Who Does What: Roles in Global Workplaces
Grammar: Verb 'to be' — negative and interrogative forms
A Business English English lesson exploring culture.
What's in this lesson
A Business English ESL lesson on culture, practising verb 'to be' — negative and interrogative forms. The worksheet has a reading, target vocabulary, a grammar reference with practice and discussion questions.
From the reading: Who Does What: Roles in Global Workplaces
In a survey of 4,200 multinational professionals conducted by Heidrick & Struggles in 2023, 61 percent reported that they had misunderstood a colleague's role during their first week in a new international team. The error was rarely about competence. In most cases, it was about a single grammatical question: Is she the manager, or a manager? The difference between a definite and an indefinite article is not a small thing in professional life.
Vocabulary
- clarify a role
- introduce yourself
- report to
- work across
Grammar: Verb to Be
- Negative: to be
- She is not a director — she is a consultant. — use not after is/are/am
- Interrogative: to be
- Is he the department head? — invert subject and verb to form the question
Discussion questions
- Have you noticed how often people get another person's job title wrong in a meeting?
- Why do you think some workplaces use long titles while others avoid them?
- Do you find it easier to introduce yourself by department or by job title?
Who Does What: Roles in Global Workplaces
Grammar: Verb 'to be' — negative and interrogative forms
What's in this lesson:
Full lesson plan with reading, grammar, vocabulary, and discussion.
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