Before you start
Welcome
Welcome! This book helps you remember the English you learn. New words and grammar go away fast if you don’t use them again. Here you meet them again, in new sentences and real work texts, until they stay.
There are 24 review units, one for each chapter of the A1–A2 companion books. Each unit brings together the words, the grammar and the useful phrases for one work topic. Then it checks what you remember. After every six units, a Progress Test shows how you’re doing. At the end, two Level Tests check your A1 and your A2 English.
You can do one unit a week, or two if you have more time. A little every day is best.
How this book works
Before you start a unit, study the matching chapters in the other books, or just start here and see what you remember. The Goes with line under each unit title shows which chapters it reviews.
Do the first step from memory. Don’t look back at the other books. Trying to remember is the best way to learn. Then check your answers in the key and look again at anything you forgot.
Use the key. All the answers are at the back of the book. When more than one answer is possible, a slash (/) shows them all. For writing, the key gives a model answer: one good answer, not the only one.
Come back later. A few days after a unit, do its Unit check again.
How each unit works
Every unit has seven steps and about 60 practice questions.
| Step | What you do |
|---|---|
| 1 · From memory | Remember the words and the grammar. No looking back! |
| 2 · Words at work | Use the words in a real work text (an email, a message or a web page), and with the words that go with them. |
| 3 · Grammar at work | Choose and make the right forms. |
| 4 · Real-life task | Read a short work text, answer questions and complete a conversation with useful phrases. |
| 5 · Error clinic | Find and fix the kind of mistakes many learners make. |
| 6 · Write it | Write a short text of your own. Compare it with the model answer. |
| 7 · Unit check | Ten quick questions. Each answer is worth two points: ______ / 20. |
Tests and scores
Progress Tests 1–4 come after Units 6, 12, 18 and 24. Each test has 50 points: words, grammar, useful phrases, reading and writing.
Level Tests A1 and A2 come at the end of the book. Each has 80 points and mixes material from all 24 units.
What your score means
| Score | What it means |
|---|---|
| 85–100% | Excellent. You can use this English with confidence. |
| 70–84% | Good. Look again at the questions you got wrong. |
| 50–69% | OK, but not strong yet. Do the units again in a week. |
| under 50% | Go back to the matching chapters, then try again. |
The tests in this book measure your progress in the Learn Real Business English series. They are not official CEFR results.
Using this book with A1 and A2
This book works on its own, but it works best with the A1–A2 companions: Business Vocabulary in Real Life A1–A2, Business Grammar in Real Life A1–A2 and Business Conversations in Real Life A1–A2, and with Learn Real Business English A1, A2 or the A1–A2 Collection. Each unit here reviews the chapter with the same number in the three companion books.
| Unit | Vocabulary | Grammar | Conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Hello and Introductions | 1 · Hello and Introductions | 1 · The Verb Be | 1 · Hello! Meeting New Colleagues |
| 2 · Jobs and Companies | 2 · Jobs and Companies | 2 · Present Simple | 2 · What Do You Do? |
| 3 · Colleagues and Teams | 3 · Colleagues and Teams | 3 · Questions and Negatives with Do and Does | 3 · This Is the Team |
| 4 · The Office | 4 · The Office | 4 · My, Your, His, Her and ’s | 4 · Where Is It? Around the Office |
| 5 · My Working Day | 5 · My Working Day | 5 · There Is and There Are | 5 · My Working Day |
| 6 · Time, Dates and Plans | 6 · Time, Dates and Plans | 6 · How Often and When | 6 · What Time? Days, Dates and Times |
| 7 · Meetings | 7 · Meetings | 7 · Present Continuous | 7 · Can You Help Me? |
| 8 · Asking for Help | 8 · Asking for Help | 8 · Present Simple or Present Continuous? | 8 · On the Phone |
| 9 · Emails and Messages | 9 · Emails and Messages | 9 · Was and Were | 9 · A Short Meeting |
| 10 · Phone Calls | 10 · Phone Calls | 10 · Past Simple | 10 · Plans for Next Week |
| 11 · Small Talk | 11 · Small Talk and Social English | 11 · Plans: Going To and Present Continuous | 11 · Coffee Break: Small Talk |
| 12 · Opinions and Ideas | 12 · Opinions and Ideas | 12 · Will | 12 · What Do You Think? |
| 13 · Customers | 13 · Customers | 13 · Can and Can’t | 13 · Can I Help You? A Customer Call |
| 14 · Products and Services | 14 · Products and Services | 14 · Polite Requests | 14 · Products and Prices |
| 15 · Problems at Work | 15 · Problems at Work | 15 · Must, Have To and Should | 15 · There’s a Problem |
| 16 · Money and Prices | 16 · Money and Prices | 16 · Some, Any, Much and Many | 16 · Orders and Deliveries |
| 17 · Numbers and Charts | 17 · Numbers and Charts | 17 · Comparing Things | 17 · A Business Trip |
| 18 · Orders and Deliveries | 18 · Orders and Deliveries | 18 · Making Suggestions | 18 · At a Restaurant |
| 19 · Business Travel | 19 · Business Travel | 19 · A, An and The | 19 · Who’s Doing What? |
| 20 · Hotels and Restaurants | 20 · Hotels and Restaurants | 20 · And, But, Because, So | 20 · Deadlines |
| 21 · Projects and Tasks | 21 · Projects and Tasks | 21 · If … Will | 21 · A Video Call |
| 22 · Deadlines and Priorities | 22 · Deadlines and Priorities | 22 · Like Doing and Want to Do | 22 · A Short Presentation |
| 23 · Simple Presentations | 23 · Simple Presentations | 23 · Who, Which and That | 23 · What Did You Do? Last Week |
| 24 · Learning and Your Career | 24 · Learning and Your Career | 24 · Phrasal Verbs at Work | 24 · See You Soon! A Goodbye Party |
The people in this book
Most of the texts in this book come from Tolvane, a small company that makes office furniture: desks, chairs and cupboards. Its office and factory are in Leeds, and it has a small showroom in Manchester. You’ll meet the same people again and again.
| Person | Job |
|---|---|
| Amira Hassan | Sales Assistant, Leeds (new in Unit 1) |
| Leo Marsh | Sales Manager, Leeds (Amira’s manager) |
| Grace Okoye | Office Manager, Leeds |
| Carlos Ruiz | IT, Leeds |
| Dev Lakhani | Sales Assistant, Manchester showroom |
| Mei Chen | Designer, Leeds |
| Pavel Kral | Warehouse and Deliveries, Leeds (moves to Brno in Unit 24) |
| Ruth Evans | Managing Director, Leeds |
You’ll also meet Tolvane’s customers: Clara Byrne at Marlowby Hotels, Mr Shaw at a dental clinic in York, Ms Tran in Bradford, Nina Grant and Quillmoor College. In the Level Tests, Kieran Ashdown joins the warehouse.
All the people and companies in this book are fictional. Email addresses use the special domain example.com.
Ready? Let’s start.
Part 1 · Me and My Work
Unit 1 · Hello and Introductions
Goes with Vocabulary 1 · Grammar 1 · Conversations 1 · Your goal: You can say who you are, use am, is and are, and meet new colleagues.
A new person starts at Tolvane today. In this unit, everyone says hello.
1.1 From memory
Exercise 1 · Remember the words. Write the word or phrase. The first letters are there to help you.
- the second part of your name, like Hassan in Amira Hassan: s______
- to say a word letter by letter, like H-A-S-S-A-N: s______
- a small card with your name, job and phone number: a b______ c______
- the word for where you come from, like Spanish or Egyptian: n______
- to stay in contact with someone by phone, email or messages: k______ in t______
- to find out more about a new person slowly, over time: g______ to k______
Exercise 2 · Remember the grammar. Complete with am, is or are.
- I ______ new here.
- She ______ from Poland.
- We ______ in the sales team.
- They ______ very busy today.
1.2 Words at work
Exercise 3 · Complete the email. Use six of the words and phrases in the box. There are two extra.
Use: surname · get to know · Welcome · business cards · by the way · first name · nationality · keep in touch
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Our new colleague
Hi all,
Amira starts in our team today. Her (1) ______ is Amira, and her (2) ______ is Hassan. She’s from Manchester. (3) ______ to Tolvane, Amira!
Please come and say hello. It’s a good chance to (4) ______ her. Grace has her (5) ______ ready, so she can give them to customers.
Oh, and (6) ______, we have lunch together at one o’clock. Amira, please join us.
Leo
Exercise 4 · Words that go together. Choose the right word.
- Can you spell me your / your surname, please?
- Welcome to / in the sales team!
- Can I have your business paper / card, please?
- We can keep in / at touch by email.
- I’m from Poland. My nationality / nation is Polish.
1.3 Grammar at work
Exercise 5 · Choose the right form.
- Amira is / are in the sales team.
- I am not / not am from Leeds.
- You are / Are you new here?
- We is / are in Room 3.
- “Is Leo here?” “No, he isn’t / not.”
- Carlos has / is 31 years old.
Exercise 6 · Complete with the right form of be. Use positive, negative or question forms.
- Grace ______ the office manager.
- ______ you from Leeds? — No, I’m from Manchester.
- Mei and Carlos ______ in a meeting now.
- I’m sorry, Leo ______ here today. He’s in Manchester.
- Where ______ the kitchen?
- It ______ cold today. It’s warm and sunny!
1.4 Real-life task
Grace writes to the team chat.
#tolvane-leeds · Monday
Grace Okoye 09:05
Good morning, everyone! Our new sales assistant, Amira, is here today. She’s at the desk next to Leo.
Carlos Ruiz (IT) 09:12
Welcome, Amira! Your laptop is ready, but your email isn’t ready yet. Sorry!
Amira Hassan 09:15
Thanks, Carlos! Nice to meet you all.
Mei Chen 09:20
Hi Amira! I’m Mei, the designer. My desk is by the window. Come and say hello!
Exercise 7 · Read and answer. True or false?
- Amira’s desk is next to Leo.
- Amira’s email is ready.
- Mei’s desk is by the door.
- Mei is a designer.
Exercise 8 · Complete the conversation. Later, Leo meets Amira in the kitchen. Use the phrases in the box.
Use: Nice to meet you too · this is · Have a nice day · How are you · Good morning · I’m fine, thanks
Leo: (1) ______, Amira!
Amira: Hi, Leo. (2) ______ today?
Leo: Good, thanks. And you?
Amira: (3) ______.
Leo: Oh, (4) ______ Pavel. He works in the warehouse.
Pavel: Hello, Amira. Nice to meet you.
Amira: (5) ______, Pavel.
Pavel: Sorry, I have a meeting now. (6) ______!
1.5 Error clinic
Exercise 9 · Find and fix. Each sentence has one mistake. Correct it.
- What’s your nationality? — I’m Poland.
- Grace’s son has eight years.
- Pavel from the Czech Republic.
- You are new in the team?
- Mei and Carlos is in the kitchen.
- Welcome in Leeds, Amira!
1.6 Write it
Exercise 10 · Write. You’re new in a team. Write a short message to your new colleagues (40–60 words). Greet them, and tell them your name, your home town and your job. Use am, is and are, and at least three words from this unit.
1.7 Unit check
Exercise 11 · Unit check. Complete each sentence with one word. Each answer is worth two points.
- My first ______ is Amira.
- How do you ______ your surname? — H-A-S-S-A-N.
- I’m from Spain. My ______ is Spanish.
- Please take my business ______: my phone number is on it.
- Ruth is very polite. When she meets a new customer, she says, “How do you ______?”
- Leo ______ the sales manager.
- We ______ in the same team.
- ______ Grace and Carlos in the office today?
- It’s ______ to see you again, Pavel!
- Here’s my email address. Please keep in ______!
Your score: ______ / 20
Unit 2 · Jobs and Companies
Goes with Vocabulary 2 · Grammar 2 · Conversations 2 · Your goal: You can talk about jobs and companies, use the present simple, and ask people about their work.
Every company is different. In this unit, you learn about Tolvane and the people who work there.