Lesson 1: English Grammar Exercise

Working with Articles and Verbs

Correct the following incorrect sentences.

Example: My name Victor.                       The corrct version is: My name is Victor.

1) I want that he called me.

2) Could you tell him call me?

3) I get him for you.

4) Hello. I’m Vladimir Ivanov speaking.

5) I’m sorr. The line busy.

6) Can I help to you?

7) He not here at the moment.

8) Can I taked a message?

9) I’m sorry. He have a meeting.

10) I’ll put you back immediately.

Lesson 2

Human Resources

Lesson Introduction

Human Resources

By definition, human resources are the individuals who work within your company. These individuals form your company workforce and your workforce can be considered the most important assest of your organization. The study of Human Resources spans over a variety of topics from employee compensation, new employee recruitment, the hiring/firing of employees, employee motivation, to career counseling. The basic idea of human resources is that your employees are the most valuable asset of your company and without a dedicated, capable, and motivated workforce your company will eventually fail.

In-Class Exercises

Are certain careers more suitable fore women than for men? Which do you consider for women only? For men only? For either? Write down other careers that you think fall into any of these categories.

• Soldier
• Police Officer
• Car Mechanic
• Nurse
• Chef
• Pilot
• Teacher
• Hairdresser
• Politician
• Construction Worker

The London Underground Railway system recently wanted to hire more women as train operators. The company placed an ad in a popular women’s magazine called, “Cosmopolitan”. Below is an article based upon The London Underground placing this job advertisement in the magazine. Read the article below and answer the questions that follow.

Magazine Article from the Daily Telegraph Newspaper by Paul Marston:

Cosmopolitan Readers Queue for Tube Job

       More than 1,400 readers of Cosmopolitan have applied to become a London Tube train driver. London Underground described the response to its single advert in this month’s issue as ‘exceptional’. 

       Successful applicants will have to get out of bed for regular 4:45am starts, but the 27,650 (pounds) salary and up to eight weeks’ holiday pay may prove sufficient compensation.

       Lorraine Candy, editor of Cosmo, said the interest her reads had shown demonstrated that young women were not bound by traditional career patterns.

‘It’s always been a classic thing for boys to want to be train drivers. Now we’re seeing that girls can do it too’, she said.

       I don’t think the job is boring or un-sexy and I’m sure the passengers couldn’t care less whether the train is being driven by a man or a woman-as long as it it’s on time.’

       The ability to break bad news to travelers more sympathetically is one reason London Underground is keen to increase its number of female drivers from 100- just three percent of its driving staff.

Exercise A: What do these numbers in the article refer to?

a) 1,400

b) 4:45

c) 27,650

d) eight

e) one

f) 100

g) three

Exercise B:Answer the following questions about the reading.

1) How many adverts did London Underground put in Cosmopolitan magazine?

2) What are the advantages and disadvantages of the job?

3) What do passengers care the most about?

4) Why does London Underground want to hire more women?

In- Class Exercises

Exercise A:Rearrange the words in 1 through 9 to make questions from a job interview. Then decide whether each question is making a request, making an offer, or asking about ability.

1) get you can I anything?

2) details contact your confirm I could?

3) can you software package use this?

4) speak languages any other you can?

5) about tell you job us your present more could?

6) tell your current salary me you could?

7) start you when can?

8) would you as soon as possible your decision let us know?

9) like coffee some more you would?

Exercise B:

Match the questions in Exercise A with the interviewee’s answers below.

a) It’s $43,000.

b) Yes, I use it a lot in my current job.

c) I can let you know next week.

d) Yes, a cup of coffee would be great, please.

e) Yes, the address is the same, but my e-mail has changed.

f) I’d love some more. Thank you.

g) Well, I am currently responsible for European sales.

h) Yes, I can speak French and Spanish

i) My notice period is two months

Useful Terms and Language

Phone Conversation Dialogue:

• Could I speak to FIRST AND LAST NAME OF PERSON?
• Who’s calling please?
• Yes, this is YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME.
• Could you tell me what it’s about?
• I’m calling about…
• I’ll put you through.
• Could you tell him/her that I called?
• Can you hold?
• Could you ask him/her to call me back?
• I’m afraid that there’s no answer. Can I take a message?

Vocabulary Words

1. Absenteeism
2. Application
3. Appointment
4. Background (Information)
5. Bonus
6. Career
7. Career Ladder
8. Compensation
9. Human resources
10. Job advertisement (Job Ad)
11. Job opening
12. Labor force/workforce
13. Labor union
14. Morale
15. Motivation
16. Overqualified
17. Overtime
18. Overwork
19. Promotions
20. Qualifications
21. To apply
22. To appoint
23. Turnover
24. Under-qualified
25. Unemployment
26. Unemployment rate
27. Unskilled
28. Workaholic
29. Workload

Lesson 2: English Grammar Exercise

Working with Antonyms

Exercise A:Match the words on the left with their antonyms on the right.

1) incorrect                                                             a) dull

2) interesting                                                          b) first

3) terrible                                                                c) far-sighted

4) last                                                                     d) dirty

5) answer                                                                e) quiet

6) near-sighted                                                       f) dangerous

7) unhappy                                                             g) outdoors

8) clean                                                                   h) easy

9) indoors                                                               i) correct

10) difficult                                                            j) expensive

11) safe                                                                  k) ask

12) cheap                                                                l) like

13) fast                                                                   m) happy

14) hate                                                                  n) slow

15) noisy                                                                o) wonderful

Exercise B: Find the antonyms for the words in the sentences on the left with the words listed in the column on the right.

1) Mary is very tall.                                                                                    wide

2) John is quite thin.                                                                                  long

3) The floor is wet.                                                                                     slowest

4) Why are you so sad lately?                                                                    large

5) She is an elderly woman.                                                                      fat

6) I know he isright about this.                                                                cooler

7) This is a very narrow street.                                                                 different

8) The weather is getting much warmer.                                             old

9) This water is far too hot.                                                                       new

10) They are the same products.                                                                short

11) Today has been a horrible day for me.                                          wet

12) He is going to be early to class today.                                                young

13) We had gone on along trip to the city.                                               wrong

14) This is anew book.                                                                              cold

15) That car is the quickest one.                                                                wonderful

16) I bought a secondhand car yesterday.                                            late

17) You have a very small suitcase.                                                          happy

Lesson 3

Selling Online & Business Negotiations

Lesson Introduction:

Online Selling

With the continued rise in the the popularity and availability of the Internet many companies have chosen to operate online in addition to operating in their traditional stores in order to become more competitive and make more profitable. In addition to traditional companies opening up online websites in order to sell their products, many new companies have been created that operate only online and do not have traditional stores where customers may go to and buy their products. These types of companies are referred to as “.com” or “.comers”. It is important to understand how technology and the use of the Internet has revolutionized the way companies do business. These days it is extremely hard for a company to remain competitive and make large profits if they do not operate online and are not technologically savvy.

Business Negotiations

By definition, negotiations are simply talks, discussions, or communications between businesses about areas of business where two or more companies have a mutual concern. Business negotiations take place often when companies are seeking to form a partnership, create a new working relationship with one another, facilitate a company buyout, or change the terms of previous contracts made with one another. There is an art to business negotiations that company negotiators have learned to follow in order to be successful in business negotiations. This art includes individuals knowing when and what to say and how to convince others to either meet their demands or how to strike a compromise where all parties involved are content with the outcome of the talks. Business negotiations are a fine art that is mixed with an awareness of human behavior and eloquent, convincing speech.

Some Information on
“.Com Companies”

· “Bad ideas don’t get better online”- IBM advertisement

· “.Comers” said as “dot comers” are companies that are only online and are not in-person retailers.

· .Com companies were very popular and made a lot of money in the late 1990’s and early 2000. However, many .com companies in the U.S. went out of business or failed right after the September 11^th attacks. Many .com companies that operate only online are still struggling or going out of business.

Warm-up Questions

· Do you enjoy shopping?

· Do you shop online?

· Have you ever bought something over the internet? If so, what?

· Why do you think some people prefer not to buy goods and services over the internet?

· What are the advantages of shopping online?

Exercise A: Fill in the blank with the correct word.