Practical Grammar and Vocabulary in the Workplace. Пособие по бизнес-английскому

Grammar focus on Conditionals Type 1 (Real present)

TYPE 1 REAL PRESENT

Условные предложения состоят из 2 частей – придаточной (условия) IF-CLAUSE и главной (результата) MAIN CLAUSE.

Схема довольно простая, самое главное – не забывать, что в придаточном предложении мы не используем глаголы в будущем времени

IF + PRESENT SIMPLE/CONTINUOUS, PRESENT PERFECT/CONTINUOUS,

FUTURE, IMPERATIVE, CAN/MAY/MUST/COULD/MIGHT/SHOULD + BARE INFINITIVE

If you revise for the exam, you will pass

• Вместо if можно использовать такие слова, как: UNLESS, PROVIDED/PROVIDING THAT, SO/AS LONG AS, ON CONDITION (THAT), etc

As long as you are home by 11, you can go to the party

• Когда предложение начинается с условной части, мы ставим запятую между ними

If I get home early tonight, I will make dinner.

Но не ставим, если предложение начинается с главной части

I will make dinner if I get home tonight.

• Мы можем звучать более разговорно, если используем HAPPEN TO вместо PRESENT SIMPLE

If you happen to see Bob, tell him to get hold of me.

• И наоборот, более формально, если будем использовать SHOULD

If you should see Bob, tell him to call me.

• И даже еще более официально, если мы используем инверсию, которую вы часто видите в деловой переписке

Should you see Bob, don’t hesitate to tell him about me.

Grammar exercises

1 Put the verbs in brackets in correct forms

1. If you ……….the purchase agreement now, you ………….a 5% discount on your new purchase /sign, get/

2. We………..make some workers redundant if we …………..more orders soon./have to, not get/

3. They…………….you for delivery if you………………more than a hundred./not charge, order/

4. If I ………….my target for this quarter, I ……….a large bonus./meet, get/

5. If you ………your staff a pay rise this year, they …………happy. /not give, not be/

6. What ……..if they ……….you the job? /you/do, offer/

7. Unless the meeting ……..earlier, I ……….in a doghouse with my wife again. /finish, be/

8. If you ….. the line, you …….fired. /not toe, be/

9. She ….. a pay rise only if she …..harder than now. /get, work/

10. Who ……all the kudos in case you …… to tomorrow’s meeting? /take, not come/

2. Select the appropriate option

1. You may lose important documents as long as / if your hard drive crashes.

2. You should back up your hard drive regularly in case / unless your computer crashes.

3. It’s worth running a virus scan on your files in case / provided that some are corrupt.

4. If/Unless you want to back up important work, save it on an external hard drive.

5. Provided that / Unless you do a lot of work with video or music files, 80GB should be enough storage space.

6. If/ As long as you don’t want to buy an external hard drive, you can rent storage space on the Internet.

7. As long as /In case you’re not backing up very large data files, online storage can be reasonably priced.

8. Backing up is a waste of time in case / unless you can retrieve your backed-up files easily.

9. With online storage you can retrieve your data or files from any computer provided that / unless it has an Internet connection.

10. If/ Provided that you have any problems, call us on 0870 432 8765.

3. If? When? Unless?

1 – he gets there before me, ask him to wait.

2 – you fly a budget airline, you have to pay for your drinks and snacks.

3 – you need more space, a small locker is big enough for one person.

4 – you visit London, go on a trip around the city.

5 – unemployment is rising, people tend to stay in their present jobs.

6 – you’ve done that, go and have a break.

7 – he asks you politely, refuse to do any more work on the project.

8 – prices are rising, it’s not a good investment.

9 – you’ve been there yourself, you don’t really understand how fantastic it is.

10 – you go on holiday, let me know beforehand.

11 – I’m concentrating, please don’t make so much noise.

12 – I’ve finished the report, I always ask my peers to read it through.

4. Complete with the zero or first conditional.

1 If you /not let/ her know about the meeting, she /be angry/ with you!

2 If I /study/ more, I /pass/ the exam with everybody.

3 He /not understand/ it even if she explains the situation again.

4 /tell/ your manager if you /not agree/ with this idea.

5 What your husband /do/ if he /not get/ the job?

6 If I /have/ enough money, I /quit/ this job.

7 If she /be/ at home, she /talk/ to you.

8 He /must/ go to the doctor’s if he / not feel/ well tomorrow.

9 If I /be/ offered the job, I think I /take/ it.

10 Unless you /admit/ this mistake, nobody /talk/ to you.

5. Complete the sentence using your ideas

1, If we get a complaint about our service, ………

2. Whenever the price of oil goes up, … ………..

3. Providing the economy remains strong………..,

4. We won’t change our corporate branding unless …………..

5. As long as customers give us positive feedback, ……………

6. We may employ more staff if…

7. If a rival company opens in our city, ……………..

8. If our company makes a large profit this year, ……………

9. We offer special incentives to staff providing ………………

10. Our company will do well this year if ……………………….

6 Translate into English using new vocabulary and grammar

1. Если ты не хочешь следовать инструкции, рано или поздно у тебя будут проблемы и ты не сможешь винить во всем обстоятельства,

2. Если ты будешь продолжать игнорировать его поведение, это может повлиять на атмосферу в команде

3. Как вы собираетесь выживать в условиях ожесточенной конкуренции

4. Если ты собираешься открыть бизнес в нашей стране, тебе придется столкнуться с волокитой на всех уровнях

5. Если дела в компании будут идти таким образом, скоро еще несколько сотрудников будут уволены

6. Если ты не успеешь в срок, ты получишь выговор

7. Ты никогда не получишь повышение, если не будешь следовать правилам компании

8. Если ты когда-нибудь захочешь поговорить о своих проблемах, знай, что ты всегда можешь поделиться ими с твоим менеджером.

9. Если мы не покажем на что мы способны, нам не доверят самостоятельный проект

10. Если ты хочешь достичь определенной цели, для начала научись расставлять правильные приоритеты.

Unit 2:
Feedback and Discipline

“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.”

– Jim Rohn

Have you ever thought about the importance of feedback and discipline in our career?

Feedback is essential for growth and improvement. It provides us with valuable insights into our performance, behaviour, and actions. Whether it’s constructive criticism or positive feedback, we should use it as a tool for self-improvement helping us understand what we’re doing well and where we need to make changes.

Discipline is another key factor in achieving success. It requires self-control and determination. Discipline helps us stay focused on our goals.It’s about making the right choices and taking the necessary actions to move forward. Start by setting clear goals and creating a plan to achieve them. Stay organised, prioritise tasks, and hold yourself accountable for your actions. Remember that discipline is not about punishment but about creating a structure that supports your growth and development.

Vocabulary related to feedback and discipline in the workplace

1.Conciliatory -showing willingness to end a disagreement; or trying to make someone less angry

Примирительный

After receiving some constructive criticism from her boss, Sarah took a conciliatory approach and thanked him for his feedback.

2.Blunt– saying what you think without trying to be polite or considering other people’s feelings

Грубый, прямой

The manager’s blunt communication style with the sales team led to a decrease in morale and productivity.

3.To revisit -to talk or think about something again with an intention to improving it or changing it

Пересмотреть

We need to revisit the topic of our marketing strategy to see if there are any new ideas that can help us reach our target audience more effectively.

4.To step on anyone’s toes -to upset someone, esp. by getting involved in something that is that person’s responsibility

задевать чьи-либо чувства, вмешиваться не в свое дело

You might step on some important people’s toes with this project.

5.To ask a neutral outsider for the opinion – to involve an outside observer

Спрашивать мнение стороннего наблюдателя

The marketing team decided to ask a neutral outsider, such as a focus group of potential customers, for their opinion on the latest advertising campaign to get feedback.

6.At your peril-something that might be very dangerous for you

На свой страх и риск

Politicians ignore this issue at their peril.

7. Underperformance – poor progress (for example: when you make the less profit than other investments of the same type)

низкая эффективность

The underperformance of the sales team is starting to affect the overall profitability of the company.

8.To flounder-to have serious financial or economic problems

,иметь крупные проблемы

The new project manager began to flounder in his role, struggling to adapt to the fast-paced environment of the company.

9.A dead weight-to be like ballast

Мертвый груз

I consider him to be a dead weight in our team

10. To see room for improvement – to see opportunities for doing something

видеть простор для совершенствования

I regret to say we don’t see any room for improvement any more.

11.Valued employee —useful or important staff member

Ценный сотрудник

Sarah is a valued employee who always goes above and beyond in her work, consistently exceeding expectations.

12.To screw up —to do something badly or make a big mistake

Портить, портачить

You’d better not screw up this time.

13.Forewarned is forearmed – said to mean that if you know about something before it happens, you can be prepared for it

Предупрежден – значит вооружен

I was forewarned about the challenging negotiations with the new supplier, so I prepared extensively and managed to secure a favourable deal.

14.To hang in there – not to give up

Не сдаваться

I know things are tough but hang in there.

15.To flip-flop – to change plans completely

Полностью менять планы, мнение

If I were you, I wouldn’t rely on the person that flip-flops every time.

16.To get across an idea – to communicate effectively to convey the idea

Доносить идею

It was extremely difficult to get across my ideas.

17.Half-baked- not planned or considered carefully enough

Сырой

He’s always coming out with these half-baked ideas which will never work.

18.To face the music- to accept responsibility for something you have done

Храбро встречать трудности или критику

You have to face the music eventually.

19.A glitch- a small fault or problem, especially one that stops something from working

Сбой, проблема

There are always glitches in the early blueprints.

20. In the pipeline —a plan, product,etc.that is in the pipeline is being discusses or prepared and will be produced or finished in the future

В разработке, в планах

The pay rise is in the pipeline.

21.To cut corners-to reduce costs at the expense of quality

Экономить в ущерб качеству

The company decided to cut corners by using cheaper materials in the manufacturing process, but it ended up causing more quality control problems in the long run.

How to deal with tough issues at work

All of us face difficult conversations at work now and on. What are the issues that can be tough to discuss?

Unsolicited Advice

Underperformance

Criticism

Disappointment

Complaints and grievances

It goes without saying that we have to bottle up negative emotions in addressing these issues so as not to destroy the friendly atmosphere and a team spirit but such discussions are a necessary evil providing us an opportunity to resolve workplace conflicts quickly and efficiently and improve employees’ performance.

Many people avoid difficult conversations in the workplace because it makes them feel uncomfortable but we should remember that the problems will not go away by themselves. In fact, avoiding the conversation may prolong or exacerbate the problem, damage productivity, reduce staff confidence in the manager’s leadership skills and finally lead to employee turnover.

The right phrases can help you find the correct way of managing difficult conversations

HOW TO OPEN A TOUGH CONVERSATION

We suggest starting with conciliatory gestures using the phrases like these:

1 Is this a good time to talk? There are a few things I’d like to go over with you.

2 I need to speak with you about something; please feel free to speak your mind, as well.

3 I’m at a loss as to what to do about this. Perhaps you have some ideas?

4 We all need to have difficult conversations at some point, and this is one of those times.

if it doesn’t help, don’t hesitate to be blunt

1 I ’m just going to come out and say it: We need to talk. Now.

2 In my office, five minutes.

3 I am going to talk, and you are going to listen, okay?

How to Express a Specific Concern

Try to be polite, at least at the beginning of the discussion

1 There’s just one thing that’s bothering me about this…

2 You know, it seems like there could be a potential problem here.

3 Let’s revisit this for a moment. I’m sure I’m not the only one with doubts.

4 I’d like to put everything out on the table, okay?

5 Ignoring a problem will only make it worse, don’t you agree?

if it doesn’t work, don’t be afraid of sounding less polite

1 I think we need to face reality: This is a problem.

2 Can we at least agree that there is a problem?

3 Am I the only person who is concerned?

HOW TO GIVE UNSOLICITED ADVICE

We suggest trying to be gentle

1 May I offer my opinion? I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes.

2 I know nobody asked, but I’d like to weigh on this if that’s okay.

3 Perhaps you’d like to hear my perspective on the situation?

Don’t hesitate to sound more directive if it is necessary

1 Have you considered asking a neutral outsider for his opinion?

2 I know you’re not in the mood to listen to advice right now, but please hear me out.

3 I can understand why you wouldn’t want to hear this, but I simply cannot remain silent.

4 You obviously need help, and I’m just the person for the job.

5 You’re clearly not ready to listen, but I’m going to tell you what I think anyway.

HOW TO ADDRESS UNDERPERFORMANCE

Were I you, I’d try to be as delicate as possible from the beginning

1 I’ve noticed that you’re having a tough time at work. Is there any way I can help?

2 You seem a bit out of your depth lately. Are you having trouble with something specific?

3 You seem to be floundering a bit lately. What’s going on?

4 Your work has been slipping lately. Is there something wrong?

5 You’ve been underperforming, and we need to address it before it becomes a problem.

Unfortunately, sometimes we need to sound blunt

1 A company can’t survive constantly covering for a worker who is a dead weight.

2 If you don’t shape up, you’ll need to ship out, I’m afraid.

3 It’s really simple: You either fix this or you’re fired.

4 You do what you do, you get what you get.

HOW TO PROVIDE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM

You are supposed to sound gentle before giving this bitter pill

1 Your work here is very good overall, but I think you can bring it to an even higher level.

2 Let’s start this off on a positive note. Here’s what you are doing well.…

3I know you are capable of great things here, if you just tie up these loose ends.

4I appreciate getting honest feedback on my work, so I want to provide that to you, too.

5I know it’s difficult to receive feedback, but the benefits far outweigh the temporary discomfort.

Don’t hesitate to be blunt when you see the necessity of it

1 Most people don’t like criticism, but you’ll need to get used to it if you want to do well here.

2 Everyone benefits from being critiqued, even you.

3 I’m just going to be blunt here and tell you where you really need to improve.

4 Let’s face it: Your performance in this particular area has been sorely lacking.

5 I have serious concerns about your performance. What do you plan on doing to correct this?

HOW TO DISCIPLINE OR PUNISH A VALUED EMPLOYEE

It’s even harder than reprimanding those who work badly and you can be quite empathic

1 I hate this part of my job, but I would be remiss if I didn’t

2 If you weren’t such a valuable employee, I wouldn’t even bother discussing this.

3 Anyone can take a wrong turn, so I’ll just let you off with a warning. •

4 What do you think would be fair? You know, since you’re the one who messed up.

5 You made a mistake and unfortunately you will need to pay.

Sometimes you can’t help sounding harsh

1 I’m going to need to lower the boom on you.

2 You screwed up, so you’re the one who will have to absorb the cost.

3 One more of these incidents and I’ll have to re-think your employment here.

HOW TO EXPRESS DISAPPOINTMENT

We advise being kind even if your disappointment is keen

1 I am disappointed, but I know you will make things right.

2 If I feel let down it’s because I have such high regard for you.

3 Despite my disappointment, I have every reason to believe that you will make this right.

4 You’re going to have to figure out how to get back into my good graces.

You can sound harsh if your kind approach failed to help

1 You let me down, and honestly I’m not sure what you can do to make it right.

2 I’m so disappointed, I don’t even know what to say to you.

3 There is simply no excuse for what you’ve done, here.

4 I would have expected better from you

5 Things would go a lot more smoothly for you here if you just took my advice.

HOW TO EXPRESS ANGER

We recommend you to restrain your anger

1 Yes, I am angry, but the main thing is that we find a solution.

2 ’m not gonna lie: I’m pretty pissed right now.

3 I’m right on the verge of losing it. Can’t you see that?

You can demonstrate your attempts to bottle it up

1 You are fortunate that I have such self-control.

2 I have every right to be upset right now!

3 I must admit being furious

WHAT WOULD YOU DO AND WHAT WOULD YOU SAY

IN THESE SITUATIONS?

Situation 1 :

Your co-worker has been very moody recently and it has been affecting the work of all the team. You are trying to be empathetic, but you also want to make her realise how her problems are affecting her performance. Which of the phrases would you choose to start this tough conversation?

Situation 2 :

You are trying to get some important work done to meet the deadlines, but some other employees have been horsing around near the water cooler for a long time talking and laughing very loudly. You have already asked them politely to be quiet but it doesn’t seem to help. What phrase would be the most appropriate here?

Situation 3:

You are the boss. You are extremely worried about the current project, for which the deadline is the end of the week.The progress has been slow so far and you want everyone to work late until things are back on track. But everybody wants to call it a day and go home. What phrases would be perfect in this situation?

Situation 4:

You work very closely with one particular co-worker. However, your colleague is not a good listener. He tends to brush off your suggestions and dominate with his own ideas / by the way, not very bright ones/. You need to discuss this with him to persuade him that your ideas are appreciated more. How would you say it?

Situation 5:

You are a manager with a few dozen employees working under you. One day, you come across one of your employees lazing about and doing nothing with his feet up on his desk. This employee is considered to be brilliant and highly valued by the management. How would you start your conversation?

Vocabulary exercises

1. Read the definition and choose the most appropriate word

1.to have serious financial or economic problems —

a) to flip-flop b) to flounder c) to hang in there

2. to accept responsibility for something you have done-

a) to glitch b) to face the music c) to see room for improvement

3. showing willingness to end a disagreement; or trying to make someone less angry

a) conciliatory b) relaxing c) violent

4. to reduce costs at the expense of quality

a) to get across an idea b) to cut corners c) to face the music

5. to do something badly or make a big mistake

a) to screw up b) to hang in there c) to revisit

6.a heavy or oppressive burden

a) load b) a dead weight c) a glitch

7. to change plans completely

a) to revisit b) to step on anyone’s toes c) to flip-flop

8. to communicate effectively to convey the idea

a) to get across an idea b) to delegate c) to have a heart-to heart talk

9. not planned or considered carefully enough

a) forewarned b) underbaked c) half-baked

10. something that might be very dangerous for you

a) at your advantage b) at your peril c) heart-breaking

2. Put a missing word in a gap

1. I want to help you out on this project, but I know it’s your brain-child, so I don’t want to step on your ***** in any way.

2. It’s obvious that some politicians ignore this issue at their *****

3. More and more firms are ***** because of the recession.

4. He knows that you used to be a ***** employee and so he is trying to support you

5. Don’t worry. ***** there and we’ll see the light in thee tunnel sooner or later

6. You’ll have to ***** the music eventually after messing everything up

7.More redundancies have been in the ***** recently.

8. It was extremely difficult to get ***** my idea

9. There’s a temptation to ***** corners when you’re pushed for time, but it’s not worth it.

10. Thank you for your constructive criticism, now we see the room for *****.

3. Rephrase the sentences using the new vocabulary

1. We have to go through this proposal again as soon as the budget is clearer.

2. Were I you, I wouldn’t take such decisions on your own hook.

3. I noticed her blowing her lines during the presentation

4. Having realised the prospects of developing further, everybody agreed to start again from scratch

5. We regret to say good-bye to our most useful worker.

6. I wouldn’t recommend you to rely on the person who can make a hash in a second

7.Don’t give up and believe we will weather the storm

8. He is known to have problems taking decisions and change his mind all the time

9. I admit having an unprepared proposal but I can reassure you that it will work well

10. I am afraid you will have to accept the criticism on your own

4. Choose the correct preposition

1 *** the pipeline

a on

b in

c at

2.hang *** there

a in

b up

c over

3.to screw ***

a up

b over

c off

4 *** your peril

a of

b out of

c at

5 to face *** the music

a —

b to

c up

6 to see room *** improvement

a for

b of

c with

7.to step *** anyone’s toes

a —

b on

c in

8 to ask a neutral outsider *** the opinion

a about

b for

c on

9 to get *** an idea

a with

b from

c across

10 *** one’s depth

a in

b from

c out of

5. Translate the sentences using new vocabulary

1.Однако некоторые фирмы, которые плохо управляются и не стремятся к чему-то большему, чем стагнация, сильно отстают в своей работе.

2. Даже при проведении реформ они часто оказываются непродуманными до конца из-за необходимости компромисса между конкурирующими интересами труда и капитала.

3. Любые сбои в работе операционных систем будут устранены по мере прохождения пилотного года.

4. Не откладывайте это, иначе придется за это заплатить. Предупрежден – значит вооружен!

6. Хотя его примирительный жест был одобрен боссом, его все равно уволили.

7. Если бы я был на твоем месте, я бы не принимал такое серьезное решение только на свой страх и риск.

8. Этот отдел давно перестал быть дойной коровой и функционирует сейчас как мертвый груз.

9. Конечно, у нас есть много ошибок и проблем, но нам есть куда стремиться.

10. Даже он, самый ценный сотрудник в нашей компании, может облажаться и сейчас ему придется получить наказание.

11.Если бы он не менял свои решения так часто, ему бы больше доверяли.

12. Все говорят, что моя идея сырая, но если я смогу ее донести до нашего инвестора, мы получим свободу действий.