Business English: Arrangements and Planning with Present Continuous

Session Overview and Logistics

  • Greeting and Context: The professor greets the class, noting that they usually teach at night but this is an afternoon session.
  • Attendance Tracking: Initial attendance showed 8 out of 22 students connected. The professor downloaded the attendance list for those present early and requested that students turn on their cameras to comply with rules.
  • Grading Status: The professor mentioned being in the process of correcting last week's work and noted that some students still owe homework. Upcoming deadlines were emphasized as the professor intended to close previous assignments.
  • Quiz Schedule Clarification: A discussion ensued regarding a scheduled quiz.
    • Initially, the professor stated a seven-question quiz on Respondus was planned for the end of the current session.
    • Ismail intervened, noting that the syllabus scheduled group work for Week 10 and the second quiz for Week 11.
    • The professor consulted the syllabus (created in April) and confirmed the correction: the quiz will take place next week instead, after the role-play presentations.
  • Technological Requirements: Students were reminded they need a laptop with Respondus LockDown Browser for future quizzes. Students having technical difficulties were advised to arrange to visit the university campus to take the quiz.

Defining Arrangements and Planning

  • Arrangement: Described as the act of making formal agreements or preparations to do something.
  • Planning: The process of making a detailed proposal for doing or achieving something, often involving dates, times, and specific tasks.
  • Future Engagements: In a business context, an "engagement" refers to professional appointments such as meetings, travel plans, and project deadlines, rather than social or personal definitions (like marriage engagements).
  • The Goal of Business Communication: Essential to discuss and arrange future events clearly to stay organized and meet fixed deadlines.

Grammar: Present Continuous for Future Plans

  • General Use vs. Future Use: While the present continuous is typically for actions occurring "right now," in business English, it is frequently used to discuss future plans that are already defined, scheduled, or decided upon.
  • Verb to be Conjugation for the Present Continuous:
    • I→amI \rightarrow \text{am}
    • You (singular)→areYou \text{ (singular)} \rightarrow \text{are}
    • He,She,It→isHe, She, It \rightarrow \text{is}
    • We,You (plural),They→areWe, You \text{ (plural)}, They \rightarrow \text{are}

Sentence Structures for Future Arrangements

Affirmative Form
  • Structure: Subject+am/is/are+verb+-ing+future time reference.\text{Subject} + \text{am/is/are} + \text{verb} + \text{-ing} + \text{future time reference}.
  • Internal Example: "We are meeting with the client next Monday."
  • Classroom Example: "We are having lunch after the Honor Roll next Friday at Salt and Pepper."
    • In this sentence, "are having" is the present continuous verb, and "next Friday" serves as the future time reference.
Negative Form
  • Structure: Subject+am/is/are+not+verb+-ing+future time reference.\text{Subject} + \text{am/is/are} + \text{not} + \text{verb} + \text{-ing} + \text{future time reference}.
  • Example: "I am not traveling to New York next week."
  • Transformation Example: The sentence "We are having lunch…" becomes "We are not having lunch after the Honor Roll…"
Interrogative (Question) Form
  • Structure: Am/Is/Are+Subject+verb+-ing+future time reference?\text{Am/Is/Are} + \text{Subject} + \text{verb} + \text{-ing} + \text{future time reference}?
  • Example: "Are they attending the conference next month?"
  • Transformation Example: To turn the affirmative example into a question, the verb "to be" is moved to the beginning: "Are we having lunch after the Honor Roll next Friday?"

Distinguishing Between Future Tenses

In business, it is vital to choose the correct tense based on the level of certainty and the nature of the plan:

  • Present Continuous: Used for definite, fixed plans or arrangements that have already been decided and scheduled.
    • Example: "We are meeting the client on Tuesday."
  • Will: Used for decisions made at the moment of speaking or for making predictions about the future.
    • Example: "I will call the client later today."
  • Going To: Used for intentions or future plans that are not yet officially arranged or do not have a set date.
    • Example: "I am going to visit the New York office next month (but the date isn't set yet)."

Examples of Business Engagements

  • Scheduling Meetings:
    • "We are meeting with the board of directors on Friday to review the quarterly results."
    • "They are presenting the new product next Wednesday."
  • Travel Plans:
    • "I am flying to London next week for the client meeting."
    • "She is attending a conference in Paris next month."
  • Project Deadlines:
    • "We are submitting the final report by Friday."
    • "The marketing team is launching the new campaign in two weeks."

Confirming Future Plans

  • Importance: Confirming ensures all parties are aligned and reduces the chance of misunderstandings.
  • Phasing for Confirmation:
    • "Just to confirm, we are meeting on Friday at 10 AM, correct?"
    • "I want to make sure that you are coming to the client presentation next Monday."
    • "I just want to confirm that we are traveling to the New York office on the 15th."
  • Real-World Contexts: The professor shared anecdotes about doctor's appointments (e.g., Dr. Gonzalez's office). In modern contexts, confirmations often happen via text messages or apps (e.g., the "HeLo" app used by PrimeMed) rather than appointment cards or phone calls.

Assignments and Practice

Multiple Choice Scrutiny
  • Question: Which of the following sentences correctly uses the present continuous tense to describe a future arrangement?
    • Options: 1. I am meeting with the team next Friday. 2. I will meet with the team next Friday. 3. I meet with the team next Friday. 4. I am going to meet with the team next Friday.
    • Analysis: While "I am going to meet" sounds correct colloquially, technically "I am meeting" (Option 1) is the correct present continuous form for a fixed, definite arrangement.
Group Work: Business Lunch Role Play
  • Task: Students must form groups to create a business lunch scenario.
  • Scenario Ideas: Introducing a new colleague, discussing a current project, or celebrating a successful project completion.
  • Required Roles:
    • Person 1: Responsible for introduction.
    • Person 2: Responsible for ordering food.
    • Remaining: Engaging in "small talk" (e.g., discussing weather, local food, or touristic places).
  • Deliverables: A written script/outline must be uploaded to the platform (worth 30 points).
  • Presentation: Groups will present live on camera next week.
  • Evaluation Criteria: Originality, grammar usage, language accuracy (including pronunciation of numbers), and quality of the presentation.

Questions & Discussion

  • Student Inquiry (Ismail): Questioned whether "will" or "going to" could be used in the multiple-choice example. The professor clarified that while those reflect future intent, the present continuous specifically requires the "Subject + be + verb-ing" format for fixed schedules.
  • Logistics Check: Several students (Shomada, Cassandra, Wanda, Laura, etc.) interacted via voice or chat regarding attendance and group formations.
  • Pronunciation and Verbal Cues: The professor encouraged practicing numbers and specialized vocabulary to avoid mistakes during the role-play. Mention of the Manatee area and local spots like "Salt and Pepper" were used as local cultural references for the small talk demonstration.
  • Closing: The professor confirmed the schedule for next week: "We are meeting next week" for role-play presentations and the seven-question quiz.