Phrasal Verbs ― A Unique Guide

This complete guide to over 850 Phrasal Verbs used in daily life by native speakers, also includes a section with over 200 business idioms and phrasal verbs. Cross that bridge and start mastering the language today. About phrasal verbs Phrasal verbs, or multi - word verbs as they are often referred to, can be rather daunting for non natives of the English language. A mistake in using the wrong particle or the wrong word order can completely change the intended meaning. This can lead to misunderstandings which can either be horrific or hilarious. Students of the English language are not expected to be able to remember all the phrasal verbs - they are too numerous - but they should be familiar with the most common ones and they should also be able to recognise their meanings in context. Phrasal verbs play an important role in the English language. There is no getting away from them. Every time natives speak they use them. Take a look at the ones below. Did you know that the following two sentences have different meanings? Peter hung up after a few minutes = he ended the telephone call. Peter hung up on me after a few minutes = he ended the call by interrupting the conversation abruptly, angrily and rudely. Now look at these two examples: Pretty flabbergasting! I’ve gone off cheese = I no longer like cheese. The cheese has gone off = the cheese is not fresh anymore. It is not good to eat. If you eat it you could become sick. The alarm clock has just gone off = Can you turn it off please? I want to sleep for another few minutes. Does this mean that the alarm clock is not fresh anymore? NOOOO!!!!! Does it mean the alarm clock doesn’t like someone or something anymore? NOOO!!! Well what does it mean you may be asking yourself. You should be able to understand from the context. Out of context ‘to go off’ is devoid of any meaning whatsoever. In the case of the alarm clock, it means, it didn’t ring. Another example is: He turned on me = he either attacked me physically or verbally. He turned me on = he caused me to become excited. Now can you see why the wrong use can lead to numerous misunderstandings? Phrasal verbs can be separable, that is, as seen in the example ‘he turned me on’, and inseparable as in the example ‘he turned on me’. There are also phrasal verbs which are both separable and inseparable Example: She took off her jacket/she took her jacket off = she removed her jacket. In this book you will learn and become familiar with each phrasal verb type. Good clear examples are set out to illustrate the meanings. ABOUT THE AUTHOR The author has been a teacher of English as a foreign language for over 18 years. Born in the North East of Scotland, she has spent most of her adult life abroad, teaching students of various nationalities how to speak English effectively.