What does a typical week look like for you at work?
If someone asked you to describe what goes into your role, what would you say?
Today, Lindsay and Michelle are breaking down a word that’s perfect for answering these questions.
The Word: “Entail”
Lindsay asks Michelle what her typical schedule entails for the week.
Michelle noticed she had been hearing the word “entail” a lot and wanted to highlight it on the show.
This word is especially useful for business.
It has a formal, professional sound, while still being very functional in everyday conversation.
So what does it mean?
It basically means involved or included.
It’s used to describe what is part of something, what goes into it.
Examples:
- “This position entails two on-call sessions a week and three team meetings a month.”
- “What is entailed in this project?”
- “A promotion would entail supervising five more employees.”
- “A new job entails a huge learning curve.”
Why Is This Word Useful at Work?
Lindsay and Michelle share a few common situations where “entail” comes in handy.
- setting expectations: it’s a great choice for clearly laying out what a role, project, or task includes before someone commits to it
- asking questions: it can help you find out what’s involved before saying yes to something new
On top of that, it’s useful for describing responsibilities and explaining the full scope of your work to a manager, a client, or a new teammate.
You don’t want to use entail repetitively.
Here are two natural alternatives.
#1: Involve
This is perfect for describing what something includes or requires as part of the process.
Examples:
- Going to medical school involves a huge commitment for many years of your life.
- What is involved in moving our office to the second floor?
#2: Require
Use this word when emphasizing what is needed or expected.
Examples:
- This project requires our full attention and many resources, so we have to decide if it is worth it.
- What is required of our team to finalize this deal?
Roleplay
Here is a quick roleplay between Lindsay and Michelle using the vocabulary from today’s episode.
In this scenario, Lindsay is a supervisor offering Michelle the chance to lead a special project.
Lindsay: So if you end up heading this project, there is a lot of extra work involved.
Michelle: Okay, good to know. What does it entail exactly?
Lindsay: It requires three extra meetings a month and travel twice a week.
Takeaway
Knowing how to clearly describe what something involves is a skill that goes a long way at work.
It is useful whether you’re stepping into a new role, pitching a project, or simply answering a question.
Words like entail, involve, and require help you sound confident, clear, and professional in any business setting.
The next time someone asks what your job is all about, you’ll know exactly how to answer.
Check out BE 558: Do You Wear Many Hats at Work? for more tips on talking about your responsibilities in English at work.
How would you describe what your job entails?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
