Unit 1

Company

Starting Point
1. Do you think it is better to work for a large or a
small company?
2. What kind of company do you want to work for?

A. Reading
Read these descriptions of some companies.
Complete their names by choosing the names of
the companies given below
1. This company provides many different
internet services, including news, online
shopping, and email. Most of its sales come
from advertising on its websites. Its head
office is in Sunnyvale, California
Y_ _ _ _

2. This company produces tyres for cars and

other vehicles, it is based in France, but it
has more than 125,000 employees all over
the world. It is also well known for its red
and green travel guides.
M_ _ _ _ _ _ _

3. This northern European company operates in

the retail market. It specializes in low-price
products, including furniture, bathrooms, and
kitchens.
I_ _ _

4. It’s a subsidiary of the European Aeronautic

Defense and Space Company (EADS). The
company makes planes for the commercial
aircraft market, where its main competitor is
Boeing.
A_ _ _ _ _

5. This company makes many different

electrical and electronic products, such as
TVs, computers, and mobile phones. It is
South Korea’s largest company and exporter.
S_ _ _ _ _ _
Exercise 1:
Create your sentence related to companies you
know well:
Examples:

- Indofood is an Indonesian company which

produces many kinds of food such as instant
noodle, biscuit etc...
- Garuda is an airline company that provides
air transportation

Exercise 2:

Work with a partner. Make sentences using

the words in the table. (Consult google!)

Gazprom produces/makes……….
Pirelli specializes in…………..
AOL operates in……………..
Mitsubishi provides/offers………..
Volkswagen sells…………………………
UNICEF ‘s competitors are……..

B. Vocabulary

Exercise 1:
Complete these sentences with the words in
bold in the reading text above.

1. Some companies make or……………goods.

2. Other companies………….or offer services.
 3. If you…………in a particular product or service,
it's your main activity.
4. If you work for a company, you are an………..
5. If your head office is in a particular city, your
company……………..there.
6. If you work in a……….., your company is part of
a bigger group.
7. If you sell a lot of products, your………..are very
good.
8. If another company operates in the same market
as yours, it is your…………….

Exercise 2:

Choose the correct word in italics to complete the text

My company (1) produces/products

specialized software for the film industry.
Our (2) head/based office is near San
Francisco, but we also (3) specialize/operate
In Europe and the Far East where we have
two (4) services/subsidiaries. There are 450
(5) employs/employees in the company. We
(6) sell/sales our (7) produce/goods to
companies like Dream works which (8)
provide/make animated movies. Our
technology is very new, so we don’t have
many (9) competitors/companies.

Exercise 3:
Complete the sentences using a suitable
word from 2 in the correct form.

1. We have annual sales of $25 million.

2. Not many………….in the world have more
 than 100,000 employees.
3. Totalgaz is one of the………..of Total
Group.
4. We only sell these……….in Europe and
North America.
5. Where exactly is your company…………?
6. H&M…………in good-quality clothes at
low prices.
7. A lot of pizza restaurants………..home
delivery services.
8. The TATA Group………..on all six
continents.
9. We offer a wide range of
consulting…………
10. What exactly does your
company……….?

C. Structure

Simple Present vs Present Continuous Tense

[VERB] + s/es in third person

Examples:

• You speak English.

• Do you speak English?
• You do not speak English.

USE 1 Repeated Actions

Use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is
repeated or usual. The action can be a habit, a hobby, a daily
event, a scheduled event or something that often happens. It
can also be something a person often forgets or usually does
not do.

Examples:

• The train leaves every morning at 8 AM.

• The train does not leave at 9 AM.
• When does the train usually leave?
• Every twelve months, the Earth circles the Sun.
• Does the Sun circle the Earth?

USE 2 Facts or Generalizations

The Simple Present can also indicate the speaker believes

that a fact was true before, is true now, and will be true in the
future. It is not important if the speaker is correct about the
fact. It is also used to make generalizations about people or
things.

Examples:

• Cats like milk.

• California is in America.
• Windows are made of glass.

USE 3 Scheduled Events in the Near Future

Speakers occasionally use Simple Present to talk about
scheduled events in the near future. This is most commonly
done when talking about public transportation, but it can be
used with other scheduled events as well.

Examples:

• The train leaves tonight at 6 PM.

• The party starts at 8 o'clock.
• When does class begin tomorrow?

USE 4 Now (Non-Continuous Verbs)

Speakers sometimes use the Simple Present to express the

idea that an action is happening or is not happening now.
This can only be done with Non-Continuous Verbs and
certain Mixed Verbs.

Examples:

• He needs help right now.

• He has his passport in his hand.
• Do you have your passport with you?

Present Continuous

[am/is/are + present participle]

Examples:
• You are watching TV.
• Are you watching TV?
• You are not watching TV.
USE 1 Now

Use the Present Continuous with Normal Verbs to express

the idea that something is happening now, at this very
moment. It can also be used to show that something is not
happening now.

Example es:

• You are learning English now.

• Are you sleeping?
• What are you doing?
• Why aren't you doing your homework?

USE 2 Longer Actions in Progress Now

In English, "now" can mean: this second, today, this month,

this year, this century, and so on. Sometimes, we use the
Present Continuous to say that we are in the process of doing
a longer action which is in progress; however, we might not
be doing it at this exact second.

Examples: (All of these sentences can be said while eating

dinner in a restaurant.)

• I am studying to become a doctor.

• Are you working on any special projects at work?
• Aren't you teaching at the university now?
USE 3 Near Future

Sometimes, speakers use the Present Continuous to indicate

that something will or will not happen in the near future.

Examples:

• I am meeting some friends after work.

• Is he visiting his parents next weekend?
• Isn't he coming with us tonight?

USE 4 Repetition and Irritation with "Always"

The Present Continuous with words such as "always" or

"constantly" expresses the idea that something irritating or
shocking often happens. Notice that the meaning is like
Simple Present, but with negative emotion. Remember to put
the words "always" or "constantly" between "be" and
"verb+ing."

Examples:

• She is always coming to class late.

• He is constantly talking. I wish he would shut up.
• I don't like them because they are always
complaining.

Exercises 1:

Language at Work – Present Simple

1.Ask and answer these questions.

1. Do you work for a multinational company?
2. Is it a new company?
3. What does it do?
4. Does it operate in many countries?
5. Where do you work?

• Match the questions in 1 to answers a-e

a. Yes, it does_____
b. It provides engineering service to car industries.
c. I have an office in London and another in Tokyo
d. Yes, I do___
e. No, it isn’t____

Exercise 2:

Complete the sentences with a verb from the list

Start starts work works is are

Specialize specializes have has

1. The company………..three subsidiaries in the Far

East.
2. She………………in Manchester today
3. We…………..in the advertising of children’s toys
4. The meeting always…………….at 2.30 p.m.
5. She………………for an engineering company.
6. They usually………………..work at about 7.00
a.m.
7. I……………one office in Paris and another in
Buenos Aires.
8. He’s a lawyer. He…………….i a company law.
9. Most of our competitors………………..in
Europe.
10. I……………….in sales.
 D. Language Function:

Introducing yourself
Can I introduce myself
My name is/I am….

Introducing others
Can I introduce you to ...?
This is ...

Responding
Nice to meet you I
How do you do.
Nice to meet you too.

Asking about a personI

jobIcompany

What about you?

What’s your name?
Where are you from?
Who do you work for?
What do you do?
Why are you here?

E. Dialogue

Exercise 1:
Rachel Steadman meets Gideon Lack at an
international car show. Complete the
conversation below with sentences a-j.
a. Nice to meet you too,
b. Can I introduce you to her?
c. And what do you do?
d. What 's your name again?
e. What about you?
f. This is Rachel.
g. So why are you at an international car show?
h. Can I introduce myself?
i. Nice to meet you.
j. What does the company do?

Rachel : Excuse me. Can I sit here?

Gideon : Yes, of course.
Rachel : Thanks very much (1)…h.... I'm Rachel
Steadman.
Gideon : (2)…….. I'm Gideon Lack.
Rachel : ( 3 ) … . . . Gideon. Where are you from? _

Gideon : I'm from Switzerland originally. But I live

in the Czech Republic now. And (4)…..?
Where are you based?
Rachel : In Toronto.
Gideon : And who do you work for?
Rachel : Bos. Perhaps you don't know it.
Gideon : No, I don't. (5)…………
Rachel : It's an advertising agency. I'm here with
Honda. It's one of our clients. (6)………
Gideon : I'm a teacher of Greek literature.
Rachel : That's unusual. (7)………….
Gideon : I'm here with my wife. She works for
BMW. Ah, there she is now. (8)……
Rachel : Yes, of course. That would be nice.
Gideon : Sorry, (9)……………
Rachel : Rachel. Rachel Steadman.
Gideon : Ur sula (10)…………She work s for an
advertising agency in Canada.