Who Owns Your Company Now?
Grammar: Conditionals
A Business English English lesson exploring business.
What's in this lesson
A Business English ESL lesson on business, practising conditionals. The worksheet has a reading, target vocabulary, a grammar reference with practice and discussion questions.
From the reading: Who Owns Your Company Now?
In 2023, the median Series A round in the United States diluted founders by 20 to 25 percent — meaning that after a single funding event, one quarter of a company built from nothing now belongs to someone else. That figure surprises most first-time founders, who enter their first term sheet negotiation focused on the valuation cap rather than on what the equity dilution actually means for control five years later. The funding landscape offers three distinct routes, and each one carries a different arithmetic of ownership.
Vocabulary
- convertible note
- deal-breaker clause
- due diligence
- term sheet
Grammar: Conditionals
- Second conditional
- If we had a stronger network, we would approach Series A differently. — hypothetical present or general
- Hedging with second
- If the valuation cap were lower, we might consider the convertible note. — softened position in negotiation
Discussion questions
- Do you think founders should give up equity early, or stay independent as long as possible?
- Is it ever right to accept worse terms to get a more powerful investor on board?
- Should a company's founding team always keep majority control of the business?
Who Owns Your Company Now?
Grammar: Conditionals
What's in this lesson:
Full lesson plan with reading, grammar, vocabulary, and discussion.
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