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IDIOMS & PHRASAL VERBS

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IDIOMS & PHRASAL VERBS

●     An idiom has a meaning you can't figure out from the individual words. Knowing the words “hot” and “potato” won't help you understand the idiom “hot potato” if you've never heard of it before.

●     A phrasal verb is a verb made up of a (base) verb and one or more particles, which together create a new meaning.

○     For example, the verb "pick" and the particle "up" combine to form the phrasal verb "pick up," which means "to lift or take up."

●     An idiom is a phrase or expression that has a figurative meaning different from the literal meaning of the individual words.

○     For example, the idiom "kick the bucket" means to die. Both are used in spoken and written English, but idioms are often more specific to a particular culture or region and may be more difficult for speakers from other cultures to understand. Given below are some commonly used phrasal verbs:

■     Break down means to stop working or malfunction

■     Look into means to investigate or research

■     Put off means to postpone or delay

■     Calm down means to relax after being angry over something

■     Eat out means to eat food outside, like in a restaurant

■     Give off means to release something in the form of a smell

■     Boil down to means to be summarized to

■     Clamp down on means to act strictly or harshly to prevent something from happening

■     Die down means to become less strong or lose effect

■     Stick up for means to defend

■     The ball is in your court means it's now your turn to take action

■     Bite the bullet means to face a difficult situation with courage

■     Cost an arm and a leg means to be very expensive

■     Beat around the bush means to avoid saying what you mean

■     Break the ice means to start the conversation

■     To have two left feet used to describe a person who can’t dance properly

■     To play it by ear used to tell to deal with a situation as it develops

■     To drive someone up the wall means to make someone want to leave the conversation or a situation because they can’t tolerate it anymore

■     To skate on thin ice means to be in a risky situation

■     To move the goalposts meaning to change the rules or norms of a particular situation midway

●     Phrasal verbs are very common in English, especially in more informal contexts. They are made up of a verb and a particle or, sometimes, two particles. The particle often changes the meaning of the verb.

I called Sita to see how she was. (call = to telephone)

They've called off the meeting. (call off = to cancel)

●     In terms of word order, there are two main types of phrasal verbs: separable and inseparable.

●     SEPARABLE:

○     With separable phrasal verbs, the verb and particle can be apart or together.

■     They've called the meeting off.
OR
They've called off the meeting.

○     However, separable phrasal verbs must be separated when you use a personal pronoun.

■     The meeting? They've called it off.

○     Here are some common separable phrasal verbs:

■     I didn't want to bring the situation up at the meeting.
(bring up = start talking about a particular subject)

■     Please can you fill this form in?
(fill in = write information in a form or document)

■     I'll pick you up from the station at 8 p.m.
(pick up = collect someone in a car or other vehicle to take them somewhere)

■     She turned the job down because she didn't want to move to Glasgow.
(turn down = to not accept an offer)

●     INSEPARABLE:

○     Some phrasal verbs cannot be separated.

■     Who looks after the baby when you're at work?

○     Even when there is a personal pronoun, the verb and particle remain together.

■     Who looks after her when you're at work?

○     Here are some common non-separable phrasal verbs:

■     I came across your email when I was clearing my inbox.
(come across = to find something by chance)

■     The caterpillar turned into a beautiful butterfly.
(turn into = become)

■     It was quite a major operation. It took months to get over it and feel normal again.
(get over = recover from something)

■     We are aware of the problem and we are looking into it.
(look into = investigate)

○     Some multi-word verbs are inseparable simply because they don't take an object.

■     I get up at 7 a.m.

●     WITH TWO PARTICLES

●     Phrasal verbs with two particles are also inseparable. Even if you use a personal pronoun, you put it after the particles.

○     Who came up with that idea?
(come up with = think of an idea or plan)

○     Let's get rid of these old magazines to make more space.
(get rid of = remove or become free of something that you don't want)

○     I didn't really get on with my stepbrother when I was a teenager.
(get on with = like and be friendly towards someone)

○     Can you hear that noise all the time? I don't know how you put up with it.
(put up with = tolerate something difficult or annoying)

○     The concert's on Friday. I'm really looking forward to it.
(look forward to = be happy and excited about something that is going to happen)

●     QUESTIONS:

gets

on

his boss.

He

really

well with

it.

This table is completely broken. Let’s

rid

of

get

her

at 6 p.m.

up

you can

pick

Sita called to ask if

into

could

turn

a desert

Whole area

If climate change continuous, this

to get

over

this

I am heartbroken. How long will it take

When my parents are on holiday, I

look

after

the cat

turned

down.

it

politely

The invitation to their wedding. I     















ANSWER

○     He gets on really well with his boss.

○     This table is completely broken. Let's get rid of it.

○     Sita called to ask if you can pick her up at 6 p.m.

○     If climate change continues, this whole area could turn into a desert.

○     I am heartbroken. How long will it take to get over this?

○     When my parents are on holiday, I look after the cat.

○     The invitation to their wedding, I politely turned it down.

 

Works Cited

Abdi, Neya. “10 Common Phrasal Verbs You'll Likely Hear In The Workplace.” Talaera Blog, 7 January 2022, https://blog.talaera.com/common-phrasal-verbs. Accessed 26 September 2023.

“Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.” Oxford School of English Delhi, 18 February 2023, https://www.oxfordschoolofenglish.in/blog-Idioms-phrasal-verbs.php. Accessed 26 September 2023.

Moore, Kirk. “Phrasal verbs | LearnEnglish.” British Council, https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/b1-b2-grammar/phrasal-verbs. Accessed 26 September 2023.

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