Being asked and asking question is very normal in meetings, telephone conferences or simply speaking on the phone. And this is very important in business, where you may loss your job if you misunderstand something. For those whose first language isn't English, it is fundamental to know phrases to say if you get lost in a conversation or just want to be sure about something that has been said.
In this online exercise you will learn some English phrases that are used to ask for both clarification and confirmation of something that has been said. First, read the below dialogue/conversation and then do the quiz/test at the end to learn how to both use the phrases and say/pronounce them perfectly.
The focus here is on meetings in English, but these phrases can be used in other business and non-business situations as well. The focus is on formal language.
Click here to see more of our free online exercises on business meeting vocabulary
Read and following part of a business meeting where several of the attendees ask another attendee to clarify some points about a proposed expansion into the American market he has made/said.
From the context, try to guess what the meaning of the words/phrases in bold are. Then do the quiz at the end to check if you are right.
Peter:'So, I recommend that now is the time for our company to expand with this new venture in to the US market.'
Ray:'Peter, going back to what you just said about subsidizing the venture for the first 3 years, could you clarify what you mean?'
Peter:'Well, with all the additional costs of starting a new operation there and being new to the market, if we don't make a loss on each product we sell, then nobody will buy them.'
Ray:'So, correct me if I'm wrong, but do you mean we will make a large loss for the first 3 years?'
Peter:'It's not exactly what I meant. It won't be a large loss, we've calculated it at about $150,000 over the 3 years. By the fourth year, we'll be making a profit as we sell more units. Does that make everything clear?'
Ray:'More or less.'
Hans:'Peter, I'm sorry, could you go over that again?'
Peter:'No problem Hans, we've calculated that the loss at about $150,000 over the first 3 years. By the fourth year, we'll be making a profit as we sell more units.'
Jennifer:'Sorry, I must have misunderstood what you said, do you mean that there isn't a market for our products in the US at the moment? And that we are going to be losing money until we can create a market there?'
Peter:'No, I meant that the market is there. We just need to do what we did in Turkey and we'll be certain of making a profit by the fourth year.'
Jennifer:'I don't like the sound of this. What exactly do you mean by what we did in Turkey?'
Peter:'By using the same business strategy we used when we entered the Turkish market. We made a small loss at the beginning on each product sold due to the set up costs, like marketing, advertising, building etc... In a nutshell, It'll take 3 years to build up a market for our products and then we make money.'
Match the words/phrases in bold from the above text to each of the definitions/descriptions below. Click on the "Check" button at the bottom of the quiz to check your answers.
When the answer is correct, two icons will appear below the answer. The "" icon contains extra information on the word/phrase. In the "" icon, you can listen to the pronunciation of the word/phrase.
Now that you understand the meaning of the words/phrases and when to use them, practise using them by creating your own sentences with them in English. Also click on the "" icon under each correct answer and listen how each is pronounced correctly.
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