Time
“Time isn’t the main thing. It’s the only thing.”― Miles Davis Language related to time, including phrases and idioms like “time is of the essence,” “a race against time,” and “better late…
The Business English Blog
Idioms of Comparison – Similes
Various grammatical constructions are used in English to compare things. as … as is used to compare things which have similar or identical qualities. There are many idiomatic phrases in English which…
May 26, 2023May 26, 2023
Phrasal Verbs – MONEY
“No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.” A phrasal verb is an idiomatic phrase made up of a verb and a particle, typically either an adverb, as…
April 18, 2022May 15, 2023
Business Qualities – Adjectives
Whether it’s an appraisal, a job interview, or disciplinary action, in business it is necessary to be able to talk about employees’ qualities and performance, both good and bad. Here are some…
February 21, 2022February 21, 2022
News from the Japanese Banking System – Metaphor
Metaphor Business English is jam-packed (full) with metaphor – a word or phrase used to describe one thing as if it were another – for example, time is money is a common…
January 27, 2022May 14, 2023
Spam
SPAMWhere does the term spam come from?Spam is the trademark of a canned luncheon meat product; one of my not so pleasant memories of school dinners is spam fritters (sliced, battered and…
January 9, 2022January 9, 2022
Make & Do
What is the rule for using make & do? Generally speaking we use make if the action is creative, e.g. for products & results. Products are made by a company, made in a…
January 7, 2022April 11, 2022
The Hamburger Model
How should I structure my e-mails? To illustrate how e-mails are structured, I would like to draw an analogy between hamburgers and e-mails. I know it sounds weird, but bear with me….