Poetry - in celebration

A Shakespeare walk through time.

We honour international poetry day with this mind map:

Family movies for kids and families

Why do we use animation for learning English? This is a question that many language learners ask. Because it works!  find a good one to watch with you and your family here:

Word Partnerships

Some words are frequently used with a key business word.

Look at the words below which can be use with the word "sales", for example: sales potential, sales strategy, sales team:

team 

campaign 

strategy
forecast
potential
launch 

figures 

target

Some of these "word partnerships" can be used to fill the gaps in the sentences below.

Please fill in the gaps. Then make some sentences of your own to help you to remember the partnerships.

1.	The company is planning to launch an important sales  to promote their latest product.
2.	The sales  for the last quarter were very encouraging and we made a substantial profit.
3.	The sales  consists of the sales director, his assistant and ten sales representatives.
4.	At the moment, we are conducting market research to find out the product's sales in Germany.
5.	The sales director is confident of achieving the sales  set last January.

Word pairs
A lot of business words are frequently used in combination with another word. It is useful to learn such combinations.

Can you match the words in column A with the words in column B?

	A	B
1.	Profit	??                                                             research                                                              launch                                                             company                                                              margin                                                             campaign                                                              office
2.	Advertising	??                                                             research                                                              launch                                                             company                                                              margin                                                             campaign                                                              office
3.	Market	??                                                             research                                                              launch                                                             company                                                              margin                                                             campaign                                                              office
4.	Product	??                                                             research                                                              margin                                                             launch                                                             company                                                             campaign                                                             office
5.	Head	??                                                             research                                                              launch                                                             company                                                              campaign                                                             office                                                              margin
6.	Subsidiary	??                                                             research                                                              launch                                                             margin                                                             company                                                             campaign                                                             office

Business word list 4

Verbs

Click and go here 

Business word list 3

People

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Business word list 2

 Marketing

Click and go here

Business word list 1

 Studying up on business terminology?

Our vocabulary word links via quizlet are ready

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Swiss Daily News in ten languages

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Crime and punishment

 An 'evergreen' subject. Words such as fraud, blackmail, robbery, to commit a crime. Our Quizlet page focuses on this vocabulary today.

Go HERE to learn and practice

English Interjections

-to indicate a slight accident or mistake. Informal.

• Oops! I spilled my water. 

Here is a list of the most commonly used interjections in English. Use and practice them.

Business Letter Basics

The Start 

• Dear Senior Director, 
• Dear Sir or Madam,   

 (use if you don't know who you are writing to) 

• Dear Dr, Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms Smith: 

(use if you know the person and have a formal relationship with - IMPORTANT use Ms for women unless asked to use Mrs or Miss)

•  Dear Frank: (use if the person is a close business contact or friend) 

The Reference 

• With reference to your advertisement in the Times, your letter of 3rd March
• Regarding your phone call today, 
• Thank you for your mail of March 5th. 

The Reason for Writing 

• I am writing to inquire about... 
• I am writing apologize for... 
• I am writing to confirm... 

  

Requests

• Could you possibly.....? 
• I would be grateful if you could.....
• Would it be possible to ......?

Agreeing to Requests 

•  I would be delighted to... 
• It would be my pleasure to... 

Giving Bad News 

• Unfortunately.... 
• I am afraid that... 

Enclosing/attaching Documents 

•  I am enclosing... 
• Please find enclosed... 
• Enclosed you will find... 

Closing Remarks 

• Thank you for your help. 
• Please contact us(me) again.... 
• If we(I) can help in any way. ....If/should there are any problems. ....
• If/should you have any questions, 

Reference to Future Contact 

• I look forward to ... 

         ...hearing from you soon. 

        ...meeting you next Tuesday. 

        ...seeing you next Thursday. 

The Finish 

• Yours faithfully, (If you don't know the name of the person you're writing to) 
• Yours sincerely, (If you know the name of the person you're writing to) 
• Best wishes, 
• Kind regards, (If the person is a close business contact or friend)

Sample Letter

March 16, 2022

From:

Tom's Beer Box 

Calanda 34

7000 Chur Switzerland 

Tel:+41 81 445 5671 

Email: tom@box.com 

 

To:

James Dudeness 

Sales Manager 

Beer Specialists Inc. 

210 Swanson Road 

Oldsville, Florida 67850

Dear Mr Dudeness,

With reference to our telephone conversation today, I am writing to confirm your order for 1200 cartons Churbock Beer in 10 pack cans (item no. 7644). 

The order will be shipped within three days via DHL and should arrive at your store in approximately 10 days. 

In attachment please find the confirmation, reference number and tracking code, 

Please contact us again if we can help in any way. It is a pleasure to do business with your company.

Sincerely, 

Thomas Guzzman 

Director of Tom's Beer Box, Inc.

The future is now? Or not?

Let’s talk about certainty and  probability 

 

We often use the probable form to state opinions and give our thoughts.  They may or may not be factual.

 

                             certain to/ (n. certainty)                 

The Swiss government is certain to follow suit with the EU on E-mobility legislation.            

The certainty of following  suit with the EU on E-mobility is assured.

 

likely to /unlikely to / (n. likelihood)

It is likely to affect employment in that sector. 

The likelihood of effects on employment is high.

 

probable that / improbable that (n. probability)

It is probable that we will get self-driven cars sooner.

The probability of getting* self-driven cars sooner is high.

 

will definitely be / not be

(In my opinion) The recycling of batteries will definitely not be solved overnight.

Hop over here to study up a bit with the British Council

Expressions with 'cold'

Get cold feet (not do something because you get nervous): She wanted to sing at the concert but then she got cold feet. 

 Blow hot and cold (often change your opinion about something): I blow hot and cold about London. Sometimes I love it, sometimes I hate it. 

 Give someone the cold shoulder (not be friendly to someone): She gave him the cold shoulder after they broke up. 

 Leave someone cold (not impress someone): I'm afraid that film really left me cold. 

Throw cold water on something (say an idea isn't good): Please don't throw cold water on my idea! Let me try it. 

A cold snap (a short period of cold weather): We're in the middle of a cold snap right now. ​ 

Be cold comfort (not be comforting): She wanted to win first prize, so coming fourth was cold comfort. ​ 

Be knocked out cold (be made unconscious): The boxer was knocked out cold. ​ 

Cold hard cash (money):  Don't give me presents! I want cold hard cash! ​

In cold blood (of a crime, not at the moment of being angry or upset): He killed the man in cold blood. 

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Let's review! 

What's the missing word or words? ​ 

1. He's looking for cold hard ____________________ for his work, not an exchange. 

2. Everyone seems to like that new restaurant, but it ____________________ me cold. 

3. It's freezing! I wish this cold ____________________ would end.

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Answers ​ 

1. He's looking for cold hard cash for his work, not an exchange. 

2. Everyone seems to like that new restaurant, but it leaves me cold. 

3. It's freezing! I wish this cold snap would end. 

credit: perfectenglishgrammar

Gap fill 1 solutions-the man with amnesia

Two weeks ago a man walked into a police station in Brighton, United Kingdom, with a bruise on his head and a cut over his left eye.  He can’t remember his name or where he comes from.  In fact, he can remember nothing about his life. 

He is about 25 years old.  He is rather tall, about 2.10 metres and he’s got curly black hair and blue eyes.  When he arrived at the police station he was wearing a long sleeve blue polo shirt, dark blue jeans, and a pair of brown leather shoes He had a green rucksack and wore a dark brown leather jacket.  Police found no identification or paperwork in the rucksack.   They found a wallet with 22 pounds, a bus pass, a folding umbrella  a pair of sunglasses, a bottle of water and a photo of a woman.  The woman in the photo is tall and thin and has long blonde hair, grey eyes, and is wearing a red mini skirt with a white blouse. He thinks maybe she is his girlfriendbut he can’t remember for sure.

He has a British accent and speaks only English. He thinks his name  is James Moore but police and birth records can find no information about him. A photograph of him was sent to missing persons organisations all over the country  but until now no one has called.  Do you have any information about this  person?  Please contact your local police station!   

Gap Fill 1 The man with amnesia -Practice III.Gymnasium

Do you know this man?

Fill in the gaps with the correct word.

The key will be posted tomorrow! 

Two we____ ago a man walked into a police station in Brighton, United Kingdom, w___ a bruise on his head and a cut over his left e__.  He can’t remember his name or where he co___ from.  In fact, he can r____ nothing about his life. 

He is ab___  25 years old.  He is rat___ tall, about 2.10 metres and he’s got cu___ black hair and blue eyes.  When he ar___ at the police station he was we___ a long sl___ blue polo shirt, dark b___ jeans, and a pair of brown leather sh___. He had a green rucksack and wore a dark br___ leather ja___.  Police found no identification or paperwork in the rucksack.   They f___a wallet with 22 pounds, a bus pass, a folding um___,  a pair of su___, a bottle of water and a photo of a woman.  The woman in the photo is t___ and t___ and has long blonde hair, grey eyes, and is wearing a red mini skirt w___ a white blouse. He thinks maybe she is his gi___ but he can’t remember for sure.

He has a British accent and spe___ only English. He thinks his n___ is James Moore but police and birth records can find no information ab___ him. A photograph of h___ was sent to missing persons organi___  all over the co___ but until n___ no one has called.  Do you have a___ information about t___ person?  Pl___ contact your local police station!                                                                                               

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Practice this:

Do or make? Let's go.

Elementary & English File Vocabulary review

Let's review! 

My English is getting worse!

 Watch this perspective and decide for yourself! From your Swinglish speaking teacher: -)