Touchstone 2nd Edition • Language summary • Level 3

Unit 9 • Lesson B: How things work

Vocabulary
Equipment and technology
air conditioning (n)
ear buds (n)
instruction manual (n)
printer (n)
remote (remote control) (n)
ringtone (n)
hook (a cable) up (v)
look something up (in a manual) (v)
pick (the cell phone) up (v)
plug (the headphones) in (v)
print (a photo) out (v)
put (the books) away (v)
put (the headphones) on (v)
put (the computer bag) down (v)
set (this game) up (v)
take (a cell phone) apart (v)
take (the glasses) off (v)
throw (old equipment) away (v)
turn (a computer) off (v)
turn (a game controller) on (v)
turn (an air conditioner) up (v)
turn (the volume) down (v)

© Cambridge University Press 2014 Unit 9, Lesson B, Page 1

Touchstone 2nd Edition • Language summary • Level 3

Grammar
Separable phrasal verbs
Examples of separable phrasal verbs are:

plug in turn on turn off turn up turn down

When the object of a separable phrasal verb is a noun, it can go after or before the particle:

How do you turn on the game controller? (verb + particle + noun object)

How do you turn the game controller on? (verb + noun object + particle)

When the object of a separable phrasal verb is an object pronoun, it goes before the particle.
Do not put an object pronoun after the particle:

How do you turn it on? (verb + object pronoun + particle)

how to, where to, what to

You can use a question word + to + verb in questions within statements, and in questions
within questions:

Let me show you what to do.

(What do you have to do? Let me show you. = Let me show you what you have to do.)

Can you show me how to turn it on?

(How do you turn it on? Can you show me? = Can you show me how you turn it on?)

Do you know where to plug it in?

(Where do you plug it in? Do you know? = Do you know where to plug it in?)

Remember, an object pronoun goes before the particle in phrasal verbs.

© Cambridge University Press 2014 Unit 9, Lesson B, Page 2