Essential_Idioms Flashcards
to enter or to board a vehicle
to get in/to get on
To get in is used for cars; to get on is used for all other forms of transportation.
o It’s easiest to get in the car from the driver’s side. The door on the other side doesn’t work well.
o I always get on the bus to work at 34th Street.
to leave or to descend from a vehicle.
to get out of/to get off
To get out of is used for cars; to get off is used for all other forms of transportation.
o Why don’t we stop and get out of the car for a while?
o Helen got off the train at the 42nd Street terminal.
to place on oneself (usually said of clothes) (S)
to put on
o Mary put on her coat and left the room.
o Put your hat on before you leave the house.
to remove (usually said of clothes) (S)
to take off
o John took off his jacket as he entered the office.
o Take your sweater off. The room is very warm.
to telephone (also: to give some one a call) (S)
to call up
To call can be used instead of to call up, as in the first example below.
o I forgot to call up Mr. Jones yesterday. I’d better call him now.
o Call me up tomorrow, Jane. We’ll arrange a time to have lunch together.
o I promise to give you a call as soon as I arrive in New York.
to start or cause to function (also: to switch on) (S)
to turn on
o Please turn on the light; it’s too dark in here.
o Do you know who turned the air conditioning on?
to cause to stop functioning (also: to switch off, to shut off) (S)
to turn off:
Turn on and turn off, as well as their related forms, are used for things that flow, such as electricity, water, gas, etc.
o Please turn off the light when you leave the room.
o Are you really listening to the radio, or should I turn it off?
very soon; immediately (also: at once)
right away:
o Dad says that dinner will be ready right away, so we’d better wash our hands and set the table.
o Tell Will to come to my office right away. I must see him immediately.
o Stop playing that loud music at once!
to lift form the floor, table, etc., with one’s fingers (S)
to pick up:
o Harry picked up the newspaper that was on the front doorstep.
o Could you pick your toy up before someone falls over it?
eventually, after a period of time
sooner or later:
o If you study English seriously, sooner or later you’ll become fluent.
o I’m too tired to do my homework now; I’m sure I’ll do it sooner or later.
to arise, to rise from a bed; to make someone arise (S)
to get up:
For the last definition a noun phrase must separate the verb and particle.
o Carla gets up at seven o’clock every morning.
o At what time should we get the children up tomorrow?
in the beginning, originally
at first:
o At first English was difficult for him, but later he made great progress.
o I thought at first that it was Sheila calling, but then I realized that it was Betty.
to wear formal clothes, to dress very nicely
to dress up:
o We should definitely dress up to go to the theater.
o You don’t have to dress up for Mike’s party.
finally, after a long time.
at last:
o We waited for hours and then the train arrived at last.
o Now that I am sixteen, at last I can drive my parents’ car.
o George is late for class as usual. This seems to happen every day.
o As usual, Dora received first prize in the swimming contest. It’s the third consecutive year that she has won.
get information about, to determine (S)
This idiom is separable only when a pronoun is used, as in the second example.
to find out:
o Will you please try to find out what time the airplane arrives?
o I’ll call right now to find it out.