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An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'hang 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. How well do you know the English phrasal verb 'hang out'? I am sure that many of you reading this will know at least one of its meanings. If you're not sure, don't worry as in this post I will explain all three of them and give you lots of example sentences for each one to show you how to use it in a natural way. In addition, I will also give you some bonus information so that you once you have finished reading the post, you will be an expert on this useful little phrasal verb. So, let's make a start and see what the phrasal verb 'hang out' is all about.... QUICK ANSWER: What does the phrasal verb 'hang out' mean? The phrasal verb 'hang out' has three main meanings in English: To protrude To spend time To dry clothes Keep reading to learn how to use each of these like a native speaker. TABLE OF CONTENTS (Click to jump to each one) Hang Out - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'hang' and 'out' Hang Out - Meaning 1: To protrude Hang Out - Meaning 2: To spend time Hang Out - Meaning 3: To dry clothes Hang Out - Bonus: The noun 'hangout' Hang Out - Bonus: The idiom 'let it all hang 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 HANG OUT: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 3 Past tense forms Hung out / Hung out Separable? Sometimes The phrasal verb 'hang out' is formed of the verb 'to hang' and the particle 'out' and so as the first step in our exploration of this phrasal verb, let's first briefly consider what these two individual words mean on their own.... Hang - The verb 'to hang' is a common irregular verb in English whose main meaning is 'to physically suspend something from above, so that the bottom part of it does not touch the ground'. It can be used with many different nouns such as pictures, decorations, lights and clothes. Moreover, it is a verb that features a lot in phrasal verb constructions. I am going to hang my clothes in the wardrobe. The children joyfully hung the decorations on the Christmas tree. Are we allowed to hang paintings on the wall? The butcher has hung the cuts of meat in the freezer. Out - The prepositional particle 'out' functions as the natural opposite of the particle 'in' and can be used in phrasal verbs to indicate a movement from the inside of something to the outside (go out, step out). When used in more figurative ways, 'out' can add various ideas to phrasal verbs including becoming visible (come out), completion (fill out), distribution (give out), removal (cut out) and exhaustion (run out), among others. So, now that we have covered the basics, let's move on to the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'hang out'.... MEANING 1: To protrude Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level B1 - Intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To protrude, to stick out Separable? No The first meaning of 'hang out' that we will look at in this post is one of its two literal uses and means 'to protrude'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Tongue Shirt Tie Wire / Cable Arm / Leg Firstly, you may be wondering what the verb 'to protrude' means. To confirm, 'to protrude' means to physically project or extend outward from a surface like a wall or the ground. For example, if there is a nail in a wall, we can say that "the nail protrudes from the wall" or if there is a rock in the middle of a river that is visible, we can say that "the rock protrudes from the surface of the river". While 'hang out' is a synonym of 'to protrude', you should note that it is not always interchangeable: We can use protrude for anything that extends out from the edge of a surface but we normally use 'hang out' when something protrudes from a surface and the end of it drops towards the ground, i.e. when there is gravity involved. Furthermore, it is used particularly often when something is supposed to be inside or underneath something else and a part of it comes out and is visible. Personally, when I think of this application, the first thing that comes to my mind is a tongue; if a person or an animal's tongue is hanging out, it means that it is protruding from their month and is dropping slightly downwards (a bit like the dog in the picture above). In addition to this, we often use 'hang out' with wires & cables, items of clothing like the bottom of someone's shirt or body parts like arms and legs. To sum up, we can use 'hang out' in this way to describe anything that extends from underneath or inside something else and hangs down. On a grammatical note, this usage is not typically separable as we do not normally intentionally cause something to hang out; it just happens through circumstance. Mark's shirt was hanging out of his trousers after he rushed out of the house. I tucked my shirt in because it was hanging out. Helena's tie was hanging out from under her jacket. A map was hanging out of his backpack. Emma's keys were hanging out of her pocket. A scarf was hanging out of the shopping bag. Several cables were hanging out of the back of the computer. A receipt was hanging out of his wallet. One other scenario in which 'hang out' can be used this way is when people physically hang objects so that they hang on the external edge of something so that they can be seen. This is most typically used when people hang things out of their windows like flags. When used like this, the usage becomes separable as there is now a direct object that is intentionally hung in this way. Robert hung his country's flag out of his window. Greta hung a sign out of the shop window advertising the sale. Let's hang a large banner out of the upstairs window to welcome the runners. MEANING 2: To spend time Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level B1 - Intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere but common in American English Potential synonyms To spend time Separable? No The next meaning of the phrasal verb 'hang out' is the one that I suspect many of you will be familiar with already, which is 'to spend time'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Friends House Pub / Bar Café Library This application of 'hang out' an informal one, which is very common in North American English but is now becoming more and more common in other English-speaking parts of the world, including the UK. When we use 'hang out' in this way, we are essentially describing spending a lot of time with people, or at a certain place. Generally, it is used when there is no specific reason for being with the person or at the place; it simply describes spending time in a relaxed and stress-free way. Due to the nature of 'hanging out', it is something that is used by, or to talk about, younger people. For example, personally I used to enjoy hanging out with my friends when I was younger but now we are all older and much busier and we don't have as much free time to be able to hang out with each other like we used to. On a grammatical note, we tend to use this application with the extra preposition 'with' to talk about people and prepositions of place (at, in) to talk about places. We like to hang out at the beach in the summer. They were hanging out in the café, drinking coffee and talking. He spends most weekends hanging out at his friend's house. They were hanging out, listening to music and playing video games. We hung out with some old friends at the pub. They hung out at my house after football practice. My sister and I hung out in town for a few hours. We hung out with our neighbours in the garden all evening. Photo: Pexels BONUS: The noun 'hangout' If you were already familiar with the previous application of 'hang out' before reading this post, then you will almost certainly also be familiar with the noun 'hangout' that is derived directly from it. The noun 'hangout' is mainly used to refer to a place where people gather together to socialise, relax and 'hang out'. Less commonly, it can also refer to a digital space online where people go to socialise. The new café has quickly become a popular hangout for university students. The park is our favourite hangout during the summer. That little coffee shop is a great hangout if you want to relax after work. MEANING 3: To dry clothes Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To dry Separable? Yes The third and final of the applications of 'hang out' that we will look at in this post is the other application that could be considered a literal usage and means 'to dry clothes'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Clothes Washing Laundry Let me first clarify what I mean by "drying clothes" here as this application does not apply to all instances of drying clothes but specifically when you hang wet clothes on a thin wire or cord (often called a washing line or clothesline) outside to dry in the sunshine For example, after washing their clothes, many people hang them out on the washing line in their back garden for a few hours or all day until they are dry (provided that it hasn't rained of course 😉). You should note that although this usage is used and understood everywhere, there are some slight differences in usage between British and North American English. In British English, people just typically say that they "hang the washing out" and the meaning is understood, whereas in North American English, it is much more common to say the longer form of "to hang the washing out to dry". I hung the washing out before I went to work. It's a lovely day, so let's hang the clothes out to dry. Sue always hangs the towels out to dry when the weather is warm. We hung the bed sheets out on the washing line this morning. Don't hang the washing out; it's about to rain. Charles forgot to hang the laundry out to dry, so it's still sitting in the washing machine. As soon as the rain stopped, I hung out the washing. My grandmother never used a tumble dryer; she always hung the washing out to dry in the garden. Photo: Pexels BONUS: Let it all hang out Before we finish the post, there is a little expression featuring 'hang out' to make you aware of: 'let it all hang out'. We use this expression to describe when you can relax and be yourself completely and you do not worry about what other people think of you. To be honest, I think we should all just let it all hang out when we can...it's great for our mental well being and happiness 😀 Once the music started, everyone let it all hang out and danced without worrying about looking silly. Stop trying to impress everyone and just let it all hang out; they will like you for who you are. 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 'hang out' more confidently and naturally. Feel free to leave any comments, feedback or your own sentences using 'hang 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 ? If yes, check out my downloadable phrasal verb workbooks, which include clear explanations, common learner mistakes, exercises, speaking practice and answer keys to help you master the phrasal verbs that native speakers use every day. Browse the workbooks here. Thanks so much for reading and see you next time! James 😊 THE END

An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'cover 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. This is a post dedicated to the explanation of 'cover up', which is a nice little phrasal verb that has the idea of hiding or concealment at it's core. In this post, I will explain three different ways that you can use 'cover up' and how you can use it to talk about subjects ranging from wearing clothes to government scandals. For each application, I will give you lots of example sentences to ensure that at the end of the post you can use this phrasal verb in a confident and natural way. So. let's make a start and see what 'cover up' is all about.... QUICK ANSWER: What does the phrasal verb 'cover up' mean? The phrasal verb 'cover up' has three main meanings in English: To completely cover something To wear more clothes To hide the truth Keep reading to learn how to use each of these naturally in English. TABLE OF CONTENTS (Click to jump to each one) Cover Up - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'cover' and 'up' Cover Up - Meaning 1: To completely cover something Cover Up - Meaning 2: To wear more clothes Cover Up - Meaning 3: To hide the truth Cover Up - Bonus: The noun 'cover-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 COVER UP: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 3 Past tense forms Covered up / Covered up Separable? Yes I am sure that you are all very familiar with the words 'cover' and 'up' already but let's first of all just remind ourselves what they mean and what these meanings can bring to the phrasal verb 'cover up'.... Cover - The verb 'to cover' is a fairly common regular verb in English whose main meaning is to physically put something over the top of something else in order to hide or protect it. Additionally, it can also be used in business English to mean 'to pay for, 'to insure' and 'to work for a colleague when they are not there'. Additionally, it can be used in the world of journalism to mean 'to report on a story'. One other very relevant meaning that it has when it is combined with the preposition 'for' is 'to lie for someone to prevent them from getting into trouble'. The snow fell overnight and covered the ground. We covered the ugly table with a colourful tablecloth. When I go away for business, the company covers the cost of the flights and accommodation. The insurance covers you for damage and theft. The journalist was injured whilst covering a story about the war. Molly covered up for Kate when she took a day off school. Up - The prepositional particle 'up' is the most commonly found particle in phrasal verb constructions and can add a variety of different meanings to them. When applied literally it can add the idea of an upwards movement or increase (go up). It is more frequently used in phrasal verbs in a figurative sense though and here it can add the ideas of completion or totality (eat up), creation (set up), collection (gather up) and improvement (cheer up) among others. So, now that we have covered the basics, let's move on to the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'cover up'.... MEANING 1: To completely cover something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B1 - Intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To cover, to cover over Separable? Yes The first of the meanings of the phrasal verb 'cover up' that we will look at in this post is very similar in meaning to the base verb 'to cover' and means 'to completely cover something'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Eyes Face Stain Mess Tattoo Like with the verb 'to cover', we can use this first application of 'cover up' to mean 'to place one thing over another so that it is hidden or protected' and there are many instances in which these two variations are interchangeable. However, there is a subtle difference between 'cover' and 'cover up' that you should know. We use the verb 'to cover' primarily to say that something is placed over the top of something else so that it is partly or fully covered. In contrast, when we want to stress that the covered item is completely covered and no longer visible, we use 'cover up'. For example, if you put some plastic wrap over a bowl of food to keep it fresh, you would say that you "covered it" and in most cases a native speaker would assume that the item was completely covered. If, for some reason, you wanted to hide the bowl of food so that people could not see it, we would use 'cover up' instead as it carries that extra idea of complete cover. You will note in the example sentences below that this application often follows the structure cover up + something + with or cover something up + with as it is separable.... The children covered up the sandcastle with wet seaweed to protect it from the wind. Overnight, fresh snow covered up the entire garden. Poppy covered the furniture up with dust sheets before the decorators arrived. Thick fog covered up the mountains, making them impossible to see. The workers covered up the freshly planted seeds with soil. Lionel covered the red wine stain on the carpet up with a rug. Paul covered up the cage with a blanket to keep the bird calm. Dark clouds gradually covered up the moon. They covered up the old sign with a large advertising banner. The rescue team covered up the damaged roof with a waterproof tarpaulin. As I mentioned before, this application of 'cover up' is used particularly when we want to stop something being visible and therefore it also works for marks and patterns on surfaces like graffiti, tattoos and bruises. The council covered up the graffiti with a fresh coat of paint the day after it appeared. Peter wore a long-sleeved shirt to cover up the bruises on his arms. Cassandra used make-up to cover up her tattoo before the job interview. COVERING UP IN BOXING If you enjoy the sport boxing, then it is possible that you have heard the term 'covering up' to refer to a boxer's defensive technique in a match. If a boxer covers up, he or she protects their face by covering it with their gloves boxing gloves with their forearms over their chest. MEANING 2: To wear more clothes Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To dress Separable? Yes The second meaning of the phrasal verb 'cover up' is a logical continuation of the first one and means 'to wear more clothes'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Legs Shoulders Arms Body Private parts For this second application of the phrasal verb 'cover up', the focus is on covering a person's body by putting on clothes. This may be in situations in which a person is completely naked, partially naked (in their underwear) or when a person is wearing clothes already but needs to cover the remaining areas of their body. Typical reasons why a person would need to 'cover up' are for religious or modesty purposes and to protect themselves from something that could be harmful to them, sunshine or other forms of weather. On a grammatical note, when we use it in this way to talk about covering up your entire body this usage does not take a direct object and is not separable. We can use it also to describe covering a specific body part e.g. shoulders or legs and when used this way, it is separable and the covered up body part can go between 'cover' and 'up' or after them. As with the previous application, we use 'cover up' when we want to emphasise that the specific body part is no longer visible. The tourist covered up her shoulders before entering the church. You should cover up your legs if you're walking through long grass. Mike covered up his arms to avoid getting sunburnt. The model was asked to cover up her chest for the advertisement. Lynsey wore a shawl to cover up her shoulders. Patricia covered up her shoulders with a cardigan. Alex covered up his legs with a blanket. Jemma covered up her arms with a long-sleeved top. MEANING 3: To hide the truth Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To hide, to conceal Separable? Yes For our third and final usage of the phrasal verb 'cover up', we are again ending on a negative meaning (I have a habit of doing this) as this one means 'to hide the truth'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Truth Evidence Mistake / Error Crime To give you more context on this application, we use it when we want to hide information or details about something that could get us into trouble, cause us problems or have a negative effect on our life or career. This is the reason why I stated that it is negative as we don't really use it for anything positive. We often use it this way in reference to politics, business and organisations who want to maintain a good reputation with the public and therefore choose to hide or cover up any negative press or bad news about them that could jeopardise this. It can equally be used in more personal situations, for example if someone tells a lie to cover up something bad that they have done. The general idea of this links back to the other two applications of 'cover up' as at its core is the idea of wanting something to be hidden so that others do not see it or know about it. The company tried to cover up the accident instead of reporting it. You can't cover the truth up forever; people will find out one day! Margaret admitted her mistake rather than trying to cover it up. The scandal became even worse when people realised that officials had tried to cover it up. The government minister was accused of covering up evidence that could have damaged the government's reputation. Journalists claimed that several senior politicians had worked together to cover up the affair. The inquiry found no evidence of an attempt to cover up the corruption. Ben lied to cover up the fact that he had forgotten his sister's birthday. You should also be aware of a common extension of this phrasal verb 'application', which is 'to cover up for someone'. If you cover up for someone, you tell a lie or do something to hide something wrong that another person has done as you want to protect them. Karina lied to cover up for her friend after the accident. The manager was accused of covering up for an employee who had broken the rules. Jackie refused to cover up for her colleague's mistakes. Photo: Pexels BONUS: The noun 'cover-up' Let's finish the post by looking at a common noun that we get from this third and final phrasal verb usage: 'cover-up'. A 'cover-up' is a word that we can use to describe when someone hides or conceals the truth about something in order to avoid being in trouble or negative press. It tends to be used more to talk about politics, big businesses and famous organisations. Journalists uncovered a cover-up involving public funds. Opposition parties accused the minister of being involved in a cover-up. The executives of the business were charged for their role in the cover-up. 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 'cover up' more confidently and naturally. Feel free to leave any comments, feedback or your own sentences using 'cover up' in the section below. Also, if you found the post useful, please like and share it on social media. Want to understand native speakers more easily and use phrasal verbs more naturally? If yes, check out my downloadable phrasal verb workbooks, which include clear explanations, common learner mistakes, exercises, speaking practice and answer keys to help you master the phrasal verbs that native speakers use every day. Browse the workbooks here. Thanks so much for reading and see you next time! James 😊 THE END

An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'break in' 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 article is all about the English phrasal verb 'break in'. We can use 'break in' in a number of different ways in English and these include to talk about things like crime, interruption, training and shoes. In this post, I will explain all four of its different meanings in clear and understandable English for you and will provide you with lots of example sentences in context for each meaning to help you use it more naturally and confidently. So, let's make a start and find out exactly what the phrasal verb 'break in' means.... QUICK ANSWER: What does the phrasal verb 'break in' mean? The phrasal verb 'break in' has four main meanings.... To enter somewhere by force To train someone for something To prepare something for use To interrupt TABLE OF CONTENTS (Click to jump to each one) Break In - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'break' and 'in' Break In - Meaning 1: To enter somewhere by force Break In - Meaning 2: To train someone for something Break In - Meaning 3: To prepare something for us Break In - Meaning 4: To interrupt Break In - Bonus: The noun 'break-in' 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 BREAK IN: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 4 Past tense forms Broke in / Broken in Separable? Sometimes In order to fully understand the phrasal verb 'break in', we should first of all consider its individual component words 'break' and 'in' and what they mean on their own. Break - 'To break' is a common irregular verb in English. It is often used in negative and problematic situations as its main meanings are 'to stop functioning properly', 'to damage or destroy' or a combination of both of these. In addition to this, we can also use the verb 'to break' to mean 'to end' and 'to interrupt' among other meanings. John broke his arm when he fell from a tree. The printer is broken. Jessica broke it when she spilled coffee on it. Be careful with this ornament as it is fragile and could break easily. Alex broke the silence in the room when he laughed. Let's break now and resume the lesson later. In - The prepositional particle 'in' is one that you will know very well already. We can use it in phrasal verb constructions to add the idea of a movement from the outside of something to the inside (go in, get in). Moreover, it can also add the ideas of arrival (come in), participation (join in), submission (hand in) and confinement (lock in), among others. So, now that we have covered the basics, let's move on to the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'break in'.... MEANING 1: To enter somewhere by force Photo: Stockvault CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To breach, to intrude, to trespass, to burglarise, to raid Separable? No We are going to start the meanings of the phrasal verb 'break in' with the most negative of its four meanings, which is 'to enter somewhere by force'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... House / Flat Building Shop / Store Car System Thief / Robber / Burglar This first application of 'break in' is probably the most commonly used one and is primarily used to talk about criminal activity when a person enters a building using force; either to steal what is inside it or to look for something (as commonly seen in movies and on TV). When we use 'break in' it doesn't always mean that force was involved, but rather that the person entered illegally or when they were not supposed to. Someone broke in during the night and stole several laptops. The burglars broke in through a ground-floor window. We were on holiday when thieves broke in and ransacked our house. A masked man tried to break in but he couldn't get past the security door. The police arrived just as the intruders were breaking in. BREAK IN OR BREAK INTO? You may have noticed in the example sentences above that none of them explicitly state the building or place where the unwanted visitors entered. If you want to do this, you simply need to change the particle from 'in' to 'into'..... Someone broke into our house while we were away on holiday. The burglars broke into the shop through a side window. Thieves broke into the animal enclosure overnight to try and steal them. A masked man attempted to break into the bank but was caught by security guards. The police were called after someone broke into a local business. I have only mentioned so far that we use 'break into' with buildings and while we most commonly use this application for them, we can also use it for other things like cars and vehicles as well as non-physical things like computer systems that have an element of security to stop anybody accessing what it inside. Someone broke into my car and stole my satnav. Thieves broke into several vans parked outside the hotel. Hackers broke into the company's computer system and stole customer data. Someone broke into my locker at the gym and stole my wallet. The ex-employee broke into the electricity control box and tampered with the wiring. On a grammatical level, we cannot separate this application of 'break in'. Often, native speakers will use it in the passive voice with the verb 'to get' (get / be broken into), particularly because often victims of this type of crime do not usually know who committed it. Some shops get broken into during the holiday season every year. Our house has been broken into twice this year. My car was broken into last night. The museum was broken into during the weekend. Photo: Pexels BONUS: The noun 'break-in' As is common with many phrasal verbs, there are often nouns that are derived from them to define the particular action that the phrasal verb describes and 'break in' is no different in this respect. The noun 'break-in' is used as a name for the specific type of crime when a criminal enters somewhere by force. There was a break-in at the local jewellery shop last night. The police are investigating a break-in at a nearby office building. After the break-in, the family decided to install a security system. MEANING 2: To train someone for something Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To train, to prepare, to get someone used to, to condition, to acclimatise Separable? Yes The second of the applications of the phrasal verb 'break in' is a much more pleasant one that means 'to prepare someone for something' and is one that is heard particularly often in workplaces. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Employee Trainee Player Worker Starting a new job can be a difficult experience; there are new colleagues to meet, new systems to use, lots of new information to learn and new activities to carry out. As such, it can often take new employees several months to be able to do a job competently and without help from colleagues. We can often use the phrasal verb 'break someone in' these situations to describe when existing employees train or teach new employees and show them how to do a new job or role. To put this another way, 'to break someone in' means to prepare and train someone for a new job or activity that they will have to do. As I mentioned before, this is mainly in the workplace but it could potentially be used for any activity where someone is given help to adjust to a new environment or to get used to doing something difficult or demanding. As you may have already guessed, this application of 'break in' is separable and the name of the person undergoing the training or preparation can either go between 'break' and 'in' or after them. It took a few weeks to break the new employee in. Sarah is breaking in her replacement before she leaves the company. The senior nurse spent several days breaking the new staff members in. The coach used easier training sessions to break the younger players in. Life in the army quickly broke Jim in. The internship helped break students in before they started full-time work. By the end of the month, Sandra had been fully broken in and was working independently. Young players are often broken in slowly to help them adjust to professional football. MEANING 3: To prepare something for use Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To train, to prepare Separable? Yes The next application of the phrasal verb 'break in' that we will look at is one is similar to the previous one but it involves objects (and horses) rather than people and means 'to prepare something for use'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Shoes Equipment Car Engine Horse Like most people, I enjoy the feeling of having new shoes to wear but one thing that I do not like about this is how painful they can be when I first start wearing them. It normally takes several attempts at wearing them for increasingly longer periods of time before they no longer hurt to walk in. To describe this period of adjustment and preparation for use, we can use this third application of 'break in'. Just as we were looking at preparing people or employees to do a job in the previous application, in this one we are instead preparing things to be used for a specific purpose. Perhaps the most common noun that we use this with across the English speaking world is 'shoes' but it can also be used with any equipment or items that need a period of preparation or use in order to become fully functional. I need to break in these new shoes before the wedding. Kathy spent a week breaking in her hiking boots before the trek. The goalkeeper is still breaking in his new gloves. The saddle needs to be broken in before it becomes comfortable. This sofa will become more comfortable once it's been broken in. One surprising inclusion on the list of nouns that are commonly used with this application is 'horses'. Obviously, horses do not really count as equipment, however they have been used to carry out work for people for an estimated 5000 years and of course they will all need a certain amount of training and work before they can be used for riding or pulling vehicles etc. It takes patience and skill to break in a young horse. The trainer spent several months breaking the horse in. Kate is currently breaking in two horses for competition. Young horses are usually broken in gradually. The trainer is taking things slowly to avoid frightening the horse while breaking it in. There are also some other nouns that are used with this meaning of 'break in' in specific English speaking countries, rather than across the English-speaking world: 🇺🇸 In American English, it is common to talk about breaking a new car or vehicle in, meaning to use it slowly and carefully at first to avoid damaging the engine. Be careful not to confuse this meaning with 'to break into a car' from the first application. 🇦🇺 🇳🇿 In Australian and New Zealand English 'break in' is used to talk about preparing previously uncultivated ground in order to grow crops on it. MEANING 4: To interrupt something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Rare Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To interrupt Separable? No The fourth and final of our applications of the phrasal verb 'break in' means 'to interrupt something' and can be used to talk about both conversations and activities. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Conversation Meeting Discussion We use this application most frequently when talking about conversations. To clarify, if someone stops a conversation that is already in progress in order to join it, we can say that they "broke in". Moreover, we can also use this for anything that can be interrupted by a person speaking or another sound, such as a breaking news bulletin interrupting a TV programme or radio show. Before I could finish my explanation, Tom broke in with a question. Lesley broke in to correct a mistake. Whenever someone tells a story, Shane always breaks in. The teacher broke in before the argument became too heated. The music was suddenly interrupted as a news bulletin broke in. For this meaning, we require the additional preposition 'on' to specify what was interrupted.... I'm sorry to break in on your conversation, but I need to ask a question. Marie broke in on the meeting with an urgent announcement. I hate to break in on your speech, but there's a phone call for you. The emergency alarm broke in on the ceremony. The announcer broke in on the concert to make a safety announcement. 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 'break in' more confidently and naturally. Feel free to leave any comments, feedback or your own sentences using 'break in' in the section below. Also, if you found the post useful, please like and share it on social media. Want to understand native speakers more easily and use phrasal verbs more naturally? If yes, check out my downloadable phrasal verb workbooks, which include clear explanations, common learner mistakes, exercises, speaking practice and answer keys to help you master the phrasal verbs that native speakers use every day. Browse the workbooks here. Thanks so much for reading and see you next time! James 😊 THE END

An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'run 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. This post is all about the phrasal verb 'run out'. In it, I will explain its different meanings for you, with lots of example sentences, so that you can impress your English-speaking friends and family with your excellent skills. So, without further ado, let's make a start.... QUICK ANSWER: What does the phrasal verb 'run out' mean? The phrasal verb 'run out' has three main meanings: Literal meaning To have no more left of something To abandon someone Keep reading to learn the different ways to use them naturally! TABLE OF CONTENTS (Click to jump to each one) Run Out - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'run' and 'out' Run Out - Meaning 1: Literal Run Out - Bonus: To run out to the shops Run Out - Meaning 2: To have no more left of something Run Out - Bonus: To be out of something Run Out - Meaning 3: To abandon someone Run Out - Bonus: The idiom 'to run out of steam' Run Out - Bonus: Further questions for writing and speaking practice 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 RUN OUT: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 3 Past tense forms Ran out / Run out Separable? Rarely To begin, let's first consider the meaning of the base verb 'to run' and the particle 'out' and what they mean on their own. Firstly, we have the irregular verb 'to run', meaning to moving on foot at a speed faster than walking, with moments when neither foot is on the ground. In addition to this meaning of, it can also be used to mean 'to manage' (in terms of business) and 'to flow' (in terms of water and liquid) and 'to function (in terms of machines), among other uses. I run 5km at least twice a week to stay fit and healthy. Sophie ran past my house this morning. John runs a very successful printing business. The river runs alongside the road. All of the computers in the office are running. Next, we have the prepositional particle 'out', which is an enormously common word in English, with many meanings and applications. It functions as the natural opposite of 'in' and is used for all things to do with movement away from the inside of something and towards the external part of it and this meaning is often conveyed when 'out' is used in phrasal verb constructions. In addition to this, 'out' can also add the ideas of exhaustion (as I will explain later), appearance (come out), separation (sort out) and exclusion (leave out). So, now that we have covered the basics, let's move on to the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'run out'.... MEANING 1: Literal Photo: Pixels CEFR Language Level B1 - Intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To escape, to flee, to pop to, to nip to, to dash Separable? Sometimes For our first meaning of 'run out', we are going to keep things literal and just consider what we get when we combine the these two words together, which is 'to leave an interior space by running'. This could either be to enter into another interior space or to go to an exterior space. Whilst this application can be used to talk about leaving a room, a building or other internal space quickly (i.e. by running and not walking), it is more often than not used by native speakers when referring to a sudden, dramatic or exciting exit. This could include an escape from somewhere, leaving a room quickly to vomit or chasing someone. Every day when I get home from work, my dog runs out of the house to greet me. The schoolchildren ran out of the classroom as soon as the lesson finished. People started running out of the sea when someone shouted "Shark!". If you were paying attention to the table at the beginning of the section, you will have noticed that this application of 'run out' can sometimes be used separably. In order to do this, we require a direct object in the sentence (which we do not have in the sentences above). Let's consider the next expression where we have a direct object between run and out. What do you think the meaning of the sentence could be? John ran Roger out of the city. In American English (and less so in British English), if we run someone out of a town or city, it means that we chase or force a person to leave a place, normally by threatening them. Other synonyms of this could be 'to drive away', 'to drive out' and 'to force out'. I guess in the past it was normal for people to chase after someone in order to make them leave their town or city, but nowadays (thankfully) it is not so common and therefore the usage of this is also much rarer. You may still hear this in American television shows and movies however, so it is always useful to know. The angry villagers ran the tax collector out of the village. We ran him out of town last week and he has not dared to come back since. Photo: Pixels BONUS: To run out to the shops It is possible to use 'run out to somewhere' to express when we need to go somewhere and back quickly. For example, imagine that you are preparing a dinner party for 5 guests and you realise that you have forgotten to buy dessert. You may then need to run out to the shop to buy a dessert. This does not mean that you are physically running to the shop, but rather that you are going there and back quickly (normally in a car). It is also common for people to drop the "out" so that they simply 'run to somewhere', however the meaning is the same with or without 'out'. This usage is perhaps more common in American English, with 'to pop to' or 'to nip to' being more common alternatives in British English. He has just run out to the post office to post a letter, he will be back shortly. I've forgotten to buy potatoes. I'm going to quickly run to the store to get some. MEANING 2: To have no more left of something Photo: Pixels CEFR Language Level B1 - Intermediate ​Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To sell out, to exhaust, to use up, to expire, to have no more left Separable? No Our second meaning of 'run out' is the most commonly used and means 'to have no more left of something'. If you have heard 'to run out' in an English conversation, it is probable that you heard this idiomatic application. Nouns commonly used with this application: Money Energy Ideas Time Patience For this usage, we require the additional preposition 'of' to specify the thing that we do not have anymore, followed by a noun, giving us the construction to run out of something. We have run out of bread and milk. Many supermarkets ran out of toilet paper at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. My printer stopped working because it ran out of ink. Lucy wanted to bake cookies but realised she had run out of sugar. After hiking for hours, Sharon and Tracey ran out of water and had to turn back. The computer shop ran out of the new video game within an hour of opening. Since we use many different things in our lives, the list of possible nouns that can be used with this phrasal verb is very long, but common examples are money, food, energy, space, ideas, patience and options. Photo: Pixels Another very common noun that we use with this phrasal verb is 'time', normally when we have a deadline or future point in time before which something must be completed. Based on this idea of time and deadlines, we can also use 'run out' as a synonym for the verb "to expire", i.e. to express when the validity of something ends. Typical situations for this would be with a passport or a drivers license, which expire or run out on set dates. This phrasal verb can certainly be used in formal situations, however in very formal situations a different verb such as 'to exhaust' is definitely more suitable. I need to find a petrol station before I run out of petrol*! There are only 5 minutes left in the match; the England football team is running out of time to score another goal and win. Roger is running out of money fast, so he needs to find a job quickly! I've booked a holiday to Spain in April and I've just realised that my passport runs out in March! I hope I can renew it in time. * Petrol in British English is Gas in American English Photo: Pixels BONUS: To be out of something In informal conversations, it is also extremely common to simply drop the word 'run' and use the informal construction 'to be out of something' as a synonym. We need to stop, we are out of time. I'm afraid we are out of bread, sir. The next delivery will be tomorrow. A variation of this informal usage is 'to be all out of something'. Again, this is something that should only be used in informal conversations and situations: Oh no, we are all out of coffee! I will run out to the shop to get some. MEANING 3: To abandon someone Photo: Pixels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To abandon, to quit, to leave Separable? No Our third and final meaning of 'run out' means 'to abandon' and is normally used when someone leaves very quickly, suddenly or unexpectedly. Nouns commonly used with this application: Family Children Partner Job For this application, we are replacing the extra preposition 'of' with 'on', giving us the construction 'to run out on someone / something'. I imagine that you can probably guess, but this usage is reserved for dramatic and often traumatic life events for people, so thankfully it is not one that you will probably need in tour day to day English. It is definitely more of an informal usage and I would say that it is mainly used to talk about when someone suddenly leaves a relationship or a family. My ex-husband ran out on me and our 6-month old baby. Helen was so stressed that she ran out on her job and never went back. Tony ran out on his wife and 5 children to start a new family with his lover. He ran out on me last year and now he is begging me to take him back. Photo: Pixels IDIOM ALERT: To run out of steam Before I finish the post, I want to make you aware of a very common expression featuring the phrasal verb 'run out': 'to run out of steam'. We use this nice little saying to express when the progress of something slows down or stops because we lose energy or interest in something. The Scotland football team played brilliantly in the first half of the game but they ran out of steam in the second half. I was doing really well with the pre-Christmas baking but I ran out of steam and ended up sitting down for a coffee. Photo: Pixels QUESTIONS FOR WRITING & SPEAKING PRACTICE Have you ever run out of things to say when answering a job interview question? Did you get the job? Would you rather run out of gas for your heating on a cold day or electricity for your air conditioning on a hot day? Why? When was the last time that you ran out of patience (became angry) with someone? What happened? Do you think that we are running out of time to save the planet from climate change? How can we change the situation? Photo: Pixels We have now reached the end of this post and I just want to say thank you for clicking on my post and reading it. I hope that you've enjoyed it and have been able to learn something new. If you enjoyed this post, please go ahead and check out some of my other posts. Now it is YOUR turn. Can you think of a sentence yourself using 'run out'. Write it in the comments section below if you can, or alternatively any comments, suggestions or feedback that you may have....don't be shy!!! Sign up on the form below if you want to receive new blog posts directly by email every week as soon as they are published. Also, if you found the post useful, please like and share it on social media. See you next time! James 😊 THE END

An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'come about' 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 article is all about the English phrasal verb 'come about'. Have you ever heard of this one before? It is likely that you may not have done as this one is a rarer phrasal verb and it only has two main meanings. In this post, I will explain how you can use it to talk about different things including events, accidents and boats and how it can elevate your English and separate you from other English learners. As per usual, I will give you lots of example sentences to show you how to use each application. So, let's make a start and learn what 'come about' means.... QUICK ANSWER: What does the phrasal verb 'come about' mean? The phrasal verb 'come about' has two main meanings: To happen To change direction (boats) Keep reading to learn more about how to use each one! TABLE OF CONTENTS (Click to jump to each one) Come About - The Basics: Key information and the words 'come' & 'about' Come About - Meaning 1: To happen Come About - Meaning 2: To change direction (boats) 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 COME ABOUT: KEY INFORMATION Usage Medium Number of meanings 2 Past tense forms Came about / Come about Separable? No The phrasal verb 'come about' is made up of two really common words in English: the verb 'to come' and the particle 'about'. What exactly do these two words mean on their own and what do they add to the phrasal verbs that they form? Come - The verb 'to come' is an extremely common verb of movement in English that functions as the natural opposite of the verb 'to go'. We usually use the verb 'to come' to talk about a movement towards where the speaker is, was or will be. In addition to this, we can also use the verb 'to come' to mean 'to arrive' or 'to reach', 'to originate' and 'to happen' and all of these will feature to some degree in the meanings of the phrasal verb 'come about' that we will look at shortly. Don't forget that 'to come' is irregular and when it is found in phrasal verbs they are typically not separable. My parents are coming to my house later. When you come, can you bring me some milk. What time did you come to the party? My wife comes from Scotland. Monday comes before Tuesday. The news came as a shock. About - The prepositional particle 'about' is one that is found more rarely in phrasal verbs than some other particles. When it is used in phrasal verbs, it can add different ideas including wasting time (mess about), physical rotation (turn about), exploration (look about) and causing something to happen (bring about), among other meanings. So, now that we have covered the basics, let's take a look at the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'come about'.... MEANING 1: To happen Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To happen, to occur Separable? No The first of the two meanings of the phrasal verb 'come about' is by far the most common and means 'to happen' or 'to occur'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Incident Situation Accident Event I think that most of you would agree that life is rarely boring and there are things that are constantly happening, both good and bad, that keep things interesting. Consequently, the verbs 'to happen' and 'to occur' are probably words in your active vocabulary that you use all the time, however did you know that you can also use the phrasal verb 'come about' to mean the same thing?! If not, then I can confirm that you absolutely can use it to talk about things that happen or occur in life. Usually, we use this application of 'come about' to discuss or enquire what caused a situation to happen. Moreover, we can also use it to ask how or when something occurred or developed. For example, if you take a look at the picture above with the tree that has fallen on the car, it is possible that a native speaker would ask "how did this situation come about?" or in other words what caused the tree to end up on top of the car. You should know that speakers typically form this application in the following ways..... How did ________ come about? _______ came about because of / due to / when Come about + adverb See the examples of these below.... How did this mistake come about? How on Earth did this come about? You were supposed to be watching the children! Nobody is really sure how the accident came about. The opportunity to work abroad came about unexpectedly. The change in policy came about due to a change in government guidelines. A friendship between the two neighbours came about quite naturally. The problem came about because nobody checked the figures carefully. The couple's decision to move to Scotland came about after a holiday there last year. The misunderstanding came about when one of the emails was accidentally deleted. The idea for the new project came about during a discussion in a team meeting. Many important discoveries have come about by chance. Another slightly more formal way to use this application of 'come about' to give a reason for why a situation happened is to use the expression 'it came about that.....'. It came about that we had to cancel the meeting because several key people were unavailable. It came about that nobody in the business knew the answer, so we had to consult an expert. It came about that they became business partners after working together on a small project. It came about that the documents were sent to the wrong address. To conclude, most advanced English learners at your level are likely to know 'to happen' and 'to occur', however if you want to really set yourself apart and sound more like a native, then start using 'come about' as well 😀 MEANING 2: To change direction (boats) Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Rare Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To turn Separable? No The second and final application of 'come about' that we will cover in this post is one that is used specifically in the nautical world, or in other words boats and ships, and means to 'change direction'. Note that this is only used in reference to smaller boats and yachts that rely on wind and sails to move and not an engine. To clarify, if a boat comes about, it changes the direction that its bow (front part) faces. This is done in response to the direction of the wind and the aim of making a boat come about is to re-position it so that the wind changes from one side of it to the other. This is chiefly done to enable a boat to keep moving when a boat is sailing into the direction of the wind. Interestingly, did you know that the reason that we use 'about' here and not 'around' is that in the past both of these words used to mean the same thing? While they are still sometimes interchangeable today, using 'about' to mean 'around' can often sound a little old-fashioned in modern English but it does still exist in expressions and phrasal verbs such as this! The captain told the crew to come about and head back towards the harbour. As the wind strengthened, the yacht came about and sailed towards the opposite shore. The sailors prepared to come about before reaching the rocks. The boat came about smoothly despite the rough conditions. We needed to come about in order to avoid another vessel. The skipper shouted, "Ready to come about!" After coming about, the yacht picked up speed on the new tack. The crew worked together quickly as the boat came about. 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 'come about' more confidently and naturally. Feel free to leave any comments, feedback or your own sentences using 'come about' in the section below. Also, if you found the post useful, please like and share it on social media. Want to understand native speakers more easily and use phrasal verbs more naturally? If yes, check out my downloadable phrasal verb workbooks, which include clear explanations, common learner mistakes, exercises, speaking practice and answer keys to help you master the phrasal verbs that native speakers use every day. Browse the workbooks here. Thanks so much for reading and see you next time! James 😊 THE END

An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'get across' 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 English phrasal verb 'get across', which is a common phrasal verb that can be used to talk about crossing something physically or communicating ideas and information successfully. Unlike many phrasal verb posts with the verb 'to get', this one is relatively short as 'get across' only has two meanings! In this post, I will explain both of these meanings for you and give you example sentences for each one so that you know how and when to use them. So, let's make a start and learn what the phrasal verb 'get across' is all about.... QUICK ANSWER: What does the phrasal verb 'get across' mean? The phrasal verb 'get across' has two main meanings in English: To move from one side of something to the other To communicate ideas or information successfully TABLE OF CONTENTS (Click to jump to each one) Get Across - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'get' & 'across' Get Across - Meaning 1: To move from one side to the other Get Across - Meaning 2: To communicate information or ideas successfully 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 GET ACROSS: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 2 Past tense forms Got across / Got across - gotten across Separable? Yes As per usual, let's start the post by taking a look at the words that form our phrasal verb of choice, which in this case are the verb 'to get' and the prepositional particle 'across'. Get - The verb 'to get' needs no introduction from me as it is extremely common in English. It can be quite a tricky verb for learners as it has a huge number of meanings and applications in English. In fact, I'm sure you could dedicate an entire blog to its different meanings but let's just concentrate on phrasal verbs for now! Some of the main meanings of 'to get' include 'to receive', 'to understand' and 'to fetch' but the meaning that is most relevant for this phrasal verb is 'to reach or arrive somewhere'. It is important to note that 'to get' is an irregular verb with two accepted past participles; 'got' is used more in British English and 'gotten' is preferred in American English. I got a letter in the post today. I don't get this grammar point; could you explain it for me? My Dad has gone to get some bread from the shop. What time did you get home last night? Across - The prepositional particle 'across' is not one that is seen in many phrasal verbs. On its own it is used to talk about moving from one side of something to the other (an idea that we will revisit shortly) or to talk about the other side of something. This meaning is also transferred to phrasal verbs and in addition to this, 'across' can add the ideas of discovery (come across), communication (put across) and distribution (spread across). So, now that we have looked at the basics, let's move on to the meanings of the phrasal verb 'get across'.... MEANING 1: To move from one side to the other Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level A2 - Elementary Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To go across, to cross, to traverse Separable? No The first of our two meanings of the phrasal verb 'get across' is the literal meaning that we get when we combine the two words 'get' and 'across', which is 'to move from one side of something to the other'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Bridge Road River City At first glance, this meaning is probably quite obvious to you and should not need much explanation, however there is an element of nuance that is involved with this first meaning of 'get across' that you should be aware of. As I stated, we use this literal application to talk about being situated on one side of something e.g. a river or road, and moving across so that we are on the other side of it. In addition to 'get across', there are several other verbs that we can use to describe this same action in English, with 'go across' being the most obvious and common one. You should note here however that 'get across' and 'go across' are not always used interchangeably and this is the nuance that you should know.... We use 'go across' to talk about a simple movement across something where there are no difficulties or obstacles e.g. the car is going across the bridge. On the other hand, we use 'get across' in situations where we are not able to cross something or if there are obstacles or difficulties in doing so. Consequently, this application can often be found in negative statements and questions. Example sentences of 'get across'.... We managed to get across the river before it started to rain. It took the turtles hours to get across the busy highway safely. The children tried to get across the narrow bridge one by one. Jonathan swam hard to get across to the other side of the lake. We couldn’t get across the river because the current was too strong. Martin couldn’t get across to the island without a boat. Getting across the city during rush hour can take a long time! Were you able to get across the road safely? How did she get across the bridge in that weather? So, to summarise, if you want to talk about crossing something in a normal way, use 'go across' and if you want to say that there difficulties and doubts about the crossing or if you weren't able to cross something, 'get across' is better 😀 MEANING 2: To communicate information or ideas successfully Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To communicate, to put across Separable? Yes Now we come to the second meaning of 'get across', which is the true phrasal verb application and means 'to communicate information successfully'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Information Idea Point Message Isn't it really annoying when you try to explain something to somebody and they just do not understand what you are trying to tell them. In these frustrating situations, it is very common to use this application as you can say that you are unable to 'get the information across'. To clarify this, if you get information across to someone, you succeed in making them understand it. This is not just used in an educational or learning sense but also when you want to make another person understand an important practical piece of information or how you feel about something. Two nouns that are commonly used in collocation with this application of 'get across' are 'message' and 'point'. We use both of these to talk about conveying a key piece of information to someone or to people in general. IS GET ACROSS A SEPARABLE VERB? On a grammatical note, this meaning of the phrasal verb get across' is separable and I would say is used more commonly in a separable way in everyday language. Example sentences of 'get across'.... The politician explained the idea well and really got it across to the audience. The teacher used simple examples to get the concept across. Ben struggled at first, but he eventually got his point across. The campaign video got the message across effectively. It’s hard to get your feelings across in a short email. Dean couldn’t get his idea across clearly during the meeting. The instructions didn’t really get across to the students what they needed to do. Becky tried to explain, but she didn’t get her point across. The advert failed to get the message across. Do you think the speaker got the main point across? So, now that you have read that, did I get the message across well about the phrasal verb 'get across'? 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 'get across' more confidently and naturally. Please feel free to leave any comments, feedback or your own sentences using 'get across' in the section below. Also, if you found the post useful, please like and share it on social media. Want to understand native speakers more easily and use phrasal verbs more naturally? If yes, check out my downloadable phrasal verb workbooks, which include clear explanations, common learner mistakes, exercises, speaking practice and answer keys to help you master the phrasal verbs that native speakers use every day. Browse the workbooks here. 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 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. This post is all about the phrasal verb 'come off'. Did you know that this surprising little phrasal verb can be used to talk about many different things in English, ranging from stages and medication to what someone thinks about you. In the post, I will explain all of its different meanings and give you plenty of example sentences of each one, so that you can use it confidently and naturally in your English conversations. Let's make a start and see what 'come off' is all about.... QUICK ANSWER: What does the phrasal verb 'come off' mean? The phrasal verb 'come off' has four main meanings in English: To no longer be on something To stop taking medication To succeed To give a certain impression of something Keep reading to learn how to use each of these meanings! TABLE OF CONTENTS (Click to jump to each one) Come Off - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'come' and 'off' Come Off - Meaning 1: To no longer be on something Come Off - Meaning 2: To stop taking medication Come Off - Meaning 3: To succeed Come Off - Meaning 4: To give a certain impression of something 🇺🇸 Come Off - Bonus: The expression 'come off it!' 🇬🇧 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 COME OFF: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 4 Past tense forms Came off / Come off Separable? No As a first step in understanding the meanings of the phrasal verb 'come off', we first need to consider what the individual words 'come' and 'off' mean on their own.... Come - The verb 'to come' is an extremely common and versatile verb in English whose main meaning is to move towards the place where the speaker is, was or will be. In addition to this, it can be used to mean to travel with the speaker to where they are going. In some contexts 'to come' can mean 'to arrive at a place'. Furthermore, 'to come' often indicates a movement and with certain prepositions it can be used to mean 'to leave' or 'to move away from somewhere'. Like most common verbs in English, 'to come' is irregular. Furthermore, it is usually an intransitive verb that does not take a direct object and so when it appears in phrasal verbs it is not usually separable. My parents are coming home from holiday today. Marie came to my house for a cup of tea. Are you going to come with us to watch the football match? I'd like to come to your wedding if the invitation is still open. Come away from the dog; it looks angry! Off - The particle 'off' is one that we frequently find in phrasal verb constructions. When applied literally, it can add an idea of movement away from a place (walk off). Moreover, 'off' can also add a range of different ideas to phrasal verbs that include separation (take off), completion (finish off), starting (kick off) and (confusingly) stopping (call off). So, now that we have covered the basics, let's move on to the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'come off'.... MEANING 1: To no longer be on something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B1 - Intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To fall off, to detach, to remove, to unseat Separable? No Our first application of the phrasal verb 'come off' is the one with the widest range of meanings and means 'to no longer be on something'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Stage Bicycle Horse Surface I have purposely kept the title for this first meaning of 'come off' quite general as there are many different ways that it can be applied due to the fact that it is possible to be 'on' a huge number of different things in English. Let's start by thinking about when a person is physically on something like a stage or a roof. In this most literal sense, we can use 'come off' here to describe when a person gets off or climbs off the surface, so that they are no longer on it. Note that this is typically used when the speaker is not on it and is talking about the person who is coming off. After the performance, the actors came off the stage to greet the audience. The speaker came off the platform and walked towards the exit. As soon as he came off the football pitch, he checked his phone. We came off the path and walked through the trees. Sometimes, when people 'come off' something that they are on, it is not always by choice and therefore we can use this application as a synonym of 'fall off' to refer to when a person is no longer able to stay on something and falls from it. Mike came off his bike on the wet road. Suzanne has come off her horse but luckily she is uninjured. The little boy nearly came off the swing. Kyle came off his skateboard while attempting a trick and broke his arm. In the situations presented in the example sentences above, people are not typically physically attached to the surface that they are on, but we can also use this application for objects and items when something is physically attached or forms a part of a larger object and then becomes detached from it. This can be anything from a button on your coat to a wheel on your car or even a door handle. Note that when it is used in this way, 'come off' implies that the object became detached by accident and not because someone intended to detach it.... One of the buttons came off my coat. The wheel came off the trolley while we were moving it. The door handle suddenly came off in my hand. Part of the roof came off during the storm. My shoe came off while I was running. The mirror came off the wall and smashed on the floor. The train came off the tracks after the accident. Lastly, we can also use this first application of 'come off' to talk about whether or not it is possible for something to be detached or removed from the thing that it is attached to. In addition to physical items, speakers often use this to talk about removing stains and marks from surfaces. The buttons come off quite easily. Be careful; the handle can come off if you pull it too hard. The cover comes off so you can clean it. The top part comes off for storage. I've scrubbed this wall but I can't get this mark to come off. MEANING 2: To stop taking medication Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To stop, to quit, to give up, to kick Separable? No The second meaning of the phrasal verb 'come off' that we will look at is another fairly common one that means 'to stop taking medication'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Medication Pills Drugs Alcohol In addition to the ideas expressed in the first application where someone is on a physical surface or attached to something, it is possible to use 'on' to talk about drugs or medication that a person regularly takes. For example, if someone takes Prozac for depression, we would say that they are "on Prozac". As you may already know, the linguistic opposite of the particle 'on' is 'off' and therefore when a person stops taking a medication that they have been using for a period of time, we say that they "come off it". We can use this application for both prescribed and recreational or illegal drugs that people take. When used for illegal drugs that people are addicted to, this application is often used to describe the difficult process of quitting the habit. Additionally, although we do not tend to say "on alcohol" or "on cigarettes", it is still used with both of these to refer to stopping long term alcohol or tobacco habits. A key point to note with this application is that it is used for drugs and things that people use over a long period of time or as a habit and would not be used after one night of smoking cannabis or getting drunk. Sarah’s trying to come off sleeping tablets. The doctor advised Tim to come off the medication gradually. It took Marlene several months to come off antidepressants. You shouldn’t come off these tablets suddenly. Brian recently came off painkillers after the operation. Adam’s been trying to come off cigarettes for years. Nicola finally managed to come off alcohol completely. MEANING 3: To succeed Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To succeed, to pull off Separable? No For the third meaning of the phrasal verb 'come off' we have a nice and positive one that means 'to succeed'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Plan Experiment Event Performance To clarify, we use this third application of 'come off' in situations where something that is planned and prepared in advance succeeds in the way that it was intended to. For example, if you are planning a surprise party for someone and it turns out to be a big success with everything going to plan, you can say that it "came off". Likewise, if a company spends a long time preparing for and negotiating a deal with another company, they could say that the "deal came off" when it was signed off as they had hoped and planned. The event came off exactly as we had hoped. I wasn’t sure the surprise party would come off, but it was a huge success. Despite all the technical problems, the show came off brilliantly. Their plan almost didn’t come off. The deal finally came off after weeks of negotiations. It was an ambitious project, and nobody knew whether or not it would come off. Against all expectations, the experiment came off successfully. The wedding came off without any major problems. There are also times when despite lots of planning and preparation, things are not successful and in these situations, it is possible to say that something "does not come off". Unfortunately, the event didn’t come off as planned because several speakers cancelled at the last minute. Sadly, the big surprise did not come off because Becky found out about it beforehand. TO COME OFF BEST / WORST When talking about competitions and conflicts between two people or groups, it is also common to use the idiomatic expressions 'to come off best' or 'to come off worst' to describe the end result and how the person or group did. For example, if a person won a fight, you could say that he or she "came off better" and that the loser of the fight "came off worst". It is also possible to use the alternatives 'come off well', 'come off badly' or to 'come off second best'. Of the two teams, we definitely came off worst after losing three key players to injury. England came off best in the second half and deserved the victory. In the negotiations, the workers came off better than many people had expected. MEANING 4: To give a certain impression of something Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? American English Potential synonyms To come across, to come over Separable? No Let's head over to North America for our fourth and final meaning of 'come off' as this one is primarily used there and means 'to give an impression of something'. Adjectives commonly used with this application.... Rude Arrogant Confident Shy Nervous For this usage, we are concerned with the impression that we give other people when we do or say something, or in other words, how something that someone does appears to another person. Although this usage can be used on its own with an adjective like 'well' or 'badly', it is most commonly used with the word 'as' and then followed by an adjective. For instance, if a person comes off as rude, it seems to other people that he or she is rude or impolite. Likewise, if a person comes off as shy, they give others the impression that they are uncomfortable with speaking and in social situations. You should note that this does not mean that they are fundamentally shy or rude people, but just that they make people think that they are in the often limited interaction that they have with them. As I stated at the beginning, this application is primarily an American English usage and in British English, it would be more common to say 'come across as'. Ben came off as very confident during the interview. Elizabeth sometimes comes off as rude, even though she doesn’t mean to. The speech came off as sincere and heartfelt. The politician came off badly in the documentary. I hope I didn’t come off as arrogant. The teacher came off as friendly and approachable. Natalie came off really well in the meeting. Photo: Pexels BONUS: Come off it! Let's finish the post with a common little expression with this phrasal verb that is often heard in British English: 'come off it!". This short little expression is used by people when they think that what someone has said is not true, exaggerated or just plain wrong. Essentially, it is a way to show that you disagree with someone's statement or you do not believe it. P1: I could beat a professional tennis player - P2: Oh, come off it! P1: I’ve never made a mistake in my life! P2: Come off it; nobody's perfect! 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 'come off' more confidently and naturally. Please feel free to leave any comments, feedback or your own sentences using 'come off' in the section below. Also, if you found the post useful, please like and share it on social media. Want to understand native speakers more easily and use phrasal verbs more naturally? If yes, check out my downloadable phrasal verb workbooks, which include clear explanations, common learner mistakes, exercises, speaking practice and answer keys to help you master the phrasal verbs that native speakers use every day. Browse the workbooks here. Thanks so much for reading and see you next time! James 😊 THE END

An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'put forth' 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 like a native. This post is all about the phrasal verb 'put forth'. This phrasal verb is a rarer one that can sometimes seem a little outdated, however it is still used by many native speakers and could be useful to know if you enjoy books and and movies set in the past. In this post, I will explain exactly how to use the four different applications of 'put forth' and provide you with lots of example sentences for each one, so that you can use them confidently and naturally in your English conversations. So, let's make a start and find out what 'put forth' is all about.... QUICK ANSWER: What does the phrasal verb 'put forth' mean? The phrasal verb 'put forth' has four main meanings in English: To propose something To make an effort To produce leaves or shoots To depart from a port or harbour Keep reading to learn how to use each of these different meanings.... TABLE OF CONTENTS (Click to jump to each one) Put Forth - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'put' and 'forth' Put Forth - Meaning 1: To propose something Put Forth - Meaning 2: To make an effort Put Forth - Meaning 3: To produce leaves or shoots Put Forth - Meaning 4: To depart from a port or harbour 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 PUT FORTH: KEY INFORMATION Usage Medium Number of meanings 4 Past tense forms Put forth / Put forth Separable? Yes The phrasal verb 'put forth' is formed by combining the verb 'to put' with the prepositional particle 'forth'. Before we look at the different meanings that it has as a phrasal verb, let's first consider the individual words and learn what they bring to the phrasal verb table.... Put - The verb 'to put' is an extremely common and versatile irregular verb in English that has a large number of different meanings. The most common of the meanings of 'to put' is 'to place something in a specific place or position'. In addition to this, we can also use the verb 'to put' to mean 'to cause something to be in a state or condition' and 'to express something with words', among other meanings. As mentioned, the verb 'to put' is irregular and its past tense forms are (confusingly) 'put' and 'put'. Jenny put her keys on the table. The little girl put her fingers in her ears. John put his life at risk by trying to rescue his dog from the canal. This will put pressure on the government to act. She put the words so eloquently that everyone was impressed. Forth - This rare little prepositional particle is another one that we do not see so often in phrasal verbs. It is quite an old-fashioned word and is relatively uncommon in modern English but it does survive in a number of phrasal verbs and expressions, as well as in works of literature. As a word, it means 'forward' or 'away from a place' and we can often find these meanings transferred to phrasal verbs. Moreover, 'forth' can also add the ideas of producing something (bring forth), clear presentation (set forth) and to appear (come forth). So, now that we have covered the basics, let's move on to the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'put forth'.... MEANING 1: To propose something Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To put forward, to propose, to suggest, to float Separable? Yes We will start the meanings of the phrasal verb 'put forth' with the most common and practicable one in everyday life, which is 'to propose something'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Idea Proposal Suggestion Theory We use this first application of the phrasal verb 'put forth' to describe any situation where you have something in your head that you wish to communicate to people so that they may consider, discuss or make a decision about it. As I mentioned in the Basics section, the word 'forth' is a synonym of 'forward' and with this application it is like we are literally bringing the information forward out of our head and putting it in front of other people to think about. As you can see from the list above, this is used mainly for nouns to describe things that are intellectually generated and is one that is frequently heard in both business and academic English, as well as in politics. For those of you who love your grammar, this application of 'put forth is separable and is used both separably and inseparably by native speakers. The committee put forth several new proposals during the meeting. Claire put forth an interesting theory about language learning. The researchers have put forth a number of possible explanations. The finance director put forth a strong argument in favour of the changes. Eleanor put her ideas forth clearly and confidently. The history professor put his theory forth in a very persuasive way. The team put several suggestions forth at the conference. He put the proposal forth for further discussion. In addition to this, we can also use 'put forth' in this way to talk about making information public or circulating it among people, so that it is well known. Using it this way is somewhat rare these days and can sound a little old-fashioned. The organisation put forth a public statement after the incident. The renowned scientist first put his findings forth in the 1990s. The newspaper put forth several serious allegations against the company. The author put her views on education forth in a widely discussed article. MEANING 2: To make an effort Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Rare Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To make an effort, to exert Separable? ?? For our second application of the phrasal verb 'put forth', we have a rarer meaning, which is 'to make an effort'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Energy Effort Strength Force As you can see from the list of commonly used nouns above, this application of 'put forth' is used specifically with nouns that involve physical activity, rather than intellectual things like in the previous application. Although it may not appear so at first, this application is in fact very similar to the first one as it refers to bringing something that is inside you out and putting it forward into the world. Instead of ideas or words though, it is physically doing something using effort or energy. For instance, when you put effort 'forth', it means that you make an effort to do something or when you put forth some energy, it means that you physically work hard on something. This application of 'put forth' is not so common in everyday English and instead you are far more likely to encounter alternatives like 'make an effort' and 'use energy' in conversations with native speakers. However, this application is certainly still used and it is possible that you will come across it in books and literature, academic writing and older English. Lastly, while this application is separable, we tend to use it far more in the inseparable form. The team put forth a tremendous effort during the final match. You need to put forth more energy if you want to improve. The company has put forth considerable resources to solve the problem. Louise always puts forth a lot of effort in her work. The army put forth all its strength to defend the city. Sam put a great deal of effort forth to complete the project. MEANING 3: To produce leaves or shoots Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To grow Separable? Yes The third meaning of the phrasal verb 'put forth' is my personal favourite as it is all about growth and new life and means 'to produce leaves or shoots'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Leaves Shoots Branches Buds Roots You have probably realised already but if not, let me start by saying that this application is all about plants and flowers and is not really used outside of this field (excuse the pun). When we talk about a plant that puts forth leaves, we simply mean that it grows new leaves. As such, this application is one that can be heard most often in the spring season when certain trees put forth new leaves each year after the winter. It's use is not limited to just leaves though and we can use this to talk about anything that grows out from a plant. The core idea here is that a plant causes something to grow outwards from it. You should note that this application of 'put forth' is used most commonly in the literary world and in writing about nature and gardening. Outside of these areas, its usage is quite rare. Again, this is a separable application, but we tend to use it more inseparably in modern English. The trees began to put forth new leaves in early spring. The plant has started to put forth shoots after the heavy rain last week. Roses usually put forth flowers in late May. The young vine quickly put forth new growth. After a few warm days, the bushes put forth some fresh buds. The tree put new leaves forth after the long dark winter. The plant put several shoots forth within a few days. The geranium flower put fresh buds forth. MEANING 4: To depart from a port or harbour Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Rare Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To set forth, to set out, to depart, to leave Separable? No We have now come to our fourth and meaning of the phrasal verb 'put forth', which is used specifically for ships and boats and means 'to depart from a port or harbour'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Ship Boat Vessel Fleet Sailors In keeping with the other applications of 'put forth' that we have already looked at, this one is yet another that is quite old-fashioned. You are therefore most likely to come across it in old books and movies or ones that are set in the past or in the fantasy genre. Alternative phrasal verbs to this application of 'put forth' that are used by native speakers in modern everyday English would be 'set out', 'set off' and 'head out'. Unlike the previous applications, this one is inseparable as it does not take a direct object, i.e. a ship just 'puts forth' and you cannot 'put forth something else'. The ship put forth from the harbour just before sunrise. Several fishing boats put forth despite the bad weather. The fleet put forth at dawn and headed south. The explorers put forth from the coast in search of new land. The vessel finally put forth after weeks of delay. The sailors put forth into the open sea. At first light, the king’s ships put forth from the port. The small boat put forth quietly under the cover of darkness. 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 'put forth' more confidently and naturally. Please feel free to leave any comments, feedback or your own sentences using 'put forth' in the section below. Also, if you found the post useful, please like and share it on social media. Want to understand native speakers more easily and use phrasal verbs more naturally? If yes, check out my downloadable phrasal verb workbooks, which include clear explanations, common learner mistakes, exercises, speaking practice and answer keys to help you master the phrasal verbs that native speakers use every day. Browse the workbooks here. Thanks so much for reading and see you next time! James 😊 THE END

An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'take over' 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. In this post we are looking at the phrasal verb 'to take over', which is commonly used in business English and in the workplace. There are several different meanings that we will look at in this post, however as you will see, the overall themes of this phrasal verb are replacement and control. So without further ado, let's get started.... QUICK ANSWER: What does the phrasal verb 'take over' mean? The phrasal verb 'take over' has three main meanings in English: Literal meaning To take control To become the most important or dominant thing TABLE OF CONTENTS (Click to jump to each one) Take Over: The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'take' and 'over' Take Over - Meaning 1: Literal meaning Take Over - Meaning 2: To take control Take Over - Meaning 3: To become the most important or most dominant Take Over - Bonus: The verb 'to overtake' 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 TAKE OVER: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 3 Past tense forms Took over / Taken over Separable? Yes Our nominated phrasal verb this week consists of the extremely common verb 'to take' followed by the particle 'over'. The verb 'to take' is a widely used English verb which has various meanings, but the meanings that are significant for the idiomatic meanings of the phrasal verb 'take over' are... To voluntarily get or acquire possession of something. To carry or transport something from one place to another. John took the flowers off the table. Can everyone please take a copy and pass them on. My Mum is taking me to the airport today. Please could you take this carton to the warehouse. Like 'take', the prepositional particle 'over' also has a few different meanings in English, including to move across or above a surface (preposition / adverb) and to be finished (adjective). Both of these are relevant to the meanings of the phrasal verb, which we will look at now. When used in phrasal verbs, the particle 'over' can convey different meanings, such as transfer (hand over), excess (boil over), overcoming (get over) and thoroughness (read over). So, now that we have covered the basics, let's move on to the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'take over'.... MEANING 1: Literal Photo: Pexels ​CEFR Language Level B1 - Intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To bring over, to take, to take across, to deliver, to transfer Separable? Yes The phrasal verb construction 'take over' is used regularly by English speakers in a literal sense to mean taking something or somebody from one place to another, which the speaker perceives as being across from where they are. The meaning of 'take' which applies here is the meaning 'to carry something or someone from one place to another' and the preposition 'over' then adds a directional element to mean across from where the speaker is. Typical examples of this literal usage could be.... To take a document across an office to another person. To give someone a lift in your car from one place to another. To take something and deliver it somewhere. The main idea here is that someone takes someone or something to another place, which is perceived by the speaker to be across or over from where they are. If the speaker perceives that the other place is below or above them (e.g. on a different floor in a building), it is more likely that they will use "take down" or "take up" instead. In some situations, the verbs 'to deliver' and 'to transfer' both serve as synonyms of this application. When used in this way, it is very common to use it separably with the direct object between 'take' and 'over'. Also, don't forget the preposition 'to' is required to state the end destination. John left his book here when he went back to Australia, so I said I would take it over with me the next time I go. Can you take this file over to the CEO's office and ask her to sign it for me. I am taking Lisa over to her mum's house today as her car isn't working. Sally asked me to take the books over to the library before it closed. I'll take the food over to Grandma's house this evening. They took the supplies over to the shelter after the storm. I've already taken the package over to the post office, so don't worry about it. MEANING 2: To take control Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To take charge of, to take control, to take on Separable? Sometimes The first of the idiomatic meanings of 'take over' in this post is certainly the most commonly used among native speakers and means to take or to assume control of something from another person or entity. In the business world the phrasal verb 'take over' is commonly used to talk about when one company purchases or acquires another company and therefore takes control of it. It is also very common to use the noun 'takeover' here instead of the verb. You may have heard the term 'acquisition' before, which is a synonym of the noun 'takeover'. Company X has recently taken over company Y and as a result the share price has gone through the roof. Company Z has recently been taken over and many of its employees have been made redundant. Despite the shareholder's attempts to stop it, the company takeover is still going ahead this month. We also use 'take over' to talk about when one employee in a business assumes another person of authority's job role, in other words they assume a role of responsibility or control from another person. A similar phrasal verb that can be used here is 'to take on', however 'take over' indicates that the person's new role is one of authority and control e.g. a manager or a director. Don't forget that the preposition 'as' is required here to say what the new role is. A third variation of how 'take over' can be used in the world of business is specifically to do with shift work. In businesses and organisations which operate around the clock (24/7) and in which employees do shift work, we can use 'take over' to talk about when one person's shift ends and another employee starts their shift and replaces them. For this usage, the preposition 'from' is required to talk about the person who you are replacing. Roger is leaving the company next month and so Helen is taking over his role as head of Finance. John starts his shift at 7pm, so he will be taking over from Tim who finishes then. Away from the business world, 'take over' is also used in other contexts and situations to mean to take control of something. Examples could include when one country invades another country and takes control of it or when a person's emotions become too intense and they can no longer control themselves from breaking down or crying. After the accident I was so scared but then my adrenaline took over and I did what I had to do to make sure that everyone was safe. In addition to the usage above, we can also use 'take over' to mean that something or someone becomes dominant in a situation. Good examples of this would be when someone dominates a conversation or when a bossy person starts to give out orders and take control in a situation. This gives us a nice segue into the third meaning, which is very similar. As soon as Helen joined the conversation, she completely took over and nobody else was able to say anything! Photo: Pexels THE NOUN TAKEOVER As is common with many phrasal verbs, there is also a noun that derives from the phrasal verb 'take over', which is (unsurprisingly) 'takeover'. We can use this noun to describe the action of taking power or control of something from someone else. This can be in a business sense when one business buys another, it can be used in politics when there is a change in power or it can even be used in a more informal way to describe when somewhere or something becomes dominated for a short period of time. Employees were worried that the takeover would lead to job losses. The rebel group's takeover of the capital ended the country's democratically elected government. Some critics complain about the takeover of television by reality shows, arguing that they leave less room for original dramas. MEANING 3: To become the most important or most dominant Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper Intermediate ​Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To dominate, to become dominant Separable? No So, we have already considered how 'take over' is commonly used to mean 'to take control' and this second meaning is actually very similar to it. Here, 'take over' means to become the most important or dominant in a given category or group. This usage is often seen when talking about lists of the best, worst, biggest, smallest, richest etc and can therefore be seen across many different subject areas as diverse as sport, music and business. 'Take over' is used specifically to talk about when there is a change and someone or something new is in first position, effectively taking over first place in the list. Again, the prepositions 'as' and 'from' are required here in the same way as the first usage above. India will soon take over from Japan as the world's third largest economy. I remember when Manchester United took over as the top football team in the country. Melbourne has recently taken over Sydney as Australia's most populous city. Photo: Pexels BONUS: The verb 'to overtake' An alternative synonym to this second meaning of 'take over' is the verb 'to overtake'. One of the main uses of this verb is to talk about when something takes over something else to become the first in its category, as discussed above. Unlike 'take over' though, when we use 'overtake' we need to have a direct object to state who or what was previously in front and has now been overtaken. The preposition 'as' is still required here but 'from' is not required as we have a direct object. India will soon overtake Japan as the world's third largest economy. Melbourne has recently overtaken Sydney as Australia's most populous city. The second main use of 'overtake' is used when driving and means to move past a car that is in front of you by driving around it, normally because it is going too slowly. Again, this carries the same meaning as the third meaning of 'take over' i.e. to move past something and be in front of it. The car in front was driving very slowly, so I decided to overtake it. The rules of overtaking in Formula 1 racing are being reviewed. Photo: Pexels We have now reached the end of this post and I just want to say thank you for clicking on my post and reading it. I hope that you've enjoyed it and have been able to learn something new about the phrasal verb 'take over'. If you enjoyed this post, please go ahead and check out some of my other posts. Now it is YOUR turn. Can you think of a sentence yourself using 'take over'. Write it in the comments section below if you can, or alternatively any comments, suggestions or feedback that you may have....don't be shy!!! Sign up on the form below if you want to receive new blog posts directly by email every week as soon as they are published. Also, if you found the post useful, please like and share it on social media. See you next time! James 😊 THE END

An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'hold on' 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 English phrasal verb 'hold on', which is one that is heard particularly a lot in spoken language. This versatile little phrasal verb is one that we can use to talk about waiting, keeping, and gripping things and can also be used to to express surprise or confusion. In this post, I will explain its different meanings for you and as per usual, I will give you lots of example sentences to help you to use it naturally and confidently. So, let's make a start and see what the phrasal verb 'hold on' is all about.... QUICK ANSWER: What does the phrasal verb 'hold on' mean? The phrasal verb 'hold on' has five main meanings in English: To maintain a grip of something To wait for a period of time To persist or survive To express surprise or confusion To keep something Keep reading to learn more about how to use each one. TABLE OF CONTENTS (Click to jump to each one) Hold On - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'hold' and 'on' Hold On - Meaning 1: To maintain a grip of something Hold On - Meaning 2: To wait for a short period of time Hold On - Meaning 3: To persist or survive Hold On - Meaning 4: To express surprise or confusion Hold On - Meaning 5: To keep 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 HOLD ON: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 5 Past tense forms Held on / Held on Separable? No The phrasal verb 'hold on' is formed of the verb 'to hold' and the prepositional particle 'on' and to begin our exploration of it, let's first take a look at what these two individual words mean on their own.... Hold - I'm sure many of you will already be familiar with the verb 'to hold' as it is a fairly common one in English with several meanings. Probably the most common of these meanings is 'to keep something in your hands or arms for a period of time'. In addition, its meanings also include 'to contain', 'to support' and 'to wait'; all of which we will see again later in the post. 'To hold' is an irregular verb with 'held' being both of its past tense forms. Could you hold my coat for a second. I will hold your hand to cross the road. The bottle can hold one litre of water. Will this chair hold my weight? Hold all payments until the goods have been delivered. On - The prepositional particle 'on' appears frequently in phrasal verb constructions and can bring many different ideas to them. These include continuation (carry on, keep on), persistence (hang on), activation (turn on), attachment (put on) and transfer (pass on), among others. So, now that we have covered the basics, let's carry on to the main meanings of the phrasal verb 'hold on'.... MEANING 1: To maintain a grip of something Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level B1 - Intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To hold, to hold tight, to grip Separable? No The first meaning of 'hold on' that we will look at is arguably the most common and means 'to maintain a grip of something'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Handle Rail Hand Bar Rope For this first application of the phrasal verb 'hold on', we are focussing on the idea of holding something with our hands and gripping it firmly. This is typically to keep yourself in the position that you are in or to stop yourself from falling. It is often used to ensure that someone remains safe and unhurt. Photo: Wix Media For example, if you go on a roller coaster or a fast ride at a theme park, you should absolutely hold on when it goes fast, or if you are climbing a mountain, there may be times when you need to hold on to the rock face to ensure that you do not fall. Note that we need the additional preposition 'to' here to specify the thing that someone holds for support or balance. Hold on to the handrail while you walk down the stairs. The little boy held on to his mother's hand as they crossed the busy road. Michelle held on to the branch to stop herself from falling into the river. The cyclist held on to the handlebars as he rode over the uneven ground. I nearly slipped on the ice, but I held on to the fence and managed to stay upright. As the bus pulled away, several passengers held on to the poles for support. The climber held on to the rock face despite the strong wind. This application of 'hold on' is commonly used in the imperative form to tell people to hold on to something for their own safety. When used this way, it is often followed by the words 'tight' or 'tightly'. Hold on tight! The ride goes very fast, so please hold on! Another way that we can use this application of the phrasal verb 'hold on' is not to hold something for our own safety, but rather to hold on to something so that it does not fall or that we do not lose it. We will revisit this idea in another application later in the post. Can you hold on to my bag while I go to the toilet. Hold on to your passport while you're travelling. Louise held on to her handbag tightly in the crowded station. Lastly, we can also use this meaning of 'hold up' to refer to keeping an object in a fixed position or attached to a surface so that it does not fall. This is typically with the structure XXXX holds XXXX on the wall. Alternatively, it can also be formed with the passive "something is held on by XXXX". The coloured letters are held on the fridge by magnets. Glue holds the poster on the wall. Tape holds the label on the box. The screws hold the handle on the door. MEANING 2: To wait for a short period of time Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level B1 - Intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To wait Separable? No Let's not waste any time in moving on to the second of the meanings of the phrasal verb 'hold on', which is 'to wait for a short period'. The first thing that I would say about this application is that it is also a very common one and is used particularly a lot in spoken English. If you ask someone to "hold on", you are simply asking them to stop and wait before doing or continuing to do something. Most of the time, this application is used when the wait is relatively short, e.g. several minutes or even seconds. For example, you may ask someone to 'hold on' before they leave somewhere, or you may want to pause a conversation for a minute because you need to do something urgently and so you advise the other person to 'hold on' while you do it. Hold on a minute, I'll be right back. Hold on, I need to find my glasses. Can you hold on for a second while I check? Hold on a moment; I've nearly finished, so I can come with you. Just hold on while I get a pen. Hold on, there's someone at the door. As with the previous application, this one is also often used in the imperative form when you want to tell someone to wait. Hold on! I'm not ready yet. Hold on a minute! I want to come too. Photo: Wix Media Lastly, this application is also used when making telephone calls, particularly to businesses and companies. If you call a company to speak to someone, especially a larger one, it is possible that the employee who answers the call will tell you to hold on while they transfer the call to the person you want to speak to or find out some information that you ask for. Please hold on while I transfer your call to the finance team. Would you mind holding on for a moment while I connect you. The receptionist asked me to hold on while she checked the appointment schedule. MEANING 3: To persist or survive Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To persist, to persevere, to survive Separable? No If you didn't like the picture above of the cockroach, then I apologise, however I chose it because it is the perfect creature to illustrate this next meaning of the phrasal verb 'hold on' as people say that cockroaches would be the only thing to survive a nuclear bomb and this next application means 'to persist or survive'. Specifically, we tend to use this application of 'hold on' to talk about dealing with difficult situations or enduring something tough before achieving success in the end. This application is used across multiple areas of life from personal goals and objectives to business and commerce. Despite the pain, Dean held on and finished the race. The climbers held on through the freezing temperatures and managed to reach the summit by midday. He wanted to quit several times, but he held on until the end of the course. Many small businesses struggled to hold on during the economic downturn. The company managed to hold on despite falling sales. Several local shops are trying to hold on in the face of competition from large online retailers. Probably the ultimate idea of holding on in this sense is surviving and we can use this application to talk about when people are extremely sick, injured or in a dangerous life-threatening situation and manage to pull through and not die. The doctors weren't sure if George would hold on through the night. Amelia was badly injured in the accident, but somehow she held on until help arrived. The patient held on long enough to see his family one last time. Despite losing a great deal of blood, Kevin held on until he reached the hospital. We were all hoping that my grandfather would hold on until his birthday. MEANING 4: To express surprise or confusion Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potetential synonyms Hold up!, Wait! Separable? No The next application of the phrasal verb 'hold on' is a bit different to the previous ones that we have looked at in the post so far because it is simply used as a way of expressing surprise or confusion. To clarify, we use 'hold on' in this way when we hear, read or learn some new information that surprises or confuses us and we want to stop the conversation in order to try and understand it. Typically, in a conversation a speaker will say "hold on" and then repeat the puzzling information back to the other person in a questioning tone to ask them to give more information or explain further. This is commonly used in situations where a speaker contradicts themselves (says something that does not correspond to something that they previously said) or when some information seems to be incorrect or does not seem right. It can also be used when someone says something surprising and you want to make sure that you understood correctly. USAGE TIP If you really want to sound like a native speaker, you can also add 'a second' or 'a minute' after 'hold on' as we do this all the time! Hold on! You've won the lottery? Hold on a second, you're moving to Australia next week? Hold on, I'm confused. Didn't you say the meeting was cancelled? Hold on, I thought we were going by train. Hold on a minute; the figures don't match. Hold on, you've changed your story. MEANING 5: To keep something Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To keep, to hang on Separable? No For our fifth and final application of the phrasal verb 'hold on', we are going full circle back to the first application again as this one means 'to keep something'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Book Photograph Job / Position Memory Belief If you ever borrow something from an English speaker, it is possible at the moment when you want to return the item to them that they tell you to "hold on to it". If they do do this, they simply mean that you keep it for a while longer or forever as they no longer want or need it. As such, we can use 'hold on' in this way as a synonym of the verb 'to keep' and this type of borrowing and returning situation is most likely when you will come across it. I've already read that novel. You can hold on to it if you'd like. Don't worry about returning the bowl; just hold on to it. I've got plenty of mugs, so hold on to that one. You can hold on to the jacket. It doesn't fit me anymore. I was going to throw the bike away, so you might as well hold on to it. Alternatively, it can also be used when you want to tell someone to keep something that they already own and not throw it away or get rid of it. Hold on to your ticket because you might need it later. Elaine held on to all of her childhood photographs. I think you should hold on to that old watch; it might be valuable one day. Simon held on to the letter for years after his girlfriend had written it. Another way that you may come across this final application of 'hold on' is in general society with reference to jobs, politics or power. We can use it here to talk about when someone is able to keep a job, a position or to continue to hold power in a country and not lose it. Furthermore, you can also use it with beliefs, memories and feelings when those that you have do not change over a period of time. The liberal party narrowly held on to power after the election. They are determined to hold on to their independence. Mark held on to the hope that he would see her again. The native people held on to their traditions despite many changes in society. Valerie worked hard to hold on to her job during the recession. The company is struggling to hold on to its best employees. The country fought to hold on to its territory. 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 'hold on' more confidently and naturally. Please feel free to leave any comments, feedback or your own sentences using 'hold on' in the section below. Also, if you found the post useful, please like and share it on social media. Want to understand native speakers more easily and use phrasal verbs more naturally? If yes, check out my downloadable phrasal verb workbooks, which include clear explanations, common learner mistakes, exercises, speaking practice and answer keys to help you master the phrasal verbs that native speakers use every day. Browse the workbooks here. Thanks so much for reading and see you next time! James 😊 THE END