8 Essential Business English Collocations

8 Essential Business English Collocations

One of the best ways to sound like a native speaker in English is to learn collocations. Let’s examine eight essential collocations that will help you sound more professional and natural in business settings.

What is a collocation?

A collocation is a combination of words that native speakers naturally use together. Learning these combinations will make your business English more fluent and authentic.

Some of the ‘don’t say’ expressions below are possible but are not the true collocations we use in business English.

Eight Essential Business English Collocations

1 Meet Deadlines

Don’t say: arrive at a deadline or reach deadlines.

Meaning: to complete something by an agreed time

2 Generate Revenue

Don’t say: make revenue or create revenue

Meaning: to create or produce income from business activities

3 Submit a proposal

Don’t say: give a proposal or send a proposal

Meaning: To formally present a business plan or suggestion for consideration

4 Launch a product

Don’t say: begin a product or start a product

Meaning: to introduce a new product to the market

5 Reach an agreement

Don’t say: arrive to/at an agreement.

Note: make an agreement is possible but less common in business English because it does not reflect the idea of a process of negotiation

Meaning: to arrive at a mutual understanding or consensus

6 Handle complaints

Don’t say: solve complaints

Meaning: to manage or resolve customer dissatisfaction

7 Implement changes

Don’t say: do changes

Meaning: to put new plans into action

8 Set priorities

Don’t say: make priorities

Meaning: to establish the order of importance for tasks or goals

Practice

Try incorporating some of these collocations into your next business meeting or email. Remember, consistent practice is key to mastering them!

Tips for Learning Collocations

1. Read business news regularly

2. Listen to business podcasts

3. Practice using these phrases in your daily work communications

4. Keep a collocation notebook

 Which business English collocations do you regularly use?

Trump Wins

Donald Trump won last week's US Presidential election and will become the 47th President of the United States.

How Did the Markets React?

Markets like certainty, and as soon as the result was clear, they reacted positively. Stocks across various sectors, especially energy and finance, showed gains. Cryptocurrency markets also rallied on the promise of looser regulatory controls under Trump's administration, sparking investor enthusiasm about potential growth in digital assets.

What Can We Expect in the Next Four Years?

While market optimism is high, the coming years may bring both opportunities and uncertainties. For instance, Trump's stance on deregulation could benefit industries such as energy and banking but may face challenges from international policies. Foreign relations will also influence investor confidence, particularly if trade policies lead to new tariffs on imports from key markets like China and Europe. Such tariffs could impact supply chains and consumer prices, creating both risks and potential rewards for different sectors.

As always, caution is required when assessing long-term impacts of political change.

Use It or Lose It - What Chess Taught Me About Language Learning

A Chess Story

I used to be able to play chess - but now I can't.

Why not? I stopped doing it. For 40 years.

I played chess regularly in school and was an ‘okay’ player. I participated in school competitions.

This summer, on a 10-hour flight to New York, I saw a chess game on the console in front of my seat. I thought, “I can play chess.” I couldn’t. I can’t.

I could recall the rules, moves, and objectives, but that was about it. I could no longer visualise a game plan in my mind or my opponent’s (in this case, the computer’s) game plan. I was humiliated by a computer at the beginner level.

The Language Learning Connection

Why am I sharing this with you?

This story illustrates the consequences of neglecting a specific part of your brain. Consequently, it also applies to language learning.

The Summer Break Challenge

One of the drawbacks of the school system in Italy is the extended summer break. After three months off, my English students find it challenging to regain their level.

The reason behind this is that the summer breaks are, in my opinion, too long. Even during the holidays, students should take the opportunity to practice.

Ways to Keep Practicing

How can you do this?

You can read books, listen to podcasts, watch English movies, or find an English-speaking friend, either in person or online. There are so many options these days that you’re bound to find something that suits you.

The most important thing is to take action.

"But Iain, I don't have time."

Never tell your English teacher that you don’t have time.

While it’s not necessary to be completely honest with your teacher (although it’s always a good idea), it’s important to be honest with yourself. Say something like, “English is no longer a priority for me.” Your English teacher will understand.

You may, of course, feel that you have reached a level where you no longer need an English teacher. This is fantastic if it is genuinely the case. There’s no problem with stopping English lessons but you should properly assess the reasons behind your decision.

Homework 😀

For those of you who genuinely struggle to find time, here’s an exercise to help you:

Keep a detailed and honest diary of everything you do for a week. Include everything from work and studies to exercise, eating, and social media usage.

We’ll discuss what to do with this information in next week’s newsletter.

Start today and good luck!

Note: the objective of this story is not to offend anyone but to ask you to be honest with yourself.

1. Is English still important for you and your career?

2. Do you really not have time?

3. If you stop learning English before achieving your goals whose life will be influenced more - yours or your English teacher’s? 🤔

Word of the Day: Drawback

Drawback - noun - countable - a disadvantage or the negative part of a situation

Collocation: major drawback - we often use ‘major’ when describing a big drawback

Do you have any Business English Questions?

Please email me and I will do my best to answer them in future newsletters.

Until next Wednesday - have a great week!

Iain.

www.communicateenglish.com