English For Economists 2

Bachelor’s Degrees in:
Economics
EC1022 - Inglés para Economistas
Finance and Accounting
FC1022 - Inglés para Finanzas
Business Administration
AE1022 - Inglés para la Empresa
Business Administration and Law
DA0222 - Inglés para la Empresa
(Double degree)
2023-2024
Course material
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
CONTENTS
1. Business Correspondence: letters and emails. Inquiries and replies to inquiries
2. Telephoning
3. Job Advertisements, Application Letters and CVs
4. Job Interviews
5. Business Presentations
6. Business reports
Material created and developed by Ruiz-Garrido, M. F. & Fortanet-Gómez, I.
This work is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0

UNIT 1. BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE
WHAT IS BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE?

Business correspondence is a basic means of communication between companies or
businesspeople. Business correspondence is made up of several kinds of written
business documents, such as letters, emails, memos or faxes. It is estimated that
millions of business documents are written each workday, although the tendency is
changing. Printed business documents are less used every day, whereas digital
alternatives (for example, emails) are highly frequent. Regardless the channel
chosen (printed or digital), written business correspondence can be sent externally
to those outside the company but also internally to those within the company.
In this unit, a few distinctions are made between letter and emails, to mention
the most relevant documents. Although they may show formal differences, the
writing of their contents can be very similar or even the same. So, the suggestions
for writing those documents can be applied to most of them without distinction.
Many businesspeople still prefer a written document to other forms of
communication, because the document can serve as a contract, the facts will be on
record in writing, and executives do not have to rely on memory. Additionally,
printed documents may also be useful when trying to make a formal impression or
even when required legally.
You will write any kind of business correspondence to inform readers of
specific information. However, you might also write those documents to persuade
others to take action, to propose your ideas, or even to advertise a product or a
service at times. The key to writing good business letters/emails is to get to the
point as quickly as possible and to present your information clearly.
Three-step writing process

When dealing with any written business document, there is a common tendency
that proposes some tips that can help you to write more effective and efficient
messages:
Step 1. Plan your message: analyse the situation (purpose and audience), gather
information, choose the best medium and means to deliver your message, organize
the information in the most appropriate way.
This work is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0 1

Step 2: Write your message: adapt to your audience (try to connect with your
audience, use the appropriate language and style, and use proper English).
Step 3: Revise the message: revise the content, edit your message and rewrite it to
improve it as much as possible (for example, style, language, and punctuation).
Produce the message by putting it in the right form (layout and design). Finally,
proofread it to ensure everything is as expected, and distribute it.
Additional tips for the writing stage (Step 2)

Even though no formula exists for a perfect business letter/email, some basic
guidelines will help you to improve the writing stage, regardless of the form, purpose,
and audience of the document, and be more effective.
Anyone can find several rules to write effectively business documents. Many
principles and techniques have been recommended in the last years. The following
option is just one of those possibilities. It is called ‘the 5 C principles’, and it refers
to Conciseness, Correctness, Courtesy, Clarity, and Completeness.
Business documents must have a CLEAR purpose and be understandable to the
reader/s. Writers must include the required and necessary information so that the
document is COMPLETE. This should be done by including only the relevant
information; in other words, be CONCISE. Politeness is essential when dealing
with business communication in general, so be COURTEOUS when addressing the
reader/s. Finally, being grammatically accurate or CORRECT is also central.
Applying these principles may not lead to a perfect document, but it will
certainly be a good one. Some other people may add more principles, such as being
coherent, concrete, or credible, but the 5 Cs may be quite useful to write a proper
business document.
Persuasion
Additionally, in every business document there is some degree of persuasion,
because you always have to convince the addressee to respond and/or take action.
Therefore, the following principles of persuasion help you compose an efficient and
effective business document:
Plan according to the reader’s reaction;
Write with the ‘you’ attitude – the state of mind where you always emphasize
the benefits to the reader and subordinate your interests. This can be
2
accomplished by using the words ‘you’ and ‘your’ often and avoiding the ‘I’;
Adjust the language to the reader and use terms and concepts that the reader is
familiar with;
Write positively and with confidence.
Activity 1. Answer the following questions about the text.

a. Where can business letters be sent?
____________________________________________________________________
b. Why can written documents be preferred to other forms of communication?
____________________________________________________________________
c. What is the general purpose of a business letter?
____________________________________________________________________
d. Can business letters have other purposes?
____________________________________________________________________
e. Among the three steps to write a message, which one do you consider the most
important and why?
____________________________________________________________________
f. Name the 5 C principles.
____________________________________________________________________
g. How do you express persuasion in a business letter?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Activity 2. Find out words in the text that could explain the following words or
expressions.
a. Calculate the cost, value, size _________________
b. Day which is not a Sunday or a holiday _________________
c. A document produced on paper _________________
d. State of being recorded or preserved in writing, as evidence _________________
e. Make a message ready to be published by correcting the mistakes and making
other changes _________________
f. Whatever, without considering _________________
g. Polite, especially in a formal way _________________
h. Successfully done _________________
3
Activity 3. Use words from the text to complete the following sentences. Notice
the first letter has been provided.
a. I would like to e_____________ the importance of this technique.
b. When he speaks to me, he always g___ ___ ___ ________ as soon as he can.
c. Our company has been doing business with SET Ltd. for ten years; now we
r__________ on them.
d. Everyone needs a few g_________________ when they start a new job.
LAYOUT OF A BUSINESS LETTER

When you write a business letter you should follow a general layout; a company may
have a particular way of presenting a salutation or a specific type of letterhead. The
layout of the letter should allow readers to quickly obtain essential information.
Remember, a business letter reflects your professionalism.
(1)
830 Paul’s Path, Austin, TX 787000, USA
Tel.: 0879 456879 FAX: 0879 457689
email: roundneck@yahoo.com website: roundneck_softwar.com
James Martin (2) (3) Your ref.: JM / st

RAPTON Construction Company Our ref.: PL / cw
3456 SE Lancaster Boulevard
Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
(4) 26 October 2020

Dear Mr. Martin, (5)
Thank you for your letter of 15 October in which you asked about our new
software Roundneck Linux.
Enclosed you will find our catalogue and price list. Notice that we offer a
special promotion discount of 10% on the net price.
We look forward to hearing from you soon. (6)
Yours sincerely, (7)
Paul Lenoir (8)

Sales Manager
Enc.: Price list and catalogue (9) 4

Contact information (sender’s address) (1)
This information is located at the top of the business letter in the company’s
letterhead. It includes the name of the company, its address, phone number, fax or/and
email, and company logo. When printing on blank paper, use your address on the top
right-hand side (without your name).
Inside information (receiver’s address) (2)

The inside address is your reader’s full address: this includes the reader’s name,
position, company name, and complete mailing address. If your reader has a courtesy
title, such as Professor, Doctor (Dr.), then use it. Otherwise, use Mr. or Ms., unless
you know the reader prefers Miss or Mrs. Courtesy titles are always followed by the
surname of your reader. These should also appear identically on the envelope.
Example:
Prof. M. Mathews
Department of Botanical Sciences
University of Ohio
Columbus, OH 23450
U.S.A.
References (3)
If someone else types your letters, the reference identifies this person, usually by
initials (though not always, sometimes reference numbers are used). It usually appears
on the top right-hand side. The writer’s initials come first, and they are capitalized.
For example if Peter Smith wrote a letter that was typed by Alan McGregor, the
reference would be:
Ref.: PS/am
Your ref.: is used to identify the letter to which this is a reply. Our ref.: is the
reference of the present letter. If it is the first letter written to this company, there will
only be Our ref.:, since there is no previous correspondence.
Date (4)
The date is usually placed on the right hand side before the salutation. In British
English, and in general in Europe, the day of the month is followed by the month and
the year. However, in the U.S. the month comes first and is followed by the day, a
comma and the year. Due to this difference in the order, dates expressed only in
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numbers (09/08/2020) should be avoided. Remember the days of the month are
always pronounced as ordinals.
26 October 2020 (BrE) October 26, 2020 (AmE)
Salutation (5)
A business letter should always include a salutation. This is to whom the letter is
addressed. Salutations add a personal touch to your letter. They always include the
word Dear followed by Sir, Madam, Sir or Madam, Sir/Madam, or the courtesy title
of the receiver followed by his or her surname (never use first name after courtesy
title). If you know well the receiver of the letter you can use his or her first name.
After the salutation, you can add a comma, a colon or nothing:
Dear Sir or Madam,
Dear Mr. Smith:
Dear Ms. Brown
Dear Peter,
Body (6)
The body of a business letter is usually single-spaced and tends to have three
paragraphs. The main idea is introduced in the first paragraph and is then supported in
the second one. At the end of the letter, you can include a request for action and a way
for your readers to contact you.
Complimentary close (7)

Business letters should end with a closing which depends on the salutation:
If you start: then close:
British English American English

Dear Sirs/Sir/Madam Yours faithfully Sincerely yours
(Very) Truly yours
Dear Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms Bennett Yours sincerely Yours sincerely

Sincerely (yours)
(Very) Truly yours
Yours (very) truly
Dear Peter (With) Best wishes
(Best) Regards
Capitalize only the first word in the complimentary close, and follow all phrases with
6
a comma or nothing.
Signature (8)
You should also remember to sign and type your name and position under your
handwritten signature, after the closing.
Paul Lenoir
Sales Manager
Enclosures (9)
If the envelope contains any documents other than the letter itself, identify the number
of enclosures or the types of documents:
Enc.: (or Encl.:) (2)
Enc.: (or Encl.:) Price list and catalogue
In determining the number of enclosures, count only the separate items, not the
number of pages.
Activity 4. Include the following parts of a letter in their right place.

Dear Ms Right, Yours sincerely, Enc.: (1)
RIWON CLOSETS August 27, 2021

123 SE Lancaster Blvd J. Right
Tigard, OR 97225 President
U.S.A. JR Construction
Our ref.: WS/cg 238 NW Turner Blvd
Will Stevens Tigard, OR 97225
Will Stevens U.S.A.
President
At Riwon Closets we have the skills and experience to help you with your closet needs.
May we stop by and offer you a FREE estimate at how much it would cost you to
rebuild your closets? If so, give us a call at 555-1212 and set up an appointment with
one of our friendly operators. We enclose a catalogue showing some samples of our
work.
Are you having trouble organizing your tools into your existing closets? If your
company is like most companies your employees may have trouble finding the right tool
when they need it. This is why it is important to have an organized closet system.
7
8
EMAILS
WHAT IS AN EMAIL?
An email (electronic mail) is an effective, low-cost and quick method of written
communication with friends and colleagues all over the world.
Email is mainly a medium rather than a style of communication. People write
emails in different styles, depending on the company policy and on whether they are
writing a business document to a client, a note to subordinates or a message to
colleagues. However, it is generally accepted that email messages tend to be much
less formal than letters or other types of communication (although not everybody
agrees). It is, therefore, tempting to disregard proper writing procedures with emails,
but you should really plan an email message just as thoughtfully as you would a
conventional message. Always remember to proofread your email message carefully
before clicking ‘send’ because once you have done this you cannot call it back for
second thoughts!
Layout of the email

You can find several types of email message format depending on the software you
are using. The example shown here is only a possible one.
Before reading the example, notice the following expressions found in the fixed
email format:
Cc = copy line (carbon copy): to indicate who else received a copy of the message.
Bcc = blind copy line (blind carbon copy): to send the message to a person without
other people knowing it.
Attachment: any kind of document or file which is sent together with the email
message.
9
Send Cut Copy Paste Undo Attach
To: alumno@uji.es
From: mruiz@uji.es
Subject: Showing the email format
CC: Todoslosalumnos@uji.es
BCC:
Attachment: How to write an email.doc

-
Arial 10 N K S
---------- ------- ------- ----------
-------- ---------- ---------- ----------
------- ------- ------- ----------
Greeting
Message
Body
Closing
Signature
10
Example of a business email
To: mruiz@uji.es
From: R.Smith@bhm.ac.uk
Subject: Some changes
CC:
BCC:
Attachment: Birmingham-info.pdf
-
Arial 10 N K S
---------- ------- ------- ----------
-------- ---------- ---------- ----------
------- ------- ------- ----------
Hello Miguel,
I know you are already ready for your visit to Birmingham, but there are some changes
you must know in advance so that you have time to modify any of your plans.
Please be advised that the meeting will take place in “The NEC”, room 123 (and not in
the University as I told you).
Start of the meeting is 9:30 a.m. on 22 September and closing is on 23 September at 3

p.m. (instead of 4 p.m. mentioned in my previous mail).
I kindly ask you to take care of your own hotel accommodation. The Ibis Hotel is near
the railway station and from there, there are trains to the NEC every 10 minutes. It will
take you about 12 minutes to get to the NEC.
In the attachment you will find information on how to move around Birmingham and
timetables to arrive at the meeting place.
Best regards,
Ron
11
HOW TO WRITE EMAIL MESSAGES
Shaping your email messages
Even though email may have a reputation for speed and informality, you will want to
take time to compose your email messages carefully. Organization and style are just
as important for email messages as for any other type of written message. How
formal you make your message depends on both your audience and your purpose.
Make your subject line informative

Be sure to tell the reader what information to expect in the message. If you have a
question, put the word Question in the subject line. You may want to add even more
information by telling what the question is about. The word Question alerts the
receiver of the message that the email should be answered promptly. If you are
sending any kind of information, write down the proper words in the subject line to
help the reader identify the topic, for example, Report of July 10 Meeting on
Relocation of Almazora Plant, or New Insurance Provides Additional Benefit.
Personalise your email message

Adding a greeting makes your email message more personal. Naturally, whether you
use a formal greeting (Dear Mr. Ingerson) or a more casual one (Hi Tom!) depends
on your audience and your purpose.
Your closing and signature also personalise your email message. In most cases,
use simple closings, such as Thanks or Regards, rather than more traditional business
closings such as Yours Sincerely…. For your signature, you can simply type your
name on a separate line. Always sign your email messages, writing your name or
adding an electronic signature. A reader may not take a message seriously if it is not
signed. Your message may be as brief as Enclosed you will find the technical
information you requested, but the message should still contain a greeting and your
signature.
Double check the content and style of the email message

The way you write the message is extremely important. The fact that you are writing
these messages (and not expressing them orally) demands that you write concisely
and correctly. What you write in these messages reveals your writing skills but also
the formality of the documents you submit can prove your competence in writing.
12
Before you click the SEND button, be sure that you edit/revise your message.
Use of email abbreviations in moderation

Shortening phrases and words can save space. Abbreviations are mainly used in
personal emails rather than in business. Use them only if you are sure the reader will
understand them.
ASAP As soon as possible
B4 Before
BCNU Be seeing you
BTW By the way
FYI For your information
HTH Hope this helps
IMHO In my humble opinion
JIC Just in case
TIA Thanks in advance
Emoticons (emojis or smileys for some people)

Pictorial representations used to lighten the mood and add emotion to email
messages (or other current means of digital communication). In business email
messages, it is quite controversial their use. The main recommendation is being
cautious. They can be used when we communicate with close colleagues, but we
should avoid them in case of doubt, in formal messages, and in most of our business
messages.
Activity 5. Answer the following questions.

a. What kind of document is an email, formal or informal?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
b. As the email message is a quick system of communication, do you need to pay
attention to the way you write it?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
13
c. Which are the two main aspects to consider when deciding how formal an email
should be?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
d. What is important about the subject line?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
e. How should you start and finish your email messages?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Activity 6. In the texts about what is an email and how to write email message,
find out words that match the following definitions.
a. Considered carefully, conscientiously _____________________
b. Standard, generally accepted _____________________
c. Carried out without delay, quickly ___________________
d. Included, attached, inserted into the same message ___________________
e. Using as few words as possible __________________
f. Send a document, propose ___________________
g. Careful, thoughtful ____________________
14
Activity 7. Fill in the gaps of the following email.
_______(1) norman_flint@deutel.de
_______(2) yugo.r@ykoe.es
Subject: Confirmation visit to Spain
CC:
BCC:
Attachment:
-
Arial 10 N K S
---------- ------- ------- ----------
-------- ---------- ---------- ----------
------- ------- ------- ----------
Dear Norman,
This is just to __________ (3) you that I have __________ (4) 3 single rooms for
Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday 23rd June at the hotel Startlight, as you suggested.
The __________ (5) confirmed was 60 euros per room, and they also know you will
arrive late at the hotel. The reservation is under the name DüsselTiles Ltd.
As for the visits to the factories, I can confirm all of them, so that we will have a lot of
work to do when you come.
Remember that I __________ (6) to receive the details of your arrival __________ (7) at
Valencia airport so that I can __________ (8) you up and __________ (9) you to the
hotel.
Please confirm you __________ (10) with all this ASAP.
Best regards,
Rodrigo Yugo.
15
TYPES OF BUSINESS LETTERS ACCORDING TO THEIR PURPOSE
The inquiry (or request) letter: it is used to ask for information. It is usually
followed by a reply including the information required.
The order letter: it is used to order goods or services. It is usually followed by a
reply confirming the order.
The claim letter: it is used when there has been a problem with the commercial
transaction, such as a delay in receiving the goods or services, a mistake, or
damage in the goods delivered.
The application letter: this is the letter used when somebody applied for a job.
There are many other types of business letters adjusted to the varied situations a
company may have to deal with. We will only see the inquiry and application types,
but you can find more examples on the Internet.
Activity 8. Say which type of business letter you would write in the following
situations.
a. Your company has run out of ink, one of the components of your product.
________________________
b. You have seen a job in a newspaper advertisement that suits your qualifications.
________________________
c. You have seen MYERS catalogue of bicycles and you may be interested in some of
their products, but you need to know more about them. ______________________
d. RUBBER last delivery of goods has arrived two weeks later than agreed and
only half of the units have been received. ________________________
16
INQUIRY LETTER
As the title indicates, the purpose of this letter is to obtain information from the
reader. If the reader is expecting the letter and it is not the first one you write to this
company, you do not need to be so polite and you can go straight to the point. For
example, a sentence such as the next one sent by the usual means of communication
(email, fax, or letter) would be enough:
Could you please send me your new catalogue of key rings?
The company knows who you are, what you may need and where they have to
send the information.
If the reader is not expecting your letter, then it is more difficult, since this is
your first contact with the company. In this case, you should try to follow the
following steps:
1. Say where you heard about this company (advertisement, other people or
companies, etc.)
2. Give some general information about your business.
3. State your reason for writing.
4. Ask the other company to do something (e.g. send their catalogue).
5. Close the letter.
6. Add a formal ending.
The following example follows these steps:
17
Rofstock Rd, Liverpool L13 7AC, U.K. Tel.: 051-687 9786 FAX: 051-9457689
email: shelbooks@yahoo.com website: www.shelbooks.com
Your ref.:
BOOKS AND CO. Our ref.: JT / nb
56 High Street
Northtown CA7 8NV
U.K.
13 July 2021
Dear Sirs,
We recently attended the International Book Fair in London, and were very
impressed by the wide range and the high quality of your books. (1)
We have a chain of retail shops all over the country (2). At present we are
looking for new suppliers of travel and landscape books (3).
We would like to have more information about your books in these areas,
and on any specific type of travelling for leisure (3). Could you please send
us your current catalogue and price list? (4)
We look forward to hearing from you soon (5).
Yours faithfully, (6)

Jack Taylor
Jack Taylor
Purchases Manager
Activity 9. Match the sentences below with the steps presented above. Some steps
may be matched with more than one sentence.
a. We look forward to hearing from you.
b. Could you please send us your latest catalogue and price list?
c. Yours faithfully,
18
d. Before I make a decision to purchase the software, I need to be certain that it will
work properly on my computer.
e. We have seen your advertisement in this month’s “Art & Decoration”.
f. We are interested in importing your new range of office chairs.
g. We are a company working in the construction business.
h. For your convenience you can respond to us by email.
i. We would appreciate it if you would send us more information about your
basins.
j. We are interested in purchasing 1,000 units of wall sockets.
a._____ b._____ c._____ d._____ e._____
f._____ g._____ h._____ i._____ j._____
Activity 10. Complete the following letter.
Avda. Quevedo, 30
48013 Soria, España
email: sl_inquiry@solana.es
web: www.solo lanasa.es
Blarney Woolen Mills Our ref.: AA/mn

21/22 Nassau Str.
Dublin 2
Ireland
15 September 2021
Dear Sirs,
We have ____________ (1) your advertisement _______ (2) this month’s ________
(3) of ‘Visitor’ magazine.
We are a retail company __________ (4) specialises _______ (5) woolen goods and
clothing. We have _____________(6) about the high quality _____ (7) Irish wool
and your _________ (8) seem to suit ________ (9) needs.
We would therefore _____________ (10) it if you ____________ (11) send us your

__________ (12) catalogues and price lists.
We look forward to __________ (13) from you.
Yours ____________ (14),
Angeles Albert
Director
19
Activity 11. Find out the suitable words or expressions in the previous letter for
the following definitions.
a. Public announcement with the objective of selling a product: a______________
b. Business that sells goods to the general public: r________ c__________
c. Products made of the soft hair of sheep or other animals: w________ g_____
d. Satisfy, meet the needs: s______ o______ n_______
e. Think about something that will happen in the future (usually with pleasure):
l______ f___________ t__
REPLY TO AN INQUIRY LETTER

When you receive an inquiry letter, answer the questions as clearly and as briefly
as possible. If you cannot answer the questions, explain the reasons and offer
alternatives.
A reply to an inquiry letter should follow the following steps:
1. Acknowledge the inquiry letter; that is, let the other company know that you
have received and read their previous letter.
2. State what action you or your company are taking.
3. Emphasize information you consider important (e.g. special discounts or
promotions)
4. Answer any specific questions the inquirer asked.
5. Suggest ways in which you could help the inquirer to make a decision to buy
(visit an office of the company, an exhibition at a fair, offer the visit of one of
your representatives for a demonstration, etc.).
6. Invite the inquirer to ask for further information.
7. Close the letter.
8. Add the appropriate ending.
The following letter replying to the previous example follows these steps:
20
56 High Street, Northtown CA7 8NV, U.K.
Tel.: 051-342 0987 FAX: 051 342 2345
email: booksco@hotmail.com web: www.booksandco.co.uk
Jack Taylor
Purchases Manager Your ref.: JT/ nb
SHELVES BOOKS Our ref.: JE/ gt
Rofstock Rd,
Liverpool L13 7AC
U.K.
27 July 2021
Dear Mr. Taylor,

Thank you for your letter of 13 July in which you asked about our range of
travel and landscape books. (1)
Enclosed you will find our catalogue and price list. (2) Notice that we offer a
special promotion discount of 10% on the net price for Europe and Africa
travel books. (3)
We are going to launch a new collection of books about gastronomy

travelling next Spring, which may also be very interesting for your
customers. (4)
If it is of interest for you, our representative can visit your company and
show you some samples of our books. (5)
If you would like any further information on this collection or on any other
of our products, please do not hesitate to contact us. (6)
We look forward to hearing from you soon. (7)
Yours sincerely, (8)
Janet Ernst
Sales Manager
Enc.: Catalogue and price list
21
Activity 12. Match the sentences below with the steps proposed above.
a. I am enclosing the admissions sheet you requested.
b. If you wish we can arrange for a demonstration.
c. We thank you for your letter of 3 April inquiring about our services.
d. If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
e. We are sending the samples you requested under separate cover.
f. Please note that we are offering a 12% trade discount on bulk orders.
g. Our prices include insurance and delivery.
h. You can find more information about our hotels in our web site www.newhotel.com
a._____ b._____ c._____ d._____
e._____ f._____ g._____ h._____
Activity 13. Write a reply to the letter in activity 10 using the following sentences
in the right place, and complete it with the missing information.
- We have pleasure in enclosing our latest brochures and price list.
- If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
- Thank you for your letter of 15 September inquiring about our woolen goods and
clothing.
- If you wish we can send a sample of some of our products.
- Please note that we offer a 10% discount on bulk orders.
- Our prices do not include insurance and delivery.
- Yours sincerely,
22
Possible Obligatory Communicative Situations
Communicative Situation 1
You are in charge of the purchasing of goods in MENENDEZ GOMEZ department
store. You have seen the following advertisement on crystal goods in the May issue of
Design and are interested in handmade crystal glasses and vases for the gifts section of
the store. Write the inquiry letter and its reply. You can either make up the information
you need or find it with a search tool on the Internet.
IRISH HANDCUT GLASS

LIMITED
Graiguenamanagh
Countyh Kilkenny
Ireland
You work in the exports department of MADERAS LAHOZ. You have to travel to
Dallas to visit some of the company customers. You have seen the advertisement below
in the last edition of Business Travel and would like to have more information about
this hotel. Write an inquiry letter and its reply. You can either make up the information
you need or find it with a search tool on the Internet.
23
the best place to
stay in Dallas
1914 Commerce Street

Dallas 75201
United States of America
Phone n.: +1 (800) 4210011

Fax n.: +1 (800) 7471342
Optional Communicative Situations

As you have the email address of the English teacher of this subject, please write to
her/him an email, introducing yourself and explaining why you are writing this email.
You are thinking about your next holidays. Find some email addresses from a different
country where you would like to go and ask for any kind of information related to
accommodation, visits, attractions, and so on. Choose one address and one topic that
you would like to inquiry about (you can ask the help of your teacher in case you are
unsure). Then, work on the message you would like to write. Send it and wait for an
answer. When you get the answer, submit both messages (yours and the reply) to your
teacher as you agree, to check how the message exchange has occurred.
24
UNIT 2. TELEPHONING
WHAT IS TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION?

Telephones, nowadays smartphones, are widely used in any business as proves the
competition of telephone companies to introduce their products in this sector.
Telephoning has become a daily and common task almost everywhere in the
world. However, many learners of English find speaking on the phone one of the
most difficult objectives to achieve.
There are two aspects of telephone conversations that are essential for a good
communication: accuracy of the language used and adequate stress, intonation and
pausing.
In this unit you will find some of the most commonly used phrases in business
telephone conversations in English, as well as those that correspond to special
situations, such as when the person you want to reach is unavailable or when it is the
wrong number. Especially important in telephone communication are spelling and
numbers. The former is used when one of the speakers is not familiar with a name, a
street or a city. The latter are essential when speaking about amounts or prices. It is
also important to be fluent in other countries’ currencies and their equivalences.
An important skill on the phone is knowing how to use the tone of your voice.
Even though many people make gestures with their face and hands when they are
speaking on the phone, the other person can only perceive their stress, intonation,
and pausing to help understanding. This is why you have to be especially careful
with these and try to use them at least in the same way you do in your native
language.
Activity 1. Reading comprehension. Answer the following questions.

a. Which two aspects of telephone conversations are more important?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
b. When is spelling important?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

c. When are numbers used in telephone conversations?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
d. How is body language substituted when phoning?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Activity 2. Listen to two telephone conversations and fill in the table.

CALL CALLER COMPANY CALLER’S REQUEST
Activity 3. Work in pairs. Student 1 spells the words in column 1 for Student 2,
who has to write them down without looking at the book. Then Student 2 will spell
the words in column 2 for Student 1. Study the alphabet again if you need it.
Column 1 Column 2
Grindlays Bank Klondike Office Equipment

“Düinerbook” Gettysburg, PA, USA
La Soriana S.A. John Hinde Curteich Inc.
Ivanoff Interactive Aps. Sra. Itziar Urchueguía Uruburu
Sr. Rodrigo González Machimbarrena Mapfre Finisterre
Activity 4. Read aloud the following numbers. Then, listen to the recording and
check your answers.
$ 1,283 25 September 2003
845,325 m2 € 3,869,204
1.5 tons £ 43.13 e.u.
+34 964 584632 864.56 gallons
26
PARTS OF A PHONE CALL
Opening a call
The first thing you do when answering a phone call is identifying your company.
Azulejos Texcor, can I help you?
Good morning, Cinnamon International.
The caller must, then, identify her- or himself.
This is (name)
(Name) speaking.
If the caller fails to identify herself or himself, the called person can request the
identification.
Who’s calling, please?
May I ask who’s calling?
The caller can, then either ask for the person s/he has called or explain the purpose
of the call.
I’d like to speak to …
Could I speak to someone in the … department?
Line through operator
In order to control their phone calls, many companies employ operators or
telephonists whose work consists in answering the phone and putting callers
through to their desired extension by using modern telephone switchboards. They
use phrases like
Hang on for a moment.
Hang on the line, please.
I’ll put you through.
I’ll try to connect you.
You can dial him/her direct.
27
Explaining the purpose of a call
This is the second important part of a phone call. The caller must explain why s/he
is phoning.
I’m calling/ phoning about…
The reason I’m calling is …
It’s in connection with…
If the caller fails to explain the purpose of the call immediately, the called person
can ask about it.
Could you tell me what it’s about?
What’s it in connection with?
Structuring a call
When explaining the purpose of the call, the caller can use several expressions to
structure her/ his arguments.
There are two things I want to mention.
The first one is …
The other thing I wanted to say was …
Just one more point…
Responses
Due to the lack of visual contact it is necessary that both speakers respond
periodically to each other, even in situations when it wouldn’t be necessary in face
to face conversation. However, all responses are not always suitable.
Encouraging responses: Of course.
Please do.
Go ahead.
Certainly.
Positive responses: Good.
Fine.
That sounds great.
Neutral responses: OK.
All right.
Disappointed responses: Oh dear.
28
That’s a pity.
I’m sorry to hear that.
Showing understanding: I see.
I’ve got that.
Asking for clarification: I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that.
Could you repeat that?
Notice that sometimes these words and some small words, such as ‘well’, ‘so’,
‘mm’, ‘I mean’, are not used as responses, but as words empty of their usual meaning,
which have a number of specific functions: change of topic, concluding, etc.
Activity 5. Put the following extract from the opening of a telephone call in the
right order.
B: The reason I’m calling is to ________________________________________

inquire about your new model ________________________________________
of sports car. ________________________________________
A: Not too bad. I’m glad you ________________________________________
are working for Richmond’s ________________________________________
again. So, what can I do for ________________________________________
you? ________________________________________
B: Fine, working here again, as ________________________________________
you can see. And you? ________________________________________
A: Smith speaking. ________________________________________
B: Christine Faber here. Is that ________________________________________
you, Tim? ________________________________________
A: Hi! How are you, Christine? ________________________________________
Activity 6. Match what the speakers say on the right with the most appropriate
response from those on the left.
1. How are you? a. Let me go over it again.

2. Could you spell that, please? b. Congratulations. That’s marvellous
3. We’ve booked it from the 6th to the 9th. news.
4. I’m afraid your consignment will have c. Fine, and you?
29
to be cancelled. d. I’m sure you have, but I still need a
5. I’m returning your call. solution.
6. So we’ve done everything we can. e. Me too.
7. I was phoning to tell you that this f. October, you mean?
year’s benefits are twice those we g. Of course. It’s K-R-I-S-T.
obtained last year! h. Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. What
8. I’ve put everything in the post. I’ve happened?
sent it by express delivery, so it should i. Thank you. Do you know what time
be with you tomorrow. it’ll arrive?
9. I look forward to seeing you soon. j. Thanks. It was about the sales
10. Sorry, I didn’t catch that. conference.
1._____ 2._____ 3._____ 4._____ 5._____
6.____ 7.____ 8.____ 9.____ 10.____
Questions and requests

Sometimes the reason why you are using the phone to communicate with the other
person is because you need an urgent answer to a problem. However, impatience in
your voice or the wrong way to place your problem can create a bad impression
through the phone that may lead to misunderstanding. Very often, the use of indirect
questions may help you in sounding more polite. In indirect questions there is another
verb that introduces the question, which has now the word order of statements. Ex.:
Do they work on the 30th November in the U.S.?

Do you know if they work on the 30th November in the U.S.?
Has the new transport company done a good job?

Do you think the new transport company has done a good job?
Is this your first order?

Did you say this was your first order?
Why do we have to do it?

Could you tell me why we have to do it?
30
Do we have to leave?
Would you mind telling me whether we have to leave?
Sometimes the question is turned into a statement including the indirect question. Ex.
Do you want us to deliver your consignment by plane or by ship?
I need to know if you want us to deliver your consignment by plane or by ship.
Can you help me?

I wondered if you could help me.
Remember that the first rule of both phone conversations and business
communication is politeness.
Activity 7. Make the following questions less direct, following the examples in the
table above.
_________________________________________
a. What do you mean by that?
_________________________________________
b. Do you need to travel first class? _________________________________________

_________________________________________
c. Should we save this money _________________________________________

instead of investing it? _________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
d. Was the consignment delivered
yesterday or last week? _________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
e. Who did you talk to?
_________________________________________
f. Can you wait a minute? _________________________________________

_________________________________________
g. Is it easy to find good employees _________________________________________

in the textile industry? _________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
h. How many employees does your
_________________________________________
office in Córdoba have?
31
_________________________________________
i. Will you be travelling by train or _________________________________________
by plane? _________________________________________
_________________________________________
j. Where do you plan to build the _________________________________________
new factory? _________________________________________
_________________________________________
Closing a call
There are different ways in which a telephone conversation can be closed.
Confirmation: It is usually the called party who confirms the reason the
caller had for calling, or any important agreement reached during the call.
So, let me just go over that … (+ main points)
Can I just make sure I’ve got it right? (+ main points)
Closing signals: Both parties can announce their will to close.
I think that covers everything.
Is there anything else?
Thanking: Depending on the situation, one party or the other will use this
closing.
Thanks for calling.
Thank you for the information/ your help.
This needs an immediate response:
You’re welcome.
Not to mention.
Not at all.
Looking forward: Both parties can use this closing, announcing in some way
their intention to continue their relationship in the future.
seeing you soon.
I look forward to meeting you.
hearing from you.
our next meeting.
I’ll get back to you.
32
Farewells: This is the last part of the closing and is always used by both
parties.
Bye.
Goodbye.
See you soon.
Speak to you soon
Most of the times, several of these ways of closing are used following the order
they have been presented. The only one that is obligatory is the farewell.
Activity 8. Place the following phrases in the logical order in a telephone

conversation.
a. Hello, this is Charles Preston from BCU Maastricht. I would like to speak with
Andrés González.
b. Fine, the reason I’m calling is the delivery of the new model of bedroom furniture.
c. Yes, that may be a problem. I’ll have to think it over.
d. Thanks for the information. I’ll make sure all our sales staff knows this.
e. Yes, go ahead.
f. Charles, how are you?
g. Certainly. That sounds good. Some of this bedroom furniture has already been sold
and we may sell some more before Christmas.
h. OK. Could you please call me in a couple of weeks to confirm you accept this
delivery on the first week of December?
i. Hi, Charles. This is Juan Luis. I’ll put you through to Carlos. Hold on, please.
j. Everything is ready for delivery. Although we agreed on the 15th January, we were
wondering if you would accept it five weeks in advance.
k. Thanks for calling. Good-bye.
l. Yes, I’ll phone you with an answer as soon as I make a decision. Is there anything
else?
m. 233156. BCU Furniture. How can I help you?
n. Good-bye.
o. No, that’s all. I’ll be waiting for your call.
p. However, there are two things I want to mention. The first one is that it means earlier
payment.
33
q. The other thing I want you to know is that unfortunately, we will not be able to
deliver more orders of this model until next June.
CONVERSATION IN THE RIGHT ORDER

JUAN LUIS:
CH. PRESTON:
JUAN LUIS:
A. GONZÁLEZ:
CH. PRESTON:
A. GONZÁLEZ:
CH. PRESTON:
A. GONZÁLEZ:
CH. PRESTON:
A. GONZÁLEZ:
CH. PRESTON:
34
A. GONZÁLEZ:
CH. PRESTON:
A. GONZÁLEZ:
CH. PRESTON:
A. GONZÁLEZ:
CH. PRESTON:
Activity 9. Watch the following video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L7g-

qlhVco) and answer the questions:
a. Why can telephone conversations be stressful?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
b. How can you answer a business call?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
c. What can you say to start a conversation when you are calling?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
d. When do you have to use your complete name when calling?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
e. What do you have to say if you want to speak to a certain person in the company?
______________________________________________________________________
35
______________________________________________________________________
f. What do you have to say if you want to leave a message?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
g. What can you say if you have not understood?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
h. What is the meaning of the following phrasal verbs used in telephone
conversations?
Hold on ______________________________________________________________
Hang on________________________________________________________________
Put through_____________________________________________________________
Get through_____________________________________________________________
Hang up _______________________________________________________________
Call back ______________________________________________________________
Pick up _______________________________________________________________
Get off _______________________________________________________________
TYPES OF PHONE CALLS

It is difficult to make a typology that includes all the different types of phone calls.
We have selected six types, which are among the most common in a business
environment:
- wrong number
- unavailable person
- hotel and travel arrangements
- inquiries or requests
- arranging meetings
- complaints
In the following exercises you will work with models of these six types of phone
calls.
36
Activity 10. WRONG NUMBER. Fill in the gaps of the following telephone
conversation with the words below.
Operator: Good afternoon. Richmond’s Special Celebrations. Can I

___________ you?
Roger MacDonald: _______ Roger MacDonald here. Can I _________ to Mrs.
Danlow?
Operator: Sorry, there’s no Mrs. Danlow ________ this number.
Roger MacDonald: The ________ I have here is Richmond Sound 465 284 13.
Operator: That’s _____ number all right, but this is Richmond’s Special
Celebrations. You ______ have the _______ Richmond.
Roger MacDonald: _______, I’ll take another ________ in the yellow pages.
Operator: That’s _____________. Bye.
Roger MacDonald: ________ .
look Hello help wrong

must at our Bye
Sorry speak number all right
Activity 11. PERSON UNAVAILABLE. Complete this telephone conversation

with phrases from the list below. Use each phrase only once.
Alison: _____________________________________________________________ .
Mathew: Oh, hi. This is Mathew van Clyde from Portwell Productions. Could I speak
to John Revell, please?
Alison: _____________________________________________________________ .
Mathew: Do you think he’ll be back today?
Alison: _____________________________________________________________ .
Mathew: I’d really appreciate that. Could you tell him I called because I need to know
the travel costs of my trip to Taiwan next month?
Alison: _____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________ .
Mathew: ___________________________ .
Alison: I’m sorry. I didn’t catch your name.
Mathew: ___________________________________________________________ .
37
Alison: ____________________________________________________________ .
Mathew: Thanks very much.
Alison: ____________________________________________________________ .
Mathew: ____________ .
a. That’s right.
b. Worldwide Travel. Alison Dillemann speaking.
c. He won’t be back until Monday, but if it’s urgent I can get a message to him this
afternoon.
d. Bye.
e. It’s Mathew van Clyde from Portwell Productions.
f. I’m afraid John is at a meeting. May I take a message?
g. You’re welcome. Good-bye.
h. Just let me make sure I got it right. You’d like to know the travel expenses of
your trip to Taiwan next month.
i. Thank you, Mr. Van Clyde. I’ll make sure he gets the message this afternoon.
Activity 12. HOTEL AND TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS. Listen to the recording.

While you are listening, fill in the table below.
NAME OF PERSON CALLING: __________________________________

DESTINATION: __________________________________
DATES OF TRIP: __________________________________
FLIGHTS:
1. Date: __________________________________
Departure time: __________________________________
Place of departure: __________________________________
Place of arrival: __________________________________
2. Date: __________________________________
Departure time: __________________________________
Place of departure: __________________________________
Place of arrival: __________________________________
HOTEL: __________________________________
Type of room: __________________________________
Date of arrival: __________________________________
Date of departure: __________________________________
38
Activity 13. INQUIRIES. Fill in the gaps in the following telephone conversation.
Then, check your answers with the recording.
Juan Ortiz: Bodegas y Viñedos Vega Sicilia. Buenos días.

Jon Hansel: Can you speak English?
Juan Ortiz: Yes, of course. How can I help you?
Jon Hansel: Hello, this is Jon Hansel from Hansel Liquors in Philadelphia. I’m
___________ in increasing the selection of Spanish wines we offer
in our liquor stores. Do you have any Ribera del Duero
___________?
Juan Ortiz: Well, yes, we have several wines from Ribera del Duero. Are you
interested in any special year?
Jon Hansel: I ___________ like some bottles of your best wine.
Juan Ortiz: Then I can ___________ our Tinto Balbuena, a vintage wine from
the crop of 1996.
Jon Hansel: O.K. ___________ is the bottle?
Juan Ortiz: This is a limited series and we only have 50 bottles in stock. The
current price is 100 euros without including insurance and freight.
Jon Hansel: Well, it’s somewhat expensive. Look, I have to travel to Spain next
January. ___________ I then visit your winery and taste the wine?
Juan Ortiz: Of course, Mr Hansel. You will be very welcome. We can show you
the winery and also the vineyards. Then, you can taste the wine and
if you’re ___________ with its quality, we can discuss the terms of
the transaction.
Jon Hansel: That ___________ good. My secretary will phone you at the end of
December to ___________ the meeting. Good-bye now.
Juan Ortiz: I ___________ to meeting you, Mr Hansel. Good-bye.
interested look forward in stock

could satisfied sounds
how much would recommend
arrange
39
Activity 14. ARRANGING MEETINGS. Complete the following phone call with
phrases from the list below. Then, check your answers with the recording.
Mary Andrews: ____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________
Paul Robins: Hello, Mary. This is Paul Robins, Personal Assistant to Alice
Collins.
Mary Andrews: Hi, Paul. How can I help you?
Paul Robins: Ms. Collins would like to speak to Mr. Achers.
Mary Andrews: ____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Paul Robins: I think Ms. Collins wants to meet Mr. Achers in Orlando next
week.
Mary Andrews: OK, I’ll let him know, and I’ll phone you back as soon as he’s
available.
Paul Robins: Thank you. Good-bye now.
Mary Andrews: Good-bye.
[half an hour later]
Paul Robins: ____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Mary Andrews: Hello Paul, this is Mary. Mr Achers is available now. Can I put
him through to Ms. Collins?
Paul Robins: Hold on, please. (…) Thank you, Mary. You can put him
through now.
Alice Collins: Hello, is that you, Raymond?
Raymond Achers: Hi, Alice. It’s good to hear from you! How are you?
Alice Collins: ____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Raymond Achers: That’s a good idea, Alice. I’m having many problems with them
and I would like to discuss with you the steps to follow. I’ll stay
at the Continental and I’m going to be there from 6th to 10th.
40
What about Tuesday 7th?
Alice Collins: Well, I’m going to stay at the Marriott. Why don’t you come
over to my hotel? Tuesday 7th is all right for me, but it’ll have to
be in the afternoon. I have to meet some clients in the morning.
Raymond Achers: Is 3:00 p.m. all right for you?
Alice Collins: Perfect.
Raymond Achers: ____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Alice Collins: Good-bye for now and have a nice trip.
Raymond Achers: Bye, you too.
a. OK. Then, we’ll meet next Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. at the main hall of the Marriott.
See you soon.
b. Good morning, Adams and Sinks. Paul Robins speaking. How can I help you?
c. Hello, Communicon. Mary Andrews speaking. How can I help you?
d. I’m fine. I phoned you because I’m going to be in Orlando next week for the
Construction Fair, and I thought it might be a good idea to have a meeting there
and talk about our new suppliers, you know, J.F. & R Products from Cairo.
e. I’m afraid he’s busy at the moment, but I think he’ll be free in about ten
minutes. Do you know what it is about?
Activity 15. COMPLAINTS. Listen to the recording and fill in the gaps with the
missing words that you will hear.
Operator: Good morning, LTC Electronics. Can I ________ you?

Mr. Sousa: I’d like to make a ______________about an order of printer cartridges
we have just received.
Operator: ______ the line, please. I’ll connect you with the sales department.
Mr. Gavilán: Good morning. Jorge Gavilán speaking. How can I help you?
Mr. Sousa: It is about an order of printer cartridges we ________ two months ago,
and which we received yesterday.
Mr. Gavilán: Yes, is there anything _______ with the order?
41
Mr. Sousa: I’m ______ so. In that case there were just 16 units instead of 50 we
had ordered. In addition, the boxes were broken and there were loose
parts.
Mr. Gavilán: I’m _______ to hear that. Could you tell me the name of the company
and the order number?
Mr. Sousa: Yes, the company is Wang and Sing Associates, and the _____
number is 3745X2, for 50 printer cartridges.
Mr. Gavilán: Yes, I’ve got it here. We ___________ your consignment two weeks
ago in perfect conditions, and we also have a clean bill of lading.
Something must have happened during the transport. I’ll __________
the insurance company.
Mr. Sousa: What do I have to do, then?
Mr. Gavilán: Keep the delivery as it is. An inspector of the insurance company will
come as soon as _______________. There must have been a robbery.
Mr. Sousa: But my customers are waiting for these printer cartridges…
Mr. Gavilán: You can sell the 16 cartridges if they are in good condition. We’ll send
_____________________ for the rest of the cartridges as soon as the
insurance company advises us.
Mr. Sousa: Could you ring me back and ___________________ when you will be
sending the replacements?
Mr. Gavilán: Yes, of ______________. I’ll phone you during the afternoon. I’m
sorry again for what has happened.
Mr. Sousa: So am I. I hope the insurance company can compensate for this and I
wish the ___________ measures are taken so this doesn’t happen
again.
Mr. Gavilán: We’ll do as much as we can. I’ll talk to you later, Mr. Sousa, and I’ll
keep you informed. Bye.
Mr. Sousa: Thank you very much. I’m looking forward to your call. Bye.
42
Work with a partner. Each of you will choose one role: angry customer or director of
the customer attention department. You will only have to read your role file, covering
with a paper the other one. Take some minutes to prepare your part, without talking to
your partner, then come together and perform the telephone conversation. Record your
performance, then listen to it again and discuss with your partner the mistakes you may
have made, as well as the stress and intonation you used.
ANGRY CUSTOMER
You are the owner of a stationery shop where you sell all kind of office and school
materials. You have received a consignment of 100 packages of 500 sheets of A4
paper. Half of the packages seem to have been wet and show stains and wrinkles.
You phone Asia Paper Company to complain about it.
DIRECTOR OF THE CUSTOMER ATTENTION DEPARTMENT OF ASIA

PAPER COMPANY
You receive a phone call from a regular customer about the bad conditions of arrival
of a consignment of A4 office paper. Tell him/her you will find about what
happened and call back as soon as you know.
Make a telephone call for the following situation. Then record it reading it with a
partner and paying attention to stress and intonation.
Peter Smith has been told Box and Box Ltd. are offering a job as administrative
assistant. He phones Box and Box to ask about the job. They have already employed
somebody.
43
UNIT 3. JOB ADVERTISEMENTS, APPLICATION LETTERS AND CVs
WHAT IS A JOB ADVERTISEMENT?

When a company needs to employ somebody for a position, they usually make a
public announcement in the press or on the Internet. They can choose either to
publish it in a newspaper or in specialised job searching press. In the case of the
Internet, there are special sites for job hunting or what is called electronic résumé
banks.
This is the information you usually find in a job advertisement, both in a
newspaper or on the Internet:
Ad Title P.A.(Personal Assistant) NEEDED URGENTLY
Company Name SAFETECH, Inc

Company Description Technology safety software Company
Location Tennessee- United States of America
Job Description SAFETECH is a company producing personal

computer safety software. We need a Personal
Assistant to the Managing Director. He/she will be in
charge of the administrative work of the Managing
Director’s office.
Salary Range US$ 16,000-32,000 p.a.

Housing Facilities not available
Perks available
No. of Vacancies 1
Qualifications Bachelors
Total Work Experience 2 – 4 years
Additional Information Please check out our website at www.safetechinc.com
Contact
Email jenn_shane@juno.com (Jennifer)
Post SAFETECH, Inc.
5830 Mt. Moriah
Memphis, TN 38115
U.S.A.
Phone 901-753-4723 (Mike)
However, not all advertisements (adverts, ads) have the same type of
information.
Job ads in newspapers can be found in the Recruitment or Classifieds sections.
Their main difference as compared with ads on the web is the display of the
information. You can see an example of these ads on the next page.

Activity 1. Look at this advertisement above and answer the following questions.
a. What type of employees are they looking for?
______________________________________________________________________
b. Who is the employer?
______________________________________________________________________
c. What are the requirements for the job?
______________________________________________________________________
d. What is the minimum salary they offer?
______________________________________________________________________
Activity 2. Now look at the following advertisement from a newspaper, and answer
the following questions.
Timken Latrobe Steel

want professionals with a proven track record
CUSTOMER SERVICE
SALES IN EUROPE
Leading steel manufacturer seeks enthusiastic, talented and motivated

person as a Sales Manager for a new Customer Service (European Market)
in Monroeville, PA, U.S. Duties include answering inquiries, providing
technical information, and maintaining excellent customer relations.
Candidates must be able to work both in teams and independently, have
good listening, organizational, communication, telephone, math, computer
and problem-solving skills, both in English and in two European languages.
Technical/ Business degree. Customer service work experience in a
manufacturing environment is a plus.
We require: Excellent wage / generous bonus
- talented and motivated person Send résumé to:

- technical or business graduate TIMKEN LATROBE STEEL
- good command of two European P.O. Box 34,
languages plus English. Latrobe, P.A. 12980
Fax: 924/532-4356
a. What type of company is Timken Latrobe Steel?

______________________________________________________________________
45
b. Where do they offer a job?
______________________________________________________________________
c. What are the qualities they are going to appreciate mostly in a candidate?
______________________________________________________________________
d. What does the job consist in?
______________________________________________________________________
e. Apart from languages, which are the other education requirements?
______________________________________________________________________
Activity 3. Match the following words and expressions with the definitions on the
right column.
WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS DEFINITIONS
1st ad 1. The extra things, such as luncheon
a. bachelors vouchers or free medical insurance, over
b. housing facilities and above the basic pay.
c. perks 2. In a job ad, it refers to the provision of a
house or place to live for the hired
person.
3. People with a first degree from a
university or polytechnic, and it may be
in arts or social science subjects (B.A.)
or in science subjects (B.Sc.).
2nd ad 1. Past experience which is shown to be
a. generous bonus true or correct.
b. proven track record 2. An amount of money that you get as
c. personnel well as your usual pay of income,
probably as a reward for a particular
piece of work that you have done.
3. The people who work in a particular
organisation, business, or other
establishment; staff. It may also refer to
the department that deals with every
matter of the employees.
46
1st ad 2nd ad
a. ______ a. ______
b. ______ b. ______
c. ______ c. ______
Activity 4. Fill in the gaps in the following job advertisement.
VITEC
Searches IMPORTS MANAGER
We are an expanding international distributor of electronic house

appliances. We need motivated people for our new sales
department for Eastern Europe in our delegation in Valencia,
Spain. Duties _______ (1) answering inquiries, providing
technical information, and maintaining excellent customer
relations.
Candidates must be able to work both in _______ (2) and

independently, and have good listening, organizational,
communication, telephone, math, computer and problem-solving
_______ (3), both in English and in two Eastern European
languages, as well as a proven _______ (4) record. Bachelor
________ (5) in Business Administration is a must.
Those interested can send a complete CV to:

VITEC
Avda. Peris y Valero 109-9º
46005 Valencia
CURRICULUM VITAE (CV)

When you are looking for a job you need to present your credentials, that is your
qualifications, experience and abilities, and then add the official documents
(diplomas, contracts, payrolls, testimonials, etc.) that support the information you
have provided, when required. This is usually done in writing and a special format is
required, the resulting document is a Curriculum Vitae.
47
In the United States of America and in their area of business influence a
distinction is made between a Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a résumé. In short,
whereas the former is longer (two or more pages) and used mainly when applying
for international, academic, education, scientific or research positions, the résumé is
a brief summary (one or two pages) of your skills, experience and education in order
to get a job, usually in a company. The main idea the applicants must bear in mind
when elaborating their CV or résumé is that it is their primary selling tool of
themselves. A good CV or résumé must be well organized in a logical way, must
include all and only the relevant and necessary information, and be up-to-date.
We will focus on the CV, although the explanations can be applied to the
résumé as well. The major sections of a CV are the following:
Personal data
In this part of the Curriculum Vitae the complete name, the address, the telephone
and fax number, and the email must be provided. Sometimes it is also important to
add the nationality and the date of birth (DOB).
Employment or work experience

Give the dates when you started and finished in each job you have had,
especially those related to the job you are seeking. Add the name and address
of the company or employer.
Sometimes it is important to provide a short summary about what the job
consisted in, emphasising your skills and abilities and the results obtained.
Organise jobs in reverse chronological order. Include beginning and
terminating dates, job title, name of company or organization, and location.
If you do not still have much work experience, include any job you may have
done, even part time, weekend or temporary jobs, as long as you can provide
a contract and/or payroll, if required.
Education and training
Include all information about university degrees or other relevant studies in
reverse chronological order, i.e., most recent first.
This information must include the date and university where it was obtained
with its location, the title of the degree or diploma and area of speciality (if
48
any). If you have not yet finished your studies, you should anticipate the date
when you intend to obtain the degree or diploma. If during your studies you
made an industrial placement or internship, or spent a study period abroad,
you should also point it out.
Degrees and diplomas vary from one country to another and even in the same
country. It is advisable to keep the original title of the degree and provide the
closest equivalence for its consideration. Ex.
o Graduado en Ciencias Químicas (equivalent to Bachelor of Science
(B.S.) in Chemistry).
You may also add the subjects or skills covered and a brief explanation of the
level of the diploma in the national education system.
Languages spoken, read, written

You have to specify language and your level in reading, writing, and verbal skills.
Skills
In recent years employers are giving more and more importance to social,
organisational and technical skills. You may have acquired these skills during your
studies or training, in your work experience or in personal situations.
a. Social skills refer to the ability to communicate well with people, working
in teams, being able to integrate easily in any kind of environment.
b. Organisational skills deal with the ability to coordinate, organise or lead
groups of people in order to carry out tasks with a pre-established objective.
c. Technical skills are those related to the use of specific equipments,
computer software, machinery, etc.
d. Other types of skills may be artistic, such as writing, playing music, etc; to
which you can add any other type of skill you think may be relevant for this
job. Ex. You can dive and like doing snorkelling, and you are applying for a
job as a salesperson in a company distributing products for sea sports.
Additional information
Driving licence. Sometimes it may also be important to add information such as
whether you have a driving licence, and if so, the type of licence, and place and time
when it was issued.
49
Job or career interests. Short personal opinion about your interests and what you
intend to do in the future to meet your objectives.
Awards, scholarships, prizes:
Include both academic and professional ones.
State name of honour, granting institution or agency, and date. Ex. Erasmus
scholarship, European Union, January 2018.
Professional affiliations, publications
These are mainly relevant if you apply for an education or research job.
Professional affiliations refer to professional associations memberships.
The publications should be included most recent first in correct bibliographic
order, so that the reader can check details.
Service. Here you may include positions held or other responsibilities you have
had. Ex.
University: department, faculty and university responsibilities.
Professional: reviewing functions for journals, member of supervising
committees.
Community Service: significant volunteer activities, other activities
showing leadership, important service.
Hobbies, interests, leisure activities, travel. Show or highlight those relevant for
the job you are applying for. For example, cars and car races as a hobby may
be important for somebody applying for a job as a sales manager in a car
manufacturing company.
References
For most jobs, it is important to present letters written by people who can
speak well on your behalf, that is, testimonials. Supply the name, address,
telephone/ fax number of 3 (or more) individuals who can comment on how
fit you are for the job, if you cannot supply the letters directly.
Choose persons who know you and your work well, referees with external
visibility and not related to you by family links.
Be sure to ask for their permission before submitting their names and keep
them informed about when they may be required to write a reference letter.
REMEMBER that you must adjust your CV depending on the position you apply for.
50
Activity 5. After reading the previous text, answer the following questions.
a. What is the difference between a résumé and a CV?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
b. Which of the following information will you include in a CV for a job as a waiter in
an airport restaurant?
Religion: Protestant
Address: 1152 Bridge Rd.
Born in Madrid on May, 1969
Professional training in Germany
Hobby: hunting
Spanish, English, French and German spoken
Member of Fowls 10 Hunting Club
Married, with two children (12,14)
Hobby: travelling
Driving license
Member of the Labour Party since 1981
Awarded “Waiter of the Year” by the British Association of Waiters
Hobby: football and basketball
Activity 6. Match the following words and expressions with the definitions on the
right column. Then make sentences with them, keeping the same meaning they
have in the text.
1. skills a. period students spend at a company to have a first contact with the
labour market
2. up-to-date b. present time
3. industrial c. ability to do things well
placement d. document expressing the amount of money an employee earns and
4. work experience the work she/he has done to get this money
5. testimonials e. written statement testifying to a person’s merits, abilities or
qualifications
51
6. payroll f. qualities for being a leader
7. leadership g. period of time spent working for one or several employers
8. on your behalf h. ask for
9. submit i. in the interest of
10. apply for j. send
1. _______ 2. _______ 3. _______ 4. _______ 5. _______

6. _______ 7. _______ 8. _______ 9. _______ 10. _______
Sentences:
1. ___________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________
4. ___________________________________________________________________
5. ___________________________________________________________________
6. ___________________________________________________________________
7. ___________________________________________________________________
8. ___________________________________________________________________
9. ___________________________________________________________________
10. __________________________________________________________________
Example of Curriculum Vitae
The next example is a Curriculum Vitae following the European CV format provided by
the European Union through their Europass web page:
https://europa.eu/europass/en (EU Europass website)
https://europa.eu/europass/eportfolio/screen/cv-editor?lang=en (Create your CV)
https://europa.eu/europass/eportfolio/screen/cover-letter-editor?lang=en (Create your
cover letter)
52
You will have to register. Once done that, you will be able to create your own CV or
download templates and examples, instructions for filling in the CV, as well as
information on the Languages European Levels. Any useful information dealing with
education and training programmes, and looking for a job in the European Union can be
found there.
The following example could be the Curriculum sent by somebody applying for the job
advertised in activity 4 in this unit.
53
Europass
Curriculum Vitae
Personal information
Surname(s) / First name(s) Burkitba, Gulmir
Address(es) C/ Colón 23, 12001 Castellón, Spain
Telephone(s) +34 964 231415 Mobile +34672455445
Email gulburk@hotmail.com
Nationality Kazakh-Irish
Date of birth 23 OCTOBER 1975
Gender Female
Desired employment / Imports Manager

Occupational field
Work experience
Dates From February 2000 to September 2003

Occupation or position held Secretary to Exports Manager
Main activities and Preparing letters and documents related to the exportation of software products to Mid- and Eastern
responsibilities Europe
Name and address of employer MicroNet – 16 Willow Street, Co., Cork (Ireland)
Type of business or sector Distribution of software products
Dates From July 1998 to January 2000

Occupation or position held Secretary to Sales Manager
Main activities and Preparing letters and documents related to the sales of whiskey to national and international customers
responsibilities (mainly Britain, U.S. and France)
Name and address of employer The Old Middleton Distillery – Ballyhaunis Rd., Co. Cork (Ireland)
Type of business or sector Whiskey distillery and distribution
Dates From October 1994 to March1997 (part time – 4 hours a day)

Occupation or position held Telephone operator
Main activities and Answering the phone and connecting with the person asked.
responsibilities
Name and address of employer Den Norske Hytteformidling A/S – Kaigarten 10, N-5000 Bergen (Norway)
Type of business or sector Travel Agency
Page 1/2 - Curriculum vitae of For more information on Europass go to http://europass.cedefop.eu.int 54

Burkitba, Gulmir © European Communities, 2003 20051110
Education and training
Dates From October 1994 to July 1997
Title of qualification awarded Occupational studies diploma
Principal subjects/occupational Module on administrative work
skills covered
Name and type of organisation Nordisk Institut - Bergen, Norway
providing education and training
Personal skills and

competences
Mother tongue(s) Kazakh
Other language(s) Russian, English and Norse

Self-assessment Understanding Speaking Writing
European level (*) Listening Reading Spoken interaction Spoken production
Russian B1 Independent User B1 Independent User B1 Independent User B1 Independent User B1 Independent User
English B2 Independent User B2 Independent User B2 Independent User B2 Independent User B2 Independent User
Norse A2 Basic User A2 Basic User A1 Basic User A1 Basic User A1 Basic User
(*) Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
Social skills and Independent since I was 17, I have lived in multicultural environments, where I had to adapt myself to
competences different sociocultural and work conditions. In all positions I have held in my career I had to demonstrate a
good command of communication skills, mainly in English.
Organisational skills and In my last job at MicroNet I had to organise the work of three salespeople, since the exports manager was
competences very often travelling abroad.
I belong to the European association of Kazakh immigrants where I organise the work of the groups of
volunteers in Ireland, Great Britain, France and Spain, since October this year I am the president of this
association in Spain.
Computer skills and Computer skills: I can use several computer programs such as Word, Excel, or File Maker.
competences
Artistic skills and I like writing: while at school I won several prizes for my poetry and short stories.
competences I can play the piano and the violin.
Driving licence I have a driving licence valid for all E.U. countries.
Additional information My referees are:

- Mr. Otto Johansson from Den Norske Hytteformidling
- Ms. Janet Andrews from the Old Middleton Distillery
- Mr. James O’Brien from MicroNet
You can contact them if you need references
Annexes Testimonials by all the companies where I have worked

Diploma of Administrative Occupational Work (certified translation into English)
Page 2/2 - Curriculum vitae of For more information on Europass go to http://europass.cedefop.eu.int 55

Burkitba, Gulmir © European Communities, 2003 20051110
Activity 7. Qualifications vary from one country to another. It is advisable to keep
the original title of your qualifications and provide either a brief description or a
rough translation in brackets. Here is a list of Spanish and British qualifications,
try to match them.
1. Graduado universitario a. MBA (Master in Business Administration)
2. Bachillerato b. BA (Bachelor of Arts)
3. Ciclo Formativo de Grado Superior (F.P.) c. BSc (Bachelor of Science)
4. Máster (estudios de postgrado) d. MA (Master)
5. Máster en Administración de Empresas e. Bachelor’s degree in Business
6. Grado en Administración de Empresas Administration / Economics / Finance and
/ Economía / Finanzas y Contabilidad Accounting
f. HND (Higher National Diploma)
g. “A” Level
1. _______ 2. _______ 3. _______

4. _______ 5. _______ 6. _______
Activity 8. Complete your CV following the European CV template.
THE APPLICATION LETTER

When you apply for a job you have to send your CV, but it has to be accompanied
by a cover letter, the application letter. This letter should be addressed to the person
whose name has been provided in the job advertisement, where you will also find
the address of the company.
What sections should be included in an application letter?

1. Reference to the ad where you learned about the job. If you had any previous
contacts with your reader, you can also bring them up here.
2. You should introduce why you are interested in the job, and a short and
general reference to your suitability for the position.
3. In your argument, you should describe the most important qualifications and
experience that prove why you are the best person for the job. If you changed
jobs previously in order to improve your job or for other reasons, you may want
to state the reasons. You should also say why you want to leave your present
56
job, if you are presently working. It is advisable that you highlight your
transferable skills. A transferable skill is an ability you utilized in your past
that can be used at your next place of employment. For example, if you used
interpersonal skills or learned how to use certain computer applications through
a previous job, which can also be applied to the position you seek, these are
transferable skills to be highlighted. Transferable skills are worth mentioning in
your cover letter because they demonstrate why you are right for the position,
but you should make sure that you only include those skills that are important
for the position. Example:
I have strong interpersonal skills, which I gained from working as a
server at Tom’s American Restaurant, while going to school. At Tom’s
I learned to work well with other employees, while putting the needs
of customers first.
4. You should also emphasize what you have done that other candidates with your
level of experience have not. This is known as accomplishments.
Accomplishments can be professional, academic or personal.
A professional accomplishment is something you did at a former place of
employment that helped to improve your employer’s efficiency and
productivity. You should be able to prove your achievement, when possible,
with precise numbers. Ex. You introduced a new accountancy system that
reduced by 50% the time devoted to closing the accounts at the end of the year.
Another kind of professional accomplishment involves working part- or full-
time while going to school. Employers are enthusiastic about college graduates
who financed their own education, because this experience demonstrates an
ability to work hard, to set and achieve goals, and to handle multiple tasks. If
you paid for your own education, consider mentioning this in your cover letter.
If you are a student who does not yet have professional accomplishments, focus
on academic and personal accomplishments. An academic accomplishment is
something you did in school that shows you have the skills your employer
seeks. For example, you may have obtained high marks during your studies
while participating in multiple activities (sports, theatre, music or dancing
lessons, etc.).
Another kind of achievement is the personal accomplishment, something
57
you did you are proud of. It can be a goal you set and accomplished. For
example, you always had a passion for animals and now you take care and train
personally two dogs, which have already won several prizes in national
contests. This shows your responsibility and your desire to carry out goals, and
it should be included in a cover letter, emphasizing your achievement and how
you got it, and relating it to the requirements of the job.
5. Awards are important to feature in cover letters because they show that others
have recognized the high quality of your work. However, make sure the award
is related to the position and not outdated.
6. In the closing paragraph you should mention your availability for an
interview, when you may be free to start the new job and how they can contact
you. After that, a usual closing salutation, such as “yours sincerely/faithfully”,
or “truly yours”. Remember to include the enclosure of the CV.
Although you can find all this information in an application letter, not all of it
appears in every one of them. Remember that only that information that is relevant
for the applied position should be included. In the next example of an application
letter, you will see that only sections 1, 2, 3, and 6 appear.
Activity 9. After reading the previous text, answer the following questions.
a. How should you answer to a job advertisement?
______________________________________________________________________
b. What are transferable skills?
______________________________________________________________________
c. How many types of accomplishments are distinguished in the text? Think about an
example of each.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
d. When in the application letter should you mention your availability for an interview?
____________________________________________________________________
58
Example of Application Letter
Notice that after each paragraph you can find the number of the sections in an
application letter. They are related to the explanations above.
C/ Colón 23
12001 Castellón
VITEC
Avda. Peris y Valero 109-9º
46005 Valencia
14 November 2020
Dear Sirs,
I have seen your advertisement in yesterday’s issue of Levante and I am interested

in the position of Sales Representative in the Eastern European market . (1)
I was born in Kazakhstan, but I have lived in Norway and Ireland for the past ten
years. At the moment I have double nationality Kazakh – Irish and consequently, a
valid work permission to work in any country in the European Union. (2)
Until the end of last September I was working as a saleswoman in MicroNet

delegation in Cork, Ireland, mainly dealing with Eastern European markets. (3)
As you can see, my English is very fluent, and I can also speak Kazakh, my mother
tongue, and Russian. You can see all the details in the enclosed Curriculum Vitae.
(3)
I will be available for an interview at any time from next Monday. I look forward to
hearing from you. (6)
Yours faithfully,
G. Burkitba
G. Burkitba
Enc.: 1
Activity 10. Relate the following paragraphs with the type of information they
present: reference to the ad, suitability for the position, experience, qualifications,
transferable skills, accomplishments (academic, professional, personal), awards,
availability.
a. I enclose my curriculum vitae and will be available for an interview any day after 21
September and able to take up a new appointment from 1 October.
59
__________________________________
b. I have a Master in Business Communication in English and have also passed the
Pitman examination in shorthand and typing.
__________________________________
c. Last summer I worked in an office equipment company, in the accountancy

department. It gave me a good approach of the running of and the relationship with a
bank.
_________________________________
d. Of particular note are my strong accomplishments in increasing benefits and

reorganizing accounting functions to improve the efficiency internally. Consider the
following:
Customers complaints reduced by 10%.
Benefits increased by $1.6m per month.
________________________________
Activity 11. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word or expression.
available attributed would goals set

accomplishment experience improved advertised applying
60
342 River Road
Lafayette, IN 46823
Richard Green
Human Resources Manager
Eagle Group
846 Lauderdale Ave.
Miami, FL 34210
December 16, 2020

Dear Mr. Green,
As an experienced professional in the building service contracting industry, I am
_____________ (1) for your position as Customer Service Manager, ________ (2)
on your website (eaglegroup.com). As you can see in my CV, which you will find
enclosed, a successful background in the areas of customer service and operations
______ (3) make me a valuable asset to your company.
Quality customer service is a major focus of my present position with RTV
Associates, and I would like to put my _________ (4) to work for you. As we know,
in a competitive market customer service is what makes the difference. Managing a
customer base of 75 facilities throughout Indiana for the past seven years has ______
(5) my customer service skills tremendously.
In the last seven years, our employee turnover rate has gone from 60% to 30%. Part
of that can be __________ (6) to the development and recognition programs I have
introduced, including Christmas parties and summer holidays. Employees need to
feel they are part of a “team”, and at Eagle Group, that would be one of my _______
(7).
Six years ago, I ____ (8) a personal goal to continue my education at Purdue
University. In December of next year, that goal will hopefully be achieved, and I will
receive a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership. I am proud of this
____________ (9) , as I have worked full-time while studying.
I am anxious to talk with you and discuss my potential to contribute to your
organization. I will be ___________ (10) for an interview any day from 4 p.m. You
can reach me at 864-333-000 or by email margaretjohnson@yahoo.com.
Sincerely,
Margaret Johnson
Enc.: 1
61
The University of Oklahoma, on their Off Campus Jobs for Students web site, includes
the job advertisement below. You have gone to this university as an exchange student
and would like to apply for the job. Write your real CV and the cover letter you would
send, trying to convince them you are the right candidate.
Job ID: 11712

Job Title: Wait Staff (catering)
Work Schedule: Flexible
Hours: Flexible
Description:
Very fun position--work at weddings, parties, etc. Position involves basic catering
duties, loading truck for parties, unloading at site, set-up at party locations, serving,
& at end of festivities cleaning up, re-loading truck with supplies, and unloading
back at Aunt Pittypat’s. Part-time work through school year, but opportunity for lots
of hours during holiday seasons.
How To Apply: Send CV with cover letter
Listed Person: Martha Doolin
Contact Info:
Martha Doolin
Human Resources Manager
Aunt Pittypat’s
3366 New Expressway
Oklahoma City , OK 73112
U.S.A.
Phone: 405-942-4000
The Town Hall of Oklahoma City, on their Jobs for Students web site, includes the job
advertisement below. You are attending classes at the University of Oklahoma as an
exchange student and would like to apply for the job. Write your real CV and the cover
letter you would send, trying to convince them you are the right candidate.
62
Job ID: 11699
Job Title: Library Technical Assistant - Part-time
Work Schedule: 1-5, m-f
Hours: 20 Hrs/wk
Description:
Student would be organising books and assisting readers in
finding the publications they are seeking. Help with the
library accounts. Preferable someone with 6 hours of
accounting, but those with 3 hours & enrolled in 3 more
hours will also be taken into consideration.
How To Apply: Send CV and cover letter
Listed Person: Howard Robbie
Contact Info:
Howard Robbie, Human Resources
Phone:405-521-3911
Employer Info:
Oklahoma Secretary of State
101 State Capitol Building
Oklahoma City , OK 73105
U.S.A.
Phone 1: 405-521-3911
63
UNIT 4. JOB INTERVIEWS
WHAT IS A JOB INTERVIEW?
The interview is the last and the most important step of the hiring process. It offers
both you and the employer the opportunity to meet, exchange information and come
to tentative conclusions about “hiring” one another.
The interview is a two-way process. You evaluate the employer while he/she
evaluates you. Since there is no one-way of interviewing, you will have to develop
your own style. In the short amount of time that you will spend with a potential
employer, you will either be screened in or screened out, so you must project
yourself in a positive, enthusiastic manner.
The interview gives the employer the opportunity to meet you in person and to
evaluate the “total” you. This includes your attitude, appearance, personality,
confidence, knowledge about yourself, and knowledge about the company, as well as
basic ability to do the job.
Activity 1. Find out words in the text that could explain the following words or
expressions (some may have changed their function or form). Then make sentences
with them, keeping the same meaning they have in the text.
a. To employ someone ____________
b. Uncertain, experimental ____________
c. To examine in order to test suitability ____________
d. Possible or prospective ____________
e. The way in which you behave and talk in a particular occasion ____________
Sentences:
1. ___________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________
4. ___________________________________________________________________
5. ___________________________________________________________________

GUIDELINES TO BE EFFECTIVE AT INTERVIEWS
Even when a detailed job description exists, the employer’s perception of the “ideal
candidate” is likely to be based on the qualities, skills and experiences uncovered in
the interview process. With this in mind, you should be prepared to address how your
capabilities are best suited to meet the job requirements.
Approach the interview with self-confidence and a determination to win the job.
The fact that you have been chosen as a candidate is an indication that the employer
believes you are capable of doing the job. That perception applies to all other
candidates as well. Your job, at the interview, is to set yourself apart from those
other candidates.
Setting up an interview
Most interviews will be set up in a telephone conversation with the hiring manager or
his/her representative. You can begin to assume control of the process at this point
and set yourself apart from other candidates. The following actions will help you do
both:
Arrange time and date
Identify the participants (name and position in the company)
Find out how long the meeting will last
Request information on the company/position
Preparing for the interview
The more time you spend on developing a “game plan,” the less likely it is you will
be surprised at the interview. If you are properly prepared, it will be apparent to the
interviewer and it will impress him/her. The following step-by-step action plan will
help in this effort:
Research the company and industry
Develop probing questions
Rehearse responses to interviewers’ questions
Interviewing: selling process
You should view the interview as a sales presentation. Your goal is to sell the
product (you) to the buyer (the prospective employer). The following are some
control techniques that will enhance your effectiveness at converting interviews to
65
offers:
Arrive on time
Dress for the situation
Pay an appropriate compliment
Match your qualifications to their needs
Ask feedback questions
Close the interview positively
Activity 2. Answer the following questions according to the previous information.

a. What is the employer trying to find in a job interview?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
b. What is your function, as a candidate, at the interview?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
c. What kind of information should you obtain when required for a job interview?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
d. Which steps should you follow to prepare the interview? Which do you think is the
most important? Give reasons.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
e. Do you think the interview is a “selling process” of the candidate? Why?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
f. Try to order the proposed control techniques above from the most to the least
important. Discuss it with your classmates and try to convince them if you do not
agree.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
66
Activity 3. Complete the following sentences with suitable words or expressions
from the text (some may have changed their function or form). The initial letter of
each word or expression is given for you.
a. Expanding market share profitably can be as simple as knowing which customer
i___ l________ t__ respond to an offer.
b. Her final analysis u____________ the problems the consultants didn’t find out.
c. When looking for a job, you should m____________ the job requirements.
d. This section of the company has to be s____ u___ in one month.
e. Any type of public performance requires that you r____________ it several times
by your own.
f. The company is preparing a training seminar to improve the managerial skill of the
new or p____________ managers.
g. Our company’s new overtime rates will help to e____________ our staff’s attitude,
atmosphere and appreciation. Certainly, they will feel much better and our
production will increase.
STAGES OF AN INTERVIEW
As each interviewer is different, there are many types of interviews. Many
interviews will fall between two extremes: on the one hand, a range of open-ended
questions so that you have to do most of the talking and, on the other, a highly
structured and planned format where the interviewer asks you specific questions and
you must answer them. Therefore, you should be prepared for any style.
However, there are four basic stages that can occur in a typical interview and
help you to prepare it:
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1. Introductory stage
The interviewer will establish rapport and create a relaxed, though businesslike,
atmosphere. This is where the interviewer gets the very important first impression of
you.
2. Review of your background and interests
This usually takes the form of “what,” “why,” “where,” and “when” types of
questions. Focus on what you are like, and what you have accomplished, your
academic and work background, and your goals. One of the interviewer’s objectives
is to see if your qualifications match your declared work interests. Give concise but
thorough responses to questions.
3. Matching begins
Assuming you have the necessary qualifications, the interviewer will begin the
process of determining whether the employer’s job opening(s) matches your interests
and qualifications. If there seems to be a match, the interviewer will probably explain
job details to see how interested you are in the position.
4. Conclusion
In this stage, the interviewer should explain what the next steps are in the hiring
process. Be sure you understand them. Provide immediately any additional
information requested. There should be ample opportunity for you at this point to ask
any questions you have. Remember that the interview is a two-way process.
Activity 4. Indicate in which stage...

a. The candidate should ask for any doubt or information needed: ________________
b. The employer has the candidate’s first impression: _________________
c. The employer may explain details of the job: _________________
d. The employer knows if you are a good candidate: _________________
e. The main data you wrote in your CV are revised: ________________
Activity 5. Find out in the previous text the words matching with the following
definitions.
a. A number of different things of the same general kind ____________
b. When two people have a relationship in which they have a special ability to
understand each other’s feelings or points of view ____________
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c. Methodical and systematic; professional ____________
d. One thing is suitable for another or there is some kind of connection between them
____________
e. Without any delay, straight-away, promptly, soon ____________
f. Enough of something, extra or spare of it ____________
THE INTERVIEWING PROCESS

To answer questions appropriately, remember these guidelines:
Listen carefully. If you feel the question is unclear, ask politely for
clarification.
Pause before answering to consider all facts that may substantiate your response.
Always offer positive information.
Get directly to the point. Ask if the listener would like you to go into greater
detail before you do.
Discuss only the facts needed to respond to the question.
Do not open yourself to areas of questioning that could pose difficulties for you.
Be truthful, but do not offer unsolicited information.
Focus and re-focus attention on your successes.
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Whether you are the interviewee or the interviewer, avoid asking questions that begin
with is, are, and do. These questions lead to yes/no answers. Instead begin your
questions with who, what, when, where, why, how, etc. Attend to these words when
answering or asking in the interview. Now you will find a list of questions you may
be asked in an interview and a section (G) devoted to questions you may need to ask
your prospective employer. Check them all so that you can prepare in advance some
of the answers.
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A. Questions about Yourself
Tell me about yourself.
What do you consider to be one of your weaknesses/ strengths?
What can you do that someone else can’t do?
What are your own special abilities?
Describe three things that are most important to you in a job.
What have you been doing since your graduation from college? Since you left
your last job?
How would a co-worker, or friend, or boss describe you?
What qualities do you admire most in others?
How would you describe your own work style?
B. Questions about Your Career Goals or Plans

What would you like to be doing in five (ten) years from now?
What are your salary requirements - short term/long term?
What is success? What personal characteristics will contribute to your
success?
What do you expect from a job?
What are your career objectives? - short and long range?
This job is a total change from previous employment. How does it fit your
career goals?
C. Questions about School/Education

How does your education relate to this position (or how did your education
prepare you for this position)?
What activities did you engage in at school?
What classes did you like most in school? Least? Why?
Why did you choose your major?
Describe your academic strengths and weaknesses.
What are your plans for continuing your education?
What have you read recently in your field?
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D. Previous Experience Questions
What have you learned from your past jobs?
How often, and in what way did you communicate with your subordinates
and superiors?
What were the biggest pressures on your last job?
How does your previous experience relate to this position?
Why did you leave your last job?
What did you like most/least about your last job?
Whom may we contact for references?
E. Situational/Behavioural Questions
What is one of the toughest problems you’ve ever had to solve, or decisions
you’ve ever had to make? Why was it difficult? How did you solve it?
How would you motivate an employee who was performing poorly?
What was the biggest risk you have ever taken?
Tell about an unpopular decision you have made. How long did it take to
make the decision? Why did the decision arise? How do you think you
handled it?
What would you do if your co-workers were complaining to you about the
company?
Let’s say your manager gave you ten things to do by 5:00 p.m. and you
realized that you couldn’t finish them all. What would you do? How would
you prioritise them?
F. Questions Specific to the Company/Job

Why should we hire you?
Why do you want to work here?
What do you know about this organization?
What salary do you expect?
Why do you think you would like this type of position? Company?
What kind of boss do you like to work for?
How long do you intend to stay here?
When can you start to work?
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G. Questions you may use to ask employers
By the end of the interview you may need to know more things about the position
you are applying for. That is the moment to ask the interviewer, but you should select
the most relevant questions. Do not overwhelm the interviewer with too many
questions.
How would you describe the duties of the position?
How much travel is normally expected?
Why are you looking to fill this position? (Is it a newly created job? Did the
previous employee leave? Why?)
What is the average stay in this position?

Outside my department, with whom will I work?
How much evening or weekend work is expected?
How high a priority is this department within the organization?
How does one advance in the organization?

How often do the training programs begin?
What new product lines/services have been announced recently?

What is the average age of top management?
Could you tell me about the public transportation to your company?
How many people are you interviewing for this position?

If I were extended an offer of employment, how soon after this would you
like me to start?
When can I expect to hear from you?
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Activity 6. Find synonyms or words with a very close meaning for the following
words and definitions in the sections above. The letter between parentheses shows
the section where you have to look for it.
a. Debility, feebleness, deficiency (A) ______________

b. Power, vigour, force, efficacy (A) ______________
c. Obtaining an academic degree or diploma (A) ______________
d. Capacity, competence, skills (A) ______________
e. Prosperity, fortune, triumph, achievement (B) ______________
f. Occupation, profession, work or job people have or carry out
during their life and for living; the part of our lives we spend
working (B) ______________
g. Participate in, take part in, embark on (C) ______________
h. An academic subject chosen as a field of specialization (C) ______________
i. Inferior, junior, subaltern, assistant, dependant (D) ______________
j. Chief, boss, manager, director, supervisor, senior (D) ______________
k. Do, carry out, function, represent, act (E) ______________
l. To list or rate (as projects or goals) in order of preference (E) ______________
m. Tasks, obligations (G) ______________
n. Mean, standard (G) ______________
o. Position (G) ______________
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Activity 7. Interview DOs and DON’Ts. Tick the right box (things you must, or you
mustn’t do in an interview) according to the following statements.
DOs DON’Ts
Be honest and be yourself.......................
Chew gum or smell like smoke; take cell phone calls during an
interview...............................................
Give the impression you are only interested in salary. ................
Go to extremes with your posture; for example, sit rigidly on
the edge of your chair. ..................................................................
Make negative comments about previous employers or
professors (or others). ...................................................................
Even when your interviewer gives you a first and last name,
address your interviewer by title (Ms., Mr., Dr.) and last name,
until invited to do otherwise.........................................................
Exhibit a positive attitude. The interviewer is evaluating you as
a potential co-worker. Behave like someone you would want to
work with. ....................................................................................
Offer a firm handshake, make eye contact, and have a friendly
expression when you are greeted by your interviewer (both at
the beginning and at the end of the interview). ............................
Activity 8. Match the following questions with the answers you have below.
1. Why are you the best person for the job? ___________
2. What are you looking for in a position? ___________
3. What are your strengths? ___________
4. What did you like and dislike about college? ___________
5. Are you willing to relocate? ___________
6. Where do you want to be in 5 years? ___________
7. Before we go any further, what kind of money do you need to make?

___________
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a. “I liked the opportunity to be involved on campus. Universitat Jaume I has a
small campus that allows students to take responsibility, organize events and be
a part of the planning team. I can’t really think of anything I disliked; college
was a wonderful experience.”
b. “I would have to choose between two skills. I am very proud of my

determination and ability to get things done. At the same time, I am very proud
of my analytical abilities and problem-solving skills. These skills combine to
give me a unique ability to solve problems and then implement the solutions.”
c. “I’m looking for an opportunity to apply my skills and contribute to the growth
of the company while helping create some promotion opportunities for
myself.”
d. “I’m open to opportunities within the company so if that involves relocation, I

would consider it.”
e. “If (I were) selected, I would hope to meet my goals and take advantage of
opportunities to learn so I will be considered for other positions within the
company. I hope to build my career with a company such as this one.”
f. “My salary requirements are negotiable. Your firm has a reputation of

compensating employees fairly and I trust you would do the same in my case. I
am very interested in finding the right opportunity and will be open to any fair
offer when I do so.”
g. “I think I’m the right person because you need someone who can produce
results, and my background and experience are proof of my ability. For
example, you can see that while being in charge of TNC’s sales department,
sales increased dramatically. I consider this as one of my professional
accomplishments.”
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Activity 9. Now listen to the three job interviews excerpts, which accompany this
unit. Answer the questions referring to each one of the fragments. The situation is
the following one: the Personnel Manager, Ms. Lawson, has to fill the position of
P.A. (Personal Assistant) to the Finance Manager.
Activity 9A. Answer the following questions about Interview One.

a. Why isn’t the candidate working at the moment?
______________________________________________________________________
b. Does he speak foreign languages?
______________________________________________________________________
c. Does he have any experience with computers?
______________________________________________________________________
d. What is he good at?
______________________________________________________________________
Activity 9B. Answer the following questions about Interview Two.

a. How long has Miss Robson been working for Beauty Cotton’s Manufacturers?
______________________________________________________________________
b. Why does she want to change her job?
______________________________________________________________________
c. How many languages does she speak? List them.
______________________________________________________________________
d. What computer programs does she know?
______________________________________________________________________
Activity 9C. Answer the following questions about Interview Three.

a. Does Mr. Phillis have experience in finance?
______________________________________________________________________
b. Which languages does he speak?
______________________________________________________________________
c. How much does he intend to earn?
______________________________________________________________________
d. Is he interested in the fringe benefits?
______________________________________________________________________
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Activity 9D. Now, fill in the following table where you can find the basic
requirements the candidate has to meet. You must help the interviewer (Ms
Lawson) to decide on the best applicant or candidate. Discuss your decision with
your classmates.
Interviews
REQUIREMENTS
1 2 3
having some experience in secretarial skills (for example, typing
written documents, filing tasks and answering the phone)
being an ambitious person (willing to be promoted)
knowing foreign languages (2 minimum)
being a computer-literate person (having knowledge of computers)
accepting a performance-related salary (earning money according to
how well they do their tasks)
Activity 10. Listen to the job interview accompanying this unit and fill in the gaps
of the transcript using the appropriate word(s) or expression(s).
Frank Sanz (interviewee) _______ (1) I come in?

Jane Roller (interviewer) Yes, please. Take a seat.
Frank Sanz (interviewee) Thank you.
Jane Roller (interviewer) (She’s looking at some papers) Well, er …. Good
morning. My name is Jane Schmitz, and I am in
_______ (2) of Human Resources.
Frank Sanz (interviewee) Good morning. I’m Frank Sanz from Castellón and I’ve
come for an interview about the position as a
________________ (3) in your company.
Jane Roller (interviewer) Ok, perfect Frank. I’d like to check some aspects of
your CV and ask you a few questions.
Frank Sanz (interviewee) Right. I’m ready.
Jane Roller (interviewer) Frank, I read in your CV you have a _________ (4) in
Business Administration. Could you tell me which
subjects you liked the most and why?
Frank Sanz (interviewee) When I studied my degree, we had a lot of subjects and
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actually I liked all of them. I think I learnt something
from each one and I found all of them useful. We dealt
with theoretical subjects on economics, with practical
subjects about accounting, _______________ (5) and
related fields, and also with communication in foreign
languages.
Jane Roller (interviewer) Good. You already know that one of the main
requirements for this job is having conversational
English and that’s the reason to carry out this interview
in English. Do you feel fine speaking in English?
Frank Sanz (interviewee) Oh, yes, sure. I perfectly understand the situation and I
do feel alright speaking in English. It’s not my
_________________ (6), but I think I prepared properly
during my education, so now it’s not a problem for me.
Jane Roller (interviewer) By the way, you are Spanish, aren’t you?
Frank Sanz (interviewee) Yes, madam.
Jane Roller (interviewer) But “Frank” isn’t a Spanish name.
Frank Sanz (interviewee) No, certainly. My real name is Francisco, but everybody
calls me “Frank”. As I felt more comfortable with this
name, I changed it a few years ago.
Jane Roller (interviewer) Ok. Let’s go back to your CV and I’d like to know
something about your ______________ (7).
Frank Sanz (interviewee) Well, as you can see while I was studying, I worked in
two companies. I worked in a take-away pizza firm and
in a mobiles phone shop.
Jane Roller (interviewer) Aha, I see.
Frank Sanz (interviewee) Well, the first job was because I needed the job and the
money. I think the second one is more related to the one
your company is offering.
Jane Roller (interviewer) Yes, you’re right. And did you like it?
Frank Sanz (interviewee) Yes, absolutely. I liked it very much, mainly all about
________________ (8). I like very much talking with
customers and trying to help them.
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Jane Roller (interviewer) Did you work alone in the shop?
Frank Sanz (interviewee) Oh, no. We were five people working as salespeople,
our manager and her secretary.
Jane Roller (interviewer) And how was your relationship with the rest of the
____________ (9)?
Frank Sanz (interviewee) Certainly, it was excellent. We felt very comfortable
working together and we helped each other when
necessary.
Jane Roller (interviewer) You have driving license, don’t you?
Frank Sanz (interviewee) Yes, and I can also use my own car if the company
requires so.
Jane Roller (interviewer) Oh, no, don’t worry. Our company usually
_____________ (10) a car for those dealing with sales
outside.
Right, I think that’s all. I have enough information so
far. If I need anything else, I will phone you.
Frank Sanz (interviewee) Ok, then. Thank you very much. By the way, can I make
you a question?
Jane Roller (interviewer) Yes, sure.
Frank Sanz (interviewee) When will I know anything about the job?
Jane Roller (interviewer) We want to finish the interviews in a couple of days,
and we will make a decision by the beginning of next
week. So, I think that Tuesday or Wednesday next week
will be good days to tell you something.
Frank Sanz (interviewee) Ok, then. I’ll _______________ (11) next week.
Jane Roller (interviewer) Right ... any other question?
Frank Sanz (interviewee) No, that’s everything. Thanks again.
Jane Roller (interviewer) Not at all. I thank you for your interest in our company.
Frank Sanz (interviewee) My pleasure. Have a nice day. Goodbye.
Jane Roller (interviewer) The same to you. Goodbye.
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In groups of two or three, refer back either to Communicative Situation 1 or 2 in Unit 3.
Take any of the CV prepared for those activities or the information explained in them
and prepare a job interview. Some of you will take the role of interviewer and the other
will be the interviewee. To make the activity easier, make groups of interviewers and
interviewees so that you can prepare the interview altogether. Take some minutes to
prepare the job interview and the rest of the class to practise it.
In groups of two or three, read the brief advertisement below and do a job interview
bearing in mind that the applicant hands in his/her curriculum vitae at the same time
he/she is attending the interview (so that the interviewer has had no time to read it).
Each member of the group has to take either the role of the interviewer or the
interviewee/s. Take some minutes to prepare some possible questions and answers (no
more than 5) and add any information you like in the process of interviewing.
The international hotel group HOT-Hotels is looking for young graduates with good
interpersonal skills to train as managers to work in various branches of its
international hotel chain.
All graduates of Business Administration are welcome to apply although preference

may be shown to those with at least one foreign language.
Write to: Stig Nordström, City Service Appointments,
Vagögatan 9, 123 65 Stockholm, Sweden
stignordstrom@cityserapp.com
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UNIT 5. BUSINESS PRESENTATIONS
WHAT IS A BUSINESS PRESENTATION?
A presentation can be understood as a short talk given by one person to a group of

people introducing and describing a particular subject (for example: a new product,
company figures or a proposed advertising campaign). However, presentations can
also be given by more than one person; they are not necessarily short; and, they are
not necessarily only a talk since they may be made by video, Internet, etc.
Although you may not have to speak in front of large audiences of employees,
employers or the media, you will certainly be expected to present ideas to your
colleagues, make sales presentations to potential customers, or engage in other kinds
of spoken communication.
Whether you are delivering a speech to foreign associates, giving a formal
presentation to potential clients in a trade fair, or simply explaining how to solve a
business problem to your boss or a client, you will follow three general steps:
prepare to speak
develop your speech or presentation
deliver your speech or presentation
Activity 1. Make a list of things you consider relevant in a successful presentation.

You will check your answers throughout the rest of this unit.
a. _____________________________________________
b. _____________________________________________
c. _____________________________________________
d. _____________________________________________
e. _____________________________________________

PREPARATION OF THE PRESENTATION
Good preparation is important. This preparation and the planning of your

presentation will give you confidence. Your audience will feel such confidence and
have confidence in you. This will give you control of your audience and of your
presentation.
The following aspects must be taken into account during this stage:
define your purpose clearly (Why)
analyse your audience as thoroughly as possible (Who)
consider the venue (Where)
plan your speech carefully:
establish the main idea; the content (What)
organise your message (Structure)
prepare an outline
estimate time and length (When)
decide on the method (formal or casual style; lots of visual aids or a few;
with or without anecdotes and humour) (How)
REMEMBER that the main purpose of any presentation is that your audience hears
what you say and remembers it. To do so, you must capture their interest
immediately. Otherwise, you will lose them, and chances are that you will not get
them back.
Activity 2. Find out words in the previous box that mean the following:
a. The process of deciding in detail how to do something before doing it. ___________
b. The feeling that you can trust something or somebody. ____________
c. In a very careful and methodical way; fully. ____________
d. A place where an action or event has been arranged to happen. ____________
e. A general explanation or description of something. ____________
f. Informal. ____________
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DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR PRESENTATION
Most presentations are divided into 3 main parts (+questions):
1 INTRODUCTION
Questions
2 BODY
3 CONCLUSION
Questions
As a general rule in communication, repetition is valuable. In presentations,

there is a golden rule about repetition:
Say what you are going to say, say it,
then say what you have just said.
In other words, use the three parts of your presentation to reinforce your
message. In the introduction, you tell your audience what your message is going to
be. In the body, you tell your audience your real message. In the conclusion, you
summarise what your message was.
We will now consider each of these parts in more detail.
1) Introduction
The introduction is a very important - perhaps the most important - part of your
presentation. This is the first impression that your audience has of you. You should
concentrate on getting your introduction right. In the introduction you should arouse
your audience’s interest in your topic, establish your credibility, and prepare the
audience for what will follow. Some steps that may help you are the following ones:
1. welcome your audience
2. introduce your subject
3. outline the structure of your presentation
4. give instructions about questions
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Activity 3. The following table shows examples of language for each of the
functions above. Classify them according to their function.
Function Possible language

________ a. Good morning, gentlemen
________ b. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen
________ c. Good afternoon, everybody
________ d. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen
________ e. I am going to talk about...
________ f. I’ll keep some time for questions after the presentation.
________ g. I’ll try to answer any of your questions after the presentation.
________ h. My purpose today is to introduce our new range of...
________ i. Please feel free to interrupt me if you have any questions.
________ j. To start with I’ll describe the progress made this year. Then I’ll
mention some of the problems we’ve encountered and how we
overcame them. After that I’ll consider the possibilities for further
growth next year. Finally, I’ll summarise my presentation (before
concluding with some recommendations).
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2) Body of the presentation
The body is the real presentation; it is the presentation of the subject itself. If the
introduction was well prepared and delivered, you will now be in control. You will
be relaxed and confident.
When preparing the body of the presentation, you should take into account
different aspects which are explained in two sections we will see later:
the delivery of the presentation, where you will find suggestions that will help
you to prepare and give an effective presentation; and
the language used in the presentation, one of the most important sections of this
unit as it gives you the main guidelines to follow in order to structure and
give a clear presentation.
The body should be well structured, divided up logically, with plenty of
carefully spaced visuals.
3) Conclusion
Use the conclusion to:
1. Sum up or restate the main points
2. (If appropriate, give recommendations or describe the next steps)
3. Thank your audience
4. Invite questions
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Activity 4. The following table shows examples of language for each of the
functions above. Classify them according to their function.
Function Possible language
________ a. Are there any final questions?
________ b. Are there any questions?
________ c. Can I answer any questions?
________ d. Do you have any questions?
________ e. Finally, let me remind you of some of the main points we’ve looked at.
________ f. I would suggest / propose/ recommend the following strategy.
________ g. I’d like to sum up now...
________ h. In conclusion, my recommendations are...
________ i. In conclusion,...
________ j. Let me summarise / recap what I’ve said.
________ k. May I thank you all for being such an attentive audience.
________ l. Now I’ll try to answer any questions you may have.
________ m. Thank you for your attention.
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Questions
Questions are a good opportunity for you to interact with your audience. It may be
helpful for you to try to predict what questions will be asked so that you can prepare
your response in advance. You may wish to accept questions at any time during
your presentation, or to keep a time for questions after your presentation. Normally,
it is your decision, and you should make it clear during the introduction. Be polite
with all questioners, even if they ask difficult questions. They are showing interest
in what you have to say, and they deserve attention. Sometimes you can reformulate
a question, answer the question with another question, or even ask for comment
from the rest of the audience.
DELIVERY OF THE PRESENTATION

Delivery is the way in which you actually give (deliver) your presentation. It is at
least as important as content.
Although there are many ways of delivering a presentation (memorising, reading,
speaking from notes, spontaneous speaking), for our purposes you are advised to use
only an outline, if anything at all.
Whatever the presentation method you follow, you must get ready for it
practising or rehearsing your presentation as many times as you need to gain
confidence. During the rehearsal, you will:
become more familiar with what you want to say
identify weaknesses in your presentation
practise difficult pronunciations
check the time that your presentation takes and make any necessary
modifications
Some main aspects to take into account when giving the presentation are:
Nerves. If you feel a little nervous at the beginning of a presentation, try to speak
slowly and calmly, until you feel relaxed and confident.
Audience rapport. Build a warm and friendly relationship with your audience
from the beginning.
Body language. Your body also speaks to your audience, so look at it as a
positive and powerful tool to help you in your presentation. Remember the
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following:
take care of your appearance;
smile (slightly) at the beginning and become gradually a little more serious as
the presentation moves on;
do not lean on the podium or table;
do not point your finger at the audience;
use occasional arm movements to underline important points;
do not walk around too much;
use your head when it can add weight to what you are saying.
Cultural considerations. Try to learn about any particular cultural matter that may
affect your audience.
Voice quality. Control your voice (speed, intonation, and volume) so that your
audience is able to hear you clearly.
Visual aids. They can be an effective communication tool for the speaker as well
as for the audience (keeping the information on each visual aid to a minimum).
Use them to guide your speech, especially for non-native speakers of English.
Activity 5. Match the following points with the above aspects to take into
consideration when delivering a presentation. Note that sometimes more than one
element can appear in or cause some situations.
a. Do not hurry ________________________
b. Be enthusiastic ________________________
c. Give time on visuals ________________________
d. Maintain eye contact ________________________
e. Modulate your voice ________________________
f. Look friendly ________________________
g. Use silence to gain audience’s attention ________________________
h. Use charts and graphs ________________________
i. Use slides and/or transparencies ________________________
j. Moving hands and arms shows dynamism and friendliness to Latin people and
insecurity of the presenter’s words and lacking in self-confidence to an Englishman
________________________
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ELEMENTS USED IN THE DELIVERY
Apart from yourself as the most important element to deliver the presentation, we
have already commented on the valuable use of visual aids while giving the
presentation. Besides, there are some other pieces of equipment you may use in a
presentation and whose names you should know.
Activity 6. Match the names with their definition.

a. Beamer / Data projector 1. Anything (documents, sample, etc.)
handed (out), distributed or given to
the audience at a presentation
b. Duster/ eraser 2. A small portable computer
c. Flipchart 3. Small device speakers can hold in
their hands and use it to play a slide
show remotely. Sometimes, it can
also be used as a laser pointer
d. Handouts 4. Large, flat, reflective white surface on
which films, slides, etc. are
projected
e. Laptop (computer) / notebook computer 5. Object used for cleaning the
whiteboard
f. Marker (pen) 6. Large sheets of paper fixed onto a
stand (sometimes a small
whiteboard) so that one can be used
and turned over to reveal the next
one
g. Wireless presenter / Wireless 7. One of the screens in a PowerPoint
presentation clicker presentation (for example) created
on a computer and displayed on a
screen
h. Pointer 8. A pen with a thick tip made of felt,
which is used for drawing on
whiteboard, for example
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i. Screen 9. A shiny board on which people can
draw or write using special pens
j. Slide 10. A stick used to point at something
such as a graph when explaining
something to an audience
k. Whiteboard 11. Device used to project on a screen
PowerPoint slides, a film or any
other image coming from a
computer or a DVD / Video player
a. ________ c. ________ e. ________ g. ________ i. ________ k. ________

b. ________ d. ________ f. ________ h. ________ j. ________
LANGUAGE FOR A BUSINESS PRESENTATION

Simplicity and clarity
If you want your audience to understand your message, your language must be
simple and clear:
Use short words and short sentences.
Do not use jargon, unless you are certain that your audience understands it.
In general, talk about concrete facts rather than abstract ideas.
Use active verbs instead of passive verbs. Active verbs are much easier to
understand and much more powerful. For example, compare these two
sentences:
SEAT sold two million cars last year. (active)
Two million cars were sold by SEAT last year. (passive)
Signposting
In the same way we need some kind of signals to drive or to navigate and not to get
lost, we also need something similar when giving a presentation. We use the
technique called ‘signposting’ (or ‘signalling’). By means of putting up signposts at
the beginning and all along the route, the audience will follow our presentation
more easily, and we can make our presentation more comprehensible.
During your introduction, you should tell your audience the structure of your
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presentation. You might say something like this:
“I’ll start by explaining ... Then I’ll move on to ... After that I’ll refer to ...
Lastly, I’ll summarise before concluding with some recommendations.”
The words in italics will help the audience to follow the presentation and have
in mind its structure during the whole delivery: Introduction, Body and Conclusion.
Furthermore, throughout the presentation, you will put up signposts telling
them which point you have reached and where you are going. For instance, when
explaining different departments of your company:
“That’s all I have to say about our Production department.
Let’s turn now to the Marketing one.”
Or after talking about all the departments, you might say:

“Well, we’ve looked at our five departments and now I’d like to sum up.”
Or after summing up and if you want to give your recommendations, you could
say:
“What does this mean for us? Well, firstly I recommend...”
Activity 7. The table below lists useful expressions that you can use to signpost the
various parts of your presentation. Write down the name of their function
according to the ones appearing in the box:
1. Postponing questions and further 5. Introducing the subject
explanations 6. Ordering
2. Clarifying 7. Starting another subject
3. Finishing one subject 8. Summarising and concluding
4. Giving an example
Signposting
Function Language
I’d like to start by... (+ing)
______________________ Let’s begin by... (+ing)
______________________ First of all, I’ll...
Starting with...
I’ll begin by... (+ing)
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Well, I’ve told you about...
______________________ That’s all I have to say about...
______________________ We’ve looked at...
So much for...
Now we’ll move on to...
______________________ Let me turn now to...
______________________ Next...
Turning to...
I’d like now to discuss...
Let’s look now at...
Where does that lead us?
______________________ Let’s consider this in more detail...
______________________ What does this mean for ABC?
Translated into real terms...
For example,...
______________________ A good example of this is...
______________________ As an illustration,...
To give you an example,...
To illustrate this point...
We’ll be examining this point in more detail later
______________________ on...
______________________ I’d like to deal with this question later, if I may...
I’ll come back to this question later in my talk...
Perhaps you’d like to raise this point at the end...
I won’t comment on this now...
In conclusion,...
______________________ Right, let’s sum up, shall we?
______________________ I’d like now to recap...
Let’s summarise briefly what we’ve looked at...
Finally, let me remind you of some of the issues
we’ve covered...
If I can just sum up the main points...
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Firstly...secondly...thirdly...lastly...
______________________ First of all...then...next...after that...finally...
______________________ To start with...later...to finish up...
Activity 8. Listen to the following excerpts and fill in the gaps with the appropriate
words or expressions. Notice that it is not a complete presentation but only some
parts of it.
“Good evening, everybody. I’d like to ____________ (1) you all for being here.
My name is Richard Hudson and I am ____________ (2) for the Export
Department of the company Tonmoble.” [1]
“If you have any ____________ (3) during my presentation, please feel free to
____________ (4), although there will be some time ____________ (5) at the end
of the session to ask questions.” [2]
“My ____________ (6) today is to _______ _____ (7) about the current situation
of our company, and more ____________ (8), about our new model of bedroom
suite that we are going to ____________ (9) in the following weeks.” [3]
“____ _______ _____ (10) I’d like to offer an ____________ (11) of the furniture
industry in our area. ____________ (12) I’ll ____________ (13) the history of our
company. ____________ (14) I’ll ____________ (15) our future outlook, to finish
presenting our latest project called Infinitum. ____________ (16) I’ll quickly
_______ _____ (17) my talk.” [4]
“Now I’d like to ________ ______ ___________ (18) to the following pie chart
showing our sales of bedrooms in Spain. _____ ______ __________ (19) that
about 35% is sold in Catalonia, whereas the Valencian Community is our second
most popular market, selling about 20% of our output. As you see, both
communities hold more than half of the market share.” [5]
“At the moment we are thinking of ____________ (20) our company in various
directions. ____________ (21), we want to vary and improve our marketing
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strategy through carrying out ____________ (22) directed at our distributors (push
strategy), which is still under study.” [6]
“On the other hand, due to the saturation of the ____________ (23) market, we
have decided to introduce our products in certain European markets, such as
France, Switzerland, Holland or similar ones. Let me briefly ____________ (24)
why these countries before we ________ _____ (25).” [7]
“____________ ______ (26), our Infinitum program is highly appealing because it

is a synthesis of design, service and flexibility of all its components.” [8]
“____ ___________ (27) I just want to thank you for your attention. I thank you all
for being such an attentive and responsive audience. Thank you also for your
pertinent questions. If you have any more questions, please do not ____________
(28) to ask.” [9]
Activity 9. Answer the following questions about the excerpts of activity 8.

a. Specify the excerpts which belong to the “Introduction” in the order they appear.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
b. Specify the excerpts which belong to the “Conclusion” in the order they appear.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
c. Is there any excerpt in which you think the presenter is going to use visual aids? How
do you know?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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d. Complete the following table with some of the expressions used to signpost different
sections.
Signposting Functions Expressions
Introducing the subject
Starting another subject

Ordering
Clarifying
Summarising and concluding
Communicative Situations
Follow the instructions of your teacher. Not all the situations may be proposed or even
some changes may happen.
Prepare a short (8-10 minutes) informative business presentation on a topic of your own
choice (for example, a recent development in human resources management). Allow
two minutes at the end for questions and answers. Prepare your own answers to
anticipate questions in advance. Choose suitable audio-visual aids and prepare the
necessary materials. Design and distribute a short handout. Decide and make it clear
whether this is for distribution in advance or as a ‘take-away’ at the end. Ensure that the
handout complements rather than repeats the contents of your presentation.
Like the previous presentation, now you have to prepare a persuasive presentation,
trying to persuade your audience to accept the case that you are arguing. The audience
may be a firm you need to convince about new company policies. Select your own topic
for this exercise, remembering that at least some of your audience may disagree with
you. Remember that you do not have to give your opinion (subjective) but prove your
arguments objectively.
Some suggested topics include:
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Certain kinds of advertisements (e.g. gambling, smoking or alcoholic drinks) should
be restricted or even banned.
High trade or custom tariffs for products from other countries will help local
businesses.
Environment rules will help our economy in the long run.
Some policies of the EU are weakening the Spanish economy.
Make a Product Pitch, that is, a 3-minute recording in which you try to persuade those
who watch it to buy a certain product. You can choose the product. You will find an
explicative presentation of Product Pitches in the Virtual Classroom.
Recommendation:
Try to deliver your presentation in front of an audience, so that you can improve it with
their feedback. You can also tape or video-record it to be able to review it.
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UNIT 6. BUSINESS REPORTS
WHAT IS A BUSINESS REPORT?

A business report (BR) is a written account of facts and events transmitted,
objectively and orderly, to an audience within or outside an organisation, starting
from the information previously received or obtained by its author(s) and within the
decision-making process (information to be used in the making of a decision or
information derived from the decision made). This definition can be explained
through the following main ideas:
WHAT: A WRITTEN ACCOUNT
HOW: OBJECTIVE AND EXPRESSED ORDERLY
TO WHOM: ADDRESSEES INSIDE OR OUTSIDE THE COMPANY
ABOUT WHAT: INFORMATION OR DATA OBTAINED BY THE AUTHOR(S)
WHAT FOR: TO TAKE A DECISION ABOUT SOMETHING
STRUCTURE OF A SHORT REPORT

The main parts of a basic business report are the title page (including the title), the
introduction, the body, the conclusions and the recommendations.
Title page
It contains:
the full title of the report. It should be built around five Wh- words: who, what,
where, when, and why. Sometimes you may add how to this list. Balance always
the need of including everything within it. Make it a talking title rather than a
merely descriptive one.
for whom the report is prepared (authorised or requested), including full name
and correct address.
who prepared the report (the author’s identity), including full name, current
address, and possibly the telephone number or email address.
the date it was submitted/prepared.
Introduction (or Terms of reference)

It prepares the reader to receive the report, so we have to include everything that
helps the reader understand and appreciate the problem. You should consider the

following content possibilities (also called moves), using the one(s) you really think
necessary:
Origin of the report (authorisation facts): it can be omitted as it explains what we
see in the title page.
Purpose (objective, aim, project): it defines what the report seeks to do.
Scope and limitations: the limits of the problem and anything that in some way
has jeopardised the investigation.
Historical background: how the problem developed.
Sources and methods of collecting data: how you got the facts.
Language Advice for ‘Introduction’. Suggestions:

infinitive phrases (... to propose standards of corporate annual reports)
a well-phrased question (“What retail advertising practices do Centerville
consumers disapprove of?”).
expressions of cause/effect (because of, owing to, due to, result in, cause, result
from, be caused by).
It has been brought to my notice that ... (to explain the background situation)
It has been noticed/noted/observed/brought to my attention that...
With reference to/Further to ... (our last meeting, your memo of, etc.)
The Report Body (Presentation and discussion of findings)

The part of the report that presents the information collected and relates it to the
problem. It comprises the bulk of the report’s content.
Language Advice for ‘Body’. No specific expressions or words exist for this
section, as they depend on the report content. However, take into account other
aspects:
Paragraphs: give them unity, keep them short, link ideas to achieve coherence
and make paragraphs move forward.
Order and organisation: you are recommended to write business reports in an
indirect or inductive organisational style, that is to say, presenting the facts and
supporting information first and then letting those facts lead to logical
conclusions. It is a persuasive style as it presents facts in an objective manner
before telling the reader the conclusion. The reader is more likely to consider
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facts objectively and less likely to raise objections if the conclusion is not
known. However, there is also a disadvantage: it is a roundabout, slow-moving
style. Remember, similarly to what you did in Business Presentations, that it is
also important to use ‘signposting’ language to order the development of your
ideas, using, for instance, the ordering function (first, then, etc.).
Connectives: words used to link or connect sentences, clauses or just ideas. There
are several types being the most relevant the following ones:
Co-ordinators: and, or, but
Subordinators: when, though, …
Adverbial connectors, which may be divided into different types depending on
their use: cause/effect (therefore), contrast (however), addition (also), etc.
Talking headings/captions (and subheadings/subcaptions): use clarifying headings
to give coherence to the text and lead the reader through it (AVOID using topic
headings such as “Findings, Body, Discussion”). They indicate the content and
relationships of various sections of the report and represent the report’s outline.
Topic sentences: related to talking headings, it is very helpful to use topic
sentences, that is to say, sentences summarising the topic of the section. You can
place them at the beginning of the section introducing the topic (initial topic
sentences) or at the end of the section, summarising the topic (final topic
sentences). This strategy can be used in all the sections of the business reports, not
just in the development of the body.
The Report Ending: Conclusions and Recommendations

Sometimes both sections appear under the same heading, usually when one of them
is not too long.
Conclusions. They answer what you said you wanted to accomplish in your
problem statement. They are logical inferences based on the findings. It is a kind of
summary of the results, trying to condense the main final and/or common aspects; it
is not a simple repetition of the findings.
Language Advice for ‘Conclusions’. The following expressions can be used:

It was concluded that ...
No conclusions were reached about...
Connectives:
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* In conclusion, to conclude (when the development section has finished and
now the report concludes, although useless if a section heading is used)
* Therefore, thus, in view of the above (showing the writer’s conclusion or
recommendation is a logical result of what has gone before)
Recommendations. They are the writer’s section. Here you state your
interpretation based on the conclusions, proposing different alternatives, stating
preferences, suggesting other measures to undertake and maybe leaving the readers
to choose their own option. Of course, it is not necessary to state your
recommendations if you are not asked to.
Language Advice for ‘Recommendations’. As you must give a solution or more

than one, you have to advise, suggest, or establish a definite answer to the previous
analysis or description of a situation. The following expressions can be useful:
It is recommended that...
It is advisable to...
This could/might be.... (carried out, investigated, etc.)
It was proposed/suggested...
I should be grateful if..., I should appreciate it if..., it would be appreciated if ...
(requesting for action)
be to construction: All employees are to report for duty not later than 8
a.m./The laboratory is to be locked at all times (as a regulation)
imperative (infinitive without to) or modal of obligation (must, have to) (as an
order) demonstrating confidence
should or introductory phrases (as a recommendation):
it is recommended that ... (+ Noun Phrase + present/infinitive/should)
I (would-would like to) recommend that... (+Sentence)
I (would-would like to) recommend... (+-ing/Noun Phrase)
could or introductory phrases (as a suggestion):
It is suggested that... (+Noun Phrase + present/infinitive/should)
I (would-would like to) suggest that ... (+Noun Phrase
+present/infinitive/should)
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Activity 1. Answer the following questions.
a. Which are the different sections of a business report?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
b. Tell me the different sections of the title page.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
c. Which are the main aspects to consider in the introduction?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
d. How do you call the section where the writer expresses his/her suggestions?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
DEGREE OF FORMALITY
Formal language means impersonal language and tone. It is characterised by:
absence of first- and second-person pronouns
use of courtesy or position titles with full names or last names
avoidance of contractions and colloquial expressions
use (or overuse) of the passive voice (Note: to use the passive voice is not
wrong, or even a sign of total formality, unless overused; our
recommendation is to balance the use of active and passive voice or to use
more the active voice than the passive one)
DEGREE OF CERTAINTY
The scale of certainty goes from 100 % (highly sure) to 0 % (highly unsure). In that
scale we can identify the following division with their approximate percentage of
certainty:
Certainty (100%) Production will certainly / is certain to increase.
Probability (75%) Production should increase.
Possibility (50%) Production may / might increase.
Improbability (25%) Production is unlikely to increase.
Impossibility (0%) Production definitively will not increase.
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Activity 2. Match the following extracts from reports with the styles listed on the
right.
Extracts Styles
1. I think we should go ahead and invest in a. impersonal, formal and very
this project. If we don’t, we’ll be missing a sure
golden opportunity.
2. Investment in this project is imperative. b. impersonal, formal and unsure
Failure to invest would mean a missed
opportunity.
3. No time should be wasted in advertising c. personal and unsure
the post. Any delay will certainly result in
less efficiency.
4. We should consider advertising the post. If d. personal, informal and unsure
we don’t, it could lead to a reduction in
efficiency.
5. The short term future of interest rates was e. personal and informal
discussed. Opinions varied as to both when
and by how much interest rates would fall. It
was suggested that they would fall by
between ½ and 1½ per cent in under a week
to over a month’s time.
6. We discussed the probable drop in interest f. impersonal and not totally sure
rates. Mr. Field believed that there would be a
1 to 1½ % fall within the next week whereas
Mrs. Power thought there would be a
maximum fall of ½ % and not for at least one
month.
1. _____________ 3. _____________ 5. _____________

2. _____________ 4. _____________ 6. _____________
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Activity 3. Looking at the extracts from the previous activity, could you say which
parts of a report these fragments belong to?
1. ________________________________________
2. ________________________________________
3. ________________________________________
4. ________________________________________
5. ________________________________________
6. ________________________________________
Activity 4. Now consider which of the following features are present in the above
extracts. Mark them with a cross.
Extracts 1 2 3 4 5 6
Personal pronouns
Passives
Expressions of certainty (100%)
Expressions of less certainty
Activity 5. In the following table, we see a list of expressions to be used when

dealing with any of the functions you have in the left column. All of them are used
to report in an impersonal way.
Functions (when you express...) Expressions
Topic/subject X was discussed
X was considered
Opinion It was felt that ...
Opinions varied about ...
Different opinions were expressed about ...
Agreement/disagreement It was agreed that ...
There was no agreement about ...
Recommendation It was suggested that ...
It was recommended that ...
It was proposed that ...
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Conclusion It was concluded that ...
No conclusions were reached about ...
It was decided that ...
Now write the following statements, which are in a personal style, in an impersonal
style and as reported speech.
Example:
We’ve been talking for several hours about levels of investment. (personal, informal
style)
Levels of investment were discussed for several hours. (expressing the topic in an
impersonal, formal style)
1. Most of us think that we should increase our investment in the manufacturing sector.
______________________________________________________________________
2. We have heard a wide range of opinions on the subject of trade with China.
______________________________________________________________________
3. We all agree that the advertising budget should be increased by 5%.
______________________________________________________________________
4. Mr. Stevens has suggested that we double our spending on TV advertising.
______________________________________________________________________
5. I personally recommend that we leave it at the same level.
______________________________________________________________________
6. We don’t seem to be able to reach agreement on the question of advertising.
______________________________________________________________________
7. I propose we postpone this matter until next week.
______________________________________________________________________
8. We all feel that we have spent enough time on this question.
______________________________________________________________________
9. We agreed with Peter when he said that we should allow more time for this question
at the next meeting.
______________________________________________________________________
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STEPS TO WRITE A REPORT
We have already seen some theoretical recommendations on how to write a business
report as well as some practice to create the most appropriate style when writing it.
Now it is time to have some clear guidelines to carry out the writing of the
document. We saw that for business presentations there were three main steps to
follow: preparation, development and delivery. As for business reports the general
structure may seem similar but the complexity of this written document requires to
be more specific when writing it. Therefore, in the next text the main steps to follow
when writing a business report are explained. In the following activities based on
the text you will identify some relevant words useful to develop your ideas and to be
used later to prepare an outline which helps you to better structure your ideas, and
then to write the business report.
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Many people think that writing any kind of document is to place oneself in front of
the paper and start writing. This system results in wrong, inaccurate and confusing
texts. To write a business report we have to follow several steps. First of all, you
ought to prepare and plan your report. The second step is to gather the data or the
information. After that, you may start writing the draft of your report. Next, it is
advisable to check and review the draft. Finally, we suggest adding some final
touches, and the report is ready to deliver.
The first step is the preparation and planning of the report. Initially, you should
identify your purpose or objective. Then, identify the audience. Next, you should
decide what information you will need, the content of the report. After this, you
ought to choose a report structure to follow; and, finally, draft an outline or structure
to help you in your writing step.
Once done all this, it is time to look at the data. We advise you to gather the
information needed and classify it. You may not need all the information, so you
have to be very careful to make a selection and only consider the relevant data.
Writing and revising the report is the following step. First, you have to draft the
main body of the report, and then, the rest of the parts. However, we recommend a
fixed order: first the conclusions, second the recommendations and third the
introduction.
The conclusions are only possible to write when you have some information to
conclude; the recommendations will result from the conclusions. After having all
the findings explained, the evaluation of them and the suggested action, you can now
write the introduction, explaining why the report is written, what the scope and
limitations are, or any other relevant information about the background of the report.
To complete this step, you should check and correct the draft and then issue your
final report. After issuing it, some authors recommend that you give your final draft
to a helpful reader to review the draft, although this is considered as optional.
The final step is to add the final touches. This can be considered more a
suggestion than a real step. A good appearance in a business report, as everything in
life, is important. Therefore, you could use a word-processing system to create a
polished and readable report. Additionally, you might want to refine the layout and
design.
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Activity 6. In the previous text there are some words/expressions appearing in bold. Place them in the appropriate column of the
following table.
Time Cause/ effect Contrast Addition Certainty Advise/ suggestion Obligation Purpose
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Activity 7. Now, complete this outline using the information you have from the
previous text. Use the decimal system and the imperative, which are the most
common ways of outlining the main ideas of a text. Notice the parallel structure
used in the activity, that is to say, that all the points start with an imperative which
is followed by the complements.
An outline of the steps to write a report

1. Prepare and plan your report
___ Identify your objective/purpose (why)
1.2 ________________________
___ Identify the content/decide what information you will need (what)
___ Choose report structure (what relationships)
1.5 ___________________
2. Gather the information
__ Write and revise
3.1 ______________________
___ Draft your conclusions, recommendations and introduction (in that order)
3.3 _____________________
3.4 ____________________
___ Give your final draft to a helpful reader to review the draft (optional)
4. ______________________
4.1 Use a word-processing system to create a polished and readable report
4.2 Refine the layout and design
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FEATURES OF A GOOD BUSINESS REPORT
Taking into account some of the aspects commented previously, we will try to show a
clear summary of the most important characteristics to consider when writing a business
report. Therefore, a business report should be:
ACCURATE
objective, correct, true, rigorous information, impersonal language and tone
CLEAR
* avoid misunderstanding
* use of simple rather than complex words, sentences, and paragraphs
* be consistent in the structure (headings, numbering, etc.)
* be logical presenting the information in a specific order
EMPATHETIC
* keep in mind and understand the reader’s needs and fulfil those needs
through the report
* content (only the necessary information)
* structure (coherence in paragraph structure, logical organisation of the
information and use of headings to ease the reading)
* tone (be courteous and respectful towards your reader)
CONCISE
* use the least number of words necessary to express information accurately,

completely, clearly, consistently, and empathetically
* lack of overused expressions, redundancies, or unnecessary words
* conciseness is not brevity above all; it means avoiding unnecessary words
Activity 8. In the previous boxes, find out words meaning the following.
a. Exact, accurate, precise ___________________
b. To understand incorrectly, misinterpreting ___________________
c. The fact of identifying oneself with and understanding of another’s situation, feelings,
and motives, concerned about somebody else ___________________
d. Satisfy, meet ___________________
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e. To reduce the difficulty or trouble of something, to facilitate something
___________________
f. Precisely, exactly, correctly, in an errorless way ___________________
Activity 9. Read the following scenario and the proper example of a business
report, and then answer the following questions.
a. Which are the organisational and the writing styles the business report follows?
Reason your answer.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
b. Who writes the business report?
______________________________________________________________________
c. Who is the business report written to?
______________________________________________________________________
d. How many addresses appear in the title page? Do they refer to the writer or to the
reader?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
e. When is the business report submitted?
______________________________________________________________________
f. Has the author used any type of headings? How many? Are they quite precise and
clear to let the reader know about the information following them?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
110
g. The whole introduction can be divided in different sections or moves according to
the content they specify. Based on these content possibilities, write down the
excerpts which refer to the following introduction’s sections or moves.
Origin
&
Historical background
Purpose
Sources and methods of collecting data

&
Scope and limitations
h. As every paragraph should develop mainly one idea, point out the principal idea of
paragraphs from 3 to 6 of the business report.
Paragraph 3: ____________________________________________________________
Paragraph 4: ____________________________________________________________
Paragraph 5: ____________________________________________________________
Paragraph 6: ____________________________________________________________
111
Example of a business report
SCENARIO
Clara Borrás, a very hard-working and intelligent Business Administration student in
her final year at university, applied for some scholarships a few months ago. Now,
she has been accepted by three different universities to spend the next academic year.
The universities are Milan University (Italy), Manchester University (UK), and Bonn
University (Germany). She was invited to officially visit each on a weekend in
March. Clara took several rough notes of her trips so that she could compare the
three visits objectively. She will use the information to decide which university’s
scholarship offer to accept.
Clara had a hard time making a decision and asked Mr. Giles Miller — her
English for Business Communication teacher, who also has several scholarships and
knows how life can be abroad, — to help her analyze the situation and make a
decision. Clara and Mr. Miller agreed to use the information to write a short report
illustrating the indirect organizational style as well as the objective writing style, one
of the most used possibilities when writing a business report.
112
ASSESSING SCHOLARSHIP OFFERS FROM
MILAN, MANCHESTER AND BONN UNIVERSITIES
Prepared for
Ms. Clara Borrás, Student

Avda. Calatayud 21 – 3º A
48005 Valencia
Prepared by
Giles Miller, English for Business Communication Instructor

Department of English Studies
Universitat Jaume I
12071 Castelló
3 May 2019
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ASSESSING SCHOLARSHIP OFFERS FROM
MILAN, MANCHESTER AND BONN UNIVERSITIES
Clara Borrás received an official invitation to visit Milan, Manchester, and Bonn
Universities to consider their scholarship offers to enroll in the next academic year.
All three colleges used the same general format for the weekend trips. Data from
these trips were analyzed to determine the offer that should be recommended.
Criteria and Data Collection
Three criteria were used as the basis of analysis—academic strength of the business
program, future working perspectives, and reaction to the overall environment. Data
consisted of detailed notes made after each visit and additional evaluative
information provided after all three visits were made.
Academic Viewpoint
Milan placed the most emphasis on academic achievement. Bonn has a good
academic program but was not quite as good as Milan. Manchester placed the least
emphasis on academic success, and the opportunity to learn more about the business
program was not offered. At Milan, a faculty member from the business program was
involved in the recruiting process, and the athletics personnel emphasized the
importance of academic achievements.
Working Future Viewpoint
Manchester has a very good industrial placement program and it has also very good
relationships with local companies, being tourism the main industrial sector. The
staff at Manchester placed more emphasis on working perspectives and on the
possibility of obtaining an industrial placement than the other two universities. Bonn
has a strong relationship not only with local companies but also with multinationals
all through the country and in some countries close to Germany (Austria,
1
114
Switzerland, etc.). The main industrial sectors this university works with are the
environmental, chemical and furniture industry. Milan’s industrial placement
program is not as strong as the other two but the University is strongly supported by
all the industrial sectors in the area and also in the country. From the time it was
created, Milan has increased in 45% the percentage of students working immediately
after finishing their studies in highly qualified jobs and with long terms contracts. Its
industry is mainly based on tiles and furniture.
Overall Reaction
The reaction to Milan and Bonn was better than the reaction to Manchester. Milan
and Bonn seemed to be more comfortable and a better fit than Manchester. Milan
was the only college that involved parents in the enrolment process. Manchester had
the additional disadvantage of the cold, snowy climate conditions.
Last Comments and Final Recommendation
When all three perspectives — academic, working perspectives, and the overall
reaction — are considered, Milan appears to present the best scholarship offer.
Therefore, my recommendation is that the Milan offer should be accepted.
2
Activity 10. Scenario: José A. González is member of the International Business

Association (IBA) and is in charge of the organisation of the meeting to be held in
Castellón in April 2021. Howard Murphy, President of the IBA has asked him to
send a business report on the best place to have the meeting taking into
consideration the location, the accommodation and the costs. Now you will find the
whole business report, except the title page, with some missing parts. Complete the
business report by doing the tasks explained.
Activity 10A. Match the following topic sentences with their talking headings (both
express the same idea: the topic of a section of the report).
115
Talking headings Topic sentences
1. ORIGIN AND PLAN OF THE RESEARCH a. Both hotels can guarantee the 300 rooms we
will require.
2. ADEQUATE ACCOMMODATIONS AND b. Considering all of these figures, the total cost
SATISFACTORY CONVENTION picture at the Ciutat Oberta is the more
CENTRE favourable one.
3. THE CIUTAT OBERTA’S FAVOURABLE c. In investigating these two hotels, as I was
LOCATION required to do at our April 15th 2021 meeting,
I collected information on what I believed to
be the three major factors of consideration in
the problem.
4. LOWER COSTS AT THE CIUTAT d. The Ciutat Oberta, the hotel in Castelló, is
OBERTA my recommendation for the International
Business Association meeting in April 2021.
My decision is based on the following
summary of the data I collected.
5. RECOMMENDATION OF THE HOTEL e. Despite that, as many members will bring
CIUTAT OBERTA companions, the centred location does give
the Ciutat Oberta an advantage.
1. ______________ 2. ______________ 3. ______________

4. ______________ 5. ______________
Activity 10B. Now, place topic sentences and talking headings in their right
position according to the information of each section. The sections are numbered
just to help you to distinguish them, but a real example should delete the
expressions “Section X”. You will realise the order is not the expected and
recommended inductive organisational style.
116
RECOMMENDATION OF CONVENTION HOTEL FOR THE 2021 MEETING
Section A
HEADING..................................................................................
Topic Sentence.....................................................................................................................
First, the hotel Ciutat Oberta is right in the centre of the city, and this is an important
advantage to convention attendants and their companions. Second, accommodation,
including meeting rooms, is adequate in both places, although the Papa Luna’s rooms
are more modern. Third, Ciutat Oberta room costs are approximately 15% lower than
those at the Papa Luna. The Ciutat Oberta, however, would charge €300 for a room for
the assembly meeting. Although both hotels are adequate, because of location and cost
advantages the Ciutat Oberta appears to be a better choice from the members’
viewpoint.
Section B
HEADING..................................................................................
Topic Sentence.....................................................................................................................
First is location. Second is adequacy of accommodation and location of Convention
Centre. And third is cost. The following findings and evaluations form the basis of my
recommendation.
Section C
HEADING..................................................................................
The older of the two hotels, the Ciutat Oberta is located in the heart of the town, very
close to the business district. Thus it is convenient to the area’s two major department
stores as well as the other downtown shops. The hotel Papa Luna, on the other hand, is
in a tourist resort town called Peñíscola, approximately at 10 minutes driving from the
major shopping area. Located in a peripheral area of the main city (business and
residential area), it provides little location advantage for those wanting to shop. It does,
however, have shops within its walls that provide virtually all of the guest’s normal
needs, apart from giving the opportunity of enjoying the beach (if the weather is
pleasant). Topic Sentence....................................................................................................
117
Section D
HEADING..................................................................................
Topic Sentence.....................................................................................................................
As the Papa Luna is new (since 2015), its rooms are more modern and therefore more
appealing. The 50-year-old Ciutat Oberta, however, is well preserved and comfortable.
Its rooms are all in good repair, and the equipment is modern.
The Papa Luna has 9 small meeting rooms and the Ciutat Oberta has 10. All are
adequate for our purposes. Both hotels can provide the 8 we need. For our general
assembly meeting, neither of the two hotels have such a big room for all of us. In both
locations, however, there is a Conventions Centre which can easily seat our membership
and also serve as the site of our inaugural dinner. The Conventions Centre in Peñíscola
is at a walking distance from the hotel Papa Luna, whereas in Castellón we need to go
by bus as it is in the outskirts of the city. In spite of this difference, both hotels appear to
have adequate facilities for our meeting.
Section E
HEADING..................................................................................
Both the Ciutat Oberta and the Papa Luna would provide eight rooms for meetings on a
complimentary basis. Both would provide complimentary suites for our president and
our secretary. The Ciutat Oberta, however, would charge €4 for arranging the use of the
Conventions Building for the assembly meeting. The Papa Luna would provide this
service without charge.
Convention rates at the Ciutat Oberta are €55-€65 for singles, €65-€75 for double-
bedded rooms, and €70-€80 for twin-bedded rooms. Comparable rates at the Papa Luna
are €65-€75, €75-€85, and €80-€95. Thus the savings at the Ciutat Oberta would be
approximately 15% per member.
Cost of the dinner selected would be €20 per person at the Ciutat Oberta. The Papa
Luna would meet this price if we would guarantee 400 plates. Otherwise, they would
charge €23. Topic Sentence.................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
118
During a management meeting of MacGuinness & Co. Ltd. – a large multinational
company – a proposal was made that all future training courses should be held in-
company and that employees should no longer be sent on external courses. Following
this meeting the Training Section was asked to review the advantages and disadvantages
of the proposal, and to present its recommendations. The deadline given was 10 June
2021, and the report was to be addressed to Mr. Thomas Watson, the Personnel
Superintendent. When Ryan Glims, the Head of the Training section, sat down to write
his report, he began by making the following disordered rough notes:
If a group of employees need the same course, it’s cheaper to hold the course in-
company.
If a particular course is needed by very few employees (1 or 2) per year, it may be
more cost-effective to send them on an external course.
When a course is held in-company, departments frequently call employees away
unnecessarily in the middle of a course. This reduces the effectiveness of the
course.
Many employees prefer external courses because they get a lot of benefits from
contact with other participants.
If a course is to be held in-company, it has to be relevant to the company’s needs.
In-company courses allow employees remain at hand in case of an emergency and
can be recalled to their departments, if necessary.
Not convenient to totally reject the proposal for external courses as it may be
expensive to provide highly specialised courses for a small number of staff.
Compromise: use in-company courses when a lot of employees need them, but
use external courses for more specialist areas when it is more cost effective.
Using all this information, write the business report which the Head of Training sent to
the Personnel Superintendent. The previous notes are just for helping you to write the
business report. Take into consideration the following suggestions:
- Use the following information about the writer and the reader:
119
Mr. Watson’s address: Mr. Glims’ address:
MacGuinness & Co. Ltd. MacGuinness & Co. Ltd.
Churchill House Trading Estate
12B Triumph St. 63 Carrington Road
London E9 5SD London SW7 2HT
- Remember you have to write an objective and formal document in an indirect

style.
- The parts should consider the Title page, the Introduction, the Body, the
Conclusions and the Recommendations.
- The information given to you shows the positive and the negative aspects for the
training courses. They both should be included properly in the body.
- Remember to use talking headings.
- Title: express in short and concisely the main topic of the report. Think about the
Wh- words (who, what, where, when, why).
- Introduction: you can use expressions to introduce the topic (as seen above),
infinitive phrases, expressions of reason or purpose, “be to” construction.
- Body: remember that the use of enumeration makes the reader understand easier
the information.
- Conclusion: use contrast connectors, modals indicating future or possibility.
- Recommendation: use modal verbs (should, must, ...) and expressions to
recommend.
- Use the Report Writing Review Checklist (at the end of this unit) to check if your
final draft of the business report is what it should be and you expect it to be. Add
this checklist, with the questions answered, to your final version.
Selecting a site for a Tommy Tom store.
You are working for the international consultancy firm James & Sam Inc. You are
working in the main office in Spain, placed in Castelló, c/ Herrero, 105, 12005 Castelló,
Spain. The headquarters of the company are in Chicago. The Manager of the
International Relations, Howard Grown, sends you an email asking you to find out the
best place in the Castelló area to set up the first Tommy Tom store in Europe.
120
Tommy Tom is an American chain of drive-in convenience stores featuring gasoline,
groceries, and fast-food items. Now, they have decided to become an international
company by establishing in Europe, starting in Spain.
You have collected the following information on three locations that are suitable:
NorthEast sector – Castelló
Commercial area. Lot 150 x 100 metres. Corner location. Cost: $65,000. Traffic
count per day (7 a.m. to 9 p.m.): 4,200 cars. Distance from nearest rival
company store: 3.1 kilometres.
South sector – Benicassim
Commercial area. Lot 200 x 100 metres. Noncorner location. Cost: $55,000.
Traffic count per day: 9,000 cars. Distance from nearest rival company store: 3.9
kilometres.
South sector – Vila-real
Commercial area. Lot 150 x 150 metres. Corner location. Cost: $75,000. Traffic
count per day: 6,500 cars. Distance from nearest rival company store: 2.1
kilometres.
Your job is to evaluate these sites and to recommend one of them to Tommy Tom
president, Thomas Jackson (2919 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL 60618, USA). You
will present your recommendations and analyses in a proper short report format, in
formal language, and using the indirect organisational style.
* Note: in American English, ‘lot’ means ‘a small area of land used for a particular
purpose’.
121
REPORT WRITING REVIEW CHECKLIST
1. Do your introductory paragraphs provide sufficient context? Do they state the
purpose of the document?, its origin? and its limitations and/or scope?
2. Do your organisation and formatting make ideas easy to find? Does your document
use talking headings? Have you divided your report into appropriate paragraphs?
Have you used connectives correctly?
3. Is the information complete and accurate? Does your document help the reader to
understand the report?
4. Are the sentences easy to read? Are they short? Are the paragraphs also easy to
read and relatively short?
5. Is the document proof-read? Have you checked the spelling, grammar,
punctuation and typography?
122

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Bachelor’s Degrees in:

Material created and developed by Ruiz-Garrido, M. F. & Fortanet-Gómez, I.

This work is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0

WHAT IS BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE?

Three-step writing process

This work is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0 1

Additional tips for the writing stage (Step 2)

Activity 1. Answer the following questions about the text.

LAYOUT OF A BUSINESS LETTER

James Martin (2) (3) Your ref.: JM / st

(4) 26 October 2020

We look forward to hearing from you soon. (6)

Yours sincerely, (7)

Paul Lenoir (8)

Enc.: Price list and catalogue (9) 4

Inside information (receiver’s address) (2)

Complimentary close (7)

British English American English

Dear Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms Bennett Yours sincerely Yours sincerely

Activity 4. Include the following parts of a letter in their right place.

RIWON CLOSETS August 27, 2021

Layout of the email

Attachment: How to write an email.doc

Send Cut Copy Paste Undo Attach

Start of the meeting is 9:30 a.m. on 22 September and closing is on 23 September at 3

Make your subject line informative

Personalise your email message

Double check the content and style of the email message

Use of email abbreviations in moderation

Emoticons (emojis or smileys for some people)

Activity 5. Answer the following questions.

Send Cut Copy Paste Undo Attach

Please confirm you __________ (10) with all this ASAP.

The following example follows these steps:

We look forward to hearing from you soon (5).

Yours faithfully, (6)

a._____ b._____ c._____ d._____ e._____

f._____ g._____ h._____ i._____ j._____

Activity 10. Complete the following letter.

Blarney Woolen Mills Our ref.: AA/mn

We would therefore _____________ (10) it if you ____________ (11) send us your

We look forward to __________ (13) from you.

Yours ____________ (14),

REPLY TO AN INQUIRY LETTER

Dear Mr. Taylor,

We are going to launch a new collection of books about gastronomy

We look forward to hearing from you soon. (7)

Yours sincerely, (8)

Enc.: Catalogue and price list

a._____ b._____ c._____ d._____

e._____ f._____ g._____ h._____

IRISH HANDCUT GLASS

1914 Commerce Street

Phone n.: +1 (800) 4210011

Optional Communicative Situations

WHAT IS TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION?

Activity 1. Reading comprehension. Answer the following questions.

This work is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0 25

Activity 2. Listen to two telephone conversations and fill in the table.

Grindlays Bank Klondike Office Equipment

B: The reason I’m calling is to ________________________________________

1. How are you? a. Let me go over it again.

1._____ 2._____ 3._____ 4._____ 5._____

a.___ b._ c._ d._ e.___

f.___ g._ h._ i._ j.___

We would therefore _ (10) it if you (11) send us your

a.___ b._ c._ d.___

e.___ f._ g._ h.___

1.___ 2._ 3._ 4._ 5.___

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

1. ___ 2. _ 3. _ 4. _ 5. _____

1. ___ 2. _ 3. _____