Business English Vocabulary – Prepositional & Phrasal Expressions (Page 1)

Action & Problem-Solving Expressions

• Deal with = Handle = Resolve = Solve
  • Meaning: xử lý, giải quyết a problem, request, or complaint.
  • Example: “The IT department will deal with the network outage within two hours.”
  • Significance: Core verb set for showing capability in workplace scenarios.
• Encounter with
  • Meaning: đương đầu với, tình cờ gặp; usually implies facing an unexpected issue or person.
  • Example: “During the audit, we encountered several documentation errors.”

Compliance & Obligation

• Comply with = Adhere to = Abide by
  • Meaning: tuân thủ (rules, regulations, standards).
  • Example: “All staff must comply with safety regulations.”
  • Ethical/Practical angle: Demonstrates corporate governance and risk management.

Providing & Supplying

• Provide somebody with something
  • Structure: Provide + sb + with + sth.
  • Example: “The supplier provided us with updated manuals.”
• Provide something to somebody
  • Structure: Provide + sth + to + sb.
  • Example: “They provided the report to the board.”
  • Note: Same meaning as above, choice depends on focus (recipient vs. item).

Time-Related Placement

• Ahead of = Prior to = In advance (of)
  • Meaning: trước, sớm (mốc thời gian).
  • Example: “Submit your travel request ahead of departure.”

Representation & Agency

• On behalf of
  • Meaning: thay mặt, đại diện cho (ai/ tổ chức).
  • Example: “She signed the contract on behalf of the CEO.”

Inventory & Operational Status

• Out of stock
  • Meaning: hết hàng (không còn trong kho).
  • Real-world link: Impacts customer satisfaction & supply-chain KPIs.
• Out of order = Out of work = Out of service
  • Meaning: hư hỏng/không hoạt động (máy móc, thiết bị).
  • Example notice: “Elevator is out of order until further notice.”

Schedule Control

• On schedule – đúng tiến độ.
• Behind schedule – trễ tiến độ.
• Ahead of schedule – trước tiến độ.
  • Practical implication: Directly tied to project management metrics such as \text{CPI} (Cost Performance Index) & \text{SPI} (Schedule Performance Index).

Adaptation & Interim Status

• Adjust to = Adapt to
  • Meaning: thích nghi với (môi trường, hệ thống mới).
  • Example: “Employees quickly adapted to the new ERP software.”
• Under construction / guidance / supervision / consideration
  • Pattern: Under + noun indicates a process in progress.
  • Examples:
  – “The bridge is under construction.”
  – “Proposal is under consideration by management.”

Cost & Payment Expressions

• At no cost = At no charge
  • Meaning: miễn phí.
  • Example: “Repairs will be carried out at no cost to the customer.”
• Pay in cash
  • Meaning: trả bằng tiền mặt (vs. credit, transfer).
  • Note: Still common in petty-cash or low-value transactions.

Application & Responsibility

• Apply something to something/somebody
  • Meaning: áp dụng (một quy tắc, kỹ thuật) cho ai/việc gì.
  • Example: “We applied the new policy to all departments.”
• Apply for
  • Meaning: ứng tuyển, xin (một vị trí / giấy phép).
  • Example: “She applied for the marketing internship.”
• In charge of = Responsible for
  • Meaning: chịu trách nhiệm (công việc, nhóm).
  • Example: “He is in charge of quality assurance.”

Proceeding & Execution

• Proceed with
  • Meaning: tiến hành, bắt đầu một hành động đã lên kế hoạch.
  • Example: “After approval, the team will proceed with phase 2.”

Study Tip: Group these phrases by function (Time, Responsibility, Status) to improve recall. Practice creating sentences or flashcards, and note preposition patterns (e.g., comply with, provide sb with sth, apply for).