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Phrasal Verbs / PHRASA~1

Fall for

fall for & falls for falling for fell for fallen for

1. fall for p.v. When someone successfully tricks or deceives you, you fall for the trick or deception or you fall for it.

I feel like an idiot. The salesman promised me it was a real diamond, not glass, and I fell for it.

Your girlfriend told you that guy she was dancing with at the party was her brother? How could you fall for a story like that?

2. fall for p.v. When you suddenly feel a strong attraction to someone or something, you fall for that person or thing.

Jim met Sam's sister last week, and now he calls her every day. I guess he really fell for her in a big way.

When I saw this house, I fell for it immediately, and I made an offer the same day.

give in

give in & gives in

giving In

gave in

given in

1. give in (to) p.v. When someone pressures or forces you to do something or allow something even though you do not want to, you give in.

My son drove me crazy asking me to buy him a new bicycle, and I finally gave in.

The strike lasted for eight months, but the company never gave in to the workers' demands.

hear about

hear about & hears about

hearing about

heard about

heard about

1. hear about p.v. When you hear and learn information about someone or some­thing, you hear about it.

Have you heard about the new Thai restaurant downtown?

I heard about the earthquake on CNN.

pull through

pull through & pulls through

pulling through

pulled through

pulled through

1. pull through p.v. When you recover from a serious illness or injury, you pull through.

The doctor didn't think his chances were very good, but he pulled through.

Erik is very sick, but he's young and strong, so I'm sure he'll pull through.

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Infinitive

present tense

-ing form

past tense

past participle

stay off

stay off & stays off

staying off

stayed off

stayed off

1. stay off p.v. When you stay off something, you don't walk or sit on it.

You kids can play in the living room, but stay off the Persian rug.

What can I do to get my cat to stay off the kitchen counter?

throw up

throw up & throws up

throwing up

threw up

thrown up

1. throw up p.v. When people throw up, they vomit.

Alex was so sick that he threw up all over my shoes.

I feel like I'm going to throw up.

1. throw... up p.v. When something causes small particles of dirt, dust, or a liquid to rise into the air, it throws them up.

Be careful with that chain saw — It'll throw sawdust up in your eyes.

Don't stand too close to the fire; it's throwing up sparks.

EXERCISE 2a Complete the sentences with phrasal verbs from this section. Be sure the phrasal verbs are in the correct tense.

1. Heather calls Tom every day. I have a feeling she's________ ________him.

2. I went to the shoe repair guy because the heel ________ ________ my shoe.

3. I ________ ________ ten minutes after the movie started, and I missed the whole thing.

4. The bride drank too much champagne, and she ________ _______ all over the best man.

5. I needed a car to go to the party, so I told my father I needed his car to go to the library to study, and he ________ ________ it.

6. Uncle Fred's really sick. If he _________ _________, it'll be a miracle.

7. I just shampooed the carpet in the living room, so ________ ________ it.

8. The coup ________ ________ without any bloodshed.

9. I don't care if you beg me all night — I'm not ________ ________!

10. I ________________ your brother's accident last night. Is he all right?

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11. Don't get close to the fire. It's ________ ________ ashes and sparks.

12. Do you really expect me to believe a crazy story like that? ________ ________ it!

EXERCISE 2b Change the sentences to questions using do, does, or did.

Example: Francisco usually dozes off after dinner.

Does Francisco usually doze off after dinner?

  1. The sick boy threw up.

  2. Rosa falls for every boy she meets.

  3. The tops come off easily.

  4. The dog stays off the bed.

5. Erik heard about the new job.

EXERCISE 2c Change the sentences to negatives using do not or don't, does not or doesn't, or did not or didn't.

Example: Francisco dozes off after dinner.

Francisco doesn't doze off after dinner.

1. I always give in to her demands.

2. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor fell for the salesman's promises.

3. These machines throw up sparks.

4. The patient pulled through.

5. The plot come off as planned.

EXERCISE 2d Write answers to the questions using phrasal verbs from this section. Be sure the phrasal verbs are in the correct tense.

1. My mother told me not to walk on the kitchen floor. What did my mother tell me?

2. When Dan saw that new motorcycle, he decided he had to buy it no matter how much it cost. How did Dan feel about the motorcycle?

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3. The students are so tired that they are starting to sleep in class. What are the students doing?

4. Nicole learns about everything that happens in town. What does Nicole do?

5. The meeting didn't happen the way I planned it. What didn't the meeting do?

6. You had an accident after one of the wheels separated from your car. Why did you have an accident?

7. You can ask a thousand times if you want to, but I'm not agreeing to your demands. What am I not doing to your demands?

8. My cousin made a lot of promises to me, and I believed them. How did I react to her promises?

9. Dr. Wood said Ted's disease is very serious, and she doesn't think there's much hope that he'll recover. What doesn't Dr. Wood think?

10. Timmy is very sick, and he was vomiting all night. What was Timmy doing all night?

EXERCISE 2e, Review Complete the sentences with these phrasal verbs from Section 1. Be sure the phrasal verbs are in the correct tense. To check their meanings, review Section 1.

come from

give back

put on

show up

figure out

look for

run into

take off

1. Look what time it is! We have to be at work in fifteen minutes. We'd better ________

_______ right now.

2. I waited for Joe for three hours, but he never ________ ________.

3. The maid ________ ________ the dirty sheets and washed them.

4. I'm ________ ________ a job closer to home.

5. Potatoes originally ________ ________ South America.

6. That's mine! ________ it ________ right now or I'm telling Mom!

7. They were killed when they ________ ________ a truck.

8. The mechanic can't ________ ________ what the problem is with my car.

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3. FOCUS ON: three-word phrasal verbs

Phrasal verbs are not always composed of two words. Three-word phrasal verbs are composed of a verb and two particles: the first particle is normally an adverb, and the second a preposition. Like two-word phrasal verbs, three-word phrasal verbs are either separable or nonseparable:

I know it's been a long day, but do you feel up to playing tennis after dinner?

Jake always went in for fishing when he was a kid. It was nice to meet you, and I look forward to seeing you again.

I'm sorry I can't say yes about the motorcycle, but I have to go along with your mother's decision.

I've put up with these love handles long enough — next week I'm getting liposuction.

Mr. Baker tried to screw his ex-wife out of her share of the lottery prize.

You talk down to me like I'm some kind of idiot. Karen's nervous about the job interview.

She just wants to get it over with so she can stop worrying about it.

Infinitive

present tense

-ing form

past tense

past participle

feel up to

feel up to & feels up to

feeling up to

felt up to

feel up to

1. feel up to p.v. When you feel up to doing something, you have the confidence or energy to do it.

I'm sorry to cancel, but I just don't feel up to going dancing tonight.

The top of the mountain is only 1,000 feet away — do you feel up to it?

get over with

get over with & gets over with

getting over with

got over with

gotten over with

1. get... over with p.v. [always separated] When you want to get something over with, it is because it is something unpleasant that you want to finish so that you can stop worrying about it or dreading it.

Let's fix both cavities today, doctor; I just want to get it over with.

I think it's better to get the exam over with first period than to be nervous about it all day long.

go along with

go along with & goes along with

going along with

went along with

gone along with

1. go along with p.v. When you agree with people or agree with what they are saying, you go along with them.

I understand your concern, Linda, but I have to go along with Maria on this matter.

What's my opinion? I go along with Omar.

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2. go along with p.v. When you obey a rule or follow a decision, you go along with it.

Mrs. Taylor wasn't happy about the committee's decision, but she went along with it anyway.

I don't care what the boss says — I'm not going along with any changes that will mean longer hours for less money.

Infinitive

present tense

-ing form

past tense

past participle

go in for

go in for & goes in for

going in for

went in for

gone in for

1. go in for p.v. When you go in for a certain activity, you like it and do it regularly.

Bryan really goes in for any kind of outdoor activity.

When I was a kid I went in for football, but I don't watch it much anymore.

look forward to

look forward to & looks forward to

looking forward to

looked forward to

looked forward to

1. look forward to p.v. When you look forward to something or look forward to

doing something, you are excited about something in the future because you enjoy it or because it will benefit you in some way.

It's been four years since my brother went overseas. I'm looking forward to seeing him again.

I look forward to an opportunity to meet with you in person.

put up with

put up with & puts up with

putting up with

put up with

put up with

1. put up with p.v. When you put up with something you do not like or are not happy about, you accept it and do not try to change it.

Her neighbors have loud parties every night, but she doesn't complain. She just puts up with it.

My husband said, "I've put up with your brother long enough!"

screw out of

screw out of & screws out of screwing out of

screwed out of

screwed out of

1. screw... out of p.v. [informal] When you get money or something valuable from people in a dishonest way, you screw them out of it.

That con man screwed me out of my life savings.

Their sleazy son-in-law screwed them out of thousands of dollars.

talk down to

talk down to & talks down to

talking down to

talked down to

talked down to

1. talk down to p.v. When you talk down to people, you use a tone of voice or an attitude that shows you think they are less intelligent, less educated, or from a lower level of society than you.

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/ was furious about the way he talked down to me!

Bob hates Jane because of the way she talks down to him.

EXERCISE 3a Complete the sentences with phrasal verbs from this section. Be sure the phrasal verbs are in the correct tense.

1. Thanks for inviting me, but I don't ________ ________ ________ card games.

2. I couldn't ________ ________ ________ my husband's smoking any longer.

I told him to choose between cigarettes and me.

3. I'm sorry, but I think your plan is a big mistake, and I can't ________ ________

________it.

4. Even though Mr. Watson is the richest man in town, he never ________ ________

________ people.

5. It's been only two weeks since the tragedy. I'm sure they don't ________ ________

________ going to the party.

6. If that crook thinks he's going to ________ me ________ ________

500 bucks, he's crazy!

7. The whole family's going to be here for Thanksgiving, and Mom is really ________

________________it.

8. I volunteered to give my speech first just so I could ________ it ________

9. Even if you don't like the rules, you have to ________ ________ ________

them.

EXERCISE 3b Write answers to the questions using phrasal verbs from this section. Be sure the phrasal verbs are in the correct tense.

1. Jerry's brother-in-law talks to him like he's an idiot. How does Jerry's brother-in-law talk to Jerry?

2. Nicole can't work tomorrow, and she's nervous about telling her boss. What should Nicole do?

3. They paid $5,000 too much for their house because the salesman lied to them. What did the salesman do to them?

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4. Sally's going to fly in an airplane for the first time, and she's very excited about it. How does Sally feel about flying in an airplane?

5. The winters in Minneapolis are terrible, but you can't move or change the weather. What do you have to do?

6. Erik just got out of the hospital, and he doesn't feel strong enough to go back to work. Why can't Erik go back to work?

7. I thought the new policy was an excellent idea, and I agreed with it 100 percent. How did I feel about the new policy?

EXERCISE 3c, Review Complete the sentences with these phrasal verbs from Section 2. Be sure the phrasal verbs are in the correct tense. To check their meanings, review Section 2.

come off

fall for

hear about

stay off

doze off

give in

pull through

throw up

1. Miguel told me he didn't steal my TV, but I didn't________________ his lies.

2. Jim is really sick, and he stayed home from school today. He ________ ________

twice last night.

3. After a few weeks, the gold on this cheap jewelry starts to ________ ________.

4. He kept nagging and nagging, and I finally ________ ________.

5. If that cat doesn't learn to ________ ________ the table, it will have to go.

6. After Betty's temperature got up to 105 degrees, we started to think she might not

7. The meeting was so boring that I ________ ________.

8. I _______ ________ a country where people use big stones for money.

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