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Simplified English Verb
Conjugation and Usage
Business English
Verb Forms and Usage
The contracted affirmative form of the verb "to be" is typically used in more informal communication. Compared to Italian, verb conjugation in English is simplified. The Simple Present tense is normally used in English to describe actions performed with a certain frequency. In affirmative sentences with the verb "to be", frequency adverbs like "often" and "rarely" are placed after the verb. In short responses, frequency adverbs like "often" and "rarely" are placed before the auxiliary "do"/"does". The expression "twice an hour" indicates a higher frequency compared to the other options. The preposition of time used in reference to the days of the week in English is "on". The preposition of time "in" is used in English to indicate the seasons. The Present Progressive is normally used in English to describe temporary actions. The orthographic variations in the Present Progressive concern the main verb.
Nouns, Determiners, and Possessives
The verb "have got" behaves like an auxiliary verb. Non-countable nouns have only the singular form. "Some" is used with both countable and uncountable nouns. "A lot of" has a broader usage compared to "many". "Much" is generally used with uncountable nouns. The phrase "Jason has got a few friends in Boston" means that Jason has some friends in Boston. In the Saxon genitive, the possessor can be represented by people, animals, or inanimate subjects. The statement that possessive adjectives in English are preceded by an article is false. The formation of the comparative of majority in English involves morphological variations for monosyllabic and disyllabic adjectives. The phrase "Less and less people have a permanent job" means that there are always fewer people with a permanent job.
Past Tenses
The Simple Past can be translated into Italian using the passato remoto, passato prossimo, or imperfetto. The expression "used to" in a past sentence serves to express a past habit that no longer corresponds to the present. The paradigm of an irregular verb is always composed of three elements. The past tense of the English verb "to speak" is "spoke". The interrogative form of the sentence "Fiona was asleep" is "Was Fiona asleep?". The completion of the sentence "I was driving to the post office when..." is "I saw Giorgio". The Past Continuous indicates a continuous action in the past. The past of regular verbs is formed by adding the "-ed" ending to the base form of the verb. The preposition "from" expresses motion from a place. The completion of the sentence "The hotel restaurant was..." is "on the second floor".
Vocabulary and Word Formation
The imperative form for "Show" is "Show...your new cd!". The response to "I'll give some:" is "Her". The response to "Yesterday you went to the cinema?" is "I live in Rome". The terms "unfold" and "misadventure" are formed through the process of affixation. The compound term "environment-friendly" is formed by a noun + adverb. The statement "It's mine" responds to the question "Whose umbrella is it?". In word formation, the phenomenon of conversion can involve orthographic and phonological changes, as well as a shift from one grammatical category to another. The "to be going to" future is used to indicate the intention to perform a future action. To express a planned future action, we will use the Present Continuous with a future meaning. The future form of the sentence "I can't come to the meeting today" is "I won't be able to come to the meeting tomorrow". The Question Tag is used correctly in the sentence "It was a terrible experience, wasn't it?". The Present Perfect is used when there is no specific time reference. The Present Perfect is formed with the structure: Subject + auxiliary + past participle. The Simple Past is used instead of the Present Perfect when the event described in the sentence no longer has effects on the present. The formation of the superlative in English involves morphological variations for monosyllabic and disyllabic adjectives. The superlative of the adjective "bad" is "worst".
Job-spinning projects are climate friendly projects in energy, manufacturing, waste management, ecotourism, agriculture and mining. A company is behaving ethically if it reduces its impact on the environment. Business Ethics is the critical, structured examination of how people & institutions should behave in the world of commerce. The suffix that can be added to the word "develop" is "ment". "Often" is not a way of expressing contrast in English. The correct form is "In spite of all this splendor, the beginning was extremely frustrating". The correct form is "Although they are going through hard economic times, things have improved a little recently". The correct form is "Even though the region has considerable energy resources, it also has major problems". The correct form is "Despite satisfactory economic growth, the drop in unemployment is stagnating".
Retail
Retailers are not at the beginning of the supply chain. The Store Manager is responsible for the management and operation of an individual store. The word used with "MAKE" is "decision". The word used with "DO" is "your best". The correct form for defining retail strategy is "people-oriented business". Many retail jobs involve selling or buying from sellers. Retailer employees work long hours and for relatively low reward. The correct order of the models in a business pyramid is salesperson, buyer, department manager, store manager. The correct compound noun is "purchasing power".
Franchising
In the process of franchising, there is no business relation between franchisor and franchisee. Manufacturer-Manufacturer is not a franchising model. A loss of control for franchisees is not an advantage of franchising. "There" is not an adverb of time. The word that can form a noun with the suffix "ness" is "effective". A franchise will not necessarily be successful. The functions performed by the franchisor include distributing the franchisor's goods or service. A bad franchisee can damage the public's goodwill by providing inferior goods and services. The correct forms are "They have already expanded the seating area and they are going to expand the restaurant itself".
E-Commerce
E-commerce is the opportunity to buy and sell just on the Internet. The acronym used for e-commerce is EC. In e-commerce, there are business transactions between companies or between companies and their customers. "Dotcom frenzy" means going mad for the world of the Internet. People use the Internet for purposes other than dancing. The meaning of "transaction" is business deal. The correct form is "Last but not least". The correct form is "They will introduce the new marketing strategy in the near future". The negative form of "will" is "will not".
Cross-Cultural Business
Punctuality is a necessity in Germany. The French have a great respect for privacy. The way of doing business in each country depends on local mentality. The Japanese prefer not to use the word "no". "Be friendly" is a negotiating tip. Bargaining customs are very different around the world. The adjective that cannot be used with the prefix "il" is "similar". The imperative is never used to give strong advice. The correct form is "If I have to finish in one month, I will need to have an extra designer".
I could eat these biscuits: Wish
a long meeting: Will be
Choosing the Correct Sentence
One sentence is correct. Mary is a nice girl, and I like her. One sentence is correct. Does she live in a house or in a flat? One sentence is correct. How many languages do you speak? One sentence is correct. Yesterday was hotter than today. One sentence is correct. She's taller than her brother. One sentence is correct. I'm the youngest in the class. One sentence is correct. Exercise 2 is the most difficult in the book. One sentence is correct. Are there many students in your class? One sentence is correct. I'm going To The Post Office to buy some stamps. One sentence is correct. She's going to have a baby.
Lezione 23
Apples ……….on trees.: grow I ………..my friend at the market every day.: see The sun ………. early in the morning: rises John has been to New York recently. me to say hello: Have called with the pressure of working with male superiors and quit their jobs: Deal interviews: Conducts me at yesterday's meeting: Didn't recognise He will try to get promoted by any means, even if he hurts other people's feelings.
What is NOT part of the concept of franchising:
There is no business relation between franchisor and franchisee.
Franchising models don't include:
Manufacturer - Manufacturer
A disadvantage in the franchising process is:
A loss of control for franchisees
Which of these words is not an adverb of time:
There
Which of the following words can form a noun with the
suffix 'ness':
Effective
Which functions are NOT performed by the franchisor:
To distribute the franchisor's goods or service
inferior goods and services:
By providing
Social resources are classified:
As land, labor, capital and enterprise
Lezione 34
Market is: A place where goods are sold and bought
In modern times market transactions are often made: By telephone or online
If sellers raise the price of a commodity: The higher price will encourage a greater production of that commodity
If a commodity becomes overstocked: Sellers must lower the price
A shift of workers into a new field of occupation might be achieved: If there is a high demand of workers in that field
The shift of workers into the growing occupation causes: ... the shift in relative wages
The classical triad is made up by: Land, labor and capital
An entrepreneur is: Someone who builds up a company from nothing: a start-up company
Tycoons, magnates or moguls are: Rich and successful people with power and influence
A manager is: Someone in a position of responsibility in an organization
Lezione 35
Smith proclaimed the principle of the ''invisible hand': In The Wealth of Nations
Concerning what happened in West Germany after World War II with regards to inflation: West Germany has had a lower rate of inflation
Lezione 37
Market equilibrium is realized: When there is an equilibrium of prices and production
The production of goods is determined by: Consumers' decisions to buy an item instead of another
How consumers' decisions affect production: Production is determined by the competition among producers
The incentive that drives firms to produce an item instead of another is: The high profits existing in the production of goods in high demand
Minimum cost production is the most efficient: Because it has displaced a more costly method
To be successful a producer must achieve the following objectives: To keep costs at a minimum and to adopt modern methods of production
Technologies affect production because: The more are modern the more are efficient
Concerning factor prices: They are the wages rates, land rates, interest rates and profits
Factor prices are important: Because by adding up all the revenues coming from factors, we can calculate people's income
Concerning incomes policy: It is the branch of economic policy aimed at restraining wages, salaries, profits, dividends, prices or other forms of income, either together or selectively, mainly with a view to slowing down (cost-push) inflation
Lezione 38
Concerning wages: They represent the price which balances the supply and demand for labor
Concerning the demand for labor: It depends on the net addition which further workers will make to its revenue
Concerning how much can be produced: It depends on the amount of labor which a company employs and on the quality of equipment for worker
Regarding what a firm has to consider before taking on extra workers: It has to consider the wage costs of additional workers against the net change in its revenue position
The expression Â"workers pricing themselves out of market' means: That workers are paid too much in relation to the revenue position of a firm, so they are '"pricing themselves out of jobs
The expression '"wages cut across the board' means: It means that wages rates are decided by the board of a company
Wages show different levels of supply and demand: It is true, wage differentials serve as signposts indicating the relative abundance or shortage of labor in various occupations in relation to the consumer demand of a specific output
Concerning '"imperfections' in the labor market: They refer to the underlying economic pressures determined by changing consumer preferences
The return means: A return is a formal report compiled and submitted by order. The revenue authorities, for ex., require taxpayers to file a variety of returns, the most common being the income-tax return and the VAT return. The expression '"diminishing returns' refers to: It refers to the physical output derived from a combination of fixed and/or variable inputs. It is commonly used to describe the profit of some form of investment (whether real or financial) expressed as a proportion or percentage of the capital outlay
Lezione 39
The number of business structures is: four
Business structures are called: Sole proprietorships, corporations, limited partnerships, general partnerships
Regarding business structures you warn people against: Sole proprietorships, in this case proprietors are alone and can't enjoy the benefit of less formal partnershipsÂ…
Regarding a simple partnership if it is difficult or expensive to create: No, it isn't much more difficult and expensive to create than a business structure with a sole proprietor
Disadvantages of being a partner of a general partnership: To have two or more partners who share income, expenses, and liability according to an agreement they sign once they decide to found a business structure together
Regarding the pros and cons of being a limited partner: A limited partner is allowed to invest in a business but his liability is restricted to the amount of his investment. He may have no involvement in how his company is run
Drove
The finite verb 'drove' corresponds to a specific subject, which is 'the family'. In the past tense, finite verbs commonly end in 'ed', such as 'drove'.
Phrasal Verbs
Identifying Phrasal Verbs
The phrasal verb in the sentence 'It appears to me that you have thoroughly mucked up the case again.' is 'mucked up'.
Separable Phrasal Verbs
Something you don't know by meaning but know by context can be separable in a sentence.
Components of Phrasal Verbs
A participle is not a component of a phrasal verb.
Differences between Prepositional Verbs and Phrasal Verbs
Prepositional verbs have a literal meaning, while phrasal verbs have an idiomatic meaning.
Transitive Prepositional Phrasal Verbs
Prepositions can do something that particles cannot do in phrasal verbs, which is to form transitive prepositional phrasal verbs.
Transitive Phrasal Verbs
When phrasal verbs are transitive, they always take direct objects.
Mistaking Prepositional Verbs for Phrasal Verbs
Sometimes, a prepositional verb may be mistaken for a phrasal verb.
Idiomatic Meanings of Phrasal Verbs
'To be up to'
The meaning of 'to be up to' is 'to be in the midst of doing or planning'.
'Come around'
The meaning of 'come around' is 'to change one's mind about a thing and agree to something after some persuasion or time'.
'Get over'
The meaning of 'get over' is both 'to recover from something' and 'to stop feeling upset about something'.
Compound Words
'Environment-friendly'
The term 'environment-friendly' is a compound formed by a noun and an adverb.
Conditional Sentences
Zero Conditional
The zero conditional is used when something is always true or when we are talking about scientific evidence. The zero conditional is used to describe situations that are generally true or to say that one event always follows another.
Third Conditional
The third conditional is used to describe a situation that could have happened in the past if the situation had been different.
First Conditional
The first conditional is used to describe probabilities and possible results.
Unless in the First Conditional
Unless can be used as an alternative in the if clause in the first conditional.
Mixed Conditionals
Modals can also be used instead of 'would' in this type of conditional.
Forming the Will Not Win Conditional
'If + Past Simple + would/wouldn't + verb without to' is the way to form the 'will not win' conditional.
Economics as a Social Science
Economics is considered a social science because the subject matter is the human being.
Economic Predictions
Predictions in economics are difficult to make because experiments are not foreseeable owing to human behavior.
Deductive Approach
The deductive approach is explained by a theory which compares predictions against the facts.
Inductive Approach
The inductive approach considers the facts as the starting point because there is a regular pattern in them.
Normative Statements
Normative statements are matters of opinion and cannot be proved or disproved against the facts because they are based on value judgments.
Business Terminology
Businesspeople
Businessmen and businesswomen, if considered together, are referred to as businesspeople.
Business People
People working in business are referred to as business people.
EEC
EEC stands for European Economic Community.
Market
A market is a place where goods are sold and bought. In modern times, market transactions are often made by telephone or online.
Market Mechanisms
If sellers raise the price of a commodity, the higher price will encourage a greater production of that commodity. If a commodity becomes overstocked, sellers must lower the price. A shift of workers into a new field of occupation might be achieved if there is a high demand of workers in that field. The shift of workers into the growing occupation causes the shift in relative wages.
Economic Factors
The classical triad is made up of land, labor, and capital. An entrepreneur is someone who builds up a company from nothing, a start-up company. Tycoons, magnates, or moguls are rich and successful people with power and influence. A manager is someone in a position of responsibility in an organization.
Invisible Hand Theory
Smith proclaimed the principle of the 'invisible hand' in The Wealth of Nations. Smith achieved success with his theory because it inspired admirers and critics of capitalism. The main idea of the invisible hand theory is that the outcome of a market mechanism has a precise order.
Market Structures
Perfect competition refers to a market in which no company or consumer is large enough to affect the market price. Imperfect competition refers to a market in which a company or a consumer is large enough to affect the market price. The invisible hand doctrine refers to economies in which markets are perfectly competitive. There are market failures when there are markets not perfectly competitive.
Production Possibility Frontier (PPF)
PPF means Frontier of Possibilities of Production.
Business and Budgeting
Concerning a budget, it is a useful management instrument in planning and controlling the allocation of resources. Concerning a business, it is an organization that sells or buys goods and services.
Effect of Technology on Production
Technologies affect production because the more modern they are, the more efficient they are.
Factor Prices and Incomes
Factor Prices
Factor prices are the wage rates, land rates, interest rates, and profits. Factor prices are important because by adding up all the revenues coming from factors, we can calculate people's income.
Incomes Policy
Incomes policy is the branch of economic policy aimed at restraining wages, salaries, profits, dividends, prices, or other forms of income, either together or selectively, mainly with a view to slowing down (cost- push) inflation.
Wages
Wages represent the price which balances the supply and demand for labor. The demand for labor depends on the net addition which further workers will make to its revenue. How much can be produced depends on the amount of labor which a company employs and on the quality of equipment for workers. Before taking on extra workers, a firm has to consider the wage costs of additional workers against the net change in its revenue position.
Wage Expressions
The expression "workers pricing themselves out of market" means that workers are paid too much in relation to the revenue position of a firm, so they are "pricing themselves out of jobs". The expression "wages cut across the board" means that wage rates are decided by the board of a company.
Wage Differentials
Wage differentials serve as signposts indicating the relative abundance or shortage of labor in various occupations in relation to the consumer demand of a specific output.
Labor Market Imperfections
Imperfections in the labor market refer to the underlying economic pressures determined by changing consumer preferences.
Returns and Diminishing Returns
Returns
The term "return" refers to a formal report compiled and submitted by order, such as a tax return.
Diminishing Returns
The expression "diminishing returns" refers to the physical output derived from a combination of fixed and/or variable inputs, commonly used to describe the profit of some form of investment expressed as a proportion or percentage of the capital outlay.
Business Structures
Types of Business Structures
The four main business structures are sole proprietorships, corporations, limited partnerships, and general partnerships.
Sole Proprietorships
Sole proprietorships are not recommended because proprietors are alone and can't enjoy the benefit of less formal partnerships.
Partnerships
Creating a simple partnership is not much more difficult and expensive than a business structure with a sole proprietor. The disadvantages of being a partner in a general partnership include sharing income, expenses, and liability according to an agreement.
Limited Partnerships
A limited partner is allowed to invest in a business, but their liability is restricted to the amount of their investment, and they may have no involvement in how the company is run.
Corporations
As owners of a corporation, shareholders are responsible for the choice of the board of directors, who actually run the business. The law regards a corporation as a person, with rights and responsibilities.
