Business English Vocabulary- Ask & Tell

Business vocabulary ask and tell speaking game

with business vocabulary word formation practice

Choose one of the lines below and ask a question about that thing and/ or using that word, e.g. a personal question about quarrels or an opinion question about negotiations. Then flip a coin to decide if you can ask the question to anyone else (= heads) or if you have to answer your own question (= tails, meaning “tell”). The people listening can then ask more questions if they like, but those questions can be (politely) rejected if you like.

Suggested questions Could you… (if you had to/ if you wanted to)? Do you… a lot/ too much? Do you have any experience of…? Do you think…? Has any of your friends…? Have you ever had trouble with…? Have you ever…? How do you feel about…? How many… can you/ do you…? How many times…? How much do you spend on…? How would you describe…? What do you do in order to…? What do you do in/ when/ with…? What do you think about…? What happened the last time that you…? What kind of…? What makes you…? What would you do/ say if…? When did you last…? Does… ever…? Would you say that you are… (or…)? Would you say that your company is… (or…)? Would you… if…?

Without looking at the first worksheet, change the word on the Business Vocabulary Word Formation Presentation/ Practice page into at least one other form, e.g. change a verb into an adjective or a noun into a noun describing a person. Most words there can be changed into at least two or three other forms, and other answers not on the first worksheet are often also possible. 

Check your answers with the first page. Many other forms of the words are possible, so please check if you wrote something different.

 

Suggested business topics to ask questions about

absence/ absent/ absenteeism                                            accuse/ accusation

argue/ argument/ quarrel/ row/ (resolving) conflicts/ conflict (resolution)

audit/ auditor

backbiter/ backbiting/ backstabber/ backstabbing/ gossip/ rumour/ office politics

bail out                                                                                     bankrupt/ bankruptcy

bluffing/ calling someone’s bluff                             borrow/ borrower/ lend/ lending/ owe

brand loyalty/ customer loyalty/ loyal customer                 (toilet/ fag/ lunch) break

bully/ bullying                                                                          (in)competence/ (in)competent

compete/ competition/ competitor/ (un)competitive practices

complain/ complaint                                                                             comply/ compliance

(lack of) confidence                                                 CSR (= corporate social responsibility)

(meet/ miss/ extend) deadlines/ deadline extensions                    debt/ in the red

delay/ put off/ late/ lateness                                                 delete/ junk/ throw away

demote/ demotion                                                                                direct boss/ line manager

disagree/ disagreement

discriminate/ discrimination (e.g. sexism, racism and ageism)

(in)efficient/ (in)efficiency/ time management                    entrepreneur/ entrepreneurial

equal opportunities

fire someone/ sack someone/ give the sack to someone/ get the sack/ get fired

fraud (e.g. insider trading)/ fraudster

go over your (direct) boss’s head/ go over someone’s head

hacker/ hacking                                                                      headhunting/ headhunter

ignore/ pay (no) attention                                                                    in-box/ to-do list

law/ lawyer

leader/ (natural) leadership (skills)/ management (skills)

leak                                                                                                         (sick) leave

lose money                                                                                            malware/ virus

(bad) morale                                                                                         motivate/ (de)motivated/ motivation

negotiate/ negotiating skills/ (good/ tough) negotiator/ playing hardball

(dis)organised/ (dis)organisation                                                       pay rise

perks (of the job)                                                                                  (un)productive/ (un)productivity

promote/ promotion                                                               (bad) publicity/ PR (= public relations)

quality/ quality control (problems)                                                      quit (= leave your job)

ramble/ waffle (= speak too long and/ or go off topic)/ waffler

(new) recruit/ recruitment

redundancy/ be made redundant/ downsize someone/ be downsized

(bad) relations/ (bad) relationship                                                     retire/ (early) retirement

(bend the/ break the) rules/ regulations                             scandal

skilled/ skills                                                                                          social media

stock/ shares/ stockholders/ shareholders/ stock market

stress/ stressed/ stressful                                                                   sue someone

train/ trainer/ training

(labor) union/ trade union/ industrial action (e.g. strikes)

waste (money/ time)/ time waster/ time wasting whistleblower/ whistleblowing

 

Business vocabulary word formation presentation/ practice

absent

accuse

argue

audit

backbiting

backstabber

bankrupt

borrower

loyal

bullying

competent

competition

complain

compliance

extend

late

demotion

disagree

discriminate

efficient

entrepreneur/ entrepreneurial

fire

fraud

hacking

headhunting

law

leader

motivated

negotiating

organised

productive

promote

public

waffle

recruit

redundant

downsize

relations

retire

skilled

stock

share

stress

train

waste

whistleblowing