Business Collocations: Words for Professional English

When you learn English for professional settings, it’s not just about vocabulary and grammar.

It’s also important to understand collocations.

Collocations are words that are often used together.

For example, in English, we say “make a decision,” not “do a decision.”

Learning these word combinations can make your English sound more natural and professional.

I will teach you common business collocations.

These phrases will help you communicate effectively in meetings, emails, presentations, and other workplace situations.

Sound Professional: Using the correct collocations shows that you are confident and fluent in English.
Avoid Confusion: Correct collocations make your message clear and easy to understand.
Build Confidence: When you know the right phrases, you feel more confident in your communication.

Let’s dive into some essential business collocations, categorized for easy learning.

Meetings are a big part of professional life.

Here are some collocations to use when discussing meetings:

Schedule a meeting: To plan a meeting at a specific time.
Example: “Let’s schedule a meeting for next Monday.”
Attend a meeting: To be present at a meeting.
Example: “I will attend the meeting at 10 a.m.”
Hold a meeting: To organize and run a meeting.
Example: “We will hold a meeting to discuss the new project.”
Take minutes: To write down the important points during a meeting.
Example: “Can you take minutes for today’s meeting?”
Raise a point: To bring up an issue or topic for discussion.
Example: “I’d like to raise a point about the budget.”
Adjourn a meeting: To end a meeting formally.
Example: “The meeting was adjourned at 3 p.m.”

Emails are an essential form of communication in the business world.

Here are some common collocations for emails:

Write an email: To compose an email.
Example: “I need to write an email to the client.”
Send an email: To deliver an email.
Example: “Please send an email to confirm the appointment.”
Receive an email: To get an email.
Example: “I received an email from our supplier this morning.”
Reply to an email: To answer an email.
Example: “Don’t forget to reply to the email from HR.”
Forward an email: To send an email you received to someone else.
Example: “I will forward the email to the team.”
Attach a file: To include a document or file in an email.
Example: “Please attach the report to the email.”

Projects often require teamwork and planning.

These collocations can help you talk about them:

Start a project: To begin working on a project.
Example: “We will start the project next week.”
Complete a project: To finish a project.
Example: “The team completed the project on time.”
Work on a project: To spend time and effort on a project.
Example: “I am currently working on a marketing project.”
Manage a project: To be in charge of a project.
Example: “She is managing the project for the new product launch.”
Meet deadlines: To complete work by the agreed time.
Example: “It is important to meet deadlines in this industry.”
Miss a deadline: To fail to complete work on time.
Example: “We cannot afford to miss the deadline for this project.”

Negotiations require tact and clear communication.

Here are useful phrases:

Reach an agreement: To agree on a decision.
Example: “Both parties reached an agreement after several rounds of talks.”
Make a proposal: To suggest an idea or plan.
Example: “I would like to make a proposal regarding our partnership.”
Reject an offer: To say no to an offer.
Example: “The client rejected the initial offer.”
Accept an offer: To say yes to an offer.
Example: “They accepted our offer after some negotiation.”
Close a deal: To finalize an agreement.
Example: “We successfully closed the deal with the supplier.”
Break off negotiations: To stop discussions without reaching an agreement.
Example: “The negotiations broke off due to disagreements.”

Reports and presentations are key parts of sharing information.

Prepare a report: To create a report.
Example: “I need to prepare a report on sales performance.”
Submit a report: To hand in a report.
Example: “Please submit the report by Friday.”
Give a presentation: To speak to an audience about a topic.
Example: “She will give a presentation on the new strategy.”
Deliver a speech: To formally talk to a group of people.
Example: “The CEO delivered a speech at the annual meeting.”
Highlight key points: To emphasize the main ideas.
Example: “Please highlight the key points in your presentation.”
Answer questions: To respond to questions from the audience.
Example: “The speaker answered all the questions at the end of the session.”

Problems are inevitable in business, but these phrases can help you handle them:

Identify a problem: To find out what the issue is.
Example: “We need to identify the problem before finding a solution.”
Solve a problem: To fix an issue.
Example: “The IT team solved the problem quickly.”
Deal with a problem: To manage or handle an issue.
Example: “How do you plan to deal with this problem?”
Face a challenge: To encounter a difficult situation.
Example: “The company is facing a challenge due to market competition.”
Overcome an obstacle: To successfully deal with a difficulty.
Example: “We overcame many obstacles to complete the project.”

Practice Regularly: Use these collocations in your writing and speaking.
Read Business Material: Read articles, reports, and emails to see collocations in context.
Keep a Notebook: Write down new collocations and review them often.
Use Online Resources: Many websites and apps can help you practice business collocations.
Speak with Professionals: Join networking events or practice with colleagues to use these phrases naturally.

Conclusion

Understanding business collocations is really important for good communication in the workplace.

They make you sound more fluent, self-assured, and professional.

Try to use these phrases in your everyday talks and writing.

After a while, you’ll see a big boost in your business English abilities.

No matter if you’re in a meeting, writing emails, or collaborating on a project, using the correct collocations can really change the game.

Keep practicing, and you’ll see your confidence increase!