When you meet clients at the workplace or talk to people at presentations, meetings and conferences, you may have to talk about your company. Apart from explaining how your company is organised, you should also be able to describe your company’s operations.
Two of the most important language points when talking about your company are the correct usage of verb tenses and the passive voice. You will need to use a variety of verb tenses to talk about the past, present and future of your company. You’ll also need to use the passive voice when talking about your company’s organisation and structure.
Below we’ll give you some examples of how to talk about your company and explain your company’s organisation using a variety of verb tenses. We’ll also give you examples of the use of different question types to ask someone about their company.
VERB TENSES / FUNCTIONS:
Past Simple Tense / Past Accomplishments
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We won several awards for our products last year. We were the first company to … We introduced several unique designs during our first year. We doubled our sales last year. We opened five new branches in the first six months of this year. |
Past Simple Passive / Company History / Past Accomplishments
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The company was established in… Our first office was opened in… The firm was founded by Paul Jones in …. We were awarded several honours last year, including… We were recognised as pioneers soon after the company was established. |
Present Perfect Tense / Recent Actions/Accomplishments
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We have been the market leaders for the last five years. The company has set up two new offices in the last three months. We have acquired two companies during the last two years. We have signed partnership deals with a number of companies. |
Present Simple Tense / Current Company Facts
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We are currently the market leaders. We have a separate department for customer care. The company provides quality services to thousands of customers. We manufacture a range of quality products. We employ over 5000 staff. We manage over 800 properties. |
Present Simple Passive / Company Organisation
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The company is divided into seven departments. This division is headed by… The department is managed by… The department is organised into… This team is led by… |
Future Simple Tense / Plans/Expectations
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We will set up four new offices next year. The company will launch several new products this year. We will target new markets over the next five years. We will form partnerships across Asia. We will double our sales team in the coming months. |
QUESTION TYPES:
Question Statements/Indirect Questions
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I was wondering about your presence in China. I’d like to know more about your operations here. Perhaps you could explain more about your organisation. |
Open Ended Questions
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How is your company organised? How do you manage your marketing for this product? How does this department function? Why have you not opened a branch here? Who heads your sales department? Could you tell me a little more about your company? When was your company established? Who are your overseas clients? When do you expect to launch your new product? |
Closed Questions
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Has your company received any awards? Are you planning to release a new version soon? Have you had much success in this market? Is your manufacturing department based in the UK? Do you plan to open a branch here soon? |