Monday, June 20, 2011

Pearson Brown English Lesson -Be Phrasal Verbs

Be phrasal verbs

One way to say you are leaving is to say you are ‘off’.

* I’m off now. See you tomorrow.
* It’s time I was off or I’ll be late for the meeting.

If you have no more supply/stock of something you are ‘out of’ the item.

* We’re out of ink for the photocopier. Can you go out and get some?
* I’m afraid you are out of luck. I sold the last one an hour ago.

If you are depressed and miserable, you are ‘down’.

* He’s been very down since he lost his job.
* Why are you so down today?

When you have to submit something by a certain date, it has to be ‘in’ by then.

* The application has to be in before Friday.
* The report was supposed to be in last week but I’m still working on it.

If something is ‘on’, it is happening at the moment.

* There’s a good play on at the theatre. (or should that be theater?)
* I’m going to London because the sales are on.

If somebody is not present, they are ‘away’.

* I’m afraid he’s away on holiday.
* I’m going to be away for a few days.

If food is no longer fresh, it is ‘off’.

* I think this milk is off. Smell it.
* That melon is off. Don’t eat it.

If you know some inside information, often a secret, you are ‘in on’ the information.

* Is Sarah in on our plans? Has anybody told her yet?
* He won’t let me in on the secret.

If someone is ‘up to’ something, they are doing something secretive that you are not supposed to know about.

* I don’t know exactly what is happening but Tom is up to something.
* Why all the whispering? What are you up to?

If someone is ‘on’ something, they are taking something as a form of drug.

* He’s on 50 cigarettes a day at the moment.
* She’s on her third cup of coffee and it’s only 9 o’clock.

Exercises:

http://www.business-english.com/bephrasals/exercise1.html
http://www.business-english.com/bephrasals/exercise2.html
http://www.business-english.com/bephrasals/exercise3.html

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