Business Phrasal Verbs Worksheets, Activities & Games
Business Phrasal Verbs Bingo
Business English Phrasal Verbs Game - Vocabulary: Matching, Gap-fill - Group Work
In this fun business phrasal verbs game, students play bingo by completing sentences with phrasal verbs for meetings and deadlines. In groups, the bingo caller picks up a phrasal verb card and reads it aloud to the players. Players then try to...
Business Phrasal Verb Jeopardy
Business English Phrasal Verbs Game - Vocabulary: Quiz, Guessing - Group Work
In this entertaining business phrasal verbs quiz game, students guess phrasal verbs based on their definitions. Choose a square to start the game, e.g. 'put' for 100 points. Read the definition of the phrasal verb, e.g. 'postpone a meeting.' The...
Work as, in, on, for, at, with
Business English Phrasal Verbs with Work Worksheet - Vocabulary Exercises: Gap-fill, Error Correction, Rewriting sentences - Speaking Activity - Pair Work
In this productive business phrasal verbs worksheet, students practice talking about jobs and work using the phrasal verbs: work as, work in, work on, work for...
Match Them Up
Business English Phrasal Verbs Game - Vocabulary: Matching, Rephrasing Sentences - Pair Work
In this engaging business phrasal verbs game, students practice phrasal verbs commonly used in business by matching them to verbs in sentences that have the same meaning. In pairs, students take turns...
Phrasal Verbs for Meetings
Business English Phrasal Verbs Worksheet- Reading and Vocabulary Exercises: Matching, Rewriting Sentences, Gap-fill - Speaking Activity: Roleplay - Group Work
In this phrasal verbs for meetings worksheet, students learn and practice phrasal verbs commonly used in business meetings. First, students put a business...
Problem-Solving Phrasal Verbs
Business English Phrasal Verbs Worksheet and Game - Vocabulary Exercises: Matching, Binary Choice - Vocabulary Game: Matching, Gap-fill - Group Work
In this useful business English phrasal verbs worksheet and game, students learn and practice problem-solving phrasal verbs and then race to complete...
Sales Phrasal Verbs
Business English Phrasal Verbs Worksheet - Reading and Vocabulary Exercises: Ordering, Matching - Speaking Activity: Answering Questions, Freer Practice
In this free sales-related phrasal verbs worksheet, students learn and practice 12 phrasal verbs commonly used in sales. Students start by putting...
Talking Business
Business English Phrasal Verbs Activity - Vocabulary and Speaking: Gap-fill, Asking and Answering Questions, Controlled and Freer Practice - Group and Pair Work
In this business phrasal verbs speaking activity, students complete, ask and answer conversation questions with work-related phrasal verbs. First, in two...
Using Business Phrasal Verbs
Business phrasal verbs combine a verb with one or more particles to express actions such as postponing a meeting, raising a topic or completing a task. Learning their meanings and sentence patterns helps students understand workplace exchanges and explain what needs to happen.
This page contains eight resources across B1 and B2, including worksheets, games and speaking activities, with one free worksheet. Topics include meetings, deadlines, sales and problem-solving, alongside combinations of work with prepositions for describing jobs and responsibilities.
The table gives examples of phrasal verbs in workplace contexts.
| Phrasal verb | Meaning in this context | Example language |
|---|---|---|
| put off | Postpone something until later. | 'We put off the meeting until Friday.' |
| bring up | Introduce a topic for discussion. | 'Could you bring up the delivery dates at the meeting?' |
| go over | Review or examine something. | 'Let's go over the figures before we send the report.' |
| carry out | Perform a task or procedure. | 'The team carried out the checks yesterday.' |
| follow up on | Take further action concerning something earlier. | 'I'll follow up on your enquiry tomorrow.' |
| set up | Arrange or establish something. | 'We need to set up a meeting with the supplier.' |
How to Use Business Phrasal Verbs
Learn the meaning in its context: A familiar verb can express a different action when combined with a particle. Connect each expression with a workplace situation and a short example, rather than translating the verb and particle separately.
Check the sentence pattern: Learn where the object belongs as well as what the expression means. For a separable phrasal verb such as put off, a pronoun goes between the verb and particle: 'We put it off.' Other combinations, such as go over, keep the object after the complete expression.
Choose wording the listener will understand: Phrasal verbs can suit everyday workplace communication, but their meanings may be unfamiliar to a colleague or customer. Use a clear alternative or explanation when needed, and choose the verb tense to show whether an action is planned, ongoing or completed.
3-Step Framework for Teaching Business Phrasal Verbs
The first two stages develop recognition and sentence completion at B1. The final B2 stage extends practice into a meeting role-play, so use the sequence across lessons according to learners' readiness.
1. Recall Expressions from Their Meanings: Students listen to definitions and identify the matching phrasal verbs to win points for their team. Use the optional sentence-making variation to connect each recalled expression with a context. This prepares learners to choose expressions by meaning when completing sentences.
2. Select the Correct Form in a Sentence: A caller reads phrasal verbs aloud while players use them to complete sentences on bingo cards, changing the form as needed. Answers are checked when a player claims three squares in a row, before play continues towards a full card. This adds attention to sentence meaning and verb form before more extended use.
3. Use the Language in a Meeting: Students order a meeting dialogue, match expressions with definitions and rewrite extracts using phrasal verbs. After completing further sentences, groups of four prepare and role-play a short meeting from a scenario. This connects model language and controlled practice with choosing expressions during a spoken exchange.
Common Mistakes with Business Phrasal Verbs
Putting a pronoun after a separable phrasal verb: With put off, place an object pronoun between the verb and particle. Incorrect: 'We put off it until Friday.' Correct: 'We put it off until Friday.'
Confusing postponement with cancellation: Put off means delay, while call off means cancel. Choose the expression that accurately reports the decision. Wrong meaning for a postponed meeting: 'We called off the meeting' when it has been moved to Friday. Accurate wording: 'We put off the meeting until Friday.'
Common Questions About Teaching Business Phrasal Verbs
What game helps students practice business phrasal verbs?
The game Match Them Up asks students to replace a verb in a sentence with a phrasal verb that has the same meaning. Partners read sentence cards aloud, then select a matching phrasal verb and rephrase the sentence to keep the cards. Winning therefore requires both recognising meaning and constructing the revised sentence.
What worksheet helps teach business phrasal verbs?
The free worksheet Sales Phrasal Verbs introduces 12 expressions through a sales meeting conversation. Students order the dialogue, infer meanings and match definitions before completing sentences with the correct forms. Pair questions then move the vocabulary into conversation, connecting understanding of the expressions with using them to discuss sales.
What speaking activity helps practice business phrasal verbs?
The activity Talking Business uses conversation questions that students complete with work-related phrasal verbs. They then exchange questions with a partner from the other group, including a specified phrasal verb in their first response in each set. Reporting what they learned about their partner gives the exchange a listening purpose as well.
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