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listen in

7/9/2020

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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write off

5/9/2020

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.

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pull off

3/9/2020

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!

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talk into

1/9/2020

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?

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set up

31/8/2020

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.

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cut in

27/8/2020

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.

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get at

25/8/2020

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.

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act up

22/8/2020

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.

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pull out

21/8/2020

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.

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speak out

17/8/2020

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.

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go about

14/8/2020

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.

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think over

11/8/2020

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.

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sit in

6/8/2020

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.

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think up

3/8/2020

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.

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dress up

1/8/2020

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.

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making words matter

phrasal verbs

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listen in

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

write off

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

pull off

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

talk into

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

set up

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

cut in

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

get at

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

act up

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

pull out

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

speak out

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

go about

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

think over

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

sit in

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

think up

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

dress up

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