Phrasal Verbs: Unlocking Meaning in Everyday English
What are phrasal verbs?
Phrasal verbs are verbs that consist of a verb and a particle (a preposition or adverb) or a verb and two particles (an adverb and a preposition, as in get on with or look forward to). They are identified by their grammar, but it is probably best to think of them as individual vocabulary items, to be learnt in phrases or chunks. They often - but not always - have a one-word equivalent. For example, you can come across a new phrasal verb or you can encounter it. You can pick up a language or you can acquire it. Come across and pick up sound less literary or formal than encounter or acquire.
Water and sky
|
phrasal verb |
definition of phrasal verb |
example |
|
dry up |
disappear (used about water) |
The river is in flood now - it’s hard to believe it completely dried up six months ago. |
|
freeze over |
become covered with ice |
In the far north, the sea freezes over for several months each year. |
|
go out / come in |
move further away from the beach / nearer the beach |
When the tide goes out, we can look for shellfish. But we’ll have to be careful as the tide comes in quickly here. |
|
come out |
appear in the sky (used of the sun, moon or stars) |
It is spectacular here at night when the stars come out. |
|
go in |
become hidden by a cloud |
Let’s go indoors now - the sun has gone in and it’s getting chilly. |
|
overcast |
grey, covered in cloud (used about the sky) |
1 don’t want to go to the beach today as it is so overcast. |
|
wash away |
carry away by water |
An old boat abandoned on the beach was washed away by the unusually high tide. |
|
eat away at |
gradually destroy by taking little bits at a time |
The sea is eating away at the cliff, and houses close to the edge are at risk. |