business english grammar 2

8/3/2019 Business English Grammar 2

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Business English Grammar

Module I

Section 2


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The Function of suggesting,

proposing and recommending


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The Subjunctive

I suggest you should lower the prices

Come what may, I will negotiate withthem.

If I wereyou Id stick with the ownersideas.

I wish you had been more flexible in that

business meeting. I recommend that the staff should cover

that training course.


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The Present Subjunctive

Form The Subjunctive Mood can be synthetic or analytic. The synthetic subjunctive There is an old synthetic form of the present subjunctive that has the same

form as the short infinitive for all persons: Come what may, I will support your point of view. God bless you! God be with you! The present subjunctive can also have the same form as the simple past

tense: If I were[1]you I Id speak less about the owner. Its time you got down to business. I wish you were more ambitious in your professional life.

[1] Was is also used, mainly in spoken English


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The Present Subjunctive

The analytic subjunctive The analytic subjunctive - present tense is

formed by the help of modal verbs (shall/should,may/might, would) + infinitives. The most used

modal is should. It is necessary that the cleaning woman should

prepare the meeting room for tomorrow. I wish he wouldnt enterthe room when I am

trying to work on my papers. I feared lest I might be deceived by the new

comers.


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The Past Subjunctive

The past subjunctive (synthetic form) isidentical in form with the past perfect.

I wish you had attended the general meetingyesterday.

The past subjunctive analytic form uses amodal verb and the perfect infinitive of the verb

we conjugate. It was essential that they should have

prepared that presentation.


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The Subjunctive

Use The subjunctive generally is mainly used after: it is/was necessary,

advisable, essential, better, vital, important, right, fair, natural, itis/was high/about time, if only, if, in case, suppose, unless, even if,even though, as if, as though, would rather, had better, lest; afterexpressions of intention, idea, wish, desire, suggestion, proposal,demand, request, arrangement, agreement, in conditionalsentences, in negative purpose clauses.

He speaks about our department as if he were the head of it. Id ratherkeep silent in this matter and I suggest you should do the

same. The man feared that he should fail the interview. If I had been in that situation I would have left the table of

negotiations.


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Application 1

Replace the subjunctive constructions below by (for+ infinitiveconstructions. The first example has been done for you.

1. Its not advisable that you should say everything hat comes toyour mind.

Its not advisable for you to say everything that comes to yourmind.

He spoke loudly and clearly to the meeting, so that everybody mighthear.

Its necessary that we should decide today whether to meet again

next week or next month. He wanted to know what new projects were being launched so that

he might discuss about them at the board meeting. It was time he closed the meeting, everybody was tired and bored.


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Application 2

Proposals, suggestions, recommendations or fears (expressed by asubjunctive or an infinitive construction) often appear in the discourse ofmeetings. Fill in the sentences with the right structures. The table below mightbe of help to you.

1. Linda proposed that theya new car for the department. 2. We would have supported you if weyou were ill.

3. I spoke slowly so that everybody should follow me. 4. We have to judge if it is advisable that repairs in our main building .. this

year. 5. Had I known you came, I..you at your office. 6. We wish you..the right decision in this matter. 7. For a moment I was afraid that John and explain the whole matter to

us, and I knew how boring he might be sometimes.

8. He spoke as if heour boss. 9. Even if we.. the first idea, we still have a lot to discuss. 10. It is high time they.the matter. 11. We all agreed that something.about the staff. 12. I wish youfor an answer before starting to speak.


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Application 3

Put it in another way:

I suggest.

I wish..

I wouldlest.


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The function of expressing attitudes


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The function of expressing attitudes


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Modal Verbs - expressing attitudes

Modal verbs Used to express Examples can, could[1 ]ability, capability - He can speak four foreign languages, but he cannot drive. - Sorry, we could not call you last week, we were too busy may, might[2], can, could :permission - May/can/could I interrupt you, for a moment? - He asked if he might interrupt you for a moment. must, have to, must not: obligation, prohibition - You mustnt smoke in this office.- I must be at the office at 8 oclock every morning.- If you want me to defend you, you have to tell me the truth.

ought to moral obligation - You ought to pay your debt to your friend. may, might, can, could, cannot, could not possibility, impossibility - He may/might[3] be at home, but he cannot be at the office at this hour. - Joan said he could not be at the office at that hour. may, might, will degrees of certainty - I may/might change my mind, but I will not change my principles. Must probability - He must be on his way to Bucharest now. Should advice, desire, expectation - If you know more about the case, you should tell it to the

police officer. shall, would suggestions, offers, request for opinion - Shall I leave the door open?- Would you care for a drink?

[1] could stands for both the past tense and the conditional of can [2] might is used as a past equivalent of may in this case (it can also stand for the conditional of may) [3]mightindicates a slighter possibility than may


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Modal verbs

will, would, used to willingness, promises, threats, frequent behavior - Will you come back till noon?-I will, I promise.- We used to walk in that park, remember?- He would work very hard at that stage.

need, neednt necessity, lack of necessity - You neednt buy lunch, our colleague has invited us to a nice restaurant in town. Dare reproach, supposition - How dare you shout at me!-I dare say, he will win the game.


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Modal verbs

Characteristics

1. Do not have a long Infinitive.

2. Do not receive long Infinitives after them.

3. Do not take the auxiliary to doto form the interrogative and

negative.

4. Do not have forms to all moods and tenses (have replacers: canbe able to; may- be allowed to, be permittedto; musthave to))

5. Do not have inflections.


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Application 1

1. Fill in the following text with the appropriate modal verbs.

Find some original letters and their answers on the Internet. You.. do this by entering agony aunt or dear abby on a searchengine. Select some questions and the answers given (better if theyare short). Mix up the questions and the answers and distributethem to the students, who. match them. Whenthey havefinished, ask them to go through and find any modal verbs in thetext. As a follow up, you.. ask students to write their own adviceto those people.

Ask students to write about a problem they have (real or imaginary)that they.. like advice on. They write these on a slip of

paper, but not write their name. Collect all the slips of paper and putthe students into groups of four. Give each group four problems atrandom. Tell them they. select two and give advice to the writerabout their problem (including modal verbs such as may, canshould, would, etc).


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Application 2

Respond to the following statements about office work, expressingcriticism. Use the modals shouldand ought to. The first example hasbeen done for you.

1. Linda: I saw his file last night. Nolan: You ought to have seen it long ago.

2. Linda: The woman cleaned our office an hour ago. Nolan: 3. Nolan: He wrote the letter to that company on Monday. Linda: 4. Linda: Paul read the report yesterday. Nolan: 5. Linda: They hardly finished their work at noon. Nolan: 6. Nolan: We sold our last car last week. Linda:


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Application 3

In meetings, we often use modal verbs. Work in groups of 4 or 5.You are at a board meeting, where the budget of your company isdiscussed. Use structures as the following to participate in themeeting and to finally decide what is best for your department.

Idlike to make a point here. MayI interrupt you for a moment?

Wecannotstress too much the importance of this aspect. Wemustntunderestimate the importance of advertising. I think weshouldalso consider the needs for raw materials. Iwouldcertainly endorse such a proposal. Couldwe hear your opinion on this matter, George?

Idaresay there is plenty of money for your needs. Etc.


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Application 4

Find that statement after each sentence that best shows the meaning of the sentence:

Our new secretary cant prepare the agenda yet.

She is not able to She hasnt got to

She is not to

She didnt

You ought to have fulfilled that task, Linda.

Linda fulfilled the task

Linda might have fulfilled the task

Linda didnt fulfil the task Linda must have fulfilled the task

Nolan might go to Paris for the conference.

He was given permission to go

He wasnt going to go.

It is unlikely he will go

It is possible he will go

You mustnt smoke in this building.

You neednt

You havent got to

You are not to

You didnt You are forbidden to

John cant have been as curious as that.

He hasnt been able to.

He may not have been.

Im sure he wasnt

He wasnt curious at all.


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Application 5

Translate into English:

business english grammar 2

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