Business performance: describing data and trends with quantifiers
1
Think about these questions before reading. Share your ideas with a partner.
- What kind of numbers or information do you think are most important for a company to check regularly?
- Think about a product or service that has become very popular recently. Why do you think so many people started using it?
- Describe a time you looked at some data or read a few reviews before making a decision, like buying something or choosing a restaurant.
2
Discussing Sales Figures
Listen to the dialogue. Notice how the vocabulary and grammar from the lesson are used.
3
Answer these questions in your own words. Support your answers with evidence from the article.
01According to the article, what type of words are important for expressing quantity or amount in a business context?
Sample answerThe article says quantifiers are important. They are words that help you talk about how much or how many of something there is.
02What are some examples of key vocabulary mentioned in the article for analyzing business data?
Sample answerIt mentions several nouns, like figures, demand, items, comments, and strategies.
03In what kind of real-life situation does the article suggest you would need to use this business English?
Sample answerIt suggests you would use it in a business meeting where you have to talk about how the company is doing and what the plans are for the future.
04How does the article suggest someone can effectively practice using new business vocabulary and grammar?
Sample answerIt suggests practicing in a realistic way, like in a role-play of a business meeting, so you can use the new words and grammar to discuss real topics like company performance.
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Key vocabulary for discussing data
Vocabulary
These expressions will help you communicate more naturally about business performance and trends.
Examples
A steady increase — a slow and regular growth or rise in something.
Use this to talk about sales, prices, or customer numbers. The opposite is 'a steady decrease'. For example: 'We've seen a steady increase in website visitors.'
Fall short of expectations — to fail to reach the level that was hoped for or planned.
This is a polite and professional way to say that results were disappointing. For example: 'Unfortunately, sales in the first quarter fell short of expectations.'
Break down the figures — to separate numbers or data into smaller parts to make them easier to understand.
Use this when you want to analyze the details. For example: 'Let's break down the sales figures by region to see where we are most successful.'
On the whole — used to say that something is generally true, even if there are some exceptions.
This is a great alternative to 'in general' or 'overall'. It's often used at the beginning of a sentence to give a summary. 'On the whole, our performance this year has been strong.'
Key metric — an important number or measurement that is used to judge a company's performance.
This is more specific than just 'important numbers'. Common examples of key metrics are customer satisfaction, website traffic, or monthly profit.
5
Complete the sentences with words from the box. One word is extra.
Word bank
01We've seen a steady in online sales over the last quarter, which is great news for the company.
02Unfortunately, our performance this month fell of our ambitious targets.
03Could you please the sales figures by region so we can see where we are most successful?
04Customer satisfaction is a key for us; we measure it with a survey every three months.
05On the , the company had a very successful year, despite a few small challenges.
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Grammar: quantifiers
Grammar
Quantifiers are words we use to describe an amount or quantity of something. When discussing business data, we use them to talk about figures, sales, and feedback without using exact numbers. It's important to choose the correct quantifier depending on whether the noun is countable or uncountable.
Examples
We received many positive comments about the new strategy.
Use 'many' for large quantities of countable nouns like 'comments'.
There wasn't much demand for the product in Europe last year.
Use 'much' for large quantities of uncountable nouns like 'demand', especially in negative sentences and questions.
We have a lot of data to analyze before the meeting.
Use 'a lot of' or 'lots of' for large quantities with both countable and uncountable nouns, especially in positive sentences.
Key points
- Use 'many', 'a few', and 'several' with countable nouns (e.g., items, reports, strategies).
- Use 'much' and 'a little' with uncountable nouns (e.g., information, feedback, progress).
- Common mistake: avoid using 'much' in positive sentences. Say 'We have a lot of information,' not 'We have much information.'
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Correct the mistakes
Read the sentences below about business performance. Each one has a mistake.
Find the one error in each sentence and correct it.
01We received much positive comments from customers this quarter.
Corrected version
We received much many positive comments from customers this quarter.
02Unfortunately, our sales figures fell short of expect last month.
Corrected version
Unfortunately, our sales figures fell short of expect expectations last month.
03The data shows steady increase in website traffic since March.
Corrected version
The data shows a steady increase in website traffic since March.
04The two key metrics for this project is profit and customer satisfaction.
Corrected version
The two key metrics for this project is are profit and customer satisfaction.
05Let's break down the figures for understand where we are losing money.
Corrected version
Let's break down the figures for to understand where we are losing money.
06On the whole, the company's performance has been strong on the last year.
Corrected version
On the whole, the company's performance has been strong on in the last year.
07We have little information, but it's enough to make a decision.
Corrected version
We have a little information, but it's enough to make a decision.
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Useful phrases: discussing company performance
Vocabulary
In business meetings, you often need to talk about data and results. These phrases will help you share your ideas, ask questions, and agree or disagree politely when discussing company performance.
Examples
If we look at the sales figures, we can see that... — use this to introduce a specific piece of data.
Register: Neutral. A clear and direct way to start your analysis or present a point in a meeting.
What stands out to me is... — use this to highlight the most important or surprising piece of information.
Register: Neutral. Perfect for drawing everyone's attention to a key trend or result you've noticed in the data.
Could you run me through those numbers again? — a polite way to ask someone to repeat or explain data you didn't understand.
Register: Neutral/Informal. This sounds softer and more conversational than saying 'I don't understand'.
That's a good point. The trend seems quite clear. — use this to agree with a colleague's analysis of the data.
Register: Neutral. This shows you are actively listening and that you agree with their interpretation of the information.
I see it a bit differently. To me, it looks like... — a soft and polite way to introduce a different opinion or interpretation of the data.
Register: Neutral. Use this instead of 'I disagree' to keep the conversation positive and collaborative.
So, the main takeaway here is that... — use this to summarize the most important conclusion from the data.
Register: Neutral. Great for ending a point or making sure everyone understands the key message before moving on to the next topic.
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Reviewing the quarterly report
Read the summary of a business performance meeting.
Fill in each blank with the correct word from the word bank.
Word bank
the whole, the results this quarter are quite positive. We've seen a increase in online sales, which is great news. However, in-store sales did short of expectations, and we received very positive comments from customers about the new store layout. We need to down the figures for each region to understand the problem better. Customer satisfaction is a metric for us, so we must address this feedback when planning our new strategies.
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Discuss these questions with a partner. Try to use vocabulary from the lesson.
- Think about a well-known company in your country. What do you think are its most important key metrics for success? If you had to break down the figures for its performance, what would you look for?
- Some people believe that 'on the whole, a company's success is only about making money.' Do you agree or disagree? What other things can show a company is doing well, even if its sales fall short of expectations?
- If you were starting a new business, would you prefer to see a steady increase in customers, or a very fast increase at the beginning? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each situation?