Expressing a Negotiation Position

Intermediate (B1) 25 minutes
Business English negotiations worksheet preview showing vocabulary, reading and writing exercises, matching, unscrambling, labelling, and writing sentences from prompts for intermediate B1 level students

Business English Negotiations Worksheet - Vocabulary, Reading and Writing Exercises: Matching, Unscrambling, Labelling, Writing Sentences

In this useful negotiation positions worksheet, students learn and practice expressing simple negotiation positions. First, students match keywords related to...

Business English Negotiations Worksheet - Vocabulary, Reading and Writing Exercises: Matching, Unscrambling, Labelling, Writing Sentences from Prompts In this useful negotiation positions worksheet, students learn and practice expressing simple negotiation positions. First, students match keywords related to negotiations in a text to their definitions. Students then unscramble sentences to reveal six examples of simple negotiation positions. Next, students read about four common negotiation position types and match them to example sentences. Lastly, students imagine they are negotiating the sale of an apartment and use background information to write four negotiation positions that correspond to each of the four position types.
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Make the Deal

Intermediate (B1) 35 minutes
Business English negotiations activity preview showing speaking, completing, asking and answering questions, discussion, freer and communicative practice for intermediate B1 level students

Business English Negotiations Activity - Completing, Asking and Answering Questions, Discussion, Freer and Communicative Practice - Group Work

In this engaging business negotiations activity, students use second conditional questions to negotiate offers and counteroffers, justify choices...

Business English Negotiations Activity - Completing, Asking and Answering Questions, Discussion, Freer and Communicative Practice - Group Work In this engaging business negotiations activity, students use second conditional questions to negotiate offers and counteroffers, justify choices, and agree on a group answer. In groups, students take turns picking up a question card and completing it in the second conditional with realistic numbers or terms, using the verbs and prompts in brackets, e.g. 'If we increased our order to 1000 units, would you lower the price to $9 per unit?' The student then asks the group the completed question, framing it from the buyer, client, or tenant side. Each group member answers in turn from the supplier, provider, or landlord side, using negotiation language where possible and giving brief reasons. Students then discuss the scenario and come up with a group answer that they think would be best for the situation. The student who drew the card writes the agreed group answer on the back of the card. This continues until all the question cards have been used or time is up. When the groups have finished, go through selected questions and have the groups share their answers with the class.
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Offers and Counteroffers

Intermediate (B1) 40 minutes
Business English negotiation games preview featuring vocabulary and speaking activities, categorising, gap-fill, role play, controlled and freer practice for intermediate B1 level students

Business English Negotiation Games - Vocabulary and Speaking: Categorising, Gap-fill, Role Play, Controlled and Freer Practice - Pair Work

Here are two engaging business negotiation games to help students learn and practice language for making offers and counteroffers in negotiations. First, in pairs...

Business English Negotiation Games - Vocabulary and Speaking: Categorising, Gap-fill, Role Play, Controlled and Freer Practice - Pair Work Here are two engaging business negotiation games to help students learn and practice language for making offers and counteroffers in negotiations. First, in pairs, students race to correctly categorise language cards under 'making offers' or 'making counteroffers' headings. Students take turns picking up a card, reading it aloud, and categorising it under 'making offers' or 'making counteroffers'. The first pair to correctly categorise all the cards is the winner. Next, students play a role-play game where they score points for using the language in bold on the cards. For the first role-play, Student A takes the cards for making offers, and Student B takes the cards for making counteroffers. Students then role-play the first negotiation. Each time a student makes an offer or counteroffer, they try to use the language in bold on one of their cards. If a student uses the language successfully, they score one point and remove the card from the game. This continues until the negotiation is finished. Students then repeat the game with the second role-play. This time, Student A uses the counteroffer cards, and Student B uses the offer cards. The student with the most points at the end wins.
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Employment Contract Negotiation

Upper-intermediate (B2) 60 minutes
Business English negotiations role play preview showing vocabulary, reading and speaking exercises, gap-fill, guided discussion, role-play, and communicative practice for upper-intermediate B2 level students

Business English Negotiations Role Play - Vocabulary, Reading and Speaking: Gap-fill, Discussion, Role-Play, Communicative Practice - Pair and Group Work

In this authentic negotiations role-play activity, students simulate an employment contract negotiation between an employee and an employer. First, students...

Business English Negotiations Role Play - Vocabulary, Reading and Speaking: Gap-fill, Guided Discussion, Role-Play, Communicative Practice - Pair and Group Work In this authentic negotiations role-play activity, students simulate an employment contract negotiation between an employee and an employer. First, students complete negotiation phrases with vocabulary from a box. Students then preview the background details of an upcoming employment contract negotiation between an employee and an employer and rank the negotiation items in order of importance for both parties. Next, in two groups, employees and employers, students formulate a negotiation strategy using information on cards and the background details. Each student then pairs up with someone from the other group and role-plays an employment contract negotiation, scoring points in the negotiation depending on the terms agreed to for each item. The aim is for both sides in the negotiation to score reasonably high and come to a mutually beneficial agreement. Afterwards, pairs share their scores with the class and give feedback on their negotiations.
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First Conditional Business

Upper-intermediate (B2) 30 minutes
Business English negotiations worksheet and role-play preview featuring grammar and reading exercises, changing word forms, ordering, speaking activity, and creating dialogues for upper-intermediate B2 level students

Business English Negotiations Worksheet and Role-Play - Grammar and Reading Exercises: Changing Word Forms - Speaking Activity: Creating a Dialogue - Pair Work

In this business negotiations worksheet and role-play, students practice the first conditional in a business negotiation context. First, students complete...

Business English Negotiations Worksheet and Role-Play - Grammar and Reading Exercises: Changing Word Forms, Ordering - Speaking Activity: Creating a Dialogue - Pair Work In this business negotiations worksheet and role-play, students practice the first conditional in a business negotiation context. First, students complete sentences using the first conditional and verbs in brackets. Next, students read a dialogue and number the parts to create a logical and coherent conversation between two people, negotiating a deal. Finally, in pairs, students use information in a table to create a negotiation dialogue between a company and manufacturer for the production run and unit cost of a new product using the first conditional. Afterwards, students role-play their dialogues to the class.
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Negotiations Pelmanism

Upper-intermediate (B2) 20 minutes
Business English negotiations game preview showing vocabulary matching and pelmanism activities for upper-intermediate B2 level business negotiation vocabulary practice

Business English Negotiations Game - Vocabulary: Matching, Pelmanism - Group Work

Here is a free business negotiations game to help students review and practice vocabulary that is commonly used in business negotiations. In groups, students take it in turns to turn over one...

Business English Negotiations Game - Vocabulary: Matching, Pelmanism - Group Work Here is a free business negotiations game to help students review and practice vocabulary that is commonly used in business negotiations. In groups, students take it in turns to turn over one negotiations vocabulary card and one definition card. If the negotiations vocabulary matches the definition, the student reads the two cards aloud, keeps the two cards and has another turn. If not, the student turns the cards back over, keeping them in the same place. The game continues until all the cards have been matched. The student with the most pairs of cards at the end of the game wins.
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Negotiation Stages

Upper-intermediate (B2) 40 minutes
Business English negotiations worksheet preview featuring reading and vocabulary exercises, true or false questions, matching, binary choice, speaking role play activities for upper-intermediate B2 level students

Business English Negotiations Worksheet - Reading and Vocabulary Exercises: True or False, Matching, Binary Choice - Speaking Activity: Role Play - Pair Work

In this productive business negotiations worksheet and role-play, students practice language for the various stages of a business negotiation. To begin, in pairs...

Business English Negotiations Worksheet - Reading and Vocabulary Exercises: True or False, Matching, Binary Choice - Speaking Activity: Role Play - Pair Work In this productive business negotiations worksheet and role-play, students practice language for the various stages of a business negotiation. To begin, in pairs, students decide whether tips for negotiating are true or false. If students think a tip is false, they correct the statement so that it's true. Working alone, students then match stages of a negotiation with useful language. Next, students read a negotiation dialogue and underline language that matches the negotiation stages. After that, students circle the correct preposition in each sentence. In pairs, students then take part in a negotiation role-play to practice the stages and language from the worksheet. Lastly, pairs report back to the class on the outcome of their role-play and what they agreed on.
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Price Negotiations

Upper-intermediate (B2) 30 minutes
Business English price negotiations worksheet preview showing reading and vocabulary exercises, matching, gap-fill, speaking role-play, and communicative practice for upper-intermediate B2 level students

Business English Negotiations Worksheet - Reading and Vocabulary Exercises: Matching, Gap-Fill - Speaking Activity: Role-Play, Communicative Practice - Pair Work

In this handy business negotiations worksheet and role-play, students practice expressions for price negotiations. First, students match expressions for price...

Business English Price Negotiations Worksheet - Reading and Vocabulary Exercises: Matching, Gap-Fill - Speaking Activity: Role-Play, Communicative Practice - Pair Work In this handy business negotiations worksheet and role-play, students practice expressions for price negotiations. First, students match expressions for price negotiations to sentence endings. Students then indicate who would say each sentence by writing B for buyer or S for seller. Next, students complete a price negotiation dialogue between a buyer and seller with the price negotiation expressions. After that, in pairs, students take part in a price negotiation role-play to practice the expressions from the worksheet. Finally, pairs report back to the class on the outcome of their negotiations and the price they agreed on.
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Taking Part in Business Negotiations

Taking part in business negotiations involves explaining a position, responding to proposals and checking the terms of a possible agreement. Students need language that makes preferences, conditions and commitments clear while allowing both parties to explore alternatives.

This page contains eight resources across B1 and B2, including worksheets, role-plays, discussion activities and games, with one free game.

The table shows negotiation functions with hypothetical examples for classroom practice.

Negotiation functionPurposeExample language
State a priority Explain what matters to your side. 'Our main priority is delivery before the end of the month.'
Make an offer Put forward terms for consideration. 'We can offer a unit price of $12 for this order.'
Explore a conditional exchange Connect a possible concession with something in return. 'If we increased the order, would you reduce the unit price?'
Make a counteroffer Respond with an alternative proposal. 'Could we agree on $11 per unit with a larger order?'
Clarify a term Check what a proposal includes. 'Does that price include delivery?'
Confirm agreement Check that both sides understand the accepted terms. 'So, we have agreed on 500 units at $11 each, including delivery. Is that correct?'

How to Communicate in Business Negotiations

Explain the position and its reason: Give students a clear role and relevant background information. Encourage them to connect a preference with a reason, such as why a delivery date matters, instead of repeating a demand without explanation.

Make conditions explicit: When an offer depends on another action, state the connection clearly. Distinguish an exploratory question such as 'Would you consider...?' from a commitment that has already been accepted.

Check the complete agreement: Confirm quantities, prices, dates and other relevant terms before reporting an outcome. Students should stay within their role information and recognise that a negotiation may end with some points still unresolved.

3-Step Framework for Teaching Business Negotiations

The first two stages develop positions and offers at B1. The final B2 stage extends the language into a negotiation involving several terms, so use the sequence across lessons according to learners' readiness.

1. Express a Negotiation Position: Students match negotiation vocabulary with definitions, reconstruct example sentences and identify different position types. They then use background information about an apartment sale to write positions. This establishes clear starting points before students need to respond to another party.

2. Exchange Offers and Counteroffers: Pairs categorise language cards, then use them in negotiation role-plays, earning points for successful use of the target expressions. They swap offer and counteroffer roles in a second scenario. This moves from recognising a phrase's purpose to selecting it during an exchange.

3. Negotiate Priorities and Review the Outcome: Students prepare negotiation phrases, rank employment-contract items from both parties' perspectives and plan using role information. They then negotiate in employee-employer pairs and compare the resulting scores and terms. The scoring supports classroom reflection on the simulated agreement rather than defining success in every real negotiation.

Common Mistakes with Business Negotiation Language

Adding to after a modal verb: Use the base verb after could or would. Incorrect: 'Could you to reduce the price?' Correct: 'Could you reduce the price?'

Treating a conditional proposal as a firm agreement: An offer linked to another condition does not stand alone. Inaccurate summary: Reporting 'They agreed to a discount' after hearing 'We could offer a discount if you doubled the order.' Accurate summary: 'They proposed a discount on condition that we doubled the order; we have not accepted yet.'

Common Questions About Teaching Business Negotiations

What worksheet helps teach business negotiations?

The worksheet Negotiation Stages connects useful language with different stages of a negotiation. Students examine negotiating tips, identify expressions in a dialogue and check prepositions before taking part in a role-play. Reporting the outcome afterwards gives them practice explaining what they agreed, as well as using the language during the negotiation.

What activity helps students practice offers and counteroffers?

The activity Make the Deal uses second conditional questions to set up negotiations. Students complete prompts with realistic numbers or terms, then group members respond from the other party's perspective and give reasons. Discussing and recording an agreed response encourages students to consider alternatives rather than simply accept or reject an offer.

What free game helps students practice negotiation vocabulary?

The game Negotiations Pelmanism has students turn over a vocabulary card and a definition card to find matching pairs. Correct matches are read aloud and kept, earning another turn. Unmatched cards are returned to the same positions, combining recall of word meanings with a memory challenge as students collect pairs.

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