Every field of endeavor has its own expressions and jargon. The business world seems to thrive on making up new uses of words and devising novel expressions. It’s kind of fun if you know what is being said. If you don’t understand, it can be really frustrating and potentially could cost you a promotion or business deal. Discover also the most used English acronyms in business.
Of course there are more than five expressions that are used in daily business English, but you have to start learning somewhere, and the five expressions below are a good start. They will give you a taste of what to expect.
The 5 expressions in business English that you need to know
- Up in the air means something that is not yet settled, but we would like it to be settled. When we say that something is up in the air, we mean we don’t know what’s going to happen or when it will happen. Often everyone is waiting for some kind of decision or result.
Jim: When is the conference?
Emma: I don’t know. It’s still up in the air.
- Being downsized means that you or other people are losing their jobs. When a company downsizes, it reduces staff to save costs. You never want hear that the company is downsizing since you could lose your job.
Jim: Why’s Jeff looking so glum?
Emma: The company is being downsized, and he’s losing his job.
- Hit the ground running means that when you start a new job or project, you are expected to know what to do as soon as you begin and work hard right away. There’s no time to learn and ease into the new role. You should be ready and enthusiastic.
Jim: The new project starts next week.
Emma: Yeah, you better be ready to hit the ground running.
- Get the ball rolling means to start an activity. A presenter or meeting leader may start by looking at the group and saying ‘Let’s get the ball rolling.’ It can also be used as a question to invite other people to begin speaking, sharing ideas or asking questions.
Jim: Thanks to everyone for coming here. So, who wants to get the ball rolling?
Emma: Uh okay, I’ll be happy to start. Our figures show an increase in sales of 5% since last year.
- Stay on top of (something) means to remain completely in control of, aware about, or on schedule with a project or activity of some kind. It can be used as a warning or advice, particularly if some problem is anticipated. A manager or co-worker might tell you to stay on top of something if they think that you might not remain in control or be aware of what is going on with your work.
Jim: It’s going to be a busy month, and I have to deal with a lot of different people.
Emma: True. You better stay on top of the IT department. They tend to miss deadlines.
Jim: Thanks. I will.
So, see if you can hear one of these expressions at work this week. Better yet, see if you can use one of them in a conversation. It’ll make your business English sound natural.
GlobalExam’s Business English
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Business English is a specific genre of English and probably much of the English which you learned in school wasn’t intended for the work environment. That’s why we have created courses that are specifically oriented toward business English.
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