Search results for 'tag:Phrasal verbs tag:Expressions' matching tags 'Phrasal verbs' and 'Expressions'

Re: come apart at the seams

Mister Micawber — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:10:55 GMT

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No. It is a fixed expression. Come apart itself is an idiomatic phrasal verb meaning 'become separated into pieces or fragments'.
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Re: Grammatical mistakes

AlpheccaStars — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 00:11:55 GMT

1) So the 1st option: "Basis on the above considerations, ..." is completely incorrect, right? Well, I would have to see the context, but the most frequent expression is "Based on". (this is a past participle of the phrasal verb "base on": I based my decision on the following points...

Basis is a noun, and can be used in expressions: "The basis for our recommendation is ..."

3) Just like "wood", "vegetation" would also be singular mass noun, and hence the word "breaks" would be right. Correct? i.e. "heat from burning vegetation breakS seed dormancy" >> the subject is not wood or vegetation, the subject is heat. The verb needs to agree with the subject.

Heat breaks seeds dormancy.

4) "Distance from the SRC was smallest in A, followed by X, Y and Z, in this order." <--"...in this order" at the end of sentence is grammatically incorrect, isn't it? >> It sounds fine to me.

Re: intricate

AlpheccaStars — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 04:10:31 GMT

MIA6
Here is another example: We listen to Fagin __ and share her tormented feelings.

A.talk to Nancy. B. talking to Nancy. I chose A since I thought that would make the sentence parallel, but the answer was B. So is that everytime we see "listen", we have put verb-ing form after it?

Let's take this one step at a time:

We listen to Fagin. --> This is a complete sentence (main clause); "listen to" is the phrasal verb, and Fagin is the object.

But could Fagin be doing? talking, screaming, yelling, running, and so on. For example:

Fagin's loud talking drove me crazy. ---> you see that talking is a noun here (a gerund, and the subject of verb "drove")

Fagin's talking softly to Nancy in a dark corner of the room made Jim jealous! --> here is another example, but the gerund phrase has a lot of other words with it.

So what do we listen to?

We listen to Fagin's talking to Nancy. --> this was the correct form 100+ years ago. (with Fagin being in possessive case, and talking the direct object. However, in modern times, this form has dropped out of usage, Instead, we use the gerund as attached to the noun

We listen to Fagin talking to Nancy.

The second part of the sentence now is clearer:

We listen (to Fagin talking to Nancy) and share her tormented feelings. ("we" is the subject of share. Apparently we see her expressions of torment and empathize with her. Maybe they talking about something very painful to her)

But, Fagin could also be doing the sharing, not "we"! Then the sentence changes:

We listen to (Fagin talking to Nancy and sharing her tormented feelings). --> Now we are just listening to Fagin's talking and his sharing Nancy's feelings.

There is another construction using dependent clauses:

We listen to Fagin who is talking to Nancy and share her tormented feelings. ---> now there is a full dependent clause with a subject and verb. (who is talking to Nancy).. We is still the subject of "share"

We listen to Fagin (who is talking to Nancy and sharing her tormented feelings). ---> . the dependent clause is == who is talking to Nancy and sharing her tormented feelings

Re: I need help with determining the parts of speech w/ this sentence!!!!

Avangi — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 05:02:02 GMT

alaricepent
Well, it is for AP English! :)

I have a feeling you and I are going to flunk AP English.

I think A. Stars had good answers for the two previous questions - the phrasal verb explanation: "for" is no longer analyzed as a preposition, but as part of a phrasal verb, which is transitive. ("What kind of a verb is paid? - tr., intr, or aux. ?")

AND ("what kind of a pronoun is "one"?) It's a "numerical expression pronoun."

I'm not sure about diagramming a "phrasal verb."

Re: I need help with determining the parts of speech w/ this sentence!!!!

AlpheccaStars — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 03:37:09 GMT

Avangi
"Paid" is either transitive or intransitive. In this case it's supposedly transitive, as in "to pay taxes." That means it takes a direct object. So what do you pay here? "for one." Again, a prepositional phrase is direct object of the verb. (I don't really like it.)

"Pay for" is best described as a phrasal verb. It is transitive, and the direct object is "one". It is an action verb.

Definition: Phrasal verbs are idiomatic expressions, combining verbs and prepositions to make new verbs whose meaning is often not obvious from the dictionary definitions of the individual words. A phrasal verb is also called verb-particle construction, verb phrase,multi-word verb, or compound verb.

Re: grammar checkS!

Fandorin — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:28:18 GMT

Hi,Ellisa.

E3, Extending word use

Words have different meanings according to different contexts as well as different usages. Words ~~also~~ can also be used as metaphorical meanings to express our feelings about things which creates images gradually. Even some metaphors become so popular that they are used as fixed phrases which is are accepted as idioms. On the other hand, the words of metaphorical and idiomatic are becoming cliches which are not welcomed (well accepted) to people to be used.

E4. Word combinations

Word combinations or the Collocations are words which ~~co-occur~~ occur with each other. For English speaker, it is seems as normal and acceptable since ~~they~~ those ~~are used to using that through~~ to be used in (are usually found in) custom and practice. ~~The~~ word combination ~~made~~ makes 'lexical phrases' which indicate ~~fixed~~ bound expressions ~~phrases~~ for some words. Aside from phrasal verbs, collocations and compound words stand in language ~~also go together with~~ beside functional phrases, idiomatic or fixed expressions and verbal expressions. As we can see above, sometimes words are ~~sometimes~~ insufficient to account for the different kinds of meanings.For example, A phrasal verb, for example(this is also possible), has a totally different meaning. In other words, they've created a meaning units by combining words.

grammar checkS!

Ellisa — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 17:04:13 GMT

Hello teachers!
I'm summarising my texts book and it's not easy to make grammatically right sentences.
Please check the wrong grammar for me.
Thanks in advance!!!

E3, Extending word use

Words have different meanings according to different contexts as well as different usages. Words also can be used as metaphorical meanings to express our feelings about things which creates images gradually. Even some metaphors become so popular that they are used as fixed phrases which is accepted as idioms. On the other hand, the words of metaphorical and idiomatic are become cliches which are not welcomed to people to be used.

E4. Word combinations

Word combinations or Collocations are words which co-occur with each other. For English speaker, it is seen as normal and acceptable since they are used to using that through custom and practice. The word combination made 'lexical phrases' which indicate fixed phrases for some words. Aside from phrasal verbs, collocations and compound words, language also go together with functional phrases, idiomatic or fixed expressions and verbal expressions. As we can see above, words are sometimes insufficient to account for the different kinds of meanings. A phrasal verb, for example, has a totally different meaning. In other words, they've created a meaning units by combining words.

Re: what verb or phrasal verb?

Raen — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:26:02 GMT

Thanks for the prompt response, GG. I appreciate it.

Are there also other more informal expressions? Thanks.

Raen

what verb or phrasal verb?

Raen — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:18:05 GMT

Twice this week I was asked if I had used any medication for my cold, I wanted to say more than just a "No" because I chose not to take any and that I rather have my natural immune system fight the virus.

So in order to convey that I forge forward with the cold and let it run its course, in a sentence structure like this:

No, I don't take any medicine, I usually just __ for/with my cold.

what verb, phrasal verb, phrase, expression would you suggest me?

I'm hope I'm making sense.

Thanks a lot

Raen

Re: "preparatory it" problem

Stenka25 — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 00:48:38 GMT

Thanks, Avangi.

Waiting for your answer, I checked out Cambridge Dictionary.

There's good example sentences to help solve the 'it' problem.

That is,

A good architect takes into account the building's surroundings.
I hope my teacher will take into account the fact that I was ill just before the exams when she marks my paper.
I think you have to take into account that he's a good deal younger than the rest of us.

In #1 sentence I realized that 'take into accout' can be used like 'phrasal verb.'

So we cannot apply the same rigid rule -make it possible- to this expression.

What do you think of my thought?