Teacher Discussion Forums

Hi everybody! Here I have some questions for you. I hope you can help me:

•Which would be most appropriate term or the English equivalent for the Spanish term "franja horaria"? I've looked it up in every dictionary I could find, but the expression doesn't appear. And I'm not referring to the "timetable" as a whole, but just to a specific time within the timetable. For example, let's say I have this timetable:

MONDAYS: from 8 AM to 9:30 AM and from 10 AM to 11:30 AM.

Now, I want to say that I'm available from 10 AM to 11:30 AM but I'm not available from 8 AM to 9:30 AM. So, I can say:

I'm not available from 8 AM to 9:30 AM.
or...
I'm not available for/in that "franja horaria".

•Another question: Is it OK to say "a short number of businesses/companies" or would you rather say "a small number of businesses/companies"?

•In which cases is the word "business" a countable noun and can therefore be pluralized? Is the above example one of these?

•How can I say "electrodomésticos". Is domestic appliances all right?

•The last question: Do you (i.e. English people) normally use the expression "May I introduce myself?" when you are in a meeting and there isn't another person to introduce you? Or does it sound rather awkward, artificial and old-fashioned?

I would really appreciate it if you could help me with these questions!
Thanks a lot in advance!!

Kind regards,

Mara.

Hello Mara,
although I can't speak Spanish these are my thoughts on your questions

1. You could try "time slot" or "window".
2. Stick with "A small number of businesses..."
3. When it means so much like "company, shop, factory", etc. then it is C. When it means so much like "trade in general" then it is UC
4.Don't know, but "domestic appliances" is good for such things as fridges, cookers, television sets, etc.
5. Phrases such as "May I introduce myself" or "Please allow me to introduce myself" do seem a little "stuffy". You might like to think about something like "I don't think we've met, my nyme is...." or " I don't think I've had the pleasure, my name is", again possibly a bit too formal. You could also just say "Hello, pleased to meet you, my name is...." But it all depends on the setting

Hope this is of some help to you

BW
Macavity

Hello Mara,
here's an example of how point 3 could work. Imagine this is a newspaper article:

Germany continues to lead the way!
Business is booming as German export figures set new records.This is the news from the Frankfurt stock exchange as the latest figures show that Germany is the world champion in exporting. However, experts warn that the bubble could be about to burst as unemployment continues to rise at an alarming rate and many small businesses go to the wall.

Macavity, Cat News Network, Berlin.

Thanks a lot Macavity! Your reply was really helpful! Does "time slot" mean the same as "window"? What a wonderful example you gave me! I think I may use it for my lessons.
Thanks again,

Mara.

PS: do you write for a newspaper?