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making words matter

    phrasal verbs

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listen in

7/9/2020

 
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We use [listen in] to mean listen to a private conversation, especially secretly:

  • I think we should secretly listen and see how the interview goes. [replacing phrasal verb]
  • We can hear the process unobtrusively from the next room to see how the interview goes. [replacing phrasal verb]
  • Sorry, I overheard what you saying. Is it true? [replacing phrasal verb]

  • Let’s sit in the corner. It’ll be more difficult for anyone to listen in.
  • We’d better upgrade our security if we want to be sure people aren’t listening in.
  • Sorry, I didn’t mean to listen in. Is it true?
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  • flexible: you have busy lives, so our courses fit your schedule
  • practical: we use everyday examples and situations to help you understand
  • practice: there is only one way to improve; mistakes are there to help us learn
  • support: a personal mentor works with you

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write off

5/9/2020

 
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We use [write something off] to mean cancel the record of a bad debt; acknowledge the loss of or failure to recover an asset:

  • I don’t think we should continue with this particular project but let's forget about it and see it as experience. [replacing phrasal verb]
  • I don’t think we should continue with this particular project but see our failure as experience. [replacing phrasal verb]
  • Looks like we need to cancel the debt as there’s no hope of getting the money back. [replacing phrasal verb]

  • Looks like we need to write off the debt as there’s no hope of getting the money back.
  • Let’s write this off to experience. At least we know what doesn’t work.
Our online courses and modules are designed with you in mind:

  • flexible: you have busy lives, so our courses fit your schedule
  • practical: we use everyday examples and situations to help you understand
  • practice: there is only one way to improve; mistakes are there to help us learn
  • support: a personal mentor works with you

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pull off

3/9/2020

 
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We use [pull something off] to mean succeed in achieving or winning something difficult:

  • Do you think we’ll be able to do it? It’s a larger project than we’ve done before. [replacing phrasal verb]
  • Do you think we’ll be able to execute the project? It’s a larger one than we’ve done before. [replacing phrasal verb]
  • They’ll never be able to complete the plan. They’re too disorganised. [replacing phrasal verb]

  • How he pulled off the robbery with his so-called organisational skills no-one knows.
  • Despite the short timeframe, he pulled it off; the party was a success!
Our online courses and modules are designed with you in mind:

  • flexible: you have busy lives, so our courses fit your schedule
  • practical: we use everyday examples and situations to help you understand
  • practice: there is only one way to improve; mistakes are there to help us learn
  • support: a personal mentor works with you

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talk into

1/9/2020

 
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We use [talk someone into] to mean persuade someone to do (something that they are unwilling to do):

  • How did you manage to persuade her into coming? She said she wasn’t going to attend the conference. [replacing phrasal verb]
  • How did you get her to come? She said she wasn’t going to attend the conference. [replacing phrasal verb]
  • He’d never coax her into going to that party! [replacing phrasal verb]

  • He’d never talk her into going to that party!
  • Do you think you could talk him into making his famous apple tart?
Our online courses and modules are designed with you in mind:

  • flexible: you have busy lives, so our courses fit your schedule
  • practical: we use everyday examples and situations to help you understand
  • practice: there is only one way to improve; mistakes are there to help us learn
  • support: a personal mentor works with you

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set up

31/8/2020

 
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We use [set something up] to mean place or erect something in position and make the arrangements necessary for something:

  • How long will it take to assemble the stand? We need to factor in the time. [replacing phrasal verb]
  • How long will it take to put together the stand? We need to factor in the time. [replacing phrasal verb]

  • Can you organise a meeting for Tuesday week at 8am? [replacing phrasal verb]
  • Are you the one I need to talk to about arranging the conference room? [replacing phrasal verb]

  • Could you set up the dining room as a temporary office?
  • This kitchen isn’t set up for mass production. It’ll be better to rent a proper kitchen.
Our online courses and modules are designed with you in mind:

  • flexible: you have busy lives, so our courses fit your schedule
  • practical: we use everyday examples and situations to help you understand
  • practice: there is only one way to improve; mistakes are there to help us learn
  • support: a personal mentor works with you

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cut in

27/8/2020

 
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We use [cut in] to mean interrupt someone while they are speaking:

  • I wish she’d stop interrupting every time someone tries to speak. [replacing phrasal verb]
  • She always wants to say something when someone else is trying to speak. [replacing phrasal verb]

  • I had to cut in when he just wouldn’t stop going on about the problems.
  • Feel free to cut in; we’re quite informal here.
Our online courses and modules are designed with you in mind:

  • flexible: you have busy lives, so our courses fit your schedule
  • practical: we use everyday examples and situations to help you understand
  • practice: there is only one way to improve; mistakes are there to help us learn
  • support: a personal mentor works with you

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get at

25/8/2020

 
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We use [get at] to mean imply (something):

  • We’ve spent an hour in this room and I still can’t understand what he’s talking about. [replacing phrasal verb]
  • We’ve spent an hour in this room and I still can’t see what he means. [replacing phrasal verb]
  • We’ve spent an hour in this room and I still don’t know what he’s implying. [replacing phrasal verb]

  • Whatever he’s getting at, I don’t like it.
  • I can see what you're getting at. It's a difficult decision but I don't see how I can help you.
Our online courses and modules are designed with you in mind:

  • flexible: you have busy lives, so our courses fit your schedule
  • practical: we use everyday examples and situations to help you understand
  • practice: there is only one way to improve; mistakes are there to help us learn
  • support: a personal mentor works with you

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act up

22/8/2020

 
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We use [act up] to mean (of a thing) fail to function properly and to behave badly:

  • Just when we need to publish this report, the printer stops functioning properly. [replacing phrasal verb]
  • Just when we need to publish this report, the printer stops working properly. [replacing phrasal verb]

  • I asked John to go the conference because I can’t and now he starts acting up.
  • Sonia’s acting up again. Someone needs to talk with her as no-one can work in that room.
Our online courses and modules are designed with you in mind:

  • flexible: you have busy lives, so our courses fit your schedule
  • practical: we use everyday examples and situations to help you understand
  • practice: there is only one way to improve; mistakes are there to help us learn
  • support: a personal mentor works with you

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pull out

21/8/2020

 
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We use [pull out] to mean withdraw from an undertaking or retreat, or cause to retreat, from an area:

  • Unfortunately, we need to withdraw from that new development as we’ve not enough funds. [replacing phrasal verb]
  • Unfortunately, we need to leave that new development as we’ve not enough funds. [replacing phrasal verb]

  • He was forced to pull out of the race because of an injury.


  • We need to change our decisions about the pensions market and withdraw our funds before March. [replacing phrasal verb]
  • We’re reconsidering our position in the pensions market. [replacing phrasal verb]
  • We’ve decided to sell and leave the pensions market as of March. [replacing phrasal verb]

  • We’re pulling out of the pensions market as of March.
Our online courses and modules are designed with you in mind:

  • flexible: you have busy lives, so our courses fit your schedule
  • practical: we use everyday examples and situations to help you understand
  • practice: there is only one way to improve; mistakes are there to help us learn
  • support: a personal mentor works with you

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speak out

17/8/2020

 
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We use [speak out] to mean express one's opinions frankly and publicly:

  • Although he says he likes people to be open he hates it when we say what we think. [replacing phrasal verb]
  • Although he says he likes people to be open he hates it when we are frank. [replacing phrasal verb]
  • Although he says he likes people to be open he hates it when we speak openly. [replacing phrasal verb]

  • The government should be forthright in speaking out against human rights abuses.
Our online courses and modules are designed with you in mind:

  • flexible: you have busy lives, so our courses fit your schedule
  • practical: we use everyday examples and situations to help you understand
  • practice: there is only one way to improve; mistakes are there to help us learn
  • support: a personal mentor works with you

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go about

14/8/2020

 
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We use [go about] to mean begin or carry on with something:

  • I’m sorry but I think you’re proceeding in the wrong way. [replacing phrasal verb]
  • I’m sorry but I think you’re starting this all wrong. [replacing phrasal verb]
  • I’m sorry but I think you’re tacking this in the wrong way. [replacing phrasal verb]

  • I think he should leave the marketing team to go about their business and stop trying to micro-manage them.
Our online courses and modules are designed with you in mind:

  • flexible: you have busy lives, so our courses fit your schedule
  • practical: we use everyday examples and situations to help you understand
  • practice: there is only one way to improve; mistakes are there to help us learn
  • support: a personal mentor works with you

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think over

11/8/2020

 
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We use [think something over] to mean consider something carefully:

  • We should consider their offer over the weekend. [replacing phrasal verb]
  • We should examine their offer during the weekend. [replacing phrasal verb]
  • We should give thought to their offer over the weekend. [replacing phrasal verb]

  • Before we sign anything we really need to think this over as it’s a lot of money.
Our online courses and modules are designed with you in mind:

  • flexible: you have busy lives, so our courses fit your schedule
  • practical: we use everyday examples and situations to help you understand
  • practice: there is only one way to improve; mistakes are there to help us learn
  • support: a personal mentor works with you

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sit in

6/8/2020

 
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We use [sit in] to mean attend a meeting or discussion without taking an active part in it:

  • I really don’t like it when she’s present but says nothing at my meetings. She makes me nervous. [replacing phrasal verb]
  • I really don’t like it when she attends my meetings but takes no part. She makes me nervous. [replacing phrasal verb]

  • I need to be impartial and sitting in as you discuss the staff might be seen as prejudicing my decision.
  • Fred and I will sit in during the discussion, as this is part of the training.
Our online courses and modules are designed with you in mind:

  • flexible: you have busy lives, so our courses fit your schedule
  • practical: we use everyday examples and situations to help you understand
  • practice: there is only one way to improve; mistakes are there to help us learn
  • support: a personal mentor works with you

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think up

3/8/2020

 
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We use [think something up] to mean use one's ingenuity to plan or invent something:

  •  We need to give a reason. We can’t just delay with no explanation. [replacing phrasal verb]
  • We need to invent an excuse. We can’t just delay with no explanation. [replacing phrasal verb]
  • We need to create a reason. We can’t just delay with no explanation. [replacing phrasal verb]

  • If you can think up a plan to save the project, I’ll be forever grateful.
  • I can’t think up a good reason for delaying the opening but if we can, it would give us the time we need.
  • The idea was thought up by my mother while she was cooking. How she connected the two ideas, I still don’t know.
Our online courses and modules are designed with you in mind:

  • flexible: you have busy lives, so our courses fit your schedule
  • practical: we use everyday examples and situations to help you understand
  • practice: there is only one way to improve; mistakes are there to help us learn
  • support: a personal mentor works with you

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dress up

1/8/2020

 
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We use [dress something up] to mean present something so it appears better than it really is:

  • I think this finance report has been manipulated. [replacing phrasal verb]
  • I think this finance report has been embellished just a bit. [replacing phrasal verb]
  • I think this finance report has been enhanced a little more than is honest. [replacing phrasal verb]

  • I like the idea but something tells me this has been dressed up a bit. Let’s do a little research.
  • The project looks good. Too good. I think someone has dressed up the projections just a little.
  • The Government’s ability to dress up the problems as an opportunity are well-known and only show their lack of creative solutions.
Our online courses and modules are designed with you in mind:

  • flexible: you have busy lives, so our courses fit your schedule
  • practical: we use everyday examples and situations to help you understand
  • practice: there is only one way to improve; mistakes are there to help us learn
  • support: a personal mentor works with you

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