🎯

Learning Objectives

5 minutes reading
✓
Understand what phrasal verbs are and why they're essential in business English
✓
Learn 15+ essential phrasal verbs for meetings, projects, and communication
✓
Use phrasal verbs correctly in professional contexts
✓
Distinguish between separable and inseparable phrasal verbs
💡
Key Learning Tip

Phrasal verbs are combinations of a verb + particle (up, down, out, in, on, off) that create a new meaning. Native speakers use them constantly in business contexts!

📚

Essential Phrasal Verbs

10 minutes reading

Phrasal verbs = verb + particle. The meaning often differs from the individual words. Here are the most essential ones for business.

Meetings & Schedules

Planning & Organizing

set up = organize/arrange → "I'll set up a meeting."
put off = postpone → "Let's put off the decision."
call off = cancel → "They called off the event."
carry on = continue → "Please carry on with the presentation."
wrap up = finish → "Let's wrap up this meeting."
Communication

Contacting & Responding

get back to = reply later → "I'll get back to you tomorrow."
follow up = check progress → "I need to follow up on the proposal."
bring up = mention/raise → "She brought up an important point."
turn down = reject → "They turned down our offer."
point out = indicate → "He pointed out the error."
Projects & Tasks

Working & Completing

work on = do/develop → "I'm working on the budget."
deal with = handle → "Who deals with complaints?"
come up with = create/think of → "We came up with a solution."
figure out = understand/solve → "We need to figure out the problem."
hand in = submit → "Please hand in your reports."
General Business

More Essential Verbs

look into = investigate → "I'll look into that issue."
take on = accept/undertake → "She took on the new project."
cut down on = reduce → "We need to cut down on expenses."
go ahead = proceed → "Go ahead with the plan."
fill in = complete (a form) → "Please fill in this form."
🔑
Separable vs Inseparable

Separable: "I'll set the meeting up" OR "I'll set up the meeting" (both correct)
Inseparable: "I'll look into it" (NOT "look it into")

💼

Professional Contexts

5 minutes reading

In Meetings

📅 Starting: "Let's kick off with the sales report."
💬 Discussing: "I'd like to bring up a concern about the timeline."
⏰ Delaying: "Can we put off this discussion until next week?"
✅ Finishing: "Let's wrap up. I'll follow up by email."

Email & Communication

📧 Responding: "I'll get back to you by end of day."
🔍 Researching: "I'm looking into the issue you mentioned."
📝 Updating: "Just following up on my previous email."
📎 Submitting: "I've handed in my expenses report."
✅

Examples - Correct & Incorrect Usage

5 minutes reading
✓

Correct Professional Usage

✓
"Can you set up a meeting for Tuesday?"

set up = organize/arrange

✓
"I'll get back to you with the figures."

get back to = reply/respond later

✓
"We need to come up with a new strategy."

come up with = create/think of

✓
"The client turned down our proposal."

turn down = reject

✓
"Please fill in this application form."

fill in = complete (a form)

✗

Common Mistakes to Avoid

✗
"I'll look it into."

"Look into" is inseparable. Say: "I'll look into it."

✗
"We need to deal the problem."

Missing "with"! Say: "We need to deal with the problem."

✗
"Let's put the meeting off it."

Don't add extra words. Say: "Let's put off the meeting" OR "Let's put the meeting off."

🎧

Listening Exercise

10 minutes

Scenario: Maria leaves a phone message for her colleague Tom about upcoming tasks.

🎙️Audio: Phone Message - Work Tasks
Ready
0:00 / 0:00
🔊
Speed:

Audio Transcript: Phone Message - Work Tasks

Maria: Hi Tom, it's Maria. I'm calling about the product launch next week.

We need to set up a meeting with the marketing team. Can you set it up for Tuesday afternoon?

Also, I've been looking into the material prices, and they've gone up again. We might need to put off the decision until we get more quotes.

Oh, and don't forget to fill out the expense report before Friday. The finance team needs to go over it before the end of the month.

One more thing – David asked me to bring up the new packaging design at the directors' meeting. I'll take that on if you can deal with the supplier contracts.

Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!

Question 1: In "Can you set it up?", where does the pronoun "it" go?

💡 Hint: "Set up" is a separable phrasal verb. With pronouns, the pronoun must go between the verb and particle.

Question 2: What has Maria been looking into?

💡 Hint: Listen for "looking into" and what Maria has been investigating.

Question 3: Complete the sentence: "Don't forget to _____ the expense report."

💡 Hint: Listen for the phrasal verb meaning "complete a form".
🧠

Interactive Quiz

10 minutes

Match the phrasal verb to its meaning:

1

"Put off" means:

ACancel completely
BPostpone / delay
CStart immediately
2

"Come up with" means:

ACreate / think of (an idea)
BReject / refuse
CComplete / finish
3

"Follow up" means:

AStop doing something
BIgnore
CCheck progress / contact again
✏️

Practice Exercises

10 minutes

Exercise A - Complete with the Correct Phrasal Verb

Choose the best phrasal verb:

1.

Can you _____ a meeting with the sales team for Monday?

💡 Hint: We need to organize/arrange a meeting.
2.

I'll _____ to you with the information tomorrow.

💡 Hint: We need to reply/respond later.
3.

We need to _____ costs this quarter.

💡 Hint: We need to reduce costs.
4.

The team _____ a brilliant solution to the problem.

💡 Hint: They created/thought of a solution.
5.

Unfortunately, the client _____ our proposal.

💡 Hint: The client rejected our proposal.

Exercise B - Match the Meaning

Match each phrasal verb to its definition:

1.

deal with

2.

look into

3.

call off

4.

wrap up

5.

carry on

📋

Summary

2 minutes

🎓 Key Phrasal Verbs to Remember

  • Meetings: set up, put off, call off, wrap up, carry on
  • Communication: get back to, follow up, bring up, turn down, point out
  • Projects: work on, deal with, come up with, figure out, hand in
  • General: look into, take on, cut down on, go ahead, fill in
  • Remember: some phrasal verbs are separable (set the meeting up) and some are inseparable (look into it)
✨
Congratulations!

You've learned 20+ essential business phrasal verbs! Continue to Lesson 5.3 to learn about the Present Perfect tense.

Leçon suivante →