Unit 2: Phrasal Verbs - What They Mean
The following is a summary of the key information from Unit 2, "Phrasal verbs: what they mean", from the book
English Phrasal Verbs in Use.
Multiple Meanings
Many phrasal verbs have multiple meanings. For example,
get on can mean to enter a bus or to like someone and be friendly with them. To learn these different meanings, it is recommended to remember a sentence that uses the phrasal verb.
Literal and Metaphorical Meanings
Sometimes, the basic (literal) meaning of a phrasal verb is connected to its metaphorical meaning.
Literal: The basic, physical meaning
. Metaphorical: A meaning based on an image or comparison
.
For example,
slip up (to make a mistake) is a metaphorical meaning derived from slip (to fall).
Synonyms and Register
Phrasal verbs are common in spoken and informal written English, such as letters to friends or articles in popular journalism. They often have one-word synonyms that are more formal.
Examples:
put off(less formal) can be replaced bypostpone(more formal).take off(less formal) can be replaced byremove(more formal).turn up(less formal) can be replaced byarrive(more formal).go down(less formal) can be replaced bydecline(more formal).get away(less formal) can be replaced byescape(more formal).see to(less formal) can be replaced byorganise(more formal).call off(less formal) can be replaced bycancel(more formal).put out(less formal) can be replaced byissue(more formal).
Common Verbs and Particles
The book's next units focus on the most common verbs (
come, get, go, look, make, put, take) and particles (up, out, off, on, in, down, over, around, about, for, with, through, back, into, away) that form phrasal verbs
give in can mean to agree to something you had refused before.
No comments:
Post a Comment