Practice the language of negotiation with this vocabulary exercise. The terms here reflect real negotiation scenarios — from opening positions and concessions to deadlock and resolution.
💬 Useful phrases “I think we can find a solution that works for both of us.” — an opening statement signaling collaborative intent “We'd be willing to consider that, provided that...” — introducing a conditional concession during negotiation “That's a reasonable position, but our concern is...” — acknowledging the other side while steering toward your priorities “Could we explore a middle ground on this point?” — suggesting a compromise without fully conceding “I'd like to propose an alternative arrangement.” — introducing a new option when the current one is not acceptable “What flexibility do you have on the timeline?” — probing for room to adjust a key term without direct confrontation “We're prepared to move forward if you can accommodate...” — signaling readiness to close contingent on a specific concession “Let's take a short break and reconvene.” — suggesting a pause to regroup when negotiations become tense
READY TO PRACTICE? LET’S GO!
Choose the correct response to complete each sentence.
1. During negotiations, it's common to refer to obstacles as __________________________.
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2. We had a frank exchange of __________________________. ( = opinions)
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3. We accomplished a lot, but deep differences still __________________________.
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4. The Mexican __________________________ was made up of 10 members.
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5. Negotiations __________________________ ( = ended unsuccessfully) last week due to profound disagreement between the two parties.
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6. I think I've made our position very __________________________. = I think I've presented our position very clearly.
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7. The two parties __________________________ ( = organized/caused to assemble) a six-man bipartisan meeting.
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8. The Chinese delegation __________________________ the talks ( = left the talks) after the other participants demanded that they discuss the current human rights abuses in Tibet.
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9. The two parties __________________________ ( = got together/met) in Houston to discuss the recent developments.
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10. The talks were __________________________ ( = temporarily stopped) and no one knows when they will resume.
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