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When you’re passionate about expressing yourself in English but your vocabulary isn’t in support of your passion 😅😅😅😅

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New Scientist International Edition – 12 October 2024

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10 Common Phrasal Verbs (with Meanings and Examples)

1. Back [x] up
- Meaning: To support or defend someone.
- Example: When the class was making fun of me, only the teacher backed me up.

2. Break down
- Meaning: To stop working, especially in reference to machines.
- Example: The ice cream machine at McDonald’s often breaks down.

3. Call around
- Meaning: To contact multiple people.
- Example: Roy called around to find a nearby mechanic.

4. Call [x] off
- Meaning: To cancel a planned event.
- Example: We called off the party.

5. Calm down
- Meaning: To relax after an energetic or irritated state.
- Example: I need a few minutes to calm down after that match.

6. Check [x] out
- Meaning: To examine a person or thing; can also mean to show interest in someone romantically or sexually.
- Example: I’ll check out the contract before signing it.

7. Cheer [x] up
- Meaning: To make someone happy, especially if they were previously sad.
- Example: Reading always cheers me up on a rainy day.

8. Clean up
- Meaning 1: To be extremely successful in an endeavor such as business, sports, or gambling.
- Example: Our hockey team cleaned up at the tournament and went home undefeated.
- Meaning 2: To stop engaging in questionable behavior, such as consuming drugs or alcohol.
- Example: Her boss said she had to either clean up or find a new job.

9. Clean [x] up
- Meaning: To tidy an area.
- Example: John cleaned up the living room.

10. Come around
- Meaning: To change one’s opinion or see a new point of view.
- Example: I never liked seafood, but I came around after trying fried calamari.

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Expressing Ability, Permission, and Obligation

1. Be Able to
- Example: "From tomorrow, we won't be able to park in this street."
- Usage: "Be able to" is often used to express the possibility or ability to do something in the future.

2. Be Allowed to and Be Permitted to
- Examples:
- "You're not allowed to smoke in any public buildings in our country."
- "It is not permitted to take phones into the exam room."
- Usage: Both "be allowed to" and "be permitted to" indicate permission. They are often used in formal contexts, with "permitted to" typically used in official notices or legal language.

3. Be Supposed to / Be Meant to
- Examples:
- "We are supposed to check out by 12:00. What's the time now?"
- "You aren't supposed to park here; it's reserved for teachers."
- Usage: "Be supposed to" or "be meant to" indicate what is expected of someone, often due to rules or obligations. There's usually an implication that these rules may not always be followed:
- "Students are not supposed to have guests after 12:00, but everyone does."

Key Points

1. Alternatives to "Can":
- Instead of using "can," the structure "person + be able to" or "be allowed to + infinitive" can be used to discuss abilities and permissions.

2. Formal Situations:
- The phrase "it + be permitted to + infinitive" is often used in formal contexts, such as signs or official announcements, to indicate what is allowed or not allowed. For example: "It is not permitted to take phones into the exam room."
- It's essential to note that "it isn't allowed to..." is incorrect; the correct form is "it is not permitted to..."

3. Indicating Expectations:
- "Be supposed to" or "be meant to" can convey expectations or rules about behavior. However, these expressions often suggest that the rules may be ignored or not strictly adhered to.

Summary

In summary, the phrases "be able to," "be allowed to," "be permitted to," and "be supposed / meant to" are useful for expressing ability, permission, and obligations. Understanding their nuances helps communicate effectively regarding what is possible, permitted, and expected.

Modal Verbs: Permission, Obligation, and Necessity

1. Permission

- Can / Could:
- "Can I use your phone? My battery seems to have died."

- May I...?:
- This is a more formal way to ask for permission. For example, "May I use your phone?"

2. Obligation

- Must:
- "If you want to apply for this job, you must be able to speak Spanish."

- Should / Ought to:
- "We should drive; it’ll be much quicker."
- "We ought to drive; it’ll be much quicker."

- Had Better:
- This phrase conveys stronger advice or warnings, often referring to the immediate future.
- "You’d better post the parcels today, or they won't get there in time."
- The negative form is had better not, not "hadn't better".

3. Necessity

- Mustn't vs. Don't Have To:
- Mustn't: Used to express an obligation not to do something.
- "You mustn't take photos during the performance."
- Don't Have To: Indicates the absence of obligation.
- "You don't have to tip here unless you think the service was especially good."

4. Understanding "Need"

- Need / Don't Need + to + Infinitive:
- "You usually need to check in at least two hours before a flight leaves."
- "You don't need to take a jacket; it's going to be hot today."

- Needn't:
- Used to indicate something is unnecessary.
- "We needn't lock the car; nobody will steal it in this village."

5. Expressing Past Necessity

- Needn't Have + Past Participle / Didn't Need To + Infinitive:
- When something was not necessary, but you did it:
- "We needn't have booked; the restaurant is empty!"
- When something was not necessary, and you did not do it:
- "We didn't need to book."
- Comparing the two:
- "We didn't need to book." (It wasn't necessary; we may or may not have booked.)
- "We needn't have booked." (We booked, but it wasn't necessary.)

Summary

In summary, the most common modal verbs for expressing permission and obligation are can / could, must, and should / ought to. Understanding the nuances of these modals, along with need, allows for clearer communication about necessity, obligation, and permission.

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#English_Phrasal_Verbs_in_Use
#Advanced

Phrasal verbs are verbs which have a main verb and a particle which, together, create one meaning (e.g. you look for something you have lost; an adult looks after a child). You will come across a great many phrasal verbs when you listen to and read English, so it is important to learn about their meanings and about how they are used. There are over 5,000 phrasal verbs in English, but the English Phrasal Verbs in Use books focus on the ones you need to know for everyday spoken and written communication in English.

Each book provides explanations and practice of approximately 1,000 phrasal verbs, with two levels available: intermediate (B1-B2) and advanced (C1-C2). Perfect for both self-study and classroom activities.

English Grammar in Use - 5th Edition - Raymond Murphy

https://englishwithisaac.ghost.io/adjectives-and-adverbs/

https://englishwithisaac.ghost.io/speculations-and-deductions-in-english/

https://englishwithisaac.ghost.io/understanding-gerunds-and-infinitives/