Focused listening library
Business English listening
Practice the phrases and phrasal verbs that make workplace conversations easier to follow.
Take for granted
You assume the shop opens on Sunday without checking, and you rarely thank the friend who always helps. Which expression fits both mistakes?
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Take it out on someone
A difficult meeting makes someone angry, and later they shout at a family member who did nothing wrong. Which expression describes this unfair redirection?
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The ball is in your court
You have sent the proposal and answered every question. Nothing else can happen until the client responds. Whose responsibility is the next move?
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The bottom line
A long meeting produces dozens of details, but everyone needs one clear conclusion. Which phrase brings the discussion back to what matters most?
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The elephant in the room
Everyone at dinner speaks politely, although two guests have stopped talking to each other. The problem is obvious, but nobody mentions it.
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The final straw
The train is repeatedly late, crowded, and unreliable. One more cancellation finally makes a commuter decide to drive instead.
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The upper hand
Two companies negotiate, but only one owns the technology both sides need. That advantage gives one side much greater control over the agreement.
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To bend over backwards
A colleague changes her schedule, calls three suppliers, and stays late to solve your problem. Saying she tried hard does not capture the extraordinary effort.
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To cut it fine
Your train leaves in twenty minutes, but the journey to the station normally takes eighteen. You might arrive, although almost nothing can go wrong.
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To get a word in edgeways
One person has talked for ten uninterrupted minutes. You have something useful to add, but every pause disappears before you can begin.
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To jump ship
A company loses its biggest clients, and several senior employees immediately accept jobs elsewhere. Their timing suggests more than an ordinary career change.
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To not lift a finger
Three people cook, carry boxes, and clean the room while a fourth person watches from the sofa. How do you emphasise that the watcher contributed nothing?
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To pull the plug
A promising project keeps losing money. Its sponsor finally ends the funding, and the whole operation must stop immediately.
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To put someone on the spot
During a public meeting, someone unexpectedly asks you to choose which colleague should lose their budget. Everyone waits for your immediate answer.
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Torn between
One job offers meaningful work near your family. Another offers better pay in a city you love. Both choices matter, and neither feels easy.
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Touch a nerve
A casual remark about school closures suddenly changes your friend's expression. You did not intend harm, but the subject connects with a painful experience.
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Up in the air
You may travel next month, but the dates, budget, and permission are undecided. The trip has not been cancelled, yet nothing is settled.
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Up to scratch
A report contains good ideas, but several figures are wrong and key evidence is missing. It is not terrible, although it cannot be accepted yet.
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Up to speed
You return after two weeks away. The project has changed, and you need the latest decisions before you can contribute confidently again.
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When it comes to
Your friend is generally relaxed, but money makes her extremely careful. You want to narrow a broad description to that one particular subject.
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Word of mouth
A tiny café buys no advertisements, yet every table is full because customers keep recommending it to friends and colleagues.
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A matter of time
A new café is already popular, and you are confident it will need a bigger space, but you do not know when. Which phrase expresses that expectation?
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A mean streak
A usually charming colleague sometimes humiliates people for amusement. Which phrase describes that unkind side of the person's character?
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A mixed blessing
Working from home saves your commute but makes you feel isolated. Which phrase captures the benefit and drawback together?
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How this practice helps
Practise expressions used when people discuss work, make decisions, or explain a problem.
Choose a workplace topic, read the examples, and listen for the details in a complete sentence.
