Top 10 Business English Phrasal Verbs for

making (and breaking!) Business

Arrangements
Phrasal verbs used for making (and breaking!) arrangements are useful across all sectors of business. Here
are my top 10!

to call off
This means the same as to cancel an arrangement. The word ‘cancel’ is just as good here in my opinion.
This is a nice alternative which can still be used formally:

“We are going to call off the event because we don’t have enough participants”
It is also very useful in its passive form:

‘The business trip has been called off”

to put off
This means the same as to postpone an arrangement.

”Let’s put off this discussion until tomorrow”

For more formal arrangements, ‘postpone’ is probably the better option here, but for slightly less formal
situations such as discussions, stand-up meetings or quick calls, put off is a great alternative.

‘Put off’ is great also for postponing individual tasks.

“I sometimes put off difficult tasks until the last minute”

For individual tasks, the word ‘postpone’ sounds too strict and timetabled, so ‘put off’ is the ideal option
here

to bring forward / to move forward

This is a great phrase meaning to make an arrangement earlier than the originally scheduled time. I
personally really like this one because there is no real alternative phrase.

“The situation is quite urgent, so let’s bring forward the meeting to this afternoon”

to work around someone

To work around someone means to change your schedule around to adapt to someone else’s schedule. If
you have a lot of free space in your schedule, you may be able to ask the other person when they are free,
and you can change your schedule according to theirs:

“I have quite a lot of free spaces in my schedule next week, so I can work around you” (if you let me know
when you are free, then I can move some things in my schedule to make sure that I am free as well)
“If you are quite busy over the next few days, I can work around you so that we can fit in an extra meeting
before the project launch”

to line up / to set up
This simply means to arrange something:

“Let’s set up a conference call for sometime early next week”

“We can line up a follow-up meeting tomorrow”

to have something lined up

If you have something lined up, it means that you have something already arranged in your schedule:
“We have 2 major events lined up in the next month”
“I am currently searching for a new position, but I have 2 interviews lined up for next week”
“I have quite a few appointments lined up for tomorrow, so would it be possible to meet next week
instead?”

to be tied up
If you are tied up it means that you are engaged in various appointments or tasks. This is useful if you are
not able to attend a certain meeting or event, or if you need to rearrange a time:

“Unfortunately, I am completely tied up this week, would it be possible to meet next week instead?”
If you want to explain why you are tied up, you can use the phrase ‘tied up with..’

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to cancel our meeting later. I am a little bit tied up with the monthly closing
at the moment. Are you free any time next week?”

to be snowed under
This also means that you are extremely busy:

“I can’t make the dinner tomorrow because I am completely snowed under with work”

go ahead
To ‘go ahead’ means to happen or to proceed. It is mainly useful for to either ask for confirmation or to
give confirmation if you are unsure whether an arrangement is going to happen or not:

“Despite the recent snow we have had in the area, the outdoor event will go ahead as planned”
“The project is going to go ahead despite the lack of funding”

fall through
If something falls through, it means that it fails to happen. We can use this with events, arrangements,
plans or deals:

“Our plans to expand the company fell through after we were hit with financial issues” (plans)
“The deal fell through due to the fact that the companies were unable to agree terms” (deals)
“The conference might fall through due to problems with the venue”

How to confirm Business appointments in English

Confirming appointments

Business appointments

Monday 9am works for me/is OK.

Social plans

I will be there!

Ok, Monday is fine, see you there.

These phrases are excellent for group chats on social media:

Count me in

I’m in
Saying that you are not free for an appointment

Business Appointments

Unfortunately, I can’t make it on Monday 9am.

I’m afraid I have a meeting on Tuesday 10am.

Social plans

I can’t make Tuesday night

Sorry, I can’t do Wednesday evening

Sorry, I have plans on Friday afternoon