1. Phrasal verbs
We often use with the following verbs:
in up on away round about
over by out off down
back through along over
So you can say – put up – get on – take off.
These are phrasal verbs.

2. We often use out/off/up etc. with verbs of
movement.
• Get on
• Drive off
• Come back
• Turn around

3. But often the second word (out/off/up) gives
a special meaning to the verb.
• Break down
• Look out
• Take off
• Get up
• Get on
• Get by

4. Sometimes a phrasal verb is followed by a
preposition. For example:
• Run away from
• Keep up with
• Look forward to
• Cut down on

6. everyday expressions
Everyday spoken language is full of fixed
expressions that are not necessarily
difficult to understand (their meaning may
be quite 'transparent') but which have a
fixed form which does not change. These
have to be learnt as whole expressions.
These expressions are often hard to find
in dictionaries, so listen out for them.

7. Conversation-building expressions
These are some common expressions that
help to modify or organise what we are
saying. There are many more expressions
like these.

8. expression meaning/functions
•As I was saying. I •takes the conversation
haven’t seen her for ages. back to an earlier point.
•As I/you say, we'll have •repeats and confirms
to get there early to get a something someone has
seat. already said.
•Talking of skiing, •starting a new topic but
whatever happened to Bill linking it to the present
Jakes? one.
•If you ask me, she's •if you want my opinion
heading for trouble. (even if no-one has asked
for it)

9. •That reminds me, I •something in the
haven't rung George yet. conversation reminds
you of something
•Come to think of it, did important.
he give me his number •something in the
after all? I think he may conversation makes you
have forgotten. realise there may be a
problem/query about
something.

10. Key words
Some everyday expressions can be
grouped around key words. This and that,
for example, occur in several expressions:

11. This is it. [this is We talked about
an important this and that, or
point] this, that and
the other.
[various
unimportant
THIS / THAT matters]
That's it. [that's So, that's that,
the last thing, then. [that is
we've finished] agreed, settled,
finalised]

12. Common expressions for modifying
statements
• If the worst comes to the worst, we'll have to
cancel the holiday. [if the situation gets very
bad indeed]
• If all else fails, we could fax them. [if nothing
else succeeds]
• What with one thing and another, I haven't
had time to reply to her letter. [because of a lot
of different circumstances]
• When it comes to restaurants, this town's not
that good. [in the matter of restaurants]

13. • As far as I'm concerned, we can eat at
any time. [as far as it affects me / from my
point of view]
• As luck would have it, she was out when
we called. [as a result of bad luck]

14. Similes - as...as... I like ..
As ... as... similes are easy to understand. If you
see the phrase as dead as a doornail, you don't
need to know what a doornail is, simply that the
whole phrase means 'totally dead'.
• But, remember, fixed similes are not 'neutral';
they are usually informal/colloquial and often
humorous. So, use them with care, and keep
them generally as part of your receptive
vocabulary

15. Creating a picture in your mind can often
help you remember the simile:
• as blind as a bat
• as thin as a rake
• as strong as an ox
• as quiet as a mouse

16. Some can be remembered as pairs of
opposites.
• as heavy as lead z as light as a feather
• as drunk as a lord z as sober as a judge
• as black as night z as white as snow

17. Some can be remembered by sound
patterns.
• as brown as a berry
• as good as gold
• as cool as a cucumber

18. Some other useful as...as... phrases.
• The bed was as hard as iron and I couldn't
sleep.
• I'll give this plant some water. The soil's as
dry as a bone.
• He's as mad as a hatter. He crossed the
Atlantic in a bathtub.
• She told the teacher, as bold as brass,
that his lessons were boring.

19. • You'll have to speak up; he's as deaf as a
post.
• Don't worry. Using the computer's as easy
as falling off a log.
• She knew the answer as quick as a flash.
• When I told him, his face went as red as a
beetroot.

20. Sometimes the second part can
change the meaning of the first.
• The Princess's skin was as white as snow.
[beautifully white]
• When he saw it, his face went as white as a
sheet. [pale with fear/horror]
• The fish was bad and I was as sick as a dog.
[vomiting]
• She ran off with my money; I felt as sick as a
parrot.
[bad feeling of disillusionment/frustration]

21. Like ...
• My plan worked like a dream, and the
problem was soon solved.
• Be careful the boss doesn't see you; she
has eyes like a hawk.
• No wonder he's fat. He eats like a horse
and drinks like a fish.
• Did you sleep well? Yes, thanks, like a log.

22. • Sorry, I forgot to ring him again. I've got a head
like a sieve!
• The boss is like a bear with a sore head today.
[in a very bad temper]
• She goes around like a bull in a china shop.
[behaving in a very clumsy, insensitive way]
• Criticising the government in his presence is
like a red rag to a bull. [certain to make him
very angry]

23. Binomials
Binomials are expressions (often idiomatic)
where two words are joined by a
conjunction (usually 'and'). The order of
the words is usually fixed. It is best to use
them only in informal situations, with one
or two exceptions.

24. • odds and ends: small, unimportant things,
e.g. Let's get the main things packed; we
can do the odds and ends later.
• give and take: a spirit of compromise, e.g.
Every relationship needs a bit of give and
take to be successful.

25. You can often tell something is a
binomial because of the sound pattern.
• Tears are part and parcel of growing up.
[part of / belong to]
• The boss was ranting and raving at us.
[shouting / very angry]
• The old cottage has gone to rack and ruin.
[ruined / decayed]

26. • He's so prim and proper at work. [rather
formal and fussy]
• The hotel was a bit rough and ready.
[poor standard]
• She has to wine and dine important
clients. [entertain]

27. Other times, the clue is that the words
are near-synonyms.
• You can pick and choose; it's up to you.
[have a wide choice]
• My English is progressing in leaps and
bounds. [big jumps]

28. • It's nice to have some peace and quiet.
[peace/calm]
• The doctor recommended some rest and
recreation. [relaxation]
• First and foremost, you must work hard.
[first / most importantly]

29. Many grammar words combine to form
binomials.
• There are cafes here and there. [scattered
round]
• We've had meetings on and off. [occasionally]
• I've been running back and forth all day. [to
and from somewhere]

30. To and fro can be used just like back and
forth.
• He is unemployed and down and out.
[without a home or money]
• She's better now, and out and about
again. [going out]
• She ran up and down the street. [in both
directions]

31. Your language probably has many binomials.
Make sure those which look similar in English
have the same word order as your language.
These four are very neutral binomials and can
be used in formal or informal situations. Try
translating them.
• A black and white film, please.
• Ladies and gentlemen, your attention, please!
• She ran back and forth.
• There was hot and cold water in every room.

32. Binomials linked by words other than
and.
• You've got your sweater on back to front.
[the wrong way]
• He won't help her; she'll have to sink or
swim. [survive or fail]
• Slowly but surely, I realised the boat was
sinking. [gradually]
• Sooner or later, you'll learn your lesson.
[some time / day]

33. • She didn't want to be just friends; it had to
be all or nothing.
• Well I'm sorry, that's all I can offer you;
take it or leave it.
• It's about the same distance as from here
to Dublin, give or take a few miles.
[perhaps a mile or two more, or a mile or
two less]

34. Idioms connected with problematic
situations
idiom literal phrase
to be in a fix = be in difficulty
to be in a tight corner = be in a situation that
is hard to get out of
to be in a muddle = be confused/mixed
up
(these three go together as all having be +
in + a)

35. Reacting in situations
Two pairs of more or less opposite idioms.
• to take a back seat [not do anything; let
others act instead]
z
to take the bull by the horns [act positively to
face and attack the problem]

36. • to keep one's cards close to one's chest
[hold back information]
z
to lay one's cards on the table [be very
open, state exactly what your position is]

37. Idioms related to situations based
on get
• This has to be done by next week; we must get
our act together before it's too late.
[organise ourselves to respond; informal]
• We need a proper investigation to get to the
bottom of things.
[find the true explanation for the state of affairs]
• It's quite difficult to get people to sit up and
take notice.
[make them pay attention]
• I'm trying to get a grasp of what's happening;
it's not easy.
[find out / understand]

38. Changes and stages in situations
• The tide has turned for us; better days are
ahead
• We can see light at the end of the tunnel
at last.

39. • I'm afraid we've just come to a dead end
with our plans.
• I think I've reached a turning-point in my
career.

40. Some idioms connected with easing
the situation
• The government and the unions have
buried the hatchet for the time being.
[made peace / stopped fighting each
other]
• All that trouble last year was just swept
under the carpet in the end. [ignored
/deliberately forgotten, without solving it]
• You should say sorry. It would go a long
way. [would help a lot]

41. Expressions with do and make
The next seven units deal with phrasal verbs and
other expressions based on common verbs.
Phrasal verbs are basic verbs which can combine
with different prepositions (or particles) to
make verbs with completely new - and often
unguessable - meanings. Phrasal verbs are
used more in speaking than in writing. There is
almost always a more formal way of conveying
the same idea. In this unit we look at phrasal verbs
formed from do and make.

42. phrasal verb meaning
do with need, want
do without manage without
do away with abolish
do out of prevent from having (by deceit)

43. phrasal verb Meaning
make for move in the direction of
make of think (opinion)
make off leave hurriedly
make up for compensate for
make up to be nice to in order to get s.t.

44. • Some phrasal verbs have a number of different
meanings; do up can mean not only 'fasten‘ but
also 'renovate' and 'put into a bundle'.
• Similarly, make out can mean 'claim', 'manage to
see' and 'understand' as well as 'write' or
'complete'; make up can mean 'compose' or
'invent'; it can also mean 'constitute' or 'form', 'put
cosmetics on', 'prepare by mixing together
various ingredients' and 'make something more
numerous or complete'.

45. There are a lot of other common
expressions based on do and make.
You do: the housework / some gardening /
the washing-up / homework / your best /
the shopping /the cooking / business with ...,
and so on.

46. You make: arrangements / an agreement / a
suggestion / a decision / a cup of tea / war /
an attempt / a phone call / the best of.. . / an
effort / an excuse / a mistake / a bed / a profit / a
loss / love / the most of / a noise / a good or bad
impression / a success of ... / a point of ... /
allowances for ... / a gesture / a face / fun of ... /
a fuss of ... / a go (a success) of ..., and so on.

47. The more collocations with do and make
you learn, the more you will get a 'feel' for
the
difference between the two verbs.

48. Expressions with bring and take
Here are some common phrasal verbs with
bring. Each is exemplified in a typical
spoken sentence and a more formal
equivalent is provided in brackets.

49. • I was brought up in the country. [raise]
• Don't give up. I'm sure you'll bring it off.
[succeed]
• Cold winds always bring on her cough. [cause
to start]
• The strike brought about a change of
government. [cause to happen]
• I hope they don't bring back capital
punishment. [re-introduce]

50. Here are some common phrasal verbs
with take.
• Doesn't he take after his father! [resemble]
• I wish I could take back what I said to her.
[withdraw]
• I find it very hard to take in his lectures.
[absorb, understand]
• She was completely taken in by him. [deceive]
• Sales have really taken off now. [start to
improve]

51. • The plane took off two hours late. [left the
ground]
• She's very good at taking off her teacher.
[imitate]
• We'll have to take on more staff if we're to take
on more work. [employ; undertake]
• She took to him at once. [form an immediate
liking for]
• When did you take up golf? [start (a hobby)]

52. Here are some other common idioms
with bring and take.
• The new regulations will be brought into force
in May ... [become law]
• His research brought some very interesting
facts to light. [revealed]
• Matters were brought to a head when Pat was
sacked. [reached a point where changes had to
be made]
• It's better that everything should be brought into
the open. [made public]

53. • His new girlfriend has really brought out the
best in him. [been good for him]
• Don't let him take advantage of you. [unfairly
use superiority]
• After 20 years of marriage they take each other
for granted. [don't appreciate each other's
qualities]
• I took it for granted you'd come. [assumed]
• She immediately took control of the situation.
[started organising]
• His words took my breath away. [surprised]

54. • She loves taking care of small children. [looking
after, caring for]
• We took part in a demonstration last Saturday.
[participated]
• The story takes place in Mexico. [happens]
• He doesn't seem to take pride in his work.
[draw satisfaction from]
• Mother always takes everything in her stride.
[copes calmly]

55. Expressions with get
Get seems to be used all the time in spoken
English. It has the following basic meanings:
• receive, obtain or buy something, e.g. Please
get me a newspaper when you're in town;I got a
letter from John today; She got top marks in her
exam.
• show a change in position -move or be moved,
e.g. How are you getting home tonight?
• show a change in state - become or make, e.g.
We are all getting older if not wiser.

56. Get also has a number of other more
specific meanings.
• It's my turn to get dinner tonight. [prepare
a meal]
• I don't get it. Why did he speak like that?
[understand]
• His behaviour really gets me at times.
[annoy]

57. phrasal verb meaning
get at reach, find
get away with do something wrong without
being caught
get behind fail to produce something
at the right time
get by manage (financially)
get down depress
get down to begin to give serious
attention to
get on manage

58. get on advance, develop
get out of avoid a responsibility
get over recover from
get round spread
get through come to a successful end
get through use up all of
• get up to to do (especially something bad)

59. Here are some other expressions
based on get.
You seem to have got out of bed on the wrong side
today. [be in a bad mood]
• The meeting got off to a good had start with JR'S
speech. [started well/badly]
• I'm organising a little get-together. I hope you can
come. [informal meeting/party]
• When their relationship ended he got rid of everything
that reminded him of her. [threw away, destroyed]
• I'm going to get my own back on her somehow. [take
my revenge]