English Vocabulary Lesson: Basic Business English

ABC Company was launched in 1999. At the time, it was a small firm, serving just local clientele.  But business started booming, and ABC grew into an international powerhouse. ABC didn’t need to worry about the bottom line, because sales were strong and careful management kept overheads at a reasonable level. The results were amazing. Quarter after quarter, the profit grew and the company spent many years in the black.

Here is the key vocabulary and the definition in Basic English as the words are used here. Some of these words may have slightly different meanings in other situations.

  • to launch (verb) means to start doing business
  • firm (noun) means company or business
  • clientele (noun) means the customers of the business
  • boom (verb) to increase strongly
  • powerhouse (noun) means a powerful, well known company
  • bottom line (noun) means the final line on the financial report of the company. The bottom line shows the amount of the profit or loss of the business
  • overhead (noun) is an expense of the company such as rent or payroll
  • profit (noun) is sales minus expenses. If the company receives more money that it pays out, it makes a profit. If the company receives less money that it pays out, it makes a loss.
  • in the black (noun) means the company has made a profit. If the company has made a loss, we say it is “in the red”

Thanks for studying today. I hope you find this vocabulary useful!

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English Lesson & Quiz: Shopping Vocabulary

We use "For Sale" when we sell a house or a car

Macy’s was having a sale yesterday, so I went there after work. It seemed like almost everything was on sale. I found a nice sweater that I liked. It was on sale too. It is usually $125, but it was 50% off! I just had to have it! The clerk said that the sweater was final sale, so I cannot return. Final sale means the store won’t give refunds, and you can’t exchange or return what you buy, so you need to be careful!

Here are the key expressions and vocabulary for today’s lesson:

a sale / on sale / for sale / 50% off / clerk / staff / refund / return / exchange

Do you know how to use these words? Have a look at today’s lesson and then take the quiz to check your understanding.

  • Stores have a sale. A sale is a special event where items in the store have a cheaper price than usual. We use the structure [store] has a sale, like “Macy’s is having a sale today.”
  • Items in a store can be on sale. This means that some certain item has a cheaper price than usual. We use the structure [item] is on sale, like “All sweaters are on sale today.”
  • When something is for sale, it means you can buy it. The owner of the thing wants to sell it. We often see signs on cars and houses that are for sale. Since we generally use for sale on a sign, we  use the structure [Item] For Sale, like, “Car For Sale” or just “For Sale.” In a sentence you can say something like, “I saw a car for sale today.”
  • To talk about a discounted price, we often use a percentage off, like 50% off. The structure is [item] is OO% off like, “This sweater was 50% off today.”
  • The person who works in a store that sells clothes, make up, shoes, etc. is a sales clerk, or just clerk. A clerk can help you shop and also works at the register. Other stores, like supermarkets, grocery stores, etc. have cashiers. A cashier works at the register only, and doesn’t help you shop.
  • When you are not happy with what you bought you may want to return it. Return means bring back to the store. For example, I will return this sweater. It is too big.  
  • When you buy something, and realize it is the wrong color or size, you may want to exchange it. Exchange means change something for something else. The structure is exchange [A] for [B].
  • When you return something, the store will refund your money. Refund means give money back. For example, “I would like to return this sweater. Is it possible to get a refund?”

*So, the customer returns the items, and the store refunds the customer’s money. The customer’s action is return. The clerk’s action is refund.

Are you ready to check your knowledge? Try today’s quiz, and then happy shopping!

Shopping Vocabulary

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Your answers are highlighted below.
Question 1
I wish there were more _________ at this grocery store. The lines are so long.
A
staffs
B
cashiers
C
clerks
Question 1 Explanation: 
"Cashiers" work in a store at the register, they do not help you shop.
Question 2
The _________ at Macy’s was very nice and helpful. She found the jeans in my size for me.
A
cashier
B
clerk
C
staff
Question 2 Explanation: 
A "clerk" works in a store and helps you shop.
Question 3
I will try to _________ this blue t-shirt for a green one. I hope they have one in my size.
A
return
B
refund
C
exchange
Question 3 Explanation: 
You "exchange" something for something else
Question 4
I tried to _________ this blue t-shirt but I lost the receipt and the clerk said no.
A
exchange
B
return
C
refund
Question 4 Explanation: 
A customer "returns" an item.
Question 5
Abercrombie is having _________ this week.
A
a sale
B
on sale
C
for sale
Question 5 Explanation: 
A store has "a sale"
Question 6
Do you like my boots? They were _________ at Shoe World.
A
a sale
B
50% on sale
C
30% off
Question 6 Explanation: 
We use "OO% off" to show the amount of discount offered.
Question 7
Apple products, like the iPad, are never _________.
A
a sale
B
for sale
C
on sale
Question 7 Explanation: 
Good or items can be "on sale"
Question 8
I put a _________ sign on my car last week, but nobody has called me yet.
A
a sale
B
for sale
C
on sale
Question 8 Explanation: 
We use "for sale" when we want to sell something.
Question 9
If you want to join the _________ of Coffee Time, you need to be very outgoing and friendly.
A
staff
B
cashier
C
clerk
Question 9 Explanation: 
A "staff" is a group of workers.
Question 10
The clerk told me I need to have the receipt in order to get a _________.
A
exchange
B
return
C
refund
Question 10 Explanation: 
A store gives a "refund" and a customer can get a "refund."
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English Vocabulary Lesson: Job, Work, & Business

A friend of mine is looking for a job. He used to work for a bank, but he lost his job when a new company bought the bank and downsized the office. Working in the finance industry seems like interesting work, but I heard it is hard to find a secure job. There are a lot of entry level jobs in the banking business, but not many people seem to work for the same company for a very long time. I guess that’s how business is these days.

These three words, job, work, and business are similar, but we use them differently. Do you know how to use them?  Have a look at the paragraph above and then check today’s lesson:  

Job is a countable noun and there are a few ways you can use job:

  • A job is a task that one does:
    • You did a nice job on the ABC project.
    • I have several important jobs to do this week in the office.
  • A job is also paid position for doing regular work:
    • Jack has a job in a bank.
    • Tommy has an interesting job in international marketing.
  • Here are some typical questions we ask using job:
    • How’s your new job?
    • Do you think Tom did a good job on his presentation?

If you want to know someone’s job, you can ask, “What do you do?”

Work is a verb, but it is also a non-countable noun. Here are a few ways you can use work:

  • Work is an activity requiring mental or physical activity
    • You did nice work on the ABC project.
    • I have a lot of work to do this week in the office.

    · Work is also the place or industry where one is employed

    • I have to go to work early tomorrow.
    • International marketing is interesting work that involves a lot of travel.
  • Here are some typical questions we ask using work:
    • What kind of work do you do?
    • You put a lot of work into that presentation, didn’t you?

Business is a noun and can have a countable or non-countable use:

  • As a countable noun, business means the industry where one is employed
    • Ted has worked in the insurance business all his life.
    • The real estate business took a nosedive a few years ago.
  • When we talk about the commerce in general, business is a non-countable collective noun:
    • Business is not so good these days because of the economy.
    • This new marketing campaign should help us drum up business
  • Typical questions using business
    • What line of business are you in?
    • Do you think Tom enjoys the education business?
    • How’s business?

 So what do you do? Do you like your job? Is it hard work? Is it an interesting business to be in?

 

English Lesson: Vocabulary Around the House

Jack and Jill are two young junior high school students. One day, their parents decided that they should each be responsible for some jobs around the house, so both Jack and Jill were given chores to do. There were a lot of chores around the house: walking the dog, doing the dishes, doing the laundry, taking out the trash, etc. In return, their parents agreed to give them a little pocket money each week. Their allowance was $10 per week. On Saturdays, their parents would run errands and take Jack and Jill with them. The kids liked going on errands because it brought them to the stores where they could spend their allowance.

Today, let’s look at some vocabulary we use to talk about everyday tasks around the house. I used this vocabulary in the paragraph above, so if you like read it again and then check out today’s lesson.

A chore is a task that needs to be done in the house regularly. Some chores are done every day and others maybe once, twice or a few times a week. Here is the vocabulary for some of the most common chores:

When you walk the dog, you put a leash and collar on your dog and take him outside for exercise and so he can relieve himself. Even though you are walking with your dog, we simply say walk the dog or walk my dog without “with” like this:

  • I walk my dog every morning at 6:30am.
  • Nobody likes to walk the dog in the rain.
  • Jenny walks her dogs in the park in the evening.

We say do the dishes, which means wash the dirty dishes and do the laundry, which means wash the dirty clothes.  

  • Tommy hates to do the dishes when they have pasta because the dishes are hard to clean.
  • I don’t need to do the dishes because I just got a dishwasher.
  • We usually do the laundry on Saturday mornings.
  • If it is a sunny day, we can do the laundry and then hang the clothes outside do dry.

An errand is a task that requires you to travel close to your home in order to get something done. Errands are short trips such as going to the dry cleaners, the bank, the post office, the pharmacy, etc. You can do errands or run errands, like this:

  • I have to do a few errands tomorrow before going to the gym.
  • Jack was doing errands when his car got a flat tire.

What errands did you run last weekend? Do you have any chores to do at home?