Phrsall PDF

Phrasal Verbs in Conversation Course
Welcome to the Phrasal Verbs Course!
Phrasal verbs are no different from any other vocabulary words. However,
students often find them difficult because they study lists, for example, "10
phrasal verbs with GET" - trying to memorize the differences between "get off,"
"get up," "get out," etc.
This isn't the best way, in my opinion - it just causes more confusion, because all
the phrasal verbs seem so similar!
A better way is to learn phrasal verbs in context. That's how native speakers
learn - for example, if every morning when I was a child, my mother said to me,
"Shayna, time to get up!" - then I learn from the situation that "get up" means
"leave the bed."
That's why I created the Phrasal Verbs in Conversation course. It will teach you
phrasal verbs through dialogues, so that you can better understand (and
remember) each phrasal verb from the context and situation in which it is used.
One very important tip for remembering phrasal verbs is to use them in your
own English – so this course contains both quizzes to help you practice and
writing exercises that encourage you to form your own sentences using the
phrasal verbs. You can send me your sentences if you’d like to get correction or
feedback.
Good luck with your learning, and I hope you enjoy the course!
Shayna Oliveira
English Teacher, www.EspressoEnglish.net
help@espressoenglish.net
www.espressoenglish.net
© Shayna Oliveira 2013
Lesson 1:
Phrasal Verbs for Romantic Relationships
Read and listen to the dialog
Emily: Who was that guy you were talking to at the bar? It looked like he was
hitting on you.
Sarah: Yeah, we struck up a conversation, and eventually he asked me out. I gave

him my number, but I’m not sure if I’ll actually go out with him.
Emily: Oh? How come?
Sarah: He’s nice, but I just don’t feel like we have much chemistry – so I don’t want
to lead him on.
Emily: Well, don’t be too quick to judge. My last boyfriend and I didn’t hit it off
right away – I only started to fall for him after we went out a few times and I got to
know him better. We were together for 3 years.
Sarah: So why’d you split up? (If you don’t mind my asking)
Emily: Not at all. We just started to drift apart – different interests, different plans
for the future. The breakup was mutual.
Sarah: Ah, that’s great. My last relationship was a nightmare – I hooked up with a
guy at a New Year’s party and we were together for six months – but we were
constantly fighting and making up. I don’t know how I put up with him for so long.
Emily: How’d it end?
Sarah: He cheated on me – I caught him making out with his ex. He begged me for
another chance, but I know he was just trying to jerk me around – so I said no.
Emily: Ugh! Good for you.
Sarah: Heh, thanks. So how about you – are you going out with anyone at the
moment?
Emily: Oh, I’ve gone on a few dates here and there, but nothing serious. To be
honest, I’m not really interested in settling down just yet – I’m enjoying the single
life too much!
Explanation
Let’s learn the phrasal verbs from the dialog.
First, Emily says it looked like the guy was hitting on Sarah. To hit on someone is to
say or do things that demonstrate romantic or sexual interest in that person. It’s
usually a combination of comments and gestures as well as the way you look at the
other person. Another way to say this is that the guy was flirting with Sarah.
Sarah says the guy asked her out – to ask someone out is to invite the person to go
on a date (a romantic encounter). We often say “asked her out for…” and then the
activity:
- He asked her out for lunch / dinner.

- He asked her out for coffee.
- He asked her out for drinks.
- He asked her out for a movie.
Sarah then says she’s not sure if she likes the guy, and she doesn’t want to lead him
on – this means to provide false hope or expectation to the other person. So if she
pretended to be romantically interested even though she really wasn’t, this would
be leading him on.
Emily then says that she and her last boyfriend didn’t hit it off right away – this
means they didn’t have a special connection immediately. If you hit it off with
someone, it means you like each other and you have great social connection from
the first moment you meet.
However, with time she began to fall for him – the phrasal verb “fall for” means “fall
in love with.”
Sarah then asks why Emily and her last boyfriend split up – this means to separate,
to end the romantic relationship. You can say split up or break up – and breakup
can also be used as a noun. Emily says that the breakup was because she and her
boyfriend drifted apart – this means they slowly started to go in different
directions over time.
Sarah’s last relationship was a nightmare (which means it was really terrible). It
started when she hooked up with someone at a party. The phrasal verb hook up
with someone can be used as a slang expression meaning to have sex with that
person, especially someone you just met, or someone you only stay with for one
night.
However, in Sarah’s case she stayed with the boyfriend for six months, when they
were constantly fighting and making up – that means reconciling and restoring
peace in the relationship after a fight. It was a difficult relationship, and Sarah says
she doesn’t know how she put up with him for so long. The phrasal verb “put up
with” someone means to tolerate a difficult, annoying, or unpleasant person.
The relationship ended when the boyfriend cheated on Sarah – that means he was
kissing or having sex with another woman. Sarah discovered him making out with
his ex-girlfriend (kissing her very passionately).
The boyfriend wanted another chance with Sarah, but Sarah knew he was trying to
jerk her around – that means to manipulate her or use her for his own advantage –
so she broke up with him (ended the relationship).
Sarah asks Emily if Emily is going out with anyone at the moment. The phrasal verb
go out with can mean to go out on a date with someone once, or it can mean to be in
a relationship for an extended period of time. In this second case, we usually use it
in the present continuous – so Sarah is asking if Emily is currently in a relationship.
Emily says she isn’t in a serious relationship because she’s not interested in settling
down yet – in this context, settle down means to be in a long-term stable
relationship (for example, getting married and having kids, and living a “typical”
family life).
You’ve now learned 16 phrasal verbs about romantic relationships – but wait!
It’s time for the most important part, which is to practice what you’ve learned.
Scroll down to the bottom of this lesson and take the quiz to test how well you
remember the phrasal verbs. Then do the writing exercise, where you can practice
using the phrasal verbs in your own sentences.
If you’re already registered for the course, you’ll get the next lesson tomorrow. If
you’re not yet registered, you can click here to join the course and get 29 more
lessons on Phrasal Verbs in Conversation.
Thanks for watching and I’ll talk to you tomorrow.
Phrasal Verb Definition in Context

hit on someone demonstrate romantic / sexual interest
ask someone out invite someone for a date (a romantic encounter)
lead someone on give the person false hope or expectations about the
relationship
hit it off with someone have a great connection from the first moment you
meet the person
fall for someone fall in love with the person
split up / break up separate, end the relationship
drift apart slowly go in different directions over time
hook up with (slang) have sex with
make up reconcile after a fight
put up with someone tolerate a difficult, annoying, or unpleasant person
cheat on someone kiss or have sex with another person
(who is not your husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend)
make out with someone kiss the person very passionately
jerk someone around manipulate the person or use them for your own
advantage
go out with someone 1) go on a date with the person once
2) be in a relationship with the person
settle down be in a long-term stable relationship
Lesson 1 Quiz
Question 1
I ___________ my last girlfriend because she wanted kids and I didn't.
A broke up with
B fell for
C put up with
Question 2
My best friend really ____________ my cousin - after I introduced them, they spent
hours and hours talking.
A cheated on
B drifted apart
C hit it off with
Question 3
My husband and I always __________ pretty fast after an argument - we don't stay
angry at each other for very long.
A lead on
B jerk around
C make up
Question 4
I think I'm ____________ my co-worker - what should I do? Should I tell him how I feel,
or just keep quiet?
A hooking up with
B falling for
C asking out
Question 5
My girlfriend is constantly late - it's annoying, but I love her so I _______________ it.
A hit on
B make out with
C put up with
Question 6
Vanessa was furious when she found out that her husband had been ______________
her with her sister.
A cheating on
B going out with
C settling down
Question 7
Barbara and I __________ a few times, but it never really went anywhere - we're just
not very compatible.
A asked out
B broke up
C went out
Question 8
I was very uncomfortable when my friend's father started _________________. He's 30

years older than me - and married.
A hitting on me
B putting up with me
C jerking me around
Question 9
Samuel likes to brag about how many women he's _____________.
A asked out
B hooked up with
C hit off
Question 10
I've been traveling around the world for the past few years, but I'm starting to think
about ____________ in one place.
A drifting apart
B making out
C settling down
Writing Exercises
How to get the most benefit from these exercises:
Try to use the phrasal verb in your answer!
For example, question #2 asks “Who is a person that you really hit it off with?”
Don’t just answer, “My friend Nathan.”
Instead, say (or write) – “I really hit it off with my friend Nathan – we met at a
baseball game and discovered we had a lot in common.”
Why? Because actually using the phrasal verb will help you remember it better.
1. Write about a time when someone was hitting on you. How did you react?
2. Who is a person that you really hit it off with?
3. How did your previous relationship end – why did you break up?
4. What should a couple do if they begin to drift apart, but they want to save the
relationship?
5. What is one thing (or one type of person) that you will NOT put up with in a
relationship?
6. Do you think it’s possible to save a relationship after one person cheats on
the other?
7. At the moment, are you enjoying the single life, or are you interested in
settling down? (Or have you already settled down?)
Want to get corrections? E-mail me your answers!
Answers – Quiz 1
1) A
2) C
3) C
4) B
5) C
6) A
7) C
8) A
9) B
10) C
Lesson 2:
Phrasal Verbs for Emotions
Read and listen to the dialog
Matt: Hey Jane – what’s the matter?
Jane: It was a rough day at work – the boss blew up at me when I told him I hadn’t
finished a project on time. He said I was lazy, unreliable, and that I had really let
him down.
Matt: Sorry to hear that.
Jane: What really pisses me off is that there were legitimate reasons for the delay,
but he didn’t even let me explain. He just yelled at me for a solid 20 minutes before
he finally calmed down. I was so shaken up that I left early to try and pull myself
together.
Matt: Aw, I feel for you. I’ve worked with a number of people who flip out when
something doesn’t go exactly according to plan.
Jane: How do you cope with co-workers like that?
Matt: Try not to let their comments get to you. Remember that some people lash
out at others when they’re under a lot of pressure.
Jane: True. I’m dreading going to work tomorrow, though – my boss is probably still
fuming about the whole situation.
Matt: Don’t fret about it – just do your best work in the future, and he’ll eventually
get over this one incident.
Jane: I hope so.
Matt: Hey, I know what’ll help cheer you up – how about seeing that new comedy
movie everyone’s been raving about?
Jane: Oh, my sister saw that the other day and loved it – she said she was cracking
up the entire time. Let’s definitely go!
Explanation
Let’s learn the phrasal verbs from the dialog.
Jane says her boss blew up – the phrasal verb blow up can be used for explosions,
like the explosion of a bomb. But in this context, it means that her boss “exploded” in
anger. We can also say blow up at (someone) to identify the person at whom the
anger is directed – so in this case, the boss blew up at Jane.
Jane’s boss said that she let him down. The phrasal verb “let someone down” means
to disappoint someone.
The fact that the boss didn’t let Jane explain the situation pisses her off. If
something pisses you off, it means that it REALLY annoys or upsets you (or makes
you angry). However, this phrasal verb can be a little bit offensive – so a more polite
alternative is tick off.
Both of these phrasal verbs can also be used as adjectives – with a form of the verb
TO BE – to describe a person who is angry:
She’s really pissed off.

She’s really ticked off.
She’s really angry.
After 20 minutes, Jane’s boss finally calmed down – this means to become calm and
relaxed after being angry or upset. However, Jane was shaken up – this means
upset or emotionally unstable. People often feel “shaken up” after an accident or a
major, shocking event.
She left work early to try to pull herself together – this means to stabilize and
organize her thoughts and emotions. We always use this phrasal verb with a
reflexive pronoun like myself, yourself, herself, etc.
Matt says he feels for Jane – this means he can empathize or sympathize with her;
in other words, he understands how she’s feeling, and he’s sorry that she’s feeling
bad. He has also worked with colleagues who flip out – that means get very upset or
agitated – when things go wrong. Another phrasal verb for this is freak out.
Jane then asks how to cope with difficult coworkers – to cope with something is to
endure or tolerate a difficult person or situation. It is similar to the phrasal verb put
up with from the last lesson, except that put up with can only be used for annoying
situations, whereas cope with can be used for annoying OR tragic situations. (For
example, coping with the death of a loved one).
Matt tells Jane, “Try not to let their comments get to you.” If something “gets to you,”
it means it disturbs you or affects you emotionally in a negative way.
He also reminds her that some people lash out at others – to lash out means to give
a sudden, angry verbal attack. People often lash out when they are feeling defensive
or when they are having a bad or stressful day.
Jane is worried about the next day at work, because she thinks her boss is still
fuming about the situation. To fume about something means to stay angry for an
extended period of time.
But Matt advises her not to fret about it – fret about means to worry. He tells her
that with time, her boss will get over the incident. To “get over” something means to
recover from it.
Matt then suggests something to cheer Jane up – that means make her happier. He
wants to go to a movie that people have been raving about – that means saying lots
of excellent things about it.
Jane says her sister was cracking up when she saw the movie – to crack up means
to start laughing – so Jane agrees to go to the movie.
You’ve now learned 17 phrasal verbs about emotions. Continue to the quiz and
writing exercises to put these phrasal verbs into practice – and log in tomorrow for
Lesson 3.
Phrasal Verb Definition
blow up “Explode” in anger
let (someone) down Disappoint someone
piss (someone) off Make the person angry
tick (someone) off
calm down Become calm / relaxed again after being very angry or upset
shaken up Upset, agitated, emotionally unstable
pull (oneself) Stabilize and organize your thoughts and emotions
together
feel for (someone) Empathize or sympathize with the person
flip out / freak out Get very upset or agitated
cope with Endure or tolerate an annoying, difficult, or tragic person or
(someone / situation
something)
get to (someone) Disturb the person, affect them emotionally in a negative way
lash out Give a sudden, angry, verbal attack
(often when feeling defensive or stressed)
fume about Stay angry about something for an extended period of time
(something)
fret about Worry about it
(something)
get over Recover from it
(something)
cheer (someone) up Make a sad person happier
rave about Say lots of excellent things about it
(something)
crack up Start laughing
Quiz: Lesson 2
Question 1
The whole class __________ when the teacher spilled coffee all over her desk.
A fretted about it
B cracked up
C calmed down
Question 2
My parents expected me to be a doctor or lawyer. When I chose a career in writing, I

felt like I had ____________.
A gotten over them
B shaken them up
C let them down
Question 3
I don't need a lot of money to be happy, but constantly wondering if we're going to
have enough to pay the bills is starting to __________.
A get to me
B blow up at me
C cope with me
Question 4
My teenage daughter always spends an hour ____________ her clothes and makeup in
the morning. It's a challenge to get her to school on time!
A flipping out
B fretting about
C raving about
Question 5
He doesn't handle criticism very well. All I did was make one small suggestion about
how his work could be improved, and he _________ me.
A fumed about
B lashed out at
C shaken up
Question 6
A drunk driver lost control of his car and crashed into a tree right in front of our
house. Luckily no one was hurt, but we were all pretty ____________.
A cracked up
B blown up
C shaken up
Question 7
After our family dog died, it took my kids a long time to __________ it.
A get over
B fret about
C tick off
Question 8
Joanna was upset that she didn't get into the university she wanted, but she
__________ when she received a full scholarship to another excellent school
A cheered up
B freaked out
C let down
Question 9
He joined a support group to help him _________ his cancer diagnosis.
A feel for
B cope with
C lash out at
Question 10
Playing classical music helps my baby __________ when he's crying.
A calm down
B get over
C get to him
Writing Exercises
1. When was the last time someone let you down?
(Or: when you let someone down?)
2. Describe a time when you were pissed off. What made you angry? How long
did it take for you to calm down?
3. Have you ever felt shaken up?
4. What’s one thing that you fret about (even though you know you shouldn’t)?
5. If your husband, wife, or best friend was depressed, what would you do to
cheer him/her up?
6. Describe a funny situation that made you crack up.
7. Do you usually fume about things that go wrong, or do you get over them
quickly? Talk about one situation you fumed about, and another situation
when you got over the problem quickly.
Want to get corrections? E-mail me your answers.
Answers – Quiz 2
1. B 4. B 7. A 10. A
2. C 5. B 8. A
3. A 6. C 9. B
Lesson 3:
Phrasal Verbs for Social Situations
Read and listen to the dialog.
Erin: You missed out on a great party at Melissa’s place last night! Why didn’t you
go?
Rachel: I wasn’t really up for it. I mean, I get along with Melissa pretty well – but I
don’t feel like I fit in with her friends. They’re mostly artists and designers and I’m
clueless about art – so it’s hard to find much in common. Not to mention Melissa’s
parties tend to go until 4 in the morning.
Erin: Well, you could have stopped in for a little while and then slipped out before
it got too late. Melissa was wondering where you were.
Rachel: Really? Hmm, I hope it didn’t come across as rude that I didn’t call to let
her know I wasn’t coming.
Erin: Nah, don’t worry – she was just curious; she doesn’t think you blew her off or
anything.
Rachel: That’s good. Did I tell you about the last time I went to one of Melissa’s
parties? She told me it was a costume party, so I showed up in a clown suit – but she
had actually invited everybody over to LOOK AT the new costumes she had designed
for a play.
Erin: So everyone else was dressed normally and you were dressed like a clown? Oh
my god, I would’ve died of embarrassment.
Rachel: I don’t think I’ll ever live it down. Some of her friends still rag me about it
to this day.
Erin: Do you remember David, my friend from college? He was there last night.
Rachel: Of course I remember him; how could I forget a guy who could pass for a
model? I actually bumped into him at the park last week. Apparently he quit his
job?
Erin: He was sick of being ordered around by his manager. I’ve always looked up
to David for his independence, so I’m not surprised that he wasn’t cut out for a
corporate job.
Rachel: Anyway, I’ve gotta head out – I’m meeting up with Barry in half an hour.
We’re going to Best Buy to check out their electronics sale.
Erin: Oh, can I tag along? I’m actually in the market for a new digital camera.
Rachel: Sure!
Explanation
Erin says that Rachel missed out on a great party. If you “miss out on” something, it
means that you didn’t go to something that was good, or you didn’t take a good
opportunity.
Rachel says she wasn’t up for it. This expression means that she didn’t want to go
the party, or she didn’t have the energy to go. Although Rachel gets along with
Melissa (she has a good relationship with Melissa), she doesn’t fit in with Melissa’s
friends. To “fit in” means to be similar or compatible to the social group. Rachel
doesn’t fit in because Melissa’s friends are artists, and Rachel knows nothing about
art.
Erin then says Rachel could have stopped in – to “stop in” means to make a short
visit. You can also say “stop by,” “drop by,” or “pop in” to describe a quick visit. If she
didn’t want to stay long at the party, she could have slipped out – this means leave
quietly, without attracting attention.
Rachel didn’t call Melissa to tell her she wasn’t coming, and she hopes this didn’t
come across as rude – the phrasal verb “come across” means to give an impression.
But Erin tells her not to worry, because Melissa doesn’t think that Rachel blew her
off – to blow someone off means to rudely ignore the person.
Rachel says that the last time she went to one of Melissa’s parties, she showed up
(appeared or arrived) in a clown suit because she thought it was a costume party.
Unfortunately, everyone else was wearing normal clothes. It was embarrassing, and
Rachel thinks she’ll never live it down (recover from an embarrassing incident, as
other people eventually forget about it). Some of Melissa’s friends still rag her
about it – that means they tease her and make joking comments about that
situation.
Erin asks Rachel if she remembers David, who was at the party. Rachel says David
could pass for a model. This means he looks like a model (even though he isn’t one).
“Pass for” is also often used for ages: for example, “He’s 40, but he could easily pass
for 30.” – it means he looks younger than he really is, and people could believe he’s
30 years old.
Rachel bumped into David at the park. To “bump into” or “run into” someone
means to meet them unexpectedly.
David quit his job because he didn’t like being ordered around. To “order someone
around” or “boss someone around” means to constantly give them orders and
commands telling them what to do and trying to control them. It’s usually seen as a
negative thing, for example: “I hated my older sister when we were kids, because
she always bossed me around.”
Erin says she looks up to David for his independence – this means she admires and
respects him. Because of his independence, he’s not cut out for a typical corporate
job. If you’re “not cut out for” something, it means the activity is not compatible to
your personality or abilities.
Rachel then says she needs to head out – this is an informal way to say she needs to
leave. The phrasal verb take off is also used in this informal way: “We’re gonna take
off” means “We’re going to leave.”
She’s going to meet up with Barry and go to an electronics store. We use the
phrasal verb “meet up with” to mean encounter a person at a particular time or
place.
Erin asks if she can tag along – to “tag along” or “come along” means to accompany
somebody when they go somewhere.
Now you know 19 more phrasal verbs that can be used when talking about social
situations. Try the quiz and the writing exercises to practice – and log in tomorrow
for Lesson 4.
miss out on (something) not go to something that was good; not take a good
opportunity
not be up for (something) not want to do it / not have the energy to do it
get along with (someone) have a good relationship with the person
fit in be similar or compatible with a group
stop in / stop by / drop by make a short visit
slip out leave quietly, without attracting attention
come across give an impression
blow (someone) off rudely ignore the person
show up appear or arrive
live (something) down recover from the shame / embarrassment of a
situation, as people eventually forget it
rag (someone) about tease the person, make joking comments to the
(something) person about the situation
pass for look like, so that other people could believe it
bump into / run into meet someone unexpectedly
order (someone) around / give the person orders/commands, constantly telling
boss (someone) around them what to do and trying to control them
look up to (someone) admire the person
look up to (someone) for
(character trait)
not be cut out for (an the activity doesn’t match your personality or abilities
activity)
head out / take off leave (informal)
meet up with (someone) encounter a person at a particular time or place
tag along / come along accompany a person when they go somewhere
Quiz – Lesson 3
Question 1
Mike and I agreed to meet at the cafe at 7 o'clock, but he never ____________. I waited
for an hour and then went home.
A headed out
B showed up
C tagged along
Question 2
I ____________ really well with my dad. I feel like I can talk to him about anything.
A fit in
B get along
C pass for
Question 3
Hold on a minute - I want to say goodbye to Wanda before we __________.
A blow off
B come across
C take off
Question 4
She's so confident that she sometimes ____________ a little arrogant.
A comes across as
B looks up to
C passes for
Question 5
I'm __________ cooking tonight. I'd rather just order a pizza.
A not cut out for
B not going to live down
C not up for
Question 6
He ____________ the meeting to take a phone call.
A ordered around
B slipped out of
C stopped by
Question 7
We're going to drop by the hospital to see how Sheila's doing after her surgery.
Would you like to ___________?
A come across
B come along
C get along
Question 8
I tried to apologize to him for losing the book he lent me, but he just ____________. I
think he's still mad about it.
A blew me off
B bumped into me
C ragged on me
Question 9
On Saturday I _____________ friends for a barbecue at the beach.
A fit in with
B met up with
C missed out on
Question 10
My daughter is very tall for her age. She's 8, but she could ___________ 12.
A be up for
B live down
C pass for
Writing Exercises
1. What’s something you missed out on, that now you wish you had attended?
2. Talk about one person you don’t get along with. Why don’t you get along
with this person?
3. Describe a time when you felt like you didn’t fit in.
4. Has anyone ever blown you off? (Or have you ever blown anyone off?)
5. When was the last time you bumped into someone in a place you didn’t
expect to see them?
6. Talk about a time when someone tried to boss you around. How did you
respond?
7. Describe a person you look up to. What exactly do you admire about this
person?
8. What’s one job or activity you’re just not cut out for?
Answers – Quiz 3
1. B 6. B
2. B 7. B
3. C 8. A
4. A 9. B
5. C 10. C
Lesson 4:
Phrasal Verbs Around the House
Mary: Hi Joanna, it’s Mary. Can I ask you a huge favor?
Joanna: Go right ahead!
Mary: I’m flying into Chicago this Saturday – is there any chance I could stay over at
your place?
Joanna: Of course you can crash with me! I have a roommate now, so the extra
bedroom is occupied – but I can put you up on the couch, if you don’t mind.
Mary: Not at all.
Joanna: Are your kids coming?
Mary: No, their grandparents will be looking after them – so it’s just me. I’ll be
getting in around 2 in the morning, but if you don’t want to stay up, you can leave
the key under the doormat.
Joanna: OK, will do. See you in a few days!
--------------------------------------------
10:30 AM on Saturday morning
Joanna: Good morning! How was your trip?
Mary: Exhausting. It sure felt good to sleep in! My flight was delayed and I got here
around 4 – but you actually left me the wrong key and I was locked out.
Joanna: Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! How’d you get in?
Mary: I knocked on the door until your roommate got up and let me in.
Joanna: Good thing she woke up – I didn’t hear you knocking at all. I was watching
TV upstairs and I must have dozed off.
Mary: So how long have you had a roommate?
Joanna: She moved in last month. I love her company, but she’s a little bit messy.
She never puts things away in the kitchen, and she just tosses her jacket on the
couch instead of hanging it up. I’m starting to get a little tired of picking up after
her.
Mary: My son’s the same way. I finally laid down the law and told him that I was
going to start throwing out his stuff if he didn’t put it away. Hey – what’s that burnt
smell?
Joanna: Oh no! I was heating up some milk for the coffee and it must have boiled
over. Hang on a minute while I go clean that up.
Mary: Need any help?
Joanna: Yeah, why don’t you chop up these vegetables so we can make an omelet?
Mary: OK!
Explanation
When Mary asks if she can request a favor, Joanna responds “Go right ahead!” The
phrasal verb “go ahead” is used to give permission. If you ask someone, “Can I use
your bathroom?” or “Can I open the window?” and they answer, “Go ahead!” it
means “Yes, you can – you have permission.”
Mary asks if she can stay over at Joanna’s house. Stay over and sleep over are used
when you stay at someone’s house overnight. Joanna says, “Of course you can crash
with me!” Crash with is just an informal way to say “stay over at my
house/apartment.”
Joanna then says, “I can put you up on the couch.” To put someone up means to
provide a place for the person to stay.
Mary is coming alone because someone else will be looking after her kids. To look
after someone or something means to take care of it and be responsible for it.
Mary suggests putting the house key under the doormat, since she is arriving at 2
AM and Joanna might not want to stay up (continue awake) so late.
Mary is exhausted after her trip, so she sleeps in – that means to sleep longer than
you usually do. She had a little problem when she arrived – Joanna left the wrong
key, and Mary was locked out – this phrasal verb means when you don’t have the
key to enter a house, building, or car.
Joanna’s roommate woke up (stopped sleeping) when she heard Mary knocking on
the door. She then got up (got out of bed) and let Mary in – that means she opened
the door and permitted Mary to enter.
Joanna said she had dozed off while watching TV upstairs. Doze off or nod off
means to start sleeping.
Unfortunately, Joanna’s roommate is rather disorganized. She never puts things

away – that means to put them in their correct place. Also, she tosses (throws) her
jacket on the couch instead of hanging it up – the phrasal verb hang up, in this
context, means to put a piece of clothing on a hanger. Joanna is tired of picking up
after her roommate – pick up after someone means to clean the messes that the
other person makes.
Mary says she solved the problem of her son’s messy habits by threatening to throw
out his stuff if he didn’t start putting it in the correct place. You can also say throw
away to describe putting something in the garbage or trash.
Joanna was heating up some milk – that means putting something on the stove or in
the microwave to make it hot. You can also say warm up when you want to make
the food warm, but not hot. However, she wasn’t watching it and the milk boiled
over – that means it overflowed the pot and spilled.
She tells Mary “Hang on (wait) a minute while I go clean that up.” The phrasal verb
clean up simply means to clean a mess completely. Two related verbs are wipe up
(using a sponge, cloth, napkin, or towel) and mop up (to clean spill on the floor
where you need to use a mop).
Mary offers to help, so Joanna asks her to chop up some vegetables for an omelet –
chop up means to cut the vegetables into small pieces. Another phrasal verb for this
same action is cut up.
Congratulations! You now know 19 more phrasal verbs for actions around the
house. Go ahead and complete the quiz and the writing exercises – and I’ll talk to
you tomorrow in Lesson 5.
go ahead you have permission
stay over (at someone’s house) stay overnight at the person’s house or
crash with (someone) apartment
put (someone) up give the person a place to stay
look after (someone / something) take care of and be responsible for the
person or thing
stay up stay awake (not sleep)
sleep in sleep longer than usual
(be) locked out not have the key to enter a house,
building, or car
wake up stop sleeping
get up rise; get out of bed
let (someone) in open the door and allow the person to
enter
doze off / nod off start sleeping
put (something) away put the thing in the correct place
hang (clothing) up put the clothing on a hanger
pick up after (someone) clean and organize the messes that
person makes
throw out / throw away put something in the garbage
heat up / warm up put something on the stove or in the
microwave to make it hot or warm
boil over overflow the pot and spill
clean up clean a mess
wipe up clean a mess with a sponge, cloth,
napkin, or towel
mop up clean a mess on the floor using a mop
chop up / cut up cut something into small pieces
Quiz – Lesson 4
Question 1
Please ___________ after you're finished using them.
A look after the scissors

B pick the scissors up
C put the scissors away
Question 2
No, I didn't stay in a hotel. A friend of mine ____________ for the night.
A put me up
B slept in
C went ahead
Question 3
You should get some rest. We have a long trip tomorrow and you don't want to
_________ while driving.
A nod off
B sleep over
C wake up
Question 4
I let my kids ____________ until midnight so they could see the fireworks on New
Year's.
A get up
B hang up
C stay up
Question 5
I can't find anyone to ___________ my dogs while I'm on vacation.
A lock out
B look after
C put away
Question 6
I just spilled some soda on the table - can you hand me a paper towel to ____________?
A chop it up
B heat it up
C wipe it up
Question 7
The eggs that were in the fridge went bad, so I ____________.
A boiled them over

B crashed with them
C threw them away
Question 8
My early-morning yoga class was cancelled, so I'm planning to __________ tomorrow.
A doze off
B sleep in
C stay up
Question 9
_____________ and eat the last piece of pizza - I don't want it.
A Get up
B Go ahead
C Warm up
Question 10
Last Saturday I had to finish up some work. I don't have a key to the office, but the
security guard ___________.
A let me in B locked me out C put me up
Writing Exercises
1. When was the last time you stayed over at someone's house?
2. Do you go to bed early, or do you like to stay up late?
3. Have you ever been locked out of your house or car? What did you do?
(or: What would you do if you were locked out?)
4. Do you get up immediately when you wake up... or do you stay in bed a little
longer?
5. How organized are you? Do you normally put everything away and hang up
all your clothes?
6. What was the last thing you threw out?
7. What was the last mess you cleaned up?
Answers – Quiz 4
1. C 6. C
2. A 7. C
3. A 8. B
4. C 9. B
5. B 10. A
Lesson 5:
Phrasal Verbs for Health & Sports
Christine: Hi Pamela, it’s Christine. I’m heading to the gym, do you wanna join me?
Pamela: Sorry, Christine – I don’t feel up to it today. I think I’m coming down with
a cold. My nose is so stuffed up I can’t breathe.
Christine: Oh no! And you have a big volleyball game tomorrow, don’t you?
Pamela: Actually it’s a tryout for the state team. I’ll be all right. I’m surprised you’re
so into working out these days – you never used to be the athletic type.
Christine: Well, I have way more energy now that I’ve cut down on carbs. It was
especially hard to give up pizza and pasta, but I know it’ll pay off in the long run.
I’ve already lost ten pounds.
Pamela: That’s great! Do you think you’ll take up a sport?
Christine: I’m interested in martial arts, but… did I tell you about the time I went to
a karate class?
Pamela: No, I don’t think so. What happened?
Christine: It was intense. There was no warm-up; the instructor just jumped right
into some really difficult moves, and he wouldn’t let us drink any water. I felt like I
was gonna throw up. One guy said he had passed out during his first class.
Pamela: Yikes – maybe it’s better to stick to the gym for now.
Christine: Yeah, I’m only doing light workouts to stay in shape – I don’t want to
bulk up. Listen, I’ve gotta run – but I hope you feel better soon! Try to rest up for
tomorrow.
Explanation
Christine invites Pamela to the gym, but Pamela says “I don’t feel up to it today.” If
you don’t feel up to doing something, it means you are sick and you don’t feel well
enough to do the activity.
Pamela is coming down with a cold – that means she is starting to get sick. The
phrasal verb “coming down with” is typically used with temporary illnesses like a
cold or the flu. We don’t use coming down with in the case of permanent conditions
like AIDS or for major diseases like cancer.
She says her nose is stuffed up – describing your nose as stuffed up or blocked up
means that it is full of mucus, causing difficulty breathing.
It’s a shame that Pamela is sick, because tomorrow she is going to try out for the
state volleyball team. To try out for a sports team means to demonstrate your
ability in the hope that you will be accepted onto the team. We can also use tryout –
one word – as a noun to describe this event, for example: “The tryouts are scheduled
for Saturday.”
Pamela is surprised that Christine is so interested in working out nowadays. The

phrasal verb work out means to exercise. Again, we can use workout – one word –
as a noun to describe a single exercise session, for example: “That was a great
workout yesterday!”
Christine says she has more energy now that she has cut down on carbs (short for
carbohydrates like bread, rice, and pasta). To cut down on or cut back on
something is to reduce it. These phrasal verbs are often used to describe spending
less money or eating less food.
Christine had to give up pizza and pasta – to give something up means to stop
having it or stop using it. But she knows her new diet will pay off in the long run –
the phrasal verb pay off means to have a positive result, especially when you have
worked hard or made some sacrifice to get the benefit. For example – “All those
hours of studying paid off, because I got the highest test grade in the class.”
Pamela asks if Christine is going to take up a sport. To take up a hobby or activity
means to start doing it. Christine then talks about the karate class she went to. There
was no warm-up – to warm up means to do light or easy exercise in preparation for
more intense exercise later. There’s another phrasal verb used for doing light/easy
exercise after a workout – that’s cool down.
The karate class was so intense that Pamela felt like she was going to throw up
(vomit). One guy told her that he had passed out during his first class. To pass out
or black out is to lose consciousness or faint. Another word for losing
consciousness is to be knocked out – but this is when you lose consciousness
because something hit your head.
Pamela suggests that it would be better for Christine to stick to the gym. The
phrasal verbs stick to and stick with mean continue doing something. Christine
says she’s only working out to stay in shape (stay in good physical condition), but
she doesn’t want to bulk up – this phrasal verb means to develop big muscles.
At the end of the conversation, Christine tells Pamela to rest up for her tryout
tomorrow. To rest up for something simply means to get lots of rest in preparation
for something that will require your energy in the future.
You’ve now learned 17 phrasal verbs in the context of a conversation about health
and sports. Take the quiz and try the writing exercises – and come back tomorrow
for Lesson 6.

not feel up to not be feeling well enough to participate in the
(doing something) activity
come down with start to get sick – used for temporary illnesses
(a cold / the flu)
stuffed up / blocked up nose is full of mucus so that you can’t breathe
try out for (a team) demonstrate your abilities in hopes of being accepted
onto the team
work out exercise
cut down on / cut back on reduce
give up (something) stop having or using something
pay off have a positive result, especially when you have
worked hard or made a sacrifice to get the benefit
take up (an activity) start doing it
warm up do light / easy exercise in preparation for more
intense exercise later
cool down do light / easy exercise after a workout
throw up vomit
pass out / black out lose consciousness, faint
(be) knocked out lose consciousness because something hit your head
stick to / stick with continue doing something
bulk up develop big muscles
rest up for (something) get lots of rest in preparation for something that will
require your energy in the future
Quiz – Lesson 5
Question 1
My daughter is planning to ___________ a very competitive gymnastics team.
A bulk up
B come down with
C try out for
Question 2
I'm not a fitness fanatic, but I do try to ___________ three times a week.
A pay off
B take up
C work out
Question 3
If you don't __________ before lifting weights, you could end up hurting yourself.
A give up
B stick with
C warm up
Question 4
We had to get our car professionally cleaned after my son ___________ all over the back
seat.
A passed out
B threw up
C stuffed up
Question 5
My weight has gone up and down for years. I just can't seem to __________ a diet.
A stick to
B feel up to
C cut down on
Question 6
You shouldn't go to work if you're ____________ a cold - you'll probably give it to your
coworkers.
A coming down with
B passing out
C stuffing up
Question 7
If you exercise hard but don't drink enough water, you might ____________.
A bulk up
B pass out
C take up
Question 8
Do you ____________ going for a walk, or is your stomach still hurting?
A feel up to
B try out for
C warm up
Question 9
I could never be a vegetarian. It'd be impossible for me to __________ hamburgers.
A come down with
B give up
C throw up
Question 10
My daily stretching routine is ___________ - I'm definitely more flexible now.
A knocking out
B paying off
C resting up
Writing Exercises
1. How often do you work out? What time of day/week do you prefer to work
out?
2. What's one food you need to cut down on?
3. What's one food you love so much, you could never give it up?
4. Describe a time when you had to work hard or make a sacrifice, but it paid off
in the end.
5. When was the last time you threw up?
6. Have you ever passed out? (or seen someone else pass out?)
7. What's an activity that you find it difficult to stick to?
Answers – Quiz 5
1. C
2. C
3. C
4. B
5. A
6. A
7. B
8. A
9. B
10. B
Lesson 6:
Phrasal Verbs for School & Studying
Carla: Shirley, could you look over this essay before I turn it in?
Shirley: Sure, not a problem.
Carla: Thanks a million. I can’t afford to fail this Japanese history class – my parents
will kill me if I flunk out.
Shirley: It’s been really hard to keep up with all the reading required for this
course. I fell behind at the beginning of the semester, but then I got more organized
and managed to catch up.
Carla: I’m the opposite – I started off well, but I’ve been slacking off the past six
weeks.
Shirley: I noticed you weren’t in class yesterday.
Carla: That’s because I was cramming for my philosophy final. What’d I miss?
Shirley: The teacher summed up the topics that’ll be on the test – she actually gave
out a study guide; you can make a copy of mine if you want. I jotted down some
extra notes on the last page.
Carla: Let me see… hmm… I need to brush up on the feudal era – I only flipped
through that section of the book; I didn’t read it in-depth.
Shirley: Well, although she touched on that during the review, I got the sense that
the exam is going to focus more on modern Japan. She said we should read up on
the Empire.
Carla: I hope there’s nothing like that section on the mid-term where we had to fill
in all the dates on the timeline. I spent hours memorizing all the historical events,
but when I got to the test I just blanked out.
Shirley: It happens to the best of us. So… next semester are you going to sign up for
History of Ancient China?
Carla: Not a chance!
Explanation
Carla asks Shirley to look over her essay. To look something over means to inspect
or examine it. Don’t get look over confused with overlook, which means to ignore
or fail to notice something. A related phrasal verb is check over – which is to
inspect or examine something carefully looking for any errors or problems.
Carla asks Shirley to look over her essay before she turns it in. To turn in or hand
in an assignment means to give it to the teacher (or to the boss, if it’s a situation at
work).
Carla is worried about failing the class because she doesn’t want to flunk out. The
phrasal verb flunk out means to fail so many classes that you can’t continue at the
school, program, or university.
Two other phrasal verbs related to leaving school are drop out and kick out. You
can drop out of school for many reasons – it may be bad grades, but it could also be
personal problems or simply a loss of interest in your studies. A school or university
will kick you out (force you to leave) if you do something illegal or against the
rules.
Shirley says it has been hard to keep up with all the required reading – to keep up
with something is to accompany its progress or speed. Shirley fell behind at the
beginning of the semester – that means she made less progress than she needed.
Fortunately, she got more organized and managed to catch up – the phrasal verb
catch up means to return to accompanying the progress or speed successfully. If
you make more progress or go faster than normal, the phrasal verb for that is get
ahead.
Carla says she started the semester well, but she has been slacking off recently. To
slack off means to be lazy and not complete your responsibilities.
She skipped class yesterday because she was cramming for her final exam in
philosophy – to cram for a test or exam means to do a LOT of studying at the last
minute.
Shirley says the teacher summed up the topics for the upcoming test. To sum up
means to give a summary. She also gave out (distributed) a study guide to help the
students review. Shirley jotted down some notes on her study guide. Jot down is an
informal way to say write down – to write something on paper.
As Carla looks over the study guide, she comments that she needs to brush up on a
particular era of Japanese history. To brush up on something means to refresh your
memory of a skill or some knowledge – usually something you knew more about in
the past, but you have forgotten with time.
Carla says she had only flipped through that section of the textbook. To flip
through a book or magazine means to turn the pages fast, only looking quickly at
the information (not reading it slowly or carefully).
The teacher touched on that topic during the class To touch on something means
to mention it during a speech, meeting, or discussion. However, it probably won’t be
a major part of the exam. Instead, the teacher suggested that the students read up
on a different topic. To read up on something simply means to study and research it
to learn more about it.
Carla mentions an exercise on the mid-term test, in which the students had to fill in
dates on a timeline. To fill in means to complete missing information. She had
studied, but during the test she blanked out. The phrasal verb blank out means to
temporarily forget some information. Another idiom for this is “draw a blank.”
Be careful not to get blank out confused with the phrasal verb black out (lose
consciousness) that we learned in the last lesson!
Finally, Shirley asks Carla if she’s going to sign up for a class on the history of
ancient China. To sign up for a class or activity means to register to participate.
Carla replies, “Not a chance!” – this means she is definitely NOT planning to take that
course.
That’s 22 phrasal verbs related to school and studying. Now try the quiz and the
writing exercises – hopefully you won’t “blank out” when doing them!
look (something) over inspect or examine it
check (something) over inspect or examine it, looking for any problems or errors
turn (something) in / give an assignment to the teacher / boss
hand (something) in
flunk out fail so many classes that you can’t continue studying
in that program, school, or university
drop out leave school and stop studying for any reason
be/get kicked out be forced to leave a school/university because you have
done something illegal or against the rules
keep up with accompany its progress or speed
(something)
fall behind make less progress than you need to
catch up with return to accompanying the progress/speed after you
(something) fell behind in the past
get ahead make more progress or go faster than normal
slack off be lazy and not complete your responsibilities
cram for (a test/exam) study a LOT at the last minute
sum up give a summary
give (something) out distribute to a number of people
jot down (informal) write something on paper
write down
brush up on refresh your memory of some knowledge – something
(a topic / skill) you knew more about in the past, but you have forgotten
over time
flip through (a book or turn the pages fast, only looking quickly at the
magazine) information (not reading it slowly or carefully).
touch on (a topic) briefly mention the topic during a speech, meeting, or
discussion
read up on (a topic) study and research it
fill in (information) complete missing information
blank out temporarily forget some information
draw a blank
sign up for register to participate in it
(a class / activity)
Quiz – Lesson 6
Question 1
I'm ____________ Indian culture because I'll be spending a month in Mumbai this year.
A flipping through
B reading up on
C signing up for
Question 2
Many founders of successful companies have ___________ of college to work on their

businesses.
A dropped out
B gotten ahead
C jotted down
Question 3
If you can't go to the meeting, I'll send you an e-mail _________ the main points
afterwards.
A cramming for
B giving out
C summing up
Question 4
I have plenty of time to finish writing this article. I don't have to ___________ until the
end of the month.
A catch up with it
B look it over
C turn it in
Question 5
I don't know what page the homework is on. I forgot to ___________.
A blank out
B brush up on it
C write it down
Question 6
That new restaurant is _____________ free samples of their food to help attact
customers.
A dropping out
B giving out
C kicking out
Question 7
I thought the president was going to talk about the economy during his speech, but
he didn't ____________ at all.
A read up on it
B slack off
C touch on it
Question 8
We need to get a tutor for our son. He's finding it hard to _________ with his math
class.
A keep up
B look over
C sum up
Question 9
A lot of people _________ at work on Friday afternoons, so nothing productive gets

done.
A cram for
B fill in
C slack off
Question 10
Before you rent a car, you need to ____________ to make sure there's no existing
damage.
A brush up on it
B catch up with it
C check it over
Writing Exercises
1. Do you tend to fall behind on your studies/work, or do you always keep up
(or do you get ahead)?
2. What’s one topic or skill you would like to brush up on?
3. Have you been reading up on anything recently?
4. What was the last thing you signed up for?
5. What should a person do if they blank out during a test, meeting, or

presentation? (or in a social situation)
6. What would you do if your son / daughter was starting to slack off in their
studies?
Answers – Quiz 6
1. B
2. A
3. C
4. C
5. C
6. B
7. C
8. A
9. C
10. C
Lesson 7:
Phrasal Verbs for Driving
Laura: How was your weekend, Cathy?
Cathy: Oh man, have I got a story for you! John and I decided to head for the coast
for a little weekend getaway. We set off after work on Friday and we immediately
hit a traffic jam – a truck had broken down in the middle of the road and blocked it
almost completely
Laura: Ah, tough luck.
Cathy: It took us two hours to get past the truck. And once we did, John got mad
because another car cut us off. He sped up and started honking and tailgating the
guy. I told him to slow down, but he didn’t listen. Next thing you know, there’s a
police car behind us telling us to pull over.
Laura: He should’ve listened to you when you told him to chill out!
Cathy: Seriously. The second John rolled down the window, the police officer
handed him a ticket for aggressive driving – with a fine of $200.
Laura: Oh no! What did you do after that?
Cathy: Well, John was ready to turn around and go home, but I convinced him to
keep going. By the time we checked in to the hotel, it was almost midnight.
Laura: So much for a relaxing weekend.
Cathy: Wait, that’s not even the end of the story! On the way home, it was raining.
The visibility was really poor and our windshield had fogged up. Suddenly John saw
a piece of metal in the road and swerved to avoid running over it – but we spun
out because of the rain. We veered off the road and crashed into a tree.
Laura: How scary! Were you both OK?
Cathy: Yeah, it’s a good thing we always buckle up. But neither of us had our cell
phones, so we had to flag down another car for help.
Laura: What a nightmare. Was your car totaled?
Cathy: Yeah. Speaking of which – would you be able to give me a ride to work
tomorrow?
Laura: Of course. I’ll pick you up around 7:30.
Explanation
Cathy and John decide to head for the coast – to head for is to go towards – in the
direction of – that destination. They want to have a quick getaway. The word
“getaway” is the noun form of the phrasal verb get away, which means to escape. In
this context, to escape the normal routine of daily life and have a small vacation.
Cathy and John set off early – set off means to begin a trip or journey. But they get
stuck in a traffic jam caused by a truck that has broken down. If a vehicle or
machine breaks down, it means it has a mechanical problem and stops functioning.
Later in the trip, another driver cuts them off. To cut someone off, in the context of
driving, means when another car suddenly drives in front of your car, in a quick and
dangerous movement.
This made John angry, so he sped up to follow the other car. The phrasal verb
speed up means to go faster, and the opposite is slow down – go slower.
A police car then indicated that they should pull over. To pull over means to drive
to the side of the road and stop. John should have listened to Cathy when she told
him to chill out (to relax). When John rolled down the window, the police officer
gave him a ticket. Roll down and roll up are two phrasal verbs used to describe
opening and closing the window of a car.
At this point, John was so stressed out that he wanted to turn around and go home.
To turn around means to turn 180 degrees and go back in the opposite direction.
But Cathy convinced him to continue, and they checked in to their hotel around
midnight. Check in and check out are the phrasal verbs used for entering and
leaving a hotel at the beginning and end of your stay there.
While John and Cathy were driving home, it was raining and the windshield had
fogged up. If a piece of glass fogs up, it means that water vapor condenses on it,
making it less transparent and more difficult to see.
John tried to avoid running over a piece of metal that was on the road. The phrasal
verb run over is used when a car passes directly over something. Because of the
quick turn and the wet road, the car spun out – to spin out means when a vehicle
rotates out of control.
The car then veered off the road – to veer off means to turn sharply in a different
direction. The car crashed into a tree. To crash into something means to hit it with
a violent impact.
Cathy and John weren’t injured because they always buckle up – that means to put
on your seatbelt. Many people say “Everyone buckle up, please” when they enter a
car.
Neither of them had their cell phones, so they had to flag down another car for help.
To flag down a car means to stand next to the road and signal for a passing car to
stop.
Cathy’s car is totaled (damaged beyond repair), so she asks Laura for a ride to work
– and Laura offers to pick her up tomorrow at 7:30. To pick someone up means to
take someone in your car and drive them to a place. When you arrive at the
destination and the person leaves your car, that is called dropping the person off.
You now know 20 phrasal verbs for your next road trip! Try the practice quiz and
the writing exercises, and log in tomorrow for Lesson 8.

head for / head to go in the direction of that place
(a place)
get away escape
set off begin a trip/journey
break down have a mechanical problem and stop functioning
cut (someone) off one car to suddenly drive in front of another car, in a
in context of driving quick and dangerous movement
speed up go faster
slow down go slower
pull over drive to the side of the road and stop
chill out relax
roll down open a car window
roll up close a car window
turn around turn 180 degrees and go back in the opposite direction
check in / check out enter and leaving a hotel at the beginning and end of
your stay there
fog up when water vapor condenses on a piece of glass,
making it less transparent and harder to see
run over when a car passes directly over something
spin out when a vehicle rotates out of control
veer off turn sharply in another direction
crash into (something) hit it with a violent impact
buckle up put on a seatbelt
flag down stand next to the road and signal for a passing car to
stop
pick (someone) up take someone in your car and drive them to a
destination
drop (someone) off when you reach the destination and the other person
leaves your car
Quiz – Lesson 7
Question 1
It sounds like something's wrong with the engine. We should probably __________ and
take a look.
A pull over
B break down
C speed up
Question 2
You missed the exit - you need to __________ and drive back about 2 miles.
A flag down
B set off
C turn around
Question 3
When driving in the snow, you can't make any sudden movements or you might
___________.
A slow down
B run over
C spin out
Question 4
I've got a lot of work to do right now, but I might be able to __________ for a few days
next month.
A cut off
B get away
C speed up
Question 5
When I need some peace and quiet, I ___________ at my mom's house for a few hours.
A check my kids in
B drop my kids off
C head for my kids
Question 6
__________ - the speed limit here is 55 miles an hour, and you're pushing 70.
A Buckle up
B Set off
C Slow down
Question 7
I was so upset when I ___________ a cat while driving home from work.
A chilled out
B ran over
C sped up
Question 8
___________ the window, it's starting to rain.
A Fog up
B Roll up
C Pick up
Question 9
We're __________ the mall right now - we should be there in about half an hour.
A getting away
B heading to
C turning around
Question 10
I had to pay $2000 to fix my car after it __________.
A broke down
B rolled down
C slowed down
Writing Exercises
1. What’s the next place you’re going to be heading for?
2. Has your car ever broken down? (Or have you ever had a car accident in
which you ran over or crashed into something?)
3. Do you think it should be illegal for people to drive without buckling up?
4. When was the last time you picked someone up? Where did you then drop
them off?
5. If you only had 3 days off from work, what would be your perfect getaway?
Answers – Quiz 7
1. A
2. C
3. C
4. B
5. B
6. C
7. B
8. B
9. B
10. A
Lesson 8:
Phrasal Verbs about Money
Diane: We’re going to buy a Christmas gift for our teacher. Would you be able to
chip in?
Amy: Sure, I’d love to. What’s the gift?
Diane: Well, the original idea was to get him that new mp3 player, but I can’t find it
anywhere – the stores are all sold out.
Amy: I’m not surprised – people snapped them up as soon as they became
available. Here’s $10 – sorry it’s not much; I’m just scraping by these days.
Diane: Scraping by, huh? Didn’t you travel to Europe recently?
Amy: OK, OK – I did splurge on a little vacation, but I had to dip into my emergency
savings to pay for it!
Diane: I’m just kidding - $10 is fine. My husband and I are on a tight budget too.
We’re trying to save up for a house, but we’re still paying off our student loans, so
it’s not easy to set aside any extra cash.
Amy: Tell me about it. I’ll be better off once my cousin pays back the $1000 he
owes me. He’s been promising to do so since July, but he still hasn’t coughed up the
money.
Diane: Just wait until you have kids – that’s when the expenses really start to add
up. I shopped around to find the best prices on baby gear, but it still came to about
$5,000 for the first year after my son was born. I think I shelled out something like
$900 for diapers alone.
Amy: Wow. Got any money-saving tips for when I have kids someday?
Diane: Don’t buy new baby clothes; they tend to be a rip-off – think $40 for an outfit
that the baby will outgrow in a matter of weeks. Instead, buy them second-hand –
some moms even give away their baby’s old clothes, so you can get them for free.
Don’t skimp on the crib or car seat though – when it comes to safety, you’ll want the
best equipment that money can buy. Finally, whenever there’s a sale on baby food,
make sure to stock up!
Explanation
Diane asks Amy to chip in to buy the teacher a Christmas gift. To chip in is to
contribute a small amount of money towards a collective purchase – when a group
of people are going to buy something together.
They wanted to get the teacher a new mp3 player, but the stores are sold out of that
particular model. The phrasal verb sell out simply means that there are no items
available at the moment, because they have all been sold to other customers.
Amy comments that people snapped up the new mp3 players as soon as they
became available. To snap up means to buy something quickly. People often snap
up products that they have been waiting for for a long time – or products that go on
sale for a low price.
Amy apologizes for her small contribution of $10, saying she’s just scraping by. To
scrape by means to survive with very little money.
She admits that she did splurge on a trip to Europe recently. To splurge on
something means to spend a lot of money on it – especially on something that is a
luxury, not a necessity.
To pay for the vacation, she had to dip into her emergency savings. We use pay for
to describe the process of buying an item. Dip into is a phrasal verb used when you
spend money that you had been saving for a different purpose.
Diane and her husband are trying to save up for a house. The phrasal verb save up
is used to describe saving money to do something specific in the future. You can say
save up for (a noun) or save up to (verb).
However, they’re still paying off their student loans. We use the phrasal verb pay
off to describe the process of paying money that you owe in a series of payments
over time. This makes it hard to set aside (reserve) extra money.
Amy is waiting for her cousin to pay her back $1000. To pay (someone) back is to
return (give back) to the person money that they had lent you temporarily. He still
hasn’t coughed up the money – the phrasal verb cough up means to pay money
that you don’t want to pay.
Diane says that expenses start to add up (accumulate into a large total) when you
have kids. She shopped around to find the best prices on baby gear
(equipment/supplies) – to shop around means to check or visit various stores and
compare their prices. But it still came to (totaled) about $5,000 for her son’s first
year. You often hear the phrasal verb come to when you buy multiple items at a
store – the cashier might say, “That comes to $48.50.”
Diane says she shelled out $900 for her baby’s diapers. To shell out ($________) is an
expression that means to pay a large amount of money.
She advises Amy not to buy new baby clothes because they are a rip-off. This means
they are much more expensive than they should be. You can also use the phrasal
verb rip (someone) off, meaning to charge the customer more money than the
product is really worth.
Instead, she suggests buying used baby clothes – some mothers even give them
away. To give something away means to give it for free. Diane warns Amy not to
skimp on safety equipment for the baby. To skimp on something is to pay too little,
or use too little. When you skimp on something, you usually get a product or result
of bad quality.
Diane’s last piece of advice is to stock up on baby food whenever it’s on sale. To
stock up on (something) means to buy a lot of it, so you have a supply that you can
use for a long time without needing to buy more.
You’ve learned 20 phrasal verbs for talking about money. Now take the practice
quiz and try the writing exercises – and log in tomorrow for Lesson 9.
chip in contribute a small amount of money towards a collective
purchase
sold out there are no more items available at the moment, because
they have all been sold to other customers
snap up buy something quickly
scrape by survive with very little money
splurge on spend a lot of money on something – especially a luxury, not
a necessity
pay for (something) buy the item
dip into (savings) spend money that you had been saving for a different
purpose
save up for (noun) save money to do something specific in the future
save up to (verb)
pay off (loans) pay money you owe in a series of payments over time
set aside reserve
pay (someone) back give the person money that they lent you temporarily
cough up (money) pay money that you don’t want to pay
add up accumulate into a large total
shop around check or visit various stores and compare their prices
come to total
shell out ($______) spend a large amount of money
rip-off something that is more expensive than it should be
rip (someone) off charge someone more than the product is really worth
give (something) give it for free
away
skimp on use or spend too little on that object (usually with poor-
(something) quality results)
stock up on buy a lot of it, so that you have a supply that you can use for a
(something) long time without needing to buy more
Quiz – Lesson 8
Question 1
I always bring my own snacks on a trip so that I don't have to _________ $10 for a tiny
sandwich at the airport.
A come to
B scrape by
C shell out
Question 2
Don't just buy the first computer you see - if you __________ you might be able to find a
better price on the same model.
A rip off
B save up
C shop around
Question 3
Could you lend me $20 for lunch? I'll ___________ tomorrow.
A cough up the money
B pay you back
C splurge on you
Question 4
When I first started my freelance writing career, I didn't make much - but it was
enough to ___________.
A dip into
B give away
C scrape by
Question 5
My teenage daughter talks on the phone so much that our last cell phone bill ________
$250 - I made her pay half of it!
A came to
B sold out
C snapped up
Question 6
I got a bonus at work this month, so I __________ a new pair of designer shoes.
A skimped on
B splurged on
C stocked up on
Question 7
We're teaching our son financial responsibility early - if he wants a video game, he
has to _________ his allowance to buy it himself.
A add up
B save up
C sell out
Question 8
Everyone in the family ___________ to buy Grandma a new television.
A chipped in
B paid off
C shopped around
Question 9
I had to ___________ $200 to change my flight when I decided to delay my trip for a
day.
A cough up
B pay back
C set aside
Question 10
I'm not willing to __________ decorations for the wedding - I want it to be beautiful,
and I don't care how much it costs.
A pay for
B rip off
C skimp on
Writing Exercises
1. What was the last thing you splurged on?
2. Have you ever had to dip into your savings? What was it for? (If not, what is
something you would be willing to dip into your savings for?)
3. Are you currently saving up for anything? (Or: What was the last thing you
saved up for?)
4. What would you do if a friend owed you money, but kept forgetting to pay
you back?
5. Do you normally shop around before buying things, or do you think this is a
waste of time?
6. Have you ever bought something that was a rip-off?
7. Have you stocked up on anything recently?
Answers – Quiz 8
1. C
2. C
3. B
4. C
5. A
6. B
7. B
8. A
9. A
10. C
Lesson 9:
Phrasal Verbs at Work
Read and listen to the dialog. (Martha is Wendy’s supervisor at the company)
Wendy: Martha, do you have a few minutes? There’s something I’d like to run by
you.
Martha: Sure, go ahead.
Wendy: As you know, Barry was in a serious car accident and we need someone to
fill in for him until he recovers. The first person who comes to mind is Dana – what
do you think?
Martha: She would be excellent, but I doubt she can take on any more work right
now. If she was asked to do Barry’s tasks as well, she could burn out.
Wendy: My second choice is Simon – I’d have to fill him in on the procedures
because it’s not his area, but he tends to pick things up quickly.
Martha: Yes, but his work doesn’t always measure up. Remember when that big
deal with the steel supplier fell through? That was due to mistakes in Simon’s
reports.
Wendy: Hmm. Well, you’ve shot down all my suggestions. I don’t know anyone else
who’s qualified. And to be honest, we’re all overworked – we’ve all been slaving
away ever since the directors laid off half our department.
Martha: Here’s an idea – let’s draw up a plan to divide Barry’s essential tasks
between 5 or 6 people, so no one has to bear the full burden alone. Everyone will
just have to step up their efforts for the time being. I’d like to monitor everyone’s
progress to make sure nothing falls through the cracks, though.
(Fall through the cracks = Be overlooked or forgotten)
Wendy: OK – I’ll come up with a proposal this afternoon, and we can talk it over
tomorrow morning.
Martha: Actually, I’m completely tied up tomorrow morning; I’m giving a training
session from seven till noon.
Wendy: Over lunch then? We really need to nail this down as soon as possible,
otherwise we’ll fall even further behind.
Martha: Uh, we can pencil in a lunch meeting, but I’m supposed to be seeing some
visitors from Korea and they could show up anytime – so I might be called away.
Wendy: All right – why don’t I just carry out the plan and report back on the
results later?
Martha: That’d probably be easiest. Like you said – we’re all overworked!
Explanation
Wendy says she has something to run by Martha. To run (something) by
(someone) means to present an idea and get the other person’s opinion or
approval.
One of their co-workers, Barry, was in an accident and they need someone to fill in
for him. The phrasal verb fill in for (someone) means to do another person’s work
temporarily, because they are away or unable to do it themselves.
Wendy suggests Dana, but Martha says that Dana can’t take on any more work. To
take (something) on in this context means to accept the work, project, or
responsibility. If Dana was given too much work, she could burn out – that means to
become completely exhausted due to stress and overwork.
The next option is Simon. He works in a different area, so Wendy would need to fill
him in on the procedures. To fill (someone) in on something means to give the
person essential information on that topic.
This phrasal verb is often used when one person was not present, and later needs to
receive the information from others: “I missed the meeting this morning; could you
fill me in?” – that means, “Could you tell me what was discussed at the meeting?”
Careful not to get this phrasal verb confused with fill in for (someone), which we
learned earlier!
Simon usually picks things up quickly. To pick up (knowledge or a skill) means
to learn it.
However, Martha comments that his work doesn’t always measure up. If something
does not measure up, it means it doesn’t have the necessary quality to meet a
standard or expectation.
Simon’s careless work caused a potential deal with a supplier to fall through. If a
plan, project, deal, or agreement falls through, it means it fails before it is finalized
or implemented.
Wendy says that Martha has shot down all her suggestions. To shoot down an idea,
theory, suggestion, or proposal means to criticize it or say it won’t be successful.
Everyone in the company has been slaving away. To slave away means to work
very hard – often with the connotation of difficult work that isn’t well-compensated
or recognized.
The staff has been working hard ever since the directors laid off many people in the
department. To lay (someone) off means to fire the person, to remove the person
from their job.
Martha suggests drawing up a plan to divide Barry’s work among various

colleagues. The phrasal verb draw up means to prepare a document, agreement,
contract, plan, or proposal. She says everyone needs to step up their efforts for the
moment – to step up (something) means to increase it.
Wendy promises to come up with (invent, create, or develop) a proposal and talk it
over (discuss it) with Martha the next morning. But Martha will be tied up – busy or
occupied.
Wendy pressures Martha to meet over lunch, because they really need to nail this
down. To nail (something) down means to confirm or finalize it. Martha says they
can pencil in a meeting, but it might be interrupted by visitors from Korea. The
phrasal verb pencil in means to tentatively schedule something on your calendar,
understanding that it might change.
Finally, Wendy says she’ll just carry out (implement) the plan and report back on
the results. To report back on (something) means to give information and updates
to someone who previously asked for it.
You now know 20 phrasal verbs you can use at work. Go ahead and do the practice
quiz and the writing exercises – and I’ll talk to you tomorrow in Lesson 10.

run (something) by present an idea and get the other person’s opinion or
(someone) approval
fill in for (someone) do another person’s work temporarily, because they are
away or unable to do it themselves
take on (work) accept the work, project, or responsibility
burn out become completely exhausted due to stress and overwork
fill (someone) in on give the person essential information about the topic
(something) (especially when they were previously absent)
pick up (a skill / learn it
knowledge)
not measure up not have the necessary quality to meet a standard
fall through when a plan, project, deal, or agreement fails before it is
finalized or implemented
shoot down (an idea, criticize it or say it won’t be successful
suggestion, proposal)
slave away work very hard – often with the connotation of difficult
work that is not well-compensated or recognized
lay (someone) off fire the person; remove the person from their job
draw up prepare a document, agreement, contract, plan, or proposal
step up (something) increase it
come up with invent, create, or develop
talk (something) over discuss it
be tied up be busy or occupied with another commitment
nail (something) confirm or finalize it
down
pencil in (a meeting tentatively schedule something on your calendar,
or appointment) recognizing that it might change
carry out (a plan) implement it
report back on give information to someone who previously asked for it
(something)
Quiz: Lesson 9
Question 1
Most of the candidates didn't ___________ - they didn't have the experience or
qualifications needed for the job.
A measure up
B report back
C slave away
Question 2
Our plan to build a new factory ___________ because the property was in an
environmentally-protected area.
A burned out
B fell through
C shot down
Question 3
I was __________ three months ago, and I haven't been able to find work since.
A laid off
B nailed down
C tied up
Question 4
Gina ___________ a great idea for motivating our employees - they can earn extra
vacation days if they meet certain targets.
A came up with
B stepped up
C took on
Question 5
I joined the company as an intern and ____________ for a whole year before being
promoted.
A carried out
B didn't measure up
C slaved away
Question 6
Frank is still out of town, but I'll send him an e-mail to ___________ on what's been
happening.
A fill him in
B pick him up
C run it by him
Question 7
We work with a lot of German clients, so I've ____________ a few basic phrases of the
language.
A drawn up
B picked up
C taken on
Question 8
I'd like you to analyze our competitors' latest marketing strategies and ___________ to
me next week.
A come up with
B fall through
C report back
Question 9
Our next conference might be in Israel, Russia, or France. It's not ____________ yet.
A nailed down
B penciled in
C shot down
Question 10
I'll have my lawyer __________ a contract and send it to you for review.
A carry out
B draw up
C run by
Writing Exercises
1. What was the last project you took on?
2. Have you ever been burned out? What did you do?
3. Describe a time when one of your plans or projects fell through.
4. What was the last good idea you came up with?
5. Describe a situation or problem you've recently talked over with a colleague.
6. Do you have anything penciled in on your schedule? What about something

that's definitely nailed down?
Answers – Quiz 9
1. A
2. B
3. A
4. A
5. C
6. A
7. B
8. C
9. A
10. B
Lesson 10:
Phrasal Verbs for Computers
Read and listen to the dialog. (Isabelle is Julia’s mother)
Isabelle: Honey, could you help me with a computer problem? I’m trying to print
out a flyer for our book club, and it’s not working.
Julia: Silly question – is the printer plugged in?
Isabelle: Yes, and I even tried turning it off and back on, but it didn’t help.
Julia: And is the printer hooked up to the computer?
Isabelle: Um, I think so. This is a new printer; your brother just set it up for me
yesterday. There’s an error message that pops up whenever I click “print.”
Julia: Let me have a look – oh, we just need to install some updates. Click here and
let’s wait for it to finish.
(15 minutes later)
Isabelle: This is sure taking a while.
Julia: Uh-oh, it looks like it locked up. We need to shut down the computer and
restart it.
Isabelle: Ah. Didn’t you also have some kind of computer problem recently?
Julia: Yeah, someone hacked into my laptop and erased all the data. But luckily I
had a backup so I didn’t lose anything.
Isabelle: OK, it’s finished booting up. I’ll just open the document and click here to
print – aha! Success! Oh – Julia, while you’re here, could you help me buy a pair of
boots online? I saved them in my shopping cart – let me log in to the website to
show you.
Julia: There are two pairs of boots here – do you want to buy both?
Isabelle: Well, I’m debating between them. The pictures are really small, though, so
I can’t get a good look.
Julia: Just click on the picture to zoom in.
Isabelle: Oh… I’ll take this pair.
Julia: All right, then click “check out.” Now you need to type in your address and
credit card number… then scroll down and click “Buy now.”
Isabelle: Uh-oh – I messed up. It’s giving me another error message.
Julia: No worries, you just forgot to choose a shipping method. Just click here – and
you’re done!
Isabelle: Thanks, sweetie – I knew I could count on you!
Explanation
Isabelle wants to print out a flyer for her book club. The phrasal verb print out
simply means to transfer a document or photo from a computer to a piece of paper
(using a printer).
The first question Julia asks is if the printer is plugged in – that means connected to
the source of electricity. (The opposite of “plugged in” is not “plugged out” as you
might imagine – it’s “unplugged.”) She also asks if the printer is hooked up to the
computer – this means connected to the computer.
Isabelle says that Julia’s brother set up the new printer yesterday. The phrasal verb
set up means to assemble, install, and put in place so that it is functional.
But when Isabelle tries to print out the flyer, an error message pops up. To pop up
means to appear suddenly and/or unexpectedly. When you’re on the internet, it’s
common for advertisements to pop up.
They need to install some updates, but the computer locks up in the middle of the
process. If a computer locks up, it means the computer stops responding and the
screen freezes (stops moving) so that you can’t move the mouse or type anything.
The only solution is to shut down the computer and restart it. To shut down a
computer or another machine means to turn it off.
Julia mentions that someone recently hacked into her computer. To hack into is to
gain access to a computer, system, or database illegally or without authorization.
The hacker erased all the data on Julia’s laptop, but fortunately she had a backup of
her files. To back up data means to make an electronic copy of it, to be kept in
reserve in case there’s an emergency and the original data is lost. The verb for this
action is two words, and the noun, which refers to the copy, is one word.
When the computer finishes booting up, Isabelle successfully prints out her
document. To boot up means to turn a computer on and start operating it. Boot up
and shut down are opposites.
Isabelle also needs help buying a pair of boots at an online store. First, she logs in to
the website – she accesses it with a password. The opposite of log in is log out.
There are also two phrasal verbs log on and log off – these are usually used when
accessing a system, network, or the internet in general. Log in / log out usually
refer to password-protected areas of specific websites. However, they are often used
interchangeably.
To see the pictures better, Julia teaches Isabelle how to zoom in. The phrasal verb
zoom in means to magnify an image. The opposite is zoom out. Both these phrasal
verbs are also used with cameras, when you adjust the camera to view the image
from closer or farther away.
After choosing a pair of boots, Isabelle needs to check out. This phrasal verb is used
for the process of finalizing and paying for your purchase – in both online and offline
shopping.
She needs to type in her address and credit card number. The verb type means to
write on a computer using the keyboard – so type in means to use the keyboard to
write information in a particular space on the screen.
Julia then tells her to scroll down – this means to move down on the page. The
opposite is scroll up.
Isabelle says she messed up because she got another error message – to mess up or
screw up means to make a mistake. Both of these phrasal verbs are used for
mistakes in general, not only for computers. Screw up is a little “stronger” and may
not be OK in a professional context.
But Julia helps her mom finish the purchase successfully, and Isabelle says “I knew I
could count on you!” To count on (someone) means to depend on that person.
That’s 16 phrasal verbs about computers – now scroll down to do the exercises. If
you mess up, I’ll send you corrections! Log in tomorrow for Lesson 11.

print (something) out transfer a document or photo from a computer to a piece
of paper (using a printer)
plug (something) in connect something to a source of electricity (opposite:
unplug)
hook (something) up to connect one machine to another
set (something) up assemble, install, and put it in place
pop up appear suddenly and/or unexpectedly
lock up when a computer stops responding and the screen
freezes, so you can’t move the mouse or type anything
shut down close all the programs and turn the computer off
boot up turn the computer on and start operating it
log in / log out access/leave a website with a password
log on / log off access/leave a system, network, or the internet in
general
zoom in magnify an image (see it from a closer point)
zoom out see an image from farther away (a bigger distance)
check out finalize and pay for your purchase (in both online and
offline shopping)
type in (information) use the computer keyboard to write information in a
particular space on the screen
scroll down move down on the page
scroll up move up on the page
mess up / screw up make a mistake
count on (someone) depend on the person
Quiz – Lesson 10
Question 1
After you finish your online banking, you should always __________ of your account for
security reasons.
A lock up
B log out
C shut down
Question 2
I have an old computer. It takes forever to __________.
A boot up
B scroll down
C type in
Question 3
My internet provider has excellent customer service. You can always __________ them
to solve the problem.
A count on
B hook up to
C set up
Question 4
If your computer __________ frequently, it might have a virus.
A locks up
B prints out
C zooms in
Question 5
I need a place to _________ my laptop - I only have 10 minutes of battery life left.
A log on
B plug in
C screw up
Question 6
Can we _________ these photos in color?
A print out
B scroll up
C zoom out
Question 7
My dad's good with computers. He'll help you __________ your wireless network.
A check out
B count on
C set up
Question 8
Oops - I must have _________ during the installation, because the program won't open.
A booted up
B messed up
C popped up
Question 9
Make sure the Caps Lock is off when you _________ your password.
A print out
B scroll down
C type in
Question 10
___________ to the top of the page - I want to read the first paragraph of this article
again.
A Hook up
B Lock up
C Scroll up
Writing Exercises
1. What was the last thing you printed out?
2. Can you set up a new computer by yourself, or do you need help?
3. Has your computer ever locked up? What were you working on at the time?
4. How long does it take your computer to boot up?
5. Describe a time you messed up (it doesn’t have to be computer-related).
6. Who is one person you can count on? How do you know he or she is reliable?
Answers – Quiz 10
1. B
2. A
3. A
4. A
5. B
6. A
7. C
8. B
9. C
10. C
Lesson 11: Phrasal Verbs for Travel
Read and listen to the dialog. Pamela is moving to New York City, and she's staying
with her friend Heather temporarily until she can find her own apartment.
Heather: Hi, Pamela! How was your trip?
Pamela: It was nice; my whole family came to the airport to see me off! Thanks for
letting me stay with you until I can find my own place.
Heather: It’s my pleasure. I can’t wait to show you around New York. I have to
work today, but I’m taking the day off tomorrow so that we can hang out.
Pamela: Sounds good – I’ll just look around the city on my own today. Do you have a
map I can borrow?
Heather: Here you go. You should probably stay away from the South Bronx, but
all of the other neighborhoods are pretty safe.
Pamela: How can I get to Central Park?
Heather: Just get on the 7 train and take it all the way to the last stop – Times
Square. Then switch to the 1 train and get off at 59th Street-Columbus Circle.
Pamela: Oh, I definitely want to check out Times Square, too.
Heather: Here’s a spare key – I should be home by 6:30 or so. Have fun!
At 8 PM:
Pamela: Wow, you’re home late.
Heather: Yeah, I was held up by a subway problem – apparently there was a fire on
the tracks and everyone had to take a bus instead. So, how was your day?
Pamela: I wandered around Central Park for a while, just people-watching and
enjoying the fresh air. I wanted to hit the Guggenheim Museum, but it turns out
they’re closed on Thursdays. So I ended up going to 5th Avenue and trying on a
whole bunch of expensive clothes just for kicks.
Heather: Did you buy anything?
Pamela: I wish!
Heather: Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. There’s this upscale Italian
restaurant I’ve been wanting to try – let’s go there for dinner. My treat.
Pamela: OK. Do I need to dress up or anything? Maybe I should have bought one of
those designer outfits after all.
Heather: No, no, what you’re wearing is fine.
Explanation
Pamela is moving to New York, and her whole family went to the airport to see her
off. To see (someone) off means to go to the point of departure to say goodbye to
that person.
Heather is excited to show Pamela around New York. To show (someone)

around means to take the person to various places, giving them a little “tour” of the
area.
Heather says, “I’m taking the day off tomorrow.” If you take (time) off, it means
you decide not to go to work during that period – you are using personal vacation
time.
Heather’s taking a day off so that she and Pamela can hang out – the phrasal verb
hang out means to spend time in a relaxed, informal way. You can have two or more
people hanging out with each other (spending time together) or you can hang out
alone, for example, in a café or at the library.
Heather gives Pamela a map and tells her to stay away from the South Bronx
because it’s not a safe neighborhood. To stay away from something means to keep
a large distance from that area or object.
Pamela asks, “How can I get to Central Park?” The phrasal verb get to means “arrive
at.” It is frequently used when asking for directions.
Heather tells her to get on the 7 train, switch to the 1 train, and then get off at 59th
Street. We use the phrasal verbs get on and get off to describe entering and leaving
trains and buses. With cars and taxis, use get into and get out of instead.
Pamela says she wants to check out Times Square. In this case, check out means to
see or visit. So far in this course, you’ve learned 3 different meanings for check out:
1. To leave a hotel
2. To finalize and pay for a purchase
3. To see or visit
You’ll know which definition is the correct one in a particular sentence from the
context.
Later that night, Heather gets home late because she was held up by a subway
problem. To be or get held up means to be delayed by an external circumstance (in
other words, it wasn’t your fault).
Pamela wandered around Central Park for a while. To wander around means to
walk slowly around an area, without a specific destination. She wanted to visit a
museum, but it turned out to be closed – so she ended up going to 5th Avenue.
Both turn out and end up refer to the final result of plans or situations that changed
and had a different result from what was expected. The difference is that end up is
typically used when the subject is a person:
“We had planned to stay for just a week, but we ended up staying for a
month.”
Turn out is typically used when the subject is not a person:
“New York turned out to be too expensive for me to live there, so I moved to
New Jersey.”
In the shops on 5th Avenue, Pamela tried on expensive clothes, but didn’t buy any.
The phrasal verb try on means to put on clothing temporarily in a store to see if you
like it and if it’s the right size. The place in the store where you do this is called the
try-on room.
Heather and Pamela decide to go out for dinner at an upscale (expensive, for rich
people) restaurant. Pamela asks if she needs to dress up – that means wear formal
or fancy clothes, clothing that is nicer than what you normally wear in day to day
life. But Heather tells her she looks just fine.
You’ve learned 14 new phrasal verbs for travel. Take the quiz and try the writing
exercises – and log in tomorrow for Lesson 12.

see (someone) off go to the point of departure to say goodbye to that
person
show (someone) around take the person to various places, giving them a little
“tour” of the area
take (time) off decide not to go to work during that period, using
personal vacation time
hang out spend time in a relaxed, informal way
stay away from keep a large distance
get to arrive at
get on / get off enter/leave a bus or train
get into / get out of enter/leave a car or taxi
check out visit or see
be/get held up be delayed by an external circumstance
wander around walk slowly around an area, without a specific
destination
turn out / end up the final result of a situation that changed and resulted
in something different than expected
try on put on clothing temporarily in a store to see if you like
it and if it’s the right size
dress up wear formal or fancy clothes, clothing that is nicer than
what you normally wear in day to day life
Quiz – Lesson 11
Question 1
You should ___________ that beach - the water's polluted.
A hold up
B stay away from
C wander around
Question 2
I ________ the bus at the wrong stop and had to ask for directions.
A got off
B took off
C turned out
Question 3
Wow, you're all __________. Are you going somewhere special?
A checked out
B dressed up
C tried on
Question 4
When I was in college, I ___________ to pursue my dream of bicycling across Europe.
A got out of a semester
B took a semester off
C wandered around a semester
Question 5
If you like hiking, you might want to __________ the National Park - it has miles and
miles of great trails.
A check out
B get into
C show around
Question 6
When I _________ the temple, they told me I couldn't go in because I was wearing
shorts.
A dressed up
B got to
C stayed away from
Question 7
I only wanted to buy a small present for my mother, but everything in the store was
so beautiful that I _________ getting gifts for my entire family.
A checked out
B ended up
C saw off
Question 8
The trip took twice as long as usual - we were _________ by heavy traffic.
A held up
B hung out
C taken off
Question 9
When I moved in, my new neighbors offered to ____________ the area.
A get me on
B see me off
C show me around
Question 10
When I'm traveling, I prefer to __________ with locals rather than with other tourists.
A get off
B hang out
C turn out
Writing Exercises
1. When was the last time you took time off from work? How long was it and
what did you do?
2. What’s your favorite place (outside of home) to hang out, and why?
3. What’s one place in your city where you have never been, but you would like
to check out?
4. Is there anyplace in your city you would tell a tourist to stay away from?
Why?
5. Describe a time when something turned out differently from how you
expected.
Answers – Quiz 11
1. B
2. A
3. B
4. B
5. A
6. B
7. B
8. A
8. C
10. B
Lesson 12:
Phrasal Verbs for Communication
Vanessa: I did the stupidest thing the other day. I’m embarrassed to even talk about
it.
Leslie: Haha, come on, fess up! What’d you do?
Vanessa: Remember I told you about how my boss always talks down to me and
treats me like I’m incompetent?
Leslie: Yeah, and I said you should speak up – it’s not right to treat an employee
like that.
Vanessa: Well, I didn’t want to cause any problems, so I usually just try to tune him
out. But yesterday I finally got fed up and called him out on it – respectfully, of
course. I just pointed out that I’ve been with the company for two years and he
doesn’t need to spell out every single task as if I were a child.
Leslie: Oooh, good for you! How’d he react?
Vanessa: He didn’t even let me finish! He cut me off and said I was challenging his
authority. Then he rattled off all his own accomplishments and started harping on
the importance of new employees needing to respect the company hierarchy.
Leslie: Ugh – so did you keep quiet or tell him off?
Vanessa: Before I could say anything, another colleague of mine butted in – I

thought she was going to stand up for me, but she backed him up instead! That
really stung, because I had opened up to her about my frustrations and she had
promised to help me out.
Leslie: So… I don’t get it. What was the stupid part?
Vanessa: Last night I was at a restaurant with my best friend and I had been
ranting about my boss for a solid ten minutes when suddenly my friend blurted
out, “Look behind you!”
Leslie: Let me guess – your boss was right there.
Vanessa: Bingo.
Leslie: How much did he overhear?
Vanessa: Enough to make him furious, although he was trying not to let on because
he was having dinner with his wife and kids. But I could tell by the look on his face
that he’s definitely going to bring up my “attitude problem” at the next performance
review.
Leslie: Ouch. Well, lesson learned – always check your surroundings before you
start to vent!
Explanation
Vanessa is hesitant to talk about the stupid thing she did, and Leslie tells her to fess
up. The phrasal verb fess up is an informal way to say “confess” – admit that you
did something bad or wrong.
Earlier, Vanessa had told Leslie that her boss talks down to her. To talk down to
(someone) means to talk to them as if they were inferior, stupid, or incompetent.
Leslie had encouraged Vanessa to speak up – that means to say your opinion about
something you believe is wrong, without fear or hesitation.
There’s another related phrasal verb, speak out on/against (an issue), which is
often used for speaking publicly about controversial issues. Speak up is used more
for personal conversations or discussions in a small group, and speak out is used
more for public statements.
Vanessa usually tries to tune her boss out – that means to ignore him and pretend
she doesn’t hear him. But yesterday she got sick and tired of being treated badly, so
she finally called him out – to call (someone) out means to challenge or confront
the person, especially about something they are doing wrong.
She pointed out that she already has two years’ experience in the company. To
point out means to call attention to a particular fact. She doesn’t need her boss to
spell everything out for her – to spell (information) out means to describe or
explain it very carefully in a detailed and meticulous way.
Unfortunately, her boss didn’t listen – he cut her off. In the context of a
conversation, to cut (someone) off means to interrupt the person in the middle of a
sentence. He then rattled off his accomplishments – to rattle off information means
to say a list of things very quickly.
Then he started harping on the importance of respect for the company hierarchy.
To harp on a topic means to emphasize it or say it repeatedly in an annoying way.
Leslie asks, “Did you keep quiet or tell him off?” To tell (someone) off means to
say exactly what you think about that person (when you have a negative opinion of
them).
But Vanessa didn’t have a chance to respond because another colleague butted in.
To butt in means to suddenly enter and interrupt a conversation (often when you
are not particularly welcome in that conversation). A rude way of telling someone to
stay out of the conversation or situation is to say, “Butt out!”
Vanessa had hoped this colleague would stand up for her. Stand up for or stick up
for means to defend or support someone or something in the face of opposition.
However, the colleague took the boss’ side – she backed him up – to back someone
up means to support that person.
Vanessa was disappointed because she had opened up to this colleague about her
frustrations with the boss. To open up to (someone) means to tell them your
feelings, especially things that you had previously hidden.
Later that night, Vanessa was ranting about her boss to her best friend. To rant
about something means to complain loudly and angrily. Suddenly, her friend
blurted out, “Look behind you!” The phrasal verb blurt out means to say
something quickly and spontaneously, often without thinking.
The boss was furious, but he was trying not to let on because he was with his
family. Not let on means not allowing other people to know about something. It is
almost always used in the negative, when someone is trying to hide their emotions
or keep some fact secret.
But Vanessa knows the boss will probably bring up her attitude at her next
performance review. To bring up (a topic) means to introduce it into a
conversation or discussion.
You now know 20 new phrasal verbs for talking about communication. Go ahead
and do the quiz and the writing exercises to practice using them – and log in
tomorrow for Lesson 13.

fess up confess; admit you did something bad/wrong
(informal)
talk down to talk to the person as if they were inferior, stupid, or
(someone) incompetent
speak up say your opinion about something you believe is wrong,
without fear or hesitation
speak out on/against speaking publicly about controversial issues
(an issue)
tune (someone / ignore; pretend not to hear
something) out
call (someone) out challenge or confront the person, especially about
something they are doing wrong
point out call attention to a particular fact
spell (information) describe or explain it very carefully in a detailed and
out meticulous way
cut (someone) off interrupt the person in the middle of a sentence
rattle off say a list of things very quickly
(information)
harp on (a topic) emphasize it or say it repeatedly in an annoying way
tell (someone) off say exactly what you think about that person (when you
have a negative opinion of them)
butt in suddenly enter and interrupt a conversation (often when
you are not particularly welcome in that conversation)
stand up for / stick defend or support someone or something
up for (someone)
back (someone) up support the person
open up to tell them your feelings, especially things that you had
(someone) previously hidden
rant about complain loudly and angrily
blurt out say something quickly and spontaneously, often without
thinking
not let on not allowing other people to know about something
bring up (a topic) introduce it into a conversation or discussion
Quiz – Lesson 12
Question 1
I knew my boss was lying to the client, but I didn't ___________ because I was afraid of
losing my job.
A speak up
B stand up for him
C tune out
Question 2
It's annoying when people ___________ because they don't think I understand English.
A cut me off
B harp on me
C talk down to me
Question 3
The gym teacher ___________ the rules of the game so that all the kids would know
how to play it.
A blurted out
B spelled out
C pointed out
Question 4
Steve is really into astronomy - if you can ask him, he can __________ the names of all
the constellations.
A bring up
B rant about
C rattle off
Question 5
When my doctor told me my cholesterol levels were high, I __________ and admitted I
hadn't stuck to my diet.
A butted in
B fessed up
C spoke out
Question 6
I can't stand people who are always __________ problems, but never offer any
solutions.
A harping on
B opening up to
C tuning out
Question 7
We work for an organization that ____________ the rights of indigenous people to stay
on their ancestral land.
A brings up
B calls out
C stands up for
Question 8
Here comes Sophia - don't _______ that you know about her pregnancy; I don't think
it's public knowledge yet.
A call out
B let on
C speak up
Question 9
When I was debating whether or not to buy the product, the salesperson ___________
that it would actually save me money in the long run.
A backed me up
B pointed out
C talked down to me
Question 10
I can't concentrate on my work with the noise of the construction outside - it's
impossible to _____________.
A cut it off
B rant about it
C tune it out
Writing Exercises
1. Describe a time when you had to fess up about something you did.
2. Have you ever stood up for someone (or had someone stand up for you)?
3. What was the last thing you ranted about?
4. Have you ever blurted out something that you later wish you hadn’t said?
5. Describe a time when you saw something wrong and spoke up.
6. Do you know anyone who tends to harp on a particular topic?
Answers – Quiz 12
1. A
2. C
3. B
4. C
5. B
6. A
7. C
8. B
9. B
10. C
Lesson 13:
Phrasal Verbs for Time & Change (Part 1)
Miriam: Hi Jenni, it’s Miriam. I’m calling to let you know that there’s been a last-
minute change in Sam and Ruth’s wedding plans.
Jenni: They didn’t call it off, did they?
Miriam: No, no, nothing like that. Just a date change – it turns out that Sam is
starting a new job in August, so they moved the wedding up to July 23.
Jenni: Hold on, let me check my calendar… it’s going to be such a busy summer. I
think we can squeeze in a trip to Philadelphia in July though.
Miriam: OK, just let me know; I’m keeping track of the guest list. So how are your
kids doing? Enjoying their summer vacation so far?
Jenni: More or less. The novelty of not being in school has worn off and now they
keep on telling me they’re bored.
Miriam: Haha, been there, done that! I brought up four of my own plus my sister’s
two kids after she passed away – and I do remember the summers being
challenging.
Jenni: My daughter is perfectly happy to pass the time with a good book. But my
boys take after their father, they have tons of energy and always need to be
entertained.
Miriam: I know it’s hard, but try to cherish every moment – they grow up so fast!
When I think back on the days when my children were little, I remember the good
times far more than the stress.
Jenni: I’ll keep that in mind. So, have you gotten your dress for the wedding yet?
Miriam: No, I’ve been putting it off. I want to lose another five pounds and fit into a
smaller size!
Jenni: Haha, I haven’t gotten around to buying a dress either. Every time I plan to
go shopping, something comes up. Maybe I’ll just wear the one from the last
wedding I was at – it was in a lovely church, but the sermon dragged on for over
two hours!
Miriam: Wow, I bet even the bride and groom just wanted the pastor to hurry up
and finish.
Jenni: Yeah – it was exhausting. My kids were getting cranky so we didn’t even stick
around for the reception afterwards.
Miriam: Oh well. Listen, Jenni, I’ll let you go – but I’m looking forward to seeing
you in July!
Jenni: Same here! Take care, Miriam – bye-bye.
Explanation
Miriam calls Jenni to tell her about a change in Sam and Ruth’s wedding plans. At
first, Jenni asks if they called it off. The phrasal verb call (an event) off means to
cancel it.
But Miriam says it’s only a date change – they’ve moved it up from August to July.
The phrasal verb move (an event) up means to change it to an earlier date. The
opposite is to move (an event) back – that would mean to change it to a later date,
such as September.
Jenni asks Miriam to hold on while she checks her calendar. The phrasal verbs hold
on and hang on mean to wait a moment. Jenni will be very busy, but she thinks her
family can squeeze in a trip. To squeeze in or fit in means to manage to make a
plan or appointment in the middle of a very busy schedule.
Miriam asks about Jenni’s kids, who are on summer vacation from school. Jenni says
that the novelty of vacation has worn off – to wear off means its effects have
diminished and disappeared over time. Now her kids keep on saying that they are
bored. To keep on doing something means to continue doing that action.
Miriam is an experienced mother – she brought up a total of six children. To bring

up (a child) means to educate and take care of him or her. She had four of her own
kids and adopted her sister’s two children after her sister passed away. If you say
someone passed away, it’s a polite way to say the person died.
Jenni says that her daughter likes to read, but her sons have a lot of energy - they
take after their father. If you say someone takes after a parent or relative, it means
they are similar in personality.
Miriam reminds Jenni that kids grow up fast – to grow up means to get older and
eventually become an adult. When she thinks back on the days when her kids were
young, she remembers the good times. To think back on or look back on
something means to remember or reflect on something in the past.
Miriam has been putting off buying a dress for the wedding because she wants to
lose some more weight. To put off (a task) means to delay or procrastinate doing it.
Jenni hasn’t gotten around to shopping for a dress either. To get around to doing
something means to manage to find time to do it, especially when you are busy or
when you have already put off (delayed) the task for a while.
Every time Jenni plans to go shopping, something comes up. This means that some
situation appears that requires her presence or attention, meaning she needs to
cancel her other plans.
Jenni talks about the last wedding she attended, where the sermon dragged on for
more than two hours. If something drags on, it means it continues for a long time
(and is rather boring or unpleasant).
Miriam comments that the bride and groom (the woman and man getting married)
probably wanted the pastor to hurry up and finish – the phrasal verb hurry up
means to go faster.
Because Jenni’s kids were getting cranky (upset, annoyed, or in a bad mood), her
family didn’t stick around for the reception after the ceremony. To stick around
means to stay in a place for some extra time.
At the end of the call, Miriam says she’s looking forward to seeing Jenni in July. To
look forward to something means to be happy and excited about an event in the
future.
That’s 19 phrasal verbs related to time and change – in the next lesson, you’ll learn
more on this same topic. Go ahead and do the quiz and writing exercises – and log in

call (an event) off cancel it
move (an event) up change it to an earlier date/time
move (an event) back change it to a later date/time
hold on / hang on wait a moment
squeeze in / fit in manage to make plan or appointment in the middle of a
very busy schedule
wear off effects have diminished and disappeared over time
keep on (doing continue doing that action
something)
bring up (a child) educate, take care of him or her
(someone) passed away the person died
(someone) takes after (a they are similar in personality
parent / relative)
grow up get older, a child eventually becoming an adult
think back on / remember or reflect on something in the past
look back on (something)
put off (a task) delay or procrastinate doing it
get around to manage to find time to do it, especially when you are
(doing something) busy or when you have already put off (delayed) the
task for a while
“Something came up” A situation appears that requires your presence or
attention, meaning you need to cancel other plans
drag on continue for a long time (and is boring or unpleasant)
hurry up go faster
stick around stay in a place for some extra time
look forward to be happy / excited about an event in the future
(something)
Quiz – Lesson 13
Question 1
My son wants to be a fireman when he __________.
A brings up
B grows up
C hurries up
Question 2
If you _________ for a few minutes after class, I'll answer your question in more detail.
A drag on
B put off
C stick around
Question 3
The product launch didn't go as planned. We had to __________ three months because
of last-minute problems in the manufacturing.
A move it back
B squeeze it in
C think back on it
Question 4
I drank a cup of coffee after dinner, and then I couldn't get to sleep until the caffeine
high __________.
A called off
B moved up
C wore off
Question 5
You should always set a time limit for meetings, otherwise they tend to __________.
A drag on
B keep on
C hang on
Question 6
This project isn't very high priority - just do it whenever you can _____________ it.
A get around to
B look forward to
C take after
Question 7
My ex-girlfriend ____________ calling me and begging for another chance, so I finally

blocked her number.
A grew up
B kept on
C put off
Question 8
__________ and finish packing - we need to leave for the airport in ten minutes!
A Come up
B Hold on
C Hurry up
Question 9
Brenda won't be at work today - her father ___________ just last night and she's taking
care of the funeral arrangements.
A moved back
B passed away
C took after
Question 10
Few people signed up for the workshop, so they ____________.
A called it off
B looked back on it
C stuck around it
Writing Exercises
Remember to use the phrasal verb in your answer!
1. Do you take after your father or mother? (or someone else in your family?)
2. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
3. What’s one task you are currently putting off?
4. Describe a time when something dragged on.
5. What’s one thing you’re looking forward to?
6. What’s one bad habit you keep on doing and you wish you could stop?
Answers – Quiz 13
1. B
2. C
3. A
4. C
5. A
6. A
7. B
8. C
9. B
10. A
Lesson 14:
Phrasal Verbs for Time & Change (Part 2)
Tina: You work for a startup, right, Natalie? What’s that like?
(A startup = A new company that is just beginning its operations)
Natalie: It’s interesting – but it definitely has its ups and downs. The past year has
been horrible and things are only just starting to turn around.
Tina: Dare I ask what happened?
Natalie: We were acquired by another company ten months ago, and when the new
management took over, they changed everything – including phasing out some of
our most popular products.
Tina: Whoa, I’d imagine that didn’t go over well with your customers.
Natalie: It didn’t. I would often plow through over a hundred sales calls in one day
without getting a single new customer. The managers thought we were holding
back – they demanded that we make at least ten sales a day, but it was impossible to
pull that off.
Tina: So how’d it all work out?
Natalie: After six straight months of losses, they finally caught on and switched
back to the way things were being done before.
Tina: And did the sales start to pick up?
Natalie: Little by little. Things are looking up, but it’ll take a while to bounce back.
A lot of our investors and partners backed out, so we’re short on cash.
Tina: Good thing the new managers saw the light before the company went under.
Natalie: Yeah – and we sure came close. Well, looking on the bright side… at least I
can’t say my job is boring!
Explanation
The past year at Natalie’s company has been horrible, but now things are starting to
turn around. You learned the phrasal verb turn around in the lesson about driving
– but another meaning is when a bad situation starts to improve.
Natalie’s company was taken over by new management. To take over means to
take control or responsibility. Unfortunately, one of the changes they made was
phasing out some of the most popular products. To phase (something) out means
to gradually eliminate it in stages. The opposite, phase (something) in, means to
introduce or implement something gradually, in stages.
Tina imagines that those changes didn’t go over well with the customers. To go
over, in this case, means to be accepted or approved.
Natalie says she often plowed through over 100 sales calls without a single success.
To plow through some work means to do a series of difficult or intensive tasks in a
steady and focused manner.
The new managers thought the sales team was holding back – the phrasal verb
hold back means not to use your full effort or ability. They wanted each person to
make ten sales a day, which was impossible to pull off. To pull (something) off
means to succeed in doing it despite difficulties and obstacles.
Tina then asked how the situation worked out. In this context, the phrasal verb
work out isn’t referring to doing exercise – it means to resolve a problem. Natalie
says that the managers caught on after they saw the company was steadily losing
money. The phrasal verb catch on means to finally start to understand or perceive
something.
They switched back to the way things were being done before the takeover. To
switch back means to make a change that returns to an earlier status.
Tina asks if sales started to pick up as a result. In this context, pick up is an

informal way to say increase. It’s especially used for sales, registrations, subscribers,
and other numbers that indicate the success of a business.
Natalie replies that “Things are looking up.” This is an expression that means
“things are starting to improve, and it appears they will continue to improve.”
However, it will take some time to bounce back. To bounce back means to recover
after an injury, disaster, or some other problem. The company doesn’t have much
money because many of their investors and partners backed out. If you back out, it
means you say you will do something, but then decide not to do it.
Tina says it was good that the managers saw the light (understood the situation
clearly) before the company went under. Saying a company went under is the
same as saying it went bankrupt – that means lost all its money and closed.
You now know 15 more phrasal verbs for talking about time and change. Take the
practice quiz and try the writing exercises – and log in tomorrow for Lesson 15.

turn around a bad situation starts to improve
take over take control or responsibility
phase (something) out gradually eliminate it in stages
phase (something) in gradually introduce/implement it in stages
go over be accepted or approved
plow through do a series of difficult or work-intensive tasks in a steady
and focused manner
hold back not to use your full effort or ability
pull (something) off succeed in doing it despite difficulties and obstacles
work out resolve a problem
catch on finally start to understand or perceive something
switch back make a change that returns to an earlier status
pick up (informal) Increase (sales, registrations, subscribers, etc.)
“Things are looking up.” “Things are starting to improve, and it appears they will
continue to improve.”
bounce back recover after an injury, disaster, or problem
back out say you will do something, but then decide not to do it
(a company) went under went bankrupt – lost all its money and closed
Quiz – Lesson 14
Question 1
My proposal ___________ really well at the meeting - everyone said it was a brilliant
idea.
A phased in
B pulled off
C went over
Question 2
Rebecca went through a painful divorce, and it took her several years to __________.
A back out
B bounce back
C hold back
Question 3
Jim's life started to ___________ after he stopped drinking so much and got a decent
job.
A pick up
B plow through
C turn around
Question 4
I tried using a Samsung Galaxy phone for a few months, but I didn't like it so I
___________ to the iPhone.
A phased out
B switched back
C took over
Question 5
Rob and Janet had promised to help me paint the house, but then they __________ so I
ended up doing it all myself.
A backed out
B held back
C went under
Question 6
I've been working 12 hours a day - my job is ___________ my life!
A catching on
B looking up
C taking over
Question 7
I don't like to multitask - I prefer to take a single project and ____________ it until it's
done.
A plow through
B pull off
C turn around
Question 8
I'd thought my grandfather would have a hard time learning how to use a computer,
but he actually __________ very quickly.
A caught on
B phased in
C worked out
Question 9
I don't know how I ___________ such a good grade on that test - I didn't have time to
study for it at all!
A bounced back
B pulled off
C went over
Question 10
The negotiations took a long time and there were a few miscommunications during
the process, but everything eventually ____________ and we all agreed to the
partnership.
A looked up
B switched back
C worked out
Writing Exercises
1. Describe a situation that was going badly and then improved – what made it
turn around?
2. Have you ever made a suggestion that didn’t go over well with a group of
people?
3. Describe a time you pulled something off even though other people said you
wouldn’t be able to do it.
4. What’s one thing you learned, in which you caught on very quickly?
5. How long did it take you to bounce back after your last injury?
6. Have you ever backed out of a commitment? (Or has someone else backed
out of a promise they made to you?)
Answers – Quiz 14
1. C
2. B
3. C
4. B
5. A
6. C
7. A
8. A
9. B
10. C
Lesson 15:
Phrasal Verbs for Persuading & Deciding
Carrie: Hey Michelle. How’s the remodeling going?

(Remodeling = Making design changes to a house/building)
Michelle: It’s really stressing me out! Things are taking forever, and Kevin and I
can’t seem to agree on anything.
Carrie: Really? Knowing Kevin, I’d have thought he’d go along with whatever you
wanted for the house. He’s so easygoing.
Michelle: See, the problem is that he roped his sister into helping us out, and she’s
an interior designer. So he always sides with her ‘cause she’s the “professional.”
Carrie: Yeah, but you’re the one who’s gonna have to live with the results!
Michelle: That’s what I said! The other day we went to pick out the wallpaper for
the bathroom. I wanted lilac, but she was pressing for this awful sea-green color
that made me want to throw up.
(lilac = a light purple color)
Carrie: So who won that battle?
Michelle: Eh, we settled for a light blue. I can live with that.
Carrie: You know, I’ve been toying with the idea of doing some redecorating
myself. I’d have to talk my husband into it though. He hates spending money on the
house, but if I show him it could be done without breaking the bank, he might come
around.
(“without breaking the bank” = without spending too much money)
Michelle: Just make sure you really think it over before you begin, because once
the work is started, you have to see it through. And definitely plan ahead when it
comes to the timing – we were shooting for having everything finished by June, but
I doubt that’s gonna happen.
Carrie: Hmm, my husband will probably want to hold off until we have a bit more
money saved up. But in the meantime, I’ll start asking around to see if I can find a
good designer.
Michelle: Well, you can rule out my sister-in-law – she has terrible taste!
(“taste” in this context means opinion, style, or preferences)
Explanation
Michelle says that the process of remodeling her house is stressing her out – this
phrasal verb means it’s causing her to feel lots of stress.
Carrie is surprised to hear that Michelle and Kevin are arguing, because she had
imagined that Kevin would go along with whatever Michelle wanted. To go along
with something means to agree with it, or to accept it even if you don’t agree
completely or you don’t really have an opinion.
The problem is that Kevin roped his sister into helping. To rope (someone) into
doing something means to convince the person to get involved – maybe using a little
bit of force – kind of like how a cowboy uses a rope to capture an animal.
Because his sister is a professional interior designer, Kevin sides with her in every
decision. To side with (someone) means to agree with them or take their side in a
discussion, debate, or argument.
Michelle tells Carrie about the day they picked out the wallpaper for the bathroom.
To pick (something) out means to choose one thing from a list or group of
possibilities.
Michelle wanted lilac (a light purple), but Kevin’s sister was pressing for sea-green.
To press for something means to insist on it and put pressure on other people to do
it.
They eventually settled for light blue. To settle for something means to agree to
accept something (although it’s not the best option). A related phrasal verb is settle
on – this simply means to decide (without the idea of being less than ideal).
Carrie says she has been toying with the idea of redecorating, too. To toy with an
idea means to consider it semi-seriously (more or less seriously). However, she
would have to talk her husband into it. To talk (someone) into something means
to convince the person to do something, even though they have some objections. In
the case of Carrie’s husband, he objects to spending so much money.
The opposite of talk (someone) into is talk (someone) out of something – that
means convincing the person NOT to do what they had wanted or intended to do.
If Carrie can show her husband that the work can be done inexpensively, he might
come around. If a person comes around, it means that they change their opinion
after some time.
Michelle warns Carrie to think it over. To think (something) over or think

(something) through means to think about it carefully and thoroughly, considering
all the details.
She says that after the work has started, you need to see it through. To see (a
project) through means to continue supervising or working on it until it is
completed.
Michelle and Kevin were shooting for having the remodeling done by June. The
phrasal verb shoot for is an informal way to say you hope and plan to achieve a
specific goal.
Carrie says her husband will want to hold off until they have more money saved up.
To hold off means to delay because you’re waiting for something else to happen.
But at the moment, she can start asking around to find a good designer. To ask
around means to request information from many different people.
Michelle says that Carrie can rule out her sister-in-law because she has terrible
taste (in this context, “taste” refers to her opinion and style). To rule (someone /
something) out means to eliminate it from consideration.
You now know 18 new phrasal verbs for persuading and deciding. Take the practice
quiz and try the writing exercises – and log in tomorrow for Lesson 16.
stress (someone) out cause the person to feel lots of stress
go along with agree with it, or to accept it even if you don’t agree
(something) completely or you don’t really have an opinion
rope (someone) into convince the person to get involved – maybe using a little bit
(doing something) of force
side with (someone) agree with the person or take their side in a discussion,
debate, or argument
pick (something) out choose one thing from a list or group of possibilities
press for (something) insist on it and put pressure on other people to do it
settle for agree to accept something (although it’s not the best option)
(something)
settle on (something) decide
toy with (an idea) consider it semi-seriously (more or less seriously)
talk (someone) into convince the person to do something, even though they have
(something) some objections
talk (someone) out of convince the person NOT to do what they wanted or
(something) intended to do
come around change your opinion – especially after needing to be
convinced
think (something) think about it carefully and thoroughly, considering all the
over / through details
see (a project) continue supervising or working on it until it is completed
through
shoot for hope and plan to achieve a specific goal
(something) (informal)
hold off (until…) delay because you’re waiting for something else to happen
ask around request information from many different people
rule (someone / eliminate it from consideration
something) out
Quiz – Lesson 15
Question 1
I was thinking of getting a tattoo on my arm, but my friend ____________ it by telling

me it could hurt my chances in job interviews.
A roped me into
B talked me out of
C went along with
Question 2
We can ___________ these three consultants - they're far too expensive for us to work
with.
A hold off
B rule out
C toy with
Question 3
After visiting a dozen colleges, Linda __________ attending the state university.
A came around
B settled on
C is thinking through
Question 4
We're going to adopt a dog - we'll __________ from the animal shelter next week.
A pick one out
B see one through
C side with one
Question 5
Let's ___________ on making this decision until we get more data.
A hold off
B stress out
C settle for
Question 6
The environmental groups are ___________ stricter anti-pollution laws.
A pressing for
B ruling out
C asking around
Question 7
I asked my boss if I could work from home, and he said yes! I can't believe he
_____________ it.
A talked me into
B sided with
C went along with
Question 8
Sarah has won two Olympic silver medals; she's ___________ her first gold this year.
A picking out
B shooting for
C seeing through
Question 9
At first my mother hated the idea of having a cell phone, but after she started using
one, she eventually ____________.
A came around
B stressed out
C thought it over
Question 10
Gary always __________ the boss during discussions because he's hoping to get
promoted.
A presses for
B sides with
C settles on
Writing Exercises
1. Describe a time someone talked you into (or out of) something.
2. What’s a situation that always stresses you out?
3. What’s one decision you thought over carefully?
4. What’s one idea you were (or are) toying with?
5. Describe a time when you settled for a less-than-ideal option.
6. Is there anything that you are currently holding off doing until something
else happens?
Answers – Quiz 15
1. B
2. B
3. B
4. A
5. A
6. A
7. C
8. B
9. A
10. B
Lesson 16:
Phrasal Verbs About the Weather
Read and listen to the dialog – Ashley calls Beth during a storm.
Ashley: Hi Beth, how’s it going?
Beth: Hey Ashley. It’s really coming down out there, isn’t it?
Ashley: Sure is! And I don’t think it’s gonna let up anytime soon. My son was
supposed to have football practice later tonight, but at this rate it’ll be rained out.
Beth: I was actually at the farmer’s market with my kids when it started. We were
ordering some snacks when I noticed that the sky had clouded over and the wind
was really picking up. We wolfed down our food and made a dash for the parking
lot – just in time!
Ashley: I can’t wait for the weather to warm up. The winter storms have damaged
some of the trees in our yard, and we might need to cut them down in the spring.
Beth: Oh, that’s too bad. Hey, speaking of spring – you’ve got some gardening
experience, right?
Ashley: Mmm-hmm.
Beth: So last year I tried planting a vegetable garden, but all my plants were eaten
up by these tiny green beetles. Do you have any idea how to get rid of them?
Ashley: I have a recipe for a really good homemade pesticide that should wipe out
the bugs without hurting the plants. I’ll e-mail it to you.
Beth: Fantastic, thanks! Well… it’s time for me to go brave the storm.
Ashley: You’re going out in this weather?! What’s so important that you can’t wait it
out?
Beth: My mom’s visiting this weekend, and I have to pick her up at the bus station.
My sister was supposed to go, but she weaseled out of it.
Ashley: Well, make sure to bring a nice, strong umbrella – and bundle up, because
it’s going to drop below freezing later tonight.
Beth: Definitely! I’ll catch ya later, Ashley.
Ashley: Bye.
Explanation
At the beginning of the phone call, Beth comments, “It’s really
coming down out there.” – this expression means “It’s raining
very hard.”
Ashley adds that it doesn’t look like it will let up anytime soon.
To let up is to diminish and stop. If the rain doesn’t stop,
Ashley’s son’s football practice will probably be rained out. If
something is rained out, it means it’s cancelled because of rain.
Beth was at the market with her kids when the sky clouded over – the phrasal verb
cloud over means when the sky becomes covered in clouds.
The opposite of cloud over is clear up – when the clouds go away.
Beth also noticed that the wind was really picking up – as we learned previously,
one meaning of pick up is to increase – so the wind was getting stronger.
Beth and her kids wolfed down their food and ran to the car before the rain started.
The phrasal verb wolf down means to eat extremely fast.
Ashley says that she can’t wait for the weather to warm up – this means to get
hotter, to increase in temperature. The opposite of warm up is cool down (to get
colder, to decrease in temperature).
She mentions that the trees in her yard were so badly

damaged by the winter storms that they may need to
be cut down. The picture shows a man cutting down
a tree.
Beth asks Ashley a question about gardening – how to

get rid of the insects that are eating her plants. To get
rid of something means to eliminate it, or to throw it
away.
Ashley suggests using a homemade pesticide to wipe out the bugs. To wipe
(something) out means to completely destroy it.
When Beth says she’s going out in the storm, Ashley asks why she can’t wait it out.
To wait (something) out means wait for it to finish completely.
Beth’s mother is arriving at the bus station, and her sister weaseled out of picking
her up. Weasel out of something is similar to back out – not to do something you
had promised. But weasel out has a more negative connotation; it means to back
out in a sneaky or cowardly way.
Ashley tells Beth to bundle up because the temperature is
going to drop. To bundle up means to wear warm protective
clothing designed for cold weather.
That’s 15 phrasal verbs related to the weather. You can take

the practice quiz, but there are no writing exercises today. Log
back in tomorrow for Lesson 17.
Phrasal Verbs Definition

“It’s really coming “It’s raining very hard.”
down out there.”
let up diminish and stop
(be) rained out be cancelled because of rain
cloud over when the sky becomes covered in clouds
clear up when the clouds go away
“The wind is The wind is increasing / getting stronger
picking up.”
wolf down (food) eat very fast
warm up get hotter, increase in temperature
cool down get colder, decrease in temperature
cut/chop down (a tree) cut the tree with an axe or saw until it falls
get rid of (something) eliminate it or throw it away
wipe (something) out destroy it completely
wait (something) out wait for it to finish completely
weasel out of not to do something you had promised (in a sneaky or
(something) cowardly way)
bundle up wear warm protective clothing designed for cold weather
Quiz – Lesson 16
Question 1
I hope this rain lets _______ before the weekend - I'm planning a camping trip.
A away
B off
C up
Question 2
In September, the weather starts to cool ________.
A down
B out
C up
Question 3
It's cloudy right now, but the weather forecast says it'll clear ______ by noon.
A back
B up
C off
Question 4
She wolfed ___________ her breakfast and ran out the door.
A down
B over
C away
Question 5
The flood wiped _______ all the houses near the river.
A on
B out
C back
Question 6
I went to the beach, but it clouded ________, so I didn't get a tan.
A around
B in
C over
Question 7
The last day of the music festival was rained ________.
A out
B off
C down
Question 8
I need to get rid _______ all the junk in my garage.
A for
B of
C at
Answers – Quiz 16
1. C
2. A
3. B
4. A
5. B
6. C
7. A
8. B
Lesson 17: Phrasal Verbs in the News
Erica: Did you hear the news? They caught the three guys who beat up that girl and
left her for dead on the train tracks. All of them were charged with assault and
attempted murder.
Jasmine: Oh, thank God. That was such a horrible case. I hope they’re locked up for
a long time.
Erica: Yeah, they better not let them off with a light sentence. That just sends the
message that anyone can get away with violence as long as you have a good lawyer.
Jasmine: I don’t even watch the news anymore – it’s too depressing. Conflicts
flaring up, people being gunned down and buildings blowing up – I can only take
so much.
Erica: Well, the bad news isn’t just on TV – my neighbor’s house was actually
broken into just last week. The thief took $5,000 worth of electronics and jewelry.
Jasmine: This town is getting worse and worse. Bob Jones is running for mayor
this year, and making the city safer is one of his big campaign promises.
Erica: Bob Jones? Wasn’t he mixed up in a scandal a few years ago, when some
special-interest group supposedly bought him off? Once the news leaked out, he
lost a lot of supporters, even though his PR team tried hard to cover it up.
Jasmine: Actually, he was cleared of those charges. He was able to account for
every dollar of his funds, and it turned out that the person who tipped off the police
was put up to it by one of Jones’ political rivals.
Erica: No kidding! I didn’t hear about that at all. Guess the media didn’t follow up
on the rest of the investigation.
Jasmine: Whoever gets elected, they really need to crack down on crime – I’d like
to hear some good news for a change!
Explanation
Erica and Jasmine start talking about a crime in which three guys beat up a girl. To
beat (someone) up means to physically attack the person with punches and kicks.
The three men were charged with assault and attempted murder – to be charged
with (a crime) means to be formally accused of that crime in the legal system.
Jasmine hopes the men are locked up for a long time. To lock
(someone) up means to put the person in prison or jail. And
Erica hopes they are not let off with a light sentence. To let
(someone) off means to give the person a light punishment
that is much less than they deserve for the bad thing they did.
According to Erica, this would send the message that people

can get away with violence. To get away with (something) means to escape the
consequences of what you did.
Jasmine hates watching the news because it constantly shows conflicts flaring up,
people being gunned down, and buildings blowing up. Let’s learn these 3 phrasal
verbs. The phrasal verb flare up is used when a conflict suddenly intensifies or
becomes very violent.
If someone is gunned down, it means that they were shot with a gun.
And blow up means to explode, like with a bomb or dynamite.
Someone recently broke into Erica’s neighbor’s house. To break into a house or
building is when a thief enters the house or building with force, usually aiming to
steal something.
Jasmine mentions Bob Jones, who is running for mayor of the city. To run for (a
political position) means to be a candidate for election to that position.
Erica remembers that Bob Jones was mixed up in a scandal a few years ago. To be
mixed up in (something) means to be involved in something illegal, suspicious, or
bad.
It was suspected that a special-interest group had bought him off. The phrasal verb
buy off means to illegally give money to an official in exchange for a special favor.
Another word for this in English is bribe.
After news of this scandal leaked out, Bob Jones lost many supporters. The phrasal
verb leak out means when secret information becomes known publicly. Jones’ PR
(public relations) team tried to cover it up – to cover up (information) means to
hide the facts so that people won’t know.
But Jones was finally cleared of the corruption charges – that means the legal
system officially declared him to be innocent of the accusations. He was able to
account for every dollar of his funds – to account for something means to provide
an explanation or justification.
In addition, there was a problem with the person who had tipped off the police. The
phrasal verb tip off means to give inside information. It is often used when
reporting crimes to authorities.
This informant was put up to the task by one of Jones’ political rivals. To put
(someone) up to something means to convince the person to do something
malicious or mischievous. This phrasal verb can be used for crimes, as in this
example, as well as innocent funny jokes or pranks.
Erica didn’t know about the outcome because the media didn’t follow up on the rest
of the investigation. To follow up on (something) means to check on it or inquire
about it again after some time has passed.
Finally, Jasmine says that whoever gets elected really needs to crack down on
crime. The phrasal verb crack down means to take stronger action against illegal
activity.
You’ve learned 20 new phrasal verbs in the news! Take the practice quiz and try the
writing exercises – and log in tomorrow for Lesson 18.

beat (someone) up physically attack the person with punches and kicks
be charged with be formally accused of that crime in the legal system
(a crime)
lock (someone) up put the person in prison/jail
let (someone) off give the person a light punishment that is much less than
they deserve
get away with escape the consequences of what you did
(something)
flare up when a conflict suddenly intensifies or becomes very violent
be gunned down be shot with a gun
blow up explode, like with a bomb or dynamite
break into when a thief enters a house or building with force, usually
(a house / building) aiming to steal something
run for (a political be a candidate for election to that position
position)
be mixed up in be involved in something illegal, suspicious, or bad
(something)
buy (someone) off illegally give an official money in exchange for a special
favor
leak out when secret information becomes known publicly
cover up hide the facts so that people won’t know
(information)
be cleared of the legal system officially declared the person to be innocent
(charges) of the accusations
account for provide an explanation or justification
tip off give inside information
(often when reporting crimes to authorities)
put (someone) up to convince the person to do something malicious or
(something) mischievous
follow up on check on it or inquire about it again after some time has
(something) passed
crack down on take stronger action against illegal activity
Quiz – Lesson 17
Question 1
Two children were ____________ during a shoot-out between gangs last night.
A blown up
B gunned down
C mixed up in
Question 2
Someone __________ the media that a well-known celebrity was committing tax fraud.
A accounted for
B tipped off
C was charged with
Question 3
My son said it wasn't his idea to put the frog in the teacher's desk; he claims his
friend ___________ it.
A covered up
B ran for
C put him up to
Question 4
She ___________ the charges because there wasn't enough evidence to convict her.
A bought off
B cracked down on
C was cleared of
Question 5
I started learning martial arts as a kid, to defend myself from the bullies who always
_________ after school.
A beat me up
B leaked out
C broke into me
Question 6
I'm not sure who I'm going to vote for. I don't like any of the candidates __________
president this year.
A buying off
B getting away with
C running for
Question 7
The CEO tried to _________ the fact that the company was failing so that the employees
wouldn't panic.
A be charged with
B cover up
C tip off
Question 8
DNA testing and other modern technologies make it more difficult to ___________ a
crime.
A be mixed up in
B let off
C get away with
Question 9
You say things are going well in this country, but how do you ____________ the 20%
unemployment rate?
A account for
B follow up
C leak out
Question 10
Our alarm system automatically calls the police if anyone tries to ___________ the
building.
A blow up
B break into
C lock up
Writing Exercises
1. Have you ever gotten away with doing something bad, and didn’t suffer the
consequences? (Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone!)
2. Would you ever run for office (= a political position)? Why or why not?
3. What’s one crime that your country is trying to crack down on at the
moment?
4. What’s one thing you need to follow up on?
5. In your opinion, is locking people up a fair and effective punishment for

crime? Why or why not?
Answers – Quiz 17
1. B
2. B
3. C
4. C
5. A
6. C
7. B
8. C
9. A
10. B
Lesson 18: Phrasal Verbs for Movement
Helen: Hey Martha. How was your weekend?
Martha: It was relaxing, but for all the wrong reasons.
Helen: Oh? How come?

“How come?” = an informal way to say “Why?”
Martha: On Friday afternoon my youngest daughter fell down and started crying.
When I bent down to pick her up, I pulled a muscle in my back.
Helen: Ouch! Guess your daughter’s not so little anymore. Did you see the doctor?
Martha: Yeah. I lucked out – it’s nothing serious. But it was painful enough to keep
me in bed all weekend. I couldn’t even sit up. The kids kept barging into my room
to ask for snacks and drinks, but I told them, “Ask your father. Mommy needs to lie
down.”
Helen: I suppose that is relaxing, in a way. How are you feeling now?
Martha: Well enough to be up and about, although I sure won’t be doing any heavy
lifting! How about you? Weren’t you gonna take your son to the zoo on Saturday?
Helen: Ah, yeah – he loved it! Especially when we saw a baby gorilla that had
escaped from its cage.
Martha: Really?
Helen: It was sitting in the middle of the path, and everyone started crowding
around trying to take pictures. It got scared, so it bolted away and climbed up a
tree.
Martha: Did they manage to capture it?
Helen: Mm-hmm, but it wasn’t easy. First the security guards told everyone to
stand back. Then the zookeepers put a bunch of bananas on the ground to coax it
out of the tree. And then it climbed down and started eating the bananas, they
snuck up on it and captured it with a net.
Martha: Well, good thing no one got hurt – including the gorilla.
Helen: Yeah. But now my son wants one for a pet!
Explanation
Martha’s youngest daughter fell down – this means when you
fall onto the ground or floor. We also have the phrasal verbs fall
off – if you fall from a horse or bicycle – and fall out – for
something that falls out of an enclosed space.
Martha bent down to pick up her daughter. To bend down is to

incline your body, like in the picture. This movement isn’t very good for your back,
so most doctors suggest crouching down instead.
To pick up, in this context, means to lift someone or something up from the
floor/ground. You now know 3 meanings for the phrasal verb “pick up”:
1) To take someone in your car (“Please pick me up at 5:00.”)

2) To increase (sales, business, subscribers)
(“Sales always pick up around Christmastime.”)
3) To lift something (“Your jacket is on the floor. Please pick it up.”)
Martha lucked out because her back injury wasn’t serious. The phrasal verb luck
out is an informal way to say that you had good luck or were fortunate in a specific
situation.
Martha had to stay in bed, and she couldn’t sit up. If you sit up, it means you raise
your body from a horizontal position to a sitting position. The opposite of sit up is
lie down. The phrasal verb sit down means to go from standing to sitting. The
opposite of sit down is stand up. Are you confused yet?
Martha’s kids often barged into her room. To barge in is to enter a place suddenly
and a little bit rudely. She told her kids to ask their father for things, because she
needed to lie down – again, lie down means to have your body in a horizontal
position.
Helen tells about her trip to the zoo, when they saw a baby gorilla that had escaped
from its cage. Everyone was crowding around it to take pictures. To crowd around
is when a large number of people gathers around a central point of interest.
All these people frightened the gorilla, so it bolted away – this means it ran away
extremely fast – and climbed up a tree. We use the verb climb for going up and
down trees, ladders, and mountains.
The security guards told everyone to stand back. This means to take a few steps
away from something that could possibly be dangerous. They offered the gorilla
some bananas, and while it was eating, they snuck up on it and captured it with a
net. The phrasal verbs sneak up on and creep up on mean to approach someone
carefully and quietly, so that the person (or animal) doesn’t notice.
You’ve now learned 14 phrasal verbs related to movement. You might also enjoy
reviewing the “prepositions of movement” lesson – there’s a link under this video.
Now you can take the practice quiz and try the writing exercises – and log in
fall down fall onto the ground or floor accidentally
bend down incline your body forward
crouch down lower your body by bending your knees
pick (something) up lift it up from the ground (or another surface) using your
hand
luck out be lucky or fortunate in a specific situation
(informal)
sit up raise your body from a horizontal position to a sitting
position
sit down go from standing to sitting
stand up go from sitting to standing
lie down have your body in a horizontal position
barge into (a room) enter suddenly and a little bit rudely
crowd around a large number of people gathers around a central point of
interest
bolt away run away extremely fast
climb up/down go up/down a tree, ladder, mountain (or anywhere else that
you need to use both your hands and feet to go up/down)
stand back take a few steps away from something that could possibly be
dangerous; maintain a big distance
sneak up on / creep approach carefully and quietly, so that the person (or animal)
up on (someone) doesn’t notice
Quiz – Lesson 18
Question 1
Henry told the kids to ___________ while he lit the campfire.
A bolt away
B sit up
C stand up
Question 2
Tons of people ____________ Tom Cruise, asking for an autograph.
A barged into
B crouched down
C crowded around
Question 3
I'm not feeling very well. I'm going to go __________.
A bend down
B climb down
C lie down
Question 4
The first time I tried ice skating, I __________ ten times in the first ten minutes!
A fell down
B lucked out
C sat down
Question 5
I hate it when people ___________ my office without knocking.
A barge into
B bolt away
C sneak up on
Question 6
He __________ to inspect the car's tires.
A crouched down
B crowded around
C stood back
Question 7
Tom ___________ his towel and left the beach.
A crept up
B picked up
C sat up
Question 8
The teacher asked the students to __________ because the class was about to start.
A climb down
B lie down
C sit down
Question 9
We got the last four tickets to the show before it sold out - we really __________!
A bolted away
B lucked out
C picked up
Question 10
Everyone in the audience ___________ and cheered at the end of the performance.
A bent down
B snuck up
C stood up
Writing Exercises
1. When was the last time you fell down?
2. On average, how much time per day do you spend lying down, standing up,
and sitting down?
3. What’s something you remember standing back from because it could be

dangerous?
4. What was the last thing you picked up?
5. Describe a time when you lucked out.
Answers – Quiz 18
1. C
2. C
3. C
4. A
5. A
6. A
7. B
8. C
9. B
10. C
Image sources: fall / bend & crouch / photostock @ FreeDigitalPhotos.net /

Derschueler / AmarChandra
Lesson 19: Phrasal Verbs for Information
Read and listen to the dialog. Samantha and Kate work for a small non-profit
organization that provides educational supplies for poor children.
Samantha: Kate, can you help me out for a minute? I’ve been poring over these
financial reports, and I can’t figure out why the numbers don’t match up with what
we currently have in our accounts.
Kate: Well, first of all, we didn’t spend $5000 on books. You can cross that out and
put $3500 instead. We had budgeted $5000 to allow for up to 250 students, but we
didn’t have that many.
Samantha: Gotcha. Do you happen to know if this figure for the amount of online
donations is correct?
Kate: It looks right, but I can’t say for sure off the top of my head. I can find out,
though – I’ll look it up when I get back to my computer.
Samantha: Wait a second – it just dawned on me – these numbers in parentheses

look like they’re only estimates and not exact figures.
Kate: You might be right. And they look a little low.
Samantha: What are they for – advertising? Hmm, maybe someone was trying to
gloss over the fact that they overspent.
Kate: Why does it say $100 for staff travel expenses? That doesn’t add up – we all
traveled a lot last year.
Samantha: You know, what this really boils down to is that our staff doesn’t
understand the importance of keeping good records.
Kate: True. Who prepared this report, anyway?
Samantha: The vice president – Pam.
Kate: Well, instead of wasting all this time puzzling over the data, why don’t we
just track her down and ask her about it?
Samantha: I’ve been trying to call her, but she hasn’t picked up. She’s one busy
lady.
Kate: When you do get ahold of her, why don’t you also feel her out about the
possibility of hiring an accountant? That would make everyone’s lives a lot easier!
Explanation
Samantha has been poring over some financial reports. The phrasal verb pore over
means to read and study a document very carefully. She’s trying to figure out why
the numbers on the report don’t match up with the money in the bank account. You
already learned the phrasal verb figure out – it means to solve a problem or
discover information by thinking and using logic. Match up means to be the same –
so Samantha is saying that the numbers on the financial report do not match up
with the bank account – they are different.
Kate tells her to cross out $5000 and put $3500 for the cost of books. To cross
(something) out means to draw a line through it: like this. They originally budgeted
$5000 for books to allow for up to 250 students. The phrasal verb allow for
(something) means to plan for the possibility of it.
Kate says she can find out if the number of online donations listed in the report is
correct. To find out means to discover information. What’s the difference between
find out and figure out? You find out something by checking another source, or
someone else telling you the information. You figure out something by logic, with
your own thinking.
Kate says she’ll look up the correct number of online donations later. To look
(something) up means to search or check a book, a list, a database, etc. For
example, you look up words in the dictionary to find out their definitions.
During the conversation, it dawned on Samantha that some of the numbers are
estimates and not exact figures. The expression it dawned on (someone) means
the person suddenly understood a fact, often after not recognizing this fact for some
time.
Also, the estimates of advertising costs might be incorrect because someone was
trying to gloss over the fact that they spent too much money. To gloss over
(something bad) means to try to minimize, hide, or ignore an unpleasant fact when
reporting on the situation.
Kate says that the data on staff travel expenses doesn’t add up. You learned the
phrasal verb add up in the lesson about money – it means to add numbers into a
total. But the expression “It doesn’t add up” has another meaning – it means “It
doesn’t make sense” or “Something is not correct or true” – and you can use this
expression for situations in general, not only with money.
Samantha comments that the problems with the report boil down to the staff’s
failure to keep good records. The phrasal verb boil down to means to identify the
root of a problem, or the simplest essential reason for it.
Kate doesn’t want to waste time puzzling over the inaccurate report. To puzzle
over something means to give a lot of thought or consideration to something you
don’t understand.
She suggests tracking down Pam, the person who originally prepared the report.
To track (someone / something) down means to find the person or thing after
searching for him/her/it.
Samantha has been trying to call Pam, but Pam hasn’t picked up. Here’s yet another
meaning for the phrasal verb pick up – to answer the telephone. The opposite of
pick up is hang up – that means end the connection after finishing a phone call.
Kate suggests feeling Pam out about the possibility of hiring an accountant for the
organization. To feel (someone) out means to carefully discover what someone
thinks about an idea, usually through a more indirect conversation and not asking
them directly.
You’ve just learned 16 phrasal verbs for talking about information! Take the
practice quiz and try the writing exercises – and log in tomorrow for Lesson 20.
pore over (a document) read and study a document very carefully
figure (something) out solve a problem or discover information by thinking and
using logic
match up be the same
cross (something) out draw a line through it: like this
find out discover information by checking another source, or
someone else telling you the information
look (something) up search or check a book, a list, a database, etc. to get the
information
it dawned on (someone) the person suddenly understood a fact, often after not
recognizing this fact for some time
gloss over try to minimize, hide, or ignore an unpleasant fact when
(something bad) reporting on the situation
“It doesn’t add up” “It doesn’t make sense” or “Something is not correct or
true in this situation”
boil down to identify the root of a problem, or the simplest essential
reason for it
puzzle over (something) give a lot of thought or consideration to something you
don’t understand
track find the person or thing after searching for him/her/it
(someone/something)
down
pick up answer the telephone
hang up end the connection after finishing a phone call
feel (someone) out carefully discover what someone thinks about an idea,
usually through a more indirect conversation and not
asking them directly
Quiz – Lesson 19
Question 1
I need the phone number for the restaurant. Could you ___________ online?
A cross it out
B look it up
C pore over it
Question 2
I don't know if I've been accepted into the program yet - I should _________ in the next
few days.
A find out
B gloss over
C hang up
Question 3
I think he's lying to me. What he says just doesn't __________ the evidence.
A boil down to
B figure out
C match up with
Question 4
We need some information from the December 2009 issue of the newsletter - I'll
___________ a copy in the archives.
A dawn on
B feel out
C track down
Question 5
In his speech, the president spoke with an optimistic tone, ___________ the fact that the
economy hasn't improved.
A adding up
B glossing over
C puzzling over
Question 6
After I thought about it for a while, it finally ___________ that taking this job wouldn't
really be the best move for my career.
A dawned on me
B felt me out
C tracked me down
Question 7
I've been ___________ this message my friend sent me - from what she wrote, I don't
understand if she's still angry at me or not.
A boiling down to
B picking up
C puzzling over
Question 8
I couldn't ____________ the difference between the present perfect and the past perfect,
so I had to ask my teacher.
A cross out
B figure out
C pore over
Question 9
After I _________, I realized I'd forgotten to ask the travel agent an important question,
so I called him back.
A dawned on
B hung up
C looked up
Question 10
I'd like to take my family to live in another country for a year, but first I need to
__________ my kids to see if they'd be interested in the possibility.
A feel out
B match up
C pick up
Writing Exercises
1. What’s something interesting or surprising that you recently found out?
2. What was the last thing you looked up to find the answer?
3. Do you tend to gloss over problems, or do you prefer to talk about them
directly?
4. Who/what is one person/thing you need to track down in the near future?
5. What’s one thing you have puzzled over recently?
Answers – Quiz 19
1. B
2. A
3. C
4. C
5. B
6. A
7. C
8. B
9. B
10. A
Lesson 20: Phrasal Verbs for Events
Gina: So, I saw that Tom Hanks movie that just came out. My daughter had been
begging me to take her, and I finally gave in.
(begging = asking frequently with lots of emotion)
Liz: I heard people were lining up around the block to get in. Was it good?
Gina: It was OK, but I didn’t think it lived up to the hype.

(hype = publicity, excitement)
Liz: Oh really? I heard Tom Hanks’ performance really stood out. They’re saying he
might be nominated for the best supporting actor award.
Gina: I dunno, I thought his character came off as kinda insecure. I was rooting for
him to overcome his fears and go after his dreams during the whole movie, but it
never really happened, and the ending sort of fizzled out.
(dunno = don’t know. kinda = kind of, rather, somewhat)
Liz: Oh well.
Gina: How was your weekend? You were running that all-day music festival
yesterday, right?
Liz: Yeah, it was awesome! We threw this event together at the last minute to kick
off our series of summer concerts, and I’m glad we did, ‘cause it was a huge success.
Gina: Was it all local bands, or were there some big names?
Liz: All local bands. The first few were a bit mediocre, but the third group really
livened things up. They played some classic hits and got the crowd singing along.
(hits = popular songs)
Gina: Nice. Did people stay for the whole day?
Liz: People were coming and going. Things started winding down in the early
evening, and we wrapped it up around 8.
Gina: Definitely let me know when your next event is, and I’ll try and make it.
(make it = come to the event)
Liz: Will do! By the way, I have some T-shirts left over from the festival, do you
want one?
Gina: Sure, thanks!
Explanation
Gina says she saw the movie that just came out. If a movie, CD, or product comes
out, it means it is made available to the public. Gina’s daughter had been begging to
go, and Gina finally gave in. To give in means to finally submit to what someone
else wants, after they have been asking or pressuring for a long time.
Liz heard that the movie was so popular that people were lining up around the
block. To line up simply means to form a line of people.
But Gina thought the movie didn’t live up to the hype (publicity/excitement). If you
say something did not live up to an expectation, it means it wasn’t as good as
expected.
Liz is surprised because she had also heard that Tom Hanks’ performance really
stood out. The phrasal verb stand out means to be extraordinary and different,
better than others – something that calls your attention.
But in Gina’s opinion, his character in the movie came off as insecure. If you say
someone comes off as (a particular character trait), it means the person gave the
impression of having that character trait or quality.
Gina was rooting for him to pursue his dreams during the movie. To root for
someone or something means to strongly hope they will succeed. We also use this
phrasal verb for supporting sports teams. These guys are rooting for their favorite
team.
In Gina’s opinion, the movie fizzled out. To fizzle out means to lose strength or
excitement and end in a disappointing way.
She then asks Liz about the music festival. Liz tells her that they threw the event
together at the last minute. To throw (something) together means to organize it
or create it quickly, without much previous planning.
This festival kicked off a series of summer concerts. Kick off means to begin or be
the first activity in a process, campaign, event, or series of activities.
The first few bands weren’t very good, but the third one livened things up. The
phrasal verb liven up means to make something more exciting or interesting,
especially when it was rather boring before.
This band played some classic hits (popular songs) and the crowd started singing
along – that means to sing together with the band or singer.
The festival started winding down in the early evening. The phrasal verb wind
down is used when an activity or event slows down and becomes less busy,
especially as it is coming to an end. Liz says they wrapped it up around 8. To wrap
(an event/project) up means to complete it or finish it.
Finally, Liz has some T-shirts left over from the festival, so she offers one to Gina. If
something is left over, it means it remains from an earlier time, when it wasn’t
used. We often use left over for food – extra food that you didn’t eat during a meal,
and you save it for later, is called “leftovers.”
You now know 15 new phrasal verbs for talking about events. Take the practice quiz
and try the writing exercises – and log in tomorrow for Lesson 21.

come out a movie, CD, product, etc. becomes available to the public
give in (to someone) finally submit to what someone else wants, after they have
been asking or pressuring for a long time
line up form a line of people
not live up to not be as good as expected
(an expectation)
stand out be extraordinary and different, better than others –
something that calls your attention
someone comes off the person gives the impression of having that character
as (a particular trait or quality
character trait)
root for (someone / strongly hope they will succeed
something)
fizzle out lose strength or excitement and end in a disappointing way
throw (something) to organize it or create it quickly, without much previous
together planning
kick off begin or be the first activity in a process, campaign, event, or
series of activities
liven (something) up make something more exciting or interesting, especially
when it was rather boring before
sing along sing together with the band or singer
wind down when an activity or event slows down and becomes less
busy, especially as it is coming to an end
wrap (an event / complete it or finish it
project) up
(be) left over remain from an earlier time, when it wasn’t used
Quiz – Lesson 20
Question 1
The next conference session starts in just a few minutes, so we need to _________ this
workshop.
A kick off
B stand out
C wrap up
Question 2
I know this brochure isn't very well-designed; it's just something I ____________
because we needed it urgently.
A didn't live up to
B fizzled out
C threw together
Question 3
The gift I bought for my mother cost less than I expected, so I bought something for
my sister with the money that was ___________.
A left over
B lined up
C wound down
Question 4
I can't wait for the sequel to this movie - I hear it's _________ next June.
A coming out
B giving in
C singing along
Question 5
He had a great idea for a new business, but he didn't really put in much work and it
___________.
A fizzled out
B livened up
C was left over
Question 6
Sandy's really confident; in fact, sometimes she ____________ a bit arrogant.
A comes off as
B lives up to
C roots for
Question 7
The singer __________ her 2013 tour with a performance in New York City.
A kicked off
B stood out
C threw together
Question 8
All the kids ___________ to wait for their turn to see Santa Claus.
A fizzled out
B lined up
C sang along
Question 9
The high season for tourism in Brazil starts to ___________ after Carnaval.
A come out
B kick off
C wind down
Question 10
I don't like conflict. I usually __________ rather than arguing.
A give in
B root for
C wrap up
Writing Exercises
1. Describe something that didn’t live up to your expectations.

What was disappointing about it?
2. What’s your favorite music to sing along to?
3. Do you root for any particular sports teams?

(If you don’t, do you have a friend/family member who does?)
4. Describe a time you had to throw something together.

How was the result – did it turn out well?
5. Have you ever had a personal or professional project fizzle out?

What happened?
Answers – Quiz 20
1. C
2. C
3. A
4. A
5. A
6. A
7. A
8. B
9. C
10. A
Image sources: Vlado @ FreeDigitalPhotos.net / Rick Dikeman, aka Rdikeman at

en.wikipedia
Lesson 21:
Phrasal Verbs for Manners/Etiquette
Susan: You look exhausted. Everything OK?
Karen: Oh, just some drama at work. My coworker Rita made a silly mistake – it
would have been no big deal, but another guy on the team, Victor, kept rubbing it in
by constantly making these little sarcastic comments throughout the day. Rita was
trying to laugh it off, but I could tell by her expression that it was really grating on
her.
Susan: So did you speak up? Tell him to back off?
Karen: Not in front of Rita. But I took Victor aside later and said he should knock
it off. He just told me to lighten up.
Susan: Hopefully something you said got through to him. Joking around is fine,
but not when it borders on bullying.
Karen: Have you ever dealt with a similar situation?
Susan: Yeah, years ago I had a boss who was always picking on me. Every time I
saw him coming, I’d brace myself for some new criticism or insult. But later I found
out that he was going through a painful divorce, and was taking it out on me. It
wasn’t right, but I don’t hold it against him.
Karen: Well, I know there’s nothing like that going on with Victor. He’s just the type
of person who likes to show off and give himself an ego boost by putting other
people down.
(ego boost = make you feel better about yourself)
Susan: Hmm. If it gets really bad, you could always take it up with HR.
(HR = the Human Resources department)
Karen: True.
Explanation
Karen describes how her coworker Rita made a mistake, and another colleague,
Victor, was rubbing it in by making sarcastic comments throughout the day. The
phrasal verb rub it in means to constantly remind someone about a mistake or bad
situation.
Rita tried to laugh it off. This means she tried to laugh about it and pretend it
wasn’t important and didn’t bother her. But her facial expression showed that
Victor’s comments were really grating on her. If something grates on you, it means
it is very annoying or irritating.
Susan asked if Karen spoke up and told Victor to back off. We learned speak up in
a previous lesson – it means to say your opinion about something you believe is
wrong, without fear or hesitation. The phrasal verb back off, in this context, means
to stop verbally attacking someone.
Karen took Victor aside later to talk about his behavior. To take (someone) aside
means to remove the person temporarily from a group to discuss something
privately. She told him to knock it off. The expression knock it off is an informal
way to tell someone to stop doing something annoying.
Victor just told Karen to lighten up – this means to be less serious. But hopefully
some of Karen’s words got through to Victor. To get through to (someone) means
to make the person understand something, when he/she doesn’t want to listen.
Susan says that joking around is OK. To joke around means to talk with lots of
jokes, trying to be funny. However, it’s not good when it borders on bullying. The
phrasal verb border on (something) means to be very similar to or close to it.
Border on is only used for non-physical things like words, ideas, plans,
philosophies, etc.
Karen asks Susan if she has ever dealt with a mean colleague. To deal with
something means to manage or take action in a situation. Susan tells her about a
boss she had many years ago who always picked on her. To pick on (someone) is
to criticize and tease the person frequently.
Every time Susan saw her boss coming, she would brace herself for a new insult.
The phrasal verb brace (yourself) for something means to mentally prepare
yourself for it – usually for something negative, like bad news or criticism.
Susan’s boss had been going through a painful divorce at the time, and he was
taking it out on her. To take (something) out on (someone) means to treat the
person badly because of other problems that are not that person’s fault. In other
words, you transfer your anger about the situation onto an innocent person.
But Susan says she doesn’t hold it against her former boss. To hold (something)
against (someone) means continuing to blame and resent the person for a long
time.
Karen says that Victor simply likes to show off and put other people down. The
phrasal verb show off means to demonstrate your abilities in an annoying, arrogant
way. And to put (someone) down means to criticize, humiliate, or disparage the
person.
At the end of the conversation, Susan advises Karen to take it up with HR (Human
Resources) if the problem with Victor gets worse. The expression take it up with
(someone) means to complain or discuss a problem with that person, because that
is the person with power to resolve it.
You’ve learned 17 phrasal verbs related to manners and etiquette. Take the practice
quiz, try the writing exercises, and log in tomorrow for Lesson 22.
rub it in constantly remind someone about a mistake or bad
situation
laugh (something) off laugh about it and act like you’re not affected by it
grate on (someone) something is very annoying or irritating to that person
back off stop verbally attacking someone
take (someone) aside remove the person temporarily from a group to discuss
something privately
knock it off stop doing something annoying
(informal)
lighten up be less serious
get through to make the person understand something, when he/she
(someone) doesn’t want to listen
joke around talk with lots of jokes/humor, trying to be funny
border on be very similar to or close to it (only used for non-physical
(something) things like words, ideas, plans, philosophies, etc)
deal with (something) manage or take action in a situation
pick on (someone) criticize and tease the person frequently
brace (yourself) for mentally prepare yourself for it – usually for something
(something) negative, like bad news or criticism
take (something) out treat the person badly because of other problems that are
on (someone) not that person’s fault
hold (something) continue to blame and resent the person for a long time
against (someone)
show off demonstrate your abilities in an annoying, arrogant way
put (someone) down criticize, humiliate, or disparage the person
take it up with complain or discuss a problem with that person, because
(someone) that is the person with power to resolve it
Quiz – Lesson 21
Question 1
When I was little, the other kids ________ me because I was fat.
A dealt with
B laughed off
C picked on
Question 2
If you don't like the new policy, you need to __________ Peter, not me. He's the one
who made the decision.
A brace for
B get through to
C take it up with
Question 3
People who are offended by comedy movies need to ____________. It's not worth
getting so upset over a film.
A back off
B joke around
C lighten up
Question 4
My son is lazy. I try to teach him about the importance of hard work, but I can't seem
to __________ him.
A get through to
B grate on
C take it out on
Question 5
When I apologized to Diane for ignoring her phone calls, she ____________ and said it
was no big deal.
A knocked it off
B laughed it off
C rubbed it in
Question 6
My roommate smokes cigarette after cigarette inside our apartment, and it's really
____________ me.
A grating on
B holding against
C showing off
Question 7
When my boss called me into her office for a serious talk, I ____________ the possibility
that I might lose my job.
A braced myself for
B bordered on
C took it up with
Question 8
During the party, my friend ____________ and told me I had some food stuck in my
teeth. How embarrassing!
A got through to me
B put me down
C took me aside
Question 9
This problem is top priority. I really need you to ___________ it as soon as possible.
A back off
B border on
C deal with
Question 10
My uncle is always ___________ - it's hard to tell when he's being serious.
A joking around
B knocking it off
C lightening up
Writing Exercises
1. What’s one annoying habit your friend/husband/wife has that really grates
on you?
2. When someone offends you, is it easy for you to laugh it off, or do you hold it
against the person?
3. Describe a time when someone took you aside to discuss a private matter.
4. When was the last time you told someone to knock it off?
5. Describe a person you know who needs to lighten up.
6. Describe a time when you were showing off (or you saw someone else
showing off).
Answers – Quiz 21
1. C
2. C
3. C
4. A
5. B
6. A
7. A
8. C
9. C
10. A
Lesson 22:
Phrasal Verbs for Destruction & Repair
Carmen: Did you hear that the city’s planning to tear down the old church on Main
Street?
Tara: It is pretty run-down – but I thought they were going to fix it up.
Carmen: Apparently the restoration would cost way more than they’d bargained
for. The place really is falling apart – one section of the roof caved in this past
winter.
Tara: That’s a shame. I think it’s one of the last remaining historical buildings in the
area.
Carmen: It is the last one. Remember how the old town hall burned down last
year?
Tara: Yeah, and the fire department got mixed up and went to the wrong address,
right?
Carmen: And by the time they got to the right place and put out the fire, there was
nothing left to salvage.
(salvage = save something from a disaster)
Tara: Terrible.
Carmen: Listen, I wanted to ask you – I’m organizing a campaign to save the old
church. I think it’s something our community can rally around. Do you wanna be a
part of it?
Tara: You know, I’m not sure… I’m happy to sign a petition, but I might not be able
to free up time to go to meetings and whatnot.
(petition = a list of names of people who want to support or change something)
(“and whatnot” is an informal way to say “et cetera” – “and other similar things”)
Carmen: Well, we’re still hashing out the details of what exactly needs to be done. I
just need to know if you’re in or out.
Tara: I’m interested, but… let me sleep on it and let you know tomorrow.
Carmen: OK, not a problem.
Explanation
Carmen tells Tara that the city is planning to tear down an old church. The phrasal
verb tear down means to demolish a building.
Tara says that the church is run-down. This means it’s in bad physical condition; it
is old, dirty, and not well-maintained.
However, she thought the city had plans to fix it up. To fix (something) up means
to repair it and restore it to good condition. A related phrasal verb is spruce up,
which means to improve the appearance or condition of a building, house,
apartment, yard, or other space.
Unfortunately, the restoration of the church would cost more than the city
bargained for – this means planned or expected. The church is falling apart – to
fall apart is used when something breaks into pieces because it is old, weak, or
damaged.
Last winter, a section of the church’s roof caved in. This phrasal verb is used when a
roof or ceiling collapses.
The church is the last remaining historical building in the area, because the old town
hall burned down last year. If a building burns down, it means it is destroyed by
fire.
The firefighters were delayed because they got mixed up and went to the wrong
address. The phrasal verb mix up means to confuse things, or exchange two things
in error.
The firefighters put out the fire, but it was too late to save the building. The phrasal
verb put out means to extinguish a fire.
Carmen wants the community to rally around the goal of preserving the old,
historical church. To rally around (a person/cause) means to join together in
support of it.
Tara’s not sure if she can participate, because she may not be able to free up enough
time. The phrasal verb free up means to re-organize things to make more of a
resource available. It’s often used with time, space, or money.
Carmen says they’re still hashing out the details of this campaign. To hash out
(something) means to discuss it until finally establishing or agreeing on the details.
Tara then says she’ll sleep on it and give Carmen her answer tomorrow. The
expression “sleep on it” means to delay a decision until the next day, usually
because you can’t answer at the moment, or because you want to think about it
more carefully.
Now you know 14 phrasal verbs related to destruction & repair. Take the practice
quiz, try the writing exercises, and log in tomorrow for Lesson 23.
tear down demolish a building
be run-down be in bad physical condition; old, dirty, and not well-
maintained
fix (something) up repair it and restore it to good condition
spruce up improve the appearance or condition of a building, house,
apartment, yard, or other space
bargain for plan or expect
fall apart when something breaks into pieces because it is old, weak,
or damaged
cave in when a roof or ceiling collapses
burn down a building or structure is destroyed by fire
mix up confuse things, or exchange two things in error
put out (a fire) extinguish the fire
rally around (a join together in support of it
person/cause)
free up (time, space, re-organize things to make more of a particular resource
money) available
hash out (something) discuss it until finally establishing or agreeing on the
details
sleep on it delay a decision until the next day, because you can’t
answer at the moment, or because you want to think more
Quiz – Lesson 22
Question 1
Let's donate some of these clothes to _________ space in the closet.
A free up
B put out
C spruce up
Question 2
The two companies ____________ a deal to exchange some of their products and
services.
A fixed up
B hashed out
C slept on
Question 3
They're ___________ those apartment buildings to make room for the new highway.
A caving in
B rallying around
C tearing down
Question 4
Dan ___________ his old bicycle and gave it to his son.
A fell apart
B fixed up
C ran down
Question 5
That hospital looks a little __________, but it actually has excellent doctors.
A hashed out
B mixed up
C run-down
Question 6
Don't forget to ___________ that candle before you go to sleep.
A bargain for
B put out
C burn down
Question 7
Please be careful with that old book - it's ____________.
A falling apart
B freeing up
C tearing down
Question 8
I wasn't completely satisfied with her proposal, so I told her I'd ___________.
A rally around it
B sleep on it
C spruce it up
Question 9
My cousins are identical twins, and people always ___________.
A hash them out
B mix them up
C put them out
Question 10
Everyone ___________ the community leader to defend him from the accusations of
corruption.
A bargained for
B fell apart
C rallied around
Writing Exercises
1. What’s one building you’ve been in that was rather run-down?
2. What’s one thing you could do to spruce up the place where you live?
3. Describe a time when you mixed something up.
4. What’s one thing you could do to free up some extra time or money?
5. Describe a decision when you slept on it rather than giving an answer

immediately.
Answers – Quiz 22
1. A
2. B
3. C
4. B
5. C
6. B
7. A
8. B
9. B
10. C
Image sources: Wolfgang Staudt from Saarbruecken, Germany; Al Jazeera English
Lesson 23: Phrasal Verbs with AWAY
For the last week of the course, you’re going to learn extra phrasal verbs that didn’t
quite fit into the other categories. I’ve grouped them by preposition, so in this lesson
you’ll learn 10 phrasal verbs with AWAY.
The format will be a little different – for each phrasal verb, I’ll explain the meaning
and give a short 2-line dialog to show how it’s used.
chip away at (something)

= gradually reduce it, making it less powerful or effective, bit by bit
“The internet is down again.”
“That’s the 5th time this week! It’s really chipping away at my patience.”
It means that your patience is gradually getting less and less because of the frequent
technical problems.
You can also chip away at:
patience, happiness, confidence, or self-esteem

freedoms, rights, or benefits
big projects or big problems, like poverty or climate change, that are often
solved little by little and not all at one time
edge away from (something)

= move away slowly and cautiously, from something that could be
dangerous
"Did you see that crazy guy on the train?"
"I was standing right next to him. I started edging away because I thought he
might become violent."
You can also edge away from a dangerous animal, like a snake or an angry dog.
When you edge away, you move slowly so that the person or animal doesn’t react to
a fast movement.
blow (someone) away

= impress the person VERY much
“My daughter’s only 6, but she can read at a 10-year-old level.”
“She’s so smart! I was blown away by her vocabulary.”
This means the little girl’s vocabulary is VERY impressive. When you see something
or someone that you think is absolutely amazing, you can say “it blew me away.”
plug away at (something)

= continue trying and working in a determined manner
“I’m taking piano lessons, but I have no talent.”
“Neither did I when I started. But keep plugging away, and you’ll make great
progress.”
We usually use plug away for effort in learning something difficult (as in the
example) or working hard on a large or long project.
square away
= finish, arrange, or organize something completely
“Is everything ready for the wedding?”
“Almost – just need to get the decorations squared away!”
We often use square away for finishing details at work before leaving for the day,
or going on a trip.
whisk away
= to move the person/thing away rapidly
“My 4-year-old almost burned himself yesterday – I whisked him away from
the stove just in time.”
“ Wow – good thing you were watching him!”
Whisk away is typically used for a fast, emergency movement to avoid danger.
shy away from (doing something)

= avoid doing it because you are afraid or not confident
“I don’t mind speaking, but I shy away from singing in public.”
“Oh, not me. I love performing.”
People often shy away from:
public speaking
confrontation
commitment (in relationships)
stash (something) away

= put it in a safe place to use it later
“There’s no food in the house, and the stores are closed!”
“Actually, I have some chips stashed away in my room.”
You can stash away food and supplies – for example, people who believe the world
is going to end often stash away extra food and water. You can also stash money
away if you want to use it later and avoid spending it immediately.
tear (yourself) away
= stop reading/watching something you don’t want to stop
“How was the book?”
“Fantastic! I stayed up all night reading. I couldn’t tear myself away until I’d
finished.”
This expression, can’t tear yourself away, is typically used with addictive books,
movies, TV shows, and websites that you can’t stop reading/watching.
fade away
= get weaker and weaker and finally disappear
“Do you think you’ll ever get back together with your ex?”
“No – we’ve been separated 5 years, and my feelings for him have faded away
by now.”
Fade away is often used with emotions, like enthusiasm, anxiety, anger, fear, and
desire. You can also use it for sound or music – for example, music fades away as
you get more and more distant from the source.
You’ve learned 10 new phrasal verbs with AWAY. Take the practice quiz, try the
writing exercises, and log in tomorrow for Lesson 24.
Quiz – Lesson 23
Question 1
The security guards ______ the president away to a safe place after hearing about an
assassination plot.
A edged
B stashed
C whisked
Question 2
Going to the beach seems to make all my worries _________ away.
A blow
B chip
C fade
Question 3
I got all the hotel arrangements ________ away - we can check that off the to-do list.
A faded
B plugged
C squared
Question 4
When I read that book for the first time, it really ________ me away - it completely
changed my thinking.
A blew
B edged
C shied
Question 5
I'll be home late tonight - I'm still ________ away at this complicated website design
project.
A plugging
B tearing
C whisking
Question 6
We try to __________ away a couple hundred dollars a month in a savings account to

help send our kids to college someday.
A blow
B square
C stash
Question 7
The tour guide __________ away from the sleeping tiger.
A chipped
B edged
C faded
Question 8
I ______ away from posting too much personal information on the internet - you
never know who could be reading it.
A shy
B plug
C tear
Question 9
I just discovered a great new blog - I read it every day; I can't _______ myself away.
A blow
B tear
C whisk
Question 10
The government keeps ________ away at benefits for veterans - we need to protest
this!
A chipping
B fading
C squaring
Writing Exercises
1. Describe something impressive you saw that blew you away.
2. What’s one thing you shy away from doing?
3. What’s something you need to square away before the end of the month?
4. What’s one book, TV show, or website you couldn’t tear yourself away from?
5. Describe a major personal/professional project that you’re plugging away at.
Answers – Quiz 23
1. C
2. C
3. C
4. A
5. A
6. C
7. B
8. A
9. B
10. A
Lesson 24: Phrasal Verbs with DOWN
you’ll learn 10 phrasal verbs with DOWN.
count down
= say numbers in a descending order (5…4…3…2…1…)
“How was your New Year’s party?”
“Oh, it was great! My kids really loved counting down to midnight.”
We usually count down when waiting for the New Year to start, or when launching a
rocket. In action movies, you often see the timer on a bomb counting down to zero,
when the bomb will explode.
This phrasal verb is also used in the expression “I’m counting down the days until…
(something you really want to happen, will happen).” For example, “I’m so stressed
out with school. I’m counting down the days until I graduate.”
gulp down / guzzle down (a drink)

= drink all of a drink very fast
"Why didn’t Mark eat breakfast?”
"He was really late for work. He just gulped down his coffee and ran out the
door."
There’s a small difference between gulp down and guzzle down. Usually, you gulp
down a drink because you are in a rush, you have no time. And you guzzle down a
drink because you are greedy and you want to drink a lot of it. For example, “He
guzzled down an entire liter of soda at lunch.”
narrow down (something)
= reduce the number of options to make it easier to decide
“Have you picked a college yet?”
“No… I was accepted to 8 schools, and I’ve narrowed it down to three – New
York University, Colgate University, and Hamilton College.”
The phrasal verb narrow down is used when going from many options to few
options. You can also say that the police have narrowed down the number of
suspects in the investigation of a crime.
be/get bogged down

= when progress becomes extremely slow (almost stopped) due to
external circumstances
“Whatever happened to that health care reform that was proposed last year?
Did it ever go into effect?”
“I don’t think so. It seems to be bogged down in government bureaucracy.”
A few common uses of bogged down include:
Laws, applications, and other official things getting bogged down in

bureaucracy or paperwork
People getting bogged down in too much work or too much e-mail needing a
response
Projects getting bogged down with too many details, or bad management
TV series and movies getting bogged down because the action is progressing
too slowly, and it becomes boring
knock (something/someone) down

= hit a person or object so that they fall
“How’d you get that bruise on your knee?”
“Some lady was rushing to catch a bus, and she crashed into me and knocked
me down! Then she didn’t even stop to help me get up.”
Knocking someone/something down is usually

accidental, but it’s possible to be intentional. For
example, when you go bowling, you try to knock
down the pins by using the ball. Another phrasal
verb for this action is knock over.
step down
= decide to leave a position of authority
“After thirty years with the company, the president is stepping down in
December.”
“ Really? Who’s going to take her place?”
Leaders often step down because of some scandal, although this is not always the
case. Step down is only used for positions of authority or importance. When a
regular worker decides to leave his/her job, we say they resign (formal) or quit
(informal).
tone (something) down

= make something more moderate (less strong or extreme)
“Is that movie OK for kids?”
“Yeah. This director’s last movie was pretty violent, but he’s toned it down in
this film.”
Things you can tone down include:
words/comments to make them less offensive or less controversial

aspects of your personality, in certain social situations
excessive makeup or bright colors in your clothing
play (something) down
= try to minimize the importance of something
“Did you see the interview with that famous singer?”
“Yeah. I noticed he really tried to play down the rumors about him cheating
on his wife.”
People often try to play down unpleasant facts or possibilities. The opposite of play
down is play up – meaning to emphasize something and try to bring attention to it.
For example, fast food restaurants play up the great taste of their food and play
down the negative effects on your health.
dumb (something) down

= make something SO easy and simple that even an idiot could
understand it
“How was class?”
“Kinda boring. There was one student who didn’t understand the lesson and
kept asking questions, so the teacher spent half an hour dumbing it down for
him.”
This expression can be used for making a complex topic simple so that regular
people can understand it. But it’s often used for making a regular topic even simpler
so that not-very-intelligent people can understand it. This phrasal verb is informal.
turn (something/someone) down

= say “no” to an offer or invitation
“Did you get that job you interviewed for?”
“Yes… but I turned it down. The salary just wasn’t very good, and I’d like to
find a better opportunity.”
You might already know the phrasal verb turn down meaning to reduce the volume
of music or the TV – but here’s another way to use it. Turn down is commonly used
when saying “no” to a job offer, opportunity, or invitation to go out on a date.
You’ve learned 10 new phrasal verbs with DOWN. Take the practice quiz, try the
Quiz – Lesson 24
Question 1
I've read all the job applications and __________ it down to the 5 most promising
candidates for this position.
A bogged
B narrowed
C turned
Question 2
The pastor __________ down a glass of water and continued his sermon.
A gulped
B knocked
C toned
Question 3
I'm going to ________ down as volunteer coordinator - it's just too much work for me
to do in my spare time.
A dumb
B play
C step
Question 4
Sarah's 9 months pregnant - she's _______ down the days until the baby arrives.
A counting
B knocking
C narrowing
Question 5
Dave asked Rachel out to dinner, but she __________ him down, saying he wasn't her
type.
A guzzled
B stepped
C turned
Question 6
Every time I come home, my dog jumps on me and almost _______ me down.
A bogs
B knocks
C tones
Question 7
Sorry - I still don't understand your article about quantum physics. You're going to
have to _______ it down even further for me.
A dumb
B play
C turn
Question 8
That politician has very strong views on abortion, but he _______ it down when
talking to the media.
A counts
B gulps
C tones
Question 9
I can't get any of my own work done, because I keep getting ________ down with
requests from my colleagues.
A bogged
B dumbed
C knocked
Question 10
I tried to _________ down the fact that I'd gotten a tattoo, but my mother still wasn't
happy about it.
A play
B step
C tone
Writing Exercises
1. What’s something that you’re counting down the days until it happens?
2. Describe a time when you had to narrow down your options.
3. Have you ever turned down a job offer or invitation?
4. Describe a project you were working on that got bogged down. What was the
cause of the delay?
5. Has anyone ever knocked you down?
Answers – Quiz 24
1. B
2. A
3. C
4. A
5. C
6. B
7. A
8. C
9. A
10. A
Image source: Stefan Grazer
Lesson 25: Phrasal Verbs with ON/IN
you’ll learn 5 phrasal verbs with ON and 5 phrasal verbs with IN.
frown on (something)
= disapprove of it; consider it wrong or unacceptable
“Why don’t you want to dance?”
“Well, I never really learned how. I grew up in a very religious family that
frowned on dancing.”
Frown on can be followed by a noun or by a verb in the –ING form.
Frown on + noun:
My parents frown on tattoos.

Society tends to frown on people who are introverted.
Frown on + verb-ING:
The company frowns on using the internet at work for personal things.
My sister frowns on taking medicine – she believes in all-natural remedies.
egg (someone) on
= encourage/pressure someone to do something bad/mischievous
"I don’t smoke. Do you?”
"No. I tried a cigarette when I was 14 – my older brother was egging me on –

but I thought it was disgusting."
The phrasal verb egg (someone) on is often used for peer pressure – when kids or
teenagers pressure other kids or teenagers to do something that is not completely
correct or acceptable.
prey on (someone)
= maliciously take advantage of the person
“A lot of scammers prey on senior citizens.”
“I know – my grandmother used to receive tons of fake letters asking for

money.”
Prey on has two meanings. When talking about animals, it means that one animal
eats another:
Spiders prey on flies and other insects.

Owls prey on mice.
Sharks prey on other smaller fish.
When talking about people, it’s when a person with bad intentions takes advantage
of another person. Criminals often prey on tourists who come to a new city and
aren’t familiar with the area. Sometimes men prey on young girls over the internet.
rub off on (someone)

= when an aspect of one person’s personality transfers to another
person
“You seem really excited about this new business opportunity.”
“I was actually hesitant at first, but I think my partner’s enthusiasm has

rubbed off on me.”
When a characteristic of another person begins to influence you, and you begin to
have that same characteristic, we say the other person rubbed off on you. This
phrasal verb can be used for transferring positive characteristics (enthusiasm,
optimism, sense of humor) or negative characteristics (sarcasm, sadness, a bad
mood).
zero/hone in on (something)
= target or focus on it specifically
“We need to figure out a way to get more customers in our store.”
“Let’s talk to our former customers and hone in on the reasons they’re not
buying – then we’ll know exactly what we need to improve.”
Both zero in on and hone in on refer to a very targeted focus on a specific area.
tuck in
= put the bottom of your shirt into your pants
“Did your high school have a uniform?”
“Yup. We had to wear the official school shirt – and it always had to be tucked
in.”
The opposite of tucked in is untucked (when your shirt is outside your pants).
rein in
= stop someone/something from getting out of control
“Looks like the income tax is going up this year.”
“They raise taxes every year – I really wish the government would learn to
rein in its spending.”
In this example, the government’s spending is getting out of control, resulting in

higher taxes – and the person wishes the government would rein in the spending –
control it and not let it increase.
You can also rein in a person who is getting out of control, for example, if you take
your husband to an electronics store, and he really loves electronics, you’d have to
rein him in to stop him from buying everything in the store.
pitch in
= contribute your work or effort to help someone
“How did you finish painting the house so fast?”
“It was definitely a big job, but our neighbors pitched in, so we were able to
get it done in a single weekend.”
Pitch in is often used for collective projects, in which multiple people come together
to work on it. For example, the entire community can pitch in to help clean up a city
park.
chime in
= add a comment to a conversation/discussion
“That meeting took forever!”
“You’re telling me. The problem is that people keep chiming in with new
suggestions, and nothing ever gets finalized.”
The phrasal verb chime in is used when someone makes a welcome contribution to
a conversation. If a person interrupts or makes an unwelcome comment in a
conversation, you can use the phrasal verb butt in, which you learned in Lesson 12.
sink in
= finally understand or feel the effects of some knowledge
“How does it feel to be a college graduate?”
“It’s weird not being a student, for the first time in 16 years. That’s going to
take a while to sink in!”
The phrasal verb sink in is often used when you hear some shocking news and it
will take some time to fully accept it or feel its effects. It can also be used for major
life changes that will take some time to get used to, as in the example of graduating
from college and not being a student anymore. Finally, sink in is used when you
learn a fact that is difficult to comprehend, and it will take some time to completely
understand it.
You’ve learned 10 new phrasal verbs with ON and IN. Take the practice quiz, try
the writing exercises, and log in tomorrow for Lesson 26.
Quiz – Lesson 25
Question 1
All our friends __________ to help throw Rob and Susan a surprise anniversary party.
A chimed in
B egged us on
C pitched in
Question 2
My mother _________ parents who let their kids play video games all day.
A frowns on
B reins in
C preys on
Question 3
You should __________ your shirt - it looks more professional.
A hone in on
B sink in
C tuck in
Question 4
Brad has gotten a lot more organized since he got married. His wife must be
___________ him.
A pitching in
B rubbing off on
C zeroing in on
Question 5
I couldn't believe I'd gotten the promotion. It only started to __________ when I was
given the best office in the building.
A chime in
B egg on
C sink in
Question 6
This fitness program ___________ belly fat and will help you get a flat stomach in just 6
weeks.
A frowns on
B preys on
C zeroes in on
Question 7
My father got really angry at the travel agent when our flight was canceled. I had to
__________ to stop him from making a scene.
A egg him on
B rein him in
C rub off on him
Question 8
My wife and I were discussing where to go out for dinner, and our son ___________ and
said he'd like to have Chinese food.
A chimed in
B honed in
C tucked in
Question 9
Our teenage daughter dyed her hair purple because all of her friends were
_____________.
A egging her on
B pitching in
C reining her in
Question 10
Bullies often _________ kids who are shy or who have low self-esteem.
A prey on
B rub off on
C sink in
Writing Exercises
1. What’s something you frown on?
2. Has anyone ever rubbed off on you?
3. Describe a time when you pitched in.
4. When you were a child/teenager, did anyone ever egg you on to do

something? How did you respond?
5. Describe a time when you learned or experienced something that took some
time to sink in.
Answers – Quiz 25
1. C
2. A
3. C
4. B
5. C
6. C
7. B
8. A
9. A
10. A
Lesson 26: Phrasal Verbs with OUT
you’ll learn 10 phrasal verbs with OUT.
branch out
= expand or extend your interests into a new area
“So, what exactly does your company do?”
“We repair electronics. We started out just fixing computers, and recently
we’ve branched out into cell phones and tablets as well.”
The phrasal verb branch out can be used for businesses that expand into new
sectors, as in the example. You can also use it when a person enters a different area
of interest than what they normally do: if you are really into science, you could
branch out by taking an art class.
weed out
= identify and remove/eliminate unwanted elements from a group
"Is that graduate program hard to get into?”
"It’s pretty selective. First there’s an entrance exam to weed out the
unqualified candidates, and then there’s a round of interviews to select the
best from among those who pass the exam."
The phrasal verb weed out comes from gardening. When you have a garden of
flowers or vegetables, the unwanted plants that grow spontaneously are called
“weeds.” What do you do with weeds? You remove them from the garden! So the
phrasal verb weed out is used for removing any undesirable elements from a group.
zone out
= lose concentration; not pay attention to your surroundings
“Do you have a long commute?”
“90 minutes each way. But it’s not so bad – I usually listen to music and zone
out.”
People often zone out while listening to music. It’s also possible to zone out when
you’re in a boring class or talking to a boring person. When you’ve zoned out, and
someone says your name or asks you a direct question, it often takes a moment for
you to return your attention to the situation.
count (someone) out

= the person will not participate in an activity
“We’re putting together a volleyball team to play on Thursday nights – do you

and your sister wanna join?”
“I’d love to! But my sister has class on Thursdays, so you’ll have to count her
out.”
It’s also common to say “count me out” when you don’t want to participate in
something. The opposite of count me out is count me in – say this when you WILL
participate. For example: “There’s a free pizza party at the bar on Friday? Count me
in!”
kick (someone) out

= expel the person from a house, school, or group
“I heard Peter and Helen are no longer together.”
“It’s true. Peter’s been staying with his brother ever since Helen kicked him
out.”
The three most common situations when we use the phrasal verb kick someone
out are:
When someone kicks a family member, boyfriend/girlfriend, or roommate

out of the house or apartment;
When a student gets kicked out of school or a study program – usually
because they did something bad;
When a person is kicked out of a group or community – again, usually for bad
behavior.
When a person is expelled/dismissed from their job, we don’t use “kicked out” –
instead, we usually say they were “fired” or “laid off.”
tough/ride it out
= endure an unpleasant situation/experience until the end
“How’s your summer job going?”
“Not so great. My supervisor is making my life miserable. But I need the

money, so I can tough it out for two more months.”
When you tough out or ride out a situation, you know that there is an end point –
like in this example of a temporary summer job. So you decide you can continue to
the end despite the difficulty or suffering.
whip (something) out

= remove something from a place very quickly
“I think it’s funny how everyone whips out their cell phones the instant the
airplane lands.”
“True! People can’t stand to be disconnected for very long nowadays.”
Whip out usually refers to removing an object quickly from your pocket, purse, or
bag.
jump/leap out at (someone)
= when a particular fact catches your attention
“Did you read that article on the current state of education in the U.S.?”
“Yeah, and what really jumped out at me was the fact that one in three
Americans wouldn’t even pass the citizenship test. It’s unbelievable!”
The phrasal verb jump out at or leap out at is used when one specific element in a
text, TV show, or situation is especially noticeable or intriguing to you – as in this
example, where the reader of the article thought the statistic about one in three
Americans failing the citizenship test was the most prominent fact in the article.
crank (something) out

= produce a lot of that thing very fast
“Hey, how’s that book you’re writing coming along?”
“Well, my deadline’s coming up at the end of the month, and I’ll need to crank
out six more chapters by then!”
Crank out can be used for creative production – cranking out lots of articles, books,
songs, ideas, etc. – or for physical objects, like a company that cranks out lots of
new products.
conk out
1) fall asleep
2) when a machine breaks or stops functioning
Example #1:
“Did your kids have fun at the amusement park?”
“They sure did! They ran around so much that they both conked out during
the drive home.”
Example #2:
“Sorry – my scanner just conked out. Is it OK if I send you this document a
little later?”
“Sure, no problem.”
The phrasal verb conk out is informal, and it can be used for both people and
machines. For people, it means to fall asleep – and another similar phrasal verb is
zonk out. In the case of machines, it means when the machine stops functioning –
and an equivalent phrasal verb is break down.
You’ve learned 10 new phrasal verbs with OUT. Take the practice quiz, try the
Quiz – Lesson 26
Question 1
I _______ out on the couch and missed the end of the movie.
A conked
B counted
C kicked
Question 2
He ________ out his camera to take a picture of the parrot before it flew away.
A branched
B jumped
C whipped
Question 3
We need to test all these devices and ________ out the ones that are defective.
A crank
B weed
C zone
Question 4
If you're all going to go surfing, ________ me out - I'm not into water sports.
A count
B kick
C ride
Question 5
It was a great book all around, but what really ________ out at me was the character
development.
A branched
B leapt
C toughed
Question 6
This area is getting more and more expensive to live in, but I'll need to ________ it out
for another 6 months until I finish school
A conk
B tough
C weed
Question 7
My daughter talks about nothing but clothes and boys. I wish she'd _________ out a
little bit.
A branch
B count
C zone
Question 8
That singer is very successful - she's been ________ out hit after hit.
A cranking
B kicking
C riding
Question 9
William was ________ out of the martial arts school after they caught him stealing gear
and equipment.
A jumped
B kicked
C whipped
Question 10
I was so embarrassed when I _________ out in class and the teacher asked me a
question three times before I heard her.
A branched
B cranked
C zoned
Writing Exercises
1. Describe a time when you branched out and tried something new or
different.
2. Do you know anyone who has been kicked out?
3. Describe a situation where you decided to tough it out until the end.
4. What’s something that has jumped out at you in the news recently?
5. What’s one activity that, if your friends invited you to do it, you would
say “count me out”?
Answers – Quiz 26
1. A
2. C
3. B
4. A
5. B
6. B
7. A
8. A
9. B
10. C
Lesson 27: Phrasal Verbs with OFF
you’ll learn 10 phrasal verbs with OFF.
polish off
= consume food or drink completely
“I’m hungry.”
“There are two pieces of pizza left in the fridge; why don’t you polish them
off?”
The phrasal verb polish off can be used as an informal way to say “finish” – for
example, if you say, “I’ve just polished off the last book in the series” it means “I’ve
just finished reading the last book.” However, it’s most frequently used for
completely finishing some food or drink.
goof off
= act silly, not concentrate, not be serious
"What’s the hardest part about being a middle school teacher?”
"Getting all the kids to stop goofing off and pay attention!"
When someone is goofing off, they are acting silly instead of concentrating on the
task they should be doing. Students often goof off in class by talking and laughing
during the lesson, passing notes to each other, or playing with their cell phones.
Adults can goof off too – by joking, chatting, and/or doing crazy things instead of
doing their work. Another phrasal verb for this is goof around.
put (someone) off
= make the person stop liking something or someone
“Why didn’t you go on a second date with Nathan?”
“Well, he took me out to dinner on the first date – and I was really put off by
his terrible table manners.”
You already learned the phrasal verb put (something) off meaning to delay or
procrastinate a task – but this is a different meaning. An experience that puts you
off makes you stop liking someone or something – like in the dialog, where the girl
was put off by Nathan’s disgusting eating habits – so she stopped liking him and
didn’t want to go on a second date.
throw (someone) off

= when something unexpected distracts, surprises, or confuses you
“What did you think of the English test?”
“It was fine for the most part, but the section on the past perfect threw me off
– we hadn’t reviewed that at all.”
In this example, the student wasn’t expecting questions about the past perfect to
appear on the English test – so when she saw the section about past perfect, it
surprised and confused her – and the phrasal verb for this situation is “It threw her
off.”
fend off (an attack)

= successfully resist or defend yourself from something
“I have fifteen years of martial arts experience.”
“Wow – so if someone attacked you on the street, you could probably fend
them off.”
Fend off is used for successful defense against real physical attacks – but it can also
be used in the case of “attacks” that are not violent; for example, a celebrity trying to
fend off reporters and photographers.
“to top it off”

= add something extra to make a good situation better or a bad situation
worse
“What’s the matter?”
“It was an awful week at work – and to top it off, I’m going to have to work
the entire weekend.”
This dialog gives a negative example – a stressful week that is made even worse by
the fact that the person will need to work over the weekend, too. But you can also
use the expression “to top it off” in a positive sense; for example, “She was accepted
into the country’s best university – and to top it off, she got a full scholarship.”
dash off / rush off

= leave a place very quickly
“Have you seen Amanda today?”
“Only for about five minutes. She got home from work, changed clothes, and
dashed off to volleyball practice.”
People often dash off or rush off when they have very little time, or they might be
late for something.
storm off / stomp off

= leave a place angrily
“My boyfriend and I can’t agree on where to spend our summer vacation. We
had an argument about it and he just stormed off.”
“Well, maybe when he comes back you can discuss the issue more calmly.”
When a person goes out of a room, house, or building angry or in a bad mood, we
say they stormed off or stomped off. In this example, the boyfriend stormed off
after arguing with his girlfriend about vacation plans.
brush (someone) off

= dismiss a person as if they were not important
“Did you talk to the director about the problem?”
“I tried – but he brushed me off and said I should make an appointment with
his secretary for next week.”
The phrasal verb brush (someone) off is similar to the phrasal verb blow
(someone) off, which means to ignore a person rudely. The difference is that when
you blow (someone) off, the rudeness is more obvious than when you brush
(someone) off.
face off
= when two people, teams, or groups confront or compete against each
other
“What are you up to tonight?”
“Watching the basketball game. The Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat are
facing off for the first time this season.”
The phrasal verb face off is often used for sports games or athletic competitions.
However, it can also be used for two people confronting each other in a debate, or
two companies confronting each other in a legal battle.
You’ve learned 10 new phrasal verbs with OFF. Take the practice quiz, try the
Quiz – Lesson 27
Question 1
My best friend is really beautiful. Whenever she goes to a club, she has to ________ off
dozens of men.
A fend
B put
C throw
Question 2
The two finalists will ________ off on Saturday in the last round of the dance
competition.
A brush
B face
C polish
Question 3
I was _______ off by the terrible customer service in that store. I don't think I'll shop
there again.
A goofed
B put
C topped
Question 4
My son _________ off to his room after I took away his video game as punishment for
not doing his homework.
A polished
B rushed
C stomped
Question 5
It _________ me off when someone asked me a random question in the middle of my

presentation.
A goofed
B dashed
C threw
Question 6
He ________ off as soon as the party ended; he didn't even say goodbye.
A brushed
B faced
C rushed
Question 7
Our vacation was a disaster. The flights were delayed, the kids got sick, and to _______
it off, it rained the entire week.
A put
B storm
C top
Question 8
My friends and I _________ off three bottles of wine during dinner.
A fended
B polished
C threw
Question 9
I couldn't enjoy the movie because the teenagers sitting behind me were _________ off
the entire time.
A facing
B goofing
C topping
Question 10
I feel bad that I _________ Carla off when she wanted to talk to me, but I just didn't
have time to listen.
A brushed
B put
C stomped
Writing Exercises
1. Describe a situation when an experience you had really put you off.
2. When was the last time something threw you off?
3. Talk about a time when something good got better, or something bad got
worse – using “to top it off.”
4. Have you ever stormed off? (or seen someone else storm off?)
5. What was the last food or drink you polished off?
Answers – Quiz 27
1. A
2. B
3. B
4. C
5. C
6. C
7. C
8. B
9. B
10. A
Lesson 28: Phrasal Verbs with UP
you’ll learn 10 phrasal verbs with UP.
chalk (something) up to (something)

= say that one thing is caused by another thing
“I made a lot of mistakes during my first week on the job.”
“Well, you can chalk it up to inexperience. You’ll get better with time.”
If you chalk (one thing) up to (another thing), you are saying that the second
thing caused the first one – as in the example, where the person’s mistakes were
caused by her inexperience in the new job.
psych (yourself) up to (do something)

= mentally prepare yourself for an activity that will require courage
"I’m trying to psych myself up for the interview tomorrow – this will be my
first time appearing on TV.”
"Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll do great!”
People often psych themselves up for:
participating in a sports event or competition

giving a presentation or performance
doing an adventurous activity like skydiving
gear up for (something)
= get ready for an action/event in the near future
“Are you still singing in that choral group?”
“Yup, and right now we’re gearing up for our big Christmas concert – you
should come!”
The phrasal verb gear up means preparation in general (mental and physical). It is
different from psych up because the coming event doesn’t necessarily need
courage; it just needs some early preparation and organization.
rack up (something)
= acquire a lot of it – especially points, goals, money, and awards
“Who do you think is the most promising player on the team?”
“Definitely Jessica – she’s racked up ten goals in the first four games of the
season. She’s off to an incredible start.”
Rack up is often used with sports statistics, but you can also rack up money (in
debt or in sales), rack up a number of awards or prizes, or even rack up an
impressive number of punishments or convictions for breaking the rules or the law.
divvy up (something)
= divide it among various people
“Do your husband and kids help with the housework?”
“Yeah – we divvy up the chores pretty evenly.”
The phrasal verb divvy up is often used for dividing things equally, as in the
example. However, it’s also possible to divvy up things unequally – you can divvy
up a bag of cookies and give 10 to one person who is really hungry, 5 to another,
and 2 to someone else who is not very hungry.
stack up against (something)
= compare to it
“I just got the newest tablet computer.”
“Really? How does it stack up against the older model?”
The phrasal verb stack up against is often used in questions about how two
products compare, as in the example. You can also use it for sports teams, cities, and
other things you are comparing.
turn up
= appear
“Did you ever find that hat you were looking for?”
“Yes! I really thought I had lost it, but then it turned up while I was cleaning
out my closet.”
You probably already know the phrasal verb turn up meaning to increase the
volume of music or the TV – but this is another definition. It can be used when
objects or people appear. In the case of objects, it’s often used for things that were
lost and later found, as in the example of the hat. When talking about people, you
can say a person turned up when they arrive at a place. In this context, it is similar
to the phrasal verb show up.
be cooped up
= be confined to a small space
“Do you remember that big winter storm we had last year?”
“I sure do! We were cooped up in the house for three days – it was
impossible to drive anywhere.”
The phrasal verb cooped up can be used for people or animals. You’re usually
cooped up because of some external circumstance – like bad weather. Or you can be
cooped up in the library because you need to study all day.
shape up
#1 – proceed; develop
#2 – improve to reach a satisfactory standard
Example 1:
“How’s the conference planning going?”
“Good – we’ve been pretty organized, so everything is shaping up nicely.”
Example 2:
“The boss is mad at Betty because she never finishes her work on time.”
“If she doesn’t shape up, she’s gonna lose her job.”
In the first example, you can see shape up used to say that the conference planning
is proceeding or developing well. In the second example, shape up is used to
express the idea that Betty needs to improve her behavior until it is OK, because at
the moment, it is less than satisfactory.
make up for (something)

= compensate for it
“How are your guitar lessons going?”
“I’m making progress. I have no musical talent whatsoever, but I make up for
it with lots of practice!”
The phrasal verb make up for is used when you do something to compensate for a
loss or lack in another area – as in the example, where frequent practice can
compensate for a lack of natural talent.
You’ve learned 10 new phrasal verbs with UP. Take the practice quiz, try the
Quiz – Lesson 28
Question 1
I completely forgot to call Rachel on her birthday - I'll offer to take her out to dinner
to ________ it.
A gear up for
B make up for
C stack up against
Question 2
I got a really high score the first time I ever went bowling - but I think we can
__________ to beginner's luck!
A be cooped up
B chalk it up
C psych myself up
Question 3
We need to decide how to _________ the project tasks among the team members.
A divvy up
B rack up
C shape up
Question 4
The president is _________ for a long trip to Europe and Asia.
A chalking up
B gearing up
C turning up
Question 5
My dog likes to run around; he hates being ___________ inside the apartment.
A cooped up
B made up
C shaped up
Question 6
A lot of college students __________ thousands of dollars in credit card debt by the
time they graduate.
A divvy up
B rack up
C turn up
Question 7
Fred is ____________ to ask the most beautiful girl at the party to dance.
A cooping up
B making up for
C psyching himself up
Question 8
A surprising number of people __________ at our ten-year high school reunion - it was
great to see all my old friends.
A geared up
B stacked up
C turned up
Question 9
She told her boyfriend that if he didn't ___________ and start looking for a job, their
relationship was over.
A psych up
B rack up
C shape up
Question 10
How does London __________ New York in terms of cost of living?
A chalk up to
B divvy up
C stack up against
Writing Exercises
1. Describe a time when you had to psych yourself up to do something.
2. Have you ever believed you lost something, but then it turned up later?
3. How does your current house/apartment stack up against the last place you
lived?
4. Do you know anyone who needs to shape up?
5. What's one area in which you lack something, and what do you do to make
up for it?
Answers – Quiz 28
1. B
2. B
3. A
4. B
5. A
6. B
7. C
8. C
9. C
10. C
Lesson 29:
Confusing Pairs of Phrasal Verbs
In this lesson, we're going to review the differences between some
commonly confused phrasal verbs. For example, you learned that
both find out and figure out mean to discover information... but you
"find out" information from another source, and you "figure out"
something by using your own thought and logic.
write down vs. write up
Both of these phrasal verbs mean to put information into written form. However,
write down is usually used for short pieces of information - such as phone numbers
and addresses - or taking notes while listening to a class or lecture. You write down
small pieces of information so that you can remember or refer to them later.
Write up is used for taking a larger amount of information and putting it into a
formal report that will probably be published or distributed to other people. For
example, after a conversation with a colleague about a possible project, you can say
"I'll write up a proposal and send it to the boss." This means you will take all the
ideas that you discussed and organize them into an official document.
mix up vs. mess up
Both of these phrasal verbs refer to an error.
However, mix up is a very specific type of error - meaning to confuse or exchange

two or more things. If you are cooking, and the food doesn't taste right, it could be
because you mixed up the salt and the sugar!
Mess up refers to making a mistake in general. The mistake could be mixing up two
things, or it could be something different. In the cooking example, you could mess
up the recipe by adding too much pepper.
get around vs. get along
Get around is used for mobility and transportation. For example, New York City has
an extensive subway system, so it's easy to get around. You could also say that it
was difficult to get around on crutches after you broke your leg.
Get along is used for interpersonal relationships. Two people with a good
relationship get along well. Two people who don't like each other don't get along.
"Not get along" is often used as a diplomatic way to express the fact that you hate or
have major problems with another person.
back off vs. back out vs. back down
All of these phrasal verbs are related to stopping an activity or not doing something,
but there are some key differences in their meaning and use.
If you back off, you stop attacking someone (physically or verbally). For example, a
robber might back off if he sees a policeman coming. Back off can also be used for
"attacks" in terms of pressuring a person - if a friend is insisting that you eat a bacon
cheeseburger, and you say no, but he keeps insisting, you could then tell him that
you can't eat it for religious reasons - and he might back off (stop insisting).
Back down means to withdraw from a position, opinion, or proposal. For example,
if you are in a meeting and you are arguing in support of a particular position, but
you see that everyone else is against you, you could back down (stop holding to that
position) so that the meeting can proceed.
Back down is used more for desisting from opinions, claims and ideas (which are
not necessarily aggressive), whereas back off is used more for desisting from
attacks.
Finally, back out means you don't do something you had previously committed to
doing. If you promised to help your friend move to a new apartment, but then you
call her later and say you're not available, then you are backing out. You can also
use this phrasal verb when a company backs out of a business deal or potential
contract, agreement, or partnership.
grow up vs. bring up
Both of these phrasal verbs are associated with children. However, a child grows up
(becomes older); and the parents bring up (take care of and educate) the child.
With grow up, the child is the subject; with bring up, the child is the object.
fill in vs. fill out vs. fill up
All of these phrasal verbs are related to completing something.
Both fill in and fill out are used for completing information on paper – we typically
say fill in the blanks or the missing information, but fill out the form or application.
Fill up is used for three-dimensional spaces - for example, you can fill up a bottle
with water. You can also say a place filled up with people - for example, "The
nightclub really filled up after 11 PM."
put off vs. hold off
Both of these phrasal verbs mean to delay doing a task. The difference is that you
hold off for some good reason, whereas you put a task off because you are lazy or
procrastinating. The phrasal verb hold off is often followed by "until (the reason)."
For example, if you need to make a major decision, but you want to talk to your
husband before finalizing anything, you could say, "Let me hold off until I can talk to
my husband about this."
tear up vs. tear down
Both of these phrasal verbs are related to destruction, but you tear up a piece of
paper - a letter, article, etc. - and you tear down a three-dimensional structure like a
building or a wall.
take out vs. take off
Both of these phrasal verbs relate to removing an object - but you take something
out of an enclosed space, and you take something off of a surface. You would take
a plate off the table, but you would take a spoon out of the drawer. To use
examples from clothing and accessories, you can take an object out of your pocket
or bag, but you would take your shirt or shoes off (remove the shirt or shoes from
your body).
pass out vs. pass away
If a person passes out, they lose consciousness temporarily. If a person passes

away, they die. It's definitely important not to get these two phrasal verbs mixed
up!
You've finished Lesson 29 on confusing pairs of phrasal verbs. Take the practice
quiz (there are no writing exercises today) - and log in tomorrow for Lesson 30.
Quiz – Lesson 29
Question 1
I'll need directions to the restaurant. Let me grab a pen and paper to ____________.
A write them down
B write them up
Question 2
I ________ a few times while giving the presentation - there were one or two ideas I
didn't explain well, and a few things I forgot to mention.
A messed up
B mixed up
Question 3
If you give me a map, I should be able to _________ the area without any help.
A get along
B get around
Question 4
You can't depend on Jerry for anything. He always says he's definitely going to
things... and then ________.
A backs down
B backs off
C backs out
Question 5
I ________ in Russia, but I've been living in Canada since I was 20.
A brought up
B grew up
Question 6
To mail this package internationally, you'll need to ________ a customs form.
A fill in
B fill out
C fill up
Question 7
We should _________ on buying food for the party until we know how many people are
coming.
A hold off
B put off
Question 8
That bridge is unsafe, so they're going to __________ and build a new one.
A tear it down
B tear it up
Question 9
Please take those books _________ of the boxes and put them on the shelf.
A off
B out
Question 10
My father remarried ten years after my mother __________.
A passed away
B passed out
Answers – Quiz 29
1. A
2. A
3. B
4. C
5. B
6. B
7. A
8. A
9. B
10. A
Image source: Nicolas VIGNERON
Lesson 30: Phrasal Verbs as Nouns
During this course, you've seen a few phrasal verbs that have both a noun and a verb
form. One example is "work out" meaning "to do exercise." The noun form,
"workout" means one session of exercise.
For example, you can say:
I work out (do exercise) every Monday morning.

That was a great workout (one session of exercise) last night!
As in this example, the verb form refers to the action, and the noun form often refers
to one specific instance of that action.
There are three things to remember about phrasal verbs when used as nouns.
1) The verb form is always two words, and the noun form is always one word
(or a hyphenated word).
let (someone) down = disappoint the person
letdown = a disappointing event
rip (someone) off = charge too much money
rip-off = a product that costs more than its fair value
Unfortunately there are no rules for when to use a hyphen and when not to.
2) The verb can take various forms: we can say "I worked out," "I'm working out,"
etc.
The noun form does not change - it is always workout (singular) or workouts
(plural).
3) You can use "a," "the" and other determiners before the noun form, but not the
verb form:
This workout is great for your abs.

The trip was a letdown.
The breakup was mutual.
There were a lot of layoffs at the company last year.
We're making some cutbacks to save money.
Phrasal Verbs as Nouns: Dialog

Here's an interview with the owner of a coffeehouse (a café that also has live music)
using 16 phrasal verbs as nouns. Listen to the dialog and see how they are used in
the context – then watch the video for a quick explanation.
Interviewer: Carrie, I really enjoyed reading the write-up about your coffeehouse
in the New York Times. Could you talk a bit about how you got started?
Carrie: Well, we started out as a tiny local coffee shop - it was mostly a hangout for
college students and artists. The real breakthrough came when we started having
live music - more and more people kept coming, and it just grew from there.
Interviewer: What's the average turnout like nowadays?
Carrie: Now we get about 50 people on weeknights, and two hundred on weekends.
We just got the go-ahead from the city to build a second floor, so we'll be able to
expand.
Interviewer: Did you have any major setbacks along the way?
Carrie: Tons! When we were starting to transition into the music business, money
was tight, and that really caused a buildup of tension among the café employees.
When we announced some cutbacks to staff benefits, there was a huge outcry and a
number of people quit - so we were operating with a skeleton crew for a while.
Interviewer: Tell us about your upbringing. Did you always want to be an

entrepreneur?
Carrie: No, I had never really considered it. But my parents raised me to work hard;
they frowned on taking handouts. That's one reason I've funded the coffeehouse
entirely with my own money.
Interviewer: So do you have to be rich to start a business? A lot of people would say
you had an advantage.
Carrie: Honestly, I think the idea that you need a lot of money to fund a startup is a
cop-out. A lot of super successful entrepreneurs were college dropouts, and they
founded their companies with practically nothing.
Interviewer: What advice would you give to an aspiring entrepreneur?
Carrie: Be persistent. The first few years are a real struggle, but if you keep going,
the payoff is incredible. Also, recognize the fact that screw-ups are part of the
process - you'll make a lot of mistakes, but they're not the end of the world. Try to
see them as learning experiences.
Video Explanation
The interviewer liked reading the write-up in the New York Times - in this case,
write-up is equivalent to article.
Carrie's small coffee shop was originally a hangout for college students and artists -
that means a specific place to spend time in a relaxed way.
She had a breakthrough when her café started offering live music. A breakthrough
is a major success, or when you suddenly overcome an obstacle.
The average turnout at the coffeehouse is 50 people on weeknights and 200 on

weekends. Turnout refers to the number of people who attend an event.
Carrie just got the go-ahead from the city to add a second floor to the building - that
means she got permission.
The interviewer asks about any setbacks - a setback is an obstacle or difficulty that
stops your progress, or makes you lose some progress.
Carrie then talks about a buildup of tension among employees during a time when
the company had little money. A buildup is an accumulation – in other words,
tension was increasing.
She had to announce cutbacks – reductions – of benefits for staff.
And there was a huge outcry – that’s a protest or objection – from her employees.
The interviewer wants to know about Carrie's upbringing – that means the training
and education she received from her parents/family when she was a child.
Carrie says her parents disapproved of taking handouts – a handout is something

you receive for free.
She doesn't think you have to to be rich to fund a startup – a new company that is
just beginning.
In fact, she says the belief that you need lots of money is a cop-out - that means an
excuse (usually a bad excuse) for not taking action.
She cites many successful entrepreneurs who are college dropouts – a dropout is a
person who stopped studying and didn't complete the program.
Finally, Carrie encourages new entrepreneurs to be persistent because the payoff is

great. A payoff is the benefit you receive after working hard and making sacrifices.
She also reminds everyone that screw-ups – mistakes – are a natural part of
learning to run a business.
You’ve finished Lesson 30 about phrasal verbs as nouns. There’s no practice

quiz, but I do have some writing exercises for you.
Writing Exercises
1. What’s one setback you’ve had in your personal or professional life?
2. What types of things cause an outcry in your country or community?
3. What was your favorite hangout when you were a teenager?
4. Talk about your upbringing. What kinds of values did your family teach you?
5. Describe a time when you were having difficulty, and then you suddenly had a
breakthrough.
Congratulations on finishing
Phrasal Verbs in Conversation!
I really enjoyed giving these lessons,

and I hope to see you in a future
course at Espresso English.
Image source: digitalart, FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Phrasal Verbs in Conversation Course

Welcome to the Phrasal Verbs Course!

Sarah: Yeah, we struck up a conversation, and eventually he asked me out. I gave

Emily: Oh? How come?

Emily: How’d it end?

Emily: Ugh! Good for you.

- He asked her out for lunch / dinner.

Thanks for watching and I’ll talk to you tomorrow.

Phrasal Verb Definition in Context

I ___________ my last girlfriend because she wanted kids and I didn't.

C hit it off with

B make out with

B going out with

I was very uncomfortable when my friend's father started _________________. He's 30

Samuel likes to brag about how many women he's _____________.

Try to use the phrasal verb in your answer!

Don’t just answer, “My friend Nathan.”

2. Who is a person that you really hit it off with?

Matt: Hey Jane – what’s the matter?

Matt: Sorry to hear that.

Jane: How do you cope with co-workers like that?

Jane: I hope so.

She’s really pissed off.

My parents expected me to be a doctor or lawyer. When I chose a career in writing, I

A gotten over them

C let them down

He joined a support group to help him _________ his cancer diagnosis.

Playing classical music helps my baby __________ when he's crying.

3. Have you ever felt shaken up?

6. Describe a funny situation that made you crack up.

Want to get corrections? E-mail me your answers.

Hold on a minute - I want to say goodbye to Wanda before we __________.

She's so confident that she sometimes ____________ a little arrogant.

I'm __________ cooking tonight. I'd rather just order a pizza.

A not cut out for

B not going to live down

He ____________ the meeting to take a phone call.

On Saturday I _____________ friends for a barbecue at the beach.

Want to get corrections? E-mail me your answers.

Mary: Hi Joanna, it’s Mary. Can I ask you a huge favor?

Joanna: Go right ahead!

Mary: Not at all.

Joanna: Are your kids coming?

Joanna: OK, will do. See you in a few days!

10:30 AM on Saturday morning

Joanna: Good morning! How was your trip?

Joanna: Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! How’d you get in?

Mary: So how long have you had a roommate?

Mary: Need any help?

Unfortunately, Joanna’s roommate is rather disorganized. She never puts things

Please ___________ after you're finished using them.

A look after the scissors

I can't find anyone to ___________ my dogs while I'm on vacation.

The eggs that were in the fridge went bad, so I ____________.

A boiled them over

My early-morning yoga class was cancelled, so I'm planning to __________ tomorrow.

A let me in B locked me out C put me up

2. Do you go to bed early, or do you like to stay up late?