Ret's Weekend English Roundup ✦ Week 40, 2026

View this lesson in your browser WEEK 40 • 2026 A five-minute English lesson for your weekend THIS WEEK'S EXPRESSION touch base phrasal verb  |  /ˌtʌtʃ ˈbeɪs/ MEANING To touch base means to make brief contact with someone, usually to exchange information, discuss progress or make arrangements. En français : reprendre contact, faire le point ou se tenir au courant. How is it used? This informal expression is common at work. It usually suggests a short conversation or message, not a long meeting. Use with before the person you contact. Useful patterns: touch base with someone • touch base about something • touch base again next week SEE IT IN CONTEXT 1 I’ll touch base with you next week.   2 Let’s touch base after the meeting and compare our notes.   3 The osteopath called to touch base with the patient after the first treatment. QUICK CHECK Which sentence uses touch base correctly? A. I touched the base with my colleague yesterday. B. Let’s touch base on Friday to review the patient’s progress. C. We made a touch base before the appointment. D. She touched base the report before sending it. Answer: B. Touch base is used as a verb meaning to make brief contact. It is not normally preceded by make, and the expression itself is not separated. YOUR TURN Complete these sentences: I’ll touch base with ________ on ________. Let’s touch base after ________. I need to touch base with ________ about ________. Reply to this email with your own sentence. I read every reply. Hear “touch base” in real English → Listen to several speakers. Notice that the main stress falls on base. EXPLORE FURTHER WordReference  •   Linguee  •   Cambridge Dictionary Enjoyed this lesson? Share it by email  •  Subscribe Unsubscribe  •  View online © September 2026 Rethabile Masilo • Ret's Word of the Day