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Talking about the economy in English 2

Every business professional should know how to talk about the economy. Whether things are going well, or badly, the economy is a topic that comes up very often. This exercise will help you practice some common vocabulary that is used in these types of discussions.

Choose the best response to complete each of the sentences below.

1. The economy is back on __________________________. = The economy is beginning to recover.
  track
  the truck
  line

2. The government __________________________ ( = promised) to provide more tax breaks for the middle class.
  pledged
  plagued
  pleaded

3. If an industry is "__________________________", it means that it is not doing too well financially.
  illing
  hailing
  ailing

4. Many investors __________________________ this news. ( = They were happy to hear this news)
  improved
  welcomed
  swelled

5. The unemployment rate has been holding ___________________________ ( = has neither gone up nor down) over the past couple of months.
  steadfast
  sturdy
  steady

6. Ford plans to ___________________________ ( = get rid of/eliminate) 10,000 jobs at its main plant in Michigan.
  cut
  curtail
  let loose

7. They plan to reduce their ____________________ by 20%. = 20% of their employees will lose their jobs.
  workforce
  work
  labor

8. A lot of companies are __________________ ( = having a hard time) with large losses.
  stifling
  shifting
  struggling

9. Last month's job losses were the ___________________________ ( = highest) since 1984.
  deepest
  steepest
  steadiest

10. This company's debt ___________________________ is pretty high. = This company has a lot of debt.
  management
  load
  consolidation

(Your answers will be displayed in a new window)

TOP TIP! Talking about the economy

Need to sound more natural (and more confident) speaking about the economy in English? Here are some useful tips:

Balance optimism and caution
Sound realistic: “There are positive signs, but risks remain.”

Ask follow-up questions
Show engagement:
“What impact do you think this will have on consumers?”

Use contrast signals
Help listeners follow your point:
“However,” “On the other hand,” “Despite this”

Avoid emotional language
Prefer neutral terms over dramatic ones (e.g., “slowdown” instead of “disaster”).

Clarify key terms when needed
“By 'recession,'' I mean a period of declining economic activity.”

Use conditional structures
Useful for predictions:
“If inflation continues to rise, the central bank may respond.”

Summarize your point
End clearly:
“So overall, the outlook is mixed.”

Recognize different perspectives
“From a business perspective...” / “For households...”

Practice polite disagreement
“I see your point, but I'm not sure I agree that...”

Avoid overgeneralizing
Use qualifiers like “in some sectors,” “to a certain extent.”

MATERIALS TO HELP YOU LEARN (AND TEACH!):
BUSINESS ENGLISH GLOSSARY
BUSINESS ENGLISH WORKSHEET COLLECTION

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