There are different aspects of business English that are important to
look into. In this blog I will
go over the importance of phrasal verbs in business English. I will
point out the most commonly used phrasal verbs and
come up with solutions to help you integrate them into different work-related scenarios.
What are phrasal verbs?
Phrasal verbs are unique expressions made of two or more words – a main verb combined with a preposition or adverb. This combination creates a new meaning, often different from what you'd expect if you looked up each word separately.
Here are some examples:
Turn on: This doesn't mean you're turning towards something named "on". It means to
start or activate something, like a light or a computer.
E.g. "Can you
turn on the TV?"
Look up: It doesn't always mean gazing at the sky. It can mean
searching for information, especially in a book or online.
E.g. "I'll
look up the recipe for cookies."
Why are phrasal verbs important for business English?
We have many phrasal verbs in the English language but some of them are used more commonly in a business setting for example:
Hand over - to give control or responsibility.
E.g. "He will
hand over the project to the new manager."
Follow up - to continue an action or check on something.
E.g."I will
follow up on that email next week."
Luckily,
many phrasal verbs are used in both general and business English scenarios which means you can pick them up easily but it’s useful to see them in context!
How do we use phrasal verbs in different business scenarios?
There are many different types of business scenarios, some of them more specific to different job roles. Here are some specific business scenarios with phrasal verbs that fit them.
1. Meetings:
Bring up: Introduce a topic for discussion.
"I'll
bring up the budget concerns in today's meeting."
Write down: Note or record something on paper.
"Please
write down the minutes of the meeting."
Go over: Review or examine.
"Let's
go over the points discussed in the last meeting."
Run through: To rehearse, review, or explain quickly.
"Can we
run through the presentation one more time?"
2. Negotiations:
Hold out for: Wait until a better offer or deal is available.
"We should
hold out for a better price."
Come up with: Think of an idea or solution.
"We need to
come up with a counter-offer."
Iron out: Resolve or settle differences/issues.
"We need to
iron out the details before finalising the contract."
3. Office Communication:
Check in on: See how someone/something is progressing.
"I'll
check in on the team to see how they're doing."
Reach out to: Contact someone.
"I'll
reach out to the client for feedback."
Fill in: Provide someone with necessary information.
"Can you
fill me
in on what happened while I was away?"
Set up: Arrange or establish.
"Can you
set up a meeting for next week?"
4. Networking:
Touch base with: Briefly contact or check in with someone.
"I'd love to
touch base with you next week."
Catch up: Update each other on recent events.
"Let's
catch up over coffee sometime."
Follow up: Continue an action or check on something.
"I'll
follow up with an email detailing our discussion."
5. Sales and Marketing:
Roll out: Introduce a new product or service.
"We plan to
roll out our new software next month."
Draw in: Attract customers or audience.
"Our new marketing strategy will
draw in more consumers."
Sign up: Register or subscribe.
"We got 100 people to
sign up for our webinar."
6. Project Management:
Kick off: Start a project or event.
"We will
kick off the new campaign next Monday."
Wrap up: Finish or conclude.
"We need to
wrap up this project by the end of the month."
Lay out: Present or explain in detail.
"She
laid out the roadmap for the upcoming phase."
Scale back: Reduce in size or amount.
"Due to budget constraints, we might have to
scale back the project."
7. Human Resources:
Take on: Employ or hire.
"We are planning to
take on five new employees this quarter."
Lay off: Dismiss employees from their jobs, usually due to company financial problems.
"The company had to
lay off a number of staff after a poor financial year."
Bring aboard: Hire or welcome someone.
"We're excited to
bring Sarah
aboard as our new Sales Director."
Step down: Resign from a position.
"The CEO decided to
step down after ten years."
8. Customer Service:
Look into: Investigate or examine a problem.
"We will
look into the issue you reported."
Get back to: Respond or reply to someone later.
"I don't have that information now, but I'll
get back to you."
Sort out: Organise, resolve, or clarify.
"Our team is working to
sort out the system glitch."
Put through: Connect someone by phone.
"I'll
put you
through to the technical department."
9. Finances & Accounting:
Pay back: Return money that was borrowed.
"The company plans to
pay back its debts by next year."
Break down: Provide detailed information.
"Can you
break down the expenses for this month?"
Set aside: Reserve or save for a specific purpose.
"We need to
set aside funds for the upcoming product launch."
Write off: Accept that a debt won't be paid or consider something as a loss.
"The company had to
write off a significant amount due to bad debts."
10. Training & Development:
Brush up on: Review or improve your skills or knowledge about a certain topic.
"I need to brush up on my presentation skills."
Hand out: Distribute materials, like papers or resources.
"During the training, they handed out manuals to everyone."
Pair up: Partner people together.
"Let's pair up the new employees with mentors."
Walk through: Guide someone step-by-step.
"She walked me through the new software."
A lot of these phrasal verbs crossover into different areas of business so learning them will help you to feel more confident in many work-related situations.
Tips to master business English phrasal verbs
Now that we have a good set of business English phrasal verbs to put to use, here are some of my top tips to master them.
❈ Join Business English Classes: There are platforms that offer specialised Business English courses and can provide structured learning, ensuring you cover all essential phrasal verbs. This is something we provide at Oxinity.
❈ Engage in Real-world Listening: Listen to business podcasts, news, or interviews. This will expose you to naturally spoken Business English, which is rich in phrasal verbs.
❈ Practice Daily: Like any other language skill, the key to mastering phrasal verbs is consistent practice. Engage in conversations, write emails, or even practice solo by creating sentences. Interactive online exercises and repetition will help you. Even a minimum of ten minutes per day will help, consistency is key!
To sum up, learning to use phrasal verbs is a great way to boost your confidence using English quickly by sounding like a native. Hopefully after reading this blog you can ‘map out’ a strategy to help you learn English, good luck!
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