|
act up (no object): misbehave (for people); not work
properly (for machines).
"The babysitter had a difficult time. The children
acted up all evening."
"I guess I'd better take my car to the garage. It's
been acting up lately."
act like (inseparable): behave in a way that's like
_____ .
"What's wrong with Bob? He's acting like an idiot."
Note: This phrasal verb is very informal.
add up (1. no object): logically fit together.
"His theory is hard to believe, but his research
adds up."
Note: This phrasal verb is often negative.
"His theory seems, at first, to be plausible, but
the facts in his research don't add up."
add up (2. separable): find the total.
"What's the total of those bills? Could you add them
up and see?"
add up to (inseparable): to total.
"The bills add up to $734.96. That's more than I
expected!"
ask out (separable): ask for a date.
"Nancy has a new boy friend. Joe asked her out last
night."
B
back down (no object): not follow a threat.
"Tom was going to call the police when I told him
I'd wrecked his car, but he backed down when I said
I'd pay for the damages."
back off (no object): not follow a threat.
"Tom was ready to call the police when I told him
I'd wrecked his car, but he backed off when I said
I'd pay for the damages."
back up (1. no object): move backward; move in
reverse.
"You missed the lines in the parking space. You'll
have to back up and try again."
"The people waiting in line are too close to the
door. We won't be able to open it unless they back
up."
back up (2. separable): drive a vehicle backwards
(in reverse).
"You're too close! Back your car up so I can open
the garage door."
back up (3. separable): confirm a story, facts, or
information.
"If you don't believe me, talk to Dave. He'll back
me up."
back up (4. separable): make a "protection" copy to
use if there are problems with the original.
"When my computer crashed, I lost many of my files.
It's a good thing I backed them up."
beg off (no object): decline an invitation; ask to
be excused from doing something.
"At first Lily said she would be at the party. Later
she begged off."
blow up (1. separable): inflate.
"We needs lots of balloons for the party. Will you
blow them up?"
blow up (2. separable): explode; destroy by
exploding.
A: "That old building really came down quickly!"
B: "That's because the construction company used
dynamite to blow it up."
blow up (3. no object): suddenly become very angry.
"When I told Jerry that I'd had an accident with his
car, he blew up."
bone up on (inseparable): review / study thoroughly
for a short time.
"If you're going to travel to Peru, you'd better
bone up on your Spanish."
break down (1. separable): separate something into
component parts.
"We spent a lot of money at the supermarket. When we
broke the total cost down, we spent more on cleaning
supplies than food."
break down (2. no object): stop working /
functioning.
"Sharon will be late for work today. Her car broke
down on the freeway."
break in (1. often no object; with an object, break
into--inseparable): enter by using force (and
breaking a lock, window, etc.)
"Jane's apartment was burglarized last night.
Someone broke in while Jane was at the movies." /
"Somebody broke into Jane's apartment while she was
at the movies.
break in (2. separable): wear something new until
it's / they're comfortable.
"These are nice shoes, but they're too stiff. I hope
it doesn't take too long to break them in."
break in (3. separable): train; get someone /
something accustomed to a new routine.
"I hope I can learn my new job quickly. The manager
hasn't scheduled much time for breaking me in."
break up (1. no object): disperse; scatter.
"What time did the party break up last night?"
break up (2. usually no object; with an object,
break up with [inseparable)]): end a personal
relationship.
"Tim and Julie aren't going steady any more. They
got really angry with each other and broke up."
"Have you heard the news? Julie broke up with Tim!"
"I'm sorry to hear that their marriage broke up. I'm
sure the divorce will be difficult for the
children."
bring / take back (separable): return something.
"Yes, you can borrow my pen, don't forget to bring
it back to me when you're finished."
"This book is due tomorrow. I guess I should take it
back to the library."
bring off (separable): accomplish something
difficult; accomplish something people had
considered impossible or unlikely.
"No one thought Chuck could get an A in that course,
but he brought it off. "
bring up (1. separable): mention (as a topic of
discussion).
"We planned to discuss overtime pay in the meeting.
Why didn't someone bring that topic up?"
bring up (2. separable): raise; rear.
"Lucy's parents died when she was a baby. Her
grandparents brought her up."
brush up on (inseparable): review / study thoroughly
for a short time.
"If you're going to travel to Peru, you'd better
brush up on your Spanish."
burn down (no object): become destroyed / consumed
by fire.
Note: For upright things--trees, buildings,
etc.--only.
"Lightning struck Mr. Kennedy's barn last night. It
burned down before the fire fighters arrived."
burn up (1. no object): become destroyed / consumed
by fire.
Note: For people and non-upright things only.
"All of Mr. Kennedy's hay burned up when his barn
burned down."
burn up (2. separable): cause someone to become very
angry.
"Did you hear how rudely Fred talked to me? That
really burned me up!"
butt in (no object): impolitely interrupt (a
conversation, an action).
"Hey, you! Don't butt in! Wait for your turn!"
butter up (separable): praise someone excessively
with the hope of getting some benefit.
"I guess Marty reall wants to be promoted. He's been
buttering his boss up all week."
C
call off (separable): cancel something that has been
scheduled.
"We don't have school today. The mayor called
classes off because of the snow."
call on (inseparable): ask someone for an answer in
class.
"I don't know why the teacher never calls on you.
You always know the answer."
calm down (with or without an object; with an
object, separable): become calm / less agitated or
upset; help someone become calm / less agitated or
upset.
"Why are you so upset? Suzie didn't intend to spill
orange juice on you. Calm down!"
"I know Ralph is upset, but can you calm him down?
He's making so much noise that he's irritating
everyone in the office."
(not) care for (1. inseparable): like; want.
Note: This phrasal verb is usually negative, though
it may be used affirmatively in questions.
A: "Would you care for something to drink? We have
coffee, tea, or orange juice."
B: "Could I have water, please? I don't care for
coffee, tea, or juice."
care for (2. inseparable): take care of; supply care
to; attend / watch..
"Amy's father got out of the hospital last week. The
family is caring for him at home."
catch on (no object): develop understanding or
knowledge of something.
"Bill had never used a computer until he took this
class, but he caught on very quickly and is now one
of the best students."
catch up (with) (often without an object; with an
object, inseparable): stop being behind.
"Terry stopped to rest for a few minutes. He'll
catch up / catch up with us later."
check in(to) (inseparable): register for / at a
hotel, conference, etc.; let someone know officially
that you have arrived.
"My plane will arrive around 5:00 PM. I should be
able to check into the hotel by 6:00 or 6:30."
"When you arrive at the convention, be sure to check
in at the registration desk."
check off (separable): make a mark to indicate that
something on a list has been completed.
"Here are the things you need to do. Please check
each one off when you've finished it."
check out (of) (1. inseparable): follow procedures
for leaving (a hotel, etc.)
"Don't forget to take your room key to the front
desk when you check out (when you check out of the
hotel)."
check out (2. separable): follow procedures for
borrowing something (usually for a limited period of
time).
"I'm sorry, but you can't take that encyclopedia
home. The library won't allow you to check reference
books out."
cheer up (separable): help someone feel less worried
/ depressed / sad.
"Suzie's brother was depressed about not getting a
promotion, so she sent him a funny card to cheer him
up."
chew out (separable): scold someone severely;
berate.
"Tom's father was really angry when Tom didn't come
home until 3:00 AM. He chewed Tom out and then said
Tom had to stay at home for two weeks."
chicken out (no object): lose the courage or
confidence to do something--often at the last
minute.
"Sam said he was going to ask Lulu for a date, but
he chickened out."
chip in (inseparable): contribute / donate (often
money) to something done by a group.
"We're going to buy a birthday cake for our boss and
I'm collecting donations. Do you want to chip in?"
clam up (inseparable): suddenly become quiet /
refuse to talk about something.
"Lila wouldn't talk about the accident. When I asked
her what happened, she clammed up."
come across (inseparable): find (unexpectedly).
"I've lost my extra car keys. If you come across
them while your're
cleaning the room, please put them in a safe place."
come down with _____ (inseparable): become ill with
_____ .
"George won't be at the office today. He came down
with the flu over the weekend."
come to (1. inseparable): total.
"Your charges come to $124.38. Will you pay by
check, in cash, or
with a credit card?"
come to (2. no object): regain consciousness.
"When I told Gina that she'd won a million dollars,
she fainted. When she
came to, I told her it was a joke and she almost hit
me!"
count on (inseparable): depend on; trust that
something will happen or that someone
will do as expected.
"I'm counting on you to wake me up tomorrow. I know
I won't hear the alarm."
cross out (separable): show that something written
is wrong or unnecessary by making an X across it.
"We can't afford to buy everything on your shopping
list, so I've crossed all the unnecessary things
out."
cut back (on) (often without an object; with an
object, cut back on [inseparable]): use less of
something.
"You drink too much coffee. You should cut back."
"You should cut back on the amount of coffee that
you drink."
D
do in (1. separable): cause to become very tired.
"Those three games of tennis yesterday afternoon
really did me in. I slept for ten hours after I got
home."
do in (2. separable): to kill; to murder.
"The said that the murdered man was done in between
10 and 11 o'clock last night."
do over (separable): do something again.
"Oh, no! I forgot to save my report before I turned
the computer off! Now I'll have to do it over!"
drag on (no object): last much longer than expected
or is necessary.
"I thought the meeting would be a short one, but it
dragged on for more than three hours."
draw up (separable): create a formal document.
"The Ajax and Tip-Top Banks have decided to merge.
Their lawyers will draw all the official documents
up sometime this month."
drop off (separable): deliver something; deliver
someone (by giving him/her a ride).
"Yes, I can take those letters to the post office.
I'll drop them off as I go home from work."
"You don't have to take a taxi. You live fairly
close to me, so I'll be happy to drop you off."
drop in (on) (inseparable): visit informally (and
usually usually without scheduling a specific time).
"If you're in town next month, we'd love to see you.
Please try to drop in. (Please try to drop in on
us."
drop by (inseparable): visit informally (and usually
without scheduling a specific time).
"If you're in town next month, we'd love to see you.
Please try to drop by the house."
drop out (of) (inseparable): stop attending / leave
school or an organization.
"No, Paul isn't at the university. He dropped out. /
He dropped out of school."
draw out (separable): prolong something (usually far
beyond the normal limits).
"I thought that speech would never end. The speaker
could have said everything important in about five
minutes, but he drew the speech out for over an
hour!"
E
eat out (no object): have a meal in a restaurant.
"I'm too tired to cook tonight. Why don't we eat
out?"
egg on (separable): urge / encourage greatly toward
doing something (usually something negative).
"At first Bob and Chuck were just having a mild
argument, but Bob's friends egged them on until they
started fighting."
end up (1. no object): finally arrive at; arrive at
an unexpected place.
"We got lost last night and ended up in the next
town."
end up (2. no object): arrive somewhere as a result
or consequence.
"You're working too hard. If you don't take it easy,
you'll end up in the hospital!"
F
face up to (inseparable): admit to; take
responsibility for.
"You can't pretend that you're doing OK in this
course, Joe. Sooner or later, you'll have to face up
to the fact that you're failing it."
fall through (no object): not happen. (Note:
describes something that was planned but didn't
happen.)
"We had originally intended to go to Mexico for our
vacation, but our trip fell through when I got
sick."
fall through (no object): not happen. (Note:
describes something that was planned but didn't
happen.)
"We had originally intended to go to Mexico for our
vacation, but our trip fell through when I got
sick."
feel up to (inseparable): feel strong enough or
comfortable enough to do something.
"I know the accident was a terrible shock. Do you
feel up to talking about it?"
figure out (1. separable): logically find the answer
to a problem; solve a problem by thinking about it
carefully.
"For a long time I couldn't understand the last
problem, but I finally figured it out."
figure out (2. separable): understand why someone
behaves the way she/he does.
"I can't figure Margie out. Sometimes she's very
warm and friendly and sometimes she acts as if she
doesn't know me."
fill in (1. separable): add information to a form.
"The office needs to know your home address and
phone number. Could you fill them in on this form?"
fill in (on) (2. separable): supply information that
someone doesn't know.
"I wasn't able to attend the meeting yesterday, but
I understand that it was important. Could you fill
me in? / Could you fill me in on what was
discussed?"
fill in for (inseparable): temporarily do someone
else's work; temporarily substitute for another
person.
"Professor Newton is in the hospital and won't be
able to teach for the rest of the term. Do you know
who's going to fill in for her?"
fill out (1. separable): complete a form by adding
required information.
"Of course I completed my application! I filled it
out and mailed it over three weeks ago!"
fill out (2. no object): become less thin; gain
weight.
"Jerry used to be really skinny, but in the last
year he's begun to fill out."
find out (about) (inseparable): learn / get
information (about).
"I'm sorry that you didn't know the meeting had been
canceled. I didn't find out (find out about it)
myself until just a few minutes ago."
G
get across (separable): make something understood;
communicate something understandably.
"Alan is really intelligent but sometimes he has
problems getting his ideas across."
get along (with) (inseparable): have a friendly
relationship (with); be friendly (toward).
"Why can't you and your sister get along? Everyone
else gets along with her just fine!"
get around (1. inseparable): avoid having to do
something.
"Teresa got around the required math classes by
doing well on a math proficiency test."
get around (2. no object): move from place to place.
"She doesn't have a car. She gets around by bicycle,
bus, or taxi."
get around to (inseparable): do something
eventually.
"I really should wash the dishes, but I don't feel
like it. Maybe I'll get around to them tomorrow
morning."
get by (no object): survive, financially, in a
difficult situation.
"It's going to be hard to pay the rent now that
you've lost your job, but somehow we'll get by."
get in (1. inseparable): enter a small, closed
vehicle.
"I don't know where Carole was going. She just got
in her car and drove away."
get in (2. no object): arrive.
"Do you know what time Fred's plane gets in?"
get on (inseparable): enter a large, closed vehicle.
"I'm sorry, but you're too late to say goodbye to
Angela. She got on the plane about 20 minutes ago."
get off (1. inseparable): leave a large, closed
vehicle.
"When you get off the bus, cross the street, turn
right on Oak Street, and keep going until you're at
the corner of Oak and Lincoln Boulevard."
get off (2. separable): be excused (for a period of
time) from work, class, or other regularly scheduled
activities.
"Some schools got President's Day off but ours
didn't. We had classes as usual."
get off (3. separable): make it possible for someone
to avoid punishment.
"Everyone knew he was guilty, but his lawyer was
clever and got him off."
get out of (1. inseparable): leave a small, closed
vehicle.
"There's something wrong with the garage door
opener. You'll have to get out of the car and open
it by hand."
get out of (2. inseparable): escape having to do
something.
"Lisa said she had a terrible headache and got out
of giving her speech today."
get over (1. no object): finish. (Note: for
individual activities, not ones that happen again
and again.)
"What time do your classes get over?"
get over (2. inseparable): recover from an illness
or painful experience.
"Katy was really upset when she failed the test. She
thought she would never get over feeling so stupid."
get rid of (1. inseparable): dispose of; give away
or throw away.
"That shirt is really ugly. Why don't you get rid of
it?"
get rid of (2. inseparable): dismiss someone; fire
someone from a job; cause someone to leave.
"The treasurer of the XYZ company was spending too
much money so the company president got rid of him."
get up (usually no object; with an object,
separable): leave bed after sleeping and begin your
daily activities.
"You'll have to get up much earlier than usual
tomorrow. We have to leave by no later than 6:00
AM."
"I know I won't hear the alarm tomorrow morning. Can
you get me up at 6:00 AM?"
give up (1. separable): stop doing something
(usually a habit).
"He knows smoking isn't good for his health, but he
can't give it up."
give up (2. no object): decide not to try
(unsuccessfully) to solve a problem.
A: "What's black and white and red all over?"
B: "I give up. What?"
A: "An embarrassed zebra!"
go out with (inseparable): have a date with.
"You went out with Sharon last night, didn't you?"
go with (1. no object): look pleasing together.
(Note: for clothes, furniture, etc.)
"You should buy that shirt. It will go well with
your dark brown suit."
go with (2. no object): date regularly and steadily.
"Is Gina going with Jim? I see them together all the
time."
goof off (no object): be lazy; do nothing in
particular.
A: "Do you have any special plans for your
vacation?"
B: "No. I'm just going to stay home and goof off."
grow up (1. no object): spend the years between
being a child and being an adult.
"Did you know that Frank grew up in Malaysia?"
grow up (2. no object): behave responsibly; behave
as an adult, not a child.
A: "Lee really irritates me sometimes. He's really
silly and childish."
B: "I agree. I wish he would grow up."
H
hand in (separable): submit homework, an assignment,
etc.
"You'd better get started on your report. You know
that you have to hand it in at 8:30 tomorrow
morning!"
hand out (separable): distribute.
"Why don't you have a course description and list of
assignments? The teacher handed them out on the
first day of class."
hang up (no object): end a phone conversation by
replacing the receiver.
"I'd like to talk longer, but I'd better hang up. My
sister needs to make a call."
have to do with (inseparable): be about.
"This class has to do with the behavior of people in
groups."
hold up (1. separable): raise; lift to a
higher-than-normal position.
"The winner of the race proudly held his trophy up
for all to see."
hold up (2. separable): delay.
"I'm sorry I'm late. There was an accident on the
freeway and traffic held me up."
hold up (3. separable): rob; threaten someone with
harm unless he/she gives her/his money or other
valuable things.
"Sarah is very upset. When she was walking home last
night, two men held her up and took her purse and
jewelry."
J
jack up (1. separable): raise / life by using a
jack.
"We'll have to jack the back of the car up before we
can change the tire."
jack up (2. separable): raise (used for prices).
"The car dealer bought my old Ford for $750 and
jacked the price up to $1,500 when they sold it."
jump all over (inseparable): severely scold someone;
berate someone.
"Arthur is really upset. His boss jumped all over
him because he's been late for work three times this
week."
K
keep on (1. inseparable--followed by an -ing verb):
continue
"I'm not ready to stop yet. I think I'll keep on
working for a while."
keep on (someone) (2. inseparable): continue to
remind someone to do something until he/she does it
(even if this irritates her/him).
"Bill's very forgetful. You'll have to keep on him
or he'll never do all the things you want him to
do."
kick out (separable): expel; force someone to leave
because of his/her poor performance or unacceptable
behavior.
"Jim's club kicked him out because he didn't pay his
dues or come to meetings."
knock out (separable): make unconscious.
"The boxing match ended when one boxer knocked the
other one out."
"That medicine really knocked me out. I slept for 14
hours straight!"
knock oneself out (separable): work much harder than
normal or than what is expected.
"We completed the project on timebecause of Chuck.
He knocked himself out to be sure we didn't miss the
deadline."
L
lay off (separable): dismiss someone from a job
because of lack of work or money (not because of
poor performance)
"I feel really sorry Sally's family. Her father was
laid off yesterday."
leave out (separable): forget; omit.
"Oh, no! When I made the list of those who attended
the meeting, I left your name out!"
let down (separable): disappoint.
"I know I let you down when I didn't do what I
promised. I'm really sorry."
let up (no object): become less intense or slower.
"It's been raining hard for a long time. Will it
ever let up?"
look back on (inseparable): remember; reflect on /
consider something in the past.
"When they looked back on their many years together,
they realized that their marriage had been a very
happy one."
look down on (inseparable): hold in contempt; regard
as inferior.
"It's not surprising that Fred has few friends. He
seems to look down on anyone who doesn't like the
same things that he does."
look forward to (inseparable): anticipate
pleasantly; think about a pleasant thing before it
happens
"I'm really looking forward to vacation. I can't
wait for it to begin!"
look in on (inseparable): visit in order to check
something's / someone's condition.
"My father just came home from the hospital. I plan
to look in on him today after I finish work."
look into (inseparable): investigate / get more
details about something.
"Someone said there was a meeting at 9:30 but I
haven't heard anything about it. Shall I look into
it?"
look like (inseparable): resemble (in appearance).
"Does he look like his father or his mother?"
look over (separable): check; review.
"I think I may have some typos in this report. Could
you look it over?"
look up (1. separable): find something in a
reference work.
"I'm sorry, but I don't know what that word means.
I'll have to look it up."
look up (2. separable): find where someone lives or
works and visit him/her.
"Thanks for giving me your brother's address. When
I'm in Chicago next month, I'll be sure to look him
up."
look up to (inseparable): respect.
"Everyone looks up to Joyce because she always makes
time to help others."
luck out (no object): be unexpectedly lucky.
"Gloria was worried because she wasn't prepared to
give a report at the meeting, but she lucked out
because the meeting was postponed."
M
make fun of (inseparable): make jokes about (usually
unkindly).
"I agree that Bob looks ridiculous since he shaved
his head, but don't make fun of him. You'll hurt his
feelings."
make up (1. separable): invent / create (imaginary)
information.
"Judy's story is hard to believe. I'm sure she made
it up."
make up (2. separable): compensate for something
missed or not done by doing extra or equivalent
work.
"I'm sorry I missed the test. May I make it up?"
make up (with) (3. inseparable): re-establish a
friendly relationship by admitting guilt.
"Jack and his girlfriend were very angry with each
other, but last night they finally made up."
"Jack and his girlfriend were very angry with each
other, but last night they finally made up with each
other."
make out (separable): see / hear something well
enough to understand what it means. (Note: often
negative.)
"Ruth's writing is very small. I almost need a
magnify glass to make it out."
"What were the last two examples that he gave? I
couldn't make them out."
make for (1. inseparable): go to or toward.
"Her teen-aged children are always hungry. As soon
as they arrive home from school, they make for the
refrigerator."
make for (2. inseparable): result in; cause.
"Many hands make for light work. (If many people
work together, there's less work for everyone.)"
mark up (separable): increase the price (for
resale).
"Mrs. White's import shop is profitable because she
buys things inexpensively and then marks them up."
mark down (separable): reduce the price (as an
incentive to buy).
"These shoes were really a bargain! The store marked
them down by 40%!"
mix up (separable): cause to become confused.
"I didn't complete the assignment because I didn't
know how. The directions mixed me up."
N
nod off (no object): fall sleep (usually
unintentionally).
"The speech was so boring that several people in the
audience nodded off before it was finished."
P
pan out (no object): succeed; happen as expected
(for plans). (Note: almost always negative when in
statements.)
"I'll be here next week after all. My trip to
Chicago didn't pan out."
pass away (no object): die.
"I was very sorry to hear that your grandfather
passed away."
pass out (1. no object): faint; lose consciousness.
"When Ella heard that she'd won a million dollars,
she was so shocked that she passed out."
pass out (2. separable): distribute.
"Everyone in the room needs one of these information
sheets. Who will help me pass them out?"
pick out (separable): choose; select.
"Billy's grandmother especially liked her birthday
card because Billy had picked it out himself."
pick up (1. separable): lift; take up.
"Those books don't belong on the floor. Will you
help me pick them up?"
pick up (2. separable): arrange to meet someone and
give her/him a ride.
"Of course we can go there together. What time
should I pick you up?"
pick up (3. separable): get; buy.
"The children just drank the last of the milk. Could
you pick some more up on your way home this
evening?"
pick up (4. separable): refresh; revitalize.
"He was feeling a little tired, so he drank a glass
of orange juice. It picked him up enough to finish
his work."
pick on (inseparable): bully; intentionally try to
make someone upset.
"You should be ashamed of teasing your little
brother, Bob! Pick on someone your own size!"
pitch in (no object): help; join together to
accomplish something.
"We'll be finished soon if everyone pitches in."
pull over (no object): drive a vehicle to the side
of the rode.
"When the policeman indicated that I should pull
over, I knew he was going to give me a ticket."
put away (separable): return something to the proper
place.
"I just took these clothes out of the dryer. Will
you help me put them away?"
put off (1. separable): postpone; delay; avoid
"I can't put this work off any longer. If I don't do
it soon, it'll be impossible to finish it in time."
"When will Mr. Smith agree to a meeting? I keep
asking for an appointment, but he keeps putting me
off."
put on (1. separable): begin to wear; don.
"It's a little bit chilly outside. You'd better put
a sweater on."
put on (2. separable): try to make someone believe
something that is ridiculous or untrue.
"Don't believe a word of what Jim was saying. He was
just putting us on."
put (someone) out (separable): inconvenience
someone.
"I hate to put you out, but I need a ride to the
train station and hope you can take me."
put up (1. separable): return something to the
proper place.
"Your toys are all over the floor, Timmy. Please put
them up."
put up (2. separable): provide someone with a place
to sleep.
"There's no need for you to check into a hotel. I'll
be happy to put you up."
put up with (inseparable): tolerate.
"It's really important to come to work on time. The
boss won't put up with tardiness."
put back (separable): return something to the proper
place.
"I've finished with these books. Do you want me to
put them back on the shelves?"
R
rip off (separable): cheat; take advantage of;
charge too much.
"Don't even think about buying a car there. They'll
rip you off."
round off (separable): change from a fraction to the
nearest whole number.
"Round all prices off to the closest whole-dollar
amounts. For example, round $33.73 off to $34.00."
run into (inseparable): meet by chance.
"Yesterday at the supermarket, Jan ran into her
former roommate. Before yesterday, they hadn't seen
each other for nearly five years."
run out of (inseparable): use the last of.
"On the way home from work, Art ran out of gas."
S
set up (separable): make arrangements for something.
"You'll see Mr. Thomas tomorrow. I've set a meeting
up for 9:30 AM."
set back (1. separable): cause a delay in
scheduling.
"We've had some problems with the project that have
set us back at least two days . We'll give you a
progress report tomorrow."
set back (2. separable): cost.
"I wonder how much Bill's new car set him back?"
slip up (no object): make a mistake.
"You slipped up here. The amount should be $135.28,
not $132.58."
stand out (no object): be noticeably better than
other similar people or things.
"Good job, Ann! Your work really stands out!"
stand up (1. no object): rise to a standing
position.
"When the Chairperson entered the room, everyone
stood up."
stand up (2. separable): make a date but not keep
it.
"Angela was supposed to go to the dance with Fred,
but she stood him up and went with Chuck instead."
show up (1. no object): arrive; appear.
"The boss was very upset when you didn't show up for
the meeting. What happened?"
show up (2. separable): do a noticeably better job
(often unexpectedly) than someone else.
"Everyone thought Marsha would win, but Jean did.
Actually, Jean really showed Marsha up."
stand for (1. no object): represent.
"These letters seem to be an abbreviation. Do you
know what they stand for?"
stand for (2. inseparable): tolerate; permit
(usually negative).
"I'm not surprised that Mrs. Johnson rejected your
report. She won't stand for shoddy work."
T
take after (inseparable): resemble; favor (in
appearance).
Note: used for people.
"Both my sister and I take after our father."
take / bring back (separable): return.
"This book is due tomorrow. I guess I should take it
back to the library."
"Yes, you can borrow my pen, but don't forget to
bring it back to me when you're finished."
take care of (1. inseparable): provide care for;
watch one's health.
"Lois has been taking care of her father since he
returned home from the hospital."
"You've been working too hard lately. You'd better
take care of yourself!"
take care of (2. ineparable): make arrangements (for
something to happen); take responsibility for.
"Will you take care of making reservations for our
flight to Boston?"
take off (1. separable): remove (something you're
wearing).
"Please take your hat off when you go inside a
building."
take off (2. no object): leave; depart (often
suddenly or quickly).
"Was something wrong with Jill? She took off without
saying goodbye."
"When does your plane take off?"
take off (3. separable): make arrangements to be
absent from work.
"Susan isn't here today. She's taking today and
tomorrow off."
take up (separable): begin (a hobby or leisure-time
activity).
A: "Do you like to ski?"
B: "I've never been skiing, but I think I'd like to
take it up."
tell (someone) off (separable): speak to someone
bluntly and negatively, saying exactly what she/he
did wrong.
"Julie was really angry at Bob; she told him off in
front of all of us."
tick off (1. separable): irritate someone; make
someone upset or angry.
"It really ticks her off when someone is late for an
appointment."
tick off (2. separable): show that something has
been completed by putting a tick (check) beside it.
"Here are the things you need to do. Tick each one
off when you finish it."
throw away (separable): discard; put in the garbage.
"You shouldn't throw those newspapers away; they're
recyclable."
throw out (1. separable): discard; put in the
garbage.
"This food smells bad. You'd better throw it out."
throw out (2. separable): forcibly make someone
leave (usually because of bad behavior).
"Those people are drunk and making everyone
uncomfortable. The manager should throw them out."
throw up (usually no object; with an object,
separable): vomit.
"Paul was so nervous about his job interview that he
threw up just before he left for it."
try on (separable): wear something briefly to check
its fit, how it looks, etc.
"I'm not sure that jacket is large enough. May I try
it on?"
try out (separable): use a machine briefly to
determine how well it works.
"I really like the way this car looks. May I try it
out?"
try out (for) (inseparable): try to win a place on a
team or other organization.
"I know you want to be on the football team. Are you
going to try out?"
"If you like to sing, you should try out for the
choir.
turn around (1. usually no object): move so that you
are facing the opposite direction.
"Everyone turned around and stared when I entered
the meeting late."
turn around (2. separable): move so that someone /
something is facing the opposite direction.
"I don't want this chair facing the window. Will you
help me turn it around?"
turn around (3. separable): make changes so that
something that was unprofitable is profitable.
"The company was doing poorly until it hired a new
president. He turned it around in about six months
and now it's doing quite well."
turn down (1. separable): decrease the volume.
"Your music is giving me a headache! Please turn it
down or use your headphones!"
turn down (2. separable): refuse.
"I thought I could borrow some money from Joe, but
when I asked, he turned me down."
turn in (1. separable): give / deliver / submit to
someone.
"I've written my report, but I haven't turned it
in."
turn in (2. no object): go to bed.
"I'm pretty tired. I guess I'll turn in."
turn in (3. separable): report or deliver wrongdoers
to the authorities.
"Two days after the robbery, the thieves turned
themselves in."
turn off (1. separable): stop by turning a handle or
switch.
"I'm cold. Do you mind if I turn the air conditioner
off?"
turn off (2. separable): bore; repel (very
informal).
"That music turns me off. Please play something
else!"
turn on (1. separable): start by turning a handle or
switch.
"It's cold in here. I'm going to turn the heater on"
turn on (2. separable): interest very much; excite
(very informal).
"What kind of music turns you on?"
turn up (1. separable): increase the volume.
"I can barely hear the TV. Can you turn it up a
little?"
turn up (2. no object): appear unexpectedly.
"We were all surprised when Pam turned up at the
party. We didn't even know she was in town."
W
wait on (1. inseparable): serve (usually customers
in a restaurant, shop, etc.)
"I want to make a complaint. The person who just
waited on me was very impolite."
wait for (inseparable): wait until someone /
something arrives or is finished with something
else.
"When will Kenny be finished with work? I've been
waiting for him for almost an hour!"
"I'm tired of waiting for the bus. I guess I'll take
a taxi instead."
wake up (1. no object): stop sleeping.
"I usually wake up around 5:00 AM each day."
wake up (2. separable): rouse someone; cause someone
to stop sleeping.
"I have an important meeting tomorrow and I'm afraid
I won't hear my alarm. Will you wake me up at 6:00
AM?"
watch out for (inseparable): be careful of; beware
of.
"There's a school at the end of this block. Watch
out for children crossing the street."
"If you take that road, watch out for ice during the
winter."
wear out (1. separable): wear something / use
something until it can no longer be worn / be used.
"I need a new pencil sharpener. I wore this one
out."
"I suppose I should get some new shoes. I've almost
worn this pair out."
wear out (2. separable): cause to become exhausted;
cause to become very tired.
"I had four different meetings today. They wore me
out."
"I suppose I should get some new shoes. I've almost
worn this pair out."
work out (1. no object): exercise (usually in a gym,
etc.) to build muscles, body tone, etc.
"Instead of eating lunch on Monday, Wednesday, and
Friday, Sheila goes to the recreation center to work
out."
work out (2. separable): solve a problem / resolve a
difficult situation (usually by working together).
"I know we disagree on many points, but I believe we
can work things out."
wrap up (1. no object): wear enough clothes to keep
warm.
"It's really cold today. Be sure you wrap up when
you leave the house."
wrap up (2. separable): finish something; bring
something to a conclusion.
"We've been talking about the problem for nearly
three hours.
I hope we'll be able to wrap the discussion up
soon."
write down (separable): record something in writing.
"Could you tell me your e-mail address again? I want
to write it down."
write up (separable): record; report in writing.
"You'll need to make a report on your business
meetings. Be sure you write them up as soon as
possible after you return from your trip."
Z
zonk out (no object): fall asleep quickly because of
exhaustion.
"I intended to go shopping after work, but I was so
tired that I zonked out as soon as I got home."
|
