Phrasal verbs. An essential, yet often hated part of learning English, but what are they? Simply put, a phrasal verb is a verb made up of 2 parts, the verb and the particle (which is usually a preposition). For example put off .
You learn the meaning of a phrasal verb as if it were a single word, as the meaning is usually very different from the original verb. For example, put typically means to place something somewhere, but put off means to postpone or delay doing something.
Luckily for language learners, there is always an alternative to a phrasal verb, so, if you can’t remember it use the alternative. The alternatives tend to be more formal than the phrasal verb, but the meaning remains the same:
I had to put off tomorrow’s meeting
I had to postpone tomorrow’s meeting
Now, Linguists estimate there are over 5000 phrasal verbs in English. Focus on learning the more common ones OR the ones you will use the most. Here are 5 common phrasal verbs used in business to get you started!
Here are 5 common phrasal verbs used in business to get you started!
- Follow up
- Sample Sentence: “After the meeting, I’ll follow up with an email outlining the action items.”
- Definition: To pursue or take further action regarding something discussed or initiated earlier, often in the context of a business interaction.
- Back up
- Sample Sentence: “Be sure to back up all important files to prevent data loss.”
- Definition: To make a copy of data or information for safekeeping, typically on a separate storage device or location.
- Run into
- Sample Sentence: “During the conference, I ran into an old colleague from my previous company.”
- Definition: To encounter unexpectedly, often referring to meeting someone or experiencing a problem or obstacle.
- Come up with
- Sample Sentence: “Our team needs to come up with innovative solutions to address this challenge.”
- Definition: To produce or generate, especially ideas, solutions, or plans in response to a problem or need.
- Look into
- Sample Sentence: “We’ll look into the issue and provide a detailed report by the end of the week.”
- Definition: To investigate or examine thoroughly, typically to gain understanding or resolve a problem or inquiry.
By incorporating these business-focused phrasal verbs into your communication, you’ll enhance your professional interactions and convey competence and fluency in the business environment.
Happy language learning!
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