Stock market

GRAMMAR

Can you put the verb in brackets in the right tense?

Last week the Dow Jones (go) _____ up by 50 points, but this week it (go) _______ down by 25 points.

Answers: went/has gone

Do you know why we use a different tense in these sentences? Because last week is finished, but this week isn't.

VOCABULARY

Which words go in the blanks?

A bull market is a market in which people _______ shares, hoping they will ________ in value. A bear market is a market in which people _______ shares, hoping they will ______ in value.

Answers: buy/increase/sell/decrease

So which one is considered to be positive? That's right - a bull market.

READING
What do the words in quotes mean?

Stock markets throughout the world are influenced by the Dow Jones, "media reports", "economic data", and "market sentiment" Markets can go up and down because of these factors.

Answers:
media reports = what journalists say/write
economic data = information like unemploymnet statistics
market sentiment = how other investors are investing their money


WRITING TIPS

Have you ever bought financial services on the internet? You need to be careful with your figures: if you want to write 1, you need to write 01. You may be asked to choose from a "lump sum" (= one single payment) or "monthly payments". Finally, don't forget to check all the details before your final click!


CULTURAL INFORMATION

Do many people invest in shares in your country? In the USA it's extremely common. Meanwhile, in the UK it's becoming more and more common - many old state companies (e.g. British Telecom) have been "privatised" - this means that members of the public can buy shares from the government.

Quiz


1. Last week the FTSE _______ down by 20 points.
a) went
b) has gone
c) was going


2. When people want to buy shares, we call this a _______ market.
a) lion
b) bear
c) bull