Search results for 'tag:American English tag:Phrasal verbs' matching tags 'American English' and 'Phrasal verbs'

Re: Prepositions at the end

Likeguslee — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 01:18:51 GMT

American English has many phrasal verbs or verbs with preposition. Therefore, we have slice with, attend to, and break into.

Slice with is not a true phrasal verb since âwithâ is an optional preposition.

We use the knife to slice the bread => We use the knife to slice the bread with => is rather redundant.

However, âwith what do you slice the bread?â or âwhat do you slice the bread with?â

On the other hand, âattendâ and âattend toâ have different meanings

I attend school during the day, and attend to my sick brother in the evenings.

Similarly, âbreakâ and âbreak intoâ have different meanings.

My sister broke the glass vase by accident, and immediately broke into tears.

Re: Turn or switch?

Matress — Mon, 30 Jan 2006 14:29:18 GMT

turn (SWITCH)
verb [always + adv/prep]
to use a control to switch (a piece of equipment) on or off, or to adjust it to change the amount of what it is producing
Please turn off/out the lights when you leave.
Who turned my computer on/off?
Turn the TV down (= make the sound quieter) -- it's too loud.
Turn up the volume -- I can't hear what they're saying.

switch on/off obj, switch obj on/off

phrasal verb [M]
to start or stop (a device powered by electricity)
She switched the light off.
Switch on the video camera, please.

From Cambridge Dictionaries - American English

Re: Write style

Matress — Thu, 19 Jan 2006 14:00:08 GMT

Tearsofjoy wrote:

I agree. the sentence you have mentioned is, indeed long-winded. It would be much better to replace it with a simple, but elegant "hemmed in".

I think that writing clearly, wittily and concisely is much more important than using huge, clumsy phrases. According to rumours, someone once assumed he was insulting Hemingway when he remarked, "He has never used a word that would send someone to the dictionary". But does that make Hemingway's writing any less beautiful?

I'm not sure, but I think there is a word for using two words together when they mean the same thing. Stuff like "old crone", etc. This seems to be the same thing, but unlike the usages I'm talking about, these may even be regarded as grammatical errors.

Thank you very much for you answer, but I 'm not sure if "hem in" ( phrasal verb) can replace the word "surrounded". I think they aren't synonymous, but if they are, please let me know.

hem in sb or hem sb in

To prevent someone from moving, or from doing what they want to do
The crowd was hemmed in on all sides by the police. [usually passive]
We're hemmed in by so many regulations at work.

surround

verb
to be around (something) on all sides

Snow-capped mountains surround the city.

The house was surrounded by dense woods.

To surround something also means to have to do with it or to result from it: I'm interested in the circumstances surrounding the accident.

The controversy that surrounded the police action led to a number of investigations.

from Cambridge Dictionary of American English)

Re: stepped

CalifJim — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 04:27:38 GMT

hanuman,

If you want to learn British English you should follow the advice in British dictionaries.
I'm sorry if my American English confused you!

My American dictionary, which shows onto as a single word, has this note:

To indicate motion to a position the prepositions on and onto are frequently used interchangeably, though onto more strongly conveys movement toward: jumped on the table; jumped onto the table. In constructions where on is an adverb and to is a preposition they must not be joined as one word: ... hold on to (not onto) our gains ... In such cases on may be considered part of the verb....

It also mentions that onto is sometimes written on to. (I suspect they were referencing British usage here.)

"step on" is not a phrasal verb like "hold on", so in American English we prefer "step onto".

CJ

Re: Idiom/collocation dicitonaries

Miche — Mon, 07 Mar 2005 09:15:08 GMT

The BBI is my Favourite (capital F). It doesn't list all the prepositions but it is extremely useful for ESL speakers because it tells you how to combine nouns with adjectives and how verbs are used (it gives 19 valency categories of verbs). It also gives the most common word combinations, as well as some idioms and phrasal verbs. The dictionary also points out some differences in usage among American English, British English and Canadian English. I strongly recommend it!

Re: Got and Gotten

advoca — Sat, 11 Oct 2003 03:04:20 GMT

Here is some advice on the use of got and gotten.

Got is the past tense and past participle of get.

You use have got to say that someone has a particular thing, or to mention a quality or characteristic that someone or something has.
Iâve got a coat just like this.
She hasnât got a work permit.
Have you got any ideas?.
Every city has got its good and bad points.
The policeman asked, âHave you got any identification?â

In informal spoken American English, people sometimes just use âgotâ.

Got a coat just like this?
Sheâs not got a work permit.
Got any ideas?
The policeman asked, âGot any identification?â

You use have got to when you are saying that something is necessary or must happen in the way stated.

I'm not happy with the situation, but I've just got to accept it.
Thereâs got to be a degree of flexibility.
Youâve got to do what youâre told.
Heâs got to work harder if he wants to learn English.

In spoken American English, gotten is often used as the past participle of âgetâ. It is used to mean âobtainedâ, âreceivedâ, âbecomeâ, or âcaused to be'â

He could have gotten his books without anyone seeing him.
Heâd gotten some dust in his eyes.
His leg may have gotten tangled in a harpoon line.
I had gone to work and gotten quite a lot done.

It is also used in many phrasal verbs and phrases.

No one had gotten around to cleaning up the mess.
He must have gotten up at dawn.
We should have gotten rid of him.
She had gotten married and given birth to a child.

WARNING: You do not use have gotten to mean âpossessâ. For example, you should not say âI have gotten a headache,â or âHe has gotten two sistersâ.

You also do not use have gotten to mean âmustâ. For example, âI had gotten to see the Head Teacher,â does not mean âIt was necessary for me to see the Head Teacher.â It means âI had succeeded in seeing the Head Teacher.â.

In both British English and formal American English, the past participle of âgetâ is got, not âgotten.â

Now here is some advice to students. Do not worry yourself about trying to understand when to use got and when to use gotten when you want to use the past participle of get. Americans will understand you if you use âgotâ instead of âgotten,â and everybody else will understand you if you use gotten instead of got.