1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:08,320 When Jack's company was taken over by another firm, they closed down their branch 2 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:16,039 offices in Boston and Denver and laid off all the staff. After two years, 3 00:00:16,519 --> 00:00:23,399 the company was doing so well they started to branch out and take on 4 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:33,719 new staff. Let's discuss Welcome to another Happy English podcast, coming to you 5 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:39,200 from New York City. And here's your English teacher, Michael. All right, 6 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:45,119 thank you John, and thanks everyone. It's Michael here from Happy English 7 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:52,240 and I help people speak English better. And this is Happy English Podcast, 8 00:00:52,439 --> 00:01:02,560 Episode six eighty eight. Business Change. Frasil verbs phrasel verbs are a huge 9 00:01:02,719 --> 00:01:08,719 part of English in both everyday English conversation and in the business world. For 10 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:15,719 today's English lesson, we're going to have a look at six different phrasel verbs 11 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:22,319 that we can use to talk about various changes in business. Let's dive in 12 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:32,480 the first one is take over. Takeover means to assume control or responsibility for 13 00:01:32,519 --> 00:01:41,200 something, often a business or organization. When a person replaces someone else in 14 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:48,040 the job, we can say that they take over from that person. Here 15 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:56,040 are some examples. The multinational corporation acquired a smaller company to take over their 16 00:01:56,200 --> 00:02:04,120 market share. The CEO announced to retirement and named his successor to take over 17 00:02:04,159 --> 00:02:10,879 the company. Mister Hagar took over from mister Roth when he left the organization. 18 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:20,759 Next, we have closed down. Closed down means to stop operating or 19 00:02:20,919 --> 00:02:27,919 stop running a business. For example, the small bookstore downtown had to close 20 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:36,439 down due to stiff competition from online retailers. That beer factory is closing down. 21 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:42,080 At the end of the month. The restaurant decided to close down temporarily 22 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:49,639 for renovations and will reopen in November. The next one is branch out. 23 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:55,520 Just like the branches of a tree that move out from the trunk of the 24 00:02:55,520 --> 00:03:02,159 tree, when a company branches out, they spand their business into new areas. 25 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:08,439 We also use branch out when we talk about a person who expands or 26 00:03:08,599 --> 00:03:16,639 extends their interests or activities into new areas. Here are some examples. The 27 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:24,599 company plans to branch out into international markets to increase their customer base. After 28 00:03:24,879 --> 00:03:31,199 years of designing clothes, Maria decided to branch out and start her own fashion 29 00:03:31,319 --> 00:03:38,759 line. John wants to branch out from his current job and explore opportunities in 30 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:47,639 a different industry. There is a podcast from All Years English called Business English. 31 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:53,159 Do you want to feel more confident with your business English. Would you 32 00:03:53,240 --> 00:04:00,120 like to build skills to invite your colleagues out after work or learn what to 33 00:04:00,199 --> 00:04:04,960 say in a meeting? How about writing a more clear email in English? 34 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:13,800 The hosts Lindsey, Michelle and Aubrey show you real business English vocabulary for the 35 00:04:13,879 --> 00:04:21,040 global economy. In the Business English podcast. They cover English writing presentations, 36 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:29,439 small talk in socializing at work, job interviews, telephone English, and more. 37 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:35,120 Follow the new Business English podcast from All Ears English. Just type all 38 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:42,120 Ears English into your search bar wherever you are listening to this podcast right now 39 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:48,759 and choose Business English Podcast and hit follow. The next phrasele verb today is 40 00:04:49,199 --> 00:04:56,680 step down, which means to resign or leave a position or a job. 41 00:04:57,279 --> 00:05:01,879 In other words, step down means you quit, but we tend to use 42 00:05:02,199 --> 00:05:10,480 step down when we talk about people who are at the executive or senior management 43 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:16,519 level of an organization. For example, after serving as CEO for ten years, 44 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:21,800 Mark decided to step down and hand over the reins to his successor. 45 00:05:23,639 --> 00:05:28,240 The chairman announced his intention to step down at the end of the year. 46 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:34,480 Mary's boss encouraged her to step down from her current managerial role and take on 47 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:42,879 a new challenge in a position overseas. Lay Off means to end the employment 48 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:47,959 of staff, usually due to financial problems. In the company, we use 49 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:56,439 lay off in both temporary and permanent situations. Here are some examples. The 50 00:05:56,480 --> 00:06:02,360 company had to lay off several employees to cut costs during the economic downturn. 51 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:08,720 More than half of the factory workers were laid off for two weeks because of 52 00:06:08,759 --> 00:06:15,199 an inventory surplus. The management decided to lay off some workers from the night 53 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:21,199 shift due to low demand for their products. The last one for today is 54 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:30,720 take on. Take on means to employ or hire new staff. Here are 55 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:36,160 some examples. The company is planning to take on new employees to support their 56 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:45,399 expansion plans. After interviewing several candidates, they finally took on a talented marketing 57 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:51,839 specialist. Our team needs to take on additional members to meet the project deadline. 58 00:06:53,519 --> 00:06:59,639 Keep in mind, the best way to remember this or any vocabulary is 59 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:03,639 to take the word or phrase, write it in a sentence that's true for 60 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:10,879 you or true in your world, and then memorize your sentences. Well, 61 00:07:11,439 --> 00:07:15,600 that's all the time we have today for this English lesson. Thanks for letting 62 00:07:15,639 --> 00:07:21,959 me help you branch out your English. If you'd like to get more practice 63 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:29,160 using your English, why don't you join my podcast Learners study group. There 64 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:34,920 you can make new international friends, join me for live group coaching every week. 65 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:43,160 Plus get the pdf, transcript and audio download for every Happy English podcast 66 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:50,240 in the past and in the future, and each episode has exercises where you 67 00:07:50,279 --> 00:07:57,040 can practice this English point with speaking and writing checked by me. To learn 68 00:07:57,120 --> 00:08:01,519 more or to see some of the examples sent from this lesson, just visit 69 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:09,759 my Happy English dot com and choose podcast lesson six eighty eight. Remember, 70 00:08:09,439 --> 00:08:15,360 learning another language is not easy, but it's not impossible, and I'm here 71 00:08:15,399 --> 00:08:20,680 to help you on your journey. This podcast is brought to you by Happy 72 00:08:20,759 --> 00:08:26,680 English. Please visit my Happy English dot com show your support for Happy English 73 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:43,120 by leaving us a review. Get English, Get Happy, Happy English.