It's a sporting summer with the Beijing Olympics underway. In Business English we use a number of idioms (natural English expressions) which are connected to sport.
Here are a few of the most common. Which sports do you think they are connected to?
On the ball - To know what's happening. To be aware.
Stay ahead of the game – To be leaders in the field/business environment.
Plain sailing – An easy or simple situation.
Approaching the finishing line – Nearing the end.
A two horse race – A close contest between two groups or companies.
On the ropes- In a very bad situation/ Close to defeat.
Score an own goal – To make a mistake which has the opposite effect from what was hoped.
A level playing field – A situation which is the same for everyone.
In a league of their own – Much better than the rest.
Hit it out of the park – To have great success.
Drop the ball – make a mistake/to disappoint everyone.
Now choose the idiom which best completes each sentence:
The government have ___ by introducing new laws, making it fairer for all businesses.
No problem. With all your experience, you will find this project to be ___.
No one makes better cars than Ferrari. I think they are ___.
Great presentation, Mike. You really ___.
We are ___ as the project must be finished by next week.
Sam ___ when he lost the report.
The company is having a terrible year. They are not bankrupt, but they’re definitely ___.
The bank ___ by introducing unpopular charges. They lost a lot of customers.
Sony ___ by always thinking of new exciting products.
It is a ___ between Microsoft and Mac in the computer world.
That new guy seems ___, he learns fast.
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