Business English Questions- Present Simple and Continuous Game

Business English Present Simple and Continuous taboo topics game lower level

Take turns asking your partner any questions from below:

• “What are you working on at the moment?”
• “What do you do?”
• “What are you doing?”
• “How often do you steal office supplies from work?”
• “Do you use your office phone for personal calls? Why/ why not?”
• “Is your company planning to open new offices?”
• “Are you thinking about changing jobs?”
• “What do you think about your line manager/ CEO/ President?”
• “What project are you working on?”
• “What do you usually gossip about?”
• “Is your company improving? Why/ why not?”
• “Is your company growing?”
• “How much overtime do you do?”
• “How many emails are waiting for you in your inbox?”
• “How many documents are lying on your desk?”
• “Are you looking forward to this weekend?”
• “Do you look forward to weekends?”
• “Are you studying anything at the moment?”
• “What are your colleagues doing right now?”
• “How often are you late for work?”
• “What time are you planning to leave today?”
• “Is anyone waiting for you to finish something?”
• “What does your company do?”
• “What is the biggest project that your company is working on?”
• “How much money do you save every month?”
• “Are your savings going up? Why/ Why not?”
• “How much do you usually spend on transport?”
• “How much rent do you pay?”
• “What are you carrying in your pockets?”
• “How often do you buy new business clothes?”
• “Do you do your own ironing?”
• “Do you often complain about your job?”

 

Useful language for refusing to answer “I’d rather not say (if you don’t mind)”/ “I’m afraid that’s a bit personal” “(That’s) none of your business!”

Were any of the questions not good ones to use in business?

 

Rank the questions above with:

5 points = Extremely difficult/ a taboo question                4 points = Very difficult

3 points = Quite or a little bit difficult                                   2 points = Quite easy

1 points = Very easy/ an ordinary question

Change groups. Your new partner will ask you a question from their list. Choose how many points you want the question to be. If you can answer the question, you will get that many points. If you don’t want to answer the question or can’t think of an answer, you can use the phrases in the box.

What are the two tenses above? Which tense is more common in Business English?

Without looking above, fill the gaps with the right tense. Sometimes more than one is OK.

• “What ___________________________________ (you work on) at the moment?”
• “What _________________________________________________ (do you do)?”
• “How often __________________________ (you steal) office supplies from work?”
• “_________________ (you use) your office phone for personal calls? Why/ why not?”
• “________________________________ (your company plan) to open new offices?”
• “_______________________________________ (you think about) changing jobs?”
• “What ________________ (you think about) your line manager/ CEO/ President?”
• “What project __________________________________________ (you work on)?”
• “What _____________________________________ (you usually gossip) about?”
• “_______________________________ (your company improve)? Why/ why not?”
• “______________________________________________ (your company grow)?”
• “How much overtime ________________________________________ (you do)?”
• “How many emails ___________________________ (wait for you) in your inbox?”
• “How many documents ______________________________ (lie on) your desk?”
• “____________________________________ (you look forward to) this weekend?”
• “______________________________________ (you look forward to) weekends?”
• “___________________________________ (you study) anything at the moment?”
• “What __________________________________ (your colleagues do) right now?”
• “How often _____________________________________ (you be late) for work?”
• “What time ___________________________________ (you plan to) leave today?”
• “_______________________________ (anyone wait for) you to finish something?”
• “What ___________________________________________ (your company do)?”
• “What is the biggest project that ___________________ (your company work) on?”
• “How much money ______________________________ (you save) every month?”
• “_______________________________ (your savings increasing)? Why/ Why not?”
• “How much __________________________ (you usually spend) on transport?”
• “How much rent ___________________________________________ (you pay)?”
• “What _____________________________________ (you carry) in your pockets?”
• “How often _____________________________ (you buy) new business clothes?”
• “__________________________________________ (you do) your own ironing?”
• “_____________________________________ (often complain) about your job?”

Check your answers above. Other tenses might be possible, so check with your teacher.

Which tense usually goes with these time expressions and why?

Usually Often                   How often          At the moment  Right now                        Every...

What tense is used to talk about these things?

Changes                          Routines            Temporary things           Things which are generally true