10 Business English Expressions

In the business world, there is a huge load of extremely typical statements utilized in day-to-day discussions that don’t appear to be legit. In this assignment, you’ll learn 10 common business expressions to help you sound more fluent and professional.

• Get down to business
• Back to square one
• Bring someone up to speed
• Bring to the table
• Back to the drawing board
• Be on the same page
• A long shot
• Gray area
• Get the ball rolling
• To look at the big picture

Get down to business

Get down to business to get serious and focused about what needs to be done

Examples:

1. Ladies and gentlemen welcome to our offices. Let’s get down to business, shall we?
2. Now that introductions are over let’s get down to business.

Back to square one

Back to square one is to start over from the beginning when you haven’t made any progress and may have failed completely.

Examples:

1. A negative result, however, will effectively send the case back to square one.
2. If you go back to your old ways of eating, you’ll go back to square one or even worse.

Bring someone up to speed

Bring someone up to speed is to give someone all the latest information about something.

Examples:

1. Can someone bring me up to speed before the morning meeting?
2. Before we meet with the team, let me bring you up to speed on the latest developments.

Bring to the table

Bring to the table is to provide or offer something useful.

Examples:

1. Salary requirements are negotiable and are directly connected to what you bring to the table.
2. Figure out what you can bring to the table that’s fresh, and then milk it!

Back to the drawing board

Back to the drawing board is to start over from the beginning and develop a new plan because the first one didn’t work.

Examples:

1. It is back to the drawing board as the private finance initiative scheme is scrapped.
2. The regulations must be sent back to the drawing board and revised to conform to the real world.

Be on the same page

when two or more people are thinking the same way and are in agreement.

Examples:

1. I just want to make sure we’re all on the same page about this.
2. I’m so glad we’re all on the same page.

A long shot

when something has little chance of succeeding.

Examples:

1. That horse is a long shot, but the bet will pay well if he wins the race.
2. It was still a long shot from him, as he had only a smooth-bore, flintlock gun.

Gray area

an area of uncertainty, an undefined position.

Examples:

1. If the outside of your foot reaches the gray area on the left, consider a wide width.
2. I think that dynamic, that gray area really makes that interesting.

Get the ball rolling

Get the ball rolling is to make something begin or happen.

Examples:

1. It is advisable at the start to include some music to get the ball rolling.
2. I wanted to get the ball rolling before something happened to change his mind.

To look at the big picture

to look at the situation as a whole, not the tiny details.

Examples:

1. It’s easier to make a decision when you can see the big picture.
2. Let’s take a look at the big picture to determine the next logical steps.