Phrasal verbs 4
Phrasal verbs 4: verbs with prepositions Phrasal verbs are idiomatic expressions that combine verbs and prepositions or adverbs ad prepositions.. Also called verb prepositions or prepositional verbs, these constructions typically combine verbs such as: go, come, take, bring, get etc with prepositions such as: into, up, down, away and through etc to describe events. Phrasal verbs often appear in place of the full verb and may provide a similar meaning. For example, typical phrasal verb constructions come down / go down are seen to replace the verbs fall, drop or descend. Children! Could you come down (from your room) for your supper, it’s ready! Ok mum, we’re coming! The Phrasal verb is often more accessible than the full verb. From the heart, blood courses through (everywhere within / within and around)the circulatory system (system of veins and arteries) that runs throughout the human body. break down – reduce / divide into parts The best way to revise a subject is to break the subjects down into small parts, it makes study easier. break up – separate / divide into parts Their subsidiaries will be broken up and sold to the highest bidder. We’re interested in their distribution arm. dumb down – over simplify These daysI feel that TV news is dumbed down more and more. I wonder why that is? fend off – defend against We are in a difficult position. I doubt we’ll be able to fend off both takeover bids. get back – return to place or subject We were so happy to get back to dry land after the boat trip, when the storm came up. We were quite scared. get out of – escape from I need to get out of the lease I currently have on this flat. I’ve found a new job and have to move away. go along with – accompany (go) Since you don’t speak French well, I’ll go along with you and see you get the correct train. go with / go along with – choose / agree Of the two options I’ve decided to go with the least expensive one. Ok, I’ll go with / go along with you on that and hope quality won’t be an issue. put off – postpone (event) / deter (person) Is there any chance of getting them to put off the decision until later in the week? I generally like seafood, but on this occasion, the smell put me off. I chose the chicken dish. Try and put your CEO off making any decision until later in the week, we need more time. rule out – decide against As the Markets appear to be rallying, the Board has decided to rule out any further offers for the company in the near future. run into – encounter My parents ran into trouble as soon as they got to the airport when their car broke down. They had more trouble with their luggage. luckily Mum ran into an old friend, who helped them onto their flight. He was their pilot. Sound out – consult I’m going to sound my brother out about starting up a distribution company, he’s got a van. Think through – examine / think over – consider We need to think the decision over, and then think through any contingencies there might be. Turn around – reverse I’m sure we can turn the business around with the new products coming on line. Work / go through – complete At the moment we’re working / going through the final figures for the project. Throughout – everywhere within As the sharks approach the fish, panic spreads throughout the shoal. Blood runs / courses throughout the body. Transport systems run throughout / across the...
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Prepositions 1: to in at Describes direction and the relative positions of things To – direction (here → there) We often go to Paris for weekends. From – direction (there → here) We come from Italy, we live in Rome In – enclosed The children are playing in their tents, in the garden. Out – exterior Paul isn’t here at the moment. He’s out, he’ll be back later. At – coincidence of place / time Erin will be at the hotel at 8.00 o’clock. She’s at the airport at the moment. On – attached / touching Your key is there on the table. The painting is on the wall. Off (often with a verb) – not attached It’s polite to take your hat off when you enter a house. Off typically appears with a verb, such as take – off (remove), creating Phrasal...
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Prepositions 2: up down into away Up – to rise / increase Lifts / Elevators go up. The price of food is going up. Down – to fall / drop / decrease Stock prices can go up, they can go down sometimes too. Into – from the exterior (outside) to the interior (inside) of a place I put the cheque into my bank account and the money into my wallet. Out of – from the interior to the exterior of a place Take the pizza out of the oven, I think it’s ready. My boss isn’t here at the monent, he’s out of the office. Away – remove Go away. Take it away, I don’t want it here. Fall over verses Fall down Fall over – tumble Simon tripped on the carpet and fell over but he didn’t fall down the stairs. Fall down – lower level – descend Alice fell down the hole to the world below. (fell – past for fall) Onto – Place / to Lay (physically) We put the cheese onto the burgers and placed them in the oven. The cheese dripped onto the baking tray below. Off of – Remove (physically) Take your feet off of the furniture please, and take your shoes off too, you’ll dirty the...
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Prepositions 3: above below beside next to Above Our Plane is above the clouds and look, there is another plane above us. Below / Beneath There is a shark somewhere below / beneath the boat. Under / Underneath Your pen is there, under / underneath your books. Beside – To be to one side of a thing Put your bicycle beside mine. Let’s sit beside each other in class. Behind – To be to the rear of a thing Our house is situated behind the Train Station, can you see it? In front of – Ahead of / In advance of My dad’s running in this charity race. He’s there, in front of the man running in the monkey costume. That’s my Dad! Come on Dad! Next to – Adjacent to a thing Sit there next to / beside your sister. I don’t want to sit beside her. Close to – Proximity Don’t stand so close to me. The Fire Station is close to / near the Hospital, but It’s not next to it. Opposite – Facing (directly) You’ll find The Police Station opposite the Cathedral. Over – somewhere above / Cover A blanket of smog / pollution hangs over the city. Across – Traverse There is a bridge across the river about three miles from here, you can get across / cross on foot. Around / about – Approximate / Approximately (place) I hate multi storey car parks. My car’s around / about here somewhere. Ah! Here it is. Toward / Towards – Approach Ladies and gentlemen, the fire alarm has sounded, please move toward / towards the fire exits. Away from – To Distance from Let’s move away from the fire, it’s getting a bit warm / too warm. Good idea. Alongside – To Align / Follow The road runs alongside the railway line for a mile outside the city Among / Amongst – In the centre of things I love this time of year when we are among / amongst our friends and families. The balloon fell among / amongst the rose bushes and popped / exploded. Through – Pass into and out of Mark kicked the ball, it hit the wall, went through the window and landed on the sofa. Throughout – Pass around a system Blood passes through the heart and travels throughout the...
Read MoreComparative and Superlative list
Comparative and Superlative list Size Weight: Adjective Comparative — er more / less than Superlative The – est most / least big bigger biggest small smaller smallest tall taller tallest short shorter shortest fat fatter fattest slim slimmer slimmest thin thinner thinnest thick thicker thickest heavy heavier heaviest light lighter lightest wide wider widest broad broader broadest deep deeper deepest shallow shallower shallowest dense denser densest obese more / less obese most / least obese Other qualities Adjective Comparative — er more / less than Superlative The – est most / least full fuller fullest empty emptier emptiest wet wetter wettest dry dryer driest open more / less open most / least open closed more / less closed most / least closed Opinion: Adjective Comparative — er more / less than Superlative The – est most / least good better the best bad worse the worst great greater greatest nice nicer nicest poor poorer poorest rich richer richest pretty prettier prettiest lovely lovelier loveliest interesting more / less interesting most / least interesting boring more / less boring most / least boring fantastic more / less fantastic most / least fantastic difficult more / less difficult most / least difficult horrible more / less horrible most / least horrible expensive more / less expensive most / least expensive awful more / less awful most / least awful mediocre more / less mediocre most / least mediocre Brightness Adjective Comparative — er more / less than Superlative The – est most / least light lighter lightest dark darker darkest bright brighter brightest pale drab paler palest shiny shinier shiniest drab drabber drabbest dull duller dullest luminous more / less luminous most / least luminous Time Adjective Comparative — er more / less than Superlative The – est most / least early earlier earliest late later latest Speed Adjective Comparative — er more / less than Superlative The – est most / least quick quicker quickest fast faster fastest slow slower slowest rapid more / less rapid most / least rapid speedy speedier speediest swift swifter swiftest hasty hastier hastiest zippy zippier zippiest Age Adjective Comparative — er more / less than Superlative The – est most / least young younger youngest old older oldest / eldest...
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