Archive for November, 2014

grammatical expression: to get on someone’s nerves

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Today I’d like to write about the expression “get on someone’s nerves”. We use it when we want to talk about something or someone that really irritates another person. Here are some ways to use it in sentences.

I hate the sound of whistling. It really gets on my nerves.

Jeff is constantly bragging about winning the bowling competition and he’s really getting on my nerves.

Kids, please go outside and play your drums there. I think you’re getting on your mother’s nerves.

A: What kind of things get on your nerves?

B: People who spit on the street really get on my nerves.

We almost always use this expression in the simple present tense or the present continuous tense.

We often use it to talk about things that irritate ourselves such as in the first, second and fourth examples.

Please be careful not to confuse the word “nerves” with “nervous”. The word “nervous” has a different meaning. We use that adjective to describe a situation in which a person feels a little scared before doing something.

phrasal verb: feel up to

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Today, I’d like to go back to phrasal verbs, and this time I want to write about “feel up to” doing something. We use it when we want to talk about having enough energy to do something. Here are some example sentences using it.

A: Would you like to have dinner tonight?

B: I’d like to, but I’m so tired and I’m not feeling up to it.

Karen just got out of the hospital, so I doubt she’ll be feeling up to going skiing this weekend.

I know you worked all day, but are you feeling up to helping me with my computer tonight?

If you’re feeling up to it, why don’t we go dancing tonight?

Usually if a person is not feeling up to doing something it’s because they are sick or very tired. It could also be because of some situation that has caused them to be emotionally upset.

It is possible to use this expression in positive sentences, but it’s more commonly used in questions and negative sentences.

Please note that if there is a verb that follows “to”, it must be in the –ing form.