UNIT 1

PLANNING A MEETING

Speaking

1. Have you ever attended a meeting with a large group of people?

If you have, how did you feel when you had to speak? Were you nervous or confident?

2. Do you read the agenda before the meeting? Is it necessary to do this? Why?

Reading

Meetings

When you are holding or attending a meeting in English, and you are not a native speaker of English, it is important for you to understand key English phrases and expressions related to meetings. A successful meeting has no surprises. A meeting will run smoothly with proper preparation and careful organization. The most typical complaint about meetings is that they run too long. A meeting that runs longer than necessary can be very costly to a company or business and on the other hand it wastes everybodys time useless. So, remember the famous business expression, which says: Time is money. Setting the objectives of the meeting, time limits for each topic, keeping to the agenda, and focusing on the core issues, are key components of an effective meeting. This may sound simple in your own native language, but it is a little trickier when you or the participants do not speak English fluently.

Nowadays meetings are more important than ever. Generally speaking, a meeting is defined as an occasion when people come together intentionally or unintentionally for a particular purpose. Modern workplaces are built on teams, sharing of ideas, effective communication. The meeting is also the place where the participants share their ideas, brainstorm, and exchange information. There are everyday office meetings, board meetings, annual general meetings etc. Meetings can take place in different settings: face-to-face, teleconference, videoconference, and online via the internet.

Calling a meeting

There are a number of ways in which you may call a meeting. Some meetings are announced by e-mail, and others are posted on bulletin boards. If a meeting is announced at the end of another meeting, it is important to issue a reminder. A reminder usually comes in the form of an e-mail or a notice. Here you have to include the date, location, time, length, and purpose of the meeting. It is also important to indicate exactly who is expected to attend, and who is not, stating the reason for his/her absence. If you are planning on allocating someone to take on a certain role, make personal contact with that person to inform him or her about this.

Things to do before a meeting:

Send an agenda several days before;

Make sure everybody knows the time and the date of the meeting;

Appoint a chairman and the person who will take the minutes;

Ask people to prepare to present a particular point.

Writing an agenda

In order to keep the meeting on task and within the set amount of time, it is important to have an agenda. The agenda should indicate the order of items and an estimated amount of time for each item. If more than one person is going to speak during the meeting, the agenda should indicate whose turn it is to "have the floor". In some cases, it may be useful to forward the agenda to attendees before the meeting. People will be more likely to participate in a meeting, by asking questions or offering feedback, if they know what is going to be discussed.

Running the meeting

Meetings generally follow more or less the same structure and are divided into several parts.

Opening the meeting

Good morning/afternoon everyone.

If everybody is here, lets start the meeting.Shall we get started?Welcoming and introducing new participantsOnce all the participants have arrived, the chairman should welcome everyone to the meeting and thank the attendees for coming. When there are new participants, the chairman should welcome and introduce them to the other attendees.

Useful phrases:

Were pleased to welcome

Id like to introduce

Its a pleasure to welcome Thank you all for attending.

Thank you for your participation.Roll call

The person who does the roll call reads aloud the names of all the people on the list to make certain that they are present. This is usually done by the same person who takes the minutes of the meeting.

Stating the objectives/Introducing the agendaThe chairman will pass around copies of the agenda to all the participants. Before starting with the first item on the agenda, the chairman will briefly present the objectives of the meeting. The agenda contains the topics to be discussed while the objectives define the desired outcome of the meeting.

Useful phrases when stating the main objectives:

We are here today to

Ive called this meeting in order to

Our main aim is to There are items on the agenda: first, second, thirdIntroducing the first item

Id suggest we start with

Lets start with

Why dont we start with Shall we start with Closing an item/moving on to the next item

I think that covers this item. Lets go on with

Why dont we move on to

Lets move on to the next item

The next item on the agenda is Giving and asking for opinions

I think we should

Why dont we

We could

Do you think there should be What about SummarizingBefore we close the meeting, lets summarize the main points.

To sum up

Finishing up

If there are no other problems, Id like to wrap this meeting up.

Lets bring this to a close for today.

Closing the meeting

The meeting is closed.

I declare the meeting closed.

Vocabulary

I Match the highlighted words and phrases in the text with the definitions:

1. to arrange for a meeting to take place at a particular time

2. someone who is at an event such as a meeting or a course

3. easily and without interruption or difficulty4. to have the right to speak at an important public meeting

5. successful or achieving the result that you want

6. something that makes you remember or think about something

7. a list of the subjects to be discussed at a meeting

8. boards where you can read or leave messages

9. someone, especially a man, who is in charge of a meeting

10. an official written record of what is said and decided at a meeting

II Complete the e-mail, using the following phrases: agenda, upcoming, participants, chairman, members, attached, minutes, purpose, action points.

To: projectteam@yahoo.comFrom: headoffice@yahoo.comDate: 12th July

Subject: Meeting

Hello everyone,

This e-mail is to inform you all about the meeting on Tuesday, 17th July. All .. 1 of the team are expected to participate. The ..2 of the meeting is to discuss the .. 3 project on emerging nanotechnologies.

.. 4 to this e-mail, you will find the .. 5 with the main points for discussion. If you have any other suggestions, please let me know.

As usually, the ... 6 is Mr. Heart and Mrs. Wood will take the 7. After the meeting all ... 8 will receive a list of .. 9 and responsibilities.

I look forward to seeing you all.

Best wishes,

Mark White

III Match the words and phrases with the definitions:

1. roll-call

2. participant

3. upcoming

4. ballot

5. purpose

6. adjourn

7. AGM

8. wrap up

9. AOB

10. boardroom

a) the reason for or aim of having a meeting

b) a type of vote, usually in writing and usually secret

c) a room where the directors of a company have meetings

d) the act of reading out an official list of names to check who is there

e) happening soon

f) any other business

g) to have a pause or rest during a formal meeting

h) Annual General Meeting

i) to complete/finish something

j) someone who is taking part in an activity or event

IV Complete the sentences by using the following words and phrases: conference call, absent, consensus, motion, agenda, deal with, confidential, closing remarks, brainstorm and AOB.

1. The chairperson is .. 1 due to unforeseen circumstances.

2. I hope we do not have to .. 2 this matter again in the future.

3. The .. 3 on health was rejected.

4. Please forward the .. 4 to all the participants at the meeting.

5. The last item on the agenda is .. 5.6. We had to find out some ways of cutting costs so the team got together to .. 6.

7. I just have a few .. 7 and then you will all be free to go.

8. Please make sure no one interrupts me while I'm on the .... 8.

9. Any information shared during this meeting should be kept .. 9.

10. Unfortunately we couldnt come to a .. 10 by the end of the meeting, so we put it to a vote.

V False or True?

1. When attending a meeting, speak only if you have something important to say.

2. It is natural to interrupt someone if you have a sudden idea.

3. When taking the floor, speak for as long as possible.

4. It is ok to make grammatical mistakes as long as people understand you.

5. Never read the minutes.

VI Match each sentence with the appropriate meaning of the verb meet.

1. The corporation has agreed to meet all their expenses.

2. They agreed to sign the contract as all their requirements were completely met.

3. We met in order to work out a new plan.

4. I met the delegates at the airport yesterday afternoon.

5. He has never met that kind of opposition before that meeting.

a) to wait at a place for someone or something to arrive;

b) to pay;

c) to experience something;

d) to satisfy, fulfill, achieve;

e) come together.

VII The manager of a multinational company is calling a meeting. Imagine your own scenario: set the objectives and the agenda of the meeting.

IDIOMS

Match the idioms on the left with their appropriate meaning.

1. meet your match

a) to do some of the things that

someone wants you to do, in order to show that you want to reach an agreement or improve your relationship with them

2. meet your Waterloo

b) to compete unsuccessfully with

someone

3. meet your maker

c) to have just enough money to pay for

the things that you need

4. make ends meet

d) to be defeated by someone who is

too strong for you or by a problem which is too difficult for you

5. meet sb halfway

e) to die

LANGUAGE FOCUS

PRESENT SIMPLE

We use the present simple to state general truths and facts, to describe permanent situations, things that happen on a regular basis or a series of events or actions (e.g. to give instructions or directions).Water boils at 100 C. (general truth)

We also use the present simple to talk about officially scheduled future events (with verbs of motion: come, go, leave; or verbs expressing scheduled activities: begin, start, end, finish).

Our winter vacation ends on January 7.

The conference begins the next day.

The simple present tense is identical with the infinitive of the verb, except for the third person singular (he, she, it), which adds s or es. We add es to the infinitive when it ends in o, s, sh, ch, x, and ies when it ends in y.

I work. He works.

I watch. He watches.

We carry. He carries.

We form the negative and questions with the auxiliary do.

Do you work? Does he work?In the negative, in speech and informal writing, we usually use the contracted forms dont and doesnt.I dont work.

We often use the present simple with adverbs and expressions of frequency, such as: always, usually, sometimes, never, often, once a , every .Prices usually change on a monthly basis.PRESENT CONTINUOUS

We use the present continuous to describe an action in progress at the moment of speaking or things that are changing.We are studying Finances now.

Exception: Here comes and There goes are always used in the present simple:

Here comes the chief. There goes the tram.

We also use the present continuous to talk about ones immediate plans for the near future (the time of the action must be mentioned).

We are moving next Monday. (Ive already arranged for the moving van.)

We can use the present continuous to talk about a frequently repeated action that annoys the speaker (+ always).

You are always watching TV. (It really bothers me.)

The present continuous tense is formed with the present tense of the auxiliary verb be + the present participle of the main verb.

The new employees are working hard at the moment.

In speech and informal writing, we usually contract is and are to s and re.

Spelling rules:

Base form ending in e: make makingBase form ending in consonant: run - runningWe often use the present continuous with the following adverbs: now, just, at the moment, still.

Verbs like live, work, study, and stay are used in the continuous if the action is temporary:

We are living in France for the moment.

VERBS RARELY USED IN THE CONTINUOUS

Verbs of existing or beingbe, consist of, contain, exist

Verbs of possessingbelong to, have ( =own), include, lack, own, possess

Verbs of feeling or wantingadore, love, like, desire, detest, dislike, despise, hate, envy, need, pity, trust, want, wish, prefer

Verbs of thinking or believingthink, understand, suppose, imagine, know, believe, realize, doubt, expect, feel (=think), intend, forget, recognize, remember, see (=understand)

Verbs of appearanceappear, resemble, seem

Other verbsconcern, mind, mean, weigh, depend, fit, matter, deserve, measure

We can use many of these verbs in the continuous, but they have a different meaning or express a temporary situation:

The manager is thinking of improving the plants productivity. (=is considering).LANGUAGE PRACTICE

I Complete the sentences. Write the verbs in brackets in the present simple.

1. He always .. (have) a lot to say when it comes to computers.

2. She .. (not like) it when people disagree with her.

3. I am not sure if all attendees .. (understand) me.

4. What .. (think) about adjourning the meeting?

5. Why .. (we/not brainstorm) some ways to cut costs.

6. .. (not forget) about the deadline!

7. I usually .. (spend) a lot of time on the phone at work.

8. He often .. (chat) to his colleagues.

9. Everyone .. (know) who is going to be the next chairman.10. Taking into account the show of hands it .. (appear) that the motion has passed by 15 votes to 10.II Write the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Use the present continuous.

1. All participants .. (vote) for a new vice president today.

2. He .. (live) in Greece for the moment.

3. They .. always .. (interrupt) me!

4. The project coordinator .. (leave) the team.

5. Please forward the agenda to anyone who .. (speak) at the meeting.6. we (fold) our ballot in half before placing it in the box?7. .. the chairman .. (think) of changing the agenda?

8. The board of directors .. (not meet) now.

9. They .. (spend) the evening together, trying to find new solutions for the deadlock.

10. He .. just .. (review) the minutes.

III Put the verbs in brackets in the correct form. Use the present simple or the present continuous:

1. He .. (look) for a bike. He .. (want) to cycle to work from now on.

2. She .. (think) of leaving the company and working for herself.

3. During the week I .. (work) very hard, so at the weekend, I .. (want) to relax.

4. We .. (take) the train. Its the fastest way to get there.

5. Cars .. (produce) a lot of pollution.

6. My teacher .. (say) people can learn a language at any age.

7. I .. (study) for half an hour every night when I get home.

8. He .. (work) at our London head office; I am head of Corporate Finance.

9. The IT department .. (spend) a lot of money on new equipment at the moment.

10. Our company .. (take on) new staff at the moment.

IV Complete the sentences with the appropriate form of the present simple or continuous.

1. Many small companies .. (complain) these days that they can't get access to credit.

2. The deal .. (involve) digitizing up to one million books held in the National Libraries in Rome and Florence.

3. Philips, with almost $30bn in annual sales, .. (produce) billions of light bulbs and lamps every year and it also .. (supply) TV tubes to almost 20 per cent of the worlds TV manufacturers. 4. Google Inc.'s chief executive .. presently .. (negotiate) with the Chinese government regarding the fate of its China business.

5. Currently there is a strong feeling that many chief executives .. (live) according to quite a different set of rules from everyone else.6. He is the director of a company which .. (manufacture) notebooks.

7. The company .. (go) through a difficult time at the moment.

8. Right now the company .. (look) for a tough results-oriented CEO.

9. The board of directors .. (know) that choosing the right person is critical.

10. The press conference .. (take) place at 8.30 on Monday morning.V Underline the correct form of the words in italics.

1. Technology opens up / is opening up ever more opportunities for individuals and companies to collect information and carry out economic activities outside traditional structures.

2. Nowadays consumers have / are having more choice over where they spend their money.

3. Is he meeting / does he meet the shareholders on Wednesday?

4. Dramatic changes take place / are taking place in company structure.

5. My job is involving / involves dealing with the suppliers.

6. Meetings generally are following / follow more or less the same structure.

7. A serious safety problem threatens / is threatening the future of the company.

8. Many employees share / are sharing the same feeling of failure.

9. Terror in the workplace makes / is making a comeback these days.

10. Our board of directors is meeting / meets every two months to discuss strategy.CONFUSING WORDSI Complete each sentence by using a suitable word from the list.

apologise apologetic apology excuse regretted1. He must .. for making such a mistake.

2. The manager has .. not having signed the contract earlier.

3. Please accept my .. for being so late again.

4. Theres no .. for his rude behavior.

5. He was so .. for shouting at them.

II Complete each sentence by using a suitable word from the list.

disapproved rejected disagreed objected refused

1. The board of directors .. his project.

2. The new manager .. of his subordinates being late at work.

3. He .. with me about where to hold the meeting.

4. They .. to changing the layout of the newspaper.

5. She .. to sign the new contract.PHRASAL VERBS

Look up the following phrasal verbs in the dictionary and complete the sentences below.

keep to attend to call off meet with meet up

1. They suggested we .. after the press conference.

2. I hope the measures .. your approval.

3. He had some urgent business to ...

4. They .. the meeting at the last minute.

5. We must .. the schedule otherwise well lose the contract.

UNIT 2

TELEPHONING TO EXCHANGE INFORMATION

Speaking

How comfortable are you speaking English on the phone?

Do you often make phone calls in a foreign language?

Reading

Making business phone calls

In todays business environment, a significant part of our working day is often spent on the telephone. In order to make this time more productive, specific telephone techniques should be applied daily.

Each business phone call has three distinct stages:

The beginning

The middle

The end

By properly handling each of these stages, you will increase your chances of making a professional, effective presentation.

The beginning. First, you should introduce yourself immediately so that the person you are speaking with knows who you are. Then state the reason for your call. Never simply say Hello, its me expecting your voice will be recognized. Instead, say something like this: Hello. This is Robert Brown, Im calling about By giving your name and stating the reason for the call, the beginning of the conversation is clearly defined.

The middle stage of the conversation is the time to deal with the matter at hand. So, be thoroughly prepared before you place the call. Organize your thoughts, perhaps putting down notes to lead you through the conversation and to avoid forgetting any important details. While speaking, be clear about each point, make sure that you have been understood. Don't sum up an important point by saying: "Do you know what I mean?" and assume that you have been understood. Always ask the other person to repeat the conclusion in his or her own words. This is the only way to make certain that you both come away from the conversation with mutual understanding.

The end of a conversation should be handled professionally to make sure that you have made a good effect during the call, and that all matters discussed have been covered and understood. Never lose awareness of time, allowing the call to stretch out meaninglessly. When all matters to be discussed have been completed, you can review them. This is especially valuable if you or the person you called has specific tasks that need to be performed as a result of information passed during the call. After all matters have been concluded, you can end the call simply by thanking the person for his or her time.

Answering phone calls

Today, telephone courtesy and helpfulness are more important than ever. How you answer telephone calls says a lot about your business. An employee answering the phone may express an affirmative, helpful attitude or convey an I-don't-really-care one. Callers frequently mirror the treatment they receive; if you sound friendly, your callers will usually respond in kind.

Businesses regularly put callers through multi-step automated response systems full of delays and musical interludes. By the time they've reached a human voice, they've experienced considerable frustration. After four or five levels of please press this or that, many callers are extremely sensitive to the way in which a human voice greets them. Whether employees are picking up the phone following an automated response or answering a direct line, the call becomes an important customer-relations matter once they answer.

So, anyone who regularly answers company telephones (such as receptionists, administrative assistants and sales or customer service personnel who are the first point of contact for incoming calls) could benefit from following a telephone etiquette that might include:

Answering. Answer within three rings, if possible, and apologize for any delay. Identify yourself and your position and ask how you can help. If the caller leaves his or her name, repeat it once to make sure you heard it correctly. If a name isn't offered, politely ask for it.

Using hold. Frustrated callers complain frequently about feeling virtually abandoned while left on hold. If theres going to be a delay reaching the party or extension requested, offer the caller a choice of waiting or being called back. When putting a caller on hold, check back every half-minute or so and repeat the call-back option.

Transferring calls. Being transferred from one extension to another frequently irritates callers, so you should precede the transfer with a brief explanation of why you're doing it. In case of an accidental disconnect, give the caller the name, title and extension of the person to whom you are transferring the call. Remain on the line until the new connection is made.

Taking messages. Use message slips or a call log to note the following: the callers name, organization (if any), phone number, reason for calling, date and time of the call. As necessary, note whether the message sounded urgent, or whether the caller seemed angry or upset.

Ending a conversation. Verify key points covered and say that you were happy to be of service (or sorry you were unable to help). Try to leave the caller with the impression of a friendly, helpful business representative. Finish with a polite offer to be of service again, if needed, and avoid closings like the overworked have a nice day or the casual bye-bye. Remember, theres nothing wrong with a polite good-bye.

Effective telephone etiquette is essential to every organization; its so easy for a stressed or uncaring employee answering the phone to lose business for the company.REQUESTING AND GIVING INFORMATION OVER THE TELEPHONE

I List some polite forms for the following situations:

if you want to request some information

to reply to someone who has given you some information

to ask the other person to repeat the message

to reply if someone asks you for information

if you want to give someone some information

if you require further information

Here are some expressions you can use:

1.

Could you tell me?

Id like to know about

I wonder if you could tell me

I need /Id like some information about

2.

Oh, I see

I understand

Thats interesting

3.

Could you please repeat ?

Sorry, I didnt catch that.

Could you spell that for me, please?

4.

Im afraid I dont know

Ill have to find that out.

Can I call you back?

5.

Id like to tell you/inform you that/about

Have you heard about?

I need to mention that

I think you should know that

6.

Id like some more information about

Could you give me some more details about?

Theres something else Id like to know

II You have to ask for information politely in the following situations:

you didnt hear the customers telephone number

you didnt understand the callers name

you answer a phone call but you arent sure who the caller wants to speak to

you dont know how to spell the callers name

TELEPHONE LANGUAGE

III Choose the correct option from the words in italics.

Can I speak to/Give me Mr. Pearson.

Can I have connection/extension 325, please?

Will you hold/wait?

Here is/This is Mr. Roger.

Im sorry, the line is busy/occupied.

Its me/Speaking.

Who is talking/calling?

Im putting you through/across.

IV Mr. Martin is phoning a business partner to make some enquiries. Read the following conversation and say what is wrong about it.

Operator: Good morning, NSC, can I help you?

Mr. Martin: Good morning. Give me Mr. Norris, extension 101.

Operator: Hang on please Still trying to connect you . Secretary: Hello, Mr. Norriss office.

Mr. Martin: Hello, is Mr. Norris there?

Secretary: No, he isnt. You can leave a message if you want.

Mr. Martin Tell him that Mr. Martin called. I want to talk to him.

Secretary: Sorry? Repeat please.

Mr. Martin: Martin. Thats M A R T I N. Tell him to phone me.

Secretary: Ok, I will.

V Complete the following conversations with phrases from the list below. Use each phrase only once.

1. I cant tell you right now, but Ill see what I can do.

2. NSS Computers, good morning.

3. Right. Ill ring again. Thank you very much.

4. Fine. Im calling to ask you about our order.

5. Im afraid I havent got Mr. Martins number.

6. Could I speak to Roy Wood, please?

7. Whos calling, please?

a. .

Good morning. Could I speak to Mr. Graver please?

b.

Mr. Wood from NSC Electronics.

c. Hello, Martin. How are you?

d. ..

Yes, hold the line please and Ill put you through to him.

e. ..

All right. Could you ring me back today?

f. Im afraid hes out of the office at the moment.

.

g. ..

Just a moment, please. Ill look it up for you . Its 01 320 6971.

VI Match these comments to their replies.

1. Sorry, will you spell that?

2. Could you take my message, please?

3. Im afraid the lines busy at the moment.

4. Im sorry but hes away this week.

5. Could you repeat the number please?

6. Could I speak to Mr. Robin?

A. Ill call back, thanks.

B. Thats all right. Ill hold.

C. Yes, its 0235 524 2981

D. Speaking.

E. Yes of course. Just a moment, please.

F. Yes, its W-O-O-D.

VII Work with your partner. One of you will dictate the following numbers and the other one will write them down.

267129

06423 1697233

861096

16972 4694330

197314

79318 7621839

125090

83193 1094998

VIII Choose the correct words in italics to complete the following conversation.

A.NSC Electronics.

B. Number/Extension 524, please.

A.Im sorry but the lines broken/engaged. Would you like to hold?

B. Yes.

A. All right. Just a moment, please. Ill put/connect you through.

B. Thanks a lot.

C. Story Magazine.

B. Hello, Id like to speak to Mrs. Neil. Is she there?

C. Whos/Whose calling, please?

B. Mr. Thomson, from The Press Center.

C. All right, Mr. Thomson, please stay/hold on. Ill try to bring/get Mrs. Neil for you.

C.Im afraid/aware shes in a meeting. Would you like to

call up/back later?

B. No, unfortunately its very urgent. Could you receive/take a message for me please?

C. Yes, I will/of course.

B. May/Could you tell her to call me back?

C. Does she have your number?

B.I am not very sure. It would be better to write it down the code/area is 00 462 and the number is 492 762 998. Could you spell/read that back to me?

C.00 462 492 762 998

B. Thats right.

C. Anything/What else I can do for you?

B. No, thank you, thats everything/all.

C. Youre welcome/all right.

B. Bye.

C. Bye.

IX Complete the following dialogue with these phrases:

a. Just a moment. Did you say 2391G or 2399G?

b. Thank you very much.

c. Could you tell me the model of your scanner, please?

d. Sorry, I didnt catch your name. Could you repeat, please?

e. Oh, sorry, I didnt recognize your voice.

AHello, George Wood speaking.

B Hello, Kevin Black from NSC calling.

A

B This is Kevin Black from NSC. Im calling about our scanner.

A Oh, Mr. Black ..

How are you?

B Fine, thanks. We have some problems with the scanner we bought from you last month.

A

B Its SZY-2391G

A

B 2391G

A Ok, Ill announce our service department right away and someone is going to come to your office to check the machine.

B

LANGUAGE FOCUS

PAST SIMPLE

We use the past simple to talk about completed actions that took place in the past. Often the past simple is associated with a definite moment or period in the past.

She joined the company last year.

Did you meet Oliver yesterday?Regular verbs form the simple past tense by adding ed to the infinitive.

Irregular verbs vary considerably in their simple past form. They have their own forms as listed at the end of the book (see the list of irregular verbs).

Infinitive: eat, see, leave etc.

Past simple: ate, saw, left etc.

We use did in questions and did not + infinitive in negatives. In speech and informal writing we usually use the contracted form didnt.

Spelling rules:

1. Verbs ending in a single stressed vowel and a consonant (except w, x and y) double the consonant: hug hugged.

2. In British English we often double the final consonant l: label labeled.

3. Verbs ending in a consonant and y, change y to i: copy copied.

4. Verbs ending in a vowel and y, do not change y: obey obeyed.

The past simple is often used with these time expressions: yesterday, last (night/week/year etc.), (two days, a week etc.) ago.

PAST CONTINUOUS

We form the past continuous with to be in the past + the present participle of the main verb.They were watching a new commercial.

We use the past continuous to describe an action in progress at a point of time in the past.

We didnt see the commercial because we were sleeping.We often use the past continuous to show that a past action was temporary or to emphasize a changing situation.

I was earning a lot when I was a student.(a temporary situation)

The manager was becoming ruder each day. (a changing situation)

We also use the past continuous in requests, suggestions and questions.I was wondering if you would like to .LANGUAGE PRACTICE

I Put the verbs in brackets in the past simple. 1. Sorry, I .. (not recognize) your voice.

2. I .. (speak) with the manager about this issue last week.

3. We .. (talk) about marketing strategies a month ago.

4. She .. (buy) a new computer program.

5. He .. (join) the company last year.

6. I .. (read) the minutes of the meeting and I (find out) many mistakes.

7. The conference manager .. (organize) all the events that (take place) last year.

8. After university, I .. (work) in a small town in France.

9. At school, he .. (spend) a lot of time working on computers.

10. The business .. (be) successful and quickly .. (go) from making 5000E in the first year to 30000E per year.

II Complete the text with the correct forms of the verbs in brackets.

Bill Gates ..1 (come) from a family with entrepreneurial spirit. William Henry Gates III was born in Seattle, on October 28th, 1955. He .. 2 (have) an early interest in software and .. 3 (begin) working on computers at the age of thirteen. In 1973, Bill Gates ..4 (become) a student at Harvard University, where he ..5 (meet) Steve Ballmer, who is at present Microsoft's chief executive officer. While still a Harvard undergraduate, Bill Gates ..6 (write) a version of the programming language BASIC for the MITS Altair microcomputer.As teenagers, Bill Gates and his friend Paul Allen ..7 (run) a small company and ..8 (sell) a computer that could count the city traffic.In 1975, Bill gates ..9 (leave) Harvard and ..10 (found) Microsoft, together with his childhood friend Paul Allen. They ..11 (plan) to develop software and eventually ..12 (become) famous for their computer operating systems.III PAST SIMPLE and PAST CONTINUOUS. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

1. They .. (renovate) the building when the earthquake (start).

2. I .. (listen) to the news when the fire alarm .. (sound).

3. While I .. (write) the email, the computer suddenly .. (go off).

4. He .. (read) the minutes of the meeting when the phone .. (ring).

5. Yesterday at this time, they .. (hold) a meeting.

6. When I .. (walk) into the office, the secretary .. (type) a report, John .. (talk) on the phone, and customers .. (complain) about bad service.

7. When he .. (arrive), the Japanese businessman .. (yell) at his partner.

8. In 2005, the sales .. (grow) to over $ 2 million.

9. Many companies .. (set up) subsidiaries overseas, either for manufacturing or for distribution.

10. Manufacturers .. (make) less profit last year.

IV Put the verbs into the correct form.

1. He completely .. (miss) the point.

2. We .. (talk) at cross-purposes.

3. I suppose they both .. (get) their wires crossed.

4. Unfortunately, she .. (cannot) make head nor tail of what they .. (talk).

5. There .. (be) a mix-up over the bus times and she .. (arrive) two hours late.

Use the dictionary and find out the meaning of the following expressions:

miss the point at cross purposes

cant make head nor tail of sth

get your wires crossed

mix-up

V Use your own ideas to complete the sentences. Use the past continuous.

1. The manager left while we ..2. The phone rang while they 3. We tested the new software while

4. The secretary fell asleep while she

5. When the meeting ended ...PHRASAL VERBS: GETComplete the sentences using the phrasal verbs in the box. Use the appropriate tense.

SHAPE \* MERGEFORMAT

1. News of his resignation soon .. 1 the office.

2. He .. 2 with his new colleagues from research and development.

3. I .. 3 to the finance department.

4. I .. 4 from work as soon as possible.

5. After graduating, he .. 5 in politics.UNIT 3

VOICE MAIL MESSAGES

Speaking I What do you do when you call someone and he/she is not at his/her desk?

II Do you often leave or receive voicemail messages?

ReadingVoice mail is enjoying widespread use not only in business but more recently throughout the general public as well. As it did in business some time ago, voicemail service for both home and cellular phones is making deep inroads into what was once the exclusive feature of the answering machine.

Like any other technology, voice mail has its advantages and disadvantages, its benefits and drawbacks. On the positive side, voice mail makes it possible to avoid missing calls when away from the phone or in the middle of a meeting. Because it can answer a call while you're engaged in another call, fewer calls are missed. On the negative side, it is possible to use voice mail as a way of dodging calls, and when messages are not accessed with regularity detrimental delays can result. However, the greatest drawback of voice mail lies in the fact that it removes immediacy from a one-to-one exchange of information. Voice mail may also cause an increasing virtual distance between parties, and the opportunity for misunderstanding is considerable.

As a user of business voice mail, keep in mind the following guiding principles:

Keep your recorded greeting up to date and appropriate. Change it whenever your circumstances modify temporarily. For example, don't use this greeting: "I'm away from my desk right now but I'll get back to you soon" if you're going to be on vacation for a week or out of the office all day. A voice mail user with an active agenda should change the greeting daily. It's important for your callers to have some idea of when you'll be getting your messages.

Clear your voice mail several times each day. You never know when you'll receive a message that is important to you, your caller or both.

Do not avoid calls and do not rely on voice mail to answer all of your calls. If you are not engaged in a meeting or other important activity, answer your telephone. Try to provide the human touch as much as possible. Unfortunately, many people don't know how to leave a proper voice mail message. Your voice mail message should demand that people tell you exactly why they are calling and that they leave their telephone number. For example: "This is Mike Graver. I am in my office today but away from my desk or on another call. Please leave your message, along with your phone number, and Ill return your call as soon as possible."

Tips to consider when leaving a voice mail message:

Speak each word of your message clearly and slowly. There is one single way to make sure that your message is clear: slow down while you speak. This is especially important when leaving a phone number. Don't just rattle the number off. Remember that the person you're calling will be writing the numbers down one by one, and won't be able to keep up unless you consciously speak slowly.

Make sure that you leave your name and phone number when you call. Too many people simply say, "Hi, it's me. Call me back." What if the person you called doesn't recognize your voice?

Leave these four specific bits of information in any message: your name, the reason for your call, the time and day of your call and your phone number (or any other details of how you wish to be contacted). It's also helpful to include any specific time when you are available.

Always be aware of the possibility that the person you're calling may not be the person checking the messages. For this reason, keep your messages short and to the point. Otherwise, the exact information may get lost or misunderstandings may appear.

If you have an unusual first or last name, it's a good idea to spell it.

Although voice mail is considered the norm today and people often use an answering service, many callers appreciate the convenience of talking to a live person instead of a machine.VocabularyI True or False?

1. It is not sensible to keep your messages short and to the point when leaving a voice mail message.2. Voice mail has only advantages.

3. It is advisable to use voice mail as a way of dodging calls.

4. Voice mail makes it possible to avoid missing calls.

5. The greatest advantage of voice mail lies in the fact that it removes immediacy from a one-to-one exchange of information.

6. When leaving a voice mail message speak each word of your message distinctly and slowly.

II Match the following words and phrases with their definitions.

1. drawback

2. rattle sth off

3. keep up

4. dodge

5. widespread

6. spell

7. one-to-one

a) say in the correct order the letters that form the word

b) to continue without stopping or changingc) to say or read aloud very quickly a list of names or items

d) widely diffused

e) involving a direct encounter between one person and another

f) a disadvantage or the negative part of a situation

g) to avoid something unpleasant

III Complete the text using the following words and phrases:

check

all-day update

voice mail

office

schedule on

meeting

messagesextension

Few people would argue the fact that .. 1 can be a valuable tool if it is used properly. Unfortunately, it can sometimes create just as many problems as it solves.

If you depend .. 2 voice mail, it is important to check it frequently. Business associates and clients don't want to leave .. 3 and not have their calls returned for days. Of course, it's not necessary to check your voice mail every five minutes, either. Be sure to .. 4 it at the start and at the end of the day before you leave your ..... 5.

Voice mail can also provide a .. 6 so people know when they can reach you. For instance, if you are at an .. 7 meeting, your voicemail should say, "I will be attending a .. 8 all day on Wednesday. I wont check my voice mail until the end of the day. Your call is important to me and will be returned tomorrow. However, if it is an emergency, contact Miss Wilson at .. 9 267." When you have changed your voicemail for a special reason, be sure to .. 10 it or change it back.

IV Match each word on the left with a word on the right. Then use them in your own sentences.

voice mail

number

general

message

widespread

side

dodge

machine

telephone

use

answering

calls

positive

public

V

1. Read the following voicemail message and answer these questions:

1. Why is Kevin calling Mary White?

2. What has he done so far?

3. What does he need Mary to do?

A This is the mail box of Mary White. Please leave your message after the tone. Ill call you back later.

B Hi, Mary. This is Kevin. Im just calling to bring you up to date on the commercial we have to shoot. Ive prepared a budget and Ive also included costs for buying airtime. Im planning to shoot the commercial in New York. I just need you to authorize the budget for me. Thanks.

2. Read Marys reply. Whats the problem?

Hello, this is Mary. I have looked over your plans, but the budget is much too big! We cant afford to pay that amount of money. Youll have to shoot the film in another location. Give me a call if you want to talk about this.

3. Heres Kevins reply. Whats his point of view?Hi Mary. We keep missing each other. I have thought about another location but I dont think the success of the commercial will be the same. It is true that its cost decreases but we have to take into account all the aspects of the problem. Changing the location will greatly affect the commercials impact. So, the decision is yours.

VI Match the US English with the UK English words.

British

US

queue

parking lot

lift

highway

bill

stock

lawyer

line

motorway

elevator

shares

realtor

estate agent

attorney

British/US English

Spelling differences

British

US

programme

program

colour

color

labelled

labeled

dialled

dialed

cheque

check

metre

meter

catalogue

catalog

LANGUAGE FOCUS

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE

We form the present perfect simple with has/have + past participle.

There has been a serious growth in the global wine market.In speech and informal writing we usually contract has/have:

Their conversations just started!In negative sentences, we usually contract not in speech and informal writing.

The company hasnt changed its slogan.

We use the present perfect to talk about past actions that have a link with the present. The result of the past event is still felt at the present time.

The storm has devastated the forest.

We often use it to give news and talk about recent activities.

Ive spoken to Kevin.

I havent rented the equipment yet.

We use the present perfect to talk about life experience without mentioning any specific time.

Have you ever been to Denver?

Because the time reference includes the present, we use time expressions that link present and past, such as: so far, over the last few days etc.

Adverbs commonly used with the present perfect: ever, often, seldom, never, so far, already, yet, still.

We use already with the affirmative and yet with the negative and in questions.

Notice that the time reference here is indefinite. If theres a definite time reference, we usually use the past simple instead.

Sorry I didnt call yesterday.PRESENT PERFECT AND PAST SIMPLE

PRESENT PERFECTPAST SIMPLE

Unfinished actionThe national currency has increasingly consolidated since 1989.Finished actionThe national currency consolidated its recent gains from 2006 to 2007.

Unfinished timeI havent seen my colleagues this afternoon yet. (Its still afternoon)Finished timeI didnt see Kevin this afternoon. (Its now evening.)

Present relevanceHe has received many messages in order to change the schedule.No present relevanceHe received many messages two days ago.

Indefinite timeI have been to Spain once.Definite timeI went to Spain in 2006.

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

We form the present perfect continuous with has/have + been + present participle.

They have been doing a lot of work since their retirement.We use the present perfect continuous to talk about an action that began in the past and is still continuing or has just finished. The present perfect continuous focuses on the duration of the action.

They have been talking about renewing the car park for some time.

Where have you been? Ive been talking to the manager.

For and Since

We use for to indicate a period of time.

The conference room has been empty for two years.

Since refers to the point in time when something began. Because since takes up to the present it is always used with the present perfect.

I havent seen my colleagues since last week.

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE AND CONTINUOUS

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLEPRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Completion

The manager has already talked with them. ContinuationThe manager has been talking about this issue for many weeks.

Repeated actionHe has talked with them twice this month.Duration of actionHe has been talking with them all day.

Permanent situationThe company has cut costs over the last years.Temporary situationThe company has been cutting costs recently because of the crisis.

Focus on the present resultThey have done the survey. Here it is.Focus on the activityThey have been doing the survey all week.

LANGUAGE PRACTICE

I Put the verbs in brackets into the present perfect.

1. I .. (plan) my message ahead of time in order not to miss any important detail.

2. The information you .. (give) assures us that your product will fill our needs.

3. "You .. (reach) customer care. All our representatives are busy now, but ..."

4. Actually, I .. (experience) worse voicemail nightmares than this one.

5. This is the same message I .. (hear) now for two years every time I call in.

6. I need to find out with whom they .. already .. (speak).

7. Sending callers back to a department or individual they .. already .. (talk) with can be annoying.8. Over the last couple of months, I .. (develop) a successful system of telephone management.9. I am going to fax information to the contacts I .. (not be) able to reach by phone.10. Calling individuals at their office .. lately .. (become) a nightmare.II Complete the text with the phrases from the box.

have come

have hated

published

made

have received

A year ago I .. 1 an article in various periodicals called Leaving Voicemail Messages. Judging from the emails I .. 2 lately I .. 3 to the conclusion that this is an interesting topic, so it .. 4 sense to me to do a follow-up on the use of voicemail. People .. long .. 5 leaving voicemail messages because they know well you will never return their calls.

III Complete the text below with the appropriate tense of the verbs in brackets.

Nestle, the worlds biggest food company, .. (post) a 42 per cent drop in net profits for 2009, as sales of bottled water ..(fall), but .. (increase) its dividend in anticipation of higher growth this year.

Last month Nestle .. (buy) Kraft Foods' frozen pizza business in a $3.7 billion (2.4 billion) cash deal that .. (help) Kraft's acquisition of Cadbury. The group .. (report) sales growth in its core food and beverage business across most regions, led by a 7.4 per cent increase in demand in Asia and the Pacific, and nearly all product types.

Bottled water .. (be) the only sector to suffer a drop in sales, down 1.4 per cent from the previous year.

Nestle .. so far .. (prove) unwilling to play a larger role in consolidation in the consumer goods sector, despite its huge cash pile, instead focusing on improving organic growth. (The Times)

IV Complete the text with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

Best known in the marketplace for its safety razors, Gillette .. (focus) on safety in its products. Since 1974 Gillette .. (have) a vice president for product integrity, Robert Giovacchini. In 1975 the Wall Street Journal .. (term) his position a highly unusual corporate role. He .. (have) the authority to pull any Gillette products off the market or out of the production if he .. (consider) there were safety or quality problems. Since 1974 Giovacchini .. also (chair) Gillettes Occupational Medical Safety Committee.

(Lydenberg, Steven D., Rating Americas Corporate Conscience)V Time markers often decide which tense to use. Put the following words and phrases in the correct groups below.

9 May in 2010 since foragonever ever this today last month on Wednesday yesterday yet already recent/unfinished timefinished time

VI Complete the sentences below with the correct tense of the verbs in brackets.

1. The ability to inspire fear .. always .. (be) an essential tool of management.

2. The president also expressed frustration with banks that the government .. (assist).

3. Relations between the banking industry and the White House were frosty from the start and .. (deteriorate) in recent weeks.4. The recession .. (accelerate) big changes for recruitment firms recently.5. The highest unemployment rates in decades have meant that more people than ever .. (turn) to recruitment firms.

6. Shareholders .. for years .. (accept) that fat cats bosses paid themselves more or less whatever they liked.

7. The value of most large companies .. (fall) considerably over the last few years.

8. The value of their pensions .. (increase) lately and they .. (strike) generous deals.

9. The USs giant corporations .. either .. (disappear) or been transformed by global competition.

10. Moreover, his firm, like many in the industry, .. (make) big changes to improve its prospects as the market recovers.

PHRASAL VERBS

Complete the sentences below using the phrasal verbs in the box. Use the appropriate tense.

slow down sell off speak out take over take on

1. He .. against the new project.

2. Could you .. a bit? I cant follow you.

3. I had to .. four workers to help me finish the job.

4. The president dies and his son .. the company.

5. The company announced that it would .. its spa business.

UNIT 4

LEADERSHIPSpeaking

1. Comment on the following statements:

The role of a leader is to encourage and stimulate staff and to develop talent within an organization. His/her role is to proficiently organize the collaboration and support of other people in order to accomplish goals and objectives.

Opinions differ about what is the best way to manage and motivate employees. Some leaders prefer to delegate responsibility to subordinates while others prefer to control operations directly.

Think about various motivation techniques. Can fear motivate employees?

Reading

Brazilian-born executive Carlos Ghosn has become well known as one of the automobile industry's great turnaround performers. Dubbed "le cost killer" and "the destroyer" by those on the receiving end of his streamlining, he also had a more positive and more telling nickname: "Mr. Fix-It."Carlos Ghosn is presently CEO of Renault - Nissan. He attempted something virtually unprecedented in the corporate world: he stayed on as co-chairman at Nissan while taking the positions of president and CEO at Renault. He is largely credited with turning around the fortunes of both companies when he took over in 1999. Ghosn did not just rescue these companies but he turned them into market leaders. As an outsider in charge of one of Japan's largest companies, Ghosn has been extremely successful. He became CEO of Renault, Nissan's partner and shareholder, in April 2005, succeeding Louis Schweitzer, while remaining CEO of Nissan as well.

Before he joined Renault, Ghosn had worked for Michelin North America as chairman and CEO. Previously, Ghosn had worked as the COO of Michelin's South American activities based in Brazil; as head of research and development for industrial tires in Ladoux, France; and as plant manager in Le Puy, France.

Prior to joining Nissan, Ghosn had served as executive vice president of the Renault Group. In addition to supervising Renault activities in the Mercosur, he was responsible for advanced research, car engineering and development, car manufacturing, and purchasing.

Ghosn joined Nissan as its chief operating officer in June 1999, became its president in June 2000 and was named chief executive officer in June 2001. His turnaround of Nissan has gained him celebrity throughout Japan. When he joined the company, it had debt of $20 billion and only three of its 48 models were generating a profit.

As the first non-Japanese president of an automaker in Japan, Ghosn was viewed as an outsider by the media and parts of Nissan. He apparently broke all the rules of doing business in that country as he planned Nissan's turnaround. But he promised to resign if the company did not reach profitability by the end of the year, and claimed that Nissan would have no net debt by 2005. He defied Japanese business etiquette, cut thousands of Nissan jobs, closed five factories, and auctioned off prized assets such as Nissan's aerospace unit. Finally, he brought in new staff, hiring a top designer from rival Isuzu and bringing Renault personnel in from France. To cope with the variety of languages spoken, he instituted English as the official language for company operations and rewarded managers who learned to speak the language.His radical moves have made him Public Enemy No. 1 to Japanese traditionalists. However, in one year, Nissan's net profit climbed to $2.7 billion from a loss of $6.1 billion in the previous year. Nissan's operating profit (EBIT, or earnings before interest and taxes) margin has increased from 1.38% in FY 2000 to 9.25% in FY 2006.

Vocabulary

I True or false?

1. Carlos Ghosn was born in America.

2. Presently he is CEO of Renault Nissan.

3. He became CEO of Renault in April 2004.

4. Prior to joining Renault, Ghosn had worked for Michelin North America as chairman and CEO.

5. Ghosn joined Nissan as its chief operating officer in June 1999, and was named CEO in June 2001.6. When he joined the company, it had debt of $10 billion and only one of its 48 models were generating a profit.7. He broke all the rules of doing business in Japan as he planned Nissan's turnaround.8. Ghosn cut thousands of Nissan jobs, closed five factories, and auctioned off assets such as Renault's aerospace unit.9. To deal with the variety of languages spoken, he instituted Japanese as the official language for company operations.10. Japanese traditionalists were fond of Ghosns radical moves.II Comment the following statement: Leaders are made, not born.

Common job titlesChairman (of the board) or President

the person at the top of the hierarchy

Vice Chairman or Vice President

second in hierarchy

Managing Director or CEO (Chief Executive Officer)

in charge of the day-to-day running of the business

Finance Director or CFO (Chief Financial Officer)

responsible for all matters concerning finance

Accountant or Financial controller oversees the book-keeping

Marketing Manager/Director

coordinates all commercial activities

Sales Manager/Director

in charge of the Sales Team

Communications Manager/CCO (Chief Communications Officer)

in charge of external and internal communications

Product Manager manages one of the products in the product portfolio

Legal Affairs Manager

deals with legal matters

IT (Information technology) Manager/CIO (Chief Information Officer)

responsible for all hardware and software in the company

Production Manager

responsible for output

Plant Manger/Director

in charge of one factory

Foreman

responsible for a group of workers

Personnel Manager or Human Resources Manager in charge of all matters concerning staff

Research and Development Manager

heads the team that comes up with new ideas and products

Purchasing Manager

deals with suppliers

Facility Manager

head of maintenance, catering and other facilities

PA (Personal Assistant)

deals with administrative duties

III Match the words from the text with the definitions below.

CEO chairman president executive manager COO head partner shareholder vice president

1. A person in charge of a meeting or an organization.

2. A person appointed and given the responsibility to manage the affairs of an organization and the authority to make important decisions.3. Abbreviation for chief operating officer; executive responsible for (1) the day-to-day running of the critical departments of a firm such as production, marketing and sales, and distribution, (2) establishing procedures and processes to ensure their smooth functioning, and (3) providing timely operational information and assistance to the CEO. Also called general manager.4. Someone who owns shares in a company or business.5. The person who is responsible for managing an organization.6. Abbreviation for chief executive officer: top executive responsible for a firms overall operations and performance. 7. Someone in charge of or leading an organization.8. The person who has the position immediately below the president.9. The person who has the highest position in a company or organization.10. One of the owners of a business.IV Match the words with their definitions.

1. streamline

a) to sell something in a public auction

2. dub

b) a public sale of goods or property

3. turn around

c) the things that a company owns

4. auction off

d) to change an unsuccessful business

so that it becomes successful

5. auction

e) to give something or someone a particular name, especially describing what you think of them

6. assets

f) to improve the effectiveness of an organization

V Complete the table below.

noun

adjective

verb

1. success

2. variety

.3. work

.4. manager

.5. defiance

.6. move

.

7. profit

.

8. increase

.

9. development

.

10. organization

.

VI Match each word on the left with a word on the right.

a)

1. vice

margin

2. car

officer

3. general

industry

4. reach

profitability

5. automobile

manager

6. business

leader

7. market

etiquette

8. profit

president

9. chief operating manufacturing

b)

1. make

shares

2. lead

rules

3. own

decisions

4. do

costs

5. join

profit

6. generate

a company

7. cut

business

8. break

an organization

c)

1. credited

around

2. be responsible

of

3. be based

with

4. climb

over

5. take

to

6. auction

in

7. work

off

8. cope

in

9. turn

with

10. be in charge

for

11. bring

for

VII What are they responsible for? Who are they responsible to?

Use the following constructions: deal with, take care of, be responsible for, cope with, be in charge of.

CEO

COO

President

Vice President

Chairman

Personal Assistant

VIII In both professional and social contexts there are many situations when people talk about jobs. The following phrases are useful for describing what someone does. Use the phrases to talk about your job or your colleagues jobs.

Describing responsibility

Her/his job is to

Her/his job entails/involves

is responsible for

is responsible to .

in charge of

Saying what someone does

looks after

deals with

organizes

works for

reports to

manages

IX Match the following abbreviations with their full forms.

Job titles

CFO

Chief Information Officer

COO

Member of Parliament

CEO

Chief Financial Officer

CIO

Chief Executive Officer

MP

Chief Operating Officer

Business terms

AGM

Human Resources

P&L

Master of Business Administration

FY

Annual General Meeting

MBA

Fiscal Year

PLC

Research and Development

R&D

Mergers and Acquisitions

M&A

Public Limited Company

HR

Profit and Loss

Organisations

EU

United Nations

IMF

World Trade Organisation

UN

European Union

EMU

Trades Union Congress

WTO

International Monetary Fund

TUC

European Monetary Union

Webtask

Find information about fat cats. Present it to your class.PHRASAL VERBS

Match the phrasal verbs below with the appropriate definition then use them in your own sentences.

1 work out

a) prevent a difficult or unpleasant

situation from happening

2 profit from sth

b) stop employing someone, usually

because there is no work for them to do

3 head sth off

c) earn money from something

4 lay off

d) increase the price or value of

something

5 put sth up

e) find a way of dealing with a

difficulty

LANGUAGE FOCUS

PAST PERFECT

We form the past perfect with had and a past participle. Regular verbs have a past participle form which is the same as the past tense form (we add ed to the base form). Irregular verbs (e.g. go) often have a past participle form (e.g. gone) which is different from the past tense form (e.g. went).

Before he joined Renault, Ghosn had worked for Michelin North America.

We often use the contracted form of had (d) in spoken English.

We use the past perfect to describe an action which is completed before a time in the past. We can include a specific time reference.

By the time the sales representative arrived, the manager had postponed the meeting.

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

We form the past perfect continuous tense with had been and the present participle.

We use the past perfect continuous to show that something started in the past and continued up until another time in the past.

He had been working for a computer company for five years when it went out of business.

He had been underestimating his employees for months when they went on strike.LANGUAGE PRACTICE

I Put the verbs in brackets in the past perfect.

1. Before he joined Renault, Ghosn .. (work) for Michelin North America as chairman and CEO.2. Prior to joining Nissan, Ghosn .. (serve) as executive vice president of the Renault Group.3. General Motors and Ford experienced the same problems Ghosn .. (solve) at Renault and Nissan.

4. Nissan was saddled with $20 billion in debt, .. (lost) money for seven of the previous eight years, and (hit) its production peak ten years before, in 1989.5. Other Westerners .. (hold) top executive positions in Japan, but Ghosn was the first foreigner given the title of president at Nissan in 2000.6. Sir Alex Ferguson, manager of Manchester United, .. (lose) his temper after a defeat and kicked a boot, which hit a footballer.7. He was astonished to discover the manager (fire) him the previous day.

8. They .. successfully .. (identify) a new business opportunity before they founded the company.

9. Before signing the contract, the new CEO .. (negotiate) a lavish retirement package.

10. The company .. already .. (make) a big profit when they decided to reinvest in research and development.

II Complete the text with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Use the past simple or the past perfect.

Carlos Ghosn was born in Porto Velho, Brazil, on March 9, 1954. His father, Jorge, (work) for an airline and (have) a job involving lots of travel, something that would later seem very familiar to Ghosn. His parents (immigrate) from Lebanon, and when Carlos (be) six he and his mother (return) to live there. Ghosn (learn) to speak four languages fluently, and he later (begin) working on several others, including Japanese. In Lebanon Ghosn (attend) topflight schools. As an adult Ghosn would attribute the ease with which he (move) among different cultures to the global upbringing and education he (receive).III Complete the text below with the appropriate tense of the verbs.

I can't believe I .. (get) the job. I .. (submit) my application last week, but I didn't think I had a chance of actually getting it. When I (reach) the human resources department, there were at least eleven other people who (arrive) before me. Most of them .. (fill, already) out their applications and were already leaving. However, the secretary said I could still apply, so I did. I .. (try) to fill in the form, but I couldn't answer half of the questions. They .. (want) me to include references, but I didn't want to list my previous work place because I .. (have) some problems with my chief in the past and I knew he wouldn't recommend me.

It was total luck that they .. (decide) to hire me. It turned out that my education and qualifications .. (make) a big difference.IV Put the verbs in brackets in the appropriate tense.Enron was founded in 1985 when two gas companies, Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth, ..1 (merge) to create the first national natural gas pipe network. Three years later, Enron ..2 (open) its first offices abroad. At the same time as opening offices overseas, Enron ..3 (begin) trading natural gas in North America. During the 1990s, Enron ..4 (continue) to develop and diversify at an incredible rate. It ..5 (invest) $2 billion in a power plant in India, ..6 (buy) a water company in the UK and ..7 (acquire) an electricity company in Portland. By the turn of the century, an extremely competitive work culture ..8 (develop). Each year 15% of Enrons employees were dismissed and replaced with younger, ambitious graduates. By the end of 2000, annual revenues 9 (reach) $100 billion, making Enron the sixth-largest energy company in the world. In 2001 the first evidence of false accounting appeared when Enron admitted it ..10 (lose) $570 million. A formal investigation into Enrons investments was launched. The investigation found that the company and its accountants ..11 (lie) to its shareholders and employees. Finally, the company was declared bankrupt, but the directors ..12 (sell) already their shares and walked away with the profits.

UNIT 5

ADVERTISING

Speaking

I Discuss the following questions.

What is advertising?

What is its purpose (to inform, persuade or remind)?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of advertising?

Advertising is usually defined as any form of non-personal presentation and promotion of goods, ideas or services, paid by a well-defined sponsor. It represents an efficient way of spreading messages and drawing consumers attention to goods and services (make them feel like buying). So, persuasive messages are being used to sell different products or ideas, or to inform the public about new outputs.

The advertising message is intended for a specific audience, called the target audience.

Advertisements appear in all media forms: radio, television, cinema, print (magazines, newspapers, billboards etc.), Internet and they are not limited to any medium.

II Decide which methods of advertising (newspaper/magazine/poster/TV ad/website ad//direct mail etc.) are the best for advertising the following products/services:

a new software

a new brand of jeans

an expensive notebook

a babysitting service

a new book

the opening of a new mall

a cleaning service

a protection service for your home or business

Reading

Read this article about one of the most popular Coca Cola ad.

The Hilltop Ad: The Story of a Commercial

In 1969, The Coca-Cola Company and its advertising agency, McCann-Erickson, ended their popular "Things Go Better with Coke" campaign, replacing it with a campaign that centered on the slogan "It's the Real Thing." Beginning with a hit song, the new campaign featured what proved to be one of the most popular ads ever created.

The song "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke" had its origins on January 18, 1971, in a foggy day. Bill Backer, the creative director on the Coca-Cola account for McCann-Erickson, was traveling to London to join two other songwriters, Billy Davis and Roger Cook, to write and arrange several radio commercials for The Coca-Cola Company that would be recorded by the popular singing group the New Seekers. As the plane approached Great Britain, heavy fog at London's Heathrow Airport forced it to land instead at Shannon Airport, Ireland. The irate passengers were obliged to share rooms at the one hotel available in Shannon or to sleep at the airport. Tensions and tempers ran high.

The next morning, as the passengers gathered in the airport coffee shop awaiting clearance to fly, Backer noticed that several who had been among the most irate were now laughing and sharing stories over bottles of Coke. As Backer himself recalled in his book The Care and Feeding of Ideas (New York: Times Books/Random House, 1993):

In that moment [...] I began to see a bottle of Coca-Cola as more than a drink. [] I began to see the familiar words, "Let's have a Coke," as . . . actually a subtle way of saying, "Let's keep each other company for a little while." And I knew they were being said all over the world as I sat there in Ireland. So that was the basic idea: to see Coke not as it was originally designed to bea liquid refresherbut as a tiny bit of commonality between all peoples, a universally liked formula that would help to keep them company for a few minutes.

Backer's flight never did reach London. Heathrow Airport was still fogged in, so the passengers were redirected to Liverpool and bussed to London, arriving around midnight. At his hotel, Backer immediately met with Billy Davis and Roger Cook, finding that they had completed one song and were working on a second as they prepared to meet the New Seekers' musical arranger the next day. Backer told them he thought they should work through the night on an idea he had had: "I could see and hear a song that treated the whole world as if it were a persona person the singer would like to help and get to know. I'm not sure how the lyric should start, but I know the last line." With that he pulled out the paper napkin on which he had scribbled the line, "I'd like to buy the world a Coke and keep it company."

The television ad "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke" was released first in Europe, where it garnered only a tepid response. It was then released in the U.S. in July, 1971, and the response was immediate and dramatic. By November of that year, Coca-Cola and its bottlers had received more than a hundred thousand letters about the ad. At that time the demand for the song was so great that many people were calling radio stations and asking them to play the commercial. Clearly, "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke" had struck a chord deeper than the normal response to the advertisement of a commercial product, and Billy Davis asked Bill Backer to rewrite the lyrics without the references to Coke.

"I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke" has had a lasting connection with the viewing public. Advertising surveys consistently identify it as one of the best commercials of all time, and the sheet music continues to sell more than thirty years after the song was written. Such is the power of television advertising that through the enduring popularity of this ad, at least, Coke has borne out something of Backer's ambitious claims for it, becoming a common connection among people.

Vocabulary

I True or False?

1. The Coca-Cola Company ended their Things Go Better with Coke campaign because it was a failure.

2. They started a new campaign that centered on the slogan Its the Real Thing in 1970.

3. Bill Backer was traveling to London to arrange some radio commercials for The Coca-Cola Company.

4. Because of the heavy fog at Heathrow Airport they landed at Shannon Airport.

5. The passengers flew to London the next day.

6. Backer knew the last line of the song and wrote it on a napkin.

7. The television ad Id Like to Buy the World a Coke was first released in the U.S.

8. The demand for the song was so great that many people were calling television stations and asking them to play the commercial.

9. Bill Backer asked Billy Davis to rewrite the lyrics without the references to Coke.

10. Advertising surveys considered it to be one of the best commercials of all time.

II Match the highlighted words and phrases in the text with the definitions:

1. An operation or series of operations energetically pursued to accomplish a purpose.

2. A form of advertising in which goods, services, organizations, ideas etc. are promoted via the medium of radio, television etc.

3. Lack of excitement or interest.

4. A gathering of a sample of data or opinions considered to be representative of a whole.

5. Extremely angry.

6. To collect something, especially information or support, to gather.

7. To write something quickly and untidily.

III Match the following words and phrases with their definitions.

1. advertise

2. slogan

3. advertising

4. launch

5. target audience

6. advertisement

7. persuade

8. product

9. consumer

a) to make someone decide to do something

b) to make a new product, book etc available for sale for the first time

c) a short phrase that is easy to remember and is used in advertisements

d) a limited group etc that a plan, idea etc is aimed at

e) a picture, set of words, or a short film, which is intended to persuade people to buy a product or use a service

f) someone who buys and uses products and services

g) public promotion of some product or service

i) something that is made in a factory in large quantities, usually in order to be sold

j) to call the attention of the pubic to a product or service

IV Match each word on the left with a word on the right. Then use these expressions to complete the sentences that follow.

advertising popular

radionon-personal

limited

well-defined

persuasive

sponsor

brand

message

commercial

loyalty

agency

campaign

budget

promotion

1. An _____________________ is a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising (and sometimes other forms of promotion) for its clients.

2. A ____________________ is a form of advertising in which goods, services, ideas, etc. are promoted via the medium of radio.

3. They planned to start a ________________ centered on a new slogan.

4. They examine possible ways of building a business plan that optimizes their brand on a ___________________.

5. Ads creators use ____________________ in their work.

6. Consumers who buy the same brand of goods are showing ____________________.

7. Advertising is usually defined as any form of _____________________ of goods, ideas or services, paid by a ___________________.

V Complete the text using the following words and phrases:

airtime, advertising jingle, shoot, executives, message, television commercial, brainstorming session, agency, bottlers, ad, shipped, public, budgets

The next day, Backer, Cook, and Davis presented the lyrics and melody they had created during their all-night _____________ to David Mackay, the arranger for the New Seekers, with instructions to make his arrangement warm and appealing but not too cute. It was immediately decided that the ___________ should begin with New Seekers vocalist Eve Graham in order to have a woman initiate the ____________. And after trying out several versions in which the New Seekers attempted to sing the song as a typical ______________________, Backer and Davis convinced them to relax and use their own folk/pop style instead. Several weeks later, on February 12, 1971, "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke" was _________ to radio stations throughout the United States.

It promptly flopped. The Coca-Cola _________ hated the ad and most refused to buy __________ for it. The few times the ad was played, the __________ paid no attention. Bill Backer's idea that Coke connected people appeared to be dead.

Backer persuaded McCann to convince Coca-Cola _____________ that the ad was still viable but needed a visual dimension. His approach succeeded: the company eventually approved more than $250,000 for filming, at the time one of the largest ___________ ever devoted to a ______________. Backer then spent weeks canvassing the McCann creative staff for ideas, until Harvey Gabor, a young art director, proposed that the song be treated for television as a "First United Chorus of the World." He envisioned a group of young people from all nations, in clothing representing their nationalities, singing the song on a green hillside. Gabor's idea prevailed, and McCann prepared to _____________ the commercial.

Producing the ad, however, proved to be one of the most challenging projects in the ____________'s history. What kept the project alive was belief in the strength of the ad's basic message, that Coca-Cola is a bond connecting people to one another.

Webtask

Find information about a well-known advertisement that you particularly like. Present it to your class. Are there any advertisements you dislike? Why?

LANGUAGE FOCUS

REPORTED SPEECHThere are two ways of relating what a person has said. We can use the exact words and quotation marks (direct speech) or you can use a reporting verb and indirect speech (indirect speech).

direct speech (She says: I really like this ad.)

indirect speech (She says (that) she really likes this ad.)

When we use the present, the present perfect or the future in the reporting verb, there is no change of tense in the reported clause.

The company approves the budget for the ad.

He says that the company approves the budget for the ad.

When we use the past tense in the reporting verb, the verbs in the reported clause will be changed into a corresponding past tense (one step back into the past from the original). But when reporting general truths or words that are still relevant we do not change verb tenses.

He said that the company approved the budget for the ad.

A change of place and time implies changing words like today, here, this, now, etc. used in the direct speech.

Ill present this ad next weekHe said hed present that ad the next week.

I prepared to shoot the commercial last Monday.

He said he had prepared to shoot the commercial the Monday before.

I want to meet the manager tomorrow.

He said he wanted to meet the manager the next day.

I tried to contact Mr. Brown yesterday.

He said he had tried to contact Mr. Brown the day before.

DIRECT SPEECHREPORTED SPEECH

this/thesethat/those

herethere

nowthen

todaythat day

tonightthat night

nextthe next

tomorrowthe next day

next weekthe next week

yesterdaythe day before

two days agotwo days before

last yearthe year before

LANGUAGE PRACTICE

I Turn the following sentences into reported speech using a suitable reporting verb (in the past tense) from the box bellow.

mention, announce, say, confirm, state, complain, decide, explain

1. The agency producer usually travels to London.

The manager

2. My partner has just been fired.

He

3. We made up our mind and well hire another advertising agency next time.

They

4. I really like this ad!

She

5. Theyll start their campaign tomorrow.

They

6. The television ad was released in Europe last month.

The agency

7. Backers flight didnt reach London.

They

8. The passengers gathered in the airport coffee shop awaiting clearance to fly.

Backer

II Turn into reported speech:

1. Some say: Advertising presents goods or services to prospective consumers, making them buy things they do not need.

2. The manager told the advertiser: We have to decide which media is going to be used to best reach the target audience.

3. Well launch a new product next week. he said.

4. The adman said: This campaign needs a good slogan.

5. Your ad will appear tomorrow. he informed me.

6. I thought of using direct mail advertising in order to promote these new products. he said.

7. Its useless to create a brilliant ad if the right audience doesnt see it. the adman told us.

8. What message do you want to send? he asked me.

9. We thought about our strategy and we discussed it last week. he said.

10. I sent him the sample four days ago. the secretary replied.

III Choose the best option. Only one choice is possible.

1 He said that advertisements consumers.

a) mislead

b) misled

c) had mislead

d) misleads

2 They claimed they had paid ..

a) a week ago

b) a week before

c) yesterday

d) last week

3 The customer explained that he .. the next day.

a) return

b) returned

c) would returnd) will return

4 She said she .. do it by herself.

a) can

b) is able to

c) may

d) could

5 He thought we .. the latest news.

a) had heard

b) heard

c) hear

c) have heard

IV Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first one, using the word in bold.

1 Why did he refuse to join the team?

wondered

We ... to join the team.

2 Wheres the meeting?

asked

She .

3 This is the first time he has been late.

never

They said that .. late before.

4 I will not pay the balance!

refused

He ... the balance.

5 He advised her to attend the meeting.

better

You . the meeting.

V Translate into English.

1 El a spus ca publicitatea influenteaza cumparatorul in scopul achizitionarii produsului respectiv.

2 Stuart Ewen afirma ca publicitatea promoveaza o societate de consum si o cultura de masa.

3 Agentia de publicitate ne-a informat ca accepta sa promoveze noul produs.

4 Agentul de publicitate a spus ca un mesaj atragator va determina o atractie fata de produs.

5 Unii oameni considera ca reclamele induc in eroare cumparatorul, facandu-l sa cumpere produse de care nu are nevoie.

CONSOLIDATION 1

I CONFUSING WORDS

Complete the sentences by using a suitable word from the list. Use each word once only.

Exercise 1

practice

practise base based

1. I recommend you this Milan- ____________ firm of accountants.

2. In Japan, large companies _________ the lifetime employment.

3. They ____________ their decision on their previous experience.

4. The unethical ________ of some advertisers led to more restrictive regulations in the advertising industry.

Exercise 2

familiar according accustomed concerned aware

1. We all got ____________ to watching a lot of TV commercials.

2. Some advertising associations are ____________ with maintaining high standards.

3. __________ to a recent survey, the television industry depends on advertising for its revenue.

4. They are all ________ of the importance of advertising nowadays.

5. I am not __________ with certain types of advertising, particularly those involving contests.

II MULTIPLE CHOICE

Choose the right variant. Only one choice is correct.

1. An _______ is a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising (and sometimes other forms of promotion) for its clients.

a) advertising budget

b) advertising agency

c) advertising survey

d) advertising jingle

2. Ads creators use ______ in their work.

a) persuasion messages b) persuading message

c) persuasive messages d) persuasives messages

3. He said he had tried to contact Mr. Brown ________ .

a) last week

b) a day ago

c) the day before

d) yesterday

4. The customer explained that he ________ the next day.

a) would return

b) returned

c) return

d) will return

5. Before he joined Renault, Ghosn ________ for Michelin North America as chairman and CEO.a) had worked

b) worked

c) works

d) will work

6. I am writing to you _________ our order no. 427560.

a) for

b) about

c) on

d) over

7. A Bill of Lading is a receipt ________ by the shipping company to confirm that the goods have been loaded on board ship.

a) given