Curs 1

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Unit 1 .........................................................................................................7
Pre-Reading Tasks..................................................................................7
Reading ..................................................................................................7
Ways with words ....................................................................................9
Grammar Reference..............................................................................13
The verb to be...................................................................................13
The demonstrative pronoun and adjective..........................................14
Question forms..................................................................................14
Controlled practice................................................................................14
Unit 2 .......................................................................................................17
Pre-reading tasks...................................................................................17
Reading ................................................................................................17
Ways with words ..................................................................................19
Grammar reference ...............................................................................24
The personal pronoun........................................................................24
Mood, tense and aspect .....................................................................25
Present Simple ..................................................................................25
Present Continuous ...........................................................................26
Unit 3 .......................................................................................................32
Reading ................................................................................................32
Ways with words ..................................................................................34
Grammar reference ...............................................................................40
Verbs which do not take a continuous aspect in English....................40
The Imperative..................................................................................41
The possessive pronoun and the posessive adjective..........................41
Unit 4 .......................................................................................................44

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Reading 1..............................................................................................44
Ways with words 1................................................................................45
Reading 2..............................................................................................46
Ways with words 2................................................................................47
Grammar Reference ..............................................................................50
Classification of nouns......................................................................50
Number of nouns...............................................................................51
The Genitive .....................................................................................51
Unit 5........................................................................................................60
Reading.................................................................................................60
Ways with words ..................................................................................61
Past Simple .......................................................................................67
Past Continuous ................................................................................69
Past Simple and Past Continuous.......................................................70
Expressions of quantity .....................................................................70
The Adjective....................................................................................71
The order of adjectives in a series......................................................72
Unit 6........................................................................................................86
Pre-Reading Tasks ................................................................................86
Reading.................................................................................................86
Ways with words ..................................................................................91
Present Perfect Simple.......................................................................94
Present Perfect Simple and Past Simple.............................................96
The Preposition.................................................................................96
Prepositions of time...........................................................................97

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Unit 7 ..................................................................................................... 104
Pre-reading tasks................................................................................. 104
Reading .............................................................................................. 104
Grammar Reference............................................................................ 108
Present Perfect Continuous.............................................................. 108
Modal Verbs ................................................................................... 109
Problematic prepositions of movement and place ............................ 110
Controlled practice.............................................................................. 110
Unit 8 ..................................................................................................... 114
Reading .............................................................................................. 114
The Cardinal Numeral..................................................................... 116
Past Perfect Simple ......................................................................... 117
Past Perfect Continuous .................................................................. 118
Unit 9 ..................................................................................................... 124
Reading .............................................................................................. 124
Future Simple.................................................................................. 126
Comparative and Superlative Adjectives ......................................... 127
Comparative Sentences ................................................................... 129
Test ........................................................................................................ 135
Unit 10 ................................................................................................... 138
Pre-reading task.................................................................................. 138
Reading .............................................................................................. 138
Ways with words ................................................................................ 141
Be going to Future .......................................................................... 145

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Future Simple or Be Going To?.......................................................147
First Conditional .............................................................................147
Controlled practice..............................................................................148
Unit 11....................................................................................................152
Pre-Reading Task................................................................................152
Reading...............................................................................................152
Ways with words ................................................................................154
Grammar Reference ............................................................................161
The Ordinal Numeral ......................................................................161
The Fractional Numeral...................................................................162
The Multiplicative Numeral ............................................................162
Second Conditional.........................................................................162
Unit 12....................................................................................................166
Pre-reading tasks.................................................................................166
Reading...............................................................................................166
Ways with words ................................................................................169
The Article......................................................................................174
Third Conditional............................................................................176
Unit 13....................................................................................................182
Reading...............................................................................................182
Ways with words ................................................................................187
The Adverb .....................................................................................193
The Passive Voice...........................................................................194
Unit 14....................................................................................................201
Pre-reading .........................................................................................201
Reading...............................................................................................201

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Ways with words ................................................................................ 204
Punctuation..................................................................................... 208
The Infinitive .................................................................................. 213
The Participle.................................................................................. 213
The Gerund..................................................................................... 214
Unit 15 ................................................................................................... 219
Pre-reading ......................................................................................... 219
Reading .............................................................................................. 219
Ways with words ................................................................................ 221
The Conjunction ............................................................................. 225
Coordinating Conjunctions.............................................................. 225
Subordinating Conjunctions ............................................................ 226
Direct and indirect (reported) speech............................................... 226
Sequence of tenses .......................................................................... 229
Test ........................................................................................................ 235
Evaluation .............................................................................................. 237
Appendix 1............................................................................................. 239
Appendix 2............................................................................................. 249
Appendix 3............................................................................................. 259
Bibliography........................................................................................... 261

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Unit 1
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
In this unit you will learn:
 Social English
 The English Alphabet
 The Verb to be
 The Demonstrative Pronoun and the Demonstrative Adjective
 Question forms
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Pre-Reading Tasks
What’s your name?
How old are you?
Where do you live?
What do you specialise in?
Reading
Read the following text about Mihaela Vlad, a
student in Romania:
My name is Mihaela Vlad and I am a student in the
Faculty of Economic Sciences at “Petroleum-Gas”
University of Ploieşti. I come from Arad, a town in
the West of Romania. I came here to study because
I have always been keen on economics and I really hope to learn many
useful things here.
I’m studying Spanish and English, and I can speak Spanish well and a little
English. I improved my Spanish when I went on a two-month holiday to my
aunt in Spain. I also hope that in a short time I will improve my English, as,
on the one hand, it is very useful to speak foreign languages and on the

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other hand, I might need it for my future job. In Romania there are lots of
foreign companies where I can work if I am fluent in one or two foreign
languages.
Today, when English is one of the major languages in the world, it doesn’t
require too much effort of our imagination to realise that this is a relatively
recent thing - that people started to import English in the seventeenth
century, with the first settlements in North America. As I could read in an
article, one person in seven of the world’s entire population speaks English
nowadays and most of them are quite fluent in it. Incredibly enough, due to
the extension of computerized systems and software which are mostly in
English, 75% of the world’s mail and 60% of the world’s telephone calls are
in English. Again incredibly, yet true is the fact that 200 million people
speak English and every year there are twenty million beginners.
International literary, scientific and economic publications are very often
printed in English.
So, the quicker I learn it, the more opportunities I may have to read
interesting materials connected to my field and to get a good job in the
future.
Everyday English
Practise saying the letters of the alphabet according to the vowel sounds:
/ei/ /i:/ /e/ /ai/ /∂u/ /u:/ /a:/
a b f i o q r
h c l y u
j d m w
l e n
k g s
p x
t z
v

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Ways with words
1. Can you keep a conversation going with someone for two or three
minutes? Choose a partner who you don’t know well, or imagine your
partner is a stranger. Work in small groups and find out things about your
partner.
2. Spell the name of Mihaela Vlad. Then work in pairs. Spell your name in
English to your deskmate. Then find out how to spell his/her name.
3. What do you think a good language learner can do? Choose beginnings
from A and suitable endings from B. There are many possible answers:
A good language learner:
A B
borrows books without a teacher.
writes things down in every way possible.
guesses words without being told to.
tries to study in real situations.
tries to learn every day possible.
practises speaking from films, TV and records.
4. Social Exchanges
Supply the best word or words:
1. You are late for an appointment, so you say, ‘……………….I’m
late.’
a) Sorry/I’m sorry
b) Excuse me
c) Forgive me
d) Pardon me
2. You fail to hear what someone says to you, so you say,
‘…………….?’
a) Excuse me

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b) Pardon
c) Forgive me
d) Pardon me
3. A passenger on a bus complains you are standing on his foot; you
say, ‘………………!’
a) Sorry
b) Forgive me
c) Excuse me
d) Pardon me
4. Here is your apology for bad behaviour: ‘…………..for my awful
behaviour last night.’
a) Please pardon me
b) Please forgive me
c) I beg your pardon
5. You answer the phone and you say, ‘…………………..!’
a) Speak
b) Hello
c) Enter
d) Say
6. You are introduced to a stranger, so you say, ‘………………..?’
a) How are you
b) How do you do
c) What do you do
7. You are leaving, so you say, ‘………….!’
a) Adieu
b) Goodbye
c) Farewell
8. You are refusing food that is offered; you say, ‘………………’
a) Thank you
b) No, thank you
c) Thanks

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9. You thank me for holding the door open and my response may be,
‘……………….’
a) It’s nothing
b) -
c) Please
d) Nothing
10. You meet a friend at the airport on arrival and you may say,
‘……………..London!’
a) Welcome to
b) Be welcome to
c) Welcome in
d) I wish you welcome to
11. Someone asks you how you are and you answer, ‘……………,
thanks.’
a) Good
b) Very good
c) Fine
d) Very fine
12. Your friend is waiting for you to finish what you are doing and
you say, ‘………………..’
a) One moment
b) A moment
c) One minute
d) Just a minute
13. You are attending an interview and the interviewer says,
‘……………….’
a) Sit yourself
b) Take a seat
c) Sit
d) Sit you

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14. The class stands up as you enter the room and you say,
‘……………………’
a) Sit yourselves
b) Take a seat
c) Sit down
d) Sit
15. This is what you say to a friend on January 1st
:
‘……………….New Year!’
a) Lucky
b) Happy
c) Merry
d) Good
5. In the text about Mihaela Vlad, you learned the expression on the one
hand .... on the other hand which means pe de o parte ... pe de altã parte.
Let’s learn more expressions containing the preposition on:
to be on duty = a fi de serviciu;
on account of = pe baza, din cauzã cã, luând în consideraŃie cã;
on and on = fãrã întrerupere, la nesfârşit;
and so on = şi aşa mai departe;
on this ground = din acest motiv;
to turn on/ to switch on (the light, the radio, etc.) = a deschide/ a aprinde
(lumina, radioul,etc.);
on this assumption = pe baza acestei presupuneri;
on the basis of = pe baza;
on behalf of sb. = în numele cuiva, din partea cuiva;
on the contrary = din contrã;
on record = cunoscut;
on the score of = ca rezultat;
on the verge of = pe punctul de, pe cale, în pragul;
on the whole = în general, în întregime;

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on demand = la cerere;
on condition that = cu condiŃia;
on purpose = dinadins, intenŃionat;
on principle = din principiu;
on the first attempt = la prima încercare;
on a sudden = brusc, deodatã, pe neaşteptate;
on trial = de probã.
Grammar Reference
The verb to be
Affirmative Interrogative Negative
I am I’m am I…? I am not I’m not
You are You’re are you…? You are not You’re not / You
aren’t
He is He’s is he…? He is not He’s not / He isn’t
She is She’s is she…? She is not She’s not / She isn’t
It is It’s is it…? It is not It’s not/ It isn’t
We are We’re are we…? We are not We’re not / We
aren’t
You are You’re are you…? You are not You’re not / You
aren’t
They are They’re are they…? They are not They’re not / They
aren’t
Form
Short answer
Are you a student in Management?
Yes, I am. No, I’m not.
Is she an accountant?

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Yes, she is. No, she isn’t.
The demonstrative pronoun and adjective
Form
Reference Singular Plural
“near” reference this these
“distant” reference that those
Question forms
Look at the following question words:
What do you do for a living? - I’m an accountant.
Who is your teacher of English? – Joan Smith is.
Where is Madrid? - In Spain.
When do you start the meeting? - On Friday, May, 2nd.
Why are you learning English? - Because I need it for my job.
How do you come to Ploieşti? - By train.
Whose are these papers? - They are Victor’s.
What and which can be followed by a noun.
What time is it?
What kind of chemistry do you study?
Which pen do you want, the blue one or the green one?
How can be followed by an adjective or an adverb.
How old are you?
How often do you play football?
Controlled practice
1. Translate into English:
a. Eu sunt contabil. El este englez.
b. Acelea sunt colegele tale? Nu, acestea sunt colegele mele, Monica
şi Andra.

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c. Acesta este un casetofon.
d. Acela este un televizor.
e. Noi suntem studenŃi.
f. Sunt ei specialişti francezi? Nu, nu sunt.
g. SunteŃi voi economişti? Nu, noi nu suntem, noi suntem ingineri.
h. Cine este aici? John este aici. El este cel mai bun student din grupa
noastră. El are note foarte mari.
i. Cine nu este aici? Maria nu este aici şi nici George nu este.
j. Ele sunt chimiste. Cursurile acestea sunt ale lor. Acestea sunt
cursurile mele.
2. Turn these sentences into questions and answer them:
e.g. Canterbury is a town. Is Canterbury a town? Yes, it is.
a. London is a town in England.
b. You are an accountant.
c. My father is a doctor.
d. Elizabeth II is the queen of England.
e. We are students.
3. Complete the following text using the appropriate pronouns:
a. ….... is John’s pencil. It must be his because it’s got his name on it.
b. Are …...pencils yours, John? Yes, they are. Thanks. They haven’t got my
name on them, but they belong to me.
c. ……. is a house. It’s over here. ……. is a car. It’s over there.
d. Is .…… an electric heater?” “No, that is an electric generator. ……. is an
electric heater.”
e. …... are metals. Those are substances.
4. Translate the following text into English:
a. De unde eşti? Sunt din Arad.
b. Când ai venit prima oarã în Ploieşti? Anul trecut.

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c. CâŃi ani ai? Douãzeci şi nouă.
d. Ce mai faci? Sunt bine, mulŃumesc.
e. De ce te grãbeşti?
5. Choose the appropriate question form in the following sentences:
a. What/Which time is the plane due to arrive?
b. What/ How are you today?
c. Where/ When are you going now?
d. Who/How are you? I am Mary Jones.
e. What/ Which of these paintings do you like best?
6. Ask short questions on these statements, using who, what, where:
e.g. I’ve just received a letter./ Who from?
a. I want to take this notebook with me. (for)
b. Will you please open this box? (with)
c. I’m going to Spain next week. (by)
d. Please, get me a glass of water. (from)
e. John is very angry. (with).

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Unit 2
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
 A Case Study
 The Personal Pronoun
 Present Simple
 Present Continuous
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Pre-reading tasks
Have you ever written a case study? What parts does it include?
Reading
Read the following case study on Fournier
et CIE. Then read and translate the article
on Fournier et CIE published in an
economic magazine. Pay attention to the
present tenses:
Fournier et CIE is a medium-sized
company producing for export hand-made
shoes and gloves in natural materials. They
obtained good prices for their fashionable designs. Yet customers are
dissatisfied with the standard of the materials which seem to be too loosely
woven. Another complaint is that deliveries are not prompt, which makes
impossible for the customers to maintain satisfactory stock levels and fulfil
their sale schedules.

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In order to solve their problems, they had a meeting with one of their most
important clients, Mr. Jacobson. The general manager was not present due
to health problems.
Here is the minutes of the meeting.
Today, April, 26, 2002, we had a short meeting in order to solve the
problem of delivery and the complaints concerning the standard materials.
Mr. Jacobson explained that the moment his company saw the samples of
our hand-made lines, he was authorized to discuss the terms of an order with
us and negotiate a contract. Yet the quality of the standard materials was
much better at that time, as he showed us two different types of gloves and
shoes, and consequently the difference in texture.
Mrs. Higgins, our production manager explained that due to the extended
needs of materials, we changed the supplier of materials, yet Mr. Jacobson
had been told about this two months before this change, and he had been
also sent the standard materials at that time, when he approved their quality.
Mr. Jacobson mentioned that delivery order no. 3425 had a problem, in the
sense that the material of the summer shoes seemed to be too loosely woven
and was inclined to pull out of shape. He said that his representatives relied
on the high quality of the materials we sent them and they were all the more
disappointed in the case because we supplied the cloth to new customers.
Mrs. Higgins assured him of a better quality in the future.
The problem of delivery will also be solved, as we had to solve out
problems of cloth delivery last week. As we couldn’t possibly allow this
situation to continue, we had to make our supplier understand that unless
they could guarantee to deliver supplies by the dates specified in future
orders, we would be forced to look for another supplier.
No longer excellent merchandise for their customers?

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Several weeks ago we published an incredible story of a medium-sized
company producing for export hand-made shoes and gloves in natural
materials which amazingly succeeded in attracting customers, due to their
excellent products.
Yet it seems that every dream is over sooner or later. Fournier et CIE
experiences difficulties with their biggest customer, R&T Lines. Today they
obtained good prices for their fashionable designs. In a meeting today, the
representative of R&T Lines explained that his staff is dissatisfied with the
standard of the materials which seem to be too loosely woven. How could
this happen? Higgins, the one in charge of production seems not to know.
Yet the answer is very simple: the moment Fournier et CIE extended, they
realized that they needed more suppliers of materials, and due to good prices
they also accepted lower offers, as well as lower quality. The truth is
somewhere in the middle, as Jacobson answered our questions in a very
ambiguous manner: Yes, I knew about the change of the supplier. He also
admitted that he had approved the standard material for order no 3425.
Yet it seems that indeed they are experiencing problems, as this is not the
only unsatisfied customers. The problem of delivery will be solved,
according to Higgins: We had to solve out problems of cloth delivery last
week. Yet, should we really believe that? Clients are quite fed up with
promises. They want facts. It seems that the great boon the company had in
the beginning has changed a lot nowadays, unfortunately. Probably they
need a new company policy and a new board.
Ways with words
1. How do you translate the sentence: As we couldn’t possibly allow this
situation to continue…? . Let’s learn some expressions containing the word
as:
as compared with = în comparaŃie cu;
as a consequence of = ca o consecinŃã a;
as if/ as though = ca şi cum;

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as far as = întrucât, pe cât, în mãsura în care;
as far as it goes = în ceea ce priveşte;
as follows = precum/ dupã cum urmeazã;
as long as = atât timp cât;
as regards = în ceea ce priveşte;
as a rule = de regulã, în principiu;
as seen = dupã cum se vede;
as shown in Table. 2 = cum s-a arãtat în Tabelul 2;
as soon as possible = cât de curând posibil
as such = ca atare;
as well = deopotrivã, de asemenea;
as well as = cât şi, tot aşa ca;
as when = ca atunci când, ca în cazul în care;
as yet/ so far/ up to now/ up to the present = pânã în prezent;
such as = astfel ca, ca de exemplu.
2. Read the following sentence taken from the same text:
How do you translate they were all the more disappointed in the case? Now
learn some expressions with the adjective all.
beyond all doubt = în afarã de orice îndoialã;
all at once = dintr-o datã;
all the better = cu atât mai bine;
all in all = în întregime, cu totul;
all in good time = toate la timpul lor;
all the more as = cu atât mai mult cu cât;
all over = peste tot;
first of all = înainte de toate;
of all kinds = de toate felurile;
that is about all = ca, asta-i tot;
it is all one to them = le este tot una;
once for all = o datã pentru totdeauna.

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Now practise these expressions in sentences of your own.
3. Read the following sentence again: Clients are quite fed up with
promises. How do you translate to be fed up with something? Now learn
some phrasal verbs containing the particle up. Use your dictionary in order
to translate them.
weigh up bring up
take up (three meanings) draw up
step up pick up
Now replace the words in italics in the following sentences with the
following phrasal verbs.
a. Before preparing the contract, may I go over one or two points
again, please?
b. We have to increase our work-rate if we are going to get the
accounts finished in time.
c. If I’m going to have any chance of becoming a member of the
Board, I’ll have to start playing golf.
d. I’d like to mention the subject of expense claims at our next
meeting.
e. (Chairman, at a meeting).Your point is interesting, Donna, but I’d
like to discuss it later, if I may.
f. We must consider all the possibilities before we decide which
market to enter.
g. I start my new appointment next month.
h. We didn’t get many orders last quarter but now sales have
improved.
4. Choose the colour (you will need to use some words more then once)
black green red
blue grey white
brown pink yellow

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a. In most countries, goods that are scarce are usually freely available
on the ……………… market – provided you have the money to pay
for them.
b. You can argue with her until you’re ………………… in the face,
but once she’s made up her mind she won’t listen to you, no matter
what you say.
c. After several weeks of discussions, the group were given the
………………. light, and could finally go ahead with the new project.
d. There’s no point in asking my boss for a day off next week. I’m in
her ………………. books at the moment so she’s bound to say no.
e. She had only recently had lunch with her cousin, so the news of his
death came as bolt from the ……………
f. Although we got a lot of nice wedding presents, we also got one or
two ……………… elephants.
g. There is a common prejudice that girls who are very beautiful must
automatically be lacking in ………………. matter – so-called “dumb
blondes”.
h. Next Friday is a ……………….-letter day for my sister and her
husband; it’s their 25th
anniversary.
i. After sunbathing for two hours every day, Joanna was as
…………………… as a berry.
j. The managing director’s reference to the forthcoming sales
conference was a ……………. herring. He just wanted to get off the
subject of this month’s poor sales figures.
k. She went as ………………. as a sheet when she heard about the
accident.
l. If there was a war, I don’t think I’d fight. I’ve got too much of a
…………….. streak. I’d be terrified of getting killed.
m. I’m sorry, James, I refuse to believe it unless you can show it to me
in …………….. and ……………!

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n. Ever since Tom got that huge order with Saudi-Arabia he’s been
the boss’s ……………..-eyed boy.
o. Don’t mention the present government in front of my father; it’s
like a …………………. rag to a bull.
p. I was ……………… with envy when my neighbour drove up in a
brand-new Jaguar.
q. By the way, Joyce, my husband was tickled ………………….. at
your asking him to judge the flower show.
r. For some reason, Swedish films are often synonymous with
…………………. films, which is very strange as there is relatively
little pornography in Sweden.
s. Sometimes it is better to tell a …………………. lie than to hurt
someone’s feelings.
t. My wife always goes bright ………………… whenever she gets
embarrassed.
5. Put each of the following phrases in its correct place in the sentences
below.
out of the blue in black and white
once in a blue moon a black sheep
to have green fingers green with envy
in the red to catch someone red-handed red tape
a. The offer of a job sounded very good on the phone but I won’t
believe it till I have it …………………
b. I must remind you that this is a non-smoking office. I suspect that
some of you have been smoking. If I happen …………………… I’m
afraid it will mean dismissal.
c. To import firearms into Britain you’ll have to fill in a lot of forms.
There’s a lot of …………………

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24
d. If you want to be a successful gardener, of course you’ve got
……………………
e. The rest of the family were respectable, honest people but he was
always in trouble. I’m afraid he was …………………….
f. When I saw him in his new sports car, I
was………………………….
g. Tourists often go to the Louvre, but most Parisians only go
……………………
h. The firm is ……………………. . It owes a lot of money.
i. I had lost touch with Jake, and then one night he arrived at my flat
right ……………………… What a surprise!
Grammar reference
The personal pronoun
The nominative. Form
Person Singular Plural
First person I we
Second person you you
Third person he - masculine
she - feminine
it - objects and
animals
they

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The accusative/The dative. Form
First person (to) me (to) us
Second person (to) you (to) you
Third person (to) him
(to) her
(to) it
(to) them
Mood, tense and aspect
Mood, tense and aspect are grammatical categories of the verb. Roughly
speaking, mood presents the attitude of the speaker towards an action or a
state expressed by the verb, tense gives an indication of when the action
happens and aspect reflects the status of action referring to duration, result,
etc.
Present Simple
Present Simple is used to express:
• a repeated action or habit (it is often used with adverbs of frequency
such as: always, constantly, continually, ever, frequently, forever,
hardly, never, normally, occasionally, often, rarely, regularly, seldom,
sometimes, usually, etc.):
I usually get up at 7.30.
Japanese people like to travel.
Most evenings we stay in.
• a fact which is always true (general truths and states):
Wood floats on water.
The Earth moves round the Sun.
The Danube floats into the Black Sea.

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• a fact which is true for a long time
I live in Ploiesti.
She works in a bank.
Present Simple is used in explanations, demonstrations and stage directions:
Her drawing shows two parts of a hyperbolic curve.
I add flour to the egg yolks and place the basin into the oven.
The door bell rings. She listens quietly. A window opens and a masked man
enters the room.
Form
I work Do I work? I do not (don’t) work
You work Do you work? You do not (don’t) work
He works Does he work? He does not (doesn’t) work
She works Does she work? She does not (doesn’t) work
It works Does it work? It does not (doesn’t) work
We work Do we work? We do not (don’t) work
You work Do you work? You do not (don’t) work
They work Do they work? They do not (don’t) work
Short answer
Do you like spring?
Yes, I do.
Does he speak French?
No, he doesn’t.
Present Continuous
Present Continuous is used to express:
• an activity happening now or around now
They are watching TV in their bedroom now.
I am living with my parents this week.

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• a planned future arrangement:
I’m meeting them at 11 o’clock tomorrow.
Form
Present Continuous is formed with the present tense of the auxiliary verb be
followed by the indefinite participle of the main verb (verb+-ing).
I am working Am I working? I am not working
You are working Are you working? You are not (aren’t) working
He is working Is he working? He is not (isn’t) working
She is working Is she working? She is not (isn’t) working
It is working Is it working? It is not (isn’t) working
We are working Are we working? We are not (aren’t) working
You are working Are you working? You are not(aren’t) working
They are working Are they working? They are not (aren’t) working
Short answer
Are you coming?
Yes, I am. No, I’m not.
Is she watching TV?
Yes, she is. No, she isn’t.
Controlled practice
1. Translate the following sentences into English:
a. El este contabil la o companie importantă.
b. Ei nu vorbesc engleza, dar noi îi putem ajuta.
c. Pe ea o văd la curs, dar pe el nu îl văd.
d. Îmi oferăo carte de contabilitate, pentru cã el are douã exemplare.
e. Îl strig pe Victor, dar nu mă aude.

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2. Choose the appropriate forms of the personal pronoun:
a. He is studying English as he/we intends to join an American
insurance company.
b. I gave her/him that laptop as he needed it.
c. She told me/ to me that she needed five days off.
d. I think I saw him/ he in the bank yesterday.
e. Have you told they/ them about your project?
3. Put the verbs in brackets into the Present Simple or Present Continuous:
a. He usually (drink) coffee but today he (drink) tea.
b. It (rain) now. It often (rain) in summer.
c. He (come) to see me tonight; we (go) on a trip to Sinaia next week
and we (want) to make plans for it.
d. I (live) in Ploiesti, but this week, as I (attend) a course in Bucharest,
I (stay) with my uncle in Calea Floreasca.
e. Pardon me, sir, but I (think) you (stand) on my feet.
f. Maria (come) from Spain this week.
g. She (speak) French, English and Italian.
h. I (cut) two slices of bread and she (prepare) an omlette.
i. What you (do) here? I (look) for my glasses.
j. Where you (live)? I (live) in Scotland.
4. Complete this postcard using the correct form of the verbs on the right:
Greetings from Scotland! John and I ….....
something different this year. We’re at the
do
Edinburgh Activity Centre, where we …….. a
good time and at the same time we ……..
different things. People…….. here every
summer to learn more about their hobbies and
interests.
have
learn
come

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I …….. photography and tennis this week do
and John …….. about computers. We …….. up
at half past eight every morning
learn, get
and …….. lessons from ten to half past twelve.
We …….. lunch at one, and then there are more
lessons.
do
have
So it’s hard work. But I …….. it here. We ….....
a post-office in front of the Centre. The weather
is good. See you soon.
Love, Kate
like, have
5. What do you do in these situations?
a. When you miss a bus or a train, do you:
A. wait happily for the next one?;
B. shout angrily?;
C. blame someone else?
b. When you think about the future, do you:
A. dream of impossible success or wealth?;
B. plan your future career carefully?;
C. worry about what will go wrong?
c. When someone asks you a questions and you’re not sure of the
answer, do you:
A. admit you don’t know?;
B. give an answer you think may be right?;
C. try to change the subject?
d. When you forget to do something important for a friend or a
member of your family, do you:
A. hope they won’t notice?;
B. try to do something else for them?;
C. feel guilty?

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e. When your boss or teacher is away, do you:
A. start laughing and joking?;
B. work hard as usual?;
C. do not work at all?
If most of your answers are A it means you are a very optimistic
person. If you chose mostly B, it means you are an ambitious person,
and if you chose mostly C, it means you are a pessimistic person.
6. Put the verbs in brackets into the present simple or continuous
a. He (live) in London at present but he (hope) to move to Edinburgh
next year.
b. I (hope) they (realize) what a difficult job they (undertake).
c. Mike and Jack (spend) a fortnight at the seaside; they (come) back
next week.
d. Who (talk) to the pretty girl in the blue dress?
e. The teacher (say) that you usually (make) a lot of mistakes.
f. Anybody who (look) at his passenger while he (drive) is a danger on
the roads.
g. Mary (sleep) in the sitting room this week because her bedroom
(be) redecorated.
h. The path (lead) to the big house that you (see) on the hill.
i. My son (work) very hard. He (study) for an examination now.
j. “You (hear) anything?” “I (listen) hard but I can’t hear anything.”
k. Daddy (leave) always lighted cigarettes all over the house. We’ll
burn down one day.
l. Mary (leave) for London in a fortnight.
m. They (clean up) the whole town in preparation for the summer.
n. Mr Green always (get up) early.
o. My husband usually (leave) his office at 3.00 p.m., but this month
he (work) late.

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p. Jack often (go) to the theatre but his wife (not go) very often. He
(like) all sorts of plays. She (prefer) comedies.
q. Professor Brown (be) the perfect linguist. He already (speak) seven
foreign languages. Now he (learn) an eighth.
r. My dog always (bark) at the postman. But look at that! For once,
he (be) friendly to the poor man.
s. They left for London an hour ago. I (wonder) whether they (travel)
by airplane or by train.
t. He (walk) very slowly because the bottle he (carry) (hold) nitro-
glycerine and nitro-glycerine (explode) if it (be) shaken.
v. Let me explain what you have to do. First you (take) the photos and
(sort) them into categories. Then you (file) them according to subject.
w. The play is set in London in 1890. The action (take) place in
Mary’s living-room. When the curtain (go) up, the hero and heroine
(sit) down. They (argue).
x. Dear Jane, sorry to hear about your problem at work. I (think) you
(do) the right thing, but I (doubt) whether your boss really (know) his
job from what you (tell) me.
y. The house is a mess because we’ve got the workmen in. The
plumber (put) in a new bath. The electricians (rewire) the system and
the carpenter (build) us some new bookshelves.
a. Nu cred că te pot ajuta.
b. Mama gustă ciorba să vadă dacă mai e nevoie de sare.
c. Nu beau cafea de obicei, dar astăzi fac o excepŃie.
d. El merge cu autobuzul la şcoală în fiecare zi.
e. Noi nu învăŃăm decât vinerea, sâmbăta şi duminica.

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Unit 3
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
A presentation of the distance learning department
 Verbs which do not take a Continuous Aspect in English
 The Imperative
 The possessive pronoun and adjective
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Pre-reading tasks
How did you hear about the distance learning department? Why have you
chosen this specialisation?
Reading
Read the following presentation which was part of a project by which our
university inaugurated courses within the distance learning department. Pay
attention to the aspect of the verbs (simple/ continuous aspect). Translate the
text into Romanian:
The specialisations in the Distance-Learning Department within Petroleum-
Gas university of Ploiesti are:
• Economic engineering in the mechanical field
• Fiability of Petroleum and Petrochemical Equipment
• Drilling-Production and Reservoir Engineering
• Engineering of Environment Protection and Chemical and
Petrochemical Industry
• Petroleum Technology and Petrochemistry
• Romanian Language and Literature- English Language and
Literature
• Accountancy and Administration Informatics

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• Primary School- Teachers: English/French
For the above-mentioned specialisations we identified three categories
of potential candidates:
• persons who want to improve their knowledge in the field of
petroleum industry and refining, yet the daily work programme
and the distance from the only petroleum-gas university in
Romania does not allow them to enroll in a training programme
(day courses, evening courses)
• persons who want to specialise in very important fields such as
accountancy, informatics, foreign languages
• primary school-teachers who, in order to compete with the new
undergraduate educational system, compatible with the European
system, must attend the specialisation Primary School- Teachers:
English/French.
Within our university we could say that we have experience in such
programmes due to the fact that we had a project Leonardo da Vinci, in
which we worked with our colleagues from Minho University from
Portugal.
In the beginning the Distance-Learning Department will make use of the
resources offered by the new IT Centre (developed within the project
76/1999) which offers internet access, video-conference systems
Part of the course-books for our future students is already on magnetic
support, as a result of the grant CNFIS 39691/2000. Some books which
were previously published were up-dated last year. This will allow us to
start such a project in autumn. At the same time on the web
www.ttr.lc.com (within the project of distance-learning trainers’
training) we elaborated a course on informatics and communicational
technologies which are necessary in the training process as well as a
course on pedagogical strategies which may be adapted to such distance-
learning. A Plei@d Programme has been recently elaborated by a
university from CNAM, Nantes, France.

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There is a legal basis on distance learning organization and functioning:
Romanian Government Decision no. 1214/07.12.2000. At the same time
the standards for Authorizing the functioning of distance learning are
elaborated by C.N.E.AA (National Council of Authorizing and
Academic Assessment), standards which may be fulfilled by our
department.
Ways with words:
1. In the sentences below, use one suitable word from the list that follows.
Not all the words are possible:
a. I sent in my ...... to the address given in the advertisement.
b. They told me I lacked ...... as I had never had that kind of job
before.
c. The manager told me he couldn’t wait as he had ...... to do.
d. Not many people enjoy sitting at a/an ...... all day long.
e. Before I left that oil company, I handed in my ......
f. When I applied for this position, I asked my previous boss for a ......
g. You have to be well-dressed and punctual to succeed in a/an ......
h. My first ...... was helping in a shop at weekends.
i. In our company every ...... receives a month’s salary.
j. You could ...... over 2,000 a month as a sales representative in this
company.
qualifications; reference; experiences; application; work; employer;
interview; gain; resignation; job; diploma; department; applicant;
earn; wages; office; gain; desk; salary; employee.
2. Read the sentence We had a project Leonardo da Vinci, in which we
worked with our colleagues from Minho University again. Now learn some
expressions containing the preposition with:
with due regard for/ with all due deference to = cu tot respectul cuvenit;
with an eye to = urmãrind, fãrã a pierde din vedere;

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35
with the exception of = cu excepŃia cã;
with reason = pe drept, pe bunã dreptate;
with reference/ respect to = în privinŃa, referitor, cu privire la;
with a view of = în scopul de a;
as with = la fel ca şi;
together with = împreunã cu;
to do away with = a înlãtura, a termina cu.
3. Look at the following sentences belonging to this unit: Within our
university we could say that we have experience in such programmes due to
the fact that we had a project Leonardo da Vinci. As you can see these are
two meaning of the word that. In the first sentence it introduces a direct
object clause and in the other it introduces a relative clause. Here are some
expressions containing the word that:
that far = atât de departe;
that is the point = aceasta-i problema;
that much = cam atât;
that’s how it happened = aşa s-a întâmplat;
that is why (that’s why) = de aceea, din aceastã cauzã;
that is to say = adicã;
but for that = dacã nu ar fi fost asta;
for all that = cu toate acestea;
in order that = pentru ca, sã;
like that (just like that) = aşa;
Now practise these expressions in sentences of your own.
4. Read the following sentence again: Some books which were previously
published were up-dated last year. How do you translate to up-date? Now
explain the meaning of the words and phrases in italics in the following
sentences.
a. To date, we haven’t received a single order for our new product.

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b. Our advertising is beginning to look very dated.
c. We try to use up-to-date methods in our Production Department.
d. Our problems date from the time we lost that Russian contract.
e. Computer sales people have to constantly up-date their knowledge.
f. They are using out-dated plant and machinery to manufacture their
products.
5. Word building
Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the words in
italics.
1 rely
a. He is a very reliable worker.
b. Her main quality is her ……………… .
c. My assistant is someone who can be ……………… on.
2 criticise
a. The report has been received very…………….. by top
management.
b. The Personnel Director is an outspoken……………… of our
reorganization.
c. I thought her……………… were unfair and not based on fact.
3 skill
a. The Chairman was………………… at avoiding answering
awkward questions.
b. The ……………… workers in the Production Department are well
paid.
c. To be a good manager, you need many ……………… .
d. The ………………… workers in our company are the lowest paid
because they need no training for their jobs.
4 employ
a. Most …………………in an organisation can benefit from training.
b. ……………………… is almost 8% in my country — that’s far too
high.

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c. The………………… are entitled to various social security
payments.
d. He’s fairly old and hasn’t had a job for years. I’d say he’s virtually
………………
5 sure
a. Performance appraisals help to ………………… that promising
staff are not overlooked for promotion.
b. At my interview, my boss ………………… me that I had a
bright future in the company.
c. ………………… you agree she’s one of the high fliers in the
department.
6 able
a. This young trainee has considerable ……………………
b. Due to our ………………… to get certain supplies, we lost the
order.
c. Because of a production hold-up, we are ………………… to
provide the product.
7 decision
a. Being a currency dealer in a bank, she has to make quick decisions
and be very ……………… at all times.
b. Because we were ………………we wasted time and lost the
contract.
c. I am still……………..whether to leave my present job but I must
make up my mind soon.
6. Complete the following sentences with suitable forms of the words from
the list below.
authorize, authority, control, function, autonomy, innovate, innovative,
delegate, delegation, initiative
a. In many department store groups, buying and finance are two

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……………… which are handled by Head Office.
b. Managers who like power find it difficult to ………………
responsibility.
c. To stay competitive, high technology firms must constantly
………………… or else their products become out of date.
d. When you delegate authority in a business, you lose a degree of
………………… over certain functions.
e. In some multinational organisations, subsidiaries are given a great
deal of ……………… - they rarely have to consult Head Office.
f. Firms often make the mistake of not concentrating enough on
marketing …………………
g. In our factory, the General Manager is ………………… to spend
up to £1,000 a month on repairs and maintenance.
h. I like my staff to make decisions for themselves, but they seem
afraid to show any ………………… .
7. Supply the most suitable words from the list on the right.
1. ………….is hard to find nowadays. a) boss
2. The quality of the food in a restaurant depends on
its……. b) chauffeur
3. I work in a garage as a car ……………… c) chef
4. Nancy has started a new………….. d) colleague
5. Mrs. Wilks is the …………of this shop, not the
owner. e) college
6. If you want to know the way, ask a ………….. f) conductor
7. Who’s the …………of the Boston Symphony
Orchestra? g) doctor
8. Brenda was a university ………….. at the age
of 36. h) engineer
9. He has a car with a uniformed …………… i) job
10. His ………….. at school has given him a good

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report. j) manager
11. What’s the name of the ………..of your
company? k) mechanic
12. An …………..designs bridges or roads. l) medicine
13. The ……………of our shop is putting up the
rent. m) owner
14. There had been a burglary, so we called
the ………… n) police
15. I went into business after I left …………. o) policeman
16. I can’t use a …………, never mind a word
processor. p) professor
17. Gordon is a …………at the local hospital. q) teacher
18. Has the nurse given you your …………… r) typist
19. Smithers is a …………of mine at the office. s) typewriter
20. It’s useful to be a good …………if you use a
computer. t) work
8. Supply the best word or words:
1. The person in charge of a business is informally known as the
………………
a) chef b) chief c) boss
2. The person who is in charge of a car is the ………………
a) guide b) leader c) motorist d) driver e) conductor
3. A person who prepares food is a ………………
a) cook b) cooker
4. A person who works in an office is an ………………
a) officer b) office worker
5. A woman who looks after other people’s children is a
………………
a) nanny b) nurse
6. The person who is in charge of a restaurant is the ………………

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a) patron b) manager
7. A person who studies the origins of the universe is a ………………
a) physician b) physicist c) physics
8. Another word for ‘doctor’ is ……………
a) physician b) physicist c) medicine
9. If you are one of the people waiting to be served in a shop you are a
………………
a) client b) customer c) patient d) guest
10. If serve people who come into a shop, you are ………………
a) an official b) a shop assistant c) a bank clerk
Grammar reference
Verbs which do not take a continuous aspect in English
There are verbs in English which generally are not used in the continuous
aspect:
• verbs of the senses (verbs of perception): see, hear, smell, taste, notice,
recognize, etc.
I smell gas.
• verbs of thinking: think, realize, know, understand, suppose, expect,
remember, forget, mind, etc.
I don’t remember your name.
• verbs of having and being: have, own, owe, belong to, possess, be,
contain, matter, hold, etc.
The house belongs to my mother.
I have a very good lathe.
• verbs of emotion: love, hate, like, dislike, refuse, want, wish, forgive,
etc.
I hate people calling me late at night.
He wants to buy a new tool.

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The Imperative
The imperative is a mood which expresses an order, a command, a wish, a
greeting, a piece of advice, a threat:
Come here!
Leave me alone!
Watch your step!
Let’s go!
Form
The imperative has forms only for the second person singular and plural.
Affirmative Negative
Get ready!
Start working!
Don’t get ready!
Don’t start working!
The possessive pronoun and the posessive adjective
The possessive pronoun. Form
First person mine ours
Second person yours yours
Third person his
hers
its
theirs
The possesive adjective. Form
First person my our
Second person your your
Third person his
her
its
their

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Controlled practice
a. Aceastã sticlã conŃine apă minerală.
b. Creionul Rotring este al Mariei.
c. Urãsc sã mi se cearã sã fac o lucrare de azi pe mâine.
d. Ea are doar un curs de statistică şi două de finanŃe.
e. Acest curs conŃine 14 capitole.
2. Decide which is the most appropriate form of the verb in the following
sentences:
a. I’m thinking/ I think of you.
b. She smells/ is smelling gas.
c. Mother is tasting/ tastes the soup to see if it needs more salt.
d. We have/ are having dinner now.
e. Could you call him back in twenty minutes as he has/ is having a
bath right now.
3. Translate the following into English:
a. Serveşte-te şi serveşte-i şi pe ceilalŃi!
b. Vino, te rog, la noi sã ne ajuŃi sã rezolvãm o problemã de statisticã.
c. Îi dai un deget şi îŃi ia toatã mâna!
d. Scrie tu proiectul la calculator, pentru cã dupã aceea trebuie sã-l
folosesc şi eu.
e. LuaŃi loc, vã rog, doamnã!
f. Nu pleca, pentru că nu am terminat proiectul!
g. Nu te apropia de firele acelea pentru că sunt sub tensiune.
h. Nu încerca să mă faci să mă răzgândesc, pentru că o faci degeaba.
i. Du-te şi vezi dacă au terminat cursul.
j. Grăbeşte-te, mai ai doar cinci minute!

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4. Make the following sentences negative:
a. Come here!
b. Get ready as we are in a hurry!
c. Be on time, because English people are never late.
d. Go home and we’ll finish this tomorrow.
e. Work faster as we need to finish this until two o’clock.
5. Choose the appropriate possessive pronouns or adjectives:
a. My/ mine father’s car is new. Mine/my is very old and ugly.
b. We have been looking for these magazines. Someone took them
from your/our room. They belong to us. We’re using the pictures for a
project of ours/yours.
c. There are five billion people in our/his world and they live in all
different corners of it.
d. This is her/hers car. She bought it two months ago.
e. My results are better than yours/your.
f. Is that book yours/your as I think I saw you when you lent it to
your/yours friend, Tom.
g. I don’t think this is one of Emma’s pens. I know she has lost
her/hers calculator, but I haven’t heard her say she has lost a pen .
What do you think?
h. My/mine speciality is accountancy.
i. After we have acquired some knowledge about the oil industry and
the kind of work that is involved, we will prove ours/our knowledge
later.
j. Your/yours article on world economy is a good one.

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Unit 4
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
 Writing a CV
 Writing a letter of application
 Classification of Nouns
 Number of Nouns
 The Genitive
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Pre-reading tasks:
What information should your CV contain?
What information should your letter of application contain?
Reading 1
Read the following CV. Can you find any improvements? Work with your
mates and report your findings to the rest of the class:
CURRICULUM VITAE
PERSONAL DETAILS
Name: Mihaela Vlad
Address: 23 Bvd. Bucureşti
Ploieşti 2000 Prahova
Telephone: 044165342
Date of birth: 1 January 1974
Nationality: Romanian
Languages: Fluent English; Conversational French

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Computer literacy: Wordperfect, Lotus 1-2-3, Windows 2000, Math-Cad;
Math-Lab.
EDUCATION
2000-2002: Master of Business and Administration - ”Petroleum-Gas”
University of Ploieşti- CNAM Paris
1995-2000: “Petroleum-Gas” University of Ploieşti- Faculty of Economic
Sciences
“A” levels: Mathematics, Economy
WORK HISTORY
Sept. 2000-Sept. 2001: accountant at GPS Arad
Summer 1999-Summer 2000: college position: required to prepare accounts
Summer 1998: Bucharest Chemical Services - assistant
INTERESTS: cinema, theatre, reading
REFERENCES: available on request.
Ways with words 1
1. Here are some pieces of advice for you when you write your CV:
a. Bold is used selectively. Your name is obviously important, so you
should make sure it stands out.
b. When you state the languages you can speak, conversational and
fluent are the only words to use about them. Don’t use qualifications
such as well, very well, etc. If they really want to find out about your
language skills, they will surely test you.
c. Education and qualifications should be listed together. The “A”
levels are important, as they may show that you are suitable for that
job, as you had the best degrees in those objects which are of major
importance for your future job.
d. For the Work History section, it is vital to highlight your student
activities.

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e. Don’t make up a list of names and addresses in your reference
section. You should mention references only if they are very
impressive.
Reading 2
Here is the letter of application Mihaela Vlad has written. Skim through the
letter and see what information the applicant is conveying about himself:
23 Bvd Bucureşti
Ploieşti 200 Prahova
Mr A. D. Vlad
Personnel Manager
Petrom Bucureşti Ref.: chief accountant vacancy
Dear Mr. A. D. Vlad
I am writing to apply for the position of chief accountant that you advertised
in Bursa on 5 October 2001, as I believe it offers the career challenge which
I am seeking.
As you will see from my enclosed Curriculum Vitae, I graduated from
“Petroleum-Gas” University of Ploieşti last year, and then I have had a
successful year working in a scientific environment with GPS Arad.
I would like to highlight the following skills which I believe would add
value to your organization:
Organizational skills - developed in my current job with GPS Arad.
Accounting skills - developed in my role as university officer where I
prepared annual reports and accounts and I was responsible for a budget of
1,000,000,000 lei per annum.
Interpersonal skills - developed through working in a team environment in
my current role and through a number of holiday positions when I was a
student.

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47
I have a keen interest in accountancy and would appreciate the opportunity
of an interview to discuss why I believe I am good match for your
requirements.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
Mihaela Vlad
Ways with words 2
1. Here are some lines from different letters of application of several
candidates for this job. Choose the most appropriate and convincing
sentence in each group. What do you think is wrong with some of the
sentences listed below?
a. I am familiar with this type of work./ I am totally knowledgeable
about this type of work./ I know this type of work.
b. I am well-liked by everybody and I am very convincing./ I can
maintain friendly relationships with people./ I am a friendly and
tactful person.
c. I can make decisions when it is really necessary and I am very
responsive./ I always make the best decisions in my office, as I am a
reliable person./ I am not afraid to make decisions if necessary.
d. I feel sure my studies recommend me for this job./ I hope I am right
for this sort of work./ I am sure I am the most suitable person for this
job.
e. I am quite interested in this kind of work./ I have a genuine interest
in this kind of work./ I am extremely interested in this type of work.
2. Here is an advertisement which was published in Bursa on 4 April 2001.
Look at it and write your CV. Then write the letter to cover your CV
applying for the vacancy:

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48
CONSTRUCT Ltd.
Romanian-Canadian company providing
expertise, human resources and equipment
for the construction industry
requires
Human Resource Officers
Applications are accepted from recent graduates of Sociology or Business
Studies with some background in income tax laws and computer literacy, or
company management.
Applicants should be willing to work in teams and should be able to meet
deadlines. Applicants should be fluent in English and French.
Please enclose a current CV and your letter of application addressed to
Mr Ion Pop, Human Resources Manager, Construct (Romania) Ltd.,
13, PiaŃa Romanã, Bucharest.
3. Vocabulary building
An antonym is a word that means the opposite of another. For example, the
opposite of short is long, the opposite of old is young.
Complete the following sentences with words opposite in meaning to the
words in italics.
e.g. interesting He does not like his job because it is uninteresting.
a. satisfied Workers become……………………… if their jobs
offer no challenge.
b. conclusive Since the report was so………………… no
recommendations were made.
c. responsible ………………… behaviour by staff can be costly to
an organisation.
d. popular Managers become……………………… if they fail
to pay bonuses.
e. respect No manager likes a subordinate to be……………………

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49
.
f. secure A worker who feels…………………. in his job will
probably not be committed to the firm he works for.
g. social People who work ………………… hours, for example
at night-time, generally receive extra – pay.
h. efficient Nowadays, it is not easy to get rid of an employee who
is ……………………
4. Complete the following sentences with one suitable word meaning the
opposite of the word in capital letters:
a. Jack much prefers being EMPLOYED to being .……..….
b. Alex did a number of TEMPORARY jobs before he managed to
find a ……..….. position.
c. The first shop he opened was a big SUCCESS but the second was a
total ……..…..
d. Many people would rather work ………….than FULL-TIME.
e. The management said salaries had INCREASED, but official
reports showed that as a matter of fact they had .………….
5. Word sets. Try to think of the word time. Now think of words connected
to time. In this way you may create a word set which may include among
other words: day, month, year, century, year, etc. Now complete the
following sentences with one appropriate word connected with the subject
of money:
a. They refused to accept a cheque so I had to pay in ………....
b. When she started with the company her …………. was only
$10000 a year. Now it’s at least four times that.
c. When Mr Michael retired he received a .………… of $300 a month.
d. Pierre is very worried because he is in ……….... Nobody will lend
him any money.

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50
e. If you want a new car why not go and see your bank manager about
a ………....
6. Here is a list of words and expressions to do with money. Use your
dictionary and divide them into the following categories:
-borrowing money; saving and investing money; having a personal bank
account.
Sometimes the same word will fit different categories:
-to withdraw money; a building society; a current account; a cheque card; a
mortgage; to cash a cheque; to buy shares in a company; the Stock Market;
to put money in; a monthly statement; a deposit account; to earn 15%
interest.
Grammar Reference
Classification of nouns
Countable nouns Uncountable nouns
a girl
a man
a tool
a cup
an apple
a guitar
a pound
a car
a well
water
sugar
milk
music
weather
money
oil/ petroleum
coal
gas
We can say two cups, four girls, ten pounds, twenty cars. We can count
them. We cannot count sugar, water or oil.
Countable nouns can be singular or plural:
This cup is empty.
These cups are full.

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51
Uncountable nouns can only be singular:
The water is cold.
The weather is fine.
The coal has a good quality.
Number of nouns
Form
Variable nouns form the plural in the following way:
• -s is added to the singular:
books-books, tool-tools
• -es is added to the singular nouns ending in -s, -z, -x, -ch, -sh, nouns
ending in -y preceded by a consonant (-y changes to i), nouns ending in -
o:
bus-buses, box-boxes, match-matches, brush-brushes, city-cities; potato-
potatoes (But: photo-photos)
• -(e)s is added to nouns ending in -f(e) (which changes to -v):
knife-knives, leaf-leaves, shelf-shelves (But: roof-roofs)
Irregular plural nouns:
man-men, woman-women, foot-feet, tooth-teeth, goose-geese, louse-lice,
mouse-mice, child-children, ox-oxen
Foreign plurals
stimulus-stimuli, larva-larvae, stratum-strata, basis-bases, criterion-
criteria, phenomenon-phenomena, datum-data, etc.
The Genitive
The analytical genitive is used with the preposition of, used with neuter
nouns:
the tower of London, the colour of oil, the cover of the book, etc.
The synthetical genitive (‘s genitive) is used after:
• nouns denoting persons or other beings:

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52
John’s lecture, my parents’ advice
• nouns denoting measurement, time, space, quantity, value:
a two months’ practice, yesterday’s newspaper, a pound’s worth of pears
• collective nouns:
the governement’s decisions, the Parliament’s laws
• geographical names, vehicles, natural phenomena, etc.:
England’s mountains, the spaceship’s crew, the afternoon’s heat.
Controlled practice
1. Complete this newspaper article. Choose the correct singular or plural
form in the brackets:
Johnson Factory for Milchester
The Johnson Clothing Company is going to build a new factory in
Milchester. (This/These) news (was/were) announced by company
chairman Mr David Johnson yesterday. Mr Johnson spent the morning
in Milchester before returning to the Johnson headquarters at
Edinburgh.
The Johnson company (has/have) been in existence for 100 years and
(is/are) famous for its (product/products). The slogans “You’re never
alone with a pair of Johnson (trouser/ trousers)” and “Johnson
(jean/jeans) (is/are) the (one/ones) for you” are well known. The
company’s profit last year of two million pounds (was/were) the
highest in the clothing business.
Mr Johnson will not say how (much/many) new (job/jobs) there will
be, but the information that there will be (work/works) (is/are) hard to
find at the moment, and 2,000 unemployed people (is/are) a high
figure for a small town.
2. Complete the following passage with the correct form of the words in the
box below.
strategy right venture personnel

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53
finance skill planning drawback
expertise set up delegate innovative
trust segment
The problems of small high-tech firms have attracted a lot of
attention recently. Research shows that many of these firms are
…………………… (1) by talented, creative scientists. Their owners have
no trouble coming up with………………… (2) products but they often
can’t build on their early success.
One reason for this is that they don’t have much management
………………..(3). Therefore, they are unable to develop the
……………………(4) which are necessary for their company’s growth.
They are in a rush to develop products, and don’t think enough about how to
market them. When they do try to sell their products, they spend too much
time trying to gain the………………… (5) of potential customers. Another
mistake they make is to underprice their products so that they have no
…………………… (6) for future development.
Once the firms begin to grow, their owners underestimate the future
costs of developing and marketing new products. Lack of financial
………………… (7) is a major weakness of such companies. It is difficult
for the high-tech firm to attract the right………………… (8) because it
cannot offer the same job security as a large organisation.
The high-tech firm can get round some of these problems by
developing a specialist image. It can aim at a particular
……………………(9) of the market. Customers then start seeking out the
firm, so its marketing costs are reduced. The only ………………… (10) is
that it may take some time before customers accept the firm’s new
technology.
As soon as the high-tech business has reached a certain size, it will
be a good idea to bring in professional management. The founder of the firm
can then…………………(11) responsibility for activities like marketing

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54
and finance. If a high-tech firm needs money very badly, it may arrange a
link-up with a larger company. It will offer that company exclusive
………………… (12) to its technology.
Enthusiasm, bright ideas ……………………(13) capital and
technology are not enough to ensure success. Basic
management…………………. (14) - especially financial and marketing
ones - are also vital.
3. Complete the following passage, using the suitable forms of the words
given below.
achieve reach report feedback objective
progress performance role stage view
My boss called me into his office to discuss my ……………………
(1) during the last six months. She said that I had made good
………………………(2) and had had no difficulty in
…………………… (3) my goals. She made it clear that she was
going to give me a good……………………… (4).
I suppose I should have been grateful to her. However, one thing
bothered me. I wondered why she didn’t ask me what I felt about the
job. Why didn’t she get some …………………. (5) from me? I
thought that was one of the main …………………(6) of the
interview.
Since my …………………(7) was obviously to sit quietly and say
nothing, I did just that. At this …………………… (8) of my career, I
can’t afford to upset my boss. But if I ever……………………… (9)
her position, I shall handle these interviews differently. In
my……………………(10), it’s vital to listen to employees.
4. Rewrite the following sentences, using the word in capital letters, so that
the meaning stays the same:

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55
a. My cousin is somebody I can really trust. CONFIDENCE
b. I can recite Eminescu’s poems from memory. HEART
c. Your office is being redecorated at the moment, so temporarily you
will have to share one with John. BEING
d. He was going to leave for London when he heard his flight has
been canceled. POINT
e. It was proposed that a new church should be built. FORWARD
f. Once the results of the experiment are made public, the Government
will make a decision. OPEN
g. Her answer took the audienc by surprise. ABACK
h. Our manager want us to call him „Sir”. ADDRESSED
a. Inventatorul televiziunii prin cablu a fost un om bogat.
b. S-au fãcut progrese semnificative în acest domeniu al cunoaşterii.
c. El foloseşte multe coli pentru a scrie un CV.
d. La începutul secolului XX, nu erau foarte erau multe studente în
colegii.
e. Tatãl studentului a venit la universitate sã vorbeascã cu profesorul
de economie.
f. CunoştinŃele de engleză sunt foarte vagi.
g. Sfatul pe care mi l-ai dat m-a ajutat foarte mult.
h. Aş vrea să cumpăr trei pâini, două ciocolate şi trei săpunuri.
i. Nu ştiu dacă vom avea bani să cumpărăm şi mobila pe care ne-o
dorim (două dulapuri şi trei fotolii).
j. Fulgerul a fost urmat de un tunet asurzitor.
k. PărinŃii prietenei mele sunt plecaŃi în Canada.
l. Ne întrebăm dacă vom putea procesa atâtea informaŃii.
m. Nu am primit nişte ştiri foarte îmbucurătoare.
n. Mi-e teamă că ea are speranŃe mai mari decât ar trebui.
o. A cumpărat un buchet de flori care a costat 200.000 lei.

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6. Fill each space in the sentence with the correct form of the word in
capitals print about it:
a. They tried to ……………. him to participate in that contest.
COURAGE
b. Your solution seems to be the most ………………. And, as we are
rather short on money, we’ll decide in favour of it. ECONOMY
c. His opinion is …………….. from mine. We seem never to agree on
this issue. DIFFERENCE
d. Until you have solved your health problems, it is ………………
not to travel to Paris. ADVICE
e. All the time he proved to be very ………………. I can’t put up with
his coleric attitude. ARGUE
f. Choosing this course is entirely voluntary. There is no ……………..
whatsoever. COMPEL
g. Everytime he starts speaking about her scientific research he keeps
on speaking about modernism. I think I know her sentences by heart
now. It’s very …………….. REPEAT
h. They really ………….. over my idea and threw themselves into
creating the data basis. ENTHUSIASM
i. To ……….. the balloon they had to throw away their luggage.
STABLE
j. In childhood she was ……………… by Mira who helped her a lot.
FRIEND
k. This is the PM’s …………… RESIDE
l. The doctor gave me pull to ……….. the pain in my back. DEAD
m. His writing style is really………….. IMITATE
n. His disappearance is ………… EXPLAIN

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7. Supply the blanks with suitable nouns from those in brackets. Use the
plural forms:
a. He threw a stone at the rock and ..... came back. (piano, volcano,
echo)
b. The ship was sunk by well-aimed ..... (potato, torpedo, dynamo)
c. Winter fodder for cattle is kept in ..... (calico, casino, silo)
d. The opera company was advertising for ..... (octavo, soprano,
cuckoo)
e. The delegates carried their ..... (portfolio, photo, piano)
f. The ..... hit the island with tremendous force.(tornado, hobo, albino)
g. They threw rotten ..... to show their disgust. (tomato, canto, halo)
h. He was bitten by ..... and got malaria. (hero, soprano, mosquito)
i. There are hundreds of ..... along the Mediterranean coast. (hero,
casino)
j. How many...(hero, cargo, kilo) of ..... (tomato, piano, photo) do you
need to make 1 liter of juice?
8. Fill in the correct forms of the nouns in brackets:
a. The (deer) have left their usual pastures.
b. They don’t even try to hunt (lion); it is too dangerous.
c. There is no (mean) of learning what is happening.
d. They say (fish) are good for the brain.
e. They raise lots of (duck) on their farm.
f. Despite their size (giraffe) are harmless creatures.
g. The (Navaho) were almost completely destroyed.
h. He made a living by raising (goose).
i. A (series) of unexpected events prevented him from going on
holiday to Scotland.
j. It’s not allowed to hunt (bear). But still many (bear) are killed.

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9. Fill in the correct plural form of the words in brackets:
a. Do other planets revolve on their ..... like the Earth? (axis)
b. It can be dangerous if chemists make mistakes in their .....
(analysis).
c. ...... are rare in the desert. (oasis)
d. A great deal of ..... was collected by the scientist. (datum)
e. All good reference books contain ..... (index).
f. The consul sent several ..... back to London. (memorandum)
g. He spent his time playing with mathematical ..... (formula).
h. Geologists search the rock ..... for valuable minerals. (stratum)
i. There are not many types of ..... around the British coast. (alga)
j. There have been many international ..... since the war. (crisis)
k. The ..... of these lenses are perfect for distance photography. (focus)
l. What are the ..... of success? (criterion)
m. I’ve always found the idea of ..... in algebra rather difficult.(index)
n. There are many ..... of animals. (genus)
o. ..... are exact positions of things. (locus)
p. The ..... of theorists must conform to the real world. (hypothesis)
q. Post-graduate students have to write ..... to obtain their Ph.D.s
(thesis)
r. The optician found that both his patient’s eyes had defective
.....(retina)
s. They were all well trained and so they responded like .....
(automaton)
t. Two ..... to the resolution were proposed. (addendum)
10. Decide which of the two verb forms should be used in the following
sentences:
a. Physics (was/were) my most difficult subject in high school.
b. Ballistics (is/are) the study of the motion of projectiles.
c. Athletics (has/have) been virtually abolished from smaller schools.

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d. His motives may be good, but his tactics (is/are) deplorable.
e. In every group, politics (is/are) a subject that arouses interest.
f. Radical politics (was/were) offensive to the Federalists.
g. Acoustics (is/are) a branch of science that is growing fast.
h. The acoustics of this room (is/are) not all they might be.
i. Economics (doesn’t/don’t) require extensive knowledge of
mathematics.
j. His ethics (leave/leaves) a lot to be desired.
k. Classics (take/takes) a back seat these days.
l. Einstein’s mathematics (was/were) a revelation.
m. Tactics (is/are) really short term strategy.
n. Your heroics (is/are) worthy of a better cause.
o. Her hysterics (does/do) not move anybody that knows her.
11. What are the feminine forms of the following words: actor, son, lord,
bachelor, marquis, duke, master, negro, hero, chauffeur, czar, executor,
driver, clown, wizard, aviator, widower, landlord, stallion, drake, gander,
ram, drone, peacock, fox
12. What are the masculine forms of the following words: madam, queen,
countess, doe, hind, tabby cat, bitch, wife, maidservant, she-wolf, jenny-ass,
czarina, governess, heir, niece, nurse, abbess, chauffeuse

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Unit 5
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
 Business letters
 Past Simple
Past Continuous
 Expressions of quantity
 The Adjective
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Pre-reading tasks
Have you ever written a business letter? What are the basic rules in
composing a business letter?
Reading
Read this text about composing business letters. Look at the tenses of the
verbs. Translate the text into Romanian:
Business letters
Business letters are usually typed on notepaper bearing a specially designed
heading which provides the reader of the letter with the essential
information about the organisation sending it. Normally the heading will
include the company’s name and address, its telephone numbers and
telegraphic addresses, the type of business it is engaged in, its telex code
and V.A.T. number, and in many cases the names of the directors. It is
becoming increasingly common for firms to print an emblem or trademark
on their stationery.
Read the following business letter and try to distinguish the parts it contains:

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61
a. GRAJO LEEDS
Leeds 978653
GRADEN &JONES LIMITED
Home and Overseas Merchants
Directors: Upper Bridge Street
L. L. Graden, P.G. Jones Leeds 2
b. JAS/DS c. 13 June 2003
d. Oliver Green and Co., Limited25 King Edward VII. St.
Manchester M24 5 BD
e. Dear Sirs
We understand from several of our trade connections in Bolton that you
are the British agents for Petrou and Galitopoulous AE of Athens.
Will you please send us price-lists and catalogues for all products
manufactured by this company, together with details of trade discounts
and terms of payment,
We look forward to hearing from you.
f. Yours faithfully,
Graden and Jones Ltd.
g. J.A. Stevens
Chief buyer
Ways with words
1. The parts of the letter
a. The heading.
b. The reference
This is typed on the same line as the date, but on the left, and consists of
the initials of the person who signs the letter and those of the typist.
Sometimes other initials or figures are added, according to whatever
may suit the filling system of the firm in question. It is usual to quote the
reference initials of the addressee company in a reply.

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c. The date
The form in which the date is written in this letter -13 June 2003 is
probably the simplest and clearest of all the current forms used in the
English-speaking world, but there are alternative ways of writing the
date:
• June 13 20003
• 13th
June 2003, and
• June 13th
2003
d. The inside address
A few points concerning the name and address of the firm written to
need to be made. Firstly, they are typed on the left, normally against the
margin. The diagonal granding of the name and address is rare
nowadays, and the style shown in the example is neater, as well as being
quicker for the typist.
e. The salutation
Below the address a double space at least is left, and the words “Dear
Sirs” are typed. This is the usual salutation in British business letters
addressed to a company rather than to an individual within the company.
Very often a comma is typed after the salutation, but an increasing
number of firms are eliminating this, considering the spacing to fulfil the
function of traditional punctuation.
f. The complimentary close
This is typed above the name of the firm sending the letter, then a space
is left for the signature. If the salutation is “Dear Sirs” or “Dear Sir”, the
complimentary close will read “Yours faithfully” or, less commonly,
“Yours truly”. If the correspondent is addressed by his or her name,
“Dear Mr. Brown”, “Dear Miss Prism” etc. the complimentary close will
take the form “Yours sincerely.”
g. The signature
It often happens that the person who has dictated a letter is unable to
sign it as soon as it has been typed. Since it is often essential to send a

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63
letter as soon as possible, the typist or some other employee connected
with the letter in question will sign it instead: in such cases he or she
will write the word “for” or the initials “p.p.” immediately before the
typed name of the employee responsible for the letter, The name of the
person signing the letter is typed below the space left for the signature,
and is followed on the next line by his position in the company or by the
name of the department he represents.
Traditionally the complimentary close and signature have been typed in
the middle of the page, but it is becoming more and more common for
firms to place them against the left-hand margin.
If an enclosure accompanies the letter, this fact is indicated both in the
text itself and by the word Enclosure (often reduced to Enc. or Encl.)
typed against the left-hand margin some distance below the signature.
There are other ways of referring to enclosures – the use of adhesive
labels, for instance, or the typing of lines in the left-hand margin beside
the reference in the text to the document or documents enclosed – but
typing the word Enclosure at the bottom of the letter is by far the most
common.

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Now look at the following letters and try to write a reply.

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67
Grammar Reference
Past Simple
Past Simple is used to express
• a finished action in the past (it is often used with past time expressions:
last year/ month/ week/, five years/ two days/ four weeks ago, yesterday,
yesterday morning/ evening, in 1985, etc):
They protested against that law in the late eighteenth century.
The chemists reported the results obtained yesterday.
• habitual, repeated actions in the past (with verbs denoting a permanent
characteristic);
She always wore red.
I met him every day on my way to the office.
• Past Simple is used to describe a series of actions which follow one
another in a story (narrative past)
Tom came into the room. He took off his shirt, put on a T-shirt and sat down
in the armchair. Suddenly he remembered something. He stood up and went
out of the room.
The form of the Past Tense Simple is the same for all persons.
Affirmative
The positive of regular verbs ends in -ed.
There are many common irregular verbs. In order to create this tense you
need the second form of the verb (see the list on page @ – Appendix 1)

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I
You
He/She
We
You
They
arrived
went to Sinaia
yesterday.
Negative
The negative of the Past Tense Simple is formed with the auxiliary did+not
(didn’t).
I
You
He/She
We
You
They
did not (didn’t) arrive
did not (didn’t) go to Sinaia
yesterday.
Interrogative
The question in the Past Tense Simple is formed with the auxiliary did.
When did
Where did
I
you
he
she
we
you
they
arrive?
go?

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Short answer
Did you go to work yesterday?
Yes, I did. No, I didn’t.
Did she report the results obtained?
Yes, she did. No, she didn’t.
Past Continuous
Past Continuous is used to express:
• an action in progress at some time in the past
What were you doing at 10 o’clock yesterday?
I was calculating the balance sheet when you came.
When she arrived, he was sleeping.
• past activity happening over a period of time
I was reading from 4 to 6.30 yesterday.
Form
was/ were (past tense of to be)+ verb+-ing (present participle)
Affirmative and negative
I
He
She
was
was not (wasn’t)
working.
You
We
They
were
were not
(weren’t)

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Interrogative
What was I
he
she
doing?
were you
we
they
Short answer
Were you working at this time yesterday?
Yes, I was. No, I wasn’t.
Was she studying when you entered the room?
Yes, she was. No, she wasn’t.
Past Simple and Past Continuous
I was doing my homework at 7 o’clock last night. (I was in the middle of the
activity.)
I did my homework yesterday. (I started and finished.)
She was looking at the pictures when her husband came into the room.
( looking is a long activity. Something happened in the middle to interrupt
it).
Expressions of quantity
some/any; much/many, a lot of/ lots of, few (a few)/ little (a little)
1. Countable nouns are used with some+ a plural noun in affirmative
sentences, and any+ a plural noun in negative and interrogative sentences:
I’ve got some tools.
Are there any books of Economy in the house?
We don’t need any apples for this pie.

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Uncountable nouns are used with some in affirmative sentences and any in
interrogative and negative sentences, but only with a singular noun:
There is some ink in this pen.
Is there any paper in the printer?
We haven’t got any butter in the house.
2. Countable nouns are used with many in interrogative and negative
sentences:
How many lawyers work for this company?
We haven’t discovered many interesting data.
Uncountable nouns are used with much in interrogative and negative
sentences:
How much money have you got?
There wasn’t much sugar left in the jar.
3. Both countable and uncountable nouns are used with a lot of and lots of:
We’ve got a lot of uniforms.
There are lots of letters here.
There’s a lot of paper in this printer.
He’s got a lot of money.
4. Countable nouns are used with few/ a few, while uncountable nouns are
used with little/ a little:
I’ve got a few problems at the moment.
We only need a little money to buy this.
The Adjective
Adjectives are words that describe or modify another person or thing in the
sentence.
Position of adjectives
Adjectives appear before the noun or noun phrase that they modify (e.g. an
interesting course, a difficult exercise, a strange coincidence). Sometimes
they appear in a string of adjectives, and when they do, they appear in a set
order according to category. As after you finish this course you may write

Business English
72
articles on economy or management in English it is of major importance for
you to know the correct order of adjectives in a sentence.
The order of adjectives in a series
It would take a linguistic philosopher to explain why we say little yellow
house and not yellow little house or why we say blue Italian sports car and
not Italian blue sports car. The order in which adjectives in a series sort
themselves out is perplexing for people learning English as a second
language. It takes a lot of practice with a language before this order becomes
instinctive, because the order seems quite arbitrary. There is however a
pattern.
The categories in the following table can be described as follows:
Word
order
Types of adjectives Examples
I. Determiners articles and other limiters
(numerals, possessive
adjectives, demonstrative
adjectives, etc.)
four people, the sixth
chapter, her story,
this tool
II. Observation postdeterminers and
limiter adjectives
adjectives subject to
subjective measure
real, perfect
interesting, beautiful,
gorgeous
III. Size and shape adjectives subject to
objective measure
large, small, short,
round, square
IV. Age adjectives denoting age young, old, new,
ancient
V. Colour adjectives denoting
colour
red, black, yellow,
blue, green, brown,
orange, violet
VI. Origin denominal adjectives
denoting source of noun
French, English,
American, Spanish,

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73
Polish, Romanian
VII. Material denominal adjectives
denoting what something
is made of
wooden, metallic,
woolen
VIII. Qualifier final limiter, often
regarded as part of the
noun
hunting cabin,
passenger car, book
cover
Controlled practice
1. Decide which is the correct verb form:
a. I saw/was seeing a very good programme on TV last night.
b. While I was learning/ learnt for my Economy exam, somebody was
knocking/ knocked at the door.
c. How did you hear/ were you hearing about their wedding? While I
was listening/ listened to the news on the radio, it struck/ was striking
me as odd to hear their names.
d. I was listening/ listened to the news on the radio when the phone
was starting/ started to ring.
e. An American jet pilot was taking off/ took off from Washington,
but the jet’s engines went/ were going wrong.
f. We produced/ were producing 10 different types of leather jackets
last year.
g. Agriculture played/ was playing an essential part in the
development of the Romanian economy 20 years ago.
h. Our crew included/ was including an accountant, two quality
supervisers and one soft engineer.
i. When the programme was completed, the crew moved/ was moving
in.

Business English
74
j. The first important commercial product from crude petroleum was
kerosene, which quickly was replacing/ replaced whale oil in the
kerosene stoves in the 50’s.
2. Find the correct action for each person and make a sentence:
Example:
Copernicus- studying the planets
Copernicus studied the planets.
People Actions
Michael Jackson going to the moon
Marlowe inventing the electric light
Picasso writing “Doctor Faustus”
Neil Armostrong singing pop music
Americo Vespucci playing tennis
Artur Aish discovering America
Martin Luther King painting “Guernica”
Charles Dickens working for Black people’s rights
Edison creating novels
3. Supply the simple past tense or the continuous past tense of the verbs in
brackets:
I (walk) along Piccadilly when I (realize) that a man with a ginger beard,
whom I had seen three times already that afternoon, (follow) me. To make
quite sure, I (walk) on quickly, (turn) right, then left and (stop) suddenly at a
shop window. In a few minutes the man with the beard (appear) and (stop)
at another shop window. I (go) on. Whenever I (stop), he (stop), and
whenever I (look) round he (be) still there. He (look) a very respectable type
and (wear) very conventional clothes and I (wonder) if he was a policeman
or a private detective. I (decide) to try and shake him off. A 74 bus (stand) at
the bus stop just beside me. Then the conductor (come) downstairs and
(ring) the bell; just as the bus (move) off, I (jump) on it. The man with the

Curs 1

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