ENGLISH GRAMMAR EXERCISES
LOGISTICS
Simple Past Tenses [-ed]- Gap filling
• On Monday Diano SPA …reported ……. [report]
increased profits for the year. Exports
climbed…… [climb] by 20% last year but
domestic sales fell…..[fall] by 5%. Two months
ago the company set up……. [set up] new sales
offices in France and Singapore. On the Milan
Stock Exchange yesterday the company’s
share price …rose..[rise] by 300 lire to L. 2,155.
PRESENT PERFECT TENSE
have/has + past participle
• Diano SPA …has reported ……. [report]
increased profits for the year. Exports have
climbed…… [climb] by 20% this year. Domestic
sales …had fallen..[fall] by 5% before the
company …set up …. [set up] new sales offices
in France and Singapore. On the Milan Stock
Exchange the company’s share price …will
rise.[rise] by 300 lire to L. 2,155 if everything
…goes.. [go] as expected .
Tense Exercises
• The National Bank will probably decide…. [decide] today to raise…..
[raise] the cost of borrowing. Interest rates have increased …..
[increase] by 2.0 per cent. Many companies are currently …having
… [have] large debts and …paying.. [pay] heavy costs. Any new
increase will definitely make …… [make] problems worse. A
representative of the Industrial Federation said…..[say] yesterday
‘Many businesses will have closed….. [close] down by the end of
this year. Manufacturing companies ….have been experiencing
[experience] many problems for the last few months. Service
companies …are doing… [do] better at the moment. Property values
had started … [start] falling before this crisis …came [come] in. In
spite of these problems, economists …are [be] optimistic.
Although, unemployment …is rising [rise] faster than ten years ago,
they believe that if we reduce….[reduce] costs we …will be. [be]
able to …move… [move] quickly into a new era of growth.
out of outside onto
into along off in
• The beet is taken ……out of .. Lorries and stored …in….
piles …in….. the processing area. The beet is sent
…along… a system of channels …into….. the processing
area.
• It is shredded and dried …in…. a huge cylindrical drier.
Dried shreds of beet are packed …in… bags and sold as
animal feed. The sacks of animal feed are stored
…in……. a large warehouse before being loaded
…onto… lorries for dispatch. The main sugar production
involves treating the liquid sugar which comes …out
of… the beet … in the drying process.
1. We are interested in …visiting/working at/watering…..
your plant.
2. …Developing /Launching / Creating/Selling new
products is essential for the survival of the company.
3. We look forward to …hearing…… from you.
4. He suggested visiting /meeting up with/getting
together with…….. us next month.
5. …Revising/Updating/Upgrading …… our policy is an
essential prerequisite to improving products.
6. By delaying we risk …losing/breaking…… the contract.
SIMPLE vs Complex Sentences
Connecting Words
and , but although, despite of , despite the fact that, which,
nevertheless, , when, though, because
• A. We need to increase the
quality of our research.
Increasing the quality of
our research will be
expensive. Our present
research is on a new
pocket-sized
communication device.
The research we are
presently engaged in is
potentially very exciting. A
major technological
advancement is possible.
• B. We need to increase
the quality of our
research although this is
expensive. Our present
research, which is very
exciting, is on a new
pocket-sized
communication device
and a major
technological
advancement is possible.
SIMPLE vs Complex Sentences
Connecting Words
and , but although, despite of , despite the fact that, which,
nevertheless, , when, though, because, who, or
• I work for ABC. ABC makes
automobile parts. The parts
we make are mechanical. We
also make electrical parts.
We sell parts throughout
Europe. We also sell parts in
Asia. We do not sell in
America. Our biggest
customers are Japanese. Our
Japanese customers are
some of the best known car
manufacturers in the world.
• I work for ABC which makes
mechanical and electrical
automobile parts. We sell
parts throughout Europe and
Asia, but not in America. Our
biggest customers are
Japanese,which are some of
the best known car
manufacturers in the world.
• I work for an automobile
company, ABC, which makes
both mechanical and
electrical parts
Connecting Ideas with: Naturally, for example, but, and,
in addition, so, in general, especially, furthermore, therefore
In recent years, the company has expanded ….. the
workload for the management has increased. ………,
we have decided to reorganize our management
structure. This picture shows the new organization.
We plan to divide the present Administration
Department into two, creating a new Finance
Department and a Human Resource Department.
………., the Sales & Marketing Department will be
divided into two. ………, a new Management Services
Department will be created. We believe
communication channels within the company will be
simplified, …… decision making will be more
streamlined. ………….., decisions which solely affect
personnel will now be taken at the level of the Human
Resources. ………., the principle is that decisions should
be taken at the lowest practicable level, ………. those
everyday decisions which will not affect the whole
organisation. ………….., the changes will take some
time to be fully understood, ………. overall everyone
should notice immediate benefits.
The New Management Structure
Board of Directors
Finance
production
Human
Marketing
Resources
Managem
ent
services
Connecting Ideas with: Naturally, for example, but, and,
in addition, so, in general, especially, furthermore, therefore
In recent years, the company has expanded 1therefore,/so,….. the workload for
the management has increased. 2 For example/especially………, we have
decided to reorganize our management structure. This picture shows the new
organization. We plan to divide the present Administration Department into
two, creating a new Finance Department and a Human Resource
Department. 3 In addition/furthermore………., the Sales & Marketing
Department will be divided into two. 4……For example…, a new Management
Services Department will be created. We believe communication channels
within the company will be simplified, 5…so/and… decision making will be
more streamlined. 6…Naturally……….., decisions which solely affect personnel
will now be taken at the level of the Human Resources. 7…In general……., the
principle is that decisions should be taken at the lowest practicable level,
8…especially,……. those everyday decisions which will not affect the whole
organisation. 9…Naturally……….., the changes will take some time to be fully
understood, 10……but…. overall everyone should notice immediate benefits.
In addition, so, generally, for instance,
obviously, during, especially, although
• We sell our goods abroad, …….. ………. we have to set
prices with the exchange rates in mind. Fluctuation in
exchange rates causes instability. …………., it makes
forecasting more difficult. …………, we prefer a stable
exchange environment , we have to accept instability.
Our best products are several years old. The F23, ……
……. , was launched in 1986.
• We need to expand sales abroad, ………, in America.
• Sales in leisure products have increased. We, ……..,
expect a 25 percent rise …….. summer.