Phrasal Verbs and Idioms
ICSE Class 7 · English · Chapter 8
What this chapter covers
- Phrasal verbs: what they are
- Common phrasal verbs
- Idioms in context
- Words followed by appropriate prepositions
- Words often confused
Key points
- A phrasal verb is a verb plus one or two particles that act together as one verb with a new meaning.
- The same words can be literal in one sentence and a phrasal verb in another; the context decides.
- With a separable phrasal verb, a pronoun object goes between the verb and the particle: "turn it off".
- Inseparable and three-part phrasal verbs keep their parts together: "look after her", "put up with it".
- One phrasal verb can have several meanings, such as pick up; read the whole sentence.
- Phrasal verbs are informal; a formal letter or report often uses a one-word verb instead.
- An idiom is a fixed group of words whose meaning differs from the meanings of its words.
- Do not change the words of an idiom; change only its tense or possessive to fit the sentence.
- Use idioms in stories, diaries and friendly letters, and avoid them in formal writing.
- Many adjectives, verbs and nouns take a fixed dependent preposition: afraid of, depend on, reason for.
- Discuss, enter, reach and request take their object directly, with no preposition.
- A preposition is followed by a noun, a pronoun or an -ing form: "look forward to meeting".
- Words often confused, such as accept/except, advice/advise and stationary/stationery, are told apart by meaning.
- An apostrophe in it's, they're and you're marks missing letters; possessives its, their, your have none.
Questions answered
What is a phrasal verb? Give one example in a sentence.
A phrasal verb is a verb followed by one or two particles that together act as a single verb with its own meaning. Example: "The meeting was called off because of the strike."
In which sentence is looked up a phrasal verb? (a) Mohit looked up at the stars. (b) Mohit looked up the train timings online.
(b). In (a) Mohit simply raised his eyes, so the meaning is literal. In (b) looked up means "searched for information".
Correct the error: "The radio was too loud, so I turned down it."
"I turned it down." Turn down is separable, so a pronoun object goes between the verb and the particle.
Give the meaning of each phrasal verb: (a) take after (b) put up with (c) come across (d) break out.
(a) resemble an older relative; (b) tolerate; (c) find by chance; (d) start suddenly, as a fire or a disease does.
Rewrite in a more formal style: "The school has put off the sports day and will look into the problem."
"The school has postponed the sports day and will investigate the problem."
Explain the idiom in this sentence: "Leela let the cat out of the bag about her sister's engagement."
Leela revealed a secret by mistake. The idiom has nothing to do with a real cat or bag.
Why is "It was a slice of cake" wrong as an idiom?
Idioms are fixed groups of words. The idiom is "a piece of cake", meaning very easy, and replacing piece with slice destroys the idiom.
Fill in the blanks with the correct prepositions: (a) She is fond ______ music. (b) The answer ______ this sum is 42. (c) The principal agreed ______ our request for an extra games period.
(a) of; (b) to; (c) to, because agree to means "say yes to" a request or proposal; agree with is used for a person or an opinion.