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Fun with Phrasal Verbs

Fun with Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verbs are FuN

Run out of

to have no more of something

This morning, I wanted some toast but I’d run out of bread. So, I rushed out of the house and got into the car. I turned the key but the car didn’t start -I’d run out of petrol! I ran down the road to the shop but they’d run out of sliced bread. I decided to buy some rolls instead. Then I realised I’d run out of . I’m always doing and the shopkeeper has run out of patience with me. I came home, looked at the clock and saw that I’d run out of time for breakfast.

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You can run out of food, most substances and materials, time, money, patience and luck. What have you ever run out of?

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Put off	postpone doing something
It’s my own fault - I’m always putting things off. I don’t like shopping so I put off going to the shops. I hate filling up the car with petrol so I put off going to the petrol station. I hate queuing so I put off going to the bank and now I’ve got toothache because I’ve been putting off going to the dentist for weeks.

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You can put off doing most things - although it’s not a good habit! What things do you put off?

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Get back	to return
Although, I have got an excuse; I only got back last night. I’d been away on holiday and the flight got back late and it was even later by the time I got back to the house. I can tell you, I wasn’t exactly looking forward to getting back to work.

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You get back to a place or activity.

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Hold up	delay
The problem is that there was a hold up with my flight coming back. First of all, we were held up at the airport because of a storm and no flights could take off. Then we were held up waiting for other flights to take off. Finally, we were held up at the airport when we got back because the baggage carousel was broken. It was just one hold up after another.

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As you can see, hold up also exists as a noun. Apart from the meaning of delay, it can also mean stopped by a robber Joke: a man goes to town and comes back two hours later. When he returns his wife says, ‘You’ve been a long time.’‘Yes sorry,’ he says, ‘I was held up at the bank!’

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Break dowwn	(of a machine or vehicle) to stop working because of a fault
Oh, I nearly forgot, on the way home the taxi broke down. Can you believe my luck? Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait too long for the breakdown recovery vehicle to arrive but I was still worried; I don’t have any luck with mechanical things. Before I went on holiday my car, my computer and my printer all broke down.

Other usages for "break down:
- To divide something such as a total amount into separate parts.
- If a relationship or discussion breaks down, it stops being successful.
- To start crying, especially in public.

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Has anything broken down on you lately?

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Give in	to stop fighting, admit defeat
I used to get annoyed about it but now I just give in. With technology, I can’t win so I might as well give in. It’s like when Terry asks me stupid questions, like what’s the capital of Guatemala? ‘I don’t know, ‘I say, ‘I give in.’

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Do you give in or fight back?

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Show off	to boast and display
Oh well, I don’t care. I can’t wait to get back to work and show off my tan and the photos of the beautiful beach. There’s even a picture of me standing next to a Ferrari. I pretended it was mine - just to show off!

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You can also be a show off. What do you show off about? Nothing? I believe you!

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Now test your knowldege on what we discussed

Word Bank
(held up , give in , runs out , Show off , gets back , puts off , broke down)

Alan of bread because he going to the shops. He hadn’t been shopping because he late. The flight was late because it was . He was also late because his taxi . He doesn’t have much luck with technology so he finds it’s easier just to . Anyway, he doesn’t care because he can his tan.