phrasal

Inkedpolyglot (United States of America)
24 words 8 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. lexis
    all of the words in a language
    You would think it must matter, as phrasal verbs are such an essential part of the lexis of native speakers. 
  2. flustered
    thrown into a state of agitated confusion
    Sara came late to class, looking flustered.
  3. lingua franca
    a common language used by speakers of different languages
    However, that leads us into another interesting area, as the English language continues its spectacular success as the world's lingua franca: who does the language belong to these days? 
  4. crop up
    appear suddenly or unexpectedly
    Finally, in case you hadn't noticed, many different applications of phrasal verbs cropped up in this article (including crop up).
  5. bewilder
    cause to be confused emotionally
    Pedro and Sara were both looking at me bewildered by now. "But you could say that the concert turned out well, which is not the same thing, as that refers to quality, not numbers."
  6. chip in
    contribute to some cause
    Pedro chipped in at this point.
  7. daunting
    discouraging through fear
    Now imagine you are learning English as a foreign language and try to imagine how daunting the prospect is to learn phrasal verbs. 
  8. show up
    appear or become visible; make a showing
    "Nice of you to show up," I said, and she looked even more flustered.
  9. turn up
    bend or lay so that one part covers the other
    "I thought I turned up late?"
  10. turn out
    be shown or be found to be
    "It can mean that, Pedro, but for your second example I  think you mean turn out."
  11. worthwhile
    sufficiently valuable to justify the investment of time
    Most unlikely, unless they enjoyed inflicting a little pain on each other — so I do wonder if the effort, the tears, and the agony of trying to learn these wretched things is worthwhile. 
  12. bring up
    raise from a lower to a higher position
    Consider bring up. 
  13. turned out
    dressed well or smartly
    Pedro and Sara were both looking at me bewildered by now. "But you could say that the concert turned out well, which is not the same thing, as that refers to quality, not numbers."
  14. reinforce
    strengthen and support
    These are not to be confused with other multi-word verbs, such as a simple verb plus preposition, where the verb retains its original meaning but where the addition reinforces the verb in some way. 
  15. follow up
    increase the effectiveness or success of by further action
    Perhaps that's a topic to follow up with — a discussion I, for one, would look forward to.
  16. likely
    having a good chance of being the case or of coming about
    Phrasal verbs are used in less formal speech (an airline company is more likely to talk about its plane "arriving on time" than "turning up on time") and are frequently used to replace the more formal-sounding verbs that have Latin roots. 
  17. come across
    be perceived in a certain way; make a certain impression
    It is this informality that leads to its use in speech more than in the written word, and thus learners of English are less likely to come across (or discover) the words in classroom contexts unless they are working with native speakers.
  18. outfit
    a set of clothing
    You could have said that Sara turned up late, turned out in an outfit that showed us all up."
  19. inflict
    impose something unpleasant
    Most unlikely, unless they enjoyed inflicting a little pain on each other — so I do wonder if the effort, the tears, and the agony of trying to learn these wretched things is worthwhile. 
  20. agony
    intense feelings of suffering; acute mental or physical pain
    Most unlikely, unless they enjoyed inflicting a little pain on each other — so I do wonder if the effort, the tears, and the agony of trying to learn these wretched things is worthwhile. 
  21. hostile
    characterized by enmity or ill will
    The whole class went silent, and started to stare at me in a rather hostile way.
  22. wretched
    deserving or inciting pity
    Most unlikely, unless they enjoyed inflicting a little pain on each other — so I do wonder if the effort, the tears, and the agony of trying to learn these wretched things is worthwhile. 
  23. up on
    being up to particular standard or level especially in being up to date in knowledge
    Phrasal verbs are used in less formal speech (an airline company is more likely to talk about its plane "arriving on time" than "turning up on time") and are frequently used to replace the more formal-sounding verbs that have Latin roots. 
  24. prospect
    the possibility of future success
    Now imagine you are learning English as a foreign language and try to imagine how daunting the prospect is to learn phrasal verbs. 
Created on Sun Dec 05 19:43:51 EST 2010

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