Phrasal Verbs at Work — The Hospitality Edition
Phrasal Verbs at Work — The Hospitality Edition
Fourteen years of hospitality shifts taught me that hotels run on phrasal verbs: sort out the booking, deal with the complaint, check in the guests, run out of everything by 9pm.
Textbooks teach “resolve” and “accommodate”. Real workplaces say “sort out” and “put up”. Here is the hospitality set — but they work in every job.
🎯 Language Focus
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Work example |
|---|---|---|
| sort out | fix / organise | “I’ll sort out the invoice.” |
| deal with | handle (person/problem) | “She deals with complaints.” |
| check in / check out | arrive / leave (hotel) | “Guests check in from 2pm.” |
| run out of | have none left | “We’ve run out of coffee.” |
| put (someone) up | give a bed for the night | “Can you put me up on Friday?” |
| get on with | continue / have a good relation | “Get on with the report.” / “I get on with her.” |
✏️ Quick Practice — Try It, Then Check
1. “The coffee is finished.” Use a phrasal verb.
2. “I’ll sort out ___” — it / the it?
3. Guest arrives at reception at 3pm. Verb?
4. “Handle the complaint” — one phrasal verb.
5. Friend needs a bed tonight. Offer with “put”.
6. Opposite of “check in”?
7. “I have a good relationship with my manager.” Use “get”.
8. Make one sentence about YOUR work using “sort out”.
🗣️ Your Turn (60 seconds)
Describe tomorrow at your work or home using three of these: sort out, deal with, run out of, get on with. Say the three sentences out loud, particle stressed.
💡 Your 5-Minute Takeaway
sort out, deal with, check in/out, run out of, put up, get on with. Six phrasal verbs that run every workplace — stress the particle and split them around “it”.
Independent educational resource. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Confers no qualification. Grammar reference: Swan, Practical English Usage. Frameworks: PPP, TBLT, ESA (standard ELT methodology).