Put off & puts off putting off put off put off

1. put... off p.v. When you put off something or put off doing something, you delay or postpone it. When you put people off, you delay doing something they want you to do.

Buying a new house will have to be put off until we can afford it.

The students begged the teacher to put the test off until the next week.

He pressured me for a decision, but I kept putting him off.

2. put... off p.v. When people put you off, they do or say something that offends you.

Everyone was put off by his racist jokes.

Todd went out to dinner with Nancy last night, and the way she treated the waiter really put him off.

235

put off part.adj. After people do or say something that offends you, you are put off. What's wrong? You seem a little put off.

1. rule... out p.v. When you rule out people or things, you eliminate them from a list. When you rule out doing something, you decide that it is something you will not do because you do not want to, because it is impossible, and so on.

The detective interviewed all the suspects and ruled everyone out except the victim's ex-wife.

Ater the hurricane they ruled out moving to Florida.

With all these medical bills to pay, maybe we should consider ruling out buying a new car.

EXERCISE 31 a — Complete the sentences with phrasal verbs from this section. Be sure the phrasal verbs are in the correct tense.

1. I suggested moving to Minnesota, but my wife ________ ________ moving anywhere cold.

2. My doctor says I should _______ _______ scuba diving until my ear gets better.

3. The health department wants to ________ ________ ________ smoking within twenty years.

4. I saw a funny cartoon in the paper, so I _____ it ______ and sent it to my brother.

5. Some countries have an excellent health care system. No one has to ________ ________ medical treatment.

6. I was a little ________ ________ by his unfriendliness.

7. Let's go to a different restaurant; I don't ________ ________ Chinese food.

8. I'm going to ________ ________ this situation to see what the problem is.

9. After the revolution, all members of the royal family were ________ ________ ___________.

10. Several scenes of the film had to be ________ ________ before the censors would approve it.

11. Jim had to quit his job to ________ ________ his sick wife.

236

12. I had to take a taxi to work yesterday. My car's motor ________ ________ right in the middle of an intersection.

13. What a surprise! Being transferred to Hawaii is something I never _____ _____.

14. Getting that tooth fixed is not something you should _________ _________.

15. What are you ________ ________ doing with your time after you retire?

EXERCISE 31 b — Write answers to the questions using phrasal verbs and participle adjectives from this section. Be sure the phrasal verbs are in the correct tense.

1. You changed your vacation plans. You're not going next week; you're going to go later. What did you do to your vacation?

2. Everyone likes Jim more now that he has stopped acting like such a big shot. What did Jim do?

3. The President said that nothing has been eliminated from the list of things that might be done about the crisis. What did the President say about what might be done about the crisis?

4. Mike's parents don't like his new friend. How do Mike's parents feel about his new friend?

5. A law was passed that prohibits child labor. What does the law do to child labor?

6. There aren't any stores out here in the woods, so if you forgot something, you'll just have to continue without it. What will you have to do if you forgot something?

7. I'm so tired of this car's ugly color; I'm going to investigate having it painted. What am I going to do?

8. If you go to Chicago in January, you can expect to freeze to death. What can you do if you go to Chicago in January?

9. Betty was a little offended by Sam's behavior. How did Betty react to Sam's behavior?

10. In Question 9, how did Sam's behavior make Betty feel?

11. The police suspected that Mr. Mayfield had been killed by a coworker. What did the police suspect about Mr. Mayfield?

12. Dr. Smith removed the entire tumor with a knife. What did he do?

13. My father kept his car in good condition, and it lasted for forty years. What did my father do to his car?

237

EXERCISE 31 c — Write eight original sentences using phrasal verbs from this section. Try to use gerunds as the subjects of some of the sentences.

1. _______________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________

4. ______________________________________________________

5. ______________________________________________________

6. ______________________________________________________

7. ______________________________________________________

8. ______________________________________________________

EXERCISE 31 d. 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. I'm thinking about investing in the stock market, but I'm not sure how to ________ ________it.

2. The sound on the language lab tapes is so bad that I can't ________ ________ what they're saying.

3. The world is ________ ________ of many different countries.

4. We'll need to buy a new suitcase soon. This old one is ________ ________.

5. That was a terrible thing he did to me — I'll ________ ________ ________ him someday.

6. Hank fell from a fifth-floor window, but he landed in a swimming pool and wasn't hurt at all. He sure ________ ________, didn't he?

7. The hockey coach said that the team's offense is good, but the defense needs to be

238

8. My dentist said I should ________ ________ on sweets.

9. Frank really ________ ________ when he found that big snake under his bed.

10. Look at this interesting old book I ________ ________ at a used bookstore.

11. The police department is going to ________________on crime.

12. You know what a bad temper Joe has. If you keep teasing him, you're________ ________ trouble.

13. The accountant tried to embezzle $100,000, but he didn't____________with it.

14. Isn't that where Jane lives? Let's________________and say hello.

15. Jake was arrested and charged with bank robbery, but he ________ ________ because none of the witnesses could identify him.

16. There are a lot of big trucks on this road. You've really got to ________ _______ for them when you're driving.