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Business English Phrasal Verbs for Work: Keep Up, Fall Behind, and More (With Quiz)
- Erin West
- Apr 13
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 17
Welcome to the Business English Phrasal Verbs Quiz!
If you’ve ever returned to the office after a few days off and felt overwhelmed by emails, deadlines, and unfinished tasks, you know how important it is to have the right words to describe that situation. In this quiz, you’ll test your knowledge of essential Business English phrasal verbs used to talk about staying on track at work, meeting deadlines, and getting organized — just like native speakers do in the office every day.
Today’s Challenge:
You’ve just returned to the office after a long weekend. Your inbox is full, your to-do list is packed, and there’s a lot of work waiting for you. You say:
After the long weekend, I had a lot to _____.
A) catch up on
B) take after
C) keep up
D) pick out
Choose the correct option and listen to the sentence.
Did you get it right?
CATCH UP ON
phrasal verb
to do something you missed or didn’t finish earlier
I need to catch up on emails after the long weekend.
She stayed late to catch up on her work.
Let’s meet and catch up on everything that happened.
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TAKE AFTER
phrasal verb
to be like a family member in how you look or act
He takes after his dad — they both love music.
She takes after her grandmother with that laugh.
Do you take after your mom or your dad?
KEEP UP (WITH)
phrasal verb
to go at the same speed as someone or something
It’s hard to keep up with all the new emails.
He talks fast — I can’t keep up!
Try to keep up with the rest of the team.
PICK OUT
phrasal verb
to choose something from a group
Can you help me pick out a gift?
She picked out the blue dress for the event.
I took a while to pick out the right shoes.
That's right! The correct answer is A) catch up on.
More Phrasal Verbs to Talk About Progress and Deadlines
In the workplace, time is everything. Learning Business English phrasal verbs like catch up on, keep up with, and wrap up can help you describe how you manage projects and deadlines. These expressions make it easier to talk about staying on track, finishing tasks, and avoiding delays in professional settings.
Review the definitions and example sentences for each phrasal verb. Please pay attention to how they are used in real workplace situations.
phrasal verb
to have less progress than planned or to be late finishing tasks
I fell behind on my reports after spending two days in back-to-back meetings.
The team fell behind on the project when two key members took sick leave.
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GET AHEAD (OF)
phrasal verb
to make progress faster than expected
I worked over the weekend to get ahead of my tasks.
She got ahead of the competition by launching the product early.
phrasal verb
to finish something
We need to wrap up the project by Friday.
Let’s wrap up the meeting so everyone can get back to work.
SET BACK
phrasal verb
to delay progress
Heavy snow set back the delivery schedule.
Losing our main supplier could set back production by several weeks.
Want to learn how to use the noun “setback”? Read more here.
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phrasal verb
to delay something to a later time or date
We had to push back the launch due to testing issues.
Can we push back the deadline to give us more time?
Let's Practice The Business English Phrasal Verbs You Have Just Learned
Choose the correct option and listen to each sentence.
ANSWER KEY
1. We can’t afford to _____ this project or we’ll miss the client’s deadline.
A) catch up on
B) get ahead of
C) fall behind on
The correct answer is C) fall behind on.
2. If there are no more questions, let’s _____ and send the recap.
A) wrap up
B) catch up on
C) push back
The correct answer is A) wrap up.
3. Unexpected calls made me _____ my daily tasks yesterday.
A) wrap up
B) fall behind on
C) get ahead of
The correct answer is B) fall behind on.
4. The supplier issue could _____ production by several weeks.
A) set back
B) get ahead of
C) wrap up
The correct answer is A) set back.
5. The training session was _____ to next Friday.
A) wrapped up
B) pushed back
C) got ahead of
The correct answer is B) pushed back.
6. We managed to _____ our competitors by releasing the update early.
A) set back
B) fall behind on
C) get ahead of
The correct answer is C) get ahead of.
7. We had to _____ the deadline after the client requested more time.
A) push back
B) wrap up
C) get ahead of
The correct answer is A) push back.
Business English Phrasal Verbs Quiz
You are on fire! Keep going! Click the image below to try another Business English Quiz!
Business English Vocabulary Quiz: Test Your Skills with a Longer Challenge!
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