Purchasing English: 4 Lessons for TOEIC 600

Teacher notes

These four lessons give TOEIC 600 students (roughly CEFR B1) the core English of purchasing. Each runs 60 to 75 minutes and follows the same pattern: warm-up, vocabulary, reading or dialogue, TOEIC-format practice, then a speaking or writing task. The answer key is at the end.

The lessons share one storyline, so the vocabulary builds as students move from buying basics to requests, quotations, and problem-solving.

Lesson	Topic	TOEIC link
1	Purchasing basics	Part 5 (incomplete sentences)
2	Requisitions and purchase orders	Part 6 (text completion)
3	Quotations and negotiation	Part 2 (question-response; read aloud)
4	Delivery, invoices, and problems	Part 7 (reading comprehension)

Common errors to listen for with Vietnamese learners

Final sounds dropped: orders, suppliers, approved, shipped. Drill these aloud.
Uncountable nouns made plural: equipment, information, furniture. Teach ‘a piece of equipment’.
‘Discuss about’ instead of ‘discuss the price’.
Missing articles: ‘Please send invoice’ instead of ‘Please send the invoice’.

Lesson 1: Purchasing basics

Goal: students can describe what a purchasing department does and use 13 core words correctly.

Warm-up (5 minutes). Ask in pairs: What was the last thing you bought? How did you decide where to buy it?

Vocabulary

Word	Type	Meaning	Tiếng Việt	Example
purchase	verb / noun	to buy; something bought	mua; việc mua hàng	We purchase paper every month.
supplier	noun	a company that sells goods to another company	nhà cung cấp	We have three suppliers.
vendor	noun	a seller of goods or services	người bán	The vendor accepts credit cards.
order	noun / verb	a request for goods; to request goods	đơn đặt hàng; đặt hàng	I placed an order yesterday.
item	noun	one product in an order	mặt hàng	Each item costs $5.
quantity	noun	the number of items	số lượng	The quantity is 200.
unit price	noun	the price of one item	đơn giá	The unit price is $12.
total	noun	the full amount	tổng cộng	The total is $2,400.
budget	noun	the money planned for spending	ngân sách	Our budget is $10,000.
approve	verb	to officially agree to something	phê duyệt	The manager approved the order.
stock	noun	goods kept in a store or warehouse	hàng tồn kho	We are low on stock.
deadline	noun	the last time something can be done	hạn chót	The deadline is Friday.
delivery	noun	bringing goods to the buyer	việc giao hàng	Delivery takes five days.

Reading: A day in the purchasing department

Maria works in the purchasing department of a furniture company. Every morning she checks the stock levels and reads requests from other departments. Today the marketing team needs 200 notebooks, and the office manager wants new printers.

Maria compares prices from three suppliers. The first supplier offers the lowest unit price, but delivery takes three weeks. The second supplier is more expensive, but it can deliver in five days. Because the marketing team has a deadline next week, Maria chooses the second supplier. She sends the order and tells her manager that the total cost is within the budget.

Exercise 1: True or false?

Maria checks the stock levels every morning.
The marketing team needs printers.
The first supplier has the lowest unit price.
Maria chooses the cheapest supplier.
The total cost is over the budget.

Exercise 2: Complete the sentences

Word bank: supplier, quantity, budget, deadline, approve, unit price

The ______ for this printer is $120, so ten printers cost $1,200.
Please check the ______ on the order form. We need 50, not 500.
Our ______ for office supplies is $5,000 this quarter.
The manager must ______ every order over $1,000.
We have used the same ______ for five years.
The ______ for the order is Friday, so we need fast delivery.

Exercise 3: Choose the best answer (TOEIC Part 5 style)

The purchasing manager ______ the order yesterday afternoon.(A) approve (B) approved (C) approving (D) approval
We compared prices from three ______.(A) supply (B) supplied (C) suppliers (D) supplying
The total cost is ______ the budget.(A) within (B) between (C) during (D) among
______ the unit price is low, the delivery time is too long.(A) Although (B) Because (C) Unless (D) So

Speaking

In pairs, one student is Maria and the other is her manager. Maria explains which supplier she chose and why. Use: the unit price, delivery, deadline, within the budget.

Lesson 2: Requisitions and purchase orders

Goal: students can read and write a simple request to buy something, and find key information on a purchase order.

Warm-up (5 minutes). Ask: In your company or school, who decides what to buy? Who pays? Does anyone have to give permission first?

Vocabulary

Word / phrase	Type	Meaning	Tiếng Việt	Example
purchase requisition	noun	an internal request to buy something	phiếu yêu cầu mua hàng	I submitted a purchase requisition for chairs.
purchase order (PO)	noun	an official document sent to a supplier to order goods	đơn đặt hàng (gửi nhà cung cấp)	The PO number is 4471.
request	verb / noun	to ask for something formally	yêu cầu	I would like to request five laptops.
specifications (specs)	noun	the detailed features of a product	thông số kỹ thuật	The specs are attached.
estimated	adjective	approximately calculated	ước tính	The estimated cost is $6,000.
authorize	verb	to give official permission	cho phép, ủy quyền	Only managers can authorize purchases.
urgent	adjective	needing action immediately	khẩn cấp	This is an urgent request.
replacement	noun	a new item that takes the place of an old one	vật thay thế	We need a replacement for the broken printer.
attach	verb	to add a file to an email	đính kèm	I attached the price list.
confirm	verb	to say that something is correct or true	xác nhận	Please confirm the delivery date.
payment terms	noun	the rules about when and how to pay	điều khoản thanh toán	The payment terms are net 30.

Reading: An internal email

Subject: Request for new laptops
From: David Lee, IT Department
To: Ms. Tanaka, Purchasing Manager

Dear Ms. Tanaka,

I would like to request five new laptops for our new employees, who start on November 3. The specifications are attached to this email. Each laptop should have at least 16 GB of memory. The estimated cost is $6,000, which is within our department's budget.

I would appreciate it if you could approve this request by Friday. Otherwise, we will not be able to prepare the computers before the start date. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need more information.

Best regards,
David Lee

Exercise 1: Answer the questions

Why is David writing to Ms. Tanaka?
When do the new employees start work?
By when does David need approval?
What will happen if the request is not approved in time?

Exercise 2: Read the purchase order

PO number	Date	Supplier	Item	Quantity	Unit price	Delivery date	Payment terms
4471	October 12	Hanoi Office Supply Co.	A4 paper	40 boxes	$8.50	October 20	Net 30

What is the total cost of the order?
By what date must the supplier deliver?
‘Net 30’ means the buyer must pay within how many days of the invoice date?

Exercise 3: Complete the email (TOEIC Part 6 style)

Choose the best word or phrase for each blank.

Dear Mr. Evans,

I am writing to request ten new office chairs for the Accounting Department. The old chairs are broken, so this request is (1) ______. The estimated cost is $1,500, (2) ______ is within our budget. Could you please (3) ______ the request by Wednesday? Once it is approved, the purchasing team will (4) ______ a purchase order to the supplier.

(A) urgent (B) urgency (C) urgently (D) urgents
(A) who (B) which (C) what (D) where
(A) authority (B) authorization (C) authorize (D) authorizing
(A) sends (B) send (C) sent (D) sending

Writing task

Write a short email (50 to 70 words) to your purchasing manager. Request 20 notebooks for a training course that starts on December 1. Include: the quantity, the estimated cost, the date you need approval, and one polite closing sentence.

Useful starters: I would like to request... / The estimated cost is... / I would appreciate it if you could... / Please let me know if...

Lesson 3: Quotations and negotiation

Goal: students can ask about price and delivery, and negotiate politely using common business phrases.

Warm-up (5 minutes). Ask: Have you ever asked for a lower price at a shop or market? What did you say? Did it work?

Vocabulary

Word / phrase	Type	Meaning	Tiếng Việt	Example
quotation (quote)	noun	a supplier's written price offer	bảng báo giá	Please send us a quotation.
discount	noun	a reduction in price	giảm giá, chiết khấu	We offer a 5% discount.
bulk order	noun	a very large order	đơn hàng số lượng lớn	A bulk order gets a lower unit price.
negotiate	verb	to discuss terms to reach an agreement	đàm phán	We negotiated the price for two days.
competitive	adjective	as good as or better than others (price)	có tính cạnh tranh	Their prices are very competitive.
lead time	noun	the time between ordering and receiving goods	thời gian giao hàng (từ lúc đặt)	The lead time is three weeks.
warranty	noun	a promise to repair or replace a faulty product	bảo hành	The printer has a two-year warranty.
valid	adjective	acceptable or usable until a certain date	có hiệu lực	The quote is valid for 30 days.
terms and conditions	noun	the rules of a contract	điều khoản và điều kiện	Please read the terms and conditions.
counteroffer	noun	a new offer made in reply to an offer	đề nghị phản hồi	We made a counteroffer of $23.

Dialogue: Negotiating a price

Linh is a buyer. Mr. Carter is a sales representative.

Linh: Thank you for the quotation. The unit price is $25, but another supplier offered $22.

Mr. Carter: I understand. Our product has a two-year warranty, though.

Linh: That's true. If we order 500 units instead of 300, could you offer a discount?

Mr. Carter: For 500 units, I can reduce the price to $23.50 per unit.

Linh: Could you also shorten the lead time? We need the goods in two weeks.

Mr. Carter: Normally it takes three weeks. I'll check with the factory and call you back this afternoon.

Linh: Great. Please also confirm that the quotation is valid until November 30.

Mr. Carter: Yes, it is.

Useful phrases

Function	Phrase
Ask for a discount	Is there a discount for bulk orders? / Could you give us a better price?
Compare offers	Another supplier offered a lower price.
Make a counteroffer	We could order 500 units if you can reduce the price to $23.
Ask about timing	What is the lead time? / Could you deliver by the 15th?
Ask for confirmation	Could you confirm that in writing?
Close the deal	That sounds fair. We have a deal.

Exercise 1: Answer the questions

What price did the other supplier offer?
How many units does Linh finally want to order?
What new price does Mr. Carter offer?
What will Mr. Carter do this afternoon?
Until when is the quotation valid?

Exercise 2: Complete the sentences

Word bank: discount, bulk order, lead time, warranty, valid

A ______ of 1,000 units usually gets a lower price per unit.
The ______ is the time between placing an order and receiving it.
The product has a one-year ______, so we can return it if it breaks.
This quotation is ______ for 30 days.
If you pay within 10 days, we will give you a 5% ______.

Exercise 3: Question and response (TOEIC Part 2 style)

Teacher reads each question and the three answers aloud. Students choose the best response.

How long is the quotation valid?(A) For thirty days. (B) About two hundred dollars. (C) It's on the second floor.
Can you give us a discount on a bulk order?(A) I bought it yesterday. (B) Yes, for orders over 100 units. (C) The meeting is at ten.
When will the shipment arrive?(A) By air freight. (B) The warehouse is large. (C) Probably next Tuesday.

Role-play (10 minutes)

Work in pairs. Student A is the buyer, and Student B is the sales representative.

Buyer: You need 300 chairs. The quoted price is $40 each. Another supplier offers $36. You need delivery in 10 days. Try to get a lower price and faster delivery.
Sales representative: Your normal price is $40, and the lead time is 14 days. You can offer a discount only for orders of 400 or more. Try to keep the price and agree on a fair deal.

Switch roles and repeat with different numbers.

Lesson 4: Delivery, invoices, and problems

Goal: students can report a problem with an order, read a complaint email for key details, and offer solutions.

Warm-up (5 minutes). Ask: Did you ever receive something broken, late, or wrong? What did you do? Who did you contact?

Vocabulary

Word / phrase	Type	Meaning	Tiếng Việt	Example
shipment	noun	goods sent together	lô hàng	The shipment arrived on Monday.
damaged	adjective	broken or harmed	bị hư hỏng	Two boxes were damaged.
defective	adjective	not working properly	bị lỗi	The defective lamp was returned.
missing	adjective	not there; lost	bị thiếu	Ten items are missing.
invoice	noun	a bill that asks for payment	hóa đơn	Please pay the invoice by Friday.
packing slip	noun	a list of the items inside a package	phiếu đóng gói	Check the packing slip against the order.
overdue	adjective	late for payment	quá hạn	The payment is overdue.
refund	noun / verb	money returned to the buyer	hoàn tiền	We will give you a full refund.
replace	verb	to give a new item in place of a bad one	thay thế	Please replace the damaged lamps.
apologize	verb	to say sorry	xin lỗi	We apologize for the delay.
inconvenience	noun	a small problem or trouble	sự bất tiện	We apologize for the inconvenience.
resolve	verb	to find a solution to a problem	giải quyết	We will resolve this problem quickly.
postpone	verb	to move to a later time	hoãn	We will postpone payment.

Reading: A complaint email

Subject: Order #5208 – Damaged lamps and invoice error
From: Linh Nguyen, Purchasing Officer
To: Mr. Carter, Sales Department

Dear Mr. Carter,

We received our shipment of 500 desk lamps on Monday, but 40 of the lamps were damaged. The boxes were wet, and some of the lamps are broken. In addition, the packing slip lists 500 units, but the invoice charges us for 520 units.

We would like you to send 40 replacement lamps as soon as possible and correct the invoice. We have attached photos of the damaged boxes. If we do not receive a reply by Friday, we will have to postpone payment.

Sincerely,
Linh Nguyen

Exercise 1: Choose the best answer (TOEIC Part 7 style)

Why is Linh writing the email?(A) To ask for a lower price (B) To report problems with an order (C) To place a new order (D) To cancel a contract
How many lamps were damaged?(A) 20 (B) 40 (C) 500 (D) 520
What is wrong with the invoice?(A) The date is incorrect. (B) It charges for more units than were delivered. (C) It has no total. (D) It was sent to the wrong company.
What will Linh do if she receives no reply by Friday?(A) Cancel the order (B) Return all the lamps (C) Delay the payment (D) Call the factory
In the second paragraph, the word ‘correct’ is closest in meaning to(A) fix (B) check (C) print (D) pay

Exercise 2: Match the problem to the best solution

Problems:

Some items were damaged during shipping.
The invoice shows the wrong amount.
The shipment is two weeks late.
The product is defective, and the customer wants their money back.

Solutions:

(A) We will give you a full refund.
(B) We will send a corrected invoice today.
(C) We will send replacement items at no extra cost.
(D) We apologize for the delay and will ship the goods by express service.

Exercise 3: Choose the best answer (TOEIC Part 5 style)

We apologize for the ______ this delay has caused.(A) inconvenient (B) inconvenience (C) conveniently (D) convenient
The supplier promised to ______ the problem by the end of the week.(A) resolve (B) resolution (C) resolved (D) resolving
Payment is considered ______ if it is not received within 30 days of the invoice date.(A) overdue (B) overdo (C) overdoing (D) overdone

Writing task

You are Mr. Carter. Write a reply to Linh (60 to 80 words). Apologize, say you will send 40 replacement lamps on Thursday, promise a corrected invoice for 500 units, and thank her for her patience.

Useful starters: Thank you for contacting us. / We apologize for the inconvenience. / We will send... / A corrected invoice will be...

Answer key

Lesson 1

Exercise	Answers
1. True or false	1 True; 2 False (marketing needs notebooks; the office manager wants printers); 3 True; 4 False; 5 False
2. Complete the sentences	1 unit price; 2 quantity; 3 budget; 4 approve; 5 supplier; 6 deadline
3. Part 5	1 B (past tense, ‘yesterday’); 2 C (plural noun after ‘three’); 3 A; 4 A

Lesson 2

Exercise	Answers
1. Questions	1 To request approval to buy five new laptops; 2 November 3; 3 Friday; 4 The IT team will not be able to prepare the computers before the start date
2. Purchase order	1 $340 (40 × $8.50); 2 October 20; 3 30 days
3. Part 6	1 A (urgent, an adjective after ‘is’); 2 B (which, for a relative clause); 3 C (authorize, base verb after ‘please’); 4 B (send, base verb after ‘will’)

Sample answer for the writing task:

Dear Ms. Tanaka,

I would like to request 20 notebooks for our training course, which starts on December 1. The notebooks will be used by 20 participants. The estimated cost is $60, which is within our budget. I would appreciate it if you could approve this request by November 20. Please let me know if you need more information.

Lesson 3

Exercise	Answers
1. Questions	1 $22; 2 500 units; 3 $23.50 per unit; 4 Check with the factory and call Linh back about the lead time; 5 November 30
2. Complete the sentences	1 bulk order; 2 lead time; 3 warranty; 4 valid; 5 discount
3. Part 2	1 A; 2 B; 3 C (A answers ‘how’, not ‘when’)
Role-play	Answers vary. Check that students use phrases from the Useful phrases table and reach a clear agreement on price and delivery.

Lesson 4

Exercise	Answers
1. Part 7	1 B; 2 B; 3 B; 4 C; 5 A
2. Matching	1 C; 2 B; 3 D; 4 A
3. Part 5	1 B (noun after ‘the’); 2 A (base verb after ‘to’); 3 A (adjective after ‘considered’)

Sample reply for the writing task:

Dear Ms. Nguyen,

Thank you for contacting us. We apologize for the damaged lamps and for the error on the invoice. We will send 40 replacement lamps on Thursday at no extra cost, and they will arrive within two days. A corrected invoice for 500 units will be sent to you today. Please contact me if you have any other questions. Thank you for your patience.

Sincerely,
Mr. Carter