Speak like a Manager: Verbs 2 – Opposites

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Hi. I'm Rebecca from engVid, back with another "Speak Like a Manager" lesson.

All of these lessons are designed to help you improve your level of business English

so that you can sound more professional in the workplace.

Now, in this particular lesson, we're going to focus on a very important part of any English

sentence, which is the verb.

And we're going to look at business verbs that are opposites.

So, first I'm going to give you the opposites, and then we'll play a little game to help

you make sure that you actually know them when you need them, because in speaking, you

can't think too much.

You've got to work fast and think on the spot.

So, let's get started.

So, the first pair of words and verbs is: "increase" and "decrease".

Say it after me: "increase", "decrease".

So, "to increase" means to go up - prices went up, prices increased; prices decreased.

So, "decreased" means to go down.

The next pair: "promote", "demote".

Say it after me: "promote", "demote".

So, what does that mean?

When somebody gets a higher position, he is promoted or she is promoted; when somebody

gets a lower position, that means they had a certain position and now they have been

They lost that higher position and they've been given a lower position, then that person

Now, that often happens...

For example, you might hear about it happening in the army; somebody had a higher-level position

and now they have a lower-level position.

They were demoted.

Doesn't happen all that often, but it does happen, and you want to make sure that you

have the vocabulary to express that situation.

"Promote", "demote".

Next: "hire" and "fire" or "dismiss".

So, "hire", you know, is like "recruit"; when someone is given a job.

When a company takes a person on and gives him a job or gives her a job, they hire that

And when that person is told to go away, they no longer have their job, the slang for that

So, lots of people know the opposite: "hire" and "fire", but "fire" is actually slang.

"Hire" is not slang; "hire" is a proper business word.

Another business word, here, is "recruit", but let's stay with "hire".

"Fire" is slang, so instead of...

Maybe you don't want to use the slang term; you want to use the proper businesslike term,

and the proper word for that is to "dismiss".

Somebody was dismissed.

That means they were told to go away; their job was not there anymore.

They didn't have their job anymore.

They were dismissed.

Now, you might hear the word "dismissed" in a slightly different context.

Sometimes you might see it in a movie where they're showing somebody in the army, and

the General is telling the soldier: "Dismissed.

You are dismissed."

So that also has the idea of being told to go away, but it doesn't mean that person...

That soldier has lost his or her job; it just means they're telling them: "Okay, you have

my permission to go away."

So there's a slightly different meaning of to dismiss someone.

But in the business context, usually to dismiss someone means to no longer...

To tell them you no longer have your job.

Let's look at another pair of words: "to deposit money"-okay?-or "deposit a cheque in the bank",

and then you "withdraw" or "take out money or cash from the bank".

So, "to deposit" means to put into the bank; "to withdraw" means to take out.

The next thing also has to do with money, which is you can "save" your money, keep it-all

right?-not use it; or you can "spend" your money.

You can buy lots of things.

When we buy things, we spend money.

When we don't buy, we just keep the money, then we save the money.

We might save it under our mattress, or usually nowadays we save it in the bank.

But to save or spend.

Repeat it after me: "save", "spend".

Let's repeat some of the other ones: "deposit", "withdraw".

"Hire", "fire", or: "hire", "dismiss".

And: "promote", "demote".

We already said the first one.

Let's go to number six: "borrow" and "lend".

So, if a person goes to the bank and wants to buy a car, doesn't have enough money, so

he needs to borrow money from the bank.

And the bank will do what?

Lend money; give money.

Give money and ask for it back with some interest.

So, a person borrows; a bank lends, usually.

That's a good way to do it.

Sometimes people lend money to each other and people borrow money from each other, but

the example of the bank will help you to understand the meaning very clearly.

A person borrows; the bank lends.

Next: "import" and "export".

So this word...

These verbs refer to the act of bringing goods into a country - when you do that, you import;

and when you send goods out of the country, you export them.

One way to remember "export" is like the word "exit" - also starts with "ex", so the exit

is a place where people can go out.

Where something goes out.

So, the same way: The exports go out; the imports come in.

Next: "maximize" and "minimize".

So, if you have a business, you want to maximize your profits and minimize your costs.

What does that mean?

You want your profits to be as much as possible, and you want your costs to be as little as

As low as possible.

So, you want to maximize, means make the most of something; and minimize, make the least

And I...

For example, you want to maximize your happiness and minimize your suffering in life.

Number nine: "expand" and "contract".

So, when we describe the economy, we could say: "The economy expanded", means, like,

became bigger; or: "The economy contracted", all right?

So, "to contract" means to become smaller, to shrink; "to expand" means to become bigger

or become larger.

And pay attention to the pronunciation of this word, because when it's a verb, we say:

"to contract"; when it's a noun and we talk about a legal document, that's a "contract".

But the verb is "contract".

In the verb, the stress is on the second syllable: "contract", okay?

Number 10: "include", "exclude".

Repeat it after me: "include", "exclude".

So, what does it mean to include somebody?

Let's suppose you included somebody in a meeting or you excluded them from the meeting.

So, "to include" means to make them part of the group that is present at the meeting,

and if somebody is excluded from the meeting, they are not part of the meeting; they are

not invited, they are not supposed to be there, they're purposely left out.

Now, this can...

You can include a person, you can include an item in your shipment.

Is this book included in this shipment, or was it excluded from this shipment?

Or you could ask in a restaurant: "Are taxes...?

Is sales tax included or is it excluded?"

So, these are ways that we can use "include" and "exclude".

So, here we go.

Now, do you think you know these?

Let's find out.

Let's play a game and find out if you know these words.

Now, look what's happened - some of these words have disappeared, so you're going to

help me to fill in the blanks.

So, number one, there was something and "decrease".

What's the opposite of "decrease"?

The word is "increase".

I'm not going to write it for you again, because you know how to do that and you can check

the other board.

So, somebody could be "promoted" - given a higher position, or, do you remember the word?

"Demoted", good.

Next, a person could be hired and given a job, or a person could be "fired" or, what

was that other word?

You could "withdraw" money from the bank, or you could put money in; you could "deposit"

You could decide to "save" your money or you could decide to "spend" your money.

So, the bank "lends" money, and people do what?

It starts with "b".

People "borrow" money.

Next, when you "import" goods into the country, you bring them into the country.

What's the opposite of "import"?

The opposite of "import" is to "export".

Remember: "ex", "exit", "export"?

Sending goods outside the country.

So, as a business, we said you want to "minimize" your costs - keep your costs as low as possible,

and you want to do what to your profits?

You want to "maximize" them.

Maximize your profits; minimize your costs.

We talked about the economy.

We said the economy can "expand" or it can, what was the word?

That was the one where I told you to pay attention to the pronunciation.

And somebody could be "excluded" from a meeting, or the person could be, what is it?

"Include", "exclude"; "expand", "contract".

What's this one?

"Maximize", "minimize"; "import", "export"; "borrow", "lend"; "save", "spend"; "deposit",

"withdraw"; "hire", "fire" or "dismiss"; "promote", "demote"; "increase", "decrease".

All right, excellent.

In case you didn't know them, you've just learned 20 new words.

And the best way to really get to know them well is to go right away to www.engvid.com,

go and do the quiz that I've written for you there so that you can really master these

words and know them right away.

And this way of learning the opposites is an excellent way to increase your vocabulary,

whether it's to do with business English or English in general.

It's a lovely way to have some fun with the language.

You don't have to suffer; you should have as much fun as possible when you learn another

And this is one of those ways.

And also, don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel; that way you'll continue

to get lots of interesting lessons, which I hope will shorten your journey in learning

English and in mastering English.

Thanks very much for watching. Bye for now.