T H E

U L T I M A T E

G U I D E T O  

E N G L I S H I N

T H E O F F I C E

REBECCA SCHLESINGER

& LUKA FALBO-ELLIS

Contents

Chapter 1: useful vocabulary   1 - 2

Chapter 2: Idioms in the workplace   3 - 4

Chapter 3: Introductions  5

Chapter 4: Explaining your job role   6 - 7

Chapter 5: Phone calls    8 - 10

Chapter 6:  Writing emails   11 - 13

Chapter 7: Polite  register   13 - 15

Chapter 8: Meetings   16-18

Answer key:  19

Glossary: 20

e.g. = for example

* = the definition of the word can be

found in the glossary on p20

 1.  U S E F U L            
VOCABULARY

KEY
(a) - adjective/adverb
(n) - noun
(v) - verb

Work on/ get commission (n) -Salary given upon the completion of tasks, usually
by amount of sales made, e.g. a salesperson usually works on commission.
Downsize (v) - When a company reduces in size by getting rid of* some of its staff.
Freelance (a) - Self-employed and hired to work for different companies on
particular assignments.
Fire (v) - To dismiss an employee from a job because it is the employee's fault,   
e.g. they are a bad worker.
Full- time (a) - Employed every working day, e.g. Monday - Friday.
Hand in your notice - To tell your employer that you are leaving your job.
Make redundant (v) - To dismiss a person not because it is their fault, but because
they are no longer needed or the company has to make cuts, e.g. the company is
downsizing. Usually the employee receives some of their salary after leaving.
Maternity/paternity leave (n) - Paid time off work after the birth of a baby.
Work/do overtime (n) - Extra hours in addition to your contracted hours.
Part-time (a) - Employed only a few days of the week or less than standard hours.
Pay rise (n) - An increase in salary in the same job.
Perks (of the job) (n) - Benefits of the job, e.g. a free company car, a gym
membership or medical insurance are perks of a job.
(Get a) Promotion (n) - Get a higher job position within the same company. 
Shift (n) - A period of time working in a factory, hospital, or other place where
some people work during the day and some work at night, e.g. doctors often have
to work 12-hour shifts/ Nurses work both day shifts and night shifts.
Self-employed (a) - Working for yourself and not for an employer.
Take time off - to take period of time not working because of illness or holiday.
Unemployed (a) - Without a job.
Resign (v) - Voluntarily leave your job position, e.g, the head of the company
resigned after the scandal*.
Retire (v) To leave your job ending your professional career because of old age.
Wage (n) - Another word for 'salary', e.g. the minimum wage in England is £7.83.
Workaholic (n) - Somebody who compulsively works excessively hard and long
hours because they are addicted to work.

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 Practice
Answer key is on the last page of the Ebook

1. John spends his whole life in the office, he loves to work. He's a
________________.
2. Janet is 65 and plans to  ______________ next year.
3. Annie didn't show up to work for a week without a reasonable excuse. Her
boss was very angry and decided to  ____________ her.
4. Dominic had been working in the same job role for the his company for 20
years. He felt he deserved a ___________ or at least a ___________ .
5. Rachel is a private tutor who works for herself and not a company, she is
________________ .
6. Sally doesn't have a contract, she works from time to time with different
companies. She is _____________ .
7. The company didn't have enough money to employ all of its staff so it had to
_____________ and make half of its employees  ____________ .
8. Laura has just had a baby and so is going to take 6 months off for maternity
______________ .
9. Tina is a saleswoman, and she earns money for every sale she makes, she
works on  _______________ .
10. A nurse usually has to work both night and day _____________ .
11. After the incident was made public, the head of the company  was forced to
_______________ .
12. Tom's boss is really unfair and makes Tom work really hard, he is never
allowed to take _______________ to go on holiday.

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 2.  I D I O M S  I N  T H E 
OFFICE

1. Go round in circles: "This discussion is going round in circles, we

aren't getting anywhere."
2. Show someone the ropes “James can you show Sara the ropes?
It's her first day working here.”
3. Get down to business: "Now that everyone’s here, let’s get down
to business and make a start with the presentation."
4. Raise the bar: "The iPhone raised the bar for smartphone
producers."
5. Touch base: "I'll touch base with you later today and we can talk
about our progress."
6. See eye to eye: "My boss and I don't see eye to eye on a lot of
things and this can cause problems."

Continued on the next page...

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 2. IDIOMS IN THE OFFICE

1. Go round in circles.
2. SHOW SOMEONE THE ROPES.
3. GET DOWN TO BUSINESS
4. RAISE THE BAR.
5. TOUCH BASE.
6. SEE EYE TO EYE.

2. Use the examples on the previous page to

match the idioms to the definitions below.
(Answers are on the final page of ebook)

a) To set standards or expectations higher.

b) To teach someone the basic details of how to do or
perform a job, task, or activity.
c) To agree with someone.
d) To make contact with someone.
e) to keep going over the same ideas or repeating the same
actions, often resulting in confusion, without reaching a
satisfactory decision or conclusion.
f) Stop making small talk and start talking about serious
business topics.

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 3.  I N T R O D U C T I O N S

Introducing yourself
Hello/ Hi. I'm …
Hello/Hi. My name's...
I don't think we've met. I'm....
I think we've met before..

introducing other people

This is (name).
I want you to meet (name).
I'd like to introduce you to (name).

response
Nice to meet you.
It's a pleasure to meet you (VF)
It's good/great to finally meet you.

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 4.  E X P L A I N I N G  Y O U R 
J O B  R O L E

expression example
I'm in charge of (+noun/ gerund)  I'm in charge of development.

I'm responsible for (+noun/ I'm responsible for recruiting and

gerund) training new staff.

I deal with + noun/gerund (= to  I deal with the customer

manage, especially a problem complaints/ I deal with any
or difficult situation) technical issues.

I handle  + noun (= manage) I handle the accounts/the

deliveries/the complaints.

I oversee + noun (=supervise) I oversee the projects/ the new

staff

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  EXPLAINING YOUR JOB ROLE

Practice
Match the following job descriptions to the responsibilities below.

1. James has an important job in the human resources department of a big

company. His job is to employ new people and to get rid of* those that the
company does not need.
2. Laura supervises and makes sure the new employees are doing their jobs
correctly.
3. Adam answers the emails and calls of unhappy customers.
4. Rachel is the head of the department that deals with creating positive
relationships between their clients and the public often using media outlets.
5. Thomas inspects the finances of a small company.

a. He/she is in charge of public relations.

b. He/she oversees the projects of new employees
c.He/she handles the accounts.
d. He/she is responsible for the hiring and firing or employees.
e. He/she deals with the customer complaints.

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 5.  M A K I N G  P H O N E  C A L L S

Starting a conversation over the phone

Hi there/ Hello, this is (your name) from
"Hi there,
(company).
I'm calling from (company name).
it's miguel calling
Could I speak to (name of person you want from (company)"
to talk to)? Is (name) available please?
I don't know if you remember but we met
at...
I'm (just) calling to say/tell you... (adding
'just' in this case is like 'only' and implies
that what you have to say will be quick).

if the person is unavailable

"Can I leave a message?"
Can I leave a message for him/her?
Could you tell him/her that I called?
Could you get him/her to call me back
please?
When is a good time to call back?
Okay thanks, I'll call back later.

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 P H R A S A L  V E R B S -  P H O N E  C A L L S
Put someone through
Connect someone by telephone
to another person or place, e.g.
"Could you put me through to
Mr. Perez please".
Put someone on hold
'On hold' means waiting to be
connected while making a
telephone call, e.g. "I'll just see if
he's free and put you on hold
for a second OK?"
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Call someone back
To return a call of someone
who has called you before,
e.g. "He's busy, can I get
him to call you back?"
Let someone know
To tell someone something
(inform them) e.g. "Can you let
him/her know that I called?" or
"Can you let them know I won't
be attending the meeting?"
 phone call script
Available "Hi there, this is Miguel, I'm Unavailable
calling from (company
name) Could I speak to
Sarah Ellis please?"

"Sure let me just put

"I'm sorry she's in a
you through".
meeting right now, Can I
leave a message?"

"Great thanks".

"Yes could you tell her

that Miguel Suarez
called".

"Hi Sarah, It's Miguel

how are you?"

"Sure, I'll let her know".

"Hi Miguel, good thanks

and yourself?"

"Great thanks very much.

Goodbye".
"Good. I'm just
calling to tell you..."

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 6. W R I T I N G  E M A I L S

When writing an email in English it is important to know what

type of language to use, is it too formal or not formal enough?
Sometimes it is difficult to know how to sound polite. Learn these
useful expressions to make your life easier when writing emails.

starting an email
Hi, Daniel, Hello Daniel, Dear Daniel / Dear Mr Smith

I hope you are well.

I hope this email finds you well (more formal)

I'm just writing to say... (Casual)

I'm writing to you about/concerning...
I'm writing with reference to your email/ phone call/ our
conversation... (More formal)
Thank you for your email yesterday/ this morning...
Sorry to write again so soon but...
This is just a quick reminder to say...
It was lovely meeting you the other day...

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  WRITING EMAILS

arranging meetings
Are you free on (Tuesday 24th)?
How about (Tuesday)?
Does (Tuesday) work for you?
Does (Tuesday) suit you?  - Yes
(Tuesday) suits me.
I would be available to meet on
(Tuesday), if that is convenient for
you? (More formal)

ending an email
'I look forward to* hearing from you
soon.'
“Looking forward to hearing from you.”
(less formal)
Please don't hesitate to contact me if
you need anything else.
Please feel free to contact me if you
need any further information.
If you need anything else, give me a
call / drop me a line*. (Very casual)

closing
Yours sincerely (More formal style of email
when you know their name but you do not
know them very well, e.g. Dear Mr Smith...
Kind regards / best wishes (Less formal but
they are appropriate for work emails)
Note: You can use 'best' and 'regards' on their
own, e.g. Best, Susan/ Regards, Susan.

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  WRITING EMAILS

Example emails
Both these styles of emails could be used at work, however the first is
more formal and maybe used with a person you do not know well,
perhaps a new client.  While the second email is more appropriate for a
colleague or a client you know well and can be casual with.

Dear Daniel, Formal

I'm writing with reference to our conversation the
other day regarding the new proposal. I would be
very interested in discussing it with you further.

I think it would be beneficial to meet sometime

this week. I would be available to meet next
Thursday at 13.00, if that is convenient for you?

Yours sincerely,

Richard.

Less formal
Hi Daniel,

I'm writing concerning the new proposal ideas. It

would be great if we could discuss them in more
detail. How about next week? Does Thursday
suit you?

Best,

Richard.

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 7. U S I N G  P O L I T E / F O R M A L 
REGISTER
Everyone knows that the English are famous for their politeness
and believe us, this is no myth*! It is very important to know when
and how to use polite register within the British culture, especially
when making requests. It is used in most situations that involve
people that we don't know well for example in restaurants and
especially at work with your clients, boss and possibly workmates.
Here's 5 tips we guarantee will make your life easier.

Tip 1: Use modals for requests

This makes requests sound
less like orders.

Would subject + infinitive

Could + subject + infinitive -
Would you mind + verb-ing
Would it be possible to...

Would you do me a favour?

Would I be able to... (use the meeting room?)
Could I (speak to you a moment?)
Would you mind (closing that window?)
Would it be possible to (have a word*?)

Tip 2: Use negative questions

This is good for making suggestions.

"Don't you think...?" Don't you think it would be better if we

included some statistics in the pitch ?
 Shouldn't we discuss this in a meeting
first?
Wouldn't it be a good idea to get a
second opinion on this first?

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 USING FORMAL REGISTER

tip 3: disagree while avoiding confrontation

I'm afraid I disagree.. ('Afraid' is a very common
expression we use to to apologise in a polite way, e,g,
"I'm afraid I can't I'm busy."
I'm not (quite) sure about that. ('Quite' is similar to 'just'
- it softens what we are saying.
I see what you're saying but I think...
I understand where you are coming from but…

Tip 4: avoid 'finger pointing'* 

statements with the word 'you' 
This is aggressive and too direct. Try to
avoid saying 'you' and put the focus on
'I'  or 'we' or use 'There seem to be..."

Examples:
Don't say: You made a few mistakes.
Say: There seem to be a few mistakes.
"Perhaps I'm not making
Don't say:  You don't understand?
myself clear..."
Say: Perhaps I'm not making myself clear.

Don't say: You need to give us a better price.

Say: We're looking for a better price.

tip 5:avoid negative words

Instead use positive words in the
negative form:
"It wasn't the best food
Don't say: I think that's a bad idea. I've ever tasted."
Say: I don't think that's such a good
idea.

Don't say: The presentation went badly.

Say: The presentation didn't go so well.

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 8. M E E T I N G S

 G I V I N G  Y O U R  O P I N I O N

Agreeing I totally agree.

I couldn't agree more.
Absolutely.
Definitely.
Good point.
Sounds good.
Precisely.
You're right.

disagreeing
I'm sorry but I have to disagree with
you on…
I’m not sure I agree with you on…
I don’t see it that way.
I just don't understand how...
I see what you’re saying but I think…

doubts You're absolutley right but...

I'm just not fully convinced yet...
I'm having second thoughts. about..

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 Meetings

Suggesting
What/how about (+ gerund)? - e.g. "What about
trying a different approach?"
Maybe we could/should (+ verb)? - e.g. "Maybe
we should try something else?"
Why don't we ( + verb)? - e.g. "Why don't we ask
the customers what they think?"
Have you thought about... (+ gerund)? - e.g. "Have
you thought about hiring a designer?"

Showing understanding Ways of giving the 'OK'

Fine
I get your point.
Sure.
I see what you mean.
Cool.
I see.
Great.
Got it. (Casual)
Perfect.
Understood. (Casual)
Fantastic.

checking understanding
So what you're saying is....
So you are thinking... am I right?
Can I just make sure I've
understood this correctly?
I don't quite follow you. What
exactly do you mean?

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 Meetings - updating

"So regarding the (new

proposal) how are things
going?"

"Well, the team seem to be

on board* but I'm just not
fully convinced yet that it
would work."

"I see what you mean,

but we have a lot of
statistics to support this
kind of project and the
investors are keen*."
"Yes I suppose you're right,
but I just don't understand
how we'll be able to get it
done in such a short time
frame*."
"Mmm... I understand
what you're saying. Have
you thought about trying
a different approach,
e.g..."
"Yes, that's a good point
actually. Maybe we could
try..."

"That's a fantastic idea."

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 Answer Key
Vocabulary
1 = Workaholic
2 = Retire
3 = Fire
4 = Promotion, pay-rise
5 = Self - employed
6 = Freelance
7 = Downsize, redundant
8 = Leave
9 = Commission
10 = Shifts
11 = Resign
12 = Time off

work idioms
1=e
2=b
3=f
4=a
5=d
6=c

Explaining your job role

1=d
2=b
3=e
4=a
5=c

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 (n) = noun Glossary
(a) = adjective
(v) = verb

Drop me a line (expression) = Give me a call.

Feasible (a) = Probable, practical or capable of being
done.
Finger-point (v) = to blame someone.
Have a word (expression) = To speak with someone
briefly.
Get rid of (phrasal v) = To remove ST/SO unwanted.
Get your point across (expression) = to make your
opinions understood.
(to be) keen  = to be interested in/ enthusiastic about
something.
Look forward to (expression) - to feel happy and
excited about something that is going to happen.
Time frame = A specified period of time in which
something occurs or is planned to take place.
Myth (n) = a widely held but false belief or idea.
On board (a) = In agreement; ready and willing to
participate.
Scandal (n) = an action or event regarded as morally
or legally wrong and causing general public outrage.

20