Formal Alternatives to Phrasal Verbs (B2 Vocabulary)
In reports, investigate replaces find out, examine replaces look at closely, and conduct is the verb for running a study.
Verbs for research
Not "We will find out why the trees died." — say "We will investigate why the trees died.". Find out is too casual for a report, so use investigate.
Try it: Lars: Who's running the visitor survey at the fair? Amina: The careers office. They'll ___ it on both days. Choose the word for the blank. (conduct / find out / look into) Answer: conduct — You conduct a survey, while "find out" and "look into" do not fit a survey.
Word
Pronunciation
Example
investigate
/ɪnˈvɛstɪˌɡeɪt/
Scientists must investigate the causes of climate change before proposing solutions.
examine
/ɪɡˈzæmɪn/
The committee will examine the evidence carefully before reaching a verdict.
conduct
/kənˈdʌkt/
The university plans to conduct a study on student well-being next year.
Verbs for actions
For actions, write complete for fill in, postpone for put off, and raise for bring up a topic.
Not "We had to put off the launch until March. (in a notice)" — say "We had to postpone the launch until March.". Postpone means the same as put off, in formal register.
Try it: Lars: Saturday's talk moved to next month. What should the notice say? Amina: Write 'The talk has been ___ until November.' Choose the word for the blank. (postponed / put off / pushed back) Answer: postponed — A formal notice uses postponed, while "put off" and "pushed back" are casual.
Word
Pronunciation
Example
complete
/kəmˈplit/
Please complete the application form and return it by Friday.
postpone
/poʊstˈpoʊn/
The meeting has been postponed until next week due to the weather.
raise
/reɪz/
The author raises this limitation in the final chapter and returns to it twice.
Verbs for ideas
For ideas, write consider for think about, explain for spell out, and highlight for point out.
Not "The committee will think about the proposal next week." — say "The committee will consider the proposal next week.". Same meaning, but consider fits a formal notice.
Try it: Lars: Can our handout say the model 'spells out' the gap in the data? Amina: Too casual. Write 'The model ___ the gap in the data.' Choose the word for the blank. (explains / spells out / postpones) Answer: explains — A formal text uses explains, while "spells out" is the casual phrasal verb.
Word
Pronunciation
Example
consider
/kənˈsɪdər/
The board will consider the proposal at its next meeting.
explain
/ɪkˈspleɪn/
The model explains why the two groups scored differently.
highlight
/ˈhaɪlaɪt/
The summary highlights three areas that need attention.
Verbs for change
For change, write introduce for bring in, eliminate for get rid of, and extend for build on.
Not "The city will get rid of the old parking rules." — say "The city will eliminate the old parking rules.". A policy document uses the formal verb eliminate.
Try it: Lars: I'm writing a summary of the city's plan for the park's visitor handout. Amina: Keep the formal tone: 'The city intends to ___ paper forms by June.' Choose the words for the blank. (eliminate / get rid of / extend) Answer: eliminate — A formal handout uses eliminate, while "get rid of" is casual and "extend" means make longer.
Word
Pronunciation
Example
introduce
/ˌɪntrəˈdus/
The ministry will introduce stricter limits next year.
eliminate
/ɪˈlɪməneɪt/
The new process eliminates most of the paperwork.
extend
/ɪkˈstɛnd/
This study extends the work of earlier researchers.
What are the common mistakes?
Incorrect
Correct
Why
We will find out why the trees died.
We will investigate why the trees died.
Find out is too casual for a report, so use investigate.
We had to put off the launch until March. (in a notice)
We had to postpone the launch until March.
Postpone means the same as put off, in formal register.
The committee will think about the proposal next week.
The committee will consider the proposal next week.