Business Skills & Thinking — B2 Essential Words

negotiation /nɪˌɡəʊʃiˈeɪʃən/ noun B2 Career

Meaning: A formal discussion between people or groups trying to reach an agreement, in which each side gives up something.

Example: The negotiation lasted six hours.

Another example: Salary negotiation is a skill worth learning.

Collocations: negotiation with · in negotiation · negotiation skills

Synonyms: bargaining, talks, deal-making

Word family: negotiate (v) · negotiator (n) · negotiable (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: 'Non-negotiable' is its strongest adjective — the price or principle that will not move. Markets, marriages, and peace treaties all run rounds of it.

🗣 In spoken American English: Its first rule in every book: know what you'll walk away to.

Register: Formal — career essential.

delegate /ˈdelɪɡət/ verb / noun B2 Career

Meaning: To give a job or task to someone else, especially a person below you in an organization; a person chosen to represent a group at a meeting or conference.

Example: Good managers delegate tasks.

Another example: Each state sent delegates to the convention.

Collocations: delegate tasks · delegate to · a delegate from

Synonyms: assign, hand over, representative

Antonyms: keep, hoard (tasks)

Word family: delegation (n) · delegates (n pl)

⚠ Common mistake: Stress flips by role: DEL-uh-gate (verb) vs DEL-uh-gut (noun). Delegating is the manager's multiplier — and their hardest lesson.

🗣 In spoken American English: Conventions count its noun by states and unions.

Register: Formal — career essential.

priority /praɪˈɒrəti/ noun B2 Career

Meaning: The most important thing that must be done or dealt with before others; the right to be done first.

Example: Safety is our top priority.

Another example: Set your priorities for the week.

Collocations: top priority · a priority · priorities list

Synonyms: main task, first concern, precedence

Antonyms: distraction

Word family: priorities (n pl) · prioritize (v)

⚠ Common mistake: Its honest truth: if everything is a priority, nothing is. Airports and hospitals triage by it openly; offices do it silently.

🗣 In spoken American English: 'Priority boarding' monetized being first — everyone else watches.

Register: Formal — career essential.

organize /ˈɔːrɡənaɪz/ verb B2 Career

Meaning: To arrange or plan things in a system or order; to plan and manage an event or group.

Example: She organized the conference.

Another example: Organize your files by date.

Collocations: organize an event · organize by · well organized

Synonyms: arrange, plan, coordinate

Antonyms: mess up, scatter

Word family: organization (n) · organizer (n) · organized (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: American spelling: ORGANIZE with Z. It doubles for desks and revolutions — unions 'organize' workers in its political sense.

🗣 In spoken American English: Its adjective is a dating profile's favorite self-description.

Register: Neutral — career essential.

motivate /ˈməʊtɪveɪt/ verb B2 Career

Meaning: To make someone want to do something and feel enthusiastic about it; to be the reason behind an action.

Example: Good teachers motivate their students.

Another example: Money alone doesn't motivate everyone.

Collocations: motivate students · motivate the team · highly motivated

Synonyms: inspire, encourage, drive

Antonyms: discourage, demotivate

Word family: motivation (n) · motivated (adj) · motivator (n)

⚠ Common mistake: Its adjective family does the CV work: a 'motivated' applicant, a 'motivating' speaker. The verb asks WHY behind every action too ('What motivated the change?').

🗣 In spoken American English: Locker rooms hire its speakers by the season.

Register: Formal — career essential.

analyze /ˈænəlaɪz/ verb B2 Career

Meaning: To examine something carefully in detail to understand it — breaking it into parts to see how it works.

Example: We analyzed the sales data.

Another example: Analyze the problem before solving it.

Collocations: analyze the data · analyze carefully · analyze how

Synonyms: examine, study, break down

Antonyms: guess, ignore

Word family: analysis (n) · analyst (n) · analytical (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: American spelling: ANALYZE with Z. Its noun ANALYSIS changes shape (analyses, plural). Every dashboard job title descends from it.

🗣 In spoken American English: Its opposite habit — deciding first, analyzing later — fills business case studies.

Register: Formal — career essential.

solve /sɒlv/ verb B2 Career

Meaning: To find an answer or a way of dealing with a problem, puzzle, or mystery.

Example: We solved the problem together.

Another example: Detectives solved the case.

Collocations: solve the problem · solve a puzzle · solve the case

Synonyms: resolve, fix, work out

Antonyms: cause, worsen

Word family: solution (n) · solvable (adj) · solver (n)

⚠ Common mistake: Problems get solved; conflicts get RESOLVED; equations get solved too. Its noun is SOLUTION — also the chemistry word for a liquid mixture.

🗣 In spoken American English: 'Problem-solver' is the résumé line every employer hunts.

Register: Neutral — career essential.

inspire /ɪnˈspaɪər/ verb B2 Career

Meaning: To give someone the enthusiasm, ideas, and confidence to do something creative or good; to be the source of an idea.

Example: Her story inspired thousands.

Another example: Travel inspires his paintings.

Collocations: inspire people · inspired by · inspire confidence

Synonyms: motivate, encourage, spark

Antonyms: discourage

Word family: inspiration (n) · inspiring (adj) · inspired (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: Inspire originally means BREATHE IN — ideas as air. Its noun is what artists wait for and professionals schedule anyway.

🗣 In spoken American English: Teachers' walls quote its results every school year.

Register: Neutral — career essential.

present /prɪˈzent/ verb B2 Career

Meaning: To show or offer something to people formally; to give a talk explaining ideas; to introduce a show or a person. (The noun 'a present' means a gift; the adjective means here/now.)

Example: She presented the results to the board.

Another example: He presents the evening news.

Collocations: present the results · present to · present an idea

Synonyms: show, demonstrate, introduce

Antonyms: hide, withhold

Word family: presentation (n) · presenter (n)

⚠ Common mistake: Stress tells its lives apart: PRE-sent (gift/here) vs pre-SENT (to show). Offices live in the verb; birthdays in the noun.

🗣 In spoken American English: Its phrase 'present company' politely excludes the listeners from criticism.

Register: Formal — career essential.

consult /kənˈsʌlt/ verb B2 Career

Meaning: To ask a person (especially an expert) for advice or information; to look at a book or source for information; to discuss with others before deciding.

Example: Consult a doctor if pain continues.

Another example: They consulted the team before deciding.

Collocations: consult a doctor · consult with · consult the map

Synonyms: ask, seek advice, refer to

Antonyms: decide alone, ignore

Word family: consultant (n) · consultation (n) · consulting (n)

⚠ Common mistake: Consultants sell this verb by the hour. Signs in clinics command it ('Consult your pharmacist') more kindly than it sounds.

🗣 In spoken American English: Its preposition splits: consult a person; consult WITH a team (discuss together).

Register: Formal — career essential.