Why Phrasal Verbs Are Important

So, you’ve recently moved to Australia, or an English speaking country (or are planning to) and you’ve just landed a job here! Congratulations!

to land a job means to find a job and get hired. We can also say ‘score a job’. This is more informal.

This is not an easy task and is most certainly an excellent milestone.

You’re in a meeting and slowly discovering that, although you may have spent years learning English in classrooms and with textbooks, most of what you learned doesn’t seem to apply in the real world! The manager and your colleagues are all using all sorts of phrases and expressions that you would love to know the meaning of, but are afraid to ask. You can make a guess, but you’re still not quite sure.

Unfortunately this creates a disconnect. There is a wall now between you and your work mates. It may seem insignificant, but really it does have an effect on how you connect with your colleagues and consequently, your confidence in the workplace.

This is why I love to teach phrasal verbs. Many students avoid them because there are so many and they seem overwhelming. You have spent so long just learning English and now you have to learn a bunch of phrases that have all these different meanings!

But I believe phrasal verbs are a key element in moving you to the level of fluency you dream of. Most importantly, they help us to establish rapport with others. Rapport is like gold when it comes to communication and building relationships in your work. What is rapport? Rapport is defined as;

a close and harmonious relationship in which the people or groups concerned understand each other’s feelings or ideas and communicate well.

For English speakers, phrasal verbs create a feeling of warmth and connection in conversation. They are familiar, friendly and and invite room for further discussion.

Consider the difference between these statements;

“I unexpectedly found some information on the internet yesterday”

or

“I came across some information on the internet yesterday”

and

“The customer hasn’t returned my phone call yet”

or

“The customer hasn’t called me back yet”

Of course there is a place for the formal or regular word in speaking. We have to gauge the situation and who we are talking to. How do we want to come across? (come across can also mean ‘seem’ or ‘appear’ – yes, some phrasal verbs have more than one meaning!). Do we need to appear formal or do we want to establish a connection and ease?

In any case, phrasal verbs are used more often than not, even in the workplace and business contexts. So, if you’re wanting to break down that wall and ‘bridge that gap’ of communication with your colleagues, I would suggest making phrasal verbs your friend. Think of it as ‘conversation or communication building’ if the term ‘phrasal verbs’ sounds boring and puts you off (to put someone off means to cause someone to lose interest or enthusiasm).

Have fun with phrasal verbs. Make them a part of your everyday life! And watch your connections and confidence grow. 🙂

Here is a short video I’ve made on 3 USEFUL PHRASAL VERBS FOR BUSINESS.

WATCH HERE Or click on the image below.

Get your free EBOOK: How To Speak English with Confidence HERE

Written by Nick Dale