The most essential English phrasal verbs for professional emails and meetings include *follow up*, *look into*, *set up*, and *go over*. Mastering these common phrases will make your workplace communication clearer, more natural, and more efficient, helping you sound confident and fluent.
Navigating the world of business English can be challenging, but understanding key phrasal verbs is a major step toward success. While you might have learned to avoid phrasal verbs in formal academic writing, many are perfectly normal—and even preferred—in a professional context. Using the 10 most essential English phrasal verbs for professional emails and meetings correctly will help you integrate seamlessly with native-speaking colleagues and express your ideas with precision.
Why is it important to learn phrasal verbs for business English?
In business communication, efficiency is key. Phrasal verbs are often more concise and natural-sounding than their more formal, single-word equivalents (for example, saying "push back the meeting" is more common than "postpone the meeting" in daily conversation). Learning them helps you:
- Understand native speakers: Colleagues will use these phrases constantly in conversation, Slack messages, and emails.
- Sound more fluent: Using them correctly shows a high level of English proficiency and helps you sound less like a textbook.
- Communicate with clarity: These verbs often carry a specific nuance that is perfect for a business context.
The Top 10 Essential English Phrasal Verbs for Professional Emails and Meetings
Here is a breakdown of the phrasal verbs you'll hear and use most often in the workplace. We've included clear definitions and examples for both email and meeting contexts.
Follow up (on/with)
- Meaning: To take further action on something or contact someone again to get more information.
- Email Example: "Hi Sarah, I'm writing to follow up on our conversation from yesterday."
- Meeting Example: "I will follow up with the marketing team to get the final numbers for Q3."
Look into
- Meaning: To investigate or research a problem or situation.
- Email Example: "Thanks for flagging this issue. I will look into it right away and get back to you."
- Meeting Example: "We've seen a drop in engagement. We need to look into the cause."
Set up
- Meaning: To arrange or organize something, like a meeting, a call, or a system.
- Email Example: "Could you please set up a call for us with the client for next week?"
- Meeting Example: "Let's set up a new project board in Asana to track our progress."
Go over
- Meaning: To review, check, or discuss something in detail.
- Email Example: "Please go over the attached report before our meeting tomorrow."
- Meeting Example: "Before we start, let's quickly go over the agenda for today."
Bring forward
- Meaning: To move an event or meeting to an earlier date or time.
- Email Example: "Due to the client's availability, we need to bring forward the presentation to Monday."
- Meeting Example: "Can we bring forward our 3 PM meeting to 1 PM instead?"
Push back (or Put off)
- Meaning: To delay or move an event to a later date or time.
- Email Example: "I have a conflict in my schedule. We will need to push back the deadline to Friday."
- Meeting Example: "Let's put off the discussion about the budget until we have the final figures."
Carry out
- Meaning: To perform or complete a task, plan, or instruction.
- Email Example: "The development team will carry out the necessary updates over the weekend."
- Meeting Example: "We all agreed on the plan, so now it's time to carry out the action items."
Draw up
- Meaning: To prepare and write a formal or official document, like a contract, proposal, or plan.
- Email Example: "Our legal team will draw up the contract and send it over by the end of the day."
- Meeting Example: "John, could you draw up a proposal based on the requirements we discussed?"
Deal with
- Meaning: To manage, handle, or take action on a situation, problem, or person.
- Email Example: "Don't worry about the client's complaint; I will deal with it personally."
- Meeting Example: "How should we deal with the unexpected feedback from the survey?"
Break down
- Meaning: To divide something into smaller, more manageable parts for analysis.
- Email Example: "I will break down the project costs in the attached spreadsheet."
- Meeting Example: "Let's break down this problem into three key areas we can focus on."
How to Effectively Use These Essential English Phrasal Verbs for Professional Emails and Meetings
Knowing the list is the first step; using them confidently is the next. Here are a few tips:
- Start Small: Don't try to use all ten at once. Choose two or three to focus on this week.
- Listen Actively: Pay attention to how your native-speaking colleagues use these phrases in meetings and emails.
- Context is Key: Notice the prepositions that follow them (e.g., *follow up on something*, *deal with a problem*).
- Practice Writing: Try to write a few practice emails to a friend or colleague incorporating one or two of these verbs.
By integrating these 10 most essential English phrasal verbs for professional emails and meetings into your active vocabulary, you will enhance your communication skills, build stronger professional relationships, and boost your workplace confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions about Business Phrasal Verbs
Q1: Are phrasal verbs too informal for professional writing?
Not at all. While some phrasal verbs are very informal (like *hang out*), the ones listed above are standard in business communication. They are widely used in emails, reports, and presentations and are considered perfectly professional.
Q2: How can I remember the meanings of so many phrasal verbs?
The best way is through context and practice. Instead of memorizing lists, try to learn them in chunks. Create your own example sentences related to your job. Flashcard apps like Anki or Quizlet can also be very helpful for active recall.
Q3: What's the difference between "push back" and "postpone"?
They have very similar meanings, but "push back" is slightly more common in everyday spoken business English. "Postpone" is a bit more formal. You can use either, but using "push back" will often help you sound more natural.
Q4: Where can I find more phrasal verbs for the workplace?
You can find more by paying attention to business news from sources like the Wall Street Journal or the Financial Times, listening to business podcasts, or using an English dictionary that provides context and example sentences, such as the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.