5 Phrasal Verbs with the verb Get that you can use in a Business Context

Posted on June28, 2013 by Shanthi

Two months ago (I cannot believe how time flies!) I wrote this post about 5 phrasal verbs you can use with the verb Take in a Business English context. In that post I said that the most common verbs that are used as phrasal verbs are get, put, take, come and go.

I started off with take and this post is now dedicated to the verb get. Depending on the preposition that follows the verb, the meaning of the the phrasal verb and how its used in a sentence can change quite a lot. This is very challenging for language learners to grasp. Its also true that in English, phrasal verbs are often used instead of an appropriate verb which can be extremely frustrating for language learners. For example, we often say call off a meeting instead of cance l a meeting.

Lets take a look at 5 phrasal verbs, their alternative meaning and how they are used in a business context. 1. Get Around

We managed to get around the problem by dealing with our suppliers directly. (avoid)

2. Get Into

We got into an argument over the sales deadlines at the meeting. I was so upset. (became involved)

3. Get Through

Ive had a really constructive day today. I got through a huge amount of paperwork. (completed) Ive been trying to get throughto our distributors all day without success. (contact)

4. Get On

I get on really well with my colleagues. We make a great team. (have a good relationship) How are you getting on with the presentation for next weeks conference? (to progress)

5. Get (something)across

In a sales pitch, its very important to get your message across clearly and concisely. (communicate)

These phrasal verbs can be used in a non-business context as well. Can you create other sentences with them? Do you know other phrasal verbs with get?

5 Phrasal Verbs with the Verb Take you can use in Business English
Posted on April 22, 2013 by Shanthi

To most English Language Learners, phrasal verbs are their worst nightmare. Well, thats what my clients tell me! Whilst phrasal verbs are simply verbs + prepositions, their meaning and how they are used can totally change depending on what preposition follows the verb. The five most common verbs used in phrasal verbs are: get, come, go, take and put. I plan to write about each verb in separate blog posts and give examples of the different meanings the phrasal verbs have in the context of Business English. In this blog post, I want to start with the verb take.

Its fair to say that in the English Language, rather than using an appropriate verb we often use a phrasal verb instead. To make matters worse, the phrasal verb can mean different things depending on the context of the sentence.

This, of course, can cause great confusion to language learners when doing business in English. Lets consider these phrasal verbs and their equivalent, alternative verb. 1. TakeOn

Im afraid Ive takenon too much work. I dont know how Im going to cope. (accepted) We have just takenon two new members of staff. (employed)

2. TakeDown

I tookdown some notes during the Chairmans speech. (wrote)

3. TakeOver

Last year they tookover ABC company. (got control of)

4. TakeOff

The company really tookoff once their latest version of the video game was launched. (made great progress) The company has decided to take ten percent off the price of their designer shoes. (reduce the price)

5. Takeout

We have takenout a company loan to help with the business. (borrowed) I have takenout an insurance policy to cover our key employees. (obtained)