General business English vocabulary are common in all areas of business. They are frequently used in everyday communication, and therefore, they are useful and practical. The following set of verbs comprise the third list of general Business English words covered on this website. They enable you to speak about decisions and actions within the business environment. They can be used to talk about executive actions and decisions, business deals and contract terms, correspondence, and Human resources procedures, and other areas.
| Accept |
| Approve |
| Proofread |
| Sign |
| Add |
| Remove |
| Reject |
| Refuse |
| Avoid |
| Confirm |
Accept
Example: The supplier has accepted the terms of payment suggested by our negotiator.
Approve
Example: New credit terms have been approved by the committee to help avoid delays and non-payment.
Proofread
Example: All contracts need to be proofread once by the person who drafts them and once by a colleague.
Sign
Example: Representatives of both parties are going to sign deals on behalf of their organizations.
Add
Example: An additional term was added to the contract, upon which delivery delays over 14 days would result in a significant charge payable by the supplier.
Remove
Example: The committee decided to remove him from his position due to his inappropriate reaction to recent conflicts.
| Note: The examples provided both above and below include passive forms of the verbs as they are quite common in formal settings. In order to review tenses refer to Business English grammar posts. |
Reject
Example: Her application is being considered at this moment, and it is unlikely to be rejected.
Refuse
Example: The supplier is likely to refuse credit facilities to the buyer due to bad reputation.
Avoid
Example: Avoiding conflict can be difficult when it comes to controversial issues in the meeting.
Confirm
Example: Specifications have been confirmed by our mechanical and electrical engineers.
These words are regularly used to talk about deals and contracts. They are easy to learn, remember, and use. The above-mentioned vocabulary can also be used to talk about HR decisions and actions as well as contracts terms and provisions. Most words can be used to express decisions made by the HR department in terms of recruitment, processes and procedures, and termination of contract.
As for contracts and business deals, these words easily enable you to express details regarding decisions in areas such as terms and provisions as well as approval or rejection. However, their use is not limited to the areas mentioned in this post. You may also see or hear them in other departments from manufacturing to R&D and accounting and finance.
Conclusion
General Business English vocabulary such as the verbs above are used in everyday activities and business settings. Due to their high frequency of use, they are easy to remember. Such words can be used to talk about various business activities in all areas such as HR, management, business deals, and so on.
Task 1
1. Explain about the recruitment process in your company using the words above.
2. Think of a time when you were discussing a potential contract in a meeting. What were the opinions of attendees and what was the outcome? Use the words above to provide details.
