Work: Phrasal verbs with Georgie

Hello, this is a BBC Learning English  series all about phrasal verbs. Today  

we're learning phrasal verbs related to  'work'. I'm Georgie, let's get into it!

Let's start with 'take on'. If you 'take something  on', it means 'you accept a new responsibility,  

project, or challenge'. It has an added sense  that you don't really mind doing the extra work.

'Beth! Phil! We've got a new  project. Can anyone take it on?' 

'I mean... we are quite busy but...  I think I can take on the challenge.' 

'Great!'

'come up with' is usually followed by an  idea or words like 'something' or 'anything',  

and it means 'you produce an idea  or an idea comes to your head'.

'Have you come up with any ideas yet?' 'No, I can't come up with anything.' 

'Okay, well, you just need to put in a bit  of effort and you'll come up with something.'

Now, 'put something in'. You can 'put in'  things like 'time', 'effort', or 'money',  

and it means 'you contribute  these things to achieve a goal'.

'Phil, you've put in a lot of hours and  you've come up with some good ideas,  

but the deadline's coming soon, so  you really need to knuckle down.'

'knuckle down' means 'you  really focus on working hard,  

especially after a period of not doing  very much or being very distracted'.

'Okay, that's enough procrastination.  

Let's get rid of the distractions,  knuckle down and get to work.'

'get ahead' has two meanings. You  can 'get ahead' of 'other people',  

and that means 'you make progress and move past  others, almost in a competitive way'. You can also  

'get ahead' of your schedule, and that means 'you  complete your tasks earlier than you expected'.

'I always try and get my work done early  so that I can get ahead of my schedule.'

'I like to take on new projects  to get more experience so I can  

get ahead of the competition in the job market.'

'look into something' is similar to 'investigate  or get information before you take action'.

'Beth, does this building have any microwaves?' 

'I don't know, I'll look  into it and get back to you.'

If you 'get back to' someone, it means  'you speak to them again later to give  

them a reply after you've looked into something'.

'Look, as soon as I know where the  microwaves are, I'll get back to you.'

Right, it's time for you to 'put some effort in',  'knuckle down', and 'come up with' some sentences  

using these phrasal verbs! Use the free worksheet  on our website to help. See you next time!