Read the first pages of Business Grammar in Real Life A1–A2

Before you start

Welcome

You are starting to use English at work. You want to introduce yourself, write a short email, talk about your day and ask a colleague for help. To do this well, you need some basic grammar. Not a lot. Just the right grammar, used in the right way.

This book gives you the 24 most important grammar points for beginners at work, at A1 and A2 level. Every chapter shows the grammar in a real workplace text: a chat, an email, a short note. Then it explains the rules in simple English and gives you lots of practice.

Go through the book from the start, or choose the chapter you need today. Both are fine.

How each chapter works

Every chapter has the same six steps. After one or two chapters, you’ll know them well.

Step	What you do
1 · See it in action	Read a short text from work. The grammar is in bold.
2 · How it works	A simple table shows the form and an example. Then read a short tip.
3 · Check your understanding	Three short exercises about the rules.
4 · Practise the form	Four exercises. Use the grammar in sentences.
5 · Say this, not that	Four mistakes that many learners make, the correct English, and an exercise to fix similar mistakes.
6 · Your turn and quick check	Write a short text. Then check what you remember.

Your score. The last exercise has ten sentences. You get one point for each correct answer. Is your score 7 or less? That’s OK! Read the chapter again in a few days and try again.

Answers. All the answers are at the back of the book. Sometimes there is more than one good answer. Then a slash (/) shows all the good answers. For the writing task, there’s a model answer: one example of a good text. Your text can be different and still be very good.

Part reviews. After every six chapters there is a short review. It has 41 points. Is your score 30 or less? Look again at the chapters with the most mistakes.

Using this book with A1 and A2

You can use this book alone. It also works well with Learn Real Business English A1, A2 or the A1–A2 Collection, and with Business Vocabulary in Real Life A1–A2. Each chapter starts with a Goes with line, so you can see which unit has the same grammar.

Chapter	Goes with
1 · The Verb Be	A1 Unit 1 · A2 Unit 1
2 · Present Simple	A1 Unit 2 · A2 Unit 1
3 · Questions and Negatives with Do and Does	A1 Unit 8
4 · My, Your, His, Her and ’s	A1 Unit 3
5 · There Is and There Are	A1 Unit 4 · A2 Unit 15
6 · How Often and When	A1 Units 5 and 6 · A2 Unit 2
7 · Present Continuous	A2 Unit 3
8 · Present Simple or Present Continuous?	A2 Unit 3
9 · Was and Were	A1 Unit 17 · A2 Unit 4
10 · Past Simple	A1 Unit 17 · A2 Unit 4
11 · Plans: Going To and Present Continuous	A1 Units 14 and 16 · A2 Unit 6
12 · Will	A2 Unit 13
13 · Can and Can’t	A1 Unit 13
14 · Polite Requests	A1 Units 9, 11 and 15 · A2 Units 7 and 9
15 · Must, Have To and Should	A2 Unit 5
16 · Some, Any, Much and Many	A2 Unit 10
17 · Comparing Things	A2 Unit 11
18 · Making Suggestions	A1 Unit 7 · A2 Unit 17
19 · A, An and The	new topic
20 · And, But, Because, So	A1 Unit 18
21 · If … Will	A2 Unit 12
22 · Like Doing and Want to Do	A2 Unit 8
23 · Who, Which and That	A2 Unit 14
24 · Phrasal Verbs at Work	A2 Unit 16

A few things to know

A1 or A2? The rules tables show a small level tag for each rule. Learn the A1 rules first. They are the most important. The A2 rules come next. Are you using the A1 book? Start with the A1 rules, and come back to the A2 rules later.

British or American? This book uses British English. Sometimes American English is a little different. Then a note tells you. Both are correct.

The people in this book. You meet people who work in many countries. They are not real people, and their companies are not real.

What comes next? When you finish this book, try Business Grammar in Real Life B1–B2. It has 24 more grammar points for the next levels.

Let’s start!

Part 1 · The Basics

Chapter 1 · The Verb Be

Goes with A1 Unit 1 · A2 Unit 1 · Your goal: You can say who you are, what your job is and where you are from, and ask other people the same.

Be is the most important verb in English. You use it to say your name, your job, your nationality and how you feel. Learn it well, and you can already introduce yourself at work.

1.1 See it in action

It’s Ana’s first day at Bluefenn Travel in Valencia. She meets a colleague in the kitchen.

Kitchen, Bluefenn Travel · Monday

Ana Ruiz 09:02
Hello! I’m Ana. I’m the new assistant in the sales team.

Karim Benali 09:02
Hi, Ana! Nice to meet you. I’m Karim. Are you from Valencia?

Ana Ruiz 09:03
No, I’m not. I’m from Seville. Is this your first day too?

Karim Benali 09:03
No, it isn’t. I’m in the IT team. My office is on the second floor.

Ana Ruiz 09:04
OK. Is the sales manager here today?

Karim Benali 09:04
Yes, she is. Her name is Paula. She’s very friendly. We are all happy to have you here!

Notice. Look at the verbs in bold. When do we use am? When do we use is and are?

1.2 How it works

Use	Level	Form	Example
Positive	A1	I am (I’m) · you / we / they are (’re) · he / she / it is (’s)	I’m Ana. · She’s friendly.
Negative	A1	I’m not · you aren’t · he isn’t	I’m not from Valencia.
Questions	A1	Am I…? · Are you…? · Is he…?	Are you from Valencia?
Short answers	A1	Yes, I am. / No, I’m not. · Yes, she is. / No, she isn’t.	“Is she here?” “Yes, she is.”
Wh- questions	A1	Where / What / Who + be	Where is your office?
Age, feelings, places	A1	be + age / adjective / place	I’m 28. · We’re busy. · He’s in Paris.

Short forms. In speaking and in friendly emails, use short forms: I’m, you’re, he’s, isn’t, aren’t. In very formal writing, use the full forms: I am, it is not.

Tip · Watch out: age. In English, you say I am 30, not I have 30. You can also say I’m 30 years old.

1.3 Check your understanding

Exercise 1 · Match. Match the questions (1–5) with the answers (a–e).

1. Are you from Italy?
2. Is Karim in the sales team?
3. Where is the meeting room?
4. Are they busy today?
5. What’s your job?

1. Yes, they are.
2. No, he isn’t. He’s in IT.
3. I’m an engineer.
4. No, I’m not. I’m from Spain.
5. It’s on the first floor.

Exercise 2 · True or false? Read the chat again. Is each sentence true or false?

1. Ana is from Valencia.
2. Ana is in the sales team.
3. Karim’s office is on the second floor.
4. Paula is not at work today.

Exercise 3 · Choose the right form. Pick the right word.

1. I am / is the new manager.
2. They is / are in a meeting.
3. Is / Are your boss friendly?
4. My computer isn’t / aren’t new.

1.4 Practise the form

Exercise 4 · Complete the sentences. Use am, is or are.

1. My name ______ Tomás.
2. We ______ from Brazil.
3. ______ you the new designer?
4. The office ______ open on Saturday.
5. I ______ not in the office today.
6. Lena and Marco ______ in the finance team.

Exercise 5 · Make negatives. Write the sentences in the negative. Use short forms.

1. I’m a manager.
2. She’s from Germany.
3. They’re in Berlin.
4. The printer is new.

Exercise 6 · Make questions. Write a question for each answer.

1. Yes, I’m from Japan.
2. No, she isn’t. She’s in London.
3. It’s on the third floor. (Where…?)
4. My name is Lin. (What…?)

Exercise 7 · Right or wrong? Are these sentences right or wrong? Correct the wrong ones.

1. I have 25 years.
2. Where is the toilets?
3. She’s an engineer.
4. They aren’t at work today.

1.5 Say this, not that

Many learners make these mistakes. Don’t worry! Here is the correct English.

Not this	Say this	Why
I have 30 years.	I am 30.	Use be for age.
He from Mexico.	He is from Mexico.	Don’t forget the verb be.
You are from Spain?	Are you from Spain?	In normal questions, be comes first.
They is busy.	They are busy.	They + are.

Exercise 8 · Fix the mistakes. Each sentence has one small mistake. Can you find it and fix it?

1. My manager have 45 years.
2. She very busy today.
3. You are the new assistant?
4. The clients is happy.

1.6 Your turn and quick check

Exercise 9 · Write. Write a short message to introduce yourself to a new team (40–60 words). Say your name, your job, where you are from and where your office is.

Exercise 10 · Quick check. Complete each sentence with the correct form of be.

1. I ______ the new receptionist.
2. ______ you from Turkey?
3. Our office ______ in the city centre.
4. They ______ (not) in the meeting.
5. “Is Lena here?” “No, she ______.”
6. We ______ very busy this week.
7. Where ______ the meeting room?
8. I ______ (not) from London. I’m from Leeds.
9. My colleagues ______ very friendly.
10. “Are you a manager?” “Yes, I ______.”

Your score: ______ / 10

Chapter 2 · Present Simple

Goes with A1 Unit 2 · A2 Unit 1 · Your goal: You can talk about your job, your company and things that are always or usually true.

I work in sales. She manages the team. Our company makes furniture. The present simple is the tense for facts and routines. You use it every day at work: to describe your job, your company and your week.

2.1 See it in action

Kenji Mori works at a small design company in Osaka. He writes about his job on the company website.

Meet the team · Kenji Mori

I work in the design team. I make websites for our clients. Every morning, I check my emails and plan my day.

My manager, Aiko, leads the team. She talks to the clients and sends them our ideas. My colleague Taro writes the texts for the websites.

Our company has twelve employees. We work with clients in Japan and Korea. The office opens at 9 and closes at 6.

Notice. Look at the verbs in bold. When do we add -s?

2.2 How it works

Use	Level	Form	Example
I / you / we / they	A1	verb	I work in the design team.
He / she / it	A1	verb + -s	She leads the team.
Spelling: -es after -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -o	A1	watch → watches · go → goes · do → does	He goes to Seoul every month.
Spelling: -ies after consonant + y	A1	study → studies · carry → carries	She studies English.
Irregular: have	A1	I have → he / she / it has	Our company has twelve employees.
Facts and routines	A1	present simple	The office opens at 9.

One company, many people. A company is it: Our company makes furniture.

Tip · Watch out: the -s. The -s for he / she / it is a very common mistake, even for good speakers. Read your emails again before you send them: She work? No: She works.

2.3 Check your understanding

Exercise 1 · Match. Match the beginnings (1–5) with the endings (a–e).

1. I
2. My manager
3. Our company
4. We
5. The shop

1. has 200 employees.
2. closes at 7.
3. work in an open-plan office.
4. answer the phone in English.
5. speaks four languages.

Exercise 2 · True or false? Read Kenji’s text again. Is each sentence true or false?

1. Kenji makes websites.
2. Taro leads the team.
3. Aiko talks to the clients.
4. The company has twenty employees.

Exercise 3 · Choose the right form. Pick the right word.

1. She work / works in the finance team.
2. We sell / sells coffee machines.
3. The company have / has three offices.
4. He go / goes to Paris every week.

2.4 Practise the form

Exercise 4 · Complete the sentences. Use the present simple of the verbs in brackets.

1. I ______ (live) in Warsaw.
2. Bianca ______ (teach) English to our staff.
3. They ______ (start) work at 8.
4. Our factory ______ (make) car parts.
5. He ______ (study) marketing in the evening.
6. The meeting room ______ (have) a big screen.