75   I can use phrasal verbs

A    Grammar           

Verb     

Example     

Meaning

give up [no object]    

They gave up when the other team scored the second goal.   

accept you cannot do sth and so stop trying.

 

go up    

Sales went up last month.

increase in price, level, etc. OPP go down.

 

run out

My visa runs out next week.  

come to an end.

 

take after sb [object goes after the verb and particle]     

I take after my father in looks but my mother in character.   

look or behave like an older member of your family.

 

get over sth

She’s been very ill, but she’s getting over it now.     

recover from an illness or bad experience.

 

give sth away [object can go between or after the verb and particle]   

I had a bike but I gave it away. He’s given away his old CDs.    

give sth to sb without wanting money for it.

 

make sth up

I couldn’t remember the story, so I made something up.

invent sth, often sth that you pretend is true.

 

switch sth on     

Could you switch the light on? Could you switch on the light?   

press sth to start electric power. OPP switch sth off.

 

put sth out

They put out the fire quickly. They put it out quickly.    

make sth stop burning. SYN extinguish FML.

 

get on with sb [verb with 3 parts, object at the end]

Do you get on with your brother? 

have a good relationship with sb.

 

run out of sth    

We’ve run out of bread.  

finish your supply of sth.

 

spotlight  separable phrasal verbs

With separable phrasal verb, the object can go after the verb and particle or between the verb and the particle, but a pronoun must go in the middle.

1     He gave away the bike.

2     He gave the bike away.

3     He gave it away. (NOT He give away it.)

4     Test yourself. Look at the meanings and cover the examples and verbs. What are the verbs?

B    In the classroom

STUDENT   I can’t work out number seven.

TEACHER  OK. Leave it out and go on with the next one.

S     I can’t see the board, Miss.

T     Well, put your glasses on.

T     How are you getting on, Suki?

S     Fine, thank you.

T     Could you pick up those bits of paper and put them in the bin?

T     I’ll give out the dictionaries, but could you put them back when you’ve finished?

T     If you get through the exercises today, we can go over them tomorrow in class. 

 

Glossary

work sth out  find an answer to sth.

leave sth out  not include sth. SYN omit sth.

go on (with sth)  continue (with sth). SYN carry on (with sth).

put sth on  begin wearing sth. OPP take sth off.

get on  make progress with sth you are doing.

pick sth up  take hold of sth and lift it to a higher place. OPP put sth down. (see spotlight)

give sth out  give one of sth to each person in a group. SYN hand sth out.

put sth back  return sth to its place. (see spotlight)

get through sth  complete a task or activity.

go over sth  examine and check sth carefully.

 

spotlight  Different meanings

Many phrasal verbs have more than one meaning.

Pick sth or sb up also means ‘go and collect sth or sb’:

I have to pick the car up this morning.

Can you pick me up at 5.00?

Put sth back also means ‘move sth to a later time’:

We put the wedding back until the spring.