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To Come 1

1. Sometimes you keep something even though you don't need it at the time but because you think in the future it might 'come in useful'.

• Keep that. It might come in useful one day.
• I don't like learning English but it will come in useful when I get a job.

2. When something is falling, you can say that it is 'coming down'.

• The football match was stopped because the rain was coming down so heavily.
• Don't buy an Ipod yet. The prices will be coming down soon.

3. When a book is published, it 'comes out'.

• The magazine comes out once a month.
• My new book comes out in August.

4.If you 'come on to' a particular topic or idea, you start discussing it.

• Can we come on to the subject of parking?
• Before we come on to that, does anybody have any comments?

5. If you 'come across' something, you find it by accident.

• I came across these old photos when I was cleaning out my cupboard.
• She came across Richard in the middle of Oxford.

6. If a feeling 'comes over you', it affects you, often in an uncharacteristic way.

• I'm sorry for shouting. I don't know what came over me.
• A look of pleasure came over her face.

7. If a problem or situation 'comes up' it happens. (We can also say 'crops up'.)

• A big problem came up at work.
• Something has come up and I can't meet you.

8. If you 'come up with' a plan or idea, you think of it or suggest it.

• Peter came up with a good idea today.
• Can anybody come up with a solution?

9. If somebody 'comes across' as having a particular characteristic, they have given you the impression that they are like this.

• When you first meet Susan, she comes across as a shy person but in fact she is quite self-confident.
• Do you know that you come across as very arrogant?

10. When you are talking about the results of a situation, you can talk about what 'comes of' the situation.

• I'll let you know what comes of the meeting.
• No great harm came from it.

11. If an event or action 'comes off', it is successful or effective.

• I hope this high risk strategy comes off for us.
• I don't think it is going to come off.

12. If an idea 'comes upon' you, it develops without your really being aware of it.

• The idea came upon me when I was out walking the dog.
• I came upon the solution by pure chance.

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Phrasal Verbs with UP 1

I've had a lot of requests for some lessons on 'up' so here is the first of several. We'll cover the easy part today.

One common use for 'up' in phrasal verbs is to indicate

• An upward movement
• An increase
• An improvement

See how that applies to these eight verbs.

If you display something such as a poster, you 'put it up' on a wall or a notice-board.

• Have you seen the warning the boss has put up on the notice-board?
• Can you put up a poster in your window?

If somebody is miserable and you want them to be happier, you can tell them to 'cheer up'.

• You look really unhappy. Cheer up!
• I wrote Pearson a letter to try to cheer him up a bit.

If you are sitting and then you rise from your chair, you 'stand up'.

• When the President arrives, everybody must stand up.
• Stand up straight when I am speaking to you.

If a party or a seminar is dull, you need to 'liven it up'.

• You need to liven up your ideas.
• How can we liven up this presentation?

If you want to make something stronger, you can 'build it up'.

• I have built up a strong team of workers.
• I have been ill and need to build up my strength.

I can't hear very well these days – I'm old. When you speak to me, you need to speaker, to 'speak up'.

• Can you speak up? There is a lot of background noise.
• It is a big room. You will have to speak up so that those in the back can hear.

The place where you lived when you were a child is where you 'grew up'.

• I was born in Scotland but grew up in England.
• Where did you grow up?

If something increases fast, it 'shoots up'.

• The price of petrol has shot up recently.
• My English scores shot up after I started studying with Pearson.

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Phrasal Verbs with OUT 1

If you 'ask someone out', you invite them out on a date (with the hope of romance between you.)

• I want to ask her out but I am too shy.
• He asked me out on Friday but I told him I had to wash my hair.

If you 'cut something out', you no longer do it/ eat it etc.

• My doctor told me to cut out dairy products.
• I cut out going to the gym because I did not have the time and now I am fat.

If you 'eat out', you go to a restaurant.

• He never cooks and always eats out or has a takeaway.
• For my birthday, I would like to eat out somewhere nice.

If you 'jump out', you come out quickly and suddenly.

• I was walking quietly down the street when this young man jumped out in front of me.
• Stop the car at the corner and I will jump out.

If you 'keep someone out', you prevent them from entering.

• There is extra security today to keep the protestors out.
• Please keep out of my office. I need some peace and quiet.

If you 'leave something out', you do not mention it.

• Did you leave anything out or is that the whole story?
• It is just a summary. I left out a lot of the details.

If something 'slips out', it escapes quickly and quietly.

• I have slipped out of the meeting for a few minutes but I must get back.
• I did not intend to tell him. It just slipped out.

If you 'squeeze something out ' , you get it out using force or pressure.

• I can never squeeze out that last bit of toothpaste from the tube.
• I managed to squeeze out of her that the job was offered to Alain.

If you 'stay out', you do not come home.

• I stayed out all night and I feel terrible.
• We stayed out celebrating until the early hours.

If you 'walk out' , you leave as a sign of protest.

• When we heard their derisory offer, we walked out of the meeting.
• This presentation is dreadful. I have a good mind to walk out.

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