5. Focus on: pronunciation of two-word phrasal verbs

Nonseparable phrasal verbs

Intransitive nonseparable phrasal verbs (verbs that do not allow an object) are usually accented on the particle:

The barn got hit by lightning, and it burned DOWN.

Ned drank so much that he passed OUT on the bathroom floor.

Transitive nonseparable phrasal verbs (verbs that require an object) are usu­ally accented on the verb:

Hank's been CHEATING on his wife for years.

I told the teacher my dog ate my homework, but she didn't FALL for it.

Separable phrasal verbs

Separable phrasal verbs (which are always transitive) are usually accented on the particle:

The British soldiers tried to burn DOWN the White House.

The teacher passed them OUT.

As the examples above show, a single phrasal verb can belong to more than one cat­egory depending on its meaning.

1. breakdown p.v. When something mechanical breaks down, it does not function.

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/ was late for work because my car broke down.

This photocopier is a piece of junk — it breaks down every day.

broken-down part.adj. When something is old, in bad condition, or not functioning properly, it is broken-down.

My car is a broken-down piece of junk.

breakdown n. A breakdown is a situation in which something mechanical has broken down.

After that last breakdown, I decided it was time for a new car.

2. breakdown p.v. When an arrangement, agreement, negotiation, plan, or marriage breaks down, one or more persons involved is not cooperating or participating because of a disagreement or problem.

After he started drinking heavily, their marriage started to break down. The peace negotiations broke down because neither side was willing to compromise.

breakdown n. A situation in which an arrangement, agreement, negotiation, plan, or marriage has broken down is a breakdown.

Neither side would give an inch, and there was a breakdown in the negotiations.

3. breakdown p.v. When you break down, you lose self-control and become emotionally or mentally confused.

When the judge sentenced Jones to life in prison, he broke down and begged for mercy. Tom breaks down whenever he thinks of the tragedy.

breakdown n. A situation in which someone has broken down and is very upset or confused is a breakdown.

Marvin had a complete mental breakdown and started to see invisible people.

4. break down p.v. When something decomposes or reduces to its smallest parts or is reduced by someone to its smallest parts, it breaks down.

After the poison breaks down, it's quite harmless.

Anticoagulant drugs are used to break down blood clots.

5. break... down p.v. When you reduce a process, situation, problem, plan, or idea to its basic parts to make it easier to understand, you break it down.

The professor's plan seemed really complicated, but after he broke it down for us, we understood it a little better.

If you break the manufacturing process down into steps, it's easier to train new workers.

6. break ... down p.v. When you use force to go through a door that is locked, you break it down.

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The police broke the door down and arrested the bank robbers.

A door had to be broken down to rescue the people trapped by the fire.

1. burn ... down p.v. When a building or other structure burns down or someone burns it down, it is completely destroyed by fire.

Though most of Chicago burned down in 1871, a few buildings survived.

The owner was arrested for deliberately burning his factory down.

1. call in p.v. When you call your place of employment to say you cannot work that day because you are sick, you call in or call in sick.

The manager was angry when her secretary called in three days in a row.

Calling in sick too often is a good way to get fired.

2. call... in p.v. When you request the help of people or of an organization with more experience, power, or knowledge to help with a problem or difficult project, you call them in.

When the local police couldn't handle the riot, the National Guard was called in. The local police chief considered calling the FBI in to help solve the crime.

1. find ... out p.v. [not usually separated — the object can be a noun, a noun clause, or a complete sentence] When you find out information or a fact, you learn or become aware of that information or fact.

If you don't know when the movie starts, look in the newspaper to find out.

I met a nice man at the party, but I never found out his name.

I met a nice man at the party, but I never found out what his name was.

I was surprised when I found out that he can speak fourteen languages.

I was surprised when I found out he can speak fourteen languages.

I tried to get the information, but I couldn't find it out.

1. hand... back (to) p.v. When you return things to people by holding them in your hand and extending your arm, you hand them back or hand them back to them.

The teacher will hand the tests back in third period. The guard handed my ID card back to me.

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1. look at p.v. When you focus your eyes on people or things, you look at them.

/ looked at her and told her I loved her. Look at me when I talk to you!

2. look at p.v. When you examine something or a situation and decide what to do about it, you look at it.

The mechanic looked at my car but couldn't find anything wrong with it. Your finger might be broken; you should have Dr. Smith look at it.

3. look at p.v. When you think a certain way or have an opinion about something, that is the way you look at it.

The way I look at it, Congress is to blame for this mess, not the President. What should be done about this situation depends on how you look at it.

4. look at p.v. [informal — always continuous] When you say that people are looking at an amount of money or a length of time, you mean that this is how much they think something will cost or how long something will take.

That was a serious injury. You're looking at months and months of physical therapy. Putting a new roof on this house isn't going to be cheap. You're looking at at least $15,000.

1. pile... up p.v. When things increase in number and start to form a pile, they pile up. When people add things to a pile, they pile them up.

The snow piled up so high that I couldn't open my door. In the fall we pile the dead leaves up in the driveway and burn them.

piled up part.adj. When things are in a pile, they are piled up.

A lot of dirty laundry is piled up in the basement.

2. pile up p.v. When work or something else that must be done increases faster than you can do it, it piles up.

I'm really worried about money. My bills are piling up faster than I can pay them. My work really piled up white I was on vacation.

1. set... up p.v. When you arrange the parts of something so that they are in their proper position and can function, you set it up.

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The kids got a swing set for Christmas, and Dad had to set it up in the snow.

When you're camping, be sure to set your tent up before it gets dark.

set up part.adj. After the parts of something are in their proper position and function properly, they are set up.

The party is starting in one hour. Are the tables set up?

setup n. A collection or arrangement of parts or equipment necessary for a certain procedure or task is a setup.

The nurse prepared setups for the hospital emergency room.

2. set... up p.v. When you plan and organize an activity or project, you set it up.

I set up a 4:00 meeting with Jones and his lawyer. Setting up a meeting of all fifty governors took a lot of planning.

set up part.adj. When an activity or project is planned, arranged, or organized, it is set up.

The arrangements for the wedding were very complicated, but everything is set up now.

setup n. How an activity or project is planned or arranged is the setup. What's the setup for the Fourth of July picnic?

3. set... up p.v. [informal] When you commit a crime but make it appear that another, innocent person is guilty of the crime, you set the innocent person up.

Joe robbed the bank and tried to set me up by leaving some of the stolen money in my apartment and then telling the police about it. The detective didn't believe me when I told him I was set up.

setup n. [informal] An attempt by someone to make it appear that an innocent person is guilty of a crime is a setup.

/ told the detective it was a setup and that I could prove I had been at the racetrack when the bank was robbed.

EXERCISE 5a — Complete the sentences with phrasal verbs from this section. Be sure the phrasal verbs are in the correct tense.

1. When he heard that his brother had been killed, he ________ ________ and cried.

2. We're expecting company. Can you ________________ the card table in the dining room?

3. Can you help wash the dishes, please? They're really beginning to ________ ________.

4. I gave the cashier my credit card, and then she ________ it ________ to me.

5. I don't know the answer, but I'll try to ________ ________.

6. We were very busy at work today. Two people ________ ________ sick.

7. Raul _______ ________ his watch and told me he had to leave.

8. My car is a real piece of junk. It ________ ________ at least once a week.

9. I'm a little confused about your theory. Would you mind ________ it ________ for me?

10. I'll tell the judge that I'm innocent and that Ned Kelly________me________.

11. Hey, any way you ________ ________ it, one thing's for sure — we have to get more crooks off the streets and into the jails.

12. This is the FBI — open the door or we'll ________ it ________!

13. Maybe I can fix your computer. I'll________________it after dinner.

14. The family doctor has never seen a case of malaria before, so he is ________ _______ a specialist.

'15. Some chemical compounds start to ________ ________ after only a few hours.

16. The arsonist tried to ________ ________ several houses in the neighborhood.

17. The secretary is ________ ________ a meeting.

18. The civil war started again after the peace talks ________ ________.

19. Jim buys a newspaper every day, but he never puts it in the garbage when he is finished. Newspapers are slowly ________ ________ in his basement.

20. The mechanic said, "To fix a car after an accident that bad, I'd say you're ________ _______ at least $4,000."

EXERCISE 5b — Review the explanation at the beginning of this section of how two-word phrasal verbs are pronounced. Then, say each sentence in Exercise 5a aloud and circle the verb or particle that is accented.

EXERCISE 5c — Write three sentences using the objects in parentheses. Be sure to put the objects in the right place.

1. The firefighters broke down. (the door, it) ————————————————————————————————————————————————————— .

2. They burned down, (the old barn, it) ————————————————————————————————————————————————————— .

3. He called in. (Dr. Shapiro,her) ————————————————————————————————————————————————————— .

4. Our teacher handed back. (the papers, them) ————————————————————————————————————————————————————— .

5. I set up. (the ironing board, it) ————————————————————————————————————————————————————— .

EXERCISE 5d — Write answers to the questions using phrasal verbs, participle adjectives, and nouns from this section. Be sure the phrasal verbs are in the correct tense.

1. Jane arranged a baby shower. What did she do?

2. In Question 1, how would you describe the baby shower after Jane arranged it?

3. I get magazines in the mail faster than I can read them. What are my magazines doing?

4. In Question 3, how would you describe my magazines?

5. Todd returned the pen to Mark. What did Todd do?

6. Uncle Fred's car had a mechanical problem, and it stopped running. What did it do?

7. In Question 6, how would you describe Uncle Fred's car?

8. In Question 6, what did Uncle Fred have?

9. The soldiers destroyed the building with fire. What did the soldiers do?

10. The soldiers destroyed the building with fire. What did the building do?

11. When the detective told Jake he could get the death penalty, he became very nervous and upset. What did Jake do?

12. In Question 11, what did Jake have?

13. The boss was angry because you didn't call to say that you were sick and couldn't work. Why was the boss angry?

14. Judy took her new computer out of the box, connected alt the cables, and got it ready to use. What did she do to her computer?

15. In Question 14, after Judy took her new computer out of the box, connected all the cables, and got it ready to use, how would you describe it?

16. The door was locked, but Hank forced it open and got inside. What did Hank do?

17. I learned that All's excuse was a big lie. What did I do?

EXERCISE 5e, Review — Complete the sentences with these phrasal verbs from previous sections. Be sure the phrasal verbs are In the correct tense. To check their meanings, review the section number given after each one.

1. Her husband is a real jerk. How does she ________ ________ ________ him?

2. I wasn't sure if Charles ________ ________ ________ going scuba diving again so soon after the shark attack.

3. I'm telling you for the last time! ________ ________ the grass!

4. Can you help me with this jar? The top won't ________ ________.

5. I've never been to Italy, and I'm really ________ ________ ________ going there.

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6. I'm sorry I can't agree with you Dad, but I have to ________ ________

________ Mom.

7. When I had food poisoning I ________ ________ all night long.

8. You can be sure Paul will take his vacation out west. He really ________ ____ outdoor stuff like camping and mountain climbing.

9. Can you believe the nerve of that guy in the meeting yesterday? He ________

________ ________ me as if I was the stupidest guy on Earth!

10. I'm tired of arguing about the divorce settlement. I just want to ________ it.

6. FOCUS ON: pronunciation of three-word phrasal verbs

The pronunciation of three-word phrasal verbs is generally quite simple: the sec­ond, or middle, particle is accented regardless of whether the phrasal verb is sep­arable or inseparable:

/ think I've come UP with an answer to your problem. The detective didn't get any information OUT of him.

1. boil down to p.v. When you say that something boils down to something else, you are saying that it is the basic cause of a more complicated situation or problem.

Most of the crime in this city boils down to drugs.

My decision to stay at this awful job boils down to one thing — money.

1. come down with p.v. When you are starting to get sick, you are coming down with something or coming down with an illness.

/ don't feel well. Maybe I'm coming down with something.

My grandmother said, "If you don't wear an undershirt, you'll come down with pneumonia."

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1. come up with p.v. When you think of an idea, plan, or solution, you come up with it.

It took me all night, but I came up with the answer. Lydia wants to come up with a great idea for the party.

1. get around to p.v. When you do something after waiting for some time because you are lazy, inefficient, or do not want to do it, you get around to it.

I didn't get around to doing my taxes until April 14. Don't worry about the broken window. I'll get around to it one of these days.

1. get out of p.v. When you get out of something or get out of doing something you must do but do not want to do, you find a way to avoid it.

Sam got out of gym class by pretending to be sick.

The boss wants me to work a double shift, but I'll get out of it.

I got out of going to church with my parents by pretending to be sick.

2. get... out of p.v. If an activity gives you pleasure, satisfaction, or some other benefit, you get pleasure, satisfaction, or some other benefit out of it.

I sat through that boring class for three months and didn't learn a thing. I didn't get anything out of it.

The judge didn't get any pleasure out of imposing such a harsh penalty.

3. get... out of p.v. When you use force, pressure, or deceit to get something, such as information or money, from people, you get it out of them.

They tortured him for days, but they couldn't get any information out of him.

It took me a while, but I got the whole story out of her.

1. go back on p.v. When you make a promise, but you do not do what you promised to do, you go back on your promise.

I promised to take my son to a baseball game, and I'm not going back on my word.

The President went back on his pledge not to raise taxes.

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1. go through with p.v. When you do something that you have decided to

do even though it may be dangerous or unpleasant or others may object, you go

through with it.

The spokeswoman said the company would go through with its plan to move the company to Mexico. Despite his family's opposition, Erik went through with his decision to quit his job and start his own business.

1. monkey around with p.v. [informal] When you adjust or try to repair mechanical devices even though you do not have permission or do not have the skill to do it properly, you monkey around with them.

I monkeyed around with my camera, and I think maybe I fixed it.

Frank was monkeying around with my printer, and now it doesn't work.

EXERCISE 6a — Complete the sentences with phrasal verbs from this section. Be sure the phrasal verbs are in the correct tense.

1. I'm not surprised that Ali stayed home from work today. Yesterday he thought he might be

________ ________ ________ a cold.

2. Last year, the company ________ ________ ________ its plan to move from downtown to the suburbs.

3. I've thought and thought, but I can't ________ ________ ________ any reason why your idea won't work.

4. Fixing the leak in the roof is going to be a big job, but I have to ________ ________

________ it before the next rain.

5. Heather didn't want to tell me why she was mad, but I finally ________ the reason

________ ________ her.

6. I don't ________ much satisfaction ________ ________ teaching students who don't want to be in the class.

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7. The explanation for our failure to solve this problem isn't complicated. It really ________

_______ ________ a lack of funding.

8. I think you should take your VCR to a repair shop. If you ________ ________

_______ it, you'll just make it worse.

9. I'm supposed to report for jury duty on Monday, but I don't want to. I've got to think of a way to _______ ________ ________ it.

10. You lied to me! You promised me you would quit smoking, and now you've ________

_______ ________ your word.

EXERCISE 6b — Write answers to the questions using phrasal verbs from this section. Be sure the phrasal verbs are in the correct tense.

1. Tom was very nervous about getting married, but he did it. What did Tom do?

2. We were in Paris for five days, but we never found time to go to the Eiffel Tower. What didn't we do?

3. My father said I had to cut the grass, but I told him I would do it tomorrow. What did I do?

4. Janice really likes teaching because it gives her a lot of satisfaction. Why does Janice like teaching?

5. Ms. Cummings thought of a way to manufacture her company's products more cheaply. What did Ms. Cummings do?

6. There are many reasons why one house sells for a higher price than other houses, but the main reason is the house's location. Why does one house sell for more than another?

7. You feel a little sick now, and you think you'll have a cold tomorrow. What's happening to you today?

8. I don't really know what to do, but I'll try to fix the air conditioner anyway. What will I do to the air conditioner?

9. My wife didn't talk to me all day, but she said nothing was wrong. I asked her again and again what the problem was and she finally told me. What did I do?

10. Raquel promised Alex she would go to the dance with him, but she went with Carlos instead. What did Raquel do?

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EXERCISE 6c, Review — Complete the sentences with these phrasal verbs from previous sections. Be sure the phrasal verbs are in the correct tense. To check their meanings, review the section number given after each one.

1. We've been at this meeting all afternoon. Don't you think we should ________ it ________ and go home?

2. If we send out 75 invitations to the wedding, and everyone we invited brings his or her spouse, we should ________ ________ 150 guests.

3. Lydia ________ her best friend from college ________ when she was in Las Vegas.

4. The students who ________ ________ the test by writing the answers on their hands were expelled from school.

5. This camera isn't working right. I'm going to take it to Jim at the photo shop and ask him to ________________it.

6. Bill won't be happy if he ________ ________ that you scratched his car.

7. My son's thinking about ________ ________ his master's degree.

8. Evidence gathered after the air plane crash ________ ________ engine failure as the cause.

9. I really ________ it ________ her, and she admitted that I was right.

10. We'd better do the laundry soon; it's starting to ________ ________.

11. The police officer ________ my driver's license ________ to me along with a ticket.

12. The detective thinks the owner ________ ________ his restaurant for the insurance money.

EXERCISE 6d — Review the explanation at the beginning of Section 5 of how two-word phrasal verbs are pronounced. Then, say each sentence in Exercise 6c aloud and circle the verb or particle that is accented.

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