Using Phrasal Verbs to Level Up Your Business English

Level: Intermediate • Date: April 17, 2025
Read the article aloud on your own or repeat each paragraph after your tutor.

Why Phrasal Verbs Matter at Work

Phrasal verbs are everywhere in English—especially in business conversations. If you’ve ever felt confused by phrases like “bring up,” “look into,” or “follow through,” you’re not alone. These expressions combine simple verbs with prepositions or adverbs, and their meanings can be tricky. For example, “call off” doesn’t mean to make a call—it means to cancel something, like a meeting. Or “take on” can mean to accept responsibility or hire someone, depending on the context.

The good news? These verbs are very useful. They allow you to communicate more naturally and confidently. Once you understand them, you’ll start noticing them everywhere—in emails, meetings, and casual chats with coworkers.

Sound More Natural and Professional

Native speakers often use phrasal verbs because they sound friendlier and less formal than longer expressions. Instead of saying, “investigate the problem,” you can say “look into the problem.” It’s faster, easier, and fits better in casual and semi-formal business settings.

For instance:

“Please initiate the project review.” → “Can you kick off the project review?”
“We will postpone the launch.” → “We’ll push back the launch.”

These phrases sound more relaxed and are more common in spoken English. Learning to use them well can help you sound more fluent and approachable in your professional interactions.

5 Common Business Phrasal Verbs

Let’s take a look at five common phrasal verbs that will help you communicate more smoothly at work:

1. Bring up – to mention or introduce a topic

Example: “I’d like to bring up the budget concerns during our next meeting.”

2. Look into – to investigate or research

Example: “We’ll look into the issue and get back to you.”

3. Follow through – to complete something you started

Example: “He promised to deliver the report and actually followed through.”

4. Point out – to highlight or mention something important

Example: “She pointed out a mistake in the contract.”

5. Back up – to support or confirm something

Example: “Can you back up your proposal with some data?”

Practice Makes Progress

Try using one of these expressions in your next team chat, meeting, or email. Keep it simple. The more you use them, the more confident you’ll become.

Vocabulary Builder

Bring up (v.) – to introduce or mention a topic
“He brought up the delay during the call.”
Look into (v.) – to examine or investigate
“We need to look into the missing invoice.”
Follow through (v.) – to finish what you started
“Clients love it when we follow through.”
Point out (v.) – to show or mention
“Thanks for pointing out the missing step.”
Back up (v.) – to support with proof or data
“They backed up their claims with evidence.”
Bring up (v.) – repeat for practice
“She brought up a great idea.”
Look into (v.) – repeat for practice
“I’ll look into it right away.”
Follow through (v.) – repeat for practice
“We need to follow through on this.”
Point out (v.) – repeat for practice
“He pointed out a major risk.”
Back up (v.) – repeat for practice
“Make sure you back it up with numbers.”

Comprehension Questions

Why are phrasal verbs useful in business English?
What does “look into” mean in a business context?
How can “follow through” help you build trust at work?
Which phrasal verb means to highlight something important?
What’s an example of using “back up” in a sentence?

Open-Ended Discussion Questions

Which of these phrasal verbs do you hear the most at work?
Can you think of a time you needed to “follow through” on something?
How do you usually “bring up” new ideas in meetings?
What’s one thing your team could “look into” to improve performance?
How do you “back up” your decisions or suggestions?

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