FIRST IMPRESSIONS
You are meeting an important international client for the first time.
Give an appropriate professional greeting and introduce yourself.
“Good morning. I'm Carlos Silva, the project coordinator. It's a pleasure to meet you.”
Accept any natural professional introduction.
Name three things other than salary that can motivate employees
Three appropriate answers required.
You want to arrange a meeting for Thursday at 2:30 p.m.
Ask your colleague professionally
“Would you be available to meet on Thursday at 2:30?”
“Would Thursday at 2:30 suit you?”
Your project is progressing according to the agreed schedule.
What Business English expression describes this?
The project is on track
An important client has arrived 30 minutes early.
Your manager is not ready.
What do you do?
“I'd welcome the client, explain that the manager will be available shortly, offer them somewhere comfortable to wait and inform the manager immediately.”
Complete the sentence correctly and explain why you chose the tense:
“Our company normally __________ with European clients, but this month we __________ into the Brazilian market.”
“Our company normally works with European clients, but this month we are expanding into the Brazilian market.”
WHY?
Present Simple = normal/usual activity.
Present Continuous = activity/development happening around now.
Full points require the sentence and explanation.
Complete the sentence and explain the tense:
“Staff motivation __________ at the moment because employees __________ longer hours.”
“Staff motivation is falling/decreasing at the moment because employees are working longer hours.”
Both are Present Continuous because they describe changing/current situations.
Make this question more professional:
“When will you finish the report?”
“Could you tell me when you will finish the report?”
OR
“Do you know when you'll finish the report?”
Watch the word order:
❌ Could you tell me when will you finish...?
Correct the mistake and explain why:
“We have completed the report yesterday.”
“We completed the report yesterday.”
WHY?
Yesterday is a finished past time, so we use the Past Simple, not Present Perfect.
Your manager is currently meeting a client.
Another important customer is calling and says the matter is urgent.
What do you do?
Student must explain at least two actions.
“I'd explain politely that the manager is currently in a meeting and ask whether I can help. If not, I'd take the customer's details and arrange for the manager to call them back as soon as possible.”
Your company had a poor reputation for customer service last year.
Things are different now.
Use the Present Perfect to explain two improvements the company has made and then explain how these changes could improve customers' first impressions.
We have introduced customer-service training and we have improved our response times. These changes should create a more professional first impression because customers are receiving faster and more helpful service.”
Accept any logical improvements.
Your manager asks:
“What have we done to improve motivation?”
Give three Present Perfect sentences describing changes the company has introduced this year.
“We have introduced flexible working.”
“We have increased training opportunities.”
“We have started recognising employees' achievements.”
Then the student must explain which one they think is most effective and why
Your client meeting was arranged for Tuesday.
The client has just asked to move it to Thursday.
Explain the situation to your manager and suggest a new arrangement.
Use:
“The client has just asked us to move Tuesday's meeting. I suggest rearranging it for Thursday afternoon if everyone is available.”
Turn these notes into a professional project update:
“The project is slightly behind schedule, but we have already solved the supplier problem. The new equipment arrived yesterday, and the team is currently testing it.”
They must choose the tenses themselves.
Your supplier has just informed you that tomorrow's delivery will not arrive until Friday.
Your deadline is Thursday.
Explain:
which action you recommend
“The supplier has just informed us that the delivery has been delayed until Friday, but our deadline is Thursday. We could contact another supplier or ask the client whether part of the delivery can be completed later. I would contact another supplier first because it gives us the best chance of meeting the deadline.”
🚨 A new client has arrived for an important meeting.
Unfortunately:
You have 45 seconds.
Explain what you would say to the client and what you would do immediately to repair the first impression.
An apology + acknowledgement + immediate action + reassurance.
For example:
“Good morning. I'm very sorry you've been kept waiting. We're preparing the meeting room at the moment, but I'll take you to our conference area and get you some coffee. I've already contacted the manager and she'll be with you shortly.”
Give points for professional communication and sensible action, not exact wording.
One of your best employees tells you:
“I've worked here for three years. I've taken on more responsibility, but nobody has recognised my work. I'm starting to look for another job.”
You cannot offer them more money.
What would you do?
Explain at least three actions and why they might work.
“First, I would acknowledge what the employee has achieved. I would discuss career-development opportunities and perhaps give them responsibility for a new project. I would also look at training or flexible working. The employee needs to see that the company values their contribution.”
You are chairing a meeting.
Three things are happening:
You have 45 seconds.
What would you say and do?
“I'd thank the person who has contributed and then invite the quieter colleague to give their opinion. I'd also remind everyone that we're running behind schedule and suggest moving to the next agenda item.”
Students should demonstrate professional language, not merely describe the problem
Your project:
Management wants an explanation and a solution.
What do you recommend?
Student should identify:
Problem → Cause/priority → Action → Reason
“We've already used 90% of the budget, but we've only completed 70% of the project. We're also running three days behind schedule. Because the launch date cannot change, I would review all remaining tasks and prioritise essential work. We should postpone non-essential spending and speak to suppliers about costs.”
🚨 It is 9:30 a.m.
YOU are the senior person in the office.
What do you do first?
Give a 60-second response explaining:
Priority → Delegation → Schedule → Communication
Could prioritise welcoming the client, delegate induction temporarily, find an alternative for presentation equipment, communicate delays, etc.
Again — the reasoning matters more than choosing my solution
Your company has received several complaints this month.
Customers have said:
Management asks your team:
“What is going wrong and how are we going to change our customers' impression of us?”
You have 1 minute to prepare and 1 minute to respond.
Your response must explain:
“We've received several complaints this month, and one client has already complained twice. At the moment, staff are not responding consistently and some meetings are starting late. I think we should introduce a clear communication procedure and assign responsibility for client emails. We should also make sure meeting rooms are prepared in advance. These changes would help us create a more reliable and professional impression.”
Your department has a serious problem.
During the last three months:
Management asks you to propose a 30-day motivation recovery plan.
Explain:
Problem → Immediate action → Motivation strategy → How you will know whether it has worked
“Two employees have already resigned and staff have been working overtime, so morale is falling. First, I would meet the team to identify the biggest concerns. We could introduce flexible scheduling, recognise individual achievements and redistribute the workload. Over the next month, I would monitor absenteeism, deadlines and employee feedback to see whether motivation is improving.”
There is no single correct solution
You are chairing an important project meeting.
During the meeting:
You are the chairperson.
Give a 60-second intervention that:
explains the next step.
“We've identified three important issues: budget, equipment and the launch date. As the launch date cannot change, I suggest we prioritise the equipment problem first. Operations, could you contact the supplier today and confirm the delivery date? Finance can review the additional costs. We've only got five minutes left, so let's agree on responsibilities now and meet again tomorrow for an update.”
You are now the Project Manager.
This morning you discovered:
Management asks:
“Can this project still succeed?”
You have 1 minute to prepare.
Give a 60–90 second management update:
Current situation → What has happened → Priority → Solution → Risks → Next step
For full points, you should analyse and justify, not simply list the problems.
No Model answer but must have all 6 steps
8:45 A.M. — MONDAY
Your international office opens in 75 minutes.
You have just discovered:
Management is unavailable.
YOU ARE IN CHARGE.
You have 90 seconds to prepare and 90 seconds to present your plan.
You must explain:
1. What has happened?
2. What is happening now?
3. What is the first priority?
4. Who will do what?
5. What will you rearrange?
6. How will you communicate the changes?
7. What is your backup plan?
They might naturally produce:
“Two members of staff have become unavailable...”
“The team is currently preparing for the client...”
“We have not received confirmation from the supplier yet...”
“I would prioritise the client because...”
“I suggest moving the induction session...”
“Meanwhile, I would ask...”
“If the supplier doesn't respond by 9:30, we will...”
That's grammar + vocabulary + organisation + problem-solving + spontaneous speaking all in one response.