[Music]
hello I’m Emma
from English English in the workplace at
work in the office knowing the idioms
phrasal verbs and unique vocabulary
that’s used in these professional
contexts is so important
I’ll admit that there is a lot to learn
there but today I want to focus on some
really common very useful expressions
that you’ll hear often at work and in
these professional contexts at the
office with your colleagues with your
boss with your clients your customers in
interviews speaking exams with your
teacher or your university professor if
you haven’t already noticed you’ll soon
realize that the office is where idioms
and English expressions go wild at times
it feels like people only speak using
idioms and slang so whether you’re flat
out getting off-track
losing your train of thought or banking
on an early finish these 10 essential
business English expressions will help
you to sound more natural and confident
at work learning these expressions is
essential and a fantastic way to hear
them being used in context is by
listening to audiobooks I use audible to
listen to books all the time and I’ve
teamed up with them to offer you a free
trial a free audiobook for 30 days so
that you can try it out yourself I’ve
been using audible for years now
but while I don’t often have time to sit
and read a book I can listen while I’m
driving or while I’m going for a run or
I’m waiting for the train so they offer
a really fantastic solution to keep
practicing your English and for this
I’ve listed some fantastic books
relating to business in the description
box below so you can check out my
recommendations for audible right there
so let’s start with flat out if you’re
flat out you’re incredibly busy you have
lots to do so much that you can’t stop
to have a break I’ll be flat out next
week because there’s a new shipment
arriving
I’ve been flat out all week I’m
exhausted
in Australia where I’m from we might
also use flat chat it’s used in exactly
the same way to mean that someone is
very busy train of thought have you ever
been talking about something and then
completely forgotten what you’re talking
about and why you’re talking about it it
happens to me more often than I’d like
to admit but this happens when your
train of thought gets distracted by
something else the clear progression of
your thoughts are stopped by something
so the expression that you’ll most
commonly hear is oh I’ve lost my train
of thought what was I talking about
I’ve lost my train of thought my mum
called and completely disrupted my train
of thought can I ask you a question
just give me a minute I don’t want to
disrupt my train of thought now if you
lose your train of thought you’ll need
to get back on track if something is on
track it’s happening as it should be
there’s no problem at all if something
is not happening as you planned and you
want to change it you want to get back
on track we missed the deadline last
week but we’ve just submitted the report
now so we’re getting back on track
are you on track to complete the report
by the end of the week so logically if
something is not on track it’s not
happening as it should be then you’re
off track imagine this you’re busy
you’re flat out and you have to attend a
meeting about a project that you’re
working on but the people at the meeting
are not prepared and the conversation is
just going everywhere people are talking
about their kids what they had for
dinner last night any other issue except
what you should be talking about so you
decide to interrupt the conversation and
say we’re getting off track here guys
we’ve only got ten more minutes left and
we need to confirm the marketing budget
it’s used to say that a person or a
group of people have become distracted
from their main purpose
they’ve lost their focus that’s just
like my aunt Mary
actually she does it all the time she
lives on her own which is probably why
but her house is beautiful and she’s got
the dogs to keep her company oh sorry
I’m getting off track here are a few
more examples it’s difficult to stay on
track with so many disruptions perhaps
we should move to the conference room I
don’t want to get off-track but we can
all agree that the new marketing manager
is difficult to get along with
we should have completed the work by now
but the team got off track with some
technical issues this idiom also has a
literal meaning – get lost
or lose your direction – literally
get off the track and hear a track means
a path or a road so if you’re off the
track you’re not on the road on the path
that you need to be on – Bank on
to Bank on something means to bet that
something will happen in a certain way
to be really sure or confident that
something will happen so for example I’m
banking on Sarah to get a promotion so
that I can apply for her position since
it’s a public holiday on Monday we’re
banking on an early finish tonight it
can also be used in a negative sentence
often advising someone against something
I wouldn’t bank on it that means it’s
not a good idea to assume that it will
happen to brush up on this is a phrasal
verb but one that’s idiomatic and it
means to update or to improve your
skills in some way it can be used in any
context really formal or informal but
this expression is so useful in a
professional context because sometimes
it can be a little awkward or
embarrassing to say that you don’t have
fantastic skills in one area right but
by saying that you need to brush up on
those skills is a much softer way of
saying that you’re not that good at
something but you are willing to
practice or study to improve those
skills I’m brushing up on my Italian
because I’ve got a business trip in July
I got the job at the publishing company
but I really need to brush up on my
editing skills I’m out of practice to
bring something to the table so this
idiom means to provide it something that
will be of benefit something useful and
it’s often used in a professional
context to describe the skills or
experience that someone brings to a team
or to a company the great thing about
Sam
that she brings years of management
experience to the table
see how thee something in our structure
is a noun phrase here this is really
common with this expression he brings
excellent communication skills and
award-winning design experience to the
table but during a meeting you might
also hear someone use this expression
what have you brought to the table and
that means what suggestions or ideas did
you bring to the meeting can you offer
to the people in the meeting to bring up
now this is a very common phrasal verb
you’ve probably heard it before it means
to mention or introduce a topic someone
can bring something up during a meeting
a call or a casual conversation I’ll
bring it up with Stephanie when I see
her next week our presentation is
missing some of the key points so I’m
gonna bring it up with the team tomorrow
we can spend some more time on it to
turn down again this is another common
phrasal verb but it’s also idiomatic it
means to say no to something or refuse
something they offered me tickets to the
conference but I had to turn them down
because it’s my son’s birthday he turned
it down because they offered him the
promotion but told him that they
couldn’t increase his salary I applied
for the position but then I found out I
had to spend six months of the year
living in New Zealand so I had to turn
them down now when you do something
without planning or preparing for it
there are a couple of useful expressions
that you can use you can say that you’ll
wing it my presentations on my laptop
which I left at home I’ll just have to
wing it if you haven’t received the
notes you’ll just have to wing it
usually this idiom suggests that you
didn’t really plan it to be that way but
for some reason you’re underprepared if
you do something that’s off-the-cuff
you’re doing something without preparing
for it but you’re kind of comfortable
with that you’re cool with that I wish
that I was confident enough to make
presentations off-the-cuff I spent so
much time planning for our monthly board
meeting Paul won an award last night and
made a fantastic speech totally
off-the-cuff well that’s it for this
lesson I hope you learnt some new
expressions remember that these
expressions are often used in a
professional context but not only in a
professional context you’ll often hear
them used in casual informal contexts as
well so they’re good ones to learn and
practice you guys know that I release
new lessons every week so make sure you
subscribe by clicking that red button
down there so you never miss one of my
lessons there are plenty of other video
lessons right here on the English
YouTube channel for you to check out
like this playlist here of English
idioms and this one right here thanks
for watching and I’ll see you next week
bye for now
hello I’m Emma
from English English in the workplace at
work in the office knowing the idioms
phrasal verbs and unique vocabulary
that’s used in these professional
contexts is so important
I’ll admit that there is a lot to learn
there but today I want to focus on some
really common very useful expressions
that you’ll hear often at work and in
these professional contexts at the
office with your colleagues with your
boss with your clients your customers in
interviews speaking exams with your
teacher or your university professor if
you haven’t already noticed you’ll soon
realize that the office is where idioms
and English expressions go wild at times
it feels like people only speak using
idioms and slang so whether you’re flat
out getting off-track
losing your train of thought or banking
on an early finish these 10 essential
business English expressions will help
you to sound more natural and confident
at work learning these expressions is
essential and a fantastic way to hear
them being used in context is by
listening to audiobooks I use audible to
listen to books all the time and I’ve
teamed up with them to offer you a free
trial a free audiobook for 30 days so
that you can try it out yourself I’ve
been using audible for years now
but while I don’t often have time to sit
and read a book I can listen while I’m
driving or while I’m going for a run or
I’m waiting for the train so they offer
a really fantastic solution to keep
practicing your English and for this
I’ve listed some fantastic books
relating to business in the description
box below so you can check out my
recommendations for audible right there
so let’s start with flat out if you’re
flat out you’re incredibly busy you have
lots to do so much that you can’t stop
to have a break I’ll be flat out next
week because there’s a new shipment
arriving
I’ve been flat out all week I’m
exhausted
in Australia where I’m from we might
also use flat chat it’s used in exactly
the same way to mean that someone is
very busy train of thought have you ever
been talking about something and then
completely forgotten what you’re talking
about and why you’re talking about it it
happens to me more often than I’d like
to admit but this happens when your
train of thought gets distracted by
something else the clear progression of
your thoughts are stopped by something
so the expression that you’ll most
commonly hear is oh I’ve lost my train
of thought what was I talking about
I’ve lost my train of thought my mum
called and completely disrupted my train
of thought can I ask you a question
just give me a minute I don’t want to
disrupt my train of thought now if you
lose your train of thought you’ll need
to get back on track if something is on
track it’s happening as it should be
there’s no problem at all if something
is not happening as you planned and you
want to change it you want to get back
on track we missed the deadline last
week but we’ve just submitted the report
now so we’re getting back on track
are you on track to complete the report
by the end of the week so logically if
something is not on track it’s not
happening as it should be then you’re
off track imagine this you’re busy
you’re flat out and you have to attend a
meeting about a project that you’re
working on but the people at the meeting
are not prepared and the conversation is
just going everywhere people are talking
about their kids what they had for
dinner last night any other issue except
what you should be talking about so you
decide to interrupt the conversation and
say we’re getting off track here guys
we’ve only got ten more minutes left and
we need to confirm the marketing budget
it’s used to say that a person or a
group of people have become distracted
from their main purpose
they’ve lost their focus that’s just
like my aunt Mary
actually she does it all the time she
lives on her own which is probably why
but her house is beautiful and she’s got
the dogs to keep her company oh sorry
I’m getting off track here are a few
more examples it’s difficult to stay on
track with so many disruptions perhaps
we should move to the conference room I
don’t want to get off-track but we can
all agree that the new marketing manager
is difficult to get along with
we should have completed the work by now
but the team got off track with some
technical issues this idiom also has a
literal meaning – get lost
or lose your direction – literally
get off the track and hear a track means
a path or a road so if you’re off the
track you’re not on the road on the path
that you need to be on – Bank on
to Bank on something means to bet that
something will happen in a certain way
to be really sure or confident that
something will happen so for example I’m
banking on Sarah to get a promotion so
that I can apply for her position since
it’s a public holiday on Monday we’re
banking on an early finish tonight it
can also be used in a negative sentence
often advising someone against something
I wouldn’t bank on it that means it’s
not a good idea to assume that it will
happen to brush up on this is a phrasal
verb but one that’s idiomatic and it
means to update or to improve your
skills in some way it can be used in any
context really formal or informal but
this expression is so useful in a
professional context because sometimes
it can be a little awkward or
embarrassing to say that you don’t have
fantastic skills in one area right but
by saying that you need to brush up on
those skills is a much softer way of
saying that you’re not that good at
something but you are willing to
practice or study to improve those
skills I’m brushing up on my Italian
because I’ve got a business trip in July
I got the job at the publishing company
but I really need to brush up on my
editing skills I’m out of practice to
bring something to the table so this
idiom means to provide it something that
will be of benefit something useful and
it’s often used in a professional
context to describe the skills or
experience that someone brings to a team
or to a company the great thing about
Sam
that she brings years of management
experience to the table
see how thee something in our structure
is a noun phrase here this is really
common with this expression he brings
excellent communication skills and
award-winning design experience to the
table but during a meeting you might
also hear someone use this expression
what have you brought to the table and
that means what suggestions or ideas did
you bring to the meeting can you offer
to the people in the meeting to bring up
now this is a very common phrasal verb
you’ve probably heard it before it means
to mention or introduce a topic someone
can bring something up during a meeting
a call or a casual conversation I’ll
bring it up with Stephanie when I see
her next week our presentation is
missing some of the key points so I’m
gonna bring it up with the team tomorrow
we can spend some more time on it to
turn down again this is another common
phrasal verb but it’s also idiomatic it
means to say no to something or refuse
something they offered me tickets to the
conference but I had to turn them down
because it’s my son’s birthday he turned
it down because they offered him the
promotion but told him that they
couldn’t increase his salary I applied
for the position but then I found out I
had to spend six months of the year
living in New Zealand so I had to turn
them down now when you do something
without planning or preparing for it
there are a couple of useful expressions
that you can use you can say that you’ll
wing it my presentations on my laptop
which I left at home I’ll just have to
wing it if you haven’t received the
notes you’ll just have to wing it
usually this idiom suggests that you
didn’t really plan it to be that way but
for some reason you’re underprepared if
you do something that’s off-the-cuff
you’re doing something without preparing
for it but you’re kind of comfortable
with that you’re cool with that I wish
that I was confident enough to make
presentations off-the-cuff I spent so
much time planning for our monthly board
meeting Paul won an award last night and
made a fantastic speech totally
off-the-cuff well that’s it for this
lesson I hope you learnt some new
expressions remember that these
expressions are often used in a
professional context but not only in a
professional context you’ll often hear
them used in casual informal contexts as
well so they’re good ones to learn and
practice you guys know that I release
new lessons every week so make sure you
subscribe by clicking that red button
down there so you never miss one of my
lessons there are plenty of other video
lessons right here on the English
YouTube channel for you to check out
like this playlist here of English
idioms and this one right here thanks
for watching and I’ll see you next week
bye for now
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