this process. The condensed article should be as easy to understand as the original article.
3. Coverage –while condensing the article, all the main points or ideas in the original article should be
retained and adequately covered, so that the shortened article comes across as complete.
Memo writing:
The three basic reasons to write a memo are: to persuade action, to issue a directive or to provide a report.
There are also a few general rules to writing an effective Memo. The purpose of the business memo is to
communicate in an effective, concise method that connects the purpose of the writer with the interests or
needs of memo recipients.
Memos are written to:
 Solve problems by introducing new information like policy changes

Imparts information regarding new products

To present goals or expectations requiring the recipient to take action such as attending a meeting or
changing a current work procedure
Parts of a memo:
 Header: One major difference between memos and letters is the title line found in memos. Because
readers often decide whether to read the memo solely on the basis of this title line, the line is
important. The Header should include “To, From, Date and Subject” headings.

Body: is the text which contains the details and covers all the points of the information.

Closure: to state the action expected from the reader. There is no formal closure like in an email.
Task: Write a memo/notice/circular
1. Mobile phones are not allowed inside the college from next week. Mobiles found in use inside the campus
will be confiscated.
2. The college is conducting a cleanliness drive in and around the area. Give details of this initiative to
enthuse volunteers to join the campaign.
3. The cricket ground is being converted into a laboratory building due to severe space crunch. Cricket
practice in the evenings will not be allowed anymore.
4. An initiative started by your department wherein leaders from different fields will give a talk every week.
Send a memo to the entire college.
5. From next month, the college will follow a dress code. Students are expected to strictly follow the dress
policy.
57
6. Your college is conducting a road show on ‘Go Green’. Invite for volunteers.
Day 15
Grammar:


Question Tags
Phrasal verbs

Indianism
Speaking:
Question Tags:
Question tags are short additions to sentences, asking for agreement or confirmation.
After negative statements, the ordinary interrogative is used.
 For example:
 You didn’t see him, did you?
 Ann can’t swim, can she?
After affirmative sentences, we use the negative interrogative:
 For example:
 Ram helped you, didn’t he?
 Mary was there, wasn’t she?
When question tags are used, the speaker merely expects agreement. The tags are usually said with a falling
intonation, as in statements.
Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs such as these are used frequently in conversations and discussions as well as informal e-mail
messages.
a. Look at the following sentences. What do the expressions in bold mean?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
He hung up in the middle of the conversation.
I think he wasn’t at his desk, when I called. The phone rang itself out.
Shall we call off the meeting?
Can you put me on to her manager?
I need to wash up before the meeting
b. Match the verbs and prepositions given in the table to form phrasal verbs and say what they mean by
using them in a sentence.
58
Example:
go
put
get
take
turn
run
bring
look
cut
come
push
b.
We’ve put back the meeting till two.
Meetings bring out the best in Jan
around
away
back
down
in
into
off
on
out
over
through
up
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Here is a text with certain verbs in bold. Replace them with phrasal verbs given below the text.
Veer argued that the process (1) commence with a review of the new trading laws. Chang disagreed, saying
that this would (2) erode the time available, proposing instead to immediately (3) continue with formulating
the strategy. Sana doubted whether the time was right to (4) enter overseas markets or (5) diversify
geographically into overseas markets. Chang’s focus was to (6) produce a business plan, something he could
not instantly do alone. Veer emphasized the importance of (7) protecting the domestic market, but Chang
reiterated the need to (8) initiate the actual plan. Chang warned against the tendency to (9) dilute proposals
before they were fully discussed. Veer concluded by saying that the company should (10) surrender to what
is unavoidable and stop discussing costly ideas.
Water down
bow to
eat into
start up
kick off
break into
crack on
shoring up
come up
branch out
Indianism:
What does Indianism mean?
Indianisms are certain grammatical errors in English language particular to Indian English speakers. This is
because Indians speak countless languages and each of these languages has its own grammar. Accordingly,
Indians from different parts of India, especially those who learnt another language before English, speak
English as a translation of their own mother tongue using the same grammatical rules. The resultant language
with error in placing of words or use of grammar is called Indianism.
E.g. I am like that only
He is simply joking.
59
Some more examples:
incorrect
correct
•
I am liking it.
•
I like it.
•
John performs many charities
•
John gives away a lot in charity
•
Could we discuss about this?
•
Could we discuss this?
•
Kiran beat him, no? / Sita is here, isn’t it?
•
•
My all cupboards are empty
Kiran beat him, didn’t she? / Sita is here, isn’t
she?
•
Samiur does this always
•
My cupboards are all empty.
•
Tom did not want to go but.
•
Samiur always does this.
•
I only wanted to do that.
•
But Tom did not want to go.
•
You have so much of time at your
disposal!
•
I wanted to do that.
•
You have so much time at your disposal!
•
This is all Mumbo-Jumbo!!!
•
This does not make any sense!
•
Basically, I am from Hyderabad
•
I am from Hyderabad.
Exercise on Indianism:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Me and my friend are going for a walk.
Don’t worry, I am here only.
Ram himself did the work/ I myself did the cooking.
I will return it back to you by tomorrow.
I am loving it.
The food in that restaurant is bad it seems.
This work is more easier than that.
Can we prepone the meeting as I will be busy next week?
Run quickly quickly or you will miss the bus.
I am a nonveg/ I am a veg.
When I was doing my schooling I met her.
She interrupted in between the meeting.
Let us discuss about this tomorrow.
I simply forwarded the mail to my boss.
My cousin-brother is younger than my cousin-sister.
Additional Notes:
60
Day 16
Grammar


Prepositions and prepositional phrases
Active and passive voice
Prepositions ‘at’, ‘in’ and ‘on’
1. These time phrases are generally used with certain prepositions .Write them in the correct column in the
table below.
March
midnight
New Year
nine o’ clock
Ramadan
summer
the twentieth century
the 1930’s the weekend
Valentine’s Day
Wednesday
1900
night
the morning
Friday
the beginning
the end
In
On
At
2. These place and location related words phrases are used with only certain prepositions. Write them in
the correct column in the table below.
a line
the world
the ground floor
the left hand side
front of the car
the back of the house
the corner of the street
Delhi
a taxi
my bike
the station
a website
a folder
a CD
a server
In
On
a map
a list Africa
a corner of a room
Ram’s house
a concert
hospital
university
the Internet
a screen
At
61
3. Complete the following sentences with ‘in, at or on’
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
There was a long line of people….the bus stop.
I wasn’t sure whether I had come to the right office. There was no name ….the door.
You’ll find the results…..the last page of the report.
The head office of the company is….Tokyo.
I wouldn’t like a job in an office. I couldn’t spend the whole day sitting….a desk.
When I am a passenger in a car, I prefer to sit ….the front.
If you walk to the end of this block, you’ll see a small store ….the corner.
You’ll find the page number….the bottom of the page.
It’s a very small symbol. You probably won’t find it ….the map.
I didn’t see you ….the meeting on Friday.
Sheela lives….Delhi. She is a student… Delhi University.
There was an interesting program ….the radio this morning.
I won’t be here next week. I’ll be ….vacation.
Can you turn the light on please? I don’t want to sit ….the dark.
I wouldn’t like his job. He spends most of his time talking ….phone.
There was applause …the end of the film.
I had a lot of problems with my bike. I sold it ….the end.
I was ….time for the meeting.
The flight took off ….time.
I don’t find the icon ….the desktop.
4. Read this communication. In most lines there is one wrong preposition. However some lines are correct.
Cross out the wrong prepositions and write the correct ones in the column on the right. Put a tick (√) by the
line number if it is correct.
( Business Benchmark, Advanced, Teacher’s Resource Book, CUP, 2007. p 62)
To: Marketing Department Section Heads
From: Marketing Director
Subject: Advertising Budgets
Dear Colleagues,
Due to the downturn of the housing market and the company’s poor results from the last two years, the
board of directors has asked us to implement a cost-cutting exercise which will involve some fairly drastic cuts
for our advertising budget for this and the coming financial year.
In order to minimize the effects of these cuts about our marketing performance, I would like to initiate this
process for investigating which advertising activities can be reduced to the least detrimental effect.
62
This will involve us having to undertake an in-depth analysis into these activities, with a view of determining
whether our actual audiences correspond to our target audiences, and in what extent our advertising efforts
are translated across increased sales. This may involve commissioning studies for market research
consultancies in your respective countries. With this in mind, could you therefore please take necessary steps,
so that a breakdown in the relevant figures can be presented at our team leaders’ meeting in the end of next
month? Our objective is to shave 3 million Euros from our advertising budget n the next financial year.
Many thanks
Helena
Verb, adjective, noun + preposition
5. Complete the following sentences with the correct prepositions.
1. We spent too much money ………designing the brochure.
2. If the company stops doing business, this could result …………a big loss to the market.
3. I think we need to concentrate …………training our executives.
4. The results of your project will depend ………..the amount of effort you put in.
5. An unpleasant working environment can lead ………. lower productivity.
6. We can’t compete ……….Google. They dominate almost the whole of the market.
7. I made my last attempt to pass ……..16th September.
8. Please provide me…..the information on the tests.
9. We need to convert the data ….. graphs.
10. I seek your feedback ….my performance.
11. He is always critical….every suggestion given by others.
12. I’m not sure ……..the exact reason for the delay in the installation.
13. He’s not very good….checking for errors.
14. What is she complaining ….?
15. You need to consult a doctor. You ‘ve been complaining …a headache for quite some time now.
16. They apologized….me for what had happened.
17. They apologized….the mistake.
18. I don’t know why he should insist ….finishing this work by today.
19. She specializes ….laws related to patents.
20. Writing e-mail messages in capital letters is like shouting....the reader.
63
6. Construct sentences using the prepositional phrases given below. You can work groups and each group
can work on nine or ten phrases.
account for
advertise for
benefit from
apply to
bid for
blame for
contact with
in progress
capable of
collaborate with
consist of
from
insure against
cooperate with
interfere with
make a profit on
notify...of
object to
put pressure on
invest in
in
comply with
cut back on deal with dispose off
have confidence in
regardless of
report on
report to
involved in
merge with
order...from
reduction in
retire
negotiate with
qualified for
resign from
remind ...of
present...with
range from...to
remit money to
responsible for
at a profit
at short notice
in accordance with
Lack of look
place an order for ...with
relating to
at a loss
at our expense
compensate for
have a look at
proportion of
at a good price
bring up call on
base on
run out of
forward to
by e-mail
comment on
give priority to
run short of
backlog of
in transit
convince...of
equivalent to
approve of
at last
at your disposal
in advance
at least
by accident
in consultation with
in charge of
Active and Passive Voice:
Verbs in English are inflected to show five main traits: person, number, tense, voice, and mood.
Voice is determined by whether the subject of the sentence is the agent or the receiver of the action of
a transitive verb. (A transitive verb is one that takes a direct object*)
When a sentence is in active voice, the subject doing the action comes before the action. For example:

I paint. I is the subject. Paint is the action. The subject doing the action comes before the action,
so it is immediately clear to the reader who is doing what.
When a sentence is in passive voice, the subject comes after the action. For example:

Painting is something I do. Here, the action is painting. The subject is I. The sentence is in passive
voice, since the person doing the action (I) is not mentioned until after the action.
Rewrite the following sentences in Active voice:
1. The statement of the problem was set forth by the division director.
64
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Avoidance of the problem should be sought.
Bonuses were made possible when the compensation package was restructured by the manager.
The reports must be filed by Tuesday.
It has been suggested that a board be established by the finance department to oversee cash flow.
It’s believed that an increase in sales over the last quarter would make bonuses a possibility this year.
Assignments were made without regard for the employee’s previous experience and existing roles.
The criminal was brought to justice 12 months after he committed the crime.
Day 17
Reading

Understanding the structure of a description of a graph
Task 1: Activity on Interpretive reading:
(Business Benchmark, Advanced, Teacher’s Resource Book, CUP, 2007. p 108 -109)
Read the following article (ignoring the gaps) and decide what the main subject of each paragraph is. Write
a note in the margin to help you remember.
Why are so few women running big companies?
A The leaders of large public companies the world over are almost universally male. In America only
seven Fortune 5000 CEOs are female; Britain, only one woman runs a FTSE 100 company.
1……….
Husbands and fathers are more likely to entrust the business to their widows or daughters than the
market sharer, but those companies are generally smaller.
B Why so few women? One answer is obvious: women are more likely than men to care for children.
But to some extent it may be a question of time: women are now reaching positions just below CEO
level in greater numbers than ever before, often rising through sales, marketing or finance. 2………
C However, women still face three big problems in climbing the corporate ladder, says Herminia Ibarra
of INSEAD. First, they fail to get the really stretching jobs. 3……..
Getting into line management is important (and 90% of line managers at big American firms are male),
But it is not enough: women also need tough, broad assignments to win experience and promotion.
D Second, women lack networks, not because they are deliberately excluded, but because people
bond when they have much in common, and gender matters here. In particular women lack the sort
of networks that combine work and social life, which they have proved hugely beneficial to women. 4
…….
65
E Third, women find it more difficult than men to develop an image compatible with leadership. There
are fewer role models, and simply adopting a male style rarely works. 5…….A study of business
owners presented at this year’s meeting of the Academy of Management found that 26% of male
owners, but only 5% of female ones, wanted to be thought of as an authority figure.
F Sometimes women are their own worst enemies. A book by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever
called Women Don’t Ask recently drew attention to their negotiating style. Ms.Babcock noticed that
male graduates with a master’s degree from her university were paid starting salaries almost $ 4.
0000 above those of female students. On closer investigation, she found that the vast majority of
women had accepted the initial pay offer, but that 57% of the men (against only 7% of the
women)had asked for more . 6……..
G One senior headhunter says that boards frequently ask her to recruit women to top jobs. ‘But when
I get them there, the women say no. 7……… ‘Maybe women have more sense than men.
Read the missing sentences (a-g) below and choose which sentence best fits each gap (1-7). This task
will show whether you have recognized the main points of each paragraph.
a. ‘Aggressive’ male leaders are admired; female ones are disliked, especially by other women
b. An easier route for women to the top is to inherit.
c. One study found that companies are much more likely to ask men than women to turn around a division
in difficulties or to start a new one.
d. They also tend to be concentrated in future-oriented sectors such as consumer products and technology.
e. They look at what the job involves and think the price is too big to pay.
f. Those who haggled raised their starting offer by an average of $4,053- almost exactly the difference in
men’s and women’s initial pay.
g. Women are more likely to separate their working life from their home life, which makes it harder to go
for a drink with the boss.
Interpreting graphically presented information
Task 1: Read the following description and answer the questions given.
(BB, Vantage, Teachers Resource Book,CUP, 2006. Unit 7, p 45)
The pie chart shows the breakdown of visitors to the International Food Exhibition by area of business. The
largest number of visitors was from the catering sector, which formed 24% of the total. This was followed by
the manufacturing sector, which made up 20% of the total. The wholesale and distribution sector came to
18% of total visitors, while the retail sector constituted 14%. Other visitors, including journalists and people
from public relations and marketing, accounted for the remaining 24%.
a. Answer these questions.
1. What is the purpose of the first sentence in the description?
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2. How many other verbs can you find which mean ‘formed’?
3. Why are so many different verbs with the same meaning used?
b. Look at chart 2 and complete the description below with up to six words in each space
The chart shows the breakdown of 1………………………………….the International food exhibition. The largest
group of visitors were from delicatessens, which 2 …………………………………….of the total. This was followed by
supermarkets 3………………………………………… of all visitors. Grocers 4 …………………………………………….., while
other shops 5 …………………………………….of visitors.
Task 2: Read this text with the graphs and answer the questions posed.
(Business Benchmark B, Upper-intermediate, Teacher’s Resource Book, CUP, 2006. p 115 and 116 )
Fendara SL is a medium-sized hi-tech engineering company located near Verona in northern Italy. The
company has 147 employees, of which 86 are shop floor workers. Factory work is organized in three shifts,
from 6 a.m. to2 p.m., 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. and 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
In recent years, they have seen their staff costs spiral due to rising salaries, higher training costs and the
difficulty of recruiting and retaining skilled workers, particularly for the night shift.
a. Work in pairs, study the charts and answer the questions given.
 What do the charts show?
 How do they illustrate Fendara’s problems?
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b. Here is information regarding three other companies who have used flexible working practices. Work in
three groups, with each group studying one of the companies on the next sheet. Take notes to complete
the table for the company you have studied.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Name of company:
Sector :
No. of employees:
Reasons given for introducing flexible working:
How their flexibility works:
Cost savings from flexible working :
Other benefits from flexibility:
Brite Paints
Sector: Manufacturing
Location: West midlands
Employees: 50
The waiting list is constantly growing of people wanting to join Brite Paints in Birmingham, attracted by the
company’s positive approach to work-life balance issues. In a very tight labour market, where recruitment is
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difficult, Brite is saving on advertising costs – some ₤3,000 over the last 12 months – as the reputation for
flexible working spreads. Staff retention is excellent, and many wait to retire rather than leave to go to
another job, again saving valuable recruitment money.
Chief Executive Tim Barnes is convinced that the company’s flexible working practices are critical to this high
level of staff retention and recruitment, and offers different packages to meet individual staff requirements.
The workforce is ethnically diverse, with many more women than men, and the work-life balance policies
reflect this mix. Hours can be adjusted to fit in with family commitments, and flexible job routines have been
introduced, both within and across departments, to make sure all work and hours are covered. This has led to
an increase in the skills base and so widened the company pool of resources.
Selby Electronics
Sector: Manufacturing
Location: North-West
Employees: 1,700
Flexible working has had a positive impact on employee loyalty and improved performance at Selby
Electronics (SE). Importantly, a significant reduction in staff turnover has been seen since the launch of their
flexible working program in 2000. Previously, people who wanted to work only in term time, for example,
would have moved to a competitor; now they are staying with SE. ‘People are our greatest asset at SE, and
with an estimated £30,000 cost for each employee who leaves the company, our flexible compensation and
benefits package aims to reinforce a culture of flexibility and commitment to our company.’
Recent initiatives include a standard request process for flexible working, paid adoption leave, a childcare
and eldercare helpline service, reduced hours and term-time working for employees, work-life resources
online and a career break pilot scheme.
Employee reaction has been very positive, and the re-packaging of existing benefits into the work-life
framework has shown both actual and potential – the benefits of working for the company
Milton Engineering
Sector: Manufacturing
Location: South-east
Employees: 50
Changing to annualized hours has maximized efficiency at steel manufacturer Milton Engineering, Its 50 staff
are contracted to work 1,770 hours a year, with a reserve of 160 hours to cover sickness, medical
appointments, rework and peak production.
Working hours are determined by customers’ demand, with the only requirement that teams deliver
products to the customer on time and to high quality. As long as the core hours are maintained, operatives
can take an afternoon off to spend with their family. Because of this improved work-life balance, employees
feel valued and trusted, paying dividends for the company in terms of a more contented workforce.
The difference in performance has been incredible, says founder John Smythe. “Efficiency leapt up beyond all
our expectation. Our teams are now not only facing in the same direction; they are focused correctly and all
pulling together… We can now compete with anyone worldwide’.
Ninety-eight per cent of the most successful organizations in the world work in teams. They provide an
effective framework within which to introduce flexible working patterns,” says Dave Lee, Managing Director.
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c. Regroup yourselves. Work in groups of three with at least one person who has studied one of the
companies described. Discuss how Fendara’s working practices can be changed drawing from the cases you
have studied. You should:

Each present your findings about the company you have studied

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of introducing a flexible work system.

Produce an action plan for changes to working practices in the company.
Your facilitator will ask you to present your action-plan to the whole class. The class will as a whole decide
on the best solutions.
Day 18
Pronunciation





Normally, we pronounce "the" with
a short sound (like "thuh"). But
when "the" comes before a vowel
sound, we pronounce it as a long
"thee".
E.g. The need of thee hour.
Sentence stress
Connected speech
Smoothness of speech
Words of international origin
Proper nouns
Sentence Stress
a. Listen to the facilitator as she reads out these sentences. Which word or phrase is louder, clearer and
more emphatic that the rest? Underline it.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
I went to my bank to get a loan but they refused!
Are you for or against this proposal?
Time for coffee!
Do have access to your personal file?
That’s the last time I work late this month!
It’s not the meeting itself I fear, it’s what follows.
It’s not just a new product; it’s a new product on the market!
Why didn’t you come to the opening of the new building?
Sentence stress is important to get across your intention and meaning correctly. It helps your listener
understand what you are saying quickly and correctly.
Content and Function words:
Generally content words that carry meaning are stressed and function words are not.
70
Content words
Function words
main verbs
sell, install, delete
pronouns
he, we, they
nouns
System, process, Nate
prepositions
on, at, into
adjectives
gray, curved, interesting
articles
a, an, the
adverbs
quickly, loudly, never
conjunctions
and, but, because
negative
auxiliaries
don’t, aren’t, can’t
auxiliary verbs
do, be, have, can, must
Example of an exception:
“They've been to Mumbai, haven't they?"
"No, THEY haven't, but WE have.
A few more conventions:
1. Stress any added information - The name is BOND. JAMES Bond.
2. Stress emphatic information- He WILL win
3. Stress contrasting alternatives- Do I need to pay by DEBIT card or CREDIT card?
4. Stress quotes- LIKE FATHER LIKE SON
b. Read these compound words with the right stress.
1. I went out during the LUNCH hour and bought a NEWS paper.
2. When I have tea with my GRAND parents, they always give me jam SANDwiches.
3. I’m meeting my BOYfriend at the RAILWAYstation in an hour
4. I’ve only got a TAPE recorder, so I can’t play CDs ( or cDS)
5. I never do any HOUSEwork on WEEKdays.
c.
Decide when you would stress the words in bold and read out.
1. That rice smells good. Do you want some?
I’m so hungry. There’s some soup on the stove.
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2. My dance teacher is Saroj Khan. Not the Saroj Khan surely?
Which is your mother’s office? It is the one on the right.
3. Did you enjoy the film? I thought it was great.
I didn’t see you at the meeting. Why weren’t you there? I was there.
4. Did you get any questions wrong ? Just one. I spelt ‘could’ as ‘culd’.
I’m going to the conference too. Maybe we could go together.
5. What are you reading? It’s a letter from Ali.
Is this a present for Zenab? No, it is a present from Zenab.
6. I’m going to Singapore next week. Are you going on your own?
Why did you mark this ‘wrong’ ? You have written ’your’ instead of ‘you’.
7. I like those flowers. They‘re for Geeta.
Have you got any pins? What do you need them for?
8. What time do you have to be at work tomorrow? Well, I should be there by 7.
My new camera doesn’t work properly. You should take it back.
Connected Speech:
To maintain a smooth flow of speech, it’s important to use links where necessary.
For example:
an_ intelligent_ elephant
an_ overweight_ uncle
a hot_ oven
Task a. Make phrases combining words from column A and B
an
awful endless enjoyable excellent
impossible
incorrect informal
innocent intelligent Irish old open
overweight underground unfinished
address aeroplane airport animal apple
apricot arm example egg elephant
evening exam ice-cream illness office
omelette onion orange uncle
b. Match the words in these two columns and say them aloud.
Example ‘before and after’
before better bigger brother enter
after exit far father minor over
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future here major mother near
teacher under war
past peace sister smaller
student there worse
c. Match these as well and read aloud using necessary linking
amateur bitter car
year fair fire
clever end of
inner leather
newspaper rare rear regular severe
sour upper
alarm animal arm armchair article
ear earthquake enemy engine
estimate exams exercise exit idea
orange orchestra
Task 2: These short exchanges can be contracted. Read them aloud to each other with the contractions.
1. Where have you put the shirt?
It is in the almirah.
The shirt has not been ironed.
Sorry. I should have given it to the launderer.
2. What are you doing during the weekend?
My parents are visiting.
That will be nice.
Yes, I am sure it will.
English is considered a stressed language while many
other languages are considered syllabic. In English, we
give stress to certain words while other words are quickly
spoken. In other languages, such as French or Italian, each
syllable receives equal importance (there is stress, but
each syllable has its own length).
E.g. He can come today/He can’t come today
As you can see from the above example, the sentence "He
can't come today" is longer than "He can come today"
because both the modal "can't" and the verb “come" are
stressed.
3. Okay, let us go.
I am not ready.
Have you seen the time? We are going to be late.
Do not worry! The wedding ceremony will not have started yet.
Task 3: In natural conversation we leave out certain sounds for smoothness
a. Read aloud leaving out ‘t’ and ‘d’ for smoothness.
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postman
lastly
hands
correctly
exactly
landscape
wastepaper
friendly
blindness
facts
kindness
grandmother
restless
handshake
b. Read out leaving out vowels for flow.
camera definite
every factory
marvelous police recovery
family favorite
reference secretary
history similar traveler
separate strawberry
Tip: For developing a smoother style of speaking, try reading out from newspapers and books for about 5
minutes every day. Mark the places where you would like to pause using a forward slash, underline
stressed words and use upward or downward arrows to indicate intonation. Example:
One secret /to maintaining a thriving business/ is recognizing /when /it needs a fundamental change.
Words with international origins
a. Here’s a sample of words of international origin, which are used in English conversations. How do
you pronounce them? Do we have to pronounce them in a particular way?
rendez-vous
critique
connoisseur
cuisine bon voyage
restaurant champagne
pizza Nazi
bonsai kaizen
couture
Pasta cappuccino latte
moustache
maestro cafe
What are other words of this kind that that you have come across?
b. Latin words are used in academic and legal English. Here are a few. Can you add to this?
suo moto
c.
modus operandi ex gratia
ad hoc
ad nauseum ad infinitum prima facie
Names of places and products
a. How are these pronounced?
b. How do we check the pronunciation of words of this kind?
c. Is there one correct way of pronouncing them?
Places
Indianapolis
Sydney
Edinburgh
Minneapolis
Singapore
Budapest
Plymouth
Detroit
Johannesburg
Birmingham
Reykjavik
Yorkshire
Santa Barbara
Brussels
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Beijing
Rio de Janeiro Quebec
Texas
Companies, products, designers
Deutsche Bank
Gucci
Cartier
Pfizer
Quantas
Mustang
Skoda
Porshe
Mercedes Benz
Versace Toyota
Volvo
Ferrari
Fiat
Day 19
Grammar

Tenses
Verb forms and Tenses
a. Read the following conversation and choose the correct option (3 options given in each bracket) that
completes the meaning accurately.
Ray : Hi Zen, I’m Ray. I‘m an HR executive here. Can we start the interview? Please take a seat.
Zen: Thank you.
Ray: I (was read/ have been reading/ had read) through your personal file. I (understand/ understood/
was understanding) that you have a degree in communications from Delhi University of . (Do you have/Did
you have/Are you having) any working experience?
Zen: Yes, I do. I (was working/ have worked/ am working) in a private college near Delhi after graduation. A
year later I (had received/have received/received) an excellent offer from a television network to work as a
news editor. After I (am/had been/was) with the network for two years, I resigned and moved to Mumbai.
Ray: If you found the job challenging, why (did you leave/do you leave/were you leaving)?
Zen: There was only one reason. I (did encounter/ encountered/ have encountered) some problems with the
hectic schedule that I (am assigned/was assigned/were assigned). I (was expected/were expected / were
expecting handling) to travel extensively, meet people and edit the news clips. At times, I (barely manage/
was barely managed/ barely managed) to get four hours of sleep. My health (were affected/ was being
affected/ was affecting). If I had continued with the station, I (would be put/ would been put/ would have
been put) in charge of my unit. Instead, I (chose/ was choosing/ have chosen) to quit before I (become/ had
become/ became) ill.
Ray: I see. (Are you thinking/ Do you think/ Did you think) you can manage the post of a public relations
executive? It (will involve/ will be involving/ will be involved) some degree of stress too.
75
Zen: I’m sure I (be able/ will be able/ would be able) to do the job competently. I (am knowing/ will know /
know) there will be difficult times but I (am used to handling/ was used to handling/ will be used to
handling) problems as you can see from my curriculum vitae. I would appreciate it if you could give me a
chance to prove my capability.
Here is a snapshot of the major tenses in English and their primary use. The facilitator will clarify doubts if
any.
Tense
Form
1 Simple present
I work in
2 Present continuous I am working in
3 Simple past
4 Past continuous
5 Present perfect
6 Present perfect
continuous
7 Past perfect
8 Past perfect
continuous
9 Future
Use
For routines and what is seen as almost a permanent
For what is happening at the moment of speaking or presently
in your life
I worked in …
For an action completed and which may not have an
implication in the present
I was working in For an action that was happening in the background when
…
some other event happened.
I have worked in For an action completed in the recent past and which is
…
relevant to the present.
I have been
For an action that began in the past and continues into the
working …
present
I had worked … For referring to an action that happened before a more recent
past action
I had been
For referring to an action that was happening in the
working …
background past when a second significant action took place
I am going to
For actions that are intended to be done in the future
I will
10 Future perfect
I work ...
I will have
worked
For actions anticipated to have happened in the future
Read the following short story and use the correct tense form of the verbs:
John ______ (always travel) a lot. In fact, he _______ (be) only two years old when he first __________ (fly)
to the US. His mother ________ (be) Italian and his father _______ (be) American. John ________(be) born in
France, but his parents __________ (meet) in Cologne, Germany after they _____ (live) there for five years.
They _________ (meet) one day while John's father _________ (read) a book in the library and his mother
__________ (sit down) beside him. Anyway, John __________ (travel) a lot because his parents
also__________ (travel) a lot.
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As a matter of fact, John _________ (visit) his parents in France at the moment. He ___________ (live) in
New York now, but _________ (visit) his parents for the past few weeks. He really __________ (enjoy) living
in New York, but he also _________ (love) coming to visit his parents at least once a year.
This year __________ (fly) over 50,000 miles for his job. He _________ (work) for Jackson & Co. for almost
two years now. He _________ (be) pretty sure that he __________ (work) for them next year as well. His job
_________(require) a lot of travel. In fact, by the end of this year, he ____________ (travel) over 120,000
miles! His next journey __________ (be) to Australia. He really ___________ (not like) going to Australia
because it is so far. This time he ________ (fly) from Paris after a meeting with the company's French
partner. He __________ for over 18 hours by the time he __________ (arrive)!
John __________ (talking) with his parents earlier this evening when his girlfriend from New York
____________ (telephone) to let him know that Jackson & Co. _____ _______(decide) to merge with a
company in Australia. The two companies __________ (negotiate) for the past month, so it really _____ (not
be) much of a surprise. Of course, this _________ (mean) that John _________ (have to catch) the next
plane back to New York. He ________ (meet) with his boss at this time tomorrow.
Day 20
Writing


Report Writing
Practice Report writing
Reports are an integral part of business writing. Your facilitator will give you some pointers on reports.
Before that, discuss these questions and note you’re your answers:
a. What are reports?
b. What purpose do they serve at the workplace?
c. How should reports be?
d. Is there a prescribed format for reports?
e. Is there an appropriate style for reports?
Now listen to your facilitator and add points that you had put down.
Reports need to have these 4 basic characteristics : ACCURACY, CLARITY, CONCISENESS and OBJECTIVITY
While reporting a meeting
77
1.Check if your report answers these questions:










When was the meeting?
Who attended?
Who did not attend? (Include this information if it matters.)
What topics were discussed?
What was decided?
What actions were agreed upon?
Who is to complete the actions, by when?
Were materials distributed at the meeting? If so, are copies or a link available?
Is there anything special the reader of the minutes should know or do?
Is a follow-up meeting scheduled? If so, when? where? why?
2. Use headings so that readers can skim for the information they need. Your template could include these:





Topics
Decisions
Actions Agreed Upon
Person responsible
Deadline
Next Meeting
Date and Time
Location
Agenda items
3. Write the report soon after the meeting--preferably within 24 hours. That way, those who attended can
be reminded of action items, and those who did not attend will promptly know what happened.. Don't skip
writing the report just because everyone attended the meeting and knows what happened. Meeting notes
serve as a record of the meeting long after people forget what happened.
4. Don't describe all the "he said, she said" details unless those details are very important. Record topics
discussed, decisions made, and action items.
5. Omit information that will embarrass anyone
6. Use positive language. Rather than describing the discussion as heated or angry, use passionate, lively, or
energetic--all of which are just as true as the negative words
A few tips on writing clearly, completely and concisely
1. Keep your sentence average length low
Example: With reference to attachment 1I suggest that if we do not receive their completed
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form within the next fourteen days, we have no alternative but to cancel their application.
2. Use simple words rather than complex ones
Example: As we noted in the preceding section, if you purchased additional printer options,
such as a second printer tray, it is a requirement you verify its correct installation.
3. Avoid clichéd and wordy phrases
At a later date
At the present time
For the purpose of
Have no alternative but
In addition to
In order to
In relation to
On a regular basis
4. Use abstract words and phrases with discretion
Example : devices, variables, systems, processes, outputs, operations
5. Use jargon, abbreviations and acronyms with discretion
Task 2
a. Read the sales report. Look at the words and phrases in bold and in italics. Choose the word or phrase
which sounds more formal by striking out the less formal one.
(Business Benchmark, Advanced, Teacher’s Resource Book, Guy Brook- Hart, CUP 2007, p 69)
Software Solutions: UK Sales Report
Introduction
The reason for writing/ The purpose of this report is to summarize / sum up sales for the different
categories of product we have been selling in the UK over the past year and to make recommendations for
future sales activities / recommend ways to sell things in the future.
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Accounting software
We have sold a lot of our accounting software/ Our accounting software has sold well over the last year in
the UK with an increase in sales /sales going up from £120,000 to £145,000. Existing clients/clients we
have now have bought upgrades and a number of new accounts were secured/ we found some new
customers at the Accounting fair at Olympia in April.
Stock control software
We are still selling more of our stock control software than any of our competitors/ Our stock control
software continues to be a UK market leader with sales of £950.000. It is thought to fit / People think it fits
particularly well with UK stock control systems and most sales of the new 7.2 version were made to existing
clients through e-sales downloads/ when they downloaded it off the Internet or when they were phoned by
our call centre in Edinburgh / as a result of telephone sales from our Edinburgh call centre.
CRM
UK companies continue to be wary of investing in/still don’t want to spend money on CRM and sales have
been sluggish/slow.
Shipment tracking software
The decision to launch /We decided to delay launching our new tracking software because we were having
technical problems with it / due to technical difficulties and also because we haven’t sold as much of our
existing tracking software as we hoped to, as you’ll understand/ due to the sales of existing tracking
software having been understandably disappointing
Payroll software
Sales of payroll software rose/went up by 25% because we were quick to supply programs which dealt with
changes in the tax rules /as a result of our agility in supplying programs which took into account changes in
tax regulations.
Sales were further boosted/ We also managed to boost sales by an effective combination of/effectively
combining telephone sales, e-sales and visits from our sales people/ sales personnel.
Conclusions and recommendations
In general, last year’s sales were good, but I think we should stop selling by mail order as we don’t make
money on this in the UK anymore/ Sales in the past year have been generally encouraging. However I
80
recommend that our mail order sales should be phased out.
We also need to keep cash in hand for when we launch the tracking software in the UK.
The problems with it will have to be sorted out first , but we‘ve talked about it with our clients and they
seem keen to have it./ Also money should be reserved for the UK launch of the tracking software once the
problems have been resolved as discussions with clients reveal that demand will be strong.
Discussion:
1. Do you notice that the passive sentence structure is generally preferred in formal writing?
Why is this so?
2. Does one have to use passive structures all the time in formal writing?
3. What have you learnt (from the two writing tasks done) about using English while writing
reports?
Task: Report on business trends and decisions made at a meeting
Listen to the audio played by the facilitator. Take notes. Using the notes put down a report to the Unit head
of the respective organizations, outlining the decisions taken and how you plan to implement them. Use this
format.

Introduction

Current situation

Recommendations
Exchange reports and look at how others have written the report. Are the reports clear, concise and in an
appropriately formal?
Post writing discussion
Why should reports generally be written in a fairly formal style? How does a formal style help?
Tip: Reports need to have these basic characteristics : CORRECTNESS, COMPLETENESS,
CLARITY, CONCISENESS and OBJECTIVITY
81
Day 21:
Grammar




Adverbs
Adjectives
Modifiers
Collocations
Verb forms and Tenses
a. Read the following conversation and choose the correct option (3 options given in each bracket) that
completes the meaning accurately.
Ray : Hi Zen, I’m Ray. I‘m an HR executive here. Can we start the interview? Please take a seat.
Zen: Thank you.
Ray: I (was read/ have been reading/ had read) through your personal file. I (understand/ understood/
was understanding) that you have a degree in communications from Delhi University of . (Do you have/Did
you have/Are you having) any working experience?
Zen: Yes, I do. I (was working/ have worked/ am working) in a private college near Delhi after graduation. A
year later I (had received/have received/received) an excellent offer from a television network to work as a
news editor. After I (am/had been/was) with the network for two years, I resigned and moved to Mumbai.
Ray: If you found the job challenging, why (did you leave/do you leave/were you leaving)?
Zen: There was only one reason. I (did encounter/ encountered/ have encountered) some problems with the
hectic schedule that I (am assigned/was assigned/were assigned). I (was expected/were expected / were
expecting handling) to travel extensively, meet people and edit the news clips. At times, I (barely manage/
was barely managed/ barely managed) to get four hours of sleep. My health (were affected/ was being
affected/ was affecting). If I had continued with the station, I (would be put/ would been put/ would have
been put) in charge of my unit. Instead, I (chose/ was choosing/ have chosen) to quit before I (become/ had
become/ became) ill.
Ray: I see. (Are you thinking/ Do you think/ Did you think) you can manage the post of a public relations
executive? It (will involve/ will be involving/ will be involved) some degree of stress too.
Zen: I’m sure I (be able/ will be able/ would be able) to do the job competently. I (am knowing/ will know /
know) there will be difficult times but I (am used to handling/ was used to handling/ will be used to
handling) problems as you can see from my curriculum vitae. I would appreciate it if you could give me a
chance to prove my capability.
82
Here is a snapshot of the major tenses in English and their primary use. The facilitator will clarify doubts if
any.
Tense
Form
1 Simple present
I work in
2 Present continuous I am working in
3 Simple past
4 Past continuous
5 Present perfect
6 Present perfect
continuous
7 Past perfect
8 Past perfect
continuous
9 Future
Use
For routines and what is seen as almost a permanent
For what is happening at the moment of speaking or presently in
your life
I worked in …
For an action completed and which may not have an implication in
the present
I was working in For an action that was happening in the background when some
…
other event happened.
I have worked in For an action completed in the recent past and which is relevant
…
to the present.
I have been
For an action that began in the past and continues into the
working …
present
I had worked … For referring to an action that happened before a more recent
past action
I had been
For referring to an action that was happening in the background
working …
past when a second significant action took place
I am going to
For actions that are intended to be done in the future
I will
10 Future perfect
I work ...
I will have
worked
For actions anticipated to have happened in the future
Read the following short story and use the correct tense form of the verbs:
John ______ (always travel) a lot. In fact, he _______ (be) only two years old when he first __________ (fly)
to the US. His mother ________ (be) Italian and his father _______ (be) American. John ________(be) born in
France, but his parents __________ (meet) in Cologne, Germany after they _____ (live) there for five years.
They _________ (meet) one day while John's father _________ (read) a book in the library and his mother
__________ (sit down) beside him. Anyway, John __________ (travel) a lot because his parents
also__________ (travel) a lot.
As a matter of fact, John _________ (visit) his parents in France at the moment. He ___________ (live) in
New York now, but _________ (visit) his parents for the past few weeks. He really __________ (enjoy) living
in New York, but he also _________ (love) coming to visit his parents at least once a year.
This year __________ (fly) over 50,000 miles for his job. He _________ (work) for Jackson & Co. for almost
two years now. He _________ (be) pretty sure that he __________ (work) for them next year as well. His job
_________(require) a lot of travel. In fact, by the end of this year, he ____________ (travel) over 120,000
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miles! His next journey __________ (be) to Australia. He really ___________ (not like) going to Australia
because it is so far. This time he ________ (fly) from Paris after a meeting with the company's French
partner. He __________ for over 18 hours by the time he __________ (arrive)!
John __________ (talking) with his parents earlier this evening when his girlfriend from New York
____________ (telephone) to let him know that Jackson & Co. _____ _______(decide) to merge with a
company in Australia. The two companies __________ (negotiate) for the past month, so it really _____ (not
be) much of a surprise. Of course, this _________ (mean) that John _________ (have to catch) the next
plane back to New York. He ________ (meet) with his boss at this time tomorrow.
Adverbs
Rewrite the sentences below by putting the adverbs in brackets in the most likely positions in the
sentence.
1. The sales campaign that our marketing division carried out has been very successful. ( in
November/on the Net)
2. Public awareness of our products increased.( by almost 70% /in the last
quarter/interestingly)
3. This is because the campaign targeted the right group of people. ( very carefully/in my
opinion/before it started)
4. Our targets for several products have been met. ( already/consequently)
5. Our popular brands have done well.( spectacularly/especially/since the campaign started)
6. Some brands have not been a hit with consumers. ( unfortunately)
7. Sales of some have decreased.( even/slightly)
8. I think we need to have a meeting about this. ( therefore/soon)
9. A solution is needed (urgently)
10. Please call me and let me know a convenient time for the meeting. ( later today/on my
mobile)
Adjectives
Adjectives are words that describe or modify another person or thing in the sentence. It is used with a noun
to add something to its meaning. Adjective means added to.
The Articles — a, an, and the — are adjectives. Other examples:




the tall professor
a solid commitment
the unhappiest, richest man
A lazy girl
Adjectives nearly always appear immediately before the noun or noun phrase that they modify
Modifiers
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A modifier can be a word, an adjective, an adverb, or a phrase or clause acting as an adjective or adverb. In
every case, the basic principle is the same: the modifier adds information to another element in the
sentence. Modifiers breathe life into sentences. Carefully chosen, well-placed modifiers allow you to depict
situations with as much accuracy as words will allow. The removal of the modifier typically doesn't affect the
grammatical construction of the sentence.
Task 1 - Collocations
Collocations are word combinations often between verbs and nouns. Here are a few business
collocations.
bear in mind
break off negotiations
cease trading chair a meeting
close a deal
come to the point
dismiss an offer draw a conclusion
attention to
launch a new product
lay off staff
go bankrupt
go into partnership
make a loss
make a profit
market forces
sales figures
draw
The facilitator will give you a set of cards each containing a word that can be matched with another
word to make a business collocation. Match suitable cards and report to the class.
Day 22:
Speaking


Discussing workplace issues using the conversation/discussion format
Presenting data in meetings
Discussing data and coming to conclusions/ Presenting at meetings
You will be asked to work on either Task 1 or Task 2. The facilitator will guide you.
Task 1
(BB, Upper-intermediate, Teacher’s Resource Book, Guy Brook- Hart, CUP 2006. p 130 and 131)
Imagine that you are members of the management team of a company which is one of the main suppliers of
fittings and equipment to building companies and plumbers. A recent housing boom, combined with a
dynamic advertising campaign, has resulted in greatly increased sales over the last three years. However,
recently you noticed a marked increase in the number of customer complaints.
85
1. Work in pairs and choose one of the sets of charts below. Prepare a presentation of the information for a
management meeting.
Set 1: Sales and Customers
Set 2: Customer profiles and customer suggestions
86
Set 3: Customer complaints- number and type
Type of complaint
2. Work in groups of six and hold the meeting. Use this agenda. As you discuss make notes using the
template given after the agenda.
Agenda
1. Presentation: Sales and customers
2. Presentation : Customer profiles and customer
suggestions
3. Presentation : Customer complaints
4. Discussion: Causes of present problems
5. Suggestions for a plan of action
Meeting Notes (You will use these notes later to write a report)
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Current situation
Recommendations for improving customer
service
Task 2
(Business Benchmark, Advanced, Teacher’s Resource Book, Guy Brook- Hart, CUP, 2007. p 63)
1. Read the following information and complete the notes on the right.
Fred- Winter- Homes (CEO Fred Winter) is a well-known
construction firm which specializes in building first- time homes in
Germany and middle market holiday housing developments in
Spain and Portugal. Due to the international nature of its activities
and its management team, the company does much of its internal
communicating in English
As a result of a general stagnation in the housing market, it has
not seen a rise in its turn-over for the last two years, and last year
its profits underwent a 30% decrease on the previous year.
Since the housing market is heavily dependent on
macroeconomic factors such as interest rates and consumer
confidence, Fred – Winter-Homes have had to retrench by selling
assets such as development land and by cutting costs. One of the
areas which has come in for attention is the advertising budget
and Fred Winter has asked you in the Marketing Department to
analyze the cost effectiveness of Fred- Winter- Homes’s budget
and suggest how cuts should be made
Name of the company:
Activities
Markets:
Financial performance:
Cause of present problems:
Solutions:
2. Work in pairs. Each pair should study ONE of the four charts below and do the following:
i. Analyze and decide which areas of your advertising budget are most effective and which parts of
your budget could be painlessly cut , so as not to affect your sales performance
ii. Put down a summary of the chart you studied ( in point form)
iii. Prepare to present your information in pairs to an informal meeting of the marketing department.
You can use some of the expressions given on the next page during the meeting.
Chart 1
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*according to customer feedback form
Chart 2
*according to customer feedback form
Chart 3
*according to customer feedback form
Chart 4
3. In groups of eight, (if there are uneven numbers in a group, make sure that in each group there is one
person to talk about each chart). Appoint a chairperson for the meeting and hold the meeting following
this agenda:
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i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
Chairperson’ s introduction
Presentation of advertising by UK team
Presentation of advertising by Spanish Team
Presentation of advertising by Portuguese team
Presentation of Winter Homes’s sales figures
Advertising cuts: plan of action
Chair’s summary of decisions and conclusions reached
Meeting Notes (You will use these notes later to write a report)
Current situation
Recommendations for improving customer
service
Post activity:
What are some points to be kept in mind while using English during discussions?
What is the style that you will use?
You can refer to the list of expressions (at the back of the handbook) that can be used while moderating and
participating in meetings
Day 23:
Vocabulary


Link expressions
Compound nouns
Link expressions in speech
(BB, Advanced, Teacher’s Resource Book, Guy Brook- Hart, CUP 2006. Unit 8, p 52)
Here is a presentation. Listen and complete the sentences from the presentation using the phrases from
the box.
90
along with
also
so you can imagine that
you can see that
apparently
to be exact
as to the second but anyway
to give you a bit more background
in terms of
Right, well, I’ve got three main points to make: firstly, the Chinese market, unlike markets here in Europe or
the US, is growing steadily and rapidly, so it represents a major business opportunity. Last year, the total
market 1………………… of ice cream sales was 23 billion Yuan- that’s about 2.3 billion Euros- so pretty
considerable. I’ve been reading recently that China is likely to overtake the USA as the leading market for
consumer goods within the next 25 years, and when you take into account that the market growth rate is a
steady 10% a year 2…….. there’s an opportunity there, if we can get in. Now my second point: at the
moment there are five major players selling in the Chinese market, 3………….. a lot of smaller companies.
These big ones have a market share between them of rather more than half – 57% 4………….. - and that’s split
up between our usual competitions: Nestle Walls- that is –Unilever - and Meadow Guild, with 30% of the
market, and a couple of local companies: Yili and Mengniu –I’m not sure I’ve got the right pronunciation
there – 5…………..they’ve got about 27% of the market.
And now my third and final point: 6 ……………, in China on average people buy far less ice- cream than in
Europe – the annual purchase is about 1 litre a head which is still a lot less than the 23 litres per head of the
Europeans, so you can see that, as Chinese incomes rise, ice- cream consumption is a pretty hot prospect.
Sure, Paul. I’ve got something on the biggest national manufacturer- that’s Yili. 7…….. ……they recently
announced plans to build more production facilities in different parts of the country. The reasoning behind
this is logical. China is a huge country – the distances between major centres such as Shanghai, Beijing, and
Hong Kong are vast – so they’ll then be able to save a lot of transportation costs. 8…………., if you have a
factory in each region along with a regional product development team, you can adapt your ice- creams to
regional market more easily and thereby satisfy local tastes. That, I think, answers the first part of your
question as far as I can; 9…………., while companies have been advertising heavily, their main tactic for
gaining more market has been to fight a fierce price war. Most products sell at about 1 to 2 Yuan which is
between 10 and 20 euro cents. 10…………., even with cheap production costs, no companies as yet have been
announcing big profits there.
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Compound nouns
Compound nouns are used extensively in business communication. Here are 4 sets of words. Make
appropriate compound nouns from within each set.
interest
consultant
market
bid
management
resources
brand
launch
profit and loss
management
exit
outlet
price
rate
product
manager
customer
account
retail
awareness
time
helpline
operations
research
human
war
takeover
interview
cash
hazard
operating
crisis
forecast
executive
product
budget
cash
forecast
profit
pitch
sales
management
text
margin
price
instructions
marketing
range
brand
reduction
sales
cow
chief
equity
safety
message
What words will go with these adjectives to make business expressions?





Intensive
driven
centric
sustainable
friendly
Notes:
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Day 24:
Speaking

Negotiating
Discussion:



What is a negotiation?
In what situations are negotiation skills used?
What are some of the communication skills needed during business negotiations?
Task –Role play
Situation 1 Extend timelines
You are part of a team working on a project for the semester. The team members find the work challenging
and are putting in extra effort to meet deadlines and deliver as per the faculties expectations. However, the
need to work extra hours is taking a toll on study preparations for the exams coming up soon. Some of you
have indirectly sounded your teacher and HOD on this. They feel that the timelines are reasonable and is
expected in the current scenario. However they are willing to discuss the matter.
The two roles are Team members and faculty
Situation 2 setting a new deadline
Your teacher has set a certain deadline for the completion of an assignment. Half the class however feels that
the deadline cannot be met considering the complexity of the task and the other assignments to be done for
different subjects. The other half strongly feels that it is not advisable to discuss this matter with the teacher
as it may directly impact their scores. The two groups decide to meet and solve the issue.
The two roles: the eager students and the not so happy ones
Situation 3 who should lead the team?
A Lead is moving to another team and there is an opening for a new person to take over. Team members
have been asked to give their preference between two potential candidates, one a senior colleague and the
other a junior colleague with little experience but who is dynamic. There is a difference of opinion regarding
this and a discussion has been arranged so that team members can present one unanimous choice.
The two roles: The two groups each with a different preference.
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Situation 4 what do we buy?
A team has been allocated its annual budget for spending on infrastructure and other essential needs of the
team. There are two sets of competing suggestions that have come up. The Team Manager requests the two
groups to sort out their differences and come up with a single requirement beneficial to all.
The two roles: One team wishes to have laptops being given to all members. The other team feels that new
software which will help in analyzing data should be bought.
Situation 5 Face to face training vs. e-learning
A team is all set to for training and certification on some critical technical modules from an expert from the
US. There is an unexpected decision by management not to bring down the expert but to record his/her
training sessions and present them as e-learning modules. The decision is part of the cost cutting measures
undertaken recently. There is great disappointment in the team which was looking forward to being trained
and certified by the expert. The team would still like to look at the expert being available for part of the
training, while management feels it cannot afford it.
The two roles: Management and the team which was to get trained
Situation 6 Mandatory to speak English
Your college has decided to allow only English for all communication within the campus. This would mean
you have to speak in English only! Some of them welcome it while others insist that it is not right to enforce
such a rule.
The two roles: A group of students and their faculty
*Work in groups and divide into subgroups. Each sub group takes one of the role.
Preparation
Study the role card that your facilitator will give you and take between 5 and ten minutes to prepare your
negotiating position with your partner. While you are preparing your negotiating position, decide on the
following.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What are bargaining points you make/
What leverage do you have?
What constraints are there on your position?
What is your bottom line?
How would you be prepared to compromise?
Work with the other group and negotiate a work agreement. Your role-play can last for 10 minutes. While
doing the role-play, use the speaking skills discussed by the facilitator.
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Day 25:
Writing
 E-mail Etiquette
 Error correction
Discussion on Business e-mails
1. What are some guidelines that you use when composing e-mail messages?
2. List out the do and don’ts of e mail writing
Task 1: Being clear about e-mail dos and don’ts
Here are some questions that people have regarding business e-mails. What are your answers to them?
1. Can I address someone as ‘Dear’ in a professional e-mail? Does it not sound too personal and
inappropriate?
2. Is it alright to use ‘yours faithfully’ as a sign-off in an e-mail?
3. Is there a major difference between ‘Thank you’ and Thanks?
4. Can I start my mail with a greeting such as ‘Good morning!’?
5. Do I need to address the people who I have ccd in my mail?
6. At times I do not know whether the person I’m sending my mail to is a man or a woman (even their
names do not give me a clue). How do I address the person?
7. Is it alright to use these abbreviations and short forms – pls, thnx, asap, fyi, eod, coz, c u l8r?
8. How do I decide the whether I should be formal or informal?
9. How long can an e-mail be?
10. Can I use bullets and numbered lists in my mail instead of paragraphs?
Do you have any other questions regarding business e-mails? Share them with the class.
Formal and informal expression
What kind of features do you find in a formal style? Is a formal style to be preferred in all professional
writing? Would you use a formal or an informal style in your professional e-mails?
Task 1 a: Read the mails given below and say which use a formal style and which an informal style.
Dear Mr. Ram Kumar
Hi Ram,
nd
I received your letter ( dated 2 January) and your book
which unfortunately only reached my office at the end
of March.
I thought it was kind of you to write enclosing your
book for my endorsement. Owing to many similar
requests that are received, I have made it a rule only to
Thanks for sending me your book for my endorsement.
Unfortunately, I got your letter and book only recently.
I ‘d certainly like to read it and perhaps write a note of
appreciation, but of late, I only write about books I‘ve
had time to read.
95
endorse books that I have the time to read closely and
therefore it may not be possible for me to review and
endorse your book, which I am returning to you.
Sorry to disappoint you. I hope you understand.
I am sorry to send you a disappointing reply but I am
sure you will agree that it would be unfair to make any
exception to this rule.
AB
All the best!
Best regards,
AB
Task 1b: Look at the sentences given below and say which one is characteristic of a formal style in English
and which informal. Underline the words that indicate this.
( From : Business Benchmark, Advanced, Teacher’s Resource Book, Guy Brook – Hart, CUP, p.68)
1a we had to put off the meeting till Friday
1b. it was necessary to postpone the meeting until Friday.
2a. Customers who wish to purchase rather than lease equipment …..
2b. Customers who want to buy instead of lease equipment…
3a. we’ve decided to cut the number of staff in the Customer Services Department.
3b.It has been decided that Customer Services Department staffing levels should be reduced.
Check before you click the send
button:
4a. The G40 model sold well in the last quarter
4b. we sold a lot of G40s in the last three months of the year.

Subject line is filled.

Spell check has been done
5b. we did the right thing when we decided to put up prices.

Attachment has been uploaded
6a. unfortunately they didn’t meet the deadline.

To and cc are properly marked
6b. unfortunately they did not meet the deadline.

Content is correct
5a. the decision to raise prices proved to be correct.
What kind of features do you find in a formal style? Is a formal style to be preferred in all professional
writing? Would you use a formal or an informal style in your professional e-mails?
Task 2 Error Correction:
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It is important while writing mails to use accurate expression. Here are a set of e-mails which use faulty
expression. Correct them.
1
hi,
May I know certification marks? Am I cleared all test?
If not, then tell which paper I have to give the test. I am trainee of Mar 09 LC1.
Thanks
Helga
2
Hi ABC,
If I failed to clear BC test this time &shifted to lower band then is there any chance that I’ll get chance to
clear it again. Also I heard that there is exit if I not cleared this test. Tell me about this.
Yours sincerely,
PQR
3
Hi,
I am XYZ belong to Feb 09 lc1 batch. I have not cleared Buiseness Communication test. Currently I am working in
Bangalore. I received a schedule details for nu Buiseness Communication Test in that they mentioned me to write
th
test on 29 September in MYSORE. But now my Base Location is BANGALORE. So I want to write that Buiseness
Communication test in BANGALORE itself. So please do the favour for me.
with rgds.
Xyz
4
Hi Neera,
I have wrote this exam many times. Always I will get mail saying you didn’t clear.
I am pretty confident of my answers and I checked the answers with the my collogue as well almost al of them are
th
correct and they got cleared but I am not, why I don’t know.I have written this exam again on 6 Oct recently.
Please verify once if something is wrong and make me clear at least in this attempt.
Thanks and Regards,
XYZ
97
5
Hai ABC,
I am EFG ( Employee: No: 12345). I have trained in Mysore DC. I was not able to attend the ILI sessions held
there o 04-may-2009. Now I am in Trivandrum DC. Now I got mail from BVR to attend the classes as the following
scheduled date.
th
Presentation Skills : 5 -Oct- 09
th
Global Effectiveness: 6 –oct-09
But I have an issue with this. My marriage is fixedfor the coming month and around on these scheduled days we
have functions. So please give me any possible way to attend the sessions even from here. I am seeking for a
positive result.
th
Shall there is any chance to attend the sessions after Nov 5 , 2009
EFG
Infosys Technologies Ltd.
6
Dear STY,
th
My name is RS and my employee id is 12345. On the 11 of august which was the first day of swiping, my leave
has been debited due to single swiping. It being the first day I was not very well aware of the system and instead of
swiping out I swiped in the system thinking that the same system can be used for swipe in and swipe out. The next
day on my friends told me the way it should be done and I have been following it thereafter. I request you to give
me your permission to apply for cancellation of this leave.
Thanking you.
Regards
RS
7
Dear DFV,
I have ILI test scheduled on this Friday, please give the guidance to clear this test as it is my LAST attempt. I
want to clear this test desperately. Please help me regardsing this.
With Thanks and Regards,
MV
Mainframes, E&R
Mysore
98
8
Dear RG,
As of now I am working from Bangalore, and on Friday, I will be in Bangalore only.
Kindly tell me time and venue for Bangalore.
Thanks & Regards
MM
9
Dear ASD
My friends Got KT and DT Exam Mail. They wil have exam tomorrow. But, I didn’t get any mail. Can I write exam
tomorrow.
Please revert me back with my marks.
Thanks &Regards,
BM
10
Hi XYZ,
th
I had made third attempt on 16 Sep. The below results as I checked with RG belongs to second attempt. But I
don’t know why I got this mail after I made the third attempt. Please let me know whether this Results belongs to
third test or second test
Regards
PM
Error log
Note down 5 most common errors noted in these e-mails along with their correct version
Day 26:
Vocabulary

Idioms and phrases

Common business terms
One of the challenges in listening at the multicultural global workplace is the variety of speaking
styles, expressions and accents that people would use. Increased exposure to the variety of
English on the media can be one of the ways of overcoming this challenge.
99
Here is a list of American business idioms. In groups of 4 or 5 take up 6 to 7 idioms and say what
they could mean. Your facilitator will help you with the meanings.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
at a premium
back-of-the-envelope calculations.
belt-tightening.
bite the bullet
bitter pill to swallow.
blockbuster.
break the ice
brownie points
cash cow
cashed in
climb the corporate ladder
comparing apples to oranges.
crunch time
dog-eat-dog world!
dot your i's and cross your t's.
drumming up business?
face the music
fast track this project.
mincing his words.
generated lots of buzz
had a lot on his plate.
the hard sell
jumped the gun.
see the wood for the trees!
square away
short fuse.
from the horse’s mouth.
Ball park figure
Catch 22
In dribs and drabs
A Business quiz: In groups, participate in a business quiz. Either the facilitator or one among you will play
the quiz master. Note down the words which you learnt during the quiz.
100
Day 27:
Writing

E mail writing
Task 2 a. Fill in the gaps in these e-mails with appropriate expression. In case you note some errors in the
other parts of the sentences, correct them.
To : Rajesh
Sub: _______________
____ Rajesh,
This is to _______(note/check /update) you that the three _______(modules/pieces/codes) of the
CARISTA project, i.e. Billing, Dispatch and Tracking are on __________(schedule/time/plan).
__________ (unfortunately/sadly/on the other hand) the order entry module has been _____
(delayed/held up/overdue) by two days due to a/an ____ (flaw/dysfunction/ error) in the ZED code.
(But/however/not to worry) we are working overtime to ________(change/rectify/convert) it.
Please _______ (ask/revert/check) if you have any ______(doubts/queries/confusion).
Thanks & Regards,
Amish
To: Sumesh
Sub: ____________
_________________,
As ___________ (mentioned/discussed/spoken) with you last week, I plan to go on leave from
Wednesday for two weeks. I have already ______ (planned/made/prepared) all the necessary
arrangements to travel and have handed over my tasks to Sumit.
______ (therefore/regret/so) i will not be able to take up the CR from the client as it would ______
(need/involve/mean) a lot of effort and additional time which I will not be able to ________
(spare/give/contribute) at this point in time.
I ______ (ask/request/recommend) you to please suggest one of our team members for this initiative.
Once I am back from my leave, I ________ (assure/promise/ guarantee) you that I will be ready for any
101
additional tasks.
________,
Ashish
To: Team_USP
Sub: status meet
_____ team,
As you are ________ (knowing/aware/conscious), lately there have been certain ________
(problems/issues/worries) that have hindered our _________ (task/mission/deliverables) and has
created slip ups in our timelines.
Today’s meeting will _______ ( look/ tackle/address) the following concerns:
a. XXXXXXXXXX
b. YYYYYYYYYYY
c. ZZZZZZZZZZZ
We need to _________ (work out/brainstorm/ devise) on ways to overcome the ______
(droop/slump/failings) in our performance and get the project back ________ (on
track/running/moving).
Will look forward to your______( active/sincere/interactive) participation today.
Thanks & Regards,
Nimesh
To: Flex.com
Sub:
I am __________ (undergoing/undertaking/enduring) the e-learning course on Adobe Flex on LMS
_____(yet/but/except)I am unable to ____________ (download/copy/transfer) the application to my
system _____ (since/because/for) I do not have the Flex builder on my system.
Is Flex builder the only way I can code Flex applications? ______ (if not/if so/ thus) can we write the
code on a notepad and _______ (copy/transmit/move) it like we do in Java?
I have tried ________ (surfing/browsing/probing) Infy wiki to get some answer on this, but there are
102
none. Hence I have approached you for ________ (help/ assistance/aid).
Thanks for any ________(data/information/ facts) provided.
Regards,
Ramesh
To: Ganesh
Sub: ________________
Hi Ganesh,
Due to a _____ (bug/worm/germ) detected last week in the EUI package, the team has not been able to
__________ (deliver/transfer/send) the module ____ (on/in/before) time. We are in the process of
_________ (fixing/correcting/clearing) the defect and it will take considerable amount of ________
(rework/recoding/redoing) to set it right. To _________ (create/complete/finish) the module on time,
we may require ________ (additional/further/ more) resources from the AXL project team.
I request you to _______ (delegate/assign/direct) three people for a week to help us reach our _____
(aim/target/ intention)
_________________,
Samish
To: PSB_MYS
Sub:_________________
Team,
We had a _____________ (meeting / get together/ face to face) with CCD head Ganesh regarding the
file server inside the ODC (offshore development centre) which uses the client network.
As per the security policy, Infoscions should not be taking _______ (spares/duplicates / copies) of any
data which is in the client network inside the ODC. _________ (further/based/ in lieu) on these
instructions we have stopped taking copies of the file server.
Also, we need to stop using the file server and move them back to your _________
(particular/relevant/respective) share point portal or any other ____________(link/ page/ folder) given
by the corresponding system managers for storing the documents.
Please ________ (move/push/ shift) all your documents from the file server by eod. CCD will be deleting
the project folders from the file server after 8pm.
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Please contact me if you need any ________ (assistance/help/backing) regarding this.
Thanks,
Suresh
Task 2b. In pairs or groups of three write an e-mail suitable for any of the following situations.
1. Write an e-mail addressing to the Head of Marketing division of NYYT, an IT training organization,
requesting to sponsor one of the events during your college fest and asserting the reasons why she should do
so.
2. Write an e-mail to the HoD of your department telling her how the lack of certain equipments in your Lab
is proving to be a hindrance in your learning and request her to procure the same. Mark it to anybody else
whom you feel relevant.
3. Write an e-mail to your teacher congratulating her for getting her paper published in a major technical
journal.
4. There has been a technical problem plaguing your team. You have come up with a solution for it. Write to
the manager presenting the solution. Ensure it is persuasive in nature.
5. Since almost a year and a half, the underground sewage construction work seems to be going on near your
household, causing great difficulty to commuters and resulting in frequent traffic jams during office & school
hours. Write an e-mail to the head of your city's municipality department citing the day-to-day problems
people are facing and to expedite the work. Mark the copy to anyone else you feel relevant.
6. You have been ask by your team leader to briefly report on the strengths and weaknesses of a particular
colleague, who is a friend and someone you have worked with in the past. You have to write this mail with
the knowledge that the same colleague has been asked to write a similar mail about you and that both these
mails will be used as an important performance evaluation tool, for both you and your friend, next month.
7. You have been asked by your team leader to write a mail, on her behalf, about the need for the employees
to conform to the security requirements at the main gate: things which, in the past, have been often flouted
and overlooked by the employees. Write this mail bearing in mind that this mail is to be addressed to all
employees in the organization.
8. You have purchased a Cell-Phone recently and have grown very fond of it. Facing some problem in the
camera of the cell-phone you gave it to the service center. From there, without informing you, your handset
was sent to their Chennai Service center for repairing. Now even after 4 weeks of repeated visits to the local
service center and numerous calls to the customer care there is no sign of your handset nor you are getting
any definite reply about its recovery. Write an e-mail to the CEO of the company about the entire issue. Mark
the mail to anybody else you feel relevant
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9. Write an e-mail replying to the mail above. You are the CEO of the organization!
10. Write a reply to the mail that was sent to you by your manager in which you were accused of having a
lackadaisical attitude and lacking the aggression to become a successful salesperson. Though your
performance is not bad, but your boss feels that your laid-back approach is contrary to the interest of the
company and can rub off on junior sales professionals adversely affecting their performance.
11. You have been assigned a module to be completed by 10th November 09. Due to certain unforeseen
circumstances the assignment is not getting done at the pace planned. You have to ask for extension of time
to complete the assignment. Write to your Team Lead.
12. You have been asked to co-ordinate certain activities in the team . You need to conduct regular meetings
to do this. However your team mates have not been attending the weekly meetings giving some reason or
the other about busy work schedules. You feel that attending the meetings is necessary as important issues
are sorted out. You would like to insist that the team attends the meeting scheduled for Wednesday next.
Write to your team.
13. You receive excellent feedback from your Project Manager. You reply to him/her.
14. You have been assigned a new project. Though technically very sound, the new technology still requires
some formal training for at least two weeks on the new technology needed. You have to write to your Team
Lead requesting for training at the earliest.
15. You have received some negative feedback from your Project Manager about a task that you recently
completed. You have to respond to his mail.
TIP: It is useful to put down what you will be doing in your e-mail message and then write out the statements
that go with each communication function.
Day 28 and 29
Individual presentations
Day 30
Wrap up



Feedback
Recap of learning
Planning for further skills enhancement
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Create a poster of your learning:
In groups as directed by your facilitator, create a poster of your learning from the English Lab workshop.
Adhere to the norms of structure, content, grammar and presentation techniques that you have learnt
from this lab.
Expression Lists
Telephoning
Introducing yourself
Saying someone is not available
Good morning.
Hello, this is …. from….
Hello, my name’s…. calling from….
I’m sorry he/she’s not available ….
Sorry, he/she’s away/not in/in a meeting/ in Milan.
Saying who you want
Leaving and taking messages
I’d like to speak to … please.
Could I have my call connected to..….
Department, please?
Is… there, please?
Could you give him/her a message?
Can I leave him/her to call me at …
Please tell him/her …
Please ask him/her to call me at ….
Can I take a message?
Would you like to leave a message?
If you give me your number, I’ll ask him/her to call you
later.
Asking for repetition
Offering to help in other ways
Can I help you perhaps?
Can anyone else help you?
Would you like to speak to his assistant?
Shall I ask him to call you back?
Acknowledging repetition
Okay, I’ve got that now.
(Mr. Kyoto.) I understand.
I see, thank you.
Excuse me. /sorry, I didn’t catch (your name/your
number/your company name/etc.)
Excuse me. /sorry, could you repeat your (name,
number, etc).
Excuse me. /sorry, I didn’t hear that.
Excuse me. /sorry, I didn’t understand that.
Could you spell (that/your name), please?
Confirming information
So …
Can I check that? You said …
To confirm that …
Can you/can I confirm that by fax?
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Setting up appointments
Changing appointments
Could we meet sometime next month?
When would be a good time?
Would Thursday at 5 o’clock be good for you?
What about July 21st?
That would be fine.
No, sorry, I can’t make it then.
Sorry, I’m too busy next week.
Ending a call
We have an appointment for next month, but …
I’m afraid I can’t come on that day.
Could we re-schedule it?
O.K. I think that’s all.
Thank very much for your help.
Please call if you need anything else.
I look forward to …. Seeing you / your call / your
letter / your fax / our meeting.
Goodbye and thanks.
Bye.
Explaining the problem
I’m call about …
Unfortunately, there’s a problem with …
I’m calling to complain about …
There seems to be….
We haven’t received …
The … doesn’t work.
The quality of the work is below standard.
The specifications are not in accordance with our
order.
Warning
It’s not the first time we’ve had this problem.
This is the (third) time this has happened.
Three months ago..
We had a meeting about this and you assured us that
If the problem is not resolved …
We’ll have to reconsider our position.
We’ll have to renegotiate the contract.
We’ll contact other suppliers.
The consequences could be very serious.
Handling complaints and other problems
I’m sorry to hear that.
I’m very sorry about the problem/delay/mistake…
Asking for details
Could you tell me exactly what..?
Can you tell me….?
What’s the…?
Denying an accusation
Stating reason for the call
Referring to previous problems
Apologizing
No, I don’t think that can be right.
I’m sorry but I think you’re mistaken.
I’m afraid that’s not quite right.
I’m afraid that can’t be true.
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E-mailing
Possible opening statements
Thank you for your prompt response
Thank you for your recent mail
Thank you/Thanks for your
feedback/appreciation/comments
Opening statements giving the main reason for
the message
This is to let you know that
This mail is about
This mail is regarding
Thank you for the quick response
This is with reference to
Thank you for mailing the details
I would like to inform you
Thank you for bringing the issue to my notice
This is to bring to your notice
Thank you for your concern
We would like to inform you about
Making inquiries/ obtaining information
Replying to queries
I would like to know
With reference to your mail/inquiry, I’d like to …
I’d like to know
Regarding your inquiry about …, I’d like to …
Could you let me know…?
Further to our telephonic conversation yesterday
...
Could you possibly send me?
Any information you could give us would be
appreciated
Thanks/ Thank you in advance for …
As required I am sending you …
Please note that
We would like to point out that
Please feel free to get in touch with us if you have
any further queries
Referring to the next step to be taken
Apologizing
Please have a look at the enclosed report and let
us know if you need any more information
We are/ I am sorry for the delay in getting back to
you / replying …
I’ll look into your request and send you a reply by
the end of the next working day
I apologize for the error in …
We’ll send you the report as soon as …
We are sorry about the delay in payment …
I apologize for the inconvenience caused …
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We would you like to verify the information in our
database …
Shall I …
I’m/ I am sorry for not having replied immediately
but I was out of office… I have been away this
week… the last few days
Let me know whether …
I’ll get back to you by phone ASAP
Please could you get back to us with the details so
that we can
Sending attachments
Confirming
Please find attached …
I confirm the receipt of the document …
Please confirm / acknowledge receipt of the
document …
I received your e-mail but I’m afraid I’m unable to
open the attachment.
Could you please confirm receipt of the document
…
Thank you for sending the information requested.
Following up
Asking for clarification
I’d like to know if the document we had sent has
reached you …
I’m not quite sure what ‘ system failure’ means …
Could you give me some more details regarding
the issue …
May we remind you that we are still waiting for
information regarding …
Thank you for your e-mail, but I’m afraid you
forgot to send the attachment.
James, could I know what is the discrepancy
noticed in …
Clarifying
Paraphrasing
I’d like to clarify that …
I understand that …
I’d like to send some more details about …
I gather from your message that …
I am sending details regarding the discrepancies in
the report
I perceive from your mail that …
I hope the information provided is adequate …
I hope this resolves the issue …
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Conveying your understanding
Leaving an out of office message
I gather from your mail that …
I’d like to inform you that I am on leave from
Monday 10 October to Wednesday 12 October
2009. You could get in touch with my colleagues. .
. If you have any other queries please contact the –
department on extension 1234 or mail them at
xyz.com
From your e-mail I understand that /…
If I have understood your e-mail correctly, you
have not received the report despite …
Thanking
Closing statements
Many thanks for your prompt reply
If you have further concerns or queries, please let
me know …
Thanks for getting back to us
Thank you for the quick and immediate response
Please let me know if you require further
assistance
Should you have further queries, please do not
hesitate to let me know
Looking forward to your reply
If you have any doubts/clarification, please let me
know
Sign offs
Sign offs
Speak to you soon
Sincerely yours
Looking forward to hearing from you
Thanks
I look forward to hearing from you
Regards
Kind regards/Best regards/Warm regards/Wishes
Thanks and regards
All the best
Cheers
Have a nice day/wonderful weekend
Negotiations
Welcoming
Welcome to…
I’m sure we will have a useful meeting
Making an opening statement at the first meeting
This is a preliminary meeting…
We hope to reach an agreement on …
110
Making an opening statement at one of a series
of meetings
In the previous meetings we agreed on some
important issues. Today we will focus on …
Stating your aims and objectives
I’d like to begin by stating our expectations….
I’d like to outline our principle aims and objectives
today…
Our agenda for today is
We hope to reach an agreement on …
There are a few specific areas we would like to
discuss …
Stating shared aims and objectives
Handing over
We both agree that ….
It is important for both of us that we agree on …
Bargaining
I’d like to hand you over to my colleague….
I’d like to request you to respond ….
Making concessions
If you could ….we could consider
As long as you …we could agree to…
Would you be interested in …?
We can agree to that if…
On condition that…
That’s not acceptable unless…
Accepting
We agree.
That seems acceptable
Confirming
Can we run through what we’ve agreed on ?
I’d like to check what we’ve said
Summarizing
Looking ahead
I’d like to run through the main points we’ve
talked about.
So, I’ll summarize the important points of our
offer.
So the next step is…
In our next meeting we need to …
Dealing with conflict
Rejecting
We should focus on the positive aspects…
We should look at the benefit for both sides…
Let ‘s explain our position…
Could you tell us why you feel like that?
I think we need to look at this issue from a
different perspective…
I’m afraid we can’t…
Before agreeing to that we need to …
Unfortunately…
Ending the negotiation
Breaking off negotiations
So, can we summarize the progress we have
made?
Can we go through the points we have agreed on?
I’m sorry I don’t think we’re going to agree to…
It’s a pity we could not reach an agreement …
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Notes:
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