Ls 27. Verb + preposition
Lesson 27. Verb + preposition
The prepositions are often used with verbs to form phrasal verbs or verb phrases (Some teachers call them idioms) The combination of a verb and a preposition can have many different meanings.
| idiom/meaning | example |
|---|---|
| get back = return | what time will you get back? |
| get in = enter | she's trying to get in the house |
| get by = pass | that truck wants to get by us |
| put on = dress | he's putting on his shoes |
| put off = delay | don't put off your homework |
| put down = insult | his wife always puts him down |
| look up = find info | look the information up online |
| look at = watch | they're looking at you |
| look out = beware | look out for falling rocks! |
| bring up = ask | Sam brought up a good question |
| bring back = return | i have to bring these books back |
| bring along = carry | bring along an umbrella |
| there are many different combinations of verbs and prepositions that you have to remember. This takes years of practice, but it's worth the effort because these phrasal verbs are very common in American and British English |
Sometimes a single combination of a verb and a preposition might have several different meanings. An example of that is go + by.
- You should look the word up in the dictionary
- Excuse me. I need to get by.
- Bring along a lunch. You'll be hungry later
- We can't put this off any longer
- I'll bring this up with my supervisor
- What name do you go by?
- Put your hat on. It's cold outside
- It's not a good idea to look at the sun for too long
A substitute for "will" is "be going to"
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| I am going to be | We are going to |
| You are going to be | You are going to be |
| He is going to be | They are going to be |
| She is going to be | |
| It is going to be |