To correctly use common phrasal verbs in a business email, you must understand their specific meaning in a professional context and their grammatical structure (e.g., whether they can be separated). For instance, use 'follow up' to refer to taking further action on a previous topic, and 'bring forward' to move an appointment or meeting to an earlier time.
Mastering these nuances is key to clear and effective professional communication. Phrasal verbs—those tricky combinations of a verb and a preposition or adverb—are everywhere in native English, especially in the workplace. While they can seem confusing, learning how to use common phrasal verbs in a professional business email will make your writing sound more natural and fluent. This guide will break down two of the most essential examples, 'follow up' and 'bring forward', so you can use them with confidence.
Why Are Phrasal Verbs So Important in Business English?
In business communication, clarity is everything. Using the right phrasal verb shows a strong command of English and helps you get your message across efficiently. They often replace more formal, longer words (e.g., 'put off' instead of 'postpone'), making your emails sound more direct and modern. However, using them incorrectly can cause confusion or make you sound unprofessional. That's why understanding their precise meaning and context is vital.
How to Correctly Use Common Phrasal Verbs: A Deep Dive into 'Follow Up'
'Follow up' is one of the most frequently used phrasal verbs in the business world. It’s essential for project management, sales, and general correspondence.
What does 'follow up' mean?
To 'follow up' means to continue communication or take further action connected to something that happened earlier. You can follow up on a conversation, a meeting, a job application, or a potential sales lead.
How do I use 'follow up' in a sentence?
This phrasal verb is often used with the prepositions 'on' or 'with'.
- Follow up on [a topic/thing]: Use this when you are seeking more information about something.
- Example: "Hi John, I'm writing to follow up on my proposal from last week. Have you had a chance to review it?"
- Example: "I will follow up on the action items from our meeting and send a summary by tomorrow."
- Follow up with [a person]: Use this when you are contacting a person for more information.
- Example: "Thank you for the call. I will follow up with the technical team and get back to you."
- Example: "It was great meeting you at the conference. As promised, I'm following up with the resources we discussed."
How to Use Common Phrasal Verbs for Scheduling: 'Bring Forward' and its Opposites
Scheduling is a core part of any professional role, and phrasal verbs make this process much smoother. When you need to reschedule, knowing how to use common phrasal verbs in a professional business email is crucial for avoiding confusion.
What does 'bring forward' mean?
To 'bring forward' means to move a scheduled event to an *earlier* date or time. This is a common point of confusion for learners, as 'forward' might seem to imply moving into the future.
- Example: "My afternoon has cleared up. Could we bring forward our 3 PM meeting to 1 PM?"
- Example: "Due to the tight deadline, the project kickoff has been brought forward from Friday to Wednesday."
What are the opposites of 'bring forward'?
To move an event to a *later* date or time, you have a few options:
- Put off: To postpone or delay something.
- Example: "I'm afraid I have a conflict. We need to put off our weekly sync until next Monday."
- Push back: Very similar to 'put off', it means to delay to a later time.
- Example: "Can we push back the client presentation to Friday? I need more time to prepare the data."
More Essential Phrasal Verbs for Your Business Emails
Here are a few more phrasal verbs that will instantly improve your business writing:
- Look into: To investigate or research something.
- *Example:* "Thank you for reporting the bug. I will look into the issue immediately."
- Get back to: To respond to someone at a later time.
- *Example:* "I don't have that information right now, but I will find out and get back to you by the end of the day."
- Set up: To arrange or organize something, like a meeting or a call.
- *Example:* "Could you please set up a call with the marketing team for next week?"
- Call off: To cancel a planned event.
- *Example:* "Please be advised that tomorrow's training session has been called off due to unforeseen circumstances."
By incorporating these phrases, you’ll not only improve your grammar but also your overall effectiveness in the workplace. The key is to practice and become comfortable with their specific meanings. Start by trying to use common phrasal verbs in a professional business email today, and you’ll see your confidence and fluency grow.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What's the difference between 'follow up' and 'follow on'?
'Follow up' means to take further action on a previous point of contact. 'Follow on' is less common in business emails and typically means 'to happen as a result of something else.' For professional emails, 'follow up' is almost always the correct choice.
Is it okay to say 'bring up' a meeting instead of 'bring forward'?
No, these have very different meanings. To 'bring forward' a meeting means to make it earlier. To 'bring up' a topic means to introduce it for discussion. For example: "I'd like to bring up the budget at our next meeting."
What's the opposite of 'bring forward'?
The most common opposites for rescheduling to a later time are 'put off' or 'push back'. For example, if you can't make a meeting, you might ask, "Can we push back our call to 4 PM?"
Can I separate the phrasal verb 'look into'?
No, 'look into' is an inseparable phrasal verb. The object must always come after the full phrase. You must say "I will look into the problem," not "I will look the problem into."
How can I learn more business phrasal verbs?
Practice is key. Pay attention to how native speakers use them in emails and meetings. You can also use online dictionaries that provide examples, or find business English resources that list and explain common phrasal verbs in context.