business english grammar pp

8/3/2019 Business English Grammar Pp

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BUSINESS ENGLISH

GRAMMAR

MODULE 1- The Grammar of the

Verb


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Functional grammar

a functional grammar starts from functions and goesdown to grammatical structures

the functions of expressing time

- expressing the attitude of the

speaker - expressing suggestions,

proposals

- descriptions

- connecting ideas in thediscourse

are all represented by grammatical structures:


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Business Meetings

I negotiate, I negotiated,

I shall negotiate, I willhave negotiated,

I suggest you shouldlower the price;

Our new director is avery hard-workingman;-I would like to add; -

- May I use yourphone?/

Nevertheless, the priceis negotiable.


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I. The Grammar of the Verb

1. The function of expressing time

Present Tenses

Past and Perfect Tenses Future Tenses


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Present Tenses

The Simple Present

Form

The simple present tense has the same form

as the short Infinitive (without to) of the verb, toall persons, except the third person singularwhere we adds to form it. Thus, the simplepresent tense of the verb to offeris: I offer; you

offer; he, she, it offers; we offer, you offer, theyoffer. We use the auxiliaryto doto form theinterrogative and negative of the presentsimple tense:


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Form

Affirmative Interrogative Negative

I sell Do I sell? I do not (dont)sell

etc


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Spelling

Some verbs addes instead ofs to form the thirdperson singular in the present simple tense. It is the caseof verbs ending in

-o (go/ goes),

-sh (blush/ blushes)-ch(watch/ watches),-ss (dress/ dresses),-x (fix/ fixes) and in some cases-y[1](carry/ carries).

- whenyis preceded by a consonant we change the -yinto -i and add -es


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Use

The Present Simple Tense indicates:

1. Habitual actions:

I often workovertime. 2. General truths:

Good professionals always succeed.

3. Factual pieces of information: Our district hasa huge workforce.


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The same tense is often used

4. In the journalistic discourse: Foreign investors cometo Romania. 5. When giving directions: You turnleft after the second park and you will see our company.

6. When giving information on timetables and planned events: The plane leavesat 8 oclock, as usual; The conference beginson the 1-stof September.

The Present Simple Tense is also used in: 7. Conditional sentences type 1: If I succeedin the interview we will be colleagues. 8. Instead of the present continuous tense, with verbs that do not have a

continuous aspect: Now I believeour boss is right. 9. In time clauses as well: As soon as I getthe job Ill pay all my debts.


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The Present Continuous

Form The continuous form is a verb tense used to

show an ongoing action in progress at somepoint in time. It shows an action still in progress.

Verbs can appear in any one of three continuoustenses: present continuous, past continuous,and future continuous.

The verbs in the continuous form use a form of

to be+ the present participle (an -ing verb). It isthe form of the helping verb that indicates thetense. Here are the affirmative, interrogative andnegative forms of the present continuous tense:


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He/ she/ it is (its)

writing (Affirmative)

Is he/she writing?

(Interrogative) He/she is not (isnt

writing) (Negative)


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Spelling

Verbs ending in a singleedrop it beforeing: argue/arguing; verbs ending in eekeep them beforeing: agree/agreeing. When a verb ends in

a consonant preceded by avowel, the consonant doublesbeforeing: stop/ stopping,begin/ beginning, signal/signalling (Br.E[1])/ signaling(Am.E[2]) but enter/ entering

and budget/ budgeting.

[1] Br. E = British English

[2] Am. E = American English


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Use

The present continuous tense is used to express: An action happening at the moment of speaking: I cant come, I am writinga report now. Arrangements and plans in the near future:

She is leavingby the 5 oclock plane tomorrow. Repeated actions: I amalways spendingthe weekends there. Temporary situations

My colleague is workingin one of our branches inLondon. An action whose frequency annoys the speaker: I amalways waitingfor you, please try to be punctual.


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Note

There are verbs that are not normally used in thecontinuous tenses:

verbs of mental activity: know, remember, understand,believe, forget, recognizeetc.

verbs expressing feelings: desire, love, hate, wish,detestetc. verbs of possession: possess, own, owe, belongetc. verbs of the senses[1]: see, feel, hear, smelletc. the auxiliariesto beand to have.

[1] In some cases these verbs can be used in thecontinuous form: I wasfeelinghis pulse; I look forward tohearingfrom you; He is seeingher to the office door etc.


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Past and Perfect Tenses

1.The Simple Past Tense

Form

Regular verbs form the past tense by addingd or -edto the short infinitive, (produce/ produced; report/reported etc., while irregular verbs (about 250) havevarious forms for the past tense: make/ made; buy/bought; sell/ sold etc. There is no formula to predicthow an irregular verb will form its past-tense and past-participle forms. Although they do not follow a formula,there are some fairly common irregular forms. Some ofthese forms are:


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Although they do not follow a formula, thereare some fairly common irregular forms.

Some of these forms are: Be

Break

come

Cut

Meet

Pay

Run

swim


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Regular, as well as irregular verbs have no inflections inthe past tense and form their interrogative and negative

aspects by the help of the auxiliary to do.

I reported/ I bought- affirmative

Did I report/did I buy? - interrogative

I did not (didnt) report/I did not (didntbuy)- negative


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Spelling

Verbs ending iny( ifyis preceded by a consonant)change theyiniand addedto form the past simpletense: try/ tried; vary/ varied, apply/ applied but play/played; obey/ obeyed[1]. The final consonant of a verb

doubles before addinged, when that consonant ispreceded by a vowel: submit/ submitted; offer/ offerred(Br. E)[2], but enter/ entered and budget/ budgeted.[3]

[1]-ypreceded by a vowel does not change ini.

[2] the form of the verb is offeredin Am. E. [3] when the final consonant is preceded by another

consonant


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Use

The simple past tense is used to express:

An action completed in the past. She appliedfor that job two months ago; We beganwork on the

project in 2006.

A past habit. He always tookthe floor in our meetings. It is also used: In the specific language of reports and descriptions. When we receivedthe first computer we hadno idea how to use it;

Last year our turnover wasby 2% less than this year. In conditional sentences, type 2. If we workedin the same company we would certainly meet at least

once a month, at the general meetings.


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2.The Past Continuous Tense

Form

The past continuous tense is formed bythe auxiliary verb to bein the past tenseand the present participle (theing form)of the verb.

I was negotiating (affirmative) Was I negotiating? (interrogative)

I was not (wasnt) negotiating (negative)

2.


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Use

The past tense continuous usually expresses an actionthat is in development in a moment from the past:

My colleague was speakingon the phone when Ientered the office.

In the language of descriptions we often have acombination of simple past tense and past tensecontinuous:

The atmosphere was calm, the accountants wereworkingon the last files and everybody seemed to behappy.

The past continuous is also used in indirect speech asa past equivalent of the present continuous:


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Using past and present tenses inpresentations


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Application1

1. Fill in the text with the verbs listed below to get factual informationabout illustration :

Illustrations . be supported by captions and text that .. thereaders interpretation of the data. In technical writing, there twotypes of illustrations: figures and tables. Anything that ..a table.. a figureno matter what form it .. Figures include drawings,

graphs/charts, photographs, maps, etc. Technical writers differ intheir use of terminology for illustrations.

are is considered must

is not differguide takes

Apart from factual information, the present simple tense may beused to ask for or give instructions, to makesummaries at thebeginning of a presentation, to talk abouttimetables, to expressgeneral truths or usual activities.


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The language of meetings


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Application 2

2. Apart from factual information, the present simple tense may be used to ask for or giveinstructions, to makesummaries at the beginning of a presentation, to talk abouttimetables, to express general truths or usual activities.

Fill in with the present simple form of the verbs in brackets and state which of the abovethey represent:

How I (get) to the sum that I see on your graph? The new branch of our bank (open) on the 12-th of April. We will be there, waiting for you. The first part of my report, represented in this table, (focus) on the features of our new product. He (present) us a report every Monday morning. A good professional (guarantee) a high level of work quality to his potential customers.

You (make) the average which you (add) to the other sum and what you (get) is the figure you (put) in that rubric of the table. The train leaves at 5 oclock, please, dont be late.


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Application 3

3. Complete the following sentences appropriately, putting the verbsin the present tense continuous wherever possible[1]:

After many problems, our new product is now (sell) well in manycountries.

Im afraid I cant join you, tomorrow morning I (leave) by the 7.00train.

What are you (do)? you still (work) on that table? I not (hear) you now, the connection is not good. He (see) a guest to the door and then, Im sure he will invite you

in.

[1] Mind the fact that some verbs are not normally used in thecontinuous tenses


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Application 4

This is part of a report written about some university activities thattook place in the past. Put the verbs in brackets at the right tenses.

. The Legal Information Centers instructional offerings (continue) to

improve as a result of advances in technology. Computer assistedinstruction (be) dramatically (enhance) utilizing the new fullynetworked, wireless mobile computer labs on each campus. Thelabs (provide) the flexibility to be set up in any classroom or withinthe library in an environment that maximizes teaching. Students(take) advantage of the wireless networks installed in both campuslibraries. Also, public access computer workstations (be) replaced inaccordance with our systematic policy.


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Application 5

Read the comments that a member of the Production department from your companymakes and then:

a. decide which of the following the underlined forms of verbs express: - the continuity of a past action - an action in progress in the past, when interrupted by another one - repeated events in the past - polite formulas b.continue with what you imagine the interlocutors answer was; use past tense continuous as often as possible I can very well see from the budget chart that during these last years, our

colleagues from the Marketing departmentwere tryingto solve their priorities, byestablishing a good relation with their potential customers, among other things. Iwaswonderingonly why they didnt ask for our help. I remember theywerehavingsomeproblems with one of the most reliable customers, and while theywerediscussingconditions of sale, that person interrupted them and suggested a totally different

pattern. What do you think?


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3.The Present Perfect Tense

Form

The perfect form is the verb tense used toindicate a completed, or "perfected," action orcondition. Verbs in the perfect form use a form ofhaveor had+ the past participle. (It is the formof the helping verb that indicates the tense.)

The present perfect is formed with the simple

present tense of the auxiliary tohaveand thepast participle of the notional verb: We havenegotiateda deal. In irregular verbs the pastparticiple will vary.


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Confusion created in business


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The Present Perfect Tense

Affirmative I have agreed/ he has chosen

Interrogative Have I agreed?/ Has hechosen?

NegativeI have not (havent) agreed./ hehas not (hasnt)

Use


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Use

The present perfect tense expresses: 1. An action that took place in the past and has an effect/result in the present I cannot open my office door because I have lostthe key. 2. An action that took place in an incomplete period of time (up to the moment

of speaking): We have receiveda letter from our subsidiary this week/ lately./ We have

interviewedhim today/ this morning.

3. An action that happened at an indefinite time: I have heardof the new device but I havenever triedit. 4. An action that was completed in the recent past: The participants havejust hadtheir coffee break. 5. An action from the past that has a connection with the present: I havealready seenthis file, no question of that.

6. An action that began in the past and lasted until the moment of speaking. They have workedwith our company for two years.

The present perfect is also used with other temporal expressions: so far, since,ever, never, yet, already.

Havent you finishedthe report so far?; Haveyou ever enteredour new office?


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4.The Present PerfectContinuous Tense

Form

We form the present perfect continuous with the present perfect ofthe verb tobeand the present participle of the notional verb.

Affirmative: I have been listening He/ she/ it has been listening

Interrogative: Have I been listening? Has he/ she/ it been listening?

Negative: I have not (havent) been listening ?He/ she/ it has not(hasnt) been listening


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The Present Perfect ContinuousTense

Use

We use the present perfect continuous to express anactivity that started in the past and is in development inthe moment of speaking.

He has been speakingin front of the Board for morethan 10 minutes and he still has a lot to say./ How longhaveyou been waitingfor this result?/ I havebeenhere since 10 oclock.[1]

[1] Remember that some verbs (among which to be) arenot usually used in the continuous form, see the chapteron The Present Continuous Tense


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Communication in meetings


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5. The Past Perfect Tense

Form

We form the past perfect tense with the past

tense of the verb to haveand the past participleof the notional verb.

Affirmative: I had planned/ he had planned.

Interrogative: Had I planned? Had he planned? Negative:I had not (hadnt )planned/ he had not

(hadnt) planned.


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Use 1

1. An action that took place in the past, before another past action I had understoodhis intentions before he actually started to speak. 2. An action that is the past equivalent of the present perfect or the

past tense

Direct Speech . : 1. The President said I havenot prepareda proper presentation for today . 2.The guest said: I liked your premises very much. Indirect Speech. 1.The President said that he had

not prepareda proper presentation for that day. 2. The guest said that he/she had liked their premises very much.


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Use 2

3. An action that did not happen actually, used withexpressions like; I wish, if only, Id rather

I wish I hadnever appliedfor that job./ If only I hadntappliedfor that job!

The past perfect tense is used especially with thefollowing temporal expressions: when, as soon as,till, until, before, after, since, for.

He waited for us until we had finishedour meeting./ Hehad understoodnothing from that document when heasked for help.


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6. The Past Perfect ContinuousTense

Form

As it is a perfect and continuous tense, it willbe formed by the help of both the auxiliary to be

and to have, respectively the past perfect of theverb to be(hadbeen) and the present participleof the notional verb:

Affirmative: I had been practising

Interrogative: Had we been practising?

NegativeI had not (hadnt ) been practising.


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Use

This tense expresses an action that was in developmentin a moment from the past, moment occurring beforeanother past action.

She had been workingwith that company for 5 years

when they fired her. It can also stand for the past equivalent of the present

perfect continuous.

Direct Speech She said: I am tired because I havebeen workingfor a couple of hours.

Indirect Speech: She said that she was tired becauseshe had been workingfor a couple of hours.


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Future Tenses

1. The Simple Future Tense

Form

The future can be expressed in several ways.

One is with the modals shall for the 1-st personsg. and pl.(less and less used ) and will for theother persons (the tendency today is to use willfor all persons) and the infinitive of the verb weneed to use: I shall/willdiscuss with him overlunch tomorrow; I dont know with whatcompany he willbe in five years time.


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Form

Affirmative I shall/will (Ill) work

Interrogative Shall/will I work?I NegativeI l shall/will not (shant/won/t)


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Form

Another way of expressing future is by using:

1.The present continuous tense:

I amvisitingthat exhibition tomorrow.

2.The present simple tense:

The car arriveshere at 8 oclock sharp.

3. Be going to:

We are goingto replace the old office furniturewith something more functional.


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Use

Shalland will are used in: 1. future habitual actions: The annual report will be presentedanyway, tomorrow. 2. formal announcements and weather forecasts; Prince Charles will bein Scotland next month./ Tomorrow it will

rainall over Scotland. 3. in conditional sentences: If you insist well makethe presentation next week. 4. in temporal sentences I shall bethere as soon as I finish my work here.

To be goingtois used to express intentions and predictions.: We are going tobuy a new computer for this office in the next

future. I think he is going toget angry if you tell him about the meeting.


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2.The Future Continuous Tense

Form

We form this tense with the future simpleof to beand the present participle of theverb we need to use. This time tomorrow Iwill be travellingby plane.

Affirmative: I shall/will be travelling.

Interrogative: Shall/will I be travelling?

Negative: I shall/will not be travelling.


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Use

This tense is used to express: A future action in progress: Well be havingthe annual meeting by this time

tomorrow. Polite enquiries: Willyou be stayingfor lunch? An ordinary course of events: He will be takingthe exam in Statistics next

month.


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3. The Future Perfect Tense

Form

The future perfect tense is formed withshall/will and the perfect infinitive of theverb we need to use:

Affirmative: Ishall/will have saved.

Interrogative: Shall/will I have saved ?

Negative: I shall/ will not have

U


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Use

This tense is used to express an actionthat at a certain future time will be in thepast. It is used with specific time

expressions: by that time, by then, by the10-thof November, by the end of the yearetc.

By the end of this month we will haveproducedmuch more than that.


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Application 1

Decide which of the underlined forms of verbs are correct in the context.

Familiar with the plight of low-income women in Nepal, Ms. Tamradardecided/hasdecidedsome time ago to set up a business to assist them.

As shehas/hadexpertise in Nepali paper manufacturing, shehas founded/foundedDWC this year. DWC produces, with low-income womens help, a wide range of

paper products for sale in Nepal and abroad. DWC has already exported its products,to a number of countries, including the USA, Canada, and Austria. Lately, Ms.Tamradarhas participated / participatedin a BizMantra promotional workshoporganized inassociation with the Federation of Nepal Cottage and Small Industries(FNCSI) and is planning to use this experience in her own company.


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Application 2

In the paragraphs below some situations are explainedby the help of both past and present tenses. Put theverbs in brackets in the right tense to make logical texts.

My room mate (be) a student in Economics. He (write) a

project in Statistics right now. He (start) writing it 2 hoursago. It means he (write) for 2 hours and he (not finish)yet. I forgot to tell him that someone (call) and askedabout him before he started his project.

Look at graph 2, you can see how the demography

(explode) two years ago and how it (decrease) again thisyear.

By (watch) the data from this table you can understandwhy she said that the project ( go on) for years.


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Application 3

Put the verbs in brackets into the right form (present,future, the going toform):

When I (graduate) from Oxford University, I (return) tomy native town.

The traffic is terrible. We (be) late. By the time we (get) to the station, our delegates train

(already arrive) and hell be wondering where we are.

Are you going to be at the office next Friday? No, I(visit) a factory in Brasov.

Iris has bought a new car. She (take) us on a tour.

U i t i t l i


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Using tenses appropriately inbusiness

U i t i t l i


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Using tenses appropriately inbusiness

The sequence of tenses in theIndicative Mood

When we report we can use eitherdirect or indirect speech. For theindirect speech there is a certain

sequence of tenses that we shouldfollow if the verb in the main sentenceis at a past tense; adverbs of time,pronouns and possessives are alsochanged in indirect speech in suchcases.

The sequence of tenses in the


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Direct speech He says: I am happy with my job. 1. She said:I keepa register with all the data. 1.Present tense 2. She said: I kept a register with all the data.

2. Past tense 3. She said: I shall/will keep a register with all the data.

3.Future simple Indirect speech Verb in the main clause at a presenttense: He saysheis happy with his job. Verb in the main clause at a pasttense: 1.She said (that) she kept a register with all the data. 1. Past tense

2. She said (that) she had kept a register with all the data. 2.Past perfect 3. She said she should/would keep a register with all the data. 3.Future in the past

Th f t i th


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We can also report orders or questions, in the following way:

Direct speech He said to his subordinate: Report to me immediately when you

come back.

The boss asked Jane: Do you likeyour team? My colleagues asked me: Where haveyou been, whom have youspoken to?

Indirect speech He asked his subordinate to report to him when he came back.

The boss asked Jane if/ whethershe liked her team.My colleaguesasked me whereI hadbeen and whom I had spoken to.

II The function of reaching compromises


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II The function of reaching compromisesin business

I want you to do this!

The function of reaching


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The function of reachingcompromises in business

The function of reaching


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The function of reachingcompromises in business


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The Conditional Mood

I agree to pay this price for yourmerchandise if you take theresponsibility of the internationaltransport.

If we agreed, we hope you would

reciprocate by adding a quantityto the initial one.

If you cannot satisfy ourconditions we will be reluctant tosigning a contract with you.

If we hadnt known you for such

a long time we wouldnt agree tothose conditions.

The present conditional


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Form

We form this tense by the help ofshould/wouldand the short infinitive of the

verb we conjugate.

Affirmative I should/would declare

Interrogative Should/would I declare?

Negative I should/would not declare.


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Use

The present conditional tense is used:

As a past equivalent of the future simple

tense The boss said you would deliverthe

presentation the next week.

In conditional sentences If he had a better score I am sure he

would applyfor that job.


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The Perfect Conditional

Form

We form this tense by the help of should/wouldand the perfect infinitive of the verb we

conjugate. Affirmative I should/would have declared

Interrogative Should/would I have declared?

Negative I should/would not have declared


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The Perfect Conditional

Use

We use the perfect form of the conditional:

As an equivalent of the future perfect tense:

We thought you would have madethepresentation before we entered the conferenceroom.

In conditional sentences: If he had worked more he would have finished

the project on time.


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Conditional sentences

In conditional sentences a condition is introduced,usually by the help of if; actually, if introduces thesubordinate clause:

If the workers really need it they will form a union.

We would gladly go to visit their company if they invitedus.

They would have announced us if the project had beenready.

The three examples above represent the three differenttypes of conditions (probable, possible/improbable andimpossible)


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Conditional sentences

Conditional sentence type 1

In this type of sentence the action of the verbfrom the if-clause is in the present tense

simple and it usually expresses a probableaction. The verb in the main clause may be inthe present simple or future simple tense,depending on the speakers intentions:

The Marketing Director will notice you if yousuggest that type of advertisement


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Note

Unless is an equivalent of if + not: If they are not hardworking people we will not

employ them.

Unless they are hardworking people we will notemploy them.

If may also be replaced by provided (that), oncondition (that), so long as:

We might lower our prices provided/oncondition that/so long as you bought a largerquantity of our goods.


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Conditional sentence

Conditional sentence type 2 In this type of sentence the verb of the main

clause is in the present conditional and the verbof the subordinate clause is in the presentsubjunctive (the same form with the simple pasttense indicative), suggesting a possible or evenimprobable action.

I would[1] negotiate with them if I reallywanted those products[1]mightand couldmay be used instead ofshould/would


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Conditional sentence type 3

The verb in the main clause is in the perfectconditional tense and the verb in the if clause is

in the past subjunctive tense (the same formwith the past perfect tense) in this type ofsentence. The condition suggested is animpossible one.

The accident would not havehappened if theworkers had been moreattentive


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Mixed conditionals Sometimes a combination of type 2 and type 3 conditionals is possible as long as

there is a logical coherence of actions. If the products werent so old we could have found buyers by now. If he had attended only that meeting he would be at home at this hour. Note 1. In some cases if is omitted in conditional sentences, but the general meaning of

the sentence remains the same. If it hadnt been for the head of the department we would have had a much smaller

budget. Hadnt it been for the head of the department we would have had a much smaller

budget. (subject predicate inversion) But for the head of the department we would have had a much smaller budget. (the

whole verbal structure is replaced by but )

2. Sometimes will, would or should are used after if; in polite requests, or when willexpresses the will of a person for example: If he will fill up the application form he will have a chance to be hired. If you would tell me where the trouble is I would probably help you.

Reaching compromises in business


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Reaching compromises in businessmeetings


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Application 1

Fill in the following rejoinders, extracted from a negotiation, with theright form of the verbs in brackets.

If we agreed with the other suggestions, it (be) conditional on theprice.

Fine. We (can move) to that point, now? You (not like) to see thefigures I have brought along, first? They (may) be of interest to you.

Yes, sure, I (like) to see them right away. But only if you take thetransport responsibility we (be prepared) to do business with you.

I understand. Look, we (like) to sign this transaction with you, butyou put us in a difficult situation, therefore we have to discuss itover, maybe next week. Is it all right with you?


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Application 2

Complete the missing parts of the following sentences:

1. We would havemore answers if we somemore recent statistics to use.

2. If we hadnt madeour last demand they with allour proposals.

3. If that isyour only condition I.happy to sign thecontract.

4. I wouldnt have leftin a hurry if I .. you.

5. She wouldnt have been promotedif it forher boss. 6. .for her colleague, she wouldnt have

received the prize.

business english grammar pp

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