100 Common Business English Questions | How to Ask and Answer Questions Professionally in English

- Hello, lovely students,

and welcome back to "English with Lucy."

Today's video is perfect for you

if you're looking to improve your business English

or your professional English.

Today, my husband is going to ask me

100 of the most common business English questions.

I'm going to give genuine answers

so that you can learn real English.

As always, there is a free PDF

that goes with today's video.

It's got all of the questions

so you can use them to practise yourself,

plus a transcript of my answers

and extra information and activities.

If you'd like to download that PDF,

just click on the link in the description box,

you enter your name and your email address,

you sign up to my mailing list,

and the PDF will arrive directly in your inbox.

After that, you'll automatically receive

my free weekly lesson PDFs

along with all my news, course offers, and updates.

Hey, future Lucy here.

I wanted to tell you about something really exciting

that I've been working on for quite a while.

I know that lots of you want to improve your English

in order to get a job

or improve your career prospects.

I also know that lots of you have an aim

to sound professional and experienced

when you speak,

nearly all of you want to use vocabulary

that is appropriate and relevant for the work place.

Those are the reasons why I have created

my 30-Day Business English Challenge.

This Business English challenge

will teach you to speak and understand

professional English in context

using a really fun, interesting,

and effective methodology

that will help you to retain and remember

what you've learned.

In the challenge, we cover 10 topics,

each topic lasts for three days,

and in those three days,

I will teach you between 22 and 40

new vocabulary words and phrases,

business vocabulary.

Every three days,

you get two video days and one listening day,

so that's two reading and vocabulary video days

and one listening practise day.

On the reading and vocabulary days,

I read you a text

that contains lots of relevant vocabulary.

We then discuss all of the vocabulary,

their meanings, examples, how you use them.

Because you're listening to me reading the texts,

you're not only improving your vocabulary

but also your pronunciation.

On each of these days,

you also receive 20 exercise questions

testing you on the vocabulary that you've just learned

and importantly,

the vocabulary that you've learned in previous days.

This is really important

for helping you to remember and retain at vocab.

You also have extra reading opportunities

discussing English workplace culture.

On the listening days, you'll participate

in some amazingly effective listening exercises

using the vocabulary you've just learned

so it'll be further cementing it in your brain.

Every day for the 30-day challenge,

you can access the comment section

and ask questions to me and my teachers,

and we can give you feedback.

By the end of the 30 days,

you will have learned over 280 new vocabulary phrases,

including idioms, phrasal verbs,

collocations, slang terms, you name it.

You'll have taken over 400 vocabulary exercises

and 230 listening exercises.

Imagine the progress that you'll make

in just 30 days.

But don't worry,

if 30 days is too intense for you

or you can't start immediately,

you have lifetime access to the course content.

Once you buy it, it's yours to keep.

Another nice feature

is that when you complete the course,

you get a digital certificate of completion.

Previous challenge students love to use this

alongside their CV

to prove that they've taken

a certain amount of classes.

Now, the price of this Business English Challenge

will be $129 plus taxes.

However, as it's new,

I'm doing a special introductory offer

and it's a big discount. (chuckles)

You can save $40, taking the price down to $89

plus your country's tax.

If you want to claim this discount,

you have to apply the code 40BIZYT.

There is a deadline.

The challenge starts on the 1st of May 2022

and after that first day,

the code will expire and enrollment will close.

Thousands and thousands of students

have participated in my previous challenges

and they have the most amazing feedback.

It has been wonderful meeting them all.

I love having that smaller group of students

that I can talk to,

I can recognise their names.

Don't miss out.

Sign up before the 1st of May,

invest in yourself,

and enjoy the benefits of the Business English Challenge.

Right, let's get started with the questions.

- [Will] Where do you work?

- I work for teaching company.

- [Will] What is your job title?

- CEO.

- [Will] Do you like your job?

- I love my job.

- [Will] What is the most important part of your job?

- I love teaching my wonderful students.

- [Will] How many days a week do you work?

- Five to seven.

- [Will] Do you have a boss?

- I am my boss, but I work with my husband.

Sometimes, he bosses me around.

- [Will] What was your first job?

- I was a waitress at the local pub.

- [Will] What job would you never, ever do?

- I don't think I'd like to be a chef.

It's too much pressure.

- [Will] Would you like a new job?

- No, I'm really happy with this one.

- [Will] Would you recommend your line of work to others?

- If you enjoy teaching,

then I think it's a fabulous career path.

- [Will] What did you do this weekend?

- This weekend, we did a little bit of work

in the morning, and then we relaxed.

- [Will] What will you do after work?

- Well, it's quite late right now.

I think we'll eat dinner and go to bed.

- [Will] How was traffic today?

- I didn't drive today.

I work from home.

- [Will] When are you taking time off?

- We are going away next month on a holiday.

- [Will] What will you do on your holiday?

- Relax, explore, and hopefully visit some vineyards.

- [Will] Any plans for the weekend?

- This weekend, it's Easter

and we're going to see our families.

- [Will] What will you do for lunch?

- Normally, I have a salad for lunch.

- [Will] Would you like to go to lunch with me?

- With you?

Every day. (chuckles)

- [Will] Are you working late tonight?

- Yes. I'm working unusually late tonight.

- [Will] What time did you clock in this morning?

- I started work at around 8:30 this morning.

- [Will] Did you find a good parking spot?

- I didn't have to park.

(chuckles) I work from home.

- [Will] What time do you get home from work?

- I normally try to finish working

at around five to six o'clock.

- [Will] How do you get to work?

- I leave my bed, go downstairs,

and sit down at the table.

- [Will] Would you get public transport to work?

- If I didn't work from home,

I would absolutely get public transport to work.

- [Will] How are your kids?

- I don't have any, yet. (chuckles)

- [Will] Do you ever work overtime?

- Yes. I think it's the nature of running your own business.

- [Will] How many meetings do you attend in a week?

- Probably 7 to 10.

- [Will] Did you receive training?

- Yes. I did receive training.

- [Will] Do you think the company is run well?

- I hope so. (chuckles)

- [Will] How long have you been working here?

- I started this business in January 2016.

So is that six years?

- [Will] Have you received a promotion?

- No. I've always been the CEO. (laughs)

- [Will] How often do you get a raise?

- I like to pay myself slightly more each year.

- [Will] How well do you get on with your boss?

- With my business partner, my husband?

Extremely well.

- [Will] Do you get on with your coworkers?

- I have a lovely team.

- [Will] What does your average day look like?

- I like to break up my day with exercise and dog walks.

- [Will] Would you change anything about your daily routine?

- Yes. I'd like slightly more free time.

- [Will] Do you get to travel for work?

- Before the pandemic, I travelled quite a lot.

It's starting to pick up now.

- [Will] What is the most challenging part of your job?

- Receiving criticism from strangers.

- [Will] Do you have to work at the weekends?

- Sometimes I do.

In fact, oftentimes I do.

- [Will] Does management support you?

- My husband is very supportive.

- [Will] How did you find this job?

- I think I was very lucky

and a bit lost as a 21-year-old.

- [Will] Are you interested in a full-time

or a part-time position?

- I enjoy working in a full-time position,

but one day, I might like to move

to a part-time position.

- [Will] Did you bring your CV?

- Do you know what?

I don't have a CV or a resume.

Maybe I should make one.

- [Will] Do you have a degree?

- Yes, I do have a degree.

- [Will] What is your degree?

- It is a first-class honours in marketing communications.

- [Will] What was your last job?

- My last job was an English teacher.

- [Will] How long did you work there?

- I worked as an English teacher for three years

before starting my business.

- [Will] Why did you leave your last job?

- It was a natural progression.

- [Will] Do you have references?

- I'm sure I could ask some of my previous bosses for you.

- [Will] Do you work well with others?

- I'd like to think I do,

but I do like being alone.

- [Will] Can you work in a group setting?

- I can, but I'd prefer not to.

- [Will] What is your biggest strength?

- I think I'm very creative.

- [Will] What is your biggest weakness?

- Sometimes I get a bit stressed.

- [Will] Have you always worked in the education industry?

- No, before I was a teacher,

I worked in marketing.

- [Will] Do you like to work outdoors?

- No, because the wind

makes an awful noise with my camera.

- [Will] Are you an organised person?

- In my work life, yes.

In my personal life, no.

- [Will] What are your short-term goals?

- I would like to release

a fantastic intermediate English course.

- [Will] What are your long-term goals?

- To live a happy life.

- [Will] Why should we hire you?

- I think I'm proactive, creative, and enthusiastic.

- [Will] When can you start?

- Immediately!

- [Will] Are you comfortable using a computer?

- I'm very comfortable using a computer.

- [Will] Can you use Microsoft Office?

- Yes, I can use that quite well.

- [Will] Are you proficient in using spreadsheet software?

- Yes, I have quite a lot of experience using spreadsheets.

- [Will] How fast can you type?

- Very quickly!

- [Will] What other software are you familiar with?

- You name it; I've probably tried it.

- [Will] Do you own a laptop?

- I do! Grey. (laughs)

- [Will] Are you comfortable using social media?

- Oh, I guess so.

- [Will] Have you managed a social media account?

- Yes, I've managed quite a few in my time.

- [Will] Can you edit videos?

- Yes, I started off editing my own videos.

- [Will] Have you ever used Photoshop?

- I have. I wouldn't say it's my biggest strength.

- [Will] How do you plan your days?

- I use Google Calendar,

and I put everything I need to do in it.

- [Will] How are you with time management?

- I'm quite good; I could be better.

- [Will] Do you always meet your deadlines?

- Not always, but I try my best.

- [Will] Are you comfortable asking for help?

- I always ask for help.

- [Will] Do you like helping people?

- Yes, It's my job! (laughs)

- [Will] Do you often feel overwhelmed?

- I sometimes feel overwhelmed,

but I think I'm quite good at managing it.

- [Will] Do you consider yourself to be a good leader?

- I'm new to being a leader,

and I'm learning a lot.

- [Will] How do you balance your work and personal life?

- With a bit of difficulty, but I'm working on it.

- [Will] How do you prioritise tasks?

- When's the nearest deadline?

- [Will] How do you handle stress at work?

- I go on a dog walk,

and I talk to my husband.

- [Will] Are you optimistic?

- I'd say I'm very optimistic,

sometimes too optimistic.

- [Will] Do you enjoy public speaking?

- I don't enjoy the build-up,

but I enjoy having done it.

- [Will] Do you finish what you start?

- Not always.

If I don't see some something as going somewhere,

then why finish it?

- [Will] Would your friends describe you as trustworthy?

- Yes, I think most of my friends

would describe me as trustworthy.

- [Will] Is your personality suited for this job?

- I think so.

Otherwise, I would've given up

- [Will] What makes a good friend?

- I think good friends are people

that you can go a long time without seeing,

but you see each other,

and it's like no time has passed at all.

- [Will] Are you easy to anger?

- No, but if you repeatedly disappoint me,

then I will become angry.

- [Will] What makes you angry?

- Bad customer service

and overpromising and underdelivering.

- [Will] Is there an absolute right and wrong?

- Hardly ever.

- [Will] Do you pay your bills on time?

- I always pay my bills on time.

- [Will] Do you prefer variety or routine?

- I like a bit of both,

but probably more of a routine.

- [Will] Do you prefer to work quickly or focus on details?

- It depends what I'm doing,

but in general, I prefer to work quickly.

- [Will] Is it ever okay to lie?

- Yes, it's sometimes okay to lie

if it stops people from having their feelings hurt.

- [Will] What traits are important in a boss?

- Patience, good communications skills,

the ability to teach, and the ability to praise.

- [Will] What makes a good leader?

- Somebody who leads by example.

- [Will] Who is a business leader that you admire?

- I really admire Marcia Kilgore.

- [Will] Describe yourself in one word.

- Happy.

- [Will] What is your greatest achievement?

- Creating a business

that helps people around the world.

- [Will] If you could have dinner and talk with anyone,

who would it be?

- Probably Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

She seems hilarious.

- [Will] If you could go back

and change anything in your life,

what would it be?

- I don't think I would change anything

because I'm happy with how everything is right now.

- [Will] Your email address?

- Email address?

- [Will] Would you like to carpool karaoke (indistinct),

all right?

24, would you like to carpool with me?

- Did you say karaoke automatically?

- [Will] Yeah,

because that's how it ends. (Lucy laughing)

Didn't it? - That's so random.

No, carpooling is like sharing cars to work.

- [Will] Oh, I thought it was carpool karaoke...

Whatever! (Lucy laughing)

Once you're sharing your (laughter drowns out Will).

- Would you like to carpool with me?

- [Will] Why should we hire you?

- Why should you hire me?

Creating a business, business. (laughs)

(Will laughs)

Creating a business that help people to speak.

(laughter drowns out Will)