What are phrasal verbs

 1.  A phrasal verb is a verb plus a preposition or adverb which creates a meaning different from the original verb.

Example:I ran into my teacher at the movies last night. run + into = meet
He ran away when he was 15. run + away = leave home

2. Some phrasal verbs are intransitive. An intransitive verb cannot be followed by an object.

Example:
He suddenly showed up. "show up" cannot take an object

3. Some phrasal verbs are transitive. A transitive verb can be followed by an object.

Example:
I made up the story. "story" is the object of "make up"

4. Some transitive phrasal verbs are separable. The object is placed between the verb and the preposition. In this Phrasal Verb Dictionary, separable phrasal verbs are marked by placing a * between the verb and the preposition / adverb.

Example:
I talked my mother into letting me borrow the car.
She looked the phone number up.

5. Some transitive phrasal verbs are inseparable. The object is placed after the preposition. In this Phrasal Verb Dictionary, inseparable phrasal verbs are marked by placing a + after the preposition / adverb.

Example:
I ran into an old friend yesterday.
They are looking into the problem.

6. Some transitive phrasal verbs can take an object in both places. In this Phrasal Verb Dictionary, such phrasal verbs are marked with both * and + .

Example:
I looked the number up in the phone book.
I looked up the number in the phone book.

7. WARNING! Although many phrasal verbs can take an object in both places, you must put the object between the verb and the preposition if the object is a pronoun.

Example:
I looked the number up in the phone book.
I looked up the number in the phone book.
I looked it up in the phone book. correct
I looked up it in the phone book. incorrect

إقرأ المزيد

DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH

There are two ways of relating what a person has said: direct andindirect.

In direct speech we repeat the original speaker’s exact words:

e.g. He said, “I want to go home”.

Remarks are placed between inverted commas, and a comma or colon is placed immediately before the remark.

In indirect speech we give the exact meaning of a speech, without necessarily using the speaker’s exact words:

e.g. He said (that) he wanted to go home.

There is no comma after say in indirect speech; that can usually be omitted after say and tell + object.

When we turn direct speech into indirect, some changes are necessary.

After present, future and present perfect reporting verbs, tenses are usually the same as in the original:

e.g. I’ll tell her your idea is great.

       Tom says he doesn’t want to play any more.

       The government has announced that taxes will be raised.

After past reporting verbs, the verbs of the original speech are usually “backshifted” – made more past. In this case the rule of sequence of tenses is applied. The changes are shown in the following table

إقرأ المزيد

LACK OF UNDERSTANDING AND ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION

Functions
LACK OF UNDERSTANDING AND ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION
How to express lack of understanding
When you fail to understand what has been said to you you can use these expressions:


 I beg your pardon?
 I beg your pardon, but I don't quite understand.
 I'm not quite sure I know what you mean.
 I'm not quite sure I follow you.
 I don't quite see what you mean.
 I'm not sure I got your point.
 Sorry, I didn't quite hear what you said.
 Sorry, I didn't get your point.
 I don't quite see what you're getting at.



How yo ask for clarification
When you don't understand what someone has said, you can ask for clarification using the following expressions:



 What do you mean by...?
 Do you mean...?
 Could you say that again, please?
 Could you repeat please?
 Could you clarify that, please?
 Would you elaborate on that , please?
 Could you be more explicit?
 Could you explain what you mean by...?
 Could you give us an example?
 I wonder if you could say that in a different way.
 Could you put it differently, please?
 Could you be more specific, please?

إقرأ المزيد