THEORY

WHAT IS GRAMMAR?

Grammar is the system of the language wich people describe Grammar as the rules and structures of the language.

• Grammar is the structural foundation of our ability to express ourselves.

• Grammar is the system of a language. People sometimes describe grammar as the “rules” of a language.

MODAL VERBS

1) can

Use	Examples
ability to do sth. in the present (substitute form: to be able to)	I can speak English.
permission to do sth. in the present (substitute form: to be allowed to)	Can I go to the cinema?
request	Can you wait a moment, please?
offer	I can lend you my car till tomorrow.
suggestion	Can we visit Grandma at the weekend?
possibility	It can get very hot in Arizona.

2) could

Use	Examples
ability to do sth. in the past (substitute form: to be able to)	I could speak English.
permission to do sth. in the past (substitute form: to be allowed to)	I could go to the cinema.
polite question *	Could I go to the cinema, please?
polite request *	Could you wait a moment, please?
polite offer *	I could lend you my car till tomorrow.
polite suggestion *	Could we visit Grandma at the weekend?
possibility *	It could get very hot in Montana.

3) may

Use	Examples
possibility	It may rain today.
permission to do sth. in the present (substitute form: to be allowed to)	May I go to the cinema?
polite suggestion	May I help you?

4) might

Use	Examples
possibility (less possible than may) *	It might rain today.
hesitant offer *	Might I help you?

5) must

Use	Examples
force, necessity	I must go to the supermarket today.
possibility	You must be tired.
advice, recommendation	You must see the new film with Brad Pitt.

6) must not/may not

Use	Examples
prohibition	You mustn't work on dad's computer. You may not work on dad's computer.

7) need not

Use	Examples
not necessary	I needn't go to the supermarket, we're going to the restaurant tonight.

8) ought to

Use	Examples
advice	You ought to drive carefully in bad weather.
obligation	You ought to switch off the light when you leave the room.

9) shall

Use	Examples
suggestion	Shall I carry your bag?

10) should

Use	Examples
advice	You should drive carefully in bad weather.
obligation	You should switch off the light when you leave the room.

11) will

Use	Examples
wish, request, demand, order (less polite than would)	Will you please shut the door?
prediction, assumption	I think it will rain on Friday.
promise	I will stop smoking.
spontaneous decision	Can somebody drive me to the station? - I will.
habits	She's strange, she'll sit for hours without talking.

12) would

Use	Examples
wish, request (more polite than will)	Would you shut the door, please?
habits in the past	Sometimes he would bring me some flowers.

Yes / No questions 
 

Correct		Incorrect
Are elections next year?		Elections next year?
Does he want to stay?		He want to stay?
Have the boys eaten?		The boys eaten?
Can the dog swim?		The dog swim?

Question		Response
Am I your friend?		Yes. / Yes, you are. / Yes, you are my friend.
Is this a good restaurant?		No. / No, it is not. / No, it is not a good restaurant.
Are these islands Greek?		Yes. / Yes, they are. / Yes, these islands are Greek.
Was his idea interesting?		No. / No, it wasn’t. / No, his idea was not interesting.
Were they happy?		Yes. / Yes, they were. / Yes, they were happy.

Question		Response
Am I at the correct location?		No. / No, you aren’t.
Are the keys under the books?		No. / No, they are not.
Was his house on an island?		Yes. / Yes, it was.
Were the demonstrations in the center of town?		No. / No, they weren’t.

Question		Response
Am I going with you and Tom?		Yes. / Yes, you are.
Is she working today?		No. / No, she isn’t.
Are we seeing a play tomorrow?		Yes. / Yes, we are.

Question		Response
Was it raining?		Yes. / Yes, it was.
Were they playing?		No. / No, they weren’t.

Question	Response
Is he busy?	No.
	No, he isn’t.
	No, he’s not.
	No, he is not.
	No, he isn’t busy.
	No, he’s not busy.
	No, he is not busy.

  MODAL VERBS

The modal verb are a specíal group of auxiliary verbs. An auxiliary verb that expresses necessity or possibility.Modals are special verbs which behave very irregularly in English. Englishpage.com has created one of the most in-depth modal tutorials in print or online. 

Study the modal explanations and complete the associated exercises and take another step toward English fluency.

Ought To

 

YES/NO QUESTIONS

In English, there are two basic types of questions: Yes / No questions and Wh- questions. Yes / Noquestions are also called closed questions because there are only two possible responses: Yes or No. When forming a Yes / No question, it must include one of these verbs: BE, DO, HAVE, or a modal verb. It is impossible to ask a Yes / No question without one of these verbs.

Use the verb BE to ask Yes / No questions about the identity or description of a person, place, or thing.

Note that the response can be short (Yes. / No.), or long: Yes or No followed by the subject and verb.

Use the verb BE with a preposition to ask Yes / No questions about a present or past location.

Use the verb BE to ask a Yes / No question about a current activity or situation. This requires the present progressive: BE + (verb+ing).

Use the verb BE to ask a Yes / No question about a past activity or situation. This requires the past progressive: WAS / WERE + (verb+ing).

 To answer Yes / No questions, especially when using contractions.

Information Question

The answers for simple questions in English are "Yes," "No," or "I don't know" (or its equivalent). The answers for information questions are varied--because they are
used to ask about specific kinds of information.Information questions are also called "Wh-" questions because many of the words that are used to ask this type of question begin with Wh-.

Who am I? You're a teacher.
Where areyou? I'm in the classroom.
What does he have? He has some strawberries.
Where is she? She's at the beach.
Why is the cat drinking water? It's thirsty.
When do we have class? We have class in the morning.	You + I = We
How are they drinking their milkshake? They're drinking it with a straw.
What do they have? They have popsicles.

Types of questions

There are two types of questions:

• Yes or no questions
• Wh questions

Question words

Question words are also called wh questions because they include the letters 'W' and 'H'.

Question words	Meaning	Examples
who	person	Who's that? That's Nancy.
where	place	Where do you live? In Boston
why	reason	Why do you sleep early? Because I've got to get up early
when	time	When do you go to work? At 7:00
how	manner	How do you go? By car
what	object, idea or action	What do you do? I am an engineer
which	choice	Which one do you prefer? The red one.
whose	possession	Whose is this book? It's Alan's.
whom	object of the verb	Whom did you meet? I met the manager.
what kind	description	What kind of music do you like? I like quiet songs
what time	time	What time did you come home?
how many	quantity (countable)	How many students are there? There are twenty.
how much	amount, price (uncountable)	How much time have we got? Ten minutes
how long	duration, length	How long did you stay in that hotel? For two weeks.
how often	frequency	How often do you go to the gym? Twice a week.
how far	distance	How far is your school? It's one mile far.
how old	age	How old are you? I'm 16.
how come	reason	How come I didn't see at the party?

HOW MANY AND HOW MUCH

Many is used with count nouns:
Q: How many apples are there? A: There are many apples in this picture.
Q: How many chairs are there? A: There are two chairs.
Q: How many bees are there? A: Hundreds. Maybe thousands!
Q: How many apples are there in this picture? A: There is only one apple.
Q: How many men are in this picture? A: There aren't any. There is only one woman.

Much is used with noncount nouns:
Q: How much fruit is there? A: There's a lot of fruit.
Q: How much water is in the glass? A: It's almost full. There's a lot of water in the glass.
Q: How much traffic is there this morning? A: There's a lot of traffic. The cars aren't moving very fast.
Q: How much fishing does he do? A: He does a lot of fishing on the weekend.
Q: How much beer is there in his glass? A: There isn't any. It's all gone.

Subject questions

SUBJECT QUESTION: A subject question asks about the subject of the sentence.
Do NOT change the word order of the question.

ANSWER	QUESTION
Gina is fixing the computer.	Who is fixing the computer?
An accident happened last week.	What happened last week?

To ask a question about the subject of a sentence, the word order is exactly the same as the word order for a statement. The form of the verb is exactly the same too.

Look at this statement:

[s]:Subject, [v]:Verb

[s] John [v] met Maria at the station.

Now look at these two questions and answers:

[Q]:QUESTION, [A]:ANSWER

[Q] Who did John meet?
[A] Maria (not the subject)

[Q] Who met Maria?
[A] John (the subject)

In the second sentence, we are asking about the subject of the sentence. Here are some more examples of subject questions:

Something happened in the kitchen.
What happened in the kitchen?

Someone knows a lot about physics.
Who knows a lot about physics?

Someone's writing is the best.
Whose writing is the best?

Some students are leaving on Monday.
Which students are leaving on Monday?

Hundreds of workers have been given a pay raise.
How many workers have been given a pay raise?

INDEFINITIVES PRONOUNS

Some pronouns are definite in that they replace a specific noun or another pronoun. But sometimes things aren’t so clear-cut. We don’t need to refer to anything or anyone definite. So what do we do for a pronoun? In those cases we use indefinite pronouns.

What are Indefinite Pronouns?

As the name suggests indefinite pronouns are pronouns that are not definite in meaning. In other words they are not specific in which noun they replace. They may be singular or plural, and must match the verb in number.

There are two categories of indefinite pronouns. The first category includes pronouns that refer to a nonspecific noun. These pronouns are:

anybody	anyone
anything	everybody
everyone	everything
nobody	none
no one	nothing
somebody	someone
something.

• Many have expressed their views.

pronoun	meaning	example
singular
another	an additional or different person or thing	That ice-cream was good. Can I haveanother?
anybody/anyone	no matter what person	Can anyone answer this question?
anything	no matter what thing	The doctor needs to know if you have eaten anything in the last two hours.
each	every one of two or more people or things, seen separately	Each has his own thoughts.
either	one or the other of two people or things	Do you want tea or coffee? / I don't mind.Either is good for me.
enough	as much or as many as needed	Enough is enough.
everybody/everyone	all people	We can start the meeting becauseeverybody has arrived.
everything	all things	They have no house or possessions. They lost everything in the earthquake.
less	a smaller amount	"Less is more" (Mies van der Rohe)
little	a small amount	Little is known about his early life.
much	a large amount	Much has happend since we met.
neither	not one and not the other of two people or things	I keep telling Jack and Jill but neitherbelieves me.
nobody/no-one	no person	I phoned many times but nobodyanswered.
nothing	no single thing, not anything	If you don't know the answer it's best to say nothing.
one	an unidentified person	Can one smoke here? | All the students arrived but now one is missing.
other	a different person or thing from one already mentioned	One was tall and the other was short.
somebody/someone	an unspecified or unknown person	Clearly somebody murdered him. It was not suicide.
something	an unspecified or unknown thing	Listen! I just heard something! What could it be?
you	an unidentified person (informal)	And you can see why.
plural
both	two people or things, seen together	John likes coffee but not tea. I think bothare good.
few	a small number of people or things	Few have ever disobeyed him and lived.
fewer	a reduced number of people or things	Fewer are smoking these days.
many	a large number of people or things	Many have come already.
others	other people; not us	I'm sure that others have tried before us.
several	more than two but not many	They all complained and several left the meeting.
they	people in general (informal)	They say that vegetables are good for you.
singular or plural
all	the whole quantity of something or of some things or people	All is forgiven. All have arrived.
any	no matter how much or how many	Is any left? Are any coming?
more	a greater quantity of something; a greater number of people or things	There is more over there. More are coming.
most	the majority; nearly all	Most is lost. Most have refused.
none	not any; no person or persons	They fixed the water so why is nonecoming out of the tap? I invited five friends but none have come.*
some	an unspecified quantity of something; an unspecified number of people or things	Here is some. Some have arrived.
such	of the type already mentioned	He was a foreigner and he felt that he was treated as such.

Infinitives and Gerunds

The position of the verbs in a sentence has a major impact on their forms.
In general, but not a rule, the verb 'spend' is followed by a verb with -ing form.
He spent his day listening to music.

So I will try to give a brief list of verb forms.

a) verbs in the infinitive with to are used after:
 try, promise, agree, choose, forget, learn, want etc....
 can't afford.., to be able...,etc...

b) verbs with -ing form are used after:
 hate, dislike, avoid,enjoy, finish, spend, etc...
 do/would you mind...,  can't help...,etc..
 up,in, of, with/out, etc...

 c)both, gerund(-ing form) or to are used after certain verbs:
 begin, start,continue,like, love, prefer, etc...


This is just a brief view about verbs, we may find more details about them elsewhere.

ORDER ADJECTIVE

Here An adjective is a word that describes something (a noun) or someone (a person).

Adjectives sometimes appear after the verb To Be

• He is short.
• She is tall.

Adjectives sometimes appear before a noun.

• Red car
• Old hat

BUT… Sometimes you want to use more than one adjective to describe something (or someone).

What happens if a hat is both old AND ugly?

Do we say… an ugly old hat OR an old ugly hat?

An ugly old hat is correct because a certain order for adjectives is expected
(Note, you may hear the other version old ugly hat, though it doesn’t sound natural)

So what is the correct order of adjectives when we put them before a noun or the thing they describe?

Here is a chart that shows the main word order for adjectives in English:

Gerunds and Infinitives

Here is a brief review of the differences between gerunds and infinitives.

Gerunds are formed with ING.

walking, talking, thinking, listening

Infinitives are formed with TO.

to walk, to talk, to think, to listen

Jobs

Gerunds and infinitives can do several jobs:

Both gerunds and infinitives can be the subject of a sentence.

Writing in English is difficult.
To write in English is difficult.

Both gerunds and infinitives can be the object of a verb.

I like writing in English.
I like to write in English.

But... only gerunds can be the object of a preposition.

We are talking about writing in English.

Usage

It is often difficult to know when to use a gerund and when to use an infinitive. These guidelines may help you.

Gerunds	Gerunds are often used when actions are real, concrete, or completed. For example: I stopped smoking. (The smoking was real and happened until I stopped.)
Infinitives	Infinitives are often used when actions are unreal, abstract, or future. For example: I stopped to smoke. (I was doing something else, and I stopped; the smoking had not happened yet.)

Too and Enough :

Too and Enough are used with adjectives and indicate degree. Here we have provide you the different usages of Too and Enough, So and Such.

This is too big for me!

A. Too means ‘more is necessary or desirable.’

1. To + adjective / adverb

Ex: This jumper’s too big. Can I try a smaller size?

2. Too much / Too many (+ noun)

Ex: I can’t eat this. There is too much salt in it.

Ex: There are too many people here. Let’s go outside.

3. Too + adverb / adjective (+ for + object) + infinitive

Ex: It’s too cold to play tennis today.

Ex: He spoke too quickly for me to understand him.

B. Enough means ‘as much as is necessary’

1. Adjective / Adverb + enough

Ex: Are you warm enough or shall I turn the heating on?

2. Enough + noun

Ex: We’ll have to stand because there aren’t enough chairs.

3. Enough (+ for + object) + infinitive with to

Ex: I haven’t got enough time to see you today.

What is a phrasal verb?

A phrasal verb is a verb followed by a preposition or an adverb; the combination creates a meaning different from the original verb alone.

Example :
To get  =  to obtain	I need to get a new battery for my camera.
To get together  =  to meet	Why don’t we all get together for lunch one day?

Phrasal verbs are part of a large group of verbs called “multi-part” or "multi-word” verbs.
The preposition or adverb that follows the verb is sometimes called a particle.

Phrasal verbs and other multi-word verbs are an important part of the English language.
However, they are mainly used in spoken English and informal texts. They should be
avoided in academic writing where it is preferable to use a formal verb such as “to postpone”
rather than “to put off”.

Transitive and intransitive phrasal verbs :

Some phrasal verbs are transitive.  (A transitive verb always has an object.)
Example : I made up an excuse. ('Excuse' is the object of the verb.)

Some phrasal verbs are intransitive . (An intransitive verb does not have an object.)
Example : My car broke down.

Separable or inseparable phrasal verbs :

Some transitive phrasal verbs are separable. (The object is between the verb and the preposition.)
Example : I looked the word up in the dictionary.

Some transitive phrasal verbs are inseparable. (The object is placed after the preposition.)
Example : I will look into the matter as soon as possible.

Some transitive phrasal verbs can take an object in both places.
Example : I picked up the book.
   I picked the book up.

However, if the object is a pronoun, it must be placed between the verb and the preposition.
Example : I picked it up.

---

Below you will find lists of the most commonly-used phrasal verbs in English.
The table below shows the first and last verb in each list.

Alphabetical lists of Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs A	abide by →   avail (oneself) of
Phrasal verbs B	back away  →   butt in (on)
Phrasal verbs C	call back  →  cut out
Phrasal verbs D	deal with  →  drown out
Phrasal verbs E-F	ease off  →  focus on
Phrasal verbs G	get along (with)  →  grow up
Phrasal verbs H	hand back  →  hurry up
Phrasal verbs I-J-K	iron out →  knock out
Phrasal verbs L	lay off  →  look up to
Phrasal verbs M-N	make fun of  →  note down
Phrasal verbs O-P-Q	opt out →  point out
Phrasal verbs R-S	reel off  →  stick up for
Phrasal verbs T	take after  →  turn down
Phrasal verbs U-Z	use up  →  wipe off

Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs are usually two-word phrases consisting of verb + adverbor verb + preposition. Think of them as you would any other English vocabulary. Study them as you come across them, rather than trying to memorize many at once. Use the list below as a reference guide when you find an expression that you don't recognize. The examples will help you understand the meanings. If you think of each phrasal verb as a separate verb with a specific meaning, you will be able to remember it more easily. Like many other verbs, phrasal verbs often have more than one meaning.

This list shows about 200 common phrasal verbs, with meanings and examples. Only the most usual meanings are given. Some phrasal verbs may have additional meanings.

See also our pages with 1000+ Phrasal Verbs, with definitions, synonyms, explanations, sample sentences, collocations and quizzes (with answers). 

As well as learning their meanings, you need to learn how to use phrasal verbs.

Verb		Meaning	Example
ask someone out		invite on a date	Brian asked Judy out to dinner and a movie.
ask around		ask many people the same question	I asked around but nobody has seen my wallet.
add up to something		equal	Your purchases add up to$205.32.
back something up		reverse	You'll have to back upyour car so that I can get out.
back someone up		support	My wife backed me upover my decision to quit my job.
blow up		explode	The racing car blew upafter it crashed into the fence.
blow something up		add air	We have to blow 50 balloons up for the party.
break down		stop functioning (vehicle, machine)	Our car broke down at the side of the highway in the snowstorm.
break down		get upset	The woman broke downwhen the police told her that her son had died.
break somethingdown		divide into smaller parts	Our teacher broke the final project down into three separate parts.
break in		force entry to a building	Somebody broke in last night and stole our stereo.
break into something		enter forcibly	The firemen had to break into the room to rescue the children.
break something in		wear something a few times so that it doesn't look/feel new	I need to break these shoes in before we run next week.
break in		interrupt	The TV station broke into report the news of the president's death.
break up		end a relationship	My boyfriend and I broke up before I moved to America.
break up		start laughing (informal)	The kids just broke up as soon as the clown started talking.
break out		escape	The prisoners broke outof jail when the guards weren't looking.
break out insomething		develop a skin condition	I broke out in a rash after our camping trip.
bring someone down		make unhappy	This sad music is bringingme down.
bring someone up		raise a child	My grandparents broughtme up after my parents died.
bring something up		start talking about a subject	My mother walks out of the room when my fatherbrings up sports.
bring something up		vomit	He drank so much that hebrought his dinner up in the toilet.
call around		phone many different places/people	We called around but we weren't able to find the car part we needed.
call someone back		return a phone call	I called the companyback but the offices were closed for the weekend.
call something off		cancel	Jason called the weddingoff because he wasn't in love with his fiancé.
call on someone		ask for an answer or opinion	The professor called onme for question 1.
call on someone		visit someone	We called on you last night but you weren't home.
call someone up		phone	Give me your phone number and I will call youup when we are in town.
calm down		relax after being angry	You are still mad. You need to calm downbefore you drive the car.
not care forsomeone/something		not like (formal)	I don't care for his behaviour.
catch up		get to the same point as someone else	You'll have to run faster than that if you want tocatch up with Marty.
check in		arrive and register at a hotel or airport	We will get the hotel keys when we check in.
check out		leave a hotel	You have to check out of the hotel before 11:00 AM.
checksomeone/somethingout		look at carefully, investigate	The company checks outall new employees.
check outsomeone/something		look at (informal)	Check out the crazy hair on that guy!
cheer up		become happier	She cheered up when she heard the good news.
cheer someone up		make happier	I brought you some flowers to cheer you up.
chip in		help	If everyone chips in we can get the kitchen painted by noon.
clean something up		tidy, clean	Please clean up your bedroom before you go outside.
come acrosssomething		find unexpectedly	I came across these old photos when I was tidying the closet.
come apart		separate	The top and bottom come apart if you pull hard enough.
come down withsomething		become sick	My nephew came down with chicken pox this weekend.
come forward		volunteer for a task or to give evidence	The woman came forward with her husband's finger prints.
come fromsomewhere		originate in	The art of origami comes from Asia.
count onsomeone/something		rely on	I am counting on you to make dinner while I am out.
cross something out		draw a line through	Please cross out your old address and write your new one.
cut back onsomething		consume less	My doctor wants me tocut back on sweets and fatty foods.
cut something down		make something fall to the ground	We had to cut the old tree in our yard down after the storm.
cut in		interrupt	Your father cut in while I was dancing with your uncle.
cut in		pull in too closely in front of another vehicle	The bus driver got angry when that car cut in.
cut in		start operating (of an engine or electrical device)	The air conditioner cuts in when the temperature gets to 22°C.
cut something off		remove with something sharp	The doctors cut off his leg because it was severely injured.
cut something off		stop providing	The phone company cut off our phone because we didn't pay the bill.
cut someone off		take out of a will	My grandparents cut my father off when he remarried.
cut something out		remove part of something (usually with scissors and paper)	I cut this ad out of the newspaper.
dosomeone/somethingover		beat up, ransack (Br.E., informal)	He's lucky to be alive. His shop was done over by a street gang.
do something over		do again (N.Amer.)	My teacher wants me todo my essay overbecause she doesn't like my topic.
do away withsomething		discard	It's time to do away withall of these old tax records.
do something up		fasten, close	Do your coat up before you go outside. It's snowing!
dress up		wear nice clothing	It's a fancy restaurant so we have to dress up.
drop back		move back in a position/group	Andrea dropped back to third place when she fell off her bike.
drop in/by/over		come without an appointment	I might drop in/by/overfor tea sometime this week.
dropsomeone/somethingoff		take someone/something somewhere and leave them/it there	I have to drop my sisteroff at work before I come over.
drop out		quit a class, school etc	I dropped out of Science because it was too difficult.
eat out		eat at a restaurant	I don't feel like cooking tonight. Let's eat out.
end up		eventually reach/do/decide	We ended up renting a movie instead of going to the theatre.
fall apart		break into pieces	My new dress fell apart in the washing machine.
fall down		fall to the ground	The picture that you hung up last night fell downthis morning.
fall out		separate from an interior	The money must havefallen out of my pocket.
fall out		(of hair, teeth) become loose and unattached	His hair started to fall outwhen he was only 35.
figure something out		understand, find the answer	I need to figure out how to fit the piano and the bookshelf in this room.
fill something in		to write information in blanks (Br.E.)	Please fill in the form with your name, address, and phone number.
fill something out		to write information in blanks (N.Amer.)	The form must be filled out in capital letters.
fill something up		fill to the top	I always fill the water jugup when it is empty.
find out		discover	We don't know where he lives. How can we find out?
find something out		discover	We tried to keep the time of the party a secret, but Samantha found it out.
get somethingacross/over		communicate, make understandable	I tried to get my pointacross/over to the judge but she wouldn't listen.
get along/on		like each other	I was surprised how well my new girlfriend and my sister got along/on.
get around		have mobility	My grandfather can get around fine in his new wheelchair.
get away		go on a vacation	We worked so hard this year that we had to get away for a week.
get away withsomething		do without being noticed or punished	Jason always gets away with cheating in his maths tests.
get back		return	We got back from our vacation last week.
get something back		receive something you had before	Liz finally got her Science notes back from my room-mate.
get back at someone		retaliate, take revenge	My sister got back at me for stealing her shoes. She stole my favourite hat.
get back intosomething		become interested in something again	I finally got back into my novel and finished it.
get on something		step onto a vehicle	We're going to freeze out here if you don't let usget on the bus.
get over something		recover from an illness, loss, difficulty	I just got over the flu and now my sister has it.
get over something		overcome a problem	The company will have to close if it can't get overthe new regulations.
get round tosomething		finally find time to do (N.Amer.: get around tosomething)	I don't know when I am going to get round towriting the thank you cards.
get together		meet (usually for social reasons)	Let's get together for a BBQ this weekend.
get up		get out of bed	I got up early today to study for my exam.
get up		stand	You should get up and give the elderly man your seat.
give someone away		reveal hidden information about someone	His wife gave him awayto the police.
give someone away		take the bride to the altar	My father gave me awayat my wedding.
give something away		ruin a secret	My little sister gave the surprise party away by accident.
give something away		give something to someone for free	The library was giving away old books on Friday.
give something back		return a borrowed item	I have to give these skates back to Franz before his hockey game.
give in		reluctantly stop fighting or arguing	My boyfriend didn't want to go to the ballet, but he finally gave in.
give something out		give to many people (usually at no cost)	They were giving outfree perfume samples at the department store.
give something up		quit a habit	I am giving up smoking as of January 1st.
give up		stop trying	My maths homework was too difficult so I gave up.
go after someone		follow someone	My brother tried to go after the thief in his car.
go after something		try to achieve something	I went after my dream and now I am a published writer.
go against someone		compete, oppose	We are going against the best soccer team in the city tonight.
go ahead		start, proceed	Please go ahead and eat before the food gets cold.
go back		return to a place	I have to go back home and get my lunch.
go out		leave home to go on a social event	We're going out for dinner tonight.
go out with someone		date	Jesse has been going out with Luke since they met last winter.
go over something		review	Please go over your answers before you submit your test.
go over		visit someone nearby	I haven't seen Tina for a long time. I think I'll go over for an hour or two.
go withoutsomething		suffer lack or deprivation	When I was young, wewent without winter boots.
grow apart		stop being friends over time	My best friend and I grew apart after she changed schools.
grow back		regrow	My roses grew back this summer.
grow up		become an adult	When Jack grows up he wants to be a fireman.
grow out ofsomething		get too big for	Elizabeth needs a new pair of shoes because she has grown out of her old ones.
grow into something		grow big enough to fit	This bike is too big for him now, but he should grow into it by next year.
hand somethingdown		give something used to someone else	I handed my old comic books down to my little cousin.
hand something in		submit	I have to hand in my essay by Friday.
hand something out		to distribute to a group of people	We will hand out the invitations at the door.
hand something over		give (usually unwillingly)	The police asked the man to hand over his wallet and his weapons.
hang in		stay positive (N.Amer., informal)	Hang in there. I'm sure you'll find a job very soon.
hang on		wait a short time (informal)	Hang on while I grab my coat and shoes!
hang out		spend time relaxing (informal)	Instead of going to the party we are just going tohang out at my place.
hang up		end a phone call	He didn't say goodbye before he hung up.
holdsomeone/somethingback		prevent from doing/going	I had to hold my dogback because there was a cat in the park.
hold something back		hide an emotion	Jamie held back his tears at his grandfather's funeral.
hold on		wait a short time	Please hold on while I transfer you to the Sales Department.
hold ontosomeone/something		hold firmly using your hands or arms	Hold onto your hat because it's very windy outside.
holdsomeone/somethingup		rob	A man in a black maskheld the bank up this morning.
keep on doingsomething		continue doing	Keep on stirring until the liquid comes to a boil.
keep something fromsomeone		not tell	We kept our relationshipfrom our parents for two years.
keepsomeone/somethingout		stop from entering	Try to keep the wet dogout of the living room.
keep something up		continue at the same rate	If you keep those resultsup you will get into a great college.
let someone down		fail to support or help, disappoint	I need you to be on time. Don't let me down this time.
let someone in		allow to enter	Can you let the cat inbefore you go to school?
log in (or on)		sign in (to a website, database etc)	I can't log in to Facebook because I've forgotten my password.
log out (or off)		sign out (of a website, database etc)	If you don't log offsomebody could get into your account.
look aftersomeone/something		take care of	I have to look after my sick grandmother.
look down onsomeone		think less of, consider inferior	Ever since we stole that chocolate bar your dad has looked down on me.
look forsomeone/something		try to find	I'm looking for a red dress for the wedding.
look forward tosomething		be excited about the future	I'm looking forward tothe Christmas break.
look into something		investigate	We are going to look intothe price of snowboards today.
look out		be careful, vigilant, and take notice	Look out! That car's going to hit you!
look out forsomeone/something		be especially vigilant for	Don't forget to look out for snakes on the hiking trail.
look something over		check, examine	Can you look over my essay for spelling mistakes?
look something up		search and find information in a reference book or database	We can look her phone number up on the Internet.
look up to someone		have a lot of respect for	My little sister has alwayslooked up to me.
make something up		invent, lie about something	Josie made up a story about why we were late.
make up		forgive each other	We were angry last night, but we made up at breakfast.
make someone up		apply cosmetics to	My sisters made me upfor my graduation party.
mix something up		confuse two or more things	I mixed up the twins' names again!
pass away		die	His uncle passed awaylast night after a long illness.
pass out		faint	It was so hot in the church that an elderly ladypassed out.
pass something out		give the same thing to many people	The professor passed the textbooks out before class.
pass something up		decline (usually something good)	I passed up the job because I am afraid of change.
pay someone back		return owed money	Thanks for buying my ticket. I'll pay you backon Friday.
pay for something		be punished for doing something bad	That bully will pay forbeing mean to my little brother.
pick something out		choose	I picked out three sweaters for you to try on.
pointsomeone/somethingout		indicate with your finger	I'll point my boyfriendout when he runs by.
put something down		put what you are holding on a surface or floor	You can put the groceriesdown on the kitchen counter.
put someone down		insult, make someone feel stupid	The students put the substitute teacher downbecause his pants were too short.
put something off		postpone	We are putting off our trip until January because of the hurricane.
put something out		extinguish	The neighbours put the fire out before the firemen arrived.
put somethingtogether		assemble	I have to put the cribtogether before the baby arrives.
put up withsomeone/something		tolerate	I don't think I can put up with three small children in the car.
put something on		put clothing/accessories on your body	Don't forget to put onyour new earrings for the party.
run intosomeone/something		meet unexpectedly	I ran into an old school-friend at the mall.
run oversomeone/something		drive a vehicle over a person or thing	I accidentally ran overyour bicycle in the driveway.
run over/throughsomething		rehearse, review	Let's run over/throughthese lines one more time before the show.
run away		leave unexpectedly, escape	The child ran away from home and has been missing for three days.
run out		have none left	We ran out of shampoo so I had to wash my hair with soap.
send something back		return (usually by mail)	My letter got sent back to me because I used the wrong stamp.
set something up		arrange, organize	Our boss set a meetingup with the president of the company.
set someone up		trick, trap	The police set up the car thief by using a hidden camera.
shop around		compare prices	I want to shop around a little before I decide on these boots.
show off		act extra special for people watching (usually boastfully)	He always shows off on his skateboard
sleep over		stay somewhere for the night (informal)	You should sleep overtonight if the weather is too bad to drive home.
sort something out		organize, resolve a problem	We need to sort the billsout before the first of the month.
stick to something		continue doing something, limit yourself to one particular thing	You will lose weight if youstick to the diet.
switch something off		stop the energy flow, turn off	The light's too bright. Could you switch it off.
switch something on		start the energy flow, turn on	We heard the news as soon as we switched onthe car radio.
take after someone		resemble a family member	I take after my mother. We are both impatient.
take something apart		purposely break into pieces	He took the car brakesapart and found the problem.
take something back		return an item	I have to take our new TVback because it doesn't work.
take off		start to fly	My plane takes off in five minutes.
take something off		remove something (usually clothing)	Take off your socks and shoes and come in the lake!
take something out		remove from a place or thing	Can you take the garbageout to the street for me?
take someone out		pay for someone to go somewhere with you	My grandparents took usout for dinner and a movie.
tear something up		rip into pieces	I tore up my ex-boyfriend's letters and gave them back to him.
think back		remember (often + to, sometimes + on)	When I think back on my youth, I wish I had studied harder.
think something over		consider	I'll have to think this job offer over before I make my final decision.
throw somethingaway		dispose of	We threw our old furniture away when we won the lottery.
turn something down		decrease the volume or strength (heat, light etc)	Please turn the TV downwhile the guests are here.
turn something down		refuse	I turned the job downbecause I don't want to move.
turn something off		stop the energy flow, switch off	Your mother wants you toturn the TV off and come for dinner.
turn something on		start the energy, switch on	It's too dark in here. Let'sturn some lights on.
turn something up		increase the volume or strength (heat, light etc)	Can you turn the musicup? This is my favourite song.
turn up		appear suddenly	Our cat turned up after we put posters up all over the neighbourhood.
try something on		sample clothing	I'm going to try these jeans on, but I don't think they will fit.
try something out		test	I am going to try this new brand of detergent out.
use something up		finish the supply	The kids used all of the toothpaste up so we need to buy some more.
wake up		stop sleeping	We have to wake upearly for work on Monday.
warmsomeone/somethingup		increase the temperature	You can warm your feetup in front of the fireplace.
warm up		prepare body for exercise	I always warm up by doing sit-ups before I go for a run.
wear off		fade away	Most of my make-up wore off before I got to the party.
work out		exercise	I work out at the gym three times a week.
work out		be successful	Our plan worked outfine.
work something out		make a calculation	We have to work out the total cost before we buy the house.

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