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KEY INFORMATION:
- ECSC Thailand emphasizes vocabulary over grammar in all of our ‘English Plus‘ training.
- One example is how we teach common Business English phrases using “out of,” such as “out of order.”
- “Out of order” is an example of multi-words vocabulary: e.g., vocabulary containing more than one word.
- Learning multi-words is the most effective way for professionals in Thailand to speak English confidently.
- English Plus training is all about learning multi-words and how to use them. See our services here.
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There are a lot of English training media about how to improve one’s Business English.
And while it is definitely true that learning vocabulary is critical to improving your English speaking ability, sometimes an important point is overlooked:
When learning English vocabulary, you should consider learning whole sentences & questions, phrases, expressions, and idioms – not just single vocabulary words.
In this article, we will look at three English phrases that include the word-pair “out of” and which are common in Business English communication:
- out of date
- out of the office
- out of order
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Out Of Date
No, ‘out of date’ is not about someone who cannot find a friend on Tinder!
It is multi-word vocabulary that can be used to talk about a few different things in the workplace, such as software programs and training manuals, and even things like your company’s logo and electronics that you use in the office.
The basic meaning for ‘out of date’ is to something that is not current or is too old to be used.
For example, “This software is out of date,” which means the software is not a recent version so it needs to be updated to a newer version in order to work properly.
Another example is “That fax machine is out of date,” which means that electronic device is too old to use either because most people don’t like it anymore or the technology is no longer supported in business.
Out Of the Office
The next example is ‘out of the office’ which is regularly used by people in the business world. This is a multi-word phrase that has four words and means that you are away from your workplace for a period of time and others won’t be able to contact you there.
For example, you might see this kind of message in an automatic email reply: “I am out of the office until Friday, November 21st.”
People use this automatic message before they go on a business trip or take a vacation (usually for something long term). It tells the person who emailed you that you are not available.
You can also use “out of the office” when you leave your workplace for a short time period, such as visiting a client’s office or going to a lunch meeting. In the short-term case, you might tell someone, “I’m out of the office until 4pm, may I call you then?”
Out Of Order
The final example is another three-word multi-word, “out of order.” This phrase also has more than one meaning when used at work.
One meaning for “out of order” refers to a machine that has stopped working correctly and needs to be repaired. For example, you might see a sign in an office building that says “The elevator is out of order, please take the stairs.”
Another way to use “out of order” is when referring to not following rules or behaving inappropriately. For example, if an employee starts shouting at a coworker in a meeting, the boss might tell them, “You’re out of order, please don’t raise your voice like that.”
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This article looked at how to use three English phrases using “out of,” but there are many more. Learning and using these multi-words will not only help you become a better English speaker at work, they will also help you improve your listening and understanding.
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Further Reading:
Learn more about how ECSC’s training builds up Thai professionals’ vocabulary with multi-words – not grammar! – in our previous article Learning English Is All About Vocabulary.
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