Shadowing Practice: Essential Phrasal Verbs for Accountants - Learn English Speaking with Video

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In today's class, I'll be teaching you the essential phrasal verbs every accountant needs to know.
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So if you're looking to sound more natural and speak more efficiently, make sure you watch this class right until the end.
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So our first one is zero out.
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So if you zero out something, it means you make the general ledger balance zero.
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Okay, so let's imagine you have a clearing account
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and this clearing account needs to be zero at the end of the month.
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You could say at the end of the month, we are going to zero out the clearing account.
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Or if you had a WIP account, okay, you could say last month I zeroed out all the WIP accounts.
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In both cases, I made the balance zero.
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Then we have roll forward.
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So let's imagine you have a tax calculation from last year
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and your boss wants you to replicate
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that calculation for this year's numbers he may say to you
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can you roll forward the tax calculation from last year to
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this year what he's saying is can you update the previous periods figures with the current periods figures?
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So when you roll forward something,
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you're asking someone or you're telling someone that you're going to replace the previous figures with the current figures.
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And you can use that for files, reports, or calculations.
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Our next one is drill down.
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So if you wanted to look at a general ledger account in detail
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or you wanted to investigate a variance this would be the phrasal verb to use so
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if your payroll expense was over budget by ten thousand dollars
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you could say to someone i need to drill down into
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the payroll expense account to understand why we're over budget then we have top up
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so we're talking about provisions accruals prepayments and we want to increase the balance from one number
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to a higher number we're going to use top up okay
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so i could say we need to top up the provision from 100 000 to 120 000
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or can we top up the prepayments account from a hundred dollars to 110
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and our fifth phrasal verb is be made up of okay it is a synonym of the word consist of
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or comprised of we're talking about the components of something okay
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so let's imagine you're trying to describe the components of your costs of goods sold you could say,
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cost of goods sold is made up of raw material, labor, and machine costs.
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Or you might say, our team is made up of five people.
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And our last phrasal verb, and probably the most popular, is break down.
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So when we break down something we mean we want to separate things into smaller components
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so we can analyze them okay
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so you could ask someone can you break down the payroll costs into departments
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or could you break down the revenue by customer
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and that's our class on the essential phrasal verbs every accountant needs to know
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if you'd like the video please hit the like and subscribe button
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if you want to try
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and use one of the phrasal verbs from today you can write it in the comment section below
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and i will correct it for you

Context & Background

In today's global economy, effective communication in English is crucial for professionals in various fields, including accounting. The speaker of the video emphasizes the importance of mastering phrasal verbs that are essential for accountants. By understanding and using these verbs, accountants can enhance their communication skills, making their interactions with clients and colleagues more seamless. Whether you are an aspiring accountant or a seasoned professional, expanding your vocabulary in English can significantly improve your efficiency and effectiveness in the workplace.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • Zero out: To make a balance zero. Example: "At the end of the month, we are going to zero out the clearing account."
  • Roll forward: To update previous figures with current ones. Example: "Can you roll forward last year's tax calculation to this year?"
  • Drill down: To explore details closely. Example: "I need to drill down into the payroll expense account to understand why we are over budget."
  • Top up: To increase a balance. Example: "We need to top up the provision from $100,000 to $120,000."
  • Break down: To separate into smaller components for analysis. Example: "Can you break down the revenue by customer?"

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

If you're looking to improve English pronunciation and enhance your speaking skills, following the shadowing technique can be highly effective. Here’s how to tackle the specific challenges presented in this video:

  1. Watch and Listen: Start by watching the video while paying close attention to the pronunciation and intonation of the speaker. Note how they emphasize key phrases.
  2. Repeat Aloud: Utilize the shadowing technique by repeating the phrases immediately after the speaker. Focus on imitating their rhythm and tone to practice English speaking.
  3. Record Yourself: Use a recording device or app to capture your voice as you Shadow. Compare your pronunciation with the speaker to identify areas for improvement.
  4. Engage in Writing: Create sentences using the phrasal verbs discussed in the video. This will reinforce your understanding and provide context for each term.
  5. Seek Feedback: Consider sharing your recordings with a language partner or tutor for constructive criticism. This feedback will help you refine your pronunciation further.

By following these steps, you can effectively utilize YouTube as a resource to learn English with YouTube while gaining the confidence needed for fluent communication in the accounting sector.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.