An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'put off' from a native speaker, with lots of examples in context Photo: Freepik 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. The post this week is all about the phrasal verb 'put off' and in it we will look its three main meanings and explain they are used in everyday English. For each meaning, I will provide you with lots of example sentences in context to aid your understanding. So, let's not put it off any longer and let's get started.... TABLE OF CONTENTS   (Click to jump to each one) Put Off - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'put' and 'off' Put Off - Meaning 1: To postpone something Put Off - Bonus: Proverb - Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today Put Off - Meaning 2: To make someone dislike something Put Off - Meaning 3: To distract someone Put Off - Bonus: 'Put off' with gerunds Put Off - Bonus: Some more example sentences featuring 'put off' 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 PUT OFF: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 3 Past tense forms Put off / Put off Separable? Yes Unlike many phrasal verbs, 'put off' does not have a literal meaning in English, so before we look at its different idiomatic meanings, I think it is a good idea as a starting point to consider the two words which make up this common phrasal verb. Let's start with the verb 'to put', which means to move something to a place or into a particular position. I am sure that you are extremely familiar with this verb as it is in common use in everyday English, but nonetheless I have given you a couple of examples below to refresh your memory. Lisa put her drink on the table. Can you put your dirty clothes in the washing bin please. Photo: Freepik Accompanying our verb 'put' for this phrasal verb is the prepositional particle 'off', which, like a lot of English prepositions, has many different uses. The use that we are concerned with here for this phrasal verb is when off conveys the idea of moving away from something. Now that we have briefly looked at the constituent words of 'put off', let's move on to see what the different idiomatic meanings are in English and how native speakers use them. MEANING 1: To postpone something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B1 - Intermediate ​Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To defer, postpone, to delay, to put back, to hold off, to procrastinate Separable? Yes The first meaning that we are going to look at of 'put off' is the usage to mean to delay, postpone or push something that is planned back to a later time or date. As I mentioned above, this is normally used when something is planned and someone decides to delay or postpone it. This is commonly used with meetings, visits and appointments, so logically, this means that it is commonly used a lot in the business world. In terms of formality, it is less formal than 'postpone' or 'delay', but is still completely fine to use it in business English without sounding too informal. Photo: Pexels We also often use it when we are hesitating about doing something that we are don't want to do or are afraid to. For example, we may put off going to the gym or telling somebody something that they may react negatively to. I would say from my perspective as a native speaker that 'put off' tends to be used by native speakers when a decision has been made by someone to postpone something, rather than something being delayed due to something outside of a person's control. For example, we tend not to say that an airplane has been put off if it is late to depart, but rather that is has been delayed. To 'put off' is a separable phrasal verb and we frequently insert the direct object between 'put' and 'off' to express the thing that we want to move to a later time or date. It is also fine to add the direct object after 'put off', however it is less common to do so. Photo: Pexels John was very busy so he decided to put the appraisal meeting off until the next day. The customer visit has been put off until next month. We weren't ready to start the party at 7pm, so we put it off by an hour until 8pm. I've been putting off telling you this as I was worried about your reaction. Photo: Pexels PROVERB ALERT! Don't put off until tomorrow... A common proverb which exists in English is 'don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today'. You can probably understand its meaning, but just in case you are not sure, it means that we should not delay, postpone or put things off that we can do right now and there are certainly times when I wish I had taken this advice in the past. MEANING 2: To make someone dislike something Photo : Pexels CEFR Language Level ​B2 - Upper Intermediate ​Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To deter, to dishearten, to discourage, to dissuade Separable? Yes, with an object pronoun The second usage of 'put off' that we are looking at in today's post means to make someone dislike something, usually when they did like it to begin with. It is common to use this when we have a negative experience of something, which makes us not like it anymore. Examples of this could be if you eat some bad food, which then makes you sick and you no longer want to eat that food again or if you have a negative experience in a city or country which makes you no longer like it or want to visit there again. In both of these cases you started to dislike, or were put off, the food / country due to the negative experience and perhaps the reminder that they give you of it. When using 'put off' in this way, we often need to use a direct object, which is the person who starts to dislike or dislikes the item. For this we either need object pronouns (me, him, her etc.) or the name of the person. Photo: Freepik I can't drink beer anymore. I had a really bad experience with it, which put me off it for life. The high prices of train fares have put many commuters off taking the train to work and they are now commuting by car instead. In addition to using 'put off' to talk about disliking something that we once liked, we can also use it to talk about when we stop wanting to do something that we wanted to do beforehand. In this case, we are generally talking about being put off the idea of doing something. Helen wanted to go to university in the USA but was put off the idea when she learned how much it would cost. We thought about going to the new steak restaurant in town but we've been put off a bit by the bad reviews online. MEANING 3: To distract someone Photo: Wix Images CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper Intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To distract Separable? Yes The third and final meaning of 'put off' that we are looking at in today's post is when we use it to mean to distract someone or cause someone to stop concentrating on something. Imagine that you are trying to revise for an exam and you are concentrating very hard when suddenly a person in the next room starts playing some loud music. You become distracted by the music and you could then say that the music has put you off. This is a very common way to express that something has distracted you from doing something, especially in spoken English. Although this meaning can often be used interchangeably with 'distract', I would say that the meaning of 'put off' is slightly different as it doesn't just mean to cause you stop you concentrating on something, but can also mean to stop you being able to do something properly because something is diverting your attention and you can't focus. A great example of this happens to me whenever someone watches me type. I instantly start to make spelling mistakes, even though normally I am perfectly capable of typing the same words when nobody is watching me. This is because I know that they are watching, which puts me off. Note that we normally need to use this meaning separably, with the person who is distracted being inserted between put and off. Like with the previous meaning, this would either be the direct object pronoun (me, him, her etc.) or the name of the person. If we do use this version separably, it sounds wrong and unnatural, so try and avoid doing this. Can you please be quiet, you're putting me off my revision! The snooker player missed the winning shot and blamed the crowd, saying that their chattering put him off. Whenever somebody watches me type, it always puts me off and I start making a lot of mistakes. Photo: Pexels DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE GERUNDS! When we want to follow 'put off' with a verb to talk about an action, the verb needs to be in the gerund ( ing ) form. This applies to all three of the meanings that we have looked at above. I was put off smoking when I saw the damage it does to people as they get older. We put off calling the angry customer for an hour in order to let him calm down. Photo: Pexels MORE EXAMPLE SENTENCES WITH 'PUT OFF' Memorise and use the sentences below in conversations to help your English come across as more natural and fluent.... Can we put off the [noun] until..... The [noun] has been put off until.... We have put this off for too long, we need to do it now. That has really put me off my food. I wanted to do it but I got put off by.... I did like him at first but seeing the way he treated his family really put me off him. Don't let one bad experience put you off! Has that put you off or do you still want to go ahead? His talking really puts me off my work. Stop laughing at me when I am doing my speech, it's putting me off! I have had to turn my phone off as the constant notifications kept putting me off! 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 'put 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 'put 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 'pass on' from a native speaker, with lots of examples in context Photo: Pexels Hello and welcome to my website for English learners all about phrasal verbs where I explain their different meanings to help you understand, learn and use them like a native. 'Pass on' is a versatile phrasal verb with a variety of different meanings in English. In this post, I will explain the different meanings and uses that it has, which will touch on the ideas of death and disease and also some other things that are not so unpleasant. For each meaning, there will be lots of examples in context to help you understand, learn and use them and impress your English speaking friends and colleagues! So, without further ado, let's get started. Please like and share the post if you find the article useful (I won't know otherwise)! Also, feel free to leave a comment at the end with your own sentence featuring 'pass on' 😊 TABLE OF CONTENTS   (Click to jump to each one) Pass On - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'pass' and 'on' Pass On - Meaning 1: To give something to somebody Pass On - Meaning 2: To communicate information to someone Pass On - Meaning 3: To decline an offer Pass On - Meaning 4: To die 🇺🇸 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 PASS ON: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 4 Past tense forms Passed on / Passed on Separable? Sometimes To start the post, let's take a look at the individual words 'pass' and 'on' and what they mean on their own as this can often give us some valuable insight into the more idiomatic meanings of a phrasal verb. The main verb in this post is 'to pass', which has a large number of different meanings and uses as a verb and also as a noun. Many of these meanings involve a movement or transition from one place or state to another, such as moving past someone or something, being transferred from one person to another, spending time doing something or exceeding a limit or mark. Aside from this, other key meanings of 'to pass' are 'to die' and to succeed in an exam or test'. We passed your house last night. Please can you pass me the salt. John's mum passed three years ago and he misses her every day. I passed my English exam with full marks! One thing to note about the verb 'to pass' is that it has cognates in many other Indo-European languages such as German (passieren), French (passer) and Spanish (pasar). Rather annoyingly, however, not every meaning of 'to pass' in English will translate exactly to the corresponding cognate in the other language and vice versa, so it is best to be careful when using it to ensure that you translate it correctly. Next, we have the prepositional particle 'on', which is primarily used to mean 'to be in contact with, and supported by, a surface'. As with all English prepositions, it does also have a wide range of other uses and meanings and is a common feature in phrasal verb constructions where it is used to add the ideas of continuation, progression, focus and connection, among other things. Now that we have looked at the basics, let's move on to the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'pass on'.... MEANING 1: To give something to somebody Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B1 - Intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To give, to transmit, to pass, to hand, to infect, to bequeath, to impart Separable? Yes The first meaning of 'pass on' that we will cover in this post is 'to give something to somebody' and this one is used in many different areas of life. Whilst this meaning can just refer to the simple and unique act of transferring the possession of something from one person to another, it is often used to refer to giving something to someone that someone else gave you. In other words, when the possession of something is continually transferred from person to person. By considering the individual meanings of the words 'pass' and 'on', we can see how this first meaning is derived. From the verb 'to pass' we get the idea of 'moving or transferring something from one person to another' and from the particle 'on' we have the idea of 'continuation', so when we combine the two, we have the concept of one thing being continuously transferred to multiple people. Moreover, this is usually with the idea that once the item is transferred, it is no longer in the previous person's possession. Please sign your name on the sheet and pass it on to the person sitting next to you. When you have finished reading the book that I lent you, could you please pass it on to Sarah as she wants to read it. As I mentioned previously, there are various different areas of life in which this first application of 'pass on' is used and to make this simpler, I have created the sub-sections below to list the most common ones.... Diseases and infections - After the Covid-19 pandemic a few years ago, we are all well aware of the risk that contagious diseases pose to us. Did you know though that we frequently use the phrasal verb 'pass on' to mean 'to pass or spread a virus or infection from one person to another'? The HIV virus cannot be passed on by touching or kissing an infected person. Roger went into work with a bad cold and then passed it on to all of his colleagues. Hereditary conditions - Whilst we are on the subject of health problems, we can also use 'pass on' to refer to when hereditary health conditions are genetically inherited by a child from their parents via DNA and genes. If both parents of a child carry the gene for cystic fibrosis, there is a higher chance that the disease will be passed on to to their child. The baby was born blind due to a condition that had been passed on genetically from her mother. Possessions - Of course, one of the potential consequences of disease and ill health is that a person dies from it (more on this later). When this happens, then the property and possessions that belonged to the deceased person are usually distributed to their family members and to describe this inheritance or bequest, we can also use 'pass on'. In your will, you will need to specify how your money and savings should be passed on after you die. My Dad's investments were passed on to me and my brother when he died. Costs and savings - Another way in which we can use this application of 'pass on' is with financial costs and savings. This is typically done when a business either makes a company pay for extra costs that it incurs or, contrarily, reduces a customer's prices as the company itself has had a reduction in its costs. We regret that we cannot bear these costs alone and some of these will need to be passed on to our customers in the form of higher prices. The company passed on its savings to its customers by offering lower prices on its core products Knowledge - One final way that this application of 'pass on' is used is hopefully one that I am demonstrating now as it is concerned with teaching and knowledge. If you pass on knowledge or skills to someone else, you simply teach them or show them how to do something and pass the knowledge that you have on a subject from your brain to theirs. I am pleased that I am able to pass on my knowledge of the English language with my students. Many elder members of native American communities are dying without having passed on their knowledge to the younger generations. MEANING 2: To communicate information to someone Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B1 - Intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To communicate, to tell, to inform, to notify, to recount, to advise, to relay Separable? Yes When I was at junior (elementary) school many many years ago, I remember that one of the mischievous things that we often did in the classroom was to whisper something silly or mildly offensive to the person sitting next to us. We would then tell them to "pass it on" to see how far around the classroom the message would travel, a little bit like the game known as Chinese Whispers. The reason that we said "pass it on" in this way is because the second meaning of 'pass on' is indeed 'to communicate information to another person'. This is most commonly in the form of a message. Admittedly, this is very similar to the first meaning that we have just covered, however this time we are not concerned with anything physical, but rather information. Moreover, like with the continuous transfer idea in the first meaning, this application is also often used to tell someone something that another person has told you. It should be noted however that with the first meaning, the main verb 'to pass' could be used on its own without the particle 'on' as a synonym of 'pass on'. This is not the case for this second meaning regarding information though as it sounds incomplete and a little strange to my ear without the particle 'on' here. Did you pass this information on to the customer? He passed the news on to the rest of the family. I am so sorry to hear about the death of your aunt. Please pass my condolences on to the rest of the family. Rachel forgot to pass on the message that the concert had been cancelled to her friends. MEANING 3: To decline an offer Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To decline, to turn down, to refuse Separable? No The third meaning of 'pass on' is 'to decline an offer' or in other words 'to turn down an invitation or request'. For this meaning, we are primarily concerned with when someone invites us to answer a question, participate in activity or do something. If we don't want to do what the person has asked, for example, they ask us a question that we don't want to answer or they invite us to do something that we have no desire to do, we can say that we will 'pass on' it. Interestingly (and confusingly), the phrasal verb 'pass up' can also be used as a synonym of this, especially when talking about an offer or an opportunity that we say no to. From a grammatical perspective, in contrast to the first two meanings in this post, this application of 'pass on' is not separable. David passed on the chance to go to Japan to teach English. I am not willing to answer that question so I am going to pass on that one. A number of investors are regretting passing on the opportunity of buying a stake in the company, which has seen huge success over the past 5 years. MEANING 4: To die Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Primarily American English Potential synonyms To die, to pass, to pass away, to pass over, to expire Separable? No For our fourth and final meaning of 'pass on', we are once again returning to the theme of death as this meaning is simply 'to die'. This usage is a euphemistic one, which means that is uses mild, inoffensive or polite words or phrases to describe something that could be offensive or unpleasant, such as something sexual or, in this case, death. The idea behind this usage is linked to the idea that many people believe that when you die, your soul goes to heaven, once again giving us the idea of 'progression and continuation that we get from the particle 'on'. I would say that this is more of an American usage as in British English we would be more inclined to use the synonym 'pass away' as a euphemism for death. You should note that that verb 'to pass' on its own can also be used to mean the same thing. As with the previous usage, this one does not take a direct object and it cannot be separated. I am sorry to hear that your father has passed on. When I pass on, I would like to be buried next to my wife. The actress passed on after a long battle with cancer. Photo: Pexels We have now reached the end of this post and I just want to say a big THANK YOU for clicking on my post and reading it. I hope that you've enjoyed it and have been able to learn something new. If you enjoyed this post, please go ahead and check out some of my other posts. Now it is YOUR turn. Can you think of a sentence yourself using 'pass on'. 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 'fall out' from a native speaker, with lots of examples in context Photo: Pexels Hello and welcome to my website for English learners all about phrasal verbs where I explain their different meanings to help you understand, learn and use them like a native. How much do you know about the phrasal verb 'fall out'? Do you know all of the meanings that it has? For example, what it means when one person falls out with another or what happens if a soldier falls out? Don't worry if you don't as in this blog article, I will explain the different meanings of this useful phrasal verb and give you lots of examples to help you learn and use it, so that you can impress your English-speaking friends and colleagues. So, without further ado, let's make a start. Please like and share the post if you find the article useful (I won't know otherwise)! Also, feel free to leave a comment at the end with your own sentence featuring 'fall out' 😊 TABLE OF CONTENTS   (Click to jump to each one) Fall Out - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'fall' and 'out' Fall Out - Meaning 1: To fall from an internal space Fall Out - Meaning 2: To detach and drop from something Fall Out - Meaning 3: To argue with someone and end a friendship Fall Out - Bonus: The idiom 'to fall out of favour' Fall Out - Meaning 4: To leave a military formation Fall Out - Bonus: The noun fallout 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 FALL OUT: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 4 Past tense forms Fell out / Fallen out Separable? No Before we start with the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'fall out', it is a good idea to look at the words 'fall' and 'out' and what they mean individually. Our main verb in this article is 'to fall', which is a common English irregular verb that is most frequently used to describe the action of moving in a downwards direction, usually in way that is fast, uncontrolled and unintentional. Alternatively, 'to fall' can also be used to describe a decrease of some sort as well as when somebody or something unintentionally goes down to the ground. 'To fall' is commonly used in collocation with particles such as 'over', 'off' and 'down', which all give more information to describe the nature of the 'falling' action. The pilot lost control of the airplane and it started falling towards the ground. Snow is likely to fall here in December and January. The old lady almost fell at the bus stop but luckily a young man was there to stop her. The rate of Covid infection is expected to fall in Spring and Summer. Next, we have the prepositional particle 'out', which possesses a large variety of uses and applications in English. It is perhaps most commonly used as the opposite of 'in' and therefore it typically refers to being on the outside of something or to moving away from the inside of something. When used in phrasal verb constructions, 'out' often adds this idea of movement away from something or somewhere, however it can additionally add other ideas, such as revelation, distribution, appearance and removal. Now that we have looked at the basics, let's move on to the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'fall out'... MEANING 1: To fall from an internal space Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level A2 - Elementary Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synoyms To spill out, to tumble out, to topple out, to drop out Separable? No We are going to start things off in a nice and easy way with the literal meaning of the phrasal verb 'fall out', which is 'to fall from an internal space'. As I stated in the previous section, the particle 'out' functions as the natural opposite of 'in', so we can use this first application to refer to anybody or anything that is in an internal space and then quite literally falls from that space, meaning that they are no longer inside it. As the verb in question is 'to fall', then the falling action here is usually unintentional. When used with people, this application of 'fall out' tends to be used in reference to enclosed spaces that people can be physically inside, such as cars or buildings*. You should also note that in English we sometimes use 'in' for places that are not specifically completely enclosed spaces, such as a tree (if you climb up into the branches) or a bathtub and here you would also need to use 'out' as the natural opposite of this. *Typically, we do not not say that someone falls out of a building, but rather a window or door. John was so drunk that he fell out of the taxi when it stopped outside his house. The little boy was playing too close to the window and fell out of it but luckily it was on the ground floor, so he was not hurt. Laura fell out of a tree and broke her arm. When used with items and objects, this application of 'fall out' tends to be in relation to things that are in a container of some sort and falls or spills from the interior of that. These are typically things like bags, boxes, cupboards and pockets. My house key fell out of my pocket whilst I was jogging. The shopping bag split and all of the shopping fell out all over the pavement. When Lucy opened the fridge, a bottle of water fell out and smashed on the kitchen floor. Lastly, I am sure that many of you are familiar with the expression of 'falling in love with someone', meaning to start to develop feelings of love for another person. Well, we can also use 'to fall out of love with someone' to describe the exact opposite of this. Furthermore, it can also be used figuratively when you stop having a great enjoyment of something. Simon realised he had fallen out of love with his wife after several years of marriage. Margaret fell out of love with teaching and quit her job at the school. MEANING 2: To detach and drop from something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To drop out, to come out, to detach, to disconnect Separable? No The second meaning of 'fall out' is really just a continuation of the first one that we have just looked at and it is 'to detach and drop from something'. Nouns commonly used with: Hair Teeth Hair extensions Piercings Fingernails and toenails, especially false ones For this meaning, we are primarily focussed on things that are attached or connected to something and then become loose and eventually become detached or 'fall off'. Typically, we use this with nouns such as hair and teeth when referring to people and the reason that we use 'out' here instead of 'off' is that for all of these to be attached to you, a part of them has to be inside you rather than just 'on' you, in which case we would need 'off'. Interestingly, for a body part such as a finger, toe, ear or nose, we would use 'fall off' rather than 'fall out'...English can be quite strange sometimes! When Rosalind was having cancer treatment, all of her hair fell out. One of the boxer's teeth fell out after a match. You had better remove your earrings before you go for a run or else they will fall out. Of course, we normally use this application of 'fall out' to describe the moment in which the hair or teeth detach and drop, however you should also know that we can also use it when someone lost them in the past, especially when they are still missing. All his teeth fell out when he was a young man and he couldn't afford to pay for dentures. Moving away from body parts, we can also use 'fall out' for parts of items and objects that become detached from the main item. This is perhaps most commonly heard with pages in books, but could equally be used with shoelaces in shoes, an internal car part like an engine or a cable from a device. The book was so old and well used that when I picked it up, half of the pages fell out and scattered across the desk. One of the screws has fallen out of my router and now it won't stand up properly. I think that the golden rule here is that if we say in English that something is 'in' something else, then we use 'fall out' when it becomes detached. If we use the particle 'on', then the phrasal verb 'fall off' would be more suitable. MEANING 3: To argue with someone and end a friendship Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To argue, to argue, to row, to fight, to disagree, to break up, to squabble Separable? No For the third meaning of 'fall out', we are moving away from the idea of physically falling as this one is 'to argue with someone and end a friendship'. For this particular usage, we require the additional preposition 'with', when we want to specify the person with whom we have argued, giving us the construction 'to fall out with someone'. When we want to specify the reason for the argument, we can use the additional prepositions 'over' or 'about'. This informal application of 'fall out' is used when two people have a disagreement or quarrel and usually then end their friendship, which can either be on a temporary or a permanent basis. I would say that this is not normally used with small or petty arguments as it needs to be bad enough for the two people to not want to see one another again (or at least for a period of time). Note that we do not typically use this particular application when talking about a romantic couple, as the phrasal verb 'break up' is more likely to be used here, although you may still hear it in this way from time to time. Helen isn't coming with us tonight as we've fallen out. Come on, let's not fall out over this! It's not worth falling out over. Dave and Martin have fallen out over some money that Dave owes. What have they fallen out about this time? One thing to note from a grammatical perspective is that we do not use this particular application of 'fall out' in continuous ('ing) tenses. Nevertheless, there is an expression that exists, which is particularly common in American English and does use the continuous form and that is 'to have a falling out'. If you have a falling out with someone, it means exactly the same thing and is purely just another way of saying it. Helen isn't coming with us tonight as we've had a falling out. Come on! Let's not have a falling out over this. BONUS: The idiom 'to fall out of favour' The idiom 'to fall out of favour with somebody' is a fairly common expression that means to stop being liked, popular or highly regarded, either by one person, several people or society as a whole. For example, you may use it in a situation when a person stops treating you well or nicely or when something stops being popular in the public realm. Just a reminder that the 'o' in favour is dropped in American English (to fall out of favor). I fell out of favour with my boss when I stopped working overtime. This singer is very popular at the moment but she will fall out of favour with the public sooner or later. They all do. MEANING 4: To leave a military formation Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Rare Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To move out, to stand at ease Separable? No The fourth and final meaning of the phrasal verb 'fall out' that we will cover in this post is 'to leave a military formation'. As you can guess, this one is a much rarer usage as it is specific to the armed forces and the military. Broadly speaking, there are two different scenarios in which it is used, both of which are to do with military formations.... The first scenario is when soldiers or military personnel leave their barracks (the place where they sleep) in order to participate in a military formation or procession. I, personally, am very familiar with this particular usage, although I have never been in the armed forces! The second scenario is the one that I am familiar with however and that is when soldiers and military personnel leave their assigned places in a military formation, which is typically a line of soldiers. If a soldier moves from their position, essentially breaking the uniformity of the line, it can be said that he or she has fallen out of line. Additionally, once the parade or formation is officially over, the soldiers can officially fall out, meaning that they can all leave their official positions. The tired soldier accidentally fell out of line during the King's parade and was severely reprimanded by his seniors. Sergeant Smith ordered his troops to fall out and return to their barracks. Photo: Pexels BONUS: The noun 'fallout' Before I finish this post, I want to make you aware of the noun 'fallout' and what it means as it actually has a couple of different meanings that are different to those of the phrasal verb. Firstly, the noun 'fallout' can be used for the negative results or consequences of a situation or event. It is often followed by the preposition 'from' and can often be heard in the news when speaking about political or financial issues. We were not prepared for the fallout from the financial crisis in 2008 and have been trying to improve it ever since. The political fallout from this event is going to be huge! Secondly, the noun 'fallout' can be used in a more specific way to describe the after effects of a nuclear explosion, in particular with reference to the radioactive material that remains in the atmosphere afterwards. Let's hope we never have to use this one apart from when talking about books, tv shows and movies! The nuclear fallout is expected to be severe and far reaching and people are strongly advised to move well away from the region. The fallout has been causing health problems for those people living in the wider area for many years. Photo: Pexels We have now reached the end of this post and I just want to say a big THANK YOU for clicking on my post and reading it. I hope that you've enjoyed it and have been able to learn something new. If you enjoyed this post, please go ahead and check out some of my other posts. Now it is YOUR turn. Can you think of a sentence yourself using 'fall 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 'knock off' from a native speaker, with lots of examples in context Photo: Pexels Hello and welcome to my website for English learners all about phrasal verbs where I explain their different meanings to help you understand, learn and use them like a native. 'Knock off' is a largely informal phrasal verb in English. It has a variety of different meanings, including some that are very good and some that are very bad. In this post, I will explain all of the different meanings to you and provide lots of examples of each to help you learn and use these in your daily English. I've also included a section at the end with some common idioms featuring 'knock off' to really help you to sound like a native speaker. So, without further ado, let's make a start. Please like and share the post if you find the article useful (I won't know otherwise)! Also, feel free to leave a comment at the end with your own sentence featuring 'knock off' 😊 TABLE OF CONTENTS   (Click to jump to each one) Knock Off - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'knock' and 'off' Knock Off - Meaning 1: To remove something from a surface with force Knock Off - Meaning 2: To finish work Knock Off - Meaning 3: To reduce a price by a specific amount Knock Off - Meaning 4: To produce something quickly Knock Off - Bonus: The noun 'knock-off' Knock Off - Meaning 5: To steal 🇬🇧 Knock Off - Meaning 6: To murder someone Knock Off - Bonus: Common idioms with 'knock off' I love writing this blog & helping learners but I receive very little feedback as to how useful it is or if people enjoy & learn from it. Therefore, if you find the post useful, please like & share it or leave a comment at the end. I'd be very grateful. Thank you! James 😊 Photo: Pexels THE BASICS KNOCK OFF: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 6 Past tense forms Knocked off / Knocked off Separable? Yes Let's begin our exploration of the phrasal verb 'knock off' by a quick analysis of what the individual words 'knock' and 'off' mean on their own. The verb 'to knock' is a fairly common verb in English, whose main meaning is 'to hit something with force, often repeatedly'. This can be intentionally, usually in order to create a noise e.g. knocking a door, or it can be accidentally e.g. if you knock something or someone whilst you are walking because you do not see them... . We knocked on the door but there was no answer, so we presumed that nobody was at home. I was in a rush when I was leaving my house earlier and accidentally knocked the parcel shelf. I hope nothing fell off! Moreover, 'to knock' is often used in conjunction with prepositional particles such as 'into', 'out' and 'off' to give more information about the 'knocking action', such as the consequence or direction...more on this shortly! Next up, we have the prepositional particle 'off', which, has a large number of different applications and uses in English and functions as an adverb, preposition, adjective and even as a verb (albeit a rare one). Perhaps one of the most pertinent meanings of 'off' for the purposes of the phrasal verb 'knock off' is to denote physical separation or detachment from something, especially a surface. Aside from this, a key meaning of 'off' as an adjective is to describe a device or machine that is not on, connected or activated. So, now that we have covered the basics, let's move onto the meanings of the phrasal verb 'knock off'... MEANING 1: To remove something from a surface with force Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B1 - Lower intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To push off, to dislodge, to displace Separable? Yes For our first meaning of the phrasal verb 'knock off', let's keep it nice and simple and start things off with the literal meaning of the two words 'knock' and 'off', which gives us the meaning of 'to remove something from a surface with force'. Firstly, as you can probably imagine, this application is concerned with items, things or people which are placed or sit on a surface such as a table, shelf or horse. If something then hits the object with enough energy to make it fall from the surface so that it is no longer on it, we can say that is has been 'knocked off' by the force. This can be either in an intentional or accidental way. The cat jumped onto the table and knocked the glass bottle off, which then smashed on the floor. As the thief was riding away, the villagers tried to knock him off his horse by throwing rocks at him. I am so sorry. I accidentally knocked the picture off the shelf when I was cleaning and I've broken the frame. In addition to things that are sitting or are situated on a surface, we can also use this application of 'knock off' for when a part of something is detached or disconnected from the rest of it by force. The car's wing mirror was knocked off when the driver drove too close to the wall. A tourist has been charged with criminal damage after he knocked the leg off of the statue of a horse in the town square. Lastly, there are a couple of other less obvious uses that we can apply this meaning to. The first is with reference to our feet, as if something knocks you off your feet, it hits you with a lot of force, so that you fall to the ground (you are no longer on your feet). This can also be used to describe when you fall ill with something and you have to spend some time in bed or resting and lastly, in a non-literal way, to describe when you are affected very deeply by something in an emotional way or romantic way. The explosion was so powerful that it knocked me off my feet and I was half a kilometre away from it. The last time I caught Covid it knocked me off my feet for several days. The shock of my parents dying knocked me off my feet. I was shell shocked! The other time that you may hear this application of 'knock off' in use is with reference to lists and charts, particularly music charts. If something is in the number one position on the chart and then another song or item replaces it as the number one, we can say it 'knocks it off'.... After spending 8 weeks at number one on the UK singles chart, Michael Jackson's latest single has been knocked off the top spot by his sister Janet. Lastly, this usage is separable and can be used both separably and inseparably without changing the meaning. MEANING 2: To finish work Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To finish, to get off, to clock off Potential antonyms To start work, to clock in Separable? No For many of us, this second meaning of 'knock off' represents one of the best parts of our days or even weeks (if it is a Friday) as it means 'to finish work'. Normally, we use this for when we finish work at the end of the day at the usual time, however it can sometimes be used just to talk about a specific time when you finish too, for example if you are finishing earlier or later then usual for some reason. On a grammatical note, this usage of 'knock off' is not separable and does not take a direct object. It is often followed by the noun 'work' but this is not always necessary as the meaning is usually evident from the context. What time do you usually knock off work? I am knocking off a bit early today as I have a dentists appointment. We start work at 9am and don't knock off until 6pm at the earliest. This usage and meaning has quite a dark and sinister etymology as it dates back several centuries to the time when the Atlantic slave trade was still in existence. It is thought that when the galley slaves were forced to row the boats across the ocean, there was a man who would beat (or knock) a drum to create a rhythm for the rowers to follow. Once the beat stopped, the slaves could then stop rowing and rest, essentially stopping work. MEANING 3: To reduce a price by a specific amount Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To reduce, to deduct, to subtract, to take off, to take away, to dock Separable? Yes For the third meaning of 'knock off', we have another really positive meaning that everyone would appreciate and that is 'to reduce a price by a specific amount'. This usage is definitely one for those amongst you who like to haggle or barter for the best price when buying something as if someone knocks an amount off a price, they reduce it and therefore give you a discount on the sale. What you should remember for this meaning is that the amount or percentage that is reduced or 'knocked off' is normally required to be stated here and this functions as a direct object from a grammatical perspective. If the specific amount of reduction is not known, for example if you just want a lower price in general, non-specific words like 'a bit' or 'something' are often used instead. There was a crack in the packaging on my new tool kit, so the shop owner agreed to knock 25% off the price for me. The price is $10 for one but if you buy a pack of three, I will knock 10% off the price and you can have them all for $27. £2000?! That's a bit expensive! Are you able to knock a bit off that? In addition to prices, it is also possible to use this same application with time, especially when talking about the times of races etc. For example, if a runner breaks a world record by a second, you could equally say that he or she knocked a second off the world record. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone recently knocked almost half a second off her own world record in the 400m hurdles event at the Olympic Games. MEANING 4: To produce something quickly Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Rare Where is it used? Everywhere Potentials synonyms To dash off, to bang out Separable? Yes The next meaning of 'knock off' is 'to produce something quickly' and can refer to anything that you make, produce or create. Primarily, though, it tends to be used with writing and creating written documents and work. Normally, 'knock off' is used in this sense when a person creates something very hastily, with very little effort or in a short space of time. Oftentimes, we specify the amount of time that the 'knocking off' action took. I wanted to go to the beach but I had to finish my report first, so I quickly knocked it off in a hour and went and met my friends. The orchestra were able to knock the recording of the entire concerto off in a couple of hours. How quickly do you think you could knock off a review of last night's concert? In addition to producing something quickly, there is also a second usage of this application of 'knock off' that also exists. This one is a bit more negative however, as it means specifically 'to make a cheap copy or imitation of a product'. This is usually in an illegal way and tends to be done mostly by imitating high-end and luxury brand items that are made using much cheaper materials and therefore sold at a much cheaper price. The gang has been knocking off fake Gucci bags for many years and many naive people have been fooled by them. I don't think this watch is a real Cartier watch. I think it has been knocked off and it is a cheap imitation. BONUS: The noun 'knock-off' The usage of 'knock off' to describe fake or cheap imitation goods and products has given rise to the noun 'knock-off' (knockoff'), which is a name given to the fake products themselves. Do you think these shoes are genuine or a knock-off? John sells knock-off watches and jewellery on the beach to tourists. MEANING 5: To steal Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Rare Where is it used? Mainly British English Potential synonyms To rob, to steal, to pilfer, to pinch, to knock over (US English) Separable? Yes At the end of the last section, I explained how 'knock off' can be used in a negative and dishonest sense to mean 'to sell cheap imitations of expensive and luxury products' and this fifth meaning sticks with the negative and criminal theme as it means 'to steal something'. Simply put, if you knock something off, you steal or rob it, i.e. take it from a shop, store, or less commonly, another person. This is not such a common usage however, and other synonyms such as 'to rob' and 'to steal' are in much more frequent use in everyday English. Roger has knocked off a lot of tools and equipment from his local hardware store and he is going to sell it all online. The thief managed to knock off $1000 worth of goods from the shopping mall in less than an hour. You may also hear this application of 'knock off' being used in reference to shops and stores and banks, rather than specific items, especially in American English. This is because this application is also used for talking about stealing from a particular place, with the focus being placed on the establishment from where the goods were taken, rather than the individual stolen items. The teenagers spent the morning knocking off different shops in the city centre. The thieves' plan to knock off the bank was foiled by the police. MEANING 6: To murder someone Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Rare Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To murder, to kill, to do for, to do in, to do away with Separable? Yes We started this article with some really nice and positive meanings, so firstly I'd like to apologise because we are ending it on a more unpleasant note. This is because this final meaning is 'to murder someone' and has the structure 'to knock someone off'. Although 'knock off' is used here as a general synonym of 'to murder', it tends to be used specifically when the murder has been ordered by someone as the victim poses a threat to him or her in some way. As such, this is perhaps one that I hope you will never have to use in your own lives but it may be something that you come across if you enjoy watching English-language TV series and movies, particularly dramas about gangs, the mafia and politics etc. I was really shocked when the main character of the series was knocked off at the end of the first season. The man was murdered. His wife knocked him off when she found out that he was having an affair. Do you think the victim was knocked off by another member or it was an accident? Photo: Pexels BONUS: Some common idioms with 'knock off' Before I conclude this post, there are a couple of idioms and one extra usage that I want to make you aware of.... Knock it off! - This short command is often used by native speakers when they are annoyed or irritated by something that someone is doing and it functions as a request or an order for them to stop. Knock it off! You are really getting on my nerves! To knock someone's block off - This is a very aggressive idiomatic expression that is often used as threat to someone. In this sense, the word 'block' means a head and therefore this expression is used to mean when you hit someone's head, or physically attack them. If you don't be quiet, I'm gonna knock your block off! To knock someone's socks off - Lastly, this next idiom is much more positive and is used when someone is amazed or very impressed by something. If something knocks your socks off, you are astonished or shocked by in in a good way. You wait until you watch this performance. It will knock your socks off! 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. Now it is YOUR turn. Can you think of a sentence yourself using 'knock 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 'hold up' from a native speaker, with lots of examples in context Photo: Pexels Hello and welcome to my website for English learners all about phrasal verbs where I explain their different meanings to help you understand, learn and use them like a native. 'Hold up' is a phrasal verb that is in common use in everyday English. You may already be familiar with it and its uses, however do you know all of them? For example, did you know that the phrase 'to hold someone up' can have both a positive and a negative meaning, depending on the context? Don't worry if you didn't as in this post I will explain all of the different meanings of this useful phrasal verb for you and give you lots of examples of it in context to help you learn and use it! So, without further ado, let's make a start. Please like and share the post if you find the article useful (I won't know otherwise)! Also, feel free to leave a comment at the end with your own sentence featuring 'hold up' 😊 TABLE OF CONTENTS   (Click to jump to each one) Hold Up - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'hold' and 'up' Hold Up - Meaning 1: To hold something in an elevated position Hold Up - Meaning 2: To prevent something from falling Hold Up - Meaning 3: To delay someone or something Hold Up - Meaning 4: To withstand difficulty or scrutiny Hold Up - Meaning 5: To make an example of something Hold Up - Meaning 6: To commit a robbery Hold Up - Bonus: The imperative 'hold on!' I love writing this blog & helping learners but I receive very little feedback as to how useful it is or if people enjoy & learn from it. Therefore, if you find the post useful, please like & share it or leave a comment at the end. I'd be very grateful. Thank you! James 😊 Photo: Pexels THE BASICS HOLD UP: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 6 Past tense forms Held up / Held up Separable? Yes Before we get started with the different meanings of 'hold up', let's first consider the words 'hold' and 'up' and what they mean individually. The verb 'to hold' is a common and versatile verb in English that has a variety of different meanings. Perhaps the most obvious of these meanings and one which is highly relevant to this post is 'to have something in your arms or hands and keep it there for a period of time'. My son always holds my hand when we go for a walk. She held her newborn baby in her arms. My friend was waiting for me at the airport and was holding a card with my name on it. Other key meanings of the verb 'to hold' are 'to contain', 'to retain' and 'to organise' amongst others. Aside from 'hold up', the verb 'to hold' features in a number of different phrasal verbs including 'hold off', 'hold out', 'hold back' and of course 'hold up'. Next, we have the particle 'up', which needs no introduction from me as it is one that you will all be very familiar with already. As you will know, the particle 'up' is usually used to mean being in or moving towards a higher position, relative to something else, or in a more abstract way, to talk about an increase of some sort. This meaning is also often transferred to the phrasal verbs in which 'up' appears. Additionally, it can also add ideas like improvement, completion, termination and arrival to phrasal verb meanings. So, now that we have looked at the basics, let's dive into the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'hold up'.... MEANING 1: To hold something in an elevated position Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B1 - Intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To hold high, to raise, to lift Separable? Yes I always think it is a good idea to start these phrasal verb meanings with the easiest one and that is exactly what I will do in this post. For the first meaning of 'hold up', we have the combination of the literal meaning of the words 'hold' and 'up', which is simply 'to hold something in an elevated position for a period of time'. This period of time can either be short or long, depending on the reason for the 'holding up' action. Typical situations in which this is used.... Showing something to a group of people or class of students Attracting someone's attention Holding a sign or banner for other people to see Checking something in the light You should also be aware that this application of 'hold up' can also sometimes encompass the action of moving your hand up into the higher position, similar to 'put up'. Moreover, when you hold something up, it is typically in an elevated position above your head, however it can also be used to mean above your waist or just in a higher position relative to where it was beforehand. If you want to check that the bank note is genuine and not fake, hold it up to the light to check if there are hidden features. John held his phone up as high as he could reach to take a video of the concert. The demonstrators held up different banners during the protests. In addition to objects, it is also possible to use this application when talking about holding your hand or hands up in the air, much like children in a classroom when they know the answer to a question. Furthermore, we also use the idiomatic expression 'to hold your hands up' when we admit that we have made a mistake. Photo: Pexels I held my hand up for ages in class as I knew the answer to the question but the teacher didn't ask me. We held our hands up in the air and waved them from side to side during the song. I hold my hands up and admit that it was my fault that the computer systems crashed yesterday. MEANING 2: To prevent something from falling Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To support, to hold, to bear, to carry, to prop up, to buttress Separable? Yes Last year, I was having some work done on my house, which involved the removal of part of the external wall. The work took a long time to complete and so for a period of time, a whole part of my house was being supported and prevented from falling by a single metal pole, which was quite a scary thought! The reason that I am telling you this is because the second meaning of 'hold up' is 'to stop something from falling' and so you could say as an alternative that last year an entire side of my house was being held up by a piece of metal. Nouns that this is often used with... Buildings or parts of buildings e.g. roofs Sick, elderly or drunk people To clarify, if one thing holds another thing up, it means that it stops the other thing from falling to the ground. In other words, it supports it and holds it in its place, which is an elevated or erect position. As with my example above with my own house, this is often used with buildings or parts of buildings. The only thing holding up the whole side of this house is a metal rod. The ceiling is currently being help up by scaffolding. Moreover, something else that is prone to falling is people and we can also use 'hold up' to talk about when we support another person and stop them from falling over on the ground. This may be with one of your friends who has drunk a few too many glasses of wine and can't walk properly or it may be an elderly person who can no longer walk very well and needs assistance. The reason for their incapacity to walk is irrelevant, the key idea is that they are prevented from falling over. Come on, you can make it. I'l hold you up and make sure that you don't fall. When the footballer broke his leg in the middle of the game, it took two of his teammates to hold him up and walk him off the pitch. MEANING 3: To delay someone or something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To delay, to detain, to impede, to obstruct, to hinder, to set back Separable? Yes The third meaning of 'hold up' is one that is in common usage in the busy modern world that we all live in and means 'to delay someone or something'. Typical situations to use this application in: When the start of something is delayed When a person is late for something Usually, these delays (or hold-ups) are caused by something obstructing or blocking someone's progress or movement, which then prevents them from being where they are supposed to be at the agreed or correct time. As they are therefore not late by choice and something has caused them to be late, you will find that this, grammatically, this application is used a lot in the passive form or with the causative verb 'get'. Where are you? You were supposed to be here 10 minutes ago. What is holding you up? I'm so sorry I am late, Roger. I got held up in the office by a long customer call and I couldn't get out of it. Simon and Hayley will be about half an hour late as they've been held up in traffic. Lucy got held up on her way to her job interview and ended up missing her slot. We also have the noun form 'holdup (or alternatively 'hold-up') which is used to specify the delay. Why are you so late? What is the hold-up? I'll be there as fast as I can. There is some sort of holdup on the road ahead of me and I am in a traffic jam. MEANING 4: To withstand difficulty or scrutiny Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To stand up, to be valid, to hold water Separable? No The fourth meaning of 'hold up' is one that is a close synonym of one of the meanings of the phrasal verb 'stand up' (link here ) and means 'to withstand difficulty or scrutiny'. Use this when talking about.... Businesses in difficult economic circumstances Claims of information and alibis Repairs Old TV shows and movies For this usage, one of the key words that we need to bear in mind is the verb 'remain'. If we first start with the idea of withstanding difficulty or adversity, we are thinking mainly about businesses and organisations. When a business or a company survives a period of economic instability or difficulty and remains strong or does not go into liquidation, we can say that it 'held up' during the hard times. We are very pleased to confirm that despite one of the biggest recessions in recent times, the business held up and reported a big profit for the last financial year. Another way that this application may be used is with physical objects in our everyday lives that are faced with stresses and strains through their use. If these remain in good condition or functional and to not break, it is also possible to say that they 'held up'. I don't think that my running shoes are going to hold up for much longer. The plumber has made some temporary repairs to the pipes but will need to come back again next week to complete the job. Let's hope that the pipes hold up until then! As I previously mentioned, we can also use 'hold up' to talk about something withstanding scrutiny or examination. This is perhaps used most in the world of crime and justice where 'hold up' can be applied to information about suspected criminals' alibis and statements. If information 'holds up', it means that it remains true following examination or scrutiny. The team of detectives have been working on the suspect's statements all week and can now confirm that the information does not hold up. He will therefore be retained in custody for further questioning. You should change that plea as it will not hold up in a court of law. Lastly, one additional sub-usage that I have been hearing more and more recently is to do with with old TV shows and movies. If they are deemed by modern viewers (many of whom weren't even born when they were first released) to still be good or acceptable in today's world, then it is likely that you will hear that the show or film in question "still holds up today".... The first Ghostbusters movie is excellent and definitely still holds up today. On the whole, I enjoyed the series but there were definitely some references and outdated language that don't hold up well today. MEANING 5: To make an example of something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To exemplify, to typify, to symbolise Separable? Yes As an English teacher, I am very keen on giving lots of examples of words, phrases and expressions in lessons as I believe that it is a vital part of the language learning process and helps students to understand how a particular word is used and in which contexts etc. This fifth meaning of 'hold up' is a bit similar to this as it is means 'to make an example of something', although the meaning is not exactly the same. When I use examples in my lessons, I use them to show the student how to use a word, most of the time without any qualitative analysis involved (whether something is good or bad etc). With 'hold up' however, the idea is that a particular example is given to people (almost like it is being held up so that they can all see it) and then it is used to either be praised as something good or criticised as something bad. In other words, it is used to show people how to do something well or how to do it terribly! The fast food chain is often held up by people as the bad guy of the fast food world, despite its many efforts to change its image over the last few years. Laura's website is often held up as a great example of how to design a fresh and engaging site. MEANING 6: To commit a robbery Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To rob, to steal, to stick up, to ambush Separable? Yes Our sixth and final meaning of the phrasal verb 'hold up' is more of a dark and negative one than the others that we have looked at so far as it is all to do with crime and it specifically means 'to commit a robbery'. This does not concern all robbery and theft though, but specifically robberies involving shops, stores, banks and other public places where money is held and can be stolen. This 'holding up' crime is normally carried out by a thief or group of thieves who use guns or other weapons as a way of threatening the employees of the establishment to give them the money. It should be noted that 'hold up' doesn't necessarily mean the money was successfully stolen, the general idea behind this meaning is that the thieves just use threats and violence to stop the activities of the business in an attempt to obtain money or goods. All in all, it is probably a very scary experience for everyone involved! The manager of the store was held up at gunpoint by a gang of criminals who demanded the code to the safe. Brian was planning on holding up his local post office but in the end he decided not to as he got scared. Underneath the counter in the bank is a secret panic button that employees can press if the bank is every held up. Photo: Pexels BONUS: The imperative 'hold up!' One other way that 'hold up' can be used, especially in American English, is as a command or request for someone to wait. Furthermore, It can also be used to ask someone to stop what they are saying, as you want to double check and confirm that you correctly understood what they said. Are you guys going for lunch? Hold up, I will join you. Let me just send this email quickly. Hold up, let me just get this straight in my head. Did you say that he wouldn't come with us tonight? 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. 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 'hold 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 'get through' from a native speaker, with lots of examples in context Photo: Pexels Hello and welcome to my website for English learners all about phrasal verbs where I explain their different meanings to help you understand, learn and use them like a native. This article is all about the wonderful English phrasal verb 'get through', which I am sure many of you will be familiar with already. In this post, I will explain the different meanings that 'get through' has and give you lots of examples of usage for each one to help you memorise and use them in your everyday English. So, without further ado, let's get started. Don't forget to leave a comment at the end with your own 'get through' sentence 😊 TABLE OF CONTENTS   (Click to jump to each one) Get Through - The Basics: Key information and the words 'get' and 'through' Get Through - Meaning 1: To physically pass through something Get Through - Meaning 2: To pass a difficult experience or period Get Through - Meaning 3: To do a difficult or challenging task Get Through - Meaning 4: To pass to the next stage of a competition Get Through - Meaning 5: To use all of something 🇬🇧 Get Through - Meaning 6: To have a law accepted Get Through - Meaning 7: To manage to speak to someone on the telephone Get Through - Meaning 8: To make someone understand 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 GET THROUGH: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 8 Past tense forms Got through / Got through - gotten through Separable? Sometimes Before we look at the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'get through', let's first examine the meanings of the words 'get' and 'through' on their own. To begin, we have the verb that gives most English learners nightmares: 'to get'. As I've mentioned before in previous posts, English native speakers love using this verb as it has such a lot of different uses and meanings and we seem to be able to fit it in almost everywhere. Some of the main meanings of the verb 'to get' include 'to receive', 'to become' and 'to understand', but I would say that for the purposes of the phrasal verb 'get through', the meaning that is most important is 'to arrive somewhere'. What time did you get home last night? She got to work on time despite the terrible traffic. How did you get here? I thought your car had broken down and was off the road? The prepositional particle 'through' is one that does not feature in as many phrasal verbs as some of the others but the ones that it does feature in are all great ones to know. As a preposition and adverb, 'through' means a movement or passage from one side of something to the other, via the middle of it and is used with a wide variety of different nouns, from doors and windows to cities and forests. In addition to physical movement, 'through' can also be used to describe temporal movement, i.e. a period of time from the beginning to the end of something and we will return to this idea later in this post. You may also be familiar with the alternative spelling 'thru', which is an accepted non-standard form of 'through' and that should only be used informally and not in formal documents or writing. Now, that we have covered the basics, let's move on to the meanings of the phrasal verb 'get through'.... MEANING 1: To physically pass through something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level A2 - Elementary Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To go through, to pass through Separable? No The first meaning of 'get through' that we will look at is one that should be reasonably logical to you as it is more or less the combination of the literal meaning of the words 'get' (in the sense of arriving) and 'through', i.e. to physically pass from one one side of something to the other. This could be used typically with nouns like door, window, hole, gap or anything that someone or something could pass from side of to the other, through its centre. One of the potential synonyms of this particular meaning is 'go through' but you should note that we use 'get through' when there is some sort of difficulty in passing through something, if there is a question about it or in a negative statement when the action is not possible at all. 'Go through', on the other hand, tends to be used when the movement is unimpeded (not obstructed) and without difficulty or problem. I realised that I had to lose weight when I could not get through the gap in the fence. The door was locked, how did you manage to get through it? The burglar managed to get through a small downstairs window that the house owners had left open. In addition to this, we can also use this application of 'get through' when talking about being able to reach a destination when there was some sort of blockage or obstruction that was preventing us from getting there. We finally got through the blizzard and made it home just before midnight. John got through customs after proving to the customs officers that he was a Canadian citizen. You can't get through that way, you need to turn back. MEANING 2: To pass a difficult experience or period Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To go through, to pass, to endure, to suffer, to bear Separable? No As we go through the different meanings of 'get through', you'll notice that there is a running theme of 'passing' that links many of them and this second usage is no exception as it means 'to pass a difficult or experience or period in your life'. Typical situations that this application is used in: Grief when a loved one dies Divorce Illness Court cases Exams A difficult or challenging period at work As you can guess from the list of typical situations above, this application of 'get through' is used to describe when we live through something unpleasant or hard, from the beginning to the end, with the focus on arriving on the other side when the negative experience is in the past and we can hopefully smile and forget about it. We will get through this as a family. When I lost my job things were difficult financially for a while but I got through it and now I have a much better job. Losing a loved one is very hard but with time and support, you will get through the dark period of grief. Typically, this is usage is not separable, however if there is a person or thing that helps us to get through a difficult period, we do then separate 'get' and 'through' and insert the person experiencing the hard times between them as a direct object pronoun. I am so tired today. The only thing that will get me through work is coffee! Jane's children got her through the period of mourning after her husband died. MEANING 3: To do a difficult or challenging task Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To do, to endure, to sit through Separable? No In the previous section, I explained how 'get through' can be used to talk about passing a difficult period or experience in your life and this third usage is related to this as it means 'to do a difficult or challenging task'. Typical situations that this application is used in: When you have lots of work to do within a specific time period When you have to do something boring or uninteresting Perhaps the main way that this application of 'get through' is used is with reference to work, or more specifically work that you have to do. If you have a busy job, which involves many different tasks and deadlines, then it is likely that at some point you will need to say that you "have a lot to get through" when you have a lot of work or a list of jobs to do within a specific time period. Let's get this meeting started. We have a lot of points to get through and not much time. I'm going to try and get through as much of this work as possible before the end of the day. Furthermore, 'get through' can also be used to describe having to do something boring, unpleasant or difficult in general. This tends to be used a lot when there is something good or positive to look forward to after the dull or undesirable task has been done. I just have to get through this week at work and then I am going on holiday for a fortnight! You just need to get through the first two boring chapters of this book and then it gets really good. Roger is not looking forward to this meeting but knows that he just has to get through it and then he can go to the pub. Dinner at my wife's parents' house is always so monotonous. I don't know how I get through it every Sunday. MEANING 4: To pass to the next stage of a competition Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To go through, to proceed Potential antonyms To be / get knocked out Separable? No For the fourth meaning of 'get through', we are returning to the theme of passing and this time we are particularly focussed on competitions as this meaning is 'to pass to the next stage of a competition'. Typical situations that this application is used in: Sports tournaments Contests and competitions with rounds and finals Competitions are all around us in the modern world, whether that be the football World Cup, the Olympics or a televised singing competition, and they remain a very popular form of entertainment for many people all over the world. Many of these contests are structured in such a way that there are rounds at the beginning, which then progress to quarter finals, semi finals and finals, with only the best competitors or teams progressing all the way to the end. In these types of competitions, the phrasal verb 'go through' is commonly used to express when a player or participant has been successful and passes, or gets through, to the next round or final. Simon didn't get through to the semi finals in the darts competition. He's really upset about it. Do you think that the England team will get through to the final in the World Cup? The young runner managed to get through the first round of the 800 metres but was eliminated in the next stage. MEANING 5: To use all of something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? British English Potential synonyms To run out, to use up, to go through Separable? No For our next meaning of 'get through', we are looking at one that is primarily used in British English, although I believe that it would be understood all over the anglophone world and it is means 'to use all of something', or alternatively, 'to use a lot of something'. Typical nouns that this application is used with: Supplies Food Money Electricity and gas Alcohol This application tends to be used with things that we consume often, which we often run out of and then need to replenish, such as supplies, food or money. 'Get through' is typically used with these to express when we use all of an item, or a large or surprising amount of it. My friend and I got through three bottles of wine last night! That's obviously why I have such a bad headache today. Helen's teenage children get through a loaf of bread and two pints of milk every day. London is a very expensive city and you can easily get through all of your holiday money if you're not careful whilst you visit. How much electricity do you get through every week? We don't get through that much but our bill is always very high! MEANING 6: To have a law accepted Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To push through, to be implemented, to enact Separable? Yes The sixth meaning of 'get through' is 'to have a law accepted' and is slightly different to the other meanings that we have looked at so far as this one is only ever used in a separable way. Consequently, it takes a direct object which is the 'rule' or 'law' in question that is accepted or passed. To clarify this meaning, if you get a law through, it means that you propose a law or piece of legislation and then do the necessary work to ensure that it is accepted and ratified by parliament or the relevant committee, council, commission or board. As you can imagine, this is mainly used in the world of politics and government at local, national and international levels, so you may not ever need to use it but it is useful to know just in case! The politician worked tirelessly to get her law protecting single women through. Despite all of their efforts, the government failed to get their new climate change legislation through as it was blocked by the opposition every time they tried. MEANING 7: To manage to speak to someone on the phone Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To connect Separable? No For our seventh meaning of 'get through', we are turning our attention to telephone calls as this one is 'to manage to speak to someone on the phone'. Typical situations that this application is used in: When phone lines are busy or engaged When a phone call is unexpectedly answered Despite it being easier than ever before to contact people by telephone in today's world, there are still times when we try to contact someone and we are unable to reach them. This could possibly be because the phone line is busy or the other person does not answer for whatever reason. In both of these instances, we can say that we didn't or couldn't get through when we tried to call them, as the call was not answered. I've been calling Lisa all day and haven't been able to get through. I hope she is okay! We had to call this number to book the tickets but we couldn't get through as the line was engaged. Moreover, we don't just use 'get through' when we aren't able to speak to the desired person, but also when we do manage to speak to them. Often, as per usual with the verb 'get', there is usually an element of difficulty or surprise attached to this for example if other people have tried and failed to contact the person or if you have to wait a long time for the person to answer. John was on the phone to the electrics company for thirty minutes before he finally got through to a representative. I can't believe you had a problem getting through to the doctors surgery today. I didn't, I got through straight away when I called at 9am. MEANING 8: To make someone understand something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To make someone understand Separable? Yes Last but not least, we have our eighth meaning of 'get through', which again is only used in a separable way. In addition, we require the extra preposition 'to', giving us the construction: 'to get something through to someone', which means 'to make someone understand something'. Typical situations that this application is used in: When someone refuses to believe something that is true When someone does not understand something When you want to convey a message to someone but they do not understand The reason that I covered the telephone meaning in the last section was because it is a bit similar to this one, however instead of getting through to someone on the phone, you are instead getting through to their brain or mind. This usage is normally reserved for when someone refuses to believe something or just does not understand something and so it is therefore used most frequently when the speaker is annoyed or frustrated about this. What we ultimately want with this usage is for the other person to fully comprehend and understand something, often when it is something that will help them or be beneficial to them in some way. I've tried telling my girlfriend that I will never cheat on her again but I can't seem to get it through to her and she still doesn't trust me. The teacher has told the students many times about the dangers of smoking but she can't get it through to them. I wish I could get it through to you that I don't care about you anymore. 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. Now it is YOUR turn. Can you think of a sentence yourself using 'get through'. 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 'have on' from a native speaker, with lots of examples in context Photo: Pexels Hello and welcome to my website for English learners all about phrasal verbs where I explain their different meanings to help you understand, learn and use them like a native. The English phrasal verb 'have on' is perhaps not one that you are very familiar with, however it is one that you certainly should be as it has some useful applications for everyday speech. In this post, I will explain the different meanings of 'have on', from wearing clothes and jewellery to tricking someone, with lots of examples in context to help you learn, memorise and use them. So, without further ado, let's make a start. Don't forget to leave a comment at the end! TABLE OF CONTENTS   (Click to jump to each one) Have On - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'have' and 'on'? Have On - The Basics: What about the word 'got'? Have On - Meaning 1: To wear something 🇬🇧 Have On - Bonus: The idiom 'to not have a stitch on' Have On - Meaning 2: To have plans Have On - Meaning 3: To be in operation Have On - Meaning 4: To fool someone 🇬🇧 Have On - Meaning 5: To have incriminating information about someone Have On - Bonus: Some useful idioms featuring 'have on' 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 HAVE ON: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 5 Past tense forms Had on / Had on Separable? Yes As a first step in our exploration of the phrasal verb 'have on', let's consider the individual words 'have' and 'on' and what they mean on their own. Firstly we have the verb 'to have', which requires absolutely no introduction as it is one of the two most commonly used verbs in English (along with to be) and functions as both an auxiliary and a main verb. When used as a main verb, 'to have' has a couple of uses but I think that the main ones are the ideas of possession and indicating a specific relationship between two things or people.... I have a nice house in London. John has a big family. Next, we have the prepositional particle 'on', which again will be very familiar to all of you as it is extremely common and features in many different contexts due to its huge variety of meanings and uses. Perhaps the main meaning of 'on' when used as both a preposition and an adverb is 'to be in physical contact and supported by something' but it can be used in a large amount of other ways. In phrasal verb constructions, 'on' can be used to add the ideas of continuation, contact, connection, support, attention and progression, amongst other things. WHAT ABOUT THE WORD 'GOT'? There is one more word that I want to include here in this section as it is one that is often used in connection with the verb 'to have' when used as a main verb and it is therefore used a lot in phrasal verb constructions with the verb 'to have' too: 'got'. The construction 'have got' (or 'has got' with he, she and it) is one that is used frequently in spoken English and in fact just means the same as 'have' or 'has'. In other words, the meaning of the word 'got' here is redundant and is not connected with the verb 'to get'. We use 'has / have got' typically when talking about possession, characteristics, illnesses and relationships and its usage also gets carried across into phrasal verbs with 'to have', including 'have on'. As such, for each meaning of 'have on' that we cover in this post, I have included a section in the information table to state whether or not 'got' can be used with it. So, now that we have covered the basics, let's make a start on the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'have on'.... MEANING 1: To wear something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level A2 - Elementary Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To wear, to be dressed in, to sport Is it used with 'got'? Yes Separable? Yes - Always As I mentioned in the previous section, one of the principal meanings of the particle 'on' is to denote when something is in contact or is supported by something, and for this reason, we can use 'on' to talk about clothes as when we wear them, they are 'on' our bodies. This then brings us to our first meaning of 'have on', which is 'to wear something'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Clothes Glasses Shoes Watch Jewellery Hat Of course, first and foremost this relates to pieces of clothing as well as clothing in general and you can therefore use it as a synonym of the verb 'to wear'. Note that unlike with the verb 'to wear' however, we cannot use this application of 'have on' in a progressive ('ing) tense. As stated in the table above, this usage of 'have on' is separable and we normally use it this way, with the direct object (the item of clothing) going between the words 'have' and 'on'. I have got my best clothes on today. You don't have a coat on, you must be freezing! Come on, Lucy. You need to hurry up. It's almost time for school and you don't even have your school uniform on yet! The sun has got his hat on, hip hip hooray. The sun has got his hat on and he's coming out today (song lyrics). In addition to clothes and garments, 'have on' can be used with anything that you wear on your body, such as glasses, a watch, jewellery and also perfumes. Kevin has got his sunglasses on today to hide his black eye. I don't have my glasses on, so I can't read the menu. Mmmm you smell lovely. What perfume have you got on today? Lastly, as you could probably guess, if you don't have anything on, it means that you are naked and this is indeed a common way of expressing this. It can be used to describe complete nudity or just with specific body parts, most commonly feet, to say that that part of the body is exposed and not covered. I couldn't answer the door today as I'd just got out of the shower and I didn't have anything on. Sarah had nothing on her feet and she tried to walk across the hot sand. She regretted it instantly! BONUS: The idiom 'to not have a stitch on' Whilst we are on the subject of nudity, it is also possible to express being naked with an idiomatic expression featuring the phrasal verb 'have on': 'to not have a stitch on'. I went swimming in the sea yesterday and I didn't have a stitch on. It was very liberating! John walked into his friend's bedroom whilst he was changing his clothes and he didn't have a stitch on. MEANING 2: To have plans CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? British English Potential synonyms To have plans, to be busy Is it used with 'got'? Yes Separable? Yes - Always The second meaning of 'have on' is a British usage that will definitely be useful to you if you have a busy life because it means 'to have something arranged or planned'. Typical situations that this application is used in: When you have a busy schedule When you are busy at a specific time If you want to give an excuse for not doing something To clarify this meaning further, if you have something on, it means that you have an engagement planned, organised or scheduled for a specific time. Consequently, we use it a lot when we want to give a reason for not being able to do something or go somewhere and occasionally some people (not me 😉) use it as an excuse to not do something. Moreover, we often use it when we don't want to give the exact details of our pre-arranged plans or the precise information is not necessary. Again, this usage of 'have on' tends to be separated by native speakers. What have you got on this afternoon? Thanks so much for inviting me to the cinema with you. Unfortunately, I've already got something on tonight, so I won't be able to join you. My wife can't come to the school parents evening next week as she has something on, so I will be coming by myself. Aside from specific arrangements on specific dates, we can use this application of 'have on' to talk about when we have a very busy schedule in general. This can be either a work or a personal schedule and either way it tends to be used when we have lots of things organised that we must attend or go to. Due to the vague, non-specific usage of this application, it is often used with words such as 'lots', 'a lot' and 'much'. Do you have much on this weekend? I've got lots on today, so I am going to go into the office early. I haven't got much on today, so I should get around to finishing the presentation. MEANING 3: To be in operation Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Is it used with 'got'? Yes Potential synonyms To be on, to be in operation, to be functioning Separable? Yes - Always The third meaning of 'have on' that we will cover in this post means 'to be in operation or to be functioning' and is used primarily to talk about devices and machines such as televisions, radios and heating. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Television Radio Washing machine Heating Air conditioning (AC) Music To understand this usage, we need first of all to go back to one of the many meanings of the particle 'on', which is 'to be functioning or in operation' and is used in particular to describe machines and devices. In other words, when a machine is 'on', it is functioning as it was intended and doing its job. When we use the phrasal verb 'have on', we are not talking about turning or switching the device on, but rather we are talking about the state of it being on or in operation. It is often used when someone turns something on and leaves it for a specific period of time or whilst they are doing something. In addition to machines and devices, we can also use it with music. When I am working from home, I always have the radio on in the background as it helps me concentrate. John likes to have music on when he is running. I watched a bit of the concert on TV last night. I had it on whilst I was doing some work and so I saw bits of it. We always have the heating on constantly from November to March as it gets too cold in our house. Lucy tries to not have the air conditioning on all the time as it is expensive. MEANING 4: To fool someone Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? British English Is it used with 'got'? No Potential synonyms To trick, to fool, to tease, to play a prank on, to wind up, to deceive Separable? Yes - always Our fourth meaning of 'have on' is for all of the practical jokers amongst you as it means to fool, trick or play a joke on someone. This particular usage is rather informal in nature and tends to be used mainly in British English. Typical situations that this application is used in: Practical jokes Typically, if you have someone on, you make them believe that something is true when it is not. This is however not in a sinister way (like to deceive, mislead or swindle) but rather in a good natured, humorous way. It is normally only ever done amongst friends or family and is not intended to cause harm to anyone. On a grammatical note, this application of 'have on' is different to the others that we have covered in the post so far. Firstly, it is normally used with a progressive ('ing) tense and secondly, it is never used with 'got'. Furthermore, it is separable and must always have the same "have someone on" structure ('have on someone' doesn't work here). I've won the lottery?! Are you having me on? We were having Roger on in the pub last night and we told him that the we had got parts in a new Hollywood movie. He completely believed it! Don't worry, Helen. It's not true, you're not really going to have to move to Scotland. We were just having you on. MEANING 5: To have incriminating information about someone Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Is it used with 'got'? Yes Separable? Yes - always We now come to our fifth and final meaning of 'have on', which is to 'to have incriminating information about someone'. For this usage, the structure 'to have something on someone' is needed. If you have something on someone, it means that you know some information about something bad that they have done or something that they do not want revealed to other people for some reason. It tends to be used when the information that you know can or could be used against the person, either as blackmail or to prevent them from doing something bad to you. Alternatively, the person may not be aware that you have the secret knowledge but you know that you can use it against them if you need to in the future. Another way that this can also be used is with the police and prosecutions services because if the police have something on a criminal, it means that they have evidence that he or she has committed a crime and it is then highly likely that they can prosecute and punish them. We've got something on John, so if he does try to get revenge on you, he will regret it. You have absolutely nothing on me, Joe. There is no way that you can get me in trouble with the police. The police didn't have anything on the suspected thief, so they had to release her. Photo: Pexels BONUS: Some useful idioms featuring 'have on' Before I finish the post, I want to share a couple of useful idioms featuring the phrasal verb 'have on' with you.... To have nothing on someone / something = If you say that one thing has nothing on another thing, it means that it is nowhere near as good as the other. For example, in a restaurant I might say "this casserole is good but doesn't have anything on my mother's casserole", meaning that my mother's casserole is much better than the one at the restaurant. In addition to things, this can also be used with people. Adam's new girlfriend may be beautiful but she has absolutely nothing on you, Laura. This new computer game has nothing on the previous one in the series. It was much better! To have a lot on your plate - This idiom does not mean that you are greedy and eat too much but rather that you are experiencing a stressful, worrying or busy period in your life. Luke doesn't seem himself at the moment because he has a lot on his plate with his wife being ill. Sandra has got a lot on her plate at the moment, so go easy on her. 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. Now it is YOUR turn. Can you think of a sentence yourself using 'have on'. 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 'call off' from a native speaker, with lots of examples in context Photo: Pexels Hello and welcome to my website for English learners all about phrasal verbs where I explain their different meanings to help you understand, learn and use them like a native. Many of you will be familiar with the English phrasal verb 'call off', but do you know all of he different ways that it is used? In this article, I will explain the different meanings that it has and provide you with lots of examples of it being used in context to help you to learn and use them in English. So, without further ado, let's make a start. Don't forget to leave a comment at the end! 😊 TABLE OF CONTENTS   (Click to jump to each one) Call Off - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'call' and 'off' Call Off - Meaning 1: To cancel something Call Off - Bonus: What is the difference between 'call off' and 'cancel'? Call Off - Meaning 2: To take a day off work 🇺🇸 Call Off - Meaning 3:To stop an attack Call Off - Meaning 4: To request shipment of a bulk order 👔 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 CALL OFF: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 4 Past tense forms Called off / Called off Separable? Yes To begin our exploration of the phrasal verb 'call off', let's first examine the individual words 'call' and 'off' and what they mean individually. The verb 'to call' is a common English verb, which has several key meanings that are all ultimately to do with using your voice. The first of these is to give someone a name or to say what you consider someone or something to be. My parents were going to call me Lionel but they changed their minds and called me David instead. I live in the UK, so I do not call a temperature of 10° cold. He called me intelligent and of course he is correct! The other main meaning of the verb 'to call' is to use your voice in order to get someone's attention, usually to give them a message. This usage has developed over time to include using a telephone and more recently cellphones and computers to communicate with other people over long distances. Somebody called me when I was walking down the street but when I turned around there was nobody there. I will call you tonight to see how you are. Next, we have the prepositional particle 'off', which you will undoubtedly be very familiar with already. 'Off' functions in English as the natural opposite of 'on' and can be used to talk about things that are not functioning or cancelled, amongst many other things. When used in phrasal verb constructions, 'off' can be used to add different ideas, which include completion, separation and departure. So, now that we have covered the basics, let's take a look at the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'call off'.... MEANING 1: To cancel something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To cancel Separable? Yes The first meaning of 'call off' that we will examine in this post is the one that many of you will already be familiar with as it is the most common of its uses and means 'to cancel something'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Deal Event Search Concert Wedding Match / Game Talks Party This usage is a relatively modern one as it was first recorded in English in the late 19th century and so is still a youngster in the vocabulary world. One of the many meanings of 'off' is to describe when a planned event, agreement or deal is no longer going to happen (as opposed to 'on' when an organised event is happening as planned). When you combine this idea with the idea of someone calling, or rather announcing, that an event is not going ahead, it brings us to the idea of cancellation. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 'CALL OFF' AND 'CANCEL'? When we use this application of 'call off', we are essentially saying that a person decides that something planned or scheduled will not happen and this is therefore a synonym of the verb 'to cancel'. The party has been called off on Saturday as John has Covid. We are going to have to call the meeting with the supplier off as none of us will be free on that day. In many cases, 'call off' and 'cancel' are interchangeable and could be used in the same sentences without any change in meaning or nuance. Nouns that can typically be used with either of these include planned or organised public events, meetings, business deals, sports fixtures, matches, weddings and parties. Roger and Helen's wedding has been called off and nobody knows why! The planned concert was called off when several members of the band came down with food poisoning. Due to the adverse weather conditions, we regret to inform you that today's football match has been called off. Despite this huge overlap and interchangeability, I think that the scope of the verb 'to cancel' is a bit wider than 'call off' and there are some instances where we tend to use cancel but not 'call off' as it would sound a bit strange. This would typically be for appointments, such as with a hairdresser or a doctor and commercial orders of goods and services from a company, so avoid using 'call off' with these, especially with the orders as this could be mistaken for another meaning that we will look at later in the post! Lastly, this application of 'call off' can also be used to mean 'to stop something', or 'to order something to stop'. This is normally for something that is in progress and typically would be heard with nouns such as investigation, enquiry, search and work*. When used in this way, I would use 'call off' rather than 'cancel' as it sounds more natural to my ears. Call off the search, we have found the body! The chief inspector of the police ordered the investigation to be called off when new evidence was presented. The subcontractor called off the work as he had a dispute with his customer. *Work in this sense refers to specific work that a professional does rather than a person's job. Note that we use the definite article (the) for work being done and no article when referring to a person's general job that they do every day. MEANING 2: To take a day off work Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? North American English Potential synonyms To call in sick Separable? No The next meaning of 'call off' is one that most of us have had to do at one time or another when we have to take a day off work and that is to call your employer to advise them that you are not going to be there that day. This may be because you are sick, because a member of your family or a pet is sick, someone close to you has died or perhaps you just want a day off; the reason for the absence is not important, the main idea is the communication to your work to advise them that you won't be there that day. I may be wrong here but this usage does seem to me to be much more American than British as I personally would use the alternative 'to call in sick' in this instance. However, with that being said, I am very familiar with the usage and the meaning is completely clear to me as a native British English speaker. Call off work today and come with us to the beach! If you need to call off work for any reason, please contact your line manager as early as possible on the day in question. David has a meeting with HR next week as he has called off work three times already this month and hasn't really given any valid reasons. MEANING 3: To stop an attack Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To desist, to summon away Separable? Yes This third usage of 'call off' is an advanced usage that continues the ideas of stopping or cancelling something that we looked at earlier in the post and it specifically means 'to stop an attack'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Attack Troops Dog To clarify, this does not mean to stop an attack by putting up a good defence and repelling your attacker in classic Bruce Lee style, but rather when someone senior on the attacker's side demands that an attack is stopped. This would typically be a person of high rank in the armed forces, a senior statesman or head of state. Interestingly, this usage is actually far older than the previous ones that we have looked at and dates back to at least the early 17th century when the nature of warfare was, in many ways, very different to how it is today. Call off the troops, this conflict it pointless! The King saw that his army was losing and decided to call of the attack. Sadly, in the modern world we still have too much pointless war, however from the perspective of everyday language, it is perhaps more likely that you will come across this usage in reference to aggressive people or dogs. If a dog is aggressive and attacks another dog, a human or other animal, the owner will likely be asked or demanded to call off the dog and make it stop the attack. The same can be said with humans, if you are being threatened by another person or they are attacking you, we can use call off to ask someone who exerts some influence over them to ask them to stop the attack. Simon pleaded with the gangster boss for him to call his men off and to stop threatening him for the money. The dog was biting my leg and when I asked its to call his dog off, he ignored me! MEANING 4: To request shipment of a bulk order Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Rare Where is it used? Business English Potential synonyms To ship, to part ship Separable? Yes The fourth and final meaning of 'call off' that I will explain to you in this post is a rare one that is used specifically in the commercial world and means to request the shipment of a bulk order. This usage is one that you may come across if you ever work for a company that sells to or purchases from a company in an English-speaking country. To clarify this, a bulk order is an order of a large quantity of products in one single transaction. Often, companies place these orders at a cheaper price and do not take delivery of all of the goods at one time. Instead, they request or 'call off' specific quantities that they require at different times until the order has been fulfilled. For example, the company Phrasal Verbs Ltd needs some new stock of English dictionaries and places a bulk order for 1000 x copies with their supplier at a discounted rate. The small warehouse at Phrasal Verbs Ltd only has enough space for 250 dictionaries, so it is not possible for them to take delivery of all 1000 x units at that time. Instead, they call the order off at a later date when they need more dictionaries and keep calling it off until they have received all 1000 copies. We will place the order with you and call the other units off and when we need them. The customer has asked to call off the rest of their order but they need to pay their overdue invoice first. 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. Now it is YOUR turn. Can you think of a sentence yourself using 'call 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 'look out' from a native speaker, with lots of examples in context Photo: Pexels Hello and welcome to my website for English learners all about phrasal verbs where I explain their different meanings to help you understand, learn and use them like a native. How familiar are you with the phrasal verb 'look out'? I am sure that many of you have heard it before, perhaps as a warning or in its noun form, however do you know the different ways that it can be used in English? In this post, I will explain the various meanings and applications that it has in everyday English, with lots of examples to help you understand, learn and use them. So, without further ado, let's make a start! Don't forget to leave a comment at the end 😀 TABLE OF CONTENTS   (Click to jump to each one) Look Out - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'look' and 'out' Look Out - Meaning 1: To view somewhere from an internal space Look Out - Meaning 2: To try to notice something Look Out - Bonus: To be on the lookout / keep a lookout Look Out - Meaning 3: To alert someone to danger Look Out - Meaning 4: To search for and find something 🇬🇧 Look Out - Meaning 5: To act selfishly Look Out - Meaning 6: To give a view to something Look Out - Bonus: Lookout as a noun 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 LOOK OUT: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 6 Past tense forms Looked out / Looked out Separable? Sometimes As per usual, let's start our exploration of our nominated phrasal verb 'look out' by considering the words 'look' and 'out' and what they mean on their own. Firstly, we have the verb 'to look', which is a common verb whose main meaning is to direct your eyes in a certain direction or towards a specific thing in order to see it. Look at my new shoes. Aren't they amazing?! She looked at me and smiled. Additionally, 'to look' can also be used without a direct object (intransitively), specifically to refer to how something or someone appears. You don't look very well. Do you feel ill? Lisa's new haircut looks lovely. It really suits her. It is often combined with prepositional particles to form phrasal verb constructions, which have meanings that can range from simply adding directional information about where the person is looking, to less obvious, idiomatic meanings (this is English, after all). One such prepositional particle is 'out', which you will all of course be very familiar with as it is such a common word in the English language. When used an an adverb and preposition, 'out' typically refers to a state of being in, or moving towards, an external space and therefore functions as the natural opposite of the particle 'in'. When used in phrasal verbs, 'out' can often add ideas of revelation, distribution, removal or appearance, among others. So, now that we have looked at the basics, let's move on to the main event, i.e. meanings of the phrasal verb 'look out' 🙂 MEANING 1: To view somewhere from an internal space Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level A2 - Elementary Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To view out, to peer out Potential antonyms To look in Separable? No The first meaning of the phrasal verb 'look out' that we will cover is a nice and easy one as it is just the literal meaning of the combination of the two words i.e. to look from an internal space out to an external place. For this first usage, the most obvious and commonly used example would be looking out through a window from the inside of a building to the outside. The first thing I did this morning when I woke up was look out of the window to see if it had snowed overnight. Sometimes, I get so bored in business meetings that I find myself looking out at the people on the street, rather than listening to what is being said. Of course, we can use this application when talking about looking out of any internal space from which people can view the outside and this would typically include things like cars, planes and other types of transport in which people are inside. John looked out from the plane and saw a mass of white cloud below it. The dog looked out of the car window in fascination. You may have noted from the examples in this section that one of the additional prepositions 'of' or 'from' is normally used before the noun with this application. Out of the two of these, I would say that 'of' is definitely more commonly used than 'from'. These are also omitted in informal spoken English, especially British English. The dog looked out the car window in fascination. MEANING 2: To try to notice something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B1 - Intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To beware, to watch out, keep an eye out for, to keep your eyes peeled, to be alert Separable? No For the second meaning of 'look out', we require the additional preposition 'for' as the construction 'to look out for' means to try and notice something. When we use this, it doesn't mean that we want people to stop what they are doing and search for something in the present moment, but rather that we want them to remain alert and vigilant for something in case they see it or come across it. The usage can be applied in many different areas of life but here are some typical scenarios when you are likely to hear it... When you lose something - If you lose something, you might tell people what you have lost and ask them to let you know if they see it, or ideally give it back to you if they do find it. I've lost my favourite pen. Please could you look out for it and if you do see it, please return it to me. Criminals / danger - If we are ever in a place where there are criminals or where we may potentially face danger, we could be warned to look out for it. Look out for pickpockets on the underground trains. Disease symptoms - If you think that you may have a disease or if a disease is prevalent, you may be told to look out for certain symptoms. For example, during the Covid-19 pandemic, people were advised to look out for such symptoms as a loss of taste and smell and a persistent cough. Look out for a rash that does not disappear under pressure. Desired item - If you want to buy something rare, scarce or in limited supply from a shop or store, you may say that you will look out for it or a nice person may look out for it for you. I'll look out for some of that Manuka honey for you and buy it if I see it. Aside from these uses, this application of 'look out' can be used for any situations in which you need to remain alert or vigilant for something. BONUS: To be on the lookout / to keep a lookout In addition to the phrasal verb, 'lookout' also exists as a noun (more on this later in the post). There are a couple of common expressions that can be used with this noun which mean the same thing as the application of 'look out' in this section: "to be on the lookout for" and "to keep a lookout for something". I am on the lookout for a new sofa for my living room, so if you know anywhere that sells them at a good price, let me know. My cat hasn't been home for two days, so please keep a lookout for him in your gardens and kindly tell me if you see him. MEANING 3: To alert someone to danger Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B1 - Lower intermediate Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To be careful, to watch out, to beware Separable? No In the last section, I explained how 'look out' can be used to mean to remain vigilant or alert in a potentially dangerous or hazardous place and this third usage is simply an extension of that as it means to alert someone to danger. Unlike most other phrasal verb meanings, this particular usage only really tends to exist as an imperative, i.e. to give someone a command or a warning and therefore it is often shouted or said in a loud voice. The reason being is that it is something that we say spontaneously when we see that someone is in immediate danger of being injured or killed. Look out! There is a car coming! Look out you idiot! You almost got yourself killed! The man saw that the tiles were about to be blown off the roof by the strong winds and he quickly shouted "look out" to the people standing underneath it to alert them to the danger. MEANING 4: To search for and find something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? British Potential synonyms To find out, to get out, to find, to dig out Separable? Yes The fourth meaning of 'look out' is a primarily British usage that means to search for and find something, normally with the intention of showing it to someone. This application is really a cross between the two phrasal verbs 'look for' and 'get out' as it combines elements of both of them; looking for the item and then getting it out of the place that it is stored, which is normally somewhere in your home amongst your possessions. On a grammatical note, unlike the previous meanings of 'look out' that we have looked at so far in this post, this usage takes a direct object (the item that you are searching for to get out) and this usage is therefore separable, with the direct object going either between 'look' and 'out' or after them. I will look the photos of your parents out for when you come to see me the next time. John looked out his driving license from his desk and presented it to the policeman. I have got a spare phone charger if you need one. I'll go and look it out now in the bedroom. MEANING 5: To act selfishly Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To be selfish, to care for Separable? No For the fifth meaning of 'look out', we need to enlist the additional particle 'for' again. This time however, instead of looking out for something, we are instead looking out for someone, which can either be ourselves or another person. If we look out for ourselves (note the usage here with the reflexive -self pronoun), then it means that we are prioritising our own interests and ignoring others peoples needs and requirements. This is of course something that we all need to do in life from time to time, however if people look out for themselves too much, it can be perceived as selfishness and therefore 'to look out for yourself' can often be used to mean to be selfish, self-serving or egotistical. You need to stop doing everything for your children and look out for yourself for a change. Alan has already gone and didn't offer to give anyone a lift. He's just looking out for himself again, as per usual. Marie accused Helen of only ever looking out for herself and not caring about what anybody else wanted. It is also common to use the word 'own + noun' instead of the reflexive '-self' pronoun here, and examples of these nouns could be family, career, job and perhaps most commonly and generically, interests. Roger was just looking out for his own family and didn't really give any consideration to anyone else. Debbie will always look after her own interests first. Some people say she is selfish but I think she is sensible. Interestingly, if we change the reflexive pronoun or 'own' noun from ourselves to another person, then the meaning completely changes to the opposite. If you look out for someone, it means that you care a lot about them and you always try to make sure that they are safe and do not come to harm. This is not quite the same meaning as 'looking after someone' as you are not caring for their needs all the time, but rather you are more watching from a distance, much like an aunt or uncle would, and you will always be there to help if they have a problem. I've been looking out for you ever since you were a little boy. Will you look out for Calum this week whilst we are away on holiday? He's fine to look after himself, but I just want to be be sure there is someone around in case he has any problems. MEANING 6: To give a view to something Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Rare Where is it used? Everywhere but more American Potential synonyms To face, to overlook, to afford Separable? No The final meaning of 'look out' that we will cover is one that means 'to give a view to something' and is used specifically for buildings. Nouns commonly used with this application.... View Sea Ocean Mountain Valley Field Church I know that this may sound strange as the verb 'to look' is one that is normally only ever used for something with eyes, however this is not always the case. If a building looks out to something, such as the sea, then it means it affords (gives) a view of the sea when you are inside it. As such, you are likely to see this in property listings and holiday brochures as it is a great way to sell somewhere because we all love a beautiful view! For this usage, we require the additional preposition 'to' to specify the thing that can be seen from the building. The house looks out to the rainforest on three sides. This 18th Century country cottage looks out to views of rolling hills and green fields. When I was growing up, my house looked out to mountains on one side and the ocean on the other. I was so lucky! Photo: Pexels BONUS: The noun 'lookout' I mentioned earlier in the post that the noun 'lookout' can be used in certain expressions and before I finish the post, I just want to make you aware of a couple of other meanings that it has as a noun... Lookout as a place - In British and Australian English, the noun 'lookout' is used to mean a place where you can go to see beautiful views. This is normally somewhere elevated, such as up a mountain or hill, from which you can see for a long distance, often in different or all directions. Lookout as a person - The noun lookout can also be used to describe a person who has been designated to watch for any danger or trouble and who can then alert the rest of the community. It is not really something that we use or need in our everyday lives now, however it can still be heard when talking about history, in literature and in tv shows and movies. 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. Now it is YOUR turn. Can you think of a sentence yourself using 'look 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 'go 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 like a native. 'Go down' is an English phrasal verb with a wide variety of different meanings and applications. In this post, I will explain to you the main meanings that it has, including when prices go down, when a computer goes down and when something goes down in history. In addition to this, I will also give you some other expressions and idioms that it features and, as always, a lot of examples in context to help your understanding. So, without further ado, let's make a start! Don't forget to leave a comment at the end! 😊 TABLE OF CONTENTS   (Click to jump to each one) Go Down - The Basics: Key information and the individual words 'go' and 'down' Go Down - Meaning 1: To move to a lower place or level Go Down - Bonus: To go down the street Go Down - Meaning 2: To be reduced Go Down - Bonus: To go downhill Go Down - Meaning 3: To stop functioning temporarily Go Down - Meaning 4: To be remembered in a certain way Go Down - Meaning 5: To be defeated Go Down - Meaning 6: To get a positive or negative reaction from someone Go Down - Meaning 7: To happen Go Down - Meaning 8: To go to prison 🇬🇧 Go Down - Bonus: Additional uses of 'go down' I love writing this blog & helping learners but I receive very little feedback as to how useful it is or if people enjoy & learn from it. Therefore, if you find the post useful, please like & share it or leave a comment at the end. I'd be very grateful. Thank you! James 😊 Photo: Pexels THE BASICS GO DOWN: KEY INFORMATION Usage Common Number of meanings 8 Past tense forms Went down / Gone down Separable? No Before looking at the meanings of any phrasal verb, I always think that it is worthwhile considering the individual words on their own as this can often help give some much needed logic to some of the more abstract phrasal verb meanings. Let's begin then with our base verb 'to go', which is among the most frequently used English verbs and functions both as a main verb and an auxiliary verb when forming the future tense 'going to'. At its core, this verb is all about movement from one place to another, specifically when it is away from where the speaker is. This is something that certainly influences the phrasal verb meanings that we will look at shortly. I am going to the cinema this evening. She went to shop to buy some milk. Next, we have the versatile prepositional particle 'down', which can be used as a preposition, adverb, adjective, verb and noun in English. It's primary meaning is to talk about movement towards a lower place or the state of being in a lower place than something else and this idea is often carried across to 'down' phrasal verbs. In addition to this principal meaning, 'down' can also convey the ideas of reduction, interruption and settling to phrasal verbs, among other ideas. So, now that we have covered the basics, let's take a look at the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'go down'.... MEANING 1: To move to a lower place or level Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level A2 - Elementary Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To sink, to drop, to fall, to descend Potential antonyms To go up, to rise, to ascend Let's start things off nice and easy with the literal meaning of the combination of the words 'go' and 'down', which is simply to move to a lower place or level. This first meaning can be used for any movement from a higher place to a lower place and therefore has an enormous number and variety of applications in everyday English. It is used purely to talk about the action of physically moving in a downwards direction when the method of movement e.g. walking, climbing, falling is not important. Remember here that this is used when the movement is in the direction away from where the speaker is. For direction towards where the speaker is, we use 'to come'. I am just going down to reception on the ground floor to meet the visitors. She went down the stairs and into the cellar to fetch some wood. John has gone down to the village in the valley to buy some supplies. In addition to the general idea of moving in a downwards direction, 'go down' is regularly heard with the following common nouns... Sun - In the evening, when the sun is setting and moving towards the horizon before eventually disappearing, we say that it is going down. My fiancé asked me to marry him on the beach as the sun was going down. It was so romantic! We had to wait for the sun to go down before we could set off our fireworks. Airplane - If an airplane, helicopter or other flying machine goes down, it means that it accidentally crash lands on the ground. The helicopter went down at around 11am this morning and investigators have been trying to identify what happened ever since. A small airplane has gone down between Longville and Smithston but luckily nobody on board was harmed. Ship - Similar to an airplane, if we say that a ship, boat or other mode of water transport has gone down, it means that is has sunk. The Titanic went down shortly after hitting an iceberg. The captain refused to leave his beloved boat and he went down with his ship. One other key usage of this first application that I want to to make you aware of is that 'go down' is also used as a synonym for the verb 'to swallow'. Quite literally, when we swallow something, it goes down from our mouths to our stomachs, so for once we have a rare logical usage for a phrasal verb! Mmmmm that casserole went down really well. It was delicious! I can never get tablets to go down and almost choke every time that I take one. BONUS: To go down the street You should also be aware that 'go down' can often be used by native speakers to refer to a general movement from one place to another, without any particular slope, descent or downwards movement involved. This is mainly heard with the words 'road' or 'street' to talk about movement along it but it can also be used for movement from one place to another that is further south. Using 'go down' in this way will definitely help your English to sound native! Roger was walking down the street when he saw his wife holding hands with another man. To get to the library, just go down this road for about half a kilometre and turn right by the church. Are you going down to London to see your cousins this weekend? MEANING 2: To be reduced CEFR Language Level B1 - Intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To decrease, to reduce, to lower, to degrade Potential antonyms To increase Following on from our first meaning of 'go down', the second should be quite logical for you as it means 'to be reduced'. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Price Rate Level Percentage Quality Condition Swelling Perhaps most commonly, this usage refers to numbers, prices and percentages and specifically when they become lower compared to what they were at an earlier time. 'Go down' tends to be used for these when there is no human intervention in the decrease or reduction in level and it happens naturally or organically. The crime rate in New York has gone down by 10% over the last decade. Following a government announcement, the wholesale price of gas has gone down, meaning that these reduced costs can be transferred to customers in the form of lower energy bills. The number of people on the hospital waiting list is expected to go down over the next month. Another noun that this second application of 'go down' is used with is 'quality'. When the condition or the quality of something is seen to be reduced or to be worse than it was previously, we can say that it has gone down. This can theoretically be used for anything that we can form a qualitative opinion on, i.e. how good or bad we think that something is. and typically you will hear native speakers using it to describe things like cities, places, restaurants and businesses. I think that the standard of pop music has gone down over the past twenty years or so. The quality of the food in the restaurant went down a lot when the new owners took over, so we stopped going there. BONUS: To go downhill In addition to saying that something has 'gone down' when the quality of it is not as good as before, there is also an idiomatic expression that is often used by native speakers to mean the same thing, particularly in British English and that is 'to go downhill'. The city centre went downhill during the 1980s but it has received a lot of investment in recent years and it is now much better again. The customer service at that company has gone downhill. It's not as good as it used to be. One final noun that I want to include in this section is actually more to do with health than numbers or levels and is used specifically for swelling. Imagine that you fall over and hurt your ankle and over the next 24 hours it swells and grows in size. When it eventually starts to heal and become smaller again, we say that the swelling is going down. The swelling should go down after a week or so but if it doesn't please come back and see me. I was bitten by a mosquito on my eyelid. It swelled up to an enormous size and didn't go down again for days. MEANING 3: To stop functioning temporarily Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level B2 - Upper Intermediate Usage Common Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To crash The third meaning of 'go down' is one that affects many of us more often than we would like and that is to stop functioning temporarily. Nouns commonly used with this application.... Computer Internet Phone (line) Network System This usage is primarily used with equipment and services, particularly in the sphere of computers and IT where services are available for us to use all of the time. The idea behind this usage comes from the idea that when a service is running and in operation, we say that it is 'up' (or sometimes 'up and running). As 'up' is the natural opposite of 'down', if the computer or service stops working, then we can say that is goes down. Lisa's computer went down whilst she was in the middle of writing an important report for work. The internet went down at work yesterday, so we were all sent home as we had nothing to do. Due to a powerful storm, the phone network has gone down and it is impossible to make phone calls. MEANING 4: To be remembered in a certain way Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To be remembered as Potential antonyms To be forgotten The fourth meaning of 'go down' is one to describe anything that is monumental, noteworthy or incredible as it means to be remembered or recorded in a certain way. Normally, this is because it is something that is unprecedented or is noteworthy for a particular reason, whether that be good or bad. For this application to make sense, one of two additional words needs to be used: 'as' or 'in'. We use 'to go down as' when we want to say that something is remarkable and unforgettable and this is often followed by a superlative. Queen's performance at Live Aid went down as one of the greatest live shows of all time. This race that we have seen this evening will go down as one of the most thrilling we have ever seen at the Olympics. To give you a bit of background on this usage, another, rarer meaning of 'go down' is to be written or recorded on paper or books and this brings us to the other alternative 'go down in' as this is usually followed by 'history' or 'the history books', meaning that the notable event in question will be recorded in books for people to read about in years to come. The year 2020 will go down in history as the year that the world came to a standstill due to the pandemic. Obama went down in the history books as being the first black president of the United States. MEANING 5: To be defeated Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To win, to conquer Potential antonyms To lose The fifth meaning of 'go down' is to be defeated or to lose something and is used primarily in the world of sport and competitions. Although 'go down' is used as a direct synonym of the verb 'to lose', I would say that it is used much more rarely in this respect and can often sound a bit dramatic. I would be less inclined to use it when just talking about an ordinary football match or tennis game etc, and perhaps more when there is an element of shock or importance attached to the defeat. When using this application to talk about a defeat, the preposition 'to' is usually required to specify the winning team. Liverpool went down 2-1 to Bayern Munich in the game last night. Novak Djokovic went down in the Wimbledon final to Roger Federer. Sometimes, this application of 'go down' is used as a threat to someone to say that you will defeat them in a game, match or fight before it happens. You're going down in the match tonight! This usage has also given rise to the commonly used expression: 'to not go down without a fight', which means regardless of whether or not you win or lose a competition, game or battle, you will give your best efforts to win and will not make it easy for your opponent. This is often used by the underdog i.e. the person or team expected to lose the competition. O a darker note, in addition to sport and games, this can also be used in war and with people who have a terminal illness. I know that my cancer is incurable but I refuse to go down without a fight. Karen was unfairly fired by her company and has vowed to take them to court as she is not going down without a fight. MEANING 6: To get a positive or negative reaction from someone Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere Potential synonyms To be received, to elicit a reaction The sixth meaning of 'go down' that we will look at in this post is an informal usage which means 'to get a positive or negative reaction from someone'. To clarify this usage, let's consider an example. Imagine that the love of your life asks you to marry them and naturally you say yes. You then have to tell your parents and hopefully, provided that they like your partner, they will be happy about it, in which case we can say that it went down well with them. Alternatively, if they are not happy about the engagement and they reacted negatively to the news, we cay say that it did not go down well with them. Here are some more examples of this.... I handed in my resignation to my boss today and it not go down well at all. He was really annoyed that I have decided to leave the company. Did you tell John that you wanted to break up with him? How did the news go down? We told our young son that we are moving to California and it went down really well with him. He is very excited about starting school there and making new friends. Not only do we use this for people's reactions to news or announcements, we can also use 'go down' with performances, meals or anything that people can like, dislike, or in other words, have a positive or negative reaction towards. The meal I cooked for my husband's family went down very well. Everyone had a second helping! The singer's recent performance did not go down well with fans who said that his voice is not as good as it used to be. Lastly, we often use the nouns 'treat' or 'storm' to describe when people react very positively to something or enjoy it a lot. I made a cake and took it into my office this week. It went down a storm with my colleagues and they are asking me when I am going to make another! I showed your video to my parents. It really went down a treat with them and they enjoyed it a very much. MEANING 7: To happen Photo: Pexels CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? Everywhere but more American Potential synonyms To happen, to go on The seventh meaning of 'go down' is another informal one that is mainly used in American English and means 'to happen'. This application tends to be used in a very general sense, such as to ask what has happened in the past or what is happening at the present moment in a very similar way to the phrasal verb 'go on' in the expression "what's going on?". As I said, this is very much a slang usage, so I would not recommend using this in any kind of formal or professional situation. Do you know what is going down at the park? There are police cars and ambulances parked everywhere by the gates! I'm intrigued to find out what goes down at this nightclub that you go to every week. Why do you like it so much? Simon refuses to talk about what went down in the bar last night. MEANING 8: To go to prison CEFR Language Level C1 - Advanced Usage Medium Where is it used? British English Potential synonyms To be imprisoned, to be sent down, to go to jail, to get banged up We are now at the last of the main meanings of the phrasal verb 'go down' that we will look at in this post and this one is another informal one that means to be sent to prison. This is a British English usage and refers specifically to when a criminal is convicted of a crime and must spend time in jail as a punishment. This usage is typically followed by the period of time that the criminal will have to spend there. Maureen's husband has been convicted of armed robbery and has gone down for six months. The serial killer went down for life for his disgusting crimes. Photo: Pexels BONUS: Additional uses of 'go down' As a result of how common the words 'go' and 'down' are in the English language, there are a great number of other more specific uses of 'go down' that exist in everyday language. I didn't want to make this post too long, so I've condensed these down into one section for you... Lights - If we say that the lights go down, it means that they becomes dimmer or less bright and this is typically used to describe when this happens at the beginning of a show or performance in a theatre, cinema or concert. Curtains - Staying with the theatrical theme, if we say that the curtains go down, we are specifically referring to when the curtain in a theatre is lowered at the end of a performance. Knees - To go down on your knees means to lower your body so that you are in a kneeling position, i.e. the bottom half of your legs are flat against the floor whilst the rest of your body is upright, as can often be seen with people praying in a church. All fours - If someone goes down on all fours, it means that they lower their body so that both their hands and knees are on the ground, for example you may need to go down on all fours to clean the floor, to crawl or to get underneath something low. Pub - If you are in the UK and somebody asks you if you are going down the pub, don't worry as this is nothing to worry about; it is simply an informal way to ask if you are going to the pub for a drink. Temperature - If the temperature goes down, it gets cooler or colder. Drain - If water or liquid goes down a drain, it simply means that it drains away, normally into a pipe or sewage system. You should note however that 'to go down the drain' is a common idiom in English that means to be wasted. It is usually used with such nouns as time, money, effort and work. To go down on someone - Lastly, the expression 'to go down on someone' is a slightly euphemistic way of saying performing oral sex on someone. 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. Now it is YOUR turn. Can you think of a sentence yourself using 'go 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