Words That Move Markets
Grammar: Embedded Questions
A Business English English lesson exploring business.
What's in this lesson
A Business English ESL lesson on business, practising embedded questions. The worksheet has a reading, target vocabulary, a grammar reference with practice and discussion questions.
From the reading: Words That Move Markets
In October 2023, the IMF published a single sentence that moved bond markets across three continents: "Global growth has slowed to 3.0 percent, its weakest pace since the 1990s outside of crisis periods." The sentence did not say growth slowed — it said growth has slowed. That choice of tense was not accidental. The present perfect anchors a past event in the present moment, signalling that the condition is still active, still relevant, still a threat to anyone reading the report today. A past simple — growth slowed — would have closed the door. The present perfect held it open.
Vocabulary
- address disparities
- exert pressure
- pose a threat
- reach a consensus
Grammar: Embedded Questions
- Present perfect
- Global growth has slowed to 3.0 percent. — past event still affecting now
- Past simple — closed
- The fund raised its forecast in April 2022. — completed, no current link implied
Discussion questions
- Have you noticed how official reports often feel confident even when delivering bad news?
- Why do you think some economic forecasts trigger market reactions while others go unnoticed?
- Do international institutions like the IMF actually shape reality, or just describe it?
Words That Move Markets
Grammar: Embedded Questions
What's in this lesson:
Full lesson plan with reading, grammar, vocabulary, and discussion.
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