The Phrasal Verb 'Set Down' Explained
An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'set down' from a native speaker, with lots of examples in context
Hello and welcome to my website for English learners all about phrasal verbs where I explain their different meanings to help you understand, learn and use them like a native.
In this instalment of Phrasal Verbs Explained, I will be explaining the phrasal verb 'set down'. This often overlooked phrasal verb is quite a formal one and has two main ideas at its core. In the post, I will explain five different ways that you can use it, ranging from putting something on a surface to establishing rules, and for each of these I will give you lots of example sentences to show you how to use it in a natural way. So, let's make a start and see what the phrasal verb 'set down' is all about....
QUICK ANSWER: What does the phrasal verb 'set down' mean?The phrasal verb 'set down' has 5 main meanings in English:
Keep reading to learn more about how to use each of these.... |
TABLE OF CONTENTS (Click to jump to each one)
Please don't forget to like or comment if you enjoyed the post! Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Thank you. James 😊 |
THE BASICS
SET DOWN: KEY INFORMATION
Usage | Medium |
Number of meanings | 5 |
Past tense forms | Set down / Set down |
Separable? | Yes |
'Set' and 'down' are two extremely common words in the English language, each one with many meanings and when we put them together to form the phrasal verb 'set down' we get a completely new collection of meanings. Before we look at the various ways to use the phrasal verb, let's first just take a moment to consider the two words individually....
Set - Did you know that 'set' is the word in the English language with the highest number of meanings and applications? That's right, more than 'get', 'take' and 'put'! 'Set' is a very diverse word and can be used as a verb, adjective and noun with many different meanings in each of these word classes. For the purposes of this article, let's just focus on its use as a verb, in which case some of its most common meanings include 'to put in a place', 'to establish' and 'to prepare'. It is an irregular verb and both of its past tense forms are also, confusingly, 'set'.
James set his things on the desk.
I didn't set the rules, so don't shout at me.
The sprinter is aiming to set a new world record in his race this week.
We have set the table ready for dinner.
Down - Unsurprisingly, the particle 'down' can often be used in phrasal verbs in a literal way to talk about a downwards movement or a decrease (go down, fall down). In addition to this however, it can add a range of different meanings to the phrasal verbs that it appears in and these include stopping an activity (shut down), recording something (note down), control or restriction (hold down) and a negative change in emotions (let down).
So, now that we have covered the basics, let's move on to the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'set down'....
MEANING 1: To put something on a surface
CEFR Language Level | A2 - Elementary |
Usage | Medium |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To put down, to put, to place, to set |
Separable? | Yes |
As per usual, we will start by looking at the literal phrasal verb meaning, or the closest one to it, which in this case it is 'to put something on a surface'.
Nouns commonly used with this application....
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You may note as we go through this post that there is often a lot of overlap between the verbs 'to set' and 'to put' and this first application is a prime example of this. If you set something down, you place or put it on a surface so that you are no longer holding or carrying it. The surface tends to be the ground, the floor, a table or a kitchen top. Remember that we use 'ground' when it is outside and 'floor' when it is inside a building.
'Set down' is not as common as 'put down' to express this idea and it can often imply a more careful deliberate action than 'put down', which is very general. In addition, 'set down' sounds a bit more formal or old fashioned to my ears. It is a separable phrasal verb usage and we tend to use it slightly more commonly in the separated way.
Examples of usage....
Jean set down her cup on the table and answered the phone.
Nik set the box down carefully beside the door.
Set that tray down on the counter, please.
Violet set her handbag down on the chair next to her.
The waiter set down the plates and went back to the kitchen.
I set my coffee down on the desk while I looked for the documents.
Poppy set the shopping bags down on the floor for a moment.
My Dad slowly set the glass down on the table.
Set it down over there and give me a hand with this.
SET DOWN TO MEAN SIT DOWN?One thing that I discovered whilst researching this article is that in some regional US dialects 'set down' can also be used to mean 'sit down'. It is not standard US English though, which is probably why I've never heard of it but it makes complete sense as to why they would use it that way because when you sit, you are literally setting yourself down. |
MEANING 2: To record something in words
CEFR Language Level | B2 - Upper intermediate |
Usage | Medium |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To write down, to set out, to record |
Separable? | Yes |
The second of the meanings of the phrasal verb 'set down' that we will look at is 'to record something in words'.
Nouns commonly used with this application....
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You may remember from the Basics section where I wrote that one of the ideas inherent in the particle 'down' is to record something. This is perfectly exemplified in the common phrasal verbs 'write down' and 'note down' that you are likely to know already and which both mean to record something in writing. Another less common synonym for this is 'set down', which means the same thing.
If you set something down, you essentially just write or type it, so that it is transferred from what someone says or thinks to something that is recorded for others to read. Again, this is definitely a lot more formal than 'write down' or 'note down' and may not be one that you are likely to hear in everyday conversations with friends or family etc.
As with the previous application of 'set down', this one is also separable and is commonly used both ways.
Examples of usage....
Valerie set down everything she could remember about the incident.
My ex-boyfriend set his thoughts down in a letter.
The witness set down the events exactly as she remembered them.
I decided to set my ideas down before the meeting.
Linda carefully set down everything that had happened that morning.
The author sets down his memories of childhood in the first chapter.
He set his experiences of travelling through Europe down in a journal as he went.
Before you forget, set down the main points you want to discuss.
The researcher set down her observations at the end of each day.
MEANING 3: To establish rules
CEFR Language Level | C1 - Advanced |
Usage | Medium |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To set out, to establish, to lay down |
Separable? | Yes |
We are going to stay with the same idea of writing and recording information for our third meaning of the phrasal verb 'set down' as this one means 'to establish rules'.
Nouns commonly used with this application....
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Rules and regulations are essential tools that exist in society to ensure that people are safe and that we have order in our daily lives. As societies and technology evolve, new and updated laws have to be passed by governments and to do this somebody needs to write these and record them. When these new rules and regulations are established, we can say that they are "set down".
We can therefore treat this third application as an extension of the previous one as it again just writing something down in order to record it. However, this time we are talking about an official record of something that will be registered in a formal or legal document.
This application of 'set down' is not only used for national laws that are set by governments and it is just as common to hear it being used to talk about officially establishing rules in companies, organisations and committees, as well as requirements, conditions and procedures that are stipulated in contracts and formal documents.
Again, this is a separable phrasal verb but you should note that there is a tendency to not use this in separable way, especially if the direct object is long and consists of many words.
Examples of usage....
The agreement sets down the responsibilities of both parties.
The law sets down strict rules for the handling of personal data.
Our employee code of conduct sets down acceptable standards of behaviour.
These regulations set down the minimum safety standards that employers must follow.
The government has set new guidelines down for the industry.
The constitution sets down the basic principles of the political system.
The policy clearly sets down what staff members should do in an emergency.
The rules were set down many years ago and are now being reviewed.
We have to follow the procedures set down by the company.
MEANING 4: To allow a passenger to alight
CEFR Language Level | C1 - Advanced |
Usage | Rare |
Where is it used? | British English |
Potential synonyms | To let off, to let out, to drop off |
Separable? | Yes |
The fourth meaning of 'set down' is a primarily British English usage that means 'to stop a vehicle and allow a passenger to alight'.
Nouns commonly used with this application....
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To alight - to get out of or off a vehicle, so that you are on the ground. |
To clarify, 'set down' can be used in British English to describe when a vehicle carrying passengers stops so that people can get off or out (remember 'on' for larger public transport like planes, trains and buses and 'in' for cars).
For this application we need to rewind back to the first application of putting something on a surface as the core idea of that is that you once you do this, you are no longer carrying the object. The idea is essentially the same with this application as the vehicle is carrying the passengers and when they have been set down, they are no longer on or in it.
As with the previous meanings of 'set down', this one is more formal than alternatives like 'drop off' and 'let off' and is also not as frequently heard in everyday speech. It is a separable usage and remember the golden rule that pronouns (me, him, us etc) must always go between the verb and particle.
Examples of usage....
The taxi set us down outside the hotel.
Could you set me down at the next corner, please?
The driver set the passengers down outside the station.
The coach sets down passengers at several stops along the route.
We were set down just outside the city centre.
The bus stopped to set down a few passengers.
Drivers are not allowed to set passengers down here.
Paul asked the driver to set him down near the theatre.
The minibus will set you down directly outside the terminal.
MEANING 5: To land an airplane
CEFR Language Level | C1 - Advanced |
Usage | Rare |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | To land, to put down |
Separable? | Yes |
We've now come to final meaning of 'set down' and it is another one that is consistent with the others that we have looked at in the post and is 'to land an airplane'.
I'm sure that you can probably work this one out but this meaning is once again linked to the idea of placing something on a surface. The difference this time however is that a plane can weigh up to 700,000kg and you need a lot of skill and training to be able to place it safely on an airport runway.
I don't hear this particular application being used very often as you are more likely to hear 'to land' or even 'to put down' being used as an alternative instead. Interestingly, this usage is ergative, which means that it can be used both transitively and intransitively (with or without a direct object). See the examples below....
Examples of usage....
Intransitive (without a direct object):
The small plane set down safely in a field.
The helicopter set down on the roof of the hospital.
Our aircraft set down just before midnight.
Transitive (with a direct object):
The pilot set the plane down safely despite the strong winds.
Amelia managed to set the helicopter down in a small clearing.
The crew set the aircraft down on a remote airstrip.
We have now reached the end of this post and I hope that you have found it useful and that it has helped you to understand how to use the phrasal verb 'set down' more confidently and naturally.
Feel free to leave any comments, feedback or your own sentences using 'set down' in the section below. Also, if you found the post useful, please like and share it on social media.
Do you want to improve your phrasal verb skills?Now that you have read the article, I hope you've learned something new. However, reading is only the first step to mastering phrasal verbs: the key is practice and repetition. That's why I've created a series of PDF workbooks with clear explanations, natural example sentences, exercises, speaking questions and answer keys. This will help you understand and remember common English phrasal verbs and use them confidently in real-life situations. Browse the workbooks here and start improving your phrasal verbs skills today.... |
Thanks so much for reading and see you next time! James 😊
THE END
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