Phrasal Verbs in Business

Native speakers of English tend to use a lot of phrasal verbs (sometimes called prepositional, multi-word verbs) in everyday spoken English. In fact, this is quite frustrating for students who often have learned one-word verbs during their English studies and then are confronted with an English speaking world where people usually favor phrasal verbs in daily discourse. Such combinations of a verb and a function word (usually analyzed as an adverb) express a unit of meaning that is quite different from that of either of the elements in isolation. For example, put out means “extinguish”, put off means “postpone”, put up means “preserve (food) by canning”, etc.

Phrasal verbs are useful in business communication. So, "`turn out' is a phrasal verb in the question “how many turned out for the fund raising event?”

You have noticed the great number of phrasal verbs used when people make phone calls. Occasionally the same phrasal verb can have two different meanings. Take the verb break and the two meanings of break into. Someone who breaks into your house is called a burglar but you could also say: It's very difficult to break into journalism, meaning it is very difficult to get into a career in journalism.

Now read the short story and try to work out what the phrasal verbs mean.

"Upbringing"

Sheila Hammond was only twenty-three when she was elected as a Member of Parliament, the youngest woman member in its whole history. Naturally the press showed a great interest in her and her family, invariably asking her how she had managed to be elected at such a young age. Her answer never altered. She owed it all to the way she had been brought up by her mother, Mary.

Her father had died of a heart attack when she was only two after his business had been brought down following a financial scandal. Criminal charges had been brought against him but the matter was closed on his death. The press decided to bring up this information without being able to get at the truth thanks to Mary's skilful management.

In fact during the election as Sheila went round from house to house canvassing, Mary would always bring up the rear. It was difficult sometimes to work out who was standing for Parliament, Sheila or Mary. Her mother had observed early on that Sheila was very good at defending herself and always arguing her case well, which had decided her to bring her daughter on in the art of public speaking. The awareness that Sheila had had all her life about her father's apparent "disgrace» brought her up against the necessity constantly to be on her guard. Sheila had never really explained what her father had done. All she would hint at was that the whole business had brought shame on the family name, although her father was totally innocent.

Exercises

I. Chose the appropriate phrasal verb among the ones given in brackets and translate the sentences:

1. Sales … in the last quarter.(got up; went up; did up; grew up)

2. We will … the matter of sharing investment costs in the next stage of negotiations. (pull down; give out; bring up; take with)

3. Demand was so high that cellular phone distributors … stock well before Christmas.(fell out with; ran out of; did away with; brought out of).

4. We will soon be out of sales catalogues and must find a temporary solution before the new one (brings out; comes out; falls out; takes out).

5. The meeting has been … Until November. (put off; pushed away; carried out; made up).

6. If the group wants to boost the brand`s image, it will have to …advertising and promotion. (push money up; give money in; put money into; set money up).

7. The figure is to be … to next year`s results. (put back; taken out; given over; carried forward)

8. The only research and development centre left after the merger is near Paris. The Irish and German ones have been … (closed down; put out; pushed away; done down).

9. The brothers … the company in 1920.(found out; put up; grew up; set up).

10. Inward investment has …as a result of changes in taxation law. (pulled in; given up; taken out; fallen off).

11. The ambitious scheme … thanks to the dedication and determination of the members of the project team. (gave out; came off; took up; pulled along).

12. The lobby groups put pressure on the government to … legislation to ban cigarette advertisements and succeeded. (get on; take in; carry away; push through).

13. The number of days lost to strikes in the British car industry has … regularly since the middle of the 1980s. (fallen through; got off; come down; dropped under).

14. … another new procedure will not guarantee that the problem will be solved. More frequent informal communication between departments heads would help. (bringing in; setting in; pushing up; throwing down).

15. The firm is … a new financial officer for their Madrid subsidiary. (looking for; picking up; taking out; thinking about).

16. The operator will …offering the services. That is the Board`s decision. (set to; go on; buy out; put up).

17. …the plan will prove much harder than deciding on which ones ensure the firm`s survival in the coming months.(carrying out; taking through; pushing up; setting down).

18. These days CEOs have to … environmental issues among other preoccupations. (set up; deal with; take out; make up).

19. The banks have … hope of getting all the debts in the present economic circumstances. (given up; taken back; put in; done down).

20. Retailers are … on the new Disney video in anticipation of an upsurge in demand. (stocking up; putting up; going out; pushing out)

II. Choose a correct Tense and Voice in the following sentences:

1. How long (you / have)...this PC?

2. If I (be)...you, I’d accept that offer from the supplier.

3. The purchasing details (finalise)... at the moment.

4. I don’t know what (we / do)... if we had lost the order.

5. I (attend)... a mind-mapping course from September to December
in 2004.

6. How long (you / deal)... with those clients?

7. If I have time, I (finish)... the report at home this evening.

8. How long (you / work)... on that project last year?

9. I heard that you nearly won first prize in the lottery last weekend. What (you / do)... with all that money?

10. If I could have a holiday right now, I (go)... to the Bahamas.

11. How long (you / stay)... in Minneapolis when you
(visit)... America last year?

12. We (have)... the accounts checked next week.

13. I (have to)...go to work by bus this morning, my car
(service)... at the moment.

14. How long (you / work)...in this office?

15. Is the photocopier still out of order? – No, it (repair) … this morning.

16. I (be) … to New York on business 3 times.

17. This report (write)...by Dr. Martin, wasn’t it?

18. Everyone went to the workshop except me, because I already (take part)... in similar seminars 3 times.

19. That suppler (make)... late deliveries already 3 times
this year.

20. Hopefully, by the time we get back from the meeting, the documentation... (complete).