Business English Vocabulary: What’s the Difference Between ‘Pose,’ ‘Propose,’ ‘Dispose,’ ‘Impose,’ and ‘Expose’?

What’s the Difference Between ‘Pose,’ ‘Propose,’ ‘Dispose,’ ‘Impose,’ and ‘Expose’? by REAL Business English

Welcome to the Business English Vocabulary Challenge!

This week, we’re focusing on five common Business English verbs: pose, dispose, propose, impose, and expose. These are words you’ll hear in everyday situations, so it’s important to know what they mean and how to use them. Let’s get started!

Today’s Business English Vocabulary Challenge:

Choose the correct option and listen to the sentence.

1.

You should _____ of all these old papers before they pile up.

A) impose

B) propose

C) pose

D) dispose

ANSWER KEY

That's right! The correct answer is D) dispose.

DISPOSE OF something

to get rid of something

He disposed of the old shoes after cleaning out the closet.

The company decided to dispose of outdated equipment.

We are planning to dispose of old documents by the end of the month.

DOWNLOADABLE PRACTICE CARDS 1

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2.

Let's not _____ too many rules. We need to stay flexible.

A) expose B) impose C) dispose D) pose

ANSWER KEY

That's right! The correct answer is B) impose.

IMPOSE RULES ON somebody

to make someone follow rules, often without giving them a choice

The new manager doesn’t want to impose too many rules on the team.

Parents shouldn’t impose too many rules on their kids. Kids need some freedom.

A good leader knows when to impose rules and when to trust the team.

DOWNLOADABLE PRACTICE CARDS 2

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3.

We don't want to _____ the company to unnecessary risks.

A) expose

B) propose

C) dispose

D) pose

ANSWER KEY

That's right! The correct answer is A) expose.

EXPOSE somebody TO RISKS

to put somebody in a situation where they might experience harm, danger, or negative consequences

Sharing confidential information with competitors could expose our company to risks.

Not wearing a helmet while riding a bike exposes you to risks of serious injury.

Investing all your money in a single stock exposes you to unnecessary risks.

DOWNLOADABLE PRACTICE CARDS 3

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4.

This change might _____ a challenge for the sales team.

A) propose

B) pose

C) dispose

D) expose

ANSWER KEY

That's correct! The correct answer is B) pose.

POSE A CHALLENGE

to create a situation that is difficult to deal with

Planning the event with such a small budget poses a challenge for us.

Staying focused with so many distractions can pose a challenge for many students.

The new regulations could pose a challenge for small businesses.

DOWNLOADABLE PRACTICE CARDS 4

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5.

I'd like to _____ a new schedule for our weekly meetings.

A) pose

B) expose

C) dispose

D) propose

ANSWER KEY

That's right! The correct answer is D) propose.

PROPOSE A NEW SCHEDULE

to suggest a different timetable for when things will happen

The manager proposed a new schedule for the training sessions that works better for everyone.

We can propose a new schedule if the current plan isn’t working.

After the delay, the contractor proposed a new construction schedule.

DOWNLOADABLE PRACTICE CARDS 5

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