📝 Lesson Practice
🗣️ English Goal
compare two supplier offers and explain reasons to choose one
💼 Workplace Goal
understand how to review and decide between supplier quotations based on price, delivery time, and product quality
💭 Warm-Up Question
How do you usually decide which supplier offer is the best for your company? Explain briefly.
📖 Short Reading
Julia works in purchasing. She needs to buy 500 units of office chairs for her company. She receives two quotations from suppliers. Supplier A's price is $40 per chair, and delivery takes 10 days. Supplier B offers a price of $38 per chair, but delivery will take 20 days. Julia also checks reviews and sees Supplier A has better product quality. Because the delivery time is important, Julia thinks Supplier A is better despite the higher price. She tells her team she will ask Supplier A for a final confirmation. If Supplier A can reduce the price, they can order from them. If not, Julia may ask Supplier B to deliver faster. Julia then writes an email to Supplier A to ask about any possible discounts and delivery guarantees. She needs to make a decision soon to start the project on time.
🔎 Check Your Understanding
1.
Why does Julia prefer Supplier A over Supplier B?
2.
What will Julia do if Supplier A cannot reduce the price?
3.
What is Julia’s next action after comparing the offers?
4.
Why does Julia need to make a quick decision?
📚 Key Vocabulary
| Word or phrase | Simple meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| quotation | a supplier's price offer for products | We received a quotation for 500 chairs at $40 each. |
| delivery time | how many days it takes for products to arrive | The delivery time for the chairs is 10 days. |
| product quality | how good or bad the product is | We need to check the product quality before buying. |
| discount | a lower price from the supplier | The supplier offered a 5% discount for a large order. |
| confirm | to agree and make sure information is correct | Please confirm the total price before we order. |
| compare | to look at two or more options to see differences | We must compare supplier prices and delivery dates. |
| lead time | the time between ordering and receiving products | Supplier B has a longer lead time, 20 days. |
| order quantity | the number of items being purchased | The order quantity is 500 units. |
| recommend | to suggest the best option | I recommend choosing the supplier with faster delivery. |
| follow up | to check with someone again after a previous contact | We will follow up with Supplier A about the discount. |
💬 Useful Language
requesting clarification:
Could you please confirm the delivery time?
confirming information:
Just to confirm, the price is $40 per chair?
explaining a reason:
We need faster delivery because the project starts next week.
comparing options:
Supplier A has better quality, but Supplier B is cheaper.
making a suggestion:
I suggest we ask Supplier A if they can offer a discount.
requesting a correction:
Please update the quotation with the correct delivery date.
💬 Dialogue
🙂 Alex: Hi Sam, have you reviewed the two supplier offers for the office chairs?
😀 Sam: Yes, Alex. Supplier A offers $40 per chair with 10 days delivery, and Supplier B offers $38 but with 20 days delivery.
🙂 Alex: I see. Did you check the product quality for both suppliers?
😀 Sam: Supplier A has better reviews about quality. Supplier B is cheaper, but their products have some negative feedback.
🙂 Alex: Since we need the chairs quickly, I think Supplier A is better. But the price is a bit high.
😀 Sam: Should we ask Supplier A if they can give us a discount because the order is large?
🙂 Alex: Yes, please. Could you send them an email to confirm the price and delivery dates? Also, ask about any discounts.
😀 Sam: I will do that now. If Supplier A cannot reduce the price, should we check if Supplier B can deliver faster?
🙂 Alex: Good idea. Let’s wait for Supplier A’s reply first, then decide the next step.
✏️ Exercise 1 – Fill in the Blanks
1.
We need to ____ the delivery date before we place the order. (delay / recommend / confirm)
2.
Supplier B’s price is lower, but the ____ time is longer. (delivery / discount / quality)
3.
Can you please ____ if the supplier offers a discount for this order? (suggest / ask / order)
4.
We should ____ the two offers carefully before we decide. (deliver / cancel / compare)
5.
Julia wants to ____ Supplier A for a final price confirmation. (follow up / confirm / damage)
6.
We have to explain the ____ for choosing a supplier clearly. (quantity / reason / invoice)
🔗 Exercise 2 – Matching
1.
Quotation
2.
Delivery time
3.
Discount
4.
Follow up
5.
Compare options
✅ Exercise 3 – Multiple Choice
1.
If the delivery time is very important, what should you check first?
2.
What is a polite way to ask a supplier to lower their price?
3.
Why do we compare two supplier offers?
4.
What is a good next step if the preferred supplier’s price is too high?
5.
If a supplier says delivery will take 10 days, what should you do before ordering?
🧩 Mini Practice
Practice answering aloud.
Say: We need to compare the prices and delivery times carefully.
Say: Could you please confirm the lead time for this order?
Say: Supplier A has better product quality than Supplier B.
Say: I suggest we ask for a discount before we place the order.
Ask: Why is it important to check both price and delivery time when choosing a supplier?
Say: It is important because a low price may come with slow delivery. We need the products on time and at a good price.
Ask: What would you do if your preferred supplier cannot deliver on time?
Say: I would ask them if they can speed up the delivery. If not, I might consider another supplier with faster delivery.
💼 Workplace Action
Choose two fictional supplier offers for a product you need. Write a short comparison of their prices, delivery times, and quality. Decide which supplier you would choose and explain why.
📝 Reflection
Think about a real or fictional purchase you need to make. How would you compare different supplier options and decide which one is best? Explain your reasons.
🧭 Lesson Summary
You have learned how to compare supplier offers by looking at price, delivery time, and product quality. You can now explain your choice clearly and suggest next steps. Practice these skills to make better purchasing decisions in your work.
🔎 Answer Key
Check Your Understanding
- Because Supplier A has better product quality and faster delivery.
- She will ask Supplier B to deliver faster.
- She will write an email to Supplier A to ask about discounts and delivery.
- Because the project needs the chairs on time.
Exercise 1 – Fill in the Blanks
- confirm
- delivery
- ask
- compare
- follow up
- reason
Exercise 2 – Matching
- Quotation – A supplier’s price offer for products
- Delivery time – Time needed for products to arrive
- Discount – A lower price from the supplier
- Follow up – To check again after first contact
- Compare options – Look at two or more choices to find differences
Exercise 3 – Multiple Choice
- The delivery time of each supplier.
- Can you please offer a discount for this order?
- To find the best price, delivery time, and quality.
- Ask the preferred supplier if they can offer a discount.
- Confirm the delivery time with the supplier.