Special Introductory Verbs
| Introductory verb | Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
| agree + to-inf | "Yes, I’ll come with you." | ->Heagreed to comewith me. |
| demand | "Tell me everything!" | -> He demanded to be toldeverything. |
| offer | "Would you like me to carry it?" | -> Heoffered to carryit. |
| promise | I'll study more." | -> He promised to studymore. |
| refuse | "No, i won't come with you." | -> He refused to comewith me. |
| threaten | "Behave yourself or I'll punish you." | -> He threatened to punishme if I didn't behave myself. |
| claim | "I heard her say that." | ->He claimed to have heardher say that. |
| advise + sb + to-inf | "You should take a coat." | ->He advised me to takea coat. |
| allow | "You can use my phone." | -> He allowed me to usehis phone. |
| ask | "Please, put it away." | -> He asked me to putit away. |
| beg | "Please, please help me." | -> He begged me to helphim. |
| command | "Fire!" | -> Hecommanded the soldiers to fire. |
| encourage | "Go ahead, phone her." | -> He encouraged me to phoneher. |
| forbid | "You mustn't eat sweets." | -> Heforbade me to eatsweets. |
| instruct | "Insert your card and wait for the machine to open." | ->He instructed me to insertmy card and wait for the machine to open. |
| invite sb | "Would you like to come to my house?" | -> He invited me to goto his house. |
| order | "Sit down immediately." | -> He ordered me to sit downimmediately. |
| permit | "You may speak now." | -> He permitted me to speak. |
| remind | "Don’t forget to pay the bill." | -> Hereminded me to paythe bill. |
| urge | "Finish your work." | ->He urged me to finishmy work. |
| warn | "Don’t touch that switch." | -> Hewarned me not to touchthat switch. |
| want | "I’d like you to go out." | ->He wanted me to goout. |
| accuse sb of + -ing form | "You broke the vase." | -> Heaccused me of breakingthe vase. |
| apologise for | "I'm sorry I upset you." | ->He apologized for upsetting /having upsetme. |
| admit (to) | "Yes, I lied to her." | ->Headmitted (to) lying /having liedto her. |
| boast about | "I am better than you." | -> Heboasted about beingbetter than me. |
| complain to sb about | "You never tidy up." | -> He complained to me about mynever tidyingup. |
| deny | "No, I didn’t steal the car." | ->Hedenied stealing/having stolen the car. |
| insist on | "You must wear warm clothes." | -> Heinsisted on me/my wearingwarm clothes. |
| suggest | "Let’s go to the theatre." | -> He suggested goingto the theatre. |
| agree + that-clause | "Yes, that is a beautiful hat." | -> He agreed thatit was a beautiful hat. |
| boast | "I’m a brilliant dentist." | -> He boasted thathe was a brilliant dentist. |
| claim | "I know the answer." | ->Heclaimed that he knew the answer. |
| complain | "You never listen to me." | -> He complained that I never listened to him. |
| deny | "I’ve never spoken to her." | ->Hedenied that he had ever spoken to her. |
| exclaim | "It’s wonderful!" | -> He exclaimed thatit was wonderful. |
| explain | "It’s an easy recipe to follow." | ->Heexplained that it was an easy recipe to follow. |
| inform sb | "You will be called for an interview." | -> He informed me that I would be called for an interview. |
| promise | "I won’t lie to you again." | -> He promised thathe wouldn't lie to me again. |
| suggest | "You ought to take the other road." | ->He suggested that Itake the other road. |
| explain to sb + how | "This is how you make it." | -> Heexplained to me howto make it. |
| wonder where/what why/how + clause (when the subject of the introductory verb is not the same as the subject in the reported question) | He asked himself, "How can she reach the top?" He asked himself, "Where is Joan?" He asked himself, "Why is she crying?" He asked himself, "What is she doing?" | -> Hewondered how she could reach the top. -> He wondered whereJoan was. ->Hewondered why she was crying. -> He wondered whatshe was doing. |
| wonder + whether+ to-inf or clause wonder where/what/ how + to-inf (when the subject of the infinitive is the same as the subject of the verb) | He asked himself, "Shall I buy that car?" He asked himself, "Where am I going?" He asked himself, "What should I tell her?" He asked himself, "How can I fix it?" | -> He wondered whether to buy that car. -> He wondered whether he should buy that car. ->He wondered wherehe was going. -> He wondered whathe should tell her. -> He wondered howto fix it. |
Questions/short answers
| Subject/Object Questions | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| Who meet Sally? (not: Who did meet Sally?) | Who did Sally meet? |
| QUESTION WORDS | ||||||
| people | animals things | place | Time | quantity | manner | reason |
| What Which (of) Who Whose (possession) | What Which (of) | Where | How long How often What time When | How many How much | How | Why |
| Type 1 real present | Conditionals | |
| If + any present form Future/Imperative (Present S., Present Cont. can/may/might/must/should or Present Perfect) + bare inf/Present Simple | true or likely to happen in the present or future | |
| If you playwith matches, you will burnyourself. If you have takenthe books, you can startworking on your essay. If you seehim, tellhim to come immediately. | ||
| Type 2 unreal present | If + Past Simple would/could/might + bare or Past Continuous infinitive | untrue in the present; also used to give advice |
| If I wereyou, Iwouldn't feelsorry at all. (advice) If she was workingmore, she would bepaid more. (but she isn't working much - untrue in the present) | ||
| Type 3 unreal past | If + Past Perfect or would/could/might + have Past Perfect Continuous + past participle | imaginary situation contrary to facts in the past; also used to express regrets or criticism |
| If he had followedhis parents' advice, he wouldn't have lost allhis money. |
| Mixed Conditionals | |||
| Type 2 | lf-clause | Main clause | |
| If she was sleepingall day, (She was sleeping all day | she will feelbetter now. so she feels better now.) | Type 1 | |
| Type 2 | If I wererich, (I'm not rich If you paidmore attention, (You don't pay attention | I would have boughta new car. so I didn't buy a new car.) you wouldn't have madesuch a mess. so you made a mess.) | Type 3 |
| Type 3 | If I had been invited, (I wasn't invited | I would gotonight. so I'm not going tonight.) | Type 2 |
| Wishes Form | Use | |
| I wish (if only) (wish/regret about the present) | + Past tense | wish/regret about a present situation we want to be different |
| I wish we wereon holiday. (It's a pity we aren't.) | ||
| I wish (if only) (wish/regret about the present) | + could + bare infinitive | wish/regret in the present concerning lack of ability |
| I wish I couldspeak French. (but I can't) | ||
| I wish (if only) (regret about the past) | + Past Perfect | regret that something happened or didn't happen in the past |
| I wish you had listenedto me. (but you didn't) | ||
| I wish (if only) + subject + would + bare inf wish for a future change (Impossible wish for (a. "wish" and "would" should have unlikely to happen or wish to a future change) a different subject. We never say: express dissatisfaction; Not: I wish I would, He wishes he would etc polite request implying b. wish + inanimate subject + would dissatisfaction or lack of is used to express the speaker's hope disappointment or lack of hope | ||
| I wish he would stoplying. (But I don't think he will - wish for a future change unlikely to happen.) I wish they would takethis more seriously. (dissatisfaction) I wish it would stopsnowing.(But I'm afraid it won't stop snowing - wish implying disappointment) I wish you wouldn't throwlitter on the floor. (Please, don't throw litter on the floor - request implying lack of hope) |
| Unreal Past | |
| Past Simple | Past Perfect |
| · Conditionals Type 2 (unreal in the present) If I were you, I would leave now. · Wish (present) I wish she worked more efficiently. · I’d rather/sooner sb… (present) I’d rather you left the files here, please. · Suppose/Supposing Suppose you won the lottery, what would you buy? · As if/as though (untrue situation in the present) He acts as if he were a genius. · It’s (about/high) time… It’s about time you learnt to drive. | • Conditionals Type 3 (unreal in the past) If I had knownbefore, I wouldn't have come. • wish (past) /f only he hadn't liedto me. • I'd rather/sooner sb ... (past) I'd rather you had not spokenlike that yesterday. • Suppose/Supposing Suppose she hadn't remindedyou, would you have remembered? • as if/as though (untrue situation in the past) She looked at me as if she hadnever seenme before. |
had better = should
• I had better + present bare infinitive (present/future reference)
He had better not wait any longer. (= He should not wait any longer.)
• It would have been better if + Past Perfect (past reference).It would have been better if he had
phoned us to tell us not to wait. (= He should have phoned us to tell us not to wait.)
would rather = I'd prefer
| • when the subject of would ratheris also the subject of the following verb | I'd rather + Present bare Infinitive (present/future reference) Perfect bare infinitive (past reference) I'd rather stay intonight. I'd rather nothave takenthe bus, but Ihad nochoice. |
| • when the subject of would ratheris different from the subject of the following verb | I'd rather sb + Past Simple (present/future reference) Past Perfect (past reference) I'd rather you didn'tshout so much. I'd rather you had comewith me yesterday. |
| •prefer + gerund/noun + to + gerund/noun(general). I prefer watching TV to readingbooks. • prefer + full infinitive + rather than + bare infinitive(general preference) I prefer to eatwhat I want rather than countcalories. •would prefer + full infinitive + rather than + bare infinitive(specific preference) I'd prefer to play football rather than watchit. •would rather + bare infinitive + than + bare infinitive. I'd rather ski than skate. |
Adjectives and adverbs
Order of Adjectives
| Opinion adjectives | Fact Adjectives | noun | |||||||
| size | age | shape | colour | origin | material | Used for/be about | |||
| It’s a | lovely | small | old | square | brown | Chinese | wooden | writing | table |
Order of Adverbs
| subject + verb | Place | manner | time |
| She goes | to the gym | on foot | every day. |
| subject + verb | Manner | place | time |
| He was working | Quietly | in the shed | all day. |
| Adverbs with two forms and differences in meaning | |
| deep = a long way down deeply = greatly direct = by the shortest route directly = immediately easy = gently and slowly easily = without difficulty free = without cost freely = willingly full = exactly; very fully = completely hard = intently; with effort hardly = scarcely high = at/to a high level highly = after all others lastly = finally | late= not early lately = recently near = close nearly = almost pretty = fairy prettily = in a pretty way short = suddenly shortly = soon sure = certainly surely = without a doubt wide = off-target widely = to a large extent wrong = incorrectly wrongly = unjustly (wrongly goes before verbs/past part. – wrong/wrongly go after verbs) |
Types of Comparisons
| · as ... (positive degree)... as not so/as ... (positive degree)... as such a(n)/so ...as · twice/three times etc/half as ... (positive degree)... as · the same as · look, sound, smell, taste + like · less ... (positive degree)... than the least ... (positive degree)... of/in · the + comparative ..., the + comparative · comparative + and + comparative · prefer + -ing form/noun + to + -ing form/noun(general preference) · would prefer + to-inf + rather than + inf without to(specific preference) · would rather/sooner + inf without to + than + inf without to clause + whereas/while + clause (comparison by contrast) | He is ashandsome aseveryone says he is! She isn’t astall asher sister.Mrs Jones is not sofriendly asshe looks. She puts four times asmuch sugar in her tea asme. If he was half aslucky asyou, he’d be extremely rich. He has the sameviews ashis father. That dress looks likean old sack. This chocolate has lessfat thanthat one but the Swiss chocolate has the leastfat ofall. The easier the exam, the higheryour marks will be. The more people who use buses, the betterit is for the environment. It’s getting colder and colderevery day. I prefer eating healthily toeating junk food. Men usually preferbeer tomilk. I wouldprefer to go swimming rather thanwatch television all day. I’d rather walk thandrive. This book says the battle was in 1066, whereasthat book says it was in 1166. |
Irregular Forms
| Adverbs | Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
| adverbs having the same forms as their adjectives add -er/-est | slow | slower | the slowest |
| early drops -y and adds -ier/-iest | early | earlier | the earliest |
| two syllable or compound adverbs take more/most(Compound adverbs are adjectives + -ly. useful - usefully) | often comfortably | moreoften morecomfortably | the most often the mostcomfortably |
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative | a) further/farther (adv) =longer (in distance)His office is further/fartheraway than mine.further (adj) = more I need furtherinformation on this b) very + positive degree I'm very happy in my job. c) even/much/far/a bit + comparative degree The working conditions were even worse than we expected. d) most + adj/adv of positive degree = veryShe was waiting most patientlyto see the doctor e)any + comparative (used in negatives and questions)Can't you drive anyfaster? |
| good/well bad/badly much many/a lot of little far far | better worse more more less farther further | best worst most most least farthest furthest | |
| Wellis the adverb of good. He is a good cook. He cooks well. |
Prepositions
Phrasal Words
be about to= (int) be on the point of He was about toleave when the phone rang.
be after= (tr) chase The police were afterthe thief.
be down with= (tr) be ill with;
go down withJohn is down with the flu.
be for= (tr) be in favour of (opp: be against)They are (all) forthe proposal to build a leisure centre.
be in for= (tr) expect sth usual bad We are in for bad weather.
be off= (tr) be absent from school/work John isn't in his office. He's offfor two days.
be on= (tr) be shown on TV, at the cinema/ theatre etc There's a good film onat the Metro.
be out= 1) (int) be unfashionable Long skirts areout this season. 2) (int) (of light/fire) have stopped burning. The fire is out - that's why it's cold in here.
be over= (int) have come to an end The film starts at 8,00 and will be overat 10.00.
be through with= (int) have ended a relationship/ job etc I'm through with Tom; he's so selfish.
be up to= 1) (tr) be capable of Let's take the train I don’t think I’m up todriving so far. 2) (tr) feel like doing sth usu sth wrong The children must beup tosomething - they're very quiet.
breakdown= 1) (int) (of machinery) stop working The car broke downso we missed the ferry.2)(int) (of a person) lose control of feelings. She broke downwhen she was told her father was 3)(int) fail (talks/negotiations etc) Negotiations broke downand war was declared. 4) (tr) separate under headings He broke the list downinto categories.
break in= (int) enter by force or illegally Burglars broke in and stole my jewellery.
break into= 1) (tr) enter by force He broke into the villa and stole some money. 2) (tr) interrupt He broke into their conversation to ask something.
break off= (tr) end a relationship/agreement Sue broke offher relationship with Jim.
break out= (int) begin suddenly (war etc) War broke outbetween the two countries
break through= (int) advance (in spite of opposition) The soldiers broke throughthe enemy lines
break to= (tr) tell (usu bad news) to sb in a kind way He had to breakthe bad news toJohn.
break up= 1) (int) stop for holidays (school etc) Schools break up on the 23rd for Christmas. 2) (int) end a relationship Sue and Paul are no longer together; they brokeup last week.
bring about = (tr) cause to happen The end of the war brought aboutgreat changes
bring back =(tr) cause to recall This smell bringsback childhood memories.
bring down= (tr) cause to fall me measures brought down the government.
bring forward= (tr) move sth to an earlier date or time The exam date was brought forwardby a
bring in= (tr) create profit/money His plan brought in lots of money. bring on= (tr) cause, usu sth unpleasant The damp weather brought on his cold,
bring out= (tr) put on the market The new shampoo will be brought out next March.
bring round= 1) (tr) cause to regain conscious-ness; bring toThey poured cold water on his face to bring him round. 2) (tr) persuade; bring over(to) He tried to bring,him round to his point of view.
bring up= 1) (tr) raise a child She was broughtup by her grandmother as her parents were abroad. 2) (tr) mention/introduce a subject You shouldn't have broughtthat matter up in front of everyone.
call for= (tr) need The situation calls forimmediate action.
call in= (int) visit briefly She called inlast Monday to see our new house.
call off= (tr) cancel The match was called offdue to bad weather.
call on sb= (tr) visit formally Our representative will call on your company next Tuesday. call out = (tr) order to come to sb's help All firefighters were called out to save the burning building.
call up= (tr) order to join the army Thousands of young men were called up during World War I.
be carried away= be very excited They wereall carried away by his performance
carry off= (tr) handle a difficult situation successfully She carried her speech offwell.
carry on (with)= (tr) continue with Carry on with
Your work while I am out
carry out= (tr) conduct an experiment They car-ried out some tests to see the effects of the new drug.
carry through= complete successfully / don't think anyone but Matt can carry this project through.
come across= (tr) find/meet by chance / came across this ring in an antique shop.
come by= (tr) obtain Everybody wonders how he came by so much money.
come down to= (int) be passed on to sb by inheritance This house came down to me after my aunt died.
come down with =(tr) become ill; go down withI'm sure I'm coming down with the flu.come into= (tr) inherit He came into a large sum of money after his grandfather died. come off= (int) succeed Despite all his planning the deal didn't come off.
come out= 1) (int) (of flowers) begin to blossom Roses come out in summer. 2) (int) be published When does her new book come out?
3) (int) (of stains) be able to be removed This wine stain will come out if you let it soak in warm water.
come round= 1) (int) visit casually Come round any time for coffee.
2) (int) recover consciousness To the doctors’ sur-prise the patient came round quickly.
come to= (tr) amount to a total The bill came to £50
come up= 1) (int) be mentioned Your name came up in the conversation.
2) (tr) arise; occur Such an opportunity comes up once in a lifetime,
come up to= 1) (tr) approach A strange man came up to me and asked me for money. 2) (tr) equal; be up to (expectations) He failed to come up to his parents' expectations.
come up with= (tr) find (an answer, solution etc) He came up with a brilliant plan to save the company.
cut across= (tr) take a shorter way Cut across this field if you're in a hurry.
cut back (on)= (tr) reduce (expenses, production); cut down onWe must cut back on eating out: we just can't afford it
cut in= 1) (int) move suddenly in front of another car A car cut in and forced us to slow down. 2) (int) interrupt Would you mind not cutting in until I've finished speaking?
cut into= (tr) interrupt The children kept cutting into our conversation.
cut off= 1) (tr) disconnect Our electricity was cut off as we didn't pay the bill on time. 2) (tr) isolate (usu places) The flood cut offthe village for a week.
cut out= (tr) omit Your article is fine provided you cut out the third paragraph. be cut out for/to be= be suited for (a profession)
I don’t think I’m cut out for teaching /to be a teacher - I haven’t got enough patience.
cut up= (tr) cut into small pieces Cut up the meat for Johnny - otherwise he won't be able to eat it.
do away with= (tr) abolish Most countries have done away with capital punishment.
do down= (tr) speak badly of sb Nobody likes him because he is always doing people down.
do in= (tr) kill He threatened to do her in if she didn't cooperate
do up= (tr) fasten; tie Do up your jacket; it's cold.
do with= (tr) want / could do with a cup of tea.
do without= (tr) live or continue without having sth/sb There’s no Coke left - we'll have to do without.
draw back= 1) (tr) be unwilling to fulfil a promise; pull backAlthough he had promised to help us, he drew back at the last minute. 2) (int) move away On seeing the snake she drew back in terror.
draw in= (int) (of a bus/train) arrive at a station; pull inThe train drew in and the passengers began to get off.
draw out= 1) (tr) encourage sb to be less shy He's very shy; someone should draw him out. 2) (tr) take money out of a bank account He drew out some money to pay his rent.
draw up= 1) (of a vehicle) stop The limo drew up outside the mansion and the millionaire got out. 2) (tr) write out (will, list, contract etc) My grandfather had a solicitor draw up his will last year.
fall apart= (int) come to pieces This book is so old that it's falling apart.
fall back on= turn to sb/sth for help when other plans have failed Keep some money in the bank to fall back on in case something goes wrong.
fall behind= (int) fail to keep up with The compa-ny cancelled my credit card when I fell behindwith my payments.
fall for= 1) (tr) fall in love with sb George fell for Mary at first sight. 2) (tr) be deceived Everybody fell forthe conman's
fall in= (int) collapse I'm afraid the roof will fall inif an earthquake hits the area. fall in with= (tr) agree with All members of the committee fell in withhis suggestion to build a new hospital.
fall into= (tr) 1) bidivided into (categories) This novel falls intothe category of historical adven-ture. 2) (tr) begin; enter a state / fell intoconversation with an interesting man on the train.
fall on= 1) (tr) attack The raider fell on the policeman. 2) (tr) eat hungrily The children fell onthe cake and ate all of it.
fall out (with)= quarrel She fell out withPeter because he came home late. fall through= (int) fail to be completed Our plans fell throughdue to lack of money,
get across= (tr) successfully communicate ideas The teacher gothis message across by using dia-grams and photographs.
get along= (int) continue despite difficulties She is getting alongfine despite all her problems.
get along with= (tr) be on friendly terms;
get on withThey get along witheach other despite their differences.
get at= (int) mean / don’t know what you’re getting
get away with= (tr) escape punishment for a wrongful, illegal act He got away with a fine of only $5.
get back= (tr) recover possession of She managed to get backthe ring she hadlost two months before.
get down= 1) (tr) swallow with difficulty I can't getthis steak down.It's very tough. 2) (tr) depress This rainy weather getsme down. get down to= (tr) start doing sth seriously It's time you got down tolooking for a better job.
get on= 1) (tr) enter (bus, train etc) Get on the bus before it starts. 2) (int) make progress He's getting on well at school.
get on with= (tr) be on good terms with She getson well with her friend Lucy.
get out= (int) (of news) become known How did the news of his promotion getout?
get over= (tr) recover from He's trying hard to getover the death of his wife.
get round= (tr) persuade; bring roundWe eventually gothim roundto our point of view.
get round to(tr) = find time to do sth I haven't gotround towriting that letter yet get through= 1) (tr) finish (a piece of work) I've got to get throughthis chapter before I go out 2) (int) go on living through difficult times How can old people get throughthe cold winters?
get through to= (tr) reach by phone Did you get throughto your dentist or will you call him later? getup = (int) rise from bed What time did you getup today?
Give away= 1) (tr) reveal Promise not to give away my secret
2) (tr) give sth free of charge She gave awaymost of her clothes to the poor.
give back= (tr) return Give me hackthe money or I'll sue you.
give in = (int) surrender; yield He finally gaveIn and admitted he was wrong.
give off= (tr) emit (smells, heat, fumes etc) The radiators give offlots of heat
give out= 1) (int) come to an end Their supplies gave out halfway through the climb. 2) (tr) distribute They were giving outfree samples of the new shampoo at the supermarket.
give up = 1) (tr) abandon an attempt/habit He gave up smoking last year and hasn't smoked since. 2) (tr) surrender The thieves gavethemselves up to the police.
go after= (tr) pursue Tne policeman went after the thief and caught him.
go ahead= (int) be allowed to happen Although several members were absent, the board meeting went ahead as planned.
go away= (int) stop; cease If you take an aspirin, your headache will go away.
go back on= (tr) break a promise/agreement. Although he had promised to help us, he wentback on his word.
go by= (tr) base one's ideas on You shouldn't go, by what he says - he always exaggerates.
go down with= (tr) become ill John has gone down with the flu.
go for= 1) (tr) attack A big Alsatian wentfor my little dog. 2) (tr) apply for (a job) Why don’t you go forthis marketing job? You may get it.
go in for= (tr) take part in (a competition) She went in for the baking competition and won first prize
go off = 1) (int) explode (bomb) The bomb went off, killing 10 people. 2) ring (alarm) When the alarm went off she woke up and got out of bed. 3) (int) (of food) spoil The milk has gone off; it smells terrible.
go on = 1) (int) continue; carry on Go on, finish what you were saying.
2) (int) happen A large crowd gathered to see what was going on.
go out = (int) stop burning Put some coal on the fire before it goes out. go over = 1) (tr) examine details; go through The police went over/through the evidence many times trying to come up with something. 2) (tr) repeat Go over the details again please. I wasn't following you.
go round = 1) (int) be enough for everyone to have a share There's enough food togo round. 2) (int) (news/disease) spread; iirculate; get round The news went round very quickly.
go through = 1) (tr) experience She went through a painful time when her mother died.2) (int) (of a deal/arrangement) be completed with success Has the sale of your flat gone through yet?3) (tr) discuss in detail They went through his suggestions again before making a decision.
go up = (int) rise (price) The price of cigarettes went up again yesterday.
go with = (tr) match This jumper really goes with your skirt.
go without = (tr) endure the lack of sth; do without Since they had run out of lemonade, they had to go without.
hold back = 1) (tr) control (tears, laughter) She tried to hold hack her tears and not cry in front of her mum. 2) (int) hesitate Don't hold back; take the opportunity while it's there.
hold in = (tr) restrain He held his anger in and didn't shout at the boy. hold off = (int) keep at a distance The police held off the crowd until the troops arrived.
hold on = (int) wait (esp on the phone) Please hold on; Mr Mathews is on the other line.
hold out = 1) (int) last The food supplies won't hold out until Monday so we'll have to find some food before then. 2) (int) persist The minersheld out for 18 months before they called off the strike.
hold to = (tr) follow exactly; keep to (a promise etc) Whatever you say, I'll hold to my opinion.
hold up = 1) (tr) delay Sorry we're late; we were held up in traffic.
2) (tr) use violence in order to rob The robbers held up the train and stole £22,000.
keep after = (tr) continue to pursue The police kept after the escaped prisoners until they caught them.
keep away (from) = (tr) stay away Sne had to be kept away from school as she had measles.
keep back = (tr) conceal How did she manage to keep back her true feelings?
keep down = (tr)cause to remain at a lower level The government is trying to keep pricesdown.
keep in= (tr) make sb stay indoors (as punishment) benches. The paint is wet.
keep on= (int) continue despite difficulties Although he failed his test, he kept onstudying and retook it in May.
keep out = (tr) exclude sb/sth He looked the gate to keep out unwanted visitor.
keep up (with) = (tr) stay at the same level as ' sb/sth Despite being ill he kept up with his work and passed the exam.
keep up with = (tr) continue to be informed He reads a newspaper every day tokeep upwith the news.
let down = 1) (tr) (of clothes) lengthen (opp: take up) I need to let down my skirt; it's too short. 2) (tr) disappoint He let me down by lying to me. let in(to) = allow sb to enter a place They let us into the room after we showed them our invitation card.
let off =(tr) not to punish The policeman let him off without arresting him.
let on= (int) reveal a secret He let on that she had stolen the money.
let out = 1) (tr) release He was let out of prison after 10 years. 2) (tr) (of clothes) make larger (opp: take in) I have to have my trousers let out; I've gained several kilos.
let up = (int) become less strong The boats won't sail until the strong winds let up.
look after = (tr) take care of My mother looks after my son when I'm working.
look back (on) = (tr) consider the past My grandfather looks back on his army days with pleasure.
look down on= (tr) despise (opp: look up to)She looks down on John because he isn't rich.
look forward to= (tr) anticipate with pleasure I'm really looking forward to my brother's wedding.
look in on sb= (tr) pay a short visit to /'// look in on my mother on my way home.
look into= (tr) investigate The police are looking into the case of the muggled diamonds.
look on= (int)observe' He was just looking on while the other two were playing.
look out= (int) be careful Look out! There's a car coming.
look out for= (tr) be alert in order to see/find sb/ sth When you're cleaning the flat, please look out for my silver earring. I lost it somewhere.
look over= (tr) examine carefully; go throughThe judge looked over the evidence before pass-ing judgement.
look round= (tr) inspect a place He looked round many houses before he settled on this one.
look through= (tr) look at quickly Look through these books and see if you want any of them.
look up= (tr) look for sth in an appropriate book/list Get the telephone directory and look up the number of the shop.
be made for = suit exactly Buy this dress - it's simply made for you. make for= (tr) go towards It's late. Let's make for home as quickly as possible.
make out= 1) (tr) distinguish / car't make out what the name on the bell is. 2) (tr) write out; fill in Please make the cheque out to Norman Brothers Ltd.
make over= (tr) give possession of sth to sb else Before their uncle died he made over his whole estate to them. make up = 1) (tr) invent That is not true; she made the whole thing up. 2) (tr) put cosmetics on She made herself up before she went out. 3) (int) reconcile Thank goodness they've made up after their quarrel.
make up for= compensate The good summer weather is making up for the bad winter.
make up one's mind=decide She can't make up her mind whether to go to Turkey or India.
pass away = (int) die I'm sorry to tell you your aunt passed away last night.
pass off as= (tr) pretend to be sth/sb else successfully She passed herself off as a police officer in order to get into the building.
pass out= (int) lose consciousness He passed out from the fumes, and it took them some time to bring him round.
pay back= 1) (tr) return money owed I promise I’ll pay you back as soon as I get paid. 2) (tr) take revenge on sb / promise I'll pay you back one day for what you did to my family.
pay down= (tr) pay part of the price for sth and the rest over a period of time We paid £100 down and the balance over a period 6 months.
pay for= (tr) receive punishment All criminals should pay for their crimes.
pay off= (tr) pay sb to leave employment They paid off all their senior management in an attempt to restructure the company. payup= (tr) pay (a debt) in full As I hadn’t paid my monthly instalments the company requested me to pay up the balance.
pull down= (tr) demolish They pulled down the old building as it was dangerous.
pull in=(inf) (of trains) arrive (opp: pull out)The train from Dublin is due to pull in at 5.30 pm.
pull oneself together =bring ones feelings under control Although she was tired, she pulled herself together and continued working.
pull through= (int) succeed despite difficulties ft all employees work harder, the company will definitely pull through.
pull up = stop The jockey pulled the horse up as it had an injured leg.
put aside/by= (tr) save He puts aside £50 amonth for his summer holidays
put across= (tr) communicate successfully; getacross/over The lecturer managed to put his ideas across to the audience. put away= 1) (tr) store Put the toys away in the cupboard. We’re expecting guests tonight. 2) (tr) put sb into prison/mental hospital The murderer was put away for 10 years.
put down= 1) (tr) write down; take downMake sure you take down everything said at the meeting. 2) (tr) suppress focibly The police try to put down riotin at football matches.
put down to= (tr) attribute to She puts her recent success down to hard work and dedication.
put forward= (tr) propose He put forward a new plan to help decrease unemployment.
put off= (tr) postpone The meeting was put offdue to the president's illness.
put on= 1) (tr) dress oneself in Put onyour coat and come with me. 2) (tr) increase (in weight) He has put on weight since he stopped smoking. 3) (tr) cause to take place (show/performance) They are putting on “My Fair Lady” on Broadway next month.
put out= (tr) extinguish (fire etc) The firefighters put out the fire quickly.2) cause trouble / hope I'm not putting you out by asking you to do this.
be put out= be annoyed She was put outby his bad behaviour.
put through= (tr) connect by phone Can you put me through to Mr Jones, please?
put up= 1) (tr) erect; build They’ve put up a statue in the square. 2) (tr) offer hospitality When you are in town, I'll put you up in my flat. 3) (tr) show in a public place The WWF has put up posters all round the city.
put up with= (tr) tolerate / won't put up with such rude behaviour any longer.
run across/into= (tr) meet/find by chance She ran across an old friend while on holiday. run after = (tr) chase The dog ran after the cat.
run away with= (tr) steal The thieves ran away with £ 15,000,000 from the bank.
run down= 1) (tr) knock down (with a vehicle); run over The old man was run down/over by a bus. 2) (tr) speak badly of sb You shouldn't rundown your sister; you've got no reason to criticise her.
runin = (tr) bring a new car engine into full use (by driving it slowly for a set period) I can’t go any faster; I’m running the car in.
run off= (tr) make prints/copies Can you please run off 100 copies for me?
run out of= (tr) no longer have a supply We’ve run out of coffee. Could you buy some when you 90 out?
run through = 1) (tr) use up It's unbelievable; he has run through all his money already. 2) (tr) rehearse, check or revise quickly Let's run through the last scene once more.
run up= (tr) accumulate He ran upa huge debt on his credit card which he couldn't pay off.
run up against= (tr) encounter (difficulties/opposition) He ran up against difficulties when he tried to enter the country without a visa.
see about= (tr) deal with; see to/ see about the food if you get the table ready.
see off= (tr) accompany a traveller to his/her plane, train etc When she left for Berlin her parents saw her off at the station.
see out= (tr) accompany sb to the door/exit of a house/building Don't bother to see me out, I can find my own way.
see over= (tr) inspect a place; look roundCan I see over the flat before I make my decision?
see through= (tr) not be deceived He was such a poor liar that they saw through him at once.
set about= (tr) begin to do He set aboutfixing the door while she cleaned the house.
set aside = (tr)save for a special purpose She sets aside£20 a week to buy a car. 2) (tr) stop sfh tor some time; set byShe had to set the report aside until she had dealt with the correspondence.
set back= 1) move the hands of a clock /watch to show an earlier time We usually setthe clocks back one hour at the beginning of autumn. 2) (tr). hinder The fire has setour plans back.
set in= (int) (of weather) start and seem likely to continue The rain seems to have set in.
set off/out= (int) start a journey We'll set off/outfor the airport at 6 am. set on= (tr) (cause to) attack He threatened to setthe dogs on us if we didn't leave.
set sb up= (tr) cause sb to receive blame Although he knew someone had set him up, he couldn't prove it.
set to= (int) begin working hard Get the duster and set to; there's lots of work to do before our visitors arrive.
set up= 1) (tr) start a business He left his job to set up his own business 2) (tr) establish (a record etc) He set upa new record time for the men's championship.
stand by= 1) (tr) support sb, esp in difficulties / stand by you, whatever happens. 2) (int) be ready for action The army was standingby in case war broke out.
stand for= 1) (tr) represent Do you know what UFO stands for? 2) (tr) tolerate; put up withWe won’t stand forhis , rude behaviour any longer. stand in for= (tr) replace sb temporarily Since John is ill I’ll stand in for him tonight at work.
stand out= (int) be noticeable She really standsout wearing that pink suit.
stand up= 1) (int) rise to one's feet Stand up and come over here. 2) (tr) fail to meet We were supposed to meet at 11.00 but he stoodme up.
stand up for= (tr) support You ought to stand upfor your friends when people criticise them.
stand up to= (tr) resist The building has been reinforced to stand up toearthquakes.
take after= (tr) resemble She takes afterher mother. She looks and acts just like her.
take away= (tr) remove May I take awaythe dirty dishes now?
take back= (tr) apologise He took backhis remarks about her cooking because she was obviously upset.
take for= (tr) identify wrongly Sorry, I tookyou foryour brother. I always mix you up.
take in= 1) (tr) give accommodation Seaside villagers often take intourists as paying guests. 2) (tr) make clothes narrower (opp: let out)Now that I've lost weight I should takemy clothes in. 3) (tr)fully understand Did you take inwhat I said or should I repeat it?
take off= 1) (tr) remove clothes (opp: put on) Take off this dirty dress and I'll wash it for you. 2) (int) (of planes) leave the ground (opp: come down)We saw the plane take offand disappear
into the clouds. 3) (tr) imitate He's good at taking offfamous people. 4) (tr) (of time) take time as a holiday He took three days offwork to go and see his parents.
take on= 1) (tr) undertake work/responsibility He took onan extra class as the previous teacher had quit. 2) (tr) employ They decided to take ontwo extra assistants during the Christmas rush.
take out= 1) (tr) remove The dentist took outmy bad tooth. 2) (tr) clean (mark, dirt) Use this spray to take outthe stain.
take over= (tr) gain control of sth She’ll take overthe company when her father retires.
take to= 1) (tr) begin a habit I don’t know why she’s taken tobiting her nails. 2) (tr) like She has really taken toher nephew and always buys him expensive presents.
take up= 1) (tr) begin a hobby, sport, job When he retired, he took upsailing as a hobby. 2) (tr) fill (time, space) This sofa takes upmost of the living room.
be taken aback= be strongly surprised We were taken abackwhen they said they were getting married. No one expected it.
be taken in= (tr) be deceived She was taken in by the conman and bought a fake insurance policy.
turn away= (tr) refuse admittance They tried to enter the pub but they were turned awayat the door.
turn down= 1) (tr) refuse an offer He proposed to her but she turnedhim down.2) (tr) reduce loudness (opp: turn up)Could you turndown the radio a little? I can't hear him on the phone.
turn in= 1)(int) go to bed Its late and I’m tired. I’d better turn in.2) (tr) give to the police They turnedthe fugitive into the police.
turn off= (tr) switch off (opp: turn on) Turn off the oven before you leave.
turn out= 1) (tr) produce Our factory turns out100 cars a day. 2) (int) prove to be He turned outto be the onewho had stolen the money.
turn over= (int) turn to a new page; change the TV channel Now children, turn overto the next page.
turn to= 1) (tr) go to sb for help/advice When I’m in trouble I always turn tomy brother. 2) (tr) begin (a way of life or doing sth) Why did he turn to drinking in the first place?
turn up= 1) (int) arrive or appear (unexpectedly) He finally turned upat the meeting an hour late. 2) (int) (of an opportunity) arise When a better job turned upshe seized the chance and applied for it.
wear away= (tr) (of wood/stone) reduce gradually We couldn't make out the names on the gravestone because the letters had been completely worn away.
wear down= (tr) reduce opposition gradually A few weeks in solitary confinement will wear downthe prisoner's resistance.
wear off= (int) stop gradually Your nervousness will wear offwhen the exams are over. wear out= 1) (tr) exhaust I’ve worked so hard today, I’m worn out. 2) (int) use until no longer serviceable We’ll have to replace this plug - it is completely worn out.
work on= (tr) have an effect on We have to check this new drug to see how it works onanimals. work out= 1) (tr) find a solution to a problem by reasoning or calculation I'm sure we can work out,our problems if we talk about them. 2) (int) develop successfully I hope things will work outwell for you in your new job.
work up= (tr) develop I’ve been walking all day so I’ve worked upa really good appetite.