Business negotiations: mastering conditional sentences

Summary

This 90-minute ESL lesson for B2 learners explores Business negotiations: mastering conditional sentences through a real article. Across 11 interactive exercises, you'll develop reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, practical communication, speaking skills — all built around authentic English content.

What you'll practise:

• 5 key vocabulary items with definitions and usage notes
• Grammar focus: mixed conditionals for negotiation with examples and practice
• Real-world phrases for making and responding to proposals
• Gap-fill and cloze exercises to test vocabulary in context
• Matching exercise to connect terms with their meanings
• Error correction to sharpen grammar awareness
• A reading passage to practise newly learned language

Lesson activities (11 exercises)

Each exercise builds on the previous one. Work through them in order for the best learning experience.

1. Warm-up — Discussion questions to activate what you already know about the topic.
2. Comprehension — Answer questions to check your understanding of the main ideas and supporting details.
3. Vocabulary — Learn key words and expressions from the article, with definitions and usage notes.
4. Fill the gaps — Complete sentences with the correct vocabulary. Drag and drop or type your answers.
5. Grammar — Study mixed conditionals for negotiation — explanation, examples, and key rules.
6. Error correction — Find and fix the mistake in each sentence — a great grammar workout.
7. Practical English — Learn phrases for making and responding to proposals — ready to use in real conversations.
8. Matching — Connect words, phrases, or concepts to their correct counterparts.
9. Reading — Read a short passage on the topic and answer comprehension questions.
10. Discussion — Reflect on the topic and share your opinions using the language you've learned.

Vocabulary

This lesson introduces 5 key terms drawn directly from the article:

• To meet someone halfway — to compromise with someone by accepting some of their demands.
• A sticking point — a specific issue that is preventing an agreement from being reached.
• To hammer out a deal — to reach an agreement after a long and difficult discussion.
• A win-win situation — an outcome that is beneficial and satisfactory to all parties involved.
• The bottom line — the final, non-negotiable point, price, or condition in a negotiation.

Grammar

This lesson focuses on mixed conditionals for negotiation.

Mixed conditionals combine parts of different conditional types, usually the second and third. They are very useful in negotiations to discuss how a past action affects the present situation, or how a different present reality could have changed a past outcome.

Examples from the lesson:

• If you had sent the proposal last week, we would be ready to make a decision now. — This structure (if + past perfect, would + verb) connects an unreal past condition to a present result.
• If our budget were bigger, we would have agreed to your terms yesterday. — This structure (if + past simple, would have + past participle) connects an unreal present condition to a past result.
• We wouldn't be facing this delay if you had been more flexible on the delivery date. — This is another example of a past condition affecting the present. The result clause can come first without 'if'.

Key rules:

• Past condition, present result: If + had + past participle, ... would + verb.
• Present condition, past result: If + past simple, ... would have + past participle.
• Remember that 'would' never goes in the 'if' part of the sentence.

Practical English

Making and responding to proposals

In any negotiation, clearly presenting your offer and responding to the other side's proposals are key skills. These phrases will help you sound professional and constructive, even when you disagree or need to find a compromise.

Phrases you'll learn:

• "We were thinking of something in the region of..." — a soft way to introduce your first offer, especially with numbers.
• "I'm not sure we can make that work on our end." — a polite and professional way to reject a proposal.
• "Would you be open to considering an alternative?" — a collaborative way to introduce a counter-proposal.
• "Where do we have some flexibility here?" — a direct but constructive question to find areas for compromise.
• "If you can commit to [a faster delivery], then we could agree to [the proposed price]." — a clear way to make a conditional offer.