Read the first pages of Business Grammar in Real Life B1–B2

Before you start

Welcome

You already use English at work every day. You write emails, join meetings and explain problems. People understand you. But sometimes you hesitate: Is it “I’ve sent” or “I sent”? “If we would have” or “if we had”? “Despite of” or “despite”? And sometimes a small grammar slip makes a good message sound less professional than you are.

This book is for those moments. It covers the 24 grammar points that matter most at work, at B1 and B2 level, and shows each one in real workplace English: in team chats, emails, reports and meetings. No long theory, no exam tricks. Just clear rules, lots of practice and honest tips about the mistakes everyone makes.

Work through it in order, or jump to the point that’s giving you trouble this week. Both work.

How each chapter works

Every chapter takes about an hour and follows the same six steps. After one or two chapters, you won’t need the instructions any more.

Step	What you do
1 · See it in action	Read a short workplace text (a chat, an email, a report) with the grammar point in bold. Notice how it’s used before you study the rules.
2 · How it works	A clear table shows the form, the use and an example for each part of the grammar point, followed by a Watch out tip.
3 · Check your understanding	Three short exercises to make sure the rules are clear.
4 · Practise the form	Four exercises to use the grammar in sentences, from easy to more challenging.
5 · Say this, not that	Four mistakes that learners often make with this grammar, what to say instead, and a short exercise to fix similar mistakes.
6 · Your turn and quick check	Write a short text of your own, then see how much you remember.

Keeping score. The last exercise in each chapter is a quick check with ten sentences. Give yourself a point for each correct answer. Got 7 or less? No problem. Come back to the chapter in a few days and try again.

Answers. All the answers are in the key at the back of the book. When there’s more than one good answer, a slash (/) shows them all. For the writing task, the key gives a model answer and an Even better tip. The model is one good answer, not the only one.

Part reviews. After every six chapters there’s a short review that mixes the grammar from the whole part. Each review has 41 points. Scored 30 or less? Look again at the chapters where you lost the most points.

Using this book with B1 and B2

This book works on its own. It also works very well next to Learn Real Business English B1, B2 or the B1–B2 Collection, and next to Business Vocabulary in Real Life B1–B2: many of the texts use words from that book. Each chapter starts with a Goes with line, so you can see which units practise the same grammar.

Chapter	Goes with
1 · Present Simple and Present Continuous	B1 Unit 1 · B2 Unit 1
2 · Past Simple, Past Continuous and Past Perfect	B1 Unit 10 · B2 Unit 5
3 · Present Perfect and Past Simple	B1 Unit 5 · B2 Unit 2
4 · Present Perfect Continuous	B2 Units 2 and 17
5 · Future Forms	B1 Unit 6 · B2 Unit 5
6 · Future Continuous and Future Perfect	B2 Unit 6
7 · Questions and Indirect Questions	B1 Unit 8 · B2 Unit 1
8 · Obligation and Permission	B2 Unit 4
9 · Advice, Suggestions and Possibility	B1 Units 4 and 11
10 · Polite Requests and Offers	B1 Unit 7 · B2 Unit 4
11 · Deduction: Must, Might, Can’t	B2 Unit 9
12 · Reported Speech	B1 Units 14 and 16 · B2 Unit 8
13 · Relative Clauses	B1 Unit 2 · B2 Unit 2
14 · The Passive	B1 Units 3 and 9 · B2 Unit 3
15 · Zero and First Conditionals	B1 Units 7 and 15
16 · Second, Third and Mixed Conditionals	B1 Unit 16 · B2 Units 6 and 9
17 · Gerunds and Infinitives	B1 Unit 11 · B2 Unit 16
18 · Comparison	B1 Unit 13 · B2 Units 11 and 15
19 · Linking Ideas: Contrast	B1 Unit 12 · B2 Unit 7
20 · Linking Ideas: Cause, Result and Purpose	B2 Unit 7
21 · Articles and Countable Nouns	new topic
22 · Quantifiers	new topic
23 · Prepositions at Work	new topic
24 · Softening and Hedging	B2 Unit 11

A few things to know

B1 or B2? Some parts of a grammar point are B1 (you need them first) and some are B2 (they make your English more precise). The rules tables show this with a small level tag. Using the B1 book? Focus on the B1 rows first and come back for the B2 rows later.

British or American? This book uses British English. Where American English often uses a different form (for example, Did you send it yet? instead of Have you sent it yet?), a note tells you. Both are correct in their own variety.

The people in this book. You’ll meet people working in offices from Lisbon to Singapore. They’re all fictional, and so are their companies and email addresses (they all end in example.com).

Want to go further? Some chapters end with a Read next note. It points you to a book in our Learn Real English: Professional Communication series that shows the grammar in action in a whole skill, such as writing emails or running meetings.

Ready? Let’s start with the tenses you use most: the present.

Part 1 · Time and Tense

Chapter 1 · Present Simple and Present Continuous

Goes with B1 Unit 1 · B2 Unit 1 · Your goal: You can talk clearly about routines, facts, current projects and temporary situations at work.

Should you say I work in sales or I’m working in sales? Both are correct, but they don’t mean the same thing. The difference between the present simple and the present continuous is one of the first things colleagues notice. Get it right, and your updates and introductions sound natural straight away.

1.1 See it in action

Marta Kowalczyk has just joined the Kraków office of Silverline Freight. She introduces herself in the team chat.

#krakow-team · Monday

Marta Kowalczyk 09:05
Hi everyone! I’m Marta. I work in customer operations, and I report to Jonas. This month I’m shadowing different teams to learn how things work here.

Jonas Becker 09:12
Welcome, Marta! What are you working on this week?

Marta Kowalczyk 09:15
Right now I’m helping the billing team with the new invoice system. Normally I deal with customer complaints, but at the moment we’re testing the system, so I’m spending most of my time on that.

Ewa Nowak 09:20
Great! FYI, we usually have a team call on Thursdays at 10. And the coffee machine on the second floor doesn’t work. Use the one in the kitchen!

Marta Kowalczyk 09:22
Thanks, Ewa. I know that machine already. I think it hates me!

Notice. Look at the verbs in bold. Which ones describe things that are always or usually true? Which ones describe things happening now or around now?

1.2 How it works

Use	Level	Form	Example
Present simple: facts, routines, things that are generally true	B1	I / you / we / they work · he / she / it works · don’t / doesn’t work	I report to Jonas. · The machine doesn’t work.
Present simple: timetables and schedules	B1	same form	The call starts at 10 on Thursdays.
Present continuous: actions happening now	B1	am / is / are + -ing	Right now I’m helping the billing team.
Present continuous: temporary situations around now	B1	same form	This month I’m shadowing different teams.
Present continuous: changing or developing situations	B2	same form	Our costs are rising every quarter.
State verbs (know, think, want, need, belong, cost…) usually take the simple form	B1	present simple	I know that machine. (not I’m knowing)

Signal words. Present simple: usually, normally, every week, on Thursdays, always, never. Present continuous: now, right now, at the moment, currently, this week, this month, these days.

Tip · Watch out: “think” has two meanings. I think it’s a good idea (= my opinion) is a state, so use the simple form. I’m thinking about the offer (= considering it) is an activity, so the continuous is fine. The same is true of have: I have a car (possession) but I’m having lunch (activity).

1.3 Check your understanding

Exercise 1 · Match. Match each sentence (1–5) with its use (a–e).

1. The office opens at 8.
2. I’m working from home this week.
3. Prices are going up again.
4. She deals with all the big clients.
5. He’s talking to a client, so he can’t come to the phone.

1. a temporary situation
2. a changing situation
3. a timetable
4. an action happening now
5. a routine or permanent job

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

1. Marta usually deals with complaints.
2. Testing the invoice system is Marta’s permanent job.
3. The team call happens every Thursday.
4. The kitchen coffee machine is broken.

Exercise 3 · Choose the right form. Pick the form that fits best.

1. Our team meets / is meeting every Monday at 9.
2. Can you call back later? I drive / ’m driving at the moment.
3. This laptop belongs / is belonging to the IT department.
4. Sales grow / are growing fast this year.

1.4 Practise the form

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

1. Rafael usually ______ (start) work at 8:30.
2. Sorry, Sunita can’t come to the phone. She ______ (give) a presentation.
3. We ______ (not / normally / work) on Saturdays.
4. This quarter, the company ______ (hire) twenty new engineers.
5. I ______ (need) the figures by Friday.
6. ______ (you / use) the new booking system at the moment, or the old one?

Exercise 5 · Make questions. Write questions for the answers. Use the words in brackets.

1. (where / you / work?) — I work at the head office in Lyon.
2. (what / you / work on / at the moment?) — A new pricing plan.
3. (how often / the team / meet?) — Once a week.
4. (why / Omar / stay / at the hotel this week?) — Because his flat is being repaired.

Exercise 6 · Rewrite. Rewrite each sentence so it describes a temporary situation. Use the words in brackets.

1. I work in the London office. (this month / Paris office)
2. Lena manages the sales team. (while her boss is away / the whole department)
3. We use email for client updates. (at the moment / a new app)
4. He sits next to the window. (this week / in the meeting room)

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

1. I’m understanding the problem now.
2. The train leaves at 7:15 tomorrow.
3. She’s knowing the client very well.
4. More and more people are working from home.

1.5 Say this, not that

Everyone makes these mistakes, even very good speakers, so don’t worry if you recognise a few! Here’s what to say instead.

Not this	Say this	Why
I am working here since 2020.	I have worked / have been working here since 2020.	With since and for, use the present perfect (see Chapters 3 and 4).
She work in finance.	She works in finance.	He / she / it needs -s.
I’m needing more time.	I need more time.	Need is a state verb.
Do you come to the meeting later?	Are you coming to the meeting later?	For arrangements, use the present continuous (see Chapter 5).

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

1. My manager work from home on Fridays.
2. We’re wanting to change the supplier.
3. Do you come to the training session this afternoon?
4. I am living in Madrid since last year.

1.6 Your turn and quick check

Exercise 9 · Write. You’ve just joined a new team. Write a short message to introduce yourself (60–90 words). Say what you normally do, what you’re working on at the moment, and one fact about your company. Use both tenses.

Exercise 10 · Quick check. Complete each sentence with the present simple or present continuous of the verb in brackets.

1. Our CEO ______ (travel) a lot, about twice a month.
2. Sorry, I can’t talk now. I ______ (wait) for a client.
3. This product ______ (cost) €49.
4. The company ______ (move) into renewable energy these days.
5. Ji-won usually ______ (not / work) on Fridays.
6. Look! The printer ______ (make) a strange noise again.
7. ______ (you / know) the new marketing director?
8. Currently we ______ (look) for a new office.
9. The Frankfurt flight ______ (leave) at 18:40.
10. I ______ (think) we should ask for a discount.