ENGELS
UNIT 1 MARKET RESEARCH
1.1 MARKET RESEARCH METHODS
Examples of market research methods:
• Online surveys: answer a quick survey (= vragenlijst) about your favorite snack
• Focus groups: discuss new app ideas with a small group
• In-person interviews: share feedback about a store experience
• Observation studies: researches watch how you shop in a store
Why is market research necessary for companies?
• Consumer demographics (who are your customers?)
• Competitor analysis
• Market trends
• Pricing analysis
1.2 WORKING WITH A FOCUS GROUP
QUESTION TAGS
Question tags = korte vragen aan het einde van de zin om te checken of de luisteraar akkoord is
= to turn a statement into a question (hé?, nietwaar?, toch?, of niet/wel? …)
• Put a comma before the question tag
• Used more in speaking than in writing
Sentence without question tag Sentence with question tag
He’s a nice colleague. He’s a nice colleague, isn’t he?
Mr Suarez will know what to do? Mr Suarez will know what to do, won’t he?
Nobody here thinks it’s a bad idea. Nobody here thinks it’s a bad idea, do they?
USE
When we want to check whether our conversation partner agrees with information that we link is true
• Positive statement → negative question tag
Bv. You like working as a paralegal, don’t you?
• Negative statement → positive question tag
Negative words: not, never, rarely, hardly, barely, no one, nobody, nothing, neither …
Bv. You don’t like working as a paralegal, do you?
REFERRING BACK CORRECTLY
1
,REFERRING TO THE SUBJECT → USE A PERSONAL PRONOUN
Use: I, you, he, she, it, we, they
When the subject is NOT a pronoun, change it into the correct pronoun
• Indefinite pronouns (= voornaamwoorden die verwijzen naar onbepaalde personen, dingen of
hoeveelheden)
- Something, anything, nothing, everything → it
- Someone, anyone, no one, everyone → they
- Somebody, anybody, nobody, everybody → they
• Demonstrative pronouns (= voornaamwoorden die aanduiden welke persoon of welk ding je
bedoelt)
- This, that → he/she/it
- These, those → they
• They stays they
Examples
• The customer survey yielded interesting results, didn’t it?
• Ashley is an amazing accountant, isn’t she?
• No one knows about this, do they?
• These are your books, aren’t they?
REFERRING TO THE FINITE VERB (= PERSOONSVORM) → USE THE AUXILIARY VERB
Auxiliary verbs: be, have, do, will, would, can, could, shall, should
• If the sentence already contains an auxiliary → repeat is
- It won’t ever happen, will it?
- They can do what they want, can’t they?
• If the sentence has NO auxiliary → use ‘do’ (same sentence)
- Mentors often know the company through, don’t they?
- He has to do something about his presentation skills, doesn’t he?
• Exception: If the main verb is to be → use ‘to be’ in the tag
- I am in charge of this project, aren’t I?
- He’s nice, isn’t he?
- Not all our customers were happy, were they?
Two uses of to be
1. To be as a main verb (only verb in the sentence) → tag uses the same form of be
- He is handsome
- She was happy
2. To be as an auxiliary (used with another verb) → tag repeats the auxiliary be
- He is looking handsome today
- She was giving money to everyone
- The dog is being good today
EXCEPTIONS
1. Sentences with ‘Let’s’ → ‘Shall we?
2
, Bv. Let’s do this, shall we?
2. Imperatives (commands) → ‘will you?’/ ‘would you?’
- Please listen carefully, would you?
- Open the door, will you?
+ extra oefeningen
1.3 CARRYING OUT A NEEDS ANALYSIS
3 TYPES OF QUESTIONS
1. Open question = cannot be answered with yes or no
→ Listener must explain, describe, or give details
Bv. How do you think the new expense policy will affect costs?
2. Closed question = can be answered with yes/no or a very short answer
Bv. Was the tax filing sent on time?
3. Leading question = try to influence the listener or push them toward a certain answer
→ Often suggest the answer inside the question
- Wouldn’t you agree that te app is user-friendly?
- How has the app helped you eat more healthy food?
- What are alle the pros that you can think of?
FUNCTIONAL LANGUAGE
Functional language phrase Example sentence (leading/ open question)
What are your • L: What are your thoughts on a two-day conference in Berlin?
thoughts on … • O: What are your thoughts on the kind of event that you want?
How would the team • L: How would the team feel about us bringing our own
feel about … caterers?
• O: How would the team feel about an outdoor event?
Have you • L: Have you considered holding the event in an art gallery?
considered … • O: Have you considered what your team would like to do?
How • L: How about following the evening meal with a party?
about … • O: How about some kind of entertainment?
Would your staff be • L: Would your staff be interested in spending the Saturday
interested in … morning at a treetop adventure?
• O: Would you staff be interested in a morning activity?
What do you • L: What do you think about going to an exclusive restaurant?
think about … • O: What do you think about the Friday evening?
3
UNIT 1 MARKET RESEARCH
1.1 MARKET RESEARCH METHODS
Examples of market research methods:
• Online surveys: answer a quick survey (= vragenlijst) about your favorite snack
• Focus groups: discuss new app ideas with a small group
• In-person interviews: share feedback about a store experience
• Observation studies: researches watch how you shop in a store
Why is market research necessary for companies?
• Consumer demographics (who are your customers?)
• Competitor analysis
• Market trends
• Pricing analysis
1.2 WORKING WITH A FOCUS GROUP
QUESTION TAGS
Question tags = korte vragen aan het einde van de zin om te checken of de luisteraar akkoord is
= to turn a statement into a question (hé?, nietwaar?, toch?, of niet/wel? …)
• Put a comma before the question tag
• Used more in speaking than in writing
Sentence without question tag Sentence with question tag
He’s a nice colleague. He’s a nice colleague, isn’t he?
Mr Suarez will know what to do? Mr Suarez will know what to do, won’t he?
Nobody here thinks it’s a bad idea. Nobody here thinks it’s a bad idea, do they?
USE
When we want to check whether our conversation partner agrees with information that we link is true
• Positive statement → negative question tag
Bv. You like working as a paralegal, don’t you?
• Negative statement → positive question tag
Negative words: not, never, rarely, hardly, barely, no one, nobody, nothing, neither …
Bv. You don’t like working as a paralegal, do you?
REFERRING BACK CORRECTLY
1
,REFERRING TO THE SUBJECT → USE A PERSONAL PRONOUN
Use: I, you, he, she, it, we, they
When the subject is NOT a pronoun, change it into the correct pronoun
• Indefinite pronouns (= voornaamwoorden die verwijzen naar onbepaalde personen, dingen of
hoeveelheden)
- Something, anything, nothing, everything → it
- Someone, anyone, no one, everyone → they
- Somebody, anybody, nobody, everybody → they
• Demonstrative pronouns (= voornaamwoorden die aanduiden welke persoon of welk ding je
bedoelt)
- This, that → he/she/it
- These, those → they
• They stays they
Examples
• The customer survey yielded interesting results, didn’t it?
• Ashley is an amazing accountant, isn’t she?
• No one knows about this, do they?
• These are your books, aren’t they?
REFERRING TO THE FINITE VERB (= PERSOONSVORM) → USE THE AUXILIARY VERB
Auxiliary verbs: be, have, do, will, would, can, could, shall, should
• If the sentence already contains an auxiliary → repeat is
- It won’t ever happen, will it?
- They can do what they want, can’t they?
• If the sentence has NO auxiliary → use ‘do’ (same sentence)
- Mentors often know the company through, don’t they?
- He has to do something about his presentation skills, doesn’t he?
• Exception: If the main verb is to be → use ‘to be’ in the tag
- I am in charge of this project, aren’t I?
- He’s nice, isn’t he?
- Not all our customers were happy, were they?
Two uses of to be
1. To be as a main verb (only verb in the sentence) → tag uses the same form of be
- He is handsome
- She was happy
2. To be as an auxiliary (used with another verb) → tag repeats the auxiliary be
- He is looking handsome today
- She was giving money to everyone
- The dog is being good today
EXCEPTIONS
1. Sentences with ‘Let’s’ → ‘Shall we?
2
, Bv. Let’s do this, shall we?
2. Imperatives (commands) → ‘will you?’/ ‘would you?’
- Please listen carefully, would you?
- Open the door, will you?
+ extra oefeningen
1.3 CARRYING OUT A NEEDS ANALYSIS
3 TYPES OF QUESTIONS
1. Open question = cannot be answered with yes or no
→ Listener must explain, describe, or give details
Bv. How do you think the new expense policy will affect costs?
2. Closed question = can be answered with yes/no or a very short answer
Bv. Was the tax filing sent on time?
3. Leading question = try to influence the listener or push them toward a certain answer
→ Often suggest the answer inside the question
- Wouldn’t you agree that te app is user-friendly?
- How has the app helped you eat more healthy food?
- What are alle the pros that you can think of?
FUNCTIONAL LANGUAGE
Functional language phrase Example sentence (leading/ open question)
What are your • L: What are your thoughts on a two-day conference in Berlin?
thoughts on … • O: What are your thoughts on the kind of event that you want?
How would the team • L: How would the team feel about us bringing our own
feel about … caterers?
• O: How would the team feel about an outdoor event?
Have you • L: Have you considered holding the event in an art gallery?
considered … • O: Have you considered what your team would like to do?
How • L: How about following the evening meal with a party?
about … • O: How about some kind of entertainment?
Would your staff be • L: Would your staff be interested in spending the Saturday
interested in … morning at a treetop adventure?
• O: Would you staff be interested in a morning activity?
What do you • L: What do you think about going to an exclusive restaurant?
think about … • O: What do you think about the Friday evening?
3
