The ultimate phrasal verb book

However, a few phrasal verbs in this textbook are identified as informal, and it is better not to use them in serious, formal speech or writing. But these informal phrasal verbs are important because they are very common in everyday informal speech and writing. Some phrasal verbs are very easy to understand. For example, it is not difficult to understand sit down or come in because their meanings are obvious. But many phrasal verbs are very idiomatic. Idiomatic means that there is no way to know what the verb and particle mean together by knowing what the verb and particle mean separately. For example, every beginning-level student learns what the words call, run, off, and out mean, but that does not help the student to know that call off means cancel or that run out means use all of something. Each section of this textbook starts with a FOCUS, an explanation of something important about phrasal verbs. Then eight phrasal verbs and an explanation of each important meaning of each one are presented along with one or more example sentences for each meaning. Following that are several exercises to help you understand and remember what the phrasal verbs mean and how to use them in a sentence. And like real conversation, questions asked with I or we are answered with you, and questions asked with you are answered with / or we. And because there is a lot to learn in this textbook, there is a lot of review to help you learn it. Every phrasal verb is reviewed at least twice later in the book. The more idiomatic phrasal verbs are reviewed more often, and the more important meanings of phrasal verbs with several meanings are reviewed more often. Terms, Abbreviations, and Symbols Used in this Textbook verb particle p.v. phrasal verb n. a noun made from a phrasal verb part.adj.put on it. When words or sentences have a line through them, it means that they are incorrect. ... Three dots between the verb and the particle mean that the object of the phrasal verb can be placed between the verb and the particle. vi 1. FOCUS ON: separable and nonseparable phrasal verbs Phrasal verbs are either separable or nonseparable. Unfortunately, there is no rule that will help you to look at a phrasal verb and always know whether it is separable or nonseparable. Separable phrasal verbs Separable phrasal verbs can be separated by their object. When the object is a noun, it is usually entirely optional whether the object is placed between the verb and the particle or placed after the particle. Both sentences below are correct: took off. tookoff However, when a pronoun is used instead of a noun, the pronoun must be placed between the verb and the particle: I took them off. I took off them. But in one type of sentence, separable phrasal verbs must be separated — when the phrasal verb has two objects: put on. put on put on put on Nonseparable phrasal verbs ran into ran into. Throughout this book, phrasal verbs that can be separated have three dots (...) between the verb and the particle. come from come from & comes from come from coming from came from 1. come from p.v. When you come from a place, you were born there or lived there previously. When you come from a family or a social situation, your past experience helps to explain your present attitudes and behavior. comes from came from 2. come from p.v. When something comes from a source, that is where it originated. from coming from Infinitive figure out present tense -ing form past tense past participle figure out & figures out figuring out figured out figured out 1. figure ... out figure out something, such as the answer to a question, the solution to a problem, or why a person is a certain way or acts a certain way, you think about and succeed in understanding it. figure out. figure out give back give back & gives back giving back gave back given back 1. give ... back (to) p.v. When you return something to someone, you give it back. Can I use your pen? I''ll give it back after the test. Timmy, give that toy back to your sister right now! look for look for & looks looking for looked for looked for for 1. look for p.v. When you look for things or people, you try to find them. / looked looking for put on put on & puts on putting on put on put on 1. put... on p.v. When you place something on or apply something to your body, you put it on. I put on my new dress before going to the party. Eric forgot to put suntan lotion on, and now he''s as red as a lobster. 2. put... on p.v. When you place something on or apply something to another surface, you put it on. I put the book on the table. Jerry put too much fertilizer on his lawn, and now he has to cut it twice a week. 3. put... on p.v. When you attach or affix something to another thing, you put it on. puton put on 4. put... on p.v. When you put on weight, you gain weight. THE ULTIMATE PHRASAL VERB BOOK put on putting on 5. put ...on p.v. When you organize or perform something for other people''s entertainment, such as a play or a concert, you put it on. put on put on 6. put.. .on p.v. [informal] When you put people on, you kid or tease them. putting on! put on put-on n. Something done with the intention of fooling or deceiving people is a put-on. put-on run into run into & runs into running into ran into run into 1. run into p.v. When you are driving and hit another vehicle or something near the road, such as a tree or a telephone pole, you run into it. ran into run into 2. run into p.v. When you meet people unexpectedly or unintentionally, you run into them. Bump into is the same as run into. ran into run into 3. run into p.v. When you unexpectedly encounter difficulties or problems, you run into them. running into ran into 4. run into p.v. When the total of something grows to a large amount or number, it runs into that amount or number. run into ran into show 1. show up p.v. When you appear somewhere, you show up. Turn up is similar to show up. shown up showed up 2. show up p.v. When something appears or becomes visible, it shows up. show up show up take off 3 take off & takes off taking off took off taken off 1. take ...off p.v. When you remove something from your body, you take it off. tookoffTakeoff 2. take ...off p.v. When you remove something from a surface, you take it off. took off take off 3. take ...off p.v. When you remove something from something it is attached or affixed to, you take it off. takes took 4. take ... off p.v. When you take time off from work or study, you do something different, in stead of working or studying. take take 5. take off p.v. When an airplane leaves the ground and flies up into the air, it takes off. tookoff takingoff takeoff Takeoff takeoff was 6. take off takes off. takingoff takes off, 7. take off p.v. [informal] When you leave suddenly or quickly, you take off. 4 took off in take off. 8. take ... off p.v. When you reduce the price of something that is for sale by a certain amount, you take that amount off the price. takeoff took off EXERCISE 1 a — Complete the sentences with phrasal verbs from this section. Be sure the phrasal verbs are in the correct tense. Example: Sergeant Jones is very strict with his children. He COMES FROM a military family. 1. After the police arrived, we _________________quickly. 2. Sales of air conditioners really ________________ when the temperature got over 100 degrees last summer. 3. Megan ________ a lot of weight ________ when she was pregnant. 4. I''m going to install a new program tonight, and I hope I don''t _______________ any problems. 5. The invisible ink _________________only under ultraviolet light. 6. I was expecting 100 people at the party, but only around 50 _________________. 7. Jane was lucky; she _________________ a good family. 8. Be sure you ________ a coat of primer ________before you paint the fender. 9. My cousin is so weird that even his mother can''t ________ him ___________. 10. I don''t feel well; I think I''ll ________ tomorrow _________ and stay home. 11. We were scared to death when we heard voices ________the attic. 12. My son always forgets to ________________ his coat before he goes outside. 13. I was surprised when our plane ________________ on time. 14. We ________________ our dog all night, but we couldn''t find him. 15. Paul finally _________________ my CDs after I asked him for them about a million times. 16. I''m not going to the party because I don''t want to _______________________Janice. 5