Phrasal verb 2 Flashcards
to be about to do something
to be at the moment of doing something, to be ready
ex: I was just about to leave when you telephoned.
to turn around
to move or face in the opposite direction (S); to completely change the condition of (S)
ex: The man turned his car around and drove back the way he came
ex: The company has been very successful since the new business manager was able to turn it around.
to take turns (doing something)
to alternate, to change people while doing something
ex: During the trip, Darlene and I took turns driving so that neither of us would tire out.
to brush up on something
to review something in order to refresh one’s memory
ex: Before I traveled to Mexico, I brushed up on my Spanish; I haven’t practiced it since high school.
over and over (again)
repeatedly (also: time after time, time and again )
ex: The actress studied her lines in the movie over and over until she knew them well.
to wear out
to use something until it has no value or worth anymore, to make useless through wear (S)
ex: When I wear out these shoes, I’ll have to buy some that last longer.
to go out
to stop functioning; to stop burning; to leave home or work
ex: The lights went out all over the city because of an electrical problem
ex: Gary isn’t here right now; he went out to the store for a moment.
out of the question
impossible, not feasible
ex: Stephen told Deborah that it was out of the question for her to borrow his new car.
ex: Don’t expect me to do that again. It’s absolutely out of the question.
to have to do with
to have some connection with or relationship to
liên quan đến
ex: Ralph insisted that he had nothing to do with breaking the window.
ex: What does your suggestion have to do with our problem?
to get in touch with
to communicate with, to contact
ex: You can get in touch with him by calling the Burma Hotel
to have a good t ime
to enjoy oneself
ex: We all had a good time at the class reunion last night.
ex: Did you have a good time at the park? I really enjoyed it
in no time
very quickly, rapidly
(This idiom can be used with the idiom at all to add emphasis to the certainty of the statement.)
ex: Mac said that he’d be ready to leave in no time.
ex: We thought that the meeting would take two hours, but it was over in no time at all.
to cut down on
to reduce, to lessen (also: to cut back on )
bớt …
ex: In order to lose weight, you have to cut down on your intake of sugar.
ex: The doctor told me to cut back on exercise until my back injury heals.
quite a few
many
ex: Quite a few students were absent yesterday, in fact, more than half of them were not there.
ex: We did not expect many people to attend the affair, but quite a few of our friends actually came.
to be used
to be accustomed to
ex: He is used to this climate now, so the changes in temperature do not affect him much.
ex: I am used to studying in the library, so it’s difficult for me to study at home now.
to get used (to something)
to become used to, to become adjusted to
thích ứng với
ex: It took Yoshiko a long time to get used to the food that her American host family served her.
ex: Mark can’t seem to get used to wearing contact lenses, recently he’s been wearing his glasses a lot.
back and forth
in a backward and forward motion
tới lui
ex: The restless lion kept pacing back and forth along the front of its cage.
ex: Grandmother finds it relaxing to sit in her rocking chair and move back and forth.
now and then
occasionally, sometimes (also: now and again, at times, from time to time, off
and on, once in a while)
(Both now and then and once in a while can be preceded by the adjective every. Another idiom with the same
meaning and form is every so often.)
ex: I don’t see him very often, but (every) now and then we arrange to have lunch together.
to get rid of
to eliminate, to remove; to discard, to throw away
ex: erry tried hard to get rid of the stain on his shirt, but he never succeeded.
every other (one)
every second (one), alternate (ones)
ex: I play tennis with my father every other Saturday, so I usually play twice a month.
ex: There were twenty problems in the exercise, but the teacher told us only to do every other one. Actually, doing
ten problems was difficult enough.
to go with
to match, to compare well in color or design; to date, to accompany (also: to go out with )
(For the first definition, adverbs such as well and poorly are often used.)
ex: That striped shirt goes well with the gray pants, but the pants go poorly with those leather shoes.
ex: Eda went with Richard for about six months, but now she is going out with a new boyfriend.
first -rate
excellent, superb
ex: The food served in that four-star restaurant is truly first-rate.
ex: The Beverly Hills Hotel provides first-rate service to its guests.
to make good time
to travel a sufficient distance at a reasonable speed
(The adjective excellent can also be used)
ex: On our last trip, it rained the entire time, so we didn’t make good time.
ex: We made excellent time on our trip to Florida; it only took eighteen hours.
to mix up
to stir or shake well (S); to confuse, to bewilder (S)
(For the second definition, the passive forms to be mixed up or to get mixed up are often used.)
ex: You should mix up the ingredients well before you put them in the pan.
ex: The teacher’s poor explanation really mixed the students up.
