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Three word verbs

'Come in for' means to receive. This is usually used with words such as 'criticism' 'abuse' 'blame'.

• He came in for a lot of criticism for his actions.
• She came in for a lot of abuse when she tried to argue with them

'Go in for' can be used with words such as 'competition' to mean 'enter'.

• I went in for a Scrabble tournament at my club and I won.
• She was a good athlete when she was younger and went in for the trials for the Olympic team

'Sit in on' can be used with words such as 'conference' or 'meeting' to indicate that you attend as an observer and not as a regular participant.

• I've asked John to sit in on this meeting as he knows more about these people than we do.
• I'd like you to sit in on the negotiations with the unions as part of your training

'Stand in for' is used to mean 'substitute for'.

• Harry is ill so I'm going to stand in for him and make the presentation.
• Wendy is on vacation and I'm standing in for her

If you 'go along with' existing plans, opinions or decisions you accept them and don't try to change them.

• I go along with your ideas about increasing our marketing in China.
• You agreed to go along with our decision

If you 'listen out for' something, you keep alert and make an effort to hear it.

• I'm expecting him to call so listen out for the phone ringing.
• Listen out for their car. They should be here soon

If you 'cash in on' a situation, you take advantage of it, often unfairly.

• He cashed in on my absence with flu to contact my customers directly.
• We need to cash in on the emerging markets in Asia

If you 'drop in on' somebody, you make an informal, unarranged visit to see them.

• I dropped in on Martin when I was visiting Sidcup.
• Drop in on me any time you are in town.

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Animal Idioms 2

Learn new expressions in English with these exercises:

If you search for something which is futile, pointless or unattainable, you are on a 'wild-goose chase'.

• He sent us on a wild-goose chase for a book that isn't being published until next year.
• She sent us on a wild-goose chase looking for their beach house.

A small sum of money (perhaps just comparatively small) can be called 'chicken feed'.

• The salary they were offering was chicken feed compared to what I could earn as a consultant.
• You can only make chicken feed profits teaching English on the Internet.

If money will prevent poverty, it will 'keep the wolf from the door'.

• The salary won't allow me to buy very much but it should keep the wolf from the door.
• We need to get in some immediate income to keep the wolf from the door.

Sometimes when you lose patience with something, it is something very minor which causes this, even though you didn't lose patience when there were other more serious problems earlier. This is the 'straw that broke the camel's back'.

• I know it wasn't a major problem but it was the straw that broke the camel's back as far as I was concerned.
• When they told me I had to work on Christmas Day, it was the straw that broke the camel's back and I left.

If somewhere is very dirty or untidy, we can say it is a 'pigsty'.

• This room looks like a pigsty.
• The factory was like a pigsty with materials everywhere.

If you quarrel all the time with somebody, you ' fight like cat and dog' .

• They fought like cat and dog over the decision.
• They can't work together. They fight like cat and dog.

The best or greatest thing is 'the cat's whiskers'.

• Now he has been promoted, he thinks he's the cat's whiskers.
• Don't start thinking you are the cat's whiskers because you are not.

If you are very nervous or uneasy, there are a couple of expression using 'cat'.

• He's like a cat on a hot tin roof.
• She's like a cat on hot bricks.

If you look dirty, messy or bedraggled, you 'look like something the cat brought/dragged in'.

• Tidy yourself up. You look like something the cat brought in.
• He turned up looking like something the cat dragged in.

If you have absolutely no chance, you have a 'cat in hell's chance'.

• We have a cat in hell's chance of getting the contract.
• He has a cat in hell's chance of going out with her.

If you are being teased cruelly by someone without knowing exactly what their intentions are, they are 'playing cat and mouse' with you.

• They are playing cat and mouse with us about renewing the contract.
• I don't have any time for these cat and mouse games.

When you do something, often suddenly, that is generally disturbing or upsetting, you 'put the cat among the pigeons'.

• The announcement of the takeover by Glazer has really put the cat among the pigeons.
• We need to find a way to put the cat among the pigeons and shake them up a bit.

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Swimming Idioms

If you are 'out of your depth', you don't have the necessary knowledge, experience or skill to deal with a particular situation or subject.

• When she started talking about quantum physics, I felt completely out of my depth.
• I'm an engineer. I feel out of my depth when we discuss accounting problems.

If you are on 'the crest of a wave', you are being extremely successful or popular. If something is popular, you can try to 'ride (on) the wave'.

• James Blunt is on the crest of the wave in the UK at the moment. You can hear his music everywhere.
• He became successful riding on the wave of using British actors as villains in Hollywood movies.

If you don't get any training before you start a job or activity, you are 'thrown in at the deep end'.

• Everyone was off sick so I was thrown in at the deep end.
• The best way to learn the job is to be thrown in at the deep end.

If you are struggling to spend less than you earn, you are trying to 'keep your head above water'.

• Since they increased my rent, I've been struggling to keep my head above water.
• With the new sponsorship, the team should be able to keep its head above water.

If a company has to stop business because of losses, it 'goes under'.

• The company couldn't afford to pay its suppliers and it went under.
• In this economic climate, a lot of businesses will go under.

If you are in a very difficult situation, you are 'in deep water'.

• If the bank doesn't give us this loan, we could be in deep water.
• He was caught stealing from his company and now he's in deep water.

If you 'make a splash', you get a lot of public attention.

• We need to make a splash by holding a cocktail party for journalists.
• She made quite a splash when she wore such a small dress to the film premiere.

If a noise is 'drowned out' , you cannot hear it because of other noises.

• The sounds of the telephone were drowned out by the noise from upstairs.
• His speech was drowned out by the chanting from the demonstrators.

If you 'test the water', you try to find out what people think about an idea or a situation before you take action.

• Before you decide to sell your house in England and move to Spain, why not go there for a trial three months to test the water?
• This is a big project. We should test the water before making such a large investment.

If a situation is 'sink or swim', it either fails or succeeds.

• Either this works or we are all out of a job. It's sink or swim.
• You'll get no training here. It's sink or swim.

If you 'dive into' something, you do it without really thinking about what you are doing.

• He dived into the project with a lot of enthusiasm but not much thought.
• Let's take our time. There's no point in diving into this without thinking.

If you are 'treading water', you are staying in the same place without making any progress.

• I'm just treading water, waiting for a job with a better salary.
• People lose motivation if they think they are just treading water in their careers.

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Episode 1 - Pleased to Meet You.  In this episode you can learn how to make introductions in a business setting. (Học cách  giới thiệu và làm quen trong các buổi giao tiếp kinh doanh)

Flash Player File

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If you do not see the video - you click here to listen to Audio:

Windows Media Player File

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In this episode you can learn how to make introductions in a business setting.

Waiter hands drink to Victor.

VICTOR: Thank you very much

SAM: Hello, I don’t think we’ve met. Sam Eriks.

VICTOR: Victor Tang. Pleased to meet you.

SAM: And what company are you from Mr Tang?

VICTOR: OceanWide. I’m the sales representative for this region.

SAM: Ah yes. I know your company. Your business is expanding very rapidly at the moment.

VICTOR: Yes, we’re doing quite well. And yourself? Who do you work for?

SAM: Actually I work for myself. I’m the C.E.O. of a small export and packaging company. We specialize in seafood.

VICTOR: It’s a growing market.

SAM: Yes, but a very competitive one Mr Tang.

VICTOR: Please call me Victor.

SAM: Sam. Victor, let me introduce you to someone. Lin – this is Victor Tang – he’s the regional rep. for OceanWide. This is Lin Chan, my sales manager.

LIN: How do you do Mr Tang?

VICTOR: I’m very well thank you. Nice to meet you Ms Chan.

LIN: And you.

VICTOR: Can I get you another drink?

LIN: Thank you.

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Notes:



Let's look at introductions.
First – how did Sam introduce himself to Victor – who he didn't know?


Hello, I don't think we've met.
Sam Eriks.

Victor Tang.
Pleased to meet you.


Sam said hello. We can say hello in most situations. He also said I don't think we've met. This is a good phrase to use if you want to meet someone new. Practice saying Hello, I don't think we've met, and then say your name.

Hello. I don't think we've met…
(your name)

Victor Tang.
Pleased to meet you.


Victor replied by saying his name and pleased to meet you. Pleased to meet you is a good formal greeting for most situations. After Sam introduces himself, say your name, and 'pleased to meet you'.


Hello, I don't think we've met.
Sam Eriks.
(your name)
Pleased to meet you.


And the Western tradition is to shake hands when you meet someone. Usually, when we first meet someone in a business situation, we want to find out what they do - what their job, or position is. Let's see how Victor and Sam do this.


And what company are you from Mr Tang?

OceanWide. I'm the sales representative for this region.
Ah yes. I know your company.
Your business is expanding very rapidly at the moment.

Yes, we're doing quite well.
And yourself? Who do you work for?

Actually I work for myself. I'm the C.E.O. of a small export and packaging company. We specialize in seafood.
Sam asks and what company are you from? There are a few different ways you could ask this question: Let's try some of them:
What company are you from?

Which company do you represent?

What's your line of business?
Now you try answering Sam's question with your own answer, saying what company you are from...
And what company are you from?
I'm from ......
Ah yes, I know that company.
And you can be more specific by asking about someone's job.
Practice these...

And what's your position there?
And what do you do there?

Position means the same as job, but it's a more formal term. Listen to how both Sam and Victor describe their positions:

I'm the sales representative for this region.

I'm the C.E.O. of a small export and packaging company.
We describe our job by saying I am or I'm and then naming the position. Notice that Sam says he is the C.E.O. or Chief Executive Officer of his company.
When someone asks who you work for, it can be useful to also tell them what your job is. When meeting someone, it helps them if you offer information before they ask. This makes the conversation more relaxed. Now Sam is going to ask you who you work for and what your position is - answer his questions with your own answers:

Episode 2 - Why don't you join us? In this episode you can learn how to make, accept and refuse invitations in a business setting. (Học các đưa ra một lời mời, cách chấp nhận hay từ chối)

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If you do not see the video - you click here to listen to Audio:

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In this episode you can learn how to make, accept and refuse invitations in a business setting.


VICTOR: Well, it's been good to meet you Sam, and very interesting to hear about your business.

SAM: Look, we are having a small dinner for some of our clients and friends after this. Why don't you join us?

VICTOR: That's very kind of you. I'll just check with my associate whether they have other arrangements for us.

SAM: Your associate is most welcome to join us too.

VICTOR: Thankyou - excuse me.

WALTER: This is Sam Eriks from Eriks imports. He has very kindly invited us to a dinner.

SAM: Yes, would you like to join us?

WALTER: Unfortunately I have another engagement, but thankyou for the invitation.

SAM: Well, perhaps you could join us after that for a drink?

WALTER: Sounds great. I'd be happy to. Where shall we meet?

SAM: How about the lounge bar here. At about ten?

WALTER: I'll see you then. Excuse me.

SAM: Lin. Victor's joining us for dinner.

LIN: Oh wonderful.

VICTOR: I hope you don't mind.

LIN: Of course not, you're most welcome.

SAM: Well, shall we make a move?

LIN: Would you mind if I just say goodbye to a few people?

SAM: No problem - we'll see you outside in a few minutes.

LIN: Okay.



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Let's look at invitations. How do you go about inviting someone to something. How does Sam invite Victor to his dinner?
Look, we're having a small dinner for some of our clients and friends after this. Why don't you join us?

Spoken invitations in this kind of situation are semi-formal. It's more like a suggestion than a formal invitation. There are a few different phrases you can use. Practise them with Sam.
Why don't you join us?

Perhaps you could join us?

It would be great if you could join us.

Would you like to join us?

Notice that even though 'It would be great if you could join us' is not in a question form – it is still being used as a question. Notice also how we use 'could' and 'would' in polite invitations, not 'can' or 'will'. How does Victor reply?
That’s very kind of you.
He says ‘ That’s very kind of you.’
When replying to an invitation, first thank the other person for the invitation, then give your answer. Here’s Victor with some different ways of doing this…

Thankyou.