An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'set out' from a native speaker, with lots of examples in context Photo: Pexels Hello and welcome to my blog all about English phrasal verbs. Each week, I take a different phrasal verb and look at how it is used by native speakers, with a focus on the different meanings that it has and the expressions and idioms that it is used in. The theme of this post is 'set out', which is a phrasal verb that includes the word in English with the most different definitions, 'to set' (check it on Google if you don't believe me), along with the preposition 'out'. Unlike the verb 'to set', its phrasal verb offshoot 'set out' does not have a huge number of meanings, but the meanings that it does have are quite varied. So, without further ado, let's take a look at them.... TABLE OF CONTENTS   (Click to jump to each one) Set Out - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'set' and 'out' Set Out - Meaning 1: To start a journey Set Out - Meaning 2: To start trying to do something Set Out - Bonus: The noun 'outset' Set Out - Meaning 3: To arrange Set Out - Meaning 4: To present ideas coherently Set Out - Meaning 5: To plant 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 SET OUT: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 5 Past tense forms Set out / Set out Separable? Sometimes The phrasal verb 'set out' is formed of the verb 'to set', which, as I previously mentioned, is the word with the most definitions in the English language - according to the Oxford Dictionary the word 'set' can be interpreted in 464 different ways as a verb, a noun and an adjective! Don't worry too much though as I do not think that the average native English speaker would know half of those definitions! The definition of 'to set' that will be relevant for the phrasal verb meanings is 'to place, put or lay something in a specific position'. The prepositional particle 'out' is one that you will certainly already know and also has many meanings in English (though far less than 'set'). I think that the meanings of 'out' that will be relevant for 'set out' are 'to move away from an inside space' and also 'to be visible', although both of these may need some imagination when we come to look at the different meanings of 'set out'. Ok, so now we have covered that, let's check out the different meanings.... MEANING 1: To start a journey Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B1 - Intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To leave, to depart, to embark, to set off Separable? No The first meaning of 'set out' is to leave or depart somewhere in order to start a journey I believe that this meaning originated from the definition of 'set' meaning to place or to put your foot outside, which, when you think about it, is exactly what you do when you start a journey. For this meaning we often require either the additional prepositions 'on' or 'for' to add additional information. We use 'on' to link the type of journey or movement that we are starting such as journey, voyage or trip and we use 'for' to specify the destination at the end of our journey such as home, work, or the name of a town or city. Captain Cook set out on a voyage of discovery over 250 years ago. This morning we set out at 4.00am so that we could get to the top of the mountain in time to see the sunrise. Unfortunately you've missed Roger, he set out for work about half an hour ago! After a long, hard week working away, I am will be setting out for home in the morning. MEANING 2: To start trying to do something CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To start, to start out, to embark Separable? No Our second meaning of 'set out' is similar to the first meaning as it also means to start something, but rather than a journey, we use it to to describe when we start trying to do something, which is usually a long-term endeavour. In other words, this could be used to describe the start of a figurative journey, rather than a literal or a real one, e.g. to start training in a particular career. As mentioned above, 'set out' in this sense is commonly used to describe the action of starting something new, however it can also be used to talk about a person's aims or intentions when they start this new activity or career. For this, the additional preposition 'to' is required when specifying the thing that you are starting or the aim or objective that you had when setting out. When I set out in this business, I had no idea how difficult or stressful it was going to be. I wish someone had told me this when I first was setting out as a young architect. John didn't set out to be a teacher but he ended up becoming one nonetheless. He set out to change people's attitudes and he was very successful at doing so. Photo: Pexels BONUS: The noun 'outset' The noun 'outset', meaning the start or beginning of something, is linked to this phrasal verb meaning and is in common use among English speakers, especially when looking back at the past and talking about things in hindsight. This is normally used with either the prepositions 'from' or 'at'. The project was doomed to fail from the outset. I knew at the outset of the match that it was going to be a really good game. MEANING 3: To arrange Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper Intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To arrange, to organise, to lay out Separable? Yes The third meaning of 'set out' is to arrange something in an attractive or organised way. This can be used with both physical and non-physical objects, ranging from nouns as diverse as business documents to window displays in shops, in other words anything that can be organised for other people to view and understand. When talking about documents, we use 'set out' all the time when we design or produce the document such as CVs (resumes for American English learners), letters, certificates and personal statements. In the case of CVs (resumes) people are usually free to set them out as they wish but with letters etc. there are normally conventions which must be followed and therefore we need to set them out accordingly. Alternatively, if we set out physical objects such as window displays in shops, or tables for dinner, then we are referring to physically placing the objects in a way that is (hopefully) organised or attractive. It is also of course possible to set things out incorrectly in an unattractive manner, but generally that is not what people want to do I guess. One last thing to mention here is that the past participle 'set out' (an annoying irregular one) is commonly used as an adjective to describe how well something is structured or organised. The successful candidate for the job had set their CV out in a clear and concise way, which really impressed the hiring committee. The teacher set out the classroom in such a way that all the students had a clear view of the whiteboard. The checklist is really well set out. Everyone should be able to follow it easily. MEANING 4: To present ideas coherently Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate ​Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To structure, to organise, to establish, to define Separable? Yes Meaning number four of 'set out' is linked quite closely to the third meaning that we have just covered as it means to present ideas, arguments and facts coherently. This is really just an evolution of the third meaning, as instead of organising something so it is visually clear, we are instead organising it so that it is conceptually clear and understood by someone. Therefore, this meaning of 'set out' is often used when talking about academic or formal writing or discourse as it used to describe and evaluate how ideas, arguments and perspectives are structured and organised and ultimately how effective they are at conveying the intended message. Again, like in the previous meaning, the past particle 'set out' is often used here. Another way that 'set out' is commonly used in this way is when talking about rules, guidelines, procedures, protocols and regulations etc. 'Set out' is generally used here to describe when these are established and communicated to the people affected by them. The politician clearly set out her justification for why she feels that a referendum is necessary in the newspaper article that she wrote last week. The facts were set out in paragraphs 2 and 3 of the document. The management set out some new rules and guidelines on health and safety for all employees following new legislation that the government had passed. Without a well set out argument, you will never get the council to take notice of your plight. MEANING 5: To plant Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Rare Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To plant, to sow Separable? Yes This fifth and final meaning of 'set out' will probably only be useful for the green-fingered* among you as it means to plant and seeds and plants in the ground. I would say that due to the niche area in which it is used, this usage is a rare one, especially since it is more common to use the verbs 'to plant' and 'to sow' instead. However, it is always good to be aware of it, if for nothing else to be able to impress your English-speaking friends and colleagues. Try and ensure that the seedlings are set out on a cloudy day in moist soil. These plants must be set out at least 50cm apart from each other. *Green-fingered is an adjective used to describe people who enjoy gardening and who are good at growing plants. 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 'set out'. 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 'set 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 along' 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. Are you familiar with the phrasal verb 'come along'? It may be the first time that you have ever seen it or it may be one that you use regularly in one way but don't know all of its applications. In this post, I will explain the different ways in which we use it in English, from making progress to accompanying someone to a place, and will give you lots of example sentences to show you the types of contexts in which it is used. So, without further ado, let's get started.... TABLE OF CONTENTS   (Click to jump to each one) Come Along - The Basics: Key information and the words 'come' and 'along' Come Along - Meaning 1: To accompany someone somewhere Come Along - Meaning 2: To appear or arrive Come Along - Meaning 3: To hurry up 🇬🇧 Come Along - Meaning 4: To make progress Come Along - Bonus: The noun 'come-along' 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 ALONG: KEY INFORMATION Usage Come Along Number of meanings 4 Past tense forms Came along / Come along Separable? No The phrasal verb 'come along' is formed with the verb 'to come' and the prepositional particle 'along' and so before we start the phrasal verb meanings, let's quickly look at what these individual words mean on their own. If you are capable of reading this post, then you will definitely know the verb 'to come' because it is one of the most common verbs in English. 'To come' is first and foremost a verb of movement and we use it to refer to moving or travelling towards where the speaker is, will be or was, depending on the tense and context. Additionally, 'to come' has a variety of other meanings, which include 'to arrive', 'to originate' and 'to happen'. Like the majority of the most common English verbs, 'to come' is irregular. Joan comes to see me every day. Are you coming to the party tonight? I can't come to work today as I am sick. The train came on time. Pierre comes from Marseille. The prepositional particle 'along' is not as common as some of the others like 'up' and 'down' and consequently is not seen as much in phrasal verbs either. We typically use it to talk about movement in a line, which is on or next to something long, like at the side of a river or road. Alternatively, we can use it to specify a point somewhere on this line. We walked along the boulevard holding hands. Somewhere along this street is my old house. So, now we have looked at the basics and established that both words often indicate a movement of some sort, so let's now see if this idea of moving is carried across into the phrasal verb meanings.... MEANING 1: To accompany someone somewhere Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level B1 - Intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To join, to accompany, to go along, to go with Separable? No Let's begin our exploration of the meanings of the phrasal verb 'come along' with a nice and friendly one, which is 'to accompany someone to go somewhere'. For this first application, let's imagine that you are planning to go to the cinema tonight with friends. Another friend phones you and says that she is free this evening, so you ask her to 'come along' with you to the cinema. In other words, you invite her to join you. You can use 'come along' in this way for any situation in which you invite someone to go to a place where you are also going. For reference, if you are not going to be there, then you would use 'go along' instead. This is often used by native speakers as a way of gently encouraging someone to come with them somewhere. It feels more like you're offering the person the choice to come and it's perfectly fine if they decide not to, rather than strongly inviting them or pressuring them to accompany you (we all know people who do that). We do not just use this application for invitations though and we can use it to state the fact that someone is coming with you somewhere. Normally, with these statements, it is understood that the person 'coming along' is not the organiser of the trip and was invited by the speaker. We're going to the beach this afternoon; do you want to come along? I'm heading to the shop; you can come along if you like. Lisa came along with us to the concert last night. Do you mind if my brother comes along to the party? They asked if I wanted to come along on their road trip. Pete didn’t want to come along at first, but we convinced him. We’re going for a walk in the park. Come along! Can I come along when you visit your grandmother? My dog always comes along when I go hiking. Nick came along for moral support during the interview. MEANING 2: To arrive somewhere Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To arrive, to appear, to turn up, to show up. to materialise, to emerge, to occur Separable? No This second application of 'come along' is perhaps the most commonly used one and means 'to arrive' or 'to appear', depending on the context. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Opportunity Chance Bus Person Job Baby / Child As you can see from the list above, the commonly used nouns with this application are very diverse, which is a reflection of the many situations in which we can use it. Let's begin by thinking about what the literal combination of these two words means, which is 'to move along something towards where the speaker is'. The most obvious example of this is with a road, when a vehicle or a person moves along it in the direction of the speaker. From the speaker's perspective, they see the vehicle or person appear in the distance and then move towards them before arriving where they are (the vehicle or person may then stop or continue past the speaker further along the road but that is irrelevant). As I waited by the river, a canal boat came along slowly. Julian came along the beach toward us, waving. I saw a figure coming along the street in the fog. So far, we have considered this application from a literal perspective, however we also use it a lot in a metaphorical way to talk about when things appear or arrive in our life. Just like with buses and things travelling along a road towards us, this is reserved for things that we have no or little control over or when they come along. Good examples of these would be nouns like 'job', 'opportunity' and 'chance' as these are things that seem to present themselves to us at random moments during the course of lives. Alternatively, we can also use this for when things begin to exist, especially when they have a consequence on a specific situation. I was waiting for the right job opportunity to come along. A chance like this doesn’t come along every day. A new singer came along who changed the music industry. Eventually, a solution to the problem came along. Jill was single for years until the perfect guy came along. Just when I had given up hope, something better came along. New technology has come along that makes this process faster. A great investment opportunity came along, and I took it. A couple of other nouns that I hear quite a lot with this application are 'baby' and 'children' as people often use it to talk about when people have a child or become parents, therefore marking a new stage in their lives. This is particularly so if the child is unplanned. Everything changed when the baby came along. My partner and I used to travel a lot, but that stopped as soon as the twins came along. They were a happy couple and then little Owen came along. I had just started my new job when our first child came along. My life was very quiet until my grandchildren came along. MEANING 3: To hurry up Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? British English Potential synonyms To hurry, to hurry up, to come on, to pick up, to make haste, to rush Separable? No The third application of 'come along' that we will consider in this post is a British English one that means 'to hurry up'. Unlike the other applications of 'come along', this one is mainly used in the imperative form, i.e. to giv e someone an order or command. If you tell someone to "come along", you are just asking them to do something more quickly, often in an annoyed or irritated way. Although this application is still in use today, I hear it being used less and less and it sounds a little old fashioned and formal to my ears. I can imagine that it is still used by members of the British royal family, however the majority of commoners like myself are far more likely to use 'hurry up' or 'come on' in these often stressful situations when you need to be quick. Come along, we’re going to be late! Come along now, the bus is about to leave. Do come along; we haven’t got all day! Come along, children, it’s time to go home. Come along, or we’ll miss the beginning of the movie. Alternatively, 'come along' can be used in this way to encourage or implore someone to try harder and make more of an effort. Again, this is not something that is particularly widespread in modern everyday British English but it is possible that you may hear it. Come along now, you can do better than that! Your handwriting is improving, but come along, try to keep the letters neater. MEANING 4: To make progress Photo: Wix Media CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To progress, to advance, to improve, to develop, to proceed Separable? No Next, we have our fourth and final meaning of 'come along', which means 'to make progress' or alternatively 'to develop'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Project Building / Extension Plan Languages e.g. English, Spanish We use this last application to talk about anything that we are working on or trying to improve over a period of time. This may be something physical, such as building work or a painting, or it may be something intellectual, such as learning a language. Either way, the key element of this is that we want to make progress in it over a certain period. Another key point to note is that we only use this application for things that we do not consider finished and work is still being done to achieve the outcome that we want. For example, when we are learning a language we are not at a fluent level (the result that we are trying to achieve), we can use this 'come along' to say that we are making progress and out language level is improving. Moreover, if an author is writing a book, he or she wants to finish it and makes continuous progress towards this goal, during which time we can also use 'come along'. Lastly, it is common practice among English native speakers to ask "How is XXXX coming along?" when enquiring about the progress of something. Typical responses to this often include adverbs such as 'well', 'nicely' and 'really' or sometimes do not need an adverb at all; just 'it is coming along' on its own can be used to say that you are making progress. The project is really coming along — we should be finished by next week. Your painting is coming along nicely! How's your English learning going? It's coming along thanks! The garden is coming along well now that spring has arrived. She's coming along in her recovery better than expected. My cooking skills have really come along over the past year. The new product is coming along, but we still have a few bugs to fix. Training was slow at first, but things are starting to come along. The book is coming along — I’ve written five chapters so far. How’s your plan for the event coming along? Very well thank you. Photo: Pexels BONUS: The noun 'come-along' Like many English phrasal verbs, 'come along' has a noun that derives from it. A 'come-along' is a device used for pulling or lifting objects (known as a winch) when there is limited space or access to be able to do so. Admittedly, I'm not a technical person at all and have never heard of one of these instruments before, however it is possible that you may come across or use one of these in your daily life, so I wanted to include it in case. 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 'come along'. 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 'come along'. 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 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. This post is all about the phrasal verb 'come in', which at first may seem like quite a straightforward and easy little phrasal verb but did you know that there are in fact 7 different ways to use it! In the post, I will explain all of these different ways to you and provide you with lots of example sentences to enable you to use it like a native. So, without further ado, let's make a start.... TABLE OF CONTENTS   (Click to jump to each one) Come In - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'come' and 'in' Come In - Meaning 1: To enter somewhere Come In - Meaning 2: To arrive Come In - Bonus: Keep the money coming in! Come In - Meaning 3: To become popular Come In - Meaning 4: To take effect Come In - Meaning 5: To become involved in something Come In - Bonus: This is where you come in! Come in - Meaning 6: To move towards the land (sea) Come In - Meaning 7: To finish a race in a certain position Come In - Bonus: Idioms featuring 'come 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 COME IN: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 7 Past tense forms Came in / Come in Separable? No The phrasal verb 'come in' is formed of the base verb 'to come' and the prepositional particle 'in' and so before we go any further, let's first briefly look at these individual words and their meanings. 'To come' is an extremely common irregular verb in English that is employed in many different ways, with it's main idea being one of movement towards the speaker (in the opposite sense of the verb 'to go'). Additionally, it can sometimes be used to mean 'to arrive' and 'to happen', among other applications. John came home this morning. Are you coming on the trip with us? A lot of people came to my party. My parents came late to the show. Dreams can come true. Christmas has come early for this family. The prepositional particle 'in' is one that you will all know as it is an integral and widespread word in English to refer to being inside or moving towards the interior of something. This meaning is clear in many phrasal verbs containing 'in', however it can also express different concepts in phrasal verbs like participation (join in) and integration (set in). So, now that we have covered the basics, let's move on to the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'come in'.... MEANING 1: To enter somewhere Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level A1 - Beginner Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To enter, to go in Our first application of 'come in' is one that I am sure that many of you will have heard before as it is the literal meaning of these two words combined, i.e. 'to enter somewhere'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Room House / Apartment Building Office For this usage, we are only concerned with entering an internal space, and therefore this is typically always used in reference to buildings, rooms and places we can physically be inside. As the verb 'to come' is used to refer to a movement towards the speaker, this should only be used by a person who is already inside a room or building. An exception to this would be when a person who is outside is talking to the person who is inside about entering it. Please come in and make yourself at home. We're open; please come in! As soon as I came in, I could smell the delicious food cooking. Peter came in from the rain, soaking wet. Come in, we’ve been expecting you! It's freezing out here. Can I come in? Arthur the cat came in through the open window. MEANING 2: To arrive Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To arrive, to land, to get in, to reach The second application of 'come in' means 'to arrive' somewhere and it includes several different and specific applications, which can all be heard commonly in everyday English. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Train / Airplane / Bus Ferry / Ship / Boat News / Information Stock Money You may often hear native speakers using 'come in' when referring to public transport such as trains and buses and that is because this is commonly used as a way of saying 'to arrive at a particular place' when referring to them.... My train comes in at 3.30 at Edinburgh station; can you pick me up? What time does your flight come in? Jason spent all night at the bus station waiting for the first bus going to London to come in. Furthermore, when talking about airplanes, it is common to use the expression 'coming in to land' to talk about the final moments of the flight before the plane arrives at its destination. The pilot lowered the wheels as the plane was coming in to land. As we were coming in to land over London, I could see Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Alternatively, you may also hear it being used to refer to when someone arrives at home or to another room, building or workplace. Again, this links back to the first application of 'entering' that we have already covered. Did you hear Sarah come in last night? What time is Luke coming in to the office today? Photo: Pexels Another very common usage of this application is with reference to news and information as when it is received, news agencies and publications will often say that it "comes in". Some breaking news has just come in about the British royal family. We will keep you updated as and when more information on the situation comes in. Some news came in over the weekend about the death of the celebrity. If you have ever had the misfortune of going into a store to buy something that you urgently need and the store assistant informs you that the item that you want is out of stock, they may have also told you when they expect the item to 'come in'. This is because 'come in' is also used to refer to stock in stores, warehouses and businesses and when it is expected to arrive and become available for sale or consumption. We sold out of the dark chocolate eggs this morning. The next stock is due to come in tomorrow. Unfortunately, this product is out of stock at present and we expect it to come in early next week. Photo: Pexels BONUS: Keep the money coming in! One other way that we can use this application of the phrasal verb 'come in' is with money and specifically when we receive it into our bank account. This could be in reference to one singular financial transaction, however usually it is to talk about earning money on a regular basis as a salary from a job. I have to go to work every day and keep the money coming in. As long as the money comes in every month, I am happy! Has the money for the sale of the car come in yet? MEANING 3: To become popular Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To become fashionable Meaning number three in our exploration of the phrasal verb 'come in' is to become popular or fashionable. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Fashion Trend Haircut / Hairstyle Decor Colours Did you know that when the word 'in' functions as an adjective, it can mean fashionable, trendy or popular? For example, you might say that a certain colour is 'in' one year or a popular activity may be described as an "in thing to do". This is likely derived from a shortening of the phrase 'in fashion' where we simply drop the word 'fashion' as it not required in the context. It sounds strange but it is definitely something useful to have in your English vocabulary reserves to impress your friends and colleagues! When we combine this adjectival usage of 'in' with the verb 'come', we arrive at the idea of something becoming popular or fashionable and as such, this is commonly used with trends in fashion, home decor, social media and products for sale on the market. One final point to make here is that as trends and fashions are always temporary and things stop being popular after a period of time, we can use the phrasal verb opposite 'go out' to describe this (link here ). Flared jeans are coming in again this season. Bright colours have come in recently, especially for summer fashion. That hairstyle came in a few years ago and is still trendy today. Minimalist home decor has really come in over the past decade. Eco-friendly products are coming in as more people focus on sustainability. Vinyl records have come in again despite digital music's popularity. Social media challenges come in and go out so quickly. Old-school video games are coming in as people seek nostalgia. MEANING 4: To take effect Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To become effective The fourth meaning of our phrasal verb of interest 'come in' is one that you are likely to hear in the business world or when talking about politics as it means 'to take effect'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Law / Legislation Rules Measures Changes Reforms Ban When I was younger I used to smoke cigarettes, which I enjoyed very much and I remember being very frustrated about a new law that was introduced in the UK at the time that prohibited smoking inside public buildings like pubs and restaurants. I recall angrily talking about this new ban with my friends, saying that we didn't want it to "come in", meaning that we did not want it to take effect and stop us from smoking anywhere that we wanted. For the record, I gave up smoking many years ago and I really dislike it now, so I am extremely grateful that this ban did come in 😊 As you have hopefully understood from the example, we use this application of 'come in' to describe the moment or date when something like a law, policy or change is applied and becomes valid or effective. The new traffic calming rules will come in next month. The policy came in on January 1st and all employees must follow it. A curfew came in following the recent protests in the city. Stricter regulations on plastic use will come in next year. The law came in after a long debate in parliament. New safety measures have just come in at the airport. The tax reforms will come in at the start of the fiscal year. Changes to the school curriculum will come in from this September. A ban on smoking in public places came in a few years ago. MEANING 5: To become involved in something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To join in, to get involved, to be required, to be implemented The fifth application of 'come in' that we will cover in the post means 'to become involved or active in something'. Nouns used with this application.... Singer Musician Project Situation Story Plan Much like the second application that we covered earlier, this fifth application of the phrasal verb 'come in' has several distinct uses that I will explain to you. Principally, let me clarify that this application is used to talk about joining or becoming involved with something that has already started and is in progress. We typically use it when something or someone is introduced into something to make a change of some sort. This change may be to try and and resolve a problem or make something function better. Alternatively, it may be to perform a useful role or function in something that is already going well. Typically, you will hear it in reference to things like work projects, plans that are in progress and ongoing disputes that need to be resolved. The manager came in to help resolve the dispute between the employees. I wasn’t part of the project at first, but I came in later to assist with marketing. Lisa came in at the last minute and saved the entire presentation. Jeremy came in as a consultant to improve the company’s efficiency. The new coach came in halfway through the season and turned things around. Investors come in when a startup shows real potential for growth. We can also use the alternative expression 'to come in on something' here, which means the same thing and is used particularly when talking about business ventures and money making schemes. I'd like to come in on that deal with you if I may? We are asking investors if they want to come in on the project before the deadline next week. Additionally, it is common to hear the expression "this is where XXXXX come(s) in" with this application, which is used to specify a point when something becomes required or necessary. We need more volunteers; this is where you come in! This is where our legal team comes in; they’ll handle all the contracts. This is the point where technology comes in to make the process faster and easier. Photo: Pexels BONUS: This is where you come in! Moreover, there are also some specific situations in which you will often hear this application in use that I want to give you and these are discussions, debates and musical performances. In discussions and debates, particularly the more official ones that are broadcasted on TV or radio, a person 'comes in' to say something and give their opinion or advice at some point after the discussion has begun. They are often invited to 'come in' by the presenter or chair of the debate. Adam, would you like to come in here and offer a counter argument to the one just given. At this point, I would like to invite Cathy Green to come in and give her thoughts on what has been discussed so far. When talking about musical performances, we can use 'come in' to refer to both singers and musicians who start playing or singing at a specific point within a song and not from the very start. We can use it both when they come in for the first time and also following a pause if they have stopped for a bit during the performance. Sophie, you come in after the first verse, so wait for my signal. The drummer comes in after four beats. I missed my cue and came in too late on the chorus. Make sure you come in on the right note during the harmony. The lead singer gave me a nod to let me know when to come in. The choir comes in right after the instrumental break. MEANING 6: To move towards the land (sea) Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To flow, to rise The sixth meaning of 'come in' is all to do with something that I love, which is the ocean and is used means 'to move towards the land'. Specifically, this usage is all about the tides of the sea, which are the rise and fall of sea levels that are caused by the effect of the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun on our little planet. As you may know, these tidal movements are in cycles of approximately 12.5 hours, during which the sea will visibly move away from the coast, revealing more of the beach, and then back towards it, covering it up again. When the tide is in the part of the cycle where it is moving back towards the land, we say that it is 'coming in'. Conversely, when it is moving away from the shore, we say that it is going out (link here ). Note that we almost always use the nouns 'tide' or 'sea' with this application. Be careful; the tide is coming in fast. We should set up our picnic further back before the tide comes in. The fishermen waited for the tide to come in before setting sail. As the tide came in, the beach slowly disappeared under the water. The children ran back as the waves got bigger with the sea coming in. You can see the boats rocking as the tide comes in. Low tide will last for a few more hours before the tide starts coming in again. MEANING 7: To finish a race in a certain position Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To finish, to end up For our final application of the phrasal verb 'come in', we are, rather appropriately, talking about one that means 'to finish a race or a contest in a certain position'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Race Competition Contest Quiz Tournament When we normally use this application, it is followed by an ordinal number, i.e. first, second third etc. to specify the position or place that a competitor finished. Additionally, you may instead hear "in first / second / third place" as an alternative. If you are unlucky enough to be the final person to finish, you would say that you "came in last". Emily came in first place in the marathon. He trained hard but only came in third in the competition. Our team came in second in the relay race. Despite his injury, Steve managed to come in fourth. I was hoping to win, but I came in fifth instead. The underdog surprised everyone by coming in first. Lucy came in last, but she was proud of finishing the race. They came in third in the general knowledge quiz. For any of those among you who enjoy gambling from time to time, it is also possible to hear people talking about their bet "coming in" when they win. This is typically a sporting bet, such as on horse racing or football (soccer). All of my bets came in today! I thought his bet would come in but I lost it at the last minute. Photo: Pexels BONUS: Idioms featuring 'come in' Before finishing the post, let's take a quick look at some common expressions and idioms that feature the phrasal verb 'come in'.... To come in for = We often use the expression 'to come in for' to say that something will be the object or recipient of something. Most commonly, this is negative feedback and criticism, however it can also be used with positive feedback and praise. The government has come in for a lot of criticism over its new policy. The movie came in for praise from critics worldwide. The vegan advocate came in for some harsh comments after her controversial speech. The company came in for blame when their product failed. To come in handy / useful = These two idiomatic expressions are very common and mean to become useful at a specific time. This extra phone charger will come in handy if I ever lose my other one. The money will certainly come in useful when we are on holiday - thank you! I will keep this as you never know when it might come in handy! To come in thick and fast - We use this particular idiomatic expression to describe when things happen or we receive things quickly and in large numbers. The complaints came in thick and fast after the politician's controversial speech. Job applications have been coming in thick and fast all morning. 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 'come in'. 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 'come in'. 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 'get up to' from a native speaker, with lots of examples in context Photo: Pexels Hello and welcome to my website for English learners all about phrasal verbs where I explain their different meanings to help you understand, learn and use them. Some of you may remember that a few weeks ago, I published a post all about the super common phrasal verb 'get up' (link here ). Originally, I wanted to include the different meanings of its variation 'get up to' in the same post, but whilst I was writing it, I decided that they should have their own page and here it is 😊 In this post, I will explain three different ways to use 'get up to' and provide you with lots of example sentences in context to help you to use it naturally in your English conversations. So, without further ado, let's make a start.... TABLE OF CONTENTS   (Click to jump to each one) Get Up To - The Basics: Key information & the individual words 'get', 'up' and 'to' Get Up To - Meaning 1: To physically reach a high point or position Get Up To - Meaning 2: To reach a certain point Get Up To - Meaning 3: To do something 🇬🇧 Get Up To - Bonus: Common expressions with 'get up to' Get Up To - Bonus: One final non phrasal verb meaning 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 UP TO: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 3 Past tense forms Got up to / Got up to - Gotten up to Separable? Rarely As a starting point in my posts, I always like to consider the different meanings of the words that make up the phrasal verb that I am explaining; in this case it is the three extremely common words 'get', 'up' and 'to'. To keep things short, I will just focus on the combination 'up to' rather than the individual words 'up' and 'to', which I am certain you will all be very familiar with already. The verb 'to get' is our base verb in this construction and is one that most English learners find particularly difficult and frustrating since native speakers seem to use it in an infinite number of ways. While it is true that 'to get' has numerous meanings and is frequently used in informal English as a synonym for other verbs, the primary meaning to focus on for this post is 'to reach or arrive at a point or place'. Another key feature of the verb 'to get' that you should be aware of as we go through the different meanings is its use in describing states or situations that a person finds themselves in. I got home late last night. What time did you get here? Sarah got to work early yesterday to work on her emails. How do I get to the city centre? We need to get prepared for the show. I got lost walking through the city. Next, we have the combination of the prepositional particles 'up to', which has several different meanings in English, depending on the context. Perhaps the most common of its meanings is 'as far as' when referring distance or 'until' in reference to time. It can also be used to say that something depends on someone, that something is someone's decision and, more relevant for this post, that someone is engaged in an activity, especially when it is something that they should not be doing. You have up to one hour to solve this problem. It is up to you to speak to the management. What do you want to do? It is completely up to you as I can't make that decision. What are you up to? The kittens were up to no good in the laundry room. So, now that we have covered the basics, let's move on to the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'get up to'.... MEANING 1: To physically reach a high point or position Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B1 - Intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To climb onto, to climb up to, to reach, to arrive at Separable? No The first application of 'get up to' that we will cover in this post is the most literal of its three meanings and is 'to physically reach a high point or position'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Top Summit Peak Roof Floor Loft / Attic This literal application is used in reference to when we physically move ourselves or climb from a low place to a high place, which is usually (but not always) the top of something. This usage is derived from the meaning 'to arrive at' that we have with the verb 'to get', in combination with the particle 'up' to mean a relatively higher place or away from the ground, giving us the idea of arriving high up. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE WITH 'GO UP TO'? When using the verb 'to get' to describe a movement to a place, the focus tends to be on the final destination and the point in time when you arrive there, whilst with 'go up' the focus tends to be more on the upward movement. However, we only tend to use 'go up' when the upward movement is easy and without problems. When we face problems or difficulties with the upward movement or if it is not possible, we use 'get up' instead. It is also therefore more common to use 'get up' rather than 'go up' in negative statement and questions. I managed to get up to the top of the mountain just before sunset. How did you get up to the roof without a ladder? The cat somehow got up to the highest branch of the tree. The hikers were not able to get up to the peak due to the steep terrain. Despite using a rope, John struggled to get up to the second-floor balcony. Lucy and Peter climbed for hours to get up to the summit. I would love to know how that squirrel got up to the attic! The workers used a crane to get up to the top of the building. MEANING 2: To reach a certain point Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To reach, to make it to Separable? No The second application of 'get up to' is pretty similar to the first one but this time it simply means 'to reach a certain point'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Chapter Episode Bit / Part Point Unlike the first application, this one is not about physical upward movement but is used more for activities that we do over a period of time, which involve an element of progress from a starting point to an end point. We typically use it when we have started an activity but not finished it and we want to tell someone the latest or furthest point that we have reached. Common examples of this include reading a book, playing a video game and watching a movie or TV series; all of which take time to do and have defined start and end points. If you are reading a book and you have only read 5 chapters so far, you might say that you " have got up to chapter 5 ". Alternatively, if you are watching a TV series with a lot of seasons and episodes but you have only watched the first season, you might say that you " have got up to the end of the first season ". Rachel got up to chapter five in the book before she had to stop. I only got up to episode three of the series before I lost interest. Jamie got up to the first big boss in the video game but could not get past that point. I've only got up to the bit where the main character's brother dies, so don't give me any spoilers!! What bit of the book have you got up to? IT'S SO HOT TODAY!! In addition to the things that I have already mentioned, we can also use 'get up to' to describe numerical values and percentages that go up and down and in doing so, reach a certain level, price or quantity. Typically, this can include high temperatures, values of stocks & shares and prices but can also include things that we measure in numbers such as speed, website traffic and heart rates. We often use this application when a number or value has increased above a specified point, when there is something noteworthy or surprising about the increase or when there is a specified limit that we want the number to reach. Quite often, similar to the previous usage, our focus is on hitting the high point, rather than on the increase itself, for which we would tend to use 'go up' again. The temperature in London got up to 35°C yesterday. The company's profits got up to a record high this quarter. Laura's heart rate got up to 180 bpm during the intense workout. The price of gas got up to $5 per gallon last summer but luckily it dropped again soon after. The marathon runner’s pace got up to 20 km/h in the final stretch. The noise level in the stadium got up to 120 decibels. His bank balance got up to $10,000 after months of saving. The number of daily visitors to the website got up to 100,000 last week. His weight got up to 90 kilograms before he started dieting. The company's stock got up to $150 per share before dropping again. MEANING 3: To do something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Common Where is it used? British English Potential synonyms To do, to be up to Separable? No The third and final meaning of 'get up to' is an informal British English usage and means 'to do something, often that is slightly bad or a bit naughty'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Mischief Tricks Antics Trouble Firstly, you should note that this is a really commonly used application in informal, everyday British English, so if you can master this and use it with any British friends or colleagues, it will sound great and very natural👌 To help you understand this application, I should first explain that it comes from the expression 'to be up to something', which means 'to do something, typically that is secretive or mischievous or that you should not be doing'. It is not always used for negative behaviour however, and in informal English, you will regularly hear questions such as " what are you up to ?" as an alternative to " what are you doing ?". What are you two up to in there? (this could be when you suspect that the people are doing something that they should not be doing?) I'm sure Jane is up to something, she is not acting normally and she can't look me in the eye. What are you up to this weekend? We use 'get up to' in very much the same way as we use 'be up to' and, in fact, it is just an alternative form of this. Again, we can use it both when we think that someone is misbehaving, being sneaky or doing something unusual and just as a simple and informal alternative to the verb 'to do'. You should note that it is commonly used in questions about what people did in the recent past, e.g. " what did you get up to at the weekend? ". The kids have been very quiet since lunch; I wonder what they’re getting up to. My puppy always gets up to some kind of mischief when left alone. I don’t know how they got up to so much trouble in just one afternoon. My friends and I used to get up to all sorts of adventures when we were younger. You won’t believe what Brian got up to while on vacation! My grandparents love hearing about what I’ve been getting up to at university. The cat got up to no good while we were out; just look at the mess! I don’t want to know what they got up to at the party last night! What did you get up to over the weekend? I didn't get up to much last week as I felt a bit tired. An expression that you may hear is 'to get up to no good', which is again the idea of doing something naughty or that you are not supposed to do. What are those children doing in there? I bet they are up to no good! My cats often get up to no good during the day when we are at work. Photo: Pexels BONUS: Common idioms and expressions with 'get up to' There are several commonly used idioms and expressions that we can use with the phrasal verb 'to get up to'..... To get up to speed - As I explained earlier in the post, we can use 'to get up to speed' to mean to reach a certain speed describing movement, however there is also a more idiomatic meaning to make you aware of. It can also mean to obtain all of the most recent information about a subject or situation, particularly when you need to do something about it or make a decision. A less common alternative to this is ' to get up to date '. It took me a few days to get up to speed with the new software, but now I feel confident using it. Before the meeting, make sure you read the report so you can get up to speed on the latest developments. To get up to scratch - If we want to improve something so that it reaches an acceptable standard, we can say 'to get (it) up to scratch'. This is often used in reference to skills that we have or need to practice in order to improve. His work wasn’t acceptable to begin with, but after some training, he managed to get it up to scratch. I need to practice my French more if I want to get up to scratch before I go to Paris. Photo: Pexels BONUS: One final non-phrasal verb meaning Before finishing the post, I want to make you aware of another time that you may come across 'get up to' in English From time to time, you are likely to see sentences such as " Get up to 5% off your next purchase ." and " The criminal is likely to get up to 10 years in prison ." in English. In this sense, we have the idea that a person will receive something up to a maximum limit or point. This is not strictly a phrasal verb usage as 'get up to' is not considered one lexical unit here with 'get' and 'up to' being separate, but I wanted to make you aware of it nonetheless. 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 'get up to'. 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 'get up to'. 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 'keep down' 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, I will be explaining the phrasal verb 'keep down' and four different ways that you can use it in your everyday English. I will provide you with lots of example sentences for each usage, from remaining in a low position to managing not to vomit when you are ill. So, without ado, let's make a start and hopefully you can learn something new about this useful phrasal verb! TABLE OF CONTENTS   (Click to jump to each one) Keep Down - The Basics: Key information & the individual words 'keep' and 'down' Keep Down - Meaning 1: To remain in a low position Keep Down - Meaning 2: To keep a number or level low Keep Down - Bonus: Shhhh! Keep it Down! Keep Down - Meaning 3: To repress someone Keep Down - Meaning 4: To not vomit 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 KEEP DOWN: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 4 Past tense forms Kept down / Kept down Separable? Yes As a starting point in our exploration of the phrasal verb 'keep down', let's first consider the individual words 'keep' and 'down'. The base verb in our construction, 'to keep', is a common irregular verb with several main meanings in English. Perhaps the one that you will know best is 'to retain something in your possession' and from this we also get the idea of the second meaning, which is 'to hold something in a specific place'. Another key usage of the verb 'to keep' is 'to continue', in which case it is followed by a gerund to specify the continued activity. I told my brother that he could keep the book I had leant him. Joanne kept the letter from her father. Please keep the change! I keep a photograph of my parents next to my bed. Please keep this in mind for the future. I keep forgetting my colleague's name. Why do you keep asking me the same question? The prepositional particle 'down' is one that you will all know as a word that generally denotes a downward movement or decrease of sorts and these meanings can often be reflected in phrasal verb constructions ( go down , slow down). In addition to this, when 'down' is included in phrasal verbs, it can also add the ideas of suppression (hold down), recording (write down) and finality (close down), among others. So, now that we have covered the basics, let's move on to the main meanings of the phrasal verb 'keep down'.... MEANING 1: To remain in a low position Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level A2 - Elementary Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To lie low, to stay down Separable? No Let's begin the meanings of 'keep down' with the one that is closest to a literal meaning of the two words combined, which is 'to remain in a low position'. The meaning of this application is simply derived from combining the idea of remaining or staying that we get from the verb 'to keep' with the idea of being in a downward or low position. Situations in which this application is used.... Playing games that involve hiding Military action We only use this application to talk about being physically in a low position with our bodies. For this reason, it tends only to be used in reference to when we want to stay down because we are hiding somewhere and do not want other people to see us. As such, this is commonly heard in reference to soldiers and the military when fighting wars and, on a lighter note, when we are playing a game that involves hiding from other people. As we are talking about just our own bodies here, there is no direct object with this application and therefore it is not separable unless you use it with a reflexive 'self pronoun, which is not particularly common to do. The verb 'to keep' is often used to form imperatives (to tell people what to do) and you may often hear this first application in use to tell people to stay in a low position that they have adopted. Keep down or they'll see us hiding behind the bushes! The soldiers were told to keep down to avoid enemy fire. If you keep down, you’ll have a better chance of staying out of sight. The shopkeeper had to keep down behind the counter while the armed robbers were in the store. We should keep down until the coast is clear. MEANING 2: To keep a number or level low Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To hold, to limit, to curb, to restrict, to check, to rein in Separable? Yes In the previous section, we looked at the idea of remaining in a low position to avoid being seen or detected and in this second application, we are again talking about something remaining low, however this time it is numbers, quantities and levels instead of our physical bodies. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Numbers / Quantities Level Noise Costs / Prices Inflation You will note from the list above that this application is primarily used with nouns for things that we can control and therefore make increase or decrease. To clarify, if we keep something down, then we control it and do not allow it to rise or increase as we want the level to stay low. To give you some examples of this, governments around the world are constantly trying to keep economic inflation down and if you are getting married, you may want to keep the number of guests down and not invite a large number of people in order to save some money. Grammatically speaking, this usage does take a direct object, which is the thing that we want to prevent from increasing or going up and it is therefore separable. I think in this case, we tend to use it separably slightly more than inseparably but both are fine to use and the meaning is the same either way. We need to keep costs down if we want to stay within budget. Regular exercise and a healthy diet help to keep cholesterol levels down. The government is trying to keep down inflation through new economic policies. Drinking plenty of water can help keep your body temperature down in hot weather. The company introduced new policies to keep employee turnover down. The family installed insulation to keep down heating costs during the winter. The doctor advised Sarah to avoid salty foods to keep her blood pressure down. Photo: Pexels BONUS: Shhhhh! Keep it down! One other common way to use this application is with noise levels, particularly when you want people to be quiet. In this case, it would be normal to ask them to "keep the noise down". A variation of this is "keep it down" and as mentioned previously, this is often used in an imperative form, especially as the person requesting the quietness often tends to be angry or annoyed....I think we have all had moments like that. He spoke quietly to keep the noise down and not disturb the others. I am just going for a nap, so could please keep the noise down in here. Shhhh! Keep it down! I am trying to revise for my exam. Can you keep it down please?! You sound like a herd of elephants! MEANING 3: To repress someone Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To repress, to suppress, to restrain, to control, to subject Separable? Yes For our third application of 'keep down', we are turning our attention to something unpleasant that happens all over the world as it means 'to repress someone'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Person / People Group Firstly, if you are not familiar with the verb 'to repress', it means to not allow something to be expressed and would typically be used with words, emotions and feelings. When used in reference to people, it means to control them and restrict their freedom, so that they have less than others and are not able to progress or improve their lives. This can either be just one or two people or a whole group within society. With this definition in mind, I think that it is fair to say that within all human social structures across the globe, people are repressed or 'kept down' in some way. In other words, many people are controlled and therefore not always allowed to express themselves freely or live how they wish. Of course, this does not apply to everyone but I think elements of this are present everywhere to a greater or lesser degree. For this usage, we are thinking of society in terms of a hierarchy, with the most powerful people at the top and the less powerful 'kept down' at the bottom, without being given the opportunity to rise up the hierarchy to the top. As such, you will often hear this application in use to refer to governments, leaders and political regimes. The dictator used fear and violence to keep political opposition down. Unfair laws were designed to keep down certain groups in society. The strict school rules were meant to keep down any form of rebellion among students. The oppressive regime worked hard to keep down the voices of dissent. Corrupt leaders often try to keep down the poor to maintain their power. The ruling class imposed heavy taxes to keep down the lower classes. John refused to let anyone keep him down and fought for his rights. The media was censored to keep any criticism of the government down. The government introduced harsh measures to keep down the workers demanding fair wages. In addition to people and groups of people, we can also use this application of 'keep down' to talk about repressing emotions and reactions that come from our emotions. Typically, this is when we feel the emotion inside us but we refuse to express it publicly and keep it inside. Ellie struggled to keep down her anger during the argument. Ben took a deep breath to keep his frustration down and stay calm. Luke tried to keep his excitement down, but his smile gave him away. Despite the bad news, Sally managed to keep down her disappointment and stay composed. MEANING 4: To not vomit Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To not vomit Separable? Yes Now we move on to our fourth and final meaning of 'keep down', which is 'to not vomit' and as you can guess, it is all about being in ill health. Nouns commonly used with this expression.... Food Drink Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner Liquid When someone is ill, specifically with a stomach bug or perhaps because he or she has drunk too much alcohol, vomiting is one of the main symptoms. Annoyingly, when we have a bad stomach, it tends to last for a while and does not usually go away immediately, meaning that we will vomit several or sometimes many times. During these periods, we are not able to hold any food or drink that we consume in our stomachs and when this happens, we can say that "we cannot keep food or drink down". The idea here is that when we eat something, we swallow it and it moves down to our stomach and normally stays there. When we then combine this idea of 'holding' that we get from the verb 'to keep', this idea of being able to hold something in our stomachs is derived. Again, this final usage is separable and takes a direct object, which is the food or drink that we are trying to keep down in our stomach. Sam was so sick that she could barely keep down a sip of water. After the surgery, Terry struggled to keep down any solid food. Jeremy felt awful after the boat ride but managed to keep his lunch down and didn't vomit. The medication helped her keep down her meals without feeling queasy. 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 'keep down'. 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 'keep down'. 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 'show 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. This post is all about the phrasal verb 'show off', which is a fantastic phrasal verb for those of you who love to impress other people with your skills and your achievements. In this post, I will explore three different ways to use this common phrasal verb and will provide you with lots of example sentences to show you how they are used by native speakers to help your English sound nice and natural. So, without further ado, let's make a start.... TABLE OF CONTENTS   (Click to jump to each one) Show Off - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'show' and 'off' Show Off - Meaning 1: To show people something that you are proud of Show Off - Meaning 2: To seek admiration and attention Show Off - Bonus: The noun 'show-off' Show Off - Meaning 3: To emphasise your best features 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 SHOW OFF: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 3 Past tense forms Showed off / Shown off Separable? Sometimes Before we look at the meanings of 'show off' as a phrasal verb, let's first consider what the words 'show' and 'off' mean as separate lexical units. The verb 'to show' is a common irregular verb in English, which in its most basic form means to present or display something for people to look at or watch. Moreover, it can also be used to mean to demonstrate how to do something, to prove something and to express feelings and ideas. I showed a picture of my children. John showed his wife the new car that he had bought. Don't show me that video; I don't want to see it. Can you show me how to change a lightbulb? The results of the test showed that her cancer had gone away. People find it difficult to show their emotions in public. The prepositional particle 'off' is a very common inclusion in phrasal verb constructions and can convey a variety of different meanings. Some of the most notable of these are departure ( set off ), decrease (wear off), separation (take off ) and completion (pay off). Additionally, 'off' can be used in some phrasal verbs to convey the idea of attracting attention, which is the category that 'show off' falls into. So, now that we have looked at the basics, let's take a look at the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'show off'.... MEANING 1: To show people something that you are proud of Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To show, to display, to demonstrate, to flaunt Separable? Yes Our first meaning of 'show off' is one that we all do from time to time and that is to show people something that we are proud of. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Car House Haircut Skills Items of clothing Humans are social animals and as such, we all (or most of us) need a supportive network of people who love and care for us. We are also naturally pre-programmed to seek validation and approval from those people around us. One of the ways that we do this is by showing them something that we own or that we have done that we are proud of and for this action we can use the phrasal verb 'show off'. When we use this application of 'show off', we are essentially making something visible or obvious to the people around us to attract their attention, so that they will admire it and say nice things, giving is that validation that we often need in the process. On a grammatical note, this usage of 'show off' takes a direct object and is therefore separable. The direct object is the thing that we are showing off and can either be placed between 'show' and 'off' or after them, with no difference to the meaning. Susan bought a new dress and couldn't wait to show it off at the party. Tim loves showing his expensive watch off whenever he meets new people. The artist proudly showed his latest painting off to the guests. Sarah got a new haircut and kept flipping her hair to show it off. The kids were excited to show off their science projects at the school fair. Adam speaks fluent French and Spanish and loves showing off his language skills to impress his dates. The chef showed his culinary skills off by preparing an elaborate five-course meal. The gymnast performed an impressive routine to show off her flexibility. Ryan took off his jacket to show his muscular arms off. MEANING 2: To seek admiration and attention Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To flaunt, to boast, to brag, to crow, to gloat Separable? No Our second application of 'show off' is really just a variation of the previous one that we looked at and just means to seek admiration and attention. Grammatically, there is a key difference with the previous application because this time we do not have a direct object. Thus, if we say that a person is 'showing off', then they are trying to draw attention and admiration towards themselves instead of an object or a skill that they possess. In addition to this, the other main difference between this application and the first is that this one is quite negative in nature and is usually used as a criticism of somebody. The reason for this is that when people are showing off, they are consciously and obviously trying to impress people, which I think many people (including myself) find annoying and irritating. John always shows off when there's a crowd around. Stop showing off; we all know you're good at basketball! Victoria kept showing off in class by answering every question before anyone else had a chance. Carl was showing off at the gym, lifting heavier weights than necessary just to impress people. Instead of being humble about his promotion, Richard just kept showing off. The actor couldn’t resist showing off on stage with unnecessary dramatic gestures. Pete showed off by doing fancy tricks on his skateboard. The student kept showing off by using big words to try and sound more intelligent. STOP ACTING LIKE A CHILD! This application of 'show off' is often associated with children and young people as it is something that they often do when they are misbehaving. This is perhaps a combination of being bored and not having fully developed social skills, meaning that they seek attention from the people around them by being loud, cheeky or boisterous. The little boy loves to show off whenever guests come over. Kevin's young daughter started showing off by singing loudly, even though no one asked her to. Calm down and stop showing off! If you carry on, you will be sent to your room. Photo: Pexels BONUS: The noun 'show-off' I think you can probably guess the meaning of the noun 'show-off' based on the application that we have just looked at but if not, let me clarify. A show-off is a person who has a tendency to show off all the time to try and impress people and always be the centre of attention. Like with the phrasal verb application, this noun is pejorative in nature and is normally used as mild criticism of someone. Jake is such a show-off; he is always bragging about his expensive gadgets. No one likes a show-off, so try to be more humble. Emma’s a real show-off when it comes to dancing; she loves being the centre of attention. That child is a total show-off, always trying to impress the teacher. MEANING 3: To emphasise your best features Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To emphasise, to accentuate Separable? Yes Our third and final application of the phrasal verb 'show off' is another one that is used to talk about impressing people and this time it means 'to emphasise your best features'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Looks Eyes Figure Legs Suntan As you can see from the list above, we use this application of 'show off' mainly to talk about body parts, specifically those that are visible to other people. When we show these particular bodily features off, we are doing something to make them seem obvious, therefore making us look more attractive as a result. For example, a woman with a body shape that she is proud of may put on a dress that makes it more more evident to people, so that people find her sexier; in this case, we would say that the dress "shows off her figure". Alternatively, if you go on holiday and get a suntan and you want other people to see it, you might wear clothes that reveal lots of your tanned skin when you come home as you want to "show off your tan"(British people do this a lot). Like with the first application, this usage is separable and takes a direct object, which is the part of the body that you want to show off. Kim wore a sleeveless dress to show off her toned arms. Jake styled his hair differently to show his new haircut off. The model wore a high-slit gown to show off her long legs. Claire smiled brightly to show off her perfect teeth. Joseph unbuttoned the top of his shirt to show off his muscular chest. Lucy chose a backless dress to show off her smooth skin. The princess wore high heels to show off her posture and curves. The athlete wore a fitted jersey to show off his strong physique. Paul took off his jacket to show off his broad shoulders. 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 'show off'. 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 'show off'. 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 'shake 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. In this post, I am shaking things up and explaining the phrasal verb 'shake up'. As you will learn in the post, I'm not really shaking things up as I am keeping my usual format but I just wanted an excuse to use it. So, how well do you know this fairly informal phrasal verb and its three different meanings? If you don't know them all, then don't worry as I will talk you through each one and give you lots of example sentences to aid your understanding. So, without further ado, let's make a start.... TABLE OF CONTENTS   (Click to jump to each one) Shake Up - The Basics: Key information & the individual words 'shake' and 'up' Shake Up - Meaning 1: To shake something in order to mix it Shake Up - Meaning 2: To make big changes to something Shake Up - Bonus: The noun 'shake-up' Shake Up - Meaning 3: To make someone feel scared or shocked 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 SHAKE UP: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 3 Past tense forms Shook up / Shaken up Separable? Yes Before we get into the different meanings of 'shake up', let's first take a moment to consider the individual words 'shake' and 'up' and what they mean on their own. The verb 'to shake' is a fairly common irregular English verb that primarily means to move quickly up and down or from side to side with short, often forceful, movements. It can be used transitively with a direct object (you can shake something) or intransitively without a direct object (something shakes) and it can be used to talk about both objects and people. In addition to this first meaning, 'to shake' can also be used to mean to get rid of something and to make something less certain or sure. I shook my husband to wake him up. The speaker was very nervous during his speech and you could see that his hands were shaking. The CEO's shook hands before the meeting started. The whole house started to shake during the earthquake. I have had a cough for weeks and I can't shake it. My trust in my friends was shaken when I learned about their lies. The prepositional particle 'up' is an extremely frequent constituent part of phrasal verbs and can be used to denote an upwards movement or an increase of some sort (go up , move up) to phrasal verb constructions. Moreover, it can also add the ideas of change ( give up ), preparation ( set up ), completion (eat up) and collection (gather up), among others. So, now that we have covered the basics, let's move on to the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'shake up'.... MEANING 1: To shake something in order to mix it Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level A2 - Elementary Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To shake, to agitate Separable? Yes The first of our meanings of 'shake up' is the one that is closest in meaning to its base verb as it simply means 'to shake something in order to mix it'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Cocktail Bottle Ingredients Contents This application is in fact very similar to the meaning of the verb 'to shake' and can in some cases be used as a direct synonym of it. However, 'shake up' is normally used to talk about things that are made up of different components and when we shake them up, all of these different components within it move around and mix together. This is usually done to prepare something in order for us to be able to use or consume it. For clarity, just using the verb 'to shake' here would often not be as clear enough as it would simply signify that you were shaking something, without the intention of mixing the items together. For example, if I am making a cocktail, then I would tend to use 'shake up' to refer to the action of mixing all of the ingredients together instead of 'shake'. Conversely, I might shake a bag to make sure that no contents remain inside it and in this case 'shake up' would sound incorrect as my intention is to empty the bag and not mix the contents of the bag together. Moreover, we would not use 'shake up' for a solid object that has nothing within it to mix together, for example if you wanted to shake a cushion to remove the dust, 'shake off' would not work. Gramatically speaking, this usage is separable and is used both ways by native speakers. Before drinking the juice, make sure to shake up the bottle to mix the pulp. Roger shook the salad dressing up in order to blend the oil and vinegar properly. You need to shake the paint up before using it to ensure an even colour. Lisa shook up the protein shake to dissolve the powder completely. The pharmacist told the patient to shake up the medicine bottle before taking a dose. MEANING 2: To make big changes to something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To reorganise, to reshuffle, to restructure, to overhaul, to reform Separable? Yes Let's move on to the second meaning of 'shake up' now, which is 'to make big changes to something. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Organisation System Structure Institution Things Just as in the first application that we looked at where we shake something up in order to change or improve it, this second application is also used to express this same idea, however instead of liquids and ingredients, this time it is organisations. To clarify, 'to shake something up' in this sense means to make important and often drastic changes to an organisation, usually with the aim of making it more efficient and successful. Furthermore, I should highlight that when we use this, we are talking about major and often radical changes to how something is organised or run. It will probably come as no surprise to you to learn that this is one that you will often hear in business English. An expression that is quite common to hear when using this application (and one that you may noted that I used at the start of the post) is "to shake things up". On a grammatical level, as with the first application, this one is also separable and native speakers will use it both separably and inseparably, without any change in the meaning. The new CEO plans to shake up the company by introducing a more flexible work culture. The government is set to shake the education system up with major curriculum reforms. The football club's management decided to shake up their approach to coaching after a disappointing season. A major merger this year is expected to shake up the entire banking industry. The director’s bold new vision has shaken the film industry up, challenging traditional storytelling methods. This startup aims to shake up the tech world with its innovative approach to artificial intelligence. In a bid to boost efficiency, the hospital administration is planning to shake up its management team. The controversial policy changes have shaken the healthcare sector up, leaving many professionals uncertain about the future. We have looked at how the company has been run for the past few years and can see that we need to shake things up if we want to stay in business. Photo: Pexels BONUS: The noun 'shake-up' As is often the case with phrasal verbs that describe common actions, there is often a noun that accompanies them to give a name to the action. In this case, we have the noun 'shake-up' (or shakeup in American English), which means a significant change in the way that something is organised or structured. This noun form can be used in any of the situations in which you use the phrasal verb application. The company is undergoing a major shake-up in its management team to improve efficiency. The government announced a shake-up of the education system to modernise teaching methods. After a series of poor performances, the football club underwent a team shake-up ahead of the new season. The tech industry is experiencing a shake-up due to rapid advancements in artificial intelligence. MEANING 3: To make someone feel scared or shocked Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To upset, to shock Separable? Always The third and final application of 'shake up' is one that we apply to people and means 'to make someone feel scared or shocked'. Most people are lucky enough to live generally safe and stable lives, in which we can be calm and composed the majority of the time. Life is unpredictable though and we all go through negative experiences from time to time, which can make us feel scared, upset or shocked. When this happens, we can say that the experience has "shaken us up". To put it another way, if something shakes you up, it removes the feeling of calmness and composure that you normally have and replaces it with feelings of shock and fear, meaning that you cannot think clearly or calmly. For example, this may happen if you are ever the victim of a crime, are involved in a car accident or learn some news about the death of a loved one. On a grammatical note, while we can use this application in the active voice, with the negative experience shaking the person up, it is most commonly used in the passive sense to say that a person is shaken up after going through something unpleasant or horrible. The murder shook up the residents of the area, making them fear that others would be killed. Witnessing the robbery shook up the shop assistant and she struggled to speak to the police. The train passengers were really shaken up by the accident. The entire office was shaken up by the news of the CEO's sudden resignation. The audience was shaken up by the terrifying scenes in the horror movie. Claire was deeply shaken up after seeing her childhood home destroyed in the fire. Peter was shaken up by the tragic news of his friend’s death. 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 'shake up'. 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 'shake up'. 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 'play 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 'play out', which is a lesser known phrasal verb with a surprising number of meanings. In the post, I will cover all of the meanings that it has in everyday English and provide you with lots of example sentences in context to help you understand when to use them. So, read on to find out more about this mysterious but useful little phrasal verb.... TABLE OF CONTENTS   (Click to jump to each one) Play Out - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'play' and 'out' Play Out - Meaning 1: Literal Play Out - Meaning 2: To develop in a specific way and reach a conclusion 🇬🇧 Play Out - Meaning 3: To do something until the end Play Out - Meaning 4: To pretend a situation is happening Play Out - Meaning 5: To feed a rope or a cord Play Out - Meaning 6: To use something until there is none left Play Out - Bonus: The adjective 'played out' Play Out - Meaning 7: To play the end music of 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 PLAY OUT: KEY INFORMATION Usage Medium Number of meanings 7 Past tense forms Played out / Played out Separable? Sometimes As is customary on Phrasal Verbs Explained, we'll begin our analysis of the phrasal verb 'play out' by considering the meanings of the words 'play' and 'out'. Our base verb in this phrasal verb construction is 'to play', which is an extremely common regular verb in English that primarily means to spend time doing something fun or recreational and is typically used in reference to sport and games. In addition to this meaning, the verb 'to play' is also used to refer to performing a role or acting and using a musical instrument to make music. When I was younger, I used to play with the other children from my street. John plays football every Saturday. Can you play chess? My nephew spends all day playing video games. The actor plays the lead role in this Hollywood movie. I learned to play the piano when I was a child. The second word in our phrasal verb construction 'out' is one that you will know very well as it is extremely common. It mainly functions as a preposition and adverb but also exists as an adjective, verb and noun. When used in phrasal verb constructions, 'out' can convey meanings related to the ideas of revelation (find out), expansion (spread out), removal ( cut out ) and conclusion ( run out ). This latter usage is very relevant to some of the meanings of 'play out' that we will cover shortly. So, now that we have covered the basics, let's take a look at he different meanings of the phrasal verb 'play out'.... MEANING 1: Literal Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level A2 - Elementary Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To play Separable? No We'll begin our exploration of the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'play out' with the most straightforward one, which is the literal interpretation of the combination of the two words, namely 'to play outside'. This application is used specifically for children, who typically spend a lot of time playing with their friends rather than working and earning money. It is used to talk about when they play somewhere outside, such as the street, a garden, a park or cycling around on bicycles. Essentially, it covers any form of free play that does not occur inside a house or place of residence. I used to spend a lot of time in my childhood playing out with my friends and I have very fond memories of those times, however I feel like children don't play out so much these days since they always seem to be in the house playing video games etc. Is it the same in your country? Let me know in the comments; I would love to read your thoughts! As children, we loved to play out in the park until it got dark. It’s a beautiful day; why don’t you play out in the garden for a while? When we were kids, we used to play out in the street with our neighbours every evening. The teacher allowed the students to play out in the schoolyard during their break. Kath told her son to play out for an hour instead of staying inside with his video games. MEANING 2: To develop in a specific way and reach a conclusion Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? British English Potential synonyms To turn out, to unfold, to happen, to develop, to occur, to take place, to come about, to conclude, to end, to finish Separable? No The second application of 'play out' is an idiomatic usage that means 'to develop in a specific way and reach a conclusion' and I would say that this is the most common of all of its different meanings in everyday English. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Drama / Crisis Argument Story / Tale Court case Scene Events Negotiations You may have noted from the list above that this application of 'play out' is used with nouns for stories and things that develop and change over time, rather than for nouns for constant or unchanging things. This is because we use this application of 'play out' for human situations which change and develop over time until they come to a natural end. Most of the time, we use this application when there is a current or ongoing situation between different people, groups or countries, which may be political, social or economic. As we are not able to predict the future, we do not know how the situation will develop or unfold over time or how it will end or 'play out'. Moreover, we tend not to use it if we are an active participant in the situation with the power to change the outcome; it is more of a passive thing, a bit like you are watching a show or play at a theatre. We don’t know how the negotiations will play out yet, but we’re hoping for a positive outcome. Let’s wait and see how things play out before we make any drastic decisions. The drama between the two politicians played out on live television. No one could have predicted how the situation would play out in the end. The crisis played out over several weeks, with new developments emerging every day. Simon and Suzanne's argument played out in front of everyone at the party, making things really awkward. The detective watched the events play out from a distance, waiting for the right moment to step in. History has a way of playing out in cycles, with similar patterns repeating over time. Their relationship played out like a classic love story, full of ups and downs. The war played out over several years, reshaping the entire region. Additionally, we can use 'play out' in this way to talk about scenes or situations that happen on a large scale in multiple places. It is the same scene that plays out on Christmas Day morning up and down the country every year. You know that when the England Football teams wins a game, the same scene is played out in pubs and living rooms everywhere. MEANING 3: To do something until the end Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To finish, to see through Separable? Yes Our third usage of 'play out' combines elements of the first two meanings that we have covered so far and means 'to do something to completion'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Game Match Song Project This application is typically used for games and things that we can play and it refers to when we continue playing or doing what we are doing until the end. Oftentimes, a decision whether or not to continue playing until the end (play it out) needs to be made. For example, a football team manager may decide to play a game until the end of the 90-minute period or a project manager might decide to continue working on a project until the end rather than cancelling it. In both of these instances, 'play out' can be used to refer to the continuation to the end. On a grammatical note, this usage is separable and therefore takes a direct object, which can either go between 'play' and 'out' or after them. Despite the injury, the goalkeeper decided to play out the rest of the match. The actors played the final scene of the show out with great emotion. Instead of quitting halfway, we should just play the project out and see where it takes us. The team had no chance of winning the game, but they still chose to play it out with full effort. The band played out their last song before leaving the stage. MEANING 4: To pretend a situation is happening Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Rare Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To act out, to recreate, to enact, to reenact Separable? Yes Do any of you enjoy acting and amateur dramatics? If so, this next usage of 'play out' could be a very useful one for you as it means 'to pretend a situation is happening'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Fantasy / Dream / Feeling / Imagination Scenario Scene Game To give you a bit more clarification on this, when I say "to pretend a situation is happening", what I mean is that you act like the situation is really taking place. With this application, there are two different scenarios that we can use it in. The first of these is that you are an actor or actress playing a role in a show or a movie. Quite simply, if you play out a scene then you perform it by acting. Alternatively, as an acting professional, it is vital that you prepare and rehearse and this may involve playing out different scenes and scenarios in preparation for this. For this first scenario, I should say here that the phrasal verb 'act out' is more common to use than 'play out' and there is no difference in meaning between the two here. The actors played out a dramatic argument to rehearse for their upcoming performance. We decided to play out some scenes from Romeo & Juliet. The second scenario, which you're more likely to encounter, involves simulating situations in order to train or practise for something. This usage can range across many different areas of life, such as the military playing out specific scenarios to improve and perfect their strategies, office workers playing out telephone calls or business situations as job training and children playing out pretend adventures as part of their games. Personally, I really like to do role plays with my students where we can play out different scenarios in which they can practice their English in new ways and it is highly effective. The children played out a pirate adventure in the garden. In training, the firefighters played out different emergency scenarios to prepare for real-life situations. During the negotiation exercise, the office workers played out a scenario where one side refused to compromise. The French teacher asked her students to play out a conversation between a customer and a shopkeeper. The military played out a possible attack scenario to test their defence strategies. The kids played out a hospital scene, pretending to be doctors and patients. The role-playing exercise allowed employees to play out potential conflicts and find solutions. They played out the scene as if they were in a real courtroom trial. One other time that you may hear this application in use is when referring to people in therapy who see mental health professionals. As part of their therapy, they may be asked to play out their dreams, imagination or feelings. MEANING 5: To feed a rope or a cord Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Rare Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To feed through, to feed, to unwind, to uncoil Separable? Yes Our next application of 'play out' is a rarer meaning that is used only in very specific situations and it is 'to feed rope or cord'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Rope Cord String Wire Cable Hose String wound around a coil. Photo: Pexels For this meaning, we are solely concerned with long, thin items that can be wound into a coil or wrapped around something (like in this picture). This includes ropes that climbers and abseilers use, garden hoses and electrical wires. When you play out one of these long items, you unwind it to allow more of the item to be used, reducing the amount of it that is wrapped in the coil. For example, if you are abseiling down the side of a building, someone will need to stand on the roof of the building to play out the rope to enable you to move down towards the ground ( have never done it as I would be too scared). This is not a particularly common usage and certainly not one that you will need in everyday English unless you are a keen climber or abseiler of course! The sailor played out the rope slowly as the boat drifted away from the dock. The rescue team carefully played the cable out while lowering the stretcher down the cliffside. He played the fishing line out, hoping to catch something big. As the anchor dropped, they played out the chain to ensure it reached the seabed. The rock climber played the rope out steadily to keep his partner secure. The kite flew higher as the child played out more string. The diver signalled to his partner on the boat to play out more air hose as he descended deeper. MEANING 6: To use something until there is none left Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Rare Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To use up, to run out of, to sell out Separable? No This sixth and penultimate application of 'play out' is another rare one, which means to use something until there is none of it left. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Energy Luck Resources We use this application primarily to say that something we have, either within us (like energy or patience) or outside of us (like food or petrol), has become depleted. Commonly, this is used in the passive voice to say that none of something remains or that the resource from which we obtain something stops providing what we need. For my part, I would be much more inclined to use another phrasal verb such as run out (link here ) or use up in this instance but it is always good to be aware of this in case you hear it or read it somewhere. The miners continued working until the gold was completely played out. John's luck finally played out, and they lost the last of their savings in the gamble. The land had been farmed for generations, but eventually, the soil played out and became barren. After years of overfishing, the once-thriving fishing grounds had played out and no more fish could be caught there. Robert's energy finally played out, and he collapsed from exhaustion. The oil well was productive for decades, but it eventually played out, causing the company to go bankrupt. Photo: Pexels BONUS: The adjective 'played out' There is also an adjective that is linked to this sixth application of 'play out' that I want to make you aware of. If you describe something as "played out", it means that it is old, tired or no longer has the power or energy that it once had. Typical examples of this could be in reference to a person who is extremely tired and lacking energy, either temporarily or permanently due to old age, to policies and ideas that people consider to be old and cliché and the lack of power of a country to influence others that was previously very important and influential. Louise's jokes about millennials being lazy are played out; it’s time to move on. That reality TV show was entertaining at first, but now it’s just played out. The band’s new album sounds exactly like their last three; their style is getting played out. MEANING 7: To play the end music of something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To close out Separable? Sometimes I've left this seventh application of 'play out' to last as it is a rather appropriate one for ending the post due to its meaning, which is 'to play the end music of something'. Again, this is a rarer meaning that you will probably only ever come across on television shows and radio broadcasts. If someone plays out a show in this sense, it means that they they play a song at the end of the show, which serves typically as the last part of it. On television shows, the music would be played to accompany the end credits. Typically, the structure 'to play us out is....' is used by the presenter of the show. The host thanked the audience, and the theme song played out to close the show. The live concert played out with a heartfelt ballad as the crowd cheered. The radio show always plays out with the same iconic jazz tune. Now, to play us out, please give a round of applause to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. 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 'play out'. 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 'play 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 'get 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. On this website, I have written posts about more than 100 different phrasal verbs in English and now I've finally arrived at the one which combines potentially the most frequently used base verb in phrasal verb constructions 'to get' with the most common prepositional particle 'up'. In this post, I will explain all of the different meanings of the wonderful phrasal verb 'get up', some of which I am sure most of you will know already. I will provide you with lots of examples to illustrate how each one is used, enabling you to use it like a native speaker. Do you know all of the meanings already? Let's make a start and find out.... One point to make before starting is that I have not included any meanings of the phrasal verb construction of 'get up to' in this post. As 'get up to' has numerous different meanings, I have decided to dedicate a separate post to it, which you can find on this link here . TABLE OF CONTENTS   (Click to jump to each one) Get Up - The Basics: Key information & the individual words 'get' and 'up' Get Up - Meaning 1: To rise from your bed Get Up - Meaning 2: To stand from a lying or sitting position Get Up - Meaning 3: To move from the bottom of something to the top Get Up - Meaning 4: To generate something Get Up - Meaning 5: To become stronger Get Up - Meaning 6: To be dressed as something 🇬🇧 Get Up - Meaning 7: To prepare or organise 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 UP: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 7 Past tense forms Got up / Got up - Gotten up Separable? Sometimes Before we start looking at the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'get up', let's first quickly consider the meanings of the two words that form it: the verb 'to get' and the prepositional particle 'up'. The verb 'to get' is an extremely common verb in the English language that has a large variety of different meanings and applications, which can often seem confusing to English learners. In addition to its various uses, it also functions as an auxiliary (helper) verb to form the passive voice. Two of its key meanings that are relevant for this post are 'to arrive' and 'to receive'. What time did you get home last night? The train got to the station on time. What did you get for you birthday? Sam didn't get any emails yesterday. John got his hair cut at the local barbers. Next, we have the prepositional particle 'up', which you will all know very well. 'Up' functions as the natural opposite of 'down' and is used to indicate both upward movement and increases. When used in phrasal verb constructions, 'up' can add different ideas, which include preparation ( set up ), vertical movement ( stand up ), intensification (speed up), stopping ( give up ) and creation ( make up ), among others. So, now that we have looked at the basics, let's move on to the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'get up'.... MEANING 1: To rise from your bed Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level A1 - Beginner Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To rise, to wake up Separable? Sometimes Some of us love it and some of us hate it but for most of us, one of the first things that we do each day is to get up. In other words, to rise from bed after sleeping, which is the first meaning that we will cover in the post. This application is typically used when we talk about leaving our nice, warm beds, standing up on two feet and beginning our day, whatever we plan to do with it. Do not get this confused with 'wake up', which means to stop sleeping and become awake.  Although the two are closely related, with getting up often occurring shortly after waking up, their meanings are generally distinct. For example, it is common for many people at the weekend to wake up and then lie in bed for a period of time reading or drinking coffee before getting up. Teenagers, are renowned for lying in bed for a long time and not getting up until lunchtime. I get up at 5am every morning to do yoga. What time did you get up this morning? I do not plan to get up early tomorrow, so please let me sleep. Sarah got up at 3am to take her boyfriend to the airport. Lisa is very lazy. She lies in bed all morning snoozing or watching TV and doesn't normally get up until midday. This usage of 'get up' is not restricted to just when we start our day and it can in fact be applied anytime you leave your bed following a period of sleeping, such as after an afternoon nap or a siesta. I had to get up several times during the night as my daughter wsa having nightmares. Jane got up after her afternoon nap and felt refreshed. So far, I have only explained how we use the intransitive form of 'get up' (without a direct object). However, you should know that it can also be used transitively with a direct object, in which case the structure is 'to get someone up'. If you get someone up, it simply means that you make them or cause them to get out of their bed which may or may not involve waking them up too. For example, you may need to get your husband or wife up if they forget to set an alarm, or a teenager may need to get their parents up if they have lost their house key and it is late at night (I may have done that myself in the distant past 🤦🏻). For this transitive usage, you must place a pronoun or person's name between 'get' and 'up' since placing it afterwards will sound incorrect. Sue gets her kids up at six every morning for school. Can you get Alan up? He’s going to be late for work. The nurse got the patient up early to begin his physical therapy. My Dad always got us up with loud rock music on Sunday mornings. Eleanor struggled to get her teenage son up for his morning classes. MEANING 2: To stand from a lying or sitting position Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level A2 - Elementary Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To stand up, to rise Separable? Sometimes This second meaning of 'get up' is one that sometimes causes confusion for English learners when comparing it to the first meaning that we have just looked at as it simply means 'to rise from a sitting or a lying position'. You may have already guessed it, but this application means the same as the phrasal verb 'stand up' and is simply used as another way to describe when a person rises to their feet so that they are standing in an upright position. It is a particularly good one to use when you want someone to stop being lazy or to do something. Roger got up from the chair and walked to the door. As soon as the princess entered the room, everyone got up to greet her out of respect. I fell down, but I quickly got up and kept on running. The old man struggled to get up from the sofa. Emma got up to make an announcement. Paul got up and offered his seat on the bus to the pregnant woman. I told my husband to get up and help me with the groceries. Get up and give me a hand with this and stop being so lazy! Like with the previous application, we can also use this transitively (with a direct object) and this is usually when someone is not able to get up on their own and needs someone to help them. Again, the person's name or pronoun must go between 'get' and 'up' here. Elaine got her father up off the ground after he fell. Simon gently got his girlfriend up from the chair and led her to the dance floor. The paramedic got the injured man up and helped him to the ambulance. Martin quickly got his friend up after he tripped over the cat. You may have also heard 'get up' used sometimes in English language dance music, particularly in older songs and this is usually a call for people to get up out of their seats and start dancing! MEANING 3: To move from the bottom of something to the top Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B1 - Intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To go up, to climb up, to ascend Separable? Sometimes The idea of upwards movement that we get from the prepositional particle 'up' is integral to the next meaning of 'go up' that we will cover, which is simply 'to move from the bottom of something to the top'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Hill / Mountain Slope Stairs / Steps / Staircase Road / Street Ladder IS THIS NOT THE SAME AS 'GO UP'? Yes and no. Although 'get up' and 'go up' essentially mean the same thing here, i.e. moving up from the bottom of something to the top, you should note that they are used in different circumstances. We tend to use 'get up' when there is a problem, difficulty or element of surprise involved with the upwards movement. As such, it tends to be used in negative statements and questions. 'Go up', on the other hand, is used more when referring to a general upwards movement to the top of something or when there are no problems or issues in doing so. Jack managed to get up the mountain before sunset. Becky got up the ladder carefully, step by step. I don’t know how he got up that steep rock face without any ropes. John and Sam's could not get up the hill in their car due to the snow. The hikers struggled to get up the rocky slope. Mary got up the stairs, despite her injured leg. How did you get up here? You weren't on the guest list! A couple of other nouns that you may have noticed in the list of commonly used nouns above are 'street' and 'road'. This may seem strange to you as many of these are flat with no upwards movement possible, however you should know that it is very common in English to use both 'up' and 'down' when referring to a movement along a road (I've no idea why!). There is a police barrier in place and you can't get up the street. Did you manage to get up the road ok? Lastly, we can also use this application of 'get up' to refer to the finished action of climbing or ascending something and for this we need the extra preposition 'on', giving us the construction 'to get up on something'. When using this alternative form, we are not focussing on the movement action so much but rather the final result of being in the higher position. Note that this tends to be used more with smaller items that take seconds to climb and not mountains or hills. Get up on the table and have a look; the view is much better from there. Laura got up on her husband's shoulders to watch the concert. Steve got up on stage to receive his award. My cat always gets up on the work surface in the kitchen, despite me telling him every time to get down. MEANING 4: To generate something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To generate, to create, to summon, to muster up, to pluck up Separable? Yes We are now at the mid-point in our journey through the different meanings of 'get up' and this fourth and middle application is 'to generate something from within'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Courage Confidence Strength Energy Determination Motivation To clarify this application, what I mean here is to generate something within yourself and to do this you need to make an effort to produce a feeling or to do something that is difficult or challenging. A common scenario to illustrate this usage is when you find someone sexually attractive and want to ask the person to go on a date with you. In these situations, it is natural to feel very nervous and in order to ask the person on the date, we first need to build the courage to do it within ourselves. To describe this building or generating, we can use 'get up' as an alternative and therefore say 'I got up the courage to ask XXX out on a date'. Alternatively, maybe you have been very ill lately and as a result your energy levels are low. One day, a friend invites you to go for coffee and despite still feeling very tired, you generate the energy from within yourself to go and meet your friend at the café. Again, it would be perfectly normal in English to say that you "got up the energy to go....". Without sounding too much like a self help book, this usage is really all about finding the energy or strength within yourself to do something. On a grammatical note, this application is separable and can be used both separably and inseparably with no change in meaning. Alex finally got the courage up to ask the handsome boy out. Debbie couldn’t get up the nerve to speak in front of the crowd and stayed quiet. I need to get up the energy to clean my apartment but I am so tired! Julian got enough confidence up to confront his boss about the threatening email. Kath got up the strength to finish the marathon. I couldn’t get the motivation up to start my assignment, so I went for a walk instead. Neil got up the willpower to quit smoking. MEANING 5: To become stronger Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To strengthen, to brew, to intensify Separable? No The fifth meaning of 'get up' is one that we use specifically to talk about the weather and it means 'to become stronger or more powerful'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Wind Rain Storm / Weather Waves Sea / Ocean As you can see from the nouns above, this usage is applied specifically when talking about bad weather conditions. We normally use it when we perceive that a period of bad weather is about to start as we can feel the wind getting stronger or the rain getting more intense. We can also use it when we can see or feel that a storm is going to materialise. Moreover, this application is often also used in reference to the sea or the ocean when there are lots of big waves caused by the wind, making it unsafe to swim or sail. A strong wind is getting up; we should head inside and get some shelter. The storm started getting up just as we reached the shore. Dark clouds gathered overhead, and the wind got up quickly. A heavy sea was getting up, making sailing dangerous. You can feel the wind getting up before the rain starts. The waves got up suddenly, forcing the fishermen back to shore. MEANING 6: To be dressed as something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Rare Where is it used? British English Potential synonyms To be dressed as Separable? No This next application of 'get up' is one for all of those among you who love dressing up for parties and social events as it means 'to be dressed as something'. Typically, we do not use this application to talk about dressing in normal everyday clothes, but rather unusual, elaborate or funny clothes. Often, this is when we dress up as a character or for a specific festival, like at Halloween or Christmas parties. Furthermore, we can also use it when we put on clothes to imitate what people wore in the past. It doesn't have to be something strange or bizarre though as you can just use this application to describe when someone wears something considered normal that they just would not usually wear in their everyday life. Grammatically, this application tends to be used more in the passive voice with the structure 'to be got us as / like...' when referring to the thing that we are imitating. To refer to the clothes that we are wearing, we would use the alternative structure 'to be got up in...'. Lucy was all got up in a glamorous 1920s outfit. The marketing team were got up as superheroes for the work convention. Barbara was got up like a movie star from the 1950s. The kids were got up as their favourite cartoon characters for Halloween. Lucas was got up in a tuxedo, looking sharper than ever. Rosie was got up in a shimmering gown, ready for the gala. We can also use this application in the active voice and when this is the case, it is usually with the reflexive '-self' pronoun'. Tim got himself up as a pirate for the costume party. They are going to get themselves us in full drag for this evening's performance. I don't want to get myself up as anything, so I think I will miss the party this evening. MEANING 7: To prepare or organise Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Rare Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To prepare, to organise, to arrange Separable? Yes Our seventh and final usage of 'get up' means 'to arrange or organise something' and is more common in old or formal English. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Party Meeting Project Show Event Performance In this sense, 'get up' is used to mean to put in some effort to organise and plan an event, party or social gathering. This is not a meaning that I personally use or that would feel natural to me, however it is used by some English speakers and can still be found in literature and formal writing. For this reason, it is one to be aware of in case you happen to come across it. Marcia got up a charity event to raise money for the hospital. The residents got up a petition to protest the new law. Ben got up a team for the local football tournament. We got up a surprise party for our Mum's birthday. Sarah-Jane got up a meeting to discuss the company’s future. 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 'get up'. 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 'get up'. 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 'set back' 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 instalment of Phrasal Verbs Explained, we are focussing on the much overlooked phrasal verb 'set back'. In the post, I will explain three different applications that it has in English and provide you with lots of examples of each one in context. So, sit back (not set back 😉), relax and let's get started! TABLE OF CONTENTS   (Click to jump to each one) Set Back - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'set' and 'back' Set Back - Meaning 1: To put something a distance away from something else Set Back - Meaning 2: To delay the progress of something Set Back - Bonus: The noun 'setback' Set Back - Meaning 3: To cost someone an amount of money I love writing this blog & helping learners but I receive very little feedback as to how useful it is or if people enjoy & learn from it. Therefore, if you find the post useful, please like & share it or leave a comment at the end. I'd be very grateful. Thank you! James 😊 Photo: Pexels THE BASICS SET BACK: KEY INFORMATION Usage Medium Number of meanings 3 Past tense forms Set back / Set back Separable? Yes The phrasal verb 'set back' is formed by combining the verb 'to set' with the prepositional particle 'back' and before we look at the different meanings that it has as a phrasal verb, let's first consider the meanings of these individual words. The word 'set' is distinguished in English as having the most meanings and uses in the entire language. To give you an example, when 'set' is used as a verb, it has more than 30 different uses and meanings! This may seem like a lot but many of them are very specific and I can guarantee that most native speakers do not use all of them. The definition of the verb 'to set' that you should be aware of for this post is 'to put something in a specific place or position'. John set the vase carefully on the table. The teacher set the books in a neat pile on her desk. We set the chairs around the dining table ready for dinner. The jeweller set the diamond into the engagement ring. Roger set his suitcase by the door, ready for his trip. Next, we have the prepositional particle 'back', which is primarily used to describe the notions of reversing or returning and both of these ideas are carried across into the phrasal verbs that it appears in (e.g. give back and turn back). Additionally, it can also add the ideas of delay ( hold back ) and resistance (fight back) to phrasal verbs. You should also note that when 'back' functions as an adverb, it can mean 'at a distance away from something' and this meaning will be key to understanding the first meaning of 'set back' that we will cover. So, now that we have covered the basics, let's take a look at the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'set back'.... MEANING 1: To put something a distance away from something else Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To tuck away, to put back, to place at a distance Separable? Yes The first application of 'set back' that we will cover in the post is the literal meaning that we get when we combine the two words 'set' and 'back', which is 'to put something a distance away from something else'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... House / Building Fence Table / Chair Road / Street Wall We use this first application when we are talking about two different things and their spatial relation to one another. To put it another way, let's use an example and imagine that we have an object (X) and we want to talk about where it is situated compared to a second object (Y). If we take the meanings of the individual words that we looked at earlier, we arrive at the idea of placing or putting something (object X) at a distance away from something else (object Y). I should add here that the "distanced" object (X) is often considered to be in the background somewhere. Most commonly, you will will come across this literal application in reference to houses, buildings and man-made structures and their distance from a road or another place of interest such as a river or another building. It is important to note that the additional preposition 'from' is normally required to specify place Y. However, if the context is clear enough, specifying it may not be needed as it might have already been mentioned or is understood. The architects set the new library back from the street in order to create a spacious front garden. The builders set back the fence a few feet to comply with zoning regulations. We set the dining table back from the fireplace to make room for more seating. The developers set the apartment complex back a few more metres than originally planned to reduce noise from the busy road. Helen set back the chairs from the edge of the balcony for safety reasons. One other very common way that this application is used is in a passive sense when we talk about one place being situated a distance away from another. In some cases, 'set back' can function as an adjective here. The house is set back from the main road, providing a quiet and private environment. The new shopping centre is set back from the street to allow space for a large car park. The mansion was set back behind tall trees, making it barely visible from the entrance. The restaurant is set back from the beach, giving diners a peaceful view without the noise of the waves. The office building is set back a few metres from the pavement to create a welcoming entrance space. MEANING 2: To delay the progress of something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To hinder, to impede, to delay, to obstruct, to hamper, to hold up Separable? Yes The second application of 'set back' is definitely the most commonly used of its three meanings and is simply 'to delay the progress of something'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Project Plan Efforts Negotiations We are all very busy people with busy lives and many of us have plans and projects that are in progress, whether that be projects at work, wedding plans or efforts to lose weight and improve our fitness. As you will be aware though, life isn't always fair or on our side and oftentimes our plans and projects get delayed for reasons that are usually outside of our control. When these delays occur, we can use the phrasal verb 'set back' to describe them. This is often a time delay, used when the expected readiness or finish date of something is postponed. The project has been set back several times due to financial issues. The company’s expansion plans were set back due to financial difficulties. The loss of the crucial funding has set the development of the new vaccine back and we are now not sure when it will be ready. In addition, it can also be used for when plans do not go smoothly and we need to make changes and amendments to deal with unexpected situations that arise. Adam's ankle injury during training set him back just before the big match. The train strikes have set the government’s efforts to improve public transport back. Many people say that the new government's legislation has set back the rights of many minority groups. Moreover, when we use this application of 'set back', we want to let people know how late something is going to be as a consequence and it is common to use this with the preposition 'by' + the length of the delay. The unexpected storm set back the construction project by several weeks. We are very sorry to announce that a technical glitch has set back the product launch by at least a month. I had a bad cold, which set me back by a day or two, but my thesis is now ready to be submitted. Note that this application is a separable one and I would say that native speakers use it both separably and inseparably in roughly equal measure. Photo: Pexels BONUS: The noun 'setback' At this point in the post, it is a really good idea to mention to you that the noun 'setback' also exists and is used just as much, if not even more commonly, than this second phrasal verb meaning. A setback is quite simply a hurdle or obstruction that delays or prevents a procedure or process. It can also be used to describe something bad that happens in your life and stops you from living the way that you wish to or doing something that you want to do. Her knee injury was a major setback for the athlete just before the championship. The project faced a serious setback when the funding was unexpectedly cut. Despite the early setback, the team managed to recover and win the match. The economic downturn was a significant setback for small businesses. Losing the court case was a major setback for our campaign. EXERCISE : Change the example sentences above from the noun 'setback' to the phrasal verb 'set back'. Some of these may need some re-arranging. For example, the first example sentence above could be "The athlete's knee injury just before the championship set her back".  Write your example sentences in the comments section at the end of the post. MEANING 3: To cost someone an amount of money Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To cost, to fetch, to come to, to knock back, to be worth Separable? Always The third and final meaning of 'set back' is all about cold hard cash and means 'to cost someone an amount of money'. This application is an informal one that is always used in a separable way with the structure 'to set someone back + an amount of money'. As you will note, the name of the person who is to pay the cost or a pronoun needs to go between the words 'set' and 'back'. While this application can be used to talk about the cost of anything, it is common to use it when the amount of money that someone has to pay for something is high or surprisingly high or perhaps just when you want to complain about the high cost of something that you have bought. The luxury cruise around the Caribbean set me back nearly £5,000! If you want to upgrade to the latest smartphone, it will set you back at least £1,200. The repairs to Luke's car set him back a small fortune. Buying a house in London can easily set you back half a million pounds. That designer handbag set Simone back a few hundred quid. A meal at that fancy restaurant will set you back at least £100 per person. 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 'set back'. 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 'set back'. 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