Don't Make These 3 Movement Mistakes in Your Business English

Welcome to Business Fluency - a newsletter designed to enhance your understanding of essential business terms and concepts and provide you with practical strategies to boost your business and career prospects.

In today’s newsletter:

• Don't Make These 3 Movement Mistakes in Your Business English

• Quote of the day: Mark Twain

• What I’m Watching: Bring & Take

• Words of the day: Conference, Exhibition & Trade Fair

• Business English: Test Your Knowledge

• Whenever you are ready, here is how I can help you

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Don't Make These 3 Movement Mistakes in Your Business English

Simple fixes for directional verbs that confuse even advanced learners

Experienced English teachers frequently encounter errors repeatedly made by many English students. This might be because these mistakes weren't corrected properly in school or because teachers didn't explain these concepts clearly enough. Let's examine 3 of these mistakes connected with movement:

Bring and take

Use 'bring' when something is moving toward the speaker, and 'take' when something or someone is moving away from the speaker.

Imagine you're attending a trade fair and need a ticket to enter. Should I remind you to bring your ticket by saying,

or

You do not have enough information to answer this question because the answer depends on whether I am also going to be at the conference. If I am going, I will say:

If I am not going, I would say:

So, when you are reminding friends or colleagues about something, think about whether they will be bringing to you or taking away from you.

Go Home and Come Home

Similarly, many students do not understand the difference between 'come home' and 'go home'.

Let's say that you are promising to send an email when you get home. Do you say:

or

Again, it depends on the situation. If the person you are speaking to is at your house, either because they live in the same house or are visiting, you say:

However, the more usual situation is when the person you are speaking to does not live in the same house and won't be already there when you arrive, so you say:

You would also say this to a person who lives with you but is not there at the moment.

I ask my students to think about 'come to me' or 'go away from me'.

Forgot or Left

Finally, if you forget something, do not say the location. You will be surprised how many of my students come to lessons without their textbooks and say:

We never say this in English. When we 'forget' something, we're talking about the mental action of not remembering, not about physically leaving an object somewhere.

Students have two options:

or

Quote of the Day: Mark Twain

I know that the differences between the words in this newsletter are very small but my students want to be as accurate as possible and sound like a native English speaker.

In addition, according to Mark Twain:

A lightning bug is a firefly.

What I’m Watching: Bring & Take

There is a mistake in this video - did you spot it?

Words of the day: Conference, Exhibition & Trade Fair

Conference - noun - countable - a formal meeting where people gather to discuss ideas, share information, or make decisions, typically in a business or academic context

Exhibition - noun - countable - a public event where products, services, or works are displayed for viewing, often with the purpose of promoting them to potential customers or audiences

Trade Fair - noun - countable - a large event where businesses in a specific industry gather to demonstrate and promote their products or services, establish business relationships, and analyze market trends

Key Differences:

• A conference focuses on knowledge exchange, discussions, and networking

• An exhibition emphasizes displaying and viewing products or works

• A trade fair specifically targets business transactions and industry connections

Business Example: While the annual industry conference features expert speakers and workshops, the accompanying exhibition allows vendors to display their products, and the international trade fair section facilitates direct business negotiations between suppliers and buyers.

Language Note: In Italian business communication, the word "fiera" directly translates to "trade fair" in English, making it an important term to know when discussing international business events with Italian partners. A "fiera" could also refer to an exhibition, depending on the nature and purpose of the event.

Business English: Test Your Knowledge

Whenever you are ready, here is how I can help you:

We provide Business English lessons and Cambridge and IELTS preparation courses. You can book an online lesson over Zoom here:

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Why not subscribe to our sister Financial Fluency newsletter for English students interested in learning about the financial markets and investing?

Disclaimer:

This newsletter is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The information contained herein is generic and does not take into account your individual financial circumstances. You should always consult with a qualified financial professional before making any investment or financial decisions.

Additionally, the authors and/or publishers of this newsletter may hold investments in securities or other financial instruments mentioned herein. These are included for illustrative purposes only and should not be taken as a recommendation to buy or sell such securities or financial instruments.