Business Collocations and Phrasal Verbs

Business Collocations and Phrasal Verbs

Today's objective

At the end of the lesson you familiarize yourself with business collocations and phrasal verbs

You are able to integrate them in various contexts. 

Contents

Definitions - Examples

Common mistakes

Listening - gap-fill 

Vocabulary 

Writing 

Definitions

Collocations: It refers to how words are put together. Mostly 2 or more words that sound right to native speakers. They are predictable combincations. Made up of any kinds of words, such as nouns, verbs, adjectives or adverbs. 

Phrasal verb: A group of words that functions as a verb, in combination with a preposition, an adverbs or both. They act as a completely new verb with a meaning seperate from the initial verb. 

Examples 

Collocations:

• brand awareness
• brand identity
• brand name
• brand recognition

Phrasal verbs:

• bring in
• cut in
• phase in
• buy in 

Guess what the phrasal verbs mean without the use of the internet. 1. Bring in 2. Cut in 3. Phase in 4. Buy in

Bring in:

Introduce or recruit someone to benefit the business

Cut in:

Interrupt someone or to enter an already going conversations

Phase in:

Introduce something gradually

Buy in: 

Agree or accept an idea / to purchase something

Write down 3-4 examples of collocations with the word:

Business

Options: 

business ethics

business model

business partner

business people

business plan

business trip

Common mistakes made by Dutch speakers

Direct translations

In Dutch we say: "make a picture" (foto maken) - The correct way is: "take a picture"

Mixing prepositions 

Interested on - interested in (Where we use the word "op" (on), English uses in)

Literal translations of verbs

Do a decision - Make a decision (Dutch speakers may translate "een beslissing nemen" to: take a decision

Unnecessary or no articles

He has good knowledge of IT. / The team discusses about the project during the meeting. 

Confusing synonyms 

I have a big job to finish. - Big doesn't convey importance in English. 

More examples

Direct translation

Lend someone advise - Give 

Learn someone sothing - Teach

Make a telephone call - Make a call

Mixing prepositions

I am good in managing people - at

She is afraid from faillure - of

We are dependent of suppliers - on

Literal translation of verbs

Do research - conduct

Make sports - play

Make a test - take

Unnecessary or no articles

We are looking for the talented employees - no the

Confusing synonyms

We achieved a big succes - great

This is a hard problem to solve - difficult

We had a heavy discussion in the meeting - an intense

List with collocations and phrasal verbs

If you go to Teams you'll find a list with the most used Business collocations and phrasal verbs. 

Assignment 1 - Listening

Listen to the fragment from Cambridge.

Fill in the gap-fill exercise, completing the missing phrasal verbs. 

Assignment 2 - Collocations

Exercise 1

Match the correct general collocations

Exercise 2

Match the collocations using verbs

Exercise 3

Match the collocations using prepositions, nouns and adjectives

Assignment 1 - Phrasal verbs

Exercise 1

...

Exercise 2

...

Exercise 3

Write a story of a 100 words using the several collocations and phrasal verbs 

Recap: What did you learn and what needs more practice?