Business Administration Enhanced Part 1 E-Book

Daniel B. Smith

• Herausgeber: Daniel B. Smith
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

The world we live in changes dramatically every second.
The globalization, the terrorism, the poverty and all other problems have a huge impact on our economy and security.
For the next period, these two main domains of study will be predominant because nowadays, the world faces multiple risks and challenges.
If you wanted to succeed in growing your business and reaching new markets, you would need to develop new skills.

After reading this book you will know:

*How to communicate using English business patterns of communication in multiple situation and via different channels: telephone, e-mail, fax, during meetings and so forth.
*How to think about your business partner and what key point you need to identify in order to have a fruitful business relation
*How to act in an global environment
*What are the key point of expanding your business outside national borders
*How to implement business ethics and why are they useful
*How to develop and maintain public relations for an organization
*How to manage a crisis situation from the perspective of a company
*How to negotiate the best deals for you business.

Leseprobe

Business Administration Enhanced: Part 1

Daniel B. Smith

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, excepting the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Copyright © 2016

Table of contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: English for Business Communication

1. Socializing

1.1. First contact

1.2. Getting to know each other

1.3. More contacts

2. Presentations

2.1. The introduction

2.2. The body

2.3. Conclusion

3. Describing trends

3.1. Language focus

3.2. Describing trends

4. Telephoning

4.1. Structuring a call

4.2. Messages

4.3. Checking information

4.4. Appointments

4.5. Wrong number

4.6. Bookings

4.7. Enquiries about products

4.8. Orders

5. Meetings and negotiations

5.1. Meetings

5.2. Negotiations

6. Business letters and emails

6.1. Letters

6.2. Emails

6.3. Direct and indirect method of organization when writing a text

6.4. Writing styles

7. Request letters and replies

7.1. Letters of enquiry

7.2. Enquiry replies

7.3. Letters for placing orders

7.4. Letters for acknowledging and order

8. Complaints and replies to complaints

8.1. Letters of complaint

8.2. Letters of adjustment

9. Social business correspondence

9.1. Business and private invitations

9.2. Business announcements

Chapter 2: Intercultural Communication

1. Key concepts

2. The culture

3. The communication process and communication barriers

4. Intercultural communication and cultural models

5. Global business environment

6. Business ethics

6.1. Myths about business ethics

6.2. Benefits of managing ethics in workplace

6.3. Guidelines for managing ethics in the workplace

6.4. Ethics tools: Codes of ethics/Codes of conduct

7. Doing business in different parts of the world

Chapter 3: Negotiation and Public Relations

3.1. Communication and negotiation in nowadays world economy

3.2. The public relations activity and business protocol

3.2.1. Public relations: a typology of definitions

3.3. To whom do public relations address?

3.4. What journalists expect from PR specialists?

3.5. Techniques used in public relations

3.6. Public relations in crisis situations

3.7. Crisis management

3.8. Crisis communication

3.9. The PR activity in crises

3.10. Strategies used in crises

3.11. General aspects of business protocol

3.11. The negotiation of a commercial agreement

3.12. The negotiation process

3.13. The negotiator psychology

Conclusion

Introduction

The world we live in changes dramatically every second. The globalization, the terrorism, the poverty and all other problems have a huge impact on our economy and security. For the next period, these two main domains of study will be predominant because nowadays, the world faces multiple risks and challenges.

If you want to succeed in growing your business and reaching new markets, you will need to develop new skills. After reading this book you will know:

1.How to communicate using English business patterns of communication in multiple situation and via different channels: telephone, e-mail, fax, during meetings and so forth.

2.How to think about your business partner and what key point you need to identify in order to have a fruitful business relation

3.How to act in an global environment

4.What are the key point of expanding your business outside national borders

5.How to implement business ethics and why are they useful

6.How to develop and maintain public relations for an organization

7.How to manage a crisis situation from the perspective of a company

8.How to negotiate the best deals for you business.

Chapter 1: English for Business Communication

1. Socializing

Social language skills are the skills which enable people to interact in informal settings, for example when meeting, when making small talk, when partying and so forth. An effective socializer must be able to select safe topics for conversation, start and develop conversations around these topics, reply appropriately and behave according to the cross-cultural constraints of the conversation situation.

According to Jeremy Comfort (1997), socializing covers the following situations:

first contact (introductions, opening small talk);

getting to know each other;

more contacts (every day meetings, inclusive behavior);

arrangements (understanding and responding to invitations);

dinner (hosting, complimenting, inclusive behavior);

after work (choosing and developing topics for conversation);

farewells.

The same author discusses these conversational situations and the language specific to each of them as presented in the following sections.

1.1. First contact

Greetings and introductions:

Welcoming:

According to the context in which the conversation takes place, i.e. formal (F) or informal (I), the following phrases can be used to welcome a visitor:

Welcome to…

It’s a (great) pleasure to welcome you to …(F)

On behalf of … I’d like to welcome you to … (F)

The word welcome can be used as an interjection, usually followed by the preposition to (ex. 1), as a transitive, regular verb with to (ex.2), or as an adjective in the expression to be welcome to (ex. You are welcome, She was always welcome in their house).

Greeting and introducing oneself at the first meeting:

Greetings and introductions usually contain the following three stages:

greeting

introducing oneself or someone else

reply to introduction

The following table summarizes the language specific to each of these stages.

Greeting

Introducing yourself

Reply

How do you do?

I’m …/ My name’s …. (F)

How do you

do? I’m…./

my name’s …

(F)

Hello, you must be ….

Let me introduce myself. I’m …./ My name’s … I’m … (job position)

Nice to meet

you. Mine’s

…/ Pleased

to meet you.

Mine’s …..

Hello.

We haven’t met. I’m…/ I don’t think we’ve met. My name is...

Nice to meet

you. I

am.../Mine’s

…/ Pleased

to meet you.

Mine’s …..

Although in the past the question “How do you do?” was used as the equivalent of the present-day “How are you?”, this phrase is no longer a real question. It is a formal greeting used only when meeting someone for the first time, and the standard reply is “How do you do?” not “Fine, thanks”.

There is usually a difference between “meet” (to become acquainted with) and “see” for a second and subsequent meeting, e.g. “Pleased to meet you” (first time), “Nice to see you” (subsequent time).

Here are some examples:

A: I’d like to welcome you to our university. I am Professor Johnson.

B: It’s an honour to meet you professor.

A: Good morning, welcome to Amazon.

B: Hello.

A: My name’s Deborah Edison, I’m marketing manager.

B: It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name’s Diana Jones.

A: Excuse me. Are you Jane Hawkins? I’m Steve Levinson.

B: Hello. Nice to meet you.

A: Hello. Nice to meet you too.

A: Hello, I’m Mary.

B: Hi. Nice to meet you. I’m Sheena, a friend of Paul’s.

Introducing someone else:

May I introduce …?

I’d like to introduce you to… (F)

Have you met…?

…, this is,…

Examples:

A: Have you met Ann, our secretary?

B: No, I haven’t. Please introduce me.

A: Ann, this is Maggie. She works in the finance department.

C: Nice to meet you Maggie.

A: Trevor, this is Ally Lakoff from IBM in London. Ally, this is Trevor Smith, our marketing manager.

C: Nice to meet you, Ally.

B: Hello, Trevor. Pleased to meet you.

Opening small talk:

Travel, the weather, accommodation and the city are among the most often discussed topics after the introductory stage of greeting and introduction. The sample questions and answers below illustrate the way these topics can be used in conversation.

Travel:

How was your trip?/How was your flight?/Did you have any trouble finding us?

It was fine/ very smooth/ easy.

It was a bit delayed/ the traffic was terrible/ it was a bit rough.

I missed my connection/ the plane was late.

There were no problems.

Weather:

How do you find the weather here?

So, how was the weather in …?

What was the weather like in…?

It’s lovely/ fabulous/awful.

It was dismal/ cloudy/ cold/ damp/ wet/ stormy/ windy/sunny/warm.

Oh, much the same as here.

Much warmer than here.

Many adjectives used to describe the weather are formed from noun roots and the –y suffix: sun-sunny, rain- rainy, wind-windy, storm- stormy, cloud- cloudy, fog- foggy and so forth.

Accommodation:

How’s your hotel?

It’s very comfortable/ convenient/ luxurious.

The service is excellent.

It’s rather noisy/ dirty.

The service is rather slow.

The rooms are a bit crammed.

The city

Have you been to Madrid before?/ Is this your first visit to Madrid?

Yes, I was here in 2007./ No, this is my first visit here.

We often modify our negative remarks by using words like a little, a bit, or rather. When we insert these words, our remarks are softened. They become less direct and sound more natural.

Practice:

The following dialogues contain examples of first contact exchanges. Underline the words and expressions used for welcoming visitors, introducing oneself or other people to each other. Are these dialogues formal or informal? What topics are discussed in each of them?

1.

A: I’d like to welcome you to our Institute. I am Professor Stansilav.

B: It’s an honour to meet you professor.

A: Did you have a good trip?

B: Yes, thank you.

A: Good, so shall we start the tour?

B: Certainly. I’m looking forward to it. (source: Effective Socializing by Jeremy Comfort, Cambridge University Press, 1997).

2.

A: Hello, I’m Pete Stanford.

B: Hi. Nice to meet you. I’m Sheena, a friend of Paul’s.

A: So, do you know many people here?

B: Most of them. I’ll introduce you to a few if you like.

A: Thanks. So where are you from? (source: Effective Socializing by Jeremy Comfort, Cambridge University Press, 1997)

3.

A: Good morning, welcome to Bond Associates.

B: Hello.

A: My name’s Deborah Polovsky, but just call me Debbie- everybody does.

B: It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name’s Susan Denison.

A: So, have you checked in to your hotel?

B: Yes, I have. I’ve got a great room overlooking the bay.

A: Wonderful. We’re having some lovely weather at the moment. Let’s hope it continues. How was the weather back home?

B: Pretty dismal actually. Cold and wet. It was great to step off the plane into all this sunshine. (source: Effective Socializing by Jeremy Comfort, Cambridge University Press, 1997)

4.

A: Have you met Jonathan?

B: No, I haven’t. Please introduce me.

A: Jonathan, this is Maggie. She works in the research department

C: Nice to meet you Maggie. How long have you been here?

B: With the company? Oh… too long… nearly fifteen years. What about you?

C: I don’t work here. I’m just on a visit for a couple of days.

B: Oh? Where are you staying?

C: Greg is putting me up.

B: And have you seen much of the city?

C: Well, not so much as I’d like to… (source: Effective Socializing by Jeremy Comfort, Cambridge University Press, 1997)

5.

A: Excuse me. Are you Rita Sandoro? I’m Stephanie Howard.

B: Hello. Nice to meet you.

A: Hello. Nice to meet you too. How was the flight?

B: Very good thanks. No problems at all.

A: I’ll take you to your hotel and then we’ll go out to dinner.

B: Thank you. That you be nice. (source: Business Vocabulary in Use by Bill Mascull, Cambridge University Press, 2006)

6.

A: Trevor, this is Rita Sandoro from World Wines in London. Rita, this is Trevor Smith, our marketing manager.

C: Nice to meet you, Rita.

B: Hello, Trevor. Pleased to meet you.

C: Have you been to Cape Town before?

B: No, this is my first visit.

C: Where are you staying?

B: At the Intercontinental.

C: What’s it like?

B: Very comfortable, thanks. (source: Business Vocabulary in Use by Bill Mascull, Cambridge University Press, 2006)

7.

A: It was nice meeting you, Rita.

B: Nice meeting you too, Stephanie.

A: Have a good trip back to London.

B: Thanks, I’ll be in touch soon.

A: I look forward to seeing you next time.

B: Yes, me too. Bye.

A: Goodbye. (source: Business Vocabulary in Use by Bill Mascull, Cambridge University Press, 2006)

Choose the correct variant:

1. The correct answer to „How do you do?” is

a. I’m fine, thanks. b. Could be worse c. How do you do? d. Not so fine, I’m afraid.

2. „Thank you. It’s a pleasure to be here.” is the answer to the following question:

a. Welcome to our company. b. Let me introduce myself. c. Have you met Jonathan? d. Would you like some coffee?

3. „No, I haven’t. Why don’t you introduce me?” is the answer to the following question:

a. Would you like to meet Mary? b. Let me introduce myself. c. Have you met Mary? d. Do you know each other?

4. Which of the following sentences is correct when two people are introduced to each other?

a. Jonathan, this is Maggie. b. Jonathan, she is Maggie. c. Jonathan, that is Maggie. d. Jonathan, here is Maggie.

5. „It was cold and stormy” is the answer to the following question:

a. How is your hotel? b. How are you? c. How do you find the weather here? d. How was the weather in Paris when you left?

6. „It is very convenient and comfortable” is the answer to the following question:

a. How is your hotel? b. How are you? c. How do you find the weather here? d. How was the weather in Paris when you left?

7. „It was a bit delayed and I missed my connection” is the answer to the following question:

a. How is your hotel? b. How are you? c. How was you flight? d. How was the weather in Paris when you left?

8. The correct reply to „Jonathan, this is Mary, a colleague of mine” is

a. Nice to see you. b. Nice to hear from you. c. Nice to be here. d. Nice to meet you.

Revision and consolidation:

1. Give three examples of expressions used to introduce yourself. Use them in sentences of your own.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

2. Give three examples of expressions used to introduce two people to each other. Use them in sentences of your own.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

3. Give three examples of questions used in first contacts, as well as their corresponding answers.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

1.2. Getting to know each other

Present Tense Simple:

A. Sample sentences:

The marketing director

takes care

of customer relations.

They always

place

their orders on the internet.

I

don't remember

how much our turnover was last year.

My plane

leaves

at 10.30 on Tuesday.

B.Form:

1.Positive form:

I/you/we/they work in different departments. He/she/it works in different departments.

2.Negative form:

I/you/we/they do not/don't produce a monthly report.

He/she/it does not/doesn't produce a monthly report.

3.Interrogative form:

Do I/you/we/they need more information? Does he/she/it need more information?

C. Uses:

We use the present simple in the following situations:

1.To indicate a general or permanent activity:

The company manufactures cars.

I work for IBM.

2.To describe how often an activity is done:

We hold a meeting every month.

3.To indicate a fixed schedule in the future:

The spring sales campaign starts on 1 March.

4.With non-continuous verbs:

At present our company belongs to the ABC Group, (not: 'is belonging').

At the moment the board consists of six people.

The following verbs are usually used only in the simple form:

Hope

know

understand

like

love

mean

forget

imagine

Remember

prefer

suppose

want

belong

concern

consist of

contain

cost

equal

Have

involve

depend on

owe

possess

own

remain

require

Present Tense Continuous:

A. Sample sentences:

•      Sales are increasing at the moment.

•      At present we are recruiting a new sales director.

•      What are you doing?-I amjust finishingthis report.

•      Weare starting a new sales campaign next month.

B.Form:

The present continuous comprises two parts: the present tense of to be + V . . . ing

1.Positive form:

I am checking the stock.

You/we/they are checking . . .

He/she/it is checking . . .

We/you/they are checking . . .

2.Negative form:

I am/'m not expecting a delivery today . . .

You/we are not/aren't expecting . . .

He/she/it is not/isn't expecting . . .

3.Interrogative form:

Am I getting the right results?

Are you getting . . . ?

Is he/she/it getting . . . ?

Are we/you/they getting . . . ?

C. Uses:

We use the present continuous:

1.To indicate an activity at the moment of speaking:

What are you doing?

I'm calculating the sales figures.

2.To indicate an activity around the time of speaking:

We are installing a new assembly line.

3.To indicate the temporary nature of an activity:

I'm working in Paris at the moment, (but normally I work in London).

4.To indicate a fixed arrangement in the future:

We are running a training seminar next Monday.

NOTE:

1.With example l, 2 and 3, we can use the following time expressions (present time markers): at the/this moment, at present, currently, now.

2.With example 4, we normally use a word or expression to show that we mean future time. This avoids confusion with the present time:

What are you doing this evening? (future)

What are you doing? (present)

Small talk topics:

The range of acceptable topics varies extensively across countries and cultures, and involves such variables as interlocutors, relationship between participants, situation of speech and so forth. According to Jeremy Comfort (1997) the list of safe topics includes work, education, free time and entertainment, house and home, the economy, politics while topics which may be dangerous are religion, death and family relationships. The following sample questions and answers illustrate the way conversations can develop on these topics. Note the use of Present Tense Simple in most of these sentences.

Jobs:

What do you do?

I’m a teacher/ engineer/ lawyer/ factory manager/accountant/ secretary/ sales assistant (profession/ job title)

I work for an electronics company/supermarket/ accounting firm/ car manufacturer (employer)

I work for myself at the moment. (self-employed)

I’m retired/ I look after the children/ I’m a housewife.

What line are you in?

I’m in computing./ I’m in marketing./I’m in banking./I’m in manufacturing./I’m in sales.

Who do you work for?

I work for theCoca-Cola Company.

What do they do?

We/ They make beverages./ They make components./ They manufacture cars. (activity)

Where are they based?

We are based in Atlanta. (location)

And what exactly do you do?

I’m responsible for new product development./ I take care of customers relations.

How long have you been with them/ there?

Five years now.

Do you like it?/ Are they a good employer?/ Is your job interesting?/ How is business?

Yes, I like it a lot.

NOTE: verbs frequently used to describe job responsibilities include: to be in charge of, to be responsible for, to take care of.

Examples:

1.The finance directoris responsible forcompany finance.

2.The R&D stafftakes care of new product development.

3.The administration manager is in chargeof personnel.

4.The marketing department is in charge ofthe sales force.

5.The marketing departmentis responsible foradvertising, sales promotions and market research.

Family and home:

So, where do you live?

Just outside York

Do you live in a house or a flat?

In a house.

Are you married?

Yes/ No/ Not at the moment.

Do you have any children?

How old are they?

Yes, a girl and a boy./ No I don’t. what about you?

The boy’s seven and the girl’s four.

And does your wife work?

Not at the moment. She’s at home with out daughter.

Spare time:

What do you do in the evenings?/ at weekends/in your spare time?

I go out with my friends./ I watch TV./ I read./ I like to play tennis when I have time.

Where do you spend your holidays?

I usually go to the seaside.

Do you like films/ gardening/ walking/ sports?

Yes, I do./ Not really.

What are your hobbies?

I like to play golf./ I go skiing whenever I have time.

Origins

Where do you come from?

Where were you brought up?

Which part of … were you born in?

Where were you born?

Practice:

The following dialogues contain examples of small talk. What topics are discussed in each of them?

A: Good morning, Rita. How are you?

B: Very well thanks, and you.

A: Fine thanks. Take a seat. Would you like something to drink? There’s coffee, tea and orange juice.

B: Juice, please.

A: Here you are.

B: Thank you. (source: Business Vocabulary in Use by Bill Mascull,Cambridge University Press, 2006)

At the restaurant:

S: A table for two, please.

W: Where would you like to sit- smoking or non-smoking?

S: Rita, do you smoke?

R: No, I don’t.

S: Near the window in the non-smoking ares, please.

R: What do you recommend?

S: The fish is very good. Do you like fish?

R: No, I’m not keen on seafood. What are you going to have?

S: I think I’ll have a chicken vilandoo. That’s a type of curry with chicken.

R: That sounds good. I’ll have the same.

W: Are you ready to order?

S: Yes, I think so.

S: Do you live in London?

R: No, I live in Brighton, on the south coast. I commute. What about you?

S: I commute too. It takes about 20 minutes by car. Do you like commuting?

R: It’s OK if the train isn’t late! I read and I listen to music. And you?

S: It’s fine if there isn’t too much traffic. What do you do in your free time?

R: I play a lot of golf.

S: Really? I play golf too! How about a game tomorrow after our meeting?

R: That was delicious!

S: I’m glad you liked it. Would you like a coffee?

R: Yeas, please.

S (to the waiter): Two coffees please.

(later)

S: Can we have the bill, please?

W: Certainly. (The bill arrives)

S (to Rita): I’ll get this.

R: Thank you very much.

S: My pleasure. (source: Business Vocabulary in Use by Bill Mascull,Cambridge University Press, 2006)

NOTE: For a conversation to develop positively, the responder in any small talk exchange needs to give full answers. If possible these should include a comment. Closed questions i.e. yes/no answers may be not very effective:

Did you see that film on television?

Yes, I liked it a lot. What about you?

Do you live near here?

Not really. It’s about 2 hours by train. And you?

Have you been here long?

Long enough, almost ten years. How about you?

Open questions should elicit a fuller answer:

Where do you spend your holidays?

Practice:

Read the following dialogues. Do they illustrate good or bad conversation?

1.

A: What do you do for a living?

B: I’m in banking.

A: Oh, what sort of banking?

B: Foreign exchange transactions.

A: I see. And have you always been in that line of work?

B: Yes, I have.

A: Personally, I’ve changed my career twice already. I started out as a dentist, but I decided that people’s teeth didn’t really interest me, so I moved on to become a salesman for one of the big pharmaceutical companies. After a while I couldn’t stand it, and now I’ve set up a garden centre just near here.

B: I see.

A: Right, well, I suppose I should think about going soon. (source: Effective Socializing by Jeremy Comfort, Cambridge University Press, 1997)

2.

A: Where do you come from?

B: India.

A: Oh, whereabouts?

B: The south.

A: Interesting. Which city?

B: Madras.

A: Oh, I see … and is your family here with you?

B: No.

A: So you left them at home.

B: That’s right.

A: I suppose that must be very hard for them. (source: Effective Socializing by Jeremy Comfort, Cambridge University Press, 1997)

3.

A: Where were you brought up?

B: In Greece, actually. But my parents are Danish.

A: That sounds complicated.

B: Not really. My father had a job as an adviser to the government.

A: So, did you go to school there?

B: Yes, I did. It was an international school and we had to speak English.

A: Your English is very good.

B: Thanks. In fact, I use it all the time in my current job.

A: What do you do?

B: I’m a pilot… you know, on a commercial airline.

A: Really? My brother is training to become pilot.

B: Oh? Where’s he training? (source: Effective Socializing by Jeremy Comfort, Cambridge University Press, 1997)

Answer the following questions:

1.What do you do?

2.How long have you been doing this job?

3.Do you like your work?

4.How’s business at the moment?

5.What do you do at weekends?

6.Do you like sport?

7.Are you married?

8.Do you have any children?

9.Where were you born?

10.Were you brought up there?

Choose the correct variant:

1. „I’m an engineer” is the answer to the following question:

a. Who are you? b. What are you? c. What do you do? d. How are you?

2. „I work for IBM” is the answer to the following question:

a. Who do you work for? b. Where you work? c. What do you work? d. Where are you working?

3. „Just outside London” is the answer to the following question:

a. Where you live? b. Where does you live? c. Where live you? d. Where do you live?

4. The correct answer to „ What do you do at weekends?” is

a. I am going fishing. b. I go fishing. c. I goes fishing. d. I do go fishing.

5. The answer to „Do you like sports?” is

a. Yes, I do. b. Yes, I am. c. Yes, do I. d. Yes, I does.

Revision and consolidation:

1. Give three examples of job-related questions and their answers.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

2. Give three examples of family-related questions and their answers.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

3. Give three examples of origins-related questions and their answers.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

1.3. More contacts

Greetings:

Hello./ Hi. Good morning. / Good afternoon.

How are you?

How are things?

Nice to see you again. (after a long gap)

Very well, thanks. And you?

Fine, and you?

Not so bad. How are you?/ So and so./ Could be worse.

Not too good, I’m afraid.

Absolutely awful/ terrible/ dreadful.

NOTE: The greeting ‘How are you?’ is normally part of a ritual. We don’t expect people to reply honestly or in detail. Therefore in most situations, we don’t respond by saying ‘Not so well’ or ‘Awful’ as these responses would invite further enquiries.

Requests (favours):

The language we use for making a request will depend on the nature of the request, and who we are asking. Normally we would use more formal or polite language for difficult requests, especially with someone we don’t know well, while for smaller requests, or with people we know well, we are usually less formal. The following phrases can be used as introductions:

I’m glad I bumped into you. I wanted to ask you something.

Have you got a moment? I want to ask you something.

I’m glad I saw you/ I caught you. I’ve got a favour to ask.

We can make a request by using the following range of words and expressions. Note that the level of formality increases as the used language gets more indirect and tentative:

Please……

Can you….?

Will you…?

Could you…?

I’d like you to …

Perhaps you could …

Could you possibly ….?

Do you think you could …?

Do you think I could ask you…

I’ve got a favour to ask you. Could you…?

Would you mind… -ing…?

I wonder/ wondered/ was wondering/ if you could/ if you’d mind …

The following vocabulary can be used to answer a request positively:

Sure./ Certainly./ Of course./ Go ahead.

Not at all. / It’s a pleasure.

I suppose so./ Should be no problem.

When we respond positively to a request formulated with Would you mind … -ing…? we say ‘No’.

Would you mind postponing the meeting?

No, not at all. / No, that’s all right.

However, when we respond negatively we tend not to say ‘Yes (I do mind)’, but use instead words like those below:

Would you mind cancelling the meeting?

Well, I’m not sure …

Well … that’s not so easy / a bit of a problem.

Invitations:

These phrases can be used for inviting:

We’d like to invite you to …

Would you like to come to … ?

We wondered whether you could come to …?

What about …?

These phrases can be used for responding to an invitation:

For accepting:

Thank you …

I’d love to.

That would be nice.

I’d be delighted.

That’s a good idea./ Lovely./ I’d like to very much

For declining:

I’d love to, but …

I’m sorry but I’ve got another engagement.

I’m afraid I can’t come/ can’t make it tonight. I’m going to …

NOTE: When declining an invitation, an explanation or excuse should normally be given.

Other polite responses:

Knowing the right polite response can make everyone feel more comfortable. Here is a list of things to say and to reply in a variety of situations.

1. When someone thanks you

You respond . . .

Thanks for the present

Thanks for a lovely evening

Not at all

Don't mention it

My pleasure

Glad you enjoyed it

2. When someone apologises:

Oh, I'm so sorry. I seem to have lost his address

Never mind

It doesn't matter

Don't worry

Not to worry

3. When someone asks your permission:

May I come in?

Can I ask you a question?

Do you mind if I smoke?

Yes, of course

Please do

Certainly

Go ahead

Refusing permission:

Well, actually I'd rather you didn't (polite)

Yes, I do actually (direct)

Giving permission:

No, not at all

Of course not

4. When you give something to someone

Could you pass me the..., please?

Have you got the tickets?

Of course. Here you are

Yes, here they are

Here are your tickets

5. When you haven't heard properly

Sorry?

(I beg your) pardon?

I didn't quite catch that/what you said

Could you repeat that, please?

6. To express comfort

I didn't get that job.

Well, never mind.

Well, better luck next time.

7. To express sympathy

We missed the plane.

My aunt died last night.

Oh, hard/bad luck!

Oh, I am sorry (to hear that).

Practice:

Complete the questions that two people ask a visitor. Then match the answers to the questions. (source: Business Vocabulary in Use by Bill Mascull, Cambridge University Press, 2006):