10 Phrasal Verbs for Business with Practice Exercises and a Quiz

B1/B2

This article teaches 10 phrasal verbs commonly used in Business English. Students can use the practice exercises below to help them remember the verbs. ESL teachers can utilize the worksheet and flashcards at the bottom of the page during their lessons.

How to use this article:

1. To learn the verbs, follow the steps and instructions below. Do not skip a step.

2. Check the answers at the bottom of the page.

3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to download the worksheet/ flashcards.

4. Subscribe for additional practice and get access to the quiz.

Let's begin!

Step 1. Choose the correct option.

• take on/down new clients = to accept new customers

• put back/ forward a plan = to propose a course of action

• come up/ on with new ideas = to create/ generate new ideas

• follow up/into with the customer = to reach out to the customer after a sale

• bring away/ up this issue = to raise the problem

• look into/ back this matter = to examine this issue

• get away/up with deceiving others = to deceive others and not be punished for this

• hold into/ off making a decision = not to take a decision immediately, to plan to take a decision later (also hold off on Ving)

• go along/ back with the proposal = to agree with the suggestion

• turn up/ down their offer = to reject what they suggested

Step 2. Complete the sentences with one of the phrasal verbs from Step 1. Use the verbs in the correct form.

1. We will always _______ with customers via email to address any issues or concerns they might have after the purchase.

2. After receiving several complaints from customers, the manager promised to _______ this matter.

3. The marketing agency is currently unable to _______ new clients due to high demand.

4. He has _______ a few job offers because he wants to pursue a career as a freelance writer.

5. He thought he could _______ with deceiving his colleagues, but they eventually uncovered the truth.

6. During the meeting last week, the manager _______ a plan to improve efficiency.

7. They _______ making a decision on the merger until they could gather more information about all the risks.

Step 3. Did you get it right? Listen to the sentences and repeat.

Step 4. Practice using the phrasal verbs in Past Simple, Present Perfect, Past Perfect, First Conditional and Second Conditional by taking the quiz.

Answers

Step 1.

• take on new clients = to accept new customers

• put forward a plan = to propose a course of action

• come up with new ideas = to create/ generate new ideas

• follow up with the customer = to reach out to the customer after a sale

• bring up this issue = to raise the problem

• look into this matter = to examine this issue

• get away with deceiving others = to deceive others and not be punished for this

• hold off making a decision = not to take a decision immediately, to plan to make a decision later (also hold off on Ving)

• go along with the proposal = to agree with the suggestion

• turn down their offer = to reject what they suggested

Step 2.

1. We will always follow up with customers via email to address any issues or concerns they might have after the purchase.

2. After receiving several complaints from customers, the manager promised to look into this matter.

3. The marketing agency is currently unable to take on new clients due to high demand.

4. He has turned down a few job offers because he wants to pursue a career as a freelance writer.

5. He thought he could get away with deceiving his colleagues, but they eventually uncovered the truth.

6. During the meeting last week, the manager put forward a plan to improve efficiency.

7. They held off making a decision on the merger until they could gather more information about all the risks.