Business English Vocabulary: What’s the Difference Between ‘Pose,’ ‘Propose,’ ‘Dispose,’ ‘Impose,’ and ‘Expose’?
- Erin West
- Dec 6, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 4

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The company decided to dispose of outdated equipment.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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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