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Unit 12 - Grammar & Vocabulary Modified cloze
Page 1
12 Business Etiquette
In this unit you will…
• meet words and expressions about professional associations
• read an article about dinner parties
• role play a dinner party
A
How do you feel in business meetings with people you don’t
know?
B
How important are the following in doing business?
• knowing the language of your business associate
• knowing how to dress for a meeting
• knowing how to make appropriate conversation with business associates
• knowing the format of a business meeting
• knowing what to do at a formal business dinner
C
What do the following words or expressions mean?
to negotiate, discourteous, a course, a hostess, conspicuous, an honoured guest, to
cultivate contacts.
D
Put one of the words or expressions from the vocabulary box above into the gaps.
When you are abroad and an _1_, should you give flowers to your _2_ when you are
invited to a five- _3_ dinner. Nobody wants to be _4_, and formal dinners are a good
time to _5_. You can _6_ the details later.
E
Look quickly at the article on the following page. In what kind of publication would
you find it? Who would read it?
F
Look again quickly at the article. Find three pieces of advice which would not be
appropriate at McDonald’s.
G
Wayne Shatner, who runs a catering firm, has read Mr Bibby’s article and has written
the following letter to the magazine.
Dear Sir,
What Mr Bibby has written is total rubbish. I am a millionaire and have never gone
to a dinner like that, nor would any of my business associates. If Bibby enjoys that
kind of nonsense, then let him enjoy it, but it has nothing to do with running a profitmaking business.
W. Shatner (Shatner Catering PLC)
How much do you agree with Mr Bibby? How much do you agree with Mr Shatner?
Discuss in groups.
Being polite on social occasions – real-life phrases
May I introduce…to you?
I think we’ve met before.
It’s been a pleasure meeting you.
Copyright 2007 Euro Examination Centre.
Unit 12 - Grammar & Vocabulary Modified cloze
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Does success in business come from creating a good
impression at dinner?
Management consultant Ralph Bibby thinks it does
There are few people who reach the top of
the business world without having to face a
formal dinner. Observing the correct
etiquette can only enhance your status and,
indirectly, your profits.
A formal business dinner never begins
before seven o'clock, though the time is
usually eight or eight-thirty. It is very
discourteous for a guest to be late. You
should arrive at least five minutes before
the hour set for the dinner. If you are late
for some unavoidable reason, offer
apologies, and take your place at the table
as quickly as possible. The late guest begins
with the course that is then being served.
At the start of the dinner, the hostess leads
the women guests into the dining room,
followed by the host and the male guests.
The hostess then tells her guests where to
sit. She must always have the seating
planned in advance, in order to avoid
confusion and delay. These days guests are
seated wherever the hostess thinks they will
be happiest. The host and hostess sit at
opposite ends of the table.
Each person stands behind his or her chair
until the hostess starts to take her seat. Each
person moves to the left of the chair in
order to sit. Step close to the table and –
still standing – pull the chair toward you by
taking hold of each side of the seat. Don't
sit down, then move the chair to the table
with two or three jerks. Neither lean back in
the chair, nor sit too close to the table. Keep
your feet on the floor. Your feet may be
crossed if you wish, but not your knees.
The speaker's table is placed in a
conspicuous part of the room. The guest
speaker sits in the middle seat on the side
facing the room. On the
speaker's right sits the
honoured guest, the
principal speaker of the
evening. On the speaker's left sits the
second most important guest. All those at
the speaker's table, of course, sit on the side
of the table facing the room. Guests other
than the speakers may be honoured by
being placed at the speaker's table.
Who should be served first is a muchdebated question, but in any event the
waiter moves around the table to the right,
serving each guest in turn. When the waiter
holds a dish so that you may serve yourself,
he presents it at your left. Treat the waiter
impersonally while you are being served.
‘Thank you,’ ‘No, thank you,’ or ‘If you
please,’ in low tones is sufficient.
And a very important point about drinking:
do not look around the room while you are
drinking; look into the glass. Use the
napkin for the fingers or mouth whenever
necessary, so that you will not dirty the
glass. Do not drink while you have food in
your mouth.
When it is time to stand, push your chair
from the table by taking hold of each side
of the seat of the chair. Don't rest your
hands or arms on the table, then push
yourself up. Remember to rise from the
chair from the left side.
It is not necessary to remain longer than
thirty minutes after a dinner if the invitation
does not include the whole evening. You
should avoid seeming in a hurry to depart,
however. But remember: use the dinner, the
time before it and the time after it to
cultivate
useful
business
contacts.
Dinner party role -play
The tables in the classroom are laid out for a formal dinner: a host, hostess, waiter, speaker, etc.
are appointed; the remainder of the class are guests. Once it has been decided who everybody is,
the students should work together to write role cards of what everyone has to do.
What happens
The guests arrive and are greeted. Everybody has ‘dinner,’ and talks politely. At the end of the
party, the class should discuss how many of Mr Bibby’s rules were broken. An award should be
given to the best and worst guest.
Copyright 2007 Euro Examination Centre.
Unit 12 - Grammar & Vocabulary Modified cloze
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Exam Skills
A
Working in groups of three or four, try to define the following terms. Give examples of
each in a sentence.
adverbial particle, article, auxiliary, conjunction, demonstrative, pronoun, modal
auxiliary, preposition, pronoun, relative pronoun.
B
Which are the ‘grammatical’ words in the following sentence? What parts of speech are
they?
Mr Bibby is a successful businessman who has made a lot of money.
Exam Tip: In the modified cloze task only grammatical words are gapped.
C
Look at the short comment by Wayne Shatner below. Which part of speech goes in each
gap? Fill each gap with a suitable word.
‘I will _1_ business with anyone, and matters of formality are unimportant for me.
I’m _2_ the catering business and _3_ met this fellow who was selling cooked
beans. He couldn’t speak _4_ write properly, but his cans of beans were good value
_5_ money, so we did business. To _6_ honest, I keep business and pleasure _7_.’
Exam Tip: You need to know the grammatical structure of sentences to do this task
well.
D
Read the short article by Wayne Shatner below and give it a title. You will need
information from this text for Exercise E.
‘Working in the catering business means that I need to have many meetings, and a
large number of those meetings occur over a meal. Of course you feel better talking
about business when you have a full stomach. What we mostly do is leave the office
around midday and go to a fast food outlet. In most cases I have a burger and a fizzy
drink. There is nothing formal in it because we are always on first name terms and
just talk to sort out our contractual arrangements.’
E
Fill in the gap in the following sentence:
In his business affairs Wayne Shatner is _1_ formal than Mr Bibby.
Exam Tip: To do this exam task you need to understand the meaning of the text, so read
the task quickly before you start filling in the gaps.
Copyright 2007 Euro Examination Centre.
Unit 12 - Grammar & Vocabulary Modified cloze
E
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Get into groups of two or three. Your teacher will give each group either Text A or Text
B. When your teacher tells you to do so, do the following. (Your teacher will give you a
text of 100-150 words, probably from the internet.)
• Give the text three possible titles; none of them should be silly or irrelevant, but
only one of them should be a good title.
• Underline all the grammatical words.
• ‘Tippex out’ as many of the grammatical words as you can, but remember to leave
six words between each blanked-out word. Make a
record of the blanked-out words.
• Swap your text with one from a group which has the
other text. Choose the best title. Try to fill in the gaps.
• Hand back your test to the other group for marking.
Exam Practice: Honouring Mr Reninson?
A
B
C
D
What can successful business people expect to receive in
their lives, apart from money? Do business people like
publicity?
Read the text, Honouring Mr Reninson. How does Mr
Reninson feel about the event and why?
What part of speech can fit into each gap?
Do the task. Write a short news item on what happened to
Mr Reninson.
Fill each gap with ONE appropriate word. The first has been done for you as an example.
‘Well, I left my hometown some twenty years EXAMPLE … ago … to pursue a
career in business management in a provincial city. _1_ several years I already had
my _2_ company and the profits were pouring _3_. I married, bought a big house
and car _4_ started a family.
‘A month ago I received an invitation _5_ my hometown to receive an
honour, which _6_ to be presented to me in the town’s arts’ centre. _7_ I had very
little time, I decided to go, particularly as a big show was to be put on for me.
‘The auditorium was packed. A full orchestra played a classical piece and
then the lights went out. In complete darkness the stage curtains were pulled back
and there I was, standing alone on the stage. Suddenly, _8_ single beam of light was
projected onto me and the audience burst _9_ applause. I waved, but what was I to
do after the applause had died down? I had no microphone, _10_ I just walked off
the stage and drove home. It was all very poorly organised.’
Pigs
A fat, wealthy, self-made businessman decided to move his family from the town to the
country, so he bought a large farmhouse, had it renovated, and then moved in.
One day, after a business lunch, he was arriving home in his new BMW when he
caught sight of his three-year-old son rolling around in the mud in the yard. He pulled up in
his car.
‘Ho, what a dirty little boy you are!’ His young son looked at his father, but said
nothing. So his father moved a little closer.
‘You are a piglet my son.’ But still his son just stared in silence. The businessman
thought his son had not understood.
‘Do you know what a piglet is, son?’ he asked.
‘Yes, Dad,’ his son replied, ‘A piglet is the son of a pig.’
Copyright 2007 Euro Examination Centre.
Unit 12 - Grammar & Vocabulary Modified cloze
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Unit 12: Business Etiquette
(p. 1) D
1. honoured guest, 2. hostess, 3. course, 4. conspicuous / discourteous, 5.
cultivate contacts, 6. negotiate
(p. 1) E
a magazine for wealthy/pretentious/affected/snobbish people
(p. 1) F
The text is full of examples.
(p. 3) A
adverbial particle
article
auxiliary verb
conjunction
demonstrative pronoun
modal auxiliary
preposition
pronoun
relative pronoun
In form often similar to a preposition: qualifies
and sometimes changes the meaning of a verb,
e.g. to put up with s.th.
The determiners (which come before nouns)
the a and an.
A word (used either alone or with another
auxiliary) which qualifies the main verb, either
to form a question or negative, or to form
continuous, perfect or passive verb forms , e.g.
have, do
Joins words, phrases and clauses, e.g. and, but
A pronoun which ‘points’: this, that, these,
those
Expresses the speaker’s judgment or opinion
related to the main verb, in terms of obligation,
possibility, etc. E.g. must, can, would, might
Establishes the relationship of a noun phrase to
other elements, esp. in terms of time and place,
e.g. on, after
Substitutes for a noun, e.g. he, them
Substitutes for an item in a subordinate relative
clause, and refers to the main clause, e.g. who,
which
(p. 3) B
The following words are grammar words: is (an empty meaning linking verb
called a copular), a (indefinite article) who (relative pronoun), has (auxiliary),
a, of (preposition).
(p. 3) C
1. verb – do; 2. preposition – in; 3. pronoun – I, or adverb – once;
4. conjunction – or; 5. preposition – for; 6. verb – be; 7. adverb – apart/ or
adjective separate/ distinct
(p. 3) D
Talking business over a quick meal
(p. 3) E
1. less
(p. 4) C/D
1. preposition – For/After; 2. adjective – own; 3. adverbial particle – in;
4. conjunction – and 5. preposition – from/to; 6. auxiliary verb – had;
7. (subordinating) conjunction – Although/Though; 8. article –
/quantifier(one;
9. preposition – into; 10. sentence conjunct /adverbial – so/therefore/and.
Copyright 2007 Euro Examination Centre.
a