Lesson 14 Phrasal Verbs

Text panel "What are Phrasal Verbs": verbs with particles, e.g. blow up = explode, put off = postponeText panel on phrasal verbs followed by a preposition, e.g. go in for, put up withText panel on word order in phrasal verbs, e.g. "Put your shoes on!" and "Put it down."Two panels for be off: a cancelled cricket match poster and "Don't buy that fish! It is off."Bridge exploding: "blow up = to destroy by explosion. The terrorists blew up the bridge last night."Children blowing balloons: "blow up = to fill with air. The children blew up balloons"Army tank: "break out = to start suddenly and spread fast. World War Two broke out in 1939."Mother raising a child in four panels: "She brought up her children alone when her husband died."Woman vomiting from a bus window: "She brought up her breakfast while travelling to office by bus."Man at a committee meeting: "This matter should be brought up in the next committee meeting"Judge with a gavel and a man in the dock: "He was brought up on a charge of child abuse."Judge with a gavel and a man in the dock: "He was brought up on a charge of child abuse."

Cancelled cricket match poster: "call off = to cancel something. The cricket match was called off owing to rain"Captain shouts "Fire!" to a soldier: "The soldier carried out the captain's order."Young women with the same hairstyle: "The new hair style soon caught on among young girls."Guests at a hotel desk: "Sir, please check in." "They went to the hotel and checked in."Guests leaving a hotel with luggage: "When they left the hotel, they checked out."Smiling man with a diary and a banknote: "I came across 100 dollar note while I was going through my old diaries."Two women help a fainted girl: "She fainted and we sprinkled some water on her face and fanned. Soon she came round."Man with a ladder at night by a girl at a window: "Alex came up with the idea of using the ladder."Worker on a ladder at an electricity pole: "cut off = the service or supply that is cut off"Operator at a switchboard and two callers: "The operator cut them off. They were cut off. (passive)"

GET

‘GET’ is a very commonly used verb in English and has many different uses and meanings. The main uses are given below with some examples.

GET

1.get = become

He got wet coming in the rain.

She got excited when she heard the news.

He got tired carrying the heavy bag.

He got weak after his illness.

She got married late.

  1. get = cause to be

She got the children ready to go to the party.

He got the breakfast ready.

Sam got all the sentences in the exercise right.

Has he got his sum right?

He got his leg broken when he fell off the bicycle.

  1. get = reach the stage of doing something

Get going! Start!

It is time we got going.

The project hasn’t really got going yet.

When she gets talking, she goes on for hours.

  1. get = bring to do something

We can easily get the children talking.

Can you get this old wall clock going again?

 

  1. get = reach the stage one knows or feels

When you get to know her, you will like her.

They soon got to be friends.

Someday you get to realise your own faults.

How did you get to know that I was here?

  1. get = cause to do something in a certain way

You will never get him to realise his foolishness.

You will never be able to get her to talk.

We can’t get that boy to do it properly.

I must get somebody to cut down this tree.

  1. get = receive, have, obtain

I got your letter yesterday.

I will come and see you when I get time.

He got leave to go home.

Where did you get that nice shirt?

He gets his living by selling lottery tickets.

Can you get all the TV channels on your TV set?

Go and get your lunch before going out to play.

Get me a seat if you go early.

How did you get this? It is mine. I lost it yesterday.

While playing cricket, he got a nasty blow on the head.

The soldier got the bullet in the arm.

  1. get = catch an illness

The boy got chickenpox.

I got a very bad cold.

 

  1. get = receive punishment

The murderer got 12 years’ imprisonment.

If you come late again, you will get told off.

  1. get = understand

I don’t get your explanation.

He didn’t get my joke.

You have got it wrong.

Speak a little louder. I didn’t get your answer.

I have got you there!

That point has got him!

GET

Continued

  1. get = posses

I have got a new bicycle.

We have got a pet dog.

What a comfortable room you have got!

12 get = compel to do something

I have got to finish the job today itself.

We have got to go now. The train leaves in one hour.

He has got to work very hard for his living.

It’s a holiday today. We haven’t got to go to school.

I got to meet him yesterday.

I usually get to bed very late.

Where has she got to?

A bicycle makes it easier to get about.

The bridge had collapsed, and people couldn’t get across.

Can you get over the wall?

He got back home very late.

When did you get back home?

He got off his bike and talked to her.

I am getting off at the next bus stop.

Get off the grass!

Wait to have dinner with us. I will get you back.

Get your shoes on and get ready to go for a walk.

You can learn how to use the verb ‘GET’ to give different meanings by studying the story given below.

Who is to be blamed?

Jeff was a very clever and intelligent boy. He got all the good qualities from his parents. He regularly got up very early, got his breakfast and got to school on time. The teachers got to know his good qualities and intelligence. They got him to do his studies well and got him through all his examinations. He got through his Advanced Level examinations, getting ahead of all the students at the school. He got into a university and got a degree. Immediately, he got a well-paid job as the manager of a big company. He never got above himself and got on well with his staff. Everybody got along with him. A few years later he got a luxurious house and got married.  The couple got on very well.

 

He got down to work very hard to get more profit for the company, and he got a new secretary.  She was got up like a film star when she came to the office. She got off with him little by little and got friendly with him. She managed to get money out of him. One day, he got around to going on a business tour to Japan. A month later, he found that his secretary had got pregnant. The secret somehow got out. His wife got to know about this and got divorced.  His secretary also left him. He got lonely. He got frustrated. So, one day he decided to drink. He got drunk and, on the way back to his house, he got sleepy and got into a serious car accident. He got a good lawyer, got one witness, and tried to get away, but he got a one-year jail sentence.

When he got out, he tried to get a job. He got through all his money, sold his house, and got a room on rent. He got into drinking and gambling. So, he got poor and got into debt. He got behind on his rent, and then he got evicted. So, he got depressed, couldn’t get over his sorrow and got addicted to drugs. He got involved in crime to get drugs. He got caught several times, but he was able to get away every time. He got old and got sick. Nobody cared about him. Everything got worse. He got desperate. One day an old prison mate saw him and made a joke by saying, “Oh Jeff, no! How did you get so young and handsome?” He couldn’t get the joke and got very angry. They got into a fight. He got seriously wounded and got killed.

(By Amarasiri Ganewatta)

You can learn the meanings of phrasal verbs and how to use them by referring to a good dictionary.

 

 

Amarasiri Ganewatta

Amarasiri Ganewatta

Director, English Language Laboratory

Amarasiri Ganewatta is the director of the English Language Laboratory. He is a retired English teacher and a language translator living in California, USA.

Email: ganewatta@gmail.com

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