English for business studies I (B2)

ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS STUDIES I

1º(E-2/E-2 BILINGÜE/E-3/E-4/GITI+ADE/GP+ADE) - 2º E-6

Nivel B2

INSTITUTO DE IDIOMAS MODERNOS



English for Business Studies I

B2

Compiled by Virginia Esteve
This books belongs to

Name: ___________________________________________________



Foreword

ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS STUDIES I is aimed at university students with an upper-intermediate level
of English (B2) who are interested in eventually working in an international context. The topics that
make up the course have been selected considering their relevance in today’s international business
environment.

The aims of the course are to:
 enable the student to carry out a wide range of communicative tasks within a professional and
international context similar to one in which he or she may one day be working,
 improve the student’s reading and listening comprehension through the use of authentic
recordings and texts,
 introduce the vocabulary and register necessary to function within a professional context,
 review and build on essential English grammar, going over most problematic areas of
grammar and syntax of the language used in business,
 increase the student’s awareness of current issues and events,
 develop students’ strategies for taking control of their own learning, and
 train students to work individually and in teams to produce oral and written assignments.

The course is designed to foster a collaborative approach to language learning -- it assumes that
students already have a solid English base on which to build. Students are expected to participate
actively in the learning process, sharing their knowledge with each other and assuming the
responsibility of improving their English day by day. Although the teacher will introduce the language
to be learnt and guide the students through problematic areas, ultimately the students will be the
ones responsible for their individual progress, learning to develop their autonomy.

18 June 2021

English for Bus

UNIT TOPIC LISTENING & READING Table of C
1
Organizations Posts and Listening – 1.1. Seven job LANGUAGE
responsibilities descriptions; 1.2 A job
2 Company description  Verb + pre
Companies Videos-1.1. Job responsibilities;  Asking que
departments 1.2-Mintzberg’s management  Subject / O
roles; 1.3-Organizations  Linking wo
 Uses of REQ
Company Video – 2.1-Vodafone
profiles Listening –Company profile with  Nominaliza
numbers  Active/pass
Company history Readings – Vodafone; US Giant  Apposition
Company buys Royale; Inditex  Relative cla
 Questions
relationships
tenses, w
focus on
voice

3 Cultural Readings: What is offshoring?  Modal verb
International differences Listening: 3.1 Doing business in  Comparativ
Business China  Compound
Doing business Video: 3.1 Doing business in  Linking wo
abroad China; 3.2-Europeans vs. Italians
; 3.3 Pros & cons of offshoring; comparison
3.4/3.5-Presentation tips, 3.6-
Men vs Women. Compare &
contrast

REVISION Units 1-3
Appendix 1 Grammar and Language Use
Appendix 2 Worksheets

Supplementary materials, exercises, links to diction

siness Studies I

Contents VOCABULARY SPEAKING & WRITING

E USE

ep.  Collocations with JOB/WORK  Describing department and job
estions  Company departments functions
Object questions  Job responsibilities
ords: addition  Describing internal company
QUIRE structures

ation  Word building  Describing a company
sive verb review  Numbers / quantity words  Writing complex sentences
n  Verbs for describing a  Punctuation
auses  Writing a company profile in
with different company
with a special  False friends impersonal style
n the passive

bs  Expressions to give advice,  Describing cultural norms
ve structures prohibit, indicate obligation  Comparing and contrasting
d adjectives and necessity
ords of characteristics and data
n and contrast  Expressions of comparison,  Interpreting and writing a
contrast, concession
comparative description using data
from tables and charts
 Researching information to prepare
an oral presentation and/or a
written report
 Making a simple presentation

naries, etc. are available for each module in Mo

English for Business Studies I

Contact information

Teacher:

Office:

Phone 91 542 2800 Ext. __________

E-Mail:

Technology Requirements:

Technology Use

E-mail If there is an exam, a graded class activity or an oral task, you will be expected
to be present. If you are ill or cannot be present on the day the activity is
Moodlerooms scheduled for a justifiable reason, you are expected to inform the teacher
Virtual BEFORE not AFTER the activity either personally or via e-mail.
Platform If you cannot hand in an assigned task in person, you can send it as an
attachment via e-mail.
You will be expected to use Moodlerooms to download reading materials
which are necessary to complete some course assignments, do listenings or
access links which you will need to correct some of the work assigned. If you
have any problems accessing the materials, notify your teacher.

Class norms

Attendance No points are given for simply attending class. However, all the work done in
class and collected will count towards your continuous assessment grade.
Deadlines Late Students are expected to meet deadlines. Points will be deducted for late work
work or it may not be accepted at all. Once homework exercises have been
corrected and returned, no more exercises will be taken in.
Academic Copying a text entirely or in part considered plagiarism and will receive an
integrity automatic 0. Likewise, copying another student’s work will be graded with a -1
(both the copier and the person he/she copied from).

i

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

(The following information is taken from the GUIA DOCENTE available in Moodlerooms in both English
and Spanish.)
Attendance

According to Article 93 of the General Academic Norms of the Universidad Pontificia Comillas,
students are required to attend class. Students who miss more than a third of the class sessions, or a
smaller number if so established in the academic norms of the Faculty or School, may not be allowed
to take the final exam at the first final exam sitting at the end of the academic year.

Assessed activities CRITERIA Weight

Oral activities and written - Prior preparation of any materials needed to carry out the work 15%
exercises done inside and to be done in class.
outside the classroom
- Class and homework assignments.
Assessed oral tasks - Use of English in the classroom with the teacher and fellow
(presentation, oral
interview with the teacher, classmates
information exchange, - Quality of the information presented.
debates) - Ability to interact with the teacher and classmates at the right
Quizzes and tests
moment using an appropriate register.
Writing tasks - Grammar, syntax, vocabulary, content and accuracy of work

Final exam handed in.
- Submission of work on time.

- Quality and organization of the information 10%
- Accurate use of language, vocabulary and grammar
- Pronunciation
- Ability to communicate orally.

- Ability to use the correct vocabulary. 15%
- Knowledge of the topics covered during the course. 10%
- Correct use of language (grammar, syntax, and spelling). 50%
- Presentation and structure: structure of paragraph or structure

(topic sentence, development, cohesive devices and
conclusion).
- Quality and clarity of information presented.
- Correct use of language (grammar, syntax and spelling).
- Correct use of vocabulary.
- Use of appropriate register.
- Submission of work on time.
- Mastery of key concepts
- Correct language use (grammar, syntax and spelling)
- Knowledge of vocabulary
- Clarity of written expression
- Use of appropriate register
- Reading comprehension

ii

ASSESSMENT

Continuous assessment and final exam
Fifty percent of the final grade is based on continuous assessment, which reflects the student’s
performance throughout the course. This continuous assessment mark, as its name clearly indicates,
corresponds to the work done throughout the semester and the student will not be able to make up
this work on the day of the first sitting of the final exam.
Any work that is partly or entirely copied from another source will be considered plagiarism and will
receive an automatic 0. Likewise, copying another student’s work will be graded with a -1 (both the
copier and the person he/she copied from).
If a student is unable to attend on a day of a graded activity, s/he must inform the teacher personally
or via email BEFORE, not after the activity has been done. Any assignment, exercise, or quiz not done
or not submitted on the date established will be marked down as a 0, unless the student informs the
tutor of his/her school or faculty, who is responsible for informing the teacher if an absence is
justified.
The remaining 50 % of the final mark will be based on a final written exam in the first sitting.
Therefore, a student must obtain a passing mark on both the continuous assessment and the final
exam in order to pass the subject, which will be calculated as follows:

 the continuous assessment based on the assessed activities done throughout the course (personal
work / writing assignments / oral activities / quizzes and tests) with a minimum mark of 5 /10.

 the final written exam with a minimum mark of 5 / 10.
In the event that the student does not pass one of the above, the maximum final mark a student will
be able to obtain is a 4.0 and the student will have to retake the exam and/or make up the work s/he
has not done during the course at the next exam sitting.

Subsequent exam sittings
At the second exam sitting, the student will be examined on the part of the assessed material that
s/he has not passed; i.e., the student will have to do a final written exam (which constitutes 50% of
the final mark) and / or a series of oral or written activities related to work not done during the course
to evaluate whether he has acquired the competences established for the subject (which also
constitute 50% of the final mark). If the student has passed the continuous assessment, that mark will
be saved and averaged in with the final exam mark provided that the student passes the exam. In the
event that the student has not passed the continuous assessment part of the course, it will be the
student’s responsibility to get in touch with the teacher far enough in advance to be able to prepare
any oral activity or writing assignment that he may be expected to prepare for the exam or to hand
in on the day of the exam.
At third and subsequent exam sittings that take place in the following academic year, the student will
be tested on all the material and no mark will be saved from the course or previous exam sittings.

iii

SUMMARY OF COURSE ASSIGNMENTS AND SCHEDULED DATES

In class activities and course assignments Date Deadline
Quiz - Unit 0-1 Week 3-4 Week 4

Writing assignment-Unit 1 Week 4 Week 8
Week 13-14
Quiz - Unit 2 Week 8-9

Writing assignment-Unit 2 Week 8

Writing assignment – Unit 3

Presentation or oral interview – Unit 3 Week 13-14

Special symbols

Speaking activity to be done in pairs or in groups. Sometime it may refer you to
an A/B Communication File activity at the end of the unit to be done in pairs.

Writing Activity or

Worksheet. Refers to the Worksheets at the back of the book designed to practice
the language learned. These worksheets can be torn out of the manual and
handed in to the teacher to be corrected.

The exercises below are available on , the Virtual Learning Platform.

Online interactive exercise available online for self-correction and review or Online
Lesson.

Listening activity available online.

Video viewing activity available online.

To access the above online activities , you can use a computer or you can also download
the university mobile app. (App.comillas.edu)

iv

E3

1-Organisations

TOPIC Posts, jobs and job responsibilities
LISTENING & READING Company departments
Vid. 1.1- Awesome Corp
LANGUAGE USE Vid. 1.2 – Career Video Playlist
Vid. 1.3 - A personal assistant’s responsibilities
VOCABULARY  Use of LIKE/AS/SUCH AS
WRITING  Verb + prep.
By the end of this unit, you should  Asking questions
be able to:  Subject / Object questions
 Linking words: addition

 Uses of REQUIRE

 Collocations with JOB/WORK
 Company departments
 Job responsibilities

 Job description
 Describe department and job functions
 Describe internal company structures

1

Organizations

Video 1.1 - https://youtu.be/wO_-MtWejRM

a. Watch the video and complete the chart above with the missing Departments and Job
Titles. Then complete the gaps below with the missing information
No. of Employees: ____________
The second most important person in this company is _______________. He ___________________
directly to Nancy. He is in charge ______________________________________________________
CFO stands ________________________________________________________________________
A CFO is responsible ________________________________________________________________
These three officers form part ________________________________________________________
The Financial Department consists _____________________________________________________
Layla is responsible _________________________________________________________________
which refers to ____________________________________________________________________ .
She ensures that ____________________________________________________________________

2

Thomas is Layla’s peer. This means that he _______________________________________________
Thomas handles_______________,which is_________________________________, and is also
responsible ___ paying ____________________________________________.
Susan is the ___________________________________________ , which means that she is in charge
_________________________________________________________________________________ .
Her job also consists ___ ensuring that service contracts. Other job
responsibilities include scouting ___ ____________________________________________________

VOCABULARY REVIEW
1. Provide synonyms or definitions for the following expressions:
ensure = __________________________________________________________________________
handle = __________________________________________________________________________
peer = ____________________________________________________________________________
procurement = _____________________________________________________________________

2. Explain the difference between:
 receivables ǂ payables ________________________________________________________
 customer ǂ client ____________________________________________________________
 supplier ǂ provider ___________________________________________________________
 consist in ǂ consist of _________________________________________________________

b. Write questions about the organization chart on the previous page using the exact form
of the VERB in brackets.(5 points).
1. Who (REPORT) ..........................................................................................................................
2. What (HEAD) .............................................................................................................................
3. How many (DIVIDED) ............................................................................................................
4. What (INVOLVE).......................................................................................................................
5. What section (BELONG) ........................................................................................................

3

1.1 1.1 Reading. COMPANY STRUCTURE
Gap fill
Most companies, excluding small businesses that are run by a single owner or a small number
of people, need to be organized in order to run efficiently. In larger businesses, there must be
a chain of command in which there are people in authority who give the orders.
The hierarchical chain of command of most companies starts with the Board of Directors,
whose members are responsible for the long-term running of the company and deciding its
corporate strategy and general policy. The members of the board of directors are elected
by the shareholders, who provide the capital. Therefore, one of the main responsibilities of
the Board members is to represent their interests. The Chairman (U.K.) (also known as the
President, especially in the U.S.) presides over the Board meetings and is the highest-ranking
officer in the corporation. The directors appoint the Managing Director (U.K.) or CEO - Chief
Executive Officer (U.S.), who is in charge of the day-to-day running of the company and co-
ordinates the work of the senior executives or managers who head the different
departments.

The workforce is a term used to refer to the people
who carry out the final orders. They may be white-
collar workers, who make up the office staff (office
workers), or blue-collar workers (those who work on
the shop floor1 doing manual labour). The
management structure of a typical company is shown
in the organization chart below:

1Here “shop floor” refers to the factory area.

1. After reading the text, complete the chart below that shows how a typical company might
be structured. Use the information in the text above to help you.

ONLINE ONLY. 1.2a-Who does what? 1.2b-Listening.Seven job descriptions

1.2a/b 4
matching

Vocabulary. DESCRIBING JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
1a. Look at the underlined words below and discuss what they mean with a partner.

1b. Fill in the boxes in the organization chart on the previous page with the names of the
people, departments or sections that carry out each of the functions described below.

Who or which part of the organization ……?
 manufactures the products
 bills and collects payment from customers
 designs and develops specific applications to meet company needs
 designs new products or looks for ways of improving current products
 supervises the work of the departments and runs the company as a whole
 informs the press about changes in the company
 decides the long-term policy of the company
 prepares invoices to bill the customers
 prepares reports on the financial results
 experiments with new ideas
 deals with the factory workers and the manufacturing techniques
 studies the consumers the company hopes to reach
 ensures that all computer systems are working
 implements decisions about employees’ salaries and workers’ wages
 recruits, hires and trains new workers

3. Find a synonym for each of the terms below referring to the reading on the previous page.

to manage = _______________ company officers = ___________________

to function = _______________________ Personnel = _________________________
factory area = ______________________
1.3 over a long time = (adj) ___________________ office worker = _____________________
Synonyms

President (US) = __________________ (UK)

CEO (US) = __________________ (UK) manual worker = ____________________

4. Write the verb for the following nouns.

NOUN VERB NOUN VERB

1.4 a/b advertising marketing
Gap fill

development production
finance promotion

management sales

5. Complete the sentences using one of the verbs in the box above in the correct tense.
1. Our R&D team ____________________currently ____________________ an improved laser printer,

which we hope to launch next summer.
2. 3-M ____________________ 55,000 products and ____________________them in 80 countries all

over the world.
3. This week we ____________________ L’Oréal’s new line of shampoo. If you buy two bottles,

you get one for free.
4. Danone ____________________ its products on TV as well as in the press.
5. In her present job she ____________________ a team of 10 accountants.

5

1.5 a 1.3. Vocabulary. FREQUENTLY CONFUSED WORDS
choice
AS , LIKE, or SUCH AS?

 My father works ________ a lawyer.
 My mother works ________ a slave around the house.
 This liquid works ________ magic.
 This liquid works ________ a bacterial cleanser.
 He likes reading mystery novels by authors ________ Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen and P.D.

James.

RULE:
For JOB/ PROFESSION, use ……………………………
For COMPARISON, use …………………………….
For FUNCTION, use …………………………..
To introduce EXAMPLES, use ………………….

1.5b 6. Complete the sentences below.
choice 1. _______ a first-year ICADE student, everything is new for me
2. She dresses _______ a fashion model.
3. She works ______ a fashion model.
4. She has modelled for several fashion designers _______ Calvin Klein, Gucci or Prada.
5. You can use the empty Coke can _____ an ashtray.
6. This liquid works _____ a bacterial cleanser.
7. I enjoy drinking soft drinks _________ Coke or Sprite.
8. I use the extra room in my house _____ a study.
9. Matt worked _____ a waiter last summer.
10. I would like to find a job in the financial field working for an investment bank __________

J.P. Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse or Goldman Sachs.

Collocations. JOB/WORK

accept, find, do, get, have, look for, offer, take on

+ WORK (Note: NO ARTICLE, uncountable noun*).
+ A JOB (Note: countable noun)

If you work or have work, you have a job. If you don’t have a job, you are out of work or unemployed.
Work is also the place where you are employed.
*N.B. In the plural, 'works' in English means ‘obras’ or refers to industrial production facilities, e.g. factory
works = “instalaciones de la fabrica”.

make, do for, earn + A LIVING / make = earn + MONEY

N.B. ‘To win something’ means to get something as a result of a competition, race, election, game, e.g.
to win a prize. ‘To gain something’ means to get more of something e.g. I’ve gained weight. or to
obtain an advantage or benefit from something, e.g. What will we gain from this decision?

Examples:

 It's quite difficult to get/find work/a job these days.
 I'm very interested in doing that kind of work.
 What do you do for a living? (What’s your profession?)
 It's difficult to make a living as a freelance photographer. (earn enough money to live comfortably)
 I've been offered a job in Paris.
 She's not prepared to take on that job. (includes the idea of accepting the responsibility)
 A senior manager usually makes a lot of money.
 He has been out of work for over two years.

6

Practice

1. Fill in the correct form of work or job.

1.6

Gap fill 1. Do you enjoy your new ________________?
2. He left ________________ at the usual time.
3. He's had this ________________ for six years.
4. He's been out of ________________ (=without a job) for two years.
5. I had an accident on the way to ________________.
6. I went out with some people from _______________ last night.
7. I'm looking for a new ________________.
8. My boss is always finding little, unimportant ________________ for me to do like making
photocopies or running errands. (often called “busy work”).
9. She found ________________ with an engineering firm.
10. There has been an increase in the number of people looking for ________________.
11. There isn't a lot of ________________at this time of the year.
12. Writing this report is going to be a big ________________.
13. Setting up the factory is going to involve a great deal of ____________.
14. He had had a number of ___________ in the company before becoming CEO.
15. If you are looking for _______________ this summer, I have seen a few _______________
advertised on the university notice boards.
16. He’s been out of ________________ for over two years.
17. She always does a good _________________ when she organises events.

18. I am really enjoying my new _________________. The ____________ is very varied.

19. “Hi, Steve. Are you still at _________________?” “Yes, I’m still at the office.”

20. He is working three____________ because he needs the money.

Note: A great deal of /a great amount of are used with uncountable nouns, e.g. work, money, time, etc.
A great / large number of is used with plural countable nouns, e.g. jobs, workers, companies, etc.

2. Identify the errors below and correct them. Refer to the collocations above if you are not sure.

1.7 1. I have to make some work before I go out this evening.
Identify the

error

2. What would you like to make for a living when you finish your studies?

3. He has finally found a work he likes.

4. The company gained less money this year than last year.

5. The boss has given me several works to do for tomorrow.

6. When you finish making this job, please prepare the documents for tomorrow’s meeting.

7. The assistant sales manager wins $80,000 a year.

8. He doesn’t have a work right now.

9. I have to do a large number of different works as an assistant auditor.

10. At present, there are a great amount of people who are unemployed.

7

1.4 Vocabulary. JOB FUNCTIONS & COMPANY STRUCTURE

Hierarchy

To head means:

1. to be in charge of a department or a group of people

ACTIVE Michael Parrish heads the Marketing Department.
PASSIVE  The Marketing Department is headed by Michael Parrish.

2. to be at the top of something, such as a list of names

John Atkins heads the list of top salesmen.

To report to/to be responsible to /to be accountable to means that a person must answer to a

superior who supervises his work. It is used to indicate who your superior is.
The Managing Director reports to/is responsible to the Board of Directors. (
NOT: depends on)

To assist or the passive form to be assisted by means to be helped by.
( Remember: In English, to assist means to help).

A Personal Assistant assists the Chairman. / The Chairman is assisted by a Personal Assistant.

Responsibilities/functions

To be in charge of a department, for example, is to have the responsibility of managing or
running that department or section.

The Factory Manager is in charge of plant and equipment.

To be responsible for/to be accountable - Something is your responsibility.- it could be an
activity or an area in the company. (used with a noun phrase or gerund)

The controller (or comptroller) is responsible for accounting throughout the company.

Note: responsible is an adjective and cannot be used as a personal noun.
NOT: - Ms. Nakamichi is the responsible for Accounts.
Ms. Nakamichi is the person/the one responsible for Accounts.

To deal with (deal-dealt-dealt) can mean different things:
1. to do business with; to trade with somebody or a company (tratar con)

We deal with a lot of Dutch companies.= do business with

2. to act in some necessary way towards someone or something; take action required to solve it;
to handle. (ocuparse de, resolver)

I'll deal with this problem/these clients. .= handle

3. to be concerned with; to be related with a particular subject (tratar sobre)

The book deals with the problems of inflation.

To involve/entail/consist in - if an activity or situation involves something, that thing is part of it
or a result of it. It describes the nature of the job. (NOTE: involve + NOUN/ + V-ing)

 What will the job involve/entail?
 My work involves long hours / team work / frequent travel. (+ Noun)
 Running your own business usually involves working long hours / travelling frequently /

working on a team / dealing with customers. (+ V-ing)

To supervise/oversee - to be in charge of an activity or person, and make sure that things are
done in the correct way:
 Jane Doe supervises / oversees the clerical staff (el personal administrativo).

Adjectives describing work / a job

 A job you like is satisfying, stimulating, challenging, enjoyable, interesting, rewarding.
 A job that is not interesting is tedious, boring or dull.
 When you are always doing the same thing, the job becomes monotonous, routine or

repetitive.
 If the work is difficult, you say you have a demanding / tiring / tough / stressful job.
Notice that many of the adjectives are formed with a verb+ing.

Language note: You can refer to departments/sections as

Production or the Production department  but not the
Production. 

8

Practice

1.8a 1. Use the words and expressions above to fill in the blanks so that the
Gap fill
sentences make sense. Make any necessary grammatical changes. Try to

use as many of the expressions above as possible. Pay special attention

to the prepositions supplied. ONE WORD PER GAP.

1. Do you have any books that _________________ with improving

productivity in the workplace?

2. In many companies, the supervisors _______________ directly to the

department managers and the managers to the top executives.

3. Most senior executives have a personal secretary to ___________________

them.

4. Ms. Davis is the new person in _______________ of the Finance department.

5. Our company is only prepared to _____________________ with companies which have a

good credit record.

6. The Board of Directors is _______________ by Mr. John Mills, the Chairman.

7. The Human Resources department looks after the company’s employees on the job

and sometimes ______________ with their personal problems as well.

8. The Managing Director has to_______________ with a large number of problems on a

daily basis.

9. The Public Relations department is __________________ for contacting with the press to

inform them of the company’s new products and changes within the company.

10. A Sales Manager’s job _________________ a lot of travelling.

2. Look at the five job descriptions below and put the words in the correct form. Then try to

1.8b guess what kind of job is being described.
Gap fill
a. My job involves _______________________ (TRAVEL)

frequently. It is sometimes quite ______________________

(TIRE), but I like _______________________ (DEAL) with the

passengers. JOB: _______________________________

b. I am good at maths and enjoy _______________________
(WORK) with numbers. Many people think my job is
_______________________ (BORE), but it’s really not. The work
_______________________ (INVOLVE) a lot of cooperation with
other managers as well as teamwork.
JOB: _______________________________

c. I love my job. It is very _______________________ (REWARD)

to see my students learn and develop. It’s also a job that is

never _______________________ (REPEAT); every day is different. JOB:

_______________________________

d. My job entails _______________________ (GET) up quite early to pick up the letters and parcels
I have to distribute, but you get used to it. I enjoy _______________________ (BE) out in the
open air and in my job, I get plenty of exercise. JOB: _____________________________

e. To do my job, you have to be able to think in a very logical way. The work can be mentally
_______________________ (TIRE), but it is very _______________________ (SATISFY) to see that a
program or application that you have been working on really works.
JOB: _______________________________

9

1.9a □ 3. Using at least SEVEN of the expressions on the previous page, interview a business
Gap fill
professional and write a paragraph describing their job. In addition, include at least THREE
adjectives from the previous page that they would use to describe what they do. Underline
the expressions you have used. Include your name above your paragraph in your email.

4. Combine expressions from each of the three columns to write a complete sentence using
RESPONSIBLE FOR or IN CHARGE OF + Verb+ing. You must supply a logical verb.

Example: The Accounting department is responsible for keeping a record of how much

the company has spent and earned.

Department /Section Expressions + verb NOMINAL STRUCTURES
/Job title (Supply adequate verb) (supply the missing verbs)
a) _________________ the members of the
1. Accounting b Board of Directors

2. Advertising

3. The Board of is/are b) ___keeping____ a record of how much
Directors ( in charge of… / the company has spent and earned.
responsible for…)
4. Human c) _______________ customers to buy a
Resources + VERB-ing company’s products/services by using
media such as the press or TV.
5. IT
6. Production d) ________________ market research,
7. R + D deciding on products and prices, and
8. Sales promoting, distributing and selling those
9. The CEO or products.

Managing e) _________________ new employees.
Director
10. The f) _________________ new products for the
shareholders company to market as well as improving
11. Marketing the company’s manufacturing processes.
12. Market
Research g) _________________ new software
applications.

h) _________________ the activities of the
department heads.

i) _________________ the CEO.

j) _________________ the company’s products
by _________________ for and informing
potential customers.

k) _________________ the products (that) the
company sells.

l) _________________ what consumers want

and ______________ by _______________
studies and ______________data

5. Work in pairs to test each other. One student should close his/her book while the other
students asks questions. e.g. What department is responsible for keeping a record of

how much the company has spent and earned?

10

Language Use 1. FORMULATING SUBJECT / OBJECT QUESTIONS

1.9b When you formulate a question, make sure to pay special attention to the following:
Sentence  appropriate question word (WHO or WHAT or WHAT + noun)
completion  correct word order

 correct expression, which uses the same preposition (See

Grammar Reference section at the end of this unit)

Examples

a. Paul Crystal heads Production*. Who heads Production?
b. Paul Crystal heads Production. What department does Paul Crystal head?
c. Production is headed by Paul Crystal. What is headed by Paul Crystal?
d. Production is headed by Paul Crystal. Who is Production headed by?
e. Paul Crystal is the head of Production. Who is the head of Production?
f. Paul Crystal is the head of Production. What department is Paul Crystal the head of?

Write questions to obtain the answer, which is underlined, and in bold print.

1. a. Morris Green is in charge of Finance.

...................................................................................................................................................................................

b. Morris Green is in charge of Finance.

...................................................................................................................................................................................

2. a. The department managers are responsible to the Managing Director.

...................................................................................................................................................................................

b. The department managers are responsible to the Managing Director.

...................................................................................................................................................................................

3. a. The Managing Director reports to the Board of Directors.

...................................................................................................................................................................................

b. The Managing Director reports to the Board of Directors.

...................................................................................................................................................................................

4. a. The Chairman is assisted by a P.A.

...................................................................................................................................................................................

b. The Chairman is assisted by a P.A.

...................................................................................................................................................................................

5. a. Lance Walsh is the person responsible for Marketing.

...................................................................................................................................................................................

b. Lance Walsh is the person responsible for Marketing.

...................................................................................................................................................................................

6. a. The Purchasing section has to deal with suppliers.

...................................................................................................................................................................................

b. The Purchasing section has to deal with suppliers.

...................................................................................................................................................................................

Communication Files 1A or 1B – pp 25 & 26

11

Fill in the blank with the appropriate form of the verb.

1.9c reduce ensure conduct oversee
choice implement develop design contribute
resolve organize assist address

The HR's job responsibilities include:
1- __________________ the hiring process
2- __________________ in the execution of the Company’s affirmative action plan
3- __________________ compliance with state and federal laws and regulations
4- __________________ and ________________ employee training to ______________ skill gaps
5- __________________ employee concerns and _________________ their complaints
6- __________________ ideas that will enable the HR department to better _______________ to the

success of the organization
7- __________________ and ________________ periodic employee performance evaluations.

workforce firing / dismissals layoffs / attrition /
transfers reduced timetables redundancies natural wastage
early retirement
job sharing

Fill in the blank with the appropriate word.

1.9d Decruitment is the process by which an organization reduces its ___________________.
choice The various decruitment options available to an organization are:
a. ____________________ - This refers to permanent involuntary termination of employees, often
because of the employees' failure to perform.
b. ____________________ - These refer to temporary involuntary termination of employees,
which may last only for a few days or extend up to years.
c. ____________________ - This is achieved when an organization does not fill the openings
created by voluntary resignations or normal retirements of its employees.
d. ____________________ - This happens when employees are moved either laterally or
downward. This usually does not reduce costs but, it can reduce intraorganizational supply––
demand imbalances.
e. _____________________ - This is achieved by having employees work fewer hours per week,
share jobs, or perform their jobs on a part-time basis.
f. _____________________ - Here, the organization provides incentives to older and more senior
employees for retiring before their normal retirement date.
g. ____________________ - This is achieved by having employees share one full-time position.
f. _____________________ - Here, the organization provides incentives to older and more senior
employees for retiring before their normal retirement date.
g. ___________________ - This is achieved by having employees share one full-time position.

12

Language Use 2. DESCRIBING PARTS OR THE WHOLE

to consist of = to be made up of = to be divided into = to be composed of = to comprise
These expressions are used to describe all of the parts of which something is constituted.

 Office Services is made up of four subsections.
 Microtech is divided into four corporate departments.
 Marketing consists of* three sections: Market Research, Sales and Promotion.
 Accounting is composed of (NOT by) an accountant and two bookkeepers.
 Microtech comprises (NOT is comprised of) three divisions.

If you are only describing some of the parts, you can use the verb include.

 Marketing includes Market Research and Promotion.

to belong to = to form part of

 R & D belongs to the Production Department.
 The Canteen forms part of Office Services.

*Consist in + verb-ING to involve. Both are followed by a noun or a gerund.

 A sales representative’s job consists in persuading customers to buy the company’s products.

Consist of  is composed or made up of; It usually appears in a sentence with a singular subject
+ consists of + a list of nouns / a number.

 The Sales department consists of a manager, two secretaries, and ten salespeople.

Consist on does not exist.

1. Write a paragraph about the one of the departments or sections below and 1. made up
the person who runs it using forms of the words provided in the box. e.g. X has 2. belong

been working for Chocolate Impressions for the past x years as (job)/in the 3. head
(department). 4. report
5. responsible
2. Formulate questions about Chocolate Impressions using the correct form of
the words in the box using WHO, WHAT, & HOW MANY. 6. involve + V
7. in charge + V

8. deal
9. assist
10. oversee

Department supplier
s
Section

Sub-
section/
workers

customer
s

13

Online viewing (with online worksheet)

VIDEO 1.3 Job responsibilities. A personal assistant

1.5 WRITING. Writing a paragraph

The first step in being able to write in a professional context is being able to write a good
paragraph. Together with a partner read the following two texts and decide which one is a
good paragraph, which one is not and why. Underline all the word(s) which help to make the
text you chose a good paragraph and be prepared to explain your reasons to another group.

Text One
The marketing manager is in charge of ensuring the company meets its sales targets in

all its different markets.
Making sure it meets its targets is a key responsibility and the company’s profits depend

on the volume of sales.
Also, the marketing manager must correctly promote the products. And, he /she must

carry out market research and supervise the promotional activities and the advertising
campaigns carried out in all the different countries.

His/her job is never routine or boring, the consumer preferences vary depending on the
country. In addition, he earns a good salary.

The company is constantly changing or improving its products.

Text Two. Fill in the gaps with logical linking words/expressions.
Being the Marketing Manager in a large international company is a demanding

as well as stimulating job. The marketing manager is the person in charge of ensuring

that the company meets its sales targets in all its different markets, which is a key

responsibility because the company’s profits depend on the volume of sales. In addition, in

order to meet these targets, the marketing manager must make sure that the right products

are sold and that they are correctly promoted. This involves carrying out market research and

supervising the promotional activities as well as the advertising campaigns carried out in all

the different countries. This part of his/her job is never routine or boring, as not only do the

consumer preferences vary depending on the country, but the products are also

constantly changing or being improved. In compensation for all this hard work, a marketing

manager generally earns a good salary.

Depending on how you want to relate your ideas (e.g.
reason, additional information, sequence of events) you will
need to use different kinds of linkers. Most paragraphs, as
seen above, combine different kinds. Throughout the
course you will learn to use a variety of linkers.

14

Language Use. USING LINKING WORDS OF ADDITION

1. The words and expressions below can be used to introduce additional information, but the
grammar and punctuation differ depending on the type of structure you use. Complete the
following paragraph with the appropriate expression from the boxes below. Do not use any
expression more than once.

CONJUNCTIONS ADVERBIALS PREPOSITIONS ADJECTIVES

and, furthermore, in addition, in addition to, as another, an additional /
Not only (+ a further + sing. noun
aux+S+v) ... but moreover, additionally well as, apart from,
…(also or as well) other, further, additional
besides (don’t use BESIDES as along with, besides + plural noun

an adverbial in formal English) + noun/gerund

also, as well, too

(informal)

1.10a Today a secretary does much more than simply make coffee or answer
choice the telephone. 1_____________ to being familiar with modern office
procedures, telephone communications and bookkeeping, a secretary
must know how to use a computer. 2_____________ as knowing how
to use word processing programmes like MS Word, she must be

familiar with various other software packages such as Excel and
PowerPoint. 3_____________, she is responsible for doing all her work
independently without supervision. 4_____________ must she

organize her own work, but she is in charge of organising all of her
boss’ activities 5_____________. 6_____________ one of her tasks is
dealing with and resolving everyday problems that may arise. It is clear
that being a secretary in the business world today is not an easy task!

2. Which words or expressions are used in the following way?

Comes at the end of a sentence.

Comes before the main verb but after the verb “to be”

Followed by a gerund (verb + ing) or nominal structure

It is an adjective

Typically used after a complete sentence. (A semicolon can also
precede it) A comma should always be used afterwards.
________________, Subject + Verb

First structure is followed by auxiliary or inverted verb if it is used
at the beginning of a sentence, to join two sentences.

Suggested follow-up exercise
Progress Check Ex. 8 - Expressions of ADDITION - Typical problems p. 37

15

Combining ideas

a) Think of a logical topic sentence.
b) Combine the sentences provided using NOT ONLY…. BUT ALSO.
c) Add a logical follow-up sentence using IN ADDITION /MOREOEVER.
Example: (The Sales Manager meets with the sales staff to set targets and discuss results. He
supervises the salesmen’s training.).

A sales manager is a key figure in the company as he is the one responsible for
ensuring that the company’s products reach the customers.
Not only does the Sales Manager meet with the sales staff to set targets and
discuss results, but he also supervises the salesmen’s training. In
addition,/Moreover/Furthermore he has to implement strategies that motivate
the sales staff in order to increase sales.

1. (The CEO implements the decisions taken by the Board of Directors. He supervises
the work of each of the department managers.)

..............................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................
Not only .............................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................

2. (I had to prepare a PowerPoint presentation that the CEO is giving tomorrow. I had
to book the venue and all the hotels for the shareholders attending the meeting. )

Yesterday...........................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................
Not only .............................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................

16

3. (He has to be good at numbers and detail-oriented. He needs to be able to use the
computer to prepare spreadsheets, graphs and financial reports.)

..............................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................
Not only .............................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................

4. (Elaine has a B.A. in business administration and an MBA from Wharton. She has
three years’ experience in auditing and banking).

..............................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................
Not only .............................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................

5. (The Board of Directors represents the company shareholders. It looks after their
interests).

..............................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................
Not only .............................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................

6. (You have to bill the customers and collect payment from them. You have to record
all receipts (recibos) and payments).

..............................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................
Not only .............................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................

17

1.10b 3. Below are three different jobs. Unfortunately, they are scrambled. Do the online exercise
choice to find out their Responsibilities. Then try to complete the exercise below.
Use the online exercise to check your answers.

Christopher Nolan Sara Walker David Wilkes
IT Network administrator Human Resources Manager
Company secretary
(=company lawyer)

1. administer company benefits such as health care and bonuses
2. advise the members of the board of the legal, accounting and tax implications of policies

proposed by the members;
3. conduct personnel evaluations
4. coordinate the installation of new computer equipment
5. create and maintain e-mail accounts for all the staff
6. deal with any computer problems
7. set up back-up and storage systems for all company records
8. develop special software to meet specific corporate needs
9. hire new employees and dismiss inefficient employees
10. make sure that the company complies with its financial and legal requirements
11. ensure the security of all the information in the company’s servers
12. establish wage and salary incentives
13. keep the company up to date with changes in legislation and the regulatory environment;
14. liaise with external regulators and advisers, such as lawyers and auditors;
15. look after the employees’ welfare and implement safety measures
16. make recommendations for pay raises and promotion based on performance and results
17. organise and prepare agendas for and take minutes of board meetings
18. organise general office services such as reception, cafeteria, and medical care
19. oversee expansion and maintenance of local computer network
20. provide legal advice
21. recruit and interview new staff
22. research and acquire new hardware and software for the company
23. supervise the design of the company’s web page
24. write manuals explaining how to use new applications

4. Provide a one or two-word synonym for the following words.
acquire = _______________________________
conduct = _______________________________
dismiss = _______________________________
implement = _______________________________
oversee = _______________________________

18

5. Explain or look up and find out what the other underlined words in bold print mean.
6. TOPIC SENTENCES. Based on the job descriptions on the previous page, choose the most
suitable topic sentence to start a paragraph about each one from the list of topic sentences
below.

 I am going to tell you about all the tasks that a company secretary has to carry out.
 As Human Resource Manager, Sara Walker is responsible for all matters related to

personnel.
 Not only does an IT network administrator have to ensure that the computers are

free of viruses but he also has to find solutions when a computer becomes infected.
 In his job as IT Network Administrator, Christopher Nolan carries out a wide range

of tasks that keep the company’s computer systems running smoothly.
 Christopher Nolan is in charge of setting up e-mail accounts.
 Firstly, I am going to describe what she does as head of Human Resources.
 A good Human Resources manager has to have a number of qualifications and personal

qualities to do the job well.
 Company directors would be unable to run their companies without the support of a

Company Secretary, the person who provides them with legal advice and ensures that
the company is meeting its administrative requirements.

NOTE: Not all the topic sentences above are adequate topic sentences.
Which ones are not suitable? Why not?

7. Write an adequate topic sentence for the information provided below. Then finish the paragraph
by combining the ideas using the linkers given. Do not change the order of the sentences.

PRODUCTION MANAGER

1. Start by writing a good topic sentence.

2. Combine the two ideas below using NOT ONLY….BUT…
 has to coordinate the work of the sections in his department.
 has to work closely with the R&D engineers on the designs of the new products.
3. Combine the ideas below using AS WELL AS
 supervise the production process.

make sure that products are produced on time and are of good quality
4. Combine the ideas below using IN ADDITION, …
 estimate costs and set the quality standards
5. FINALLY, - (add a final example of a responsibility that he has)

8. Write about one of jobs on the previous page. After choosing an adequate topic sentence
from the list above, combine some of the job responsibilities described using a minimum of
four different linking words of ADDITION. Underline the expressions you use.

Suggested follow-up exercises
Grammar Reference 3 – Use of PARALLEL STRUCTURES p 29

19

Careers (Video Playlist 1.2a, 1.2b, 1,2c)

Watch the career video you have been assigned and take notes in each of the following categories. If
the information is not provided on the video, look at the supplementary notes below the video and use
the additional information to complete the categories below.
Career/Profession: ______________________________________________

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES / FUNCTIONS (What activities do they have to do as

part of their job?) (write down a minimum of 4)

COMPENSATION (What type of compensation do they receive for the work they do,

monetary and otherwise? (write down a minimum of 1-2)

QUALIFICATIONS (What kind of studies or experience do they need / should

they have?) (write down a minimum of 2)

SKILLS (What other knowledge or abilities do they need to have?) & PERSONAL
QUALITIES - (What innate qualities do they need to have?) NOTE: PERSONAL

QUALTIES cannot be learned like SKILLS. Do not confuse the two. (write down a
minimum of 4)

Continues on the next page  

20

Topic sentence.
Based on what you have learned about your career or profession on the video, write an interesting and
ORIGINAL topic sentence to introduce the career you have just taken notes on.
Below are some questions you can ask yourself to help you come up with an appropriate topic sentence.

[*** - the professionals you have taken notes about]

 Why are *** necessary? What would happen to the company / to society without
them?

 Why is the work *** do important for the company? Be specific.
 What would happen to the company / consumers / people /etc. if *** did not exist?

Final sentence
The closing sentence should reflect the reason why you wrote the composition and can reiterate the
ideas in your topic sentence in different words (but it should not simply repeat the first sentence).
You can end your paragraph or composition about a job in several ways:
1) describe the job using NEGATIVE & POSITIVE adjectives and the type of person it

is suitable for.

 A job as a * can be * but it can also be * and * for someone who *

2) explain why the work this professional does is important for the company or people.

 It is clear that without *, a company/people would not ….

3) explain why this career is a good choice or what kind of person it would be a good
choice for

 There is no doubt that a career in * is /can be … (describe)
 Although a career in * / being a * … may sound *(mention negative aspects),

 …, it can be * (mention the positive aspects that compensate the negative
aspects).

 …, there are few careers that * (mention the positive aspects that compensate
the negative aspects) as this one.

Write three different possible closing sentences for the video you watched following the
models above.
1.

2.

3.

21

Language use. USE OF REQUIRE

REQUIRE (formal verb)
If an activity requires a quality, you have to have that quality in order to do; it is necessary.
1) nominal form + (REQUIRE) Some universities require a high grade point average.

An undergraduate degree is required for admission to law school.

2) REQUIRE + that clause The University bylaws require that students attend a minimum of
60% of the classes. (Note the use of the subjunctive verb.)

3) REQUIRE + sb + to do sth Our university requires all students to participate in a minimum of
three seminars.

4) sb (BE) required to do sth All students applying for admission are required to have a

bachelor's degree.
 You cannot use an empty IT subject + required to do sth with this structure. It is

required to have a degree.

Avoid using the PASSIVE verb form after required. A term paper is required to be written. 

Students are required to write a term paper. 

a. Practise using the different forms of the verb require by rewriting the sentences below.
1. ICADE requires that all students applying for admission take an entrance exam.

All students...................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................

2. U.S universities frequently require students to write term papers for the course.
At U.S. universities,....................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................

3. It is not necessary to have an undergraduate degree to enter a school of law in Spain.
Students entering .....................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................

4. All major multinationals require that applicants have an excellent level of English.
In all major multinationals.........................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................

5. At Warwick University, students are required to do internships during their studies.
Warwick University requires that ...............................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
Warwick University requires all ..................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................

22

6. Under the regulations of the ICEX Master’s program each participant must be a citizen of a
European Union member state. (ICEX=Instituto Español de Comercio Exterior)

The regulations of the ICEX Master’s program require ...............................................
..................................................................................................................................

7. All UK and US universities ask all foreign applicants to submit the results of an exam
indicating their level of proficiency in English.
All UK and US universities require .............................................................................
..................................................................................................................................

b. All of the following sentences are incorrect. Rewrite them. You may have to add words to
make a correct sentence.

1. In this subject there is also a practical part in which is required to apply the knowledge
that you have acquired in the theoretical part.
...................................................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................................................

2. In order to pass the subject requires that students attend class.
.................................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................................

3. It is required to have a BA degree to study for an MBA.
.................................................................................................................................................................................

4. Two term papers are required to be written in the writing course.
...................................................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................................................

5. In this university it is required to take six compulsory subjects in first year.
...................................................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................................................

6. Passing all your first-year subjects is required to pass to second year.
...................................................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................................................

7. It is required to pass a special examination before individuals can become CPAs (certified
public accountants) in the United States.
...................................................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................................................

23



COMMUNICATION FILES

FILE 1A – ASKING ABOUT COMPANY STRUCTURES

1. You are Student A. Complete this organisation chart by writing questions about the
information you are missing (1-4) using the prompts provided and asking Student B for
that information. Use expressions you have seen in this unit but do not use any expression
more than once.
WHO - WHAT -WHAT DEPARTMENT - WHAT SECTION

Who / (ASSIST)

Who / (REPORT)

3.
Alice Wood

What department / (HEAD) 4.
What section / (CHARGE) Susan Walsh

2. Individually write an appropriate question for the answers provided below using the
expressions learnt in this unit. Refer to the organization chart above and make sure the
expression you use takes the same preposition as that in the answer!! Then compare your
questions with your partner’s.
1. ..........................................................................................................................................................................

To the Board of Directors.
2. ..........................................................................................................................................................................

With the suppliers.
3. … .......................................................................................................................................................................

Sara Mills
4. ..........................................................................................................................................................................

For the Factory, R&D, Purchasing and Warehouse sections.
5. ..........................................................................................................................................................................

Of the Finance department.

25

FILE 1B – ASKING ABOUT COMPANY STRUCTURES

1. You are Student B. Complete this organisation chart by writing questions about the
information you are missing (a-d) using the prompts provided and asking Student A for
that information. Use expressions you have seen in this unit but do not use any expression
more than once.
WHO - WHAT -WHAT DEPARTMENT - WHAT SECTION

Who / (RESPONSIBLE)

PRODUCTION
Frank Wilson

What department / (MANAGE) What section / (RUN)

c.
Mike Forest

Who / (HEADED)

2. Individually write an appropriate question for the answers provided below using the
expressions learnt in this unit. Refer to the organization chart above and make sure the
expression you use takes the same preposition as that in the answer!! Then compare your
questions with your partner’s.
1. ..........................................................................................................................................................................

To the Board of Directors.
2. ..........................................................................................................................................................................

With the suppliers.
3. … .......................................................................................................................................................................

Sara Mills
4. ..........................................................................................................................................................................

For the Factory, R&D, Purchasing and Warehouse sections.
5. ..........................................................................................................................................................................

Of the Finance department.

26

Grammar Reference

1. Use of the -ING form

The ING form of the verb is used:
 in the continuous tenses
- I am studying for a degree in Business Administration.

- I have been living in Madrid for ten years.

 after prepositions, certain verbs and expressions ( See examples below).

 as a subject or as an active adjective

- Teaching is a rewarding profession.

- Working as a financial analyst can be very challenging.
- Living in Madrid is expensive.

The ING-form is sometimes called the present participle or gerund.

1. 1 Use of the -ING form after certain verbs, prepositions or expressions

1.1.1 Certain verbs are followed by gerunds or nouns:

admit delay finish involve miss resist
postpone risk
appreciate deny give up keep practise recommend
put off suggest
avoid dislike mention like / hate

consider enjoy imagine mind

 I hate working long hours. /or/ I hate the long hours.

 My job involves visiting clients.

 I enjoy meeting people.
 I don’t mind getting up early.

1.1.2 Always use a gerund or a nominal structure after prepositions:
 As well as ensuring the quality of the work produced, he has to supervise the staff.
 She has to do many different tasks such as topping up the toner, sorting the mail and
answering the phone.

1.1.3 Certain verbs and adjectives are always followed by a preposition. Try to learn these verbs and

adjectives together with the preposition which follows them.

to be good at to insist on to object to*

to be interested in to look forward to* to think of/about

*NOTE: The gerund also follows TO when TO is a preposition. The phrases below are the most
common examples of this use and are all worth remembering.

look forward to object to prefer Xing to Ying be/get used to

1.1.4 Gerunds after certain expressions.

can’t help it’s no good there’s no point (in)

can’t stand it’s no use it’s worth / it’s not worth (it isn’t worth)

 It’s not worth arguing with her. She’s as stubborn as a mule.

 I can’t stand working at the weekend.

1.1.5. Gerunds after possessives. Gerunds can be used after possessive adjectives and ‘s.

 I appreciated his meeting me at the station.
 She mentioned Mike’s telephoning her last night.

1. 2 Formation of the -ING form Suggested follow-up exercise
Appendix 2. SPELLING RULES p 139-141
See 3-Spelling Rules in
Appendix 1-Grammar & Language Use.

27

2. Question formation Word order in subject and object questions

1. Select Question Word (QW)

SUBJECT? OBJECT?
Examples: Examples:
Who saw you? Who did you see?
John saw me. I saw John.

2. WORD ORDER 2. Look at verb phrase
QW+ VERB The verb may consist of one or
more elements.
Other examples: e.g. lasts, developed, will stop,
Who developed …? can make, has been producing
What happened?
What causes ….?
What factors have made…?

3. If the verb phrase consists of one 3. If the verb phrase consists of
word, use DO, DOES or DID to make more than one word, what is the
the question. Change principal verb auxiliary or modal verb?
to stem form. modals - can, will, must, should, etc.
e.g. see (stem) - saw - seen auxiliary- is, are, was, were, have, has,
Who did he speak to? had
He spoke to Mr. Davis. How long has he worked at AMC?
He has worked there for 10 years.

REMEMBER:

WORD ORDER in Object Questions

QW (+noun) + aux + SUBJECT + Verb stem

Placement of prepositions
In cases where the verb or expression is followed by a preposition, the preposition goes at
the end of the question.
Examples:

 Who does Cindy Lewis report to?

 What department is Malcolm Williams the head of?

 Who is the Accounting department headed by?

28

3. Parallel Structures ( / / )

Listening 1.3. (online exercise in MOODLE) Now listen to an executive talking about
his job at Douwe-Egberts / Spain. As you listen, complete the job profile.

a) Grammatical structures. Do not mix forms.(gerunds, infinitives, adjectives, nouns). In lists
use the same type of structure. Transform the sentences below which are NOT PARALLEL, to
parallel sentences (//).

1. Mary likes hiking, swimming, and to ride a bicycle.
Parallel:
 Mary likes hiking, swimming, and ………………… a bicycle.

2. The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurately, and with great care.
Parallel:
 The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurately, and ………………ly.

3. Mr. Farrero’s job requires being patient, to have flexibility and an effective communicator.
Parallel:
 Esteban Farrero’s job requires being ____________, having ___________ and
___________ing _______________.

 In order to do a job like Esteban Farrero’s, a person needs to have _______________,
flexibility and _________________________.

 The position of General Manager requires someone who is patient,
______________________ and __________________________________.

4. A global manager must be able to motivate workers, taking decisions quickly and fluent English.
Parallel: (use verb + noun combinations)
 A global manager must be able to motivate workers, ___________decisions quickly and
________fluent English.

5. Too many students come to college only for fun, to find a spouse, or for putting off having to
go to work.
Parallel:
 Too many students come to college ...........................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................................

6. To succeed at ICADE, you have to be mature, a hard worker and study many hours.
Parallel:
 To succeed at ICADE, you have to be mature, .........................................................................
 Success at ICADE requires maturity,.........................................................................................

b) Clauses / Sentences

Not Parallel: The coach advised the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they not eat too
much, and to do some warm-up exercises before the game.
Parallel:
 The coach advised the players ………………………………. a lot of sleep, …………………………

too much, and …………………………….. do some warm-up exercises before the game.

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c) Lists

After a colon (:) Be sure to keep all the elements in a list parallel.
Not Parallel: The dictionary can be used to find the following: word meanings, pronunciations,
correct spellings, and looking up irregular verbs.
Parallel:
The dictionary can be used to find the following: word meanings, pronunciations, correct spellings,
and …………………………………………….

After bullet points. Look at the list below taken from a CV

Not Parallel: Parallel:
 Prepared weekly field payroll  Prepared weekly field payroll
 Material purchasing
 Recording purchases
 Change orders
 Maintenance of copies of invoices

d) Other linking expressions followed by parallel structures

NOT ONLY…BUT ALSO NEITHER…NOR EITHER…OR

Not Parallel: Smoking is not only bad for your health but also it costs a lot of money.
Parallel: Smoking is not only bad for your health but also …………………………………..

Not Parallel: Not only does a PA have to be well-organised but also patient.
Parallel: Not only does a PA have to be well-organised but …………………………………………….
Parallel: A PA has to be not only well-organised but ……………………………………………………..

Not Parallel: We can either drive to the Grand Canyon or another possibility is flying to Las
Vegas.
Parallel: We can either drive to the Grand Canyon or ………………………………………………

Not Parallel: The children had neither decent housing nor were they fed sufficiently.

Parallel: The children had neither decent housing nor …………………………………………

More examples at: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_parallel.html

Practice

In the exercise that follows, underline the parallel structures and re-write the sentences

correctly.

1. She has a degree in sports management and started working in public relations.

2. There are also several other skills which are required such as coordinating the

employees, making decisions and effective communication.

3. Working in public relations requires that you be a good decision-maker as well as

creative.

4. His job involves meeting with clients and to write monthly sales reports.

5. Not only does she manage the department but she is also an advisor to the board of

directors.

6. She was promoted because she established excellent client relationships, designed a

successful promotional campaign and company sales increased.

7. My job is not only enjoyable but it is also stimulating.

8. I want to learn how to fly a plane, be a captain of a yacht, and to speak Spanish.

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9. He is in charge of supervising the sales department and the coordination of the
salespeople.

10. She not only makes coffee but she also answers the telephone.
11. They are in charge of not only sales but also dealing with the customers.

2. Complete the grids below using parallel structures.

Example: The post of General Manager requires a person with certain qualities

and skills…

which include / such which include / such as + which include / such as +
as…(HAVING) +
ABSTRACT NOUN BEING a(n)… + BEING +

PERSONAL NOUN ADJECTIVE

communicating

effectively

a motivator

the ability quick at taking

decisions/able to take

decisions quickly

Example: His job involves…. VERB-ing (you have to supply the verb)
attending frequent meetings
NOMINAL PHRASE coordinating the management team
frequent meetings

the supervision of the company as a
whole

3. Complete the sentences below using parallel structures, using the appropriate structures.
Do not use the same information more than once.

1. A CEO has to _______________________and _________ ______________________________ .
2. He is in charge of ______________________________________________________ as well as

____________________________________________________________________________________
3. As a figurehead, in addition to _____________________, a CEO may have to attend an

employee’s wedding or __________________________________________.
4. A general manager needs to be open-minded, ____________________________ and

_________________________________.
5. In a multinational, a general manager must be able to communicate effectively

not only with ________________________ but also with ______________________________.

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U1-Progress Check

1. Company structure

a. GAP FILL. Fill in using vocabulary you have seen in this unit.

1. The _________________ are the real owners of the company as they are the ones who provide

1.11a the capital.
choice

2. The members of the _______________ of ______________ are responsible ___________ the long-
term running of the company and they are the ones who decide the
corporate______________ and general __________________ to be implemented.

3. The ________________________ (UK) or _____________________ (US) presides over the Board of
Directors’ meetings.

4. The Managing Director or _______________ is in ___________ of the day-to-day
__________________ of the company. He is usually _________________ by the Board, executes
the Board's decisions and is the top executive officer in a company.

5. The Managing Director supervises the work of the heads of the departments, who are the
senior managers or ___________ __________.

6. The company __________________/ is ________________________/is ________________ _____ a
number of departments.

7. There are different ways to refer to people who work in a company: ____________ and
____________ (plural and countable nouns); ____________ and ____________ (collective nouns).

1.11b b. Who does what? CEO vs. Board of Directors. (in Moodle only)

matching

2. Describing company structures

Look at the chart below which shows the structure of Computech. Then complete the text

1.12 that describes the company. One word per gap.
Gap fill
CompuTech is a computer company based in Austin, Texas. CompuTech is the parent company

and it 1_______________ of three separate 2_______________. Each of them 3______ _______________

______ a Senior Vice-President who is 4___________________ for implementing the company’s

policy; he 5 ______________ directly _____ CompuTech’s CEO. CompuWare is the division which

CompuTech 6 ________ PCs and peripherals.

(Austin, TX) CompuWare’s senior vice-
president 7____ ____________ by

CompuWare CompuSoft CompuText three directors who 8______________
the different departments. The
Hardware Division Software Division Publications Division

CompuWare Sales and Marketing department,
for instance, 9__________________
Hardware Division
four sections: Marketing,

SALES & MARKETING PRODUCTION HUMAN RESOURCES Advertising, Sales and After-Sales

SECTIONS: Service with a manager who
- Marketing 10______________ each one.
- Advertising
- Sales
- After sales service

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3. Describing parts
Use the words and expressions in the box below to complete the text. Pay special attention

1.13

Gap fill to the prepositions supplied.

United Kingdom

belong - made - composed – consist(s) - divided – comprise(s) - include(s) -
form

The United Kingdom is the appropriate name for the country
that 1________________ Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
England, Scotland and Wales 2____________ to Great Britain. The
United Kingdom also has several overseas territories, which
3______________ Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands. The Crown
has a relationship with the dependencies of the Isle of Man
and the Channel Islands, which 4______________ part of the
British Islands but not part of the United Kingdom.

Each region of the UK has a different internal structure.
England 5________________ of thirty-nine counties and seven
metropolitan counties (including Greater London). Northern
Ireland is 6________________ into twenty-six districts and Wales is 7________________ of eight
counties. Finally, Scotland is 8________________ up of nine regions and three island areas.

4. Gerunds and Present participles

1.14 Read the email below. Complete the sentences using the appropriate form of the verbs in the box.
Gap fill
bore create go participate
call develop hear stimulate
contact do include work

Christie Henderson

Web site for business students

Dear Paul,
I am writing to see if you would be interested in 1_________________ in a new web-based project
we are 2_________________ on. There is no point (in) 3_________________ into all the details
at the moment, but here is a quick description. The proposal entails 4_________________ a
website to provide business students with an interactive learning environment. We have
considered 5_________________ all types of 6_________________ materials such as videos,
audios and interactive exercises because they are less 7_________________ than traditional
exercises and learners generally enjoy 8_________________ a variety of different tasks. The IT
department has just finished 9_________________ a program to create the website. Rebecca
suggested 10_________________ you to see if you would like to take part in the project. Would
you mind 11_________________me some time this week so that we can discuss it in more detail?
I look forward to 12_________________ from you.

Best regards
Christie

33

5. Typical errors
Correct the typical errors below.

1.15
rewrites

1. She have to interview people.
2. What have you to do in your job?
3. Has he to travel frequently?
4. She enjoys very much her job.
5. Paul Jones is the responsible for Finance.
6. He doesn’t mind to work on weekends.
7. He is looking for a work in finance.
8. She is responsible of keeping the accounting books.
9. Who does report to the Managing Director?
10. He thinks the job is very bored.
11. Martha Wilson, the company’s P.R. officer, depends on the Marketing manager.
12. Who does the company head?
13. R&D belongs to the Production Manager.
14. Sales department is in charge of selling the company’s products.
15. What has to do the head of Purchasing?
16. John Smith heads all the activities of the department.
17. My father is always travelling, what is very tired.
18. My mother is headed by the Financial Controller.

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6. Frequently confused words

REQUIRE / INVOLVE

REQUIRE – the qualities/qualifications you need to have in order to do a job;
IS REQUIRED=has to, needs to
INVOLVE- the things you have to do as part of that job

a. Complete with the correct form of REQUIRE or INVOLVE.
1. The job of a Human Resources Manager _____________ good communication skills.
2. As Human Resources Manager, his job ________________ hiring and firing people.
1.16a 3. Colin Ivey’s job ___________________ working with numbers.
choice 4. A lawyer __________________ to have a university degree.
5. Financial Control __________________ a person with good math skills.
6. Being a Managing Director of a company _______________ working long hours and travelling

frequently.
7. A Managing Director’s job _______________ the ability to work under stress.
8. A medical specialist in the United States _____________________ to do a residency.
9. This job ________________________ someone with a Master’s degree.
10. My mother heads Marketing. Her job _____________________ making many presentations and

attending frequent meetings.

SUPERVISE/OVERSEE vs ENSURE/MAKE SURE /CHECK

SUPERVISE/OVERSEE (+sb/sth) - to be in charge of a group of workers and check that each of
them is doing his/her work well.

ENSURE/MAKE SURE (+that) - to make certain that something will be done properly
/correctly

CHECK (+if /whether/ sth) - to make certain that something is done properly /correctly

b. Complete with the correct form of the verbs above.

1. He _______________ the staff under him.
1.16b 2. He _______________ that everything in his department is running well.

Gap fill

3. She is in charge of ______________ that everything is done correctly.
4. She _________________ the way the workers do their jobs.
5. She _________________ all the activities related to marketing.
6. He is responsible for ________________ that the students are learning.
7. Before you use the photocopier, _____________ the levels of the toner.
8. He _____________ the accountants and ________ their work to _____________ that they have

done it correctly.
9. He _____________ the accounting work.
10. He _____________ that the accounts are accurate.
11. He _____________ to see whether the customers have paid.
12. She has to _______________ that all the paperwork is ready on time.
13. When you do a math problem, you always have to _______________ your calculations twice.

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7. Typical writing errors
a) Using adverbs of addition
How would you logically continue the sentences below?

1. A travel agent should know how to sell. In addition, he should have an

outgoing personality and know how to use a computer.

2. As a fashion designer, you have to come up with original models and designs.

Moreover, you also have to know how to sew and keep up with the

latest fashion trends. .

3. In addition to dealing with computer programs, an IT specialist must implement

training programs . Furthermore, he has to be able to resolve computer

problems when they arise .

4. Becoming a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) requires a degree in business. In

addition, it is necessary to pass a special exam to become certified. .

5. Candidates should have previous experience in this field. Moreover, it is

necessary to have a university degree. .

b. Error correction

1. Designers are responsible for developing new designs or products. In addition, they can
work for a firm or be self-employed.

2. A financial manager has to provide clear and objective financial information about the
company. Moreover, he should have a degree in business.

3. Not only do travel agents have to know about travel destinations but also be aware of their
customers’ preferences.

4. Also, it requires a lot of patience as well as great creativity.

5. Working in IT requires a solid math and engineering background. In addition, these people
have a lot of responsibilities.

6. As well as purchasing raw materials, the Purchasing Manager has to control costs. In
addition, he is appointed by the Board of Directors.

36

8. Expressions of ADDITION - Typical problems. Lack of cohesion/poor references

1. To make a text cohesive, the words should always have a clear referent. This is lacking in
the text below where the writer continually shifts from singular to plural and second to third
person.
a) An accountant handles monetary matters. They have many different

responsibilities. Apart from keeping track of the money, you have to prepare
reports. He also has to…

b) As an accountant, you can work for all types of businesses, which is why a lot of
them decide to specialize in one area. The amount of money you earn can vary
between $48,000 and $50,000 per year but if they get promoted, it can be more.

2. Complete the texts below with the appropriate pronouns/ possessive adjectives.

a) Business analysts do not only collect data but also use it to help contribute to a

1.17a company’s success. As well as mapping and tracing data from system to system in order to solve
choice a business or system problem, they collect and analyze the data to reveal ways to improve
an organization. In addition, they have to design and create data reports and reporting tools

to present to senior executives, which help them in their decision-making. Business

analysts’ duties and responsibilities are often determined by the type of company they work

for or their work setting.

b) As well as treating patients, Nancy, a registered nurse, also has to inform THEM about

various medical conditions. Not only does SHE have to carry out diagnostic tests on THEM

and analyze the results, but SHE may also have to operate medical machinery. Moreover,

1.17b provides advice and emotional support to THEIR family members. HER duties

choice SHE

and responsibilities are often determined by HER work setting or the type of patients

SH E serves.

3. Linking words . Use the best expressions to complete the texts below.
AS WELL AS / BUT / FINALLY / IN TERMS OF /
ON THE OTHER HAND / IN ADDITION / ALSO

a) ___________________________ personal qualities, he has to be patient and understanding.
_____________________________, he has to know how to handle people ___________________________ dealing
1.18 with stressful situations. ___________________________ , he has to be a good communicator.

choice

b) The job can be very tough sometimes, especially when an employee has to be dismissed.
___________________________ , it can also be quite satisfying and rewarding to contribute to the
welfare of the people who work for the company.

4. Job Responsibilites - Four Jobs-Identify the functions - (Moodle)

1.19
matching

37



2-Companies

TOPIC Company profiles: Yesterday and Today
Company relationships

LISTENING & READING Video – 2.1-Vodafone
Listening –Company profile with numbers
Readings – Vodafone

LANGUAGE USE  Writing complex sentences using apposition, normal an reduced relative
clauses

 Active/passive verb review
 Apposition
 Relative clauses
 Questions with different tenses, with a special focus on the passive voice

VOCABULARY  Word building
 Numbers / quantity words
 Verbs to describe a company and its activities
 False friends

WRITING  A company profile (in impersonal style)

By the end of this unit, you  Describe the past and present of a company
should be able to:

"Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to
do. Don't wish it were easier; wish you were better." (Jim Rohn)

How many of these companies do you recognize? What do you know about them?

39