Asking which company someone works for
After names, the next question at work is usually about the company: “Which company do you work for?” Answer with “I work for” and the name. To return the question, say “What about your company?” If the name means nothing to the listener, add the type: “I work for a design company.”
Listen, then replay the exchange with your own company and head office.
Owen Hi, Maya. Which company do you work for?
Maya Hi, Owen. I work for ClearPath Energy.
Owen Where's the head office?
Maya It's in Spain. What about your company?
Owen I work for Harbour Bikes. Its head office is in Canada.
Company, country and head office: three different facts
A company’s country and its head office are not always the same. A company can sell bikes in the USA while its head office, the main office where the managers work, is in Vancouver, Canada. That is why contact forms keep these fields apart.
Use “in” with countries and cities: “in Spain”, “in Madrid”. A few country names take “the”: the USA, the UK. Ask a person “Which country are you from?”; the answer is “I’m from Brazil.”
- office – “The office is in Osaka.”
- head office – the main office: “Our head office is in Madrid.”
- countries – Spain, Germany, Japan, South Korea, China, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait
“Is” and “isn’t” with he, she and it
Use “he” for a man, “she” for a woman and “it” for a company, an office or a city. All three take “is”, usually shortened: he’s, she’s, it’s. In a question, “is” comes first: “Is it a bike company?”
Short answers are “Yes, it is.” and “No, it isn’t.”, never “Yes, it’s.” After a no, give the right information. “The Spain office” simply means the company’s office in Spain.
Maya He's from Japan.
Owen She's in the Spain office.
Maya Is your head office in the USA?
Owen No, it isn't. It's in Canada.
Maya Is it a bike company?
Owen Yes, it is.
Phone numbers and extensions: one digit at a time
Say a phone number digit by digit, not as big numbers, with a short pause between groups. For 0, say “zero” or “oh”. An extension is a short internal number inside a company.
When someone gives you a number, read it back with “Let me check:” so they can confirm or correct it.
- 604 555 0184 – “six oh four, five five five, oh one eight four”
- “What’s your extension?” – “My extension is four one six.”
- “Let me check: four one six.” – “Yes, that’s right.”
Exchanging a contact card
A simple contact card has five fields. To practise, fill one in, cover two fields and ask a partner for the missing details. Each field has its own question:
- Name – “What’s your name?”
- Country – “Which country are you from?”
- Company – “Which company do you work for?”
- Head office – “Where’s the head office?”
- Phone – “What’s your phone number?”
Common mistakes
People will understand you, but these slips stand out:
- “Is in Spain.” English needs a subject: “It’s in Spain.”
- “I work in ClearPath Energy.” With a company, use “for” or “at”; keep “in” for a department or a place: “I work in sales.”
- “Yes, it’s.” The short answer is “Yes, it is.”
- “in USA” Say “in the USA”.
- Reading extension 416 as “four hundred and sixteen”. Say “four one six”.
A 10-minute daily practice routine
Practise out loud with details from your own job.
- 3 minutes: three sentences about your company: “I work for … It’s a … company. Our head office is in …”
- 2 minutes: two colleagues: “He’s from … She’s in the … office.”
- 2 minutes: your phone number and extension, digit by digit; record yourself and listen back.
- 3 minutes: play both conversations, pause after each line and repeat, then answer the questions with your own details.
What comes next
Next, use these details on the phone: “Can I speak to Lina Park, please?”, “Who’s calling, please?”, “One moment, please.” After that come short emails asking for a document, and taking a phone message with a number in it.