Essential Business English Phrases for Work: Bound to, Projected to, and More (Holiday Edition + Quiz)

In Business English, we often need simple ways to talk about things we expect to happen soon. Using the right Business English phrases makes your English sound more natural and confident. In this short lesson, we look at a very common phrase that native speakers use all the time in emails, meetings, and news updates. Read the story below and see if you can guess the missing word before the quiz.

Today's Challenge

It’s the Monday after Black Friday, and the delivery center already feels like December.

Boxes are stacked higher than usual, the scanners keep beeping nonstop, and no one has even had time for coffee.

---

ADVERTISEMENT

---

The operations manager walks in with fresh numbers, shakes his head, and says:

Deliveries are _____ to double during the holidays, and we need all hands on deck.

The room goes silent. Everyone knows December has officially begun.

Can you guess the missing collocation?

A) set

B) sat

C) held

D) kept

Choose the right option and listen to the sentence.

Now let’s check the answer and look at a few more examples.

BE SET TO + VERB 1

be expected to happen soon, be planned and ready to happen

• Sales are set to increase next quarter if the new campaign goes well.

• The company is set to launch its new app in January.

• Shipping delays are set to get worse during the holiday season.

• Our team is set to move to the new office next week.

• Demand is set to rise once the promotion goes live.

• The CEO is set to announce the new strategy on Friday.

That's right! The correct answer is A) set.

---

ADVERTISEMENT

---

More Business English Phrases for Talking About Plans and Expectations

Take a moment to read the definitions below. Then check the examples to see how these Business English phrases work in real situations.

BE EXPECTED TO + VERB 1

= You think something will happen because of the information you have now.

• Demand is expected to rise next quarter.

• The team is expected to finish early.

BE LIKELY TO + VERB 1

= Something has a good chance of happening, it will probably happen.

• The number of orders is likely to increase before Christmas.

• We're likely to face delays this week.

---

ADVERTISEMENT

---

BE ON TRACK TO + VERB 1

= Everything is moving as planned, so you will probably reach your goal.

• We’re on track to hit our target.

• The project is on track to launch next month.

BE ABOUT TO + VERB 1

= Something will happen very soon.

• The system is about to go live.

• We’re about to send out the update.

BE DUE TO + VERB 1

= Something is planned to happen at a certain time.

• The report is due to come out tomorrow.

• Payments are due to arrive next week.

---

ADVERTISEMENT

---

BE PROJECTED TO + VERB 1

= Experts think something will happen in the future because of numbers or data.

• Revenue is projected to grow by 8%.

• Costs are projected to drop next year.

BE BOUND TO + VERB 1

= Something is almost certain to happen.

• With this demand, delays are bound to happen.

• If we continue like this, sales are bound to increase.

BE FORECAST TO + VERB 1

= People predict something will happen, based on research or weather/economic models.

• Deliveries are forecast to rise in December.

• Hiring is forecast to slow down in Q1.

Practice These Business English Phrases in a Quick Quiz

Let’s practice these business English phrases in a short quiz.

Read each sentence carefully and choose the option that sounds most natural, listen to the sentences.

---

ADVERTISEMENT

---

ANSWER KEY - QUIZ

1. The finance team has reviewed market data from the last six months, and according to their official report, our revenue is ________ increase again in Q2. That's great news!

A) probably to

B) forecast to

C) unlikely to

2. The courier's just called our office. He said he’s already around the corner, so the shipment is ________ arrive in a minute or two.

A) expect to

B) about to

C) projected to

3. Our progress has been steady, so the project is ________ finish on time as long as nothing unexpected happens.

A) about to

B) unlikely to

C) on track to

4. The CEO will share next year’s strategy today, and the agenda shows that the announcement is ________ start in just a few minutes.

A) unexpected to

B) forecast to

C) due to

5. Sales have been rising for three months in a row, and if customer demand stays strong, orders are ________ increase again before summer.

A) likely to

B) about to

C) due to

That’s it for today — you’ve just covered a set of phrases that native speakers rely on all the time when talking about plans, predictions, and what’s coming next at work. Don’t worry about memorizing everything at once. Just start noticing these expressions when you read emails or listen to meetings, and try using one or two in your own sentences this week. With a little practice, they’ll start to feel completely natural.

---

Ready for more practice? Click the image below to check out our previous post on Business English Pricing Vocabulary.

---

Erin West is a Business English educator, writer, and founder of RealBusinessEnglish.com. She creates practical lessons, quizzes, and learning materials that help professionals use clear, natural, and confident English at work — with just the right amount of fun.