Writeacher, I need to write phrasal verbs related to work. I wonder if you could help me. I wanted to include them in a story but some phrasal verbs are more used in dialogues.
1) My mum works as a secretary for the personnel manager in the Ferrero firm. She usually starts work at 9 am and finishes at 7 pm. She sometimes works overtime and slaves away till 8 at night.
2)She always says that she can’t catch up with everything. She has been so tied up at work recently that she has never found time to visit her mother. She is going to take the afternoon off tomorrow to visit her.
3) My father is a worker in a textile industry. He usually has to do shifts (work shifts). Next week he’ll be on the night shift. When he does the night shifts, he usually knocks off ( = gets off work) at 6 am.
Would it be possible to include the verbs below in a story???
4) Can you fix up a meeting for Friday at 10 am?
Well, let’s pencil it in for Friday morning and see whether everyone is free then.
5) If we pull together as a team, we can get everything done by this evening.
I’ll show you how to do it and then I’ll leave you to it.
6) I was ill for a week and the work just piled up. Do you think you can squeeze in lunch with me one of these days?
All looks good except for two things:
2. ... she hasn't found time recently ...
3. ... He usually has to work different shifts ... When he works a night shift ...
Certainly! Here are some phrasal verbs related to work that you may find useful for your story:
1) "slaves away" - This phrasal verb means to work very hard for a long period of time.
Example: My mum often slaves away at work until late in the evening.
2) "catch up with" - This phrasal verb means to bring oneself up to date or on a par with others in terms of work or progress.
Example: My mum says she can't catch up with everything at work lately.
3) "take off" - This phrasal verb means to have time off from work or to request time off.
Example: She is going to take the afternoon off tomorrow to visit her mother.
4) "knock off" - This phrasal verb means to finish work or to leave work.
Example: When my father does the night shifts, he usually knocks off at 6 am.
5) "fix up" - This phrasal verb means to arrange or organize something, such as a meeting.
Example: Can you fix up a meeting for Friday at 10 am?
6) "pencil in" - This phrasal verb means to tentatively schedule or plan something.
Example: Well, let's pencil it in for Friday morning and see whether everyone is free then.
7) "pull together" - This phrasal verb means to work together and cooperate as a team.
Example: If we pull together as a team, we can get everything done by this evening.
8) "leave someone to it" - This phrasal verb means to let someone work independently without interference.
Example: I'll show you how to do it and then I'll leave you to it.
9) "squeeze in" - This phrasal verb means to find time for something despite a busy schedule.
Example: Do you think you can squeeze in lunch with me one of these days?
Feel free to include these phrasal verbs in your story as they are commonly used in work-related contexts.
Sure, I can certainly help you with phrasal verbs related to work. Here are some possible ways to include the verbs in a story:
4) Can you fix up a meeting for Friday at 10 am?
In the story, you can have a character who needs to schedule a meeting with their colleagues. They could ask someone, "Can you fix up a meeting for Friday at 10 am?" This shows that they want someone to arrange or organize the meeting.
Another character might respond, "Well, let's pencil it in for Friday morning and see whether everyone is free then." This means they want to tentatively schedule the meeting and confirm later if everyone is available.
5) If we pull together as a team, we can get everything done by this evening.
In your story, you can have a situation where a team is facing a tight deadline. One character can motivate the team by saying, "If we pull together as a team, we can get everything done by this evening." This means if everyone works together and helps each other, they can complete all the tasks on time.
Another character might say, "I'll show you how to do it, and then I'll leave you to it." This means they will demonstrate or explain how to complete a task and then let the others handle it on their own.
6) I was ill for a week, and the work just piled up. Do you think you can squeeze in lunch with me one of these days?
In your story, you can have a character who fell ill and couldn't work for a week. They can say, "I was ill for a week, and the work just piled up." This means that work accumulated and became a lot to handle due to their absence.
The character can then ask a colleague, "Do you think you can squeeze in lunch with me one of these days?" This means they want to find time in their colleague's schedule to have lunch together.
By incorporating these phrasal verbs into your story, you can make the dialogue more realistic and engaging for the reader.