Phrasal Verbs About Work

Phrasal verbs often Be aware that many of

include another these phrasal verbs
preposition if they take also have other

Phrasal Verb Mix and Match

Connect each of the phrasal verbs below with the correct definition.

1) break off a) to start working seriously or put more effort into work

2) buckle/knuckle down b) to stop working for a rest or to eat

3) carry out c) to do, to undertake, to accept and complete a task or job

4) clock in d) to officially finish working for the day

5) close down e) to substitute for somebody at work

6) fall through f) to officially start work

7) fill in (for) g) to shut forever, go out of business

8) knock off h) to dismiss somebody because of economic reasons

9) lay off i) to start doing something gradually or in stages

10) move up j) to fail to happen

11) pass over k) to avoid working, to be lazy

12) phase in l) to be or get promoted

13) run through m) to ignore somebody for a job or promotion

14) slack off n) to employ

15) step down o) to collaborate as a group

16) take on p) to resign from a job or position of responsibility or authority

17) team up (with) q) to do an endless amount of work, piece by piece

18) wade through r) to explain something step by step

LET’S PLAY BINGO!

 Phrasal Verbs about Work
break off buckle/knuckle down carry out clock in close down fall through fill in (for) knock off lay off
move up pass over phase in run through slack off step down take on team up (with) wade through

Insert the phrasal verbs that fit best into the gaps in the sentences below.

You will need to conjugate them appropriately.

1) The company has _________ _______ three of its factories with the loss of 900 jobs.

2) He has done a long shift today. He _________ _______ at 6 o’clock this morning and did not finish
until 8pm.

3) When she got back to work from her holidays she found a large pile of papers waiting for her on her
desk. It took her all day and part of the next morning to _________ _______ them all.

4) The best way to wrap the packages was by sitting down but he preferred to stand so that his boss
didn’t think he was _________ _______.

5) When the factory lost one of its most important contracts, it had no choice but to _________
_______ 40 of the staff on the night shift.

6) When the factory got an important new contract, it had to _________ _______ 40 new staff for the
night shift.

7) He has done very well at his new job. He has been _________ _______ to area supervisor already but
he has only been with the company for three months.

8) Tracy is not happy with her job. She has been ________ ______ for promotion three times this year.

9) The supervisor _________ _______ the new process several times at the meeting and answered a
few questions before everybody understood exactly what to do.

10) In the end, the project _________ _______ due to a lack of serious investment.
 The Changing Nature of Work
Insert the phrasal verbs that fit best into the gaps in the story below.

You will need to conjugate the verbs appropriately.

break off buckle/knuckle down carry out clock in close down fall through fill in (for) knock off lay off
move up pass over phase in run through slack off step down take on team up (with) wade through

Those of us who started work in the 80s know only too well just how much the workplace has changed.
__________ _______ has been replaced by swiping in and, for many of us, __________ _______ to go and
smoke a ciggie is a distant memory, although smoking does seem to be making a comeback at the workplace,
due to the vaping craze. But has it really changed so much? And if so, why?

On the surface, technology seems to have made the biggest difference to workplace practices and
employer/employee relationships. A story back in 2006 scandalised the UK when it was revealed that 20
employees had been __________ _______through a text message. How could an employer be so heartless as
to dismiss people from work using a mobile phone? many of us asked. The truth could be more mundane than
an evil and cruel boss with no scruples. It eventually transpired that it was just a human resources worker
__________ _______ instead of doing his job properly and going through the accepted channels for such a
procedure. However, the technology existed for that employee and that particular route, unfortunately for
both the company and the workers, was taken.

With the gradual erosion of the UK’s manufactory capacity, a significant amount of factories have __________
_______ yet the employment figures continue to rise. What is more, the skills of the average UK worker is
distinctly different from those his or her counterpart from 20 years ago. The ability to __________ _______
multiple tasks that require radically different abilities is now quite common place whereas those of the UK
worker of 30 years ago was limited to a much narrower skill set. Productivity doesn’t suffer like it used to in
the past. When a worker was sick 30 or 40 years ago, the work often remained undone. Nowadays, in most
cases, someone can be easily found who is able to __________ _______ for the absent worker and complete
the necessary tasks.

The question of gender and the workplace environment has seen quite a transformation. Women are now
being __________ _______ in traditionally male dominated professions. It is not unusual to see female
gardeners, mechanics and street cleaners. However, in the top professions, women still often complain that
they are __________ _______ for promotion. Many female professionals say that it is very difficult to
__________ _______ at work when they have to compete against men. Likewise, while it is not so unusual to
see a female fire-fighter or police officer, for some reason it isn’t very often that you bump into a female IT
professional or civil engineer, although this trend does appear to be changing.

One thing we can look forward to in the future is the plain fact that many of the jobs we do now will be done
by software or machines or both. Workers may find themselves increasingly isolated in the future. Instead of
__________ _______ with a group of people to work on a project, perhaps the future worker will only have
to assign a formula to do a particular task. Many of us already use apps that track how many hours we work
from when we start to when we __________ _______. Time limits are now placed on people working in
online shopping warehouses and alarms inform them that they must __________ _______ and work harder if
they are to fulfil their orders. So gradually, little by little, day by day, these automated work processes are
being __________ _______ already. One day we will wake up and see the future has arrived while we were
sleeping.

But then again, perhaps the future is brighter than we think. Granted, many of us have to __________
_______ a mountain of emails first thing in the morning before we can really get down to some serious work.
 Business Process Automation Debate
Read the memo below and then read your personality card. After that, attend the
meeting and debate what the board should do next regarding the issue at hand.
Each person should spend at least 1 minute stating their opinion and a further 5
minutes debating what should be done once everybody has had their say. A vote
must be taken at the end of the meeting.

Indicate which word is correct in the memo below. Sometimes both options are possible.

The Walton Wine Warehouse

To: Senior departmental officers

From: Director of H&R

Date: 17/01/2020

Re: BPA Trial

Dear colleagues,

As you may or may not know, the investors have expressed an interest in implementing a revolutionary/rebellious
new business process automation system to handle our more time-consuming administrative tasks. The idea is
that the new system will save money, slipstream/streamline bureaucracy, and increase efficiency.

Obviously/Noticeably, there will be some concerns about such a militant/radical new system and I expect some of
you will have strong views/opinions on the subject. As such, we will not begin the process of implementation until
everybody is in agreement as to the extent/scope of the use of this BPA throughout our organisation.

The pros and cons on the subject of BPAs are well-known in our business, but to refresh/revitalise your memories,
here are a few to help you make your decisions regarding this vital issue.

Pros: Efficiency – A lot of administrative tasks can be slow and repetitive for people to do. Not so much when
handled/manned by software. The propensity/tendency to slow down while carrying out mundane tasks is not so
prevalent when it is automated.

Cons: Job security – Obviously, some people will inevitably have to be allowed/let go as a result of these jobs
being automated. Where possible, those employees will be reassigned/redeployed elsewhere but job-losses are
unavoidable.

Pros: Reliability – Very time-consuming processes, such as data entry, book-keeping, filing, and similar, are often
prone/tended to human error due to the repetitive and extremely boring nature of the task. If all of these routines
are handled by software and, in some cases, machines, then the occasion/possibility of mistakes is considerably
reduced.
 Phrasal Verbs about Work
break off buckle/knuckle down carry out clock in close down fall through fill in (for) knock off lay off
move up pass over phase in run through slack off step down take on team up (with) wade through

Insert the phrasal verbs that fit best into the gaps in the story below.

You will need to conjugate the verbs appropriately.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

IN PAIRS CREATE A GAP-FILL EXERCISE FOR THE 18 PHRASAL

VERBS IN THE BOX AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE.
 BPA Debate – Personality Cards
You are a senior executive at the Walton Wine
Warehouse. Two weeks ago you were trying to
organise a payment on your car using an
automated process on the telephone. You
accidently said the wrong number because you
were distracted. Later that day, three very
large and aggressive men from a repossession
company arrived and repossessed your car. It
wasn’t until this week that you managed to
resolve the problem. You do not trust BPAs.
You are a senior executive at the Walton Wine
Warehouse. Last summer, you used a
completely automated travel agent to book
your holiday. It was much cheaper but the
holiday was the worst holiday you have ever
been on. You and your partner have since
broken up as a direct result of the holiday and
when you tried to make a complaint to the
company you discovered that they had
charged you to use the complaints service. You
You are a senior executive at the Walton
Wine Warehouse. One year ago, you used
a completely automated dating service to
find a partner. You were matched with a
terrible person and the date you went on
was a disaster. The other person stole your
money and left the restaurant when you
went to use the toilets. When you tried to
use the complaints service, you had no
You are a senior executive at the Walton
Wine Warehouse. You contracted a team
of builders using a completely automated
business process. The builders did an awful
job and when you tried to contact the
company it was impossible. Trying to get
your money back has cost you almost as
much as it did to hire the contractors in
the first place. You hate BPAs as a result.
CHOOSE ONE OF THE PERSONALITY CARDS ABOVE AND THEN USE THIS AS
YOUR MOTIVATION DURING THE ROLE-PLAY.
You are a senior executive at the Walton Wine
Warehouse. A few weeks ago you had a
problem with your internet service provider
and went to their customer service office. The
people working there kept you waiting for a
long time and were rude and unhelpful. You
have since cancelled your contract with them
and started another service using a completely
automated process. It was quick and easy and
the price is much cheaper. You love BPAs.
You are a senior executive at the Walton
Wine Warehouse. One year ago, you used
a completely automated dating service to
find a partner. You were matched with the
love of your life and have since married.
You have spent the best year of your life in
wedded bliss with your partner. You
completely trust BPAs and think there
should be more of them.
You are a senior executive at the Walton
Wine Warehouse. You bought your house
using a completely automated estate
agent. The house you bought is wonderful
and everything was handled online with no
need to go through any complicated
processes. Even your lawyer was
impressed. You will be using more
completely automated processes in future.
You are a senior executive at the Walton
Wine Warehouse. You also run a small
business of your own and have automated
almost all of the administrative work using
new but reasonably cheap BPA software.
You have had no problems at all and have
reduced your operating costs considerably.
You think BPAs are the future.
 Phrasal Verbs: Bingo Game

Cut out and place the definition slips in a cup or envelope. Cut out the bingo cards and give to the students. Take a definition
slip from the cup one at a time and read the definition. Students tick off the corresponding phrasal verbs. Once a student has
crossed out 5 words on a card they shout “bingo” and the round starts again with fresh cards. Repeat the process 3 times.

Definition Slips

break off =

to stop working for

a rest or to eat

buckle/knuckle
down =

to start working seriously or put more effort into work

Bingo Cards
Bingo Cards
slack off
break off

lay off
carry out

break off
buckle/knuckle down

take on
clock in

take on clock in

clock in step down

lay off
break off

wade through
knock off

break off
close down

run through
phase in
 Answers

Phrasal Verb Mix and Match

Connect each of the phrasal verbs below with the correct definition.

1) break off a) to start working seriously or put more effort into work

2) buckle/knuckle down b) to stop working for a rest or to eat

3) carry out c) to do, to undertake, to accept and complete a task or job

4) clock in d) to officially finish working for the day

5) close down e) to substitute for somebody at work

6) fall through f) to to officially start work

7) fill in (for) g) to shut forever, go out of business

8) knock off h) to dismiss somebody because of economic reasons

9) lay off i) to start doing something gradually or in stages

10) move up j) to fail to happen

11) pass over k) to avoid working, to be lazy

12) phase in l) to be or get promoted

13) run through m) to ignore somebody for a promotion or a job

14) slack off n) to employ

15) step down o) to collaborate as a group

16) take on p) to resign from a job or position of responsibility or authority

17) team up (with) q) to do an endless amount of work, piece by piece

18) wade through r) to explain something step by step

Answers

1) = b)

2) = a)

3) = c)

4) = f)

5) = g)

6) = j)

7) = e)

8) = d)

9) = h)
 Answers

1) The company has closed down three of its factories with the loss of 900 jobs.

2) He has done a long shift today. He clocked in at 6 o’clock this morning and did not finish until 8pm.

3) When she got back to work from her holidays she found a large pile of papers waiting for her on her
desk. It took her all day and part of the next morning to wade through them all.

4) The best way to wrap the packages was by sitting down but he preferred to stand so that his boss
didn’t think he was slacking off.

5) When the factory lost one of its most important contracts, it had no choice but to lay off 40 of the
staff on the night shift.

6) When the factory got an important new contract, it had to take on 40 new staff for the night shift.

7) He has done very well at his new job. He has been moved up to area supervisor already but he has
only been with the company for three months.

8) Tracy is not happy with her job. She has been passed over for promotion three times this year.

9) The supervisor ran through the new process several times at the meeting and answered a few
questions before everybody understood exactly what to do.

10) In the end, the project fell through due to a lack of serious investment.
 Answers

Those of us who started work in the 80s know only too well just how much the workplace has changed.
Clocking in has been replaced by swiping in and, for many of us, breaking off to go and smoke a ciggie is a
distant memory, although smoking does seem to be making a comeback at the workplace, due to the vaping
craze. But has it really changed so much? And if so, why?

On the surface, technology seems to have made the biggest difference to workplace practices and
employer/employee relationships. A story back in 2006 scandalised the UK when it was revealed that 20
employees had been laid off through a text message. How could an employer be so heartless as to dismiss
people from work using a mobile phone? many of us asked. The truth could be more mundane than an evil
and cruel boss with no scruples. It eventually transpired that it was just a human resources worker slacking off
instead of doing his job properly and going through the accepted channels for such a procedure. However, the
technology existed for that employee and that particular route, unfortunately for both the company and the
workers, was taken.

With the gradual erosion of the UK’s manufactory capacity, a significant amount of factories have closed down
yet the employment figures continue to rise. What is more, the skills of the average UK worker is distinctly
different from those his or her counterpart from 20 years ago. The ability to carry out multiple tasks that
require radically different abilities is now quite common place whereas those of the UK worker of 30 years ago
was limited to a much narrower skill set. Productivity doesn’t suffer like it used to in the past. When a worker
was sick 30 or 40 years ago, the work often remained undone. Nowadays, in most cases, someone can be
easily found who is able to fill in for the absent worker and complete the necessary tasks.

The question of gender and the workplace environment has seen quite a transformation. Women are now
being taken on in traditionally male dominated professions. It is not unusual to see female gardeners,
mechanics and street cleaners. However, in the top professions, women still often complain that they are
passed over for promotion. Many female professionals say that it is very difficult to move up at work when
they have to compete against men. Likewise, while it is not so unusual to see a female fire-fighter or police
officer, for some reason it isn’t very often that you bump into a female IT professional or civil engineer,
although this trend does appear to be changing.

One thing we can look forward to in the future is the plain fact that many of the jobs we do now will be done
by software or machines or both. Workers may find themselves increasingly isolated in the future. Instead of
teaming up with a group of people to work on a project, perhaps the future worker will only have to assign a
formula to do a particular task. Many of us already use apps that track how many hours we work from when
we start to when we knock off. Time limits are now placed on people working in online shopping warehouses
and alarms inform them that they must knuckle/buckle down and work harder if they are to fulfil their orders.
So gradually, little by little, day by day, these automated work processes are being phased in already. One day
we will wake up and see the future has arrived while we were sleeping.

But then again, perhaps the future is brighter than we think. Granted, many of us have to wade through a
mountain of emails first thing in the morning before we can really get down to some serious work. But while
some work that was traditionally done by office clerks has become fully automated, large companies usually
 The Walton Wine Warehouse
To: Senior departmental officers

From: Director of H&R

Date: 17/01/2020

Re: BPA Trial

Dear colleagues,

As you may or may not know, the investors have expressed an interest in implementing a revolutionary new
business process automation system to handle our more time-consuming administrative tasks. The idea is that the
new system will save money, streamline bureaucracy, and increase efficiency.

Obviously, there will be some concerns about such a radical new system and I expect some of you will have strong
views/opinions on the subject. As such, we will not begin the process of implementation until everybody is in
agreement as to the extent/scope of the use of this BPA throughout our organisation.

The pros and cons on the subject of BPAs are well-known in our business, but to refresh your memories, here are a
few to help you make your decisions regarding this vital issue.

Pros: Efficiency – A lot of administrative tasks can be slow and repetitive for people to do. Not so much when
handled by software. The propensity/tendency to slow down while carrying out mundane tasks is not so prevalent
when it is automated.

Cons: Job security – Obviously, some people will inevitably have to be let go as a result of these jobs being
automated. Where possible, those employees will be reassigned/redeployed elsewhere but job-losses are
unavoidable.

Pros: Reliability – Very time-consuming processes, such as data entry, book-keeping, filing, and similar, are often
prone to human error due to the repetitive and extremely boring nature of the task. If all of these routines are
handled by software and, in some cases, machines, then the possibility of mistakes is considerably reduced.

Cons: the human touch – Most of us know what it is like to call a company in hopes of being able to talk to
Bingo Cards

buckle/knuckle down

step down

run through

clock in

close down

close down

team up

carry out

step down

knock off

take on
Work FCE Practice Reading and Use of English
Part 4
For these questions complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence,
using the word given.

Do not change the word given. You must use between TWO and FIVE words, INCLUDING the word given.

Here is an example (0).

Example:

0 His doctor advised him to stop smoking.

0 TO GIVE/PACK UP
UP

His doctor told him ________________________________cigarettes.

1 The board completely ignored Samantha for promotion yet again this year.

PASSED

Samantha has __________________________________________ promotion once again, this year.

2 Now that we have clinched that big contract, we can employ a lot more people.

TAKE

We can ______________________________________ thanks to that contract we signed.

3 She is pretty positive she will receive another offer soon even though she failed to get that job.

FELL

She is disappointed the job offer _______________________________________ is optimistic that she will find
something else soon.

4 Everybody was surprised by the president’s resignation.

STEPPED

When the president ____________________________________________ a complete surprise for everybody.

5 He had an appointment with the doctor and needed to finish work early.

KNOCK

He had ____________________________________________ because of a doctor’s appointment.

6 Many workers lost their jobs when the company got into financial trouble.

OFF

When the company began to experience financial hardship, a lot of __________________________________.

 Answers
1 The board completely ignored Samantha for promotion yet again, this year.

PASSED

Samantha has BEEN PASSED OVER FOR promotion once again, this year.

2 Now that we have clinched that big contract, we can employ a lot more people.

TAKE

We can TAKE ON MORE PEOPLE thanks to that contract we signed.

3 She is pretty positive she will receive another offer soon even though she failed to get that job.

FELL

She is disappointed the job offer FELLTHROUGH BUT/ALTHOUGH SHE is optimistic that she will find something
else soon.

4 Everybody was surprised by the president’s resignation.

STEPPED

When the president STEPPED DOWN IT WAS/CAME AS a complete surprise for everybody.

5 He had an appointment with the doctor and needed to finish work early.

KNOCK

He had TO KNOCK OFF EARLY because of a doctor’s appointment.

6 Many workers lost their jobs when the company got into financial trouble.

OFF

When the company began to experience financial hardship, a lot of WORKERS WERE LAID OFF.