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Previously I discussed intransitive phrasal verbs. Just as a review, let me explain one more time. If a verb or phrasal verb is intransitive, it means that it does NOT take an object. So, today I’d like to write about the intransitive phrasal verb: catch on. It has two meanings:

1. to start to understand something. For example:

My girlfriend doesn’t want to tell her parents that we’re dating, but I think they’re starting to catch on.

A: I don’t understand how to play this game.

B: Don’t worry. Just watch us play, and I’m sure you’ll catch on.

In the first example, the parents are becoming suspicious that their daughter is dating the speaker. In the second example, the person is saying that if the listener watches them play the game, he or she will start to understand how to do it. This phrasal verb is often used when teaching someone how to do something.

2. for something to start to become popular. For example:

That TV show wasn’t popular at all when it started, but after a few weeks, it really caught on. Now everyone is watching it.

I know our products aren’t popular now, but I think they’ll catch on eventually. If they do, we’ll be very rich.

In the first example, the TV show started becoming popular after a period of being unpopular. In the second example, the products are still unpopular, but the person is predicting that after some time, they will become popular. The word “eventually” means after an unstated or unknown amount of time.

I hope that this is clear for you. If you don’t understand after reading the blog once, read it again and I’m sure you’ll catch on! 🙂

We have another inseparable phrasal verb today: come across. This expression has two meanings:

1. to find something by accident. For example:

I came across this watch when I was cleaning the house. Is it yours?

If you come across any interesting websites when you’re surfing the web, please let me know.

2. for a person or comment to be perceived in a certain way. For example:

I didn’t have the chance to hear Ben’s speech. How did he come across?

A: I didn’t mean to sound arrogant when I said that.

B: Well, that’s the way it came across.

In this example, the person seems to other people to be arrogant, even though that was not his intention. Please note that this second meaning of “come across” is intransitive. This means that there is not an object in the sentence.

We can also use “come across” followed by the preposition “as”. Again, this means that people have a certain idea about another person’s personality based on the way he or she looks or speaks. For example:

People tell me I come across as shy, but I don’t think I am. I’m just a quiet person.

In the TV interview, the actor came across as being very conceited. I don’t like him so much anymore.

Please note that  the pattern is:

come across as + adjective

or

come across as + being + adjective

In today’s blog entry, we will go back to phrasal verbs. Today I’d like to write about “put off”. This phrasal verb has four meanings:

1. to postpone something. For example:

I can’t come to the meeting at 3:00. Can we put it off until 4:00?

The meeting has been put off until 4:00. (passive voice)

2. to delay doing something. For example:

You should go and tell Bob now that he’s being laid off. You can’t put it off forever.

You should go and tell Bob now that he’s being laid off. It can’t be put off forever. (passive voice)

3. to persuade someone to agree to a delay. For example:

I can put off the client until Friday, but that’s it. We’ll have to have  the presentation ready by then.

The client can’t be put off for much longer. We have to finish getting the presentation ready soon. (passive voice)

4. for someone’s manners or behavior to make other people uncomfortable. For example:

Jerry is a very direct person, so he can really put people off with some of his comments.

Some people are really put off by Jerry’s directness. (passive voice)

So these are the ways in which we use “put off”. Many phrasal verbs, including this one, have more than one meaning, so please be sure to pay attention to the context in which they are being used in order to fully understand how to use them.

Today’s phrasal verb is “fall out with”. This is used when talking about two friends who end their friendship because of a fight. It is NOT used when the friendship between two friends slowly ends because they don’t contact each other anymore. In that case, we say the friends have “drifted apart”.  Here are some examples of how to use “fall out with”:

I fell out with Charlie about three years ago after I caught him kissing my girlfriend.

Patty and I fell out with each other when she stole my idea to improve business at our company.

A: Why don’t we invite Tracy to Nancy’s birthday party?

B: That’s not a good idea. They fell out a few months ago. I thought you knew.

We only use “fall out with” when talking about friendships. We have different ways to talk about the end of a relationship between family members and romantic partners. If a family member, especially a parent, no longer wants to talk to their adult child, we use the verb “disown”. For example:

Rachel’s father disowned her after she married a man he didn’t like.

If the relationship is romantic, then we use the phrasal verb, “break up (with)”. For example:

My girlfriend broke up with me because I’m too busy to spend time with her.

Peter and Jane broke up last week. I’m really shocked! They had been dating for over ten years!

So, this is today’s expression. I hope you never fall out with any of your friends! 🙂

Today, I’d like to go over another phrasal verb which is commonly used in English: “drown out”. This means that something is louder than something else so that the noise of the first thing makes it impossible to hear the sound of the second thing. For example:

My friend said something to me at the bar, but the music was so loud that it drowned him out.

My friend’s voice was drowned out by the music at the bar. (passive voice)

The TV in the next apartment is so loud. If we turn up the volume on our stereo, maybe we can drown it out.

Please be careful to say “out” with this expression. If you forget and only say “drown” by itself, it will sound very strange. This is because the word “drown” in English means to die in water. For example:

A young boy fell into the lake and drowned last summer. His parents must be so upset.

So this is today’s expression. It can be used in all situations in conversation because it is not extremely formal or casual.

Today,  I want to write about inseparable phrasal verbs. This means that the noun or pronoun must go at the end of the phrasal verb but never in the middle.  To give you an example, the phrasal verb “run into” means to meet someone by accident. For example:

I ran into an old friend from university when I was at the shopping mall.  (correct)

Do you remember Phil Smith from university? I ran into him when I was at the shopping mall.  (correct)

I ran an old friend from university into when I was at the shopping mall.  (incorrect)

Do you remember Phil Smith from university? I ran him into when I was at the shopping mall.  (incorrect)

Inseparable phrasal verbs will often end in a preposition rather than a noun.

Today’s phrasal verb “come up with” is an example of a three word phrasal verb. Almost all three word phrasal verbs are inseparable. “Come up with” has two meanings:

1. to think of an original idea. For example:

I came up with a good idea to help my company save money.

My boss wants me to come up with a new strategy for selling our product.

I’m having trouble coming up with a title for my book.

2. to produce something for a specific purpose. For example:

None of the students in the class were able to come up with the correct answer to the question.

I wanted to buy a new car, but I couldn’t come up with the money.

If I want to invest in this company, I have to come up with $10,000 by Friday.

This is a very common expression in English, especially the first definition. As I mentioned before, the best way to study is to memorize full sentences, so please try to do that with these examples. Good luck.

Today I’d like to write about phrasal verbs. As I said before, these are very important in English and native English speakers use them all the time in all situations: formal, casual, business, etc.

Phrasal verbs come in two forms: separable and inseparable. When a phrasal verb is separable, it means that the noun can come either in the middle or at the end. However, if the noun is changed to a pronoun (it, them, him, her, etc) then it MUST go in the middle. I’ll give you an example of this with “call off” (which means to cancel a group activity).

My parents have called off the party because they don’t have time to have it.  (correct)

My parents have called the party off because they don’t have time to have it.  (correct)

My parents don’t have time to have a party so they called it off.  (correct)

My parents don’t have time to have a party so they called off it.  (NOT correct)

So this is what we do with separable phrasal verbs. I’ll deal with inseparable phrasal verbs tomorrow. Now, today’s expression is “bring up”. This has two main meanings:

1. to mention something for the first time in a conversation. For example:

In the meeting today, Bill brought up the problems we’re having with the ABC project.

When I was having lunch with my friend, he brought up the subject of guns.

A: Why are we talking about the economy? Who brought it up? Was it you, Sam?

B: No, I didn’t bring it up. Sarah brought it up.

2. to raise children. For example:

The Smiths have eight children. I don’t know how they can bring them up and still have time to travel.

I want to bring my children up in a small town.

My parents brought me up to be polite.

I was brought up to be polite. (passive voice)

Another way to use it is when you carry something to another place which is located in a higher position. For example:

You go upstairs and take a nap. I’ll bring some food up to you later.

“Bring up” can also be used to mean to vomit, but this is quite formal. For example:

Last night, I was so sick. I brought up my entire dinner.

So, these are the ways in which we use “bring up”. It’s a very common expression so I hope that you’ll be able to understand it and use it now. Tomorrow, I’ll deal with inseparable phrasal verbs.