English in New York City

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

English teacher On-demand

EnglishLanguage Institute (ELI)

Collegeof Staten Island/CUNY

Teacher, I have a question!

This week, our ELI teacher, Mr. Drew Bostinto, gives us good examples of common phrasal verbs.

Examples:

· The teacher handed the tests out to the class. (distribute)

· It’s really cold outside, so put on your coat. (dress yourself)

Phrasal Verbs - Definition

Phrasal verbs are special verbs that have two parts: a verb + a particle. The combination of the verb and particle creates a new meaning.

EXAMPLES	EXPLANATIONS
a) Actors act. (to perform, to function in a particular way) He has acted in many Broadway shows during his career. b) Children often act up when there aren’t any adults around (to misbehave) c) My car has been acting up lately. It’s time to bring it to the Totoya dealer. (to not work properly)	· The verb + particle have a specific meaning when combined (as in b and c). This new meaning can be different from the meaning of the verb (as in a) or the meaning of the particle.
d) The weather got cooler, so I put on my sweater. (to wear, to don)	· Sometimes the meaning of a phrasal verb is clear from the verb + particle.
e) I would be glad to pitch in at the party by blowing up the balloons. (to help, to join others in accomplishing something) The police officer had me pull over when I was driving too fast. (move to the side of the road -or street- when driving).	· Sometimes it is difficult to guess the meaning of a phrasal verb. Sometimes the context of the sentence can help you. E.g., The meaning of pull over is not the same as the meanings of the words “pull” and “over”.
f) He picked up the papers that forgot at the office. g) The bully at school always picked on kids that were smaller than him.	· The same verb can have different meaning with a different particle. Pick up (to collect, to get) Pick on (to bully, to intimidate)
h) Orange juice always picks me up when I’m feeling sluggish. (More common and informal) i) Orange juice always revitalizes me when I’m feeling sluggish. (more formal, less common)	· In informal English, phrasal verbs are more frequent than one-word verbs with the same meaning.

The answer to our question:

To register for the English class, please fill _______ this application form.

a) up

b) out

c) down

The answer is letter b)

Use fill out when you need to complete information in empty spaces and/or in documents.	· He has filled out the form for his new license.
Use fill up when something becomes full	· She filled up the gas tank.