Vocabulary blog - Banking

Hi there!
Hope you are making progress with your test preparations! Today, I’d like to introduce more useful vocabulary related to banking. Let’s check them out!

Banking

• bankrupt (adj./v.)

- being unable to pay debts (e.g. The company was declared bankrupt.)

- to reduce (a person or organisation) to bankruptcy (eg. The strike nearly bankrupted the union.)

• collateral (n.)

- property that you promise to give to somebody if you cannot pay back the money that you borrow (e.g. They put a piece of land up as collateral for bank loan.)

• credit (v./n.)

- to add an amount of money to somebody’s bank account (e.g. Your account has been credited with $4,500.)

- a sum of money paid into a bank account (e.g. You have been paid $4,500 by credit into your account.)

• deposit (v./n.)

- to put money into a bank account (e.g. I had my pay check deposited yesterday.)

- a sum of money paid into a bank account (e.g. You can make deposits at any branch.)

• interest (n.)

- the money that you pay for borrowing money or that you receive when investing money (e.g.  Interest rates have risen by 0.25% this year.)

• loan (v./n.)

- to borrow money from someone (e.g. The bank loaned the money to the company.) 

- the money that a bank lends to somebody (e.g. The company took out a loan for overseas investment.)

• lump sum  (n.)

- an amount of money that is paid at one time (e.g. I have decided to pay a lump sum to get a discount on interest.)

• repayment (n.)

- the act of paying back money such as bank loan (e.g. The loan is due for repayment at the end of the year.)

• withdrawal (n.)

- the act of taking money out of your bank account (e.g. ID card is required for making withdrawals at the bank.)

Hope you find these words helpful for your practice and don’t forget to always keep learning words. See you next time. Bye!

Vocabulary blog - Workplace

Hi there!

I hope you are making progress in learning new words that are helpful for the test. Today, I have some workplace-related words to discuss. I’m pretty sure that you know most if not all of them. Just have another look at them again to review their meaning.

Workplace

• ancillary (adj.)

- providing support to the main work (e.g. We need more ancillary workers to help with cleaning.)

• benefits (n.)

- an advantage provided by the company to employees in addition to normal wage (e.g. Group health insurance is offered as one of the employee’s benefits.)

• colleague (n.)

- a person who you work with (e.g. John went to the conference with his colleagues.)

• dismiss (v.)

- to remove somebody from their job (e.g. He was dismissed from his position for misconduct.)

• labour-intensive (adj.)

- requiring many people or more effort to do (e.g. This task is labour-intensive, so we need to recruit more people.)

• partition (n.)

- a wall which separates each part in an office (e.g. Our offices are separated by glass partitions.)

• punch in/out (v.)

- to record the time when people arrive at/leave from work (e.g. I was late this morning as I punched in at 8.45 a.m.)

• resignation (n.)

- the act of leaving or quitting a job (e.g. He submitted a letter of resignation a few day ago, but it hasn’t been approved yet.)

• stapler (n.)

- a tool used to put staples into paper (e.g. Print all of the documents and use the stapler on my desk.)

• workload (n.)

- the amount of work that has been done (e.g. We need to hire more staff to help with the current workload.)

Vocabulary blog - Technology

Hi there!

Our lives nowadays are more centred around technology, so you can’t avoid using the following words. Brush up your knowledge now!

Technology

• attachment (n.)

- a document sent to somebody together with an email (e.g. Please see the information in the attachment.)

• disconnect (v.)

- to officially cut a connection, etc. (e.g. His line was disconnected as he didn’t pay the phone bill.)

• ex-directory (adj.)

- not listed in the public telephone book (e.g. I don’t know how to contact him as he is ex-directory.)

• handset (n.)

- a mobile/cell phone (e.g. A handset becomes important for daily life as it facilitates communication.)

• intercom (n.)

- a system of communication inside an office (e.g. Staff actually communicate over the intercom.)

• interface (n.)

- the layout of the screen and the menus of a computer (e.g. We should simplify the interface of our website.)

• landline (n.)

- a telephone connection through wires carried on poles or under the ground (e.g. In certain areas, communication still relies on landlines rather than mobile networks.)

• netizen 

- a person who uses the Internet a lot (e.g. Nick became a real netizen as his job requires him to spend three-fourth of his time on the Internet.)

• toggle (v.)

- to press keys on a computer keyboard  to change between features (e.g. He toggled between two programs while working.)

• wireless (adj.)

- without wires (e.g. Wireless mice are commonly used these days.)

Vocabulary blog - Manufacturing

Hi there!
Some of you might work in an manufacturing department or coordinate in one way or another with a production section. If you do, the following words should sound familiar. Let’s check them out!

Manufacturing

• assemble (v.)

- to fit together all the separate parts of something (e.g. The furniture set will be assembled on site.)

• capacity (n.)

- the quantity that a factory or machine can produce (e.g. The maximum capacity of the machine is 1,500 pieces per day.)

• generator (n.)

- a machine for producing electricity (e.g. New generators have been installed for use during the power cut.)

• lead time (n.)

- the time between starting and completing a production process (e.g. The lead time between the placing of order and the delivery of finished products is approximately six months.)

• machinery (n.)

- a group of machines (e.g. The factory has just acquired new machinery for the new production lines.)

• output (n.)

- the amount of something that can be produced (e.g. The output was reduced last year due to the shortage of workers.)

• refinery (n.)

- a factory where a substance is made pure (e.g. My husband works as an engineer in an oil refinery.)

• shift (n.)

- a period of time worked by a group of workers  (e.g. We will be working the night shift next month.)

• warehouse (n.)

- a place where goods are stored (e.g. All of the merchandise is stored in the warehouse before transferring to the port.)

• workforce (n.)

- all the people who work for an organisation (e.g. The company is planning to expand the workforce for the newly established factory.)

Hope you had some fun learning the words. Perhaps, you knew some of them already. See you next time with more vocabulary practice!

Vocabulary blog - Hotel

Hi there!

I believe that most of you have been on vacation and stayed at hotels at some stage. Have you ever come across these words while you were in a hotel?

Hotel

• board (n.)

- the meals that are provided when you stay in a hotel (e.g. We paid $150 two-week board and lodging.)

 • concierge (n.)

- a hotel staff whose job is to help guests by giving them information, etc. (e.g. You can get the information about the sightseeing and public transportation from the concierge.) 

• hospitality (n.)

- generous and welcoming behaviour towards guests (e.g. She works in the hospitality industry, or more specifically, in the hotel business.)

• non-resident (adj.)

- not staying at a particular hotel (e.g. Non-resident guests are required to pay an extra charge for using the lounge.)

• reservation (n.)

- a booking of a seat, a room, etc. (e.g. Please make a reservation at least 7 before arrival at the hotel.)

• self-catering (adj.)

- providing accommodation with equipment necessary for cooking (e.g. We decided to stay in a self-catering accommodation for privacy.) 

• suite (n.)

- a set of special rooms in a hotel (e.g. Our honeymoon suite is still available at a special rate.)

• tariff (n.)

- a list of fixed prices charged by a hotel (e.g. Your mobile-phone tariffs will be charged to your room and will have to be paid upon checkout.)

• upgrade (v./n.)

- To give somebody a better room in a hotel than the one that they paid for (e.g. Your room will be upgraded to single deluxe.)- The process of receiving a better service/product than paid for (e.g. We received an upgrade to a larger room.) 

• vacancy (n.)

- an available room in a hotel (e.g.  We have no vacancies on the weekend.)

Vocabulary blog - Health

Welcome back to another vocabulary session!
Today, we’ll look at vocabulary related to health. Let’s check them out!

Health

• hospitalise (v.)

- to send somebody to the hospital (e.g. He was hospitalised for a car accident.)

• outpatient (n.)

- a patient who comes to receive treatment but does not stay in a hospital (e.g. The outpatient clinic is on the first floor.)

• physician (n.)

- a general doctor who doesn’t do surgery (e.g. You should consult a physician about your symptoms.) 

• medication (n.)

- drugs taken to treat illness (e.g. I feel better after taking medication.)

• prescription (n.)

- a formal list of medicines that a doctor orders you to take (e.g. The doctor gave me a prescription for painkillers.)

• addicted (adj.)

- unable to stop taking drugs (e.g. He became addicted to drugs and needed urgent treatment.)

• casualty (n.)

- a person who is killed or injured (e.g. A lot of car accident casualties have been recorded this holiday season.)

• pharmacist (n.)

- a person whose job is to prepare, give, or sell medicine (e.g. Please wait for your medicine from the pharmacist.)

• allergic (adj.)

- reacting in a negative way to something (e.g. I am allergic to all kinds of flowers.)

• burnout  (n.)

- being extremely tired or ill (e.g. One of my senior colleagues suffers job burnout as he works too hard.)

Vocabulary blog - Marketing

Hi everyone!

There are many words you can learn from reading advertisement or sale promotional materials. Have a look at these words which commonly used in Marketing

Marketing
• commercial (n.)

- a radio or television advertisement (e.g. There are too many TV commercials during the intervals of the talk show.)

• consumer (n.)

- a person who buys goods or uses services (e.g. Consumer demand should be taken into account when creating new products.)

• endorse (v.)

- to declare that you use or support a particular product (e.g. Big brands usually have celebrities to endorse their products in advertisements.)

• flagship (n.)

- the most important product, service, building, etc. that an organisation owns (e.g. Our flagship store is in Paris.)

• gimmick (n.)

- an unusual trick used to persuade people to buy something (e.g. Some companies use gimmicks in their advertisement s to attract consumers.)

• giveaway (n.)

- free stuff given for free along with sold products (e.g. I bought this shampoo because I wanted the giveaway that came with it.)

• launch (v./n.)

- to make a product available on the market (e.g. The new model is expected to be fully launched at the end of the month.)

- the process of introducing a new product (e.g. The product launch of the new model was very successful.)

• merchandise (n.)

- goods that are bought or sold (e.g. The merchandise should arrive at the destination within 7 days.)

• strategy (n.)

- the process of planning something (e.g. Effective strategies have been implemented to increase sales.)

• subliminal (adj.)

- affecting your mind unconsciously  (e.g. The public has been influenced by subliminal advertising that makes them want to buy products.)

Easy, right? Keep learning new words and you will definitely improve your vocabulary which will land you a better score in the test! See you again with some more words. Bye!

Vocabulary blog - Air travel

Hi everyone!
International travelling is always exciting and enjoyable (at least I like to think so)! Today, let’s study the words related to air travel together.

Air travel
• departure (n.)

- the act of leaving a place (e.g. The estimated departure time of the flight is 10.45 a.m.)

• disembark (v.)

- to leave an aircraft upon arrival at destination (e.g. We will disembark at 2.30 p.m.)

• immigration  (n.)   

- the place at an airport where the passports of people coming into a country are checked (e.g. Passengers need to go through the immigration upon landing.)

• long-haul  (adj.)

- involving the transport of passengers over long distances  (e.g. I always have to take long-haul flights to Europe.)

• overbook (v.)

- to sell more tickets on a plane than there are seats available (e.g. The flights are usually overbooked during long holidays.)

• stopover (n.)

- a short stay during  journey (e.g. We had a one-day stopover in Tokyo on the way to Miami.)

• terminal (n.)

- the building at an airport where air passengers arrive and leave (e.g. The second terminal of the airport was opened last month to accommodate the increasing number of international passengers.)

• touch down  (v.)

- to land on the ground (e.g. The plane will touch down in Bangkok in 20 minutes.)

• transit (v.)

- to pass through an area (e.g. We had to transit in Russia.)

• turbulence (n.) 

- sudden and violent changes in the direction that air is moving in (e.g. We can expect some turbulence when we begin our descend in 10 minutes.)

Vocabulary blog - General Business

Hi everyone!

I hope you enjoy practicing grammar and are ready for the test. However, understanding grammar might not be enough for getting a satisfactory score in TOEIC, especially in the Reading Section. You also need to know a fair amount of vocabulary to help you identify which words or phrases fit the prepositional meaning of the sentences (Part 5) and texts (Part 6). In any case, the more vocabulary you know, the better and faster you will understand the passages (Part 7) and identify the correct answers.
Some words have several meanings, but I will focus on business-related words as TOEIC is a professional English test. Therefore, I would like to present some useful words based on the business related topics. Let’s start with

General business

• accept (v)

- take something that is offered  (e.g. We can’t accept their proposal due to unfair conditions.)

• acquisition (n.)

- the acting of getting something (e.g. He’s conducting research on second  language acquisition.)

- something that is obtained (e.g. The latest acquisitions of the museum are a series of 17th century paintings.) 

- acquired properties, especially land or company (e.g. A South American millionaire has made several acquisitions in Asia.)

• approach (v./n.)

- talk to or ask someone for something or offer someone something (e.g. The man has been approached by many entrepreneurs who desire to buy his product for further development.) 

- a way of dealing with something (e.g. we need a whole different approach to the job.)

• bid (v./n.)

- to offer the pay a particular price for something (e.g. We bid $500 for the antique chair.) 

- an offer to pay a particular amount of money for something  (e.g. The company submitted a bid for the contract to build a new plant.)

• broker (v./n.)

- arrange or negotiate a deal or settlement. (e.g. The company brokered a deal with the competitor.)

- a person who buys and sells things for other people (e.g. She has been working as a stock broker since she graduated.)

• buyout (n./v.)

- the purchase of a company's shares to gain its management control and interest (e.g. Wintech Co. is taking a revised buyout bid from one of its competitors.)

- The action of purchasing all company shares (e.g. The board of directors decided to buy out all shares of the targeted company.)

• contract (n./v.)

- an official written agreement (e.g. We have just signed a contract with a construction company.)

- to enter into a formal agreement (e.g. We contracted with a local consultant.)

• deal (n./v.)

- an agreement on particular conditions for buying or doing something (e.g. It seems that they couldn’t close a deal as they failed to agree on the price.)

- to solve an issue (e.g. We dealt with financial crisis as good as we could.)

• merger (n.)

- the act of joining two or more organisations or businesses into one (e.g. The merger between the two companies is expected to take place in three months.)

• reject (v.)

- to refuse to accept or consider something (e.g. The application was rejected due to incomplete documents.)

Hope you enjoyed learning these business-related words! Try to make it a habit to learn new words, especially business-related ones. See you next time for more useful words.

Questions on subject-verb agreement

Subjects and verbs must always agree in English. The basic rule for subject-verb agreement is that singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs. For this reason, you must always identify the real subject in order to choose the correct verb form.

Let’s look at the first example:
1. The number of the students who register for the course __________ .
a) has been rising
b) have been rising
c) are rising
d) risen
The real subject of the above statement is “The number” which takes a singular verb as it is a singular noun in this sentence. The only singular verb among the given choices is a) has been rising.

Look at the next example:
2. All of the tourists’ luggage _______ at the concierge.
    a) leaving
    b) are left
    c) has been left
    d) were left
The subject of the statement is “luggage” which is an uncountable noun, so it is singular. The answer is, therefore, c) has been left.