Before you start
Welcome
You already speak English at work. You can write an email, join a meeting and explain a problem. But sometimes the right word just isn’t there. You know what you mean, but it comes out a little too simple, or a little too long. Your colleagues say “Thanks for the heads-up” or “Let’s loop in finance”, and you think: I’d like to say it like that.
This book is for exactly that moment. It gives you 240 words and phrases that real people use at work every day, in emails, chats, meetings and reports. They’re not rare words for exams. They’re the ones you’ll hear on Monday morning.
It’s written for learners at B1 and B2 level. Work through it in order, or jump to the topic you need this week. Either way works.
How each chapter works
Every chapter takes about an hour, and it always follows the same seven steps. After one or two chapters, you won’t need to read the instructions any more.
| Step | What you do |
|---|---|
| 1 · Word set | Meet the 10 new words and phrases. Each one has its level (B1 or B2), a plain meaning and an example from real work. |
| 2 · Words that go together | See which words like to travel together (submit an expense claim, a tight deadline) and the other forms of some of the words (supply → supplier, supplies). |
| 3 · In real life | Read a realistic workplace text that uses all 10 new items: a team chat, an email, a form, a guide. |
| 4 · Check the meaning | Three short exercises to make sure the meanings are clear. |
| 5 · Use the right word | Four exercises to practise using the words in sentences. |
| 6 · Say this, not that | Four mistakes that learners often make with these words, and what to say instead. |
| 7 · Your turn and quick check | Write a short text of your own, then see how many of the 10 items you remember. |
Keeping score. The last exercise in each chapter is a quick check with ten sentences, one for each new item. Give yourself a point for each correct answer. Got 7 or less? No problem. Come back to the chapter in a few days and try again. That second visit is when words really stay.
Answers. You’ll find all the answers in the key at the back of the book. When there’s more than one good answer, a slash (/) shows them all. For the writing task, the key gives a model answer and an Even better tip. The model is just one good answer. Yours can be completely different and still be right.
Part reviews. After every six chapters there’s a short review that mixes words from the whole part. It’s a nice way to see how much you remember.
Using this book with B1 and B2
This book works on its own. It also works very well next to Learn Real Business English B1, B2 or the B1–B2 Collection. Seventeen chapters cover the same topics as units of those books, and each chapter starts with a Goes with line, so you can see at a glance which unit it matches. The other seven chapters cover topics that B1 and B2 don’t have: company structure, HR, sales and marketing, money, suppliers, technology and strategy.
| Chapter | Goes with |
|---|---|
| 1 · Communicating at Work | B1 Unit 1 · B2 Unit 1 |
| 2 · Roles and Performance | B1 Unit 2 · B2 Unit 2 |
| 3 · Company Structure and Departments | new topic |
| 4 · HR, Contracts and Policies | new topic |
| 5 · Teamwork and Working Relationships | B1 Unit 16 · B2 Unit 16 |
| 6 · Career and Professional Growth | B1 Unit 17 · B2 Unit 17 |
| 7 · Processes and Procedures | B1 Unit 3 · B2 Unit 3 |
| 8 · Meetings | B1 Unit 4 · B2 Unit 4 |
| 9 · Projects and Milestones | B1 Units 5–6 · B2 Unit 5 |
| 10 · Time, Priorities and Workload | B1 Unit 15 · B2 Unit 6 |
| 11 · Emails and Messages | B1 Unit 7 · B2 Unit 7 |
| 12 · Calls and Online Work | B1 Unit 8 · B2 Unit 8 |
| 13 · Customers and Service | B1 Unit 9 · B2 Unit 9 |
| 14 · Problems and Solutions | B1 Unit 10 · B2 Unit 10 |
| 15 · Sales and Marketing | new topic |
| 16 · Money, Budgets and Costs | new topic |
| 17 · Data, Figures and Reports | B2 Unit 15 |
| 18 · Suppliers, Orders and Logistics | new topic |
| 19 · Opinions and Recommendations | B1 Unit 11 · B2 Unit 11 |
| 20 · Agreeing, Disagreeing and Negotiating | B1 Unit 12 · B2 Unit 12 |
| 21 · Presentations | B1 Unit 13 · B2 Unit 13 |
| 22 · Travel and International Work | B1 Unit 14 · B2 Unit 14 |
| 23 · Change, Technology and Innovation | new topic |
| 24 · Strategy, Goals and Competition | new topic |
Words you already know. Under each word set, a You already know box lists words from B1 and B2 that come back in the chapter. They’re words from B1 and B2 that go well with the topic. They aren’t taught again here, and you’ll meet some of them in the chapter. If one of them is new to you, look it up in the B1 or B2 book, or in a dictionary.
A few things to know
B1 or B2? Every new item has a small level tag. B1 words are the ones you need first, so learn these well. B2 words help you sound more natural and more precise. Using the B1 book? Start with the B1 words and come back for the B2 ones later. There’s no rush.
British or American? This book uses British spelling and vocabulary: organise, prioritise, programme, CV. When American English uses a different word or spelling, the word list at the back shows it (CV = US résumé). Both are fine at work. Just choose one and stay with it.
The people in this book. You’ll meet people working in offices from Vienna to Bangalore, because that’s where English is used at work today. They’re all fictional, and so are their companies and email addresses (they all end in example.com).
Want to go further? Some chapters end with a Read next note. It points you to a book in our Learn Real English: Professional Communication series that teaches the whole skill, such as running a meeting or writing a difficult email. This book gives you the words. Those books show you how to use them from start to finish.
Ready? Let’s start with the people you work with.
Part 1 · People and Work
Chapter 1 · Communicating at Work
Goes with B1 Unit 1 · B2 Unit 1 · Your goal: You can talk about who to contact, how to keep people informed, and how to make sure a message is clear.
Most problems at work aren’t about skills. They’re about messages: someone didn’t know, someone misunderstood, someone wasn’t on the email. In this chapter you’ll learn the short, everyday phrases that keep people informed and make sure your message lands.
1.1 Word set
| Word or phrase | Type | Level | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| point of contact | n. | B1 | the person you talk to about something | Jana is your point of contact for the new office. |
| keep someone in the loop | phrase | B1 | to give someone the latest information | Please keep me in the loop about the delivery. |
| double-check | v. | B1 | to check something a second time | Can you double-check the date before you send the invitation? |
| go over | phr. v. | B1 | to look at or explain something carefully, from start to finish | Let’s go over the plan again on Monday. |
| FYI | abbr. | B1 | for your information: used in writing before information that needs no action | FYI, the printer on the second floor is broken. |
| a heads-up | n. | B2 | a short early warning about something | Just a heads-up: the client may call you this afternoon. |
| loop someone in | phr. v. | B2 | to add someone to a conversation or an email chain | I’ve looped in Marco from IT. |
| get the message across | phrase | B2 | to make people understand what you mean | The slides were simple, but they got the message across. |
| spell out | phr. v. | B2 | to explain something very clearly, with all the details | The email spells out what we need from each team. |
| drop someone a line | phrase | B2 | to write someone a short message (informal) | Drop me a line when you arrive in Lisbon. |
You already know: colleague, available, request, look forward to, clarify, follow up, get back to, on the same page, point out, misunderstanding
1.2 Words that go together
| Item | Words that go with it |
|---|---|
| point of contact | your / our / the main point of contact · point of contact for (a project, a client) |
| keep someone in the loop | keep me / us / the team in the loop · be in the loop · be out of the loop (= not have the latest information) |
| double-check | double-check the date / the figures / the address · double-check that … |
| go over | go over the plan / the figures / the details / your notes |
| a heads-up | give someone a heads-up · get a heads-up · just a heads-up: … · thanks for the heads-up |
| loop someone in | loop someone in on an email / a conversation |
| spell out | spell out the details / the rules / what we need · spell it out |
| drop someone a line | drop me / us a line · drop someone a quick line |
Word forms: contact (n.) → contact (v.): Please contact Jana. (not contact with Jana) · loop (n.) → loop in (v.) · message (n.) → messaging (n.): a messaging app
1.3 In real life
Lea Novak works in the Vienna office of Kestrel Freight, a logistics company. Next week, a new colleague from Singapore starts on her team. She writes to the team chat.
#operations-team · Monday
Lea Novak 09:12
Morning, all! Just a heads-up: Wei Ling from the Singapore office joins our team on Monday 14th. I’m her point of contact for the first two weeks, so please send any questions about her start to me.
Tomás Ruiz 09:20
Great news! Does she have a laptop yet?
Lea Novak 09:24
Not yet. I’ve looped in Daniel from IT. He’ll get back to us today. I’ll keep you in the loop.
Daniel Brandt (IT) 10:05
Hi all. Her laptop will be ready on Friday. Lea, can you double-check her email address for me? I have wling and weiling in two different emails.
Lea Novak 10:11
It’s [email protected]. Thanks for pointing that out!
Tomás Ruiz 10:30
FYI, I’ve booked the small meeting room on Monday morning for her welcome meeting.
Lea Novak 10:34
Perfect. In the meeting I want to go over our weekly routine with her: the reports, the calls with the drivers, the Friday checks. I’ll write a one-page guide that spells out who does what. Short and simple, so it gets the message across.
Tomás Ruiz 10:36
Good idea. That way we’re all on the same page from day one.
Lea Novak 10:40
Exactly. And if you think of anything she needs to know, drop me a line before Thursday. Thanks, everyone!
Tip · FYI or heads-up? Both share information, but they aren’t the same. FYI means no action needed, this is just so you know. A heads-up is a friendly warning about something that’s coming, so the reader may need to get ready.
1.4 Check the meaning
Exercise 1 · Match. Match each beginning (1–5) with its ending (a–e).
- A heads-up is
- Your point of contact is
- When you double-check something,
- When you loop someone in,
- When you spell something out,
- you check it again.
- you explain it with all the details.
- an early warning.
- you add them to the conversation.
- the person you talk to about something.
Exercise 2 · True or false? Read the chat again. Is each sentence true or false?
- Lea is Wei Ling’s point of contact for the first month.
- Daniel is in the chat because Lea added him.
- Tomás’s message about the meeting room needs an answer from the team.
- Lea wants her guide to be long, with a lot of detail about every task.
Exercise 3 · Choose the right word. Pick the word that fits best.
- I’m not sure the address is right. Can you go over / double-check it?
- The new prices are attached, FYI / just a heads-up. You don’t need to do anything.
- Before the meeting, let’s go over / drop the agenda together.
- I don’t know anything about the new project. I’m completely out of the line / loop.
1.5 Use the right word
Exercise 4 · Fill the gaps. Use each word or phrase once: point of contact, keep, heads-up, looped, spell out, line.
- Thanks for the ______ about the late delivery. I’ll tell the client.
- Could you ______ me in the loop about the job interviews?
- I’ve ______ in Sara, because she knows the client well.
- Our ______ at the bank is Mr Osei. Please send all questions to him.
- The new rules are not clear. Can someone ______ exactly what we need to do?
- I’m in Madrid next week. Drop me a ______ if you want to meet.