Page 39 - Perfect Phrases ESL Everyday Business

The Global Workforce

Culture Hint: Time plays a very important role in business in
the United States. Being on time to work and even for social
engagements is expected. If you are going to be unavoidably late,
you are expected to call. There are many idioms and proverbs
in English concerning time and its importance. “Time is of the
essence,” “Time is money,” “Time waits for no man,” “No time
to kill,” “There is no time to lose,” “Run out of time,” “On time,”
“It’s about time,” and “Time is up” are examples of these.

Grammar and Expressions

“Sounds like a plan.” Instead of using the entire sentence “It
sounds like a plan” or “This sounds like a plan,” a shorter,
idiomatic expression is often used, especially when refer-
ring to the fi ve senses (sight, hearing, feeling, taste, and
smell). For example, you may walk outside on a cold day in
September and say, “Feels like winter.” You may walk into
your offi ce at 9 A.M. on a workday and fi nd it empty; you
might say, “Looks like a weekend.” If someone has been
smoking, you might say, “Smells like a fi re in here.” If you
like a dish in a restaurant, you might say, “Tastes like my
mother’s cooking.”

Idioms and Other Vocabulary

Nevertheless: regardless of what happened before
Outside-the-box: out of the ordinary
Streamline: make something work better
Time is of the essence: time is very important

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