More practice with the language you're learning
Supplementary support — grammar, vocabulary, speaking and review — built from language already taught in the course. Not a lesson, and never a test.
1.Transformation: express the same meaning without repeating the original wording — "**Surface**: 'Help me understand what you're actually trying to protect here.'"
2.Transformation: express the same meaning without repeating the original wording — "**Expand**: 'Is there something we could add that costs you little and matters to us?'"
3.Transformation: express the same meaning without repeating the original wording — "**Objective criteria**: 'What benchmark would both of us accept as fair, regardless of who proposed it?'"
4.Reframe 'We need 12 percent' as an interest question.
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'Help me understand what the 12 percent figure is protecting on your side — is it margin, signal, or precedent?'
5.Propose an objective-criteria move on a salary dispute.
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'What public benchmark for similar roles would we both accept as a fair anchor?'
6.Mini-context: someone disagrees with you in a meeting. Reply in two turns, using this structure at least once.
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Principled negotiation language at C2: (a) SURFACE INTERESTS ('What are you trying to protect?'), (b) EXPAND THE PIE ('What might we add that costs you little and matters to us?'), (c) OBJECTIVE CRITERIA ('What benchmark would we both accept?'), (d) NAME THE BATNA without threatening ('If we don't reach agreement, we both know what each of us does next; let's see if we can do better than that').
1.Sort these into "positive", "neutral" and "critical" in tone, and be ready to defend a borderline case: BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement), ZOPA (zone of possible agreement), to anchor (high / low), to give (and get), to log-roll, to leave (something) on the table
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BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement) — your fallback if no deal is reached | ZOPA (zone of possible agreement) — the overlap between what each side will accept | to anchor (high / low) — to set the first number and shape what feels reasonable | to give (and get) — to trade specific concessions explicitly | to log-roll — to trade across issues so each side wins on what it values most | to leave (something) on the table — to fail to capture value that was available
2.Odd one out: which of these is least like "BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement)" in meaning or use — ZOPA (zone of possible agreement) / to anchor (high / low) / to give (and get)? Explain why.
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Compare against: your fallback if no deal is reached
3.Odd one out: which of these is least like "ZOPA (zone of possible agreement)" in meaning or use — to anchor (high / low) / to give (and get) / to log-roll? Explain why.
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Compare against: the overlap between what each side will accept
4.Odd one out: which of these is least like "to anchor (high / low)" in meaning or use — to give (and get) / to log-roll / to leave (something) on the table? Explain why.
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Compare against: to set the first number and shape what feels reasonable
5.Odd one out: which of these is least like "to give (and get)" in meaning or use — to log-roll / to leave (something) on the table / BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement)? Explain why.
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Compare against: to trade specific concessions explicitly
6.Semantic map: place "BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement)" on a scale from mild to strong against two other words you know. Then use the strongest one.
7.Semantic map: place "ZOPA (zone of possible agreement)" on a scale from mild to strong against two other words you know. Then use the strongest one.
8.Semantic map: place "to anchor (high / low)" on a scale from mild to strong against two other words you know. Then use the strongest one.
9.Mini-dialogue: write four lines in which two of this lesson's words appear naturally.
1.Word family: give the noun, verb, adjective and adverb forms linked to "BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement)" where they exist, then use the form that is hardest for you.
2.Word family: give the noun, verb, adjective and adverb forms linked to "ZOPA (zone of possible agreement)" where they exist, then use the form that is hardest for you.
3.Word family: give the noun, verb, adjective and adverb forms linked to "to anchor (high / low)" where they exist, then use the form that is hardest for you.
4.Word family: give the noun, verb, adjective and adverb forms linked to "to give (and get)" where they exist, then use the form that is hardest for you.
5.Spot the mismatch: which partner does NOT work with "BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement)" — and what would a proficient speaker say instead?
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Natural model: Know your BATNA before you walk into the room.
6.Spot the mismatch: which partner does NOT work with "ZOPA (zone of possible agreement)" — and what would a proficient speaker say instead?
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Natural model: Find the ZOPA early; the deal is in the overlap.
7.Spot the mismatch: which partner does NOT work with "to anchor (high / low)" — and what would a proficient speaker say instead?
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Natural model: Whoever anchors first usually shapes the range.
8.Rewrite one sentence from your last piece of writing, swapping a weak combination for a precise one from this lesson.
1.Shift the register twice: make this markedly formal, then markedly conversational — "**Surface**: 'Help me understand what you're actually trying to protect here.'"
2.Shift the register twice: make this markedly formal, then markedly conversational — "**Expand**: 'Is there something we could add that costs you little and matters to us?'"
3.Shift the register twice: make this markedly formal, then markedly conversational — "**Objective criteria**: 'What benchmark would both of us accept as fair, regardless of who proposed it?'"
4.Diplomatic vs direct: soften this, then sharpen it. Which version would you actually use, and to whom? "Who anchored? Did it matter?"
5.Compress: express the idea behind "Know your BATNA before you walk into the room." in six words or fewer without losing the nuance.
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your fallback if no deal is reached
6.Compress: express the idea behind "Find the ZOPA early; the deal is in the overlap." in six words or fewer without losing the nuance.
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the overlap between what each side will accept
7.Compress: express the idea behind "Whoever anchors first usually shapes the range." in six words or fewer without losing the nuance.
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to set the first number and shape what feels reasonable
8.Read one of your own paraphrases aloud. Which word choice is doing the most work? Replace everything around it.
1.Rank and justify: order the ideas in Who anchored? Did it matter? / Where could either side have walked — and why didn't they? / What was left on the table? from most to least convincing. Defend your top choice.
2.Role-play: Three minutes prep on your interests, your BATNA, and what you'd be willing to log-roll. Take the position you least agree with.
3.Decision task: you have two minutes to reach a single recommendation on A signed settlement memo plus a one-line wrap-up naming the cleanest trade.. State it in one sentence.
4.Now switch sides and argue the opposite for 60 seconds. Which language had to change?
5.Follow-up — push further: Brief A: you value headcount above tools. Add a counter-example.
6.Follow-up — push further: Brief B: you value tools above headcount. Add a counter-example.
1.Paragraph ordering: draft your four topic sentences only, then decide their best order and say why.
2.Partial writing: write only the concession paragraph of Write a 150–170-word internal note to your team ahead of a negotiation. You MUST: (a) name the other side's likely positions AND interests, (b) propose one objective criterion, (c) sketch one possible log-roll, (d) name your BATNA, (e) use at least three target items. — 60–80 words.
3.Editing pass: cut 15% of your words without losing content. What went first?
4.Audience switch: rewrite your opening for a hostile reader, then for a sympathetic one.
5.Self-check: underline every repeated word and replace two with precise choices from this lesson.
1.Prompt cards: best way to reduce city traffic — congestion charge, transit investment, remote-work mandate. Open with interest surfacing and propose an objective criterion. Aloud.
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Open the collaborative phase with: 'Before we rank, what is each option actually trying to optimise for?' Then propose a shared criterion.
2.Find the evidence: which exact words in the text/script support this — What was the supplier's actual interest?
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The signal to other customers, not just the margin.
3.Find the evidence: which exact words in the text/script support this — How did the buyer expand the pie?
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By separating the headline from the cost and tying both to an objective index.
4.Find the evidence: which exact words in the text/script support this — Find the log-roll.
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Headline number (supplier's signal interest) traded against confidential rebate + volume commitment (buyer's cost interest).
5.Key word transformation: rewrite "**Surface**: 'Help me understand what you're actually trying to protect here.'" using the structure from From positions to interests, in 3–8 words.
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Principled negotiation language at C2: (a) SURFACE INTERESTS ('What are you trying to protect?'), (b) EXPAND THE PIE ('What might we add that costs you little and matters to us?'), (c) OBJECTIVE CRITERIA ('What benchmark would we both accept?'), (d) NAME THE BATNA without threatening ('If we don't reach agreement, we both know what each of us does next; let's see if we can do better than that').
6.Reflection: which part of this task type costs you most time, and what will you do differently next time?
1.True, false or not stated? Decide for each, then correct the false ones: "The signal to other customers, not just the margin." · "By separating the headline from the cost and tying both to an objective index." · "Headline number (supplier's signal interest) traded against confidential rebate + volume commitment (buyer's cost interest)."
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What was the supplier's actual interest? → The signal to other customers, not just the margin. | How did the buyer expand the pie? → By separating the headline from the cost and tying both to an objective index. | Find the log-roll. → Headline number (supplier's signal interest) traded against confidential rebate + volume commitment (buyer's cost interest).
2.Retrieval race: in 60 seconds, list every word from this lesson you can remember, then check what you missed.
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BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement), ZOPA (zone of possible agreement), to anchor (high / low), to give (and get), to log-roll, to leave (something) on the table
3.Use "BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement)" in a sentence about a completely different topic from the lesson.
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your fallback if no deal is reached
4.Use "ZOPA (zone of possible agreement)" in a sentence about a completely different topic from the lesson.
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the overlap between what each side will accept
5.Use "to anchor (high / low)" in a sentence about a completely different topic from the lesson.
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to set the first number and shape what feels reasonable
6.Teach it back: explain From positions to interests to someone who has never met it, in under 45 seconds.
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Principled negotiation language at C2: (a) SURFACE INTERESTS ('What are you trying to protect?'), (b) EXPAND THE PIE ('What might we add that costs you little and matters to us?'), (c) OBJECTIVE CRITERIA ('What benchmark would we both accept?'), (d) NAME THE BATNA without threatening ('If we don't reach agreement, we both know what each of us does next; let's see if we can do better than that').
7.When did you last negotiate from a position when an interest move would have done more?