Intermediate Level - Unit 1 – Talking about your Job and Company

Lesson Title Content F2F Web

1 Q&A Grammar: Revision of tenses

2 She’s studying abroad Grammar: Present Simple v Present

nowadays Continuous, stative and action
verbs
Pronunciation: the letter o
3 The CEO is in a meeting Grammar: a, an, the, no article
Vocabulary: Company departments
Pronunciation: Word stress
P1 Practice Lesson 1 Practice talking about your job

4 The History of Iochpe- Grammar: Question formation,

Maxion subject and object questions

5 My Timeline Grammar: Past Simple v Present

Perfect Simple (until now)
Vocabulary: Prepositions of time
6 Things used to be very Grammar: used to + infinitive
different

P2 Practice Lesson 2 Practice talking about companies

7 Everything has changed Grammar: Present Perfect Simple

(before now)
Vocabulary: Describing changes
8 Review A review of all grammar from this
unit

P3 Practice Lesson 3 Practice talking about your job and

the company you work for

Check Talking about your Job and Your teacher will interview you
point Company about your job and the company
you work for.

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 Unit 1 - Lesson 1 – Q & A

Exercise 1 – Match the questions with the answers.

1. What do you do? What is your position?

2. What do you do on a typical day?
3. What projects are you working on nowadays?
4. What was your first job in Maxion?
5. When did you start working for Maxion?
6. Which departments have you worked in since you joined Maxion?
7. How long have you been in your current position?
8. What are you going to do to improve your English?
9. What are you doing next week?
10. In your opinion, what will be the biggest challenge in the next few years?

a) I joined the company in 2012.

b) I’m going to study for 15 minutes every day.
c) I talk to suppliers and negotiate contracts.
d) I think the company will need to invest in innovation.
e) My first job was as an intern in the planning department.
f) I’m a senior analyst in the HR department.
g) I’ve worked in the sales and engineering departments.
h) This week I’m testing a new product.
i) I’ve been a supervisor for two years.
j) I’m visiting a customer to discuss new developments.

Exercise 2 – Here is a list of verb tenses that you have probably already studied. Which tenses
were used in the answers in Exercise 1? Why was that tense used?

Name of tense Used to talk about:

i permanent situations
Present Simple
ii habit/routine
iii action in progress now
iv Present Continuous temporary activity
v future arrangements
vi unrepeatable action
Past Simple
vii specific finished time
viii Past Continuous action in progress at a past time
ix an action before now (no specific time mentioned)
Present Perfect Simple
x a state or action until now
xi instant decisions
xii offering help
Future Simple (will)
xiii promise
xiv prediction based on opinion
xv future plans
be going to future
xvi prediction based on present evidence

Exercise 3 – Another way to learn how tenses should be used is by memorizing key words.
Which present or past tense would you normally associate with these words?

at the moment – last (week) - ever – (right) now - usually - yet - nowadays – every (week) -
currently - ago – since - when – just - once (a month) - sometimes - already - while – recently
always

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Exercise 4 – Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense. Say why you used that tense (e.g.
Present Continuous – future arrangements). Underline any key words that helped you choose
the tense.

1. His great-great-grandfather ________________ (be) a soldier.

2. I’m sorry, but Anna can’t take your call now. She ________________ (take) a shower.
3. Man: “Sorry, Mr. Temple is in a meeting.” Woman: “OK. I ________________ (call)
back later.”
4. My sister ________________ (not like) fast food. She never eats pizza or burgers.
5. Next year, I ________________ (buy) a bike and start cycling to work.
6. Your bags look heavy. I ________________ (carry) one for you.
7. My boss ________________ (work) late every day.
8. ________________ you ever ________________(forget) a really important date?
9. It’s Cedric’s vacation this month. He ________________ (help) his sister decorate her
house.
10. I’ve never read any of this author’s previous work, but I think this ________________
(be) a good book.
11. They ________________(not go) to the beach last weekend because it was raining.
12. Don’t worry. I ________________ (not tell) anyone.
13. While I ________________ (wait) to see the doctor, I did a crossword in the
newspaper.
14. My friends and I ________________ (travel) to Canada next week for a vacation. We
bought our flights online.
15. My parents _______________ (have) their car for three years.
16. Neil told me that he hasn’t studied at all for the test. He _______________ (not pass).

Exercise 5 – Analyze your performance in Exercise 4. Are you comfortable using the tenses
covered in this lesson? Write ‘yes’ or ‘no’ in the last column of the table in Exercise 2.

Exercise 6 – Work in pairs. Using the questions in Exercise 1, interview another student. When
possible, ask follow up questions.

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 Unit 1 - Lesson 2 – She’s studying abroad nowadays

Exercise 1 – Use your instinct. Circle the correct form of the verb in these sentences. If both
forms are possible, tick () the sentence. When both forms are correct, what’s the difference
in meaning?
1. Michael doesn’t like/isn’t liking his new job.
2. I live/am living in Mexico City.
3. Do you remember/Are you remembering your first day at school?
4. Apple sell/are selling millions of phones a month.
5. When I get home from work in the evening, my husband makes/is making the dinner.
6. Robert has/is having a shower before work.
7. At the moment, I work/am working on a very exciting project.
8. We have/are having a Volkswagen Polo. I love/am loving that car.
9. David always does/is always doing his homework.
10. I’m not/I’m not being at work this month as I do/I’m doing a course in another city.

Exercise 2 – Now let’s look at the difference between the Present Simple and the Present
Continuous tenses. Read the rules, then look back at the sentences and match one of the rules
(e.g. PS2, PC3, etc.) with each of the correct options.

Exercise 3 – Put the verbs into the correct form (Present Simple or Present Continuous) and
say which rules you used (e.g. PS3, PC1, etc.)

1. My brother _______________ (usually read) two or three books every month.

2. The number of homeless people in major cities _______________ (increase) fast.
3. Geraldine is in the library. She _______________ (study) for an exam.
4. Ben and Rita _______________ (be) married but they _______________ (not have)
any kids.
5. We’re very busy at work nowadays. We _______________ (launch) a new product.
6. Your English _______________ (get) better every day.
7. Most people _______________ (not like) opera but I ______________ (love) it.
8. __________ Paola sometimes __________ (go) abroad on business?
9. The price of steel _______________ (rise) nowadays.
10. Two of Barcelona’s best players _______________ (not play) at the moment because
they are injured. One has hurt his knee and the other has a dislocated shoulder.
11. __________ Nathan ___________ (remember) to brush his teeth before he
__________ (go) to bed?
12. Mona normally _______________ (work) in London but this week she
________________ (work) in Manchester.

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Exercise 4 – Most verbs are actions, but some are ‘stative’ verbs and are not usually used in
continuous tenses. Look at the list. Then, in pairs, ask and answer the questions below it.

1. How do you feel about doing housework?

2. How well do you know your colleagues?
3. How well do you understand native English speakers?
4. How much does a nice meal cost in a restaurant in your town?
5. Are there any laws that you don’t agree with?
6. What do you need to make you happy?
7. Who do you think is the best actor/sports star?
8. What food reminds you of your childhood?

Exercise 5 – The words no, not and month all contain the letter ‘o’, but in each of the three
words, this letter is pronounced differently. In which of the words is the letter o pronounced
the u in up?

1 2 3
not no month

Is the underlined letter in the words below pronounced the same as no, not or month?
mother forgotten logo cold
economy modern color ocean
company London hotel love
policy whole wrong money
hope phone one monument
gone son other comfortable
done dog shot home
Exercise 6 – Read these sentences aloud.

1. My mother has gone home to phone her brother.

2. The ocean was too cold to swim in but I loved the color of the water.
3. The company’s new logo is more modern than the other one.
4. I hope you haven’t forgotten the money.
5. My son has done everything wrong but he wants another chance.
6. They’re staying in a comfortable hotel in London.

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 Unit 1 - Lesson 3 – The CEO is in a meeting

Exercise 1 – Look at the rules for using articles. Write an, the, a in the first line of the table.
1. Use ____ or _____ 2. Use _____ Don’t use articles
a. The first time you mention a. When you have already a. With proper nouns (names)
something singular. mentioned something. b. To talk generally about plural
b. To say what something b. When there is only one. and uncountable nouns.
singular is. c. It is clear which thing you c. In time expressions with
c. To say what job somebody are talking about. last/this/next and
has. d. With superlatives. week/month/year.
d. With expressions of e. To talk about most places in d. With the following nouns:
frequency a town. work/home/church/school/
e. In expressions with a f. With ordinal numbers, university, especially after
singular noun starting What including dates (the 5th of at/in/on/from/to and go/get
May) (to)
g. With USA, UK, Netherlands e. Before the names of meals
and certain other countries f. Forms of transport, after by
Exercise 2 – Complete the sentences with a, an, the or – (no article). Which rules in the table
above apply in each case? For example: The first time I went to - Canada was - last
year. (Rules: 2b/c, 3a, 3c)
1. My sister has _____ very good job. She’s _____ dentist.
2. I love reading _____ books about _____ politics. At the moment I’m reading _____
biography. It’s probably _____ best book I’ve ever read.
3. Man: “What’s that?” Woman: “It’s _____ extension cable.”
4. Woman: “Have you been to _____ USA?” Man: “Yes, I usually go once _____ year.”
5. _____ Amanda usually goes to ____ work by _____ car, but she wants to get fit so she
has bought _____ bicycle. However, _____ weather has been bad _____ this week so
she hasn’t actually used _____ bicycle yet.
6. We usually go to _____ theatre once or twice _____ month.
7. They’re _____ very nice couple. _____ wife is very friendly and _____ husband is really
funny.
8. What _____ beautiful night! _____ moon looks so big.
9. We spent two hours at _____ supermarket _____ last night. We got ____ home at
9pm. By then, it was too late for _____ dinner so we just had _____ sandwich.
10. My family all go to _____ church on _____ 24th of _____ December.

Exercise 3 – In the shapes on the following page, make a note of the following:
 The name of a friend you haven’t seen for a long time
 The date you started work for this company
 Where you went last weekend
 Something you would like to buy
 A song you know all the lyrics to
 A sport you used to do
 The most beautiful place you’ve been to
 What you had for breakfast today
 The time you had lunch yesterday
 A country you would like to visit
 What you are going to do next weekend
 The job your best friend has

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Exercise 4 – Look at the shapes (don’t look back at the previous page). Tell your partner about
the notes you made in the circles. For example: “I had lunch at 12.30pm yesterday.”

Exercise 5 – Look at the sentence below. Why is the used with CEO but a is used with sales
representative?
Vera Souza is the CEO of Just-in-Case Insurance. She has been with the company for
over two decades. She started as a sales representative 23 years ago.

Exercise 6 – Talk to a partner about your colleagues. What are their positions?

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 Unit 1 - Practice Lesson 1

Activity 1 – Check you know how to say the names of these company departments. Mark the
stress and write a key word above the stressed syllables to help you remember the
pronunciation.

Activity 2 – Match each of the underlined phrases with one from the box which has the same
meaning.

1. Julio from the sales department deals with customer complaints. a) manages
2. Gabriella Villa is in charge of the sales department. b) is responsible for
3. Michael Taylor is accountable for international sales. c) handles

Activity 3 – Use the ideas below to tell a classmate about your job.

Position and responsibilities Occasional activities (Use the Present Simple)

I’m a/an __________. (job title)
I work in the _______________ (department)
I report to ________________. (boss’s name)
I'm in charge of __________.
I'm responsible for ____________.
I deal with ____________.
I handle _____________.
Daily routine (Use the Present Simple)
I work _________ hours a day.
I start work at (___a.m.) and finish at (___ pm).
On a typical day, I ________, _________
and _________. (tasks)
I sometimes __________.
I occasionally _________.
Current projects (Use the Present Continuous)
At the moment, I’m __________.
Other (verb + ing)
I’m responsible for ___________ (-ing).
I’m accountable for ___________ (-ing).
I spend a lot of time __________ (-ing)
I like __________ (-ing) and __________ (-ing).
I don’t like __________(-ing) or __________ (-ing)

Activity 4 – Close your material and tell another classmate about your job.

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Activity 5 – Using the vocabulary in Activities 1 to 3, talk to a classmate about other people in
your workplace. What are their roles? Who is responsible for the activities in the list on this
page?

Example:
Karl Zimmermann is a Process Engineer. He works in the engineering department and he
reports to the engineering supervisor, Pierre Villeneuve. Karl handles new product
developments for Volkswagen. He also deals with requests for information.

 Design new products

 Manufacture products
 Check the quality of finished goods
 Ensure that the workplace is safe
 Obtain and manage working capital
 Compile and read financial reports
 Strategize and troubleshoot based on the information in your financial reports
 Enter and organize purchasing information in a database
 Enter and organize information about revenue in a database
 Track accounts payable and accounts receivable
 Follow up accounts overdue
 Write paychecks and manage payroll information
 Hire and train personnel
 Maintain records of employee work history and tax information
 Administer employee benefits
 Address employee issues and complaints
 Take disciplinary action in case of poor employee performance
 Keep inventory records to track what you have on hand
 Order supplies and materials as needed
 Organize stock, so you know when to reorder
 Receive orders and set production numbers
 Monitor and improve workflow
 Maintain and repair equipment
 Package and store finished product
 Work with customers through each phase of your sales process
 Receive and respond to customer feedback
 Take care of customer needs and special requests
 Create a marketing budget
 Manage company branding
 Oversee advertising copy and venues
 Align each aspect of your company's operations to create an image that reinforces
your brand

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 Unit 1 - Lesson 4 – The History of Iochpe-Maxion

Exercise 1 – Match the pictures and the vocabulary. Which of these products and services do
you associate with Maxion?

bank
railway passenger car
engine
apple
insurance
trailer
tractor
railway freight car
timber
combine harvester

Exercise 2 – How much do you know about the history of the plant you work at? Tell a classmate
what you know.
Exercise 3 –Your teacher will give each of you a text with some information about Maxion’s
history. Read your text and make notes on the milestones which are marked on the timeline
on the next page. Note: You won’t have all the information so you cannot write about all the
milestones.
Exercise 4 - Work in pairs with a person who read the other text. Ask and answers questions to
complete the timeline. For example:
What happened in 1918?
The company was founded./ The Ioschpe family founded the company.

Exercise 5 – Make questions in the Past Simple.

Grammar Box 1: QASV Questions
In English, questions usually begin with the
classic interrogative formula: Q+A+S+V
(Question word(s) + auxiliary verb + subject +
verb) For example:
(Q) (A) (S) (V) ….?
When did she join the company?
(S) (V)
She joined the company in 2012.
Grammar Box 2: Subject Questions
To make some questions, you won’t have all the
‘QASV’ components, so we can’t use the classic
formula. This is because the question is asking
about the subject of the answer.
If you need to know the subject of a sentence,
use the subject question, like in this example:
Somebody phoned you. (Ask who)
Who phoned me? (not Who did phone me?)
1. When/Eluma/open a plant in Contagem?
2. Where/Cruzeiro’s 5200-ton press/come from?
3. When/Maxion/buy ArvinMeritor?
4. What/Iochpe-Maxion/do in 2011?
5. How many 3000-ton presses/the Cruzeiro
plant/ have in 1970?
6. Which company/Gustavo Galaz/found?
7. When/Maxion/celebrate its centenary?
Exercise 6 – Make subject questions like the
example in the box. Use the Past Simple.
1. Somebody founded Iochpe-Maxion. (Ask who)
2. One of the plants started supplying
Freightliner in 1995. (Ask which plant)
3. An American company bought 50% of
Maxion’s railways business in 2000. (Ask which
company)
4. A company opened in Contagem in 1974. (ask
which company)
5. One of the plants tripled its capacity10in 1991
(Ask which plant)
Exercise 7 – Make QASV or subject questions to find out the underlined information.
1. Something smells nice. (What?)
2. She’s going to phone somebody. (Who?)
3. We’re going somewhere next week. (Where?)
4. Someone is singing. (Ask who)
5. I ate something. (What?)
6. Something is wrong. (Ask what)
7. They went somewhere. (Where?)
8. Something has happened. (Ask what)
9. I forgot to tell someone about the party. (Who?)
10. Somebody isn’t very happy. (Who?)

Exercise 8 – With a partner, use the timeline below to ask and answer question about the first
100 years of Maxion’s history.

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 Unit 1 - Lesson 5 – My Timeline

Exercise 1 – Fill in the blanks in these sentences with a time preposition, either on, at or in.
Write the same propositions in the correct section of the pyramid.
1. There’s an important meeting __________ Monday.
2. There was so much great music __________ the 1960s.
3. Television was invented __________ the 20th century.
4. My vacation began __________ January 10th.
5. It always rains a lot __________ November.
6. They moved to Europe __________ 1999.
7. See you tonight __________ 9.30pm.

Exercise 2 – Fill in the blanks in the sentences below using the time prepositions in the box.
Sometimes a preposition isn’t needed.

in (2) from (2) since between until at

1. He works __________ 8am to 5pm every day.

2. He sleeps __________ 11pm and 6am.
3. My wife’s needed to work late every night this week, sometimes __________ 8pm.
4. I forgot to pay the electricity bill ________ last month.
5. I prefer to wake up early __________ the morning.
6. A lot of animals are more active __________ night.
7. We’re going to Orlando on vacation __________ next year.
8. He has lived in Toronto __________ 2015.
9. I haven’t seen our neighbours yet __________ this week.
10. My sister’s getting married __________ two weeks / two weeks __________ now.

Exercise 3 - Who is each person in the photo? Why is he/she famous? When was he/she born?
When did he/she die?

Remember: When saying dates, you need to use ordinal numbers and add some extra words.
Madonna was born on the sixteenth of August, 1958.
Madonna was born on August the sixteenth, 1958.

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Exercise 4 – Look how the Present Perfect Simple can be used to talk about states that started in
the past and have continued until now. Then complete the sentences about the timeline.

Past Simple - Specific finished time

1. Martina __________ (work) for Google
between 2010 and 2014.
2. She __________ (get) married in 2013.
3. She __________ (move) to New York in 2015.
4. Her son __________ (be) born on June 6th, 2016.

Present Perfect Simple – Until now

5. Martina __________ (be) married since 2013.
6. She __________ (work) for Apple since 2014.
7. She __________ (live) in New York since 2015.
8. She __________ (be) a mother since 2016.

Exercise 5 - What have been the most significant moments in your life so far? Write the years
or exact dates in the boxes on your timeline. Write at least five important events.

Write some sentences about your timeline. Use the tenses in Exercise 5 and a mixture of
prepositions from Exercises 2 and 3.

Exercise 6 – Tell a classmate about your timeline.

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 Unit 1 - Lesson 6 - Things used to be very different

Exercise 1 – What do you know about Henry Ford?

Exercise 2 – Watch a video about how Henry Ford revolutionized the automobile industry.
Put the numbers in the text below.

Ford started the moving assembly line in Michigan on December 1st, _____. At that time, _____
men used to work on the line and it used to take _____ hours to produce a Model T. Initially,
the Model T used to cost _____ dollars, but after a few years, production time fell to _____
seconds and the price of the car fell to below _____ dollars. _____ million Model Ts were
manufactured before Ford discontinued that model of car in _____.

Exercise 3 – Read about the verb used to.

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Exercise 4 – Look at the photos of Ford in the early 20th century and in this century. Work with
a partner to complete the sentences about how Ford used to be different.

1. In 1913, Ford only ______________ make black cars.

2. At that time, women ______________ work on the production lines.
3. The wheels on Ford’s cars ______________ be made of wood.
4. Ford ______________ manufacture cars in a lot of different colors.
5. _________ Henry Ford __________ live in Detroit?
6. Ford ______________ use robots or software.
7. In the early 20th century, operators ______________ wear PPE (personal protective
equipment).
8. Ford’s manufacturing process _______________ be very manual.
9. _________ Ford __________ manufacture other types of car at that time?
10. Henry Ford ______________ be one of the richest men in the world.

Exercise 5 – How do you do these things nowadays? How did people use to do them before the
internet?

1. Get a pizza delivered.

2. Wish somebody who lives in another town a happy birthday.
3. Find out a doctor’s telephone number.
4. Book a flight.
5. You’ve arranged to meet a friend of yours in a bar at 7pm. It’s now 7.05pm. Inform her
you’re going to be a bit late.
6. Find out sports results, exchange rates or the weather forecast.
7. Kill time while waiting for a haircut.
8. Find out what time the supermarket closes on Mondays.
9. Find the way to a place you’ve never been to before.
10. Buy concert tickets.

newspaper go (somewhere) telephone book talk to somebody else

travel agent’s book map telephone letter magazine

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 Unit 1 - Practice Lesson 2

Activity 1 – Listen to two recordings about companies. Fill in the information in the tables.

Company Toyota Motor Corporation

Headquarters
Turnover (2018)
Year founded
Founder Kiichiro Toyoda
Year of expansion to U.S.
Brands owned Lexus, Scion
Shareholdings Daihatsu Motors, Isuzu Motors and Yamaha Motors
Subsidiaries
Employees

Company Inditex SA
Brands owned Zara, Pull and Bear, Massimo Dutti, Oysho and Stradivarius
Founded in
Year founded
Founder Amancio Ortega Gaona
Number of stores
Employees
Profit (2018)

Activity 2 – In the recording, the speakers used some common phrases to talk about
companies. Work with a partner. Use some of the phrases below to build a description of the
company you work for.
... is currently the world’s largest ... ... was established in...
... is one of the largest companies in ... ... has a workforce of ... people ...
... is the biggest ... in the world ... employs ... people
... has ... subsidiaries ... has a ... percent market share
... operates in ... ... achieved an annual turnover of ... last year
... has ... stores/offices/factories worldwide ... made a profit of ... last year
... has shareholdings in ... Our main competitors are ...
... has a ... percent stake in ... Our main customers are/include ...
... is headquartered in ... Our main clients are/include ...
... is based in ... We produce/manufacture ...
... was founded in/by ... We provide/offer ...

Activity 3 – Now close your material and talk about one of the following topics for your
company.

 An overview of the company (HQ, plants, shareholdings)

 Facilities  History
 Staff, customers and competitors  Competitive advantages

Activity 4 – Your teacher will give you a text about how a company reinvented itself. Tell your
classmates what the company used to be like and what it is like now. Include used to + verb
and didn't use to + verb.

Activity 5 – Companies often evolve or change over time. Talk about how the company you
work for used to be different. Again use used to + verb and didn't use to + verb.

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 Unit 1 - Lesson 7 – Everything has changed

Exercise 1 – Learn how to use the Present Perfect Simple to talk about changes that have
happened.

1. When did the speaker lose their glasses?

2. When did someone steal the car?
3. Where are the glasses and car now?

Grammar Box: Present Perfect Simple

The Present Perfect Simple tense can be used to describe actions and events that have happened
‘before now’ and have an impact in the present. In this use of the Present Perfect Simple, a
specific time is not mentioned.

Exercise 2 – Look at the photos of Scott when he was 13 and now. What has changed since
then? Make Present Perfect Simple sentences. Use a verb from the first box and an object from
the second.

finish start get have learn buy put on grow go

to drive married a car school work children a beard bald weight

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Exercise 3 – Talk to a partner. Imagine (s)he is an old friend you haven’t seen for 10 years.
What has changed in your life since you last saw your friend? (Don’t say when the changes
happened.)

Exercise 4 – In the previous lesson, you saw that things at Ford have changed a lot since Henry
Ford’s day. For example:

Ford has started to employ women in its factories.

The company has automated a lot of its processes.
They have started producing cars in a lot of colors.

When did you start working for Maxion? Since you joined the company, how much have the
following things changed? Label the boxes with a letter a, b or c.

a) has/have changed a lot b) has/have changed a little c) hasn’t/haven’t changed

For the boxes that you labeled b, write a sentence in the Present Perfect Simple to say what
exactly has changed. Use some of the verbs in the Vocabulary Box.

The name of the

The buildings The office layout The type of products
company

The number of The level of The number of hours

The leadership team
employees automation you work

Company rules and

Your job/position Employees’ behavior The perks (benefits)
policies

Vocabulary Box:
Verbs for talking
about changes
build
modernize
renovate
expand
buy
sell
create
close down
open up

Exercise 5 – Work in pairs. Talk to each other about the changes that have taken place at since
you joined the company. Even if you remember when things changed, don’t say the date. Use
the Present Perfect Simple to talk about ‘before now’. You can also use used to if you want. For
example: The company has built a new production area. The factory used to be much smaller.

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 Unit 1 - Lesson 8 – Review

Exercise 1 – What tense is each sentence in? Add one of the key words in the box to each
sentence.

last ago nowadays usually yet at the moment

tomorrow next when already while ever

1. Is she talking to a customer on the phone __________?

2. They haven’t paid the electricity bill __________.
3. Yolanda __________ finishes work at 5.30pm.
4. _________ I was younger, I could run really fast.
5. Paulo’s doing a lot of overtime __________.
6. They didn’t go to Los Angeles on vacation __________ summer.
7. Yesterday evening I was doing my English homework __________ my wife was watching
TV.
8. I’m having a party for my birthday __________ month. Would you like to come?
9. Have you __________ seen the original Batman TV series?
10. My grandfather retired five years __________.
11. Daniel’s going to wash the car __________.
12. I’ve __________ seen this movie three times. I don’t want to watch it again, thanks.

Exercise 2 – If possible, change these sentences into the Present Continuous tense. By changing
to the continuous form, has the meaning of the sentence changed?

1. Do you like your job?

2. Does Janice work hard?
3. Do you remember the algebra that you learned at school?
4. Where do they live?
5. Colin always knows the answer. He’s very clever.
6. Why does it take so long to log on?
7. Priscilla plays very well.
8. Patrick looks like his father.
9. Do you understand me?
10. It rains heavily.

Exercise 3 – If necessary, fill the gaps with an article (a, an, the) or a preposition of time.

(1) ______ last year, I went to (2) ______ U.S.A. on vacation with (3)
______ friend of mine called
Walter. We spent (4) ______ week and (5) ______ half in (6) ______
Orlando. We went (7) ______ October because it’s cheaper. We
stayed in (8) ______ nice hotel that only cost U$80 (9) ______
night. We arrived (10) ______ (11) _____ evening (12) ______ July
10th and (13) ______ (14) ______ second day we went to Universal
Studios, which is (15) ______ large theme park. We spent all day in
(16) _____ park and we had (17) ______ great time there, but it
was very busy and (18) ______ lines for (19) ______ rides were very
long. Every evening, we went to (20) _____ different restaurant.
(21) _____ restaurant I liked most was (22) ______ Panda Express because it was (23) _____
cheapest! We would like to go back again (24) _____ (25) _____ next year.

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Exercise 4 – Ask a subject or object question to find out the information which is covered.

Exercise 5 – For each sentence in the Past Simple, write one with the same meaning using the
Present Perfect Simple. For example:

I moved to this town ten years ago.

I’ve lived in this town for ten years.

1. I started to work here four years ago.

2. We got married in 2008.

3. Lisa bought her motorbike six months ago.

4. He became a manager in November.

5. I was born in this town and I still live here.

Exercise 6 – Use the correct form (+, - or ?) of used to and a verb from the box to complete the
sentences.
1. My uncle ______________ for Chrysler but he lost his job during the recession. live
2. Where __________ you _______________ before you moved to this town? have
3. When I was a child, I _______________ vegetables but now I love them. know
4. __________ your brother ___________ a professional soccer player? like
5. I __________________ much about management so I did an MBA. be
6. We ___________________ a dog but, sadly, he died last month. work

Exercise 7 – Use words from each box to write complete sentences about changes that have
occurred in the world since the start of the last century. Use the Present Perfect Simple.

Ford increase vaccines or cures for a lot of diseases.

Life expectancy be the right to vote in elections.
Scientists win using augmented reality to develop new cars.
Women start two world wars.
There discover by over 50%.

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 Unit 1 - Practice Lesson 3

In this lesson, in preparation for the Checkpoint, you can practice talking about your job and
the company you work for. Your teacher will give you some feedback so that you can fine-tune
it before the Checkpoint.

Activity 1 – Match the beginnings and endings of these sentences.

1. I work for ____________________. a) Vice President of Sales

2. I work in the sales department. b) sales
3. I work in the ____________________ industry. c) sales representative
4. I work in ____________________, France. d) two years
5. I work at the ____________________. e) pharmaceuticals
6. I’m a ________________. f) Pfizer (1)
7. I’m an ____________________. g) 2013
8. I’m the ____________________. h) Marseille
9. I’ve worked there since ____________________. i) plant in Marseille
10. I’ve been (a manager) for ____________________. j) electrical engineer

Activity 2 – Work in pairs. Based on the sentences above, tell your partner about yourself.

Activity 3 – Put a word from the box in each sentence. Then say similar sentences about
yourself.
part responsible attend report project
results care with handle team charge

1. I ____________ to the Company President.

2. I’m in ____________ of the sales department.
3. I manage the sales ____________.
4. I’m ____________ for domestic sales.
5. I’m accountable for the sales ____________.
6. I ____________ customer complaints.
7. I take ____________ of customer relations.
8. I deal ____________ contract negotiations.
9. I ____________ meetings.
10. I take ____________ in video conferences
11. Nowadays I’m working on a new ____________.

Activity 4 – What does your company do? Complete these sentences.

1. We’re in the ____________________ business.
2. The company is in the ____________________ industry.
3. We manufacture/sell ____________________.
4. The company produces ____________________.
5. Our main customers/clients include ____________________.
6. We provide ____________________ services.
7. ____________________ is a differential for the company I work for.
8. We’re the market leader in ____________________.

Activity 5 – Now divide into two groups. One group will play a game while the teacher interviews
the other. Then the groups will swap activities.

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