Hi
Here's an interesting article about phrasal verbs. Although used more in conversation, native speakers still sprinkle their business writing with them. So it's a good idea to become familiar with the more common ones.
What are phrasal verbs?
A phrasal verb is a verb + a preposition or adverb resulting in a new verb with a different meaning.
The meaning of the combination cannot usually be guessed from its separate parts, although this becomes clearer when you become familiar with how prepositions work.
Why do I have to learn them?
Because they are used all the time in everyday English and you need to know them in order to understand and speak natural English.
Phrasal verbs consist of a verb and another word or phrase, usually a preposition. The resulting combination creates what amounts to a new verb, whose meaning can sometimes be puzzling to non-native speakers. Phrasal verbs often arise from casual uses of the language and eventually work themselves into the mainstream of language use.
The problem with phrasal verbs is that their meaning is often, at first, obscure, and they often mean several different things.
So, some phrasal verbs will have a
literal meaning as well as an
idiomatic meaning.
To look over, for instance can mean to see over something, a wall, for example; it can also mean to peruse or examine.
If someone chooses to turn up the street that is a combination of a verb and a preposition, but it is not a phrasal verb. It is a colloquial expression which means that you are turning into a road when driving.
On the other hand, if your neighbours unexpectedly turn up (appear) at a party or your brother turns up his radio, those are phrasal verbs. To come out, we are told, has eighteen different meanings.
Phrasal Verbs are often used in business writing. They are used to express the combination of two ideas, usually involving an
action, and a
location, or a
direction. Here are some examples of phrasal verbs which you are probably familiar with.
| account for - to explain and record a money deal |
| bring in - to earn (interest) |
| fall behind - to be late in doing something |
| mark up - to make cost go up quickly |
| run up - to increase |
| trade in - to give in an old item as part of the payment for a new one |
| write down - to note an asset at a lower value than previously |
| work out – to calculate |
| cut back - to reduce or make smaller |
| water down – to weaken or make less strong |
Here are a few examples of the use of phrasal verbs in an economic context.
- The report’s findings were watered down to avoid bad publicity.
- Officials from the Inland Revenue were unable to account for the drop in contributions.
- As a result of the economic crisis, many South East Asian nations have fallen behind with their debt repayments.
- A company director was arrested for attempting to write down the value of his company’s assets.
More posts coming soon!
Dr English
Workplace English Training E-Platform
