Financial reporting: adding emphasis with cleft sentences

Financial reporting β€” a C1 English lesson. Practise using cleft sentences for emphasis and expand vocabulary around presenting company performance.

Financial reporting: adding emphasis with cleft sentences

Summary

This ESL lesson for C1 English students explores Business English presentations. Using a real audio as the basis for discussion, students develop listening comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar skills across a 90-minute class.

The grammar focus is Cleft Sentences (It-clefts and Wh-clefts). Key vocabulary includes revenue drivers (noun phrase), stakeholder concerns (noun phrase), strategic implications (noun phrase) and more, all drawn directly from the source material. The practical English section gives students useful phrases for real-life situations: You are in a meeting presenting financial data. You need to guide your audience through the information, highlight key points, and manage questions effectively..

Activities

Vocabulary focus

The vocabulary section introduces C1-level words and phrases related to Business English presentations. Key terms include revenue drivers (noun phrase), stakeholder concerns (noun phrase), strategic implications (noun phrase), allocate (verb), the bottom line (noun phrase). Students practise using these terms in context through exercises drawn from the source material.

Grammar focus

This lesson focuses on Cleft Sentences (It-clefts and Wh-clefts). Cleft sentences are used to add emphasis to a particular part of a sentence. They are especially useful in presentations to draw the audience's attention to the most critical information.

CTA Image
Presenting financial reports to stakeholders
Access lesson

Related

Workplace chat: mastering small talk
B1 Business Work Lifestyle Practical English Audio

Workplace chat: mastering small talk

Workplace communication β€” a B1 English lesson. Practise the Past Simple and future forms while expanding your vocabulary for making small talk at work.