Warm-up
Partnerships, Mergers & Company News
Partnerships, Mergers & Company News
After this lesson you'll be able to...
- Use key vocabulary for partnerships, mergers and company news
- Report what someone said with said, told and announced
- Change tenses correctly in reported speech
- Write and read a short press announcement
Get to know each other (3 minutes)
- Do you know any big companies that merged? Which ones?
- Is it better for a company to be small or big?
- Have you ever worked in a company during a big change?
- How do you usually hear news about your company?
Say it out loud
Report the news. → The CEO said that the two companies would merge next year.
Fact worth knowing
Vocabulary
Key vocabulary
Useful phrases
| The CEO said that the two companies would merge. | Генеральний директор сказав, що дві компанії об’єднаються. |
| She told us that the deal had been signed. | Вона сказала нам, що угоду підписано. |
| They announced that the company was expanding. | Вони оголосили, що компанія розширюється. |
| He said he was not worried about the news. | Він сказав, що його ця новина не турбує. |
| The press release was published yesterday. | Прес-реліз було опубліковано вчора. |
| I heard a rumour about a takeover. | Я чув чутку про поглинання. |
| We are happy to announce a new partnership. | Ми раді повідомити про нове партнерство. |
| Our shareholders welcomed the news. | Наші акціонери вітали цю новину. |
Try out the new words
Say one sentence with a new word. → …
Say one phrase from the list about your work. → …
Which word is it?
Fill in the missing word
Choose the correct word
Translate the phrase
Write each phrase in English.
Grammar
Reported speech
| say / tell / announce + that | She said that the deal was ready. He told us that it was ready. After tell we need a person (told us, told me). After say we do not (said that). |
| Tense moves one step back | present simple → past simple: “We are growing” → She said they were growing. past simple → past perfect: “We signed the deal” → She said they had signed the deal. |
| will → would, can → could | “We will merge” → He said they would merge. “We can help” → She said they could help. |
| Time words change | today → that day, tomorrow → the next day, yesterday → the day before, now → then, here → there. |
| Reporting questions | “Are you worried?” → She asked if I was worried. “Where is the office?” → He asked where the office was. No question order. |
Which sentence is correct?
Complete with the correct word
Rewrite it
Report what the person said. Several answers are possible.
Correcting mistakes
Each sentence has one mistake. Write the correct sentence.
Put the words in order
Put the words in the right order and write the full sentence.
Say it about your own work
Report one thing someone said today. → He said that …
Reading
Read: a press release
PRESS RELEASE — 12 May
NovaTech and GreenPower announce a merger
NovaTech and GreenPower announced yesterday that they would merge in January. The new company will have 1,200 employees and offices in six countries.
The CEO of NovaTech, Peter Hall, said that the deal had been signed after a year of talks. He told journalists that the companies shared the same values and that the merger would create strong synergy.
The head of GreenPower, Eva Stone, said that customers would not see any changes in the next six months. She added that the new company was planning to expand to Asia.
Shareholders welcomed the news. A spokesperson said that there were no plans to close any offices.
True or false?
NovaTech and GreenPower will merge in January.
The new company will have 120 employees.
Peter Hall said that the deal had been signed.
Eva Stone said that customers would see changes at once.
The new company is planning to expand to Asia.
Answer the questions
When will the companies merge?
How many countries will the new company have offices in?
What did Peter Hall say about the companies?
What did a spokesperson say about the offices?
Find the key language
Write the word (or phrase) from the text.
Fill in from the text
Why is this a good text?
Your own opinion
- Is this merger a good idea? Why or why not?
- What would you ask Peter Hall?
- How should a company inform its employees about a merger?
Practice
Picture the situation
Talks → Deal → Announcement → Integration. After a merger, communication is very important for all stakeholders.
Match the phrase to its function
Put the words in order
Put the words in the right order and write the full sentence.
Fill in the missing phrase
Say it in your own words
Write one sentence. Several answers are possible.
Translate into English
Write each sentence in English. Several answers are possible.
A useful tip
Speaking
How to use this section
Your tutor plays a colleague or a journalist. Report news and what people said, and ask about rumours. Use said that / told me that / announced that / asked if.
Sharing the news
Task: tell a colleague the news you heard.
Starter: "The CEO announced that the two companies would merge in January."
Reporting what a manager said
Task: report what your manager said at a meeting.
Starter: "She said that the deal had been signed, and she told us that nobody would lose their job."
Asking about a rumour
Task: ask a colleague about a rumour.
Starter: "I heard a rumour about a takeover. Did you hear anything? What did the manager say?"
Reporting a question
Task: report a question you were asked.
Starter: "He asked me if I was worried about the merger, and I said that I was not."
Writing news
Task: say a short press release aloud.
Starter: "We are happy to announce a new partnership between NovaTech and GreenPower."
Talking to a journalist
Task: answer a journalist’s question.
Starter: "Our CEO said that the merger would create strong synergy, and that customers would not see any changes."
Reassuring your team
Task: tell your team what will not change.
Starter: "The management told us that there were no plans to close any offices, so we will continue to work as usual."
Full conversation — no stops
With your tutor, role-play the day of a merger announcement: share the news, report what the CEO said, deal with a rumour and reassure the team — entirely in English.
Let's talk — reflection
- How do you feel about big changes at work?
- Is it better to get news from a manager or from colleagues?
- What is the hardest part of reported speech for you?
Cool down
Now I can...
- Use key vocabulary for partnerships, mergers and company news
- Report what someone said with said, told and announced
- Change tenses correctly in reported speech
- Write and read a short press announcement
Quick self-check
What happens to “will” in reported speech?
What happens to the past simple?
Which verb needs a person: say or tell?
One more thing before you go
Tell your tutor what someone told you today. → He/She said that …
Homework
Words to remember
| a merger | злиття (компаній) |
| an acquisition | поглинання, придбання (компанії) |
| a partnership | партнерство |
| a stakeholder | зацікавлена сторона |
| a shareholder | акціонер |
| a press release | прес-реліз |
| an announcement | оголошення, повідомлення |
| a deal | угода |
Fill in the missing word
Choose the correct form
Open the brackets
Correct the mistake
Each sentence has one mistake. Write the correct sentence.
Translate the phrase
Write each phrase in English. Several answers are possible.
Write it yourself
Write a short press release (6–8 sentences) about a real or imaginary partnership. Use at least four reported speech sentences with said, told or announced.
Practise out loud
Say your press release aloud as if you were a news presenter.
Read aloud
Read the text “a press release” aloud twice before the next lesson.
- 8.7 I did the writing task
- 8.8 I practised out loud
- 8.9 I read the text aloud twice