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Phrasal Verbs - A
Legend: (transitive/intransitive separable/inseparable)
Before you begin studying the phrasal verb vocabulary below, you can first learn about or review these properties of phrasal verbs.
act up (ii) - behave badly, or for a machine or body part to not work properly
“The children were really acting up in class today,” the teacher said. “They were yelling and running around the classroom.”
“My computer acted up after I downloaded the latest update,” Jamal said. “It kept freezing then restarting.”
“My skin acts up during the fall, when it becomes more oily and I get more acne,” Karen said.
“When my brother acts up, he gets all the attention. If I behave well, I am mostly ignored,” she said.
~ ~ When he is away, I ache for him.
ache for (ti) - to want something or someone a lot
When my best friend isn’t here, I ache for her.
Many people ache for positive social change.
Millions of adults ache for greater purpose in their lives.
After a long, cold winter, I ache for sunny warm days and flowers.
amount to (ti) - is the end result of, the total, equals a sum of
The combined funding of the group of companies for the project amounts to a total of $50 million.
So many people were selling different things on the street, that it amounted to an open air bazaar.
The book on renewable energy reached the bestseller list, amounting to a cry for transforming our energy systems.
The effects of the leaking landfill amounted to poisoning of the soil.
amp up (ts) - to increase the power or excitement
~ ~ I read a lot of books to amp up my knowledge.
I add beans to my rice to amp up the amount of protein in my meal.
He learned over 100 phrasal verbs this month to amp up his English fluency.
The council passed a bill today to amp up funding for playgrounds around the city.
I regularly read books on industry leaders and successful companies to amp up my business knowledge.
angle for (ti) - to try to get something, often without directly asking for it, such as through hinting or suggesting
She tutors senior international students angling for jobs in the US or Australia.
Here are some negotiation strategies if you are angling for a raise.
The company is angling for a bigger share of the camera market.
The company is angling for more customers in China, Japan, and South Korea.
auction off (ts) - to sell something through an auction (a type of selling process in which people say a price that they would pay for the product, and other people say they will pay a higher price, until no one states a higher price.)
~~ They will auction off the house.
The bankrupt retail store will auction off its equipment.
He plans to auction off an old violin from the 1800s.
The famous singer auctioned off a beautiful dress that she wore for a performance.
She will auction off her big house in Hollywood.
Practice
You can practice using these phrasal verbs by doing the exercises below!
If you would like get more speaking and listening practice using phrasal verbs, and receive professional feedback to check whether you are using the phrasal verbs correctly, you can email me at contact@englishtutordia.com to schedule your first free online consultation.
