📝 Daily Short Practice
🎯 Vocabulary Goal
Learn useful vocabulary to explain problems clearly and naturally in English.
📚 Words & Phrases
| Word or phrase | Simple meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
point out |
to show or mention something important | She pointed out the mistake in the report during the meeting. |
|
bring up |
to mention a topic or problem | He brought up the issue of late deliveries yesterday. |
|
deal with |
to handle or solve a problem | We need to deal with customer complaints quickly. |
|
cause a problem |
to make a problem happen | The internet outage caused a problem with our online sales. |
|
look into |
to investigate or try to find out more about something | The manager promised to look into the software error. |
|
clear up |
to explain or solve confusion or a problem | Can you clear up the misunderstanding from yesterday’s call? |
🔍 See It in Context
Discussing a Work Problem Together
Tom and Sara work in the same office. Yesterday, Sara brought up a problem with the project deadline. Tom pointed out that some team members had submitted their work late. Sara said she would look into the details to find the cause of the delay. Tom suggested they need to deal with these issues before the next meeting. Sara agreed and asked Tom to help clear up any confusion with the team.
💡 Notice the Pattern
Using the Phrasal Verbs 'bring up' and 'point out'
'Bring up' is used when you start talking about a problem or topic. 'Point out' means to notice or mention something important in detail.
- She brought up the budget issue during the call.
- He pointed out the error in the calculation.
💬 Useful Examples
- I need to point out a problem with the software before we continue.
- During the meeting, John brought up an important safety concern.
- We have to deal with the complaints quickly to keep customers happy.
- Could you look into why the system stopped working last night?
✏️ Exercise 1 – Fill in the Blanks
1.
She ____ the error during the presentation (pointed out / brought up / looked into).
2.
He ____ the problem of missing files yesterday (cleared up / brought up / dealt with).
3.
The manager asked us to ____ the customer complaints immediately (bring up / point out / deal with).
4.
Can you ____ this issue before the meeting tomorrow (look into / bring up / point out)?
5.
The support team helped to ____ the confusion about the new update (cause a problem / clear up / bring up).
🔗 Exercise 2 – Matching
1.
point out
2.
bring up
3.
deal with
4.
look into
5.
clear up the misunderstanding
✅ Exercise 3 – Multiple Choice
1.
Which phrase means to start talking about a problem?
2.
If someone asks you to investigate an issue, which phrase fits best?
3.
What do you say to describe solving a problem?
4.
Which phrasal verb means to explain or remove confusion?
5.
Which phrase means to make a problem happen?
📝 Use It Yourself
Write 2–3 sentences explaining a problem you noticed recently. Use at least two phrases from the lesson like 'point out' or 'look into'.
Example:
I want to point out a problem with the internet connection at work. I will look into what caused the issue yesterday.
🎙️ Speaking Practice
Practice these sentences aloud.
Say:
I need to point out a problem with the report.
Say:
Can you look into the complaint from the customer?
Say:
She brought up the budget problem in the meeting.
Ask:
How do you deal with a problem at work?
🔎 Answer Key
Exercise 1 – Fill in the Blanks
1. pointed out
2. brought up
3. deal with
4. look into
5. clear up
Exercise 2 – Matching
1. e – to show or mention something important
2. a – to mention a topic or problem
3. b – to handle or solve a problem
4. c – to investigate or find out more about something
5. d – explain confusion to make it clear
Exercise 3 – Multiple Choice
1. bring up
2. look into
3. deal with
4. clear up
5. cause a problem