Essential

Busi ness Grammar Builder

For cl ass and sel f study
Paul Emmer son
Essential Business Grammar Builder helps students improve both
their grammar and Business English vocabulary. It is designed for
students studying at elementary to lower intermediate level and
can be used both in the classroom and for self study.
60 units of clearly structured grammar explanations with
graded practice exercises set in business contexts
Authentic and interesting texts and quotations from leading
business publications
A preliminary test to measure students grammar knowledge
plus 18 progress tests for revision and consolidation
Audio CD featuring selected conversations and articles from
the book. Can be used for checking answers, revision and
additional listening practice
Comprehensive index, glossary of grammar terms
and answer keys for all tests and exercises
For students: Essential Business Grammar Builder is a valuable
resource for students preparing for the BEC and the TOEIC
examinations. (The second level, Business Grammar Builder, is
suitable for BEC Vantage Level and above.)
For teachers: Essential Business Grammar Builder can be used
alongside the Business Builder Teachers Resource Series to
create the ultimate, personalized Business English course.
9 781405 070485
I SBN 1- 4050- 7048- X
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INCLUDES
AUDIO CD
Essential
Busi ness Grammar Builder
We recommend the Macmillan Essential Dictionary
to accompany the course.
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Contents
LI ST OF GRAMMAR TERMS + TEST 8
VERB TENSES
1 Present simple 10
form, uses, time adverbs
2 Present continuous 12
form, uses, time adverbs
3 Present simple and present continuous 14
present simple or continuous?, state verbs
4 Past simple 16
form, irregular verbs, uses, time adverbs
5 Past continuous and used to 18
form, uses, time adverbs; used to
6 Present perfect 1 20
form, uses, been and gone
7 Present perfect 2: time adverbs 22
ever/never, already/yet, just, for/since, unnished periods of time
8 Present perfect, past simple and present simple 24
past simple or present perfect?, time adverbs, present simple or present perfect?
9 Present perfect continuous 26
form, uses, present perfect or present perfect continuous?
10 Past perfect 28
form, uses, time adverbs
11 Review of past and present 30
simple forms, continuous forms, perfect forms
12 Future 1: will 32
form, facts and predictions, instant decisions, talking about the future
13 Future 2: going to and present continuous 34
going to, present continuous, going to or present continuous?
14 Future 3: review, present simple, future probability 36
review of future forms, time adverbs, future probability
QUESTI ONS
15 Questions 1: yes/no questions 38
yes/no questions, short answers
16 Questions 2: yes/no answers 40
saying yes, saying no, disagreeing politely
17 Questions 3: wh- and how questions 42
question words, questions starting with a wh- or how word, prepositions
18 Questions 4: subject/object and indirect questions 44
subject/object questions, indirect questions
4
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CONTENTS
5
TI ME EXPRESSI ONS
19 Time expressions 1 46
time in relation to today, calendar references, in/on/at, time adverbs
20 Time expressions 2 48
for/since/during/ago, on time/in time, by/until, at the end/in the end
PASSI VES
21 Passive 1 50
form, uses, saying who does the action: by
22 Passive 2 52
formal contexts, processes, active/passive balance, passive + innitive
MODAL VERBS
23 Modal verbs 1: ability and requests 54
introduction, ability, requests and permission, suggestions
24 Modal verbs 2: obligation and necessity 56
obligation, no obligation, permission, prohibition, opinions and advice
25 Modal verbs 3: probability 58
certainty, deduction, expectation, uncertainty, degrees of probability
26 Modal verbs 4: modals in the past 60
ability, obligation, opinions and advice, probability
CONDI TI ONALS
27 Conditionals 1: zero and rst conditional 62
conditions and results, zero conditional, rst conditional
28 Conditionals 2: second conditional 64
second conditional, rst or second conditional?, wishes
29 Conditionals 3: more conditional clauses 66
unless, provided that/as long as, in case, modal verbs in conditionals
30 Conditionals 4: third conditional 68
third conditional, afrmatives and negatives, result in present
VERBS PATTERNS
31 Verbs followed by -ing or to + innitive 1 70
introduction, verb + -ing, verb + to + innitive
32 Verbs followed by -ing or to + innitive 2 72
change in meaning, no change in meaning, phrases with to + -ing
33 Verbs and objects 74
transitive and intransitive verbs, verbs with two objects
34 The -ing form 76
as a noun, as an adjective, after a preposition, beginning a clause
REPORTED SPEECH
35 Reported speech 1 78
introduction, tense changes, other changes
36 Reported speech 2 80
say or tell?, other reporting verbs, reporting a question
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CONTENTS
RELATI VE CLAUSES
37 Relative clauses 1 82
introduction, relative pronouns, combining sentences
38 Relative clauses 2 84
prepositions, when/why/where, what, non-dening relative clauses
NOUNS, ARTI CLES AND PRONOUNS
39 Countable and uncountable nouns 1 86
countable nouns, uncountable nouns, a/some/many/much
40 Countable and uncountable nouns 2 88
specic and general meanings, singular or plural verb?
41 Determiners 1 90
introduction, some/any, any meaning no limit, many/much, a few/a little
42 Determiners 2 92
all, no/none, each/every, both/either/neither
43 Articles 1 94
a or an?, uses of a/an, uses of the, a or the?
44 Articles 2 96
the/no article, special uses of the, place names
45 Possessives 98
possessive adjectives and pronouns, s (apostrophe s), a friend of mine
46 Pronouns 100
reexive pronouns: myself/ourselves, indenite pronouns: someone/everyone
47 Its and theres 102
it as an empty subject, theres to say that something exists
ADJECTI VES AND ADVERBS
48 Adjectives and adverbs 104
introduction, verb + adjective, good/well, order of adverbs
49 Comparison 1: adjectives 106
comparatives and superlatives, form, as as /more and more
50 Comparison 2: adverbs and nouns 108
comparing adverbs, comparing nouns, large and small differences
51 Degree 110
too/not enough, so/such, so/too
LI NKI NG WORDS
52 Linking words 1 112
as well as, although, despite, because, so
53 Linking words 2 114
in addition, however, therefore, for instance, in fact, rstly, basically
54 Linking words 3 116
purpose (to/for/so that), like/as/as if
6
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CONTENTS
PREPOSI TI ONS
55 Verb + preposition 118
verb + preposition, verb + object + preposition, verb + no preposition
56 Adjective + preposition 120
adjective + preposition
57 Prepositional phrases 122
by accident, for sale, in advance, on budget, out of date, up to you
58 Prepositions of place 124
at/in/on, expressions with at/in/on, above/below and over/under
PHRASAL VERBS
59 Phrasal verbs 1: separable 126
what is a phrasal verb?, separable phrasal verbs
60 Phrasal verbs 2: inseparable 128
introduction, phrasal verbs with no object, phrasal verb + preposition + object
Test bank
Test 1 Present simple and present continuous 130
Test 2 Past simple and past continuous 131
Test 3 Present perfect simple and continuous 132
Test 4 Future forms 133
Test 5 Questions and answers 134
Test 6 Passives 135
Test 7 Modal verbs 136
Test 8 Conditionals 137
Test 9 Verb patterns 138
Test 10 Reported speech 139
Test 11 Relative clauses 140
Test 12 Nouns and determiners 141
Test 13 Articles 142
Test 14 Adjectives and adverbs 143
Test 15 Linking words 144
Test 16 Verb/adjective + preposition 145
Test 17 Prepositional phrases 146
Test 18 Phrasal verbs 147
Appendices
Appendix 1 Regular verbs: formation 148
Appendix 2 Irregular verbs 150
Appendix 3 Spelling 152
Appendix 4 Punctuation 154
Answer key 157
Index 169
7
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20
6 Present perfect 1
Over the last 18 years, the
Erasmus program has allowed
1.2 million young people to
study abroad within Europe.
International Herald Tribune
website
Toyota has set a goal to capture
15 percent of the global car
market in the next decade, and
has spent heavily on new
factories in the United States,
China and elsewhere.
New York Times website
A Form
We form the present perfect with the auxiliary has/have + the past participle.
Regular verbs like work form the past participle with -d or -ed. In verb tables, the
second column (past simple) and third column (past participle) are the same:
work worked worked.
Irregular verbs often have a different past simple and past participle: do did done,
go went gone. For a list of irregular verbs see pages 150-1.
The contractions (in brackets) are used in speech and informal writing.
B Uses
We use the present perfect for a situation that started in the past and continues to the
present.
Ive worked in marketing all my life.
Ive known Kumiko since we were at university together.
We use the present perfect to talk about a series of actions up to the present.
Ive visited Spain several times.
We have made many improvements to this software in the new version.
We use the present perfect for a past event that has a present result.
Ive lost their invoice I cant nd it anywhere.
Your taxi has arrived. See you again soon have a safe journey!
In general, the present perfect connects the past with the present. The rst two cases
are life up to now and the third is present result of a past action.
Notice that with the present perfect the time period is not nished or not denite.
Ive worked in marketing all my life. (not nished I continue to work in marketing)
Ive visited Spain many times. (not denite no time given)
Ive lost their invoice. (not denite no time given)
Compare with the past simple (unit 4) where the time is nished and denite.
C Been and gone
Notice the difference between has been to and has gone to.
Shes been to Paris means she went there and has now returned.
Shes gone to Paris means she went there but has not yet returned. She is still there.
Afrmative Negative Question
I have (ve) worked I have not (havent) worked Have I worked?
You have (ve) worked You have not (havent) worked Have you worked?
He/she/it has (s) worked He/she/it has not (hasnt) worked Has he/she/it worked?
We have (ve) worked We have not (havent) worked Have we worked?
They have (ve) worked They have not (havent) worked Have they worked?
This is goodbye, gentlemen. I have met
another board of directors, and we have
fallen in love.
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Exercises
6.1 Complete this verb table of irregular verbs. The last letter has been given to help you.
Check on pages 150-1.
Innitive Past simple Past participle Innitive Past simple Past participle
1 be was _________n 9 have had _________d
2 begin began _________n 10 know knew _________n
3 buy bought _________t 11 make made _________e
4 come came _________e 12 meet met _________t
5 do did _________e 13 see saw _________n
6 get got _________t 14 think thought _________t
7 give gave _________n 15 take took _________n
8 go went _________e 16 write wrote _________n
6.2 Complete this extract from an Annual Report using these verbs in the present perfect: be, begin, buy,
have, make.
6.3 Complete this email by putting the verbs into the present perfect. There are afrmative, negative and
question forms.
Jim (1) __________________________ (you/hear) about the plans to extend the Bucharest metro?
The European Union (2) __________________________ (announce) that they will provide funding
for another line. All construction companies are invited to make a bid. Several points occur to me:
1. Our big competitors like Alstom and Bechtel (3) __________________________ (not/make) any
public statements yet, but Im sure they will be interested.
2. What about us? Should we put in our own bid? I (4) __________________________ (prepare)
a short report with my own ideas. Its attached to this email. Let me know what you think.
3. It would be good to talk to Dimitrie about this, but he (5) ________________________ (not/reply)
to my last few emails. (6) ________________________ (you/see) him recently?
Anyway, my secretary will schedule a meeting on this issue at the end of March. Please discuss
the matter with your team members before then.
construction of new line for Bucharest metro
have you heard
6 PRESENT PERFECT 1
21
7
bee
Annual Report
I am pleased to report that we (1) _________________ an excellent year. Our nancial services division
(2) _________________ a prot of over eight million dollars, and for the rst time we (3) _________________
activities in the area of life insurance. Our expansion plans in Central Europe are also going well: senior
managers (4) _________________ there many times over the year to look at the possibilities of setting up
subsidiaries, and in Slovakia we (5) _________________ a controlling share in an existing local company.
have had
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38
15 Questions 1: yes/no questions
Business Week Executive Poll
Questions: Do you expect that
your sales next quarter will be
higher, lower, or the same as
this quarter? Are you currently
employing more, fewer, or the
same number of people you
employed a year ago? Have
you tried to get nancing from
banks or other sources in the
last six months? Did you get all
the nancing you needed? Does
your company export goods or
services to any other country?
Business Week website
So you want to start a business.
Do you have what it takes to
succeed? (Part 1)
1 Do you enjoy working with
other people?
A Yes, I do. B No, I dont.
2 Do you welcome
responsibility?
A Yes, I do. B No, I dont
3 Are you a good organizer?
A Yes, I am B No, Im not.
Asian Women in Business
website
A Yes/no questions
The table below is a summary. (Full forms are given in earlier units.)
Notice that yes/no questions are formed with an auxiliary verb + subject + main verb.
The auxiliary can be do, be, have or a modal verb like can, will, etc.
Notice that to make a question we take the afrmative form and then
invert the subject and the auxiliary.
He is working Is he working?
She has worked Has she worked?
He was working Was he working?
She has been working Has she been working?
He had worked Had he worked?
She can work Can she work?
The present simple and past simple do not
have an auxiliary in the afrmative form.
So to keep the pattern we use do and did.
She works Does she work? (NOT Works she?)
He worked Did he work? (NOT Worked he?)
B Short answers
To make a short answer we repeat the auxiliary verb, not the main verb.
A: Do you speak French? B: Yes, I do./No, I dont. (NOT Yes, I speak.)
A: Are you staying at the Ritz? B: Yes, I am./No, Im not. (NOT Yes, I staying.)
A: Did you see Michel? B: Yes, I did./No, I didnt. (NOT Yes, I saw.)
A: Were you enjoying yourself? B: Yes, I was./No, I wasnt.
A: Have you read this report? B: Yes, I have./No, I havent.
A: Have you been waiting long? B: Yes, I have./No, I havent.
A: Had you met him before? B: Yes, I had./No, I hadnt.
A: Can you be here at 7.00? B: Yes, I can./No, I cant.
A: Will you be late? B: Yes, I will./No, I wont.
present simple Do you live in Prague? Does she live in Prague?
present continuous Are you coming with us? Is he coming with us?
past simple Did you go to the meeting? Did she go to the meeting?
past continuous Were you waiting long? Was he waiting long?
present perfect Have you ever eaten sushi? Has he ever eaten sushi?
present perfect continuous Have you been working? Has she been working?
past perfect Had you left when I called? Had she left when I called?
modals: can/could/will Can you speak German? Can he speak German?
Oh, by the way, do you have any money? Will you send me any money?
Do you know anyone who has any money? Will they send me any money?
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15 QUESTIONS 1: YES/NO QUESTIONS
Exercises
15.1 Change each afrmative sentence into a question.
1 Bill thinks its a good idea. ____________________________________________
2 Sonia is arriving on Monday. ____________________________________________
3 He made a copy of the Excel le. ____________________________________________
4 Theyve offered her the job. ____________________________________________
5 Shell be at the meeting tomorrow. ____________________________________________
15.2 Read the replies, then complete the questions about the operating system Linux.
1 A: ___________________________________ B: IBM? No, I was reading about Linux.
2 A: ___________________________________ B: Linux? No, most servers use Windows.
3 A: ___________________________________ B: Falling? No, the popularity of Linux is growing.
4 A: ___________________________________ B: The eighties? No, Linux started in 1991.
5 A: ___________________________________ B: On our computers? No, we havent installed it.
6 A: ___________________________________ B: A lot of money? No, the inventor hasnt been
making a lot. The software is free!
15.3 Write a short reply for each question, beginning as shown.
1 Did you speak to Kate? Yes, ________________
2 Have you been to Brazil? No, ________________
3 Do you play golf? Yes, ________________
4 Does Bill play golf? No, ________________
5 Did you have a good trip? Yes, ________________
6 Can you speak German? No, ________________
7 Are you coming with us? Yes, ________________
8 Is Maria coming with us? No, ________________
15.4 Complete the dialogue with these words: are, do, does, did, has, have, is.
MIKE: (1) ____________ you go to the training day they told us about at the last meeting?
SUE: (2) ____________ you talking about the computer training?
MIKE: No, not the computer training, I meant the sales training.
SUE: Oh yes, I went to that. It was quite good. (3) ____________ you ever been on that course?
MIKE: No, I havent.
SUE: Well I found it very useful. It helps you to think about the type of questions we ask our
clients during a sales conversation.
MIKE: When you go on these courses (4) ____________ the company pay or (5) ____________ you
pay yourself? I know that good training isnt cheap.
SUE: Oh, the company pays they can afford it. It doesnt cost us anything.
MIKE: And (6) ____________ it helped you in your day-to-day work? Be honest now.
SUE: Yes, I think it has.
MIKE: OK. Im interested. (7) ____________ the course running again in the near future?
39
Does Bill think its a good idea?
Were you reading about IBM?
I did.
19
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27 Conditionals 1: zero and rst conditional
Those are my principles. If you
dont like them, I have others.
Groucho Marx
If you build it, they will come.
Or will they? Eight tips to drive
Internet trafc to your website.
Fripp website
A Conditions and results
Conditional sentences are explained in units 2730. Compare:
The if part of the sentence is the condition, and the other part of the sentence is the
result. The condition can come second.
Ill get a bonus if sales go up.
Id get a bonus if sales went up.
Note that there is no comma in writing if the condition comes second.
B Zero conditional
The form of a zero conditional is:
We use a zero conditional to talk about things that are always or generally true.
In this type of conditional we are not referring to one specic event.
In a zero conditional, if is the same as whenever or every time.
If/whenever/every time interest rates rise, we pay more for our bank loans.
C First conditional
The form of a rst conditional is:
We use a rst conditional to talk about future events that are likely to happen.
Note that we do not use will in the if part of the sentence.
(NOT If sales will go up next month, Ill )
(NOT If anyone will call, say Im )
Time reference Name
If sales go up, I usually get a bonus. general zero conditional
If sales go up next month, Ill get a bonus. future: likely rst conditional
If sales went up next month, Id get a bonus. future: unlikely second conditional
If sales had gone up last month, Id have got a bonus. past third conditional
Condition Result
- present simple or present continuous - present simple or imperative
If you y rst class, you get amazing service.
If business is going well, everyone is happy.
If the lift isnt working, take the stairs.
Condition Result
- present simple or present continuous - will/wont or imperative
If sales go up next month, Ill get a bonus.
If youre leaving at six am, I wont see you in the morning.
If anyone calls, say Im in a meeting.
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27 CONDITIONALS 1: ZERO AND FIRST CONDITIONAL
Exercises
27.1 Complete each sentence 16 with the best ending a) or b).
1 If you have any questions, a) I deal with them at the end of the talk.
2 Whenever I get questions, b) Ill deal with them at the end of my talk.
3 If you wait here, a) Ill be right back.
4 If you wait in an airport, b) it gets really boring after an hour or so.
5 Whenever I y Executive Class, a) Ill take my laptop with me.
6 If I y to Sydney next week, b) I take my laptop and try to do some work.
27.2 Underline the correct words.
1 If Klaus speaks/will speak in a meeting, he usually mentions/will mention the importance of our brand
image.
2 If Klaus speaks/will speak in the meeting tomorrow, Im sure he mentions/will mention the importance
of our brand image.
3 Every time I do/I will do it, I make/I will make the same mistake.
4 Its time to leave. We are/Well be late if we arent/we wont be careful.
5 If we dont reach/we wont reach an agreement soon, I think they walk away/theyll walk away from
the negotiation.
6 Whenever I use/I will use this computer, theres/therell be a problem.
7 If you see/you will see Nicole, send her/you will send her my regards.
8 If you order/you will order from our website, we always send/will send an email conrmation.
27.3 You are talking to a colleague. Study the rst conditional sentences.
Now complete what you say in another conversation, using rst conditional sentences each time.
Use contractions (ll for will, etc).
63
If I work hard, Im sure Ill get a promotion after a year. If I get a promotion, Ill have more
responsibilities. But if I have more responsibilities, I wont have so much free time in the
evenings. If I dont have so much free time, I wont be able to go the gym. If I dont go the
gym, Ill get fat. Life isnt easy.
Ive just heard that there might be a strike in the factory. If (1) ____________________
(there/be) a strike, (2) _______________________ (we/lose) a lot of production.
And if (3) _______________________ (we/lose) production, (4) _______________________
(we/not be able) to ship the goods to our customers on time. If (5) _______________
(our customers/not be) happy, (6) _______________________ (they/go) to other
suppliers. So its really important that we negotiate with the unions and try
to avoid a strike. If (7) _______________________ (we/not negotiate) now, Im sure
(8) _______________________ (there/be) bad labour relations for years to come.
34
theres
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