Business Phrasal Verbs - Situations

call in

Your manager unexpectedly asked you to come into her office to discuss an urgent client complaint.

What did your manager do? Use a phrasal verb.

catch up with

You have just returned from a two-week holiday and your inbox contains over 300 unread emails.

What do you have to do with them?

put in

Your team has been working overtime for several weeks to finish a major project before the deadline.

Use a phrasal verb to talk about your extra work and effort.

give up

Your company has lost several clients, but your CEO insists that the team should keep trying.

Use a phrasal verb to say you shouldn’t resign.

give in

A difficult customer keeps asking for unrealistic discounts during contract negotiations.

Use a phrasal verb to say you can’t meet their demands.

pick up

Your colleague understands a new piece of software after only a short training session.

How can you express it using a phrasal verb?

get back to

A supplier says they don't have the information yet but promises to contact you tomorrow.

Use a phrasal verb to say it differently.

work out

Two departments disagree about how to solve a serious problem with an important project.

Use a phrasal verb to say they need to find a solution as soon as possible.

step in

The presenter starts feeling unwell five minutes before the meeting starts.

Which phrasal verb will you use to say somebody has to cover for him?

run by

You have a new idea for improving customer service, but you'd like your manager's opinion before presenting it.

What do you have to do with this idea? Use the right phrasal verb.

set up

Your international partners are available next Tuesday and you would like to arrange an online meeting.

Which phrasal verb will you use to say you want to organise a meeting?

stick up for

During a meeting, another employee is unfairly criticised even though the mistake wasn't theirs.

Which phrasal verb can you use to say you want to defend them?

put in a good word for

A colleague is applying for an internal promotion and you know the hiring manager personally.

How can you support him? Use a phrasal verb.

turn to

You have a difficult HR question that your manager probably can't answer.

What can you do? Use a phrasal verb.

count on

Your team is working on a critical project and everyone depends on you to finish your part on time.

Which phrasal verb means they can rely on you?

put in

As soon as you receive an invitation to an important client meeting, you immediately add it to your calendar.

What do you do with the meeting date? Use a phrasal verb.

bring forward

Your biggest client asks whether the product launch can happen three days earlier than originally planned.

What does the client want to do? Use a phrasal verb.

come up

Just before an important presentation, an unexpected technical problem appears.

What phrasal verb can you use to say it differently?

call off

Because the keynote speaker has become seriously ill, the company decides not to hold the conference.

Which phrasal verb will you use to say the conference has been cancelled?

deal with

A customer sends an angry email complaining that the wrong products were delivered.

Which phrasal verb will you use to say that you have to handle this situation?

weigh up

Your company has received two very different offers from potential suppliers and needs to decide which one is better.

What do you need to do with the offers? Use a phrasal verb.

join in

During a brainstorming session, you finally decide to share one of your ideas.

Use a phrasal verb to say you decided to participate in the discussion.

look into

The finance department notices that some numbers in the monthly report don't seem correct.

Use a phrasal verb to say they will ivestigate it.

note down

During a meeting, your manager gives several important instructions that you'll need later.

What do you have to do with them? Use a phrasal verb.

cut in

A colleague interrupts you before you've finished explaining your proposal.

What is a synonym for ‘interrupt’?

go on

One participant keeps explaining the same point over and over again, even though everyone already understands it.

What is he doing? Use a phrasal verb.

rabbit on

During a presentation, one speaker spends fifteen minutes talking about a very small issue that isn't relevant to the discussion.

How will you describe this situation later to your colleague?

press on

Your team is behind schedule, but there are still several agenda points left to discuss before lunch.

What do you need to do if you want to finish in time? Use a phrasal verb.

drag on

Negotiations with an international client continued for several weeks without reaching an agreement.

Describe the situation using a phrasal verb.

put off

Your client asks to postpone next week's project meeting because several key team members are on a business trip.

Which phrasal verb means to ‘postpone’?