Business/20

• English
• Special Education

Compliments

FORMAL:

-Jeff, I was very impressed with the way you handled the project. Nice work!

-Thank you, Steve. I appreciate the compliment.

INFORMAL:

-Dinner was great, Roberta. My compliments to the chef.

-Oh, it was nothing. I'm glad you liked it.

MORE FORMAL:

-Mrs. Hills, I'd like to compliment you on your presentation. It was excellent.

-Thank you so much. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Role play

You have to give an important presentation on Thursday, but you simply
do not have time to prepare. Ask one of your co-workers to give the presentation for you. 

It’s a big ask, so be sure to be polite and persuasive!

Situation 1: A presentation to do

You have promised to take your spouse on a long weekend holiday next week and so you need to take Friday and Monday off. 

The only problem is that you have already taken your quota of annual leave this year. 

Ask the HR manager if there is still a way to take the time off.

Situation 2: No more leave

One day, you receive a phone call regarding a previous employee. This employee listed you as a reference and the company wants to ask you a few questions about the employee’s performance. You’re not quite sure why the employee gave your name as a reference as you actually have mixed feelings about them. 

Answer the questions about the previous employee.

Situation 3: A phone reference

You work for a medium-sized company. Staff motivation is a major

problem. 

Your boss has asked you and your partner to come up with some ideas to help the staff become more motivated. 

With your partner, brainstorm some ideas to re-motivate the

employees and decide which you would like to implement.

Situation 4: Motivation

You have decided to resign from your company after working there for over five years. 

Your boss has asked to speak to you to find out why. 

Explain to your boss why you have decided to resign

Situation 5: Goodbye

Mock Meeting

Due to worsening traffic conditions and personal commitments, some employees have been asking for flexible working hours to be

implemented. 

Hold a meeting and decide whether to implement this policy in your company and how it would work.

Mock Meeting I: Flexi hours

The CEO has been complaining about staff behavior: they come late, they dress shabbily, they smoke where they’re not supposed to and they take two-hour lunch breaks. 

Hold a meeting of the Heads of Department to discuss how to improve staff discipline.

Mock Meeting II: Employee behaviour

Choose the correct answer!

Bill's company has broken its four-quarter streak of declining ________.

1. reviews
2. revenue
3. cash
4. cost

Revenue from license sales ______ 5% during the second quarter of 2007.

1. fell
2. down
3. fell through
4. hit

Because of good business decisions, our company is growing faster than ________.

1. assumed
2. expecting
3. expected
4. except

We expect _______ growth during the next couple of quarters.

1. modest
2. shy
3. mid-range
4. semi

The CEO announced that the company was taking a new ________.

1. way
2. highway
3. direction
4. location

The 90's stock market ______ created scores of (= many) dot-com millionaires.

1. boom
2. boon
3. book
4. boot

A ______ company is one that isn't going to last very long. It's here one day, and gone the next.

1. night
2. fly-by-night
3. flighty
4. nighty

The company spokesperson ________ to answer any questions.

1. decided
2. declined
3. decried
4. depressed

We're a little worried. One of our major _______ is growing at a rapid rate.

1. competition
2. competitors
3. compete
4. complete

Bill was trying to come up with a scheme to steal money from the company, but his boss
_______ to this scheme and fired him.

1. caught
2. caught up
3. caught on
4. caught off

Goodbye!