Welcome to the in company Elementary Wordlist!
y r a t n e t m e l E
y n a p m o c n i
What information does the in company Elementary Wordlist give you? • a summary of key words and phrases from each unit of in company Elementary Student’s Book • pronunciation of keywords and phrases • sample sentences showing the words and phrases in context • common collocations, expressions and idioms using the key words • also included are opposites and American English equivalents Abbreviations used in the Wordlist (v) (adj (a dj)) (n)
verb adject adje ctiv ive e noun
(phr v) phrasal verb verb (n pl) plural noun (adv) adverb
(conj) sb sth
conjunction somebody something
VOWELS AND DIPHTHONGS I / / / / i…i / …/ / U / u / / u… …/ / e / ´ / / ‰ / / ‰… …/ O / / O… …/ / œ / ø / /
big fi fish gree gr een n bea beans ns shoul sh ould d loo look k blue bl ue moo oon n ten eggs about mother mother lear earn n wor words ds shor sh ortt tal talk k fat ca cat must co come
bIg fIS / / bIg / gri…n gri…n bi…nz / / lUk / SUd blu… mu…n / / blu… / ten egz / ´baUt møD´(r ) / / / l‰…n w‰…dz / / l‰…n SO…t / tO…k / fœt kœt / / fœt / møst køm / / møst
A / / A… …/ / Å / I´ / / I´ e / / eI I/ U´ / / U´ O / / OI I/ ´U / / e´ / / e´ a / / aI I/ aU / / aU
cal alm m star startt hot spo spot ear face pure boy nose hair eye mou outh th
kA…m stA…t / / kA…m / hÅt spÅt / / hÅt / I´(r ) / / I´ / feIs / / feIs pjU´(r ) / / pjU´ / bOI(r ) / / bOI / n´Uz / / n´Uz he´(r ) / / he´ / aI / / aI / maU∏ / / maU∏
/ s / / z / S / / / Z / / m / / n / / N / / h / / l / / / r r / / w / j / / /
snake noisse noi shop sh op meassure mea make nine sing si ng house leg red wet yes
/sneIk / nOIz / / nOIz SÅp / / /meZ´ (r ) / / /meIk / naIn / / naIn sIN / / sIN /haUs / leg / / leg / red red / / wet / wet / jes / /
CONSONANTS / p / / b / / t / / / d / / tS tS / dZ / / dZ / k / / g / f / / f / v / / ∏ / / D /
pen bad tea dog chur ch urch ch jazz cost girl far voice thin th in then th en
pen / / pen bœd / / bœd ti… / / ti… / / dÅg dÅg / / tS‰…tS / tS‰…tS / /dZœz / / kÅst / / /g‰…l / / / fa… fa…(r ) / / /vOIs / ∏In / / ∏In Den / / Den
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
(Am E) American English English (Br E) British English
in company
Elementary
Unit 1 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
advertising (n)
\"œdv´taIzIN\
Real Madrid’s marketing deals are worth € 70 million a year in advertising.
agreement (n)
\´"gri…m´nt\
A business agreement is a deal between two companies or organizations.
bargain (n)
\"bA…gIn\
Many people consider Ronaldo a bargain because of the publicity and income he brings to his club.
big in \"bIgÆIn\ be big in plastics/software/ \bi… bIgIn mobile phones etc plœstIks\sÅftwe´\ m´UbaIl f´Unz\
example sentence
CMG is a company that is big in plastics.
board (v) be boarding at Gate 7/ Platform 3 etc
\bO…d\ \bI ÆbO…dIN ´t ÆgeIt "sev´n\ÆplœtfO…m "Tri…\
Flight BA372 will be boarding boarding at Gate 23 in ten minutes.
boarding pass (n)
\"bO…dIN ÆpA…s\
You need to show your passport and ticket to get a boarding pass .
business (n) billion-dollar/multi-million pound business (n)
\"bIzn´s\ \ÆbIlj´nÆdÅl´\ÆmøltIÆ mIlj´n ÆpaUnd "bIzn´s\
Nowadays football is a billion-dollar international business.
check in (phr v)
\ÆtSek "In\
Try to check in around two hours before your plane departs.
check sth in (phr v)
\ÆtSek sømTIN "In\
“Do you have anything to check in?” “Just one piece of hand baggage.”
company (n)
\"kømp´nI\
Coca-Cola is a multinational drinks company.
deal (n)
\di…l\
Teams such as AC Milan and Juventus earn millions of euros in deals with their sponsors.
delegate (n)
\"del´g´t\
Over 250 delegates attended the conference.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
1
in company
Elementary
Unit 1 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
dollar ($) (n)
\"dÅl´\
The deal is thought to be worth 3 billion dollars ($3 billion).
euro (€) (n)
\"jU´r´U\
Fifty-five million euros (€ 55 million) is a lot of money.
flight (n)
\flaIt\
“Are you tired after your flight?” “A little, but I’m fine.”
free (adj) be free to do sth
\fri…\ \bI Æfri… t´ "du… ÆsømTIN\
“Are you free to join me?” “Yes, I am. Thank you.”
global (adj) global audience/ business/economy etc
\gl´Ub´l\ \Ægl´Ub´l "O…dI´ns\"bIzn´s\ I"kÅn´mI\
How do you do?
\ÆhaU d´ j´ "du…\
“I’m Saskia Slater. How do you do? ” “Pleased to meet you. I’m Matt Jensen.”
image (n)
\"ImIdZ\
Beckham, Figo, Ronaldo and Zidane give the club an internationalimage.
income (n)
\"INkøm\
Income from sponsors is worth over € 70 million a year.
logo (n) company logo (n)
\"l´Ug´U\ \ÆkømpnI "l´Ug´U\
Manchester United players wear the Vodafone company logo on their shirts.
marketing (n) marketing deal (n)
\"mA…k´tIN\ \"mA…k´tIN Ædi…l\
Marketing deals are worth a lot of money to the top European clubs.
MBA (n)
\Æ´mbi…"eI\
MBA is an abbreviation for Master of Business Administration.
multinational (n)
\ÆmøltI"nœS´n´l\
Multinationals such as Opel and Siemens market their products all over the world.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
The Euro 2004 championships attracted a global TV audience .
2
in company
Elementary
Unit 1 headword
pronunciation
organiser (n)
\"O…g´ÆnaIz´\
“Are you one of the organisers?” “No, I’m not. I’m a delegate, like you.”
partner (n)
\"pA…tn´\
Area Banca is FC Bologna’s major business partner.
\bI "pA…tn´z In Ædu…IN ÆsømTIN\
Over 200 companies are partners in marketing deals with Real Madrid.
passport (n)
\"pA…spO…t\
Businessmen from the UK need a passport in order to travel abroad.
Pleased to meet you.
\Æpli…zd t´ "mi…t ju…\
“I’m Saskia Slater. How do you do?” “Pleased to meet you. I’m Matt Jensen.”
publicity (n)
\pø"blIs´tI\
Players such as Beckham and Del Piero are worth millions of euros in publicity to their clubs.
salary (n)
\"sœl´rI\
Rui Costa’s salary is € 4.7 million a year.
sponsor (n) main sponsor (n)
\"spÅns´\ \ÆmeIn "spÅns´\
“Who’s the club’s main sponsor ?” “It’s Siemens.”
ticket (n)
\"tIk´t\
Tickets are not issued for Internet reservations.
trademark (n)
\"treIdmA…k\
Ronaldo’s smile is his trademark and is recognised throughout the world.
You’re welcome.
\ÆjU´r "welk´m\
“You’re in Room 303. Here’s your key.” key.” “Thank you.” “You’re welcome.”
worldwide (adj)
\"w‰…ldÆwaId\
A worldwide TV audience watched the Euro 2004 championships.
be worth €6m /$2 billion/£1.5 million
\bI Æw‰…T ÆsIks ÆmIlj´n "jU´r´Uz\Ætu… ÆbIlj´n "dÅl´z\Æwøn pOInt ÆfaIv ÆmIlj´n "paUndz\
Marketing deals alone are worth
be partners in (doing) sth
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
€70
million a year to the club.
3
in company
Elementary
Unit 2 headword
pronunciation
alarm clock (n)
\´"lA…m ÆklÅk\
Many mobile phones have added features such as an alarm clock, clock, calculator etc.
answer (v) answer a call
\"A…ns´\ \ÆA…ns´ ´ "kO…l\
Some people only use their mobiles to answer incoming calls calls..
\ÆA…ns´ D´ "f´Un\
I hate it when people answer the phone in restaurants or theatres.
answer the phone bore (n) mobile phone bore (n)
\bO…\ \Æm´UbaIl "f´Un ÆbO…\
business (n) business opportunity (n)
\"bIzn´s\ \"bIzn´s ÆÅp´Ætju…n´tI\
calculator (n)
\"kœlkj´ÆleIt´\
call (n) answer a call
\kO…l\ \ÆA…ns´ ´ "kO…l\
translation/notes
example sentence
Mobile phone bores are people who leave their phone on all the time and have private conversations in public. Do you agree that mobile phones increase business opportunities? opportunities ? Features such as personal organisers and calculators are available on most mobile phones nowadays. When I’m at the gym I only answer important calls calls..
incoming call (n)
\ÆInkømIN "kO…l\
People use their mobiles in different ways and some people only use them to receive incoming calls. calls.
make a call
\ÆmeIk ´ "kO…l\
I ma made de a quick call home on the train to say what time I would be arriving.
receive a call
\rIÆsi…v ´ "kO…l\
How do you use your mobile – for making or receiving calls, calls, or both?
call (v)
\kO…l\
My wife called me from the supermarket to ask what I wanted for dinner.
call (sb) back (phr v)
\ÆkO…l sømb´dI "bœk\
Alan, I’m in a restaurant. Can I ca call ll yo you u ba back ck later?
chatter (n)
\"tSœt´\
There’s nothing worse than sitting on a train and having to listen to somebody else’s annoying mobile phone chatter chatter..
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1
in company
Elementary
Unit 2 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
communication (n)
\k´Æmju…n´"keIS´n\
Young people use their mobiles for entertainment as well as communication.
confidential (adj)
\ÆkÅnf´"denS´l\
Talking about confidential matters in public is bad mobile phone etiquette.
connect (to) (v)
\k´"nekt “tu…‘\
Business people need to be able to connect to their company computers through their mobile phone.
connection (n) connection to the Internet/a PC
\k´"nekS´n\ \k´ÆnekS´n t´ Di… "Int´net\´ Æpi…"si…\
contact (v) contact sb on their mobile
\"kÅntœkt\ \ÆkÅntœkt Æsømb´dI Ån De´ "m´UbaIl\
conversation (n) have a (long) conversation
\ÆkÅnv´"seIS´n\ \Æhœv ´ ÆlÅN ÆkÅnv´"seIS´n\
Having long conversations on your mobile can be extremely annoying for other people.
cover (n)
\"køv´\
How often do you change your mobile phone cover?
download (v) download ring-tones/icons etc
\ÆdaUn"l´Ud\ \ÆdaUnl´Ud "rINÆt´Unz\"aIkÅnz\
Downloading ring-tones and icons is an important feature of a mobile for many young people.
easy to use (adj) (opposite = hard to use)
\Æi…zI t´ "ju…z\
The most important thing about a mobile phone for me is that it’s easy to use.
etiquette (n) mobile phone etiquette (n)
\"etIket\ \"m´UbaIl Æf´Un "etIket\
Leaving your phone on all the time and talking loudly in public are two examples of bad mobile phone etiquette.
executive (n)
\Ig"zekj´tIv\
Executives and salespeople see their mobile phone as a work tool.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
People who use their mobile phone as a work tool see connection to a PC as a vital feature.
If I’m not at home when you call, you can contact me on my mobile.
2
in company
Elementary
Unit 2 headword
pronunciation
extras (n pl)
\"ekstr´z\
Features such as a note pad, a personal organiser and connection to a PC are known as “extras”.
feature (n)
\"fi…tS´\
What features does your mobile phone have?
“hands-free” phone (n)
\Æhœndz fri… "f´Un\
It is now compulsory in Britain to use a “hands-free” phone in your car.
icon (n)
\"aIkÅn\
Icons are small pictures or symbols that you can attach to text messages.
intimate (adj)
\"IntIm´t\
In general, fellow travellers do not want to share intimate details of your personal life.
leave your phone on/off
\Æli…v j´ Æf´Un "Ån\"Åf\
Remember – don’t leave your phone on when you’re at the cinema!
market (n) on the market
\"mA…k´t\ \ÆÅn D´ "mA…k´t\
This latest model is one of the slimmest, sexiest phones on the market.
mobile phone (n)
\Æm´UbaIl "f´Un\
Men tend to like smaller mobile phones while women prefer larger ones.
mobile phone bore (n)
\Æm´UbaIl "f´Un ÆbO…\
Mobile phone bores leave their phones on all the time and use loud and annoying ring-tones.
mobile phone etiquette (n)
\Æm´UbaIl "f´Un Æetiket\
Mobile phone etiquette involves using your mobile phone in a way that does not annoy other people.
mobile (phone) habits/manners (n pl)
\m´UbaIl “"f´Un‘ ÆhœbIts\Æmœn´z\
mobile phone user (n)
\Æm´UbaIl "f´Un Æju…z´\
Being a smart mobile phone user means using a “hands-free” phone in the car, speaking quietly in public etc.
\"mÅdl\
Do you keep changing your mobile phone in order to have the latest model?
\ÆsmO…l\Æmi…dI´mÆsaIzd\ ÆlA…dZ "mÅdl\
Business people typically use medium-sized models with a large screen to read information.
model (n) small/medium-sized/ large model (n)
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
Other people’s bad mobile manners are driving me mad!
3
in company
Elementary
Unit 2 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
note pad (n)
\"n´Ut Æpœd\
A note pad is a mobile phone extra that allows you to write notes and reminders to yourself.
personal organiser (n)
\Æp‰…s´n´l "O…g´naIz´\
A personal organiser allows you to store the names and phone numbers of people you contact often.
pre-paid card (n)
\Æpri…peId "kA…d\
Pre-paid cards are more suitable for people who don’t often use their phones to make calls.
public (n) in public
\pøblIk\ \ÆIn "pøblIk\
ring-tone (n)
\"rINÆt´Un\
Loud ring-tones can be really annoying if you’re on a crowded train.
download ring-tones
\ÆdaUnl´Ud "rINÆt´Unz\
Download our latest ring-tones for only £1.50 per minute.
set the ring-tone at low/high
\Æset D´Æ rINt´Un ´t "l´U\"haI\
Remember to set your ring-tone at low if you’re in a public place.
salespeople (n pl)
\"seIlzÆpi…pl\
Salespeople and executives often use their mobiles to connect to their company computers.
screen (n)
\skri…n\
It’s easier to read information on a large screen.
sexy (adj)
\"seksI\
“Sexy” is a term used to describe the latest, slimmest mobile phone models.
size (n)
\saIz\
Is size important to you when choosing a mobile phone?
slim (adj)
\slIm\
Their latest model is the slimmest and most sophisticated on the market.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
If you want to be a smart mobile phone user, don’t discuss confidential matters in public.
4
in company
Elementary
Unit 2 headword
pronunciation
SMS text message (n)
\ÆesemÆes Ætekst "mesIdZ\ \Æsend ´n ÆesemÆes Ætekst "mesIdZ\
send an SMS text message
translation/notes
example sentence
The majority of young people use their phones for sending SMS text messages.
sophisticated (adj) (opposite = unsophisticated)
\s´"fIstIÆkeIt´d\
I love my mobile phone – it’s slim, sexy and sophisticated!
switch off (phr v) (opposite = switch on)
\ÆswItS "Åf\
Spectators are asked to switch their mobile phones off during the match.
\ÆswItSt "Åf\
I always leave my phone switched off in meetings.
switched off (opposite = switched on) text (v) text sth to sb/text sb sth
\tekst\ \Ætekst ÆsømTIN t´ "sømb´dI\Ætekst Æsømb´dI "sømTIN\
text message (n) send/receive a text message
\"tekst ÆmesIdZ\ \"send\rIÆsi…v ´ Ætekst "mesIdZ\
Young people spend a lot of time sending and receiving text messages.
turn off (phr v) (opposite = turn on)
\Æt‰…n "Åf\
When the phone rang she turned it off without answering.
user (n)
\"ju…z´\
According to the ITU at the end of 2002 there were 1.390 million mobile phone users.
work tool (n)
\"w‰…k Ætu…l\
Executives and salespeople see their mobile mainly as a work tool.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
Could you text me Mr Hockliffe’s address in Paris?
5
in company
Elementary
Unit 3 headword
pronunciation
alarm (n) the alarm goes off
\´"lA…m\ \Di… ´ÆlA…m g´Uz "Åf\
My day starts at 7.15 when the alarm goes off.
always (adv) (opposite = never)
\"O…lweIz\
Frank always arrives at work at 9.00.
call (n) take a call
\kO…l\ \ÆteIk ´"kO…l\
Could you ask my secretary to take the call, please?
client (n)
\"klaI´nt\
The morning usually involves taking calls from clients and dealing with e-mails.
\g´U ÆaUt wID ´ "klaI´nt\ \ÆvIzIt ´ "klaI´nt\
Sometimes I have lunch at my desk but sometimes I go out with a client.
colleague (n)
\"kÅli…g\
Do you ever see your colleagues socially outside work?
computer (n) turn on the/ your computer
\k´m"pju…t´\ \Æt‰…n Ån ÆD´\jO… k´m"pju…t´\
As soon as she gets to the office she turns on the computer and reads her e-mail.
costs (n pl) cut/reduce costs
\kÅsts\ \Ækøt\rIÆdju…s "kÅsts\
Many companies claim that sharing desks reduces costs.
daily routine (n)
\ÆdeIlI ru…"ti…n\
“Always”, “never” and “often” are useful words for describing your daily routine.
desk (n) at your desk
\desk\ \Æœt j´ "desk\
I usually have lunch at my desk but sometimes I go out with clients.
go out with a client visit a client
clear your desk
translation/notes
\ÆklI´ j´ "desk\
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example sentence
She’s usually out of the office in the afternoon, visiting clients.
Employees clear their desks at the end of the day, leaving them free for colleagues to use.
1
in company
Elementary
Unit 3 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
share desks
\ÆSe´ "desks\
60 per cent of staff at IBM “hot-desk” or share their desks.
desk-sharing (n)
\"deskÆSe´rIN\
Many workers find desk-sharing more stressful than traditional office organisation.
disposable (adj)
\dI"sp´Uz´bl\
“Do you have your own coffee cup?” “Oh no, we have disposable plastic ones.”
e-mail (n) deal with e-mail(s)
\"i…meIl\ \Ædi…l wID "i…meIlz\
I usually start my working day by dealing with e-mails.
\Æri…d j´r "i…meIlz\
As soon as she gets to work she turns the computer on and reads her e-mail.
employee (n)
\Im"plOIi…; ÆemplOI"i…\
In many companies employees share office space and work flexible hours.
flexible (adj)
\"fleks´bl\
Desk-sharing can be more flexible but it also leads to arguments with colleagues.
flexible hours (n pl) work flexible hours
\Æfleks´bl "aU´z\ \Æw‰…k Æfleks´bl "aU´z\
flexitime (n)
\"fleksItaIm\
“Do you work flexitime?” No, I don’t. It’s a nine-to-five job.”
get up (phr v) (opposite = go to bed)
\Æget "øp\
The alarm goes off at 7.15 but she doesn’t often get up straightaway.
go to bed (opposite = get up)
\Æg´U t´ "bed\
I usually go to bed between 11 and midnight and sometimes feel very tired.
hot-desk (v)
\ÆhÅt"desk\
Nowadays, more and more employees “ hot-desk”.
hot desking (n)
\ÆhÅt "deskIN\
Hot desking is a system in which employees share desks with their colleagues.
read your e-mail(s)
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
In theory we work flexible hours, but if you want a decent place to work you arrive early.
2
in company
Elementary
Unit 3 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
internet-based (adj)
\"Int´netÆbeIst\
Roundpeg.com is an internet-based recruitment agency.
involve (v)
\In"vÅlv\
Mornings tend to involve meetings, taking calls and dealing with e-mail.
laptop (n)
\"lœptÅp\
Laptops are useful for people who work out of the office a lot.
managing director (n)
\"mœnIdZIN d´"rekt´\
Jodie Lawson is managing director of roundpeg.com.
meeting (n)
\"mi…tIN\
I seem to spend most of my days in meetings.
department meeting (n)
\dIÆpA…tm´nt "mi…tIN\
The next department meeting will be on Wednesday 12 May at 11.00.
evening/lunchtime meeting (n)
\Æi…vnIN\ÆløntStaIm "mi…tIN\
She finishes work at 7.00 but quite often goes to an evening meeting.
mess up (phr v)
\Æmes "øp\
We often have arguments about space and someone always messes up the computer.
never (adv) (opposite = always)
\"nev´\
He never goes home before half past six in the evening.
office (n) get to the office
\"ÅfIs\ \Æget t´ Di… "ÅfIs\
What time do you usually get to the office?
leave the office (opposite = arrive at the office)
\Æli…v Di… "ÅfIs\
Employees have to clear their desks before leaving the office at the end of the day.
office equipment (n)
\"ÅfIs IÆkwIpm´nt\
Office equipment includes furniture and things such as computers, fax machines etc.
office organisation (n)
\ÆÅfIs ÆO…g´naI"zeISn\
Many people prefer traditional office organisation to hot desking.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
3
in company
Elementary
Unit 3 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
office ritual (n)
\ÆÅfIs "rItSU´l\
Office rituals help to create a happy working atmosphere.
office space (n)
\"ÅfIs ÆspeIs\
Office Angels, a recruitment agency, did a survey about the use of office space.
office worker (n)
\"ÅfIs Æw‰…k´\
Hot desking makes some office workers less productive.
work/be out of the office
\Æw‰…k\Æbi… ÆaUt ´v Di… "ÅfIs\
He works out of the office a lot and has his own laptop.
often (adv)
\"Åfn\
I leave work at 7.00 but often have to go to an evening meeting.
own (adj) your own coffee cup/equipment/personal space etc
\´Un\ \j´r Æ´Un "kÅfI Ækøp\ I"kwIpm´nt\ Æp‰…sn´l "speIs\
Many people feel uncomfortable about sharing and prefer to have their own desk.
personal (adj) personal desk/office equipment (n)
\p‰…sn´l\ \Æp‰…sn´l "desk\"ÅfIs IÆkwIpm´nt\
Some people like to put their name on personal office equipment.
\Æp‰…sn´l "speIs\
Do you feel happy sharing or do you prefer to have your own personal space?
personalise (v)
\"p‰…sn´ÆlaIz\
Workers often like personalising their work space, e.g. by putting their name on personal office equipment.
presentation (n) make a presentation
\Æprez´n"teISn\ \ÆmeIk ´ Æprez´n"teISn\
productive (adj) (opposite = unproductive)
\pr´"døktIv\
Hot desking can make employees less productive and can lead to arguments about space.
recruitment agency/firm (n)
\rI"kru…tm´nt ÆeIdZ´nsI\Æf‰…m\
Office Angels, the recruitment agency, decided to do a survey about the use of office space.
personal space (n)
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
I get very nervous before making presentations.
4
in company
Elementary
Unit 3 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
sometimes (adv)
\"sømtaImz\
Desk-sharing can sometimes cause arguments between colleagues.
space (n) save space
\speIs\ \ÆseIv "speIs\
One of the advantages of hot desking is that companies can save space.
staff (n)
\stAf\
60 per cent of IBM’s staff “hot-desk” or share desks.
stressful (adj) (opposite = relaxing)
\"stresfl\
Companies say that the new systems are more flexible but employees often find them stressful.
study (n)
\"stødI\
A recent study claims that daily routine and office rituals create a happy working atmosphere.
survey (n)
\"s‰…veI\
We’re currently doing a survey about the use of office space.
system (n)
\"sIst´m\
Hot desking is a relatively new system aimed at saving space and cutting costs.
usually (adv)
\"ju…ZU´lI\
Frank usually has lunch at work.
work (n) get to work (opposite = leave work)
\w‰…k\ \Æget t´ "w‰…k\
She doesn’t have breakfast at home; she has a bowl of cereal when she gets to work.
leave work (opposite = get to work)
\Æli…v "w‰…k\
I try to leave work no later than 5.30.
start work (opposite = finish work)
\ÆstA…t "w‰…k\
Because we share office space you have to start work early if you want to find a decent desk.
work space (n) personalised work space
\"w‰…k ÆspeIs\ \Æp‰…sn´laIzd "w‰…k ÆspeIs\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
Office workers often find regular working hours and a personalised work space more productive.
5
in company
Elementary
Unit 3 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
\rIÆz‰…v "w‰…k ÆspeIs\
In some companies, employees reserve their work space for the next day.
worker (n)
\"w‰…k´\
For our survey we interviewed workers about which system they preferred: hot desking or a personalised work space.
working atmosphere (n)
\Æw‰…kIN "œtm´sÆfI´\
Do you agree that office rituals help to create a happy working atmosphere?
working hours (n pl)
\Æw‰…kIN "aU´z\
“Do you work flexitime?” “No, I do regular working hours.”
reserve work space
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
6
in company
Elementary
Unit 4 headword
pronunciation
arrange (v)
\´"reIndZ\
attach (v) attach a file
\´"tœtS\ \´ÆtœtS ´ "faIl\
translation/notes
example sentence Arranging a business trip involves things like booking flights and organising the equipment you need. There was a problem with the file you sent. Could you attach a new file in Acrobat format?
\´ÆtœtSt "faIlz\
I am sending you the information you requested as an attached file.
\´"tœtSm´nt\
Please send a copy of your CV as an attachment.
\Æ´Up´n ´n ´"tœtSm´nt\
I’m afraid I couldn’t open your attachment.
be based in
\bI "beIst In\
The company is based in Sacramento, California.
book (v) book a flight/ticket
\bUk\ \ÆbUk ´ "flaIt\"tIkIt\
Go ahead and book the flights.
booking reference (n)
\"bUkIN Ærefr´ns\
The flights are booked. Your booking reference is YE8GXC.
brochure (n)
\"br´US´\
We’ve had 2,000 copies of the new brochure printed – it looks great!
business (n) do business
\"bIzn´s\ \Ædu… "bIzn´s\
corporate gift (n)
\"kO…p“´‘r´t gIft\
correspondence (n) end the correspondence
\ÆkÅrI"spÅnd´ns\ \Æend D´ ÆkÅrI"spÅnd´ns\
delay (n)
\dI"leI\
attached file(s) (n) attachment (n) open an attachment
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
Thank you for forwarding the information I requested. I hope we can do business together. Corporate gifts are presents that companies give to their clients.
The problem with e-mail is that people don’t always know when to end the correspondence. There are often delays at the airport. Is there an earlier flight?
1
in company
Elementary
Unit 4 headword
pronunciation
details (n pl)
\"di…teIlz\
Here are the details of your flight: depart Bilbao 10.00; arrive Berlin 12.20.
\Ædi…teIlz t´ "fÅl´U\
The hotel is the same as last year. Is that all right? Details to follow.
\"i…meIl\
E-mail is a very fast and easy form of communication.
get/receive (an) e-mail
\Æget\rIÆsi…v “´n‘ "i…meIl\
How many e-mails do you get a day?
reply to (an) e-mail
\rIÆplaI tu… ´n "i…meIl\
I don’t have time to reply to all my e-mails.
send (an) e-mail
\Æsend ´n "i…meIl\
They’re sending me an e-mail to confirm the time of the meeting.
equipment (n) digital photography /safety/sports etc equipment
\I"kwIpm´nt\ \ÆdidZItl f´ÆtÅgr´fI\ÆseIftI\ÆspO…ts I"kwIpm´nt\
Please send further information about your digital photography equipment.
fax (n) get a fax
\fœks\ \Æget ´ "fœks\
I’ve just got a fax from Head Office.
\Æsend ´ "fœks\
We’ll send a fax to confirm the flight booking.
\faIl\
My apologies for the problem with the file I sent.
attach a file
\´ÆtœtS ´ "faIl\
Please attach a new file in Acrobat format.
attached file(s) (n)
\´Ætœtst "faIl“z‘\
Thank you for your e-mail with the attached file for the brochure.
flight (n) outward flight (n) (opposite = inbound flight)
\flaIt\ \ÆaUtw´d "flaIt\
details to follow e-mail (n)
send a fax file (n)
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
There is a problem with the outward flight. It arrives at 12.30 and the presentation is at 13.30.
2
in company
Elementary
Unit 4 headword
pronunciation
fly (v) fly in (opposite = fly out)
\flaI\ \ÆflaI "in\
We’ll be flying in and out of Berlin on the same day.
\ÆflaI "aUt “Æfr´m\Æ´v‘\
If you fly out from Bilbao at 10.00, you should arrive in Berlin at 12.20.
format (n) in Acrobat/JPEG etc format
\"fO…mœt\ \In Æœkr´bœt\ ÆdZeIpeg "fO…mœt\
I couldn’t read your attachment. Could you send it to me again in Acrobat format?
get back to (phr v) get back to sb
\get "bœk tu…\ \get "bœk t´ Æsømb´dI\
launch (n) the launch of
\lO…ntS\ \D´"lO…ntS ´v\
Is everything ready for the launch of the new corporate gift range?
let me know
\Ælet mI "n´U\
Let me know as soon as possible if there are any problems.
letter (n) write a letter
\"let´\ \ÆraIt ´ "let´\
How many letters do you write a week?
be located (in)
\bi… l´U"keIt´d “In‘\
Where are you located? On your webpage this is not clear.
open (v) open an attachment/a file
\"´Upen\ \Æ´Up´n ´n ´"tœtSm´nt\"faIl\
Be careful when opening attachments as they can contain viruses.
organise (v)
\"O…g´naIz\
There’s always a lot to organise when you’re giving a presentation.
pick up (phr v)
\ÆpIk "øp\
The flights are booked. Pick up the tickets at the airport.
fly out (from/of) (opposite = fly in(to))
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly.
3
in company
Elementary
Unit 4 headword
pronunciation
product (n)
\"prÅdøkt\
Thank you for your interest in our products.
\"prÅdøkt ÆreIndZ\
Please find attached information about our latest product range.
projector (n)
\pr´"dZekt´\
For the presentation I’ll need a projector to connect to my laptop.
range (n) corporate gift/product range (n)
\reIndZ\ \ÆkO…p“´‘r´t "gIft\"prÅdøkt\ ÆreIndZ\
request (n) a request for information
\rI"kwest\ \´ rIÆkwest f´r ÆInf´"meISn\
Jorgen Bild e-mailed the company with a request for information about their digital photography equipment.
(tele)phone call (n) make a phone call
\"“telI‘"f´Un ÆkO…l\ \ÆmeIk ´ "f´Un ÆkO…l\
Some people think that making phone calls is quicker than sending e-mails.
trip (n) Have a good trip
\trIp\ \Æhœv ´ ÆgUd "trIp\
I’m enclosing your booking reference number and ticket. Have a good trip.
update (v) update a webpage/ website etc
\øp"deIt\ \øpdeIt ´ "webpeIdZ\"websaIt\
You’re right about our webpage – we are currently updating it.
webpage (n)
\"webÆpeIdZ\
Where are you located? On your webpage this is not clear.
write back (phr v) write back to sb
\ÆraIt "bœk\ \ÆraIt "bœk t´ Æsømb´dI\
Jorgen wrote back to Michele to thank her for re-sending the attachment.
product range (n)
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
We’re always looking to expand our product range.
4
in company
Elementary
Unit 5 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
acquaintance (n)
\´"kweInt´ns\
During a business lunch, don’t get up to say hello to other acquaintances in the restaurant.
alcohol (n)
\"œlk´ÆhÅl\
“Let’s have a bottle of wine.” “Order some for yourself. I don’t drink alcohol, you see.”
allergic (adj) be allergic to
\´"l‰…dZIk\ \Æbi… ´"l‰…dZIk Ætu…\
I don’t eat fish. I’m afraid I’m allergic to it.
bill (n) ask for the bill
\bIl\ \ÆA…sk f´ D´ "bIl\
Signal the end of the meal by asking for the bill.
book (v) book a table
\bUk\ \ÆbUk ´ "teIbl\
Book a table in a quiet part of the restaurant.
business lunch (n)
\"bIzn´s ÆløntS\
A successful business lunch requires careful organisation.
coffee (n) coffee and a liqueur
\"kÅfI\ \ÆkÅfI ´n ´ lI"kjU´\
Skip the dessert and order coffee and a liqueur.
coldness (n) (opposite = warmth)
\"k´Uldn´s\
Try not to be too formal – it creates distance and coldness.
credit card (n) pay with a credit card
\"kredIt ÆkA…d\ \ÆpeI wID ´ "kredIt ÆkA…d\
It’s quicker and easier to pay the bill with a credit card.
deal (n) make a deal
\di…l\ \ÆmeIk ´ "dI…l\
Good deals are often made during business lunches.
delicious (adj)
\dI"lIS´s\
“Mine’s delicious. How’s yours?” “Well, actually the steak’s a bit tough.”
dessert (n)
\dI"z‰…t\
Would you like a dessert after the main course?
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
1
in company
Elementary
Unit 5 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
distance (n) (opposite = closeness)
\"dIst´ns\
Too much formality creates distance.
eat out (phr v) (opposite = eat in)
\Æi…t "aUt\
“Eating out” is an expression meaning to eat in a restaurant rather than at work or at home.
formality (n) (opposite = informality)
\fO…"mœl´tI\
Too much formality isn’t good for business – try to relax.
full (adj)
\fUl\
“What about a dessert?” “No thanks. I’m full.”
guest (n)
\gest\
Try to relax during the lunch so that your guests will feel comfortable.
host (n)
\h´Ust\
It’s your duty as host to make your guests feel relaxed.
idea (n) not like the idea of …
\aI"dI´\ \nÅt ÆlaIk Di… aI"dI´ ´v\
The guest doesn’t like the idea of squid.
name (n) in the name of
\neIm\ \In D´ "neIm ´v\
Good afternoon. I have a reservation in the name of Cruyff.
order (v) order sb sth
\"O…d´\ \ÆO…d´ sømb´dI "sømTIN\
“Can I order you coffee and a liqueur?” “That would be wonderful, thank you.”
personal matters (n pl)
\"p‰…sn´l Æmœt´z\
Don’t talk about personal matters with your guests unless you know them very well.
place (n) it’s a nice place
\pleIs\ \Its ´ ÆnaIs "pleIs\
“This is one of my favourite restaurants.” “Yes, it’s a nice place.”
plan (v) plan to do sth
\plœn\ \Æplœn t´ "du… ÆsømTIN\
Book a table between 14.30 and 15.00 and plan to finish within two hours.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
2
in company
Elementary
Unit 5 headword
pronunciation
quiet (adj) (opposite = noisy)
\"kwaI´t\
Try to get a table in a quiet part of the restaurant with well-separated tables.
reservation (n) have a reservation (in the name of)
\Ærez´"veISn\ \Æhœv ´ Ærez´"veISn “In D´ ÆneIm ´v‘\
Good afternoon. I have a reservation in the name of Cruyff.
second course (n)
\Æsek´nd "kO…s\
The menu: ask for different starters, followed by a light second course.
share (v)
\Se´\
It’s a good idea to have different starters that you can share.
signal (v)
\"sIgn´l\
Signal the end of the meal by asking for the bill.
skip (v) skip the starter/ dessert/coffee
\SkIp\ \ÆskIp D´ "stA…t´\dI"z‰…t\"kÅfI\
Skip the dessert and order coffee.
space (n)
\SpeIs\
A quiet part of the restaurant surrounded by space is an ideal location for a business lunch.
speciality (n)
\ÆspeSI"œl´tI\
This is one of my favourite restaurants – their speciality is fish.
\´Æl´Uk´l speSI"œl´tI\
The squid in black sauce is a local speciality.
starter (n)
\"stA…t´\
No starter for me, thanks. I’ll just have the main course.
This way …
\ÆDIs "weI\
“I’ll take your coats. This way, gentlemen.”
tough (adj) the steak/meat is a bit tough (opposite = tender)
\tøf\ \D´ ÆsteIk\Æmi…t Iz ´ ÆbIt "tøf\
“How’s yours?” “Well, actually the steak’s a bit tough.”
a local speciality
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
3
in company
Elementary
Unit 5 headword
pronunciation
vegetarian (n)
\ÆvedZ´"te´rI´n\
well-separated (adj) well-separated tables
\Æwel"sep´reIt´d\ \welÆsep´ret´d "teIblz\
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence “They do an excellent steak here.” “Er .. I’m afraid I don’t eat meat. I’m a vegetarian.” Look for a quiet part of the restaurant with well-separated tables.
4
in company
Elementary
Unit 6 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
accommodation (n)
\´ÆkÅm´"deISn\
A good conference centre should offer comfortable, modern accommodation.
atmosphere (n)
\"œtm´sÆfI´\
Engsholm Castle is a beautiful place with a relaxing atmosphere.
bath (n) a full-sized bath
\bA…T\ \´ ÆfUlsaIzd "bA…T\
All the rooms have an en suite bathroom with a full-sized bath.
business centre (n)
\"bIzn´s Æsent´\
Our business centre is equipped with computers and Internet connections.
computer (n) computer screen (n)
\k´m"pju…t´\ \k´m"pju…t´ Æskri…n\
The computer screen is covered with Post-it notes.
conference (n) conference equipment/ facilities/needs/services
\"kÅnf“´‘r´ns\ \"kÅnf“´‘r´ns IÆkwIpm´nt\f´ÆsIl´tIz\Æ s‰…vIs´z\
conference centre (n)
\"kÅnf“´‘r´ns Æsent´\
In your opinion, what are the three most important features of a good conference centre?
dining (n)
\"daInIN\
The dining facilities include a restaurant with seating for 100 people.
en suite (adj) en suite bathroom
\Ån swi…t\ \Ån swi…t bA…Tru…m\
entertainment (n)
\Æent´"teInm´nt\
Entertainment facilities include pool tables and TV with satellite channels.
excursion (n) outdoor excursions (n pl)
\Ik"sk‰…Sn\ \ÆaUtÆdO… Ik"sk‰…S´nz\
Rubber boots and raincoats are available for outdoor excursions.
facilities (n pl)
\f´"sIl´tIz\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
Engsholm Castle’s excellent facilities make it an ideal place for your conference needs.
Our luxury accommodation includes rooms with en suite bathroom, a mini-bar and satellite TV.
The hotel is situated in beautiful surroundings and offers a range of excellent facilities. 1
in company
Elementary
Unit 6 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
\"daInIN\"leZ´ f´ÆsIl´tIz\
We’re currently upgrading our dining facilities to meet the criteria of the IACC.
file (n)
\faIl\
A file is a set of papers or documents about a particular subject, or the box that they are kept in.
filing cabinet (n)
\"faIlIN ÆkœbIn´t\
A filing cabinet is a tall piece of office furniture with drawers for keeping files in.
floor (n) ground/upper floor (n)
\flO…\ \ÆgraUnd\Æøp´ "flO…\
folder (n)
\"f´Uld´\
A folder is a thin flat piece of cardboard used for keeping papers and documents together.
guest room (n)
\"gest Æru…m\
“What about accommodation?” “There are 241 guest rooms.”
health centre (n)
\"helT Æsent´\
Leisure facilities include a spa, health centre, swimming pool and jacuzzi.
homepage (n)
\"h´UmÆpeIdZ\
The IACC’s internet site provides information about conference centres, with links to members’ homepages.
internet (n) internet connection (n)
\"Int´Ænet\ \"Int´net k´ÆnekSn\
dining/leisure facilities
Our luxury dining room is on the upper floor while on the ground floor there is a bar and pool tables.
Computers with internet connections are provided for the use of guests.
\"Int´net ÆsaIt\
Visit the IACC’s internet site for information about the world’s leading conference centres.
keyboard (n)
\"ki…ÆbO…d\
Be careful not to spill your drink on the keyboard!
link (n) a link to
\lINk\ \´ "lINk Ætu…\
There are links to members’ home pages on our website.
location (n)
\l´U"keISn\
internet site (n)
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
In my view, location and facilities are the two most important features of a conference centre. 2
in company
Elementary
Unit 6 headword
pronunciation
lounge (n)
\laUndZ\
luxury (adj) luxury accommodation/ dining room/facilities/ food and drink
\"løkS´rI\ \ÆløkS´rI ´ÆkÅm´"deISn\"daInIN Æru…m\f´"sIl´tIz\Æfu…d ´n "drINk\
meeting room (n)
\"mi…tIN Æru…m\
The largest meeting room can accommodate 30 to 45 participants.
mini-bar (n)
\"mInIÆbA…\
Drinks from the mini-bar are usually fairly expensive.
mouse (n)
\maUs\
The mouse is the small object that you move to do things on a computer screen.
\"maUs Æmœt\
The mouse mat is the piece of soft material that the mouse rests on.
notepad (n)
\"n´UtÆpœd\
He quickly wrote down Dieter’s phone number on the notepad.
notice board (n)
\"n´UtIs ÆbO…d\
Don’t forget to check the notice board for further details of next month’s conference.
overhead projector (n)
\Æ´Uv´hed pr´"dZekt´\
The meeting rooms are equipped with overhead projectors, video and Internet connections.
overlook (v)
\Æ´Uv´"lUk\
Many of our guest rooms have balconies overlooking the sea.
papers (n pl)
\"peIp´z\
Papers, files and folders covered the desk.
participant (n)
\pA…"tIsIp´nt\
How many participants are expected to attend the conference?
poster (n)
\"p´Ust´\
Posters of exotic locations covered the walls of the office.
Post-it note (n)
\Æp´UstIt "n´Ut\
Post-it notes had been stuck around the edges of the computer screen.
mouse mat (n)
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence The hotel has two lounges with open fires and views over the Baltic Sea.
Our luxury accommodation includes rooms with en suite bathroom, a mini-bar and satellite TV.
3
in company
Elementary
Unit 6 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
relaxing (adj) (opposite = stressful)
\rI"lœksIN\
Engsholm Castle dates from 1310 and has a charming and relaxing atmosphere.
resort (n)
\rI"zO…t\
Hundreds of hotels and resorts add the words “conference centre” to their name but only just over 300 meet the criteria of the IACC.
room (n) single/double room
\ru…m\ \"sINgl\"døbl "ru…m\
satellite channel (n)
\"sœt´laIt ÆtSœnl\
seat (v) it seats 45/60/100 etc people
\si…t\ \It Æsi…ts ÆfO…tI ÆfaIv\"sIkstI\´ Æhøndr´d "pi…pl\
seating arrangement (n)
\"si…tIN ´ÆreIndZm´nt\
serve (v) serve meals/food
\s‰…v\ \Æs‰…v "mi…lz\"fu…d\
We have a reputation for serving top-class food.
situated (adj) be situated at/in/on etc
\"sItSu…ÆeItId\ \bI "sItSu…eItIdÆœt\Æ In\ÆÅn\
Engsholm is situated on the coast, 65 km from Stockholm and 113 km from Alanda International Airport.
surroundings (n pl) in beautiful/wonderful etc surroundings
\s´"raUndINz\ \In "bju…t´fl\Æwønd´fl s´"raUndINz\
top-class (adj) top-class accommodation/ facilities/food etc
\ÆtÅp"klA…s\ \ÆtÅpÆklA…s ´ÆkÅm´"deISn\ f´"sIl´tIz\"fu…d\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
The castle offers modern accommodation – there are 48 single rooms and 5 double rooms. TV with satellite channels is available in all rooms.
Our luxury dining room seats 60 people.
The largest room is suitable for 30 to 45 participants, depending on the seating arrangement.
The castle is situated on the coast in beautiful surroundings.
Enjoy top-class food in our luxury restaurant.
4
in company
Elementary
Unit 6 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
view (n) a view over
\vju…\ \´"vju… Æ´Uv´\
Both lounges have views over the Baltic Sea.
well-equipped (adj) (opposite = badly-equipped)
\ÆwelI"kwIpt\
Our well-equipped meeting rooms have a range of facilities including video monitors, overhead projectors and internet c onnections.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
5
in company
Elementary
Unit 7 headword
pronunciation
access (v)
\"œkses\
You need a special password to access your bank account.
apply for apply for a post/job
\´"plaI ÆfO… \ \ ´ÆplaI fO… ´ p´Ust\"dZÅb\
“You’re applying for a post as an office assistant.” “Yes, that’s right.”
bank account (n)
\"bœNk ´ÆkaUnt\
Can you access your bank account on the Internet?
business (n) big business (n)
\"bIzn´s\ \ÆbIg "bIzn´s\
business leader (n) computer (n) computer file/program (n)
computer skills (n pl)
translation/notes
example sentence
Young people have more faith in the honesty of big business bosses than any other age group.
\"bIzn´s Æli…d´\
The survey showed that two out of three people don’t trust what business leaders say.
\k´m"pju…t´\ \k´m"pju…t´ ÆfaIl\Æpr´Ugrœm\
Experts think that it’s impossible to stop people sharing computer files illegally.
\k´m"pju…t´ ÆskIlz\
“What are your computer skills?” “Well, I can use all the usual Office programs.”
corporate (adj) corporate scandal
\"kO…p“´‘r´t\ \ÆkO…p“´‘r´t "skœndl\
create (v) create documents/ presentations
\kri…"eIt\ \kri…ÆeIt "dÅkj´m´nts\ Æprez´n"teIS´nz\
This is a piece of software used specifically for creating presentations.
director (n)
\d´"rekt´; daI"rekt´\
Do you believe that the directors of large companies earn too much?
document (n)
\"dÅkj´m´nt\
Using this program, creating a financial document is fast and easy.
employer (n)
\Im"plOI´\
Nowadays many people believe you can’t trust your employer to pay your pension when you retire.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
Corporate scandals like those at Enron, Tyco and WorldCom have received worldwide publicity.
1
in company
Elementary
Unit 7 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
executive (n) executive earnings (n pl)
\Ig"zekj´tIv\ \Igzekj´tIv "‰…nINz\
fat cat (n)
\"fœt Ækœt\
“Fat cat” is an informal term meaning a big company boss who earns a lot of money.
file-sharing (n)
\"faIlÆSe´rIN\
The RIAA says that “file-sharing” costs the music industry millions of dollars every year.
findings (n pl) the findings (of)
\"faIndINz\ \D´ "faIndINz “´v‘\
golden handshake (n)
\Æg´Uld´n "hœndSeIk\
A “golden handshake” is a large sum of money given to an executive when he or she leaves a company.
hardware (n)
\"hA…dwe´\
The physical and electronic parts of a computer are known as hardware.
impact (n) the impact of
\"Impœkt\ \Di… "Impœkt ´v\
The findings of the survey show the impact of major corporate scandals.
Internet (n) over the Internet
\"Int´Ænet\ \Æ´Uv´ Di… "Int´Ænet\
“Net pirates” use special software to exchange music and films over the Internet.
legal action (n) take legal action (against)
\Æli…gl "œkSn\ \teIk "li…gl ÆœkSn “´Ægenst‘\
The RIAA now takes legal action against people in the USA who swap music over the Internet.
luggage (n) leave your luggage
\"løgIdZ\ \Æli…v j´ "løgIdZ\
music industry (n)
\"mju…zIk ÆInd´strI\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
What do you think about the high executive earnings of the “fat cats”?
The findings of the “fat cat” survey show the impact of corporate scandals such as Enron and Tyco.
The symbol with the suitcase and the key indicates that you can leave your luggage in a safe place. The music industry is losing millions of dollars each year because of “file-sharing”.
2
in company
Elementary
Unit 7 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
net pirate (n)
\"net ÆpaIr´t\
“Net pirates” use special software to swap music and films over the Internet.
pension (n) pay sb’s pension
\"penSn\ \ÆpeI sømb´dIz "penSn\
Do you trust your employer to pay your pension when you retire?
piracy (n) piracy on the net
\"paIr´sI\ \ÆpaIr´sI Ån D´ "net\
Piracy on the net involves exchanging files illegally with other Internet users.
post (n) the post of
\p´Ust\ \d´ "p´Ust ´v\
Sally Bale is applying for the post of office assistant.
program (n)
\"pr´Ugrœm\
The right candidate will be familiar with all the usual Office programs.
retire (v)
\rI"taI´\
Many people are no longer confident they will get a pension when they retire.
salary (n) high salary (n)
\"sœl´rI\ \ÆhaI "sœl´rI\
Why do companies pay their top executives such high salaries?
scandal (n)
\"skœndl\
You can’t always trust the senior managers. Look at all those scandals like Enron.
sell yourself (v refl.) (opposite = undersell yourself)
\"sel j´Æself\
In order to succeed at a job interview, you need to be able to sell yourself.
software (n)
\"sÅftwe´\
Software is another term for computer programs.
stay (v) be here to stay
\steI\ \bI ÆhI´ t´ "steI\
take (v) take a bus/taxi/train
\teIk\ \ÆteIk ´ "bøs\"tœksI\"treIn\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
Experts think that software like Kazaa and E-donkey for exchanging music is here to stay. The bus symbol means that you can take a bus to the city.
3
in company
Elementary
Unit 7 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
top (adj) top boss/executive etc
\ÆtÅp\ \ÆtÅp bÅs\ Ig"zekj´tIv\
touch type (v)
\"tøtS ÆtaIp\
“Can you touch type?” “No, I can’t actually, but I can type all right with two fingers.”
type (v)
\taIp\
I can type all right with two fingers but I can’t touch type.
webpage (n) design a webpage
\"webÆpeIdZ\ \dIÆzaIn ´ "webÆpeIdz\
You need special software in order to design webpages.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
A lot of people think that companies pay their top bosses too much. Do you agree?
4
in company
Elementary
Unit 8 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
branch (n)
\brA…ntS\
Starbucks Coffee House is world famous, with over 6,000 branches in more than 32 countries.
brand (n)
\brœnd\
A brand is the name or image of a product.
\´ Ærek´gnaIzd\ rIÆspektId "brœnd\
Starbucks is a recognized and respected brand.
\"bIzn´s\ \"bIzn´s k´nÆsølt´nsI\
Nowadays Mitnick has a business consultancy called Defensive Thinking and advises companies on computer security.
\"bIzn´s ÆtrIp\
During a business trip to Milan, Schultz decided to copy the Italian-style coffee bars in Seattle.
\tSeIn\
A chain is a group of shops, restaurants, hotels etc that all belong to the same person or company.
a chain of shops/ supermarkets/ hypermarkets etc
\´ ÆtSeIn ´v "SÅps\"su…p´mA…kIts\ "haIp´ma…kIts\
Carrefour is a big chain of hypermarkets.
hypermarket/ supermarket etc chain
\"haIp´mA…kIt\ "su…p´mA…kIt ÆtSeIn\
In 1973 Carrefour started the Pryca hypermarket chain in Spain.
a recognized/ respected brand business (n) business consultancy (n)
business trip (n)
chain (n)
computer computer expert (n)
\k´m"pju…t´\ \k´m"pju…t´ Æeksp‰…t\
Mitnick made a big mistake when he hacked into the home computer of Japanese computer expert, Tsutomu Shimomura.
computer hacker (n)
\k´m"pju…t´ Æhœk´\
Computer hackers take information illegally from other computer systems, causing problems and widespread damage.
computer manual (n)
\k´m"pju…t´ ÆmœnjU´l\
A computer manual contains instructions on how to operate a computer.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
1
in company
Elementary
Unit 8 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
computer security (n)
\k´m"pju…t´ sIÆkjU´r´tI\
Companies will spend thousands of dollars on computer security to prevent hackers such as Mitnick accessing their data.
computer system (n)
\k´m"pju…t´ ÆsIst´m\
By the age of 17 Mitnick was an expert in telephone and computer systems.
damage (n) estimate the damage to be $80 million /£125 million etc
\"dœmIdZ\ \ÆestImeIt D´ ÆdœmIdZ t´ bi… ÆeItI ÆmIlj´n "dÅl´z\´ Æhøndr´d ´n ÆtwentI ÆfaIv ÆmIlj´n "paUndz\
millions of dollars/ thousands of pounds etc of damage
Damage to the systems of major companies was estimated to be $80 million .
\ÆmIlj´nz ´v ÆdÅl´z\ÆTaUz´ndz ´v ÆpaUndz ´v "dœmIdZ\
He hacked into the computers of some well-known multinationals causing thousands of dollars of damage .
data (n)
\"deIt´\
Businesses that are victims of hacking can lose important data.
electronic devices (n pl)
\IlekÆtrÅnIk dI"vaIs´z\
Mitnick was a genius with electronic devices and computers soon attracted his attention.
error (n)
\"er´\
Mitnick’s biggest error was hacking into the home computer of a Japanese computer expert.
estimate (v) estimate sth to be
\"estIÆmeIt\ \"estImeIt ÆsømTIN t´ Æbi…\
food retailing (n) food retailing group (n)
\"fu…d Æri…teIlIN\ \"fu…d Æri…teIlIN Ægru…p\
goods (n pl)
\gUdz\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
Some reports estimated the damage to computer systems to be over $80 million.
When Carrefour and Promodès merged they formed the largest food retailing group in Europe. Suppliers provide goods for other businesses. 2
in company
Elementary
Unit 8 headword
pronunciation
group (n)
\gru…p\
Can you remember three facts about the history of the Carrefour group?
\ÆdZOIn D´ "gru…p\
In 1998 Mammouth hypermarkets joined the group.
\hœk\ \Æhœk Int´ k´m"pju…t´z\ "sIst´mz\"kømp“´‘nIz\
Mitnick hacked into computers at Pacific Bell, Motorola, Nokia and Sun Microsystems.
join the group hack (v) hack into computers/ systems/companies
translation/notes
example sentence
hacker (n)
\"hœk´\
Hackers access data illegally and, in some cases, rob large amounts of money from organizations.
hacking (n)
\"hœkIN\
Hacking causes a lot of problems for companies – often thousands of dollars of damage.
home computer (n)
\Æh´Um k´m"pju…t´\
Tsutomu Shimomura was very angry when Mitnick hacked into his home computer.
hypermarket (n)
\"haIp´Æma…kIt\
A hypermarket is a very large supermarket, usually outside a town, selling a wide range of goods.
local (adj)
\"l´Ukl\
Do you prefer shopping in small local shops or large shopping centres?
marketing director (n)
\"mA…kItIN d´Ærekt´\
Howard Schultz joined Starbucks as marketing director in 1982.
merge (v)
\m‰…dZ\
Carrefour and Promodès merged to form the biggest food retailing group in Europe.
online market (n)
\ÆÅnlaIn "mA…kIt\
In 2000 Carrefour, Sears and Oracle created the first online market in the world.
out-of-town (adj) out-of-town shopping centre
\ÆaUt´v"taUn\ \ÆaUt´vÆtaUn "SÅpIN Æsent´\
Large out-of-town shopping centres are becoming increasingly popular.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
3
in company
Elementary
Unit 8 headword
pronunciation
prohibit (v) prohibit sb from doing sth (opposite = allow (sb to do sth))
\pr´U"hIbIt\ \pr´UÆhIbIt Æsømb´dI fr´m "du…IN ÆsømTIN\
restrictions (n pl) restrictions on (doing) sth
\rI"strIkS´nz\ \rIÆstrIkS´nz Ån "du…IN ÆsømTIN\
shopping shopping centre (n)
\"SÅpIN\ \"SÅpIN Æsent´\
There are plans to build a new out-of-town shopping centre.
\"SÅpIN eksp´ÆdISn\
Do you enjoy shopping expeditions with your family?
software piracy (n)
\"sÅftwe´ ÆpaIr´sI\
The BSA (Business Software Alliance) organises conferences dedicated to the fight against software piracy.
supply (v)
\s´"plaI\
My company supplies other companies with goods and services.
telephone system (n)
\"telIf´Un ÆsIst´m\
As a teenager Mitnick became an expert in computer and telephone systems.
shopping expedition (n)
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
The judge prohibited Mitnick from using computers on his release from prison in 2000.
The restrictions on Mitnick using computers lasted until January 2003.
4
in company
Elementary
Unit 9 headword
pronunciation
arrest (v)
\´"rest\
When the plane returned to the terminal police arrested Mr Barghi.
arrive (v) arrive on time
\´"raIv\ \´ÆraIv Ån "taIm\
My train was late so I didn’t arrive on time for work.
away (adv)
\´"weI\
“Hi Jeff. Where were you last week?” “Oh hello, John. I was away.”
bags (n pl) search sb’s bags
\bœgz\ \Æs‰…tS Æsømb´dIz "bœgz\
Police searched Mr Barghi’s bags inside the airport terminal.
delay (v) delay the flight
\dIÆleI\ \dIÆleI D´ "flaIt\
After having his bags searched Mr Barghi was charged with delaying the flight.
enjoy (v) enjoy the flight/trip etc
\In"dZOI\ \InÆdZOI D´ "flaIt\"trIp\
“Did you enjoy the trip?” “Well, it was okay but a bit tiring.”
fly (v) fly from … to …
\flaI\ \"flaI fr´m ... Ætu… ...\
On his way to Halifax in Canada, Mr Barghi flew from Azerbaijan to Frankfurt.
\flaI "Ån tu… ...\
He then flew on to Montreal without problems.
get back (phr v) get back (from/to)
\Æget "bœk\ \get "bœk “fr´m\tu…‘\
I only got back from Frankfurt on Saturday.
get sth back (phr v)
\Æget sømTIN "bœk\
On Monday he finally got his passport and money back.
go out (phr v) go out for lunch
\Æg´U "aUt\ \Æg´U ÆaUt f´ "løntS\
We went out for lunch to a nice Italian restaurant.
hand luggage (n)
\"hœnd ÆløgIdZ\
A stewardess asked Mr Barghi to put his hand luggage in an overhead locker.
fly on to …
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
1
in company
Elementary
Unit 9 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
have (v) have breakfast/lunch/ a shower/a bath
\hœv\ \hœv "brekf´st\ "løntS\´ "SaUv´\´ "bA…T\
hire (v) hire a car
\"haI´\ \ÆhaI´ ´ "ka…\
She flew to Heathrow and then she hired a car.
How?
\haU\
“How did you travel?” “I flew to Paris – Charles de Gaulle airport.”
How long …?
\ÆhaU "lÅN\
“How long were you away?” “Five days.”
last (v)
\la…st\
The trip lasted just under a week.
lawyer (n)
\"lO…j´\
Mr Barghi expected someone to find a lawyer for him but nothing happened.
locker (n) overhead locker (n)
\"lÅk´\ \Æ´Uv´Æhed "lÅk´\
Please put all hand luggage in the overhead lockers.
meeting (n) have a meeting (with)
\"mi…tIN\ \Æhœv ´ "mi…tIN “wID‘\
We had a meeting with the boss yesterday.
money (n)
\"mønI\
He didn’t have any money – all his money was in the prison office and it was closed.
official (n)
\´"fISl\
Officials took all his possessions and his passport.
possessions (n pl)
\p´"zeS´nz\
Your possessions are all the things that you are carrying with you or that you own.
prison authorities (n pl)
\"prIzn O…ÆTÅr´tIz\
Mr Barghi wanted the prison authorities to find him a lawyer.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
As soon as I get up I have a shower.
2
in company
Elementary
Unit 9 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
release (n) organise sb’s release
\rI"li…s\ \ÆO…g´naIz Æsømb´dIz rI"li…s\
The lawyer spent a week organising his release.
release (v) (opposite = detain)
\rI"li…s\
He was released on a Friday evening but didn’t have any money.
search (v) search sb’s bags
\s‰…tS\ \Æs‰…tS Æsømb´dIz "bœgz\
Of course, when they searched his bags they didn’t find a bomb.
stay (v) stay at/in etc
\steI\ \"steI "œt\ÆIn\
“Where did you stay when you were away?” “I stayed in a hotel in the centre.”
stewardess (n)
\Æstju…´"des\
A stewardess asked him to put his hand luggage in the overhead locker.
successful (adj) (opposite = unsuccessful)
\s´k"sesfl\
“Was it a successful trip?” “Yes, it was. It all went very well.”
terminal (n)
\"t‰…mIn“´‘l\
The plane returned to the terminal where police arrested Mr Barghi.
tiring (adj)
\"taIrIN\
Long business trips can be very tiring.
travel (v)
\"trœvl\
When you go away on business for your firm, how do you usually travel?
travel trouble (n)
\"trœvl Ætrøbl\
Travel trouble can include all sorts of things including delayed flights, lost luggage etc.
on your way on your way to London/Tokyo/ Frankfurt etc
\ÆÅn j´"weI\ \ÆÅn j´ ÆweI tu… "lønd´n\"t´Ukj´u\ "frœNkf´t\
On his way to Halifax in Canada, he flew from Azerbaijan to Frankfurt, and then on to Montreal.
work (v) work late
\w‰…k\ \Æw‰…k "leIt\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
I had a bad day yesterday and had to work late. 3
in company
Elementary
Unit 10 headword
pronunciation
air conditioning (n)
\"e´ k´nÆdISnIN\
Air conditioning is essential in a warm climate.
bedside light (n)
\ÆbedsaId "laIt\
The bedside light’s not working – it needs a new bulb.
bill (n)
\bIl\
The bill for parking was $20 a day!
\ÆønpeId "bIl\
The receptionist asked the man about his unpaid bill.
\"brekf´st\ \ÆbUfeIÆstaIl\kÅntIÆnentlÆ staIl\ÆkUkt "brekf´st\
Would you like the continental-style or the cooked breakfast, sir?
\Æi…t ´ ÆgUd "brekf´st\
People who don’t eat breakfast have lower energy levels than people who do.
broken (adj) (opposite = working)
\"br´Uk´n\
She phoned reception to complain that the air conditioning was broken.
buffet-style (adj) buffet-style breakfast (n)
\"bUÆfeIÆstaIl\ \ÆbUfeIÆstaIl "brekf´st\
A lot of hotels do a buffet-style breakfast in which you serve yourself.
cell phone (n) (AmE) (BrE = mobile phone)
\"sel Æf´Un\
Where can I plug in the charger for my cell phone?
\"sel Æf´Un ÆtSA…dZ´\
I usually travel with a computer, a cell phone charger and an iron – all of which I need to plug in.
unpaid bill (n) breakfast (n) buffet-style/ continental-style/cooked breakfast (n)
eat (a good) breakfast
cell phone charger (n) (AmE) (BrE = mobile phone charger) cereal (n) whole-grain cereal (n)
translation/notes
\"si…´rI´l\ \Æh´UlÆgreIn "si…´rI´l\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
A bowl of whole-grain cereal is good for you and provides you with plenty of energy.
1
in company
Elementary
Unit 10 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
close (v)
\kl´Uz\
The window onto the balcony doesn’t close properly.
concentrate (v)
\"kÅnsnÆtreIt\
If you don’t eat properly, you have less ability to think and concentrate.
continental-style (adj) continental-style breakfast (n)
\ÆkÅntI"nentlÆstaIl\ \kÅntIÆnentlÆstaIl "brekf´st\
A continental-style breakfast usually includes bread and butter, croissants and pastries, and tea or coffee.
cooked (adj) cooked breakfast (n)
\kUkt\ \ÆkUkt "brekf´st\
The cooked breakfast consists of bacon, sausages, scrambled eggs and tomatoes.
data connection (n)
\"deIt´ k´ÆnekSn\
The plug for the data connection is broken.
demands (n pl) meet the demands of
\dI"mA…ndz\ \Æmi…t D´ dIÆmA…ndz ´v\
Eating a good breakfast helps you meet the demands of a busy day.
directly (adv) invoice sb directly
\dI"rektlI; daI"rektlI\ \ÆInvOIs Æsømb´dI dI"rektlI\
“What about your bill, sir?” “You normally invoice my company directly.”
downtown (adj) (AmE) (BrE = city-centre/ town-centre)
\"daUnÆtaUn\
We pay super-high rates for downtown hotels in major cities.
e-mail (n) check your e-mail
\"i…meIl\ \ÆtSek jO… "i…meIl\
I don’t want to look at a wall every time I check my e-mail .
energy level (n)
\"en´dZI Ælevl\
Eating a good breakfast gives you high energy levels .
hair product (n)
\"he´ ÆprÅdøkt\
Hotels nearly always provide shower gel and hair products such as shampoo and conditioner.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
2
in company
Elementary
Unit 10 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
heating (n)
\"hi…tIN\
It’s too hot in the room. Can I adjust the heating?
instructions (n pl)
\In"strøkS´nz\
“You normally invoice my company directly.” “I’m sorry, but I don’t have those instructions.”
invoice (v) invoice sb directly
\"InvOIs\ \ÆInvOIs Æsømb´dI dI"rektlI\
When business people stay at the hotel we normally invoice their company directly.
irritability (n)
\ÆIrIt´"bIl´tI\
Not eating breakfast leads to stress and irritability.
locked (adj) (opposite = unlocked)
\lÅkt\
The door of the bathroom is locked – I can’t get in!
next-door room (n)
\ÆneksdO… "ru…m\
The people in the next-door room were making a lot of noise and I couldn’t sleep.
noisy (adj) (opposite = quiet)
\"nOIzI\
He complained to reception about the noisy guests in the room next door.
nutrients (n pl)
\"nju…trI´nts\
A well-balanced breakfast provides the nutrients that the body needs.
parking (n)
\"pA…kIN\
Hotels in big cities often charge daily parking prices of $20, $25 or even $30!
perfumed (adj)
\"p‰…fju…md\
There was the usual range of gels, creams and perfumed hair products in the bathroom.
pillow (n)
\"pIl´U\
If there aren’t enough pillows, just phone reception and ask them to send more.
plug (n)
\pløg\
The plug’s broken. Could you send someone up to fix it?
plug sth in (phr v)
\Æpløg sømTIN "In\
Why are there never enough electrical sockets to plug everything in?
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
3
in company
Elementary
Unit 10 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
power strip (n) (AmE) (BrE = distribution socket)
\"paU´ ÆstrIp\
Hotels should provide power strips in every room for plugging in electrical equipment.
rate (n)
\reIt\
Parking rates at downtown hotels can be very high.
report (n) write a report
\rI"pO…t\ \ÆraIt ´ rI"pO…t\
I don’t want to look at a wall when writing a report or checking my e-mail.
snack (n) eat snacks
\snœk\ \Æi…t "snœks\
If you skip breakfast you’re more likely to eat snacks .
healthy snack (n)
\ÆhelTI "snœk\
If you need to eat between meals, choose healthy snacks.
snack foods (n pl)
\"snœk Æfu…dz\
Most snack foods contain a lot of calories.
socket (n) electrical socket (n)
\"sÅkIt\ \IÆlektrIkl "sÅkIt\
There are never enough electrical sockets for all my equipment.
straight away (adv)
\ÆstreIt ´"weI\
“My television isn’t working.” “I’ll ask someone to come up straight away, sir.”
stress (n)
\stres\
Research has shown that people who don’t eat breakfast suffer more from stress.
towel (n)
\"taU´l\
One of the towels in the bathroom was dirty.
unpaid (adj) unpaid bill (n)
\øn"peId\ \ønÆpeId "bIl\
It was embarrassing when the receptionist asked me about my unpaid bill.
well-balanced (adj)
\Æwel"bœl´nst\
A well-balanced breakfast provides you with the nutrients and energy you need.
work (n) physical/mental work (n)
\w‰…k\ \ÆfIzIkl\Æmentl "w‰…k\
Food provides energy for both physical and mental work.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
4
in company
Elementary
Unit 10 headword
pronunciation
work (v) It doesn’t work.
\w‰…k\ \It Ædøznt "w‰…k\
wrong (adj) the wrong hotel/room etc (opposite = right)
\rÅN\ \D´ ÆrÅN h´U"tel\"ru…m\
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
“What’s the matter?” “It’s my television. It doesn’t work.
I’m sorry, you have the wrong hotel. The Holiday Inn is across the road.
5
in company
Elementary
Unit 11 headword
pronunciation
after-work (adj) after-work social event (n)
\ÆA…ft´"w‰…k\ \ÆA…ft´Æw‰…k "s´USl IÆvent\
A suit can look too formal for after-work social events.
briefcase (n)
\"bri…fkeIs\
She was carrying all her papers and documents in a smart leather briefcase.
business (n) business traveller (n)
\"bIzn´s\ \"bIzn´s Ætrœvl´\
It’s important that the business traveller arrives at his or her destination looking good.
bundle (n)
\"bøndl\
Put the small bag on top of the clothes to form the centre of the bundle.
\"bøndl Ærœp\
The idea of bundle wrapping your clothes is to prevent them getting creased.
carousel (n)
\Ækœr´"sel\
Passengers were waiting at the carousel to pick up their luggage.
carry-on (adj)
\"kœrIÆÅn\
“Carry-on” luggage is an expression meaning hand luggage.
cash (n)
\kœS\
You can use a credit card in most places but it’s a good idea to take some cash.
casual clothes (n)
\ÆkœZU´l "kl´UDz\
All business travellers need casual clothes for those after-work social events.
check-in (n) automated check-in (n)
\"tSekIn\ \ÆO…t´ÆmeItId ÆtSekIn\
Use the automated check-in for your hand luggage.
clothing (n) item of clothing (n)
\"kl´UDIN\ \ÆaIt´m ´v "kl´UDIN\
Wrap the top item of clothing around the “core” of the bundle.
combine (v)
\k´m"baIn\
Combine your clothes in different ways to make sure you look different every day.
connection (n) miss a connection (opposite = get your connection)
\k´"nekSn\ \ÆmIs ´ k´"nekSn\
Missing your connection can cause luggage problems.
bundle wrap (v)
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
1
in company
Elementary
Unit 11 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
crease (n)
\kri…s\
Bundle wrapping means you can avoid having creases in your clothes.
dark (adj) dark clothing/suit etc (opposite = light)
\dA…k\ \ÆdA…k "kl´UDIN\"su…t\
Where I work, we’re all expected to wear dark suits.
destination (n) arrive at your destination
\ÆdestI"neISn\ \´ÆraIv ´t jO… ÆdestI"neISn\
It’s important to arrive at your destination looking good.
fold (v) fold your clothes/clothing (opposite = unfold)
\f´Uld\ \Æf´Uld j´ "kl´UDz\"kl´UDIN\
Folding your clothes in the normal way means they end up with a lot of creases.
journey (n) journey time (n)
\"dZ‰…nI\ \"dZ‰…nI ÆtaIm\
key (n) the key to
\ki…\ \D´Uki… tu…\
Good packing can be the key to a successful business trip.
look good
\ÆlUk "gUd\
You look really good in that suit!
miss (v) miss the connection/ flight/train etc (opposite = get the connection/flight etc)
\mIs\ \ÆmIs D´ k´"nekSn\ "flaIt\"treIn\
We arrived 40 minutes late in Amsterdam and I missed my connection to Singapore.
off (adv) be off
\Åf\ \Æbi… "Åf\
“So, when are you off?” “In about ten minutes.”
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
One of the advantages of travelling with hand luggage only is that you reduce your journey time.
2
in company
Elementary
Unit 11 headword
pronunciation
office (n) office rule (n)
\"ÅfIs\ \ÆÅfIs "ru…l\
It ‘s not very practical to wear a skirt but it’s the office rule.
outfit (n)
\"aUtfIt\
It’s possible to make a big variety of outfits with just a small wardrobe.
pack (v) (opposite = unpack)
\pœk\
The number of creases in your clothes depends on how you pack them.
\"pœkIN\
Susana Jones is an expert on packing – she has packed and unpacked over 4,000 times.
pair (n) a pair of socks/ shoes/trousers
\pe´\ \´ Æpe´r ´v "sÅks\"Su…z\"traUz´z\
You can travel round the world on just three pairs of socks – a pair to wear, a pair to wash and a spare pair when you don’t have time to wash!
porter (n)
\"pO…t´\
A porter is someone whose job is to help people with their luggage.
practical (adj) it’s practical to do sth (opposite = impractical)
\"prœktIkl\ \Its ÆprœktIkl t´ "du… ÆsømTIN\
I find it’s more practical to wear trousers when I’m travelling.
raincoat (n)
\"reInÆk´Ut\
It rains a lot in London at this time of year. Don’t forget to pack a raincoat!
ready (adj)
\"redI\
All my bags are packed and ready.
shoulder bag (n)
\"S´Uld´ bœg\
She carried her passport and ticket in a shoulder bag.
suitcase (n)
\"su…tÆkeIs\
The advantages of travelling with only “carry-on” luggage is that you don’t have to worry about your suitcase getting lost!
-sleeved (adj) short-/long-sleeved
\Æsli…vd\ \"SO…t\"lÅNÆsli…vd\
Don’t forget to pack a long-sleeved shirt in case it gets cold.
suit (n)
\su…t\
A suit can look too formal at an after-work social event.
packing (n)
translation/notes
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example sentence
3
in company
Elementary
Unit 11 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
tip (v) tip the porter
\tIp\ \ÆtIp D´ "pO…t´\
She tipped the hotel porter generously.
trolley (n)
\"trÅlI\
We spent ages looking for a trolley for our luggage.
underwear (n) set of underwear
\"ønd´Æwe´\ \Æset ´v "ønd´Æwe´\
You can travel round the world on just three sets of underwear.
unpack (v) (opposite = pack)
\Æøn"pœk\
Susana Jones has packed and unpacked over 4,000 times!
weight limit (n)
\"weIt ÆlImIt\
What’s the weight limit on hand luggage?
well dressed (adj)
\Æwel"drest\
Your image is important – you need to arrive at a meeting looking well dressed.
wrap (v)
\rœp\
Start bundle wrapping by wrapping the top item of clothing around the centre of the bundle.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
4
in company
Elementary
Unit 12 headword
pronunciation
advertising (n) Internet/TV advertising (n)
\"œdv´ÆtaIzIN\ \ÆInt´Ænet\Æti…Ævi… "œdv´ÆtaIzIN\
TV advertising is more effective than Internet advertising.
agriculture (n)
\"œgrIÆkøltS´\
Agriculture is one industry that depends heavily on the weather.
assess (v) assess the risks
\´"ses\ \´Æses D´ "rIsks\
In countries where the climate is changeable, it is more difficult to assess the risks .
attraction (n)
\´"trœkSn\
Open-air terraces are an important attraction for customers in the summer months.
boiling (adj) (opposite = freezing )
\"bOIlIN\
It was boiling at Heathrow yesterday – 37 C!
business (n) business agreement (n)
\"bIzn´s\ \"bIzn´s ´Ægri…m´nt\
A “deal” is another word for a business agreement.
\"bIzn´s ÆdIstrIkt\
Thursday and Friday evening are peak drinking times in London’s business district.
changeable (adj)
\"tSeIndZ´bl\
The climate nowadays is very changeable.
cold (adj) (opposite = hot)
\k´Uld\
“Take some warm clothes to Helsinki.” “No, it’s not cold at this time of year.”
come into (phr v)
\Ækøm "Intu…\
The money coming into a business is called “revenue”.
company (n) company profits (n pl)
\"kømp“´‘nI\ \ÆkømpnI "prÅfIts\
Bad weather can have an effect on company profits.
compensation (n) receive compensation (for)
\ÆkÅmp´n"seISn\ \rIÆsi…v ÆkÅmp´n"seISn\
By taking out insurance, commercial airfields receive compensation on days when high winds stop them flying.
business district (n)
translation/notes
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example sentence
°
1
in company
Elementary
Unit 12 headword
pronunciation
construction (n)
\k´n"strøkSn\
Construction is another industry that can be affected by the weather.
cool (adj) (opposite = warm)
\ku…l\
“February is always quite cool in Frankfurt.” “Cool? It’s freezing!”
costly (adj) (opposite = cheap)
\"kÅstlI\
Face-to-face meetings are more costly than video conferences.
dry (adj) (opposite = wet)
\draI\
Obviously, more customers drink outside in dry, sunny weather.
effective (adj) (opposite = ineffective)
\I"fektIv\
A phone call can sometimes be more effective than an e-mail message.
efficient (adj) (opposite = inefficient)
\I"fIS´nt\
In my opinion, working at home is a lot more efficient than working in an office.
energy (n)
\"en´dZI\
Energy is another example of an industry that is dependent on the weather.
\"en´dZI Æsekt´\
A mild winter reduces the demand for heating and affects the energy sector.
entertaining (adj) (opposite = boring)
\Æent´"teInIN\
TV advertising is more entertaining than advertising on the Internet.
face-to-face (adj) face-to-face meeting (n)
\ÆfeIst´"feIs\ \ÆfeIst´ÆfeIs "mi…tIN\
Which do you prefer – video conferences or face-to-face meetings?
farming (n)
\"fA…mIN\
Extreme weather conditions can affect farming very badly.
financial (adj)
\faI"nœnSl\
Insurance is financial protection against risks.
energy sector (n)
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
2
in company
Elementary
Unit 12 headword
pronunciation
foreign exchange rate (n)
\ÆfÅrIn Iks"tSeIndZ ÆreIt\
Companies often have insurance against a fall in interest or foreign exchange rates.
freezing (adj) (opposite = boiling)
\"fri…zIN\
It’s freezing in Toronto in the winter.
hot (adj) (opposite = cold)
\hÅt\
They say that it’s been the hottest summer on record in Britain this year.
industry (n)
\"Ind´strI\
Agriculture, energy and leisure are three examples of industries that depend on the weather.
insurance (n) insurance against
\In"SU´r´ns\ \In"SU´r´ns ´Ægenst\
take out insurance (against)
translation/notes
\ÆteIk aUt In"SU´r´ns ´Ægenst\
example sentence
In the USA the market for insurance against the weather is worth around $9 billion a year. Commercial airfields can take out insurance against high wind speeds.
insure (v) insure against
\In"SU´\ \In"SU´ ´Ægenst\
Insuring against bad weather is another form of risk management.
interest rate (n)
\"Intr´st ÆreIt\
Some companies insure themselves against negative changes in interest rates.
leisure (n)
\"leZ´\
The leisure industry can be badly affected by the weather – people won’t go skiing if there’s no snow and there are fewer visitors to theme parks in a wet summer.
minus (prep) (opposite = plus)
\"maIn´s\
Profits are the money earned by a business minus costs.
payout (n) receive a payout
\"peIÆaUt\ \rIÆsi…v ´ "peIÆaUt\
The London wine bar chain, Corney and Barrow, receives a payout for every Thursday and Friday the temperature does not rise above 24 C. °
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
3
in company
Elementary
Unit 12 headword
pronunciation
precaution (n) take precautions against
\prI"kO…Sn\ \teIk prI"kO…S´nz ´Ægenst\
rainfall (n) average rainfall (n)
\"reInÆfO…l\ \Æœv“´‘rIdZ "reInÆfO…l\
inches of rainfall
\ÆIntS´z ´v "reInÆfO…l\
translation/notes
example sentence
What precautions can businesses take against bad weather?
The average rainfall in Frankfurt in June is 73.7 mm. Weather insurance is based on specific measurements such as hours of sunshine, inches of rainfall etc.
revenue (n) loss of revenue (n)
\"rev´Ænju…\ \ÆlÅs ´v "rev´Ænju…\
risk (n)
\rIsk\
Insurance is financial protection against risks.
assess the risks
\´Æses D´ "rIsks\
If the weather information isn’t very reliable, it’s difficult to assess the risks .
risk management (n)
\"rIsk ÆmœnIdZÆm´nt\
Insuring against bad weather is simply another form of risk management.
sector (n) the energy/construction/ publishing sector (n)
\"sekt´\ \Di… "en´dZI\ k´n"strøkSn\ "pøblISIN Æsekt´\
A mild winter will reduce the demand for heating and therefore affect the energy sector.
sunshine (n)
\"sønÆSaIn\
temperature (n) average temperature (n)
\"temprIÆtS´\ \Æœv“´‘rIdZ "temprIÆtS´\
What’s the average temperature in Helsinki in December?
tourism (n)
\"tU´rIz´m\
Tourism is badly affected in ski resorts when there is no snow.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
We receive compensation for loss of revenue when the weather conditions are extreme.
One advantage of weather insurance is that it is easy to measure the weather by specifying wind speed, hours of sunshine etc.
4
in company
Elementary
Unit 12 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
video conference (n)
\"vIdI´U ÆkÅnfr´ns\
Video conferences are often more convenient than face-to-face meetings.
warm (adj) (opposite = cool)
\wO…m\
Finland is warmer than people think in July.
wet (adj) (opposite = dry)
\wet\
The number of visitors to a theme park like Disneyland falls in a wet summer.
wind (n) high winds (n pl)
\wInd\ \ÆhaI "wIndz\
wind speed (n)
\"wInd Æspi…d\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
On days when high winds stop them flying, commercial airfields can receive compensation. They take out insurance against the average wind speed exceeding a certain level.
5
in company
Elementary
Unit 13 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
according to
\´"kO…dIN Ætu…\
angry (adj) get angry
\"œNgrI\ \Æget "œNgrI\
Passengers on crowded trains get angry because they have to stand.
anxiety (n)
\œN"zaI´tI\
Overcrowding on trains causes high blood pressure and anxiety.
blood pressure (n) high blood pressure (n)
\"blød ÆpreS´\ \ÆhaI "blød ÆpreS´\
by car/bus/train etc
\baI "kA…\"bøs\"treIn\
Dave commutes to the city’s business district by tram.
cancel (v) cancel a train/flight etc
\"kœnsl\ \Ækœnsl ´ "treIn\"flaIt\
Trains are often delayed or cancelled without warning.
carriage (n)
\"kœrIdZ\
Providing an extra carriage is not profitable for a train company.
clockwork like clockwork
\"klÅkÆw‰…k\ \ÆlaIk "klÅkÆw‰…k\
In Melbourne the trams arrive like clockwork.
combination (n) the combination of … and …
\ÆkÅmbI"neISn\ \D´ ÆkÅmbI"neISn ´v ... Æ´nd ...\
The combination of uncomfortable trains and unreliable services can cause high tension levels.
commute (v) commute to
\k´"mju…t\ \k´"mju…t Ætu…\
Dave Smith commutes to Melbourne’s central business district by tram.
commuter (n)
\k´"mju…t´\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence According to some experts, regular commuters can suffer from high blood pressure, anxiety or even fatal heart conditions.
Regular commuters can suffer from high blood pressure or even fatal heart conditions.
A study by the Rail Passenger Council measured the heart rate and blood pressure of commuters on overcrowded trains.
1
in company
Elementary
Unit 13 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
\Æregj´l´ k´"mju…t´\
Some regular commuters suffer from stress-related conditions
commuting (n)
\k´"mju…tIN\
The study suggests that commuting can be bad for you.
company car (n)
\ÆkømpnI "kA…\
I do a lot of driving in my job and have a company car.
conditions (n pl) poor conditions (n pl)
\k´n"dIS´nz\ \ÆpO… k´n"dIS´nz\
consulting company (n)
\k´n"søltIN Ækømp“´‘nI\
Jane Stevens, an executive in a consulting company, prefers driving as it gives her time to plan her day.
crowded (adj)
\"kraUdId\
The alternative to driving is a 30-minute journey on a crowded train and then two tube rides.
cycle path (n)
\"saIkl Æpa…T\
I cycle into work in Strasbourg and almost all the journey is on cycle paths so I don’t have to worry about the traffic.
disadvantage (n) the disadvantages of … (opposite = the advantages of)
\ÆdIs´d"vA…ntIdZ\ \D´ ÆdIs´d"vA…ntIdZ´z ´v\
One of the disadvantages of driving to work in London is the amount of traffic on the roads.
drive (v)
\draIv\
She likes having time to plan her day as she drives.
\ÆdraIv t´ "w‰…k\
She drives to work every day from her home in southeast London.
ecological (adj)
\Æi…k´"lÅdZIkl\
The bicycle is a far more ecological form of transport than the car.
financial penalty (n pl)
\faIÆnœnSl "pen´ltI\
A ‘fine’ is a word meaning a financial penalty.
fine (n) pay a fine
\faIn\ \ÆpeI ´ "faIn\
For the rail companies it is cheaper to pay fines than to provide longer trains.
regular commuter
drive to work
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
As a result of the poor conditions of their journey to work, many commuters are stressed before they arrive at the office.
2
in company
Elementary
Unit 13 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
foot (n) go on foot
\fUt\ \Æg´U Ån "fUt\
frustration (n)
\frø"streISn\
get (v) get a bus/taxi/train/tram
\get\ \Æget ´ "bøs\"tœksI\ "treIn\"trœm\
I usually get a bus to work.
get into (phr v) get into the car/taxi/train
\Æget "Intu…\ \get ÆInt´ D´ "kA…\"tœksI\"treIn\
I walk out of the house, get into the car and drive to the station.
get off (phr v) get off the train/bus/tram (opposite = get on)
\Æget "Åf\ \get ÆÅf D´ "treIn\"bøs\"trœm\
She gets off the train at Lime Street and walks to work.
get on (phr v) get on the train/bus/tram (opposite = get off)
\Æget "Ån\ \get ÆÅn D´ "treIn\"bøs\"trœm\
He gets on the train, sits down and tries to sleep.
get out of (phr v) get out of the car
\get "aUt ´v\ \get ÆaUt ´v D´ "kA…\
After a ten-minute drive I get out of the car and walk into the station.
the good thing the good thing about ...
\D´ "gUd TIN\ \D´ "gUd TIN ´ÆbaUt\
One of the good things about cycling to work is that it’s cheap.
health problem (n)
\"helT ÆprÅbl´m\
Overcrowded trains can cause health problems for passengers.
heart condition (n)
\"hA…t k´nÆdIS´n\
As a result of the stress commuters can suffer from high blood pressure or even fatal heart conditions.
inconvenient (adj) (opposite = convenient)
\ÆInk´n"vi…nI´nt\
Waiting for half an hour for a train is frustrating and inconvenient.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
If I go on foot to the office, it’s a half-hour walk. Passengers get angry because they have to stand and when the train stops for 20 minutes for no particular reason, this adds to their frustration.
3
in company
Elementary
Unit 13 headword
pronunciation
loan (n)
\l´Un\
Companies sometimes help employees to buy their season tickets by giving them loans.
measure (v)
\"meZ´\
The study measured the heart rate and blood pressure of commuters on crowded trains.
overcrowded (adj)
\Æ´Uv´"kraUdId\
Travelling on overcrowded trains can cause a level of tension which is dangerous.
overcrowding (n)
\Æ´Uv´"kraUdIN\
Rail companies prefer to pay a small fine for overcrowding rather than provide an extra carriage.
passenger (n)
\"pœsIndZ´\
Passengers who have to stand on crowded trains often get angry.
\"reIl ÆpœsIndZ´\
Putting on an extra carriage to make rail passengers more comfortable is not profitable.
rail passenger (n)
translation/notes
example sentence
price (n) high prices (n pl) (opposite = low prices)
\praIs\ \ÆhaI "prAIs´z\
Commuters resent paying high prices for a poor service.
profitable (adj) (opposite = unprofitable)
\"prÅfIt´bl\
Putting on an extra carriage is not profitable for a train company.
public transport (n)
\ÆpøblIk "trœnspO…t\
Public transport is unreliable in this country.
punctual (adj) (opposite = unpunctual)
\""pøNktSU´l\
The 6.45 train is usually very punctual.
rail rail company (n)
\"reIl\ \"reIl Ækømp“´‘nI\
For rail companies it is cheaper to pay fines than to provide longer trains.
rail passenger (n)
\"reIl ÆpœsIndZ´\
Many rail passengers suffer health problems because of the poor conditions on trains.
rail travel (n)
\"reIl Ætrœvl\
The disadvantages of rail travel is that it is expensive and often very unreliable.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
4
in company
Elementary
Unit 13 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
result (n) as a result
\rI"zølt\ \Æœz ´ rI"zølt\
ride (v) ride a bike/motorbike
\raId\ \ÆraId ´ "baIk\ "m´Ut´baIk\
In Holland a lot of people ride their bikes to work.
season ticket (n)
\"si…zn ÆtIkIt\
A season ticket is a ticket that is valid for an extended period of time.
service (n) a poor/unreliable service
\"s‰…vIs\ \´ ÆpO…\ÆønrIÆlaI´bl "s‰…vIs\
They pay high prices for a poor service and, logically, they resent this.
slow (adj) (opposite = fast)
\sl´U\
Commuting by car in London can be very slow.
stressed (adj)
\strest\
Many commuters are stressed even before they arrive at the office.
subsidy (n)
\"søbs´dI\
Employees often buy their season tickets with loans or subsidies from their company.
sweaty (adj) hot and sweaty
\"swetI\ \ÆhÅt ´n "swetI\
take (v) take a bus/train/taxi/tram to work/the office
\teIk\ \ÆteIk ´ Æbøs\ ÆtreIn\ÆtœksI\Ætrœm t´ "w‰…k\Di… "ÅfIs\
It takes … It takes sb half an hour/ 40 minutes/two hours etc
\ÆIt "teIks\ \It ÆteIks Sømb´dI ÆhA…f ´n "aU´\ÆfO…tI "mInIts\ÆtU… "aU´z\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
Uncomfortable trains and unreliable services cause dangerous tension levels; as a result many rail passengers have health problems.
She doesn’t cycle fast because she wants to avoid getting hot and sweaty.
If I’m late I take a taxi to the office.
It takes him ten minutes to get to work by tram.
5
in company
Elementary
Unit 13 headword
pronunciation
tension (n) level of tension
\"tenSn\ \Ælevl ´v "tenSn\
Unreliable services and uncomfortable trains cause a dangerous level of tension.
traffic (n)
\"trœfIk\
Cycling can be dangerous if there’s a lot of traffic.
tube (n) on the tube
\tju…b\ \ÆÅn D´ "tju…b\
On the tube in the morning, no one really talks.
\"tju…b ÆraId\
My journey to work involves a 15-minute walk and two tube rides.
underground (n) the underground
\"ønd´ÆgraUnd\ \Di… "ønd´graUnd\
The worst thing about the underground is the dirt.
valid (adj) be valid for
\"vœlId\ \bI "vœlId fO…\
A season ticket is valid for an extended period of time.
walk (v) walk to work
\wO…k\ \ÆwO…k t´ "w‰…k\
I’d love to be able to walk to work.
warning (n) without warning
\"wO…nIN\ \wIÆDaUt "wO…nIN\
Trains are often delayed or cancelled without warning.
workplace (n)
\"w‰…kÆpleIs\
The majority of Europeans live within 30 minutes of their workplace.
tube ride (n)
translation/notes
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example sentence
6
in company
Elementary
Unit 14 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
add (v) add sth to sth
\œd\ \Æœd ÆsømTIN t´ "sømTIN\
built-in camera (n)
\ÆbIltIn "kœmr´\
They’re trying to improve the quality of the built-in cameras many mobile phones feature.
city centre (n)
\ÆsItI "sent´\
Trams are making a come-back to many city centres around the world.
come-back (n) make a come-back
\"kømÆbœk\ \ÆmeIk ´ "kømÆbœk\
Trams are now making a come-back as a means of transport in city centres.
company rules (n pl)
\Ækømp“´‘nI "ru…lz\
We normally wear a dark suit and tie to work – it’s company rules.
delivery (n) expect delivery
\dI"lIv“´‘rI\ \IkÆspekt dI"lIv“´‘rI\
I’m phoning about our special order. When can we expect delivery?
develop (v)
\dI"vel´p\
Sanyo electric is developing a 3-D TV screen.
development (n)
\dI"vel´pm´nt\
“Global Trends” is a webpage with information about the latest trends and developments.
digital camera (n)
\ÆdIdZItl "kœmr´\
Prices of digital cameras are falling.
dress code (n)
\"dres Æk´Ud\
The dress code where I work is suits and ties.
environmentally-friendly (adj) \InÆvaIr´ÆmentlI "frendlI\
example sentence
Mobile phone companies are now looking at adding video to their phones.
More car manufacturers are marketing environmentally-friendly vehicles that run on hydrogen.
feature (v)
\"fi…tS´\
Many mobile phones now feature built-in cameras.
figures (n pl)
\"fIg´z\
“Sonia, can you help me with these figures?” “Sorry, I’m a bit busy right now.”
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
1
in company
Elementary
Unit 14 headword
pronunciation
filter (n)
\"fIlt´\
A special filter fitted to the screen allows viewers to see solid-looking images without wearing glasses.
free time (n)
\"fri… "taIm\
According to the survey, 12% of adults are still enjoying free time at midnight.
get back in contact
\get Æbœk In "kÅntœkt\
If you get back in contact in July, we’ll probably have some vacancies then.
hydrogen-powered (adj)
\"haIdr´dZ´nÆpaU´d\
Madrid is now using hydrogen-powered buses, which are more environmentallyfriendly.
improve (v)
\Im"pru…v\
Picture quality on digital cameras is improving all the time.
job vacancy (n)
\"dZÅb ÆveIk´nsI\
“Do you have any job vacancies?” “No, I’m sorry, we’re not recruiting at the moment.”
manufacturer (n)
\ÆmœnjU"fœktS´r´\
Car manufacturers are now making more and more environmentally-friendly vehicles.
market (n) come onto the market
\"mA…kIt\ \køm ÆÅnt´ D´ "mA…kIt\
market (v)
\"mA…kIt\
notice (n) hand in your notice
\"n´UtIs\ \Æhœnd In j´ "n´UtIs\
order (n) order reference (n)
\"O…d´\ \"O…d´ Ærefr´ns\
special order (n)
translation/notes
\ÆspeSl "O…d´\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
Robots that do the housework are now coming onto the market.
Pressure has been put on car manufacturers to market environmentally-friendly vehicles. “Why are you wearing those old jeans and a T shirt?” “I’m not working; I handed in my notice yesterday.” The order reference number is 5948. I’m phoning from Laiz Co-op about our special order. When can we expect delivery?
2
in company
Elementary
Unit 14 headword order despatch department (n)
pronunciation
translation/notes
\ÆO…d´ "dIspœtS dIÆpA…tm´nt\
example sentence Order despatch department. Can I help you?
per cent (n) 55/60/87 etc per cent
\p´ "sent\ \ÆfIftI ÆfaIv\ ÆsIkstI\ÆeItI Æsevn p´ "sent\
phone (v) phone about
\f´Un\ \Æf´Un ´"baUt\
I’m phoning about our special order.
picture quality (n)
\"pIktS´ ÆkwÅl´tI\
Digital camera picture quality is improving all the time.
price (n) prices are falling (opposite = prices are rising/increasing)
\praIs\ \ÆpraIs´z ´r "fO…lIN\
Prices of digital cameras are falling.
recruit (v)
\rI"kru…t\
There are no job vacancies at the moment – we’re not recruiting.
report (n) finish a report
\rI"pO…t\ \ÆfInIS ´ rI"pO…t\
I’m busy at the moment. I’m finishing a report.
revolution (n)
\Ærev´"lu…Sn\
The first paragraph on the webpage is all about the photographic revolution.
robot (n)
\"r´UbÅt\
Robots that do housework are coming onto the market.
run on (phr v)
\"røn ÆÅn\
There’s an increase in the number of environmentally-friendly vehicles running on hydrogen.
statistics (n pl)
\st´"tIstIks\
The statistics show the percentage of the population doing a particular activity each hour over a 24-hour period.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
On weekdays 77 per cent of adults are awake and out of bed by 8 a.m.
3
in company
Elementary
Unit 14 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
stresses (n pl) relieve the stresses of sth
\"stres´z\ \rIÆli…v D´ "stres´z ´v ÆsømTIN\
Yoga and meditation help to relieve the stresses of modern life.
technology (n) technology develops
\tek"nÅl´dZI\ \tekÆnÅl´dZI dI"vel´ps\
Technology is developing at an amazing speed.
tendency (n)
\"tend´nsI\
time (n) spend (your) time
\taIm\ \Æspend j´ "taIm\
The statistics show how people in the UK spend their time.
trend (n) global trend (n)
\trend\ \Ægl´Ubl "trend\
There’s a global trend towards using trams in city centres.
The Global Trends webpage gives information about the latest tendencies and developments.
\´ Ætrend In "bIzn´s\"laIfstaIl\ tek"nÅl´dZI\
Read about the latest trends in technology and business on our webpage.
\"veIk´nsI\
We usually have vacancies in July.
\"dZÅb ÆveIk´nsI\
I’m calling to ask if you have any job vacancies.
viewer (n)
\"vju…´\
With the help of a special filter, viewers can see solid-looking images without wearing special glasses.
weekday (n)
\"wi…kdeI\
On weekdays the majority of adults are awake and out of bed by 8 a.m.
zoom lens (n)
\Æzu…m "lenz\
Digital cameras now have new features such as powerful zoom lenses and video.
a trend in business/ lifestyle/technology etc
vacancy (n) job vacancy (n)
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
4
in company
Elementary
Unit 15 headword
pronunciation
accumulate (v)
\´"kju…mj´ÆleIt\
A lot of work accumulated during the strike and we now have a huge backlog.
airline (n)
\"e´ÆlaIn\
Some of the cheaper airlines sell more tickets for their flights than there are seats.
\Æe´laIn ÆInf´"meISn Ædesk\
Please approach the airline information desk for details of alternative flights.
air traffic controller (n)
\Æe´ ÆtrœfIk k´n"tr´Ul´\
The flight was cancelled due to a strike by air traffic controllers.
aisle seat (n)
\"aIl Æsi…t\
Could I change to an aisle seat? I have a bad leg.
announce (v)
\´"naUns\
British Airways regrets to announce the cancellation of flight BA146.
announcement (n) airport announcement (n)
\´"naUnsm´nt\ \Æe´pO…t ´"naUnsm´nt\ \´"naUnsm´nt ´ÆbaUt\
airline information desk (n)
announcement about
translation/notes
example sentence
Listen carefully to the airport announcement. What is the problem? Excuse me. I didn’t understand the announcement about flight BA123.
approach (v)
\´"pr´UtS\
Passengers should approach the airline information desk for further details.
backlog (n) a backlog of
\"bœkÆlÅg\ \´ "bœkÆlÅg ´v\
Once we’ve dealt with the backlog of cancelled flights we will resume normal service.
baggage (n)
\"bœgIdZ\
We all waited for our baggage at the carousel.
boarding (n)
\"bO…dIN\
We only hold reservation until 20 minutes before boarding.
booking system (n) on-line booking system (n)
\"bUkIN ÆsIst´m\ \ÆÅnlaIn "bUkIN ÆsIst´m\
Their on-line booking system doesn’t seem to be working.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
1
in company
Elementary
Unit 15 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
bump (v)
\bømp\
“Do you mean you’re bumping me?” “I can offer you a later flight, sir, or a refund.”
cancellation (n)
\Ækœns´"leISn\
Thousands of passengers were stranded at Heathrow after flight cancellations.
category (n)
\"kœt´g“´‘rI\
The Office of Aviation organises the complaints they receive into different categories.
charges (n pl) extra charges (n pl)
\"tSA…dZ´z\ \Æekstr´ "tSA…dZ´z\
Airlines should inform passengers about any extra charges they might have to pay.
check-in (n)
\"tSekIn\
When I arrived at check-in, they told me there were no more seats left on the plane.
check-in desk (n)
\"tSekIn Ædesk\
You’ll have to go back to the check-in desk and check your bag in.
checked-in (adj)
\ÆtSekt"In\
Unfortunately my checked-in luggage got lost.
complaint (n)
\k´m"pleInt\
Passenger complaints are organised into different categories.
customer service (n)
\Ækøst´m´ "s‰…vIs\
The flights are really cheap but the standard of customer service isn’t that high.
damaged (adj)
\"dœmIdZd\
You can claim on your travel insurance if your luggage gets lost or damaged .
discrimination (n)
\dIÆskrImI"neISn\
Companies found guilty of discrimination can be fined heavily.
engaged (adj) the lines are engaged
\In"geIdZd\ \D´ ÆlaInz ´r In"geIdZd\
I tried phoning the airline but all their lines were engaged.
fare (n)
\fe´\
For more information about fares and payment methods, visit our website.
flight (n) flight arrangement (n)
\flaIt\ \"flaIt ´ÆreIndZm´nt\
Details of alternative flight arrangements are available at our information desk.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
2
in company
Elementary
Unit 15 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
flight attendant (n)
\"flaIt ´Ætend´nt\
Passengers complained that the flight attendants were unhelpful and rude.
in-flight (adj)
\"InÆflaIt\
The in-flight food was pretty poor.
full (adj)
\fUl\
“I’m afraid the flight’s full, sir.” “What do you mean? I have a reservation.”
gauge (n)
\geIdZ\
You can weigh your own hand luggage by putting it in the gauge.
ground (n) on the ground
\graUnd\ \ÆÅn D´ "graUnd\
A strike on Friday and Saturday left thousands of passengers on the ground.
\"graUnd ÆstA…f\
BA ground staff called the strike because of proposed new working conditions.
hotel accommodation (n)
\h´U"tel ´ÆkÅm´ÆdeISn\
Many people were unable to find hotel accommodation and had to spend the night at the airport.
loss (n) a loss of £3.5 million/ $2 billion etc (opposite = profit)
\lÅs\ \´ ÆlÅs ´v ÆTri… pOInt ÆfaIv ÆmIlj´n "paUndz\ Ætu… ÆbIlj´n "dÅl´z\
nationality (n)
\ÆnœS´"nœl´tI\
Unfair treatment on the grounds of race or nationality counts as discrimination.
normal service (n) restore normal service
\ÆnO…ml "s‰…vIs\ \rIÆstO… ÆnO…ml "s‰…vIs\
The company hopes to restore normal service as soon as possible.
overbooking (n)
\Æ´Uv´"bUkIN\
on-line (adj) on-line booking system (n)
\ÆÅn"laIn\ \ÆÅnlaIn "bUkIN ÆsIst´m\
ground staff (n)
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
The strike was estimated to have resulted in losses of over £10 million a day.
Overbooking is sometimes a problem with cheaper airlines who sell more tickets than there are seats.
Our on-line booking system is quick and easy to use.
3
in company
Elementary
Unit 15 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
phone line (n) the phone lines are engaged
\"f´Un ÆlaIn\ \D´ Æf´Un ÆlaInz ´r In"geIdZd\
It’s hard to speak to anyone directly as the phone lines always seem to be engaged.
protest (n) a protest against
\"pr´Utest\ \´ Æpr´Utest ´"genst\
BA staff called the strike as a protest against a change in working conditions.
publicity (n)
\pøb"lIs´tI\
Some people have complained that information in the airline’s publicity is untrue.
queue (n) a queue forms
\kju…\ \´ "kju… ÆfO…mz\
Long queues formed as passengers arrived for cancelled flights.
race (n)
\reIs\
Unfair treatment on the grounds of race or nationality counts as discrimination.
refund (n)
\"ri…fønd\
The flight’s full, but we can offer you a later flight or a refund.
regulations (n pl) follow the regulations
\Æregj´"leIS´nz\ \ÆfÅl´U D´ Æregj´"leIS´nz\
I’m just doing my job. We have to follow the regulations.
reservation (n) hold a reservation
\Ærez´"veISn\ \Æh´Uld ´ Ærez´"veISn\
We only hold reservations until 20 minutes before boarding.
response (n) response to
\rI"spÅns\ \rI"spÅns Ætu…\
Passengers criticised BA’s response to the strike.
restore (v) restore normal service
\rI"stO…\ \rIÆstO… ÆnO…ml "s‰…vIs\
We are hoping to restore normal service as soon as possible.
be scheduled to do sth
\bI ÆSedZju…ld t´ "du… ÆsømTIN\
The strike also affected people scheduled to return to Heathrow from destinations all over Europe.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
4
in company
Elementary
Unit 15 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
seat (n)
\si…t\
I’m afraid the flight’s full – there are no more seats.
senior manager (n)
\Æsi…nI´ "mœnIdZ´\
Angry travellers asked why no senior managers were present.
share (n) shares fell (by 1.2p/2% etc) (opposite = shares rose (by 1.2p/2% etc))
\Se´\ \ÆSe´z Æfel “baI Æwøn pOInt Ætu… "pens\Ætu… p´ "sent‘\
spokesperson (n)
\"sp´UksÆp‰…sn\
stock market (n) the New York/London/ Tokyo etc stock market
\"stÅk "mA…kIt\ \D´ Ænju… jO…k\ Ælønd´n\Æt´Ukj´U "stÅk ÆmA…kIt\
stranded (adj) be stranded by
\"strœnd´d\ \bI "strœnd´d ÆbaI\
Thousands of passengers were stranded by the strike.
strike (n)
\straIk\
British Airways staff returned to work yesterday after a two-day strike.
call a strike (v)
\"kO…l ´ "straIk\
They called the strike because of proposed new working conditions.
be on strike
\Æbi… Ån "straIk\
Flights were cancelled because air traffic controllers were on strike.
technical reasons (n pl) due to technical reasons
\"teknIkl Æri…z´nz\ \Ædju… tu "teknIkl Æri…z´nz\
We regret to announce the cancellation of flight BA146 due to technical reasons.
timetable (n)
\"taImÆteIbl\
Something that is scheduled is part of a programme or timetable.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
Shares in the company fell by 3.9% on the London stock market.
A British Airways spokesperson said they were hoping to return to normal service as soon as possible. Shares fell on the London stock market by 3.9%.
5
in company
Elementary
Unit 15 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
treat (v) treat sb badly
\tri…t\ \Ætri…t Æsømb´dI "bœdlI\
The man claimed he was treated badly because of his race.
trip (n)
\trIp\
The Condie family had saved for over a year for their trip to Spain.
union representative (n)
\Æju…nj´n ÆreprI"zent´tIv\
According to a union representative, the staff later returned to work as a “gesture of goodwill”.
voucher (n)
\"vaUtS´\
Airline companies sometimes offer their passengers vouchers for hotels when flights are cancelled.
working conditions (n pl)
\"w‰…kIN k´nÆdIS´nz\
The strike was about proposed new working conditions.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
6
in company
Elementary
Unit 16 headword
pronunciation
absence (n)
\"œbs´ns\
What’s your company policy on absence?
absence rate (n)
\"œbs´ns Æreit\
The absence rate among public service employees is higher than that amongst private sector workers.
causes of absence (n pl)
\ÆkO…z´z ´v "œbs´ns\
Managers were asked to say what the top five causes of absence were.
long-/short-term absence
\ÆlÅn\ÆSO… t‰…m "œbs´ns\
Long-term absence is responsible for 40 per cent of total working time lost.
\Æœbs´n"ti…ÆIz´m\
Absenteeism is a major problem in business.
\rIÆdju…s Æœbs´n"ti…ÆIz´m\
How can employers take positive action to reduce absenteeism?
appointment (n)
\´"pOIntm´nt\
I’m going to phone the doctor for an appointment.
back (n) back problems (n pl)
\bœk\ \"bœk "prÅbl´mz\
Back problems are common amongst workers doing hard physical jobs.
bonus scheme (n)
\"b´Un´s Æski…m\
Introducing bonus schemes can help motivate employees.
build up (phr v)
\"bIld "øp\
If you stay at home, work starts building up for you in the office when you return.
cold (n)
\k´Uld\
Colds and flu are two of the most common causes of absence.
commitment (n)
\k´"mItm´nt\
Some people feel that going into work when they feel ill shows commitment.
company policy (n)
\Ækømp“´‘ni "pÅl´sI\
Company policy on absenteeism can have a direct effect on the absence rate.
counselling (n) on-site counselling (n)
\"kaUns“´‘lIN\ \ÆÅnsaIt "kaUns“´‘lIN\
Do you think that on-site counselling is helpful for employees?
absenteeism (n) reduce absenteeism
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
1
in company
Elementary
Unit 16 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
crèche (n) workplace crèches (n pl)
\kreS\ \Æw‰…kpleIs "kreS´z\
doctor’s note (n)
\"dÅkt´z Æn´Ut\
You need a doctor’s note if you’re absent for longer than three days.
feel well (opposite = feel ill/sick)
\Æfi…l wel\
David phoned in, saying he wasn’t feeling well.
fitness programme (n)
\"fItn´s Æpr´Ugrœm\
Fitness programmes can help employees stay fit and healthy.
flu (n) have got flu
\flu…\ \h´vÆ gÅt "flu…\
I think I’ve got a bit of flu.
global capitalism (n)
\Ægl´Ubl "kœpIt´ÆlIz´m\
“World Phone in Sick Day” was a day of protest against global capitalism.
go in (phr v)
\Æg´U "In\
The decision about whether to go in or to stay at home can be a difficult one.
illness (n)
\"Iln´s\
According to a recent survey, British employees had an average of 7.8 days off work for illness last year.
infect (v)
\In"fekt\
If you go into work when you’re feeling ill, you risk infecting your workmates.
job swapping (n)
\"dZÅb ÆswÅpIN\
Job swapping involves allowing one person to do another person’s job.
lie down (phr v)
\ÆlaI "daUn\
If you’re not feeling well, go and lie down for a while.
low morale (n)
\Æl´U m´"rA…l\
Managers suspect that low morale is often the real reason for a lot of absences from work.
massage service (n)
\"mœsA…Z Æs‰…vIs\
The massage service we introduced a year ago has proved very popular with employees.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
Workplace crèches can be a good idea for workers with babies and young children.
2
in company
Elementary
Unit 16 headword
pronunciation
migraine (n)
\"mi…greIn; "maIgreIn\
A migraine is a very severe headache.
Monday morning blues (n pl)
\ÆmøndeI ÆmO…nIN "blu…z\
Monday morning blues is an expression meaning the sad, unhappy feeling some people have on Monday, the first day of the working week.
non-union (adj) non-union workers (n pl)
\ÆnÅn"ju…nj´n\ \ÆnÅnÆju…nj´n "w‰…k´z\
Trade union members report sick more often than non-union workers.
office gossip (n)
\ÆÅfIs "gÅsIp\
My secretary tells me all the office gossip.
phone in sick
\Æf´Un ÆIn "sIk\
“Is John coming in today?” “No, he’s just phoned in sick.”
positive action (n) take positive action
\ÆpÅz´tIv "œkSn\ \teIk ÆpÅz´tIv "œkSn\
Flexible working hours and bonus schemes are just two examples of positive action employers can take to reduce absenteeism.
private (adj) private company (n)
\ÆpraIv´t\ \ÆpraIv´t "kømp“´‘nI\
Employees who work for private companies take less time off work than those working in public services.
\D´ "praIv´t Æsekt´\
Absenteeism is lower in the private sector than in public services.
product launch (n)
\"prÅdøkt ÆlO…ntS\
We really need you tomorrow to help with the product launch.
public (adj) public service (adj)
\ÆpøblIk\ \ÆpøblIk "s‰…vIs\
the private sector (n)
public services (n pl)
translation/notes
\ÆpøblIk "s‰…vIs´z\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
Public service workers take more time off than those working for private companies. Who takes more time off – those working in the private sector or in public services?
3
in company
Elementary
Unit 16 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
relaxation areas (n pl)
\Æri…lœk"seISn Æe´rI´z\
We provide special relaxation areas for employees to use during coffee breaks and their lunch break.
sick report sick
\sIk\ \rIÆpO…t "sIk\
Non-union workers report sick less often than trade union members.
sick leave (n)
\"sIk Æli…v\
The average amount of sick leave taken by British employees in 2003 was 7.8 days.
sick note (n)
\"sIk "n´Ut\
You need a sick note from the doctor for absences of longer than three days.
sickie (n) throw a sickie
\"sIkI\ \ÆTr´U ´ "sIkI\
“Throwing a sickie” is an expression meaning to pretend to be ill and not go to work.
teamwork (n)
\"ti…mÆw‰…k\
Effective teamwork is an important part of this job.
temperature (n) have a temperature
\"temprIÆtS´\ \Æhœv ´ "temprIÆtS´\
My son has a temperature so I’m taking him to the doctor’s.
trade union (n) trade union members (n pl)
\ÆtreId "ju…nj´n\ \ÆtreId "ju…nj´n Æmemb´z\
Trade union members are more likely to report sick than non-union workers.
travel expenses (n pl)
\"trœvl IkÆspens´z\
The company pays all my travel expenses.
union (n)
\"ju…j´n\
Who takes more time off work – workers who belong to unions or workers who don’t?
utilities (n pl)
\ju…"tIl´tIz\
The utilities are gas, water and electricity.
work workforce (n)
\"w‰…k\ \"w‰…kÆfO…s\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
For the whole workforce in Britain, absenteeism represents a total of £10.7 billion in lost revenue. 4
in company
Elementary
Unit 16 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
working time (n)
\Æw‰…kIN "taIm\
In 2003 in Britain, 3.4 per cent of total working time was lost due to illness.
working week (n)
\Æw‰…kIN "wi…k\
In your opinion, would a shorter working week help to reduce absenteeism?
workmate (n)
\"w‰…kÆmeIt\
If you go into work when you’re ill, you risk infecting your workmates.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
5
in company
Elementary
Unit 17 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
advance (n) years/months/days etc in advance
\´d"vA…ns\ \ÆjI´z\ÆmønTs\ÆdeIz In ´d"vA…ns\
agreement (n) commercial agreement (n)
\´"gri…m´nt\ \k´Æm‰…Sl ´"gri…m´nt\
annual growth (n)
\Æœnju´l "gr´UT\
Annual growth is the increase in the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in one year.
anticipate (v)
\œn"tIsIÆpeIt\
Clothes makers have to anticipate fashion trends.
batch (n)
\bœtS\
Production is in small batches, or quantities.
borrow (v) borrow from a bank
\"bÅr´U\ \ÆbÅr´U fr´m ´ "bœNk\
boss (n) the boss of
\bÅs\ \D´ "bÅs ´v\
Amancio Ortega is the founder and boss of Zara and Inditex.
business (n) business life (n)
\"bIzn´s\ \"bIzn´s ÆlaIf\
He started business life in a small clothes shop.
business school (n)
\"bIzn´s Æsku…l\
Ortega gave talks in business schools around the world.
on business
\ÆÅn "bIzn´s\
He’s in Germany on business.
set up a business
\Æset øp ´ "bIzn´s\
Last year she set up her own Internet property selling business.
clothes maker (n)
\"kl´UDz ÆmeIk´\
Ortega is boss of one of the most successful clothes makers in the world.
collection (n)
\k´"lekSn\
A “collection” is a term referring to the clothes that a manufacturer produces for sale at a particular time of year.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
Clothes makers usually produce their collections months in advance.
As part of a series of commercial agreements, the brand of vodka in the James Bond films has changed.
Public debt is the amount of money the government owes because it borrows from banks.
1
in company
Elementary
Unit 17 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
contact (n) be in daily contact (with)
\"kÅnÆtœkt\ \Æbi… In ÆdeIlI "kÅnÆtœkt wID\
Inditex headquarters is in daily contact with its stores and knows what is selling.
conventional (adj) (opposite = unconventional)
\k´n"venSn“´‘l\
Product placement in films is cheaper than conventional advertising.
cost effective (adj)
\"kÅst IÆfektIv\
Something that is cost effective produces a good profit in exchange for the amount of money spent.
counter (n) over the counter
\"kaUnt´\ \Æ´Uv´ D´ "kaUnt´\
do well (opposite = do badly)
\Ædu… "wel\
fashion (n) fashion director/ manufacturer/trend etc
\"fœSn\ \"fœSn d´Ærekt´\ ÆmœnjUÆfœktS´r´\ Ætrend\
foreign currency (n)
\ÆfÅrIn "kør´nsI\
What amount of money in foreign currencies does the government have?
foreign exchange reserves (n pl)
\ÆfÅrIn Iks"tSeIndZ rIÆz‰…vz\
The foreign exchange reserves are the amount of money in foreign currencies that the government has.
found (v)
\faUnd\
According to Piette, Ortega has founded “possibly the most innovative and devastating retailer in the world”.
founder (n) the founder of
\"faUnd´\ \D´ "faUnd´ ´v\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
He started business life in a local clothes shop, selling over the counter to housewives. The lingerie business that Ortega set up with his wife did well.
It’s essential that fashion manufacturers anticipate fashion trends.
Amancio Ortega is the founder and boss of Zara and Inditex.
2
in company
Elementary
Unit 17 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
global awareness (n) create global awareness
\Ægl´Ubl ´"we´n´s\ \kri…ÆeIt Ægl´Ubl ´"we´n´s\
Product placement in films is a good way of creating global awareness of a product.
global campaign (n)
\"gl´Ubl kœm"peIn\
Smaller companies can’t afford the global campaigns of large multinationals.
go up (phr v) (opposite = go down)
\Æg´U "øp\
Prices are going up the fastest in Portugal and Germany.
government spending (n)
\Ægøvnm´nt "spendIN\
Government spending is the amount of money the government spends on things like education, health and defence.
grow (v)
\gr´U\
The Inditex group is growing at a phenomenal rate.
headquarters (n) Inditex/Microsoft etc headquarters
\hed"kwO…t´z\ \ÆIndIÆteks\ ÆmaIkr´ÆsÅft hed"kwO…t´z\
increase (n) increase in (opposite = decrease in)
\"INkri…s\ \"INkri…s ÆIn\
The increase in the GDP in one year is known as “annual growth”.
inflation (n)
\In"fleISn\
Annual inflation is the yearly increase in the price of services and things we buy.
in-house (adv) (opposite = out-of-house)
\ÆIn"haUs\
The group manufactures most of its clothes in-house.
innovative (adj)
\"In´Æv´tIv\
An innovative company is one that is not afraid to introduce new ideas, production methods etc.
item (n)
\"aIt´m\
If an item doesn’t sell in our shops, we stop making it.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
Inditex headquarters is in contact with its stores on a daily basis.
3
in company
Elementary
Unit 17 headword
pronunciation
labour cost (n)
\"leIb´ ÆkÅst\
Labour costs are much cheaper in parts of Asia and Eastern Europe than they are in the UK.
manufacture (v)
\ÆmœnjU"fœktS´\
Most of our clothes are manufactured in-house.
message (n) take a message
\"mesIdZ\ \ÆteIk ´ "mesIdz\
Mr Harper’s not in the office. Can I take a message ?
money (n) make money
\"mønI\ \ÆmeIk "mønI\
Ortega is an expert at making money.
over (prep) just over (opposite = under)
\"´Uv´\ \ÆdZøst "´Uv´\
In France GDP has increased by just over $3,000.
overheads (n pl)
\"´Uv´Æhedz\
owe (v) owe money
\´U\ \Æ´U "mønI\
Public debt is the amount of money the government owes.
president (n) (AmE) the president of (BrE = managing director)
\"prezId´nt\ \D´ "prezId´nt ´v\
The president and founder of Inditex is rich and successful.
process (n) every stage of the process
\"pr´Uses\ \ÆevrI ÆsteIdZ ´v D´ "pr´Uses\
product (n) product preference (n)
\"prÅdøkt\ \"prÅdøkt Æprefr´ns\ \´ ÆreIndZ ´v "prÅdøkts\
a range of products (n)
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
Overheads are the general costs of running a business – rent, equipment, heating, lighting etc.
Inditex controls every stage of the process – from production to sales.
The article “To Shake Or To Stir?” describes changes in Bond’s product preferences. The makers of the Bond films have accepted $40–45m to allow a range of products to appear on screen. 4
in company
Elementary
Unit 17 headword
pronunciation
product placement (n)
\"prÅdøkt "pleIsm´nt\
Product placement is the use of a particular company’s products during a film as a way of advertising.
production (n)
\pr´"døkSn\
From production to sales – we control every stage of the process.
\Æi…k´ÆnÅmIk; Æek´ÆnÅmIk pr´"døkSn\
GDP per person is the total economic production of a country divided by the number of its people.
public debt (n)
\ÆpøblIk "det\
The amount of money that the government owes because it borrows from banks is called the public debt.
rate of pay (n)
\ÆreIt ´v "peI\
The hourly rate of pay for the job is £7.50.
retailer (n)
\"ri…ÆteIl´\
Daniel Piette, a fashion director, described Inditex as “possibly the most innovative … retailer in the world”.
sales (n pl) increase sales
\seIlz\ \INÆkri…s "seIlz\
seat (n) Have a seat.
\sI…t\ \Æhœv ´ "si…t\
Have a seat . Would you like a coffee?
sell (v)
\sel\
If an item doesn’t sell we stop making it.
shares (n pl) have shares in
\Se´z\ \hœv "Se´z In\
Ortega has shares in football clubs.
stock (n) unsold stock
\stÅk\ \Æøns´Uld "stÅk\
The Inditex stores never have unsold stock.
store (n) open a store
\stO…\ \Æ´Up´n ´ "stO…\
Every 48 hours, somewhere in the world, the Inditex group opens a new store.
economic production (n)
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
Aston Martin is hoping to increase sales from 1,500 to 5,000 vehicles a year worldwide.
5
in company
Elementary
Unit 17 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
spokesman (n)
\"sp´UksÆm´n\
“We want to create global awareness,” said a spokesman for the car company.
under (prep) just under (opposite = over)
\"ønd´\ \"dZøst "ønd´\
Just under 200 people attended the conference.
unemployment rate (n)
\ÆønIm"plOIm´nt ÆreIt\
The unemployment rate in Italy is currently 9.5%.
yearly (adj)
\"jI´lI\
The yearly increase in services and the things we buy is known as “annual inflation”.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
6
in company
Elementary
Unit 18 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
access (n)
\"œkses\
Access will be thousands of times faster in the future
access speed (n)
\"œkses Æspi…d\
Laser technology will improve access speeds considerably.
access to the Internet
\Æœkses t´ Di… "Int´net\
There are 500,000,000 people in the world with access to the Internet .
after-sales service (n)
\A…ft´"seIlz Æs‰…vIs\
We’re aiming to improve our after-sales service by responding to all e-mails within 24 hours.
anti-technology (adj)
\ÆœntItek"nÅl´dZI\
Do you think there will be an anti-technology revolution?
ASDL (n)
\ÆeIesdi…"el\
ASDL is currently the fastest method of connecting a computer to the Internet.
browse (v) browse on the Net/ the Web/a mobile phone
\braUz\ \ÆbraUz Ån D´ "net\D´ "web\´ Æm´UbaIl "f´Un\
buying (n)
\"baIIN\
calculate (v) calculate figures
\"kœlkj´ÆleIt\ \Ækœlkj´ÆleIt "fIg´z\
I don’t quite understand how you calculated these figures .
catch phrase (n)
\"kœtS ÆfreIz\
Kiss, or “keep it simple, stupid” is the catch phrase in webpage design.
changes (n pl) changes in technology/ business etc
\"tSeIndZ´z\ \ÆtSeIndZ´z In tek"nÅl´dZI\"bIzn´s\
We need to anticipate how changes in technology will affect commerce.
check (on) (v)
\"tSek “ÆÅn‘\
I check on the stock market at least four times a day.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
Do you think that people will want to browse on their mobile phones ?
People who do their buying on the Internet like to know what other consumers think about a product.
1
in company
Elementary
Unit 18 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
click (on) (v)
\"klIk “ÆÅn‘\
If you click on “I accept” the supplier can legally spy on you.
code (n) line of code (n)
\k´Ud\ \ÆlaIn ´v "k´Ud\
From now on each line of new code will have the programmer’s name attached.
commerce (n)
\"kÅm‰…s\
commission (n) pay sb a commission
\k´"mISn\ \ÆpeI sømb´dI ´ k´"mISn\
communicate (v)
\k´"mju…nIÆkeIt\
compensation (n) offer compensation
\ÆkÅmp´n"seISn\ \ÆÅf´ ÆkÅmp´n"seISn\
consumer (n)
\k´n"sju…m´\
As consumers, most of us have no choice when we buy programs for our PC.
corporation (n)
\ÆkO…p´"reISn\
Problems of security affect the reputation of Microsoft with big corporations.
crash (v)
\krœS\
A computer that crashes twice a day is not acceptable in a busy office like ours.
courier service (n)
\"kUrI´ Æs‰…vIs\
In the interview John Bryce says that many customers are prepared to pay extra for a courier service .
customer involvement (n)
\Ækøst´m´ In"vÅlvm´nt\
Having comments from customers on your web site is a good idea as customer involvement is an important part of selling online.
deliver (v) deliver the goods
\dI"lIv´\ \dI"lIv´ D´ "gUdz\\
If you don’t deliver the goods on time, you lose customers.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
It will be interesting to see how changes to the Internet will affect commerce in the future. They have a link to our page and we pay them a commission .
The Internet will probably become something we take for granted in order to get information and to communicate. You want the customer to come back, so if something has gone wrong offer compensation.
2
in company
Elementary
Unit 18 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
delivery method (n)
\dI"lIv“´‘rI ÆmeT´d\
You need to be able to offer customers a choice of delivery methods.
double (v)
\"døbl\
The number of companies trading on the Internet doubles each year.
download (n)
\"daUnÆl´Ud\
Some of the most popular downloads on the Net include secret programs or “spyware”.
enquiries (n) make enquiries
\In"kwaIrIz\ \ÆmeIk In"kwaIrIz\
fibre optic lines (n pl)
\ÆfaIb´ ÆÅptIk "laInz\
The article predicts that laser technology will replace copper and fibre optic lines.
hard disk (n)
\ÆhA…d "dIsk\
“Spyware” can scan files on your hard disk and modify them.
high-street store (n)
\ÆhaIstri…t "stO…\
Do you think that online shopping will replace high-street stores ?
hole (n)
\h´Ul\
Computer programs have “holes” in them which make them open to attacks by viruses and hackers.
infect (v)
\In"fekt\
The virus infected thousands of computers using Microsoft software.
install (v) install a program (opposite = uninstall a program)
\In"stO…l\ \InÆstO…l ´ "pr´Ugrœm\
Read the licence agreement the next time you install a program.
Internet (adj) Internet services (n pl)
\"Int´Ænet\ \"Int´net Æs‰…vIs´z\
invest (v) invest $80,000/ £500,000 etc in sth
\In"vest\ \InÆvest ÆeItI ÆTaUz´nd "dÅl´z\ÆfaIv Æhøndr´d ÆTaUz´nd "paUndz\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
Currently most customers prefer to make their enquiries by phone, but this is expensive.
The writer predicts that the new Internet services on mobiles will be a failure.
Bill Gates invested $200 million in his products to make them more secure.
3
in company
Elementary
Unit 18 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
laser technology (n)
\"leIz´ tekÆnÅl´dZI\
Laser technology will replace copper and fibre optic lines.
licence agreement (n)
\"laIs´ns ´Ægri…m´nt\
Most people don’t read licence agreements because they are long and technical.
marketer (n)
\"mA…kIt´\
The job of marketers is to collect information about us.
marketing (adj) marketing expert/ information/tool etc
\"mA…kItIN\ \"mA…kItIN Æeksp‰…t\ ÆInf´ÆmeISn\Ætu…l\
The Internet is a very effective marketing tool.
monitor (v)
\"mÅnIt´\
“Spyware” can monitor the keys you press when you work at your PC.
multimedia (n)
\ÆmøltI"mi…dI´\
Multimedia is the use of video, sound and other methods of communication in computers.
the Net (n) on the Net
\D´ "net\ \ÆÅn D´ "net\
I think we will buy a lot of things on the Net but will go to a shop for others.
online (adj)
\ÆÅn"laIn\
Voting will be online and we will vote on more issues.
online content (n)
\ÆÅnÆlaIn "kÅntent\
At the moment about 75% of online content is in English.
online form/ shopping/store (n)
\ÆÅnÆlaIn "fO…m\"SÅpIN\"stO…\
We often fill out online forms with our choices and preferences.
operating system (n) use an operating system
\"Åp´reItIN ÆsIst´m\ \Æju…z ´n "Åp´reItIN ÆsIst´m\
be outdated
\bi… aUt"deItId\
The Internet is changing so fast that the things we talk about today are outdated by tomorrow.
page design (n)
\"peIdZ dIÆzaIn\'
Page design is very important on a website – it needs to be simple so that everyone can use it.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
Which operating system do you use: Windows, Macintosh or something else?
4
in company
Elementary
Unit 18 headword
pronunciation
palmtop (n)
\"pA…mtÅp\
A palmtop is a very small computer that you can hold in your hand.
pay rise (n)
\"peI ÆraIz\
A pay rise in my company is always a big surprise!
PC (n)
\Æpi…"si…\
When installing a new program on your PC, you should read the licence agreement.
prediction (n) make predictions
\prI"dIkSn\ \ÆmeIk prI"dIkS´nz\
program (n)
\"pr´UÆgrœm\
From now on if there is a problem with a program, it will be easy to see who made the mistake.
programmer (n)
\"pr´Ugrœm´\
Each new line of code will now have the programmer’s name attached to it.
scan (v) scan a file
\skœn\ \Æskœn ´ "faIl\
These secret programs or “spyware” can scan files on your hard disk and modify them.
search engine (n)
\"s‰…tS ÆendZIn\
Search engines such as Google are a fast and efficient way of finding the information you need.
secure (adj)
\sI"kjU´\
Microsoft has invested millions of dollars in order to make its software more secure .
security (n)
\sI"kjU´r´tI\
Computer security has become a big issue for Microsoft.
\sI"kjU´r´tI ÆprÅbl´m\
Security problems could affect sales of Microsoft products.
security problem (n)
settings (n pl) personal settings (n pl)
translation/notes
\"setIcz\ \Æp‰…sn´l "setINz\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
The advantages to making a lot of predictions is that some of them will come true!
“Spyware” can change your homepage and other personal settings .
5
in company
Elementary
Unit 18 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
small print (n) read the small print
\"smO…l ÆprInt\ \Æri…d D´ "smO…l ÆprInt\
software engineer (n)
\"sÅftwe´ "endZIÆnI´\
Software engineers will need to be careful as their name will be attached to each line of new code.
speed (n)
\spi…d\
Access speeds should improve thanks to laser technology.
surf (v) surf the Internet
\s‰…f\ \Æs‰…f Di… "Inbt´Ænet\
How much time each day do you spend surfing the Internet ?
take sth for granted
\ÆteIk sømTIN f´ "grA…nt´d\
We are now starting to take the Internet for granted as a means of communication and getting information.
trade (v)
\treId\
The number of companies trading on the Internet doubles each year.
type in (phr v)
\ÆtaIp "In\
Type in the name of the thing you are searching for and press return.
videoconferencing (n)
\ÆvIdI´U"kÅnfr´nsIN\
Do you agree that videoconferencing will finally replace face-to-face business meetings?
virus (n)
\"vaIr´s\
Currently, programs are open to attacks by viruses and hackers.
website (n) visit a website
\"webÆsaIt\ \ÆvIzIt ´ "webÆsaIt\
Secret programs exist that can monitor which websites you visit and how often.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
Reading the small print of a licence agreement could prevent you from having problems with “spyware”.
6
in company
Elementary
Unit 19 headword
pronunciation
call (n) get a call
\kO…l\ \Æget ´ "kO…l\
Maria gets over 500 calls a day.
\ÆpUt Tru… ´ "kO…l\
Just a minute, I’ll try to put your call through.
\kO…l\ \ÆkO…l Æsømb´dI ´ÆbaUt "sømTIN\
What do people usually call you about at work?
\Æhu…z "kO…lIN\
“Who’s calling, please?” “George Miller from Bryce and Watts.”
caller (n)
\"kø…l´\
The telephone often interrupts what we’re doing and sometimes the caller is someone we don’t want to talk to!
cubicle (n)
\"kju…bIkl\
Maria Cabrera’s workspace is a cubicle with a computer and a telephone exchange.
dial (v)
\"daI´l\
If you dial extension 4012, it’s a direct line.
direct line (n)
\dIÆrekt; daIÆrekt "laIn\
Do you have a direct line or an extension?
disconnect (v) disconnect the phone
\ÆdIsk´"nekt\ \ÆdIsk´Ænekt D´ "f´Un\
I sometimes feel like disconnecting the phone but my husband needs it for his work.
extension (n)
\Ik"stenSn\
My extension is 3474.
get through (to sb)(phr v)
\Æget ÆTru… “t´ "sømb´dI‘\
After phoning several times I finally got through to her.
give sth up (phr v) give your job up
\ÆgIv ÆsømTIN "øp\ \ÆgIv j´ "dZÅb Æøp\
put through a call call (v) call sb about sth
Who’s calling?
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
It’s awful – I think I’ll give my job up.
1
in company
Elementary
Unit 19 headword
pronunciation
handset (n) replace the handset
\"hœndset\ \rIÆpleIs D´ "hœndÆset\
Have you ever interrupted a phone call by replacing the handset?
hang up (phr v)
\ÆhœN "øp\
Some people are awful but the problem is in my job that I can’t just hang up.
\ÆhœN "øp Ån Æsømb´dI\
Only 6% of those interviewed told researchers they never hung up on people.
headset (n)
\"hedÆset\
My phone has a headset so that my hands are free.
help (v) How can I help you?
\help\ \ÆhaU k´n aI "help ju…\
“Hello, is that Alphatech Research?” “Yes, how can I help you?”
hook (n) take the phone off the hook
\hUk\ \"teIk D´ Æf´Un Åf D´ "hUk\
Sometimes at home when I’m feeling really tired, I take the phone off the hook.
ignore (v)
\Ig"nO…\
It’s difficult to ignore a ringing phone.
intrude (into) (v)
\In"tru…d “ÆIntu…‘\
Because we can’t ignore the phone it intrudes into our lives.
line (n) I’ll try the line.
\laIn\ \aIl ÆtraI D´ "laIn\
One moment, I’ll try her line.
number (n) call a number
\"nømb´\ \ÆkO…l ´ "nømb´\
hang up on sb
try sb’s number
\ÆtraI sømb´dIz "nømb´\
phone (n) answer the phone
\f´Un\ \ÆA…ns´ D´ "f´Un\
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
A researcher called the number of several public phones in stations and airports and someone nearly always answered. “Can I speak to Ana Courtelle, please?” “One moment, I’ll try her number.”
I tried calling but no one answered the phone. 2
in company
Elementary
Unit 19 headword
pronunciation
replace (v) replace the handset
\rI"pleIs\ \rIÆpleIs D´ "hœndÆset\
ring (v) the phone rings
\rIN\ \D´ "f´Un rINz\
When the phone is ringing in someone else’s office, do you answer it?
say (v) … did you say?
\seI\ \ÆdId ju… "seI\
“This is Mr Olot from Pharmatech SA.” “I’m sorry. Who did you say?
stress (n) cause stress
\stres\ \ÆkO…z "stres\
Does the phone cause stress in your work?
\Æsøf´ fr´m "stres\
In the end she thinks she’ll give up her job because she suffers from stress.
stressed (adj) (opposite = relaxed)
\strest\
Maria gets really stressed at work because she has to answer so many calls.
supplier (n)
\s´"plaI´\
I often get calls from suppliers about orders and deliveries.
telephone (n) telephone exchange (n)
\"telIÆf´Un\ \ÆtelIÆf´Un Ik"steIndZ\
suffer from stress
telephone use (n)
telephonist (n)
translation/notes
example sentence
Replacing the handset will interrupt a call.
The only things in my workspace are a chair, a computer and a telephone exchange.
\"telIf´Un Æju…s\
In a survey on telephone use, 51% of people said they would answer a phone ringing in someone else’s office.
\t´"lef´nIst\
Maria Cabrera works as a telephonist in a shopping centre.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
3
in company
Elementary
Unit 20 headword
pronunciation
abbreviation (n)
\´Æbri…vI"´ISn\
Using abbreviations when you send text messages save time.
abrupt (adj)
\´"brøpt\
The tone used in your e-mail needs to be businesslike but not too abrupt.
ad (n)
\œd\
Ad is a shortened and informal form of the word “advertisement”.
advertised (adj) advertised in/on
\"œdv´ÆtaIzd\ \"œdv´taIzd ÆIn\ÆÅn\
I’d like to apply for the post of sales representative advertised on your website.
aim (for) (v)
\"eIm “ÆfO…‘\
Aim for short simple sentences in your e-mails.
answerphone (n) leave a message on sb’s answerphone
\"A…ns´Æf´Un\ \Æli…v ´ ÆmesIdZ Ån Æsømb´dIz "A…ns´f´Un\
Janet wasn’t in so I left a message on her answerphone.
application (n) an application for
\ÆœplI"keISn\ \´n ÆœplI"keISn ÆfO…\
Thank you for your application for the post of sales representative.
\k´nÆsId´ sømb´dIz ÆœplI"keISn\
I am unable to consider your application as I am afraid you do not have the necessary experience.
attached document (n)
\´ÆtœtSt "dÅkj´m´nt\
Please find my CV as an attached document.
badly (adv) badly-expressed/ badly-written (adj)
\"bœdlI\ \ÆbœdlIeks"prest\ ÆbœdlI"rItn\
Badly-written e-mails are difficult to read and understand.
ban (v) ban the use of
\bœn\ \Æbœn D´ "ju…s ´v\
bin (n) go straight into the bin
\bIn\ \g´U ÆstreIt Int´ D´ "bIn\
consider sb’s application
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
One company took the unusual step of banning the use of internal e-mail.
Overfamiliar messages from people I don’t know well go straight into the bin!
1
in company
Elementary
Unit 20 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
business (n) business communication/ correspondence (n)
\"bIzn´s\ \"bIzn´s k´Æmju…nIÆkeISn\ ÆkÅrIÆspÅnd´ns\
businesslike (adj)
\"bIzn´sÆlaIk\
Your e-mails should sound businesslike and efficient.
button (n) at the touch of a button
\"bøtn\ \´t D´ ÆtøtS ´v ´ "bøtn\
One of the dangers of e-mail is that the reader can send your message to hundreds of other people at the touch of a button.
The object of modern business communication is to be fast and efficient.
hit a button
\ÆhIt ´ "bøtn\
It’s easy to write an e-mail – you type it onto a computer screen, hit a button and off it goes.
confidential (adj)
\ÆkÅnfI"denSl\
E-mails are not as confidential and secure as most people think, so be careful what you write.
contact (n) keep in contact
\"kÅntœkt\ \Æki…p In "kÅntœkt\
cramped (adj) (opposite = spaced out)
\krœmpt\
I don’t like messages with no spaces between paragraphs – they look so cramped and, after all, space isn’t a problem.
CV (n)
\Æsi…"vi…\
Please find my CV as an attached file.
disclaimer (n)
\dIs"kleIm´\
A disclaimer is a written paragraph at the end of an e-mail stating that a company does not take responsibility for things such as viruses etc.
disorganised (adj) (opposite = organised)
\dIs"O…g´naIzd\
A lot of e-mails seem disorganised and this only adds to the stress of people’s jobs.
e-mail (n) external/internal e-mail
\"i…ÆmeIl\ \ekÆst‰…nl\InÆt‰…nl "i…ÆmeIl\
Do you think it is a good idea for companies to ban internal e-mail?
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
E-mail is an efficient and easy way for people to keep in contact.
2
in company
Elementary
Unit 20 headword
pronunciation
error (n) spelling/typing etc error
\"er´\ \"spelIN\"taIpIN Æer´\
E-mail messages are often full of spelling and typing errors.
experience (n) have sufficient experience
\Ik"spI´rI´ns\ \hœv s´ÆfISnt Ik"spI´rI´ns\
I am afraid that you do not have the necessary qualifications or sufficient experience.
file (n) on file
\faIl\ \Ån "faIl\
Remember that an offensive e-mail can stay on file for years.
font (n)
\fÅnt\
A font is the style of printed letters as they appear on a page, e.g. Times Roman.
further to
\"f‰…D´ Ætu…\
Further to our previous correspondence, please find the attached document with information about my referees.
inappropriate (adj) (opposite = appropriate)
\ÆIn´"pr´UprI´t\
Writers often use a cheerful, informal tone that is inappropriate in a business e-mail.
information (n) process information
\ÆInf´"meISn\ \Æpr´Uses ÆInf´"meISn\
When you write an e-mail, think about ways to help the reader process information as quickly as possible.
internal (adj) internal communication (n)
\In"t‰…nl\ \InÆt‰…nl k´Æmju…nI"keISn\
internal e-mail (n) (opposite = external e-mail) line break (n)
translation/notes
example sentence
Nowadays most companies use e-mail for their internal communication needs.
\InÆt‰…nl "i…ÆmeIl\
One American company banned internal e-mail in favour of face-to-face communication.
\"laIn ÆbreIk\
Space is not limited in an e-mail so use extra line breaks to separate text into paragraphs.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
3
in company
Elementary
Unit 20 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
look forward to (phr v) I look forward to hearing from you.
\lUk "fO…w´d Ætu…\ \aI lUk ÆfO…w´d t´ "hI´rIN ÆfrÅm ju…\
manager (n)
\"mœnIdZ´\
Managers nowadays have to read enormous quantities of e-mail so badly-written messages add to the stress of their jobs.
misunderstanding (n)
\ÆmIsønd´"stœndIN\
Badly-expressed ideas can cause expensive misunderstandings.
offend (v) be offended by
\´"fend\ \bi… ´"fendId ÆbaI\
Have you ever been offended by an e-mail?
organisation (n)
\ÆO…g´naI"zeISn\
One American multinational banned internal-mail and went back to promoting face-to-face communication within the organisation.
paragraph (n)
\"pœr´ÆgrA…f\
Use extra line breaks to separate text into paragraphs.
Please find …
\Æpli…z "faInd\
Please find my CV as an attached document.
promote (v)
\pr´"m´Ut\
In this organisation we prefer to promote face-to-face communication.
punctuation (n)
\ÆpøNktSu…"eISn\
Correct punctuation and spelling is easier to read.
qualifications (n pl)
\ÆkwÅlIfI"keIS´nz\
Do you think you have the necessary qualifications to apply for the job?
re-distribute (v)
\Æri…dI"strIbju…t\
One of the dangers of e-mail is that the reader can easily re-distribute e-mails which reflect badly on the writer and the company represented.
referee (n)
\Æref´"ri…\
Please supply me with the names and e-mail addresses of two referees who can supply references for you.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
I look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely, Ana Hudson
4
in company
Elementary
Unit 20 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
reference (n) provide an up-to-date reference for sb
\"refr´ns\ \pr´ÆvaId ´n Æøpt´ÆdeIt "refr´ns f´ Æsømb´dI\
reflect (v) reflect badly on (opposite = reflect well on)
\rI"flekt\ \rIÆflekt "bœdlI Ån\
with regard to …
\wID rI"gA…d tu…\
With regard to your request for work, I regret that I am unable to consider your application.
Regarding …
\rI"gA…dIN\
Regarding our previous correspondence, please find my CV as an attached document.
regret (v) I regret to say that …
\rI"gret\ \aI rIÆgret t´ "seI D´t\
I regret to say that I am unable to consider your application.
sales rep (n)
\"seIlz Ærep\
Sales rep is an informal way of saying or writing “sales representative”.
security measure (n)
\sI"kjU´r´tI ÆmeZ´\
A disclaimer at the end of an e-mail is a security measure that companies use to say that they do not take responsibility for something.
sentence (n)
\"sent´ns\
Aim for short, simple sentences in your e-mails.
size (n)
\saIz\
Use a standard font in a size which is not too small and not too big.
skill (n)
\skIl\
Typing is one of the most useful skills you can have in business.
space (out) (v)
\ÆspeIs “"aUt‘\
Space out the text – you’re not wasting paper!
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
Please let me have the names and addresses of two people who can provide an up-to-date reference for you.
It’s easy for a reader to re-distribute e-mails that reflect badly on the writer and the company represented.
5
in company
Elementary
Unit 20 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
step (n) take the (unusual) step of doing sth
\step\ \ÆteIk Di… ønÆju…ZU´l Æstep ´v Ædu…IN ÆsømTIN\
stock (n) in stock
\stÅk\ \ÆIn "stÅk\
supply (v) supply sb with sth
\s´"plaI\ \s´ÆplaI sømb´di wID "sømTIN\
Please supply me with the names of two referees.
text (n)
\tekst\
Remember to separate your text into paragraphs.
VAT (n) including/ not including VAT
\Ævi…eI"ti…\ \INÆklu…dIN\ÆnÅt INÆklu…dIN Ævi…eI"ti…\
The price of the new XTR3 is ¤1,355, not including VAT.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
One American multinational recently took the unusual step of banning internal e-mail.
We only have one or two of that model in stock so let me know as soon as possible if you’re interested.
6
e t a i d e m r e t n i e r P
y n a p m o c n i
Welcome to the in company Pre-intermediate Wordlist! What information does the in company Pre-intermediate Wordlist give you? • a summary of key words and phrases from each unit of in company Pre-intermediate Student’s Book • pronunciation of keywords and phrases • sample sentences showing the words and phrases in context • common collocations, expressions and idioms using the key words • also included are opposites and American English equivalents Abbreviations used in the Wordlist (v) (adj) (n)
verb adjective noun
(phr v) phrasal verb (n pl) plural noun (adv) adverb
(conj) sb sth
conjunction somebody something
VOWELS AND DIPHTHONGS / I / / i …/ / U / / u …/ / e / ´ / / / ‰ …/ / O …/ / œ / ø / /
big fish green beans should look blue moon ten eggs about mother learn words short talk fat cat must come
/ bIg fIS / / gri:n bi:nz / / lUk / SUd / blu: mu:n / / ten egz / ´baUt møD´(r ) / / / l‰:n w‰:dz / SO / :t tO :k / / fœt kœt / / møst køm /
/ A …/ / Å / / I´ / / e I/ / U´ / / O I/ ´U / / / e´ / / a I/ / aU /
calm start hot spot ear face pure boy nose hair eye mouth
/ kA:m stA:t / / hÅt spÅt / / I´(r ) / / feIs / / pjU´(r ) / / bOI(r ) / / n´Uz / / he´(r ) / / aI / / maU∏ /
/ pen / / bœd / / ti:/ / dÅg / / tS‰:tS / /dZœz / / kÅst / /g‰:l / / fa:(r ) / /vOIs / / ∏In / / Den /
/ s / / z / S / / / Z / / m / / n / / N / / h / / l / / r / / w / j / /
snake noise shop measure make nine sing house leg red wet yes
/sneIk / / nOIz / SÅp / / /meZ´ (r ) / /meIk / / naIn / / sIN / /haUs / / leg / / red / / wet / jes / /
CONSONANTS / p / / b / / t / / d / / tS / / dZ / / k / / g / / f / / v / / ∏ / / D /
pen bad tea dog church jazz cost girl far voice thin then
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
(Am E) American English (Br E) British English
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 9 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
chain (n)
\tSeIn\
Fashion group, Inditex, owns six different clothing chains.
decline (n) decline in
\dI"klaIn\
The decline in interest rates has made borrowing easier.
demand (n)
\dI"mA…nd\
As demand has grown for the worms, we’ve tried feeding them using other food sources.
double (v)
\"døbl\
Next year we hope to double production from ten to twenty tons of worms.
ecological (adj)
\Æi…k´"lÅdZIkl\
The worms recycle the waste, meaning that the business is also ecological.
economic growth (n)
\Æi…k´ÆnÅmIk "gr´UT; Æek´ÆnÅmIk "gr´UT\
Economic growth is slow in times of war.
fall (v) (opposite = rise)
\fO…l\
The value of stocks and shares has fallen dramatically in recent times.
flexibility (n) (opposite = inflexibility)
\Æfleks´"bIl´tI\
Our ability to adapt to new situations – our flexibility — has been a key factor in our success.
go down (phr v) (opposite = go up)
\Æg´U "daUn\
Unemployment figures went down last month.
go up (phr v) (opposite = go down)
\Æg´U "øp\
The average price of a house in London has gone up by almost 25%.
group (n)
\gru…p\
Inditex is one of the world’s largest fashion groups .
grow (v)
\gr´U\
It’s been a tremendous success story – the group has grown enormously.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
1
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 9 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
headquarters (n pl)
\Æhed"kwO…t´z\
Inditex’s activities are controlled from La Coruña, where the group recently moved into new headquarters.
house prices (n pl)
\"haUs ÆpraIs´z\
House prices in Britain are higher than in many other countries in Europe.
increase (v) (opposite = decrease)
\In"kri…s\
Inflation has steadily been increasing over the past twelve months.
innovation (n)
\ÆIn´U"veISn\
Innovation – the ability to use new and original ideas – is vital in today’s business world.
interest rates (n pl)
\"Intr´st ÆreIts\
The decline in interest rates has made borrowing money easier.
level (n) reach a level
\"levl\
This year net revenues reached a level of $3,249 million.
management management method (n)
\"mœnIdZm´nt\
Inditex’s unique management methods are based on flexibility and innovation.
operate (v)
\"Åp´ÆreIt\
The group now operates in 39 countries.
production (n)
\pr´"døkSn\
We’re hoping to double production next year to 20 tons.
rate of inflation (n)
\ÆreIt ´v In"fleISn\
What’s the rate of inflation in your country?
risk (n) take a risk
\rIsk\
The investment was too big and I didn’t want to take a risk.
stable (adj) remain stable (opposite = unstable)
\"steIbl\
Economists predict that interest rates will remain stable over the next twelve months.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
2
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 9 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
staff (n) number of staff
\stA…f\
The higher the number of staff , the higher your wage bills.
start-up costs (n pl)
\"stA…tøp ÆkÅsts\
“Why did you decide to set up a worm farm?” “The start-up costs were relatively low.”
taxes (n pl)
\"tœksIz\
Taxes in Canada are much higher but the standard of their public services is much better.
unemployment (n)
\ÆønIm"plOIm´nt\
Unemployment went down last month to 2.7% of the population.
work (n) amount of work
\w‰…k\
Several members of staff have been made redundant yet the amount of work has doubled!
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
3
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 10 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
according to …
\´"kO…dIN Ætu…\
According to the article, half of lost working days are caused by stress-related illness.
business (n) business sense (n)
\bIzn´s\
Trying to reduce stress makes good business sense – it’s better for profits and better for staff morale.
chief executive (n)
\ÆtSi…f Ig"zekjUtIv\
The chief executive is the person responsible for running a company.
communication (n) good/poor communication
\k´Æmju…nI"keISn\
Poor communication is one of the main causes of stress at work.
internal communication (n)
\InÆt‰…nl k´Æmju…nI"keISn\
Employees complained that the level of internal communication at the firm was poor.
in conclusion …
\ÆIn k´n"klu…Zn\
In conclusion, reducing stress at work brings many benefits, including better health and increased performance.
day-to-day (adj) day-to-day problems/ decisions/tasks etc
\ÆdeIt´"deI\
Middle managers are required to solve day-to-day problems at work.
deadline (n) meet deadlines
\"dedlaIn\
Meeting difficult deadlines puts a lot of pressure on employees.
decision (n) take a decision
\dI"sIZn\
Chief executives are responsible for taking strategic decisions.
linked to …
\ÆlINkt Ætu…\
The negative impact of stress is linked to many different illnesses and medical conditions.
long hours (n pl) work long hours
\ÆlÅN "aU´z\
Lawyers tend to work very long hours.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
1
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 10 headword
pronunciation
management (n) bad management (n)
\"mœnIdZm´nt\ \Æbœd "mœnIdZm´nt\
translation/notes
management technique (n) \"mœnIdZm´nt tekÆni…k\
example sentence
Bad management and overwork are two of the major causes of stress. A lot of modern management techniques put pressure on workers and make them feel stressed.
\ÆmIdl "mœnIdZ´\
A middle manager is responsible for a department within an organisation.
morale (n) staff morale (n)
\m´"rA…l\
When the new boss arrived staff morale was very low and nobody was motivated.
motivate (v) (opposite = demotivate)
\"m´UtIveIt\
A good manager knows how to motivate his workers.
overwork (n)
\Æ´Uv´"w‰…k\
Work-related stress is often caused by overwork and bad management.
performance-related pay (n)
\p´ÆfO…m´nsrIÆleItId "peI\
Performance-related pay increases when you get good results and decreases when you do not.
pressure (n)
\"preS´\
A lot of workers can’t cope with the pressure that their bosses put on them.
promote (v) (opposite = demote)
\pr´"m´Ut\
He had worked for the firm for five years but had never been promoted.
with regard to …
\wID rI"gA…d Ætu…\
With regard to training, the situation is not very satisfactory.
repetitive (adj) (opposite = varied)
\rI"pet´tIv\
A lot of factory workers do boring repetitive tasks, which can also be stressful.
the root cause of
\D´ Æru…t "kO…z ´v\
The survey showed that the root causes of stress at work were bad management and overwork.
middle manager (n)
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
2
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 10 headword
pronunciation
staff (n) staff morale (n)
\stA…f\ \"stA…f m´"rA…l\
After the redundancies staff morale was very low.
\ÆstA…f "t‰…n´Uv´\
Improving working conditions is a way of reducing staff turnover.
strategic (adj) strategic decision (n)
\str´"ti…dZIk\
Chief executives are responsible for taking strategic decisions.
stress (n)
\stres\
A little bit of stress can bring out the best in people but too much stress is a negative thing.
level of stress
\Ælevl ´v "stres\
To reduce the level of stress the company should try to reduce working hours.
suffer from stress
\Æsøf´ fr´m "stres\
“Do you suffer from stress?” “Not at work, I find being at home more stressful.”
stress-related (adj)
\"stresrIÆleItId\
Doctors told her that her headaches were stress-related.
stressed (adj) get stressed
\strest\
Do you know any techniques for avoiding getting stressed?
stressful (adj)
\"stresfl\
A lot of teachers find their jobs very stressful.
sum of money (n)
\Æsøm ´v "mønI\
Company directors have to deal with large sums of money in their day-to-day work.
task (n)
\tA…sk\
Doing repetitive tasks all day is very stressful.
technology (n) new technology (n)
\tek"nÅl´dZI\
Learning to use new technology can be stressful.
training (n)
\"treInIN\
Firms should provide their employees with adequate training.
staff turnover (n)
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
3
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 10 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes tr
turnover (n) staff turnover
\"t‰…n´Uv´\
One of the benefits to firms of reducing stress is lower staff turnover. turnover .
work (n) be off work (with stress/depression etc)
\w‰…k\
One of the people interviewed was off work with stress. stress.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
4
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 11 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes tr
business manager (n)
\"bIzn´s ÆmœnIdZ´\
Ballmer became Microsoft’s first business manager 20 years ago.
chairman (n)
\"tSe´m´n\
Bill Gates has retained some power power as chairman of the company. company.
in charge of
\In "tSA…dZ ´v\
Over the last 20 years Ballmer has been in charge of the operations, marketing and sales and support divisions.
components (n pl)
\k´m"p´Un´nts\
The Shimano Iron Works was founded to manufacture bicycle components components..
dismiss (v)
\dIz"mIs\
The managing director was dismissed after the financial scandal.
enter (v) enter the market
\"ent´\
In 1972 Shimano entered the market for fishing equipment.
found (v)
\faUnd\
The company was founded in 1921.
incorporate (v)
\In"kO…p´ÆreIt\
In 1997 they incorporated Action Sports Division to produce new products for snowboarding.
management (n) \"mœnIdZm´nt\ management consultants (n) \"mœnIdZm´nt
example sentence
Management consultants search for and recruit top business managers for companies.
k´nÆsølt´nts\
management control (n)
market (n) enter the computer games/fishing/golf market
\ÆmœnIdZm´nt k´nÆtr´Ul\
Steve Ballmer has now assumed full management control of Microsoft.
\"mA…kIt\
What made you decide to enter the computer games market? market ?
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
1
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 11 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes tr
open (v) open a factory (opposite = close close))
\"´Up´n\
We’re hoping to open a new factory in the autumn.
resign (v)
\rI"zaIn\
The managing director resigned after the financial scandal.
schedule (n) behind schedule
\"Sedju…l\
Bill Gates reportedly threatened to sack Ballmer because the project was behind schedule.. schedule
step down (phr v)
\Æstep "daUn\
The company wasn’t doing very well and the CEO decided it was time to step down.. down
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
2
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 12 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
arrange (v) arrange to do sth
\´"reIndZ\
Sorry, I’ll have to go. I arran arranged ged to meet someone at the bar five minutes ago.
break the ice
\ÆbreIk Di… "aIs\
Talking about sport or the weather is often a good way of breaking the ice with people you don’t know well.
business (n) on a business trip
\"bIzn´s\
My name’s name’s Allan. I’m here on a business trip. trip .
by the way
\ÆbaI D´ "weI\
My name’s Nadine, by the way. way. I’m from Xanadu Electronics. Electronics.
catch (v) catch sb later
\kœtS\
Sorry, I have a call on my mobile. I’ll catc catch h you later later..
check sth out (phr v)
\ÆtSek sømTIN "aUt\
Could I have a look at your newspaper? There’s something I want to check out. out .
console (n)
\"kÅns´Ul\
Individual consoles allow customers to see who else is in the bar or to send messages to another stranger stranger..
conversation (n) start a conversation with sb
\ÆkÅnv´"seISn\
Asking someone if you can borrow their newspaper is one way of starting a conversat conv ersation ion with them.
cut sb off (phr v) don’t mention it
\Ækøt sømb´dI "Åf\
Sorry to cut you off, off , but I’ve just seen someone I need to talk to.
Don’t mention it.
\Æd´Unt "menSn It\
“Thanks very much for lending lending me your paper.” paper.” “ Don’t mention it.” it.”
finish with sth (phr v)
\"fInIS wID ÆsømTIN\
“Would you mind if I had a look at your newspaper?” “Er no, I’ve finished with it.”
go ahead (phr v)
\Æg´U ´"hed\
“Could I borrow borrow your newspaper?” newspaper?” “ Go ahead.” ahead.”
good luck luck (with sth) sth)
\ÆgUd "løk “wID ÆsømTIN‘\
Thanks for the drink and good luck with your meeting.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
1
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 12 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
hand be an old hand (at sth)
\hœnd\
“This is the fourth conference conference I’ve been to here.” “Oh, right, so you’re an old hand.” hand .”
handset (n)
\"hœndÆset\
People who receive messages can choose to continue the conversation by using the telephone handset handset..
hang on (phr v)
\ÆhœN "Ån\
Hang on a minute, I won’t be long.
How do you do?
\ÆhaU d´ jU "du…\
“I’m Bill Smart from Silicon Technolog Technologies.” ies.” “Right, how do you do? I’m Kazuo Yamada from Lexico.”
How long …?
\ÆhaU "lÅN\
“How long have you been here?” “Since Saturday.” Saturday.” “How long are you staying?” “Another four or five days.”
I(‘ll) have to be off.
\aI“l‘ Æhœv t´ bi… "Åf\
Well, it’s getting late. I have to be off.
(It was) nice to meet you.
\“It wøz‘ ÆnaIs t´ "mi…t ju…\
“Nice to meet you, you, Sean.” “Right, it was nice talking to you too.” too.”
local attractions (n pl)
\Æl´Ukl ´"trœkSnz\
Talking about the local attractions can be a good way of starting a conversation with people you don’t know at a conference.
look (n) have a (quick) look at sth
\lUk\
Would you mind if I had a quick look at your newspaper?
machinery (n)
\m´"Si…n´rI\
“Are you here on business?” business?” “Yes, I’m here to buy some machinery machinery.” .”
No problem.
\Æn´U "prÅbl´m\
“Would you mind lending lending me your mobile phone?” “No problem.” problem. ”
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
2
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 12 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
Pleased to meet you.
\Æpli…zd t´ "mi…t ju…\
“I’m Boris.” “I’m David. Pleased to meet you.”
See you later.
\Æsi… ju… "leIt´\
I think the meeting’s about to start. See you later.
That’s very kind (of you).
\ÆDœtz veri… "kaInd ´v ju…\
“Can I lend you my mobile?” “That’s very kind, but I was expecting a call on this number.”
Take your time.
\ÆteIk j´ "taIm\
“Could I have a look at your newspaper?” Go ahead, take your time.
video screen (n)
\"vIdI´U Æskri…n\
Video screens in the bar enable customers to look at one another.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
3
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 13 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
in advance
\ÆIn ´d"vA…ns\
If you book months in advance, you’ll be too early for a seat assignment.
air by air
\e´\ \Æbai "e´\
What sort of problems can you have when you travel by air?
air rage (n)
\"e´ ÆreIdZ\
“Air rage” is an expression meaning violent or drunken behaviour by passengers during a flight.
aisle seat (n)
\"aIl Æsi…t\
If you’re sitting in an aisle seat, it’s easier to get up and go to the toilet.
armrest (n)
\"A…mÆrest\
The person sitting in the middle seat should try to dominate the armrests.
available (adj)
\´"veIl´bl\
I’ll show you the available seats on the seating plan.
back (n) the back (of) (opposite = the front of)
\bœk\
Where would you prefer to sit – at the front of the plane or at the back?
board (v) board a flight/plane
\bO…d\
Passengers should board the flight at Gate 23.
boarding pass (n)
\"bO…dIN ÆpA…s\
You’ll need to show your boarding pass and passport before getting on the flight.
book (v)
\bUk\
Booking early is a good idea – it means you can choose your seat.
business (n) business traveller (n)
\"bIzn´s\
Even experienced business travellers sometimes end up sitting in the middle seat.
check in (phr v)
\ÆtSek"In\
Where do I check in for flight BA 264?
check-in (n) check-in attendant/staff
\"tSekIn\
Passengers who are rude to check-in staff risk being banned from boarding their plane!
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
1
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 13 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
claustrophobic (adj)
\ÆklO…str´"f´UbIk\
Sitting in the middle seat makes me feel claustrophobic.
deal (n) It’s a deal!
\di…l\
“I can offer you 200 units at 5.5 euros a unit.” “It’s a deal!”
exit (n)
\"eksIt; "egzIt\
Many people feel safer in aeroplanes if they’re sitting near one of the exits.
flight (n)
\flaIt\
The clerk told us there were no seats on the flight due to overbooking.
board a flight
\ÆbO…d ´ "flaIt\
Difficult passengers can be prevented from boarding their flight.
book a flight
\ÆbUk ´ "flaIt\
Try to book your flight early so that you get a good seat.
catch a flight (opposite = miss a flight)
\ÆkœtS ´ "flaIt\
We’re catching our flight from City of London airport.
connecting flight (n)
\k´"nektIN ÆflaIt\
Our connecting flight leaves Amsterdam at 15.00.
miss a flight (opposite = catch a flight)
\ÆmIs ´ "flaIt\
If the taxi doesn’t come soon, I’m going to miss my flight.
frequent flier (n)
\"flaI´\
I’m a frequent flier and travel by air at least twice a month.
front (n) the front (of) (opposite = the back of)
\frønt\
I usually try to sit at the front of the plane so that I can get off faster.
get off (phr v) get off a flight/plane (opposite = get on)
\Æget "Åf\
Violent or drunken passengers should be forced to get off the plane.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
2
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 13 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
get on (phr v) get on a flight/plane (opposite = get off)
\Æget "Ån\
All passengers must show their boarding pass and passport before getting on the plane.
go higher (than)
\g´U "haI´ “D´n‘\
I’m sorry, I won’t go any higher than 6.5 euros a unit.
go lower (than)
\g´U "l´U´ “D´n‘\
If we go lower than 4.5 euros per unit, we won’t make any profit.
go with sth (phr v)
\"g´U wID ÆsømTIN\
“The price is 9 euros a unit.” “OK, I’ll go with that.”
ground staff (n)
\"graUnd ÆstA…f\
The new rules prohibit customers from boarding flights if they behave aggressively to ground staff or crew.
guarantee (n)
\Ægœr´n"ti…\
Would you consider extending the guarantee to 18 months?
hand luggage (n)
\"hœnd ÆløgIdZ\
Officially, passengers are only allowed one piece of hand luggage.
laptop (n)
\"lœptÅp\
It’s forbidden to use electrical equipment such as laptops during the flight.
lower (v) (opposite = raise)
\"l´U´\
We will lower the price for customers who pay within 30 days.
offer (n) best offer
\"Åf´\
Let’s say 5.5 euros for 200 units or more. That’s my best offer.
order (v)
\"O…d´\
I can offer a lower price if you order 200 units or more.
overbooking (n)
\Æ´Uv´"bUkIN\
I was informed that there was no seat for me on the flight due to overbooking.
pack (v)
\pœk\
Did you pack your bags yourself, sir?
passport (n)
\"pA…spO…t\
You’ll need to show your boarding pass and passport before getting on the flight.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
3
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 13 headword
pronunciation
payment (n)
\"peIm´nt\
“What about payment?” “Payment is within 60 days.”
price (n) give sb a price
\praIs\
What sort of a price can you give me on an order of 300 units?
refund (n) claim a refund
\"ri…fønd\ \ÆkleIm ´ "ri…fønd\
Customers can claim a refund for goods that don’t work.
give/offer a refund
\ÆgIv\ÆÅf´ ´ "ri…fønd\
BA will not offer a refund to passengers who are banned from their flights.
receive a refund
\rIÆsi…v ´ "ri…fønd\
You will not receive a refund if you are banned from boarding a BA flight.
\ru…l\ \ÆbreIk ´ "ru…l\
Anyone guilty of breaking the rules will be punished.
rule (n) break a rule
translation/notes
example sentence
ignore a rule
\IgÆnO… ´ "ru…l\
Passengers ignoring the rules concerning threatening or abusive behaviour risk being banned from boarding flights.
introduce a rule
\Intr´Ædju…s ´ "ru…l\
BA have introduced new rules prohibiting customers who behave in an aggressive way from boarding flights.
obey a rule
\´ÆbeI ´ "ru…l\
It is in passengers’ interests to obey the rules concerning threatening or abusive behaviour.
\si…t\
You’ll be able to choose your seat if you book early.
aisle seat
\"aIl Æsi…t\
I feel less claustrophobic sitting in an aisle seat.
middle seat
\"mIdl Æsi…t\
Sitting in a middle seat makes me feel very claustrophobic.
window seat
\"wInd´U Æsi…t\
You get a good view if you sit in the window seat.
seat (n)
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
4
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 13 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
stretch (v) stretch your legs
\stretS\
It’s a good idea to get up during the flight and stretch your legs.
within (prep) within 21 days/a month
\wID"In\
We offer a 5% discount for payment within 14 days.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
5
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 14 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
assembly plant (n)
\´"semblI ÆplA…nt\
An assembly plant is the part of a factory where workers build machinery or equipment.
backup (n) provide backup
\"bœkøp\
Working as an ‘SPC professional’ involved providing backup to salesmen throughout the company.
bid (n) make a bid
\bId\
We made a million-dollar bid to buy the company out.
blue-chip company (n)
\"blu…tSIp Ækømp“´‘nI\
A “blue-chip company ” is very successful and makes a lot of money.
business (n) big business (n)
\"bIzn´s\ \ÆbIg "bIzn´s\
Do you agree that workers’ rights are more important than the interests of big business?
business background (n)
\ÆbIzn´s "bœkgraUnd\
Five years working for a multinational have given me a solid business background .
business venture (n)
\ÆbIzn´s "ventS´\
The new industrial estate will provide space for approximately 15 business ventures.
chart (n)
\tSA…t\
Part of Sara’s job was to produce reports and charts illustrating sales figures.
commercially aware
\k´"m‰…S“´‘lI Æ´we´\
His experience at several blue-chip companies means he is extremely commercially aware.
commission (n)
\k´"mISn\
We offer a base salary of $80K plus commission.
communication (n) \k´Æmju…nI"keISn\ communication skills (n pl)
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
A good manager needs to have excellent communication skills.
1
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 14 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
company (n) company secret (n)
\"kømp“´‘nI\
Workers who reveal company secrets will be sacked.
conference (n) organise a conference
\"kÅnf“´‘r´ns\
A large part of my job involves organising meetings and conferences.
customer relations (n)
\Ækøst´m´ rI"leISnz\
A job in customer relations involves dealing directly with clients and responding to complaints and queries.
CV (n) (BrE) (AmE = résumé)
\Æsi…"vi…\
If you are interested in applying for the post, please send in a CV with covering letter.
decrease (v) (opposite = increase)
\di…"kri…s\
The number of orders began to decrease and the factory was finally forced to close.
employee (n)
\Im"plOIi…; ÆemplOI"i…\
The bank has over 600 employees working in ten different countries.
employer (n)
\Im"plOI´\
Skytronics, Nicola Williams’s former employer, refused to be interviewed about the incident.
employment (n) terminate sb’s employment
\Im"plOIm´nt\
The firm decided to terminate her employment for using a mobile phone in work hours.
fire (v) fire sb for doing sth
\"faI´\
She was fired for using her mobile phone during work hours.
hire (v)
\"hai´\
We had to hire temporary workers to cope with the increased workload.
incentive (n)
\In"sentIv\
Money and security are the incentives in most people’s work.
industrial action (n)
\InÆdøstrI´l "œkSn\
“Industrial action” is an expression that means the same as “to go on strike”.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
2
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 14 headword
pronunciation
industrial estate (n)
\InÆdøstrI´l I"steIt\
The company has its premises on an industrial estate on the outskirts of the town.
interpersonal skills (n pl)
\ÆInt´Æp‰…sn“´‘l "skIlz\
A good manager should have excellent interpersonal skills.
issue (v) issue a statement
\"ISu…; "Isju…\
The company later issued a statement supporting the action of their manager.
job insecurity (n) (opposite = job security)
\dZÅb InsIÆkjU´r´tI\
Feelings of job insecurity are much more common now than 30 years ago.
labour (n) labour costs (n pl)
\"leIb´\ \"leIb´ ÆkÅsts\
Labour costs tend to be lower in Eastern Europe.
\"leIb´ ÆlO…z\
Flexible labour laws help to reduce the unemployment rate.
lay sb off (phr v)
\ÆleI sømb´dI "Åf\
As the number of orders decreased we had to start laying workers off.
leadership (n) leadership qualities (n pl)
\"li…d´ÆSIp\
We’re looking for someone with excellent leadership qualities to manage our sales team.
logistical (adj) logistical planning
\l´"dZIstIkl\
The “logistical planning of a department” means the way in which it is organised on a day-to-day basis.
the long-term unemployed (n pl)
\D´ ÆlÅNt‰…m ønIm"plOId\
The new reforms would mean that the long-term unemployed should take any job they are offered.
make up for (phr v)
\meIk "øp fO…\
Firms started recruiting temporary workers in an attempt to make up for the lack of skilled workers.
managerial (adj) managerial experience
\Æmœn´"dZI´rI´l\
We are looking for someone with previous managerial experience.
labour laws (n pl)
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
3
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 14 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
objective (n) meet an objective
\´b"dZektIv\
We need to find ways of making it easier for team members to meet their objectives.
organisational skills (n pl)
\ÆO…g´naI"zeIS´nl ÆskIlz\
The day-to-day running of the department helped to develop my organisational skills.
plant (n)
\plA…nt\
Ford has several plants all over Europe.
productivity (n)
\ÆprÅdøk"tIv´tI\
Feelings of job insecurity often lead to lower productivity.
pursuit of excellence (n)
\p´Æsju…t ´v "eks´l´ns\
The “pursuit of excellence ” is a formal phrase meaning “doing things as well as possible”.
recession (n) (opposite = boom)
\rI"seSn\
Many people lost their jobs during the recession.
result (n) achieve a result
\rI"zølt\
The financial rewards are great for all those who achieve results .
résumé (n) (AmE) (BrE = CV)
\"rezju…ÆmeI\
To apply for the post, please send résumé with cover letter.
rise (v) (opposite = fall)
\raIz\
Unemployment is rising and more and more workers are being laid off.
sack (v) (BrE) sack sb for doing sth
\sœk\
Nicola Williams was sacked for using a mobile phone during work hours.
sacking (n)
\"sœkIN\
Do you think the sacking of Nicola Williams was justified?
salary (n)
\"sœl´rI\
Salaries at management level are often negotiated individually.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
4
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 14 headword
pronunciation
sales (n) sales figures (n pl)
\seIlz\ \"seIlz ÆfIg´z\
translation/notes
example sentence
The chart shows sales figures over the past twelve months.
sales manager (n)
\"seIlz ÆmœnIdZ´\
Multinational manufacturer seeking International Sales Manager to call on Europe and Latin America.
sales team (n)
\"seIlz Æti…m\
As an SPC professional, my job was to offer support to our sales team.
sector (n)
\"sekt´\
We offer support to salesmen from different sectors of the company.
shortage (n) (opposite = excess)
\"SO…tIdZ\
According to the survey, almost two-thirds of companies are experiencing a shortage of skilled workers.
skilled worker (n) (opposite = unskilled worker)
\ÆskIld "wO…k´\
The electronics industry has been particularly affected by the shortage of skilled workers.
staffing needs (n pl)
\"stA…fIN Æni…dz\
Providing training for our existing workforce is not enough to cover our staffing needs.
statement (n) issue a statement
\"steItm´nt\ \ÆISu…; ÆIsju… ´ "steItm´nt\
The company issued a statement defending the action of their manager.
strike (n) go on strike
\straIk\ \Æg´U Ån "straIk\
Workers have threatened to go on strike in reaction to the government’s decision to cut unemployment benefits.
superior (n)
\su…"pI´rI´\
Workers showing disrespect to superiors can be sacked.
supervisor (n)
\"su…p´ÆvaIz´\
Nicola Williams had already received a warning from her supervisor.
team spirit (n)
\Æti…m "spIrIt\
A strong team spirit helps to motivate workers.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
5
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 14 headword
pronunciation
temporary staff (n)
\"temp“´‘r´rI ÆstA…f\
A lot of firms have increased their use of temporary staff due to the shortage of skilled workers.
terminate (v) terminate sb’s employment
\"t‰…mIneIt\
I called Ms Williams into my office and told her I had decided to terminate her employment.
unemployment (n) unemployment benefit (n)
\ÆønIm"plOIm´nt\ \ÆønIm"plOIm´nt ÆbenIfIt\
Unions have reacted angrily to the government’s attempts to cut unemployment benefit.
\ønIm"plOIm´nt ÆreIt\
Our current unemployment rate of 11.3% is the highest in the European Union.
warning (n) written warning (n)
\"wO…nIN\
On a further occasion, Ms Williams received a written warning.
work hours (n pl)
\"w‰…k ÆaU´z\
Using mobile phones during work hours is against company rules.
workers’ rights (n pl)
\Æw‰…k´z "raIts\
Unions say that the reforms are a direct attack on workers’ rights .
workforce (n)
\"w‰…kÆfO…s\
One solution to the problem would be to provide training for your existing workforce.
unemployment rate (n)
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
6
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 15 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
administration (n)
\´dÆmInI"streISn\
A well-organised manager should be able to devote more time to customer service than administration.
analyse (v)
\"œn´laIz\
The first step in time management is to analyse how you are using your time now.
approach (n) a methodical approach
\´"pr´UtS\
Analysing how you use your time requires a methodical approach.
assign (v) assign tasks
\´"saIn\
It’s important to learn to assign tasks to other people.
block of time (n)
\ÆblÅk ´v "taIm\
Try to organise your work so that you have large blocks of time for top priority tasks.
the bottom line (n)
\D´ ÆbÅt´m "laIn\
The bottom line is that the work must be finished on time.
carry on (phr v)
\ÆkœrI "Ån\
At AOL they took away all the clocks at the UK headquarters and told everybody to carry on working as usual.
caught (adj) get caught
\kO…t\
A lot of employees are afraid of wasting time because they think they might get caught.
clock off (phr v)
\ÆklÅk "Åf\
As part of the experiment, workers were allowed to clock off as soon as they’d finished their work.
customer service (n)
\Ækøst´m´ "s‰…vIs\
An effective manager spends a lot of time dealing with customer service issues.
deadline (n) set a deadline
\"dedlaIn\
Too much pressure at work means things can go wrong so try to set realistic deadlines.
delegate (v)
\"del´ÆgeIt\
Never do work yourself that you can delegate to other people.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
1
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 15 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
delicate balance (n)
\ÆdelIk´t "bœl´ns\
There is a delicate balance between not doing any work and doing too much.
drop off (phr v)
\ÆdrÅp "Åf\
Productivity tends to drop off after lunch.
efficiency (n)
\I"fISnsI\
Efficiency at work tends to fall after lunch.
efficiently (adv)
\I"fISntlI\
Time management is all about using techniques which help you use your time more efficiently.
forward planning (n)
\ÆfO…w´d "plœnIN\
Leave plenty of time for top priority tasks like forward planning.
invest (v) invest time/money
\In"vest\
A lot of time and money has been invested in the project.
lead to (phr v)
\"li…d Ætu…\
One manager commented: “An office without clocks leads to chaos.”
mess (n) be in a mess
\mes\
I know my desk is in a mess but I know where everything is.
misuse (v)
\mIs"ju…z\
Do not misuse the company PC to surf the Internet.
organise (v)
\"O…g´naIz\
The third step in effective time management is to organise your time and your tasks.
pressure of time (n)
\ÆpreS´ ´v "taIm\
The idea of the experiment was to see how pressure of time can lead to stress.
problem analysis (n)
\ÆprÅbl´m ´"nœl´sIs\
Leave plenty of time for top priority tasks like problem analysis.
prioritise (v)
\praI"ÅrIÆtaIz\
The second step in effective time management is to prioritise tasks by putting them in order of importance.
productive (adj) (opposite = unproductive)
\pr´"døktIv\
Most workers are most productive before lunch.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
2
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 15 headword
pronunciation
productivity (n)
\ÆprÅdøk"tIv´tI\
Companies use time to measure productivity.
priority (n) in order of priority
\praI"År´tI\ \In ÆO…d´r ´v praI"År´tI\
Put the tasks requiring your attention in order of priority.
\ÆtÅp praI"År´tI\
Leave plenty of time for top priority tasks.
put in (phr v) put in time/hours
\ÆpUt "In\
British workers put in the longest hours in Europe but are less productive than the French and the Germans.
record (v)
\rI"kO…d\
Record what you do in each period of the day.
research (n)
\rI"s‰…tS\
A good Internet connection is essential if your job involves a lot of research .
resource (n) limited resource (n)
\rI"zO…s\
Time is like money, people and equipment – it’s a limited resource.
routine (n) fixed routine (n)
\ru…"ti…n\
Do you agree that a fixed routine is better for productivity?
sales (n) sales prediction (n)
\seIlz\
Have you finished the sales predictions for next month yet?
save (v) save time (opposite = waste time)
\seIv\
If you prepare things well, you can save a lot of time.
top priority (adj)
translation/notes
save money (opposite = waste money)
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
Companies can save money by reducing the number of people working in their offices.
3
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 15 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
subordinate (n)
\s´"bO…dIn´t\
All correspondence can be delegated to subordinates.
supplier (n)
\s´"plaI´\
The suppliers have promised to deliv er the goods next Tuesday.
surf (v) surf the web
\s‰…f\
I only search the Internet for specific information. I don’t have time to surf the web.
task (n) assign tasks
\tA…sk\
A lot of day-to-day tasks can be assigned to other people.
technique (n)
\tek"ni…k\
There are certain techniques you can learn to help you with effective time management.
time limit (n)
\"taIm ÆlImIt\
Meetings can last forever if you don’t have a time limit.
time management (n)
\ÆtaIm "mœnIdZm´nt\
Time management is about making the best possible use of time.
time of day
\ÆtaIm ´v "deI\
What time of day are you at your most productive?
unproductive (adj) (opposite = productive)
\Æønpr´"døktIv\
According to the Pareto Principle, most work time is unproductive.
waste (v) waste time (opposite = save time)
\weIst\
A lot of employees waste time playing games on the Internet.
The company wasted a lot of money buying equipment that wasn’t suitable for the job.
waste money (opposite = save money) web search (n)
\"web Æs‰…tS\
Managers are watching for employees who waste time by doing web searches for MP3s and games.
workflow (n)
\"w‰…kÆfl´U\
The idea of the experiment was to see how an environment without clocks would affect productivity and workflow.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
4
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 15 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
working day (n)
\Æw‰…kIN "deI\
The human biological clock doesn’t necessarily correspond to the standard 8-hour working day.
working hours (n pl)
\Æw‰…kIN "aU´z\
Working hours in the UK are usually 9am–5pm.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
5
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 16 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
answer phone (n)
\"A…ns´ Æf´Un\
Leaving the answer phone on for a couple of hours creates a bad impression.
appreciate (v) I’d appreciate it if …
\´"pri…Si…ÆeIt\
I’d appreciate it if you could look into the possibility of my having an upgrade to business class.
authorised (adj) be authorised to do sth
\"O…T´ÆraIzd\
I’m afraid I’m not authorised to offer you a discount on your room.
business (n) business class (n)
\"bIzn´s\
I was wondering if there was any chance of an upgrade to business class.
choice (n) not have much choice
\tSOIs\
“If you do it, I’ll see it as a personal favour.” “I see, I don’t really have much choice, do I?”
discount (n) offer a discount
\"dIskaUnt\
I’m not authorised to offer you a discount on your room.
face on to (phr v)
\"feIs ÆÅn Ætu…\
My room faces on to the road and it’s far too noisy.
favour (n) ask sb a favour
\"feIv´\
“I wonder if I could ask you a favour?” “It depends what it is.”
get sth back (phr v)
\Æget sømTIN "bœk\
“Could I borrow your dictionary?” “Yes, as long as I get it back before the end of the afternoon.”
give sth back (phr v)
\ÆgIv sømTIN "bœk\
Could you lend me your pen? I’ll give it back later.
impression (n) create a bad impression (n)
\Im"preSn\
Leaving the answer phone on for long periods creates a bad impression.
inconvenient (adj) (opposite = convenient)
\ÆInk´n"vi…nI´nt\
I realise this is inconvenient but I need your help.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
1
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 16 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
keen (adj) (not) be keen on sth
\ki…n\
“My car’s being repaired and I wondered if you’d lend me yours.” “Well, actually, I’m not very keen on the idea .”
lift (n) give sb a lift
\lIft\
Could you give me a lift? I need to be at the airport at five.
ready (adj) have sth ready
\"redI\
“Could you post the letter for me?” “All right, as long as you have it ready by five o’clock.”
renewal (n) be up for renewal
\rI"nju…´l\
If you do it, I’ll see it as a personal favour, and remember your contract’s up for renewal next month.
time (n) take the time
\taIm\
“I can’t work from 2.00 to 4.00 – it’s not my hours.” “I know, but you can take the time later on.”
trouble (n) put sb to any trouble
\"trøbl\
I’m sorry to put you to any trouble but I’d really like an upgrade to business class.
upgrade (n) an upgrade to
\"øpgreId\
I’d like an upgrade to business class.
worry (v) Not to worry.
\"wørI\
“I don’t feel happy about other people using my car.” “Oh, all right. Not to worry.”
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
2
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 17 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
company (n) company car (n)
\"kømp“´‘nI\ \ÆkømpnI "kA…\
The new job means a big increase in salary and a brand new company car .
company policy (n)
\ÆkømpnI "pÅl´sI\
What do you think of the company policy on coffee breaks?
company strategy (n)
\ÆkømpnI "strœt´dZI\
Gossip is often the only way of finding out about company strategy .
consultant (n)
\k´n"sølt´nt\
Somebody overheard one of the bosses talking to a management consultant about restructuring.
damaging (adj) be damaging to
\"dœmIdZIN\
Gossip can be very damaging to relations among work colleagues.
efficiency (n) drive for efficiency
\I"fISnsI\
As part of the drive for efficiency many companies have removed the opportunity to socialise at work.
environment (n) \In"vaIr´m´nt\ professional environment (n) \pr´ÆfeSn´l In"vaIr´m´nt\
work environment (n)
example sentence
The city council of Cascavel has banned gossip in the workplace, saying employees have the right to work in a professional environment .
\"w‰…k InÆvaIr´m´nt\
A friendly work environment makes employees happy.
gossip (n) spread gossip
\"gÅsIp\
Public employees who spread gossip about their colleagues will face the sack.
gossip (v)
\"gÅsIp\
Municipal employees in the city of Cascavel have been banned from gossiping during working hours.
head (n) head of
\hed\
“I’m the new head of the eastern sales team.” “Congratulations!”
human resources (n)
\Æhju…m´n ri"zO…sIz\
Many opportunities to socialise have disappeared and this is all part of the revolution in human resources .
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
1
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 17 headword
pronunciation
individual (adj) individual performance /attitude
\ÆIndI"vIdZU´l\
The employees’ future depends on their individual performance and attitude.
insight (n) insight into
\"InsaIt\
Some of my biggest insights into problems at work have occurred while chatting by the coffee machine.
involve (v)
\In"vÅlv\
How many people does the restructuring involve?
let people go
\Ælet pi…pl "g´U\
One of the management consultants said we were overstaffed and that we’d have to let some people go.
the management (n)
\D´ "mœnIdZm´nt\
Where I work, the management refuses to talk to most of the staff.
office (n) office gossip (n)
\"ÅfIs\ \ÆÅfIs "gÅsIp\
In your opinion, is office gossip a good or bad thing?
\ÆÅfIs "pÅl´tIks\
Gossip is the only way to learn about office politics.
overstaffed (adj)
\Æ´Uv´"stA…ft\
The management consultant said that the firm was overstaffed in some areas and that we would have to let people go.
place of work (n)
\ÆpleIs ´v "w‰…k\
In my place of work , gossip is the only way of finding out anything about company strategy.
production figures (n pl)
\pr´ÆdøkSn "fIg´z\
Have you finished last month’s production figures yet?
rumours (n pl) spread rumours
\"ru…m´z\
Employees have been banned from spreading rumours about their colleagues.
office politics (n)
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
2
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 17 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
sack (n) face the sack
\sœk\
Employees spreading rumours about their colleagues will face the sack .
salary (n) be on a salary of £20,000/$80,000
\"sœl´rI\
As head of the eastern sales team, he’s on a salary of £60,000.
workplace (n)
\"w‰…kÆpleIs\
Gossip can be damaging to relations in the workplace.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
3
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 18 headword
pronunciation
access (v) access the network
\"œkses\
In future the consumer will be able to access the network from anywhere – from home, the car or even from a pair of glasses.
advertising (n)
\"œdv´ÆtaIzIN\
As far as the teenage Internet market is concerned, you can make money from advertising but not much from direct sales.
audience (n)
\"O…dI´ns\
In order to sell successfully to teenagers on the Internet, you need to clearly define your audience.
catalogue shopping (n)
\"kœt´lÅg ÆSÅpIN\
Catalogue shopping works on the principle that consumers want convenience more than the best price.
comparison shop (v)
\k´m"pœrIsn ÆSÅp\
The Internet enables consumers to comparison shop without too much effort.
consumer (n)
\k´n"sju…m´\
Consumers want things to be simple, easy and fast and the Internet can provide all of this.
\Æti…neIdZ k´n"sju…m´z\
In your opinion, is it ethical to target teenage consumers as a market?
direct sales (n)
\ÆdaIrekt "seIlz\
Providing teenagers with their own swipe card would enable websites to make more money from direct sales.
e-commerce (n)
\Æi…"kÅm‰…s\
E-commerce is the activity of buying and selling goods on the Internet.
economic boom (n)
\Æi…k´ÆnÅmIk; Æek´ÆnÅmIk "bu…m\
Do you think there will be an economic boom in the next five years?
Internet marketing (n)
\"Int´net ÆmA…kItIN\
What are the problems associated with teenagers and Internet marketing?
market (n) market studies (n pl)
\"mA…kIt\
Market studies have shown that retired people spend a lot of time surfing the Internet.
teenage consumers (n pl)
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
1
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 18 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
network (n) access the network
\"netw‰…k\
Consumers will be able to access the network from almost anywhere.
online (adj)
\"ÅnlaIn\
Artificial intelligence will provide a virtual shop assistant for every online shopper.
online (adv)
\ÆÅn"laIn\
Have you ever bought anything online?
option (n) a range of options
\"ÅpSn\
The advantage of shopping online is that the network can assemble a range of options from a variety of stores.
site (n)
\saIt\
Persuading teenagers to buy directly from your site could be a problem.
spending power (n)
\"spendIN ÆpaU´\
One of the problems in marketing to teenagers is that their spending power is often limited because they don’t have jobs.
swipe card (n)
\"swaIp ÆkA…d\
The swipe card would enable teenagers to buy suitable products online.
target (v)
\"tA…gIt\
A lot of teenage sites are trying to target an audience that’s too wide.
turnover (n)
\"t‰…n´Uv´\
A high turnover is important but making good profits is another.
virtual (adj)
\"v‰…tSU´l\
A virtual shop assistant will be at the service of every online shopper.
virtually shop (v)
\Æv‰…tSU´lI "SÅp\
Do you enjoy being able to virtually shop without leaving home?
voice recognition (n)
\"vOIs rek´gÆnISn\
Voice recognition may make the keyboard obsolete.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
2
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 19 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
business (n) business idea (n)
\"bIzn´s\
If I had more time to think, I’d come up with a really great business idea.
city centre (n) city centre offices/rents
\ÆsItI "sent´\
If our employees worked from home, we wouldn’t need to pay expensive city centre rents.
close down (phr v)
\Ækl´Uz "daUn\
We’d be able to close down office buildings if more of our employees worked from home.
come up with (phr v)
\køm "øp wID\
I usually come up with my best business ideas when I’m relaxing at home.
commuting (n)
\k´"mju…tIN\
One of the things I hate most about going out to work is the daily commuting.
cut (n) a cut in pay/salary etc (opposite = increase)
\køt\
I’d accept a cut in pay if I could return to work in the UK.
demonstrate (v)
\"dem´nÆstreIt\
The company could certainly demonstrate the effectiveness of its telecommunications equipment by allowing its employees to work from home!
financially (adv)
\faI"nœnS´lI\
Working from home, you miss out financially on perks like subsidised meals.
flexibility (n) (opposite = inflexibility)
\Æfleks´"bIl´tI\
The thing I like most about working from home is the flexibility.
get things/more done
\"get TINz\mO… "døn\
Home workers get more done in a shorter time because there are fewer interruptions.
get down to (phr v) get down to work
\get "daUn tu…\
You have to be very self-disciplined when you work from home. It can be difficult to get down to work.
home worker (n)
\"h´Um Æw‰…k´\
Home workers have more freedom and flexibility than people who work in an office.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
1
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 19 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
investment (n) investment in
\In"vestm´nt\
If more employees worked from home, we could reduce our investment in new offices.
leisure time (n) (opposite = work time)
\"leZ´ ÆtaIm\
One of the dangers of working at home is that there’s no dividing line between work time and leisure time.
miss out on (phr v)
\mIs "aUt Ån\
Home workers miss out on things like office gossip and financial perks.
office buildings (n pl)
\"ÅfIs ÆbIldINz\
City centre office buildings are expensive to rent.
office hours (n pl)
\"ÅfIs ÆaU´z\
Some people prefer the discipline of working within office hours while other people prefer the flexibility of working from home.
pay rise (n)
\"peI ÆraIz\
The unions are currently negotiating for a pay rise.
perk (n)
\p‰…k\
Perks are things such as subsidised meals, not included in your salary.
productivity (n) level of productivity
\ÆprÅdøk"tIv´tI\
For a lot of workers, their level of productivity improves when they work from home.
promotion (n) (opposite = demotion)
\pr´"m´USn\
If I accept the promotion it will mean a lot more travelling and time away from home.
proposal (n)
\pr´"p´Uzl\
What do you think of the company’s proposal for home working?
quality of life (n)
\ÆkwÅl´tI ´v "laIf\
Do you think working from home would mean an improvement in your quality of life?
rent (n)
\rent\
City centre rents are very expensive.
save on (phr v)
\"seIv ÆÅn\
Companies could save on city centre rents by persuading their employees to work from home.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
2
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 19 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
self-disciplined (adj)
\Æself"dIs´ÆplInd\
You have to be self-disciplined to work from home – it can be difficult to get down to work.
subsidised (adj)
\"søbsIÆdaIzd\
Working in an office, you get perks such as subsidised refreshments or travel.
talks (n pl) have talks with
\tO…ks\
The company is having talks with the unions about persuading employees to work from home.
technical problem (n)
\"teknIkl ÆprÅbl´m\
Technical problems can be difficult to solve if you’re working from home.
telecommunications (n) telecommunications company/equipment
\ÆtelIk´Æmju…nI"keISnz\
Employees can work productively from home thanks to the effectiveness of our telecommunications equipment.
teleworking (n)
\"teliÆw‰…kIN\
“Teleworking” is a phrase that means working from home using a computer and other equipment.
travel (n) home to office travel
\"trœvl\
Working from home preserves the environment by reducing home to office travel.
union (n)
\"ju…nj´n\
A union is an organisation that represents workers and tries to improve pay and conditions.
wind down (phr v)
\ÆwaInd "daUn\
In the evening I like to wind down by listening to music.
work (v) work from/at home
\w‰…k\
What are the advantages and disadvantages of working from home?
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
3
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 20 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
board (n) on the board
\bO…d\
The Managing Director or CEO is the person on the board who is responsible for the day to day running of the company.
business (n) get down to business
\"bIzn´s\
“How did it go with Mr Tanaka?” “Everything went OK until we got down to business.”
competing (adj) competing companies/products
\k´m"pi…tIN\
The Japanese don’t like it if you criticise competing products.
cooked (adj) cooked with/in
\kUkt\
Paella is a seafood dish cooked with rice.
credibility (n)
\Ækred´"bIl´tI\
If you are not completely honest about your product, your credibility will be damaged.
hard sell (n)
\ÆhA…d "sel\
The “hard sell”, using aggressive sales techniques, is often considered offensive in Japan.
influence (n) lose influence
\"Influ…´ns\
You will lose influence if you are not completely honest about your product.
job title (n)
\"dZÅb ÆtaItl\
“What’s your job title, Neil?” “I’m Product Development Director.”
long-term (adj) (opposite = short-term)
\ÆlÅNÆt‰…m\
The CEO is in charge of long-term strategy and planning.
low-key (adj)
\Æl´U"ki…\
In Japan, a low-key approach is preferable to the “hard sell”.
managing director (n) (BrE) (AmE = CEO)
\ÆmœnIdZIN daI"rekt´\
The managing director is responsible for the day to day running of the company.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
1
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 20 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
made with/from
\"meId wID\fr´m\
“Unagi” is a dish made with eels and rice.
product (n)
\"prÅdøkt\
Be honest about your products – otherwise you’ll lose your credibility.
report to (phr v)
\rI"pO…t Ætu…\
As Product Development Director, Neil reports directly to Jeff Segram, the Managing Di rector.
responsible (adj) be responsible for
\rI"spÅns´bl\
Sisi Albright, Director of Marketing, is responsible for marketing policy and the worldwide sales force.
sales pitch (n)
\"seIlz ÆpItS\
It is better to use a low-key sales pitch in Japan rather than the “hard sell”.
served with
\"s‰…vd wID\
The steak is served with vegetables and potatoes.
type (n) a type of
\taIp\
“Tagliatelle” is a type of pasta.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
2
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 1 headword
pronunciation
business (n) business proposition (n)
\"bIzn´s\ \"bIzn´s prÅp´ÆzISn\
set up a business
translation/notes
example sentence
Their business proposition is simple – they give you the dog then sell you the dog food!
\Æset øp ´ "bIzn´s\
Good financial advice is important when setting up a business .
competitive advantage (n)
\k´mÆpet´tIv ´d"vA…ntIdZ\
A “competitive advantage ” is the way in which your products are better than other people’s.
costs (n pl)
\kÅsts\
Increasing labour costs have reduced our profit margins.
deliver (v)
\dI"lIv´\
We guarantee to deliver goods within three days of receiving your order.
direct mail campaign (n)
\daIÆrekt "meIl kœmÆpeIn\
A direct mail campaign involves sending advertisements to people’s homes by post.
dot.com (n)
\ÆdÅt"kÅm\
Dot.coms are companies that trade using the Internet.
download (v) download sth from sth
\ÆdaUn"l´Ud\
You can download lots of useful information from their website.
employ (v)
\Im"plOI\
The company employs over 6,000 people worldwide.
expansion (n)
\Ik"spœnSn\
The pet market has great potential for expansion.
experience (n) \Ik"spI´rI´ns\ have (previous) experience (of)
Do you have previous experience of working in customer relations?
finance (v)
\faI"nœns\
They need between £2 and £3 million to finance marketing.
industry (n)
\"Ind´strI\
Moonpig has revolutionised the greetings card industry.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
1
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 1 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
investment (n)
\In"vestm´nt\
We need around $2 million of investment to expand the business.
investor (n)
\In"vest´\
You need to have good ideas in order to convince your investors.
management team (n)
\"mœnIdZm´nt Æti…m\
We have a committed and experienced management team.
margin (n)
\"mA…dZIn\
They make a profit of £1.20 on each card sold – a margin of 60%.
marketing (n)
\"ma…kItIN\
How much money would you need to finance marketing?
pioneering (adj)
\ÆpaI´"nI´rIN\
Pioneering companies are not afraid to risk doing something new.
pitch (n)
\pItS\
A pitch is a description of your company – its achievements, aims etc.
potential market
\p´"tenSl ÆmA…kIt\
Your “potential market” means all the people you can sell to.
production (n)
\pr´"døkSn\
We have increased production as the market has grown.
profit (n) make a profit (opposite = make a loss)
\"prÅfIt\
Our investors are happy because we are making a profit.
profitable (adj) \"prÅfIt´bl\ (opposite = non-profitable)
CEO, Nick Jenkins, says the company should be profitable within six months.
run (v) run a company/a business
\røn\
Giovanni Bianchi runs a company in Milan, owned by his family.
running costs (n pl)
\"rønIN ÆkÅsts\
A lot of Internet companies have fairly low running costs .
set up (phr v) set up a business/a company/a website
\Æset "øp\
We decided to set up a website in order to sell our products online.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
2
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 1 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
staff (n) hire staff
\sta…f\
We hire a lot of our staff through recruiting agencies.
start-up (n)
\"stA…tøp\
A lot of dot.com start-ups go bankrupt within their first six months.
stock (n)
\stÅk\
All the goods that a shop or business has for sale are called “stock”.
success (n) be a success (opposite = be a failure)
\s´k"ses\
Moonpig has been a great success so far.
sustain (v)
\s´"steIn\
Once you have a competitive advantage, it’s important to be able to sustain it.
turnover (n)
\"t‰…nÆ´Uv´\
Turnover is increasing by 50% a month.
unrivalled (adj)
\øn"raIvld\
Our management team has unrivalled experience.
venture capitalist (n)
\"ventS´ ÆkœpIt´lIst\
Venture capitalists are companies who put money into new businesses.
website (n)
\"websaIt\
We sell a lot of products online via our website.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
3
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 2 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
Board of Directors (n)
\ÆbO…d ´v d´"rekt´z\
The Board of Directors is the group of senior managers who run a company.
CEO (n) (AmE) (BrE = Managing Director)
\Æsi…i…"´U\
The CEO of a company is the person in charge of it.
exercise (n)
\"eks´ÆsaIz\
Professor Axt believes that moderate exercise is better than strenuous activi ty.
experience (n)
\Ik"spI´rI´ns\
Most companies are more interested in experience than qualifications.
field (n)
\fi…ld\
What is the female to male ratio in your field?
involve (v)
\In"vÅlv\
Does your job involve a lot of travel?
marketing (n) marketing strategy (n)
\"mA…kItIN\
One of the things I enjoy most about my job is developing new marketing strategies.
multinational (n)
\ÆmøltI"nœSn“´‘l\
A multinational is a company that has offices in different countries.
position (n)
\p´"zISn\
He has a responsible position working as Marketing Director for a multinational.
qualifications (n pl)
\ÆkwÅlIfI"keISnz\
Qualifications are often less important than experience.
ratio (n)
\"reISI´U\
The ratio of men to women is roughly 60% male, 40% female.
responsibilities (n pl)
\rIÆspÅns´"bIl´tIz\
My responsibilities include managing our website and liasing with international offices.
senior manager (n)
\Æsi…nI´ "mœnIdZ´\
Only 12.5% of senior managers in the Fortune 500 are women.
strenuous activity (n)
\"strenju…´s ÆœktIvItI\
Professor Axt recommends avoiding strenuous activity like aerobics or working out at the gym.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
1
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 2 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
stress (n)
\stres\
Do you think that exercise is a good solution for stress?
technology-related (adj)
\tek"nÅl´dZIrIÆleItId\
Careers&Women.com is a website aimed at women interested in technology-related jobs.
top earner (n)
\ÆtÅp "‰…n´\
Many of the UK’s top earners are sports stars.
work experience (n)
\"w‰…k IkÆspI´ri…´ns\
It’s a good idea to get work experience while you’re a student.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
2
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 3 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
call (n) place/put a call on hold
\kO…l\ \ÆpleIsl\Æpøt ´ ÆkO…l Ån "h´Uld\
The line is engaged. Can I place your call on hold?
return a call
\rIÆt‰…n ´ "kO…l\
I hate it when people don’t return my calls.
transfer a call
\trœnsÆf‰… ´ "kO…l\
You’ve got the wrong extension; I’m going to transfer your call.
company image (n)
\Ækømp“´‘nI "ImIdZ\
The company image we wish to project is one of friendliness, efficiency and professionalism.
the competition (n)
\D´ ÆkÅmp´"tISn\
Failure to answer a telephone call promptly could result in losing business to the competition.
contact (n) get in contact (with sb)
\"kÅntœkt\
I’ll ask Mr Davis to get in contact with you as soon as he’s back.
cut off (phr v) get cut off
\Ækøt "Åf\
I hate it when I get cut off in the middle of a call.
engaged (adj) (BrE) (AmE = busy)
\In"geIdZd\
Sorry, the line’s engaged. Will you hold?
factor (n) major factor
\"fœkt´\
The quality of a firm’s response to phone calls is a major factor in the type of company image it projects.
function (n)
\"føNkSn\
Do you know how to use all your phone’s functions?
go over (phr v)
\Æg´U "´Uv´\
I didn’t hear that. Could you go over it again?
hold on hold
\h´Uld\
Would you like to ring back or should I put you on hold?
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
1
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 3 headword
pronunciation
landline (n)
\"lœndlaIn\
Landlines are cheaper than mobile phones.
meeting room (n)
\"mi…tIN Æru…m\
I’ve asked my secretary to book the meeting room.
message leave a message
\"mesIdZ\ \Æli…v ´ "mesIdZ\
Could I leave a message for Mr Wilson, please?
\ÆteIk ´ "mesIdZ\
Mr Wilson’s not here. Can I take a message?
mobile (phone) (n) (BrE) (AmE = cell (phone))
\"m´UbaIl “f´Un‘\
If I’m not in the office, call me on my mobile.
personnel (n)
\Æp‰…s´"nel\
It’s important for personnel to be trained in telephone skills.
product performance (n)
\"prÅdøkt p´ÆfO…m´ns\
Poor service and poor product performance can both lead to loss of business.
professionalism (n)
\pr´"feSn´lÆIz“´‘m\
Efficient handling of phone calls helps to create an image of professionalism.
put sb through (phr v)
\ÆpUt sømb´dI "Tru…\
Just one moment. I’m just putting you through.
revenue (n)
\"rev´Ænju…\
Bad telephone behaviour can result in millions of dollars in lost revenue.
sales enquiry (n)
\"seIlz InÆkwaIrI\
90% of all sales enquiries begin on the telephone.
service (n)
\"s‰…vIs\
Poor service often leads to loss of business.
switchboard (n)
\"swItSbO…d\
The switchboard has been busy all morning – we’ve had hundreds of calls!
terminal (n)
\"t‰…mIn“´‘l\
Which terminal does the flight arrive at?
voicemail system (n)
\"vOIsmeIl "sIst´m\
Customers don’t like getting put through to a voicemail system.
take a message
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
2
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 4 headword
pronunciation
be based
\bI "beIst\
“Where is your company based?” “Our offices are in Berlin.”
a bore (n)
\´ "bO…\
He always talks about himself – he’s a bit of a bore.
bump into sb (phr v)
\bømp "Intu… Æsømb´dI\
“Do you know Jan Novacki?” “Yes, I’ve bumped into him a couple of times at conferences.”
business (n) business development (n)
\"bIzn´s\ \"bIzn´s dIÆvel´pm´nt\
He has an important position at Guinness as Director of Business Development.
\ÆlaIn ´v "bIzn´s\
“What line of business are you in?” “I’m a sales manager for a clothing firm.”
conference (n) sales conference
\"kÅnf“´‘r´ns\
This year, our annual sales conference is taking place in Madrid.
contact (n) have contact with sb
\ÆkÅntœkt\
Do you still have contact with Jan in your work?
be a good laugh
\Æbi… ´ gUd "lA…f\
I like Cathy – she’s a really good laugh.
gossip (n) the latest gossip
\"gÅsIp\
Conferences provide a good opportunity for catching up on the latest gossip.
networking (n)
\"netÆw‰…kIN\
Networking is the activity of talking to people in order to exchange information and ideas.
public relations (n)
\ÆpøblIk rI"leISnz\
A Public Relations Manager is responsible for developing a good relationship between a company and its customers.
store (n) (AmE) (BrE = shop/outlet)
\stO…\
We have 50 clothing stores throughout the country.
line of business
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
1
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 5 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
begin begin work on sth
\bI"gIn\
In 1969 the Advanced Research Projects Agency began work on a system to connect computers.
best-selling (adj)
\Æbest"selIN\
GameBoy is the world’s best-selling video game system.
breakthrough (adj)
\"breIkTru…\
Pokemon was a breakthrough game concept for GameBoy.
browser (n)
\"braUz´\
A browser is a computer program that allows you to search for information on the Internet.
business (n) on business
\"bIzn´s\
How often do you travel on business?
celebrate (v)
\Æsel´"breIt\
In 1995 the company celebrated the sale of the one billionth game pack.
complaint (n) deal with a complaint
\k´m"pleInt\
The customer service department deals with client complaints.
concept (n)
\"kÅnsept\
Pokemon was an entirely new concept in video games.
connect (v)
\k´"nekt\
Kleinrock connected the first two computers in 1969.
corporate headquarters (n)
\ÆkO…p“´‘r´t hed"kwO…t´z\
In 1970 Nintendo decided to enlarge its corporate headquarters.
course (n) go on a course
\kO…s\
We encourage staff to go on courses in order to develop their skills.
crash (v)
\krœS\
It’s important to save your work in case the computer crashes.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
1
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 5 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
deal (n) negotiate a deal
\di…l\
We’ve just negotiated an important deal with a Japanese firm.
deal with (phr v) deal with a problem/complaint
\"di…l ÆwID\
Customer Services deal with client complaints.
develop (v)
\dI"vel´p\
The original video game system was developed in 1975.
discussion group (n)
\dI"skøSn Ægru…p\
Internet discussion groups exist for users to exchange their views on various subjects.
enlarge (v) (opposite = scale down)
\In"lA…dZ\
When we increased production we had to enlarge our existing warehouses.
establish (v)
\I"stœblIS\
Our US subsidiary was established in 1980.
expand (v)
\Ik"spœnd\
The franchise was so successful, we decided to expand it.
found (v)
\faUnd\
“When was the company founded?” “In 1933.”
franchise (n)
\"frœntSaIz\
The franchise allowed Nintendo to use the Pokemon characters.
hand-held (adj)
\"hœndÆheld\
GameBoy is a hand-held portable game system you can use anywhere.
hardware (n)
\"hA…dwe´\
The company manufactures both hardware and software for the game systems.
host (n)
\h´Ust\
A “host” is a computer providing Internet services.
interactive (adj) interactive games/entertainment
\ÆInt´r"œktIv\
Nintendo is the worldwide leader in interactive entertainment.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
2
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 5 headword
pronunciation
interchangeable (adj)
\ÆInt´"tSeIndZ´bl\
One of the great advantages of GameBoy is the interchangeable game packs.
the Internet (n)
\Di… "Int´net\
The first message was sent on the Internet in 1969.
\ÆInt´net "braUz´\
Internet browsers allow you to search for information.
interview (n) have an interview
\"Int´Ævju…\
When was the last time you had a job interview?
launch (n)
\lO…ntS\
The US launch of Game Cube smashed previous sales records.
launch (v) launch a product/system
\lO…ntS\
The product was first launched in 1989.
leader (n) worldwide leader
\"li…d´\
Nintendo is the worldwide leader in interactive entertainment.
link (v)
\lINk\
In January ARPANET linked computers in four different American universities.
manufacture (v)
\Æmœnj´"fœktS´\
We manufacture around 50,000 games a week.
market (n) hit the market
\"mA…kIt\
GameBoy Advanced hit the market in 2001 with record sales.
market (v)
\"mA…kIt\
We market all our own hardware and software.
microprocessor (n)
\ÆmaIkr´U"pr´Uses´\
The microprocessor was first used in a video game system in 1976.
negotiate (v) negotiate a deal
\nI"g´USIeIt\
We want to recruit someone with the necessary skills for negotiating difficult deals.
network (n)
\"netw‰…k\
The World Wide Web is a network connecting millions of computers throughout the world.
Internet browser (n)
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
3
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 5 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
newsgroup (n)
\"nju…zÆgru…p\
Newsgroups are Internet discussion groups.
offices (n pl)
\"ÅfIs´z\
We’ve just opened new offices in Berlin.
pack (n)
\pœk\
The sale of the one billionth game pack was celebrated in 1995.
portable (adj)
\"pO…t´bl\
It’s a portable game system you can play anywhere.
reconstruct (v)
\Æri…k´n"strøkt\
The old site had to be reconstructed for development.
release (v) release a product/system
\rI"li…s\
The new version of the system will be released next month.
sale (n) the sale of
\seIl\
The company celebrated the sale of the billionth game pack.
sales record (n)
\"seIlz ÆrekO…d\
The launch of Game Cube smashed all previous sales records.
smash (v) smash a record
\smœS\
Game Cube smashed all previous US sales records.
software (n)
\"sÅftwe´\
The programs and games used on computers and game systems are called “software”.
subsidiary (n)
\s´b"sIdI´rI\
Nintendo’s US subsidiary is called Nintendo of America Inc.
system (n)
\"sIst´m\
GameBoy is the world’s most popular video game system.
user (n)
\"ju…z´\
Computer users from all over the world have joined USENET newsgroups.
video game (n) video game system
\"vIdI´UÆgeIm\
The company manufactures the w orld’s most popular video game systems.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
4
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 5 headword
pronunciation
worldwide (adj) worldwide corporation/leader
\Æw‰…ld"waId\
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence They’re the worldwide leader in the manufacture of computer operating systems.
5
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 6 headword
pronunciation
book (v)
\bUk\
We book most of our flight tickets on the Internet.
business do business with
\"bIzn´s\
Many bosses said they would not do business with companies whose correspondence had mistakes in it.
certificate (n)
\s´"tIfIk´t\
Could you fax me a copy of the certificate for customs?
communicate (v)
\k´"mju…nIÆkeIt\
A lot of people see e-mail as an informal way of communicating.
confidential (adj)
\ÆkÅnfI"denSl\
E-mail isn’t as confidential a method of communicating as many people think.
convenient (adj) (opposite = inconvenient)
\k´n"vi…nI´nt\
Internal mail is a convenient way of sending things to people who work in the same organisation as you.
correspondence (n) business correspondence
\ÆkÅri"spÅnd´ns\
Grammar and spelling mistakes in business correspondence can lose your firm valuable business.
courier (n) by courier
\"kUrI´\
Sending things by courier is fast but expensive.
customs (n)
\"køst´mz\
Customs require a copy of the certificate before the goods can be sent.
delivery (n) delivery date (n)
\dI"lIv“´‘rI\
There’s been a mistake in the delivery date – we need the order to arrive by June 22nd.
details (n pl)
\"di…teIlz\
I’ll send you details of the order by e-mail.
\ÆteIk daUn “D´‘ "di…teIlz\
Just a minute, I’ll get a pen and take down the details.
\daUn\
We can’t send any e-mails this morning – the intranet’s down.
take down (the) details
down (adj, adv)
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
1
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 6 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
e-mail (n)
\"i…meIl\
Do you agree that e-mail is an informal way of communicating?
by e-mail
\ÆbaI "i…meIl\
Please send confirmation by e-mail.
e-mail system
\"i…meIl ÆsIst´m\
“Our e-mail system isn’t working.” “I’ll fax the details to you instead.”
look at your e-mail
\ÆlUk ´t jO… "i…meIl\
I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time to look at my e-mail.
error (n)
\"er´\
Errors in business correspondence can make your firm look unprofessional.
fax (v)
\fœks\
Some people prefer to fax documents that need a signature.
figures (n pl)
\"fIg´z\
If you don’t understand the figures, I can explain them to you.
flight (n)
\flaIt\
The flight from Heathrow Airport was delayed by three hours.
go through (phr v)
\Æg´U "Tru…\
Could you go through the report and correct any errors?
handwriting (n)
\"hœndÆraItIN\
She’d made several corrections to the document but I couldn’t read her handwriting.
image (n)
\ÆImIdZ\
Mistakes in business letters are bad for a company’s image.
ink cartridge (n)
\"INk ÆkA…trIdZ\
If the printer doesn’t seem to be working, try changing the ink cartridge.
internal mail (n)
\InÆt‰…nl "meIl\
People use internal mail to send things from one part of a company or organisation to another.
intranet (n)
\"Intr´Ænet\
An intranet is a computer network connecting people who work for the same organisation.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
2
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 6 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
IT (information technology) (n) \ÆaI"ti…\ “\Inf´ÆmeISn
example sentence Our e-mail system’s not working – we’d better call the IT technician.
tek"nÅl´dZI\‘
IT technician/support look up (phr v)
\ÆlUk "øp\
“What’s SAG’s telephone number?” “I’ll look it up for you.”
overcharge (v) (opposite = undercharge)
\Æ´Uv´"tSA…dZ\
Surprisingly, many bosses thought spelling and grammar mistakes were worse than overcharging.
print out (phr v)
\ÆprInt "aUt\
Could you print out three copies of the proposal, please?
production department (n)
\pr´"døkSn dIÆpA…tm´nt\
I’ll speak to the production department and see if they can meet the delivery date.
proposal (n)
\pr´"p´Uzl\
He’s presenting the new proposal to the Board of Directors tomorrow.
reliable (adj) (opposite = unreliable)
\rI"laI´bl\
Our courier service is usually very reliable.
take down (phr v)
\ÆteIk "daUn\
I’ll take down the details of your order and ask John to contact you.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
3
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 7 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
afford (v)
\´"fO…d\
Independent operators can’t afford to employ as many staff as the big hotel chains.
air conditioning (n)
\"e´ k´nÆdISnIN\
You should call room service and ask them to fix the air conditioning.
brand name (n)
\"brœnd ÆneIm\
US clients are more used to brand name hotels such as Holiday Inn.
check in (phr v) (opposite = check out)
\ÆtSek "In\
After we’d checked in at reception we were offered refreshments by the hotel’s staff.
client (n) client preference (n)
\"klaI´nt\
Some hotel chains have databases for recording client preferences.
dry-clean (v)
\ÆdraI"kli…n\
The hotel can arrange for you to have suits, ties, skirts etc, dry-cleaned.
early morning call (n)
\Ɖ…lI ÆmO…nIN "kO…l\
Call Room Service to arrange an early morning call.
economical (adj) (opposite = uneconomical)
\Æi…k´"nÅmIkl; Æek´"nÅmIkl\
The Chevrolet Corvette is more economical in its petrol consumption.
exercise facilities (n pl)
\"eks´ÆsaIz f´ÆsIl´tIz\
Most multinational hotel chains provide exercise facilities such as a swimming pool and a gym.
fitness rooms (n pl)
\"fItn´s Æru…mz\
Fitness rooms are rooms equipped with facilities for doing exercise.
globalise (v)
\"gl´Ub´ÆlaIz\
The hotel industry is becoming more and more globalised.
high-speed (adj)
\"haIÆspi…d\
Many of our business customers want a room with high-speed Internet connections.
hotel chain (n)
\h´U"tel ÆtSeIn\
Hotel chains are more common in the US than in Europe.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
1
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 7 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
Internet (n) Internet connection (n)
\"Int´Ænet\
International business travellers expect to have a room with equipment for Internet connections.
jetlag (n)
\"dZetÆlœg\
Flying from one time zone to another often results in jetlag.
location (n) a convenient location
\l´U"keISn\
Our hotel is in a convenient location ten minutes from the city centre.
long-haul flight (n)
\ÆlÅNhO…l "flaIt\
Businessmen getting off long-haul flights often suffer from jetlag.
multinational (adj)
\ÆmøltI"nœSn“´‘l\
Multinational hotel chains are more common in the US than in Europe.
option (n)
\"ÅpSn\
We looked at several options for the site of the new hotel.
powerful (adj)
\"paU´fl\
The Maserati is more powerful than the Chevrolet Corvette.
prosper (v)
\"prÅsp´\
The agricultural industry prospers because of the good climate.
records (n pl) keep records
\"rekO…dz\
We keep worldwide records of client preferences.
reservation (n)
\Ærez´"veISn\
Good afternoon. I have a reservation in the name of Wallace.
revenue (n)
\"rev´Ænju…\
Between a third and half of hotels’ revenue comes from food and drink.
room service (n)
\"ru…m Æs‰…vIs\
Please call room service if you have any problems or requests.
surroundings (n pl)
\s´"raUndINz\
The hotel is located in beautiful surroundings overlooking the bay.
time zone (n)
\"taIm Æz´Un\
Britain and the United States are in different time zones.
widescreen television (n)
\ÆwaIdskri…n "telIÆvIZn\
More and more people now are buying widescreen televisions.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
example sentence
2
in company
Pre-intermediate
Unit 8 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
basis on a temporary /permanent basis
\"beIsIs\
She’s been working on a temporary basis for a firm of solicitors.
do (v) do an exam/a qualification
\du…\
“Where did you do your Masters?” “At Harvard Business School.”
\dZÅb\
Congratulations! You’ve got the job.
\s´k"ses\
They worked hard to make a success of the business.
job (n) get a job success (n) make a success of
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net
1
e t a i d e m r e t n I
y n a p m o c n i
Welcome to the i n co m p a n y Intermediate Wordlist! What information do es the i n c o m p a n y Inte rmedia te Wordlist give you? • a summary of key w ords an d phrases from ea ch unit of i n co m p a n y Intermediat e Studen t’s Book • pronunciat ion of keyw ords an d phrases • sam ple sentences show ing the w ords and phra ses in context • commo n colloca tions, expressions a nd idioms using th e key w ords • a lso include d a re opposites an d American Eng lish eq uiva lents Abbreviations used in the Wordlist (v) (a d j) (n)
verb a d je ct ive no un
(phr v) phra sal verb (n pl) plural nou n (adv) adverb
(conj) sb sth
conjunction so m eb o d y something
VOWELS AND DIPH THONG S /I/ /i:/ /U/ /u:/ /e/ /´/ /‰:/ /O:/ /œ/ /ø/
b ig f ish g r een b eans sh ould look b lue m oon t en eg g s ab o u t m o t h er learn w ords sh ort t alk f at cat m ust come
/bIg fIS/ /gri: n bi: nz/ /SUd lUk/ /blu: mu: n/ /ten egz/ /´baUt møD´(r )/ /l‰: n w‰ : dz/ /SO: t tO: k/ /fœt kœt/ /møst køm/
calm st art h ot sp ot
/A:/ /Å / /I´/ /eI/ /U´/ /OI/ /´U/ /e´/ /aI/ /aU/
ear f ace p ure b oy n ose h air eye m out h
/kA: m stA: t/ /hÅt spÅt/ /I´(r )/ /feIs/ /pjU´(r )/ /bOI(r )/ /n´Uz/ /he´(r )/ /aI/ /maU∏/
/s/ /z/ /S/ /Z/ /m/ /n/ /N/ /h/ /l/ /r / /w/ /j/
sna ke no ise sho p mea sure ma ke nine sing ho use leg red wet yes
/sneIk/ /nOIz/ /SÅp/ /meZ´(r )/ /meIk/ /naIn/ /sIN/ /haUs/ /leg/ /red/ /wet/ /jes/
CONSONANTS /p/ /b/ /t/ /d/ /tS/ /dZ/ /k/ /g/ /f / /v/ /∏/ /D/
pen ba d tea do g chur ch ja zz co st girl f a r vo ice thin then
/pen/ /bœd/ /ti:/ /dÅg/ /tS‰: tS/ /dZœz/ /kÅst/ /g‰: l/ /fa: (r )/ /vOIs/ /∏In/ /Den/
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It i s photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. © M acmillan Publishers Limi ted 2003.
(Am E) American Eng lish (Br E) British English
in companyIntermediate Unit 1 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
accelerate (v)
\´k"sel´ÆreIt\
Has big business accelerated the a dv ance of the English lan gua ge?
advertising (n)
\"œdv´ÆtaIziN\
Eng lish wo rds and ph rases are w idely used in advertising.
asset (n) be a n as set to
\"œset\
Employe es wh o spea k Eng lish are an asset to the ir compa ny.
attitude (n) sb’s a tt itud e t o sb/sth
\"œtIÆtju…d\
How w ould you describe your ow n attitude to learning English?
business (n)
\"bIzn´s\
English is becoming t he internationa l lang uag e o f business.
big business
\ÆbIg "bIzn´s\
A know ledge of Eng lish is essential for peo ple w orking in big business.
business community (n)
\"bIzn´s k´Æmju…n´tI\
The French Ministry of Fina nce surprised th e inte rna tion al business community b y b a n n i n g w o r d s lik e “ In t e r ne t ” a n d “ e -m a i l” .
business people (n pl)
\"bIzn´s Æpi…pl\
Some business people do n’t speak a ny Eng lish.
do business
\Ædu… "bIzn´s\
We do a l o t o f business o n t h e p h o n e .
lose bu siness
\Ælu…z "bIzn´s\
If you don’t speak English you risk losing business.
travel on business
\Ætrœvl Ån "bIzn´s\
He spends a lot of time travelling on business.
client (n)
\"klaI´nt\
I often socialise w ith my clients.
colleague (n)
\"kÅli…g\
All our Du tch colleagues speak fluent English.
communication (n) globa l c ommunication
\k´Æmju…nI"keISn\ \"krItIÆsaIz\
English has bec ome t he langua ge of global communication.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. © M acmillan Publishers Limi ted 2003.
example sentence
1
in companyIntermediate Unit 1 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
criticise (v) criticise sb fo r sthg
\"krItIÆsaIz\
The French Presiden t w as criticised for not defending the French language.
e-mail (n)
\"i…meIl\
We a lso d o b usiness using e-mail.
effort (n)
\"ef´t\
Learning English is a real effort fo r people from n on-Europea n countries.
fashionable (adj)
\"fœSn´bl\
Eng lish wo rds and phrases are very fashionable in count ries like Germa ny an d t he Netherlands.
for better or worse
\f´ Æbet´ O… "w‰…s\
For better or worse, English is the language of international communication.
foreign language (n)
\ÆfÅrIn "lœNgwIdZ\
Some people learn foreign languages more quickly than others.
global (adj)
\"gl´Ubl\
Eng lish is essentia l fo r global communication.
improve (v)
\Im"pru…v\
Spending three months in Britain helped me improve my Eng lish.
investment (n)
\In"vestm´nt\
Having English lessons is a good investment for my future career.
media (n)
\"mi…dI´\
We he ar lots of Eng lish wo rds in th e media.
meeting (n) ta ke part in a me eting
\"mi…tIN\
I w an t to learn Eng lish so tha t I can take part in businessmeetings.
mistake make mistakes
\mI"steIk\
Everyone makes mistakes w h e n t h e y st a r t l e a r nin g a la n g u a g e .
necessity (n)
\n´"ses´tI\
Lea rning Eng lish is a necessity fo r a lot o f b usiness people.
opportunity (n) ta ke the opportunity o f d o i n g st h
\ÆÅp´"tju…n´tI\
I took the opportunity of going to the USA to improve my Eng lish.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. © M acmillan Publishers Limi ted 2003.
example sentence
2
in companyIntermediate Unit 1 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
overstate (v) (oppo site = understate)
\Æ´Uv´"steIt\
Does t he article “ Eng lish Inc.” overstate the importance of learning English?
presentation (n) make a presentation
\Æprez´n"teISn\
She’s feeling nervous – she has to make a presentation this af ternoon.
product description (n)
\"prÅdøkt dIÆskrIpSn\
Most product descriptions are w ritt en in Eng lish.
socialise (v) socia lise w ith
\"s´US´laIz\
Do you enjoy socialising with clients?
software (n)
\"sÅftÆwe´\
A lot of software prog rams are w ritt en in Eng lish.
start-up company (n)
\"stA…tøp ÆkømpnI\
The President w as criticised f or ref erring to start-up companies a s “ les start-upistes”.
survey (n)
\"s‰…veI\
In a recent survey, 69% of Europeans said they thought everyone should speak English.
technology (n)
\tek"nÅl´dZI\
Modern technology has ma de English even mo re popular.
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example sentence
3
in companyIntermediate Unit 2 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
access (n)
\"œkses\
All our conf erence room s have lapto ps w ith Internet access.
bu siness card (n)
\"bIzn´s Æka…d\
I’ll give you my business card so t h a t y o u c a n c o n t a c t m e .
line of business
\ÆlaIn ´v "bIzn´s\
“ Wh a t line of business a r e y o u i n ? ” “ I’ m i n e n g i n e e r in g . ”
car-rental service (n)
\ka…Ærentl "s‰…vIs\
Ta k e a d v a n t a g e o f t h e h o t e l ’s car-rental service t o e x p lo r e t h e su r ro u n d i n g a r e a .
catch up on (phr v)
\ÆkœtS "øp Ån\
Co n f e r e n ce s a re a g o o d w a y o f catching up on all the lat est go ssip.
checkout (n)
\"tSekaUt\
The h ot el has a n express checkout e n a b l in g c ust o m e r s t o l e a v e a t sh o r t n o t i ce .
\"kÅnfr´ns\
This yea r the f irm’s a nnu al conference w ill take p lace in Cancun.
conf erence f acilities (n pl)
\"kÅnfr´ns f´ÆsIl´tIz\
The h ot el ha s full conference facilities on the 27th floor.
conference organiser (n)
\"kÅnfr´ns O…g´ÆnaIz´\
Conference organisers w o r k h a r d t o e n s ur e t h a t o u r c o r po r a t e c li e n t s h a v e a l l t h e
Inte rnet a ccess
business (n)
express checkout (n)
conference (n)
fa cilities they nee d.
connection (n)
\k´"nekSn\
Duba i Airport ha s flight connections to all the major cities in the world.
convention centre (n)
\k´n"vensn Æsent´\
Disneyland Paris’s convention centre ha s 95 meet ing roo ms and 3,000 squa re met res of exhibition space.
customer relations (n pl)
\Ækøst´m´ rI"leISnz\
G o o d customer relations a re vita l to success in business.
demotion (n)
\dI"m´USn\
Ca r la h a d a r o w w it h h e r b o ss a n d e n d e d u p g e t t i n g a demotion.
flight conn ection (n)
(opposite = promotion)
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1
in companyIntermediate Unit 2 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
executive burnout (n)
\IgÆzekjUtIv "b‰…naUt\
“ Executive burnout” is a cond ition caused b y stress an d long w orking h ours.
exhibition (n)
\ÆeksI"bISn\
The ho tel a t Disneyland , Paris is idea l for corporat e client s req uiring larg e a mo unts o f exhibition space.
\Ik"spens´z\
All meals an d d rinks at the con ference a re on expenses.
fix (up) (v)
\fIks “øp‘\
Let’s fix (up) a t i m e t o c h a t a b o u t t h e s e id e a s o v e r a d r i n k.
human resources (n)
\Æhju…m´n rI"zO…s´z\
Pietro Bianco w orks in human resources an d is responsible fo r training a nd recruitment.
in charge
\In "tSa…dZ\
Jane ’s job is very import an t – she ’sin charge of sales in Europe .
interviewing skills (n pl)
\"Int´Ævju…IN ÆskIlz\
Pietro w orks in human resources and w ill be giving a t alk on interviewing skills.
keep (sthg) going
\Æki…p "g´UIN\
It ’ s i m p o rt a n t t o b e a b l e t o keep the conversation going w hen socialising w ith people for the first time.
merger (n)
\"m‰…dZ´\
Mergers can b e d ifficult and of ten involve job losses.
mingle (v)
\"mINgl\
When yo u mingle a t a s o ci a l e v e n t , y o u m e e t a n d t a l k t o a l o t o f p e o p le f o r t h e first time.
negotiating skills (n pl)
\nI"g´USIeItIN ÆskIlz\
Negotiating skills a n d t h e a b i li t y t o c o m m u n i ca t e w e l l a r e v it a l in m a k in g n e w
exhibition space (n)
expenses (n pl)
example sentence
on expenses
b e i n ch a r g e o f
keep the conversation going
business deals.
recruiting (n)
\rI"kru…tIN\
the recruiting of
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Human resources is the d ivision w ithin a com pan y responsible for the recruiting of n e w st a f f .
2
in companyIntermediate Unit 2 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
responsible
\rI"spÅns´bl\
He’s head of human resources and is responsible for t r a i n in g a n d r e cr u it m e n t .
room service (n)
\"ru…m Æs‰…vIs\
All rooms in th e ho tel ha ve 24-hour room service.
session (n)
\"seSn\
She’s our human resources manager and will be doing a session on interview ing skills.
stress management (n)
\"stres ÆmœnIdZm´nt\
Courses on stress management c a n h e l p e m p lo y e e s co p e w it h t h e d e m a n d s o f w o r k in g l o n g h o u r s.
team-building (n)
\"ti…mÆbIldIN\
Team-building activities h e l p pe o p l e t o k n o w a n d u n d e r st a n d e a c h o t h e r b e t t e r.
\ÆvIdI´U"kÅnfr´nsIN\
The pro blem w ith videoconferencing is t h a t y o u d o n ’ t g e t t o m e e t p e o p le f a c e t o face.
be responsible fo r
do a session o n sth
tea m-building activities
videoconferencing (n)
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3
in companyIntermediate Unit 3 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
accounts department (n)
\´"kaUnts dIÆpA…tm´nt\
I’d like to speak to someon e in the accounts department a b o u t a n i n vo i ce I received.
business class
\"bIzn´s ÆklA…s\
Wh e n e v e r w e t r a v e l a b r o a d o n b u si n e ss w e a l w a y s f l y business class.
bu siness t rip
\"bIzn´s ÆtrIp\
Tim is Europea n Sales Director a nd o ft en a w ay o n business trips.
business (n)
call (n)
\kO…l\
Give me a call a s so o n a s y o u g e t b a c k t o t h e o f f i ce .
g ive sb a call ma ke a call (to )
\"meIk ´ ÆkO…l “tuÜ‘\
Would you excuse me fo r five minute s? I need to make a call to h e a d o f f i c e .
return a call
\"ret‰…n ´ kO…l\
I’ll ask Mrs Wright to return your call w h e n sh e g e t s b a c k t o t h e o f f i c e .
ta ke a call
\"teIk ´ kO…l\
H a v e yo u e v e r pr e t e n d e d y o u w e r e o u t o f t h e o f f i c e t o a v o i d taking a call?
call ba ck (phr v)
\ÆkO…l "bœk\
Please call m e back as soon as possible.
\k´n"saInm´nt\
A consignment of go od s ha s just arrived fro m Venezue la.
contract (n)
\"kÅntrœkt\
G o o d n e w s! We ’ ve j u st w o n a b i g contract in Mala ysia.
deadline (n)
\"dedlaIn\
Th e deadline f o r P h a s e O n e i s i n t w o w e e k s’ t i m e so w e ’ r e a l l w o r ki n g h a r d t o finish it.
despatch (v)
\dI"spœtS\
Th e s t o c k c o n t r o l m a n a g e r t o l d m e t h e g o o d s w e r e despatched a w e e k a g o .
estimate (n)
\"estIm´t\
Th e estimate fo r t ransporta tion costs is appro xima tely $30,000.
face to face
\ÆfeIs t´ "feIs\
It’s of ten ea sier ta lking to people face to face r a t h e r t h a n o n t h e p h o n e .
consignment (n) a c o n s ig n m e n t o f
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1
in companyIntermediate Unit 3 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
feasibility study (n)
\Æfi…z´"bIl´tI ÆstødI\
Th e feasibility study sh o w e d t h a t t h e s it e w a s n ’t r e a l l y su it a b l e f o r d e v e l o p m e n t .
figures (n pl)
\"fIg´z\
Hello. This is Cheryl in accoun ts. Just to say th a t I’ve corrected th ose figures yo u faxed to me.
get back to sb
\get "bœk t´\
I’ll get back to you w ith the n ecessary informa tion a s soon a s possible.
handout (n)
\"hœndaUt\
G i vin g y o u r a u d i e n ce t o o m a n y handouts c a n d i st r a c t t h e m f r o m w h a t y o u ’ re saying.
h e a d o f (m a r k e t in g /sa les e t c)
\"hed Æ´v\
J o n a t h a n P o w e l l h a s ju st b e e n p r o m o t e d t o head of marketing.
h e a d o f f i ce (n )
\Æhed "ÅfIs\
Head office is in Beijing but the ba nk has branches throug hout South East Asia.
invoice (n)
\"InvOIs\
I’d like to speak to someone in accounts about an unpaid invoice.
lose track of
\lu…z "trœk ´v\
Have you ever lost track of t h e c o n v e r sa t i o n w h e n s pe a k i n g t o s o m e o n e o n t h e phone?
\"O…d´\
The y’ve just placed an order fo r new ma chinery w orth over £350,000.
packing department (n)
\"pœkIN dIÆpA…tm´nt\
Th e packing department i s t h e p l a c e w h e r e g o o d s a r e p a c ke d b e f o r e b e in g despatched.
presentation (n)
\Æprez´n"teISn\
Giving a presentation to 500 people requires a lot of planning.
\"pr´UsesIN ÆplA…nt\
Th e processing plant i s w h e r e w e p r e p a r e o u r m e a t p r i o r t o d e s p a t c h .
head (n)
(oppo site = keep track of )
order (n) p la c e a n o r d e r
give a presentation
processing plant (n)
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2
in companyIntermediate Unit 3 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
put off (phr v)
\ÆpUt "Åf\
I kept putting off phon ing the client b ecause my Eng lish w asn’t very go od .
put through (phr v)
\ÆpUt "Tru…\
“ I’d like to speak to someo ne in accounts.” “ Tha nk you, Mr Bereng er. Putting yo u through n o w . ”
qualification (n)
\ÆkwÅlIfI"keISn\
Which d o yo u th ink is most importa nt – experience or qualifications?
quality control (n)
\"kwÅl´ti k´nÆtr´Ul\
H ig h st a n d a r d s o f quality control a r e e x t re m e l y im p o r t a n t i n t h e f o o d i n d u st r y.
reminder (n)
\rI"maInd´\
Hello, Mr Carte r, t his is just a q uick reminder t o g iv e m e a c a l l a b o u t t h e c o n t r a c t w e d i sc u sse d t w o w e e k s a g o .
requirement (n)
\rI"kwaI´m´nt\
It’s importa nt in business to h ave a s much informa tion a bo ut you r client s’ requirements a s possible.
stock control (n)
\"stÅk k´nÆtr´Ul\
So m e o n e i n stock control w i ll b e a b l e t o t e l l y o u w h e t h e r o r n o t t h e g o o d s h a v e been despatched.
tone (n)
\t´Un\
Sorry I can’t ta ke your call right n ow ; plea se leave a messag e after the tone.
\"vIZU´l\
Visuals w i ll h e lp t o m a k e y o u r p r e se n t a t i o n m o r e a t t r a c t i ve a n d e a si e r t o
after the tone
visual (n)
understand.
voicemail (n) voicema il messag e (n)
\"vOIsmeIl\
If I’m not in, just leave a messag e on my voicemail.
\"vOIsmeIl ÆmesIdZ\
Voicemail messages should be a s clear a nd a s brief a s possible.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. © M acmillan Publishers Limi ted 2003.
3
in companyIntermediate Unit 4 headword
pronunciation
advertising slogan (n)
\"œdv´taIzIN Æsl´Ug´n\
An advertising slogan is a short phrase used for advertising something, for example “ Budw eiser: the King of Beers” .
bestselling (adj)
\"bestselIN\
American Budw eiser is the w orld’s bestselling brand o f beer.
brand (n) brand of
\brœnd\
Clever ad vertising ha s helped ma ke Budw eiser the w orld’s most successful brand of beer.
brief (v)
\bri…f\
The me eting is sched uled fo r next Wedn esday b ut Ja net White w ill brief yo u before then.
briefing (n)
\"bri…fIN\
All members of t he project team are expected to a ttend the briefing.
business procedures (n pl)
\"bIzn´s pr´Æsi…dZ´z\
Business procedures in Japan a re dif f erent f rom those in Europe.
competitor (n)
\k´m"petIt´\
Budw eiser sells tw ice a s much b eer a s its nea rest competitor, Heineken.
corporate (adj) corporate finance
\ÆkO…pr´t "faInœns\
Daniel Cash has a very responsible job – he’s Vice President for corporate finance.
\ÆkO…pr´t "l´Un\
As head of t he corporate loan department, Sharon reports directly to Daniel Cash.
go over (phr v)
\Æg´U "´Uv´\
I didn’t unde rsta nd t hat . Could you go over it ag ain, please?
manufacturer (n)
\ÆmœnjU"fœktS´r´\
Microsoft is the world’s leading computer hardware manufacturer.
market (v)
\"mA…kIt\
Czech Budw eiser markets its products in over 40 countries.
mergers and acquisitions (n)
\Æm‰…dZ´z ´n ÆœkwI"zISnz\
Mergers and acquisitions specialists give a dvice t o compan ies during ta keover bids.
negotiations (n pl) lead (the ) nego tiations
\nIÆg´USI"eIS´nz\
We’d like you to lead the negotiations w ith Sapporo Bank, Matt.
corporate loan (n)
translation/notes
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example sentence
1
in companyIntermediate Unit 4 headword
pronunciation
output (n)
\"aUtpUt\
Budw eiser’s output is 50% grea ter th an tha t of its nea rest compet itor, Heineken.
resources (n pl)
\rI"zO…s´z\
Czech Budw eiser has f ar f ew er resources tha n American Budw eiser but still ma rkets its product in more t ha n 40 count ries.
run through (phr v)
\Ærøn "Tru…\
I don’t follow. Could you run through t h a t a g a i n?
sales (n pl)
\seIlz\
We a re pleased to report that sales are up b y 4% on t he same pe riod last year.
\"seIlz ÆfIg´z\
The comp any need s a d rama tic increase in sales figures if it is to survive.
schedule (v)
\"Sedju…l\
The mee ting w ith Sapporo Ba nk is scheduled to t ake place in tw o w eeks’ time.
slow down (phr v) (oppo site = speed up)
\Æsl´U "daUn\
You’re speaking t oo q uickly. People w ill understand more e asily if you slow down.
take part (in)
\teIk "pA…t In\
I don’t a lwa ys f ind it ea sy to un de rstan d people w hen I take part in meet ings in English.
takeover (n)
\"teIk´Uv´\
More th an 100 people lost the ir job s as a result o f th e takeover.
\"teIk´Uv´ ÆbId\
Matt w as asked to lead the neg otiations during the takeover bid.
track record (n)
\Ætrœk "rekO…d\
The firm ha s an e xcellent track record f or ma king products that are bo th reliab le and economical.
turnover (n)
\"t‰…nÆ´Uv´\
Which of the f o llow ing has the highest globa l turnover: the electric light or th e personal computer?
sales figures
ta keov er bid
translation/notes
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example sentence
2
in companyIntermediate Unit 5 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
access (n) ha ve access to
\"œkses\
All firm s have access to the same technology so they’re competing w ith each other on how f ast they can dev elop and manuf acture products.
according to
\´"kO…dIN Ætu…\
According to a recent survey, US executives w ork 25% ha rder no w tha n th ey did in the 1970s.
branding (n)
\"brœndIN\
Branding is very importa nt in business – people pay a lot of mone y to ha ve the right name on t heir n ew DVD or Walkman.
business (n) ta ke your business somew here else /elsew he re
\"bIzn´s\
If custo mers don ’t like o ur products, the y’ll take their business elsewhere.
catch up (with) (phr v)
\ÆkœtS "øp “wID‘\
It w ould be nice to hav e an extra ho ur in the d ay to catch up with all the jobs I’ve b e e n t o o b u sy t o d o .
component (n)
\k´m"p´Un´nt\
The price of com put er components is coming d ow n at t he rate o f 1% a w eek.
customer loyalty (n)
\Ækøst´m´ "lOI´ltI\
Don’t rely on customer loyalty – if pe ople do n’t like your latest prod ucts, the y’ll buy from your competitors.
delegate (v)
\"del´ÆgeIt\
The a bility to delegate ta sks to ot her peop le is essential in g oo d t ime management.
diary (n) keep a d iary
\"daI´rI\
It’s a g ood idea to keep a diary of ho w long each ta sk tak es.
differentiate (v)
\ÆdIf´"renSIÆeIt\
In b usiness, it’s importan t t o try to differentiate your product f rom t he competition.
extra (n)
\"ekstr´\
One thing you can beat your competitors on is little extras such a s electric mirrors.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. © M acmillan Publishers Limi ted 2003.
example sentence
1
in companyIntermediate Unit 5 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
innovate (v)
\"In´ÆveIt\
Being successful in the electronics business depe nds on how fa st you can innovate.
interruption (n)
\ÆInt´"røpS´n\
The survey revea led tha t th e avera ge m an ag er had only nine 30-minute periods w i t h o u t interruption per month.
inventory (n)
\"Inv´nt´rI\
“ Inventory” means the g ood s or products a company ha s f or sale in its stores or w arehouses.
lead time (n)
\"li…d ÆtaIm\
Product lead time is the amo unt of time betw een thinking up a new product and starting to sell it.
major player (n)
\ÆmeIdZ´ "pleI´\
Sony is a very successful compa ny – a major player in the electronics business.
pile up (phr v)
\ÆpaIl "øp\
Things chang e so fa st in the comput er industry that it’s disastrous for compan ies to hav e product piling up in the ir w areho uses.
plan (v) p la n a h e a d
\plœn\
It’s vital t o plan ahead in order t o m an ag e yo ur time successfully.
pressured (adj) feel pressured (opposite = relaxed)
\"preS´d\
Planning ah ead a nd delega ting can help to make you feel less pressured a t w o r k.
record (n) keep a record of sth
\"rekO…d\
If yo u keep a record of how long each ta sk takes, it w ill help you mana ge your time mo re successfu lly.
research-led (adj)
\rI"s‰…tSÆled; "ri…s‰…tSÆled\
If an industry is research-led, it depends on the quality of the ideas its researchers come up with.
researcher (n)
\rI"s‰…tS´; "ri…s‰…tS´\
Ou r researchers are constantly wo rking to think up new ideas f or products.
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example sentence
2
in companyIntermediate Unit 5 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
schedule (n)
\"Sedju…l\
It’s importa nt t o t ake b reaks even if you ha ve a very busy schedule.
screen (v)
\skri…n\
Screen phone calls so tha t you d o n’t w aste time speaking t o people abo ut things t h a t a r e u n im p o rt a n t .
strategy (n)
\"strœt´dZI\
What strategies do you use f or manag ing your time?
switch off (phr v)
\ÆswItS "Åf\
Listening to music helps me to switch off at t he end of a busy w orking da y.
time management (n)
\"taIm ÆmœnIdZm´nt\
Time management is the ab ility to use your time eff ectively in orde r to d o t he things you ne ed t o.
unwind (v)
\øn"waInd\
Many people f ind tha t h a v ing a hot b at h helps them unwind a t t h e e n d o f t h e day.
work out (phr v)
\Æw‰…k "aUt\
After a stressful da y, I like to g o t o t he g ym and work out f or a n hour.
workaholic (n)
\Æw‰…k´"hÅlIk\
Bill Ga tes confesses to being a workaholic w ho w orks 14 hours a day.
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example sentence
3
in companyIntermediate Unit 6 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
alarm call (n)
\´"lA…m ÆkO…l\
If y o u ’ r e w o r rie d a b o u t n o t w a k in g u p o n t i m e , p h o n e r e c e pt i o n a n d b o o k a n alarm call.
arrivals (n)
\´"raIv´lz\
A m a n w a s st a n d i n g i n t h e arrivals a r e a h o l d in g u p a l a r g e p i e c e o f c a r d w i t h m y n a m e w r it t e n o n it .
\"bO…dIN\
Flig ht BA761 to Buen os Aires is no w rea dy f or boarding.
\"bO…dIN ÆkA…d\
Would a ll passeng ers have t heir passports an d boarding cards r e a d y f o r inspection?
\"bIzn´s Ætrœvl\
What do you dislike most about business travel?
boom industry (n)
\"bu…m ÆInd´strI\
Ad v e r t isi n g , a c c o u n t a n c y a n d m a n a g e m e n t c o n su lt a n c y a r e a l l boom industries.
cab (n) (AmE) (BrE = taxi)
\kœb\
Liberty Street is quite a few blocks from here. Can I call you a cab?
cabin crew (n)
\"kœbIn Ækru…\
Al l t h e f l ig h t a t t e n d a n t s w h o l o o k a f t e r p a s se n g e r s d u r in g a f l ig h t a r e c a l le d t h e cabin crew.
cart (n) (AmE) (BrE = trolley)
\kA…t\
Excuse m e, is the re a cart I c o u ld u s e f o r m y b a g g a g e ?
cashpoint (n)
\"kœSÆpOInt\
Could you lend me some m one y until I can find a cashpoint?
check-in (n)
\"tSekIn\
Passengers are requested to arrive at check-in a t le a s t a n h o u r b e f o r e t h e i r f l ig h t departs.
customs (n)
\"køst´mz\
I was stopped in customs a n d h a d m y b a g s se a r c h e d .
day return (n)
\ÆdeI rI"t‰…n\
I’d like a day return to the City, plea se.
(opposite = departures)
boarding (n) b o a r d in g c a r d (n )
example sentence
business (n) business travel
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1
in companyIntermediate Unit 6 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
delay (n)
\dI"leI\
Th e t r a f f i c w a s t e r rib l e a n d t h e r e w e r e l o n g delays g e t t i n g i n t o t h e c it y .
departure lounge (n)
\dI"pA…tS´ ÆlaUndZ\
Se v e r a l f lig h t s w e r e d e l a y e d a n d t h e departure lounge w a s c ro w d e d .
departures (n)
\dI"pA…tS´z\
O u r f li g h t w a s ca n c e ll e d a n d w e h a d t o w a i t o v e r e ig h t h o u r s i n departures!
divert (v)
\daI"v‰…t\
This is your capta in spea king . Due to b ad w ea the r over Zurich, we ’ve been diverted t o G e n e v a .
economy class (n)
\I"kÅn´mI "klA…s\
We w a n t e d t o f l y KLM b u t t h e r e w e r e o n l y economy class seats left.
freeway (n) (AmE)
\"fri…weI\
An eight -lane freeway runs around the city o f Los Ang eles.
freshen up (phr v)
\ÆfreSn "øp\
Af t e r a l o n g e x h a u s t in g f l ig h t , it w a s n ic e t o g e t t o t h e h o t e l a n d freshen up.
hand luggage (n)
\"hœnd ÆløgIdZ\
Passeng ers are a llow ed a ma ximum o f six kilos of hand luggage.
in-flight phone (n)
\ÆInflaIt "f´Un\
The use of mob ile pho nes on a ircraf t is prohibited an d in-flight phones a r e o n l y a vailab le in business class.
long-haul flight (n)
\"lÅNhO…l ÆflaIt\
A long-haul flight is one that covers a long distance.
one-way (adj)
\"wønweI\
A one-way ticket to Central Station, please.
relocate (to) (v)
\Æri…l´U"keIt\
If y o u h a d t o relocate to B r it a i n o r t h e U n i t e d St a t e s , w h i ch w o u l d y o u c h o o s e ?
schedule (n)
\"Sedju…l\
Th e f l ig h t h a s b e e n d e l a y e d b y o n e h o u r ; w e w i ll ke e p y o u i n f o r m e d o f a n y f u r t h e r ch a n g e s t o o u r schedule.
(oppo site = arrivals)
(oppo site = return (BrE) round trip (AmE) )
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2
in companyIntermediate Unit 6 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
terminal (n)
\"t‰…mIn´l\
All fligh ts fo r Europe lea ve from Terminal 2.
turbulence (n)
\"t‰…bjUl´ns\
There w as a lot o f turbulence d u r in g t h e f l ig h t d u e t o s t r o n g w i n d s.
upgrade (v)
\øp"greId\
We were upgraded from econom y to business class.
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example sentence
3
in companyIntermediate Unit 7 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
answerphone (n)
\"A…ns´f´Un\
If I’m busy, I somet imes sw itch on t he answerphone instea d of a nsw ering the phone.
block (v)
\blÅk\
By blocking incoming phone calls for just one ho ur a w eek, productivity rose by 23%.
break up (phr v)
\ÆbreIk "øp\
He wa s calling from a mob ile but I couldn’t hea r him very w ell beca use the sig nal w a s breaking up.
communication breakdown (n)
\k´Æmju…nI"keISn ÆbreIkdaUn\
There w as a to ta l communication breakdown — she d idn’t speak English and I can’t speak French!
contact number (n)
\"kÅntœkt Ænømb´\
“ Can you g ive me a contact number?” “ Yes, I’m sta ying a t t he Mira do r. It’s 548 8950.”
get on to sb (phr v)
\get "Ån tu…\
I’ll ask my secreta ry to get on to our suppliers a n d f in d o u t w h a t ’ s h a p p e n e d t o our o rder.
incoming call (n)
\ÆInkømIN "kO…l\
By blocking all incoming calls, the company found that productivity rose by 23%.
misunderstanding (n)
\ÆmIsønd´"stœndIN\
There w as a misunderstanding: w e arriv ed f or the me eting on Wednesday morning , but th e receptionist to ld us it w as scheduled fo r Thursda y aft ernoo n.
on hold put sb on ho ld
\Ån "h´Uld\
I’ll just put you on hold w hile I see if I ca n f ind Mr Eva ns.
phone (n) get sb off the phone
\get ÆÅf D´ "f´Un\
I tho ug ht she’d ne ver sto p ta lking. It t oo k me 20 minutes to get her off the phone!
pick up the pho ne
\ÆpIk øp D´ "f´Un\
How long d oes it ta ke you on av erag e to pick up the phone w hen it rings?
mo bile (pho ne )/cellpho ne
\m´UbaIl“f´Un‘ \"self´Un\
If you give me 10 minutes, I’ll see if I can reach Karl on his cellphone.
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example sentence
1
in companyIntermediate Unit 7 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
productivity (n)
\"prÅdøk"tIv´tI\
Productivity is the rate a t w hich go ods are produced.
quote (n)
\kw´Ut\
Joa q uín, it’s Geoff White. I’m just calling w ith a quote for those machines you w ere in te rested in buying.
set up (phr v) set up a meeting /an appo intment
\Æset "øp\
My boss has asked m e to set up a meeting with all th e heads of department.
sort out (phr v)
\ÆsO…t "aUt\
“ Could you ma ke the neces sary arrang ements?” “ Yes, I’ll sort something out.”
underestimate (v) (opposite = overestimate)
\Æønd´r"estÆImeIt\
Research show s that ma nag ers underestimate the amo unt of time they spend on the phon e by 50%.
unplug (v)
\øn"pløg\
Sometimes w hen I’m having a crisis at w ork I unplug t h e p h o n e !
a (complete) waste of time
\´ “k´Æmpli…t‘ weIst ´v "taIm\
Resea rch show ed t ha t 21% of ph one ca lls w ere a complete waste of time.
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2
in companyIntermediate Unit 8 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
agreement (n) reach agreement (opposite = disagreement)
\´"gri…m´nt\
If w e can’t reach agreement I sugg est we break of f he re.
at stake
\at steIk\
The choice of a ne w acto r as Jame s Bond is a hug e decision w ith so much mone y at stake.
brand (n) b r a n d a w a r e n e ss
\brœnd\
Brand awareness is v ery important – people w ill pay a lot to hav e the “ right ” name on t he products they buy.
break off (phr v) (oppo site = carry on; continue)
\ÆbreIk "Åf\
It’s bee n a long meet ing; I think it’s time t o break off .
collaborate (with)(v)
\k´"lœb´ÆreIt\
In response to fa lling sales, Sw iss w at chmaking compa nies decided t o collaborate with the Japanese.
come back to (phr v)
\køm "bœk tu…\
Could w e come back to this point lat er?
commercial success (n)
\k´Æm‰…Sl s´k"ses\
The Ja mes Bond f ilms have bee n a hug e commercial success, with a t urnov er of more tha n $6 billion.
conglomerate (n)
\k´n"glÅm´r´t\
Hariezon made a bad decision when he sold his land to a South African mining conglomerate.
data analysis (n)
\ÆdeIt´ ´"nœl´sIs\
Market researchers can use data analysis to find o ut if a p roduct is likely to b e successful.
deadline (n)
\"dedlaIn\
I’ve go t to finish the report b y this evening – the deadline’s tomorrow.
decision-making decision-making process
\dI"sIZnÆmeIkIN\
Hav ing a clear idea of w hat you hope t o a chiev e is the f irst stag e in the decision-
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example sentence
making process.
1
in companyIntermediate Unit 8 headword
pronunciation
earnings (n pl) combined earnings
\"‰…nINz\
The combined earnings of the Jame s Bond movies are o ver $6 billion.
expand (v)
\Ik"spœnd\
In 1991 Dell computers decided to expand by selling throug h high street stores.
feedback (n)
\"fi…dbœk\
Client feedback on o ur new range has been v ery positive so f a r.
get down to business
\get ÆdaUn t´ "bIzn´s\
“ Let’s get down to business” is a usef ul w ay of opening a me eting.
go ahead (with) (phr v)
\Æg´v ´"hed wID\
Ev entually we rea ched ag reement and decided t o go ahead with the project.
high street store (n)
\ÆhaI stri…t "stO…\
Dell stopped selling throug h high street stores an d ret urned to selling PCs direct to consumers.
implement (v) implemen t a decision
\"ImplIÆment\
Once you’v e made up your mind, you shouldn’t hesitat e to o long bef o re implementing your decision.
key (adj) key factor
\ki…\
In your o pinion, wha t ha s been t he key factor in th e com pa ny’s success?
license (v) license products
\"laIs´ns\
Apple refused t o license it s products to o ther manuf a cturers and so lost out to Microsoft.
logistic (adj)
\l´"dZIstIk\
The d ecision t o relocate to the UK makes go od logistic sense – 70% of o ur market is in tha t coun try.
market (n) market research (n)
\ÆmA…kIt "ri…s‰…tS\
Detailed market research is one o ption but it ta kes time and money.
\ÆmA…kIt "Se´\
The compa ny has had a w orrying t ime recent ly, w ith market share f a lling f rom 30% to just 9%.
\"m‰…tS´nÆdaIsIN\
The f ilms enjoy 30% prof it ma rgins, not includ ing merchandising.
market sha re (n)
merchandising (n)
translation/notes
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example sentence
2
in companyIntermediate Unit 8 headword
pronunciation
monitor (v) monitor the effe cts of
\"mÅnIt´\
Stress manag ement consulta nts w ere asked t o monitor the effects of long w orking hours on employees.
move on (phr v)
\Æmu…v "Ån\
“ Let’s move on” is a usef ul expression w hen you w ant to change the subject being discussed.
objective (n)
\Åb"dZektIv\
In a ny d ecision-making process, it’s vital to def ine your objectives clearly.
option (n) consider the options
\"ÅpSn\
It’s importa nt t o consider a ll the options before making your decision.
output (n) da ily/w ee kly/a nn ua l output
\"aUtpUt\
Coca-Cola’s daily output is one billion b ot tles!
outsell (v) outsell the competition
\aUt"sel\
Barbie continues to outsell the competition in the t oy industry.
ownership (n) retain ow nership of
\"´Un´ÆSIp\
If Shuster and Sieg el had retained ownership of the righ ts to Superman , they w o u ld h a v e m a d e a f o r t u n e .
\"prÅfIt ÆmA…dZIn\
The Ja mes Bon d f ilms ma ke 30% profit margins.
\"prÅfIt ÆSe´\
Of f ering employees profit share is one w ay of enco uraging th e m to stay on.
relocation (n)
\Æri…l´U"keISn\
Relocation to the UK seems a sensible de cision, g iven t ha t 70% of our ma rket is there.
rights (n pl) buy/sell the right s (to sth)
\raIts\
Cand ler’s be st business de cision w a s buying the rights to Coca-Cola; his wo rst w as selling the rights for just $1!
profit (n) profit margin (n) profit share (n)
translation/notes
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example sentence
3
in companyIntermediate Unit 8 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
royalties (n pl)
\"rOI´ltIz\
When Sam Phillips sold t he cont ract w ith Presley he lost t he royalties to o v er a billion record sales.
supply (n)
\s´"plaI\
Hariezon’s mining land w ent o n to produce a million kilos of g old a year – 70% of t h e g o ld supply to t he Western w orld.
trial basis (n) on a trial basis
\"traI´l ÆbeIsIs\
The d ecision w as ma de t o o ffe r the service on a trial basis fo r six mont hs.
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example sentence
4
in companyIntermediate Unit 9 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
assets (n pl)
\"œsets\
A compan y’s assets a r e a ll t h e t h i n g s it o w n s t h a t m a k e m o n e y.
boss (n)
\bÅs\
Working fo r a sma ll compa ny, you ha ve more a uto nom y – it’s like being your own boss.
\g´U ÆaUt ´v "bIzn´s\
Ro u g h l y h a l f o f n e w c o m p a n i e s go out of business in t h e f i rst t w o y e a r s.
career structure (n)
\k´"rI´ ÆstrøktS´\
I p r e f e r w o r ki n g f o r a l a r g e c o m p a n y b e c a u se t h e r e ’ s m o r e o f a career structure a n d t h e r e f o r e m o r e o p p o r t u n i t y f o r p ro m o t i o n .
corporate dinosaur (n)
\ÆkO…pr´t "daIn´sO…\
A " corporate dinosaur" is a d e r o g a t o r y t e r m , m e a n i n g a l a r g e o l d -f a sh i o n e d company.
cross-border trade (n)
\ÆkrÅsbO…d´ "treId\
D o y o u a g r e e t h a t n a t i o n a l f r o n t ie r s w i ll b e co m e l e ss im p o r t a n t a s cross-border trade increases?
digital age (n)
\"dIdZItl ÆeIdZ\
O n ce t h e digital age a r r iv e d , m a n y p e o p le t h o u g h t t h a t sm a l l e n t r e p re n e u r ia l compa nies w ould kill off the corpora te dinosaurs
dotcom (n)
\ÆdÅt"kÅm\
Dotcoms a r e c o m p a n i e s t h a t t r a d e u s in g t h e I n t e r n e t .
e-commerce (n)
\Æi…"kÅm‰…s\
E-commerce ena bles specialist compa nies employing only 20 or 30 people t o sell
b e y o u r o w n b o ss
example sentence
business g o o u t o f b u s in e s s
their products all over the world.
fringe benefit (n)
\"frIndZ ÆbenIfIt\
P e o p l e w o r ki n g f o r l a r g e c o m p a n i e s g e t fringe benefits like pensions an d he alth insurance.
get big
\Æget "bIg\
D o y o u a g r e e t h a t c o m p a n i e s h a v e t o get big in order to survive?
globalisation (n)
\Ægl´Ub´lAI"zeISn\
M o s t p e o p le a g r e e t h a t globalisation is the direct result of com pan ies ge tt ing bigger and bigger.
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1
in companyIntermediate Unit 9 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
hi-tech (adj)
\ÆhaI"tek\
Hi-tech c o m p a n i e s u se t h e m o s t m o d e r n o r a d v a n c e d t e c h n o l o g y a v a i la b l e .
\"dZÅb sœtIs"fœkSn\
I think there’s more variety, more job satisfaction working for a small enterprise.
marketing strategy (n)
\"mA…kItIN Æstrœt´dZI\
An aggressive marketing strategy is n e e d e d t o g o f r o m i n n o v a t i o n t o m a ss production q uickly a nd eff iciently.
mass production (n)
\"mœs pr´"døkSn\
The process of producing larg e q uan tities of th e same product is called mass production.
(oppo site = low-tech)
job satisfaction (n)
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2
in companyIntermediate Unit 10 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
conduct (v)
\k´n"døkt\
I w as invited to conduct t h e f i n a l s t a g e s o f the meeting i n t h e sa u n a !
\"køltSr´lI\
It’s important to be culturally aware w h e n d o i n g b u s in e ss w i t h p e o p l e f r o m o t h e r countries.
\Ædem´n"streISn\
The British salesman to ld a lot of jokes w hile giving a demonstration of t h e n e w product.
\ÆdZOIn "In\
Al t h o u g h I d i d n ’t k n o w a n y o n e a t t h e b a r b e cu e , I d e c id e d I o u g h t t o t r y a n d join in t h e f u n .
\leIt\
Sorry, I’ll have to go, I’m a l r e a d y running h a l f a n h o u r late.
make your excuses
\ÆmeIk jO… Ik"skju…s´z\
Sh e d i d n ’ t h a v e t i m e t o st o p a n d c h a t so s h e made her excuses a n d l e f t .
slip away (phr v)
\"slIp ´"weI\
He finds it d ifficult t o t alk to peo ple he’s never met b efo re so d ecided to slip away quietly.
small talk (n)
\"smO…l "tO…k\
The bo ok business.
stick with (phr v)
\"stIk ÆwID\
In g e n e r a l , it ’ s a g o o d i d e a t o m i n g le w i t h p e o p le f r o m t h e o p p o s in g t e a m r a t h e r tha n just sticking with y o u r o w n p e o p l e .
c o n d u ct a m e e t i n g /the neg ot iations
culturally (adv) culturally aware
demonstration (n) g i ve a d e m o n s t r a t i o n ( o f )
join in (phr v)
late (adj) b e r u n n in g l a t e
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W h e n C u l t u r e s Co l l i d e discusses
the role o f small talk i n i n t e rn a t io n a l
1
in companyIntermediate Unit 11 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
attachment (n)
\´"tœtSm´nt\
Se n d i n g a n e-mail attachment is the sam e as enclosing some thing w ith a lette r.
\tSI´z\
“Cheers” i s a c o m m o n w a y o f e n d i n g a n e - m a i l a n d m e a n s t h e s a m e a s " b e s t
e -m a i l a t t a c h m e n t
cheers (interjection)
w ish e s" .
downside (n)
\"daUnsaId\
(oppo site = upside) t h e d o w n sid e t o
The downside to e-ma il is tha t you ca n’t stop peo ple send ing you e ndless messages.
e-mail (n)
\i…meIl\
Ho w m a n y e-mails d o y o u s e n d a n d r e ce i ve e a c h d a y ?
e-mail (v)
\i…meIl\
D o y o u p r e f e r e-mailing t o p ic ki n g u p t h e p h o n e ?
inbox (n)
\InbÅks\
I try to check my inbox f o r n e w e -m a i l m e ssa g e s a t l e a s t t w i ce a d a y.
instantaneous (adj)
\ÆInst´n"teInI´s\
The ma in adva nta ge of e-ma il is tha t it’s instantaneous – the messag e a rrives a l m o s t i m m e d i a t e l y a t i t s d e st i n a t i o n .
key in (phr v)
\Æki… "In\
All you do to send a n e-mail is key in your message an d click send .
scroll down (phr v)
\Æskr´Ul "daUn\
If you put your signat ure at the e nd o f a n e-ma il, it saves people scrolling down t o see if there’s more text.
spell check (n)
\"spel ÆtSek\
You can ’t a lwa ys trust spell check; i t ca n ’ t t e l l t h e d if f e r e n c e b e t w e e n w o r d s su ch a s t here a n d t heir .
subject line (n)
\"søbdZekt ÆlaIn\
If you want people to read your e-mails, remember to key in an interesting subject line.
(oppo site = outbox)
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1
in companyIntermediate Unit 12 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
background (n)
\"bœkgraUnd\
I’d like to start o ff by giving you the background to t h e p r o b le m .
body language (n)
\"bÅdI ÆlœNgwIdZ\
Expressive use o f body language helps to make your presentation more interesting.
bottom out (phr v)
\ÆbÅt´m "aUt\
In Graph b the figures fluctuate for the first three months before falling sharply to bottom out at 10,000 trad es a da y.
contrasting (adj)
\k´n"trA…stIN\
Empha sise wha t yo u’re saying by using pairs of contrasting points such as: A bank d e s ig n e d t o f i t r o u n d y o u , w h i ch d o e sn ’ t e x p ec t y o u t o f i t r o u n d i t .
eye contact (n)
\"aI ÆkÅntœkt\
Try to ma ke regu lar eye contact w i t h t h e a u d i e n ce d u r i n g y o u r p r e se n t a t i o n .
fluctuate (v)
\"fløktSu…ÆeIt\
In g r a p h s b a n d c w e s e e t h a t t h e f i g u r e fluctuates over the first three months.
go back (phr v)
\Æg´U "bœk\
I’d like t o go back for a minute to what I was saying previously.
hit (n)
\hIt\
When t he compa ny first w ent o nline the y go t 250,000 hits p e r d a y ; t h r e e m o n t h s later t hey w ere get ting just 60,000.
invite (v)
\In"vaIt\
It ’ s a g o o d id e a t o invite questions f r o m y o u r a u d i e n ce a t t h e e n d o f y o u r t a l k.
level off (phr v)
\Ælevl "Åf\
We see th e figures levelling off a t t h e p o i nt m a r k ed g o n t h e g r a p h .
look (n)
\lUk\
Just have a quick look a t t h i s g r a p h sh o w i n g h o w sa l e s h a v e f a l le n o v e r t h e p a st six months.
\mIs\
Repetition w here necessary will ensure that the a udience doesn’t miss the m a i n points.
give sb the background to sth
invite q uestions
have a look
miss (v) miss the point
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1
in companyIntermediate Unit 12 headword
pronunciation
move on (to) (phr v)
\Æmu…v "Ån “tu…‘\
D o n ’ t t a l k a b o u t t h e s a m e t h i n g f o r t o o l o n g . Tr y t o j u d g e w h e n t h e t i m e ’s ri g h t t o move on to t h e n e x t p o i n t .
over to you
\Æ´Uv´ t´ "ju…\
I’ve asked Ga ry Cale, our new hea d o f e-business, to b ring us up to da te. Over to you, Ga ry.
peak (v)
\pi…k\
The point ma rked d on th e gra ph show s w here the sales figures peaked.
point out (phr v)
\"pOInt "aUt\
I’d like t o point out o n e o r t w o i n t e r e st i n g t h i n g s o n t h e d i a g r a m .
start off (phr v)
\ÆstA…t "Åf\
Try t o start off i n a w a y t h a t w i ll g e t y o u r a u d i e n ce ’s a t t e n t i o n .
sum up (phr v)
\Æsøm "øp\
Before closing your presenta tion, try to sum up w h a t y o u h a v e s a id i n a l o g i ca l way.
visual (n)
\"vIZU´l\
A creative use of visuals will help to make your presentation more interesting and attractive.
\ÆvIZU´l "eId\
Visual aids c a n m a k e y o u r p r ese n t a t i o n e a sie r t o u n d e r st a n d .
website (n)
\"websaIt\
To succeed in a ny a rea of e-business you n eed a first-class website.
well-structured (adj)
\Æwel"strøktS´d\
Try to make yo ur ta lk as log ical a nd well-structured a s possible.
visual a id
translation/notes
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example sentence
2
in companyIntermediate Unit 13 headword
pronunciation
artificial intelligence (n)
\ÆA…tIfISl In"telIdZ´ns\
translation/notes
example sentence Artificial intelligence is the use of computer technology to make computers and o t h e r m a c h in e s " t h i n k" a n d d o t h i n g s.
electronic organiser (n)
\IlekÆtrÅnIk "O…g´ÆnaIz´\
An electronic organiser is a g a d g e t u se d f o r st o r i n g a n d o r g a n i si n g i n f o r m a t i o n such as addresses and appointments.
gadget (n)
\"gœdZIt\
Sales of electronic gadgets such a s mobile pho nes, lapt ops and camcorders have increased dram at ically.
leading (adj)
\"li…dIN\
These comput ers are capa ble of voice recognition a nd h ave been developed b y so m e o f t h e w o r ld ’ s leading scientists.
\"maIkr´UÆtSIp\
A microchip contains all the electronic connections needed to make a computer work.
\"maIkr´UÆtSIp tek"nÅl´dZi\
Microchip technology is now used w idely in cars, video a nd stereo eq uipment etc.
preview (v)
\"pri…vju…\
Th e g r e a t a d v a n t a g e o f d i g i t a l ca m e r a s is t h a t y o u c a n preview w h a t y o u p r i n t .
superior to
\su…"pI´rI´ Ætu…\
The electronic singing b irthd ay card yo u can buy no w is technically superior to a ll the com puters on Earth in 1950 put t og ethe r.
\tek"nÅl´dZi\
People’s lives now are far more dominated by technology t h a n t h e y w e r e e ve n 1 0 years ag o.
\DiÜ "eIdZ ´v Ætek"nÅl´dZi\
We live in the age of technology – m o r e p e o p le o w n a n d u s e c o m p u t e r s a n d electronic equipment than ever before.
leading scientist /rese a rche r
microchip (n)
microchip techno logy (n)
(opposite = inferior to)
technology (n)
t h e a g e o f t e ch n o lo g y
technophile (n) (opposite = technophobe)
A technophile i s so m e o n e w h o l o v e s co m p u t e r s a n d o t h e r g a d g e t s.
\"tekn´UÆfaIl\
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1
in companyIntermediate Unit 13 headword
pronunciation
technophobe (n) (opposite = technophile)
\"tekn´UÆf´Ub\
translation/notes
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example sentence A technophobe disli dislikes kes or do es not t rust rust g ad get s such such as computers and mob il ile e phones.
2
in companyIntermediate Unit 14 headword
pronunciation
action plan (n)
\"œkSn Æplœn\
agenda (n)
\´"dZend´\
translation/notes
I l e f t t h e m e e t i n g f e e l in in g c o n f u s e d , n o t r e a l l y k n o w i n g w h a t t h e action plan w a s . We have a lot to discuss in today’s meeting and we need to stick to a fixed
agenda.
f i xe xe d a g e n d a
allocate (v)
example sentence
\"œl´ÆkeIt\
ll pr pr e pa pa r e d . Sixty minutes h a v e b e e n allocated to t h e m e e t i n g s o w e n e e d t o b e w e ll
\´"s‰…tIv\
So m e t i m e s y o u h a v e t o be assertive in meetings in order make your point.
back sth up (phr v)
\Æbœk "øp\
Your presentation will be more convincing if you have facts and figures to back up w h a t y o u s a y. y.
boardroom (n)
\"bO…dru…m\
All All directo directo rs’ rs’ mee tings ta ke place in the boardroom o n t h e t o p f l o o r. r.
a lloca lloca te t ime/resources to sth
assertive (adj) be assertive assertive
business (n) talk business
\ÆtO…k "bIzn´s\
Af t e r 2 0 m i n u t e s t a lk in in g a b o u t f o o t b a l l a n d t h e w e a t h e r w e f i n a l ly ly st st a r t e d talking
business. come in (phr v)
\Ækøm "In\
Can I just just come in h e r e ? I’ I’ d l ik ik e t o m a k e a p o i n t a b o u t m a r k e t in in g st r a t e g y.
concession (n)
\k´n"seSn\
B o t h s id id e s o f t e n h a v e t o make concessions i n o r d e r t o r e a c h a n a g r e e m e n t .
\"kÅnflIkt\
Don’t inte rrupt too much – itit just just creat es conflict.
\Ækøt "In\
People kept cutting in d u r in in g t h e p r e se se n t a t i o n t o a s k q u e s t io io n s .
ma ke concessions concessions
conflict (n) (oppo site site = agreement)
cut in (phr v)
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1
in companyIntermediate Unit 14 headword
pronunciation
delegation (n)
\Ædel´"geISn\
translation/notes
example sentence Delegation o f t a s ks ks t o o t h e r t e a m m e m b e r s is is a n i m p o r t a n t p a r t o f t h e m a n a g e r ’s ’s role.
discussion (n)
\dI"skøSn\
It can b e difficult difficult to concentra te w hen several subjects subjects are under discussion a t once.
\"fInIS\
Please! Let me finish before you all start interrupting!
follow-up (n)
\"fÅl´UÆøp\
I a l w a y s e n d u p p h o n in in g p e o p le le a f t e r o u r m e e t i n g s t o f i n d o u t w h a t w e a c t u a l ly ly a g r e e d – t h e follow-up is never clear.
get going
\Æget "g´UIN\
Th e r e w e r e o n e o r t w o t e c h n ic ic a l pr pr o b l e m s a n d it w a s h a l f a n h o u r b e f o r e t h e speaker f inally inally got going.
get a word in
\"get ´ "w‰…d In\
be under discussion
finish (v) let sb f inish inish
It ’ s a l w a y s t h e s a m e p e o p l e w h o d o m i n a t e o u r m e e t i n g s – n o b o d y e l se se c a n get a
word in! go through (phr v)
\Æg´U "Tru…\
Ev e ry ry o n e w a s r e li li e ve ve d w h e n , a f t e r 1 8 m o n t h s o f n e g o t i a t i o n s, s, t h e d e a l f i n a l ly ly
went through. haggling session (n)
\"hœglIN ÆseSn\
We couldn’t agree on a price at first but after a lively haggling session w e f i n a l ly ly agreed terms.
hang on (phr v)
\ÆhœN "Ån\
Just hang on a s e c o n d a n d l e t m e e x p la la i n .
hear sb out (phr v)
\ÆhI´ "aUt\
St o p i n t e r ru ru p t i n g a n d hear me out, w ill ill you!
issue (n)
\"ISu…\
A m e e t i n g c a n p r o v id id e a sa f e e n v i ro ro n m e n t i n w h i c h t o discuss i m p o r t a n t issues.
\"mi…tIN\
rs is is a g o o d w a y o f sp e e d i n g t h i n g s u p ! Holding meetings w i t h o u t c h a i rs
discuss issues
meeting (n) hold a meeting
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2
in companyIntermediate Unit 14 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
objection (n)
\Åb"dZekSn\
The presenta tion didn’t g o very we ll, ll, w ith people raising objections to nea rly rly all our p roposals. roposals.
overrun (v)
\Æ´Uv´"røn\
It ’ s a b a d i d e a t o le t m e e t i n g s overrun – p e o p le le l o se se c o n c e n t r a t i o n w h e n t h e y g o on too long
point of view
\ÆpOInt ´v "vju…\
A meeting is an ideal opportunity for colleagues to exchange points of view.
\"pr´Ugres\
D o n o t d i st st u r b . M e e t i n g in progress.
push around (phr v)
\ÆpUS ´"raUnd\
Be mo re assertive. assertive. Don’t let peo ple push yo u around.
relationship-building
\rI"leISnSIp ÆbIldIN\
re w o r k in in g i n a t e a m . Relationship-building i s v itit a l w h e n y o u ’ re
schedule (v)
\"Sedju…l\
Next w eek’s meeting h a s b e e n scheduled for 9 am on Frida rida y.
score points
\ÆskO… "pOInts\
In our meetings, facts don’t seem to matter; it’s all about scoring points over your colleagues.
set up (phr v)
\Æset "øp\
M a k e su su r e a n y e q u ip ip m e n t y o u n e e d f o r t h e p r e s e n t a t i o n i s set up w e l l b e f o r e it it starts.
sidetrack (v)
\"saIdÆtrœk\
Try to stick stick to t he po int an d no t get sidetracked a l l t h e t i m e .
raise raise a n ob jection jection /ob jectio ns (to (to sth)
example sentence
exchange points of view
progress (n) in prog ress ress
schedule a m eeting fo r 3 pm/ne xt Tuesd a y et c
get sidetracked
stick to (phr v)
\"stIk Ætu…\
stick stick to the point /ag end a et c
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We’ve only go t a n ho ur to discus discusss these issues issues – it’s it’s importa nt t ha t w e stick to the
agenda.
3
in companyIntermediate Unit 14 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
terms (n pl)
\t‰…mz\
After a livel livelyy hag gling sessi session on w e finally ma na ge d to negotiate terms.
\Æønd´"weI\
Wh e n t h e m e e t i n g f i n a l ly ly got underway, t h e sp e a k e r f a c e d c o n st st a n t i n t e r r u p t io io n s f r o m t h e a u d i e n ce ce .
negotiate terms
underway (adj) g e t /b e u n d e r w a y
venue (n)
\"venju…\
Most offices are unsuitable for long meetings – it’s important to choose the right
venue. win over (phr v)
\ÆwIn "´Uv´\
" Ho w d i d y o u r p re re se se n t a t i o n g o ? " won t h e a u d i e n ce " It w e n t w e l l,l, I t h i n k I won ce over."
work out (phr v)
\Æw‰…k "aUt\
Le t ’ s n o t w o r r y t o o m u c h a b o u t t h e d e t a i ls ls. I’ I’ m s ur ur e w e c a n work something out.
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4
in companyIntermediate Unit 15 headword
pronunciation
action immediate action
\"œkSn\
We ha v e had consta nt problems with the equipment you sold us and I am af ra id I must now insist o n immediate action.
circulate (v) circulate sth to sb
\"s‰…kjUÆleIt\
I used to circulate m e m o s to other people in the depa rtment ; now I just e-ma il them.
\"drA…ft ´ ÆkÅntrœkt\
Working in the lega l d epartment means I spend a lot of time drafting contracts.
\"drO… øp ´ ÆkÅntrœkt\
Some of o ur contracts are v ery complicat ed a nd ta ke a long time to draw up.
enclose (v)
\In"kl´Uz\
I enclose a copy of our latest catalogue and current price list.
expenses (n pl)
\Ik"spens´z\
I hav e to k eep a record of all expenses so I alw ays a sk fo r receipts.
fill in (phr v) fill in a fo rm /q uestion na ire
\"fIl ÆIn\
I hat e filling in forms – there’s never eno ug h space to w rite the a nsw ers!
Further to … Further to our telephone conversat ion/our meeting
\"f‰…D´ Ætu…\
Further to our meeting I am w riting t o conf irm the d ecisions mad e.
hot-desking (n)
\ÆhÅt"deskIN\
" Hot-desking" is a metho d of w orking in which people do not h av e their ow n desk but use any d esk tha t is ava ilab le.
incoming mail (n) (opposite = outgoing mail)
\ÆInkømIN "meIl\
All incoming mail is copied by mea ns of a n electronic scanner.
journal (n) trade journal
\ÆdZ‰…nl\
Trade journals are essential read ing if you w ant to keep up with w hat’s go ing on in the industry.
contract (n) draft a co ntract d r a w u p a c o n t r a ct
translation/notes
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example sentence
1
in companyIntermediate Unit 15 headword
pronunciation
keep up (with) (phr v) (opposite = lose track of )
\Æki…p "øp “ÆwID‘\
I try to rea d a s ma ny trad e journals as possible in order to keep up with w h a t ’ s going on.
look forward to (phr v)
\ÆlUk "fO…w´d Ætu…\
I look forward to hearing from yo u soon .
multi-tasking (n)
\ÆmøltI"tA…skIN\
" Multi-tasking" means w orking o n several things at o nce.
paperwork (n) routine paperw ork
\"peIp´w‰…k\
Mana gers spend up t o a third o f t heir time in the of f ice d oing routine paperwork .
put together (phr v) put to gether a report /q uestion na ire
\ÆpUt t´"geD´\
Af ter d oing t he initial market research w e th e n try to put together a questionnaire.
record (n) keep a record of
\"rekO…d\
Remember t o keep a record of all your expenses.
reference (n) w ith reference to
\"refr´ns\
With reference to your f ax of June 3rd, I wo uld like to c onf irm that the meet ing w ill take place on Frida y June 26th.
\fUl ri…fønd\
Due to t he persistent problems w e ha v e had, I am w riting to ask f or a full refund of t he purchase price.
\Åf´ ´ ri…fø nd\
They sent a lett er of a polog y offering a 20% refund o r a f r e e u p g r a d e .
regard (n) w it h r e g a r d t o
\rI"gA…d\
I am w riting with regard to our recent mee ting in Frankfurt.
sort through (phr v)
\ÆsO…t "Tru…\
How long d oes it ta ke you to sort through your ma il?
workstation (n) sit a t a w orkstat ion
\"w‰…kÆsteISn\
Row s of people sat at their workstations answe ring phones or typing on t heir keyboards
refund (n) full refun d
offer a refund
translation/notes
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example sentence
2
in companyIntermediate Unit 16 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
aspect (n)
\"œspekt\
I think there are three main aspects to the problem.
\´"saIn\
Assign d i f f e r e n t t a s ks to different members of the team.
\"bœNkrøpt\
Wh a t w o u l d y o u d o i f y o u r so l e su p p li e r w a s a b o u t t o go bankrupt?
break down (into) (phr v)
\ÆbreIk "daUn “Intu…‘\
It ’ s a g o o d id e a t o break t h e p r o b l e m down into parts.
brainstorm (v)
\"breInstO…m\
St a f f w e r e in v it e d t o brainstorm ideas d u r in g a t e a m m e e t in g .
buy out (phr v)
\ÆbaI "aUt\
If w e bought t h e c o m p a n y out w e ’ d a l so b e t a k i n g o n a l l t h e i r d e b t s .
cashflow (n)
\"kœSfl´U\
Offering products on a sale or return basis can create cashflow problems.
\k´m"pet´tIv\
An y o n e w h o p a sse s o n i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e c o m p a n y t o c o m p e t i t o r s is d e s t r o y in g o u r competitive advantage.
\"dIskAUnt\
The p roblem w ith selling o ld stock off at a discount is tha t you risk making hug e losses.
\Æki…p "daUn\
H a r le y -D a v id s o n f o u n d t h a t i t w a s u n a b l e t o keep costs down w i t h o u t a f f e c t i n g quality.
\"leIb´\
Labour costs are fa r higher in Europe tha n in South-East Asia.
\ÆÅp´"reISn´l\
H o w l o n g d o y o u t h i n k it w o u l d t a k e t o g e t a n i n -h o u s e p ro d u c t i o n f a c i li t y operational?
a n a sp e c t t o s t h
assign (v) assign sth t o sb
bankrupt (adj) go bankrupt
b r a i n st o r m i d e a s /sugg estions
c a sh f l o w p r o b l e m s
competitive (adj) competitive advantage
discount (n) a t a d i sc o u n t
keep down (phr v) keep costs/prices dow n
labour (n) labour costs
operational (adj)
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1
in companyIntermediate Unit 16 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
outsource (v)
\"aUtsO…s\
If t h e u n i o n s h a d a c c e pt e d a l o w e r p a y o f f e r, w e w o u l d n ’ t b e outsourcing production to Asia.
\ÆpOInt ´v "seIl\
Point-of-sale promotions are o ffe red a t th e place w here custo mers physically buy a
out source sth t o sth /sb
point-of-sale (n, adj) point-of-sale promo tion (n)
example sentence
product such a s superma rket checkout s.
problem (n) problem reversal (n)
\ÆprÅbl´m rI"v‰…sl\
Problem reversal si m p ly m e a n s lo o k i n g a t a p r o b l e m in a d i f f e r e n t w a y .
problem-solving (n, adj)
\"prÅbl´mÆsÅlvIN\
H o w g o o d a r e yo u a t problem-solving?
problem-solving mee ting
\"prÅbl´mÆsÅlvIN Æmi…tIN\
Problem-solving meetings sh o u l d s t a r t w i t h c le a r o b j e ct i ve s a n d e n d w it h c le a r
\"prÅdøkt\
If yo ur product development cycle is short you can e nd up w ith old sto ck piling up i n w a r e h o u s e s.
\pr´"døkSn\
It w o u l d t a k e u s a b o u t s ix m o n t h s t o g e t o u r o w n production plant u p a n d running.
quality assurance (n)
\"kwÅl´tI ´SÆU´r´ns\
You can’t just ign ore th e te chnical side o f prod uction – you nee d t o improve your quality assurance techniques.
rescue plan (n)
\"reskju… Æplœn\
The com pan y w as in serious troub le and Richard Teerlink had to come up w ith a rescue plan f a s t .
retail outlet (n)
\"ri…teIl ÆaUtlet\
If retail outlets won’t stock our product, why don’t we sell it direct online?
reverse (v)
\rI"v‰…s\
We nee d a successful ma rketing campa ign in order to reverse the decline in sales.
\ÆseIl O… rI"t‰…n\
" Wh y n o t o f f e r t h e p r o d u ct o n a sale or return basis?" " If w e d o t h a t , i t w i l l c re a t e c a s h f lo w p r o b l e m s. "
product (n) product development (n)
production (n) prod uction fa cility/plant (n)
actions.
reverse the decline in sth
sale or return a sale or return b asis
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2
in companyIntermediate Unit 17 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
consumer (n)
\k´n"sju…m´\
Do you think that the global companies are responsible for reducing consumer choice?
\"fri…lI\
No w a d a y s , c a p it a l , g o o d s a n d l a b o u r m o v e freely across borde rs.
g loba l village (n)
\Ægl´Ubl "vIlIdZ\
D o y o u a g r e e t h a t t h e c o n ce p t o f t h e " global village" is a p ro d u c t o f t h e m e d i a ?
globalisation (n)
\Ægl´Ub´laI"zeISn\
Globalisation mea ns selling prod ucts an d services to a w orld ma rket.
globalise (v)
\"gl´Ub´ÆlaIz\
As business and t he m edia globalise, w e a l l st a r t e a t i n g t h e s a m e f o o d , w e a r i n g the same clothes etc.
globally (adv)
\"gl´Ub´lI\
MTV, th e po pular sa te llite m usic chan nel, is received in 400 million h om es globally.
growth area (n)
\"gr´UT Æe´rI´\
Globa lisation ha s resulted in new growth areas in Asia such a s La os a nd Tha ila nd .
industrialised (adj)
\In"døstrI´ÆlaIzd\
Even in industrialised countries, t h e r e is a b i g d i f f e r e n ce b e t w e e n t h e r ic h a n d t h e poor.
market economy (n)
\ÆmÅ…kIt I"kÅn´mI\
Private businesses are an important part of any country’s market economy.
market reform (n)
\ÆmA…kIt rI"fO…m\
The d ecision to speed u p market reforms ha s had a big impa ct in Sout h-East Asia.
\Æ´Up´n "øp\
D o y o u a g r e e t h a t g l o b a l isa t io n h a s t h e e f f e c t o f opening up markets and cultures t o e v e ry o n e ?
consumer choice
freely (adv)
example sentence
global (adj)
industrialised country
market (n)
open up (phr v) (oppo site = close down)
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1
in companyIntermediate Unit 18 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
business \"bIzn´s ÆløntS\
Do you e ver invite client s on business lunches?
main dish (n)
\ÆmeIn "dIS\
" Wh a t a r e y o u h a v in g a s yo u r main dish?" " I’ll have roa st chicken."
special (n)
\"speSl\
" Ar e y o u h a vin g o n e o f t h e specials?" " No, I’ll stick to t he stand ard m enu."
speciality (n)
\ÆspeSI"œl´tI\
I tried t he local speciality – octopus served in its ow n ink.
\Æw‰…k "Tru…\
D o y o u m i n d if w e work through l un c h a n d e a t l a t e r ?
business lunch (n)
local speciality (n)
work through (phr v)
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1
in companyIntermediate Unit 19 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
attachment (n)
\´"tœtSm´nt\
I’ll send the report t o yo u as an attachment.
\"breIkdaUn\
We need a detailed breakdown of costs for the whole project.
\"bIzn´s kÅrIÆspÅnd´ns\ \"bIzn´s Ælet´\
Tra dit ion a lly, lly, business correspondence h a s a l w a y s b e e n v e r y f o r m a l .
as an att achment
breakdown (n) a d e t a i le d b r e a k d o w n o f
business (n) business correspondence (n) business letter (n)
If I’m e-ma e-ma iling iling someo ne I don ’t know , my e-ma e-ma il looks prett prett y much like like a sta nda rd
business letter. communication (n)
\k´Æmju…nI"keISn\
E-ma il is a more sponta neo us medium of communication t h a n t h e t r a d i t io io n a l bu siness siness lett er.
electronic organiser (n)
\ÆIlekÆtrÅnIk "O…g´naIz´\
The un ified ified messag messag ing service service allow s me to pick pick up all my messag messag es throug h my electronic organiser.
file (n)
\faIl\
e-mails on file file? D o y o u keep your e-mails
inbox (n)
\"InbÅks\
The un ified m essa essa g ing service service directs all my e-ma e-ma ils, ils, voice messag es and fa xes into a c e n t r a l inbox.
itemise (v)
\"aIt´mÆaIz\
ised on t he bill. All costs are fully itemised bill.
laptop (n)
\"lœptÅp\
I p r e p a r e d t h e r e p o r t o n t h e laptop d u r in in g t h e f l ig ig h t .
management consultancy (n)
\ÆmœnIdZm´nt k´n"sølt´nsI\
They w ork for a to p management consultancy i n Lo Lo n d o n a n d h a v e lo lo t s o f f a m o u s clients.
messaging
\"mesIdZIN\
For $25 $25 per mon th, yo u can subscri subscribe be to a messaging service that sends all your messag messag es to a central in-bo in-bo x.
medium of communication communication
keep sth on file file
fully itemised
messaging service This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. © M acmillan acmillan Publishers Publishers Limi ted 2003.
1
in companyIntermediate Unit 19 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
negotiate (v)
\nI"g´USIÆeIt\
Estimates would give us more room to negotiate on fees.
\pOInt\
The th ing I lik likee a bo ut e-mails e-mails is tha t t hey’re not to o f orma l and yo u can get straight to the point.
\pr´"p´Uzl\
Tw o o f ou r top consultant s are putting together a proposal f o r a m a j o r n e w c li lie n t .
response time (n)
\rI"spÅns ÆtaIm\
Th e response time t o m a n y o f m y e -m -m a i l s i s t o d a y , n o t t o m o r rro ow or next w eek.
schedule (n)
\"Sedju…l\
n e g o t i a t e o n p r ic ic e /co st s/f ee s
point (n) g e t st r a i g h t t o t h e p o i n t
proposal (n) p u t t o g e t h e r a p r o p o sa sa l
J o n a t h a n i s u n d e r a l o t o f p r e ss ssu r e f r o m h e a d o f f i c e t o g e t t h e p r o p o sa sa l in in on
schedule.
on sched sched ule
send on (phr v)
\Æsend "Ån\
I’m sending your e-mail on t o h e a d o f f ic ic e. e.
server (n)
\"s‰…v´\
Sorry fo r the de lay in in ge tt ing ba ck to yo u. The server’s b e e n d o w n a g a i n .
think through (phr v)
\ÆTINk "Tru…\
Some e-mails are really badly written – you can tell that people are thinking
through w h a t t h e y w a n t t o sa y a s t h e y w r itit e . transmit (v)
\trœnz"mIt\
E-ma ils ils and o the r forms of digitally transmitted data w i llll so so o n b e c o m e m o r e c o m m o n t h a n p h o n e c a l ls ls.
voice mail (n)
\"vOIs ÆmeIl\
voice mail – yo In som som e w a ys, e-ma e-ma il is similar similar to voice yo u ’ r e t a l k in in g t h r o u g h a c o m p u t e r keyboard instead of a phone.
voice voice m essag essag e (n)
\"vOIs "mesIdZ\
The unified me ssag ssag ing service service directs a ll my e-ma e-ma ils, ils, voice messages a n d f a x e s in in t o a central inbox.
d i g i t a l ly ly t r a n s m it it t e d d a t a
voice (n)
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2
in companyIntermediate Unit 20 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
bargain (n)
\"bA…g´n\
D o n ’ t b e t e m p t e d t o e n t e r t h e bargaining phase t o o so o n .
bluechip company (n)
\"blu…tSIp Ækømp´nI\
Famo us foot ba ll clubs clubs such such as Manchester United a nd Real Mad rid rid ma ke profits bluechip companies companies w ould envy. m a n y bluechip envy.
concession (n)
\k´n"seSn\
D o n ’ t make a n y concessions w i t h o u t a sk in in g f o r s o m e t h i n g i n r e t u r n .
bargaining phase (n)
make concessions
corporate image (n)
\ÆkO…pr´t "ImIdZ\
Manchester United is a multinational corporation with a very strong corporate
image. counter-proposal (n)
\"kaUnt´pr´Æp´Uzl\
D u r in in g t h e b a r g a i n in in g p h a se y o u c a n make y o u r counter-proposals.
fall-back position (n)
\"fO…lbœk p´"zISn\
Yo u n e e d t o k n o w w h a t y o u r fall-back fall-back position position i s i f y o u d o n ’ t r e a c h a n a g r e e m e n t .
market value (n)
\"mA…kIt Ævœlju…\
The club h a s a market value value of over £110 million.
merchandising outlet (n)
\"m‰…tS´nÆdaIsIN ÆaUtlet\
Manchester United merchandis exist in in places as far a w ay a s Hong Hong Kong rchandising ing outlets exist and Sydney.
money-making industry (n)
\"mønImeIkIn ÆIndøstrI\
money-making industry industry. Fo o t b a l l t o d a y is is a h u g e money-ma
n e g o t i a t e t e r ms ms
\nI"g´USIeIt Æt‰…mz\
The job o f a player’s player’s age nt is to negotiate terms w i t h c lu lu b s w h o w a n t t o b u y t h a t player.
n e g o t i a t i n g t a b l e (n (n )
\nI"g´USIeItIN ÆteIbl\
make a counter-proposal
negotiate (v)
It ’ s a g o o d i d e a t o d e c id id e i n a d v a n c e a t w h a t p o i n t y o u w i ll ll w a l k a w a y f r o m t h e
negotiating negotiating table table. neg ot iation t actics (n pl)
\nI"g´USIeISn ÆtœktIkz\
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D o z e n s o f b o o k s h a v e b e e n w r it it t e n o n negotiation negotiation tactics.
1
in companyIntermediate Unit 20 headword w i n -w -w i n n e g o t i a t i o n
n e g o t i a t o r (n (n )
offer (n)
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
\"wIn-wIn ÆnIg´USIeISn\
Win-win negotiation negotiation m e a n s t h a t b o t h s id id e s g e t so so m e t h i n g o u t o f t h e n e g o t i a t i o n
\nI"g´USIeIt´\
An experienced negotiator sp e n d s t im im e g e t t i n g t o k n o w t h e p e o p l e h e o r sh sh e i s dealing with.
\"Åf´\
process.
A common t actic in in neg ot iations is is to t ry and shock your oppo nent w ith your
opening opening offer.
opening o ffer (n)
position (n) opening position position (n)
\"´Up´nIN Æp´"zISn\
opening position position is your initial offer o r price Your opening price o r w ha tever. tever.
target position (n)
\"tA…get Æp´"zISn\
target position position is w ha t yo u’re realisticall Your target realisticallyy a imi iming ng for.
w alk-aw alk-aw ay po sition sition (n)
\"wOÜk ´weI Æp´"zISn\
walk-away position position i s t h e p o i n t a t w h i ch Your walk-away ch y o u w a l k a w a y f r o m t h e negotiating table.
sponsorship deal (n)
\"spÅns´SIp Ædi…l\
Top fo ot ba ll clubs clubs can can ea rn a lot of m oney t hroug h sponsorship deals deals.
stock market (n)
\"stÅk ÆmA…kIt\
Man chester chester United ha d a succes successful sful stock stock market rket flotation in 1991.
stock market flotation
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2
e t a i d e m r e t n i r e p p U
y n a p m o c n i
Welcome to the in company Upper intermediate Wordlist! What information does the in company Upper intermediate Wordlist give you? • a summary of key words and phrases from each unit of in company Upper intermediate Student’s Student’s Book • pronunciation of keywords and phrases • sample sentences showing the words and phrases in context • common collocations, expressions and idioms using the key words • also included are opposites and American English equivalents Abbreviations used in the Wordlist (v) (ad (adj) (n)
verb adje adject ctiive noun
(phr v) phrasal verb (n pl) plural noun (adv) adverb
(conj) sb sth
conjunction somebody something
VOWELS AND DIPHTHONGS I / / / / i…i / …/ / U / u / / u… …/ / e / ´ / / ‰ / / ‰… …/ O / / O… …/ / œ / ø / /
big fi fish gree green n bea beans ns shoul should d loo look k blue blue moon oon ten eggs about mother moth er learn earn wor words ds shor shortt tal talk k fat ca cat must co come
bIg fIS / / bIg gri:n bi :nz / / gri SUd / lUk / blu: mu:n / / blu /ten egz / ) / ´baUt møD´(r / / l‰:n w‰ :dz / / l‰ SO / :t tO:k / fœt kœt / / fœt / møst køm / / møst
A / / A… …/ / Å / I´ / / I´ eI / / eI / U´ / / U´ OI / / OI / ´U / / e´ / / e´ a / I / / aI aU / / aU
calm alm star startt hot spo spot ear face pure boy nose hair eye mouth outh
kA:m stA: / / kA t/ hÅt spÅt / / hÅt / I´(r / ) / / I´ feIs / / feIs pjU´(r / ) / / pjU´ ) / bOI(r / / bOI n´Uz / / n´Uz ) / he´(r / / he´ a / I / / aI maU∏ / / maU∏
/ s / / z / S / / / Z / / m / / n / / N / / h / / / l/ r / / r / w / j / / /
snake nois noise shop shop meas measure make nine sing sing house leg red wet yes
/sneIk / nOIz / / nOIz SÅp / / ) / /meZ´ (r / /meIk / naIn / / naIn sIN / / sIN /haUs / leg / / leg red / / red wet / / wet / jes / /
CONSONANTS / p / / b / / / t/ / d / tS / / tS dZ / / dZ / k / / g / f / / f / v / / ∏ / / D /
pen bad tea dog chur church ch jazz cost girl far voice thin thin then then
pen / / pen bœd / / bœd ti:/ / ti dÅg / / dÅg tS‰:tS / / tS‰ /dZœz / /kÅst / / /g‰: / l/ ) / / fa fa:(r / /vOIs / ∏In / / ∏In Den / / Den
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(Am E) American English (Br E) British English
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 3 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
blow your chances (of)
\Æbl´U j´ "tSA…ns´z “´v‘\
After the deal had fallen through, he knew he’d blown his chances of a salary increase.
bonus (n)
\"b´Un´s\
His salary was £50,000 a year but his bonuses were triple that.
business (n) run a business
\"bIzn´s\ \Ærøn ´ "bIzn´s\
Running a business requires a lot of determination and hard work.
collapse (n) the collapse of
\k´"lœps\ \D´ k´"lœps ´v\
come to nothing
\Ækøm t´ "nøTIN\
debt (n) crippling debts (n pl)
\det\ \ÆkrIplIN "dets\
Nick Leeson was at the centre of the scandal surrounding the collapse of Barings Bank. After months of discussions the proposed merger finally came to nothing.
Burdened with crippling debts, Barings was finally bought by the Dutch IMNG Bank for the sum of one pound.
heavy debts (n pl)
\ÆhevI "dets\
Many students leave university with heavy debts.
mounting debts (n pl)
\ÆmaUntIN "dets\
Leeson carefully hid his mounting debts in an account called Error Losses 88888.
outstanding debts (n pl)
\aUtÆstœndIN "dets\
All outstanding debts should be paid off immediately.
environmentally friendly (adj)
\InÆvaI´r´Æment´lI "frendlI\
Do you think investment in environmentally friendly, less exploitative products makes the world a better place?
ethical investment (n)
\ÆeTIk´l In"vestm´nt\
Ethical investment is investment in products that are environmentally friendly and non-exploitative.
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1
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 3 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
exploitative (adj) (opposite = non-exploitative)
\Ik"splOIt´tIv\
Exploitative businesses are those which make money by selling products such as cigarettes, alcohol and arms.
fall through (phr v) (opposite = go through)
\ÆfO…l "Tru…\
The deal fell through after the government rejected the company’s bid.
get on (phr v)
\Æget "Ån\
How important is it to you to get on in your career?
go through (phr v) (opposite = fall through)
\Æg´U "Tru…\
Negotiations seemed to be successful so we’re all hoping the deal will go through.
investment (n) investment fund (n)
\In"vestm´nt\ \In"vestm´nt Æfønd\
Vice Fund is the first investment fund not afraid to describe itself as ‘politically incorrect’.
\ÆsaUnd In"vestm´nt\
The increasing value of property makes it a sound investment.
investor (n)
\In"vest´\
Over the last few years many investors have lost a fortune on the stock exchange.
land (v) land a job
\lœnd\ \Ælœnd ´ "dZÅb\
After leaving school, Leeson landed a job with Coutts bank in the City of London.
lose (v) lose your touch
\lu…z\ \Ælu…z j´ "tøtS\
make your mark (in)
\ÆmeIk j´ "mA…k “In‘\
Microsoft have certainly made their mark in the computer software industry.
non-starter (n)
\ÆnÅn"stA…t´\
Frankly as a business proposition, it’s a non-starter.
pay off (phr v)
\ÆpeI "Åf\
Many ‘green’ investments have paid off very well in the last ten years, often outperforming less ethically sound stocks.
sound investment (n)
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After the markets did a U-turn, Leeson seemed to lose his touch and the speculative losses built up.
2
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 3 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
potential (n) potential for growth
\p´"tenS´l\ \p´ÆtenS´l f´ "gr´UT\
pull sth off (phr v)
\ÆpUl sømTIN "Åf\
We nearly managed to get the contract but just failed to pull it off.
recession (n)
\rI"seS´n\
Sales of alcohol and cigarettes always increase in times of recession.
revenues (n pl)
\"rev´nju…z\
A lot of the companies that people invest in derive a significant portion of their revenues from products considered socially irresponsible.
savings (n pl)
\"seIvINz\
My advice would be to invest your savings in property rather than in the stock exchange.
soundness (n) (opposite = instability) financial soundness
\"saUndn´s\ \f´ÆnœnS´l "saUndn´s\
Consider carefully the financial soundness of companies you are thinking of investing in.
the stock exchange (n)
\D´ "stÅk IksÆtSeIndZ\
Many investors have lost a fortune on the stock exchange in recent years.
U-turn (n) do a U-turn
\"ju…t‰…n\ \"du… ´ ju…t‰…n\
In 1994 the markets did a U-turn and Leeson seemed to lose his touch.
work (v) work your way up (from)
\w‰…k\ \Æw‰…k j´ weI "øp fr´m\
He worked his way up from the very bottom to become Barings’ top currency trader at the Singapore office.
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example sentence
Companies are selected according to their financial soundness and potential for growth.
3
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 4 headword
pronunciation
attention (n) command attention
\´"tenS´n\ \k´ÆmA…nd ´"tenS´n\
draw (sb’s) attention (to)
\ÆdrO… “sømb´dIz‘ ´"tenS´n “tu…‘\
I’d particularly like to draw your attention to the chart on the screen.
\´"tenS´n Æspœn\
The attention span of the average audience member is 12.5 seconds.
\"O…dI´ns\ \ÆO…dI´ns "memb´\
The attention span of the average audience member is 12.5 seconds.
audience recall (n)
\ÆO…dI´ns "ri…kO…l\
Using visuals in your talk will improve audience recall by 400%.
business audience (n)
\"bIzn´s ÆO…dI´ns\
Cambridge Associates is a training company that helps people give presentations to business audiences.
attention span (n) audience (n) audience member (n)
translation/notes
example sentence
Your appearance and the way you speak are important factors in commanding an audience’s attention.
background (n) give sb some of the background (to)
\"bœkgraUnd\ \ÆgIv sømb´dI s´m ´v D´ "bœkgraUnd “tu…‘\
body language (n)
\"bÅdI ÆlœNgwIdZ\
Your talk was excellent and your body language projected strength and confidence.
bullet-pointed (adj)
\"bUl´tÆpOInt´d\
Bullet-pointed lists can help you make your point effectively but using too many of them is boring.
deadline (n) miss a deadline
\"dedlaIn\ \ÆmIs ´ "dedlaIn\
Miss this deadline and you’ll lose the biggest client this company’s ever had.
delivery (n)
\dI"lIv´rI\
Your ‘delivery’, or the way you speak, is as important as the words themselves.
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I’d just like to give you some of the background to what I’m about to say.
1
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 4 headword
pronunciation
face-to-face (adj) face-to-face debate/ negotiation etc
\ÆfeIst´"feIs\ \ÆfeIst´ÆfeIs dI"beIt\nIÆg´USI"eIS´n\
flipchart (n)
\"flIptSA…t\
A flipchart consists of large sheets of paper, paper, attached at the top, that you write things on when talking to a group of people.
\"flu…´nt\
A fluent and confident speaker can easily command the attention of an audience.
\"hœndaUt\ \"hœndaUt\
A good piece of advice is not to give your audience any handouts until you’ve finished speaking.
\"hez´t´nt\
Hesitant speakers fail to interest or convince their audience.
impact (n) loss of impact (n)
\"Impœkt\ \ÆlÅs ´v "Impœkt\
Too many visuals can result in a loss of impact. impact.
(be) neck and neck
\“bI‘ Ænek ´n "nek\
Nixon and Kennedy were neck and neck in the polls, with 47% of the vote each.
non-verbal (adj) (opposite = verbal) non-verbal body language/gestures
\ÆnÅn"v‰…b´l\ \ÆnÅn"v‰…b´l\ \nÅnÆv‰…b´l \nÅnÆv‰…b´l "bÅdI ÆlœNgwIdZ\"dZestS´z\
Remember that your use of non-verbal gestures has a big impact on your audience.
overhead (n)
\"´Uv´hed\
An overhead is a picture or a piece of writing that you show to people using an overhead projector.
personnel (n) sales personnel (n)
\Æp‰…s´"nel\ \"seIlz p‰…s´Ænel\
fluent (adj) (opposite =
example sentence
The face-to-face presidential debate took place on television on September 26, 1960.
hesitant)
handout (n)
hesitant (adj) (opposite =
translation/notes
fluent)
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Do you think sales personnel earn higher commission if they’re good-looking?
2
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 4 headword
pronunciation
perspective (n) put sth into perspective
\p´"spektIv\ \ÆpUt sømTINÆInt´ p´"spektIv\
point out (phr v) I’d like to point out that …
\ÆpOInt "aUt\
PowerPoint (n)
\"paU´ÆpOInt\ \"paU´ÆpOInt\
presence (n) natural presence (n)
\"prez´ns\ \ÆnœtS´r´l "prez´ns\
presentation (n) attend a presentation
\Æprez´n"teIS´n\ \Æprez´n"teIS´n\ \´Ætend ´ Æprez´n"teIS´n\
Tina’s boss attended her presentation in order to give her feedback on her performance.
\ÆgIv\ÆmeIk ´ Æprez´n"teIS´n\
We’re giving a presentation to a big Taiwanese client and it’s important that it goes well.
process (v)
\"pr´Uses\
The human brain processes images 400,000 times faster than text.
project (v) project confidence/ strength etc
\pr´"dZekt\ \pr´ÆdZekt "kÅnf´d´ns\"streNT\
It’s important that your body language projects confidence and strength. strength.
pull ahead (phr v) (opposite = fall
\ÆpUl ´"hed\
In the all-important opinion polls, Kennedy pulled ahead. ahead.
\slaId\
A slide is a small piece of film in a frame that you shine light through to show the image on a screen.
give/make a presentation
slide (n)
translation/notes
example sentence
To put this into some kind of perspective for you, this is the first time we’ve failed to achieve our sales targets in two years.
I’d like to point out that unemployment in the area has gone down in the last six months. PowerPoint is a piece of software enabling you to create your own visuals for meetings and presentations. Your appearance, body language and the way you speak are all part of your natural presence. presence.
back)
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3
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 4 headword
pronunciation
speaker (n)
\"spi…k´\
Good speakers need to have ‘self-belief’, that is to say confidence and assurance.
underline (v)
\Æønd´"laIn\
A word can be emphasized and a thought underlined by silence.
\Æbi… "øp\
Net profits are up 97% – yes, 97%.
\"v‰…b´l\
How much of the impression that speakers make on their audience is verbal, verbal, as opposed to visual?
\"v‰…b´l ÆskIlz\
Nixon’s verbal skills were superior to Kennedy’s Kennedy’s but he lacked visual appeal.
visual (adj) visual appeal (n)
\"vIZU´l\ \ÆvIZU´l ´"pi…l\
The Nixon-Kennedy debate was the classic case of verbal skills versus visual appeal. appeal.
visuals (n pl)
\"vIZU´lz\
Visuals, Visuals, such as videos, overheads and PowerPoint, help to command the attention of your audience.
vocal (adj)
\"v´Uk´l\
38% of the total impression speakers make on an audience is ‘vocal ‘ vocal’’ (how they sound).
voice (n) high-pitched/low voice
\vOIs\ \ÆhaIpItSt\Æl´U "vOIs\
be up (opposite =
translation/notes
example sentence
be down)
verbal (adj)
verbal skills (n pl)
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
Research has shown that people prefer low voices to high-pitched ones.
4
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 5 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
account (n) debit sb’s account
\´"kaUnt\ \ÆdebIt Æsømb´dIz ´"kaUnt\
alternative (n) have no alternative but to
\O…l"t‰…n´tIv\ \hœvÆ n´U O…l"t‰…n´tIv Æbøt tu…\
assistance (n) be of assistance (to sb)
\´"sIst´ns\ \Æbi… ´v ´"sIst´ns “t´Æ sømb´dI‘\
Glad to be of assistance. Is there anything else I can help you with?
authorised (adj) (not) be authorised to do sth
\"O…T´raIzd\ \Æ“nÅt‘ bi… "O…T´raIzd t´ Ædu… ÆsømTIN\
We’re not authorised to give refunds, I’m afraid.
caller (n)
\"kO…l´\
The article on p. 26 is about dealing with unwanted callers on the phone.
case (n) I hope this is not the case.
\keIs\ \aI Æh´Up DIs IzÆ nÅt D´ "keIs\
I realise you may not have made a start on the report yet but I hope this is not the case.
check with (phr v)
\"tSekÆ wID\
disgrace (n) be an utter disgrace
\dIs"greIs\ \bi… ´n Æøt´ dIs"greIs\
foul up (phr v) foul things up
\ÆfaUl "øp\ \ÆfaUl TINz "øp\
get down to business
\get ÆdaUn t´ "bIzn´s\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
I notice that you had no problem debiting our account for $15,000.
If we don’t get delivery of the shirts within 48 hours, I shall have no alternative but to hand the matter over to our legal department.
‘Is there any chance of sending anyone else out here?’’‘I’ll check with Liz and see if she can spare Kim for a few days.’ You haven’t even sent an email explaining why the order’s taking so long to arrive. utter disg disgrac race e. It’s an utter If you carry on fouling things up, your job could be in danger. Let’s stop wasting time and get down to business.
1
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 5 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
get hold of
\get "h´Uld ´v\
Can you get hold of the organisers and tell them we’ll set the stand up tomorrow at 7am?
get in touch
\Æget In "tøtS\
Mobile phones make it possible to get in touch whenever you want, wherever you want.
get on (phr v)
\Æget "Ån\
‘I’ll let you get on’ is a polite way of telling someone you want to end a phone conversation.
get on to (phr v)
\get "Ån tu…\
‘It might help to have a Polish interpreter.’ ‘OK, I’ll get on to that right away.’
get round to (phr v)
\get "raUnd tu…\
I’ve been too busy to get round to typing up the report.
get to the point
\Æget t´ D´ "pOint\
Some people can take a long time to get to the point when they’re chatting on the phone.
get together (phr v)
\Æget t´"geD´\
It’s been great talking to you. We must get together soon.
hand over (phr v)
\Æhœnd "´Uv´\
If we don’t receive the delivery within 48 hours, I’ll be handing the matter over to our legal department.
happen (v) happen to have/know etc
\"hœpn\ \Æhœpn t´ "hœv\"n´U\
Do you happen to have a phone number for the promotions people?
just this minute
\ÆdZnst DIs "mIn´t\
I’ll have to go. Someone’s just this minute stepped into the office.
keep (v) I mustn’t keep you.
\ki…p\ \aI Æmøs´nt "ki…p ju…\
logo (n) company logo (n)
\"l´Ug´U\ \Ækømp´nI "l´Ug´U\
look into sth (phr v)
\lUk "Int´ sømTIN\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
‘I mustn’t keep you’ is a polite way of letting someone know you want to end a phone conversation. We ordered 6,000 polo shirts with our company logo on. ‘Did you order a reprint of the Polish brochures?’ ‘I’ll look into it the minute I get off the phone.’ 2
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 5 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
make yourself clear
\ÆmeIk j´self "klI´\
point (n) Is there any point (in) …?
\pOInt\ \ÆIz De´ enI "pOInt\
positive note (n) end sth on a positive note
\"pÅz´tIv Æn´Ut\ \Æend sømTIN Ån ´ "pÅz´tIv Æn´Ut\
probationary period (n)
\pr´"beIS´nrI Æ"pI´rI´d\
progress (n) make progress (on)
\"pr´Ugres\ \meIk "pr´Ugres Ån\
Are you making any progress on the Samsung report or not?
promotional product (n)
\pr´Æm´US´n´l "prÅdøkt\
A promotional product is one that advertises a company or organization and often has a logo or the name of the company printed on it.
reach (v) reach sb on the phone
\ri…tS\ \Æri…tS sømb´dI Ån D´ "f´Un\
I’ve tried calling several times but unfortunately I’ve been unable to reach him on the phone.
refund (n) give (sb) a refund
\"ri…fønd\ \ÆgIv sømb´dI ´ "ri…fønd\
We’re unable to give refunds, I’m afraid, but we could send you a replacement.
rumour (n) There’s a rumour going about …
\"ru…m´\ \De´z ´ "ru…m´ g´UIN ´ÆbaUt ...\
There’s a rumour going about of a possible merger between the two companies.
start (n) make a start (on)
\stA…t\ \ÆmeIk ´ "stA…t “Ån‘\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
I shall be contacting our legal department unless I hear from you within 48 hours. I hope I’ve made myself clear. Is there any point in sending the Russian brochures?
It’s important to try and end phone calls on a positive note.
A probationary period is the initial period that someone spends doing a job that shows whether they are suitable for the post.
I’ve not even had time to make a start on the report yet.
3
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 5 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
state (v) state your business
\steIt\ \ÆsteIt j´ "bIzn´s\
strategy (n)
\"strœt´dZI\
Which strategy do you normally use for ending a phone conversation when you’re busy?
termination (n)
\Æt‰…m´"neIS´n\
Phone call termination can be difficult, especially with hardened ‘chatterers’!
type up (phr v) type up a report/ paper/presentation
\ÆtaIp "øp\ \ÆtaIp øp ´ "rIpO…t\"peIp´\ "pres´nteISn\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
To avoid wasting time, try to state your business as soon as possible during the conversation.
How long do you think it will take to type up that report?
4
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 6 headword
pronunciation
action plan (n) draw up/work out an action plan
\"œkS´n Æplœn\ \drO… Æøp\w‰…k ÆaUt ´n "œkS´n Æplœn\
agenda (n) hidden agenda
\´"dZend´\ \ÆhIdn ´"dZend´\
translation/notes
example sentence
It’s important to draw up an action plan so that we all know what we’re doing.
A hidden agenda is a secret reason for doing something because it will bring you an advantage.
item on the agenda
\ÆaIt´m Ån DI ´"dZend´\
It’s time we moved on to the next item on the agenda.
set an agenda
\Æset ´n ´"dZend´\
Once you’ve set an agenda for your meeting, try to stick to it.
stick to an agenda
\ÆstIk tu… ´n ´"dZend´\
Meetings within our department tend to stick strictly to the agenda and are highly focused.
business (n) business plan (n)
business school (n)
\"bIzn´s\ \"bIzn´s Æplœn\
\"bIzn´s Æsku…l\
Timeofyourlife.com is based on an interesting business plan – ordinary people buying a kind of timeshare in luxury goods. Jeff is in charge of in-company training at a prestigious business school in the United States.
capitalist (adj) capitalist values (n pl)
\"kœp´tlIst\ \Ækœp´tlIst "vœlju…z\
chairperson (n)
\"tSe´p‰…s´n\
Discuss the following topic: ‘Does a meeting need a chairperson?’
check up on (phr v)
\tSek "øp Ån\
There’s a rumour that the company is planning to check up on employees using PC monitoring software and CCTV.
come back to (phr v)
\køm "bœk tu…\
We’ll come back to this point later if we’ve got time.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
People in business are highly geared towards capitalist values but they need to understand that there are other ways of seeing the world.
1
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 6 headword
pronunciation
communication (n) communication barrier (n)
\k´Æmju…nI"keIS´n\ \k´Æmju…nI"keIS´n ÆbœrI´\
translation/notes
communication breakdown (n) \k´Æmju…nI"keIS´n ÆbreIkdaUn\
example sentence
Communication barriers are often caused by hierarchies in the workplace.
Misunderstandings or ‘communication breakdowns’ are especially common between people from different cultures.
computer surveillance (n)
\k´mÆpju…t´ s´"veIl´ns\
Computer surveillance could help to identify employees who access games and websites during company time.
conference room (n)
\"kÅnfr´ns Æru…m\
The meeting will take place in Conference Room 7 on the top floor.
conflict (n) area of conflict (n)
\"kÅnflIkt\ \Æe´rI´ ´v "kÅnflIkt\
Try to anticipate and avoid areas of conflict during your meetings.
consensus (n) reach a consensus
\k´n"sens´s\ \Æri…tS ´ k´n"sens´s\
If a group of people reach a consensus about something, they all agree on it.
cutting-edge (adj) \ÆkøtIN"edZ\ (opposite = old-fashioned) deliberate (over) (v)
\dI"lIb´reIt “Æ´Uv´‘\
device (n) hand-held device
\dI"vaIs\ \Æhœndheld dI"vaIs\
diplomacy (n)
\dI"pl´Um´sI\
dominate (v) dominate a discussion
\"dÅmIneIt\ \ÆdÅmIneIt ´ dI"skøS´n\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
Cutting-edge technology or procedures are the most modern and advanced available. If you deliberate over something, you think very carefully about it before making a decision. John Clarkson and his colleagues plan to develop a hand-held device that will produce results on DNA samples within minutes. Diplomacy involves listening to what other people are saying whether you agree with them or not. A good chairperson should not allow the same people to dominate the discussion all the time.
2
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 6 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
electronic tagging device (n)
\IÆlekÆtrÅnIk "tœgIN dIÆvaIs\
e-mail (n) track e-mails
\"I…meIl\ \Ætrœk "i…meIlz\
employee (n) employee monitoring (n)
\Im"plOIi…\ \ImÆplOIi… "mÅn´trIN\
executive (n) executive training (n)
\Ig"zekj´tIv\ \IgÆzekj´tIv "treInIN\
fill sb in (on) (phr v)
\ÆfIl sømb´dI "In “Ån‘\
Luis is going to start by filling us in on some of the background.
focus on (phr v)
\"f´Uk´s ÆÅn\
It’s important for us all to focus on the key issues.
follow-up task (n) assign follow-up tasks
\ÆfÅl´Uøp "tA…sk\ \´ÆsaIn ÆfÅl´Uøp "tA…sks\
I’m going to assign a follow-up task to everyone present.
Some people are worried that electronic tagging devices or even implants could be used to monitor employee activity.
New software programmes make it possible for your boss to track e-mails on your company computer. Most employee monitoring in the workplace is perfectly legal and happens more often than you realize. Gay Haskins is head of executive training at London Business School.
\praIÆÅr´taIz ÆfÅl´Uøp "tA…sks\
We need to prioritise the follow-up tasks carefully.
\dZ´ÆnetIk "pr´UfaIl\
Genetic profiles could be used to screen potential employees for health problems, but are they ethical?
genetic screening (n)
\dZ´ÆnetIk "skri…nIN\
Are you for or against the idea of genetic screening for prospective employees?
genetic test/testing (n)
\dZ´ÆnetIk "test\"testIN\
A technology is being developed that will allow employers to carry out genetic tests on job candidates.
\get "sta…t´d\
OK, let’s get started, shall we?
prioritise follow-up tasks genetic (adj) genetic profile (n)
get started
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
3
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 6 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
go with (phr v) (opposite = reject)
\"g´U ÆwID\
I liked your suggestion best, Jenny – I think I’m going to go with it.
goal (n) establish/define goals
\g´Ul\ \IÆstœblIS\dIÆfaIn "g´Ulz\
An effective chairperson should start by establishing the main goals of the meeting.
group-think (n)
\"gru…pTINk\
‘Group-think’ is a term which describes the need for a group of people to agree at all costs.
implant (n)
\"ImplA…nt\
Electronic tagging devices or even implants could be used to monitor employee activity.
in-company training (n)
\ÆInkømp´nI "treInIN\
She’s in charge of in-company training at one of the UK’s leading business schools.
incorporate (v) (opposite = exclude)
\In"kO…p´reIt\
Try to incorporate other people’s ideas into your own thinking.
issue (n) key issue (n)
\"ISu…\ \Æki… "ISu…\
Genetic screening is fast becoming a key issue in the recruitment of employees.
job (n) job prospect (n)
\dZÅb\ \"dZÅb ÆprÅspekt\
Should genetic tests decide job prospects?
leading authority (n)
\Æli…dIN O…"TÅr´tI\
management (n) management skill (n)
\"mœnIdZm´nt\ \"mœnIdZm´nt ÆskIl\
meeting (n) democratic meeting (n)
\mi…tIN\ \dem´ÆkrœtIk "mi…tIN\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
Michael Begeman is a leading authority on one of the world’s most universal rituals – the meeting. Executives go to business school in order to improve their management skills.
‘Democratic meetings’ are ones in which all employees, from junior management upwards, get a chance to act as chairperson.
4
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 6 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
lead a meeting
\Æli…d ´ "mi…tIN\
The person who leads a meeting is called a chairperson.
mobile meeting (n)
\Æm´UbaIl "mi…tIN\
‘Mobile meetings’ can be held anywhere – in the elevator or even in a local café!
non-stop meeting (n)
\ÆnÅnstÅp "mi…tIN\
A ‘non-stop meeting’ is one in which people spend their whole day working around an enormous central table.
recreational meeting (n)
\rekrIÆeIS´nl "mi…tIN\
A ‘recreational meeting’ is one in which staff can meet in a ‘park area’ in the middle of the building.
virtual meeting (n)
\Æv‰…tSU´l "mi…tIN\
In a ‘virtual meeting’ people sit at work stations and communicate with each other using the latest software.
miniaturise (v)
\"mIn´tS´ÆraIz\
Clarkson and his colleagues plan to miniaturise a device that will produce DNA results within 30 minutes.
monitor (v)
\"mÅn´t´\
Businesses have a lot of good reasons for monitoring workers, including preventing workplace crime and protecting company secrets.
overrun (n)
\"´Uv´Ærøn\
I’d like to speed things up bit in our meetings so that we can avoid overruns.
pager (n)
\"peIdZ´\
A pager is a small portable piece of equipment that makes a noise when someone is trying to contact you.
point of view (n)
\ÆpOInt ´v "vju…\
It might be useful at this stage to summarise the points of view we’ve heard so far.
point-scoring (n)
\"pOIntÆskO…rIN\
‘Point-scoring’ is the process of attempting to gain an advantage over your colleagues.
preparation (n) inadequate preparation
\Æprep´"reIS´n\ \InÆœd´kw´t Æprep´"reIS´n\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
Inadequate preparation for a meeting can result in a lot of wasted time.
5
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 6 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
privacy (n) invasion of privacy
\"prIv´sI\ \InÆveIZ´n ´v "prIv´sI\
In your view, do some of the methods used to monitor employees constitute an invasion of privacy?
rank (n) pull rank
\rœNk\ \ÆpUl "rœNk\
When people pull rank they use their status to get what they want.
reality (n) come close to reality
\ri…"œl´tI\
recruiter (n)
\rI"kru…t´\
Recruiters could be faced with difficult decisions in the event of poor DNA results.
run sb through sth (phr v)
\Ærøn sømb´dI "Tru…\
I’m not sure I’ve understood. Run me through that again.
scenario (n) scary/difficult etc scenario
\s´"nA…rI´U\ \Æske´rI\ÆdIfIk´lt s´"nA…rI´U\
Developments in the field of genetic testing mean that job recruiters could soon be facing a rather scary scenario.
seating arrangements (n pl)
\"si…tIN ´ÆreIndZm´nts\
Seating arrangements have a powerful influence on what happens during meetings.
security equipment (n)
\sIÆkjU´r´tI I"kwIpm´nt\
A meeting was held to discuss the introduction of surveillance and electronic security equipment to check up on employees.
sidetracked (adj) (opposite = focused) get sidetracked
\"saIdtrœkt\
speed up (phr v) (opposite = slow down) speed things up
\Æspi…d "øp\
Use of DNA tests at interview is a scary scenario that is coming closer to reality.
\Æget "saIdtrœkt\
\Æspi…d TINz "øp\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
We seem to be getting sidetracked – let’s try and focus on the key issues.
Perhaps we could speed things up a bit – we are rather short of time.
6
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 6 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
teamwork (n)
\"ti…mw‰…k\
Teamwork involves working with a group of people to achieve something.
time wasting (n)
\"taIm ÆweIstIN\
Sending private e-mails and accessing websites are two of the biggest causes of time wasting in the UK.
track (v) track e-mails/ phone calls etc
\trœk\ \Ætrœk "i…meIlz\"f´Un kO…lz\
troublemaker (n)
\"trøb´lmeIk´\
Troublemakers, in other words people who persistently cause problems in meetings, should be disciplined.
turn down (phr v) (opposite = accept)
\Æt‰…n "daUn\
How would you feel if you were turned down for a job because you failed a DNA test?
video camera (n) wireless video camera (n)
\"vIdI´U Ækœmr´\ \ÆwaI´l´s "vIdI´U Ækœmr´\
workplace (n) in the workplace
\"w‰…kpleIs\ \In D´ "w‰…kpleIs\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
Employers can track everything from deleted e-mails to the exact computer keys a worker strikes.
Wireless video cameras allow companies to track the movements of individual employees.
Employee monitoring in the workplace is much more common than most people realise.
7
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 7 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
\´"kaUntIN\ accounting (n) accounting consultancy (n) \´"kaUntIN k´nÆsølt´nsI\
example sentence
Accounting consultancy Arthur Andersen, the company employed by Enron, was fined $500 million.
accounting system (n)
\´"kaUntIN ÆsIst´m\
Enron’s accounting system had always been complex and obscure but no one suspected the company of dishonest practices.
creative accounting (n)
\kri…ÆeItIv ´"kaUntIN\
‘Creative accounting’ is another way of saying that a firm has been ‘cooking the books’.
boom (n) (opposite = slump, collapse) Internet/property/ oil boom (n)
\bu…m\
\ÆInt´net\ÆprÅp´tI\ÆOIl "bu…m\
The Internet boom didn’t last and on April 14th 2001 more than one trillion dollars in market capitalisation was lost.
cash flow situation (n)
\"kœS fl´U sItSu…ÆeIS´n\
Creative accounting transformed the company’s cash flow situation from a $154 million outflow to a $3 billion inflow.
company report (n)
\Ækømp´nI rI"pO…t\
The latest company report shows a 16% increase in profits over the last 12 months.
cook the books
\ÆkUk D´ "bUks\
Stock market investors were unaware that the company had been ‘ cooking the books’, inventing partner companies that did not exist to hide huge debts.
corporation (n)
\ÆkO…p´"reIS´n\
Before its collapse Enron was the USA’s seventh-largest corporation.
debatable (adj) It’s debatable whether …
\dI"beIt´b´l\ \ItIz dI"beIt´b´l ÆweD´\
It’s debatable whether global warming is caused by heavy industry.
end-of-year accounts (n pl)
\Æend´vjI´ ´"kaUnts\
End-of-year accounts show an unexpected drop in profits.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
1
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 7 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
failure (n) (opposite = success) end in failure
\"feIlj´\ \Æend In "feIlj´\
According to a recent study by KPMG, 83% of company mergers end in failure.
free market economics (n pl)
\Æfri… ÆmA…k´t Æek´"nÅmIks\
Do you agree that free market economics bring prosperity to developing countries?
growth (n) (opposite = decline) steady growth (n)
\gr´UT\
guru (n) management guru (n)
\"gUru…\ \ÆmœnIdZm´nt "gUru…\
All the management gurus pointed to Enron as the model modern company.
information (n) source of information
\ÆInf´"meIS´n\ \ÆsO…s ´v ÆInf´"meIS´n\
Is the Internet always a reliable source of information?
market research (n)
\ÆmA…k´t "ri…s‰…tS\
net (adj) (opposite = gross) net income/profit etc
\net\ \Ænet "INkøm\"prÅfIt\
In 2000 Enron reported a net income of $979 million.
opinion poll (n)
\´"pInI´n Æp´Ul\
According to the latest opinion polls, the government is more popular than ever before.
panic selling (n)
\ÆpœnIk "selIN\
One trillion dollars of market capitalisation was lost in six and a half hours of panic selling.
partner company (n)
\"pA…tn´ Ækømp´nI\
Accountants at Enron invented partner companies that did not exist in order to hide huge debts.
press release (n) put out a press release
\"pres rIÆli…s\ \pUt ÆaUt ´ Æpres rI"li…s\
\ÆstedI "gr´UT\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
Wall Street trusted the company’s steady growth without asking many questions about how it was achieved.
Market research is a useful way of finding out more about client preferences but it’s not always 100% reliable.
People working in public relations often put out press releases that are little more than sales promotion. 2
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 7 headword
pronunciation
public relations (n)
\ÆpøblIk rI"leIS´nz\
scandal (n) financial scandal (n)
\"skœndl\ \f´ÆnœnS´l "skœndl\
The company was damaged by a financial scandal in 2001.
scandalous (adj) It’s scandalous that …
\"skœnd´l´s\ \Its "skœnd´l´s D´t\
It’s scandalous that the richest 30% of the planet gets 90% of its income.
speculator (n)
\"spekj´leIt´\
Speculators loved Enron, especially when its share price reached a phenomenal $90.
spin doctor (n)
\"spIn ÆdÅkt´\
A spin doctor gives journalists information that makes people or organizations seem as good as possible.
staggering (adj) a staggering £1 million/ $3 billion etc
\"stœg´rIN\ \´ Æstœg´rIN ÆwÅn mIlj´n "paUndz\ÆTri… bIlj´n "dÅl´z\
suppress (v) suppress debts
\s´"pres\ \s´Æpres "dets\
tax (n) tax loss (n)
\tœks\ \"tœks ÆlÅs\
Some tax losses were claimed twice in order to increase tax savings.
\"tœks ÆseIvINz\
By using ‘creative accounting’ Enron managed to make $2 billion in tax savings.
up-to-date (adj)
\Æøpt´"deIt\
Nowadays the Internet allows us easy access to the most up-to-date information.
venture (n)
\"ventS´\
In addition to traditional businesses, Enron was also involved in several obscure e-commerce ventures.
tax savings (n pl)
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
People in public relations have a vested interest in promoting the company or organization they work for.
Arthur Andersen, the accounting consultancy employed by Enron, was fined a staggering $500 million.
Enron suppressed their debts by inventing partner companies that did not actually exist.
3
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 7 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
vested interest (n) have a vested interest in (doing)
\Ævest´d "Intr´st\ \hœv ´ Ævest´d "Intr´st InÆ “du…IN‘\
In business, many specialists have a vested interest in presenting companies in a favourable light.
wipe out (phr v)
\ÆwaIp "aUt\
Company profits have been wiped out by the recent slump in the economy.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
4
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 8 headword authorisation (n)
pronunciation
translation/notes
\ÆO…T´raI"zeIS´n\
bestselling (adj) \Æbest"selIN\ bestselling product/service \bestÆselIN "prÅdøkt\"s‰…v´s\ brand (n) stretch a brand
\brœnd\ \ÆstretS ´ "brœnd\
break down (phr v)
\ÆbreIk "daUn\
breakdown (n) breakdown of costs/figures etc
\"breikdaUn\ \ÆbreIkdaUn ´v "kÅsts\"fIg´z\
business (n) business idea (n)
\"bIzn´s\ \"bIzn´s aIÆdI´\
line of business (n)
\ÆlaIn ´v "bIzn´s\
example sentence
We’re hoping that the Board of Directors will give us the authorisation we need to move on to the next stage. We really do believe that the Micro-GYM could be a bestselling product.
Adding cosmetics to our range is an ideal opportunity to stretch our brand. I’m always worried that the equipment will break down when I’m giving a presentation. A complete breakdown of costs is included in the report.
Try to come up with an innovative business idea that could be developed by your company. Is it important in your line of business to be able to present your ideas professionally?
cater for (phr v) cater for a demand/need
\"keIt´ ÆfO…\ \ÆkeIt´ fO… ´ dI"mA…nd\"ni…d\
challenge (n) set a challenge
\"tSœl´ndZ\ \Æset ´ "tSœl´ndZ\
collaborate (v)
\k´"lœb´reIt\
The two firms have collaborated to produce an exciting new range of sportswear.
come across (phr v)
\Ækøm ´"krÅs\
The way in which you come across as a person is almost more important than the content of your presentation.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
It’s important that the product you suggest meets a need that is not catered for at present.
One way of making your presentation more interesting is by setting your audience a challenge.
1
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 8 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
come up with (phr v)
\køm "øp wID\
Try to come up with an innovative idea for a product or service.
complement (v)
\"kÅmpl´ment\
The new product or service should complement the products or services currently on offer.
corporate vision (n) share corporate vision
\ÆkO…p´r´t "vIZ´n\ \ÆSe´ ÆkO…p´r´t "vIZ´n\
cost (v) be fully costed
\kÅst\ \bI ÆfUlI "kÅst´d\
departure (n) be a (completely) new departure for …
\dI"pA…tS´\ \bi… ´ Æ“k´mpli…tlI‘ Ænju… dI"pA…tS´ fO…\
Selling mobile phones in-store is a completely new departure for us.
develop (v) develop a design/ prototype
\dI"vel´p\ \dIÆvel´p ´ dI"zaIn\"pr´Ut´taIp\
How long did it take to develop the prototype?
dry up (phr v)
\ÆdraI "øp\
expectation (n) build up expectations
\Æekspek"teIS´n\ \ÆbIld øp Æekspek"teIS´nz\
Building up an audience’s expectations of a product is the best way of keeping their interest.
finding (n) main findings (n pl)
\"faIndIN\ \ÆmeIn "faIndINz\
The chart below highlights our main findings.
focus group (n) set up a focus group
\"f´Uk´s Ægru…p\ \Æset øp ´ "f´Uk´s Ægru…p\
global economy (n)
\gl´Ub´l I"kÅn´mI\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
‘We think you’re going to be as excited about this product as we are’ is a way of sharing corporate vision with your audience. The Micro-GYM has been fully costed – a breakdown is included in the report.
I’m always frightened I won’t know what to say next and that I might dry up completely.
They set up several focus groups to find out what consumers wanted.
Do you think national stereotypes still hold true in an increasingly global economy? 2
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 8 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
go-ahead (n) give sb the go-ahead
\"g´U´Æhed\ \ÆgIv sømb´dI D´ "g´v´Æhed\
go blank sb’s mind goes blank
\Æg´U "blœNk\ \sømb´dIz ÆmaInd g´Uz "blœNk\
go down (phr v) go down well
\Æg´U "daUn\ \Æg´U daUn "wel\
go dry sb’s mouth goes dry
\Æg´U "draI\ \sømb´dIz "maUT g´Uz ÆdraI\
When you’re nervous your mouth tends to go dry.
go for (phr v)
\"g´U ÆfO…\
American audiences tend to go for jokes and clever remarks.
go funny
\Æg´U "fønI\
My microphone went funny and I sounded like Darth Vadar out of
go quiet
\Æg´U "kwaI´t\
I hate that moment just before you start speaking when the audience goes quiet.
go wrong
\Æg´U "rÅN\
The technology went wrong and ruined the whole presentation.
hands-on (adj)
\"hœndzÅn\
‘Intrapreneurs’ are hands-on managers who make things happen.
highlight (v)
\"haIlaIt\
Our findings are highlighted in the chart below.
incur (v) incur costs
\In"k‰…\ \InÆk‰… "kÅsts\
Selling the product online would incur extra costs initially.
innovation (n)
\ÆIn´"veIS´n\
Innovation is essential to any good business.
itemise (v)
\"aIt´maIz\
Costs of manufacturing, packaging and advertising are all itemised.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
We need the Board of Directors to give us the go-ahead before we move on to the next stage.
My mind just went blank and I had no idea what to say next.
Jokes go down well in some countries but not in others.
Star Wars!
3
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 8 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
major player (n)
\ÆmeIdZ´ "pleI´\
Microsoft is a major player in the computer software industry.
marketing opportunity (n)
\"mA…k´tIN Åp´Ætju…n´tI\
122 million overweight people in the USA is a disgraceful statistic but it represents a wonderful marketing opportunity for us!
presentation (n) presentation style (n)
\Æprez´n"teIS´n\ \prez´n"teIS´n ÆstaIl\
Different countries are characterised by their different presentation styles.
price (v) be priced at $100/ ¤650/£2,500 etc
\praIs\ \bI praIst ´t… \
The Micro-GYM would probably be priced at around $35.
product (n) product effort/ features/testing (n)
\"prÅdøkt\ \"prÅdøkt Æef´t\Æfi…tS´z\ÆtestIN\
Product testing is still being carried out.
project budget (n)
\"prÅdZekt ÆbødZ´t\
40% of our project budget went into constructing the prototype.
prototype (n)
\"pr´Ut´taIp\
A prototype is a model of something, made before it is produced in large quantities.
provider (n) a leading provider of …
\pr´"vaId´\ \´ Æli…dIN pr´"vaId´ ´v\
quote (v) quote figures/statistics
\kw´Ut\ \Ækw´Ut "fIg´z\st´"tIstIks\
You need to quote some statistics to make your presentation interesting but don’t overdo it.
run out of (phr v) run out of time/ money etc
\røn "aUt ´v\ \røn ÆaUt ´v "taIm\"mønI\
If you have too much material to present, you may find yourself running out of time.
run over (phr v) run over schedule
\røn "´Uv´\ \røn Æ´Uv´ "skedju…l\
Audiences hate it when speakers run over schedule.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
As one of the world’s leading providers of fitness training equipment, we pride ourselves on quality and reliability.
4
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 8 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
selling point (n)
\"selIN ÆpOInt\
sideline (n) a sideline to …
\"saIdlaIn\ \´ "saIdlaIn Ætu…\
structure (v) structure a talk/ presentation
\"strøktS´\ \ÆstrøktS´ ´ "tO…k\Æprez´n"teIS´n\
switch off (phr v)
\ÆswItS "Åf\
Your audience may switch off altogether if you don’t make them laugh within the first five minutes.
techno (adj)
\"tekn´U\
Be too techno and your audience may think you’re showing off.
untapped (adj) an untapped market
\Æøn"tœpt\ \´n Æøntœpt "mA…k´t\
There’s obviously a largely untapped market for this type of workout system.
wrap up (phr v) to wrap things up …
\Ærœp "øp\ \t´ Ærœp TINz "øp\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
During the development phase of a product it’s important to think about its main selling points.
The new range of products have been an enormously successful sideline to our main business. Writing the main points of your presentation on cards will help you to structure your talk.
OK, to wrap things up , I’d just like to add that the Micro-GYM has been fully costed and a breakdown is included in the report.
5
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 9 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
background (n) hover in the background
\"bœkgraUnd\ \ÆhÅv´ In D´ "bœkgraUnd\
Hovering in the background waiting to be introduced is not an effective way of networking.
break the ice
\ÆbreIk DI "aIs\
Cracking jokes is one way of breaking the ice when you meet new people.
business (n) business community (n)
\"bIzn´s\ \"bIzn´s k´Æmju…n´tI\
Golf is becoming increasingly popular within the business community.
\k´nÆdøkt "bIzn´s\
Most executives seem as comfortable conducting business on the golf course as in the office.
come through (to) (phr v)
\køm "Tru… “t´‘\
Come through to my office, please.
firm (adj) (opposite = limp) firm handshake
\f‰…m\ \Æf‰…m "hœndSeIk\
A firm handshake shows that you are confident and in control.
first impression (n) create/make a good/ poor etc first impression
\Æf‰…st Im"preS´n\ \kri…ÆeIt ´ ÆgUd\ÆpO… Æf‰…st Im"preS´n\
Creating a positive first impression is very important at a job interview.
job market (n)
\"dZÅb ÆmA…k´t\
In a competitive job market it’s essential to make a good first impression.
look sb in the eye
\ÆlUk sømb´dI ÆIn Di… "aI\
When you meet people for the first time, you should look them in the eye and say hello.
mingle (v)
\"mINg´l\
‘Mingling’ is a word meaning talking to and socialising with people.
networker (n) effective networker
\"netw‰…k´\ \IÆfektIv "netw‰…k´\
You need to be confident and outgoing to be an effective networker.
conduct business
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
1
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 9 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
networking (n) networking skills
\"netw‰…kIN\ \"netw‰…kIN ÆskIlz\
Good networking skills are essential in business.
off-putting (adj) (opposite = appealing)
\"ÅfpøtIN\
A limp handshake can be very off-putting.
preliminaries (n pl) cut the preliminaries
\prI"lIm´n´rIz\ \Ækøt D´ prI"lIm´n´rIz\
Cutting the preliminaries and getting straight to the point can be too abrupt when you’re dealing with a first-time client.
relationship-building (n)
\rIÆleIS´nSIp"bIldIN\
Networking and relationship-building are vital to businesses.
talk shop
\ÆtO…k "SÅp\
‘Talking shop’ with colleagues means talking about work and not relaxing and talking about other things.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
2
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 10 headword
pronunciation
absence (n) in the absence of …
\"œbs´ns\ \ÆIn Di… "œbs´ns ´v\
agreement (n) (opposite = disagreement ) be in agreement
\´"gri…m´nt\ \bi… ÆIn ´"gri…m´nt\
I take it we’re all in agreement that the first priority is the safety of our personnel.
anti-globalisation (n) anti-globalisation protest
\ÆœntIÆgl´Ub´laI"zeIS´n\ \ÆœntIÆgl´Ub´laIÆzeIS´n "pr´Utest\
Many large companies have been faced with anti-globalisation protests in recent years.
back up (phr v)
\Æbœk "øp\
Always remember to back your work up at the end of the day.
backlog (n) backlog of orders
\"bœklÅg\ \ÆbœklÅg ´v "O…d´z\
With the current backlog of orders a strike’s the last thing we need!
boycott (n)
\"bOIÆkÅt\
The firm was worried that rumours of contamination could lead to a widespread consumer boycott.
compensatory damages (n pl)
\kÅmpenÆseIt´rI "dœmIdZ´z\
McDonald’s was ordered to pay the woman $200,000 in compensatory damages.
cool-headed (adj)
\Æku…l"hed´d\
Rafferty, the new CEO of the company, has a reputation as a cool-headed decision maker.
course of action (n)
\ÆkO…s ´v "œkS´n\
I’d like your input before committing us to a definite course of action.
crisis (n) a crisis unfolds
\"kraIsIs\ \´ ÆkraIsIs øn"f´Uldz\
crisis management (n)
translation/notes
\ÆkraIsIs "mœnIdZm´nt\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
In the absence of proof of contamination, Coca-Cola could have appealed to have the ban lifted.
A crisis unfolded when a customer spilt coffee on herself and suffered severe burns. Crisis management consultants help companies to deal with difficult situations.
1
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 10 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
financial/image etc crisis (n) \f´ÆnœnS´l\ÆImIdZ "kraIsIs\
example sentence
Buyers cancelled their orders after reading the report – for Mercedes this was a financial as well as an image crisis.
decision maker (n)
\dI"sIZ´n ÆmeIk´\
delegate (v) delegate tasks/jobs/ duties etc
\"del´geIt\ \Ædel´geIt "tA…sks\"dZÅbz\"dju…tIz\
delivery (n) take delivery (of)
\dI"lIv´rI\ \teIk "dIlIv´rI “´v‘\
disaster (n) disaster strikes
\dI"zA…st´\ \dIÆzA…st´ "straIks\
downsize (n)
\"daUnsaIz\
There’s a rumour that the company is going to be downsized and people are worried about the threat of redundancy.
environmental disaster (n)
\InÆvAIr´Æmentl dI"zA…st´\
The oil spillage from a tanker off the coast of Spain was an environmental disaster of major proportions.
fraud (n) accusations of fraud
\frO…d\ \Æœkj´ÆzeIS´nz ´v "frO…d\
The US corporation, Enron, faced accusations of fraud after irregularities in their accounting methods were discovered.
industrial dispute (n)
\InÆdøstrI´l "dIspju…t\
An industrial dispute between senior management and union leaders is threatening to disrupt production.
input (n)
\"InpUt\
I’d appreciate the input of all team members before coming to any decision.
insider trading (n)
\ÆInsaId´ "treIdIN\
One of the most famous cases of insider trading was that of Nick Leeson, which caused the collapse of Barings Bank.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
Are you a cool-headed decision maker or do you panic when you’re under pressure? It’s important to learn to delegate tasks when you’re a manager.
The company was hit hard when hundreds of buyers, waiting to take delivery, cancelled their orders. Disaster struck after the publication of an critical report in a Swedish auto magazine.
2
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 10 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
launch (n)
\lO…ntS\
Disaster struck just before the December launch of the new ‘A class’ model.
lawsuit (n)
\"lO…su…t\
The company was faced with an expensive lawsuit when customer Stella Liebeck decided to sue for damages.
liable (adj)
\"laI´b´l\
At the trial the jury found McDonald’s liable and ordered them to pay over $2.7 million in damages.
market (n)
\"mA…k´t\
The markets directly involved in the crisis were France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
monopolies commission (n)
\m´"nÅp´lIz k´ÆmIS´n\
The monopolies commission is an organisation aimed at preventing companies having total control of a market.
objection (n) objection to
\´b"dZekS´n\ \´b"dZekS´n Ætu…\
What’s the nature of your objection to the proposal?
option (n) keep your options open
\"ÅpS´n\ \Æki…p j´r "ÅpS´nz Æ´Up´n\
It’s more sensible to keep our options open at this stage.
out-of-court settlement (n)
\ÆaUt´vÆkO…t "setlm´nt\
Both parties in the McDonald’s dispute eventually made an out-of-court settlement for an undisclosed sum.
overlook (v)
\Æ´Uv´"lUk\
Can we really afford to overlook the fact that we’ll be putting the local factory workers out of a job?
product recall (n)
\"prÅdøkt Æri…kO…l\
I think we should authorise a total product recall while we conduct further tests.
production plant (n)
\pr´"døkS´n ÆplA…nt\
We need to think carefully before closing down our biggest production plant.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
3
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 10 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
pros and cons (n pl) weigh up (all) the pros and the cons
\Æpr´Uz ´n "kÅnz\ \weI øpÆ “O…l‘ D´ Æpr´Uz ´n "kÅnz\
We need to weigh up all the pros and the cons before we reach a final decision.
punitive damages (n pl)
\Æpju…n´tIv "dœmIdZ´z\
McDonald’s had to pay $2.7 million in punitive damages because of their ‘unacceptably dismissive attitude’.
put our/their/your heads together
\pUt ÆaU´\ÆDe´\ÆjO… "hedz t´ÆgeD´\
Let’s put our heads together and see what ideas we can come up with.
redundancy (n) mass redundancies (n pl)
\rI"dønd´nsI\ \Æmœs rI"dønd´nsIz\
rush into sth (phr v)
\røS "Int´ ÆsømTIN\
We mustn’t rush into anything – this issue requires long and careful consideration.
safeguard (v)
\"seIfgA…d\
Our first priority is to safeguard the well-being of our personnel.
strike (n)
\straIk\
‘The union might consider taking industrial action.’ ‘A strike?’ ‘It’s a possibility.’
sue (v)
\su…\
When McDonald’s refused to pay the woman’s medical bills, she went to an attorney and sued the company.
time is short
\ÆtaIm Iz "SO…t\
Time is short – the deadline for completion of the project is in just three weeks.
an undisclosed sum (n)
\´n ÆøndIsÆkl´Uzd "søm\
The parties eventually made an out-of-court settlement for an undisclosed sum.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
Mass redundancies were announced by the firm yesterday following a 43% drop in profits.
4
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 11 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
adbuster (n)
\"œdbøst´\
‘Adbusters’ are people who try to stop big companies advertising their products.
advertising budget (n)
\"œdv´taIzIN ÆbødZ´t\
Multinationals such as Nike and Vodaphone spend a fortune on advertising – their advertising budgets are huge.
anti-corporate activism (n)
\ÆœntIÆkO…p´r´t "œktIvIz´m\
Anti-corporate activism refers to the attempts made to reduce the power and influence of large corporations.
anti-corporation movement
\ÆœntIkO…p´ÆreIS´n "mu…vm´nt\
Klein’s book, No Logo, represents the voice of the anti-corporation movement.
billboard (n) (especially AmE) (BrE = hoarding)
\"bIlbO…d\
Billboards advertising products made by multinationals can be seen in most major cities.
brand (n) brand-aware (adj)
\brœnd\ \Æbrœnd´"we´\
Most people today are more brand-aware than at any time in the past.
brand awareness (n)
\Æbrœnd ´"we´n´s\
There seem to be no limits to what the world’s biggest companies will do to raise brand awareness.
brand loyalty (n)
\Æbrœnd "lOI´ltI\
‘Brand loyalty’ is a marketing term describing the tendency that customers have to stick to the names they trust.
well-known/major brand
\Æweln´Un\ÆmeIdZ´ "brœnd\
How many well-known brands are you wearing or carrying right now?
celebrity endorsement (adj)
\s´Ælebr´tI In"dO…sm´nt\
Celebrity endorsement, e.g. Britney Spears advertising Pepsi or Michael Jordan advertising Nike, is a well-known form of advertising.
consumption (n)
\k´n"sømpS´n\
Consumption in the USA is roughly 30 times greater than in India.
cool hunter (n)
\"ku…l Æhønt´\
‘Cool hunters’ report back to big companies on the latest trends among young people.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
1
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 11 headword
pronunciation
corporate sponsorship (n)
\ÆkO…p´r´t "spÅns´SIp\
Seeing the Vodaphone brand name on the side of Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari is an example of corporate sponsorship.
direct mail (n) (= junk mail)
\daIÆrekt "meIl\
Most people throw direct mail or ‘junk mail’ straight in the garbage.
downmarket (adj) (opposite = upmarket)
\ÆdaUn"mA…k´t\
Products that are downmarket are cheap or of low quality.
endorse (v)
\In"dO…s\
Michael Jordan was paid more for endorsing the trainers than the entire 30,000-strong workforce was for making them!
expose (v) be exposed to
\"ekÆsp´Uz\ \bi… ekÆsp´Uz tu…\
free-trade zone (n)
\Æfri…treId "z´Un\
A lot of the products we buy are produced under terrible conditions in free-trade zones in poorer countries.
global integration (n) (= globalisation)
\Ægl´Ub´l ÆInt´"greIS´n\
Do you agree that poor countries are victims of global integration?
globalisation (n)
\Ægl´Ub´laI"zeIS´n\
In her book No Logo Klein claims that globalisation has hit poor countries badly.
job security (n)
\"dZÅb sIÆkjU´r´tI\
There’s no job security – it’s ‘no work, no pay’ when orders don’t come in.
junk mail (n) (= direct mail)
\"dZøNk ÆmeIl\
There’s been a marked increase in the amount of junk mail coming through our doors in recent years.
logo (n)
\"l´Ug´U\
Logos or company symbols have almost become an international language.
market (n) marketplace (n)
\"mA…k´t\ \"mA…k´tÆpleIs\
market segmentation (n)
translation/notes
\ÆmA…k´t Æsegm´n"teIS´n\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
The average American is exposed to 274 advertisements a day!
In a highly competitive marketplace thinking up distinctive names for new products is a specialist business. ‘Market segmentation’ is the process of dividing up the market into sectors. 2
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 11 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
target market (n)
\"tA…gIt ÆmA…k´t\
It’s essential to define your target market when you’re marketing a product.
upmarket (adj) (opposite = downmarket)
\"øpmA…k´t\
Products that are upmarket are expensive or of good quality.
multinational (n)
\ÆmøltI"nœS´n´l\
Multinationals such as Nike, Microsoft and Starbucks try to be the chief communicators of all that is good in our culture.
overbranded (adj)
\Æ´Uv´"brœnd´d\
Klein has become a campaigner against a world that she sees as being ‘overbranded’.
overcapacity (n)
\Æ´Uv´k´"pœs´tI\
‘Overcapacity’ – in which you produce more of something than you can sell – is the norm in most businesses.
overtime (n)
\"´Uv´taIm\
In many of the factories used by the multinationals there is forced overtime but no job security.
PDA (n) (= personal digital assistant)
\Æpi…di…"eI\
A PDA is a small palmtop computer used for storing names and addresses and for writing reports.
price sensitivity (n)
\"praIs sens´ÆtIv´tI\
‘Price sensitivity’ is an expression describing the tendency of some customers to buy the cheapest products available.
product (n) product development (n)
\"prÅdøkt\ \"prÅdøkt dIÆvel´pÆm´nt\
A company such as Disney must spend billions on product development annually.
product launch (n)
\"prÅdøkt ÆlO…ntS\
The number of grocery product launches increased from 2,700 in 1981 to 20,000 in 1996.
product placement (n)
\"prÅdøkt ÆpleIsm´nt\
Product placement is the use of a company’s product in a film or TV show as a way of advertising it.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
3
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 11 headword product positioning (n)
pronunciation
translation/notes
\"prÅdøkt p´ÆzIS´nIN\
example sentence The process of deciding whether your product is up- or downmarket is called product positioning.
promotion (n) promotion of
\pr´"m´US´n\ \pr´"m´US´n ´v\
spam (n)
\spœm\
‘Spam’ is a term describing unwanted email that is sent to large numbers of people using the Internet.
strategic alliance (n)
\str´Æti…dZIk ´"laI´ns\
A strategic alliance is formed when two or more rival companies work together in order to achieve something.
target (v)
\"tA…g´t\
Video games companies tend to target young males with their action-packed titles.
workforce (n)
\"w‰…kfO…s\
Many of the multinationals exploit their workforces, denying them job security but forcing them to do overtime when necessary.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
Our advertising budget dictates how much we can spend on promotion of our products.
4
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 12 headword
pronunciation
chief executive (n)
\ÆtSi…f Ig"zekj´tIv\
computer (n) computer hardware (n)
\k´m"pju…t´\ \k´m"pju…t´ ÆhA…dwe´\
translation/notes
example sentence According to Owens, someone who sends messages with lots of spelling and grammar mistakes probably has the makings of a chief executive! Computer hardware is equipment such as the monitor, mouse and keyboard that you need to run computer programmes.
computer industry (n)
\k´m"pju…t´ ÆIndøstrI\
One big company in the computer industry is considering banning e-mails in the afternoon in order to save time.
computer rage (n)
\k´m"pju…t´ ÆreIdZ\
A survey by MORI revealed that 75% of computer users suffer from ‘computer rage’ and actually damage their hardware.
copy sb in (on) (phr v)
\ÆkÅpI sømb´dI "In “Ån‘\
The person to contact is called Margrethe Rasmussen and remember to copy me in on any correspondence.
corporate ladder (n) the top of the corporate ladder
\ÆkO…p´r´t "lœd´\ \D´ ÆtÅp ´v D´ ÆkO…p´r´t "lœd´\
Mark Howarth reached the top of the corporate ladder in October 2002 when he was appointed managing director of the firm.
cost (n) cost breakdown (n)
\"kÅst ÆbreIkdaUn\
I require a complete cost breakdown for the project as quickly as possible.
\"kÅstIN\
Please give me an estimate of the costing for the project.
costing (n) earnings (n) lost earnings (n pl)
\"‰…nINz\ \ÆlÅst "‰…nINz\
fall (by) (v) (opposite = increase (by))
\"fO…l Æ“baI‘\
Cerner stock fell by 28% after emails which the CEO had sent to his staff found their way onto the Yahoo! website!
fire off (phr v)
\ÆfaI´ "Åf\
‘Firing off’ an e-mail means writing it and sending it as quickly as possible.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
Outbursts of computer rage can cost companies up to £25,000 in lost earnings and damaged hardware!
1
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 12 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
forward (v)
\"fO…w´d\
Using office e-mail to forward jokes to colleagues is a bad idea!
get back to sb (phr v)
\get "bœk t´ Æsømb´dI\
I’d be grateful if you could have a quick look at the report and get back to me about it.
get on to sb (phr v)
\get "Ån t´ Æsømb´dI\
I must get on to our suppliers about the delay with the order.
go down (phr v) go down well/badly etc
\Æg´U "daUn\ \Æg´U daUn "wel\"bœdlI\
You did a good job. The product demonstration went down really well.
high-status (adj)
\ÆhaI"steIt´s\
High-status people within a company tend to send messages that are shorter and more direct.
keep sb in the loop
\Æki…p sømb´dI In D´ "lu…p\
Keep me in the loop on any important developments.
makings (n pl) have (all) the makings of
\"meIkINz\ \hœv Æ“O…l‘ D´ "meIkINz ´v\
middle management (n)
\ÆmIdl "mœnIdZm´nt\
Long, overcomplicated e-mail messages tend to characterise those who will go no further than middle management.
neutral (adj)
\"nju…tr´l\
Generally speaking, a friendly but neutral style works best when you’re emailing.
packaging design (n)
\ÆpœkIdZIn dI"zaIn\
Our people in marketing weren’t too happy with the packaging design.
product demo (n) (= product demonstration)
\"prÅdøkt Ædem´U\
The audience was really impressed with the product demo.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
She’s a competent middle manager but I don’t think she has the makings of a CEO.
2
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 12 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
respond (v) respond to
\rI"spÅnd\ \rI"spÅnd tu…\
rethink (n) have a rethink (about)
\"ri…TINk\ \hœv ´ "ri…TINk “´ÆbaUt‘\
send button (n) press the send button
\"send Æbøtn\ \Æpres D´ "send Æbøtn\
Sending an e-mail is so easy – you just type your message and then press the send button.
sound sb out (on) (phr v)
\ÆsaUnd sømb´dI "aUt “Ån‘\
When you have a spare moment, I’d like to sound you out on this new packaging idea.
stress factor (n)
\"stres Æfœkt´\
The survey showed that computers are among the top ten stress factors at work, with 75% of employees shouting and swearing at their machines.
take sth off sb’s hands
\ÆteIk sømTIn Åf Æsømb´dIz "hœndz\
I’ve too much to do at the moment – I’d be grateful if you could take the arrangements for the Milan meeting off my hands.
take on (phr v)
\ÆteIk "Ån\
She’s totally stressed out at work and feels she can’t take on any more.
time-saver (n)
\"taImseIv´\
Do you think e-mail is a time-saver or a time-waster?
trash (n)
\trœS\
Out of 753 e-mails only ten were really useful – the rest could all have been sent straight to the trash!
unread (adj)
\Æøn"red\
Several of the people we interviewed admitted sending many of their e-mails to the trash unread.
update (v) update sb on sth
\Æøp"deIt\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
How long does it generally take you to respond to your e-mails?
You need to have a rethink about the packaging design.
Can you update me on where you are with the Rome Expo arrangements.
3
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 13 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
business presentation (n)
\"bIzn´s prez´nÆteIS´n\
It’s vital to start off any business presentation on the right note.
cash flow (n)
\"kœS Æfl´U\
‘Cash flow’ is the rate at which a business gets money and then pays it out again.
charisma (n)
\k´"rIzm´\
The magic ingredient that many great presenters have is charisma.
economic development (n)
\ek´ÆnÅmIk dI"vel´pm´nt\
The programme of careful economic development has ensured that Bhutan has kept a balance between the needs of progress and those of conservation.
foreign investment (n)
\ÆfÅr´n In"vestm´nt\
Many of the current improvements in Bhutan are the result of foreign investment.
get across (phr v)
\Æget ´"krÅs\
One of the questions you should ask yourself before giving a presentation is: ‘What’s the central message that I’m trying to get across?’
impact (n) make an impact on
\"Impœkt\ \ÆmeIk ´n "Impœkt Ån\
infrastructure (n)
\"Infr´ÆstrøktS´\
The Progress Party wish to make improvements to the infrastructure of Bhutan and to speed up communications.
key point (n)
\Æki… "pOInt\
One of the seven rules of rhetoric is to group key points in threes.
outperform (v)
\ÆaUtp´"fO…m\
Not one single company has ever outperformed us in this market.
rhetorical question (n)
\rIÆtÅrIk´l "kwestS´n\
A rhetorical question is one that you ask without expecting or wanting an answer.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
Making an impact on your audience right at the beginning of a presentation is vitally important.
1
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 14 headword
pronunciation
air traffic control (n)
\e´ ÆtrœfIk k´n"tr´Ul\
apology (n) make an apology
\´"pÅl´dZI\ \ÆmeIk ´n ´"pÅl´dZI\
translation/notes
and the strange thing was … \œnd D´ streIndZ TIN wÅs\
example sentence I looked out of the window and saw a fighter plane flying alongside us – apparently air traffic control had lost radio contact with our plane. One way of starting a conversation with a stranger is to make an apology – for example, about your children’s behaviour. There was a loud noise from outside the plane, and the strange thing was that the cabin crew just seemed to be ignoring it.
around the time of …
\´raUnd D´ taIm ´v\
assistance (n) offer assistance
\´"sIst´ns\ \ÆÅf´ ´"sIst´ns\
business traveller (n)
\"bIzn´s Ætrœvl´\
Macon Leary’s advice to business travellers is to travel light.
to cut a long story short
\t´ Ækøt ´ ÆlÅN ÆstO…rI "SO…t\
Anyway, to cut a long story short, the captain of the plane managed to keep everybody calm and we were able to continue our journey.
end up (phr v) end up doing
\Æend "øp\ \Æend øp "du…IN\
incidentally (adv)
\ÆIns´"dent´lI\
Incidentally, did I tell you I won’t be in the office on Monday afternoon?
industrial tribunal (n)
\InÆdøstrI´l traI"bju…n´l\
He won back his job after an industrial tribunal ruled that he had been unfairly dismissed.
luggage (n) lost luggage (n)
\"løgIdZ\ \ÆlÅst "løgIdZ\
Have you ever had any bad experiences with lost luggage?
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
I was flying from Malaga to Stansted in the UK – this was around the time of the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001. Offering assistance, for example by saying ‘Let me help you with that’ is another way of starting conversation.
You won’t believe this but I ended up sitting next to a guy with a snake in a basket!
1
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 14 headword
pronunciation
observation (n) make an observation
\ÆÅbz´"veIS´n\ \ÆmeIk ´n ÆÅbz´"veIS´n\
request (n) make a request
\rI"kwest\ \ÆmeIk ´ rI"kwest\
subject (n) On the subject of …
\"søbdZekt\ \ÆÅn D´ "søbdZekt ´v ...\
To change the subject …
translation/notes
\t´ ÆtSeIndZ D´ "søbdZekt\
example sentence
Making observations about the weather is another common way of starting a conversation.
‘Do you mind swapping seats?’ or ‘Could you help me with my bag?’ are both examples of someone making a request. On the subject of politics, who do you think is going to win the presidential elections? To change the subject, have you heard who’s just been appointed CEO?
swap (v) swap seats/places etc
\swÅp\ \ÆswÅp "si…ts\"pleIs´z\
Would you mind swapping seats? I don’t like sitting next to the window.
Talking of …
\"tO…kIN ´v ...\
Talking of holidays, one of the nicest places I’ve ever visited is Bali.
To top it all …
\t´ ÆtÅp It "O…l ...\
To top it all, I ended up sitting next to a guy with a snake in a basket!
travel light
\Ætrœvl "laIt\
‘Travelling light’ means travelling without much luggage.
unfairly dismissed (adj)
\ønÆfe´lI dIs"mIst\
The industrial tribunal ruled that she had been unfairly dismissed.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
2
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 15 headword
pronunciation
acquisition (n) grow by acquisition
\ÆœkwI"zIS´n\ \Ægr´U baI ÆœkwI"zIS´n\
Carly Fiorina, CEO of Hewlett-Packard, pursued a policy of growing by acquisition.
\´ Æstri…m ´v ÆœkwI"zIS´nz\
A stream of acquisitions permitted Amazon to expand into areas such as CDs and clothing.
a stream of acquisitions
translation/notes
example sentence
business (n) core business (n)
\"bIzn´s\ \ÆkO… "bIzn´s\
catchphrase (n)
\"kœtSfreIz\
One of the ways to become a guru is to come up with a catchphrase or catchword such as ‘synergy’ or ‘glocalisation’.
co-opetition (n)
\k´UÆÅp´"tIS´n\
‘Co-opetition’ is a catchword meaning to co-operate with the competition.
conventional wisdom (n)
\k´nÆvenS´n´l "wIzd´m\
Semler has chosen to ignore conventional wisdom in allowing his workers to choose and evaluate their bosses.
cut-throat (adj)
\"køtÆTr´Ut\
Nokia has overtaken both Ericsson and Motorola in the notoriously cut-throat mobile phone market.
direct-sale (adj)
\d´Ærekt"seIl\
The Dell Corporation is a direct-sale computer business that bypasses the middleman, i.e. the retail stores.
diversify (v) diversify into
\daI"v‰…s´ÆfaI\ \daI"v‰…s´faI ÆIntu…\
downsizing (n) (opposite = expansion)
\"daUnÆsaIzIN\
‘Downsizing’ basically means cutting costs by making people redundant.
emotional intelligence (n)
\IÆm´US´n´l In"tel´dZ´ns\
Someone with emotional intelligence knows how to deal with people.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
We became the world’s No.1 mobile phone company by focusing on our core business.
Bezos, the founder of Amazon, has not been afraid to diversify into new businesses.
1
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 15 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
empire (n) the Virgin/Dell/Microsoft etc empire
\"empaI´\ \D´Æv‰…dZIn\Ædel\ ÆmaIkr´sÅft "empaI´\
empowerment (n)
\Im"paU´m´nt\
focused (adj) tightly focused
\"f´Uk´st\ \ÆtaItlI "f´Uk´st\
founder (n) the founder of Amazon.com/Dell Corporation etc
\"faUnd´\ \D´ ÆfaUnd´r ´v "œm´z´ndÅtÆkÅm\ "del kO…p´ÆreIS´n\
glass ceiling (n)
\ÆglA…s "si…lIN\
The glass ceiling certainly exists where I work – there’s hardly a woman who gets promoted beyond unit manager.
glocalisation (n)
\Ægl´Uk´laI"zeIS´n\
Glocalisation describes a business strategy in which you keep your business small and local but aim at the whole world as your market.
innovate (v)
\"In´veIt\
In the mobile phone business it’s a case of innovate or die.
JIT (= Just-in-Time)
\ÆdZeIaI"ti…\
‘JIT’ means manufacturing things just in time to meet customer demand.
invest (v) invest time/money
\In"vest\ \InÆvest "taIm\"mønI\
A lot of time and money has been invested in the project.
logistics (n pl)
\l´"dZIstIks\
The logistics of a situation are the practical arrangements that are necessary in order to organize or achieve something.
market (n) market leader (n)
\ÆmA…k´t "li…d´\
Branson’s company, Virgin, has earned a reputation for stealing business off complacent market leaders.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
Richard Branson is head of the huge Virgin empire.
‘Empowerment’ has become a popular catchword meaning giving people control over what they do. Nokia sold off its non-core operations in order to become more tightly focused.
Dell is the founder and CEO of Dell Corporation.
2
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 15 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
marketspace (n)
\"mA…k´tspeIs\
merger (n) push through a merger
\"m‰…dZ´\ \ÆpUS Tru… ´ "m‰…dZ´\
middleman (n)
\"mIdlmœn\
Retail stores act as the middlemen who sell the product.
overtake (v)
\Æ´Uv´"teIk\
Under the guiding hand of Jorma Ollila, Nokia has overtaken rivals Motorola and Ericsson to become the No.1 mobile phone company.
position (n) maintain your position
\p´"zIS´n\ \meInÆteIn jO… p´"zIS´n\
portfolio career (n)
\pO…tÆf´UlI´U k´"rI´\
publicity (n) generate publicity
\pøb"lIs´tI\ \ÆdZen´reIt pøb"lIs´tI\
re-engineering (n)
\Æri…endZ´"nI´rIN\
recession (n) ride out the recession
\rI"seS´n\ \ÆraId aUt D´ rI"seS´n\
self-publicist (n)
\self"pøbl´sIst\
A skilled self-publicist, there is nothing Branson wouldn’t do to promote the Virgin brand.
sell off (phr v)
\Æsel "Åf\
Nokia decided to sell off its non-core operations and to focus exclusively on mobile phones.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence If you create your own marketspace, you break free of your competitors altogether.
She’s a tough manager who pushed through a highly successful merger with PC giant Compaq.
In spite of the dot.com crash of 2001, Amazon has maintained its position as the world’s largest Internet retailer. ‘What is this so-called portfolio career?’ ‘It’s the idea that you have to keep changing direction in your career every seven years.’ One of Branson’s greatest skills is the ability to generate publicity for his company.
Re-engineering was the big thing in the 90s – all about improving efficiency and performance … by sacking half your staff!
She rode out the recession to rise meteorically to become head of one of Silicon Valley’s biggest companies.
3
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 15 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
synergy (n)
\"sIn‰…dZI\
Synergy is based on the principle that we are all more effective as individuals if we work as a team.
TQM (= Total Quality Management) (n)
\Æti…kju…"em\
TQM involves monitoring production, inventory, logistics etc and making sure that they are accurate.
trend (n) buck the trend (opposite = follow the trend)
\trend\ \Æbøk D´ "trend\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
Amazon bucked the e-commerce trend by remaining the world’s largest Internet retailer.
4
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 16 headword
pronunciation
advertising technique
\"œdv´taIzIN tekÆni…k\
The use of celebrities to endorse products is a powerful advertising technique.
authorise (v)
\"O…T´raIz\
A total shutdown of the Hamburg plant has been authorised.
back up (phr v)
\Æbœk "øp\
If we close the plant down, we’ll have container lorries backed up from Hamburg to Lübeck!
blue-chip client (n)
\Æblu…tSIp "klaI´nt\
Geoconference has an impressive list of blue-chip clients, including IBM and Merrill Lynch.
bottleneck (n)
\"bÅtlnek\ \pr´"døkS´n ÆbÅtlnek\
production bottleneck (n) budget (n)
translation/notes
example sentence
If you authorise a plant shutdown, we’ll have a terrible production bottleneck.
budget overrun (n)
\"bødZ´t\ \ÆbødZ´t "´Uv´røn\
exceed a budget
\IkÆsi…d ´ "bødZ´t\
I’m worried about the costs we’re running up on the Éternelle account – I think we’re in danger of exceeding our budget.
run over budget
\Ærøn ´Uv´ "bødZ´t\
With post-production costs, we could run ¤500,000– ¤700,000 over budget on this one.
costs (n pl)
run up costs delivery (n)
delayed deliveries (n pl) endorse (v)
endorse a product/brand
\kÅsts\ \Ærøn øp "kÅsts\ \dI"lIv´rI\ \dIÆleId dI"lIv´rIz\ \In"dO…s\ \InÆdO…s ´ "prÅdøkt\"brœnd\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
Unfortunately the rumours of a budget overrun on the Vivacity campaign turned out to be true.
The Chief Financial Officer is concerned about the costs RJK are running up on the Éternelle account. A large number of delayed deliveries could harm the company’s reputation. The use of celebrities to endorse products is a powerful advertising technique.
1
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 16 headword
pronunciation
fall (n)
\fO…l\ \ÆfO…l In ÆprÅdøk"tIv´tI\"seIlz\
fall in productivity/ sales etc manhours (n pl)
lost manhours (n pl) order (n)
meet an order
translation/notes
\"mœnaU´z\ \ÆlÅst "mœnaU´z\ \"O…d´\ \Æmi…t ´n "O…d´\
example sentence
A fall in productivity could seriously damage our position as market leader.
How many lost manhours do you estimate a plant shutdown would result in? If we close down the plant for a few days, we won’t be able to meet any of our current orders.
oversee (v)
\Æ´Uv´"si…\
publicity (n)
\pøb"lIs´tI\ \Æœdv‰…s pøb"lIs´tI\
A total plant shutdown could generate a great deal of adverse publicity.
reserve stocks (n pl)
\rIÆz‰…v "stÅks\
We have insufficient reserve stocks to fully meet current orders.
safety (n)
safety check (n)
\"seIftI\ \"seIftI ÆtSek\
The site must be evacuated in order to conduct safety checks.
safety hazard (n)
\"seIftI Æhœz´d\
We have to shut the plant down – at the moment it’s a safety hazard.
shutdown (n)
\"SøtdaUn\
The shutdown of the Hamburg plant has now been officially confirmed.
smooth over (phr v)
\Æsmu…D "´Uv´\ \Æsmu…D TINz "´Uv´\
adverse publicity (n)
smooth things over teleconferencing (n)
\ÆtelI"kÅnfr´nsIN\
Max Schiller is told to oversee and ensure completion of the repairs within three days.
Somebody in after-sales will have to ring round our key customers and smooth things over with them. Teleconferencing allows people in different places to communicate using an
electronic communications system, usually television.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
2
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 16 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
video (n)
video phone (n)
\"vIdI´U Æf´Un\
The advantage of videoconferencing is that you can hold meetings with people in other places using a video phone.
videoconferencing (n)
\"vIdI´U"kÅnfr´nsIN\
Although there are many advantages to videoconferencing, it will never eliminate the need for a face-to-face meeting.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
3
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 17 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
acumen (n) financial acumen (n)
\"œkj´m´n\ \f´ÆnœnS´l "œkj´m´n\
agreement (n) jeopardise an agreement
\´"gri…m´nt\ \ÆdZep´daIz ´n ´"gri…m´nt\
bottom line (n) be sb’s absolute bottom line
\ÆbÅt´m "laIn\ \bI Æsømb´dIz Æœbs´lu…t ÆbÅt´m "laIn\
business (n) a rock-solid business
\"bIzn´s\ \´ ÆrÅksÅlId "bIzn´s\
compromise (n) reach a compromise
\"kÅmpr´maIz\ \Æri…tS ´ "kÅmpr´maIz\
concession (n) obtain a concession
\k´n"seS´n\ \ÅbÆteIn ´ k´n"seS´n\
deadlock (n) end in deadlock
\"dedlÅk\ \Æend In "dedlÅk\
demand (n) make a demand
\dI"mA…nd\ \ÆmeIk ´ dI"mA…nd\
emotional blackmail (n)
\IÆm´US´n´l "blœkmeIl\
Emotional blackmail involves trying to make other people feel guilty in order to get what you want.
essentials (n pl)
\I"senS´lz\
‘Essentials ’ are the things that it is very important for you to obtain during negotiations.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
Someone who has financial acumen makes good financial decisions and judgments.
Some negotiators make a last-minute demand in the hope that his or her opponent will not want to jeopardise the agreement for one small detail. O-Zone
is a unique product and I’m afraid ¤4 a bottle is our absolute bottom line.
Firmly established rock group, the Stones, are also a rock-solid business generating millions of dollars a year. During negotiations you must often be prepared to reach some kind of compromise. Experienced negotiators know how to obtain concessions from their opponents without giving too much in return. Neither side was prepared to move and so the negotiation ended in deadlock.
Don’t make all your demands at the start of negotiations – make a small demand first and get agreement on it before proceeding.
1
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 17 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
gross revenues (n pl)
\Ægr´Us "rev´nju…z\
The Stones have generated more than $1.5 billion in gross revenues since 1989.
halfway (adv) meet sb halfway
\ÆhA…f"weI\ \Æmi…t sømb´dI hA…f"weI\
Maybe we could sort something out on price. Would you be willing to meet us halfway?
hassle (n) not be worth the hassle
\"hœs´l\ \ÆnÅt bI Æw‰…T D´ "hœs´l\
Sometimes people give in to their opponent completely, deciding that prolonged negotiations are simply not worth the hassle.
head-on conflict (n)
\ÆhedÅn "kÅnflIkt\
If neither person is prepared to compromise then the discussions may turn into a head-on conflict.
high-pressure tactics (n pl)
\ÆhaIpreS´ "tœktIks\
Using high-pressure tactics involves using every strategy you can in order to get what you want.
ideals (n pl)
\ÆaI"dI´lz\
‘Ideals ’ are the things you will fight to get but not if it costs you the deal.
income stream (n)
\"In køm Æstri…m\
Music rights, not concerts, provide the steadiest income stream.
long-term relationship (n)
\ÆlÅNt‰…m rI"leIS´nSIp\
It’s not worth sacrificing a long-term relationship for the sake of winning a deal.
manoeuvre (n) room for manoeuvre (n)
\m´"nu…v´\ \Æru…m f´ m´"nu…v´\
movement (n) movement on price
\"mu…vm´nt\ \"mu…vm´nt Ån "praIs\
negotiate (v) negotiable (adj)
\nI"g´USieIt\ \nI"g´USI´b´l\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
The problem with getting involved in a single-issue negotiation is that you leave yourself little room for manoeuvre. We’d like to see a little more movement on price – say, a 10% discount?
Pointing out to your opponent that some things are not negotiable is an example of the ‘strictly off-limits ploy’.
2
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 17 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
negotiating objective (n)
\nIÆg´USIeItIN Åb"dZektIv\
Your negotiating objectives are the things you want to achieve during negotiations.
negotiator (n)
\nI"g´USIeIt´\
Experienced negotiators have a range of high-pressure tactics that they use to get what they want.
one-off deal (n)
\ÆwÅnÅf "di…l\
The tactics that you use for negotiating a one-off deal are very different from those you use when there’s a long-term relationship involved.
out-earn (v)
\ÆaUt"‰…n\
The dead Elvis Presley started out-earning the live Elvis Presley in 1988!
pay off (phr v)
\ÆpeI "Åf\
Mariah Carey was paid off to the tune of £19.5 million when Virgin Records decided they didn’t want to record her at all!
pressurise (v)
\"preS´raIz\
Which of the high-pressure tactics listed do you most often use to pressurise your opponents?
royalties (n pl)
\"rOI´ltIz\
Each time the Stones get airplay they collect 50% of the royalties .
set sth to one side
\Æset sømTIN t´ ÆwÅn "saId\
Let’s set the price issue to one side for a moment, shall we? Tell me a bit more about the product.
single-issue negotiation (n)
\ÆsINg´lÆISu… nI"g´USIeIS´n\
The problem with all single-issue negotiations is that there is very little room for manoeuvre for either party.
small print (n)
\ÆsmO…l "prInt\
The small print of a contract consists of the details printed in small letters that often limit your rights.
throw sth in (phr v)
\ÆTr´U sømTIN "In\
We could offer you a 6% discount, free delivery and we could throw in free parts and service as well.
topic (n)
\"tÅpIk\
A single-issue negotiation is one where only one topic is being discussed.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
3
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 17 headword
pronunciation
tradeables (n pl)
\"treId´b´lz\
‘Tradeables’ are the things that you take if you can get them but that are not particularly important to you.
win (v) win at all costs
\Æwin ´t O…l "kÅsts\
Becoming hostile because you want to win at all costs is often a big mistake.
\ÆwIn"wIn sItSu…ÆeIS´n\
By generating options you create a win-win situation where you both feel you’ve gained something.
win-win situation (n)
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
4
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 18 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
anti-ageing (adj) anti-ageing medical advances
\ÆœntI"eIdZIN\ \ÆœntIÆeIdZIN "medIk´l ´dÆvA…ns´z\
back office (n) back office staff (n pl)
\Æbœk "ÅfIs\ \Æbœk "ÅfIs ÆstA…f\
be a long way off
\bi… ´ lÅN weI Åf\
In my view, the era of robots who are mentally and physically superior to humans is still a long way off.
be bound to
\bI "baUnd tu…\
Bowman thinks that western companies are bound to employ an increasing number of workers in the developing world.
brink (n) be on the brink of doing sth
\brINk\ \bi… Ån D´ "brINk ´v Ædu…IN\
commodity (n) precious commodity
\k´"mÅd´tI\ \´ ÆpreS´s k´"mÅd´tI\
Cochrane predicts that people will be willing to spend large sums of money saving our most precious commodity – time.
designer baby (n)
\dIÆzaIn´ "beIbI\
Designer babies have been the subject of much debate in recent times.
DNA (n) DNA structure (n)
\Ædi…en"eI\ \Ædi…en"eI ÆstrøktS´\
economic progress (n)
\Æek´ÆnÅmIk "pr´Ugres\
Most of today’s businesses grew up in a period of population explosion and rapid economic progress.
era (n) enter an era of
\"I´r´\ \Æent´ ´n "i´r´ ´v\
I think we may be about to enter an era of rapid population decline.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
Do you think that anti-ageing medical advances are a good idea?
Many companies are already employing workers in countries such as India as ‘ back office staff’.
I believe we are on the brink of creating ‘lifelike’ machines.
Humans are now beginning to be able to modify their DNA structure and become more artificial.
1
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 18 headword
pronunciation
future (n) a bright future
\"fju…tS´\ \´ ÆbraIt "fju…tS´\
translation/notes
example sentence
One industry that definitely has a bright future is the pharmaceuticals.
face a bleak future
\ÆfeIs ´ Æbli…k "fju…tS´\
Parts of Europe and the US could be facing a bleak future unless they find a way of solving the population problem.
the foreseeable future
\D´ fO…Æsi…´b´l "fju…tS´\
I don’t see Dewdney’s prediction of ‘a different human species’ becoming a reality in the foreseeable future.
futurist (n)
\"fju…t´rIst\
‘Futurists’ are people who make predictions about what life will be like in the future.
genetically enhanced (adj)
\dZ´ÆnetIklI In"hA…nst\
The world may end up being divided into people who can afford to be ‘genetically enhanced’ and those who can’t, leading to a new class of beings.
global economy (n)
\Ægl´Ub´l I"kÅn´mI\
As the global economy becomes more integrated and interdependent so the number of workers in developing countries will grow.
high (adj) high-end (adj)
\haI\ \"haIÆend\
high-tech, high-touch (n)
\haIÆtek haI"tøtS\
Electronic immigrants may soon end up being employed in high-end technical fields such as engineering or IT. The high-tech, high-touch approach involves giving the latest technology a personal touch.
horizon (n) be on the horizon
\h´"raIz´n\ \bi… ÆÅn D´ h´"raIz´n\
Political change and economic change seems to be on the horizon in many countries.
indication (n) All the indications are …
\ÆInd´"keIS´n\ \ÆO…l Di… ÆInd´"keIS´nz A… ...\
At the present time all the indications are that the number of people working from home is set to grow.
lie in store
\ÆlaI In "stO…\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
It’s impossible to predict with 100% accuracy what lies in store for businesses in the future. 2
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 18 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
lifelike (adj)
\"laIfÆlaIk\
Ironically as humans are playing with their DNA structure and becoming more ‘artificial’, machines are becoming more ‘lifelike’.
marketing potential (n)
\"mA…k´tIN p´ÆtenS´l\
Which of the technologies listed do you think has the most marketing potential?
multitasking (n)
\ÆmøltI"tA…skIN\
Cochrane predicts that we will fit much more into the lives we’ve got by multitasking (=doing more than one thing at the same time) at work.
networked (adj)
\"netw‰…kt\
In Bowman’s opinion, in the networked world of the future where you live will have little effect on where you work.
on stream (adv) come on stream
\ÆÅn "stri…m\ \Ækøm Ån "stri…m\
population (n) population decline (n)
\ÆpÅpj´"leIS´n\ \pÅpj´ÆleIS´n dI"klaIn\
population explosion (n)
\ÆpÅpj´ÆleIS´n Ik"spl´UZ´n\
possibilities (n pl) open up possibilities
\ÆpÅs´"bIl´tIz\ \Æ´Up´n Æøp ÆpÅs´"bIl´tIz\
prospects (n pl) the long-term prospects (n pl)
\"prÅspekts\ \D´ ÆlÅNt‰…m "prÅspekts\
In my opinion the long-term prospects for conventional medicine are limited.
smart machine (n)
\ÆsmA…t m´"Si…n\
Smart machines use computer technology to make them more effective.
be targeted to
\bI "tA…g´t´d Ætu…\
Hopefully technological advances will mean that products and services can be better targeted to the needs of the customer.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
While some of the technologies mentioned will never be implemented, others will gradually come on stream and improve our lives. Gary Wright thinks that immigration will offset population decline to a certain extent in many Western countries. Many of today’s businesses grew up in a period of population explosion.
Recent developments in computing technology have opened up all kinds of exciting possibilities.
3
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 18 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
technological shift (n)
\Ætekn´ÆlÅdZIk´l "SIft\
Angell argues that every major technological shift creates winners and losers.
technology (n) embrace technology
\tek"nÅl´dZI\ \ImÆbreIs tek"nÅl´dZI\
People will always rush to embrace technology that makes their life easier.
\rIÆdZekt tek"nÅl´dZI\
Just as we embrace some forms of technology, we reject technology that makes us feel less alive, less human.
technophile (n) (opposite = technophobe)
\"tekn´faIl\
A technophile is someone who appreciates advances in technology.
technophobe (n) (opposite = technophile)
\"tekn´f´Ub\
A technophobe is someone who does not like or trust new forms of technology.
virtual reality (n)
\Æv‰…tSU´l ri…"œl´tI\
Virtual reality is the images and sounds generated by computers in order to simulate reality.
way (n) be a long way off
\weI\ \bi… a lÅN weI Åf\
reject technology
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
In my view, the era of robots who are mentally and physically superior to humans is still a long way off.
4
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 1 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
be based in
\bI "beIst In\
business (n) business function (n)
\"bIzn´s\ \"bIzn´s ÆføNkS´n\
business or pleasure?
\ÆbIzn´s O… "pleZ´\
‘Tom’s been invited to a private viewing at the Guggenheim.’ ‘Is that for business or pleasure?’
do business
\Ædu… "bIzn´s\
Would you do business with a member of your own family?
How’s business?
\ÆhaUz "bIzn´s\
‘How’s business? I hear things are improving.’ ‘Not really, economic recovery is still a long way off.’
CEO (n) (AmE) (BrE = managing director)
\Æsi…i…"´U\
Pieter Groenveld is the CEO of our biggest Dutch client.
client (n) key client (n)
\"klaI´nt\ \Æki… "klaI´nt\
compliment (n) pay sb a compliment
\"kÅmpl´m´nt\ \ÆpeI sømb´dI ´ "kÅmpl´m´nt\
Paying people personal compliments can be an important part of business culture.
compliment (v) compliment sb on sth
\"kÅmpl´m´nt\ \"kÅmpl´m´nt sømb´dI Ån ÆsømTIN\
Complimenting your staff on good work helps to keep them motivated.
constraint (n)
\k´n"streInt\
contract (n) negotiate a (¤3 million/ $900,000) contract
\"kÅntrœkt\ \nIÆg´USIeIt ´ ... "kÅntrœkt\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
The company has relocated and is now based in Rotterdam.
Business functions provide an opportunity both to socialize and to make new work contacts.
Corporate entertainment allows big companies to maintain relationships with key clients.
An evening at a corporate event contrasts with the pressures and constraints of the office environment. We’re currently negotiating an $80 million contract with Chinese government officials. 1
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 1 headword
pronunciation
corporate (adj) corporate event (n)
\"kO…p´r´t\ \ÆkO…p´r´t I"vent\
corporate hospitality/ entertainment (n)
translation/notes
example sentence
Corporate events range from international sporting events to nights at the opera.
\ÆkO…p´r´t hÅsp´"tœl´tI\ Æent´"teInm´nt\
Corporate hospitality has become a boom industry in the past few years.
4-/5-course dinner/lunch (n)
\ÆfO…\ÆfaIv kO…s "dIn´\"løntS\
A 5-course dinner, plus a private box at the match, costs ¤900 per person.
deal (n) do a deal
\di…l\ \Ædu… ´ "di…l\
delegation (n)
\Ædel´"geISn\
\dI"vIZ´n\ division (n) engineering/ \endZ´ÆnI´rIN\ pharmaceutical division etc fA…m´Æsju…tIk´l dI"vIZ´n\ hospitality (n) corporate hospitality (n)
Negotiations with Swedish Steel are ongoing and we’re hoping to do a deal very soon. A delegation of 12 Chinese government officials were invited for a day out at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships. My name’s James McRae and I work for BP in their engineering division.
\hÅsp´"tœl´tI\ \"kO…p´r´t hÅsp´"tœl´tI\
The Japanese speak $40 billion on corporate hospitality.
\hÅsp´"tœl´tI Ætent\
Food, drink and entertainment will be on offer at the firm’s hospitality tent.
look strong/good/bad etc
\lUk strÅN\gUd\bœd\
The Nikkei’s looking strong at the moment, which is good news for Japanese companies.
merger (n) be involved in a merger
\"m‰…dZ´\ \bi… InÆvÅlvd In ´ "m‰dZ´\
hospitality tent (n)
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
I believe your company’s about to be involved in a merger.
2
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 1 headword
pronunciation
money (n) put your money into sth
\"mønI\ \pUt j´ ÆmønI Int´ "sømTIN\
negotiate (v) negotiate a (¤3 million /$900,000) contract
office (n) office environment (n)
office party (n)
translation/notes
\nI"g´USIeIt\ \nIÆg´USIeIt ´ ... "kÅntrœkt\ \"ÅfIs\ \ÅfIs In"vaI´r´m´nt\
example sentence
Now that the economy is improving it’s a good time to put your money into the stock markets. A French construction company have successfully negotiated a ¤12 million contract to build the new company headquarters.
Reward your star team members by offering them a unique experience far away from the pressures of the office environment.
\ÆÅfIs "pA…tI\
When was the last time you attended an office party?
per person/per party
\p´ "p‰…s´n\p´ "pA…tI\
London Eye, tour of Tate Modern, dinner: ¤1,600 per party of 20.
pressures (n pl)
\"preS´z\
Staff need to escape from time to time from the pressures and constraints of the office.
project (n) complete a project
\"prÅdZekt\ \k´mÆpli…t ´ "prÅdZekt\
reception (n) champagne reception (n)
\rI"sepS´n\ \SœmÆpeIn rI"sepS´n\
Enjoy a champagne reception with first-class service at the Paris Ritz.
red carpet (n) roll out the red carpet (for sb)
\Æred "kA…p´t\ \Ær´Ul aUt D´Æ red "kA…p´t “f´ Æsømb´dI‘\
Why not roll out the red carpet for your clients and invite them to a banquet on board the Royal Yacht Britannia?
relationship (n) build and maintain a relationship
\rI"leIS´nSIp\ \ÆbIld ´n meInÆteIn ´ rI"leIS´nSIp\
Corporate events are an important way of building and maintaining relationships with clients.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
We’ve just completed a successful two-year project with a Finnish engineering company.
3
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 1 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
sales rep (n)
\"seIlz Ærep\
service (n) first-class service
\"s‰…v´s\ \Æf‰…st klA…s "s‰…v´s\
setting (n) ideal setting
\"setIN\ \"aIdI´l "setIN\
star (adj) star employee/team member etc
\stA…\ \ÆstA… Im"plOIi…\"ti…m Æmemb´\
Reward your star team members with an evening of corporate entertainment.
stock market (n)
\"stÅk ÆmA…k´t\
I see the stock markets are improving – now is probably a good time to invest.
surroundings (n pl) tasteful surroundings
\s´"raUndINz\ \ÆteIstf´l s´"raUndINz\
A superb dinner was served in the tasteful surroundings of the Level 2 Café.
team (n) member of a team
\ti…m\ \Æmemb´r ´v ´ "ti…m\
VIP box (n)
\Ævi…aIpi… "bÅks\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
Each year we invite our top 50 sales reps and their partners to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Book your corporate event with us and we guarantee the ideal setting and first-class service. The Royal Yacht Britannia provides the ideal setting for a unique and unforgettable evening.
Why not offer star members of your team front-row seats at the Metropolitan Opera in New York? VIP boxes are available from ¤800 per person.
4
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 2 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
advertising campaign (n)
\"œdv´taIzIN kœmÆpeIn\
The new advertising campaign is reported to have cost over ¤3 million.
all-time low (n)
\ÆO…l taIm "l´U\
Our share price has fallen to an all-time low of just 85 cents.
assembly plant (n)
\´"semblI ÆplA…nt\
‘We may have to consider outsourcing production.’ ‘Hold on, you mean our assembly plant may be closed down?’
backing (n) (opposite = opposition) the full backing of
\"bœkIN\ \D´Æ fUl "bœkIN ´v\
The proposed change got the full backing of everybody present.
balance sheet (n)
\"bœl´ns ÆSi…t\
A balance sheet is a written statement showing the value of a company at a particular time.
ballpark figure (v) (AmE)
\"bO…lpA…k ÆfIg´\
A ‘ballpark figure’ is a rough estimate of how much something is worth or how much it will cost.
break even
\ÆbreIk "i…v´n\
We can’t afford to introduce price cuts – we’re barely breaking even on some of our product lines.
capital (n) capital investment/ outlay (n)
\"kœp´tl\ \Ækœp´tl In"vestm´nt\"aUtleI\
centralise (v) (opposite = decentralise)
\"sentr´laIz\
By centralising distribution we could avoid the problems we’ve been having with overseas distributors.
channels of communication (n pl)
\ÆtSœnlz ´v k´Æmju…nI"keISn\
Do you think working in an open-plan office improves channels of communication between people?
chief (n)
\tSi…f\
Former ITT chief, Harold Geneen, was a remorselessly driven workaholic.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
Your suggestion is out of the question – we can’t afford that kind of capital outlay.
1
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 2 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
close down (phr v) (opposite = open up)
\Ækl´Uz "daUn\
Many firms couldn’t keep up with their competitors in South East Asia and were forced to close down.
consolidate (v)
\k´n"sÅl´deIt\
Now is not the time to expand, but to consolidate.
consumer (n) consumer confidence (n)
\k´n"sju…m´\ \k´nÆsju…m´ "kÅnf´d´ns\
When consumer confidence is low sales go down.
cost cutting (n)
\"kÅst ÆkøtIN\
Cost cutting often involves job losses so that a firm’s wage bill is reduced.
customer relations (n pl)
\Ækøst´m´ rI"leIS´nz\
Good customer relations are vital to the growth of any business.
debt (n) slide (further) into debt
\det\ \ÆslaId “Æf‰…D´‘ Int´ "det\
Invest more money in R&D and we’ll simply slide further into debt.
demand (n) stimulate demand
\dI"mA…nd\ \ÆstImj´leIt dI"mA…nd\
demotion (n) (opposite = promotion) strategic demotion (n)
\dI"m´US´n\ \str´Æti…dZIk dI"m´US´n\
‘Strategic demotion’ of men creates more opportunities for women.
distribution channel (n)
\ÆdIstr´"bju…S´n ÆtSœnl\
Distribution channels are the different ways in which goods and materials are distributed.
distributor (n) overseas distributor (n)
\dI"strIbj´t´\ \´Uv´si…z dI"strIbj´t´\
drastic action (n)
\ÆdrœstIk "œkSn\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
Cutting prices is one way of stimulating demand for a product.
Centralising distribution would be one way of solving the problems we’ve been having with overseas distributors. The situation calls for drastic action. It’s time for a major restructuring.
2
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 2 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
executive (n)
\Ig"zekj´tIv\
fall short of (opposite = exceed) fall short of targets/projections
\fO…l "SO…t ´v\ \fO…lÆ SO…t ´v "tA…g´ts\pr´"dZekS´nz\
Unfortunately we’ve fallen short of our sales projections again.
figures (n pl)
\"fIg´z\
Executives of ITT had four-day meetings in Brussels poring over figures.
finalise (v)
\"faIn´laIz\
‘We won’t be able to finalise anything today.’ ‘You mean we’ll have to hold another meeting?’
hostile takeover (n)
\ÆhÅstaIl "teIk´Uv´\
The company was acquired recently by a former competitor in a hostile takeover.
implement (v) implement a change/ scheme etc
\"ImplIment\ \ÆImplIment ´ "tSeIndZ\"skI…m\
Implementing changes takes time.
inflated (adj) inflated prices
\In"fleIt´d\ \InÆfleIt´d praIs´z\
Selling old product at inflated prices is not good business.
information-sharing (n) information-sharing meeting (n)
\ÆInf´"meIS´nÆSe´rIN\ \Inf´ÆmeIS´nÆSe´rIN "mi…tIN\
An information-sharing meeting is one in which people exchange facts and information.
interdepartmental meeting (n)
\ÆInt´Ædi…pA…tÆmentl "mi…tIN\
An interdepartmental meeting is attended by people from the different departments within a company.
IT support (n)
\aI"ti… s´ÆpO…t\
Good IT support is vital to the efficiency of businesses nowadays.
job-share scheme (n)
\"dZÅbSe´ Æski…m\
A job-share scheme is one in which two people share the work of a single job and work reduced hours.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
The average executive spends half of his or her life in meetings.
3
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 2 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
example sentence
last-in-first-out (LIFO) (n)
\lA…stÆInf‰…st"aUt\
A last-in-first-out procedure is one in which people who have started working for a firm most recently are the first to lose their jobs.
layoff (n)
\"leIÅf\
Hundreds of workers could be affected by the layoffs .
layout (n)
\"leIaUt\
Feng-shui experts made recommendations for changes to the office layout.
lead (n) technological/ commercial lead etc
\li…d\ \Ætekn´ÆlÅdZIk´l\ k´Æm‰…S´l "li…d\
In recent months many computer games companies in this country have lost their technological lead.
loss (n) (opposite = profit) make a loss
\lÅs\ \ÆmeIk ´ "lÅs\
‘Running into negative profit’ is another way of saying ‘making a loss’.
\Ærøn ´t ´ "lÅs\
We may end up running at a loss if we cut prices now.
\"mA…k´t\ \køm ÆÅnt´ D´ "mA…k´t\
Better products are coming onto the market all the time.
market trend (n)
\ÆmA…k´t "trend\
Market trends show the type of products that are popular at a particular time.
market-driven (adj)
\"mA…k´tÆdrIv´n\
Market-driven organisations are controlled by what and how much people want to buy.
run at a loss market (n) come onto the market
opposition (n) (opposite = backing) meet with opposition
\Åp´"zIS´n\
option (n) explore the options
\"ÅpS´n\ \IkÆsplO… DI "ÅpS´nz\
\Æmi…t wID ÆÅp´"zIS´n\
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
Some of the proposed changes met with a certain amount of opposition.
Several options were explored including job-sharing and making some workers redundant.
4
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 2 headword
pronunciation
outsource (v) outsource production
\"aUtsO…s\ \ÆaUtsO…s pra"døkS´n\
We may have to consider outsourcing production in order to cut costs.
overstaffed (adj) (opposite = understaffed )
\Æ´Uv´"stA…ft\
The board feels that the company is overstaffed and has announced job losses.
phase out (phr v) (opposite = bring in, introduce)
\ÆfeIz "aUt\
‘We’re barely breaking even on some of our product lines.’ ‘Surely you’re not saying it’s time to phase them out?’
pick up (phr v) (opposite = drop off, fall off)
\ÆpIk "øp\
Unless things pick up next quarter we may have to rethink our pricing strategy.
positive discrimination (n)
\ÆpÅz´tIv dIÆskrIm´"neIS´n\
A policy of positive discrimination would lead to more women being appointed to management positions.
price setting (n)
\"praIs ÆsetIN\
There was a lot of disagreement in the meeting about price setting.
pricing strategy (n)
\"praIsIn Æstrœt´dZI\
We shall have to rethink our pricing strategy if our European sales figures don’t improve.
product (n) product development (n)
\"prÅdøkt\ \"prÅdøkt dIÆvel´pÆm´nt\
We’re losing our technological lead and need to invest more money in product development.
\"prÅdøkt ÆlaIn\
If profit margins are falling it may be time to phase out some product lines.
production (n) production cost/ method (n)
\pr´"døkS´n\ \pr´"døkS´n ÆkÅst\meT´d\
We need to keep production costs down if we want to remain competitive.
profit margin (n)
\"prÅfIt ÆmA…dZ´n\
Profit margins increased by 7% last quarter.
product line (n)
translation/notes
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
5
in company
Upper intermediate
Unit 2 headword
pronunciation
translation/notes
proposal (n) submit a proposal
\pr´"p´Uz´l\ \søbÆmIt ´ pr´"p´Uz´l\
Heads of department were asked to submit their proposals for change within the company.
proviso (n) with the proviso that …
\pr´"vaIz´U\ \ÆwID D´ pr´"vaIz´U D´t ...\
Job losses were approved with the proviso that people with the company for less than a year were laid off first.
pull out (of) (phr v)
\pUl "aUt “´v‘\
The firm is pulling out of the personal computer business.
quality control (n)
\ÆkwÅl´tI k´n"tr´Ul\
Quality control involves testing goods in a factory to make sure that they are good enough to sell.
quarter (n)
\"kwO…t´\
The European sales figures for last quarter are extremely disappointing.
recruitment process (n)
\rI"kru…tm´nt Æpr´Uses\
There’s often a lot of disagreement in meetings about recruitment processes.
region (n) in the region of
\"ri…dZ´n\ \In D´ "ri…dZ´n ´v\
Her salary must be somewhere in the region of $100,000 a year.
restructuring (n)
\ri…"strøktS´rIN\
The situation calls for drastic action – it’s time for a major restructuring.
row (n) in a row
\r´U\ \ÆIn ´ "r´U\
This is the third quarter in a row we’ve missed our targets.
salary (n) salary review (n)
\"sœl´rI\ \"sœl´rI rIÆvju…\
Each of our employees has an annual salary review .
sales projection (n)
\"seIlz pr´ÆdZekS´n\
Sales projections forecast a considerable increase in sales in Eastern Europe.
shake-up (n)
\"SeIkøp\
During the recent shake-up several members of the Board of Directors resigned.
This file has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
example sentence
6
