The most common phrasal verbs used in a professional or business setting include terms like 'follow up,' 'draw up,' 'call off,' and 'deal with.' These essential multi-word verbs help you navigate daily workplace communication, from scheduling meetings and managing tasks to negotiating contracts, making you sound more fluent and natural.
Mastering them is a key step in advancing your business English skills. Let's break down why they're so important and provide a clear list you can start using today.
Why are the most common phrasal verbs used in a professional or business setting so important?
Phrasal verbs are a combination of a verb and a particle (a preposition or adverb) that, together, create a new meaning. For English learners, they can be tricky because their meaning often isn't obvious from the individual words. However, in an English-speaking office, they are used constantly.
Learning them is crucial for a few key reasons:
- Fluency and Naturalness: Using phrasal verbs correctly makes your speech sound less like a textbook and more like a native speaker. It shows a deeper understanding of the language.
- Clear Communication: In workplace communication, certain phrasal verbs are the standard way to express an idea. Saying "We need to *deal with* this issue" is more common and direct than saying "We need to manage this problem."
- Understanding Colleagues: If you don't know these phrases, you might miss key information in meetings, emails, and conversations. Understanding this professional vocabulary is as important as being able to use it.
What are the most common phrasal verbs used in a professional or business setting?
Here is a practical list of 15 essential phrasal verbs, complete with their meanings and examples of how to use them in a corporate context. Try incorporating one or two into your work communication this week.
- Follow up (on/with)
- Meaning: To take further action on something or contact someone again to get more information.
- Example: "I'm just calling to *follow up on* the invoice I sent last Tuesday."
- Bring forward
- Meaning: To move a meeting or event to an earlier date or time.
- Example: "Could we *bring forward* the team meeting to 10 AM instead of 11 AM?"
- Push back
- Meaning: To delay or move a meeting or event to a later date or time.
- Example: "We have to *push back* the project deadline by one week."
- Call off
- Meaning: To cancel a planned event.
- Example: "They had to *call off* the conference due to the transport strike."
- Deal with
- Meaning: To handle or manage a situation, task, or person.
- Example: "My manager is the best person to *deal with* client complaints."
- Draw up
- Meaning: To prepare a formal, written document like a contract or plan.
- Example: "Our legal team will *draw up* the new employment contracts."
- Take on
- Meaning: To accept a new task, challenge, or responsibility.
- Example: "I'm not sure if I have the capacity to *take on* another project right now."
- Look into
- Meaning: To investigate or research a problem or situation.
- Example: "Thank you for the feedback. We will *look into* the issue immediately."
- Set up
- Meaning: To arrange, organize, or establish something.
- Example: "Can you please *set up* a video call for this Friday?"
- Run by / Run past
- Meaning: To tell someone an idea or plan so they can give you their opinion.
- Example: "That's an interesting idea. Let me *run it by* my supervisor first."
- Fill in (for someone)
- Meaning: To temporarily do someone else's job while they are away.
- Example: "Sarah will *fill in for* me while I'm on vacation."
- Fill (someone) in
- Meaning: To give someone details or information they missed.
- Example: "I missed the meeting. Could you *fill me in* on what was decided?"
- Get back to (someone)
- Meaning: To respond to someone at a later time.
- Example: "I don't have the answer right now, but I will *get back to you* by the end of the day."
- Break down
- Meaning: To divide a large piece of information or a complex task into smaller, more manageable parts.
- Example: "Let's *break down* the quarterly sales report by region."
- Carry out
- Meaning: To perform or complete a task, instruction, or plan.
- Example: "The team is expected to *carry out* the new strategy effectively."
Conclusion
Learning and practicing the most common phrasal verbs used in a professional or business setting is a powerful step toward fluency. By incorporating these into your daily vocabulary, you'll not only understand your colleagues better but also communicate your own ideas with greater precision and confidence. Start with a few, use them in emails and meetings, and watch your professional English skills grow.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How can I practice using business phrasal verbs?
Start by actively listening for them in workplace meetings, presentations, and even TV shows set in an office. Try to write three sample sentences for each new phrasal verb you learn. A great technique is to redraft an email you've written, looking for opportunities to replace a more basic verb with a more natural-sounding phrasal verb from this list.
What is the difference between a phrasal verb and an idiom?
While related, they aren't the same. A phrasal verb is a verb combined with a particle (e.g., 'look into'). An idiom is a fixed expression with a figurative meaning that can't be understood from the individual words (e.g., 'hit the nail on the head'). Many business phrasal verbs are standard vocabulary, whereas idioms can be more informal or stylistic.
Are phrasal verbs considered formal or informal in business?
Most business phrasal verbs, like the ones listed above, are considered neutral and are standard in everyday professional communication. They are perfectly acceptable in emails, meetings, and reports. While some phrasal verbs are very informal, you can be confident that 'follow up', 'deal with', and 'draw up' are appropriate for any corporate setting.
Can a phrasal verb be separated by an object?
Yes, some phrasal verbs are 'separable,' meaning the object can go between the verb and the particle. For example, you can say, "Could you *fill me in*?" Others are 'inseparable,' where the verb and particle must stay together, such as "I will *look into* the matter." The best way to learn is by seeing them used in context.