Workplace Word Families, Set 2 — Finance & Office (B2)

Your task

Fill in the gap in each sentence with the correct word or phrase.

0 / 15 answered

Your score

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Keep practising! Focus on the explanations below.

The cheque was in the company account on the same day it was received. (DEPOSIT)

Correct answer: deposited

"Deposit" used as a verb means to place money into an account; "deposited" is the passive past participle required after "was ___"; "depositing" cannot follow "was" in a passive construction.

All income above the personal allowance threshold is at the standard rate of 20%. (TAX)

Correct answer: taxable

Add -able to "tax" to form "taxable" — the adjective meaning subject to taxation; "taxing" (adjective) means demanding or stressful, not relating to financial tax; "taxed" is a past participle describing something already taxed.

The warehouse was fully with seasonal inventory before the peak shopping period began. (STOCK)

Correct answer: stocked

"Stock" used as a verb means to fill a place with goods; "stocked" is the passive past participle required after "was ___"; "stocking" as a gerund cannot follow "was" in a passive structure; "stock" alone is a noun.

Every is entitled to vote at the annual general meeting and to receive an annual report. (SHARE)

Correct answer: shareholder

"Share" + "holder" → "shareholder" — the compound noun for a person who owns shares in a company; "sharer" means someone who shares (generically); "sharing" is a gerund — "Every ___" followed by a verb requires a countable noun person.

The firm raised $10 million in additional by issuing new shares on the stock exchange. (EQUITY)

Correct answer: equity

"Equity" is the financial noun for the value of shares issued, or the portion of a company owned by shareholders; it derives from Latin "aequitas" (fairness) but is used in finance to mean ownership value; "equitable" is the related adjective meaning fair.

The investment manager reviewed the client's and recommended shifting to lower-risk bonds. (PORTFOLIO)

Correct answer: portfolio

"Portfolio" is the noun for a collection of investments held by an individual or institution; in marketing, it also refers to a range of products; the word derives from Italian "portafoglio" (carry + sheet) and has no common English derivational verb.

Annual exceeded $50 million for the first time in the company's twenty-year history. (TURNOVER)

Correct answer: turnover

"Turnover" is the compound noun for total revenue generated by a business in a given period; in HR it also means the rate at which employees leave and are replaced; "turn over" (two words) is the phrasal verb — only the compound noun "turnover" fits this financial context.

Reducing was identified as the most effective way to improve short-term profitability. (OVERHEAD)

Correct answer: overheads

"Overhead" → "overheads" (plural) — the indirect, fixed costs of running a business (rent, utilities, salaries); "overhead" in the singular can also be used but "overheads" is more common in British business English when referring to the total cost category.

The company remained heavily following the leveraged buyout three years earlier. (DEBT)

Correct answer: indebted

"Debt" → "indebted" — the adjective meaning owing a large amount of money; "in debt" (two words) is the common phrase, while "indebted" (one word) is the formal adjective used in financial reporting; "debted" is not a standard English word.

The firm needed to maintain sufficient to meet its short-term financial obligations as they fell due. (LIQUID)

Correct answer: liquidity

Add -ity to "liquid" to form "liquidity" — the noun for the ease with which assets can be converted to cash; "liquid" alone is an adjective or noun; "liquidate" means to sell off assets; "liquidity" is the financial term for short-term cash availability.

The chairperson distributed the meeting to all attendees two working days in advance. (AGENDA)

Correct answer: agenda

"Agenda" is the noun for a list of items to be discussed at a meeting; it is a Latin plural ("things to be done") but is treated as singular in modern English; "agendum" (the true Latin singular) is not used in business English.

The submission was moved forward by two weeks due to an unexpected change in the client's schedule. (DEADLINE)

Correct answer: deadline

"Deadline" is the compound noun for the latest time by which something must be completed; it combines "dead" + "line" and is used as a fixed compound with no common derivational forms; "dead line" (two words) is outdated.

The HR director circulated a to all staff outlining the changes to the expense reimbursement policy. (MEMO)

Correct answer: memo

"Memo" (short for "memorandum") is the noun for a short internal written communication; the full form "memorandum" is also correct but "memo" is standard in TOEIC business English; "memorial" means a monument and is unrelated.

The weekly team was postponed by one day due to a scheduling conflict with the client call. (MEET)

Correct answer: meeting

"Meet" + -ing → "meeting" — the gerund used as a noun for a scheduled gathering of people; "meet" alone is a verb; "met" is past tense — "The weekly team ___" requires the gerund-noun "meeting" as the sentence subject.

The year-end showed a significant improvement in the company's net asset position. (BALANCE)

Correct answer: balance sheet

"Balance sheet" is a fixed financial compound noun listing a company's assets, liabilities, and equity at a specific date; "balanced sheet" (adjective + noun) is not the correct term; the compound must be written as "balance sheet."

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