You understand the individual words. You follow the logic of the sentence. But when someone says "let's wrap this up and pin down the details," you hesitate just long enough to lose the thread of the conversation. It's not your vocabulary that's the problem. It's the small, casual phrases that native speakers use without thinking - the ones that actually run most workplace conversations.

This episode focuses on phrasal verbs with "up" and "down," the everyday building blocks that make English sound natural and confident in professional settings. Katherine from LV Linguistics shows you how these simple combinations carry the momentum of business communication. You'll learn which verbs drive energy forward and which ones bring situations back under control.

We start with "up" verbs that signal movement and urgency. You'll see how "wrap up" sounds more decisive than "finish," why "follow up" keeps projects alive, and when "step up" shows leadership without announcing it. Then we shift to "down" verbs that restore balance. These help you calm tense meetings, break complex problems into manageable steps, and slow processes down before mistakes happen. The episode also covers verbs that completely change meaning depending on whether you use "up" or "down," like "back up" versus "back down." Finally, we walk through real workplace scenarios where choosing the right phrasal verb changes how people respond to you.

This episode is important if you're leading teams, managing projects, or participating in meetings where you need to sound natural under pressure. The language applies across industries, from negotiations to daily email communication.

Resources:

Download this episode's worksheet with practice exercises and workplace scenarios: lvlinguistics.be/episode45

Ready to Practice Your English with Real People?

Listening to podcasts is great for learning, but nothing builds confidence like actually speaking. That's where our English practice membership Level Up comes in. It's made especially for professionals just like you.

Inside Level Up, you'll find tons of exercises you can do on desktop or mobile, a community of professionals who are working on their English confidence for work and business, daily unlimited live practice sessions you can join anytime, anywhere, and support from our team of coaches who answer questions and track your progress.

If you're serious about getting confident with English, keep doing what you're doing right now (studying, listening to podcasts, doing exercises), but don't forget the critical piece: actually speaking. The more you speak, the more confident and comfortable you'll be with the English language.

My amazing team of coaches and I are ready to support you in Level Up. Head over to lvlinguistics.be/levelup for more information. I hope to see you on the inside.

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45. Phrasal Verbs with ‘Up’ and ‘Down’: Driving Momentum and Managing Setbacks in Business

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