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An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'catch up' from a native speaker, with lots of examples in context Photo: Pexels Hello and welcome to my website for English learners all about phrasal verbs! 'Catch up' is a very common verb in the English language with a number of different meanings and uses. In this post, I will explain these different meanings, giving you lots of information about them, such as when we use them and whether or not they are separable. I will also give you lots of examples in context to help you understand, learn and use to impress your friends and colleagues. So, without further ado, let's get started! Please like and share the post if you find the article useful (I won't know otherwise)! Also, feel free to leave a comment at the end with your own sentence featuring 'catch up' 😊 QUICK ANSWER: What does the phrasal verb 'catch up' mean? The phrasal verb 'catch up' has five main meanings in English.... To reach someone who was ahead of you To reach the same level as someone To do something that you were unable to do earlier To learn about things that have happened To unintentionally become involved in something Continue reading to learn more about each of these! TABLE OF CONTENTS (Click to jump to each one) Catch Up - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'catch' and 'up' Catch Up - Meaning 1: To reach someone who is ahead of you Catch Up - Meaning 2: To reach the same level as someone Catch Up - Meaning 3: To do something that you were unable to do earlier Catch Up - Bonus: Catch-up television Catch Up - Meaning 4: To learn about things that have happened Catch Up - Bonus: The noun 'catch-up' Catch Up - Meaning 5: To unintentionally become involved in something I love writing this blog & helping learners but I receive very little feedback as to how useful it is or if people enjoy & learn from it. Therefore, if you find the post useful, please like & share it or leave a comment at the end. I'd be very grateful. Thank you! James 😊 Photo: Pexels THE BASICS TAKE BACK: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 5 Past tense forms Caught up / Caught up Separable? Sometimes If you are a regular reader of this blog, you will know that I always start each post by looking at the individual words of a phrasal verb and this one is no exception. Therefore, let's begin by considering the words 'catch' and 'up' and what they mean on their own. The verb 'to catch' is a common irregular verb in English with many different meanings. The most notable of these are 'to intercept something with your hands that is moving through the air' and 'to capture or trap someone or something', however you may often hear it being used with such diverse nouns as 'cold', 'train' and 'attention', which shows just how broad the range of its different meanings can be. The goalkeeper caught the ball and stopped it from hitting the back of the net. The police caught the criminal following a one-hour police chase. John has caught a cold and isn't feeling very well. Sarah catches the train every morning at 8am. Somebody over there is trying to catch your attention. The prepositional particle 'up' is one that features regularly in phrasal verb constructions, often to add the idea of a movement in an upwards direction or to a higher place or position. In addition to this, the particle 'up' can add several nuances to phrasal verbs, such as the ideas of improvement, preparation, completion, termination and appearance. So, now that we have covered the basics, let's take a look at the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'catch up'.... MEANING 1: To reach someone who is ahead of you Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To catch, to close, to close in on, to gain on Potential antonyms To fall back Separable? Yes The first meaning of 'catch up' that we will cover means 'to reach someone who is ahead of you' and is often heard in reference to sports, in particular races, as well as in everyday social interactions among couples or groups of people. Let's firstly take the idea of a race between, in the sense of a competition between different people, horses or cars to see who will be the first to travel over a set distance and cross a finishing line. Normally, in a race there will always be one competitor or group of competitors who is in the lead and therefore ahead of the others. Meanwhile, the objective of the other competitors behind the leader is to move faster so as to close the gap, ultimately overtaking the leader and moving into first position. This action of moving more quickly than the competitors in front of you and therefore reducing the gap between you and them can be described as 'catching up'. This meaning of 'catch up' is separable and when used in a separable way, the name of the person in front (or leader) goes between 'catch' and 'up'. You should note that when we do not separate it, the additional preposition 'with' is usually required to specify the person in front of you or leader. The Nigerian runner was slowly catching the leader up. When I was young, I was so fast and nobody could ever catch up with me. Despite having a head start of 5 minutes, the white rally car was quickly able to catch up with the red one. This application of 'catch up' is not only reserved for racers and athletes though as we can also use it in our everyday lives, particularly when talking about walking somewhere. You would normally hear this with a couple or a group of people who are all going somewhere together. If one person is delayed or has to stay behind for some reason, they may tell the other people in the group that they should go ahead and that they will follow them when they are ready and catch them up. The idea here is the same as with the race idea, however instead of being the first person to arrive at the destination, here the person just wants to rejoin the group and will have to walk faster than them (or run) until they do so. When used in this way, we tend to use the separable variation more commonly. I need to dry my hair, so you guys go on and I will catch you up. Joanne just needs to feed the cats and then she's going to catch us up on the way to the pub. MEANING 2: To reach the same level as someone Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To draw level with Separable? Yes The next meaning of 'catch up' that we will look at in this post is not too different to the previous one, however rather than focussing on physical movement, this second usage is more to do with reaching the same level as someone else. For this application, we are thinking more about levels, standards or the quality of something and therefore this is much more to do with how good or bad something is or how things are perceived by people. Furthermore, there are no races involved in this application, as it is all to do with progression and improvement, thus there is no finishing line or end point. Let's first take the example of somebody's language level. John has been learning French for 10 years. He has spent a lot of time in France and his level of French is perceived to be very good. Natalie, on the other hand, moved to France six months ago without being able to speak a word of French but has been learning the language very quickly as she is surrounded by it every day. Although John's level of French is currently better than Natalie's, it is clear that she is catching him up as her French is improving daily and it will soon be as good as his. In other words, like with the first meaning, the gap between their respective language levels is closing. Furthermore, this usage could also be used in the context of school or education for when students miss school for a period of time. They will need to catch up with the other students when they return to the classroom as they will be behind. Moreover, we can use this application of 'catch up' for any similar situation where one person, group or country is considered to be, or is, the leader or the best at something and somebody else in their category improves, thereby decreasing the gap between the quality of the perceived leader and the person who is improving. For many years, countries in the West had the biggest economies but now the rest of the world is starting to catch up with them. The Beatles have the most number ones on the singles chart, however several modern artists are catching them up. It is thought that boys are finally catching girls up when it comes to academic performance and school exam results. I was the tallest in my class at school for many years until we became teenagers and then suddenly lots of people caught me up. MEANING 3: To do something that you were unable to do earlier Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To bring oneself up to date Separable? No Like most people, I love going on holiday (vacation for those of you learning US English). One thing I dislike however is returning to work after my holiday and facing all of the work and emails that I missed whilst I was not there.The reason that I am telling you this is because this corresponds exactly to our third meaning of 'catch up', which is 'to do something that you were unable to do earlier'. I used the example of work and holidays above as it is really common to hear 'catch up' used here, so much so that in a busy office you are likely to hear it daily. Before I continue, it is important to note here that when we are in a situation at work where we have not completed as much work as we should have, such as when we go on holiday or are too busy to do it all, we say that we are "behind with our work". Aside from the world of work, another time that you are highly likely to come across this application of 'catch up' is in relation to television or a television series. This is normally with programmes that you watch regularly e.g. daily or weekly. If you miss an episode of the programme, you will not have seen the most recent episodes and therefore you will be behind, so you will then need to catch up when you can by watching the latest episodes and bringing yourself up to date. You should note that we require the additional prepositions 'with' or 'on' here to talk specify the TV programme or work that you are behind on. Please can you divert my calls this morning as I need to catch up on all the emails that I missed last week whilst I was away. Oh wow, I caught up on Stranger Things last night. I know what you guys were talking about now! Have you been able to catch up with your work this week? BONUS: Catch-up television Whilst we are on this subject, you may have heard of catch-up television before. This is a television service that has existed for almost twenty years and allows television viewers to catch up with any shows that they have missed via the powers of the internet. Sometimes, the 'tv' is dropped and we simply just say that we will watch something 'on catch-up'. I didn't see the match last night. I am going to watch it tonight on catch-up though so don't tell me what happened. Thank goodness for catch-up tv. I don't know how I would have seen the latest episode otherwise! MEANING 4: To learn about things that have happened Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To learn, to share news, to chat Separable? No Next, we have our fourth meaning of 'catch up', which is again quite similar to the others that we have looked at so far and means 'to learn about things that have happened'. In general, this application is used, a bit like with catch-up tv, to mean 'to bring someone up to date about something'. However, it is most commonly used to describe when two people, typically friends or family members, meet up and spend time together talking and telling each other the things that have happened in their lives since they last spoke. In other words, they bring the other person up to date on all their news. It is extremely common to use this phrasal verb when speaking to people who you do not typically see regularly and with whom you need to arrange a rendezvous. Less commonly, it may also be used by a boss or colleague in the workplace who asks to see you to talk about your progress since you last spoke. Again, the extra preposition 'with' can be used here to specify the person with whom you catch up, however do not use 'on' for this. Instead, you can use 'on' to specify the subjects that you discussed during your chat or the day of the week that you want to meet. Lisa and I caught up last week over coffee. It's been so long since we've spoken! We really need to catch up! Hi Lucy, are you free to catch up this week BONUS: The noun 'catch-up' One alternative to this meaning of 'catch up' is the expression 'to have a catch-up', which is also used very frequently by native English speakers. This means the same thing as the phrasal verb and is really just a variation, but if you can use it, it will definitely help your English to sound more natural Let's have a catch-up soon. I miss you! Alex wants to see you. Don't worry, it's nothing serious, he just wants to have catch-up with you to see how everything is going. MEANING 5: To unintentionally become involved in something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To become embroiled in Separable? No We have now reached our fifth and final meaning of the phrasal verb 'catch up' and this one means 'to unintentionally become involved in something'. Firstly, this particular application is different to the others that we have looked at as it only exists as a passive construction and is formed of the structure below... To be caught up in something OR to get caught up in something As you can see from the above, we can use either the verb 'to be' or 'to get' to form the passive here. When you get caught up in something, you generally somehow become involved in a situation or event, which is typically (but not always) bad and which you did not choose to be a part of. Typical examples of this could be an argument or conflict between people, a traffic jam (nobody wants to be involved in one of those) and a political scandal. How did I manage to get caught up in this mess? It has nothing to do with me! Somehow my wife has got caught up in an issue at work and she's very stressed about it. So sorry I am late, I got caught up in an argument at work and had to try and calm it down before I could leave. Lastly, it is also possible to use this passive form slightly more idiomatically, to mean that you become so involved in an activity that you are unable to notice anything else. It can be used for feelings and emotions, such as getting caught up in the atmosphere of somewhere like a pop concert or a football match. It could however be something a bit more negative, such as getting caught up with work and not having much time for your family or hobbies or getting caught up in your emotions, where you let your emotions rule your thinking and do not therefore think logically about things. I think everybody in the crowd was caught up in the atmosphere of the concert. It was truly a magical event! Leon often gets caught up in his emotions and it affects his decision making skills. Photo: Pexels 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 'catch up' more confidently and naturally. Feel free to leave any comments, feedback or your own sentences using 'catch up' 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

An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'check out' from a native speaker, with lots of examples in context Photo: Pexels 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. If you follow me on social media or have read many of my posts in the past, you may have noticed that I use the phrasal verb 'check out' a lot. Consequently, I thought it was about time that 'check out' had a post of its own and so in this post we will put it under the microscope and look at all its different uses. So, without further ado, let's get started.... QUICK ANSWER: What does the phrasal verb 'check out' mean? The phrasal verb 'check out' has 7 main meanings in English. To leave a hotel To look at something To prove to be true To ogle someone To enter into a cash register To die To stop paying attention to something TABLE OF CONTENTS (Click to jump to each one) Check Out - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'check' and 'out' Check Out - Meaning 1: To leave a hotel Check Out - Meaning 2: To look at something Check Out - Meaning 3: To prove to be true Check Out - Meaning 4: To ogle someone Check Out - Meaning 5: To enter into a cash register 🇺🇸 Check Out - Bonus: The noun 'checkout' Check Out - Meaning 6: To die 🇺🇸 Check Out - Meaning 7: To stop paying attention to something 🇺🇸 Check Out - Bonus: The expression 'check you out!' I love writing this blog and helping learners but I get very little feedback so I don't always know if it is helpful for you. Therefore, if you find the post useful, please like and share it or leave a comment at the end. I would be very grateful. Thank you! James 😊 Photo: Pexels THE BASICS CHECK OUT: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 7 Separable? Yes Past tense forms Checked out / Checked out Before we look at the meanings of 'check out', let's take a quick look at the words which make it up. The verb 'check' is a commonly used verb in English, which has a couple of different meanings but the most common one is 'to verify something by examination'. This word can pose problems for some English learners who often use the word 'control' instead of the word' check because it is a notorious "false friend" in many languages and the verb 'to control' in English generally has a very different meaning i.e. to exert power over someone or something. Photo: Pexels The prepositional particle 'out' is one that has featured in many of my posts already and is used to talk about the exterior of something, or movement towards an outside space when used as an adverb. So, with that in mind, let's take a look at the different meanings of 'check out'... MEANING 1: To leave a hotel Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B1 - Intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To leave, to vacate, to pay up, to settle up Separable? Yes The first meaning of 'check out' will be familiar to anybody who has ever stayed in a hotel in an English-speaking country, as it means 'to pay the bill for your hotel room and leave the hotel or accommodation where you are staying'. Photo: Pexels The origins of this particular application are relatively recent (1950s) and I believe that it comes from the meaning of the verb 'to check', as in to mark something off a list, which is also linked to the noun 'checklist'. When a guest leaves a hotel, they are marked on the list as being 'out' of their room, which is now vacant for the next guests to use (after the cleaners have been in, of course). The application of 'check out' in this sense also covers the payment process and anything else that may be involved with the guest's departure. In other words, 'check out' has evolved in English to cover the entire procedure. Normally, when using 'check out' in this way, we do not require a direct object, however occasionally it can be used in a transitive way (with a direct object) when referring to a person who is performing the action of "checking someone out" by taking the key from the guest, updating the computer system, taking payment etc. The guest is always the direct object in this case. Moreover, it is very common to hear check out used with certain words such as 'time', 'late' and 'procedure'. Check-out is regularly used as a noun too. Do you have any idea what time we have to check out of our rooms tomorrow morning? There was a problem with the computers in the hotel and the receptionist had real problems checking us out. I've paid for a late check-out tomorrow, so we can stay in bed a little longer. MEANING 2: To look at something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level ​B1 - Intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To look at, to take a look, Separable? Yes Now we come to the second meaning of 'check out', which is the one that I use a lot on my social media accounts as the central meaning of it is 'to look at something'. There are however slightly different variations within the meaning of this usage, which are dependant on the situation. Firstly, as I mentioned, the core meaning here is to look at something and this can often be used as an imperative when we want someone to give their attention to something, especially if we think that it will amuse, entertain or shock them in some way. Oh wow, check out what Lisa is wearing today! You are not going to believe it! I saw this amazing video online last night, here check it out! Check out my new shoes, they're pretty nice aren't they! A second variation of this usage is to look at something out of curiosity, often because other people have told you about it and you want to see what it is like with your own eyes. For example, if several people tell you that a restaurant is very good, you may also want to go there to check it out for yourself and see what it is like. Further to this however, the action of 'checking out' refers to more than simply seeing something and also includes experiencing something with some or all of your senses and this can be used with anything from music to food and books. A few people have told me that this album is really good, so I am going to check it out tonight to see what all of the fuss is about. When you go to New York, you need to check out this restaurant in Brooklyn. You'll love it! We only moved to the city last week, so we are going to spend this weekend checking out everything that it has to offer. MEANING 3: To prove to be true Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B1 - Intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To corroborate, to confirm, to verify Separable? No The third usage of 'check out' is quite similar the second usage that we just discussed as it also means to 'look at something', however, this time in the sense of 'considering it' or 'thinking about it', with the extra element of investigating and verifying if it is true or not. In other words, if someone makes a claim about something and you are not sure if the claim is truthful or not, you may need to check out the details of it in order to establish if what the person is claiming is indeed real. This is quite similar to the phrasal verb 'look into', but where 'look into' places maximum emphasis emphasis on investigating the details of something, 'check out' is more concerned with whether or not a claim is true or false, although some investigation is also usually required. Can you please leave this with me so I can check out the details and come back to you. The criminal has told the police that he wasn't in the area at the time of the crime, so they are checking out his story now to see if it is true. A notable and frequently used variation of this usage is when we say that something 'checks out', meaning that something proves to be true following an investigation. For this, the verb form is inseparable and we do not place any direct object between 'check' and 'out'. Following their investigation, the police confirmed that the criminal's alibi checked out and he was definitely not in the area at the time of the crime. I've looked into what Lisa is saying about the fraud claims in the company and it checks out. MEANING 4: To ogle someone Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To ogle, to leer, to give someone the glad eye, to perv on Separable? Yes The fourth meaning of 'check out' is yet another extension of the 'look at' meaning that we have already covered in the post and it means 'to ogle someone', which means to look at someone with sexual interest. You will note in the potential synonyms section above that we have many ways of describing this in English and in comparison with some of its synonyms, I think that 'check out' is more light-hearted and socially acceptable than others such as 'leer' and 'ogle', which carry more sinister and negative connotations. As such, you may hear this form in English song lyrics and upbeat movies etc. That guy over there in the white and blue t-shirt has been checking you out for the last 15 minutes! He's really into you! I was on a date with a guy last week and I noticed that he was checking out every single woman that walked past, so I went home and left him there. MEANING 5: To enter into a cash register Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B1 - Intermediate Usage Rare / specific Where is it used? American English Potential synonyms To ring through, to serve Separable? Yes The fifth meaning of 'check out' is a meaning that tends to be used in American English and means to operate a cash register in a shop, store or supermarket. This usage is used specifically to talk about the complete action of a cashier entering the goods to be purchased into a cash register, calculating the price to be paid by the customer and taking payment from them accordingly. The best equivalent of this in British English would be 'to serve'. Furthermore, 'check out' is also used in American English when talking about borrowing books from libraries and refers to the action of registering with the library that you are taking the books for limited period of time, at which point the books in question will be marked as 'out' on the library system, in a similar fashion to checking out in a hotel. I am so tired as I have been checking out customers all day and the store was so busy! Lisa checked out five library books last week and has read them all aleady! Photo: Pexels BONUS: The noun 'checkout' Photo: Pexels I imagine that many of you will already know this, but the noun 'checkout' is one which is derived directly from the phrasal verb and refers to the part of the shop in which payment for goods is made. MEANING 6: To die CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Rare / informal Where is it used? American English Potential synonyms To die, to pass away, to pop your clogs, to kick the bucket Separable? No Meaning number six of 'check out' is a very informal meaning used in American English and is a slang form used to mean 'to die'. As a native British English speaker, this meaning is quite alien to me and is not one that I would personally use, however if you prefer American English then is certainty one worth knowing. MEANING 7: To stop paying attention to something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Rare / informal Where is it used? American English Potential synonyms To lose interest, to zone out Separable? No Now we have come to our seventh and final meaning of 'check out', which is another informal application, once again used primarily in American English, and means to lose interest in something and to stop paying attention to it. This is often used for situations in which people need to concentrate on something but they get bored and start thinking about something else, in other words they 'mentally check out of the conversation or situation'. Sorry, what did you just say? I'm afraid I checked out about five minutes ago. Roger looked at his pupils and could see some who had clearly checked out and were playing on their cellphones. Photo: Pexels BONUS: Ooh! Check you out! If you spend time with any native speakers, you may have heard them use the expression 'check you out!'. This is a common informal expression that is used to say that you are impressed either with something that somebody has done or with a skill that the person has acquired. For example, if someone shows you a new skateboarding trick that they have learned and you find it impressive, you might say to them "wow, check you out!". You've had your hair cut, check you out! Check you out! You've passed all of your exams and are off to Cambridge university. Im very impressed. Photo: Pexels 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 'check out' more confidently and naturally. Feel free to leave any comments, feedback or your own sentences using 'check out' 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 😊 Thanks so much for reading and see you next time! James 😊 THE END

An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'go off' from a native speaker, with lots of examples in context Photo: Pexels 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. The phrasal verb 'go off' is a multifaceted phrasal verb with many different meanings, ranging from food that is no longer ok to eat to losing your temper. In this post we will cover eight different meanings that it has, as well as some common everyday idioms that features in. So, without further ado, let's get started.... QUICK ANSWER: What does the phrasal verb 'go off' mean? The phrasal verb 'go off' has eight main meanings in English: To leave and go somewhere else To happen or proceed To stop functioning (electrical device) To be activated To go bad (food) To stop liking something To lose your temper To go to sleep TABLE OF CONTENTS (Click to jump to each one) Go Off - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'go' and 'off' Go Off - Meaning 1: To leave and go somewhere else Go Off - Meaning 2: To happen or proceed Go Off - Meaning 3: To stop functioning (electrical device) Go Off - Meaning 4: To be activated Go Off - Meaning 5: To go bad (food) Go Off - Meaning 6: To stop liking something Go Off - Meaning 7: To lose your temper Go Off - Bonus: The expression 'to go off on one' Go Off - Meaning 8: To go to sleep 🇬🇧 Go Off - Bonus: Some common expressions featuring 'go off' I love writing this blog & helping learners but I receive very little feedback as to how useful it is or if people enjoy & learn from it. Therefore, if you find the post useful, please like & share it or leave a comment at the end. I'd be very grateful. Thank you! James 😊 Photo: Pexels THE BASICS GO OFF: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 4 Past tense forms Went off / Gone off Separable? No The phrasal verb 'go off' consists of the verb 'to go', which is one of the commonest English verbs that you will undoubtedly be very familiar with. The verb 'to go' is all about movement and travel and is used extremely frequently by English speakers to talk about movement from place to place, as well as departing or leaving a place. Another meaning of 'to go' can also be 'to become' and it is used to talk about a change of some sort. As you will see, many of the phrasal verb meanings that we will look at shortly carry both or either of these ideas of changing and moving. The prepositional particle 'off' has a large number of meanings and applications in English, which is perhaps why there are so many varied meanings of 'go off', as you will now see.... MEANING 1: To leave and go somewhere else Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B1 - Intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To leave, to depart The first meaning of 'go off' means simply 'to leave somewhere and go elsewhere' and is commonly used by native speakers in this sense. When used an adverb, one of the many meanings of 'off' on its own is 'to leave' and so if you ever hear a native speaker say that "they are off", it probably means that they are about to leave where they are and they wish to say goodbye. We don't tend to use 'go off' to announce to people that we are leaving somewhere, but we do certainly use it to talk about describe the action of departing a place. Often, this 'go off' can be used interchangeably with 'go' with little or no difference in meaning. However, this first usage of 'go off' does not just mean 'to leave' because it also carries the idea that the person is going to a different place, especially if they are likely to be there for a while. In this case we often tend to state the place where the person has 'gone off' to and it is really common among native speakers to use it with nouns like university, work, bed and holiday. John and Helen were here earlier but they have gone off to a friend's house for dinner. My son is going off to university in a few months and I am going to miss him terribly! Lisa is not here I'm afraid. She has gone off backpacking around Argentina and Chile and will be away for a few months. 'Go off' can also be used to say that someone has left a place suddenly or unexpectedly. Roger was here one minute chatting to everyone and then suddenly he just went off to the toilet and he was there for ages! MEANING 2: To happen or proceed Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To proceed, to happen The second meaning of 'go off' means to happen or to proceed and is used to talk about the way in which something happened. This is usually to describe some kind of planned event, action or occasion and to evaluate how well it proceeded, normally to say whether or not it went well or if there were issues or problems. Most of the time this application of 'go off' is used in the past tense as it is describing how successfully an event 'went off'. When talking about an event that was successful, native speakers will often use adverbs such as well, successfully, smoothly or seamlessly. Alternatively, we also use 'without a problem / issue', however there is one expression which definitely wins the prize for the most commonly used : 'to go off without a hitch' (as per the gif). A hitch is a word to describe a slight problem, issue or setback and this expression is used a lot by native speakers, so it is a great one to learn and use. Conversely, when talking about unsuccessful events or events where unexpected things happened, it is more usual for native speakers to say that something 'did not go off without a hitch' or that it 'did not go off as planned / expected'. If you want to elevate your language a little bit more, you can always insert an extra 'as + adverb' into the mix such as 'as well as planned' or 'as successfully as expected'. The wedding went off perfectly! I don't think there were any issues at all! The marketing manager was really pleased as the promotional event that he had organised went off without a hitch. My birthday party didn't go off as planned unfortunately. The bad weather meant that neither the caterer nor half of the guests could get there. MEANING 3: To stop functioning (electrical device) Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B1 - Intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To turn off The third meaning of 'go off' that we will cover means to stop working or functioning and is used specifically to talk about electrical devices such as lights, televisions, computers and machines. This is used to describe when an electrical device stops working without human intervention, such as when there is a power cut (blackout), when batteries run out or when there is an electrical problem. We would not normally use it when a person's actions make the device go off as the correct phrasal verbs to use in that instance would be 'turn off' or 'switch off'. If you have read my post on the common phrasal verb 'go on', you may remember that one of the meanings that it has is the exact opposite of this meaning i.e. when electrical devices start functioning by themselves without human intervention. All of a sudden the lights went off and we had to sit in darkness for 10 minutes until they came back on again. Oh no! For some reason my computer has just gone off and I haven't saved my work!!! The lights in airplanes go off automatically during landing and take off. MEANING 4: To be activated Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To be activated, to explode In complete contrast to the previous meaning, this fourth meaning of 'go off' actually means 'to be activated', so basically the opposite meaning! I know this may seem confusing, so let me explain... Whereas in the previous meaning we talked about electrical devices losing power and stopping functioning, with this example we are rather talking about devices that must be activated in some way to perform their main function. Generally, these devices are inactive for most of the time and when they are activated, they perform their function for a temporary period only, such as an alarm. Unlike the previous meaning, this application is not just limited to electrical items and is used with non-electrical items too. Some of the main nouns used with this meaning of 'go off' are: An alarm - This is definitely the natural way that native speakers talk about alarms being activated, especially their morning alarms to wake them up. A gun - We say that a gun 'goes off' when it fires, normally when triggered by accident and not through human intervention or when heard from a distance without knowing who caused the gun to fire. A firework - We talk about 'fireworks going off' when we can hear them, especially if we do not know who is responsible for them. Likewise, we would use this if a firework explodes by accident and not through human intervention. A bomb - If a bomb explodes, we say that it 'goes off'. My alarm goes off at 6.00am every morning. There were fireworks going off everywhere last night! The gun went off by accident but luckily nobody was injured. MEANING 5: To go bad (food) Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To spoil, to go bad Firstly, apologies for the picture in this section, however it is one that gives a very accurate descriptive image of our fifth meaning of 'go off', which is to become inedible due to decomposition. This is primarily a British usage, which we use to to talk about food and drink that we should not consume anymore as it may make us ill and furthermore, would certainly not taste very nice. Like with the first meaning, it is also common in British English to describe bad or mouldy food and drink as 'off' and so this meaning of 'go off' is used to describe the process of changing from edible and healthy to bad and inedible. Eurgh, this milk has definitely gone off. It smells disgusting! If you leave meat out in a warm room, it will not be long before it starts to go off. Sorry, I had to throw your yoghurt in the bin as it had gone off. MEANING 6: To stop liking something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To stop liking, to lose interest For meaning number six of 'go off' we are going to stay with British usages as it means to stop liking something, or alternatively to lose interest in it, and this is a bit similar to the last meaning as it is another case of going from something to positive (like) to something negative (dislike). It can be used to describe when we stop liking people, both in a romantic and a non-romantic sense, as well as items, ideas and activities. This is quite similar to the phrasal verb 'put off', which can also mean to stop liking something. With 'put off' though, there is normally something which makes us stop liking it, whereas with 'go off' the focus is not the, it is normally either because the novelty has worn off or we have naturally lost interest. I used to like this song but I've heard it so much now that I have gone off it. You can easily go off people! My daughter wanted to go to university in the USA but now she's seen how much it will cost, she has gone off the idea. MEANING 7: To lose your temper Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To lose your temper We've now reached our seventh meaning, so well done if you are still with me! This seventh meaning of 'go off' means to suddenly become angry. This meaning is probably derived from the fourth meaning of 'becoming activated' but instead of an electrical device being activated, in this instance it is a person's anger. If we become angry with a particular person and start shouting at them, we can say that we 'go off on them', with the additional preposition 'on' necessary. Look at the state of the house! You had better clean it up or Mom is going to go off when she sees it! Roger's boss went off at him when Roger told him that he wanted to leave the company. Photo: Pexels BONUS: The expression 'to go off on one' In continuation of this meaning, in informal British English the idiom 'to go off on one' exists to describe when a person suddenly becomes very angry or very excited (or both). Helen went off on one as soon as she realised that her bike had been stolen. My Dad will go off on one if he finds out that you have broken his golf clubs. MEANING 8: To go to sleep Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium British or American? British Potential synonyms To go to sleep, to drop off, to get off We've now come to our eighth and final usage of 'go off', which means to fall asleep. This is another usage found in British English and is quite informal. It is used very similarly to 'get off' and is used to used to describe the process of falling asleep. I went off to sleep really early last night. I must have been really tired! My baby has gone off to sleep for a bit, so now I have the chance to do some housework. Photo: Pexels BONUS: Some common expressions featuring 'go off' The phrasal verb 'go off' is used in a few more idiomatic expressions, which i want to make you aware of before you test what you have learned in the exercise.... To go off on a tangent - This idiomatic expression is used to describe when a person suddenly starts talking about a completely different or irrelevant subject whilst in a conversation with someone. To go off the boil - This is a chiefly British expression to describe when something becomes less urgent than it previously was. Moreover, if you say that something 'has gone off the boil', it can also mean that it is no longer as popular or successful as it once was in the past. To go off the rails - This idiom is primarily used to describe people who start behaving in a socially unacceptable or inappropriate way and is regularly used to describe rebellious teenagers and adolescents. To go off the deep end - This final idiom that I want to give you means to start acting irrationally, excited or angry, without without fully understanding a situation. 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 'go off' more confidently and naturally. Feel free to leave any comments, feedback or your own sentences using 'go off' 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 😊 Thanks so much for reading and see you next time! James 😊 THE END

An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'bring up' from a native speaker, with lots of example sentences Photo: Pexels 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. This post is all about the phrasal verb 'bring up', which has very varied and diverse meanings, especially compared to some of the recent phrasal verbs that I have covered such as 'look at' and 'take over'. In this post we will consider the different meanings that it has and also look at some common expressions that it is used in. So let's not beat around the bush* any longer and let's get started.... *'To beat around the bush' is an idiom that means to talk about things that are not important and not get to the point. QUICK ANSWER: What does the phrasal verb 'bring up' mean? The phrasal verb 'bring up' has seven main meanings in English: Literal meaning To raise a child To introduce a topic into a conversation To vomit To cause to appear on a screen To come to a sudden stop To update or improve TABLE OF CONTENTS (Click to jump to each one) Bring Up - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'bring' and 'up' Bring Up - Meaning 1: Literal Bring Up - Meaning 2: To raise a child Bring Up - Bonus: The noun 'upbringing' Bring Up - Bonus: Some common expressions with 'bring up' Bring Up - Meaning 3: To introduce a topic into a conversation Bring Up - Meaning 4: To vomit Bring Up - Meaning 5: To cause to appear on a screen Bring Up - Meaning 6: To come to a sudden stop Bring Up - Bonus: The idiom 'to bring someone up short' Bring Up - Meaning 7: To update or improve Bring Up - Bonus: To bring up the rear I love writing this blog and helping learners but I get very little feedback so I don't always know if it is helpful for you. Therefore, if you find the post useful, please like and share it or leave a comment at the end. I would be very grateful. Thank you! James 😊 Photo: Pexels THE BASICS BRING UP: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 7 Past tense forms Brought up / Brought up Separable? Yes As I mentioned at the beginning, 'bring up' is a phrasal verb with very diverse meanings and consists of the verb 'to bring', meaning to take something to a place with you, and the prepositional particle 'up', meaning a movement in the direction away from the ground or towards the sky ↑. I know from experience of teaching English that the verb 'to bring' can often be confused with the related verb 'to take'. The difference between these two verbs is mainly to do with the position of the speaker and the direction of movement. Both verbs can mean to carry something to a place. If the object is carried towards them, we use 'to bring' and if the object is carried away from where they are when they are speaking, we use 'to take'. Can you bring me some water please? (Here the speaker is not moving and wants the water to come to them, where they are speaking.) I will take some sandwiches with me to work tomorrow. (Here, the speaker is going to move from where they are speaking to go to work and the sandwiches will go with them.) The above is just a brief overview of the differences between these two verbs and more detailed explanations are available elsewhere online. I just wanted to make you aware of the main differences here before we look at the phrasal verb meanings. So, without further ado, let's check them out.... MEANING 1: Literal Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level A2 - Elementary Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To take up, to bring, to take Separable? Yes To start things off, let's consider the literal meaning of the phrasal verb 'bring up', which is commonly used by native speakers to express the idea of transporting something to a place that is relatively higher than where they are. This application is typically used when someone is upstairs in a house or building or in a higher physical position than the person who they are talking to and they want him or her to bring them something. Could you bring up the boxes from the basement? I've asked Mike to bring up my suitcase to the attic. Linda brought up the laundry basket from the ground floor. The waiter brought up the food to our hotel room. We need to bring up the chairs from the storage room for the party. On a grammatical note, one thing to note here is that we normally insert the object pronoun such as me, him, her, them etc. between 'bring' and 'up'. I think this literal meaning is quite easy and straightforward to understand, so we'll move on to the next meanings but before we go, here are a couple of examples to illustrate usage.... Can you bring me up some water when you come to bed? As it is your birthday tomorrow, I will bring you up some breakfast in bed. MEANING 2: To raise a child Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B1 - Intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To raise, to rear Separable? Yes The first non-literal meaning of 'bring up' that we will consider is similar to the common phrasal verb 'grow up', but while 'grow up' simply refers to the process of growing from a child to an adult, we use 'bring up' to talk about how our parents (or primary caregivers), actively look after and teach a child during the growing up process. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Son / Daughter Child / Children Kid Grandson / Granddaughter / Children This can be used to talk about where we lived during our childhood, as well as the beliefs and values that we were taught during this time. It is used by native speakers commonly in both an active and a passive sense alike. In the active sense, we are talking about the parents or caregivers who are the subjects of the verb and in the passive sense we talk about ourselves or other people and what was taught and experienced during the growing up process. My parents brought me up to always say please and thank you and to treat everyone with respect. He was brought up in an orphanage and never knew his birth parents. Lisa managed to bring up four children all by herself after her husband tragically died. Mary worked hard to bring up her children on her own. John and Sue brought up their kids to be kind and respectful. Parents should bring up their children with good values. My friend was brought up in a strict household. Photo: Pexels BONUS: The noun 'upbringing' Did you know that there is a noun that is derived from this application of 'bring up'? The noun 'upbringing' is used to refer to how a person was treated, educated and shaped when they were growing up, or in other words, how they were brought up. I had a very strict upbringing and so I have tried to be a little more relaxed with my own children. What was your upbringing like? Kathy's strict upbringing instilled in her a strong sense of discipline and responsibility. Despite his humble upbringing, Jason worked hard and became a successful entrepreneur. BONUS: Some common expressions with 'bring up' In addition to the noun 'upbringing', there are also a couple of other expressions that feature this usage of 'bring up' that I want to make you aware of.... Were you brought up in a barn? This rhetorical question is a variation of "Were you born in a barn?" and is used to criticise someone who leaves a door open in a room, particularly if it is cold or draughty. Were you brought up or dragged up? This is another rhetorical question which can be aimed at someone who doesn't behave well, implying that their parents did not teach them how to behave properly when they were growing up. Both of the above expressions are normally used in a humorous way and are not meant to cause offence, however it could be offensive if said in an unfriendly way, or if you do not have the right sort of relationship with the person, so I would recommend only using this with people with whom you have a good relationship. MEANING 3: To introduce a topic into conversation Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms ​To introduce, to raise, to mention Separable? Yes Our next meaning of 'bring up' is very different to the previous one that we've just looked at and means 'to introduce a topic or subject of discussion into a conversation'. Nous commonly used with this application.... Subject Topic Point Argument Issue The idea behind this is that the person who brings the subject up, does so intentionally, i.e. the subject did not enter into the discussion by chance but because somebody wanted to discuss it. (By the way, if a subject enters into a conversation naturally, then the phrasal verb 'come up' (link here) would be applicable.) This can be heard often in business English, especially in reference to meetings and agendas for subjects that need to be discussed. It is also equally common to use it outside of the business world, when talking about general conversations or discussions. I've made a note of the issue and I will bring it up at the next management meeting. Why did you have to bring that up in front of my parents?! You know their views on the subject! I didn't want to bring up the funeral yesterday as I could see that you were already upset. Anna brought up an interesting point during the debate. I didn’t want to bring up the argument from yesterday, so I kept quiet. Nick always brings up politics at family dinners. The teacher brought up the importance of time management. Let’s not bring up that embarrassing story again! MEANING 4: To vomit Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level ​B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Rare Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To vomit, to puke, to throw up, to barf, to be sick, to cough up Separable? Yes Out fourth application of 'bring up' means 'to vomit or to be sick'*. Although this is not the most pleasant of meanings, it happens to us all at some point and is therefore worth covering! Nouns commonly used with this application.... Food / Drink Alcohol Blood Bile Phlegm When we use this application of 'bring up', the focus is not so much on the vomiting action itself, but rather on what is being expelled from the stomach and could be for example blood, poison or something that you have swallowed that you should not have. It is also possible to use 'bring up' in this sense with coughing, for example with phlegm. We can also use the more specific phrasal verb 'to cough up' here as a synonym. The baby brought up some milk after feeding. Kate had food poisoning and kept bringing up her dinner. After drinking too much, Jack ran to the bathroom to bring up his drinks. The motion sickness made Marianne bring up her breakfast. The dog was very sick and was bringing up lots of blood but luckily it was not life-threatening and he has made a full recovery now. My 3-year old son swallowed a small toy part but he brought it up again shortly afterwards before any harm was done. *As a side note, don't forget that 'to be sick' in English can mean to have an illness or disease and also to vomit. The context is key here to understand which one we mean. Meaning 5: To cause to appear on a screen Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 Upper intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To open Separable? Yes Our next meaning of 'bring up' is one that has become MUCH more widespread over the last few decades as it is used particularly with IT and computers and means 'to cause something to appear on your screen'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Document Spreadsheet File Picture Website Menu Results This application is normally used when we click on something to open it, such as a document or web page, but is also used extremely commonly when talking about the results of a search on a search engine (naming no names, you know the ones I'm talking about!). If you right click with your mouse, it will bring up a menu. Can you bring up the results of the test on your screen for me? When I looked up the question online it brought lots of irrelevant results up. Press this button to bring up the settings menu. Can you bring up the document on your laptop? MEANING 6: To come to a sudden stop Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Rare Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To stop, to halt, to pull over Separable? Yes This sixth meaning of 'bring up' is a rarer one than some of the meanings that we have already covered and means 'to cause a vehicle to come to a sudden stop'. This is especially used for cars, but could be used for all types of vehicles, including boats, where it is specifically used for dropping an anchor in order to stop it. They decided to bring up the ship in the harbour for the night due to the bad weather. The driver brought up the car just before the red light. IDIOM ALERT: The idiom 'to bring someone up short' I think that this is a good time to introduce an idiom with 'bring up' that is linked to this particular meaning. The idiom 'to bring someone up short' is a fairly common expression that is used to express when someone stops what they are doing because something has surprised or shocked them. I was having a productive day yesterday until an email from my boss brought me up short. MEANING 7: To update or improve Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To update, to modernise, to improve Separable? Yes This seventh and final meaning of 'bring up' that I wanted to include in the post is when it is used to describe the process of updating or improving something. This is typically expressed by way of two different set expressions: 'to bring someone up to date' and 'to bring someone up to speed'. When we use it to talk about updating (bring up to date), we can mean updating a machine, a product, a building or anything else which can be modernised so that it is as current as possible. Moreover, we can also use it to mean updating a person (bring up to speed), so that they have all of the most recent information about a given topic or situation. A third, rarer, set expression exists with this application, which is 'to bring something up to standard'. This can also be used in reference to improving something (often, incidentally, by modernising it) so that certain standards are met. The interior designers are planning to bring the interior of the castle up to date. I had a meeting with Roger earlier and he brought me up to speed with everything that I missed whilst I was on holiday. The teaching in the school was very poor, so a team was sent there to bring it up to standard. Can you bring me up to date on the latest project developments? The company is bringing its software up to date with new features. Kelly brought the team up to date on the changes in the schedule. I need to bring my knowledge up to date with the latest technology trends. The teacher brought the students up to date on the recent discoveries in science. Photo: Pexels BONUS: The idiom 'to bring up the rear' Before I finish the post, I just want to give you a bonus expression featuring our phrasal verb of choice 'bring up'. The expression in question is 'to bring up the rear' and is quite appropriate to have at the end of this post as it means to be the last one of a group or category. This is most often used when talking about the last people in a queue, line or group of people who are going somewhere. The slowest hikers brought up the rear of the group. In the marathon, Jamie struggled but managed to bring up the rear. Photo: Pexels 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 'bring up' more confidently and naturally. Feel free to leave any comments, feedback or your own sentences using 'bring up' 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

An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'come to' from a native speaker, with lots of examples in context Photo: Pexels 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. The phrasal verb 'take off' is a wonderful phrasal verb to be have in your active English vocabulary, not only because it is very commonly used amongst native speakers, but also because many of its meanings are positive, happy and sometimes even humorous in nature! In this post, I will explain the different meanings that it has, with lots of examples of how it is used in everyday conversation and speech. So, without further ado, let's get started! Don't forget to leave a comment at the end! QUICK ANSWER: What does the phrasal verb 'take off' mean? The phrasal verb 'take off' has eight main meanings in English: To remove something from a surface To remove an item of clothing To leave the ground and start flying To take leave from work To become successful To leave suddenly To deduct or reduce To imitate someone TABLE OF CONTENTS (Click to jump to each one) Take Off - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'take' and 'off' Take Off - Meaning 1: To remove something from a surface Take Off - Meaning 2: To remove an item of clothing Take Off - Meaning 3: To leave the ground and start flying Take Off - Meaning 4: To take leave from work Take Off - Meaning 5: To become successful Take Off - Meaning 6: To leave suddenly Take Off - Bonus: To take oneself off Take Off - Meaning 7: To deduct or reduce Take Off - Meaning 8: To imitate someone I love writing this blog & helping learners but I receive very little feedback as to how useful it is or if people enjoy & learn from it. Therefore, if you find the post useful, please like & share it or leave a comment at the end. I'd be very grateful. Thank you! James 😊 Photo: Pexels THE BASICS TAKE OFF: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 8 Past tense forms Took off / Taken off Separable? Sometimes Before I explain the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'take off', let's first consider the individual words 'take' and 'off' and what they mean on their own. 'To take' is a highly versatile English verb that has a variety of different meanings depending on the context of the sentence that it features in. Personally, as a native speaker, the first meanings of 'to take' that I think of when I hear this verb are 'to grasp or hold something', 'to carry something with you' and one that is particularly relevant for this post 'to remove something from a place'. The English prepositional particle 'off' functions as the natural opposite of the preposition 'on' and can act as an adverb, preposition, adjective, and noun. When used as an adverb, it is perhaps most commonly used to add the ideas of a movement away from something or a an action that removes something from a surface. In phrasal verbs, 'off' can be used to convey the ideas of separation (break off), leaving (set off) and reduction (fall off) among others. So, now that we have looked at the basics, let's move onto the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'take off'... MEANING 1: To remove something from a surface Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Levels A2 - Elementary Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To remove, to take, to pick up Potential antonyms To put on, to place on Separable? Yes Let's begin with a nice and easy meaning of 'take off', which is 'to remove something from a surface'. This usage is simply just the action of removing something from the surface that it is on, so that is is no longer touching or supported by it. The action of 'taking off' in this sense is usually carried out manually, i.e. with your hands. Grammatically, this usage is separable and while it is certainly used inseparably, I think that there is more of a tendency amongst native speakers to use it inseparably in spoken English. Can you take your shoes off the table, please. When I took the book off the shelf, I accidentally knocked off the vase. John put his coffee on top his car and then forgot to take it off again before he drove off. There are a couple of other more advanced and abstract uses of this application with the idea of removal that you should also be aware of. The first is when referring to a product or service that is on the market and available to the public to buy. If the company who is manufactures or provides it decides that they no longer want to sell the product or provide the service, they take it off the market so that nobody can buy it anymore. Furthermore, in some cases these cancelled products may even be taken off supermarket and shop shelves so that they cannot be sold. Due to poor sales, the company has decided to take this product off the market. Likewise, the same applies with television and radio broadcasting, in which programmes etc. are considered to be 'on the air'. If the broadcaster decides that they are going to stop showing the programme, it will be taken off (the air). After 30 years, we are very sad to say that a decision has been made to take the programme off the air this summer. Lastly, it is also possible for sports players to be taken off the sports pitch if it is decided that they can no longer continue to play the game, whether that be because they have developed an injury or committed a foul etc. etc. The player was taken off in fifth minute after committing a nasty foul. MEANING 2: To remove an item of clothing Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level A2 - Elementary Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To remove, to undress, to disrobe, to kick off, to strip off, Potential antonyms To put on, to wear, to keep on, to have on Separable? Yes Our second meaning of 'take off' is more a continuation of the first, rather than a completely new one, as it means 'to remove an item of clothing'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Clothes Shoes Socks Glasses Hat Watch Jewellery In this case, we are again removing an object from a surface, however this time the surface is specifically our bodies and the object being removed is an item of clothing. You may already be aware that in English we use the phrasal verb 'have on' as a synonym of the verb 'to wear' and typically, we use this application of 'take off' for anything that we 'have on' our bodies. Of course, this covers the more general nouns such as clothing and clothes as well as specific items of clothing, such as coats, jackets, shirts, trousers / pants, socks, shoes etc. In addition to this, we can also use it for things like jewellery, watches, glasses and accessories. One notable exception for something that we can have on or wear in English but not take off, for obvious reasons, is aftershave or perfume. Please take off your shoes before entering the house. It was so cold in my office today that I refused to take my coat off. When Roger got home from his run, the first thing that he did was take off his dirty clothes and have a shower. My hairdresser asked me to take off my glasses when she was cutting my hair. When going through security at the airport, it is necessary to take off all your jewellery so as not to set off the metal detector. MEANING 3: To leave the ground and start flying Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level A2 - Elementary Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To fly, to take flight, to become airborne, to take wing, to fly off, to depart Potential antonyms To land, to arrive Separable? No Our third meaning of 'take off' is one that many of you will be familiar with and will likely have associated with this particular phrasal verb. This is especially so if you have ever flown in an airplane and it means 'to leave the ground and start flying' or 'to become airborne'. When we talk about an airplane, rocket, helicopter or hot air balloon taking off, we are specifically referring to the moment at the beginning of the flight when it leaves the ground and moves into the air in an upwards direction. In other words, it starts flying. This is something many people love (including me) and fear in equal measure! The airplane was about to take off when the pilot told us that we had to wait as there was a delay. Taking off is my favourite part of the plane journey, however my wife hates it and always gets really scared. No planes are allowed to take off during the hurricane for obvious reasons. As English is the international language of aviation, you will always hear this particular usage of 'take off' used in this way if you go on an international flight. In addition, you will almost certainly always hear the noun form 'takeoff' (alternatively 'take-off') being used too. Cabin crew, please prepare the doors for takeoff. Seatbelts must be worn during takeoff and landing. Of course, I have only mentioned manmade inventions in this usage, however you should be aware that we also use this application of 'take off' for birds, insects, bats and anything else in the natural world that is lucky enough to have the ability to fly! The captured bird took off whilst the cat was not looking and escaped into the sky. If you go to the mouth of the cave at dusk, you may be lucky enough to see hundreds of bats taking off. Suddenly, the swan took off and flew off into the sunset. MEANING 4: To take leave from work Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B1 - Intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To have off, to take out, to book off Potential antonyms To work Separable? Yes As I mentioned in the previous section, I love taking off in airplanes. Another thing that I love, which also involves taking off in airplanes, is going on holiday (vacation in US English). Like many other lucky holidaymakers, I have a job and so when I want to go on holiday, I have to to take leave from work and book days off, which brings us nicely to our next meaning of 'take off', which is 'to take leave from work'. For this usage, we require an additional noun to specify the time period that we will not be working, such as a morning, day, week or fortnight. Alternatively, we can just use the general nouns 'time' or 'leave' when referring to an unspecified period. 'Take off' is not necessarily always used for holidays or vacations and can be used for any period of time when a person decides that they cannot work for whatever reason, be it sickness, family commitments or a sabbatical. I've decided to take next week off as I have lots of things to do at home. Take the day off tomorrow and let's go to the beach! The doctor has advised me to take a few months off as my stress levels are too high at the moment. John won't be in the office until this afternoon as he has taken the morning off to go to the dentist. MEANING 5: To become successful Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To explode, to blow up Potential antonyms To flop Separable? No Our next definition of 'take off' is one that we all hope for in our lives as it means 'to become successful'. primarily used for things like careers, a product or something that can become popular with the public. This is typically used in relation to careers, products, or anything that can gain popularity among the public and usually occurs abruptly and rapidly. To understand this meaning of 'take off' a bit better, let's stick with the ongoing theme and use the airplane as a metaphor for a pop star's career.... Whilst the airplane is on the ground, it moves slowly except when taking off and is not fulfilling it's primary function of flying. When it does take off however, it accelerates rapidly and flies high in the air with lots of energy, performing its intended function. Similarly, now imagine a pop singer's career as an airplane (weird, I know). Whilst it is on the ground at the airport, little progress is made and its primary goals of selling records and entertaining audiences are not met. Yet, once the airplane-shaped career takes off, it suddenly and quickly does so and before you know it, it is high up in the air, moving at top speed and achieving its objectives. In this case, the airplane is a metaphor for a pop singer's career, but it could equally be used for anything that can gain popularity with the public. Following the launch of our new marketing campaign, sales took off and our profits rose dramatically. Julia Roberts' career took off after appearing in Pretty Woman. If the company wants this product to take off in the way that their last one did, they are going to have to invest in some more market research. MEANING 6: To leave suddenly CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To run away, to leave, to run off, to depart Potential antonyms To Separable? No In the previous section, I explained how if something takes off, it can mean sudden success or popularity and for this next usage, we are staying with the idea of something happening suddenly, but in this case it is for when a person leaves or departs in a sudden or unexpected way. To put it another way, if you take off, you go away from where you are in a quick or hasty manner. This may be because you are scared, you want to avoid a confrontation, there is an emergency or perhaps you just want to go home. The reason for the sudden departure is not important for this usage, it is purely the nature of the departure i.e. sudden or unexpected that is important for this particular meaning. I'm not sure where Roger went. He took off about 10 minutes ago and didn't bother saying goodbye to anyone. The criminal took off before the police arrived. The dogs took off as soon as soon as they saw a squirrel. Sarah just shut down her computer and took off without saying a word to any of her colleagues. BONUS: To take oneself off In addition to a person taking off, it is also possible to say that a person takes themselves off, i.e. in a reflexive way, with the -self pronoun. 'To take yourself off' has a slightly different meaning as it means to leave the place where you are, often in order to go somewhere quiet or private. This can often be to get away from a particular situation or place and does not convey the same idea of a sudden or quick departure like the non-reflexive form does. Simon took himself off to his bedroom to have a think about the way that he had behaved. I needed a break from work and my hectic life, so I took myself off to Greece for a week. Lastly, it is also possible to 'take someone off somewhere', which is used for when you take a person away from the place that they are to another place. This can be either in a positive way... My husband is taking me off to Paris for a few days next week! I am really looking forward to it. Or a negative way, i.e. when the person does not want to go to the destination... The police took the suspect off to the police station for questioning. MEANING 7: To deduct or reduce Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To take away, to subtract, to reduce, to diminish, to minus, to deduct Potential antonyms To add on, to put on Separable? Yes The seventh meaning of 'take off' is definitely one for the mathematicians amongst you as it means 'to deduct' or 'to reduce' and is primarily used when talking about numbers, figures and percentages. When talking about numbers and figures, 'take off' is just another synonym of the verbs 'to subtract', 'to minus', 'to deduct' and 'to take away', however I think it is far less commonly used in this respect than the others. You are more likely to see and hear this application in use when talking about percentages being deducted from figures, however. We normally offer this customer list price with 10% taken off. That price is the list price. Don't forget you need to take off the 10% discount for the customer's net price. Are you able to take anything off this price? Another way that you may see this application of 'take off' is when something causes prices to fall. For example, if a busy road is built near to where someone lives, the price of their house is likely to decrease due to the noise and pollution that the road would undoubtedly bring. In this sense you could say, that "the new road will take a lot of money off the price of the house". MEANING 8: To imitate someone Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To copy, to imitate, to mimic, to impersonate Separable? Yes Let's end the post with a British usage of 'take off'', which is specifically 'to take someone off' and means 'to imitate or copy someone'. This application is generally used when you want to impersonate or mimic someone for comedic effect, i.e, to make other people laugh. This can range from copying the way that somebody speaks and their mannerisms to how they walk and dress. 'Taking someone off' is often slightly derogatory in nature and may often be considered as offensive or hurtful by the person who is being taken off. However, many of us Brits have a good and often self-deprecating sense of humour and this is not always the case, with some people finding it extremely funny or amusing. I guess it all really comes down to the relationship and the situation in each case! Sarah is really good at taking off our boss. She can do a great impression of her accent and how she speaks. The comedian's style of comedy is impersonation and taking off different TV stars of the past. He was trying to take me off but in fact he sounded nothing like me. Photo: Pexels 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 'take off' more confidently and naturally. Feel free to leave any comments, feedback or your own sentences using 'take off' 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

An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'set off' from a native speaker, with lots of examples in context Photo: Pexels 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. 'Set off' is a common English phrasal verb that is used by people in many different areas of modern life, ranging from holidaymakers to accountants and even fashion designers. In this post, I will take you through all of its different applications in English and tell you how you should use them, with lots of examples to help your understanding. So, without further ado, let's get started.... QUICK ANSWER: What does the phrasal verb 'set off' mean? The phrasal verb 'set off' has six main meanings in English.... To begin a journey To activate something To cause someone to react To start a chain of events To improve the appearance of something To balance one thing against another TABLE OF CONTENTS (Click to jump to each one) Set Off - The Basics: Key information & the individual words 'set' and 'off' Set Off - Meaning 1: To begin a journey Set Off - Meaning 2: To activate something Set Off - Meaning 3: To cause someone to react Set Off - Meaning 4: To start a chain of events Set Off - Meaning 5: To improve the appearance of something Set Off - Meaning 6: To balance one thing against another I love writing this blog & helping learners but I receive very little feedback as to how useful it is or if people enjoy & learn from it. Therefore, if you find the post useful, please like & share it or leave a comment at the end. I'd be very grateful. Thank you! James 😊 Photo: Pexels THE BASICS SET OFF: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 6 Past tense forms Set off / Set off Separable? Sometimes Before we delve into the different meanings of 'set off', let's take a moment to consider the individual meanings of the words 'set' and 'off'. It may surprise you to know that the word 'set' is the word with the highest number of meanings in the English language, with a total of 430 different meanings and senses! That is a crazy amount and I highly doubt that most English native speakers know them all and are able to use them. When used as a verb, 'set', unsurprisingly, has a large number of meanings, however the one that is most relevant for the purposes of the phrasal verb 'set off' is 'to cause something to be in a specified condition' e.g. "he set the house on fire". In this example sentence 'to set' is the causing action and the condition is 'on fire'. The prepositional particle 'off', like most prepositions in English, has a wide variety of different meanings and uses. When used in phrasal verb constructions it can often provide ideas of separation, departure and finishing, among many others. One meaning of 'off' to note here is that when used as an adjective, it can describe someone that is about to start, or has just started on a journey. For example if you hear "the horses are off", it means that the horses in a race have just started running. In another example, if someone says "I'm off to work", it means that they are about to leave the house to go to work in the next minute. Now that we have covered the basics, let's have a look at the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'set off'... MEANING 1: To begin a journey Photo: Wix Media CEFR English Level B1 - Intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To set out, to depart, to leave, to head off, to embark Separable? No The first meaning of 'set off' that we will look at is 'to begin a journey', or alternatively 'to depart' or 'to leave'. This usage of 'set off' is a very common in spoken English and is slightly informal in register. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Journey Trip Adventure Voyage For this application of 'set off', we combine the sense of the verb to 'to set', meaning 'to cause something to be in a specified condition, with the adverbial meaning of the particle 'off', meaning 'to be moving away from a place'. Therefore, when we use 'set off' in this way, we are saying that we are going to move away from a place, or in other words depart or leave. This usage is very similar to the phrasal verb 'set out' (link here) and perhaps slightly more commonly used. Grammatically, this application of 'set off' is inseparable and does not take a direct object. 'Set off' is often followed by additional prepositions 'on' or 'for'; 'on' is used to specify the type of journey and 'for' is used to specify the destination. What time are you setting off tomorrow morning? I'm sorry, you've just missed John. He set off for work five minutes ago. When I set off on this hike earlier this morning, it was freezing cold. Look at the time! We'd better set off for the airport soon or we will be late for the flight. MEANING 2: To activate something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Common British or American? Both Potential synonyms To trigger, to activate, to detonate Separable? Yes The second meaning of 'set off' is 'to activate' something and is used specifically with certain nouns such as 'bomb' and 'alarm'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Alarm Bomb Detector Sprinkler Gun Firework Like with the previous examples, this application of 'set off' links back to the meaning of the verb 'to set' that is 'to cause something to be in a specified condition' and the specified condition this time is 'activation mode'. In simple terms, 'to set off' is to cause something to activate. As I mentioned above, 'set off' is used with specific nouns, which are all generally devices or equipment that are inoperative for most of the time and need to be activated in some way in order to become operative. These typically include fire alarms, smoke alarms, burglar alarms, metal detectors, bombs and guns, all of which must be triggered or 'set off' in order to fulfil their function. If you have read my post on the similar phrasal verb 'go off' (link here), you may remember that these are very similar in meaning. It is worth noting however that 'set off' is used when there is some kind of known intervention, often human, and in sentences the person who activates the alarm is the subject, whilst the activated device is the object. On the other hand, we use 'go off' to describe when these devices are activated without human intervention or we do not know what caused the device to be activated. In 'go off' clauses therefore the activated device is the subject. Someone set the fire alarm off in our building at 3am this morning, so we all had to get up and wait outside until the fire department had checked everything was ok. Make sure you remove your belt when you go through security at the airport or you will set off the metal detector. The hunter accidentally set off his gun whilst he was cleaning it, but luckily the bullet did not hit anything. MEANING 3: To cause someone to react Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To trigger Separable? Yes The third meaning of 'set off' is to cause someone to react in a certain manner, which is usually emotional in nature and lasts for a period of time. This meaning is actually very similar to the previous meaning that we have just looked at but rather than a device, the thing that is being activated is a person's emotion or reaction. This application is most commonly used with crying, laughter or making someone angry. For example, if you watch a sad movie that makes you cry, you can say that it '"sets you off crying". Alternatively, if someone makes you laugh uncontrollably, you can say that they "set you off laughing". As you can see from these examples, the gerund ('ing) form of the verb is normally used after 'set off', but this is not always necessary if the action is already clear from the context or situation. In addition to laughing and crying, 'set off' in this sense can be used to describe a human action that is activated or triggered and continues for a period of time such as coughing, singing, sneezing or talking. Grammatically, this application of 'set off' is separable. As this always refers to the actions or emotions of a person, we tend to mostly use this with indirect personal pronouns (me, him, her etc.) and these must always be placed between 'set' and 'off'. Helen watches this movie all the time even though she knows that it will set her off crying at the end. All of the smoke in the bar set me off coughing and I had to leave. Don't set me off again! I've only just stopped laughing from last time. Why did you have to bring that subject up?! You've set him off now, he won't stop talking about this for ages. MEANING 4: To start a chain of events Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To spark off, to trigger, to bring about Separable? Yes The fourth meaning of 'set off' is really just another sub-meaning of the ones that we have already covered. As per the previous two meanings, it also means 'to trigger' something and in this case it is an event or, perhaps more commonly, a series of events. This usage is really all about the principle of cause and effect as if something makes an event or a chain of events happen, we can say that it "sets if off". It is likely that you will come across (link here) this particular application in the news and in current affairs in English. Grammatically, this application of 'set off' is separable, with the triggered event serving as the direct object. I think in terms of usage however, we tend to place the direct object after the phrasal verb more often. When the Prime Minister refused to authorise the new law, it set off a chain of events, which eventually led to his resignation. The decision by the judge to release the murderer set off a large number of riots all over the country. A discovery of a few old coins in the car park set off a series of events that culminated in a buried treasure being found underneath it. MEANING 5: To improve the appearance of something Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium British or American? Both Potential synonyms To go with Separable Yes For this fifth meaning of 'set off', we are moving away from the 'triggering' sense of the last few usages as this one means 'to improve or embellish the appearance of something'. In other words, 'to make something look more attractive or beautiful by adding decorative elements to it'. It is worth noting here that this embellishment is normally done by adding some form of contrasting colour or object. When something 'sets something else off', it makes it more attractive or appealing to the eye and can even make the item or colour seem more evident or outstanding. As you can probably imagine, this application of 'set off' is used a large amount in the worlds of interior design, art, fashion and the hair & beauty industry where making something look attractive to people is the prime objective. Although I've written here that this usage of 'set off' is to make something appear more visually attractive, it can also be used with flavour in food, where one ingredient can be added to a dish that has a very different taste and yet complements the taste of the original dish. The artist's decision to add a hint of purple to the picture was a very smart one as it sets the green off wonderfully. That hat really sets off the colour of your hair, you should buy it! The lace around the rim of the hat really sets if off. It's amazing how just a small amount of cinnamon in this apple tart really sets off the flavour of the apples. MEANING 6: To balance one thing against another Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Rare Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To offset, to make up for Separable? Yes The sixth and final meaning of 'set off' that we will cover in this post is 'to balance one thing against another, often so that the effect of the first thing is reduced or eliminated'. To get an idea of this, you should imagine a weighing scale (like in the gif above), on one side of which is a heavy weight. In order to reduce the effects of this heavy weight (the imbalance), a weight must be added to the other side to either lessen or remove the imbalance. This principle is known as 'setting off one thing against another'. While this of weighing scale is used less and less in the modern world, this application of 'set off' continues to be used in modern life, particularly when talking about money and finance. You may also be familiar with the verb 'offset', which is derived from this application of 'set off' and is probably now more widely used than its phrasal verb synonym. Grammatically, this usage of 'set off' is separable, however it tends to be more frequently used inseparably. The additional preposition against is usually used. Any future debts will be set off against the profits of the company. If you rent your property out, the money that you spend on maintenance and repairs should be set off against your rental income. Photo: Pexels 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 off' more confidently and naturally. Feel free to leave any comments, feedback or your own sentences using 'set off' 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

An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'make out' from a native speaker, with lots of examples in context Photo: Wix Media 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. Did you know that the phrasal verb 'make out' has at least 7 different meanings and uses in the English language? Were you aware that, for example, it can be used in American English to refer to sex, while in British English you are more likely to hear it in reference to making payments? Don't worry if you didn't know because in this post, I will explain all of these applications to you and provide you with a lot of example sentences to show you how each one is used and in which contexts. So, without further ado, let's get started.... QUICK ANSWER: What does the phrasal verb 'make out' mean? The phrasal verb 'make out' has six main meanings in English.... To discern To falsely claim to be true To complete an official document To be sexually intimate with someone To understand someone's character To succeed in a situation TABLE OF CONTENTS (Click to jump to each one) Make Out - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'make' and 'out' Make Out - Meaning 1: To discern Make Out - Meaning 2: To falsely claim to be true Make Out - Meaning 3: To complete an official document Make Out - Meaning 4: To be sexually intimate with someone Make Out - Meaning 5: To understand someone's character Make Out - Meaning 6: To succeed in a situation I love writing this blog and helping learners but I get very little feedback so I don't always know if it is helpful for you. Therefore, if you find the post useful, please like and share it or leave a comment at the end. I would be very grateful. Thank you! James 😊 Photo: Pexels THE BASICS MAKE OUT: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 6 Past tense forms Made out / Made out Separable? Sometimes The phrasal verb ‘make out’ is formed by combining the individual words ‘make’ and ‘out’ and so before we look at its meanings, let’s first briefly consider what these words mean on their own. Our base verb, ‘to make’, is one of the most common verbs in the English language, appearing in a wide variety of applications and expressions. Its main meanings include 'to produce', 'to create' and 'to cause', although it has many others that are too numerous to include here. Don't forget that 'to make' is an irregular verb and both of its past forms are 'made'. The company makes cars and sells them all over the world. My baby makes a lot of noise when he cries. Why have you made such a mess?! My parents made me go to university although I didn't want to. Working hard makes me tired. MAKE OR DO? There is often some confusion with English learners about when to use 'to make' and when to use 'to do'. A simple tip for this is that we use 'to make' when we talk about creating or producing something that did not exist before, while 'to do' is used more to talk about performing processes or actions. This is English however and there are of course many exceptions to this. Next, we have the prepositional particle 'out', which you should all know as a word that functions as the opposite of 'in' and is primarily used to refer to being situated on or moving towards an external space. When used in phrasal verb constructions, 'out' can often add this external meaning (go out, get out) but it can also add ideas such as revelation (come out), distribution (give out), removal (cut out) and trying (check out), among others. So, now that we have covered the basics, let's now consider the different ways that we can use the phrasal verb 'make out'.... MEANING 1: To discern Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To discern, to tell, to determine, to figure out, to identify Separable? Sometimes Let's begin the meanings with the one that I probably hear more than any of the others and that is 'to discern'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Words Letters Picture Face Voice In case you are not sure, the verb 'to discern' means 'to see, understand or recognise something when it is not very clear'. In other words, you need to make an effort to process the information and this is exactly how we use this first application of 'make out'. Typically, we use 'make out' with our senses of sight and hearing when we can see or hear something but it is not clear and so we have to focus on it. Once we are able to identify what it is with the appropriate sense, we can say that we can "make it out". Often, we add different adverbs like 'just', 'barely' and 'hardly' before 'make out' to emphasise that something was very difficult to identify and we were almost not able to do it. The lady had a very strong accent but I was just able to make out what she was saying. From this distance, it's hard to make out the writing on the whiteboard. I could barely make out the road signs through the thick fog. Walter tried to make out the figure moving in the shadows. Over the noise of the crowd, I could just make out my brother's voice calling my name. Through the static on the phone, I could hardly make out a word. As this application is used when something is not clear or easy for us to understand, it is often used in questions and negative statements too. Marianne spoke so quietly that I couldn't make out everything that she said. Can you make out what that label says? My eyesight isn’t as good as it used to be. Were you able to make out what Astrid was trying to tell us? How could the suspect make out the license plate in the dark? Could you make out the words in the background of the recording? We weren’t able to make out the instructions because of the poor handwriting. Louise couldn’t make out the number on the caller ID. On a grammatical note, although it is possible to use this application separably, we tend to use it in a separable way far more often than an inseparable one. The main exception is when the direct object has already been specified and we can use the pronoun 'it', which always goes between 'make' and 'out'. What was John whispering to us? I couldn't make it out! My 3 year old daughter drew a picture but I couldn't make it out, so I just smiled and said "very good". MEANING 2: To falsely claim to be true Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To claim, to pretend, to let on Separable? Yes We will move on to our second meaning of 'make out' now, which is also heard a lot in everyday conversation and means 'to falsely claim to be true'. To clarify, in its purest form, we use this particular application of 'make out' to say or to pretend that something is true when it is not. Sometimes, it can also be used to exaggerate something and make it seem bigger, more important or better than it really is. On a grammatical note, there are different structures that we use with this application, so I will explain each one and provide you with some examples.... To make out that.... Perhaps the most common way to use 'make out' in this way is with a 'that' subordinate clause. This is particularly when we want to paraphrase (express in different words) what somebody has said. Donna made out that she was an expert, but in fact she had no real experience. The company made out that their product was environmentally friendly, but it wasn't. Why did Tim make out that he owned the place? It was obvious that he didn't. Alex wasn’t trying to make out that he was innocent; he admitted everything. To make out to be... An alternative way to express this would be the construction 'to make out to be', which is commonly followed by a noun, an adjective or a combination of both. It is also possible to use a reflexive '-self' pronoun here to talk about how a person lies or exaggerates about themselves or their abilities in some way. They were making it out to be a serious problem, but it was a minor one at most. Who made it out to be such a big deal? Lucy made herself out to be the victim, even though she was the one who started the argument. Did Emily make herself out to be more qualified than she really is? To make out as if / as though / like.... We can use the phrases 'as though' and 'as if' as well as 'like' after 'make out' to describe false claims and fictional situations that people try to say are true. The managers made out as though they had solved the issue, but nothing had changed. Steve made out like he knew the manager personally, but it was all a lie. Sophie made out as if she had been seriously hurt, but it was just a small scratch. Bill’s making out as though he single-handedly saved the project, which simply isn’t true. To be made out to be.... Lastly, it is quite common to use the passive voice with this application of 'make out'. This is often when you are discussing the reputation that a person or a place has which is not true, exaggerated or undeserved. The passer-by was made out to be the villain, even though he tried to help. Carol was made out to be some kind of genius, but her work was average. The incident was made out to be more serious than it actually was. Los Angeles is made out to be this big, glamorous city but it didn't feel like that when I visited there. MEANING 3: To complete an official document Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To fill out, to fill in, to complete Separable? Yes Moving on to our third meaning of 'make out' now, which is one that is not as common as the first two but one that you may still hear nevertheless and means 'to complete an official document'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Cheque Form Document Application Receipt Card We can use this application of 'make out' for any paperwork on which we need to provide details in written or in text form. This mostly includes official forms and documents but can also be used with things like receipts and invoices. I would say that generally in British English, we are far more likely to use the synonym phrasal verbs 'fill out' and 'fill in' but in American English 'make out' is still fairly common. The cashier made out a receipt for my purchase. Sue made out the invoice and sent it to her customer. They made out the application in less than ten minutes. Poppy hasn't made out the form yet — it's still blank. Can you make out the order form before we leave? Who made out the invoice last time? GIVE ME ALL YOUR MONEY! In addition to those nouns already mentioned, when I think of this application of 'make out', one noun comes to mind immediately, which is 'cheque' (US check). When talking about cheques, we use 'make out' with the additional preposition 'to' in order to specify the person who will receive the money. Of course, the use of cheques is becoming less and less common as technology advances and banking is more and more electronic but just in case you do still use them, this may prove to be useful! Chuck made out a check for $500 to the contractor. Please make the cheque out to me. I made the cheque out to Mary Smith but she has changed her name to Mary Jones. Lastly, one unofficial document that we sometimes use 'make out' with is a card, such as a birthday or Christmas card. As with cheques, we use 'make out + to' to specify the person to whom we send the card. Who am I making the thank you card out to? I didn't make the card out to anyone in particular, just the team. MEANING 4: To be sexually intimate with someone Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Common Where is it used? American English Potential synonyms To kiss, to have sex Separable? No This next application of 'make out' is an American one that means 'to be sexually intimate with someone' and this may be one that you have heard if you watch a lot of English-language entertainment from the USA. As a native speaker of British English, I have known 'make out' in this sense for most of my life as American TV shows and movies are incredibly popular here, however I have to admit that I'd never been 100% sure exactly what it meant until I was researching this blog post. In some situations, it seemed to mean 'to kiss someone' and in others it seemed to mean 'to have sex with someone' and I was never certain. It turns out that it is both of these things and so I think to keep it simple, let's just say that it means 'to be sexually intimate with another person in any way'. Therefore, it can be used to describe anything ranging from kissing someone amorously (French kissing) to having sex, although it is used much more to describe kissing and foreplay. The central idea here is that there is sexual intent behind the action and so it would not be used to talk about kisses between family members or friends etc. As you can imagine, this one is heard a lot in the conversations of teenagers and young people. They were making out on the couch when their roommates walked in. Victoria caught her ex making out with someone new at the party. We spent most of the night just talking and making out. He bragged to his friends about making out with his crush after the party. The couple was making out in the back row of the movie theatre. Jack has never made out with a woman before. MEANING 5: To understand someone's character Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To work out, to understand Separable? Yes In the first application of 'make out' that we covered in this post, I explained how we use it to refer to something that is difficult for us to identify or understand and for this next application we are returning to that same idea. This time however we are talking about people and this is because this application means 'to understand someone's character'. The majority of the time, we use 'make out' in this way when we want to say that we do not understand why a person acts or behaves the way that they do. Alternatively, he or she may be quite mysterious or enigmatic and we may not know much about them or what their motives are. In these sorts of situations, it is possible to say that "we cannot make the person out". This is in fact a less common synonym of the phrasal verb 'work out' (link here), which we use to mean the same thing. On a grammatical note, we tend to use this application mainly in negative sentences and questions. I just can't make him out — he's so unpredictable. He's a bit strange sometimes, so it may take some time to make him out. She’s been here for weeks, and I still haven’t made her out. We couldn’t make him out at all; his actions didn’t match his words. Can you make him out? I can’t tell if he’s serious or just joking. Did you manage to make him out during the meeting? MEANING 6: To succeed in a situation Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? American English Potential synonyms To get on, to cope, to succeed Separable? No We will finish this post about the phrasal verb 'make out' with another American application that means 'to succeed in a situation'. To clarify, we can use 'make out' to talk about a person's progress with something such as a new job or a competition. Alternatively, we can use it to talk about how well someone is coping or dealing with the situation, which often tends to be something new in their lives. As people are often curious to learn how others are doing, this application is frequently heard in question form. Like I said before, this is an American usage not one that I would ever use in British English, so make sure you know your audience before using it! How are you making out in your new job? Despite the tough competition, she made out pretty well in the tournament. I heard your business is struggling. How are you making out these days? He didn't have much experience, but he made out better than expected. With all the chaos last year, we still made out okay in the end. Photo: Pexels 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 'make out' more confidently and naturally. Feel free to leave any comments, feedback or your own sentences using 'make out' 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

An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'sell out' from a native speaker, with lots of examples in context Photo: Pexels 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. This post is all about the phrasal verb 'sell out', which you may be familiar with if you are a keen shopper or you like going to concerts or events. This moderately common phrasal verb can be used to talk about a range of different subjects including buying things and breaking someone's trust. Across it's different meanings however there is a core idea of exchanging one thing for another and for each meaning I will give you lots of example sentences to show you how to use them. So, let's make a start and see what the phrasal verb 'sell out' is all about.... QUICK ANSWER: What does the phrasal verb 'sell out' mean? The phrasal verb 'sell out' has four main meanings in English.... To sell all of something To sell a business To abandon your principles To betray someone for personal gain Keep reading to learn how to use each one.... TABLE OF CONTENTS (Click to jump to each one) Sell Out - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'sell' and 'out' Sell Out - Meaning 1: To sell all of something Sell Out - Meaning 2: To sell a business Sell Out - Meaning 3: To abandon your principles Sell Out - Meaning 4: To betray someone for personal gain Sell Out - Bonus: The noun 'sell-out' I love writing this blog & helping learners but I receive very little feedback as to how useful it is or if people enjoy & learn from it. Therefore, if you find the post useful, please like & share it or leave a comment at the end. I'd be very grateful. Thank you! James 😊 Photo: Pexels THE BASICS SELL OUT: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 4 Past tense forms Sold out / Sold out Separable? Sometimes The phrasal verb 'sell out' is a combination of the verb 'to sell' and the prepositional particle 'out' and before we look at the phrasal verbs meanings, let's first take a brief look at what these two component words mean on their own.... Sell - 'To sell' is a common verb in English meaning to provide someone with a product or service in exchange for money or financial gain. This is by far its most common meaning, however it can also be used to mean 'to convince someone that something is a good idea'. 'To sell' is an irregular verb, with 'sold' being both of its past tense forms. James wants to sell his car. We are selling our house as we want to buy a bigger one. Do you sell candles? Jenny sold over 100 cakes at the village show. I tried to sell the idea of joining the gym to my parents. Out - 'Out' is one of the most common and diverse particles that we find in English phrasal verbs. It's core meanings are 'movement from an internal space to an external one' and 'being situated in an external space' and it therefore functions as the natural opposite of 'in'. These core ideas can be found in more literal phrasal verb meanings (go out, walk out), however many other ideas can also be communicated by 'out' in phrasal verbs. These include becoming known (find out), distribution (spread out), clarification (work out), exhaustion (wear out) and elimination (rule out). This final idea of elimination (or removal) that we get from 'out' is one that is most relesant for the phrasal verb 'sell out'. So, now that we have covered the basics, let's take a look at the different meanings of 'sell out'.... MEANING 1: To sell all of something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To run out Separable? No Our first meaning of the phrasal verb 'sell out' is the most common one and the one that you are most likely to know and means 'to sell all of something'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Item Product Stock Ticket Places I think that many of you will been in that annoying situation where you go to a shop to buy something that you need and are immediately disappointed to learn that the item that you want is not available because the shop has already sold all of its stock 😡 When this happens, we can say that item has "sold out". To clarify, we use this application of 'sold out' when all of the available items or stock of something have been sold and there are no more left for other people to buy. The two main areas in which you find this application being used are for products in shops and stores (both physical and online) and tickets for events that people can attend. We can use this to talk in a general sense about when products that typically sell out.... Limited-edition trainers usually sell out within minutes. Their summer jackets always sell out before August. Cheap flights to Spain tend to sell out fast. The bakery’s cinnamon rolls sell out by noon. The seats near the stage usually sell out very quickly. In a more specific sense, it is also common for sellers and retailers to say that something is "selling out quickly" when they are selling a lot of something and it is expected that soon there will be no more of it available. This can often be employed as a sales trick to encourage more people to buy a product.... The concert tickets are selling out quickly. These jackets are selling out quickly online, so get your orders in soon so that you do not miss out! Our summer courses are selling out quickly this year. The festival is selling out quickly after yesterday’s announcement. Furthermore, we often see this application of 'sell out' being used to talk about a specific product that is no longer available. For this, we often express this using the present perfect tense (has/have sold out) or the simple past (sold out). This is also very common to see in reference to tickets popular shows, concerts, festivals and sporting events. The concert sold out in just twenty minutes. All the tickets sold out before midday. The bakery usually sells out by lunchtime. Their new trainers sold out on the first day. The event has already sold out. The smaller sizes have sold out first again. The festival has sold out for the third year in a row. Those limited-edition trainers have completely sold out. The hotel rooms have sold out this weekend due to the football match. On a grammatical note, although this application is technically separate, native speakers tend not to use it in a separable way. Instead, we use the additional preposition 'of' after 'sell out' to indicate the depleted item. We have sold out of toilet rolls. All of the shops in the city had sold out of fireworks before midday. MEANING 2: To sell a business Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere - Business English Potential synonyms To sell up, to sell off, to divest Separable? Yes Let's move to the world of business English for our second application of the phrasal verb 'sell out', which means 'to sell a business'. Nouns commonly used with this application... Business Company Stake Share For this application, we are staying with the key idea of selling but this time we are looking at it from the perspective of selling assets rather than products. Typically, when a business owner sells out, they decide to sell the business as they need money. This may be the entire business or just a part of it. In rarer cases, 'sell out' could also be used on a more personal level to describe when someone sells everything that they own, again with the idea of raising much needed money. After building the company for twenty years, Barbara finally sold out and retired. The company's founders sold out to a larger technology firm last year. John sold out his share of the business and moved abroad. They decided to sell out before the market became more competitive. The brothers sold out to an international corporation. Mrs Smith sold out her stake in the company for several million pounds. A lot of small shop owners eventually sell out to bigger chains. After deciding to move abroad, the family sold out and started a new life in Thailand. Gavin sold out completely, packed his bags, and bought a boat to sail around the world. MEANING 3: To abandon your principles Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To abandon (your principles) Separable? No The third application of the phrasal verb 'sell out' is one that is not directly about selling something but it is one that is often influenced by money and means 'to abandon your principles'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Beliefs Principles Standards I am sure that most of you reading this will have beliefs and principles in life that you follow, and that are important to you. For example, some of you may be vegetarian, some of you may not support big global corporations in favour of small businesses and some of you might hold strong political views about specific issues. Whatever your principles are, if someone offered you a large sum of money to do something that was against them, would you do it? In this scenario, if you said "yes", you would be 'selling out'. Typically, 'selling out' happens when people who have traditionally held views or values about something, abandon these in exchange for money, fame or some kind of advantage. Moreover, it can be used for individuals, groups of people and businesses. Consequently, this meaning of 'sell out' is primarily used in a negative way as it is used to express disapproval and criticism of the person or group's decision. Many fans thought the band had sold out after signing with a major record label. Pete used to criticise big corporations, but then he joined one himself; some of his friends say that he sold out. The actress was accused of selling out when she started appearing in gambling advertisements. They promised to protect the environment, but voters feel the party sold out once they entered government. The singer refused to sell out just to become more popular. The magazine used to publish serious journalism, but recently it has completely sold out. Some artists never recover their reputation after selling out commercially. Lionel insists he hasn’t sold out; he just wants to reach a wider audience. Critics claim the company sold out by putting profit before quality. MEANING 4: To betray someone for personal gain Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To betray, to backstab Separable? Yes Our fourth and final meaning of the phrasal verb 'sell out' is really a continuation of the previous one and means 'to betray someone for personal gain'. Firstly, if you are not sure about the meaning of the verb 'to betray', it means to break someone's trust by being disloyal to them or doing something that could hurt or offend them like breaking a promise that you made to them etc. Therefore, if you sell someone out, it means that you do something for personal gain or advantage but you hurt or disappoint someone who trusts you in the process. This may be for a number of reasons like obtaining money or status or avoiding punishment. As we are talking about trust here and so we typically use it for people with whom you have a close and trusting relationship such as a family member or good friend. Moreover, this can also be used for colleagues / co-workers. Grammatically speaking, we typically always use this in a separable way, with the person who is hurt or disappointed going between 'sell' and 'out'. Barnaby sold his friends out to the police to avoid going to prison himself. Sue would never sell out a colleague just to get a promotion. One of the gang members sold the others out in exchange for a lighter sentence. I trusted Ben completely, but he sold me out for money. Lucy felt betrayed after her business partner sold her out. Nick sold out his teammates to save his own reputation. Don’t worry; I’m not going to sell you out. The politician was accused of selling out his supporters for political gain. Photo: Pexels BONUS: The noun 'sell-out' As with many phrasal verbs, 'sell out' has also given rise to a noun 'sell-out', which can be used to describe two of the ideas discussed in the different applications that we have just explored... Firstly, if an event, show or product sells out and it is no longer available for purchase, we can say that it is a 'sell-out'.... The concert was a complete sell-out within just a few hours. Their latest basketball shoe release turned into a nationwide sell-out. Secondly, if a person abandons their principles and values for success and money, he or she can be called a 'sell-out'.... Fans called the singer a sell-out after she changed her style. Mickey used to oppose big business, but now he works for a huge corporation; what a sell-out! Photo: Pexels 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 'sell out' more confidently and naturally. Feel free to leave any comments, feedback or your own sentences using 'sell out' 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

An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'set up' from a native speaker, with lots of examples in context Photo: Pexels Hello and welcome to my website for English learners all about phrasal verbs! This post is about the phrasal verb 'set up', which is a great phrasal verb to know as it is all about starts and beginnings and can be used in many different ways. In this post, I examine 8 different meanings and applications that it has, from organising a meeting to helping people fall in love. Furthermore, I have included lots of examples of usage in context to help you learn and use each one. So, without any further ado, let's get started. QUICK ANSWER: What does the phrasal verb 'set up' mean? The phrasal verb 'set up' has eight main meanings in English.... To establish or arrange something To establish oneself as something To make something ready for use To erect something temporarily To cause something to begin To prepare someone for something To frame someone To arrange a romantic date for someone Keep reading to learn how to use each one.... TABLE OF CONTENTS (Click to jump to each one) Set Up - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'set' and 'up' Set Up - Meaning 1: To establish or arrange something Set Up - Bonus: The idiom 'to set up home' Set Up - Meaning 2: To establish oneself as something Set Up - Meaning 3: To make something ready for use Set Up - Meaning 4: To erect something temporarily Set Up - Meaning 5: To cause something to begin Set Up - Meaning 6: To prepare someone for something Set Up - Bonus: The idiom 'to set oneself up for a fall' Set Up - Meaning 7: To frame someone Set Up - Meaning 8: To arrange a romantic date for someone I love writing this blog & helping learners but I receive very little feedback as to how useful it is or if people enjoy & learn from it. Therefore, if you find the post useful, please like & share it or leave a comment at the end. I'd be very grateful. Thank you! James 😊 Photo: Pexels THE BASICS SET UP: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 8 Past tense forms Set up / Set up Separable? Yes The phrasal verb 'set up' is composed of the verb 'to set' in combination with the prepositional particle 'up' and before we take a look at the meanings of the phrasal verb, let's first quickly look at the individual words themselves. Firstly, we have the verb 'to set', which is notable in English as being the word with the most meanings in the entire language. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, there are 430 different meanings and uses of 'set' in English but don't worry as I doubt that many native speakers use even half of these! For the purposes of the phrasal verb 'set up', two of the most relevant meanings of the verb 'to set' are 'to put or place something into a position' and 'to adjust something'. I set my car keys somewhere last night when I got home and now I can't find them anywhere! Joanne set her alarm for 5.30am. My washing machine is set to come on overnight whilst I am in bed. Next, we have the prepositional particle 'up', which is a very common feature in phrasal verbs and can often be found in some of the most widely used ones. The word 'up' itself generally refers to a direction away from the ground or, alternatively, to being in a higher position relative to something else and this idea is often carried across into phrasal verbs containing 'up'. Aside from this, it serves several other functions in phrasal verbs, which include adding the ideas of completion, improvement, increase, preparation and arrival. Now that we have covered the basics, let's discover the meanings that we get when we combine these two words to form the lovely phrasal verb 'set up'.... MEANING 1: To establish or arrange something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B1 - Intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To establish, to arrange, to form, to organise Separable? Yes As I mentioned in the introduction, the central idea behind many of the meanings of the phrasal verb 'set up' is the idea of 'beginning' and this first meaning is a prime example of this as it is 'to establish or arrange something'. For this usage, I have divided it into two separate sub-sections to make it easier. Use this first application with abstract nouns i.e. nouns that refer to non-physical things. Let's first take the idea of 'establishing something', as 'set up' is used here to talk about starting or creating a new business, company, committee or other type of organisation. In addition to this, it can be used when we establish rules or guidelines that people within an organisation should follow. When we use 'set up' in this way, the idea is that we form, create or begin something and bring it into existence. We are going to set up a new company offering AI solutions to marketing firms. If you need help setting your business up, we would be happy to assist you. It was agreed during the meeting that a committee would be set up to oversee the merger. For those of you who follow politics, you can also talk about setting up a government or administration after an election where a new political party and head of state has been elected. Interestingly, though, we do not tend to use 'set up' to talk about a government introducing new laws or legislation. Following the election, the King asked the new prime minister to set up a government. Now, on a slightly smaller scale, let's move on to the second sub-section, which is the idea of 'organising something'. If you ever have to work with English in your job or have ever had any experience of English in the business world, you may have heard 'set up' in connection with things like meetings and conference calls. This is because it can also be used to mean 'to arrange something' and these are typically two of the nouns that you hear it with the most. Once again, we have the same idea of creating something and bringing it into existence. On a grammatical level, with both of these sub-sections, 'set up' is separable, with the possibility of placing the direct object between 'set' and 'up' or after them. I've spoken to HR and asked for them to set up a meeting so that we can discuss this. Jane, please could you set a conference call up with David for 2pm this afternoon. BONUS: The idiom 'to set up home' There is also a nice idiomatic expression that has come from this particular application of 'set up', which is 'to set up home'. There is actually nothing too cryptic or difficult to understand about this one as it simply means 'to become settled in a new house, apartment or home'. As you would expect, it is usually used for people, but it can also be used to describe when an animal or insect begins living somewhere e.g. your garden or your attic. My parents set up home in Edinburgh after graduating from university. A group of field have set up home in my garden shed. MEANING 2: To establish oneself as something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To establish, to claim Separable? Yes - always For the next meaning of 'set up', we are not changing the theme too much as we are staying with the idea of creation as this meaning is 'to establish oneself as something'. Some words commonly used with this application.... Sole trader Consultant Personal trainer Self-employed Although I have separated this into a separate category, this second meaning really could have been included in the previous section as it is almost the same as the first one but with just one clear difference. Instead of bringing something new into existence, such as a company or a meeting, this time we are focussing on living people (who already exist) and who establish themselves as something new, typically by starting a new career. For this application, we have the following set structure.... to set + reflexive pronoun + up + as + career To clarify this, if somebody wants to change their job and become a hairdresser, you can say that they set themselves up as a hairdresser, which means that they do the necessary work to start a hairdressing business and then begin to earn money from it. We can use this application of 'set up' to describe any time someone establishes themselves in a new career or role, with the idea that the person has done done the necessary work themselves rather than having been given the job by a company etc. My ultimate aim, once I have my qualifications, is to set myself up as an accountant. Lucy has set herself up as an online psychic and is giving free readings to people today My great grandfather moved here in the late 19th century and set himself up as the first doctor in the town. There is also a second, rarer, variation of this application, when we use the same structure to describe when a person claims to be something, especially if there is an element of doubt to the person's claim. Luke set himself up as a financial advisor but I don't think he knows the first thing about finance. MEANING 3: To make something ready for use Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To prepare, to build, to construct, to put together, to adjust Separable? Yes The third meaning of 'set up' is 'to prepare something and make it ready for use' and I think that this one will be one that many of you will be familiar with as it is probably its most common application and is used in many different areas of life. Typical nouns that this application is used with.... Equipment Television Computer Printer Phone Furniture Device This particular usage is perhaps used the most in relation to equipment and devices. If you ever buy a new piece of electrical or mechanical equipment, the chances are that it will not function immediately and you will need to prepare it and adjust the settings in some way, so that it is ready to be used. This process is known as 'setting up', or also by the noun 'setup'. Generally, once the item has been 'set up', it will work as you wish and you will not need to do it again, unless you want to adjust it in some way. It took us a while to work out how to set up our new air fryer. Before you start setting up your new camera, you should ensure that the batteries are fully charged. Aside from usage with physical equipment, you are also very likely to come across this application of 'set up' in the world of IT, computing and mobile telecommunications. The reason for this is not only do you need to set up computer hardware such as monitors and printers but also software and apps also need to be set up after they have been downloaded to make them ready for use. Setting up a new smartphone is a lot easier these days than it used to be. Once you have downloaded the app, you will need to set it up before you can use it. John was struggling to set up his new printer and couldn't work out what he was doing wrong. MEANING 4: To erect something temporarily Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To put up, to build, to construct, to put together, to place, to put, to set Separable? Yes Our fourth meaning of 'set up' is very similar to the previous meaning that we have just covered and means 'to erect something temporarily'. Whereas in the previous section, we were focusing on preparing something new for permanent use, this time we are thinking more about when we prepare something for temporary use. Alternatively, in certain contexts, it could also be used to mean 'to put, place or create something somewhere for a period of time'. For this application, there are two broad categories of things that can be set up: those that are built or constructed somewhere and those that are placed somewhere. The first category is very much a continuation of the previous section as it means to prepare something for use, usually by building it or putting it's constituent parts together, for a temporary period of time. This includes stages for music festivals, concerts, cranes and tents. As you can probably work out, all of these items are for equipment or structures that need to be installed or erected to enable people to carry out a specific task or to fulfil a specific function and will later be taken down again when they are no longer required. We are going to need some help setting up the stage for the concert. Roger and Lisa set up their tent on the edge of the field, next to a forest. The construction company will set scaffolding up around the building to enable them to carry out the renovation work. The second category here is for nouns for things that can be placed somewhere for a period of time, again to fulfil some kind of temporary function such as a roadblock, seats, or traffic lights. Unlike the first category, these items do not need constructing and can simply be placed in position to fulfil their transitory purpose. The police have set up roadblocks all across the city in an attempt to catch the criminals. Water stations have been set up all along the marathon route for the runners. A series of traffic cones have been set up in the street to divert cars around the hole. MEANING 5: To cause something to begin Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To set off, to trigger, to cause Separable? No The next meaning of 'set up' is all about cause and effect and is 'to cause something to begin or to happen'. This usage is very close in meaning to the similar phrasal verb 'set off' (link here) and its focus is very much on creating the right environment or situation for something, such as a process, reaction or problem to happen. Normally, this is used when this triggering action is unintentional or accidental and often it can be something problematic or undesired. Furthermore, it may be just one thing that sets the event off or it may also be a series of events which do it. The stock market crash in Asia set up a series of other crashes around the world throughout the day. Make sure you prepare the experiment thoroughly as you do not want to set any potential problems up once it has started. MEANING 6: To prepare someone for something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To prepare Separable? Yes The sixth meaning of 'set up' is 'to prepare someone for something' and for this one we require the additional preposition 'for', giving us the construction 'to set someone up for something'. Perhaps the most common subject that this particular application of 'set up' is used with is food, in particular breakfast. The idea here is that if you have a good, healthy or nutritious breakfast, it sets you up for the day, meaning that it prepares you for the day ahead and gives you enough energy and sustenance to tackle the problems and issues that will arise. I'll make you a big breakfast tomorrow morning and that will set you up for your busy day of travelling. Simon had a hearty lunch, which set him up nicely for his 10km walk in the afternoon. In addition to food, another thing that people need to survive is money and this is also something that we can use with this application of 'set up', namely when we want to say that we have enough money to last us for a long period of time, or more commonly, life. Winning the jackpot on the lottery has set me up for life. I am never going to have to work again! The money Jack received from his deceased grandmother set him up for a few months rent. Lastly, one other thing that provides us with good preparation for the future is life experience and 'set up' can be used here too for expressing how experiences in our past have prepared us to be able to do things or cope with situations later in our lives. My parents always pushed me to do athletics when I was a child and this set me up for success as an athletics coach as an adult. Nothing that Helen did in her youth could have set her up for what she experienced this week. BONUS: The idiom 'to set oneself up for a fall' This is a good point to tell you about another idiom featuring 'set up' that is fairly common in English: to set oneself up for a fall. This expression is used to describe when somebody does something that is guaranteed to fail or to not succeed. It is normally used by someone talking person rather than themselves. You're setting yourself up for a fall if you think you can help John. He refuses to let people help him and that will include you. The presidential candidate has set himself up for a fall by refusing to enter into debates with his opponents. MEANING 7: To frame someone Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To frame, to trick, to deceive Separable? Yes As with many phrasal verbs with multiple meanings, there is usually one meaning amongst them all that is a bit negative and this seventh meaning of 'set up' is the negative one as it means 'to frame someone' and is usually used when referring to a crime or a wrongdoing of some sort. If you set someone up, you purposely make it appear that they have committed a crime or done something wrong when in reality they have not and they are innocent. In other words, you frame them for something. From a grammatical perspective, this application of 'set up' is often used in the passive form, as the focus tends to be on the victims of the action. It can also be used in an active way to talk about the perpetrators of course, however I would say that you hear it less in this way. I didn't do it. I've been set up! When the customs officers opened up Helen's suitcase and found the drugs inside, she realised that she had been set up by the nice man she had been talking to in the bar. The company directors tried to set the CEO up but he realised and their plan backfired. MEANING 8: To arrange a romantic date for someone Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To matchmake Separable? No The eighth and final meaning of 'set up' is one for all of the single people out there who are looking for love and romance as it means 'to arrange a romantic date for someone'. This practice of 'setting up' is also known in English as 'matchmaking'. This action of 'setting people up' is for situations when you know two people who are both single and who you think would make a good couple. You then decide to "play Cupid" to intervene in some way to bring the two people together in the hope that a romance will start between them e.g. inviting them both to a party or social event. This can be done both explicitly, where you tell the people openly that you are setting them up or implicitly when you organise a social event and invite both of the single people to come but do not tell them of your sneaky but well-meaning intentions. My husband and I were set up many years ago by mutual friends. I really want to set up my best friend with a guy from work. They would get on so well! Please do not try to set me up with anyone tonight at your party. I am perfectly happy being single! Have you ever been set up by someone and if so, was it a success? Or, have you ever set up a friend or colleague with another person? Let me know in the comments section! Photo: Pexels 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 up' more confidently and naturally. Feel free to leave any comments, feedback or your own sentences using 'set up' 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

An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'pull up' from a native speaker, with lots of examples in context Photo: Pexels 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 article, we are looking at the phrasal verb 'pull up', which has a surprising number of uses and meanings in the English language. You may need to pull up if you are driving your car, doing some gardening, sitting down with a group of people or showing information on your computer screen. If you go to the gym, you may regularly do pull-ups or someone may even tell you to pull your socks up! If all of these seem strange to you, don't worry as in this post we will look at all of the different meanings of this tricky phrasal verb. So, without further ado, let's get started.... QUICK ANSWER: What does the phrasal verb 'pull up' mean? The phrasal verb 'pull up' has eight main meanings in English.... Literal meaning To uproot To slow down and stop To move a chair closer To reprimand someone To suddenly stop what you are doing To show information on a screen To make an airplane move upwards Keep reading to learn more about hoe to use each one.... TABLE OF CONTENTS (Click to jump to each one) Pull Up - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'pull' and 'up' Pull Up - Meaning 1: Literal Pull Up - Meaning 2: To uproot 🇬🇧 Pull Up - Meaning 3: To slow down and stop Pull Up - Meaning 4: To move a chair closer Pull Up - Meaning 5: To reprimand someone Pull Up - Meaning 6: To suddenly stop what you are doing Pull Up - Meaning 7: To show information on a screen Pull Up - Meaning 8: To make an airplane move upwards Pull Up - Bonus: The idiom 'to pull your socks up' I love writing this blog & helping learners but I receive very little feedback as to how useful it is or if people enjoy & learn from it. Therefore, if you find the post useful, please like & share it or leave a comment at the end. I'd be very grateful. Thank you! James 😊 Photo: Pexels THE BASICS PULL UP: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 8 Past tense forms Pulled up / Pulled up Separable? Yes The phrasal verb 'pull up' is comprised of the verb 'to pull' in combination with the prepositional particle 'up' and before we look at the different meanings of this phrasal verb, let's just take a quick look at the meanings of the two individual words. The verb 'to pull' is a widely used English verb, whose main meaning is to apply a force to something in order to bring it closer to you, most commonly with your hands or arms. Photo: Pexels Less commonly, it can also be used to mean 'to make something move with you or behind you', such as a horse pulling a cart. The idea of force or exertion is often an underlying theme with this verb. 'To pull' is a frequent base verb in phrasal verb constructions, normally in situations describing movement or stopping a movement. The prepositional particle 'up' is perhaps the most commonly used particle in phrasal verb constructions and can add many different elements of meaning, depending on the context, typically ranging from the ideas of movement in an upwards direction and increases to improvement and readiness. So, now that we have covered the basics, let's take a look at the meanings of 'pull up'.... MEANING 1: Literal Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level A2 - Elementary Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To lift up, to raise up Separable? Yes Having just considered the words that make up the phrasal verb 'pull up', the literal meaning of these words should be very easy for you to work out, i.e. to pull something or someone in an upwards direction. This is quite similar to the verb 'to lift' or 'to lift up', however 'to pull up' is used more specifically when you are in a higher position than the thing that you want to lift and the lifting motion is towards you. The sailor decided it was time to leave, so he pulled up the boat's anchor. After the cow fell down the slope, the farmer had to pull it up the hill using a rope. What about pull-up as a noun? If you are someone who goes to the gym regularly or who enjoys working out, you may have heard the term 'pull-up' being used in reference to an exercise. Although we do not use the phrasal verb 'to pull up' so much in this context, it has produced the name of a type of exercise called a 'pull-up', which involves using your arms to lift yourself upwards, normally towards a metal bar (like in the gif above). How many pull-ups can you do in one go? I hate doing pull-ups because they hurt my shoulders so much! MEANING 2: To uproot Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B1 - Intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? British English Potential synonyms To uproot, to weed Separable? Yes Before we start considering the more idiomatic meanings of the phrasal verb 'pull up', I want to consider this next application as it is very much linked to the literal meaning of 'pull up'. This usage is definitely one for the gardeners among you as it is 'to pull a plant and its roots up from the ground, so that no part of it remains in the earth'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Plant Flower Bush Shrub Weed Tree A common expression that you may hear for this action is 'to pull a plant up by the roots'. This is similar to the synonym verb 'to uproot', however 'uproot' is often used when animals and wind cause a plant to be removed from the ground and I think 'pull up' retains the exclusive sense of being pulled in an upwards direction out of the ground by a person's hands. We've pulled up all of the weeds in the garden and now it looks so much better! He pulled up the rose plant by the roots as he wanted to move it to a different part of his garden. MEANING 3: To slow down and stop Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To stop, to halt, to pull over, to bring to a stop Separable? Yes Now we have reached the part of the article where we can say goodbye to the literal and logical meanings of 'pull up', because from now on most of them are a bit more idiomatic. This includes our next meaning, which is 'to slow down and stop'. This meaning is perhaps the most commonly used and is the one that I, as a native speaker, think of first when I hear 'pull up'. With this application, we are talking solely about bringing a vehicle that is in motion to a stop, particularly with cars, buses, trains and airplanes. We do not use it to talk about people slowing down and stopping moving...however we do use it for humans in a slightly different sense, which we will look at later on in the article. Normally, this application of 'pull up' is followed by a preposition that denotes where the vehicle stops, such as on (the side of the road), at (the traffic lights), in front of, behind etc. However, sometimes you may also hear 'pull up to' something and this means to stop next to something or very close to it, as referenced in the song below.... On a grammatical note, in the table above, I have stated that this application of 'pull up' can be used separably, which is true, although I think that the majority of the time we tend to use it without a direct object (e.g. car, bus) as this is usually determined from the context. John pulled up on the side of the road when he noticed smoke coming from his car's engine. The police car pulled up to the group of teenagers. Helen arrived at the train station just as her train was pulling up. The fishermen pulled their boat up to a little island where they knew there would be a lot of fish in the water. MEANING 4: To move a chair closer Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To join Separable? Yes If you're ever in a situation in an English-speaking environment where you ask to join a group of people who are sitting down, they may respond to you by saying 'pull up a chair', which is essentially a way of saying 'yes' to your request. The reason for this is that another usage of 'pull up' is 'to bring something closer to you or to a specific place in order to sit down on it'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Chair Seat Pew Stool As you can imagine, this application of 'pull up' is principally used with nouns for items that you typically sit on, such as chairs, stools and seats but it could feasibly be used for any object that you can move and subsequently sit on. In many cases, it often serves as a figurative form of invitation to join someone or a group and participate in what they are doing. This could be anything from a business meeting to eating a meal or watching a movie with a group of people. Photo: Pexels Another common idiomatic expression in British English that you may come across is 'pull up a pew', which again means the same thing, i.e. 'sit down and join us'. For those of you who do not know, a pew is a long seat, similar to a bench, that is specifically found in churches and places of worship. Due to their size, they are not so easy to move and are rarely found anywhere outside of a place of worship, hence the figurative sense! Hi Lisa, do you want to sit with us for lunch? Pull up a chair and join us! I want to show you something at my desk. Pull up a chair next to me and I can show it to you. Q: Is this seat free? A: Absolutely, pull up a pew! MEANING 5: To reprimand someone Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To reprimand, to rebuke, to castigate Separable? Yes When someone makes a mistake in their work or does something wrong, it is likely that they will be reprimanded for their mistake, or in other words, they will be 'pulled up on it'. The reason for this is that the next meaning of 'pull up' is 'to rebuke someone when they have made a mistake', or in other words to criticise or shout at them. This is not only limited to mistakes and can also be used for people's behaviour too, especially when they break rules. For this application of 'pull up', we require an additional preposition and for this you have the choice of THREE different words to choose from: on, about and over. Don't worry, whichever of these you choose will not affect the meaning. So, the structure of this particular usage of 'pull up' is.... To pull someone up on / about / over something Note also here that this is separable and the direct object (the person who has done something wrong) always goes between 'pull' and 'up'. This usage of 'pull up' is one that you commonly hear in the workplace, schools and in dealings with the police and other authority figures. Often, this is used for small errors and less significant mistakes that do not incur severe punishments and for which a verbal warning is sufficient. At other times, an experienced or naive person may be pulled up on something to ensure that they do not do it again. Lucy's teacher pulled her up about talking too much in class. I don't think John realises that what he is doing is not permitted. I will make sure that I pull him up on that, so that he is aware. The police stopped me in my car and pulled me up as my rear brake light was not working. Thankfully, I avoided a fine! Megan's parents have pulled her up on using swearwords so many times, but she doesn't seem to listen. MEANING 6: To suddenly stop what you are doing Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To stop, to interrupt Separable? Yes Earlier in the article, I explained how 'pull up' can be used to mean to bring a moving vehicle to a stop and that this usage could not be applied to humans but another usage could...well this is that usage! If a person pulls up, it does not mean that they stop moving, but rather that the action that they are performing, whatever that may be, is interrupted or stopped somehow. Like the first meaning that we looked it, there can an element of motion if the person is moving or walking but it can be for any action that is in progress at the time of the interruption. It's also very important to note that the interruption or disturbance to the action is almost always surprising or a shock, which is normally implied in this application of 'pull up'. There is also a fairly common expression that derives from this usage: 'to pull someone up short', which means 'to make someone stop what they are doing suddenly or abruptly'. For those of you who love grammar, it may interest you to know that this usage of 'pull up' is ergative. This means that it can be used both transitively and intransitively (with or without a direct object), with the subject of the intransitive verb becoming the direct object in an equivalent transitive sentence.... Transitive: The beautiful scenery pulled Linda up short. Intransitive: Linda pulled up short at the sight of the beautiful scenery. The sight of my mother standing at my front door pulled me up short. The runner suddenly pulled up and fell over onto the floor, screaming in pain. MEANING 7: To show information on a screen Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To open, to bring up Separable? Yes Well done if you have made it this far...we are nearly done I promise! For this next meaning of 'pull up', we are thinking about computers, smartphones and other devices with screens as this meaning is 'to make something appear on a screen'. If you pull something up on a screen, you open a file or programme in your computer so that it appears on the monitor. If you have read my article about the phrasal verb 'bring up' (link here), this may sound familiar to you as this is actually a synonym of this particular application and both of these have exactly the same meaning. I would say however 'bring up' is perhaps more commonly used but it is nevertheless very useful to have this in your vocabulary too. Can you pull up the sales forecast spreadsheet for me so I can look at it quickly, please. I pulled up the results of the game on my screen. MEANING 8: To make an airplane move upwards Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Rare Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To ascend, to climb Separable Yes The eighth and final meaning of 'pull up' that we will look at is quite a specialist niche usage for airplanes and means 'to make an airplane move in an upwards direction'. This usage is actually a shortened form of 'pulling up the nose' for when the pilot makes the nose of the plane point upwards. This is similar to the phrasal verb 'take off', but while 'take off' specifically describes when an airplane leaves the ground, 'pull up' is used to describe any time that the pilot makes the airplane go higher, whether that be during takeoff or in mid-flight. This is often used for when an airplane has to change its course or cannot land safely due to bad weather and the pilot must then pull up in order to circle around to try and land again. The was not able to land the aircraft due to the strong winds and so he pulled up in order to make a second attempt. BONUS: The idiom 'to pull your socks up' Before I finish this article, I want to make you aware of a nice idiom that exists featuring the phrasal verb 'pull up', which is 'to pull your socks up'. If someone tells you to pull your socks up, it means that you are not doing well at school or, sometimes, in a job and therefore you need to make more of an effort in order to get better grades or not lose your job! John doesn't work hard in class and next year he really needs to pull his socks up if he wants to pass all of his exams. Photo: Pexels 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 'pull up' more confidently and naturally. Feel free to leave any comments, feedback or your own sentences using 'pull up' 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