Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs are an important part of English.
Why are Phrasal Verbs important?
Phrasal verbs are an important part of the English language as we constantly use them when speaking or writing. While they tend to be used more in our informal writing there are many phrasal verbs that are used in Busiuness English and they are a normal part of many sectors vocabulary.
So what is a phrasal verb?
A phrasal verb is a combination of words (a verb + a preposition or verb +adverb)
However often the meaning of the phrasal verb cannot be guessed from the meaning of the verb. Sometimes the phrasal verb is often used as if it were an idiom.
For example we say, ´We are going to boot up the computer then get to work writing the document.´ Now a boot is a type of footwear and to boot means to kick something but when we say to boot up it means to start the computer.
Phrasal verbs can be confusing
Phrasal verbs can be even more confusing as many also can have more that one meaning. Some have a literal meaning while others are more like an idiom.
To be tied up
can mean 1) to be bound by rope or similar ( he had been tied up and left by the roadside)
2) to be busy at present ( Julie is a bit tied up at present )
3) to be involved with something or something (he got tied up with the wrong people)
So we often have to look at the whole sentence and the context in order to work out the meaning of the phrasal verb.
Compare these two conversations
Now take a look at these two conversations. Which one sounds more like a natural native English person speaking?
Conversation A
Host: Hello! Advance into my house.
Guest: Thank you. Just let me disrobe from my coat.
Host: Sure. I will place it on this coat rack for you.
Guest: Shall I remove my shoes?
Host: No, it's all right. You can continue to wear them. How was your day?
Guest: Terrible I stayed asleep past the time I had to get out of bed. Then I had to attend a lunch meeting but he did not arrive at the meeting.
Host: That´s not good. Progress through to the lounge and move your body so that the lower part of it is resting on a seat.
Guest: Thanks.
Conversation B
Host: Hi! Come in!
Guest: Thank you. Just let me take off my coat.
Host: Sure. I´ll hang it up for you.
Guest: Shall I take off my shoes?
Host: No, it's all right. You can keep them on. How was your day?
Guest: Well, I slept in then I had to go to a lunch meeting but he didn`t turn up!
Host: That´s no good. Come into the lounge and sit down.
Guest: Thanks
Conversation B sounds more like a natural native English person speaking.
If you would like to learn phasal verbs so you can sound more like a natural native speaker then book a session with me today !! :)
2018年9月27日
