Main Topic 2: Business Interactions Lesson 12: Talking with your Boss (20-25 minutes) Today, you will: 1. Learn useful vocabulary related to TALKING WITH YOUR BOSS. 2. Review Subject and Verb Agreement Rules Part 3 (numbers 9-12). I. VOCABULARY Exercise 1: What s the meaning? (5-6 minutes) A. Choose the meaning of the underlined words from the choices that follow. 1. Mr. Robinson has not yet decided whether he will permit Mr. Adams to use the vacant office room or not. a. tell b. allow c. restrict d. manage 2. According to the rules of the company, an employee should always wear his/her ID. a. system b. uniforms c. standards d. objectives 3. An office staff should avoid being absent for more than three days. a. dislike b. consult c. prevent d. change Page 1
4. Some employees only work hard when their supervisor is around. a. boss b. peers c. colleague d. founders 5. All employees are expected to respect the decision of the boss. a. like b. love c. obey d. change B. Sentence-Making Practice (3-4 minutes) Practice using the words you ve learned in your own sentences. 1. Permit 2. Rules 3. Avoid 4. Supervisor 5. Respect Page 2
Exercise 2: What s the word? (4-5 minutes) Read the following dialog with your tutor and try to use context clues to fill in the blanks with the most appropriate word. You can find the missing word from the pool of words at the bottom. Mr. Jones talks to his boss about being absent from work for a week to go with his wife in the United States for an operation. Mr. Jones: Good afternoon, Sir. May I come in? Boss: Sure. How are you Mr. Jones? Mr. Jones: I am doing good sir, thank you. But I would like to file for a for a week early next month. My wife is going to have an operation in the US and she needs me to be with her. Boss: Oh, is that so? Well, it s alright with me. But you have to be that you finish all your pending tasks before you leave. Mr. Jones: Thank you, Sir. I will definitely do all my before the one-week leave. Boss: Good. Don t forget to submit a letter to the Human Resources Department about your leave. Please send my regards to your wife. Mr. Jones: I will sir. Thank you very much. Choices: a. duties b. request c. leave of absence d. sure Page 3
II. GRAMMAR REVIEW: Topic: Subject and Verb Agreement Rules Part 3 (numbers 9-12) (5-6 minutes) General Description: If the subjects are both singular and are connected by the words or, nor, neither/nor, either/or, and not only/but also, the verb is singular Either Joe or John is going to talk to the boss. When using some, half, none, more, and all followed by a prepositional phrase of the, the verb agrees with the noun after the prepositional phrase. Singular Half of the day has been wasted in the office. Plural Half of the days that Tom worked were very busy. The singular verb form is usually used for units of measurement. Ten gallons of ink was delivered yesterday. If the subjects are both plural and are connected by the words or, nor, neither/nor, either/or, and not only/but also, the verb is plural. Neither the supervisors nor the trainees like the activity. Remember: A singular subject takes a singular form of verb and a plural subject takes a plural form of verb. Comprehension Check: What form of the verb should be used for the following subjects? 1. The messenger or the secretary 2. All of the reports Page 4
Exercise 1: Incomplete Sentences (3-4 minutes) Choose the word or phrase that would best complete the following sentences. 1. Alvin recorded the five kilograms of powder that delivered yesterday. a. has been b. was c. were d. have been 2. None of the tasks given to Josh by his boss accomplished. a. have been b. was c. has been d. is 3. Mr. Johnson or Mr. Wills going to run the company from now on. a. they b. are c. is d. has been Page 5