English for Business Studies

• conglomerate merger: when two businesses with no connection merge together
• strategic alliance: when two or more firms agree to work together on a long-term basis
• franchise: where an established firm allows others to use their brand name and products/services
• greenmail: when a raider threatens to buy enough shares to gain control of a company, but then sells them back once they have been paid off with cash from the company.
• leveraged buyout (LBO): when a group of investors uses borrowed money to buy a business.
• management buyout (MBO): when managers buy the business they are working in.
• allocation (of resources)

  distribution according to a plan
• commercialize


  to organize something to make a profit
• externalities

  positive or negative consequences (benefits or costs) of economic activities experienced by other people.
• infrastructure

  basic systems and services such as transport and power supplies.
• optimal


  the best or most likely to bring success
• outcome


  the result or effect of an action or situation
• unfettered


  not limited by any rules or controls
• The tax ppl pay on their wages and salaries is called income tax.
• A tax on wages and salaries or on company profits is a direct tax.
• A tax levied at a higher rate on higher incomes is called progressive taxation.
• Describing Graphs

  UP - verbs

  • go up,
  • take off,
  • shoot up,
  • soar,
  • jump,
  • increase,
  • rise,
  • grow,
  • improve,
  • rocket
• Describing Graphs

  UP - nouns

  • an increase,
  • a rise,
  • a growth,
  • an improvement,
  • an upturn,
  • a surge,
  • an upsurge,
  • an upward trend
• Describing Graphs

  DOWN - verbs

  • go/ come down,
  • fall,
  • fall off,
  • drop,
  • slump,
  • decline,
  • decrease,
  • slip,
  • plummet,
  • shrink
• Describing Graphs

  DOWN - nouns

  a fall, a decrease, a decline, a drop, a downturn, a downward trend
• Describing Graphs

  NO CHANGE - verbs

  remain stable, level off, stay at the same level, remain constant, stagnate, stabilize
• Describing Graphs

  AT THE TOP - verbs

  reach a peak, peak, top out
• Describing Graphs

  AT THE BOTTOM - verbs

  reach a low point, bottom out, recover
• Describing Graphs

  DEGREES OF CHANGE

  Adjectives: dramatic, considerable, sharp, significant, substantial, moderate, slight

  Adverbs: dramatically, considerably, sharply, significantly, substantially, moderately, slightly
• Describing Graphs

  SPEED OF CHANGE

  abrupt, sudden, rapid, quick, steady, gradual, slow
• caveat emptor

  let the buyer beware

  In effect, the seller does not have the responsibility to provide information or make promises on the quality of an item being sold.

  For example, if you buy a lawn mower at a yardsale, the seller is not required to guarantee that it will work as promised. The buyer should conduct due diligence of the product beforepurchase.
• premise: a previous statement or proposition from which another is inferred or follows as a conclusion.
• inference: the act or process of deriving logical conclusions from premises known or assumed to be true.
• business cycle: the fluctuations in the economy over a period of time.
• upturn or upswing:

  • an improvement or upward trend, especially in economic conditions or someone's fortunes.
  • a period during which economic activiry increases and the economy is expanding.
• If an upturn or upswing lasts a long time it is called a boom.
• depression: a more severe form of recession where unemployment rises sharply and many businesses fail.
• downturn or downswing: a decrease in activity or prosperity; a decline
• recession: a period when there is little growth in business activity and high levels of unemployment.
• inflation: a general increase in prices across the whole economy.
• deflation: a decrease in the average level of prices across the whole economy.
• recession: a significant fall in GDP lasting at least six months.
• disinflation: a slowing down of inflation.
• disinflation: when inflation falls but remains positive.
• The highest point of the business cycle is a peak, which is followed by a downturn, during which the amount of economic activity decreases.