English For Public Administration, 1st Year
English For Public Administration, 1st Year
English For Public Administration, 1st Year
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ENGLISH FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, 1ST YEAR
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ENGLISH FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, 1ST YEAR
Public administration can be broadly described as the development, implementation and study of
branches of government policy. The pursuit of the public good by enhancing civil society, ensuring
a well-run, fair, and effective public service are some of the goals of the field. Though public
administration has historically referred to as government management, since the 1990s the term is
sometimes expanded to encompass non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that also operate with
a similar, primary dedication to providing services to the public.
Public administration is carried out by public servants who work in public departments and
agencies, at all levels of government, and perform a wide range of tasks. Public administrators
collect and analyze data (statistics), monitor budgets, draft legislation, develop policy, and execute
legally mandated government activities. Public administrators serve in many roles: ranging from
"front-line" positions serving the public (e.g., parole officers and border guards); administrators
(e.g., auditors); analysts (e.g., policy analysts); and managers and executives of government
branches and agencies.
Public administration is also an academic field. In comparison with related fields such as political
science, public administration is a relatively new, multidisciplinary field which only emerged in
the 19th century. It draws on theories and concepts from economics, political science, sociology,
administrative law, management, and a range of related fields. The goals of the field of public
administration are related to the democratic values of improving equality, justice, security,
efficiency, effectiveness of public services; business administration is primarily concerned with
profit.
In the United States, Woodrow Wilson is considered the father of public administration. He first
formally recognized public administration in an 1887 article entitled "The Study of
Administration." The future president wrote that "it is the object of administrative study to
discover, first, what government can properly and successfully do, and, secondly, how it can do
these proper things with the utmost possible efficiency and at the least possible cost either of
money or of energy."[1] Wilson was more influential to the science of public administration than
Von Stein, primarily due to an article Wilson wrote in 1887 in which he advocated four concepts:
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The separation of politics and administration has been the subject of lasting debate. The different
perspectives regarding this dichotomy contribute to differentiating characteristics of the suggested
generations of public administration.
In much the same way “pre-generation” scholars prov ide a foundation for future governors and
administrators, many seemingly unrelated scholars are important to the developing organizational
theory. Though their respective connections with and relevance to organizational theory vary,
Marx, Weber, Freud, Maslow, and Golembiewsky (Denhardt 104-108) form the foundation for
much of what has become public sector organizational theory.
Karl Marx-”The history of all hitherto existing soc iety is the history of class struggles.” (The
Communist Manifesto 1848, 10)
Max Weber-Government merely monopolizes the legitimate use of force in a given area.
Weber’s most famous work was The Protestant Work Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1930).
Sigmund Freud-Subconscious needs and desires are manifest in everyday human activities; The
Interpretation of Dreams (1900).
Abraham Maslow theorized that there is a hierarchy of human needs, each level of which must be
fulfilled before one can effectively ascend to the next level. Toward a Psychology of Being (1968).
The Noun
Study the following nouns from the text; can you detect any difference?
Business – businesses : His business is buying and selling shoes. – There are different types of
businesses.
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People – peoples : People think he is a successful businessman. – Pe oples in Asia are different
from peoples in Europe.
Manner – manners : He has a self-confident manner. – You should stud y business manners.
Countable nouns
Form: Sg./ pl.: office/ offices; businessman/ businessmen
Determiners for Countables: the article (a, an, the), the numeral (one, two etc.), some, many,
several, a lot of etc.
Uncountable nouns
Form: They have only one form: milk, tea, coffee, information, news, trouble etc.
Determiners for Uncountables: little, a little, some (of), much (of), enough, the, no, zero article Ø,
any, more, most (of the), a lot of (the), some, all (of) the, a great/ small amount of, a bit of
(informal), a piece of, a loaf/ slice of (bread), a lump of (sugar) etc.
Use:
a lot of - in positive sentences: I have a lot of work.
much – in negative sentences and questions:
There isn’t much work to do. Have you got much work to do?
some – in positive sentences and in questions when the expected answer is
‘yes’: I have some good news. Would you like some tea?
any – in negative sentences and questions:
He didn’t make any progress. Is there any good news?
no – in negative sentences with a positive verb:
He has no experience at all.
Uncountable nouns:
Materials/ substances: oxygen, water, petrol, bread, chocolate, cheese, coffee, cream,
gold, hair, jam, oil, paper, snow, wind, wood
abstract nouns: heat, science, mathematics, economics, love, hate, happiness, advice,
experience, fun, help, health, information, knowledge, progress, weather, work
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nouns that are uncountable in English but are often countable in other languages:
accommodation, music, equipment, furniture, homework, luggage, rubbish, traffic
Always take a verb in singular: information, homework, advice, intelligence, wisdom, money,
luggage, knowledge, justice, nonsense, news, furniture, politics, economics, phonetics, measles,
sugar, bread, butter, fruit, gold, silver, jam, honey etc.
The plural is suggested by adding: three pieces/ items of… several/ many pieces of…
Always take a verb in plural: glasses, clothes, scissors, pyjamas, pants, trousers, scales, goods,
premises, savings, outskirts, grounds, compasses, pincers, scales, spectacles, tongs, scissors,
earnings, funds, manners, savings, stairs, contents, wages
Foreign plurals
analysis – analyses
crisis – crises
datum – data
memorandum – memoranda
phenomenon – phenomena
formula – formulae
focus – foci
index – indices
index - indexes
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Fill in the blanks in the following sentences with the correct form (singular or plural) of
the appropriate noun:
business (2), card, diner, event (2), family (2), friend, gentleman, man (2), meeting, phone,
register, responsibility, time, woman (2), year.
Many 1…. ago 2…. was conducted predominantly by 3. …. A 4. …’s role was to maintain the 5.
… and home 6. …. Evening 7. … and 8. … were strictl y for them enjoying with 9. … and 10.
…. Social 11. … were maintained so only those in th e business group would be included. A 12.
… never carried his business 13. … to these 14. … , but a social card with just his name. 15. …
have changed. Now, 16. … is conducted continuously (thanks to breakfast 17. … , e-mail, and
cellular 18. …); and 19. … are now as present in t he business world as 20. ….
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Functions
a. Identifying yourself
Hello, I’m… from…
Hello, my name is…I work for…
Hello, let me introduce myself, I’m…I’m in charge o f// I’m responsible for…
Hello, first name+ surname…I’ve got an appointment with…
c. Introducing people
Phrase of introduction Relevant information
Neutral Mr. X, I’d like you to meet Y a colleague of mine.
May I introduce Y
I’d like to introduce Y From…
Our Marketing manager.
Informal Can I introduce He’s with…
This is… A friend of mine.
I want you to meet… He’s over here on business.
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d. Greetings
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1. There is a big influence of technique on our daily life. Electronic devices, multimedia and
computers are things we have to deal with every day. Especially the Internet is becoming more
and more important for nearly everybody as it is one of the newest and most forward-looking
media and surely “the” medium of the future. The In ternet changed our life enormously, there is
no doubt about that. A few years ago, if someone wanted to know about a company’s products, he
would call and say: “Can I have some brochures?” Today, he does it all on the Internet. It’s the
most efficient way to do business.
2. Although no one can predict the full effect of the current information revolution, we can see
changes in our daily lives. The computer is an important component of every modern office.
Companies already present their products, their services on the Internet and so they get more
flexible. Furthermore, they are able to exchange experiences, novelties and often they start new
projects together. They can also add files to their e-mail and that’s why a big data transfer is
possible. They don’t have to send disks with information around the world anymore, having access
to information digitally. Consequently, we may say that especially in the business sector,
knowledge provided by the Internet is power.
3. Another advantage of the Internet is the e-mail that has replaced the traditional letter. You do
not have to buy stamps anymore and it is much faster and also for free. But a question arises
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here: is electronic correspondence more valuable than meeting face-to-face? Some neighbours still
stop by when a family crisis strikes but other people offer condolences via e-mail. Whichever we
prefer, the electronic seems to represent the future. The Internet pushes life beyond the old physical
barriers of time and space. Here you can roam around the world without leaving home. Make new
friends. Exchange the results of laboratory with a colleague overseas. Read stock quotes. Buy
clothes. Research a term paper. Stay out of the office, conducting business via a computer that
becomes your virtual office. Virtual community. Virtual travel. Virtual love. A new reality.
4. One example: for the women staying home and taking care of their own children tele-working
(the work on computer at home) has become a current procedure. Also men take this opportunity.
What are the consequences, the advantages of tele-working? If you have a family, you can spend
more time at home, probably with your children. You can organise every day the way you want.
Meetings at the company are reduced to a minimum. Tele-working is also an advantage for the
owner of the company. Official studies substantiate that people who work at home are more
motivated than their colleagues at the office.
5. The Internet can also help people who cannot go out to find friends in the real life because they
are disabled. But they can chat with other people via the Internet. Sometimes it is also easier for
shy people to chat with a person they do not know.
6. Additionally, another big advantage of the Internet is the easy access to information. Online
reference books and dictionaries replace the real bookshop or the library. It is again cheaper to
search for information on the Internet than buying a book. The Internet contains a lot of
information which is renewed and up-dated. Moreover, you can read the daily newspapers from
all over the world, sometimes for free. In addition, most newspaper sites have an archive in which
you can search for old articles.
7. The Internet is also a big “advertising company” A lot of enterprises have a homepage with ads
and support opportunities. To stay competitive in international economy corporations must open
themselves to information and new ideas. Issues must be presented quickly with visual aids.
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8. Obviously, technology promises more and more information for less and less effort. As we hear
these promises, we must balance faith in technology with faith in ourselves. Wisdom and insight
often come not from keeping up-to-date or compiling facts, but from quiet reflection. What we
hold most valuable – things like morality a nd compassion – can be found only within us. While
embracing the future, we can remain loyal to our unchanging humanity.
(One possible suggestion for the title: The Impact of The Internet on Our Daily Life; can you find
some others?)
Notice the use of the article – definite, indefinit e, zero – in the following sentences:
“But a question arises here” (par. 3)
“ The Internet is also…” (par. 7)
“… Ø technology promises more and more Ø
information for less and less Ø effort” (par. 8)
The Article
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Definite:
With the meaning “only one” : the Parliament, the police, the zoo
for nationalities: the Romanians, the British
+ adjectives, to indicate a class: the rich, the poor
for regions, mountain ranges, oceans, seas: the Carpathians, the Black Sea
for hotels, restaurants, pubs, theatres, cinemas: The Continental, The National Theatre
Ø
for institutions (used for their main purpose) – schools, hospitals, churches, universities: I go to
school. The school is far away.
for names of meals: Let’s have dinner. (The dinner was good.)
for cities, countries, continents: Bucharest, France, Europe (but: the USA, the UK)
for mountains and lakes: Mount Everest, Lake Michigan
for streets: East Street
The Gerund
Form:
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Used after:
verbs: begin, start, go on, keep on, stop, leave off, give up, finish: He started working.
attempt, try, intend, can’t help: I can’t help argu ing.
to avoid, delay, put off, postpone, excuse, want, need, mind: Avoid buying cigarettes.
adverbs: like, worth: It’s worth going.
think of/ persist in/ rely on/ depend on/ thank for/ prevent from/ insist on/ succeed in/ etc.
Insert the correct form of the article – definite, indefinite, zero – in the following texts:
A. There are 1. …people who do not read 2. … paper in 3. … morning anymore. They are
reading 4. … e-paper. Even in the morning they are sitting in front of 5. … computer and not
talking to each other while drinking 6. … cup of te a. In 7. … future there will be more and more
e-papers and 8. … newspapers will disappear. Some a re beginning to talk to their computer
(Come on, let’s work!) but they are not able to talk to each other anymore. While chatting on 9.
… Internet you are frequently using 10. … abbreviat ions, incomplete sentences and so on. This
leads to speaking disabilities in everyday life.
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giving opinions
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1. The Industrial Revolution began in the eighteenth century and transformed the job of manager
from owner-manager to professional, salaried manager. Prior to industrialization, the United States
was predominantly an agricultural society. The production of manufactured goods was still in the
handicraft stage and consisted of household manufacturing, small shops, and local mills. The
inventions, machines, and processes of the Industrial Revolution transformed business and
management. With the industrial innovations in factory-produced goods, transportation, and
distribution, big business came into being. New ideas and techniques were required for managing
these large-scale corporate enterprises.
Managers realized that they could profit from immediate knowledge of relevant information.
3. Organizations are two or more people working together in a structured, formal environment to
achieve common goals. Managers provide guidance, implementation, and coordination so those
organizational goals can be reached. The modern manager coaches employees of the organization
to develop teamwork, which effectively fulfills their needs and achieves organizational objectives.
The traditional autocratic organization with its hierarchical system of management and an
overbearing "boss" that forces performance out of people is no longer needed. The modern
manager provides an atmosphere of empowerment by letting workers make decisions and inspiring
people to boost productivity.
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4. In order to perform the functions of management and to assume multiple roles, managers must
be skilled. Robert Katz identified three managerial skills that are essential to successful
management: technical, human, and conceptual. Technical skill involves process or technique
knowledge and proficiency. Managers use the processes, techniques and tools of a specific area.
Human skill involves the ability to interact effectively with people. Managers interact and
cooperate with employees. Conceptual skill involves the formulation of ideas. Managers
understand abstract relationships, develop ideas, and solve problems creatively. Thus, technical
skill deals with things, human skill concerns people, and conceptual skill has to do with ideas.
Public Management
Public management considers that government and non-profit administration resembles private-
sector management in some important ways. As such, there are management tools appropriate in
public and in private domains, tools that maximize efficiency and effectiveness. This contrasts
with the study of public administration, which emphasizes the social and cultural drivers of
government that many contend (e.g. Graham T. Allison and Charles Goodsell) make it different
from the private sector.
Study and teaching about public management are widely practiced in developed nations. Such
credentials as the Master of Public Administration degree offer training decision making relevant
to the public good using public infrastructure.
The public manager will deal with critical infrastructure that directly and obviously affects quality
of life.
Trust in public managers, and the large sums spent at their behest, make them subject to many
more conflict of interest and ethics guidelines in most nations.
Many entities study public management in particular, in various countries, including:
In the US, the American Society for Public Administration
In Canada, the Institute of Public Administration of Canada, the Observatoire de l'Administation
publique, and various projects of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Infrastructure
Canada
In the UK, the UK local democracy project and London Health
Observatory In France, the École nationale d'administration
In Germany, the Hertie School of Governance, Germany's leading professional school for public
policy, as well as Zeppelin University.
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Public management compares, through government performance auditing, the efficiency and
effectiveness of two or more governments.
One interpretation of the major activities in strategic planning activities is that it includes:
1. Strategic Analysis
This activity can include conducting some sort of scan, or review, of the organization's
environment (for example, of the political, social, economic and technical environment). Planners
carefully consider various driving forces in the environment, for example, increasing competition,
changing demographics, etc. Planners also look at the various strengths, weaknesses, opportunities
and threats (an acronym for this activity is SWOT) regarding the organization.
(Some people take this wide look around after they've identified or updated their mission
statement, vision statement, values statement, etc. These statements are briefly described below.
Other people conduct the analysis before reviewing the statements.)
(Note that in the past, organizations usually referred to the phrase "long-range planning".
More recently, planners use the phrase "strategic planning". This new phrase is meant to capture
the strategic (comprehensive, thoughtful, well-placed) nature of this type of planning.)
2. Setting Strategic Direction
Planners carefully come to conclusions about what the organization must do as a result of
the major issues and opportunities facing the organization. These conclusions include what overall
accomplishments (or strategic goals) the organization should achieve, and the overall methods (or
strategies) to achieve the accomplishments. Goals should be designed and worded as much as
possible to be specific, measurable, acceptable to those working to achieve the goals, realistic,
timely, extending the capabilities of those working to achieve the goals, and rewarding to them, as
well. (An acronym for these criteria is "SMARTER".)
At some point in the strategic planning process (sometimes in the activity of setting the
strategic direction), planners usually identify or update what might be called the strategic
"philosophy". This includes identifying or updating the organization's mission, vision and/or values
statements. Mission statements are brief written descriptions of the purpose of the
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organization. Mission statements vary in nature from very brief to quite comprehensive, and
including having a specific purpose statement that is part of the overall mission statement. Many
people consider the values statement and vision statement to be part of the mission statement. New
businesses (for-profit or nonprofit) often work with a state agency to formally register their new
business, for example, as a corporation, association, etc. This registration usually includes
declaring a mission statement in their charter (or constitution, articles of incorporation, etc.).
It seems that vision and values statements are increasingly used. Vision statements are
usually a compelling description of how the organization will or should operate at some point in
the future and of how customers or clients are benefitting from the organization's products and
services. Values statements list the overall priorities in how the organization will operate. Some
people focus the values statement on moral values. Moral values are values that suggest overall
priorities in how people ought to act in the world, for example, integrity, honesty, respect, etc.
Other people include operational values which suggest overall priorities for the organization, for
example, to expand marketshare, increase efficiency, etc. (Some people would claim that these
operational values are really strategic goals. Don't get hung up on wording for now.)
3. Action Planning
Action planning is carefully laying out how the strategic goals will be accomplished.
Action planning often includes specifying objectives, or specific results, with each strategic goal.
Therefore, reaching a strategic goal typically involves accomplishing a set of objectives along the
way -- in that sense, an objective is still a goal, but on a smaller scale.
Often, each objective is associated with a tactic, which is one of the methods needed to
reach an objective. Therefore, implementing a strategy typically involves implementing a set of
tactics along the way -- in that sense, a tactic is still a strategy, but on a smaller scale.
Action planning also includes specifying responsibilities and timelines with each objective,
or who needs to do what and by when. It should also include methods to monitor and evaluate the
plan, which includes knowing how the organization will know who has done what and by when.
It's common to develop an annual plan (sometimes called the operational plan or
management plan), which includes the strategic goals, strategies, objectives, responsibilities and
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timelines that should be done in the coming year. Often, organizations will develop plans for each
major function, division department, etc., and call these work plans.
Usually, budgets are included in the strategic and annual plan, and with work plans.
Budgets specify the money needed for the resources that are necessary to implement the annual
plan. Budgets also depict how the money will be spent, for example, for human resources,
equipment, materials, etc.
(Note there are several different kinds of budgets. Operating budgets are usually budgets
associated with major activities over the coming year. Project budgets are associated with major
projects, for example, constructing a building, developing a new program or product line, etc. Cash
budgets depict where cash will be spent over some near term, for example, over the next three
months (this is very useful in order to know if you can afford bills that must be paid soon. Capital
budgets are associated with operating some major asset, for example, a building, automobiles,
furniture, computers, etc.
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The Adjective
Consider the following expressions from the text “S ilence A Hidden Business Tool” and notice
the use of adjectives and adverbs:
“important detail”, “oriented tasks”, “complex issu es”, “vital initiative”, “greater
knowledge”
“You’ll get it done faster”, “Remain still and sile nt”, “to better understand”
The Superlative
Relative: The richest, the most expensive
Absolute: very rich/ expensive
Of inferiority: the least rich/ expensive
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The Adverb
Form: adjective + ly
Rapid –rapidly, quick – quickly, simple - simply
Careful-carefully, faithful – faithfully
adv. + ward(s): backward(s), eastward(s), ………..
noun+ long: headlong, sidelong,……….
Formed by composition: Somewhere, meantime, beforehand, midway………….
high mountain: The plane flies high. The report was highly (very) useful for us.
new colleague:
light parcel: I travel light (without luggage). Don’t judge her lightly (superficially).
Short letter: He shut up short (all of a sudden). We will return shortly (very soon).
Use the dictionary and build correct sentences for the next two:
Quick/ quickly
Loud/ loudly
Comparison of adverbs
A.
Soon – sooner – soonest
Fast – faster – fastest
B.
Correctly – more correctly – most correctly
Comfortably – more comfortably – the most comfortab ly
Types of adverbs:
Adverbs of Manner: + ly: happily, easily, angrily, truly, sensibly, reasonably, comfortably,
automatically, beautifully, carefully, secretly, severely // hard, fast, well Their place is after the
verb.
Adverbs of time/ frequency: Now, yesterday, still, yet, already, early, late, soon, recently, lately
(=recently), afterwards, lately, soon, yesterday, since Monday, on Thursday; ever, never, often,
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always (before the main verb). Adverb phrases of time can start with: since, for, at once, until,
then.
Their place is: at the beginning/ end of sentence (now, yesterday, soon); between Subject and
Predicate: I usually write memos.; between the auxiliary and the verb: They have never met him.
Adverbs of place: here, there, away, abroad, south, below, upstairs, next to, close to, anywhere,
everywhere, at home
The order of adverbs: manner, place, time: They worked hard on the project yesterday.
The position in the sentence:
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Consult the list: severe, unpleasant, painful, obvious, effectively, tremendous, gentle,
irreversibly, hopelessly, continuously.
B. Read the following text about Gillian Thomson; there are some words missing but you
will find them at the end of each paragraph: find their right location in the text.
1. Gillian Thomson is the a). … and director of The Protocol School of Palm Beach TM. She
served six years as the b.) … officer and c.)… dire ctor of public d.)… for The Breakers – a five-
star, luxury e.) …in Palm Beach, Florida. She has h eld f.) … positions with Sea World of
Florida, the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel, and northwest Airlines.
protocol, founder, management, relations, assistant, resort
2. The Protocol School of Palm a.) … TM is Florida’s leading b.) … and protocol company. c ). …
are customized to help you d.) … your self-confiden ce, heighten your communication e.) …,
outshine your competition and increase your f.) …. Our goal is to entertain, educate, motivate
and g). … the needs of today’s leaders.
enhance, beach, etiquette, seminars, meet, bottom line, skills
3. Gillian Thomson is a frequent a.) … to numerous trade and business publications and is the
editor-in-chief of the Protocol Post – an b.) … new sletter for c.) … executives. She was recently
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d.) … “Business Associate of the Year” by the Ameri can e.) … Women’s Association of
Palm Beach and is a f.) … member of Palm Beach Coun North ty’s Civility Committee.
savvy, awarded, contributor, business, electronic, founding
4. Ms. Thomson has a a.) … of Science b.) … in tele communication from The University of
Florida. Furthermore, she is a c.) … and associate of The Protocol School of Washington where
she d.) … public relations, marketing and business etiquette to the e.) …. A member of the
National Speaker’s Association, she is f.) … to com bating incivility in society while g.) …
courtesy, respect and integrity. In highly competitive markets where many companies offer
similar h.) … and products at similar costs, how yo u i.) … your customers may be as important
to your company’s success as the quality or j.) … o f your product. When you possess good
manners, it puts your clients and customers at k.) …, increases customer satisfaction, and
positively affects your company’s bottom line.
consultants, graduate, price, devoted, degree, treat, bachelor, teaches, promoting, ease,
services
Functions
Describing trends:
- intensifiers and softeners:
fractionally higher
marginally lower
slightly higher
a little lower
somewhat lower
considerably higher
substantially lower
a great deal higher
far lower
much lower
dramatically lower
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- Rates of change
e.g. Sales rose dramatically/ sharply/ rapidly.
There was a gradual/ steady fall in population.
- comparison
Pair work
Look at the following graphs. Take turns in describing them to your partner. Use the expressions
suggested above.
900
800 821
700
600
500
435
400
345 350
300
265 256 256 250 270 271
200
100 123
76
0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
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100
0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
400
432 430
300
200 222
100 125
0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
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The Genitive
Look for some other examples with the same problem in paragraphs 7 and 8.
Types of Genitive
Note: the nouns: house, shop, store, office, cathedral are usually omitted after nouns at synthetic
genitive: St. Paul’s (cathedral) is a historical monument. // One can buy bread at the baker’s (shop).
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all kinds of nouns: the decrease of the income
names of material: the shine of gold
expressions of quantity: a lump of sugar
full containers: a glass of water
inanimate things: the windows of the house
Functions
Presenting information
After that…….
Prepositions
Form; type:
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Prepositional phrases: in front of, in spite of, on behalf of, with respect to etc.
adjectives + prepositions: amused at/ by/ about, excited about, good at, interested in, kind of/ to,
nice to/ of/ about, pleased with, proud of, afraid of, anxious about, frightened of, scared of, terrified
of, ashamed of, bad at, bored with/ by, critical of, disappointed in, fed up with/ about, suspicious
of, upset about, worried about, amazed at/ by, angry at/ with, annoyed at/ by/ about, surprised at/
by, different from, full of, engaged to, identical to, married to, responsible for, similar to, sure
about, used to
nouns + prepositions: advantage of, addiction to, connection with/ between, damage to,
disadvantage of, exception to/ of, increase in, reaction to, sympathy for, cheque for, friend of,
invitation to, photograph of, recipe for, reply to, witness to
At:
In:
time: in the morning/ in the afternoon/ in the evening/ in spring/ in May/ in 2003
place: in America, in England, in New York, in …….S treet
On:
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A. The meeting is scheduled 1. … noon because Mr. T ett is 2. … a hurry. The exhibition is
planned to be opened 3. …a fortnight, that is 4. …1 June. 5. … the end of the month Tom has to
finish his report 6. ... the new product since this is the main topic our managing director will talk
7. … 8. … the opening of the exhibition. He is a b it excited, since 9. …. 200 guests are invited,
10. … all over the world. He has no reason to be sc ared 11. … because he is 12. .. the best five
specialists 13. … the world that have connection 1 4. … this important issue. Mainly, he was
upset 15. … whether he would have enough time for t he presentation.
B. Mining and oil companies are good sources 1. … discovering and getting foreign jobs.
Experienced miners can be almost sure 2. … obtainin g a job 3. … South Africa provided they
enter as immigrants. Even though pay is made 4. … sterling 5. … local rates, it is sufficient 6.
… a good standard 7. … living 8. … SA. Moreover, t here is no hard work attached 9. …
mining here since all physical labour is performed 10. … crews 11. … native boys. This
explains why no labouring or unskilled jobs are available 12. … foreign mines – only
experienced mine foremen and engineers are wanted.
Relative pronouns
Read the following examples and look for others in the text:
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The secretary whose report was bad was fired.
The secretary whom (who) you know was fired.
No: adjective
Used: in affirmative sentences, to express negative meaning: There are no bankruptcies to be
mentioned.
Some/ any/ no/ every + thing// body// one: something, somebody/ someone………..
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Other indefinite pronouns: each, all, another, (the) other(s), little, much, few, many, one, either
(of), neither (of)
This/ that
These/ those
This book here is different from that book there. (adj) I take this and not that. (pron.)
These people here will meet those people there. (adj.) These are engineers and those are
businessmen. (pron.)
Such
Used in the following structures:
such + a/an + noun: such a business/ such an office…..
such + noun (pl.): Such products are……..
such + noun (pl.) + as: You have to consider such conditions as………..
some, any, no
suitable relative/ demonstrative pronouns/ adjectives
Be careful: although there are some other words too, that fit into the blank spaces, you must use
only the required pronouns/ adjectives
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The man 1. … is waiting next to 2. … car is my bus iness partner. 3. … say about him that he is
the greatest specialist in car marketing from our company. There is 4. … difficult problem 5. …
he can(not) find a solution for. When the company faces tough situations he raises his hand in
the middle of 6. … meeting and he asks 7. … questi on he is famous for: Can I be of 8. …help?
9. … 10. … don’t know him, would think he is mockin g, but we all know the fact 11. … he
speaks as seriously as he can. Nobody is offended by 12. … way of behaving since we can rely
on him in 13. … serious case 14. … appears. I don’t know 15. … idea was to hire him but he/
she did a good job.
Compare:
Jane is working for Mr. Jones this week because his secretary is on holiday.
(temporary situation)
Present Simple
Form: short infinitive;! 3rd pers. sg: + s;? do/ does(3rd pers. sg.); - don’t/
doesn’t He writes. Does he write? Yes, he does/ No, he doesn’t.
It indicates:
- habitual actions/ regular, repeated actions: He goes to work at 7 every morning.
- general truths, permanent situations: The sun shines.
- planned future actions, performed according to a schedule: The train leaves at 8
o’clock.
Specific adverbs: every day/ month/ year…, often, u sually, always, never
Present Continuous
Form: to be (in the present) + verb + -ing
It indicates:
- an action happening now: I am reading now.
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ENGLISH FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, 1ST YEAR
- an action happening in a limited period of time, a temporary situation: I am
writing the paper today.
- an arrangement in the near future: We are visiting them next week.
- complaints about bad habits: Why are you always interrupting?
Their progressive meaning is suggested by using CAN in front of some of them: I can hear. He
can see.
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Simple Past
Form:
Regular verbs: - ed: worked, dropped, played, tried
Irregular verbs: 2nd form: see, saw; write, wrote; buy, bought
It indicates:
- a past, finished action, having no connection with the present: He told me to be
punctual. When I was 20 I lived in London.
- An action performed in the past: We met two weeks ago.
- a past habit: He played football twice a week. = He used to play… = He would
play…..
Specific adverbs: yesterday, last week/ month/ year…, two days/ months/ years….ago, when
Past Continuous/Progressive
It indicates:
- past actions in progress: I was writing when he entered the room.
- gradual development: It was getting cold.
- Parallel actions in the past, one of which is in development: We listened to the
radio while we were having lunch.
- A gradual action, interrupted by a past, momentary action: I was writing when he
entered.
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- An action continuing, especially after the time it was expected to finish: At ten I
was still reading.
Specific adverbs: at….o’ clock, at that time, this time yesterday, this time last month…
1. When the manager arrived he noticed/was noticing that the secretary had left.
2. I was trying/tried to get in touch with your secretary all day yesterday but I couldn’t.
3. He typed/was typing the contract when his boss came/was coming in.
4. What did you do/were you doing yesterday as I tried/was trying to get through to you?
5. At that time he worked/was working in a pharmaceutical company.
6. I realised/was realising that somebody was ringing me up/rang me up as I was going/went
into the conference room.
7. My secretary did not understand/was not understanding how the new computer
programme was working/worked.
8. It was only later that I found out/was finding out there was somebody who knew/was
knowing that she spent/was spending time in prison at the time for tax evasion.
9. As nobody watched/was watching, it was easy for me to conduct the transaction my way.
10. He was going/went on his business trip to France when her plane crashed/was crashing.
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ENGLISH FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, 1ST YEAR
IV. Human Resources in Administration
You have just graduated (preferably in business administration) at university level or you have
already worked for several years at a consumer goods producer (cosmetics experience is
beneficial).
It indicates:
- action begun in the past that continues in the present: I have known him for two
years.
Specific adverbs: for, (ever) since, all day, often, seldom, ever, never always, yet
- past action with results in the present: He has broken his leg.
Specific adverbs: already, recently, lately, so far, till now, up to now, up to the present,
- just finished action: He has just entered. Have you seen him
yet? Specific adverbs: just, yet, already
- an action that has been completed: They have repaired the fax.
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Choose the correct tense (Past Simple, Present Perfect Simple) of the verbs given in
brackets to fill in the blanks in the following sentences:
Writing. Describe your favourite job in approximately 300 words. Give reasons in support of
your choice.
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CVs and letters of application
1. What information do you think you have to give in a curriculum vitae?
2. What is the role of the letter of application?
3. To what extent do the CV and the letter of application represent one’s suitability for a
certain position?
4. What aspects referring to your private life are of real interest to your potential employer?
5. What personal quality do you consider to recommend you as a potential reliable
employee?
The most common contents of a CV include:
Personal Details
Skills and Career Summary
Key Achievements
Qualifications
Career History
Don't forget: The ultimate test of YOUR CV is whether it meets the needs of the person making the buying decision,
and whether YOU feel comfortable with its content and style.
CURRICULUM VITAE
PERSONAL DETAILS
Name:
Date of birth:
Nationality:
Marital status:
Address:
Telephone:
EDUCATION/QUALIFICATIONS
(you can mention your education course periods in descending order; you may want to mention
outstanding achievements during each period)
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE/WORK HISTORY/WORK EXPERIENCE
(you can mention your employment periods in descending order; you may want to mention
outstanding achievements during each period)
ADDITIONAL SKILLS
(mention any training courses or periods of part-time employment that you consider relevant)
INTERESTS
(mention your favourite pastime activities, organisations or associations that you may belong to
especially if they are in a field relevant to the position you are applying for)
REFERENCES
(give two or three names of persons who have known you for some time and can recommend
you for the job)
ENGLISH FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, 1ST YEAR
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ENGLISH FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, 1ST YEAR
b) Consider the following advice on writing a letter of application (also called covering letter).
The letter of application introduces you and your CV to a recruitment consultant or potential
employer. Such a letter should contain three distinct parts:
Introduction and statement of source
Statement of relevance to role advertised
Conclusion
Introduction and Statement of Source
The first section should clearly state the source of the advertisement, ie the newspaper
name, Internet or other source, the date that it was advertised, the job number and reference
number, if provided.
Examples of the first paragraph in a letter of application are:
"I am writing to express my interest in applying for the role of Sales Manager, advertised in The Times on 13 May,
2000, Reference number MX/67845."
Or
"Following our recent conversation, I am writing to express my interest in the position of Architect that was
advertised on your Internet site on 13 February, 2000."
The purpose of this first paragraph is to clearly put you in the running for the job you have
applied for. Busy recruiters recruit a number of positions with similar titles at the same time, and
advertise these on similar dates. The first paragraph should give you a fighting chance for the job
by at least getting your application into the right pile.
Statement of Relevance to Advertised Role
The second section of your letter of application should clarify why you are an appropriate
candidate for this particular job. In preparing to write the second section, you should read the
advertisement clearly and identify the selection criteria articulated in the advertisement. You
should also be guided by conversations that you have had with recruitment consultants or company
recruiters, so that you clearly understand what they think is important in the role. They often give
you extra clues that are not in the advertised media. How you express this section is up to you. For
example, you might be more comfortable with the succinct:
"I believe I am ideally suited to this role because I have over 15 years experience in
sales, tertiary qualifications, managed accounts in excess of Ł10,000 etc, etc"
or you may prefer bullet-point form, for example:
"I believe I am ideally suited to this role because:
I have 15 years experience in sales
I have tertiary qualifications in sales and marketing
I have managed accounts well in excess of Ł10,000"
Concluding Section
In concluding your letter, express your interest in the job and provide any particular contact
details that may be unique, for example:
"I look forward to discussing this application with you in the near future. I can be contacted
on XXX or alternatively, XXX during work hours."
Another example might be:
"I look forward to discussing this application with you in greater detail in the near future
and will be available for interview at a mutually convenient time."
(www.contentmonster.co.uk/Job_hunting)
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The tense system: Present Perfect Continuous
1. This morning our secretary has written/has been writing more than twenty letters to our
suppliers.
2. I have been applying/have applied for various jobs since September.
3. They have been trying/have tried to attract them into a profitable partnership for a very
long time, but with little success.
4. Our production manager has made/has been making the same mistake again.
5. How many times have you brought up/have you been bringing up the issue of working
overtime in a production meeting?
6. Sales figures have improved/have been improving lately.
7. He has answered/has been answering the phone since 10 o’clock. That’s why he is so
tired.
8. We haven’t seen/haven’t been seeing our partner sin ce the end of July.
9. The candidate hasn’t said/hasn’t been saying a word about his qualifications yet.
10. Why haven’t we thought/haven’t we been thinking of this solution earlier? It could have
saved us.
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The interview
Reading
Before your interview, find out everything you can about the company (read their annual
report which can be obtained by telephoning them). Re-read your application, thinking through
your own career and the questions they might ask you. You should try to anticipate the general
questions which they will ask and also prepare some questions to ask them.
To do well at the interview you will need to convince the interviewer you are technically
qualified to do the job. You will also need to show that you are sufficiently motivated to get the
job done well and that you will fit in with the company’s organisational structure and the team in
which you will work.
You should dress smartly for the interview and should leave home earlier than you need to
on the day of the interview – you may be delayed by traffic or for other reasons. Be courteous to
all employees of the company. At the interview itself you must be positive about yourself and your
abilities – but do not waffle.
When you are being interviewed it is very important that you give out the right signals.
You should always look attentive – so do not slouch in your chair. Never lie to anyone in an
interview, your body language and tone of voice or the words you use will probably give you away
– classic body language giveaways include scra tching your nose and not looking directly at the
other person when you are speaking to them.
If you have a moustache you may want to consider shaving it off – people with moustaches
can be perceived as being aggressive. You can always grow it again once you have got the job.
(http://www.contentmonster.co.uk/Job_hunting)
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The Subjunctive
Form:
Synthetic: present subjunctive: identical with the short infinitive: be, have, work….
It indicates:
- a possible action: It is necessary that you be here. It is important that the president
inform the investors…
- expressions: Suffice it to say…. So be it!
It is used after:
- if, if only, as if, as though
- wish (to indicate regret, an unreal fact)
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The synthetic subjunctive is rarely used.
Analytical:
Form:
Should/ would/ may/ might/ could + short infinitive
Should/ would/ may/ might/ could + perfect infinitive
It indicates:
- hypothetical facts/actions (suppositions, doubts, conditions, concessions,
purposes): They took the airplane so that they might arrive in time.
- A less probable condition: If he should succeed, I will be happy.
- In negative purpose sentences, after lest, for fear, in case: They paid for fear they
shouldn’t get the merchandise.
It is used with:
- impersonal expressions: it is advisable/ important/ essential/ desirable/ possible/
likely/ probable/ strange/ unusual/ impossible/ (un)fortunate/, remarkable,
surprising: It is important that the chairman should call the meeting.
- it is/ was a pity/ shame/ surprise/ wonder: It was a pity (that) they should be fired.
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- the nouns: idea, hint, thought, reason, supposition: The idea that they should be
present annoyed her.
- the verbs: command, order, demand, insist, request, suggest, propose, arrange,
offer, agree, settle: They requested the goods should be delivered fast.
- adjectives: to be + glad, anxious, pleased, sorry: I was glad that he should
graduate this summer.
- After: although, though, whatever, however, no matter: He will win whatever he
should do. // so that: They phoned so that I wouldn’t be taken by surprise. I took
the money so that they could buy the firm.
Put the verbs in brackets in an appropriate form, depending on the subjunctive patterns
required by the context:
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light lit, lighted lit, lighted
lose lost lost
make made made
mean mean meant
meet met met
mislead misled misled
misspell misspelled, misspelled,
(UK also misspelt) (UK also misspelt)
mistake mistook mistaken
misunderstand misunderstood misunderstood
mow mowed mown, mowed
overcome overcame overcome
overdraw overdrew overdrawn
oversee oversaw overseen
overtake overtook overtaken
overthrow overthrew overthrown
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ENGLISH FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, 1ST YEAR
slay slew, slayed slain
sleep slept slept
slide slid slid
smell smelled, (UK also smelt) smelled, (UK also smelt)
sneak sneaked, (US also snuck) sneaked, (US also snuck)
sow sowed sown, sowed
speak spoke spoken
speed sped, speeded sped, speeded
spell spelled, (UK also spelt) spelled, (UK also spelt)
spend spent spent
spill spilled, (UK also spilt) spilled, (UK also spilt)
spin spun spun
spit spat, (US also spit) spat, (US also spit)
split split split
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wake woke woken
wear wore worn
weave wove, weaved woven, weaved
wed wedded, wed wedded, wed
weep wept wept
wet wet, wetted wet, wetted
win won won
wind wound wound
withdraw withdrew withdrawn
withhold withheld withheld
withstand withstood withstood
write wrote written
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*** Collins Cobuild English Language Dictionary (London: Collins ELT, Harper
Collins Publishers, 2003)
A.J. Thomson, A.V. Martinet, A Practical English Grammar (London: Oxford University
Press, 1996)
Vince, M., Advanced Language Practice (London: MacMillan Heinemann ELT, 1994)
Vince, M., Intermediate Language Practice (London: MacMillan Heinemann ELT, 1998)
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GERUND/INFINITIVE
ACTIVE/PASSIVE
MODALS
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57