Gcm Cr1 Manual 1 Ingles 2

8/13/2019 Gcm Cr1 Manual 1 Ingles 2

1/76

INGLS COMERCIAL I

Santillana formacin

GESTIN COMERCIAL Y MRKETING


2/76

1. Finding a new job Greetings ........................................................................................................3 Requesting information ...................................................................................5 Cities and countries .........................................................................................7 Differences in spelling ....................................................................................9 Write a curriculum .........................................................................................12 Presentation letters ......................................................................................14

2. Learning about figures Companies organization ...............................................................................16 Schedules ......................................................................................................17 Quantities ......................................................................................................19 Compare .......................................................................................................20 Doing business with other cultures ...............................................................22 Imperatives ...................................................................................................24

3. Working routines

Everyday work ..............................................................................................27 Market research ............................................................................................29 Personal interest and lifestyles ....................................................................30 Past Simple ..................................................................................................33 Changes ......................................................................................................36

Present Perfect.............................................................................................38

4. Telephoning Good manners .............................................................................................41 Speak on the phone ....................................................................................43 Useful expressions on the phone ................................................................45 Work and home life .....................................................................................48 The Future ..................................................................................................50 Ing forms .....................................................................................................52

5. Planning new products Business presentation ..................................................................................55 Organizing points ........................................................................................59 Past Perfect .................................................................................................63 Future plans .................................................................................................67 Product designing and description ..............................................................69 How to write and advert ..............................................................................72

2

INGLSCOMERCIAL I

2 0 0 4 b y S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c

i n ,

S .

L

INDEX

Ingls Comercial I


3/76

Ingls comercial I

1 Finding a new job

Greetings

When we meet someone in a business situation we need to be specially carefulbecause the impression we cause on the other person can help or on the contrary,hinder our objective. Different degrees of politeness depend on the situation andthe nationality of the people we are dealing with.

As a general rule, Americans tend to be more informal and they like to treat theirbusiness acquaintances casually very soon. British, however, differentiate clearlybusiness from friendship.

You may think that shaking hands is the only logical way of greeting someone,well, you are wrong. Asians bow and Arabs do not like to be touched by a businesswoman so, things are not so easy!

Even the distance you must keep when talking is a cultural convention. Latin andMediterranean people get closer, British like middle distances and Orientals standup as far as possible. Do not try to approach and do not move your hands and

arms while you are speaking to reinforce your words, they consider this type ofbody language menacing and frightening.

In the old days it was very common to use the expression Im pleased to makeyour acquaintance, and when two people met for the first time they asked eachother How do you do? repeating the sentence without really answering it.

Although some old people still use them, they are considered too polite today.The ceremony of interchanging visiting cards is also important for them. Do notgive it a quick look and put it into your pocket, but hold it showing your appreciationand respect.

When you meet someone for the first time you can use a formal or an informalgreeting.

3

INGLS COMERCIAL I

2 0 0 4 b y

S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S .

L

ndice


4/76

Formal and informal greetings

Formal Informal Formalanswer Informalanswer

Howdo youdo?

How areyou?

Impleased tomeet you

Very well thankyou, and you?

Im fine,thanks, andyou?

These sentences are a different way of greeting someone:

It's good to meet you.Nice to meet you.

You should always use Mr. + Surname/Mrs. + Surname until the otherperson tells you to use his/her name with the following sentence:

Please, call me John.Please, just Alice.

These sentences are a different way of greeting someone:

Its good to meet you.Nice to meet you.

You should always use Mr. + Surname/Mrs. + Surname until the otherperson tells you to use his/her name with the following sentence:

Please, call me John.Please, just Alice.

4

INGLS COMERCIAL I FINDING A NEW JOB

2 0 0 4 b y S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S . L

ndice


5/76

Requesting information

We can ask people about their works and this is not considered curiosity but a way

of showing interest. Socializing in a convention or a meeting is a substantial part ofan executives job.

In fact, the ability to get information from a colleague or a competitor is not easy toacquire, you need some sort of psychological disposition not to frighten youropponent by an intensive questioning.

Experts advice that you should listen to the speaker with a broad smile andassertive movements proving that you are keeping an interest in his words.Sometimes reassuring sentences like I see, I think so Really?, or moreinformally No kidding? can be interpreted as a hint to go on.

Why do we want all this knowledge about people we are not interested in? Well, inmany occasions we only find out garbage, but there may be new job offers, somenews about our own company that the executive board did not want to reveal to itsown employees, gossiping about markets behavior, joint ventures, companysmergers and all sorts of things that we can learn from an inoffensive talk.

5


2 0 0 4 b y S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S .

L

ndice


6/76

These strategies are not at all modern, an ancient Chinese military strategist wrotea book titled Sun Tzu Management, and his ideas which came from military trainingare still as relevant to the business world as they were for war purposes when thebook was written.

He goes as far as justifying industrial espionage with these words Although somepeople have condemned such activities, my personal feeling is that all is fair inwar.

He mentions some useful ways of obtaining information from men who know theenemy position:

1- Getting information from potential recruits.2- Conducting false job interviews.3- Hiring people away from competitors.4- Planting spies.5- Encouraging key customers to talk.6- Taking factory tours.7- Taking competitors products apart.

GRAMMAR POINTWhen asking about a company these questions will come in handy. Learnthem by heart with their answers.

They usually start with a question word followed by a form of the verb to be oran auxiliary: do/does, did, have/has.

Prepositions go at the end of the questions and not at the beginning as inSpanish, so avoid common errors such as In what company do you work?

6


2 0 0 4 b y

S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n , S . L

ndice


7/76

Asking about company

What is your job? Im a secretary

What do you do for a living? Im areceptionist

What do you do? Im a lawyer

What do you work as? Im anaccountant

What division are you in? Im in sales

What department are you in? Im inmarketing

What is your position/post in thecompany?

Im an exportmanager

What business are you in? Im in clothing

Work

Who do you work for? I work forI.B.M.

What does your companymake? It makes cars

What does your companyproduce?

It producessoftware

What does your companymanufacture?

Itmanufacturestelevision sets

What does your company sell? It sells houses

Products

What does your companydesign?

It designsfurniture

Cities and countries

Read this text, it is a job advertisement: a General Manager for Africa.

"A large international energy company is looking for a general manager to run itsEast African office, based in Nairobi. You will work closely with technical andoperational specialists and play a leading role in all the company's commercialactivities in the region.

You should be a graduate with a working knowledge of English. You must alsohave excellent communicative and interpersonal skills.

7


2 0 0 4 b y S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S .

L

ndice


8/76

In addition to a performance-related salary, we provide an attractive benefitspackage. Please, reply with C.V. to: Nicholl Executive Search. PO Box 2002,London, UK".

Now lets have a look at the applicants description:

A 25-year-old graduate. From Harvard Business School who grew up in Kenya. A 40-year-old communications consultant who has worked in 12 different

countries. A 35-year-old major in the South African army who is looking for a new career.

P RECEDENCE AND ORIGIN As you saw in the text there are many references to cities, universities, regionsand countries. It is usually so when talking business. You will need to express

or ask about the precedence of a product, a person, a survey or even a list offigures.

In English, all words (nouns and adjectives) relating to countries or nationalitiesbegins with a capital letter.

This chart lists what is probably the most widely-accepted number of continents(7), and shows the associated adjective and the noun used for a person from eachcontinent:

Continent Adjective Person

Africa African an African Antarctica Antarctic Asia Asian an AsianEurope European a EuropeanNorth America North American a North AmericanOceania Oceanian an Oceanian

South America South American a South American

Look at some of the expressions in the text. They all refer to origin:

To run its East African office. Based in Nairobi. In the region. Graduate from Harvard. Grew up in Kenya.

8


2 0 0 4 b y S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S .

L

ndice


9/76

Here you have some of the most common questions about precedence:

Where are you from? Where do you come from? Where is your company based? Where are your companys headquarters? Where is your company main office? Where did you grow up? Where did you graduate?

Adjectives

-ishgroup

ian-angroup -ese group

British Brazilian Chinese

Spanish Australian Japanese

Polish Italian Portuguese

Irregular adjectives

Greece Greek

Holland Dutch

France FrenchU.S.A. American

When answering to these questions you will often need adjectives of origin. Theyuse different endings, although some are irregular. Adjectives are always writtenwith a capital letter.

Differences in spelling

When writing or reading we can find a lot of differences in spelling in the sameword. If you look up in the dictionary words such as:

Analyze Prioritize Organization

You will find them written with z or with s and both spellings are right. The samehappens when you have words such as: colour, odour, or harbour, they canalso be: color, odor and harbor. Why is this so?

The answer is easy: American English has tried to simplify spelling as much aspossible and has intended to write words as close to their pronunciation.

That tendency usually causes trouble in written English and it is very difficult to beconsistent when writing, as British themselves have accepted some of themodifications but not others.

9


2 0 0 4 b y

S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n , S . L

ndice


10/76

In business English the spelling is very often closer to the American ways becausethe U.S.A. are the first economic power and their influence in the world is verystrong, so, apart from specific vocabulary, we can learn some of the most frequentspelling differences:

Words ending in -re such as centre, Theatre in British English, arewritten: center and theater in American English. Words containing -s such as organize, analyze are written with z in

American English. Words with ou are simplified in o in American English. Words with double consonants, such as programme are written with a

single consonant in American English .

But, words such as instalment are written with a double consonant installment in American English.

English alphabetThese are the English letters and their correct pronunciation. You have to learnthem very well to spell fast.It is very common to spell surnames, cities and street names. On the telephoneyou will hear:How do you spell it/that?Can you spell that for me please?

Remember: In English the letter ll does not exist. If you find it in a word you mustspell it /dabol l/. The letter can only be found in Spanish. They usually spell itlike an n so, if your name contains an keep calm!

However the words traveller, travelling and travelled from the same stem, arewritten with a single l in American English.

This inconsistency prevents grammar rules from being effective and forces us tocheck the spelling whenever we are in doubt.

10


2 0 0 4 b y S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c

i n ,

S .

L

ndice

A = i B =bi:C =s:

D =di: E = i: F = ef

G =dzi:

H =ik

I = iJ =dzi

K =ki

L =l

M =m

N =n

O =u

P =pi:

Q = KJ R =RS =S

T =T:

U =J:

V =VI:

W =dablj

X =eks

Y = WAI Z =ZD


11/76

When giving addresses, surnames, etc. or when speaking on the phone, you canhave some problems because the other person does not know how to writecorrectly what you are saying. In that case, you need to spell that problematic wordto avoid misunderstandings.

Therefore the practice of spelling is very common in English. People will ask you:How do you spell that? Or, Can you spell that for me, please? Whenever theremight be a misunderstanding, a name or a word that they have never seen.

English is not easyEnglish is not an easy language because throughout the years English speakershave extended their language across different continents, they were mostlysoldiers and tradesmen, not scholars, therefore language accuracy was not one oftheir aims.That is one of the reasons why the same word can be found written with differentspellings depending on each country. While Britain was the head of the Empire,

British colleges and universities dictated what was acceptable and what was not.

You can easily find lists of words that are different in both countries although mostof them are well understood in Britain as well as in the United States, here aresome of them:

British English American English

underground subway

lift elevator

lorry truck

holiday vacation

autumn fall

tap faucet

shop store

film movie

cinema movie theatre

shopping centre mall

trousers pants

toilet rest room

taxi cab

reception desk reception counter

11


2 0 0 4 b y S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S .

L

ndice


12/76

Write a curriculum

When we want to find a job we need to plan carefully what we should do. First ofall, we need to have a degree, a diploma or some sort of official qualification thatproves that we have received the training required for the post we are applying for.

Secondly, we have to point out any working experience that we may haveacquired. If we are still young, part-time jobs will help us to prove that we arewilling to work and we do not depend entirely on our familys support.

When writing a curriculum we need to organize the information about ourselves.First of all, it must include name, surname address, a telephone number where youcan be reached easily, your date of birth and nationality is also important. Manycompanies, when looking for a new employee, specify the required age.

Common and optional components of a ResumeResumes have many different styles and formats, but essentially contain similarinformation. Below are the common and optional components of a resume. As yougo through this tutorial, each component will be described in more detail andexamples will be given.

Common components

Heading Name, address, phone number, & e-Mail

Careerobjective Shows your job target

Education Describes academic achievement

Experience Paid and volunteer experience

Activities Professional, educational, or civic

activities

12


2 0 0 4 b y S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S . L

ndice


13/76

Optional components

Skills / Summary ofqualifications

List relevant skills andqualifications

Functional skills Used with functional / combinationresumes

Honours / Awards Contains educational and relatedhonours

Certifications /Licenses

Those which are pertinent to yourobjective

Others Additional qualifications related toyour goal

The chronological resume format is the most common and easiest to write. It'salso the resume format that many employers and recruiters prefer.

Do not forget your age, and place of birth. Your nationality is also important, as wellas a picture, because in many occasions, personal appearance is determinant.

Educational qualifications should follow, mark clearly the year in which youobtained the degree, or finished the course. List all your qualifications even if youthink that some of them are not really relevant for the type of job you are interestedin, sometimes the person who is going to read your curriculum can be impressedby some aspects that you have considered unimportant.

Dont forget to mention the foreign languages you can speak. Today a goodcompetence in English can make a big difference.

Finally, do not hesitate in enclosing a description of your interests. They will showthat you are a person of your time, and what is more important, that you havesocial abilities that can be well-used, specially if your job involves dealing withpeople.

Use dynamic action verbs such as: accomplished, collaborated, encouraged,established, facilitated, founded, managed, etc.

Do not use the subject "i", use tenses in the past. Except for your present job.Example: conducted routine inspections of on site equipment.

A presentation letter should be attached to your C.V. you must refer to the post,and where have you learn about it: a newspaper, an employment agencyetc.

13


2 0 0 4 b y S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S .

L

ndice


14/76

If you are given the chance to attend a personal interview, try to learn as much aspossible about the company, what they produce, where they are located, what theircorporative image is and any details that show that you have done your homework.Be friendly and well-mannered, do not forget that you are being evaluated, butremain clam and confident. Remember that doing well at a job interview is also a

matter of practice.

Most words indicating jobs and professions are usually formed by adding anending to a base that can be a verb or a noun. The most common endings are:-er, -or, -ist

Some professions do not have any endings: architect, pilot, air host.Notice that the er ending is the most active.

Professions endings

-er -or -ist

Engineer Doctor Journalist

Butcher Investor Capitalist

Teacher Solicitor Anthropologist

Worker Auditor Stylist

Baker Actor Typist

Police officer

Groccer

WriterLawyer

Stockbroker

Manager

Designer

hairdresser

Presentation letters

A letter of application, or presentation, also called the covering letter can be asimportant as the C.V. because it often provides the first direct contact between acandidate and an employer. If this letter is not well written and presented, it willmake a poor impression.

14


2 0 0 4 b y S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S .

L

ndice


15/76

It is very important that you seem interested in the company, so it is a good idea to

find out about its products, branches or subsidiaries, as well as its latest results.You also should give the impression of being an active person, willing to join theirteam. Thats the main objective of a presentation letter; it speaks for you, before

you have the chance to speak for yourself. It will show a possible employer howwell you sell yourself.

Read this presentation letter:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to apply for the post at the sales department as advertised in the NewYork Times on July 27th, 2004.

I did a degree in business Administration at the University of Yale. Since Igraduated I have worked for Canon.

I am familiar with your companys corporate image and I am enthusiastic andcooperative although I am also capable of working alone.

I enclose my curriculum vitae and a recent picture.I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,Laura Snchez

Presentation letters should go together with C.V.s. They point out your personalqualities and let your employer know a little more about your expectations.

They cannot be very long, and they have to follow a pattern:

Greeting. Always use Sir/Madam if you do not know the name of the personyou are writing to.

Stating the objective of your letter. If you are answering to a telephoneconversation or to an advertisement, do say so, and make reference to it,date and name of the publication.

Point out your qualifications and personal strengths.

Closing sentence. It has been established by convention Im lookingforward to End with yours faithfully if you do not know the persons name, or with

yours sincerely if you have had some previous relation or know them.

15


2 0 0 4 b y S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S .

L

ndice


16/76

2 Learning about figures

Companies organization

When describing companies and their organization, charts are very useful. Theyhelp us visualize the companys hierarchy and structure. It can be pyramidal,where a chief executive or a manager is at the top and some departments aremore important than others, or it can be horizontal, where the departments are allat the same level each one with a manger, and interact on equality bases.

Organization charts describe processes as well; they are effective visual aids andare a good option to explain a companys methods and plans. We can find thesecharts usually printed in brochures so that we understand easily what they aredoing or how they are structured. They use square or rectangular boxes connected

by lines or arrows.

Pie charts are essential to represent figures and percentages in the easiestpossible way. As you know, they are circles divided by radial lines. The completecircle should amount to a 100%.

16

INGLS COMERCIAL I

2 0 0 4 b y

S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S .

L

ndice


17/76

Read this text:

Our market share fell by 2% last year, but on the other hand our turnover increasedby 10 %, due to some savings in energy bills that dropped to a half. The number ofemployees went down by a 4% because retirements have not been covered by

new recruitments. However the productivity is a 6% higher as the number of dayslost decreased by a 10%.

On the contrary, distribution cost went up because of the rise in the price of oil. Weconducted a survey on customer satisfaction and the results were that a half ofthem declared themselves very satisfied and a 30% were reasonably satisfied,less than a third of them thought that some improvement was needed.

Americans read quantities in hundreds1200 = American: twelve hundred

British: one thousand two hundredIn quantities hundred and thousand are always singular

When reading percentages the preposition of is used and we read: ... per centof ...

With fractions we use: a/one half, a/one third a/one quarter and after , thenumber below is an ordinal: 1/6 one sixth.

Negative numbers are read with the word minus before them.

Decimals have a point: 12.5 twelve point five. But we do not read point withmoney: 4.25 four twenty-five euros.

About/around are used to say approximate numbers.

There are around 25 people in our store. About 50% of the population like our products.

Schedules

Today, schedules are everywhere and not only to tell us when do we start work orwhen do we finish it, they are at airports, railway and bus stations etc. To avoidmisunderstandings they usually use four digits to tell the time from 00:00 to 24:00,leaving out traditional clocks which only have twelve hours on display.

When doing business with people from foreign countries you need to have alwaysinto account the time difference that may exist between your countries as it

17

INGLS COMERCIAL I LEARNING ABOUT FIGURES

2 0 0 4 b y

S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n , S .

L

ndice


18/76

wouldnt be a good idea to phone someone in the middle of the night. Also have inmind their everyday schedules, the time they begin their day, lunch and dinnerhours since a lot of business is made at a restaurant table.

As you know, Americans and most Europeans have lunch at about 12:00 and

dinner around 6:00 p.m. So if you are entertaining visitors do not keep them waitinguntil 3:00 for lunch or 10:00 for dinner. They will probably be starving and notinterested in business at all.

Read this text about schedules.Before the industrial revolution took place, the working hours were marked by thesun. When it rose everybody went to the fields until sunset. Darkness meant theend of the journey. There were no holidays and people laboured from Monday toSunday.

Electricity changed all this; factories could keep on without having to stop at night.

Workers had to suffer exploitation and abuse from employers. Even childrenworked 15 or 16 hours daily.

It was not until the twentieth century that labour was regulated by laws whichestablished a fixed number of hours a worker could do, a number of days of paidholidays, health care and other benefits that some companies offer their staff as anincentive.

Nowadays some people work shifts; others have morning jobs, from 7:30 a.m. to3:00 p.m. Others have a day in two parts from 9:30 to 1:30 and in the afternoonsfrom 5:30 to 8:30. There are night jobs from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. Part-time jobs

for people who cant work all day long. Flexi-time jobs, that allows you to arrive orleave at different times, as long as the total amount of hours in a week is right.

Technological Revolution will allow people to work at home. Tele-working will becommon in a near future and it wont be necessary to commute every day.

FLIGHT DEPARTURES

FLIGHT DESTINATION TIME GATE INFORMATION

AR254 MADRID 3:58 10 CLOSED

BV521 LONDON 4:00 5 DELAYED

DD755 LISBON 4:35 8 NOWBORDING

AM356 BOSTON 5:15 23 CLOSED

IB435 NEW YORK 5:45 17 WAIT INLOUNGE

SP856 MEXICO CITY 6:02 9 LAST CALL

18


2 0 0 4 b y S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S .

L

ndice


19/76

CARDINAL NUMBERS Cardinal numbers express figures, telephone numbers, years and times.

Figures: 18721 eighteen thousand, seven hundred and twenty-one.

British write and between hundreds and tens, also, between thousands andtens. Americans dont.

Telephone numbers: are read one by one. When a number is repeated, wesay double.4335967 four, double three, five, nine, six, seven

Years: are read in pairs, with the preposition in.In 1998: nineteen ninety-eight.

Times: on schedules we give the time in figures. But in normal conversation

we use:10:15 = a quarter past ten.9:45 = a quarter to ten.6:30 = half past six.11.40 = twenty to twelve.

Americans use after instead of the British Past and of instead of to.To know the time use these questions:

What time is it?Whats the time?

Have you got the time?

Quantities

It is always difficult to explain how to use quantities in English because nouns arecountable or uncountable. These are grammatical terms but sometimes do notrespond to the logic.Lets take an example: although it is perfectly possible to count money. The wordmoney itself is grammatically uncountable; therefore you cannot say a money,or two monies. However, you can count currencies such as pounds, euros or

dollars.

Which of my knowledge is money too? In general, we can say that countablenouns can be used in the plural but not uncountable nouns. The problem is thatthere are some special cases where a word can have both uses like hair.

19


2 0 0 4 b y

S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n , S .

L

ndice


20/76

It is not the same to have only one hair that to have short red hair. Otheruncountable nouns can have countable equivalents: travel cannot be plural buttrips can be counted easily. And, what about goods, scissors, valuables,earnings? Well believe it or nor, they only can occur in the plural.

GRAMMAR POINTTo ask about quantities we use:How much for uncountable nouns and how many for countable nouns.

To answer we can use:

Uncountable: little/ a little. Much.

Countable: Few/ a few. Many.

A lot of/ a lot/ lots of and plenty of can be used for both.

Some express indeterminate quantities. It is used in positive sentences or inquestions when the expected answer is yes.

An y is used in negative and interrogative sentences.

some + plural = countablesome + singular= uncountableany + plural= countableany + singular = uncountable

Most uncountable or mass nouns include:

Substances: gold, plastic, water... Abstract ideas: progress, safety, .... Verbal nouns: brainstorming, timing, ....

We can refer to parts of a mass by using a suitable singular expression in frontof the noun:

A piece of, a glass of, a bottle of, a pair of... etc.

Compare

In this text, a sales manager is explaining to his colleagues why they can affordsuch operating margin.

20


2 0 0 4 b y S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S .

L

ndice


21/76

This is a leading company, our customers are well aware that we only use thebest materials and they are satisfied with our quality standards. That is the reasonwhy they are ready to pay a higher price for any item with our brand on it.

I do not think our gross profit is excessive if you take into account that although our

complements and clothes are more expensive than others, they are also moreresistant, colours are more solid and do not fade away with use. Whereas resultshave plunged in other organizations, our finances are healthier than ever.

When we compare two things we use the comparative form of adjectives. When wecompare more than two things, or a thing within a group, we use the superlativeform.

Comparatives

-Short adjectives add er ending to their base form.

-Long adjectives compare using the structure more...than-Two syllable adjectives ending in y, compare with ier. The rest comparelike the long ones.

Superlatives

-Short adjectives: the est-Long adjectives: The most- -Two syllable adjectives ending in y : the iest. - The rest, like the long ones.

When two things are equal we can use:-The same.-As....as-Similar.

Inferiority can be expressed by less....than (two things) or the least....(One thing within a group).

To compare sentences we can use whereas or while. British are formalwhereas / while Americans are casual.

21


2 0 0 4 b y

S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S .

L

ndice


22/76

Some adjectives are irregular:Good better the bestBad worse the worstFar farther/further the farthest/furthest

Other adjectives double the last consonant before adding er or est.Big bigger the biggestSad sadder the saddestFat fatter the fattest

They follow this pattern consonant + short vowel + consonant

Doing business with other cultures

Holidays are also a very important part of a countrys culture and it is a good ideato learn more about them when you are dealing with people from a particularcountry.

Western people assume that on Sundays we take a rest from our weeklyobligations, but this is not quite true.

If you are doing business with Muslim colleagues or clients, you should respecttheir Fridays and if your client is from Israel, he or she will not work on Saturdays.Since these days are related to religious duties they differ from one religion toanother and we tend to forget it. As we do not realize that Christmas is only aholiday period for Christians.

It is also important to remember National holidays such as the 4th of July for the Americans, their Independence Day. The 14th of July for the French., when theycelebrate the French Revolution. The 5th of November, Guy Fawkes Day for theBritish, the 1st of May

Dont forget it is never a waste of time finding out as much as possible about thepeople you are going to work with.

22


2 0 0 4 b y S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S .

L

ndice


23/76

Tips to help stop you falling into the culture trap:

Tips when doing business in multiculturalcommunities

Speak slowly

and clearlyMind your manners

Check andrecheck Dont be funny

Be direct Convey consideration andgoodwill

Be specific Dont make hasty judgments

Give them time Think people are not foreigners

Read this text:

A few years ago when I was a young consultant at a prestigious law firm, ouradvice was required to divide a huge inheritance among several heirs who lived inthe United States. Most of the properties where located in the south of England,including a magnificent manor house, surrounded by three acres of farming land.

After many conversations, all theirs agreed on a date to fly to London and visit theproperties: 6/7/2004. On June seven, we were at Heathrow airport waiting for theBritish solicitor who was supposed to receive us all. When I phoned him, He wasvery surprised to hear that we had flown in advance, because we were not

expected until the sixth of July.I could not imagine what had happened and how I could have mistaken the date. Idid not remember that they where British and we were not.

GRAMMAR POINT Dates are written using ordinal numbers when referring to the day, and

cardinal numbers when referring to the month. With dates we use the preposition on.

BRITAIN AMERICA

On the first of June On June, 1

On 1st of June On June, the first(June, 1st)

23


2 0 0 4 b y

S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S .

L

ndice


24/76

Americans write the month first and tend to avoid ordinal numbers, which cancause some trouble in business letters and appointments.

To avoid errors look at the differences. To talk about a period of time use from ... to

Month and seasons

Month Short Form Days Season

1 January Jan. 31

2 February Feb. 28Winter

3 March Mar. 31

4 April Apr. 30

5 May May 31

Spring

6 June Jun. 30

7 July Jul. 31

8 August Aug. 30

Summer

9 September Sep. 30

10 October Oct. 31

11 November Nov. 30

Autumn

12 December Dec. 31 Winter

Imperatives

Read this article about Chicago:Chicago is known as the second largest city in the United States, but for drama itis first rate. The city has over a hundred professional theatres, where you can seemany of Americas new writers and actors. Check out the Victory Garden Theatre.Chicago is also the place to go for food from the old World, try Berghoff forGerman cuisine or go to Greek Islands for Mediterranean flavours, but If you want

24


2 0 0 4 b y S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S .

L

ndice


25/76

a great view and a meal to match, reserve a window table at the 40th floor EverstRoom in the Loop.

But Chicago is best seen on foot. Visit the shops on North Michigan Avenue ortake an early morning walk in the parks along Lake Shore Drive. In the summer,

swim in the lake and dont forget to bring a sweater, because the citys famouswinds can cause extreme changes in temperature.

Entertaining visitors usually implies showing them around and telling them what todo, where to go and how to do it.

After work, many people like to know what a place has to offer and executiveschange easily into tourists when they have some spare time.

IMPORTANCE OF THE INSTRUCTIONS

Instructions are important in different situations:

When explaining something to someone or advising what to do, as in theexamples from the text:

Try Berghoff for German cuisine.Go to Greek Islands.Reserve a window table at the 40th floor Everest Room in the Loop.

When teaching someone how to operate a device or use an instrument.

-In commands and prohibitions.-When giving directions.-Similar.

Learn how to use them reading attentively the next grammar hints.

You can find many imperatives in this text; they are easily recognized becausethey are verbs without a subject and can only be used in their base form. At workwe need imperatives when writing faxes, messages or giving instructions.

IMPORTANCE OF THE INSTRUCTIONS To ask about quantities we use:

How much for uncountable nouns and how many for countable nouns.

Direct orders-Affirmative: Answer the phone.-Negative: Do not/Dont answer telephone.

25


2 0 0 4 b y

S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n , S .

L

ndice


26/76

Indirect orders: they are given to a third person not present. We need an

introductory verb such as: tell or ask.-Tell/Ask + complement + infinitive with to.-Tell him to fax the letter = affirmative.

- Ask her not to open the door = negative.-Let/make are followed by infinitive without to = Let me speak freely.

After reading this text you may have the impression that its a description froma tourist office or a travel agent, well, you are wrong. It is a set of instructionsoffered by a local worker to one of his colleagues who will be visiting the town.

Look at these directions. Help a colleague to get to his hotel.

Get out of the subway. Cross the street. Walk along the street. Past the first and second turnings. At the Grand Building, turn left. The Star Hotel is next to the Grand Building. It takes only two minutes to get there.

26


2 0 0 4 b y S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n , S . L

ndice


27/76

3 Working routines

Everyday work

Read this text about working women:Many working mothers today are doing three jobs, while their man is doing onlyone. Usually a man expects to take it easy at home after a hard days work.Perhaps a woman should expect the same.

Today in Britain 70 per cent of women have jobs outside their homes. A recentsurvey shows that full-time housewives spend an average fifty-five hours onhousehold jobs, while women who work outside the home spend an average thirtyhours a week on housework.

Nobody enjoys doing housework when they could be doing something moreinteresting. A man doesnt usually worry about getting the place clean before doingsomething more interesting. A recent survey shows that only in one; out of sevenmarriages, husband and wife share housework equally.

It is important to share hours, not jobs. But sometimes it is womens fault, manymen complain that their wives do not let them help at home and they feel frustratedbecause when they try to help they are strongly criticized, so they take the easiestway and give up trying.

Remember Present SimplePositive statements. The third person singular adds an s (or es sometimes).

I / you / we / they work

he / she / it works

Negative statements: The third person singular does not have any ending. Theauxiliary can be contracted: dont / doesnt.

I / you / we / they Do not / dont

he / she / it Does not / doesntwork

Questions. The third person singular does not have any ending.

do I, you, we, they Do

does he, she, it Does

In conversation, we can give a short answer to the questions instead of fullsentences.

27

INGLS COMERCIAL I

2 0 0 4 b y S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S . L

ndice


28/76

I, you, we, they DoYes

he, she, it Does

I, you, we, they Dont / do not

No he, she, it Doesnt / doesnot

GRAMMAR POINT As you can see this text uses the Present Simple tense to describe presentactivities and situations. As a general rule, we use this tense for routine actionsand permanent situations, but sometimes it is difficult to decide if we shoulduse Present Simple or Continuous.

Present Simple refers to routine actions while Present Continuous expressesthe moment of speaking.

Henry works for a delivery company. Every day he collects and delivers packages.

The man is packing some parcels, he is waiting in reception.

Present Simple shows general activities while Present Continuous refers tocurrent projects.

I work for a firm of recruitment consultants. At the moment, we are working on new test for the personnel department ofa large company.

Permanent situations are expressed using the Present Simple. Temporaryones are in Present Continuous.

Peter deals with suppliers.Im dealing with a new supplier. He is in town.

Facts (Present Simple) show changes (Present Continuous).

As a rule, an increase of productivity leads to a greater competitively in prices.Re- placing of industries is leading to the loss of qualified employment indeveloped countries.

Stative verbs (which describe states rather than actions) are not normallyused in the continuous form.

28

INGLS COMERCIAL I WORKING ROUTINES

2 0 0 4 b y

S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n , S .

L

ndice


29/76

-Verbs of thinking: believe, doubt, guess, imagine-Verbs of the senses: hear, smell, sound, taste.-Verbs of possession: belong to, own, possess.-Verbs of emotion: dislike, hate, like, prefer, regret-Verbs of appearance: appear, seem

Market research

Read this text about market research:

Companies carry out market research to find out what people think about theirproducts or services. It is always valuable to know what potential consumers feelabout social issues. Once they have obtained this information, they use it to createproducts and services that consumers actually want, and what is most important, toselect the most suitable media for advertising them.

Sometimes, companies do some research themselves, but larger organisationsoften take on an agency to collect the data they need. They usually decide on thetype of people to interview and the questions to ask them, they also decide whereinterviews should be conducted.

Then, they put forward a market research plan to the client for approval. After, theinformation recorded from each questionnaire is analysed and results are puttogether in an easy-to-read report with charts and diagrams. This is presented tothe client who must never be disappointed.

NRS SOCIAL GRADE DEFINITIONS (UK)NRS stands for National Readership Survey (NRS Ltd, who with IPSOS andRSL, agree these definitions). The NRS social grade definitions have been inuse for decades, and have become established as a generic reference seriesfor classifying and describing social classes, specially in for consumer targetingand consumer market research.

GRAMMAR POINTIn this text we can find many frequency adverbs that are used with Present

Simple, to express how often an action takes place.

Their order in the sentence is fixed by grammar. They must be placed beforethe lexical verb. Except when the lexical verb is to be.

Look at these examples:They dont usually sell their products in Asian markets.The inflation rate is always growing.

29


2 0 0 4 b y S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S .

L

ndice


30/76

The company has sometimes sold its property.We never copied industrial designs.

But:Workers are often tired of their routines.

If we want to ask about frequency, we can use these structures:

How often

How many times + Auxiliary + subject + verb+ comp.

Look at these examples:How often do you visit the factory?How many times have you travelled to Europe?

We can also use expressions with every, and time.Every: every week, every day, every year, every other dayTime: Once, twice, three times, four times many times

These expressions are usually placed at the end of the sentence, or at thebeginning separated by a comma.

Personal interest and lifestyles

Read this article on lifestyles: At the altar of the machine, by Charles Handy.

Consider these numbers: 42% of workers feel used up by the end of the day. Another 69% would like to have a more relaxed life. Parents spend 40% less timewith their children than they did 30 years ago. The rise in per capita consumption inthe last 20 years is 45% but the decrease in the quality of life is 51%. Only 21% ofthe young think they have a very good chance of achieving a good life.

The numbers are American but the British already work longer hours, but notnecessarily better than every other country in Europe. They dont all enjoy it.

In a survey by the Institute of Management, 77% considered their hours werestressful, 77% worried about the effect on their family and 74% about theirrelationship with their partner. They have concluded that stress costs Britain 40million working days a year and 7 billion pounds in health care. But nobody canavoid it. It seems that overworking is the price we have to pay for the privilege ofliving in big cities in the, so called, first world.

30


2 0 0 4 b y

S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n , S . L

ndice


31/76

INSIGHT S OCIAL VALUE GROUPS (UK)The insight Value Group Ltd carried out a vast study of UK social values andchange, and upon its findings established this social value scale. It drawsheavily from Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. This is the Insight Value Groupscale, which claims to be an accurate representation of the groups that exist in

the UK today.

Insight Social Value Groups

Social valuegroup Characteristics

Self actualizes

Focused on people and relationships,individualistic and creative,enthusiastically exploring change, in aframework of non-prescriptiveconsideration for others.

InnovatorsSelf-confident risk-takers, seeking newand different things, setting their owntargets to achieve.

Esteem seekers Acquisitive and materialistic, aspiring towhat they see are symbols of success,

including things and experiences.

Strivers

Attaching importance to image andstatus, as a means of enablingacceptance by their peer group, at thesame time holding onto traditionalvalues.

Contentedconformers

Wanting to be normal, so follow theherd, accepting of their circumstances,they are contented and comfortable inthe security of their own making.

Traditionalists

Averse to risk, guided by traditional

behaviors and values, quiet andreserved, hanging back and blending inwith the crowd.

DisconnectedDetached and resentful, embittered andapathetic, tending to live in the 'ever-present now.

31


2 0 0 4 b y S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S . L

ndice


32/76

GRAMMAR POINTThere are several ways of expressing likes and dislikes in English.

We can use verbs followed by an ing form.

Like Dislike Love Dont like

Enjoy Hate

As in these examples:I love travelling abroad.I enjoy going shopping.I hate getting up early in the mornings.

We can express preferences with the verbs:prefer and like best .

Also with the structure: would + rather than.I prefer swimming to running.I like selling best. He would rather stay in the firm than leave.

Many idiomatic expressions also show different degrees of preference,likeness or willingness to do something.

Can't stop: I can't stop eating these crisps.

Can't help: He can't help being the best. Can't stand: I can't stand workinglate.Don't mind: He doesn't mind working in the centre.Feel like: I feel like going out tonight. Don't feel like: I don't feel like starting all over again.

Levy StraussThe San Francisco firm of Levi Strauss & Co. were the first to make jeans. In 1850,Levi Strauss, a twenty-year-old immigrant from Bavaria, heard about the gold strike

in California and went there.He planned to make money by selling cloth to the people who were looking forgold. Strauss brought over heavy canvas which he hoped to sell for tents andwagon covers. However, when he arrived in California he soon ran acrossprospectors who said, Dont you have any pants? We already have tents, but wereally need strong pants that wont rip or tear. We havent found any good onesyet.

32


2 0 0 4 b y

S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n , S . L

ndice


33/76

Strauss was an adaptable and enterprising person. The mens commentsconvinced him to change his original plans. He turned his supply of canvas intostrong, long-lasting work trousers. Miners bought the pants as quickly as Strausscould make them.

They praised the new pants and soon began to call then Levis after the tailorwho made them. It wasnt surprising to see why they were and immediate success.Decades have passed, but the original Straus design is still basically the same. Ofcourse, there have been a few minor alterations. For example, copper rivets wereadded to all the places that might rip or tear with hard use, like pockets.

This innovation was originally designed to satisfy a customer called Alkali Ike. Alkali was a prospector who insisted on filling his pockets with rock samples. As aresult, he was always destroying his pants. The rivets solved that problem. Anotherchange was the fabric. Strauss stopped using canvas and changed to tough cottonfrom France called Serge de Nimes. Soon this French name was modified and thefabric got the name it has today: denim.

Past Simple

Read this text about a shoe factory. As you can see the text uses the Past Simple.

The factory was founded at the beginning of the twentieth century by three friends.When they returned from the First World War, they decided to earn their living bydoing what they had learnt in the army; shoe repairing. They rented an old

warehouse in their home town and started mending their neighbours footwear.

After two decades, another war took place, but they were not young enough tofight, however they found a new way to help their country, they made strongleather boots for soldiers and thus, the business boomed.

They set up a new factory and bought new machinery, more than fifty employeeswere recruited, most of them women. When the war ended, the need for shoes didnot end with it, and the three friends continued to make good shoes throughout thefifties until the mid-sixties.

At that point, new trends had changed the way people dressed and what young

people liked to wear, these customers seemed not to be interested in old designsand preferred sports shoes.

The company survived badly for almost thirty years more, but in 1998 they werebankrupt. Some of the former owners grandchildren, who had attended aprestigious business school, decided to reorganize the old company and turn it intoa profitable business again.

33


2 0 0 4 b y

S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n , S . L

ndice


34/76

GRAMMAR POINT See how the Past Simple is formed and its uses:

The Past Simple (positive) is formed by using the Past tense form.

Regular verbs Add d or ed to the bare infinitive to form the past tense. For negatives andquestions we use the auxiliary did and the bare infinitive. The short form ofthe negative is commonly used in speech and informal writing.

Common mistakes: using the Past tense form in negatives and in questions.Wrong : Did you checked the figures?No, I didnt checked them.Right : Did you check the figures? No, I didnt check them.

Irregular verbsSome verbs do not add ed to the bare infinitive to form the Past Simple, butchange in other ways:

Present: goPast : wentPast Participle: gone

Completed actionsThe Past Simple is used to talk about completed actions in the past: Singaporebranch lost 800 million dollars.

Time expressions with prepositionsThe Past Simple is often used with past time expressions, they must refer to aconcrete time.

At 6 oclock / the end of the year / ChristmasOn Tuesday / 15th May / New years DayIn January / 1998 / summer

34


2 0 0 4 b y

S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n , S .

L

ndice


35/76

Time expressions without prepositionsYesterday, yesterday afternoon, last Monday, next month, a few days ago,

ago, the day before yesterday, when I was young.Remembering verbsRegurlar Past: work

I workedYou workedHe / she / it

workedWe worked

They worked

I didnt workYou didnt work

He / she / it didntwork

We didnt workThey didnt work

Did I work?Did you work?Did he / she / it

work?Did we work?

Did they work?

Irregular Past: go

Affirmative: I / you / he / she / it / we / they went

35


2 0 0 4 b y

S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n , S . L

ndice


36/76

Negative: I / you / he / she / it / we /they didnt go

Interrogative: Did I / you / he / she / it / we /they go?

Past Simple of to be witch follows a different pattern:

Affirmative: I / he / she / it was

you / we / they were

Negative: I / he / she it wasnt / was not

you / we / they werent were not

Interrogative: Was I/ he / she / it?

Were you / we / they?

Changes

Read about an old company and focus on the time expressions used:

The company has changed a lot since its beginnings. The factory used to produceall the materials in the United States. When we were producing something we all

knew where the fabrics came from. One of the workers said. The director used toknow the names of every simple member of the staff. It was like a family. Heused to go around on Fridays and see how everybody was getting along, pointedout Mr. Jones, who used to work there until he retired ten years ago.

A designer from the company said we used to have a lot of design staff andresearchers. We could complete most projects 100% inside the company, and weused to employ a lot of secretaries. Everything had to be typed out by hand andrepeated if there was a mistake, another worker added we used to have fixedhours for everybody in the company, office workers came in at nine and went homeat five, as the rest of us.

While we were talking a young manager came into the room and invited us to go tothe canteen.

You see, interrupted and old man, thats new too, we used to have separatedinning rooms. Management used to eat in the Executive Restaurant and workersin the canteen.

36


2 0 0 4 b y S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S . L

ndice


37/76

GRAMMAR POINTWhen we want to talk about an action that took place in the past on regularbasis, that is to say, that happened very often, was a habit or a permanentcharacteristic we use the expression.

Used to + verb

Look at these examples:

I used to have long hair when I was young.The company used to spend a lot in publicity.My boss used to phone me after work.

To ask about past habits we need the auxiliary did .

It is a common mistake to use this structure for present habits, but it is wrong.When talking about present habits, we have to use: Present Simple + usually.


Do you usually type your letters?

I dont usually travel by train.He usually shaves in the mornings.

Time clausesThese both clauses are used to talk about an action or activity that was already inprogress at a particular moment of time in the past and was interrupted by anotheraction.

37


2 0 0 4 b y

S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n , S .

L

ndice


38/76

When + Past SimpleWhile + Past Continuous


He was checking the accounts when he spotted the error.While he was checking the accounts he spotted the error.

As you can see the action in progress is in Past Continuous and the action thatinterrupts it is in Past Simple.

Present Perfect

Read this text about consumers habits.

38


2 0 0 4 b y S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S .

L

ndice


39/76

This trend has affected the economy of tourist places like Egypt, that has been oneof the favourite destinations for British and Germans. However, yesterday theEgyptian authorities announced a devaluation of its currency, the Egyptian pound,as a way to restore the confidence in its economy and also as a desperate attemptto recover the Europeans who flooded its temples and pyramids. Egypt cannotafford to lose its tourist industry.

Another side effect of this war has been suffered by a well known multinationalwhich produces toys for children. The oil prices have increased, with theconsequent rise of the inflation rate. Salaries have remained steady andconsumers have lost purchasing power. The consequence is that consumers wantto save their money, in case things get worse. Children will have to wait.

As you can see, the Present perfect is used combined with simple Past andpresent. See how it works:

GRAMMAR POINT The Present Perfect tense is formed by using the Present tense of the auxiliaryhave and the Past Participle.

The short forms of the positive ve, s, and the negative havent or hasntare commonly used in speech and informal writing.

The Present Perfect often links a present situation with something thathappened at an unspecified time in the past. Therefore we cannot use specifictime expressions such as yesterday, ago, last week etc. with this tense.Example: I have sent them the samples (they still have them).

We use the Present Perfect to talk about recent events: There has been acollapse in the Japanese stock market this morning.

JustThe Present Perfect is often used with the word just between the auxiliary andthe Past Participle, to talk about recent news or actions, when the exact time isnot mentioned.

Have + just + Past Participle

Can be translated as: acabar de.Im sorry! Mr. Smtih is not here. He has just left.

39


2 0 0 4 b y

S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n , S . L

ndice


40/76

Been/goneWhen we use the verbs been/gone there is a little difference, as it is shown atthe examples:Im afraid Mr. Jones is not here at the moment. He has gone to a meeting inLondon . (He is still at the meeting).

Amanda has been to the travel agent. She has your tickets for Hong-Kong. (She went to the travel agent and has returned).

Person Affirmative Negative

I / you / we/ they have gone havent gonehave not gone

he / she/ it has gone hasnt gonehas not gone

InterrogativeHave I / you / we/ they gone?

Has he / she/ it gone?

Ever / neverThe Present Perfect is often used with ever and never to talk about general lifeexperience.Has he ever worked abroad?I have never been abroad.

Already / yetAlready is used in positive sentences. It indicates that something was takenplace earlier than expected.

She has already shown me the figures (Not: She has shown me already thefigures ).

Yet is used in questions and negatives, it is placed always at the end of thesentence.Have you talked to Peter yet?I haven't talked to him yet.

For / sinceWe use for to talk about the duration of periods of time and since to talk aboutwhen a period started.

I have been here since December.I have been here for a year.

40


2 0 0 4 b y S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c

i n ,

S .

L

ndice


41/76

4 Telephoning

Good manners

When running a business, telephone manners are essential to keep customerssatisfied even when they call to complain about us. A lot of business is lost due tothe way clients are treated on the phone. It is important to teach your employeessome telephoning skills starting with the voices tone.We must never speak neither in a low voice nor shouting. We should sound warmand helpful, and never begin our sentences with a no.

Negative sentences should be avoided as well as imperatives because they aretoo strong, if you need to give an instruction always use please, it is a magicword.

In the case you dont know the answer to a question, never say so because theother person may thing that you dont know much about your own company orworst, that you are not interested at all in giving out any information.

Many customers make strange or impossible demands, but instead of saying Wecant do that, try to offer an alternative, dont impose anything, and give advice.

While you ask or check something, you may need to leave a person waiting foryou, make sure that he or she knows that you are doing your best to solve theirproblem, and if it takes you longer than you expected, dont hesitate, leave whatyou are doing, go back to the telephone and reassure the customer, because if youdont do it, they may think that you have neglected them.

Apologize if the person is very excited or if they rise their voice, but do not do thesame, a client may think that he has the right to be rude to you as you representthe company, dont take it personally, and dont react aggressively, you cannotforget that answering the phone is an important part of your job and you project thecompanys image.

Your attitude on the telephone will be taken as your companys attitude towards thecustomers.

41

INGLS COMERCIAL I TELEPHONING

2 0 0 4 b y

S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S .

L

ndice


42/76

GRAMMAR POINT

These are some important things to have into account when you answer thetelephone at your work.

While speaking, try to avoid imperatives, it is more polite to use modalauxiliaries such as can, could, ...

The Future Simple is very useful in reassuring sentences: Ill see, Illcheck, Ill put you through, Ill be back in a moment, Ill be right back....

Work on your tone. It must be warm and obliging never aggressive.

When you practise telephone conversations, do not use negative sentences,or if you have to, try to offer some positive alternative.

When you give information, it has to be clear and well organized. Do nothesitate on the phone and do not interrupt your sentences.

42


2 0 0 4 b y S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S . L

ndice


43/76

The person we are talking to may want to write down what we are saying,therefore, you should not speak too fast, and if we include names, brands oraddresses you should spell them carefully. Take your time and dont soundimpatient.

Repeat the information without looking bored. What is obvious for you, maybe completely new for other people.

Language and phrases used in telephone English

Introducing yourself This is Ken.

Ken speaking

Asking who is on thetelephone

Excuse me, who is this?Can I ask who is calling,

please?Asking for Someone

Can I have extension 321?(extensions are internalnumbers at a company)

Could I speak to...? (Can I -more informal / May I - more

formal)Is Jack in? (informal idiom

meaning: Is Jack in theoffice?)

Connecting Someone I'll put you through (putthrough - phrasal verb

meaning '"connect")Can you hold the line? Can

you hold on a moment?

How to reply whensomeone is not available I'm afraid ... is not available at

the moment.The line is busy... (when theextension requested is being

used).Mr. Jackson isn't in... Mr.

Jackson is out at themoment...

Taking a Message Could (Can, May) I take a

message?Could (Can, May) I tell him

who is calling?Would you like to leave a

message?

Speak on the telephone

It is evident that speaking on the phone when you are using a foreign language isnot the same that speaking face to face because we cannot interpret the gestures,

43


2 0 0 4 b y S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S . L

ndice


44/76

the body language and the movement of the lips which help us in a direct dialogue.In addition, the person who is at the other end of the line often speaks too fast anddoes not vocalize well.

We also have to take into account the different regional accents, and whats more,

interferences in the line, noises, interruptions and distortion of the voice.What can we do to understand better? There are several useful hints to improveour skills on the telephone:

First of all, learn to concentrate on the important words. Key elements toremember.

Secondly, use your logic abilities, as you usually do when speaking yourmother tongue. These abilities are:

-Prediction.-Deduction.

-Logic conclusion.In this way you can guess the meaning of something that you have notunderstood directly.

Thirdly, you have to be prepared for the possibility that the conversation maytake an unexpected turn, do not get nervous and keep your attention if ithappens so.

When you are not very familiarized with the telephone you should prepare a list

with the questions you need to ask and you can jot down the answers.

It is very important that you lose your fear of making a fool of yourself. Ask forrepetition and spelling if something is not clear enough. A good way to be sure ofeverything is to repeat the information in order to check that we have goteverything right. Finally, write down words or ideas which may be usefulafterwards.

Before calling you can practice aloud what you want to say, so that you can checkthat you know how to pronounce everything clearly. If we have doubts we can lookthe word up in a dictionary.

Once you have made several phone calls, you will see how your self confidenceincreases and you dont get so nervous on the telephone.

Steps to prepare a telephone callAbout the company

Number you are calling to and name of the company. Person you want to speak to.

44


2 0 0 4 b y

S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n , S .

L

ndice


45/76

Position. Extension number if you know it.

Useful expressions Can you put me through the ...... department, please? Could I speak to Mr/Mrs. ........., please? I dont know the extension number. I think he is on extension number..........

Things to ask When Where How long How much How can I pay Will you...

Explanations Your letter was dated.... My colleague and I think. As we agreed. I need some further information about. Its really important for us. Can you confirm....? Do we have to .....?

Closing Thank you very much for your help! Thank you, you have been most helpful! Thank you for your interest!

Useful expressions on the phone

When you call someone the conversation is always going to follow some sort ofpattern. There are useful expressions which can help you in each stage of the

process.

You should learn how to predict what you are going to say on the phone, that willgive you confidence and you will understand better.

S TARTING THE CALL Identifying who is speaking.

45


2 0 0 4 b y S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S .

L

ndice


46/76

We tend to use the personal pronoun I when we want to identify ourselves.But this is a common error, In English we should start by a demonstrativethis or using the name and speaking. Here you have some examples:This is John Ford.John Ford speaking.

John Ford, is that Julia Roberts? Sometimes you need to know the speakers name, then you can ask:

Who is speaking, please?Can I have your name, please?

S AYING WHO YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO To ask about a person we can use:

Could I speak to....?Can I speak to ....?

Id like to speck to? Or if you know the extension number or the department where the person

you are calling is just say:Extension.... please.Sales department, please.

No problemWhen the person we are looking for is available and there are no problems you willreceive this answer: Hold on, please Ill put you through to Mr./Ms. ____

REASON FOR CALLING When you are finally speaking to the person you asked for, you will have to sayyour name and position again, in case the other person hasnt understood itcorrectly. Then you have to explain your reason for calling.

These sentences can be useful:Im calling to...Id like to have some information about....Id like to know how can I...?

Id like to comment with you some aspects about...Could you please tell me if...

ProblemsThere are many problems when you are talking by phone or when your workrequires his often uses.

46


2 0 0 4 b y S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S .

L

ndice


47/76

Sometimes we cannot reach the person we want to speak to, the reasons canbe varied:

The extension is engaged at the moment, will you hold on?He is not available at the moment.

He is in a meeting right now.He is off work, and wont be back until...He is not in his office at the moment...The line is busy.Im afraid she is on the other line.Im afraid she is out of town.Im afraid she is on holiday.

In these situations you should always offer the caller an alternative:

Could you call back later?Can I take a message?Would you like to leave a message?

Sometimes, the caller himself offers to take some action:

Ill hold.Ill call back later.Could you take a message?Could you give him/her a message?Can you put me through to her/his secretary?Can you ask him/her to ring me next...?

In case you have some language problems you can tell the other person tospeak slower:

Sorry, Im not English/I dont speak English very wellCan you speak more slowly?Could you say that again, please?Sorry, I dont understand. Can you repeat, please?

Do not hang up without making sure that you have got the information right.Use these sentences to help you:

Please, let me repeat the time / name / address...Will you please let me repeat...?Ill say that again; please, tell me if it is correct.Tell me if I got it rightCan you please spell it for me please?Ill spell it to see if it is right.

47


2 0 0 4 b y S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S .

L

ndice


48/76

To finish the conversation, show your appreciation and give you thanks to theperson who has helped you:

Thank you for your kindness.Thank you for your time.

Thank you for your help.You have been most helpful. Appreciate your help / attention .

Work and home life

Read this text on how to achieve a balance between your work and your home life.Wherever you work, getting into good working habits now can pay dividends in thefuture. Effective time management skills can help us through a stressful day. The

key to creating a happy working life which will boost your wellbeing is to adopt aflexible and organized approach to work.

You can keep a work diary, you could start by listing all the tasks you do regularlyand how long it takes you to do them, you can try to identify any wasted time. Youcan also add a deadline to each task and review the list once a week.

You can plan the most challenging activities when you are feeling at your best butdo not plan out your whole day; you may want to keep your home life separatedfrom your work.

Its a good idea to create an area at home where you can open your post, pay yourbills and carry out any other tasks that feel like work, then, the rest of the housecan be a place to unwind. Relax, set aside some time for yourself every week,whether it is a regular visit to the gym, listening to your favourite CD or if you needmore time to chill, you can take a long weekend or midweek break. Closer tohome, consider taking a part-time or evening course, not only does it feel great tolearn something new, it can also earn you valuable CV points.

How can we help? For stress-free banking we can make it easier to manage yourmoney: online banking can help you check your account balance and statements,transfer money, pay bills, apply for a loan, open a e-savings account.... and muchmore. To find more you can visit us.

GRAMMAR POINTIf you read the text attentively you will notice the constant use of the modelauxiliaries can, could and may.

48


2 0 0 4 b y

S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n , S . L

ndice


49/76

They all take a bare infinitive and can be used in questions inverting thesubject-verb order. The negative forms are cannot, could not and may not.

Modal auxiliary verbs may sound difficult but in fact they're easy. They areinvariable (no conjugation). The main verb is always the "bare infinitive" (the

infinitive without "to").

They can be contracted in spoken English or informal writing.Could is the past form of can.

We cannot use these modals in some tenses, in those cases; we expressability or possibility with be able to.

Be able toBe able to is not a modal auxiliary verb. We include it here for convenience,because it is often used like "can" and "could", which are modal auxiliary verbs.

Notice that be able to is possible in all tenses, for example: I was able to drive... I will be able to drive... I have been able to drive... I have been able to drive...

Notice too that be able to has an infinitive form:

I would like to be able to speak Chinese.

Ability For present ability we use can:

We can start now if you wish.

For future ability we use can with a future time expression:Next year, we can launch a new model.

For past ability we use could:We couldnt access all the files in the old building.

Possibility

Both can and could express present and future possibility can is strongerthan could (podra).

For present possibility:We can identify a wide range of options.

For future possibility:We dont know what can happen next week.

49


2 0 0 4 b y

S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S .

L

ndice


50/76

For impossibility:

They didnt meet yesterday, so they couldnt have made the decision.

PermissionMay and can express permission so we dont want to have any ambiguitywe use may for permission and can / could for ability and possibility.

Present permission:Only members can enter the building site.

Past permission:Only the manager could authorize visits when I worked there.

Present prohibition:

Personnel cant take more than on hour for lunch. Past prohibition:

When I was there, we couldnt take more than an hour for lunch.

The Future

Read this text about the future:Have you ever wondered how things will change in the future? If the answer is

yes, then you are one of the optimistic human beings who think that mankind willsurvive on this planet despite the terrible prospects of scientists from the entireworld.

Of course, there are those who believe that men will have bigger brains, and thus,they will be able to speak telepathically, they will produce flying vehicles and willhave robots to do all the boring or dangerous tasks that burden us today. But allthis is still science-fiction. There is no proof that a better technology results in awiser way of life, only busier.

It is possible that many illnesses which kill us nowadays, will have a proper

treatment in the future but if we are made not to last, what seems obvious is that,with machines doing most of the work our leisure time will increase.

On line services will provide people with rail and air tickets, as well as with theirhome entertainment. They will allow us to do the shopping without leaving ourarmchair, and we will live isolated from other human beings most of the time. Evengoing to a school will be optional, because on line teaching facilities will beavailable for everybody.

50


2 0 0 4 b y S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n ,

S . L

ndice


51/76

Students will have access to all the universities and libraries from their homes.Work will also be different, but in this case, the future has already started. It is likelythat some shops will close in the retail sector as on-line shopping facilities willbecome common.

Note that when we have a plan or intention to do something in the future, weusually use other tenses or expressions, such as the Present Continuous tense orgoing to.

Trading will be different too, as goods will be delivered directly into the consumershouse, therefore, retailers, wholesalers and other intermediaries will disappear.People will work from their homes and commuting wont be necessary, relievingthe cities from the problems of heavy traffic.Oil consumption will decrease due to the lack of private demand. Most countries

will use clean energies and the atmosphere will recover from the damages caused

in the 20th Century. But as I said in the beginning you are just an optimist!

GRAMMAR POINT If you look closely at the text you will find out that most sentences use themodal will always followed by a base form of the verb.

Structure of will

Subject Auxiliaryverb Mainverb

Affirmative I will open the door.You will finish before me.

Negative She will not be at schooltomorrow.

We will not leave yet.

Question Will you arrive on time?

Will they want dinner?

In the negative form will not can be contracted wont.

In questions will is placed before the subject word.In positive sentences the contraction ll can be used after all subjects, butonly in speech.

Will is used to talk about future and willingness.

51


2 0 0 4 b y

S a n

t i l l a n a

F o r m a c i

n , S . L

ndice


52/76

It is used:

To indicate an activity decided at the time of speaking.

To indicate a neutral activity in the future or a part of a process.

After verbs of mental activity.

After adverbs of certainty, probability and possibility.

In request for action or information:Will you hold?Will you call me back later?

In replies to requests:Of cour

Gcm Cr1 Manual 1 Ingles 2

Documents

Transcript of Gcm Cr1 Manual 1 Ingles 2