26. Focus on: phrasal verbs and the adverb back

The adverb back is sometimes used with phrasal verbs to mean again. The follow­ing sentences have the same meaning:

We got together again. We got back together.

Back is always placed directly before the particle. When back is used with separa­ble phrasal verbs, the object must separate the verb and particle, and back must be placed between the object and the particle:

/ put the engine back together. I put back together the engine.

Do not confuse the adverb back, which modifies phrasal verbs, with the particle back that is part of some phrasal verbs (and has the same meaning of again).

get together (with) p.v. When two people get together, they meet and spend time together. When you get together with someone, you meet and spend time with

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that person. When a man and woman resume a relationship after separating, they get back together.

If you're not busy tomorrow night, would you like to get together?

We're going to get together with Bill and Nancy tomorrow.

Judy and Sam had separated, but now they've gotten back together.

get-together n. An informal gathering is a get-together.

I'm having a little get-together tonight. Would you like to come?

2. get... together p.v. When you get things together, you collect them so they are in the same place.

You should get all your tools together so you will have them when you need them.

Linda got all her tax records together to show to her accountant.

3. get... together p.v. [informal] When you get yourself together, or get it together, you gain control of your emotions after you have become upset or emotional.

Bob was very upset before the party, but he got it together before the guests came.

Hey, get yourself together! Everyone is watching you.

1. go over (to) p.v. When people move from where you are to a place, thing, or person that is farther away from you, they go over or go over to that place, thing, or person.

I'm busy. Go over there and stop bothering me.

I was hot, so Maria went over to the window and opened it.

2. go over (to) p.v. When you go to someone's house for a visit, you go over or go over to that person's house.

Have you gone over to Nicole's house to see her new baby yet?

I went over to Erik's for dinner last night.

3. go over p.v. When you carefully read or review important written material, you go over it.

Here's a magazine article I just finished writing. Go over it and tell me what you think.

The actor went over his lines before the audition.

going-over n. When you examine or inspect something carefully, you give it a going-over.

I gave his report a good going-over and found a lot of mistakes.

4. go over p.v. When you carefully explain something, usually something that is complicated but important, you go over it.

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Before the trial Hank and his lawyer went over what Hank was going to say.

No one understood the manager's plan after he explained it, so he went back over it.

5. go over p.v. When an idea, suggestion, or performance is accepted and liked by other people, it goes over.

Senator Dolittle's plan to raise taxes didn't go over with the voters.

The sinaer's performance went over well with the critics.

1. go up (to) p.v. When you move to a higher level or position, or from south to north, you go up or go up to that place. Go down is the opposite of go up.

Suzie came down from her tree house to eat lunch, but she went back up after she finished.

I spend the winters in Mexico, and go up to my home in Ohio in the summer.

2. go up (to) p.v. When the cost, rate, quality, quantity, or level of something increases, it goes up. Go down is the opposite of go up.

The price of gas hasn't gone up in two years.

In the summer the temperature in Saudi Arabia can go up to 125 degrees.

3. go up (to) p.v. When a schedule or plan ends at a certain time or date, the schedule or plan goes up to that time or date.

Do you have the new schedule? This one goes up only to the end of April.

The teacher gave the students a syllabus that went up to the midterm.

4. go up (to) p.v. When something extends to a certain point that is farther north or at a higher elevation, it goes up to that point. Go down is the opposite of go up.

This trail went up to the base camp at the foot of the mountain.

Interstate 5 goes up to Seattle.

5. go up (to) p.v. When you approach a person, you go up to that person.

There's Sarah, Go up and introduce yourself.

Janice isn't shy — she went right up to the president of the company and asked for a raise.

let in on

let in on & lets in on letting In on let in on let in on

1. let... in on p.v. When you tell people information that is secret or not widely known, you let that person in on the information.

General Chambers let me in on the top secret information.

I'm going to let you In on something not many people know about me.

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Infinitive____________________________________________

present tense -ing form past tense past participle