Ellipsis and substitution for concise business communication

Summary

This downloadable PDF lesson helps B2-level business English students master the art of concise communication. The material focuses on teaching ellipsis and substitution to help students make their writing and speaking more direct and efficient in professional settings.

This lesson guides students through practical exercises to improve their communication skills. Activities include a listening gap-fill, a vocabulary matching task, comprehension questions based on a blog article about brevity in the workplace, and grammar drills on rewriting sentences.

Students will apply these techniques in a final speaking activity, ensuring they can use ellipsis and substitution confidently. The material is designed to build fluency in natural, professional English and boost overall workplace efficiency.

Activities

• A warm-up discussion about the importance of concise communication in a business context.
• A listening gap-fill exercise focused on understanding the benefits of using ellipsis and substitution in team communication.
• A grammar exercise where students rewrite sentences to make them more concise by applying the rules of ellipsis and substitution.
• A reading comprehension activity based on a blog article, "The Power of Brevity," followed by true/false questions to check understanding.
• A final speaking practice where students discuss scenarios and apply concise communication techniques in their responses.

The Benefits of Concise Communication

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Vocabulary focus

The vocabulary section introduces key terms related to efficient communication in a business environment. Words include 'streamlines,' 'concise,' 'omit,' 'clarity,' 'productivity,' and 'internal communications.' Students practice these terms through a matching exercise.

Grammar focus

This lesson concentrates on two key grammatical techniques for concise communication: ellipsis (omitting understood words) and substitution (replacing phrases with shorter words like 'it', 'they', or 'do so'). The grammar practice is highly practical, focusing on rewriting sentences to avoid repetition and improve clarity.