Business English verb tenses exercise 8
✓ Useful for TOEIC
✓ Useful for Cambridge BEC
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Choose the best response to complete each of the sentences below.
1. For years, the company ____________________ its marketing around a message of reliability.
Correct answer: has built — Use the present perfect with for years for a situation continuing to the present.
2. If they __________________________ us earlier, we could have set up a meeting.
Correct answer: had contacted — Third conditional: if + past perfect → could have + past participle.
3. I hadn't __________________________ the figures were so low.
Correct answer: realized — Hadn't realized — simple past perfect, not passive.
4. This company ____________________ our main competitor.
Correct answer: is — State verb: be doesn't use the continuous form.
5. We're currently __________________________ that part of the contract.
Correct answer: negotiating — Active: the company is doing the negotiating.
6. That part of the contract is currently __________________________.
Correct answer: being negotiated — Passive: that part of the contract is what is being negotiated.
7. We successfully _________________ the inclusion of that amendment.
Correct answer: negotiated — Simple past for a completed successful action.
8. The outcome __________________________ known until next week.
Correct answer: won't be — Future passive negative: result won't be known yet.
9. According to the schedule, the outcome ____________________ known next week.
Correct answer: will be — The stated schedule makes will be the appropriate future form.
10. These fees are not __________________________ in the estimate.
Correct answer: included — Past participle as adjective: not included.
📚 Important Words to Know
click-through rate (CTR) — the percentage of people who click on a link or advertisement after seeing it
funnel — a model representing the stages a potential customer goes through, from awareness to purchase
content marketing — a strategy focused on creating and distributing valuable content to attract and retain a defined audience
KPI (key performance indicator) — a measurable value that demonstrates how effectively a company is achieving key business objectives
market share — the portion of total sales in a market captured by a particular company or product
customer retention — a company's ability to keep its existing customers over a specified period of time
product lifecycle — the progression of a product through introduction, growth, maturity, and decline stages
demographic — statistical data relating to a population, such as age, gender, income, and education level
psychographic — characteristics relating to consumers' attitudes, interests, values, and lifestyle choices
upselling — encouraging a customer to purchase a more expensive or upgraded version of the product they are considering
click-through rate (CTR) — the percentage of people who click on a link or advertisement after seeing it
funnel — a model representing the stages a potential customer goes through, from awareness to purchase
content marketing — a strategy focused on creating and distributing valuable content to attract and retain a defined audience
KPI (key performance indicator) — a measurable value that demonstrates how effectively a company is achieving key business objectives
market share — the portion of total sales in a market captured by a particular company or product
customer retention — a company's ability to keep its existing customers over a specified period of time
product lifecycle — the progression of a product through introduction, growth, maturity, and decline stages
demographic — statistical data relating to a population, such as age, gender, income, and education level
psychographic — characteristics relating to consumers' attitudes, interests, values, and lifestyle choices
upselling — encouraging a customer to purchase a more expensive or upgraded version of the product they are considering
▶ Keep practicing — more exercises for you:
Business English basics 1
Business English basics 2
Business English basics 3
Business English basics 4
Business English basics 5
Business English basics 6
Business English test 1
Business English test 2
Business English basics 2
Business English basics 3
Business English basics 4
Business English basics 5
Business English basics 6
Business English test 1
Business English test 2
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