Human Resources Phrasal Verbs

By admin 9 comments

Learn the most common phrasal verbs used in Human Resources in English:

‘close down’ = to shut

  • We have closed down the small local branches and created bigger regional offices.
  • The factory closed down in the 1970’s because it was too expensive to produce here.

‘fight against’ = to make an effort to stop something happening

  • All the workers fought against the closure but the plant was no longer profitable.
  • The unions have been fighting against the proposed changes as they think it will mean job losses.

‘go back on something’ = to change an agreement

  • We had come to an agreement but now she has gone back on it.
  • The company promised to review the situation but went back on its word and didn’t.

‘put back’ = to postpone, delay in time

  • They promised to make a decision today but it has been put back until next week.
  • My visit has been put back until a later date when it will be easier to plan.

‘fall behind’ = not risen as fast as, fail to do something as fast as required

  • We have fallen behind schedule. It won’t be completed on time.
  • Our salaries have fallen behind the national average with the small increase we have had.

‘turn down’ = to refuse, not accept

  • We offered a two per cent increase but it was turned down.
  • We offered him a much higher salary but he turned it down and didn’t join our team.

‘fill in for someone’ = to replace someone during an absence

  • I need to brief the person who will be filling in for me while I am on maternity.
  • I filled in for Jamie while he was on holiday.

‘back someone up’ = to support or to help

  • Whenever there is a dispute with someone in my team, my manager always backs me up.
  • Nobody backed him up when he said he had been discriminated against.

‘work out’ = to calculate

  • I don’t know how much holiday I have left. I need to work it out.
  • We need to work out how much this is really going to cost.

‘drag on’ = to last a long time, go on longer than anticipated

  • The negotiations are dragging on. I think we’ll never reach an agreement.
  • The meeting dragged on and on. I thought I’d never get home.

exercise 1

exercise 2

exercise 3

exercise 4

9 Comments

zahra

May 5, 2012, 11:06 am

I’m very thanker .That’s very excellent!

Irian Vasallo Baez

May 5, 2012, 2:36 pm

Dear Pearson,
I always enjoy the exercises very much. they are of great importance to improve my English vocabulary.
I learn a lot everyday . They are really very necessary and useful for all the English teachers who do not speak English as a first language.

Thank you very much

Mutana faruk

May 5, 2012, 5:18 pm

I am very much appreciate your stuff. I must not hesitate to say thanks. I sent am inquiry statement to you in few weeks ago, but I receive not your feedback.

Ana Maffei

May 5, 2012, 4:25 pm

Thank you for this opportunity to work on your lessons. I look forward to more!

kamalakar Dolare

May 5, 2012, 12:12 pm

It is too valuable.thanks a lot

hadjer merakchi

May 5, 2012, 4:41 pm

Thank you dear .
It”s really interesting.
I appreciate your effort helping people .
Very goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood work .

Maimounatou

May 5, 2012, 8:22 pm

I really enjoy your courses and exercices. Thanks a lot for helping people. If I have a possibility to designe a medal, I will do it for you. I am very happy with what Caroline and her team are doing very big job. Thanksssssssssssssssssssssssssss

peggy

Jun 6, 2012, 5:54 pm

I love learning new phrasal verbs! Thanks so much!

Sampath Kumar

Nov 11, 2012, 5:09 am

Thank you. Very nice information.

Comments are closed.