Phrasal verb 3

Question 1

up to date

Answer 1

modern, current, timely

(Hyphens (-) separate the parts of this idiom when it precedes a noun form, as in the third example The verb update derives from this idiom.)

ex: The president insisted that the company bring its aging equipment up to date.

Question 2

out of date

Answer 2

not modern, not current, not timely; no longer available in published form

(hyphens separate the parts of this idiom when it precedes a noun form as in the second example. The passive verb to be outdated derives from this idiom.)

ex: Many people buy new cars when their old cars become out of date.
ex: I don’t know why Gene likes to wear out-of-date clothing. His clothes are so outdated that even his girlfriend

hesitates to be seen with him.

Question 3

to blow up

Answer 3

to inflate, to fill with air (S); to explode, to destroy (or be destroyed) by explosion (S)

ex: Daddy, could you please blow up this balloon for me?
ex: When the airplane crashed into the ground, it blew up immediately.

Question 4

to catch fire

Answer 4

to begin to burn

ex: Don’t stand too close to the gas stove. Your clothes may catch fire.

Question 5

to burn down

Answer 5

to burn slowly, but completely (usually said of candles); to destroy completely by fire (S)

ex: There was a large amount of wax on the table where the candles had burned down.
ex: The fire spread so quickly that the firefighters could not prevent the whole block of buildings from burning

down.

Question 6

to burn up

Answer 6

to destroy completely by fire (S); to make angry or very annoyed (S) (also - to tick off)

(To burn up and to burn down share the same definition but also have different definitions.)

ex: She didn’t want anyone to see the letter, so she burned it up and threw the ashes away.
ex: It really burns me up that he borrowed my car without asking me first.

Question 7

to burn out

Answer 7

to stop functioning because of overuse; to make tired from too much work (S)

ex: This light bulb has burned out. Could you get another one?
ex: Studying all day for my final exams has really burned me out.

Question 8

to make good

Answer 8

to succeed

ex: He is a hard worker, and I’m sure that he will make good in that new job.
ex: Alma has always made good in everything that she has done.

Question 9

stands to reason

Answer 9

to be clear and logical

(This idiom is almost always used with the pronoun subject it and is followed by a that clause.)

ex: It stands to reason that a person without experience cannot do the work as well as an experienced one.

Question 10

to break out

Answer 10

to become widespread suddenly

ex: An epidemic of measles broke out in Chicago this past week.
ex: The news says that a large fire has broken out in a huge chemical plant.

Question 11

as for

Answer 11

regarding, concerning (also: as to )

ex: As for the money, we will simply have to borrow some more from the bank.
ex: There is no doubt as to her intelligence, she’s the smartest one in the class.

Question 12

to feel sorry for

Answer 12

to pity, to feel compassion for (also: to take pity on )

ex: Don’t you feel sorry for someone who has to work the night shift?
ex: I helped drive Pierre around when he broke his foot because I took pity on him.

Question 13

to break down

Answer 13

to stop functioning

(Compare this idiom with to burn out. To burn out means that electrical equipment becomes hot

from overuse and stops functioning. To break down means that something stops functioning mechanically,

whether from overuse or not.)

ex: I just bought my new car yesterday and already it has broken down.

Question 14

to turn out

Answer 14

to become or result; to appear, to attend (also: to come out )

(The noun form turnout derives from the second definition of the idiom.)

ex: Most parents wonder how their children will turn out as adults.
ex: Hundreds of people came out for the demonstration against new taxes.
ex: What was the turnout for the public hearing on the education reforms?

Question 15

once in a blue moon

Answer 15

rarely, infrequently

ex: Snow falls on the city of San Diego, California, once in a blue moon.
ex: Once in a blue moon my wife and I eat at a very expensive restaurant.

Question 16

to give up

Answer 16

to stop trying; to stop a bad habit (S); to surrender (S)

ex: I’m sure that you can accomplish this task. Don’t give up yet!
ex: If you give up smoking now, you can certainly live a longer life.
ex: The soldiers gave themselves up in the face of stronger enemy forces.

Question 17

to cross out

Answer 17

to cancel by marking with a horizontal line (S)

ex: The teacher crossed out several incorrect words in Tanya’s composition.
ex: I crossed the last line out of my letter because it had the wrong tone to it.

Question 18

to take for granted

Answer 18

not to appreciate fully (S); to assume to be true without giving much thought (S)

(A noun or pronoun often follows the verb take.)

ex: John took his wife for granted until once when he was very sick and needed her constant attention for a week.
ex: He spoke English so well that I took it for granted he was an American.
ex: He took for granted that I wasn’t American because I spoke English so poorly!

Question 19

to take something into account

Answer 19

to consider a fact while evaluating a situation (S)

ex: The judge took the prisoner’s young age into account before sentencing him to three months in jail.
ex: Educators should take into account the cultural backgrounds of students when planning a school curriculum.

Question 20

to make clear

Answer 20

to clarify, to explain (S)

ex: Please make clear that he should never act so impolitely again.
ex: The supervisor made it clear to the workers that they had to increase their productivity.

Question 21

clear-cut

Answer 21

clearly stated, definite, apparent

ex: The president’s message was clear-cut: the company had to reduce personnel immediately.
ex: Professor Larsen is well known for his interesting and clear-cut presentations.

Question 22

to have on

Answer 22

to be wearing (S)

ex: How do you like the hat which Grace has on today?
ex: When Sally came into the room, I had nothing on except my shorts.

Question 23

to come to

Answer 23

to regain consciousness; to equal, to amount to

ex: At first they thought that the man was dead, but soon he came to.
ex: The bill for groceries at the supermarket came to fifty dollars.

Question 24

to call for

Answer 24

to require; to request, to urge

ex: This cake recipe calls for some baking soda, but we don’t have any.
ex: The members of Congress called for new laws to regulate the banking industry.

Question 25

to eat in/to eat out

Answer 25

to eat at home/to eat in a restaurant

ex: I feel too tired to go out for dinner. Let’s eat in again tonight.
ex: When you eat out, what restaurant do you generally go to?

Question 26

cut and dried

Answer 26

predictable, known beforehand; boring

ex: The results of the national election were rather cut and dried; the Republicans won easily.
ex: A job on a factory assembly line is certainly cut and dried.

Question 27

to look after

Answer 27

to watch, to supervise, to protect (also: to take care of, to keep an eye on)

ex: Grandma will look after the baby while we go to the lecture.

Question 28

to feel like

Answer 28

to have the desire to, to want to consider

(This idiom is usually followed by a gerund (the -ing form of a verb used as a noun))

ex: I don’t feel like studying tonight. Let’s go to a basketball game.

ex:

Question 29

once and for all

Answer 29

finally, absolutely

một lần và mãi mãi

ex: My daughter told her boyfriend once and for all that she wouldn’t date him anymore.
ex: Once and for all, John has quit smoking cigarettes.

Question 30

to hear from

Answer 30

to receive news or information from

(To hear from is used for receiving a letter, telephone call, etc., from a person or organization.)

ex: I don’t hear from my brother very often since he moved to Chicago.
ex: Have you heard from the company about that new job?

Question 31

to hear of

Answer 31

to know about, to be familiar with; to consider (The second definition is always used in the
negative.)

ex: When I asked for directions to Mill Street, the police officer said that she had never heard of it.
ex: Byron strongly disagreed with my request by saying, «I won’t hear of if!»

Question 32

to make fun of

Answer 32

to laugh at, to joke about

ex: They are making fun of Carlo’s new hair style. Don’t you think that it’s really strange?
ex: Don’t make fun of Jose’s English. He’s doing the best he can.

Question 33

to come true

Answer 33

to become reality, to prove to be correct

ex: The weatherman’s forecast for today’s weather certainly came true.
ex: Everything that the economists predicted about the increased cost of living has come true.

Question 34

as a matter of fact

Answer 34

really, actually (also: in fact)

ex: Hans thinks he knows English well but, as a matter of fact, he speaks very poorly.
ex: I didn’t say that. In fact I said quite the opposite.

Question 35

to have one’s way

Answer 35

to arrange matters the way one wants (especially when someone else doesn’t want the
same way) (also: to get one’s way)

ex: My brother always wants to have his way, but this time our parents said that we could do what I wanted.
ex: If Sheila doesn’t get her way, she becomes very angry.

Question 36

to look forward to

Answer 36

to expect or anticipate with pleasure

(This idiom can be followed by a regular noun or a gerund.)

ex: We’re greatly looking forward to our vacation in Mexico.
ex: Margaret never looks forward to going to work.