May 22, 2012

Phrasal verb: hand out

handing out toys

To hand out something (or hand something out) is to give something to each person in a group of people. Give out is similar to hand out. Examples of use: 1. He handed the toys out to the children. 2. The teacher handed the homework sheets out to the students. 3. Emergency food parcels were [...]

Phrasal verb: run out

Google Street View car

1. To run out of something is to use all of it so that there is nothing left. Examples of use: a) I've run out of bread. b) We can't have coffee this morning because we've run out of milk. c) I ran out of petrol on my way to work this morning. d) News [...]

Phrasal verb: tell off

duck and bread

To tell off somebody (or tell somebody off) is to speak angrily to someone because they have done something wrong. Informal English. tick off has a very similar meaning. Examples of use: 1. Mum will tell you off for beaking that window. 2. Our English teacher told us off for throwing paper aeroplanes in class. [...]

Phrasal verb: call off

tennis ball in the rain

  1. To call off something (or call something off) is to cancel a planned event, or an event that has already started. Examples of use: a) They are calling the tennis match off because of the rain. b) They called off the wedding. c) Mike is ill so we will have to call the [...]

Phrasal verb: set off

suitcases

  1. To set off is to start a journey. Examples of use: a) What time are we setting off? b) They set off for home. c) There are roadworks on the motorway so you'd better set off early. d) He set off from Paris last Sunday. e) We set off for London with only [...]

Phrasal verb: write down

fountain pens

To write down something (or write something down)  is to write something on a piece of paper so that you do not forget it. Examples of use: 1. They wrote down everything their teacher said about learning phrasal verbs. 2. I wrote his telephone number down. 3. Can you write down a list of things [...]

Phrasal verb: put off

Phrasal verb - 'put off' by his fashion sense. Image by rumpleteaser on Flickr

To put off somebody (or put somebody off) is to make them not like someone or something, or not want to do something Examples of use: 1. She liked his personality, but was put off by his fashion sense. 2. We were all put off by her arrogance.   To put off something  (or put [...]

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