SECTION ONE --- ELEMENTARY
LESSON 1
to get in/to get on: to enter or to board a vehicle
To get in is used for cars;
to get on is used for all other forms of transportation.
o It's easiest to get in the car
from the driver's side. The door on the other side doesn't work well.
o I always get on the bus to work at 34th Street.
to get out of/to get off: to leave or to descend from a vehicle.
To get out of is used for cars; to get off is used for all other forms of transportation.
o Why don't we stop and get out of the
car for a while?
o Helen got off the
train at the 42nd Street terminal.
to put on: to place on oneself
(usually said of clothes) (S)
o Mary put on her
coat and left the room.
o Put your hat on before you leave the house.
to take off: to
remove (usually said of clothes) (S)
o John took off his jacket as he
entered the office.
o Take your sweater off. The
room is very warm.
to call up: to telephone (also: to give some one a call) (S)
To call can be used instead of to call up, as in the first example
below.
o I forgot to call up Mr. Jones yesterday. I'd better call him
now.
o Call me up tomorrow, Jane. We'll arrange
a time to have lunch together.
o I promise to give you a call as soon as I arrive in New York.
to turn on: to start or cause to
function (also: to switch on) (S)
o Please turn on the
light; it's too dark in here.
o Do you know who turned the
air conditioning on?
to turn off: to cause to stop functioning (also: to switch off, to shut off) (S)
Turn on and turn off, as well as their related
forms, are used for things that flow, such as electricity, water, gas, etc.
o Please turn off the light when you leave the room.
o Are you really
listening to the radio, or should I turn it off?
right away: very soon; immediately (also: at once)
o Dad says that
dinner will be ready right away, so we'd better
wash our hands and set the table.
o Tell Will to come to
my office right away. I must see him
immediately.
o Stop playing that
loud music at
once!
to pick up: to lift form the floor, table, etc., with one's fingers (S)
o Harry picked up the
newspaper that was on the front doorstep.
o Could you pick your toy up before someone falls over it?
sooner or later: eventually, after a period of time
o If you study English seriously, sooner or later you'll become
fluent.
o I'm too tired to do my homework now; I'm sure I'll do it sooner or later.
to get up: to
arise, to rise from a bed; to make someone arise (S)
For the last
definition a noun phrase must separate
the verb and particle.
o Carla gets up at seven o'clock every morning.
o At what time should we get the
children up
tomorrow?
at first: in the beginning, originally
o At first English
was difficult for him, but later he made great progress.
o I thought at
first that it was Sheila
calling, but then I realized that it
was Betty.
LESSON 2
to dress up: to wear formal clothes, to
dress very nicely o We
should definitely dress up to go to the theater. o You don't have to dress up for Mike's party.
at last:
finally, after a long time.
o We waited for hours and then the train arrived at last.
o Now that I am
sixteen, at
last I can
drive my parents' car.
as usual: as is the general case, as is typical
o George is late for
class as usual.
This seems to happen every day.
o As usual, Dora received first prize in the swimming contest. It's the
third consecutive year that she has won.
to find out: get information about, to determine (S)
This idiom is separable only when a pronoun is used, as in the second example.
o Will you please try to find out what time
the airplane arrives?
o I'll call right now
to find it
out.
to look at: give one's
attention to; to watch
o The teacher told us to
look at the blackboard and not at
our books.
o I like to walk along
a country road at night and look at the stars.
to look for: to try to find, to search for
An adverb phrase
such
as all over
can be put between the verb and
preposition, as in the second example,
however, the idiom cannot be
separated by a
noun or pronoun.
o He's spent over an
hour looking for
the pen that he lost.
o So there you are!
We've looked allover for you.
all right: acceptable, fine;
yes, okay
This idiom can
also be spelled alright
in informal usage.
o He said that it would
be all right to wait in
her office until she returned.
o Do you want me to turn off the TV? Alright, if you insist.
all along: all the time, from the
beginning (without change)
o She knew all along that we'd
never agree with his plan.
o You're smiling! Did
you know all along
that I'd give you a birthday
present?
little by little: gradually, slowly
(also: step by step)
o Karen's health seems
to be improving little by
little.
o If you study regularly each day, step by step your
vocabulary will
increase.
to tire out: to make very weary due to difficult conditions
or hard effort (also:
to wear out) (S)
o The hot weather tired out the
runners in the marathon.
o Does studying for final exams wear you out? It makes me feel worn out!
to
call on: to
ask for a response from; to visit
(also: to drop in on) o Jose
didn't know the answer when the
teacher called on him. o Last
night several friends called on us at
our home.
o Shy don't we drop in on Sally
a little later?
never mind:
don't be concerned about it; ignore
what was just said
o When he spilled
his drink on my coat, I said, "Never mind. It needs to be cleaned anyway."
o So you weren't listening to me again. Never mind; it wasn't important.
LESSON 3
to pick out: to choose, to select (S)
o Ann picked
out a good book to give to her brother as
a graduation gift.
o Johnny, if you want
me to buy you a toy, then pick one out now.
to take one's time: to do without rush, not
to hurry
This idiom is often
used in the imperative form. (See the
first example)
o There's no need to
hurry doing those exercises. Take your time.
o William never works
rapidly. He always takes his time in
every thing
that he does.
to talk over: to discuss or consider a situation with others (S)
o We talked over Carla's plan to install an
air conditioner in the room, but we couldn't reach a
decision.
o Before I accepted
the new job offer, I talked the matter over with my life.
to life down: to place oneself in a flat position,
to recline
o If you are tired, why don't you
lie down for
an hour or so?
o The doctor says that
Grace must lie down and rest for a short time
every afternoon.
to stand up: to rise from a sitting or
lying position (also: to get up)
o When the president entered the room, everyone stood up.
o Suzy, stop rolling
around on the floor; get up now.
to sit down: to be seated (also: take a seat)
o We sat down on the park bench and watched the children play.
o There aren't any more chairs, but you can take a seat on the floor.
all (day, week, month, year) long: the
entire day, week, month, year
o I've been working on my income tax forms all day long. I've hardly had time to eat.
o It's been raining all week long. We
haven't seen the sun since last
Monday.
by oneself: alone, without assistance
o Francis translated that French novel by
himself. No one helped him.
o Paula likes to walk
through the woods by herself, but her
brother
prefers to walk
with a companion.
on purpose: for a reason, deliberately
This idiom is
usually used when someone does
something wrong or unfair.
o Do you think that she didn't come to the meeting on purpose?
o It was no accident that he broke my glasses. He did it
on
purpose.
to get along with: to associate or work well
with; to succeed or manage in doing (also: to get on with)
o Terry isn't getting along
with her
new roommate; they argue constantly.
o How are you getting on with your
students?
to make a difference (to): to
be of importance (to), to affect
This idiom is
often used with adjectives to show
the degree of importance.
o It makes a big
difference to me whether he likes
the food I serve.
o Does it make any
difference to you where we go for dinner?
o No, it doesn't make any difference.
o It makes no
difference to Lisa either.
to take out: to remove, to extract (S); to go on a date with (S) (also to go out with)
o Student, take out your books and open them to page twelve.
o Did you take Sue out last night?
o No, she couldn't go out with me.
LESSON 4
to take part in: to be involved in, to participate in (also: to
be in on)
o Martin was sick and
could not take part in the meeting yesterday.
o I didn't want to be in on their
argument, so I remained silent.
at all: to any degree (also: in the least)
o Larry isn't at all shy about
expressing his opinions.
o When I asked Donna
whether she was tired, she said, "Not in the least.
I'm full of energy."
to look up: to locate information in a directory, dictionary, book, etc. (S)
o Ellen suggested
that we look up Lee's
telephone number in the directory.
o Students should
try to understand the meaning of a new word from
context before looking the word up in the dictionary.
to wait on: to serve in a store or restaurant
o A very pleasant young clerk waited on me
in that shop.
o The restaurant
waitress asked us, "Has anyone waited on you yet?
at least: a
minimum of, no fewer (or less) than
o I spend at
least two hours every night on my studies.
o Mike claims that he
drinks at
least a quart of water every day.
so far:
until now, until the present time
(also: up to now, as of yet) This idiom is usually used
with the present perfect tense.
o So far, this year has been
excellent for business. I hope that the good luck continues.
o How many idioms have
we studied in this book up to now?
o As of yet, we have not had an answer from him.
to take a walk, stroll, hike, etc.: to go for a walk, stroll, hike, etc.
A stroll involves slow, easy walking; a hike involves serious, strenuous walking.
o Last evening we took a walk around the park.
o It's a fine day.
Would you like to take a stroll along
Mason Boulevard?
o Let's take a hike up Cowles Mountain this afternoon.
to take a trip: to go on a journey, to travel
o I'm so busy at work
that I have no time to take a trip.
o During the summer holidays, the Thompsons took a trip to
Europe.
to try on: to wear clothes to check the style or fit before buying (S)
o He tried on several suits
before he picked out a blue one.
o Why don't you try these shoes on
next?
to think over: to consider carefully
before deciding (S)
o I'd like to think over your offer first. Then can we talk it over tomorrow?
o You don't have to
give me your decision now. Think it over for a while.
to take place: to occur, to happen
according to plan
o The regular meetings of the committee take place in Constitution Hall.
o I thought that the
celebration was taking place at John's house.
to put away: to remove from slight, to put in the proper place (S)
o Please put away your papers before you open the test booklet.
o John put the
notepad away in
his desk when he was finished with it.
LESSON 5
to look out: to be careful or cautious
(also: to watch out) Both of these idioms can occur with the preposition for.
o "Look out!"
Jeffrey cried as his friend almost
stepped in a big hole in the ground.
o Look out for reckless
drivers whenever you cross the street.
o Small children should always watch out for strangers offering candy.
to shake hands: to exchange greetings by clasping hands
o When people meet for the first time, they usually shake hands.
o The student warmly shook hands with his old
professor.
to get back: to return (S)
o Mr. Harris got back from his
business trip to Chicago this
morning.
o Could you get the children back home by five
o'clock?
to catch cold: to become sick with a cold
of the nose for throat
o If you go out in this rain,
you will surely catch cold.
o How did she ever catch cold in such warm
weather?
to get over: to recover from an illness; to accept a loss or sorrow
o It took me over a month to get over my
cold, but I'm finally well now.
o It seems that Mr. Mason
will never get
over the death of his wife.
to make up one's mind: to reach a decision, to decide finally
o Sally is considering several colleges to attend, but she hasn't made up her mind yet.
o When are you going to make up your
mind about your vacation plans?
to change one's mind: to alter one's
decision or opinion
o We have changed our
minds and are going to Canada instead of
California this
summer.
o Matthew has changed his mind
several times about buying a new
cat.
for the time being: temporarily (also: for now)
o For the time being, Janet is working as a
waitress, but she really hopes to become an actress soon.
o We're living in
an apartment for now, but soon we'll be looking for a house to buy.
for good: permanently, forever
o Ruth has returned to Canada for good. She won't ever live in the United
States again.
o Are you finished with school for good, or will you continue your studies some day?
to call off: to cancel (S)
o The referee called off the soccer game because
of the darkness.
o The president called the meeting off because she had to leave town.
to put off: to postpone (S)
o Many student's put off doing their assignments until the last minute.
o Let's put the
party off
until next weekend, okay?
in a hurry: hurried, rushed (also:
in a rush)
o Alex seems in a hurry; he must be late
for his train again.
o She's always in a rush in the
morning to get the kids to school.
LESSON 6
under the weather: not feeling well, sick
o John stayed home from work because
he was feeling under the weather.
o When you cat cold,
you feel under the weather.
to hang up: to place clothes on a hook
or hanger (S); to replace the receiver on the phone at
the end of a conversation (S)
o Would you like me to hang up your coat for you in the closet?
o The operator told me
to hang the
phone up
and call the number again.
to count on: to trust someone in time of
need (also: to depend on)
o I can count on my parents to help me in an emergency.
o Don't depend on Frank to lend you any money;
he doesn't have any.
to make friends: to become friendly with others
o Patricia is a shy girl
and doesn't make
friends easily.
o During the cruise
Ronald made friends with almost everyone on the
ship.
out of order: not in working condition
o The elevator was out or order, so
we had to walk to the tenth floor of the building.
o We couldn't use the soft drink machine because it was out of order.
to get to: to be able to do something special; to arrive at a place, such as home, work, etc. for the second definition, do not use the preposition to with
the words home or there.
o The children got to stay
up late and watch a good movie for
the family.
o I missed the bus and couldn't get to the
office until ten o'clock.
o When are you
planning to get home tonight?
few and far between: not frequent, unusual, rare
o The times that our
children get to stay up late are few and far
between.
o Airplane travel is
very safe because accidents are few and far
between.
to look over: to examine, to inspect closely (also: to go over, to read over,
to check over) (S)
Go over is different from the other
forms because it is not separable.
o I want to look my
homework over again
before I give it to the teacher.
o The politician went over his speech before
the important presentation.
o You should never sign any legal paper without checking it over first.
to have (time) off: to have free time, not to
have to work (also: to take time off (S))
The related form (S) to take time off is
used when someone makes a decision to have free time, sometimes when others might
not agree with the decision.
o Every morning the
company workers have time off for a coffee break.
o Several workers took
the afternoon off to
go to a baseball game.
to go on: to
happen; to resume, to continue (also: to keep on)
o Many people gathered near the accident to see what was going on.
o I didn't mean to interrupt
you. Please go on.
o The speaker kept on talking even
though most of the audience had left.
to put out: extinguish, to
cause to stop functioning (S)
To put out has the same meaning as to
turn off (Lesson 1) for a light fixture.
o No smoking is allowed
in here. Please put out your
cigarette.
o The fire fighters
worked hard to put the brush fire out.
o Please put out the
light before you leave. Okay, I'll put it out.
all of a sudden: suddenly, without warning (also: all at once)
o All of a sudden Ed appeared at the door. We
weren't expecting him to drop by.
o All at once Millie got up and left the house without any explanation.
LESSON 7
to point out: to show, to
indicate, to bring to one's attention (S)
o What important
buildings did the tour guide point out to you?
o The teacher pointed out the
mistakes in my composition.
o A friend pointed the famous actor out to me.
to be up: to expire, to be finished
This idiom is
used only with the word time as the
subject.
o "The time is up," the teacher said
at the end of the test period.
o We have to leave the
tennis court because our hour is up;
some other
people want to
use it now.
to be over: to be finished, to end
(also: to be through) This idiom is used for activities and events.
o After the dance was over,
we all went to a restaurant.
o The meeting was through ten
minutes earlier than everyone expected.
on time:
exactly at the correct time, punctually
o I thought that
Margaret would arrive late, but she
was right on
time.
o Did you get to work on time this
morning, or did rush hour traffic delay
you?
in time to: before the time necessary
to do something
o We entered the theater
just in time to see
the beginning of the movie.
o The truck was not
able to stop in time to prevent an accident.
to get better, worse, etc.: to become better, worse,
etc.
o Heather has been sick
for a month, but now she is getting better.
o This medicine isn't helping me. Instead of getting better, I'm getting
worse.
to get sick, well, tired, busy, wet, etc.: to
become sick, well, tired, busy, wet, etc.
This idiom
consists of a combination of get and
various adjectives.
o Gerald got sick last week and has been in bed since that time.
o Every afternoon I get very hungry, so I eat a
snack.
had better: should, ought to, be advisable to
This idiom is
most often used in contracted form (I'd better).
o I think you'd better speak to Mr. White right away about this matter.
o The doctor told the
patient that he'd better go home and rest.
would rather: prefer to (also: would just
as soon)
o Would you rather have the
appointment this Friday or next Monday?
o I would just as
soon go
for a walk as watch TV right now.
to all it a day/night: to
stop working for the test of the day/night
o Herb tried to repair
his car engine all morning before he called it a day
and went fishing.
o We've been working
hard on this project all evening; let's call it a night.
To figure out: to solve, to find a solution (S); to understand (S)
o How long did it take you to figure out the answer to the math problem?
o I was never able to figure it out.
to think of: to have a (good or bad) opinion of
This idiom is often used in the negative or with adjectives such as much and
highly.
o I don't think much of him as a baseball player; he's a slow runner and a poor
hitter.
o James thinks
highly of his new boss, who is a kind and helpful person.
LESSON 8
to be about to: to be at the moment
of doing something, to be ready
This idiom is
often sued with the adverb just.
o I was just
about to leave when you telephoned.
o Oh, hi, John. We're just about to eat dinner.
to turn around: to move or face in the opposite direction (S); to completely change the condition of (S)
o The man turned his
car around
and drove back the way he came.
o The company has been
very successful since the new business
manager
was able to turn it around.
to take turns: to alternate, to change
people while doing something
o During the trip, Darlene and I took turns driving so that neither of us would tire out.
o I have to make sure that my two sons take turns playing the video game.
to pay attention (to): to look at and listen
to someone while they are speaking, to concentrate
o Please pay attention to me while I'm speaking to
you!
o You'll have to pay more attention in class if you want to get a good
grade.
to brush up on: to review something in order to refresh one's memory
o Before I traveled to Mexico, I brushed up on my
Spanish; I haven't practiced it since
high school.
o In order to take that
advanced mathematics class, Sidney will have
to
brush up on his algebra.
over and over (again):
repeatedly (also: time after time, time and again)
o The
actress studied her lines in the movie over and over until
she knew them well.
o Children have difficulty
remembering rules, so it's often necessary to repeat them over and over
again.
o Time and again I have to remind Bobby to
put on his seatbelt in the car.
to wear out: to use something until it
has no value or worth anymore, to make useless through wear (S)
o When I wear out these
shoes, I'll have to buy some that last longer.
o What do you do with your clothes after your wear them out?
to throw away: to discard, to dispose of (S)
o I generally throw away my
clothes when I wear them out.
o Don't throw the
magazines away; I haven't read
them yet.
to fall in love: to begin to love
This idiom is
used with the expression at first
sight to indicate a sudden interest in love.
o Ben and Sal fell in love in high school, and got married after graduation.
o Have you ever fallen in love
at first sight?
to go out: to stop functioning; to
stop burning; to leave home or work
(also:
to step out)
o The lights went out all over the city because of an electrical problem.
o The campers didn't have to put out the fire because it went out by itself.
o Gary isn't here
right now; he went out
to the store for a moment.
o I have to step out of the office briefly to pick up a newspaper.
out of the question: impossible, not feasible
o Stephen told Deborah that it
was out of the question for her to borrow his new car.
o Don't expect me to do
that again. It's absolutely out of the
question.
to have to do with: to have some connection with or relationship to
o Ralph insisted that he had nothing to do with breaking the window.
o What does your
suggestion have to do with our problem?
LESSON 9
to wake up: to arise from sleep, to awaken (S)
Compare wake up and get up (Lesson 1) as used in the first example.
o Marge woke up this morning very early, but she did not get up until about
ten o'clock.
o My alarm clock wakes me up at the same time
every day.
to be in charge of: to manage, to have responsibility for
o Jane is in charge
of the office while Mrs. Haig is a
business trip.
o Who is in charge of arrangements for the dance next week?
as soon as: just after, when
o As soon as it started to snow, the
children ran outside with big smiles on their faces.
o I'm busy now, but I'll
meet you as soon as I've finished this work.
to get in touch with: to communicate with, to contact
o You can get
in touch with him by calling the Burma
Hotel.
o I've been trying all
morning to get
in touch with Miss Peters, but her
phone is always busy.
to have a good time: to enjoy oneself
o We all had a good time at
the class reunion last night.
o Did you have a good time
at the park? I really enjoyed it.
in no time: very quickly, rapidly
This idiom can be
used with the idiom at all to add emphasis to the certainty
of the statement.
o Mac said that he'd be ready to leave
in no
time.
o We thought that the
meeting would take two hours, but it
was over in
no time at all.
to cut down on: to reduce, to lessen (also: to cut back on)
o In order to lose
weight, you have to cut down on your
intake of sugar.
o The doctor told me
to cut back on exercise until my back injury heals.
quite a few: many
o Quite a few students were absent
yesterday; in fact, more than half of
them were not there.
o We did not expect many people to attend to affair, but quite a few of our friends actually came.
used to: formerly did, had the habit
of
This idiom is
used to indicate a past situation,
action, or habit that does not exist in the present. The idiom is always followed by a simple verb form.
o I used to
live
in New York, but I moved to
California two years ago.
o Kim used to smoke
cigarettes, but she stopped the habit last month.
to be used to: be accustomed to
This idiom refers
to a situation, action, or habit that
continues in the present. The idiom is always followed by a noun or gerund phrase.
o He is
used to this climate now, so the
changes in temperature do not affect him much.
o I am
used to studying in the library, so it's difficult for me to study at home now.
to get used to: to become used to, to
become adjusted to
This idiom
describes the process of change that
allows someone to be used to a situation, action, or habit.
o It took Yoshiko a long time to get used to the food that her American host family served her.
o Mark can't seem to get used to wearing contact lenses; recently he's been wearing his
glasses a lot.
back and forth: in a backward and forward motion
o The restless lion kept
pacing back and forth along the front of its cage.
o Grandmother finds it
relaxing to sit in her rocking chair and move
back
and forth.
LESSON 10
to make sure: to be sure, to ascertain
(also: to make certain)
o Please make sure that
you turn off the radio before you go out.
o Could you make certain of the
time? I don't want to miss that TV show.
now and then: occasionally, sometimes (also: now and again, at times,
from time to time, off and on, once in a while)
Both now and then and once in a while can be preceded by the adjective every. Another idiom with the same meaning and form is every so often.
o I
don't see him very often, but (every) now and then we
arrange to have lunch together.
o Gary gets a cold (every) once in a while even
though he takes good care of himself.
o Every so often
my brother and I get together for a camping trip.
o I like to sleep late
in the morning from time
to time.
to get rid of: to eliminate, to remove; to discard, to throw away
o Jerry tried hard to get rid of the stain on his shirt, but he never succeeded.
o The stain was so bad that Jerry finally had to get rid of his shirt.
every other (one):
every second (one), alternate (ones)
o I play tennis with my father every other Saturday,
so I usually play twice a month.
o There
were twenty problems in the exercise, but the teacher told us only to do every other one. Actually, doing ten problems was difficult enough.
to go with: to match, to compare well in color to design; to date,
to accompany (also: to go out with)
For the first
definition, adverbs such as well and poorly are often used.
o That striped shirt goes well with the gray pants,
but the pants go poorly with those leather shoes.
o Eda
went with Richard for about six months, but now she is going
out with a new boyfriend.
first-rate: excellent, superb
o The food served in
that four-star restaurant is truly first-rate.
o The Beverly Hills Hotel provides first-rate service
to its guests.
to come from: to originate from
This idiom is
commonly used in discussion of one's home town, state, or country.
o What country in South
American does she come from? She comes from
Peru.
o I just learned that he
really comes
from Florida, not Texas.
o Where did this
package come
from? The mail carrier brought it.
to make good time: to travel a sufficient
distance at a reasonable speed
The adjective excellent can
also be used.
o On our last trip, it rained the entire time, so we didn't make good time.
o We made excellent
time on our trip to Florida; it only took eighteen
hours.
to mix up: to stir or shake well (S); to
confuse, to bewilder (S)
For the second
definition, the passive forms to be mixed up
or to get
mixed up
are often used.
o You should mix up the ingredients well before you put them in the pan.
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