ASK

ask after - preguntar por

I saw James yesterday, he was asking after you, you should give him a call.
 ask around - preguntar por ahí
 I don't know where to find that, but I'll ask around for you. .

BACK 
back out of - (a) decidir no cumplir algo prometido o planeado como consecuencia de dejar de apoyar el plan
(b) atrás, echarse para atrás
 They backed out of the deal because they couldn't afford the price.

TO BE
(a) terminar (b) at one's friend - estar de visita
 It's all over between them.
 I'm going to Madird this Summer. I'll be over at my parents's house.
to be off - (a) irse (b) cancelarse (c) terminar de trabajar (d) descomponerse/echarse a perder
 The game was off due to bad weather.
 My girlfriend is off from work at 5 p.m.
 This milk is off, look, it's rancid.
to be down with - caer enfermo
 My brother is down with a sore throat, so he will have to stay in bed.
to be away - estar afuera/lejos del hogar, ausentarse
 Bill is not in town. She is away for this month.
to be well up on - saber mucho de algo
 Johnny is a real "film buff": he's well up on everything related to cinema.
to be out to - tener la intención firme de hacer algo
 I'm out to get my degree, so I'll give up working to study
to be around - estar cerca/ por los alrededores I'll be around in case you need some help.
to be behind with - estar atrasado con
 I have had so many meetings that I'm behind with my work now.
to be back - estar de regreso. Sarah is back from her vacation in the USA.
to be on - (a) acontecer/tener lugar: exhibiciones, conciertos, películas (b) to someone about something - estar
constantemente criticando a alguien
 The film is on next Saturday. Will you come?
 Rob's always on to Claire about her manners.
to be through with - terminar con algo
 Susan is through with her report.

TO BREAK
break out - (a) escaparse (b) estallar, producirse (c) in brotar en la piel
 Yesterday I read an article about a man breaking out of prison. 

TO BRING
bring to  - reanimar
 Frank came to the hospital unconscious, but the nurses brought him to.
bring on - producir, causar, estimular, hacer crecer. Smoking can bring on many illnesses.
bring around  - hacer recobrar el conocimiento
 He was unconscious for two minutes until the doctors brought him around.
bring out - sacar, sacar a relucir, publicar, lanzar al mercado
 She brought out the worst in him. It's good that they're not together anymore.
bring together -  reconciliar

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 Sarah's party brought Andy and Jane together.
bring about - ocasionar, provocar
 The heavy rain brought about floods in the North of England.
bring back - devolver, restaurar, traer recuerdos, revivir
 This song brings back a lot of memories of my childhood.

 TO CALL
call down - pedir, maldecir, echar la bronca
 My mother called me down for not cleaning my room.
call forth - motivar, provocar, inspirar
 His behaviour at school has called forth his immediate expulsion. 
  call for - pedir, exigir, pronosticar
 Such a good piece of news! It calls for a toast!
call off - cancelar, suspender, dar por terminado
 We'll have to call off our meeting, I have to travel to our London office. 

TO CARRY 
carry out - (a) an investigation - llevar a cabo una investigación (b) a survey - realizar una encuesta (c) a promise -
cumplir una promesa
 The police will carry out an investigation and inform the press of any new developments.
 We will carry out a survey to see if our clients are happy with our service.
I am a man of my word, I always carry out my promises.
carry through - llevar a cabo/a término
 The plan was carried through to perfection, thanks for your help.

TO CAST
 cast aside - dejar de lado, deshacerse de
 Ana cast aside David because he was a cheater. 
cast out – expulsar. She was cast out of home when her father found out she was a prostitute. 

 TO CATCH
catch out - pillar/agarrar/descubrir
 She is always flirting with other guys, if she's not careful her boyfriend will catch her out.
catch up - (a) alcanzar (b) alcanzar el nivel (c) be caught up in - estar involucrado en (d) on somebody's sleep -
aprovechar para hacer algo para lo que antes no había tiempo (e) ponerse al día
 I left my wallet in my room. Leave, I'll catch you up in a minute.
John has missed a lot of classes, it will take him a while to catch up with the rest of the group.
The politician was caught up in the scandal..
 Friday nights I'm tired. I catch up on my sleep on Saturdays.
Los viernes por la noche estoy cansado. Aprovecho para hacer cosas atrasadas los sábados.

 TO COME
come about - suceder, ocurrir
 Exactly how did the accident come about?  
come apart - deshacerse, caerse en pedazos
 I didn't break it on purpose, it just came apart in my hands. 
 No lo rompí a propósito, simplemente se rompió en mis manos.
 Let me come back to my original point, I think I'm getting side tracked.
Dejadme que vuelva a lo que estaba diciendo, creo que me estoy yendo por las ramas.
 come up - (a) subir (b) acercarse (c) against - tropezar con, tener que vérselas con alguien (d) to - llegar hasta (e) with -
proponer, sugerir una idea
 come up to her room, she's in there. 
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 He came up and asked for my phone number. 
 He came up against some strong competition to make it to the final. 
 The water only comes up to my knees. 
 He asked me why I didn't show up last night and I couldn't come up with an answer.  come across - encontrarse con,
toparse con
John came across a very interesting film the other day. 
come through - (a) sobrevivir, recuperarse, salir ileso (b) with - lograr
 It was a terrible accident, but everybody came through it. 
 After weeks of saving, he finally came through with the money. 
come after - perseguir a alguien, o buscar a alguien generalmente para castigarlo
 The police are coming after us, run! come along - (a) acompañar, presentarse, aparecer, apurarse, (b) progresar,
evolucionar
 Come along with me, I have something to show you. 
 How is the patient coming along after the surgery? 
come between - arruinar una relación
 Don't let my friendship with my ex-boyfriend come between us. 
come down - (a) bajar, caer, aterrizar, derrumbarse, ser derribado (b) on - castigar o criticar a alguien duramente
(c) with - caer enfermo
 They chopped the tree for hours, they didn't think it would ever come down. 
 The law should come down hard on criminals.
 Joan will not be able to come, she has come down with a flu. 
come loose - aflojarse
 If you pull the rope it will come loose! 

TO CUT 
 cut off - (a) aislar
 All the people from the city has been cut off due to the blizzard.
 Toda la gente de la ciudad ha sido aislada debido a la tormenta de nieve.
cut across - tomar un atajo
 We will gain time if we cut across this field.
cut down - (a) cortar, acortar, reducir, abreviar (b) on - reducir el consumo de, reducir, recortar
 The teacher asked Ross to cut down his essay, it was too long.
 Sally is cutting down on sweets, she says she wants to lose weight.
 Sally está comiendo menos dulces, dice que quiere perder peso.
cut out - (a) dejar de beber o fumar (b) cortar, omitir, eliminar
 I'm gonna cut out smoking for a few days. 
 John cut out many details of the story.
  cut back on - reducir, cortar, economizar 
 We should cut back on our expenses if we want to make ends meet. 
cut in - (a) interrumpir (b) adelantar con el coche de repente, colarse
 Don't cut me in when I'm speaking!
 The police cut in the thieves in the avenue.
cut through - abrirse camino a través de, sortear, saltarse
 Cut through all that criticism and carry on with your plan.

TO DO
do away with  (b) matar, liquidar, asesinar
 The gangster did away with the taxi driver.
 El gángster liquidó al taxista.
do down - menospreciar, subestimarse 
 Why am I always doing myself down? I'm an amazing woman! 
do for - acabar con, matar, estar rendido. Smoking two packets a day will do for your health

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 do in - (a) extenuar (b) matar
 Elisa is done in after running five miles.
 The assassin did them in with a machine gun. El asesino se los cargó con una ametralladora 
do over - (a) volver a hacer. My boss asked me to do the report over again. 
do with - tener que ver con. It has nothing to do with you.
do without - apañarse sin algo. The shop is closed, we'll have to do without milk.

TO DRAW
draw back - volver atrás
 She drew back when the car accelerated past her. Ella se fue hacia atrás cuando el coche aceleró
draw in/into - llegar (un tren). The train drew into the station. El tren llegó a la estación.
draw near - acercarse
 The dog gets excited when he hears his owners drawing near. 
draw out - (a) estirar (b) retirar dinero de una cuenta bancaria
 His speech was supposed to finish at 7pm, but he drew it out one more hour. pero lo extendió una hora más.
 I need to go to the bank to draw out some money. Is there one near?
draw up - detenerse (un vehículo); redactar un plan o un documento formal
 A taxi drew up at the door but nobody had ordered one
  Our lawyer is drawing up the contract as we speak. 

TO DROPE
drop behind -  quedarse atrás. I dropped behind everyone else because I hurt my leg.
drop by - visitar informalmente. If I have time I will drop by his office this afternoon.
drop off - (a) quedarse dormido (c) entregar, despachar (d) acercar a alguien
 He was so tired after the wedding he dropped off in the car on the way home.
 Will you drop this letter off at the post office for me?
 Will you drop me off the supermarket on your way to workdrop out of - abandonar
 I dropped out of school at 17 to work in my father's business.

TO FALL
all about - morirse de risa. Paul fell about when I showed him my costume . 
fall behind - (a) retrasarse, quedar atrás (b) with - atrasarse con un pago
 My favuorite runner is falling behind!¡Mi corredor favorito se está quedando atrás!
 My telephone was cut off because I fell behind with the payment
 fall off - desprenderse, disminuir, decaer
 My son used to have good marks, but now his performance has fallen off.
all apart - deshacerse, caerse a pedazos, fracasar
 Their marriage fell apart when he went to live abroad.
fall back  (b) on/ upon - recurrir a algo . Tom will have to fall back on his mother to pay the rent.
fall down - caerse, hundirse, fallar, fracasar
 A flowerpot fell down from the balcony and broke my leg.
 Our business has fallen down because of the crisis. Nuestro negocio ha fracasado a causa de la crisis.
fall in - (a) caerse, desplomarse (b) with - encontrarse con alguien
 My car wasn't parket at the car park when its roof fell in 
 I fell in with María in town this morning.
fall into - caer en, caerse en . Sam fell into a coma after the heart attack.
 The kid tripped and fell into the bushes. El niño tropezó y se cayó en los arbustos.
  fall on - caer en
 This year my boyfriend's birthday will fall on Sunday Este año el cumpleaños de mi novio caerá en domingo.
 Fall out - (a) romper filas (b) with - pelear con alguien 

 The soldiers fell out after the colonel's order.

 The goal keeper fell out with the referee after the penalty.
fall over - caerse, tropezar

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 The puppy is still clumsy and falls over everything.El cachorro todavía es torpe y se tropieza con todo .
fall through - fracasar
 My plan has fallen through because of the bad weather. Mi plan ha fracasado por el mal tiempo.

TO GET
get about - (a) divulgarse, correr un rumor
 It got about that John has proposed to Mary. Se corrió el rumor de que John le propuso matrimonio a Mary.
get around - (a) viajar a varios lugares diferentes (b) divulgar una noticia (c) evadir algo (d) to hacer algo que has tenido
intención de hacer por mucho tiempo
 I'd love to get around more, I always go to England for my holidays.
 Don't let it get around that I broke up with Marisa. No dejes que se divulgue que he roto con Marisa.
 I think we're getting around the problem of the lost money.
 Michael finally got around to visiting his mother. Michael finalmente consiguió ir a visitar a su madre.
get out - (a) salir (b) of - pensar que algo es útil (d) of - librarse
 I need to get out tonight.
 Do you seriously think you'll get any money out of selling computers?
¿Realmente crees que sacarás algo de dinero de vender ordenadores?
 You won't be able to get out of this easily. 
get through - (a) aprobar (b) superar (c) terminar, aguantar (d) to - hacerle comprender algo a alguien (e) to - pasar a
otro nivel en una competencia
 You must study if you want to get through that exam.
 It's been very hard for me to get through my divorce. 
 I got through the whole book in two days.
 Teenagers are generally hard to get through to. Generalmente, es difícil hacer a los adolescentes comprender cosas. 
 My team won the match and so we got through to the final. 
get by - pasar, arreglárselas
 I couldn't study much, but I got by and passed the exam.
get up to - llegar a un punto de algo que estás haciendo y detenerte ahí
 I couldn't finish the book, I only got up to the sixth chapter.
 get over - (a) superar Rob couldn't get over his fear of flying.
get away - (a) irse, apartarse,tomarse unas vacaciones (b) salir, escaparse (c) with - lo lograr no ser criticado o castigado
por algo malo que hayas hecho, indemne.
 You should get away for a couple of days and rest. Deberías irte un par de días y descansar.
 Quickly! Catch them before they get away. ¡Rápido! Cógelos antes de que se escapen.
 Sally thought she could get away with lying to me, but this time she's been caught.
get ahead - tomar la delantera, progresar. Mike's really getting ahead in the company. 
get across - hacer entender. How can I get my message across if nobody listens to me?
get after - perseguir . Get after him! He's going to escape!
get at – sobornar. Stop getting at me! I'll do what I want!
get behind - (a) retrasarse, quedarse atrás (b) apoyar
 I got behind with the payment of the house, could I borrow some money?
 We all got behind our friend when we saw that he was being fired unfairly.
get together - (a) controlar tus emociones y calmarte, serenarse (b) poner en orden (c) reunirse (d) comenzar una
relación romántica
 Give me a moment to get myself together. That was an emotional movie!
I need to get my desk together, I can't stand this mess.
 We should get together one day for dinner!
 James and Julie got together last week. They're in love!
get into - comenzar a estar interesado en algo o comenzar a estar involucrado en una actividad, comenzar a tener un
hábito o comportamiento en particular, involucrar a alguien o involucrarse en una difícil situación sin intención
 I'm really getting into "Game of Thrones", you should watch it.
 Estoy realmente enganchado a "Juego de Tronos", deberías verlo...
get off - (a) dejar, librarse. I need medical help to get off drugs. Necesito ayuda médica para dejar las drogas.

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 TO GIVE
give out - (a) repartir, distribuir (b) divulgar (c) emitir (d) acabarse, agotarse
 Did you give out eggs this Easter?
 The exam results were given out on Monday morning. Los resultados del examen salieron el lunes por la mañana.
 The candle doesn't gave out enough light. La vela no emite suficiente luz.
 Fresh water supply will give out in a few days, we should find another.
give away - (a) regalar (b) revelar, delatar (c) entregar a la novia en el altar
 She didn't want to throw her old clothes in the bin, so she gave them away .
 I didn't want anyone to know I'd been drinking, but my eyes gave it away.
 Her father is going to give her away at her wedding. Su padre va a entregarla en el altar en su boda.
give out – distribuir. I love it when they give out free samples at the supermarket! 
give over to- entregarse. We knew he was guilty, that's why he gave himself over to the police.
give off- despedir, emitir. The barbeque is giving off a lot of smoke

TO GO
go about -(a) comenzar a hacer algo (b) correr un rumor (c) pasar el tiempo comportándote mal (d) together - pasar
mucho tiempo con alguien porque es tu amigo
 How should I go about fixing these financial difficulties?
 A rumour is going about affecting his reputation.
 Her son goes about fighting the other children at school.
 Albert and Laura used to go about together everyday at uni and now they going to get married.
go across - cruzar, atravesar. We have to go across the river if we want to get to the camp site.
go along - (a) seguir, acompañar (b) suceder o desarrollarse de cierta forma (c) with - estar de acuerdo con 
 Go along with Rob, he'll show you the way.. He was scared about the surgery, but everything went along well.
 I don't like the way she thinks, but this time I go along with her reasoning.
go around - (a) haber suficiente para todos (b) ir a visitar a alguien
 I'm sure there'll be enough cake to go around everyone. Estoy seguro de que habrá suficiente tarta para todos.
 This weekend I'll go around Claire's house to see her new kitten.
go at - atacar, arremeter . A thief went at me thinking I had money in my pocket.
go back - (a) on - volverse atrás en, incumplir (b) over - examinar o pensar en algo de nuevo o una vez que haya
sucedido (c) to - datar (d) to - recordar (e) to - volver a tener una relación romántica con alguien
 She promised she was going come with me and now she's gone back on what she said. 
 We should go back over the plan, our results aren't good enough.
Deberíamos volver a pensar el plan, nuestros resultados no son suficientemente buenos.
 This book goes back to 1900 and was found in a monastery.
 My grandfather is always going back to his days in the army.
 James went back to Rose after their argument.
go before - enjuiciar
 If we don't agree after this meeting, we'll go before a judge.
Si no nos ponemos de acuerdo después de esta reunión, nos pondremos delante de un juez.
go by - (a) pasar por (b) guiarse por (c) transcurrir 
 We'll have to go by the petrol station before taking the motorway.
 I don't know how to do it either so let's go by  common sense.
 As time goes by, wrinkles appear on your face.
  go in - (a) entrar (b) caber (c) for - presentarse a, interesarse en
 Go in, please. We were waiting for you.
 Don't put those dishes in that draw, they won't go in. 
 Rachel will go in for her driving license test one more time. 
go into - (a) chocar contra (b) examinar a fondo
 My car swerved and I went into a streetlight. 

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 The detective is going into the evidence to solve the crime.
go off- (a) marcharse (b) apagarse (c) echarse a perder (d) perder el gusto a algo (e) with - dejar a alguien por otra
persona (f) with - robar algo, o tomar algo sin pedirlo,
 They're going off to Cuba for their holidays.
 The power went off when the child was at home alone.
 The shellfish has gone off , it smells terrible!
Patrick used to go running quite often but he's gone off it.
 Jonny has left his wife and gone off with a younger girl.
 I needed that backpack this weekend, but my brother went off with it.
go on - (a) seguir, durar (b) basarse en (c) at - criticar a alguien continuamente (d) to - hacer una cosa después de haber
acabado otra.
 I fell asleep at the cinema because the movie went on for more than three hours.
 You are going on what Iris told you to accuse me, aren't you? 
 My mother is always going on at me about the girlfriends I have.
 After visiting Paris we will go on to Berlin.
  go out - (a) to - viajar a otro país por un largo tiempo (b) with - salir con alguien
 Roddy went out to France to study a new course. Roddy se fue a Francia a estudiar un curso nuevo.
 I didn't know he was going out with Jane when I kissed him.
  go round - (a) dar vueltas (b) visitar (c) patrullar
 The children were going round like crazy during the break at school.
 Don't forget to go round the Royal Palace if you go to Madrid.
 The police were already going round my neighbourhood when I called them.
go through- (a) repasar, registrar (b) atravesar (c) with - llevar a cabo
 I'm going to go through the files to check that everything is correct.
 Mary has been going through a rough time but she's fine again now.
 The manager is going through with the recruitment process this afternoon.
go to - otorgar . The cup will go to the fastest runner.
 go towards - destinar dinero en . All my savings are going to go towards my holidays.
go under - (a) hundirse (b) quebrar. The Titanic went under a century ago.
 The company is going to go under if they don't take care of the quality of their product.
go up against- competir. Spain had to go up against Holland to win the cup.
go with- salir con, acompañar. A salad would go with this steak. Una ensalada acompañaría bien a este filete.
go without - prescindir de, arreglárselas. You will have to go without bread, it's late and the shop is closed already.

TO HAND
hand on - pasar un objeto. Could you hand me on the stapler, please? 
hand out – distribuir. We have to hand out a thousand flyers before the concert starts.
 hand over - entregar (imperativo). Hand over the money and I won't kill you.

 TO HANG
hang around - hacer tiempo. Don't worry if you are late, I'll be hanging around at the shopping center. 
hang back - estar indeciso. If Jenny hangs back one more day I'll look for another girlfriend. 
hang in – perseverar. After failing a few times, Rachel hung in and got her driving licence. 
hang on - (a) esperar (b) to - quedarse con, mantener
 Hang on a minute, did you say you're going to leave the company? 
 I'm going to hang on to my books and throw away my magazines. 
hang up - (a) retener (b) colgar el teléfono
 We were hung up at the airport for two hours because something was wrong with the plane 
 I hung up the phone when my mother came into my room. .

TO HAVE
have against - tener en contra. I have nothing against you, but I don't like what you're saying.
have around/round- tener cerca, tener alrededor. Laura hasn't been around in a long time.
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 have in - llamar a alguien para que venga a tu casa. We had to have the electrician in to fix the short circuit.
have off - librar en el trabajo. Don't call me, please. I have the afternoon off so I'll be having a siesta. 
have out with - intentar hacer las paces
 I'm gonna have it out with my sister to solve our problem. Voy a hablar con mi hermana para resolver nuestro problema.

TO HOLD
hold against - echar la culpa, recriminar, guardar rencor. If I say you look fat, will you hold against me? 
hold back - (a) contener (b) ocultar
 I couldn't hold back my anger when she said I was fat.  No podía contener mi ira cuando me dijo que estaba gordo.
 I could tell the politician was holding something back. Diría que el político está ocultando algo.
hold on - (a) esperar (b) durar, perdurar en el tiempo (c) to - coger, sostener, mantener
 Hold on, I'll be there in a minute.
 We said he would die in a year but he held on for four.  Dijimos que moriría en un año pero duró cuatro.
 Hold on to the tickets, I'll go and get the popcorn. Sostén las entradas, yo voy a por palomitas..
hold over – amenazar. My brother caught me smoking a cigarette and he has held it over me ever since. 
hold together - mantenerse unidos . If we want to fight oppression we have to hold together. 

TO KEEP
keep ahead  - mantenerse al frente. His restaurant keeps ahead because of its good quality.
keep away - (a) prevenir una enfermedad (b) mantener alejado
 The doctor vaccinated me to keep away the flu.
 Keep your dog away from me, I'm really scared!
keep back - (a) ocultar (b) retrasarse (c) from - alejarse
 He's keeping some information back from the police.
 Ana has been kept back after school.
 Keep the child back from the edge of the swimming pool! He doesn't know how to swim yet!
keep from - no contarle algo a alguien. Sam is keeping something from me and he doesn't want to tell me what it is!
keep at  - perseverar en algo, insister. I wanted to write the article before today so I kept at it.
keep down - (a) bajar (b) oprimir
 Please, keep the music down. I'm trying to sleep.
 The strikers were kept down by the managers.
keep in - (a) castigar (b) estar ingresado (c) with - estar bien con alguien
 Her mother kept her in because she didn't study enough.
 The surgery was a success. Now we're gonna keep him in for a few days.
 Try to keep in with Jack, he'll become your boss soon. 
 keep to - mantener un secreto Will you tell us what hapened or will you keep it to yourself?

TO KNOCK
knock around - dar una vuelta, pasear. When I live by the sea I'll knock around the shore every day. 
knock back - (a) poner trabas, impedir el progreso (b) beber alcohol rápido.
 The project was knocked back by the financial department.
Knock your drink back, we are leaving to the next bar.
knock down - (a) derribar a alguien (b) atropellar (c) destruir, demoler (d) bajar un precio
 The oldest boxer knocked down his opponent in one punch. 
 My grandmother was knocked down by a tricycle in the park. 
 The judge said that my next-door neighbor has to knock down his garage. 
 If you want to sell all your stock you'll have to knock down the prices. 
knock off - (a) dejar de trabajar (b) artículo falso
 I have to be in the airport at five, so I'll knock off at half past three. 
 I bought this beautiful knock off Rolex in China Town. 
knock out - (a) derrotar a alguien en una competencia (b) poner fuera de combate
No one can knock my boyfriend out playing videogames. 
During the fight outside the disco, the strongest guy knocked three people out. 
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 knock over - arrollar, atropellar. The train knocked over a whole flock of sheep. 
knock up - quedarse embarazada. My sister got knocked up as soon as her husband touched her. 

TO LAY
 lay down - (a) tumbarse (b) bajar armas. I can't wait to go to the beach and lay down on the sand. 
 The thief had to lay down his gun when the police got to the bank. 
lay off - (a) despedir del trabajo (b) dejar en paz (c) dejar un hábito
 Marta was laid off for giving some information to the competition. 
 Lay off me! I can't stand you anymore! 
 I'm going to lay off smoking as soon as I finish this packet. 
lay on - proporcionar, suministrar. The Red Cross laid on food and clothes to those affected by the earthquake. 
lay out - (a) diseñar el trazado de una ciudad (b) gastar (c) amortajar 
 The gardens were laid out by same architect as the palace. 
 Don't lay out all your money on a new TV, you're unemployed! 
 The body was laid out so the coroner could begin his investigation. 
lay up - (a) guardar cama. Michael had to lay up for a month after the knee surgery. 

TO LET
let down - decepcionar . My sister let me down when I counted on her.
let in - dejar entrar (b) on - revelar  
 Let me in, please! It's pissing down!
 Don't let me in on the secret. I don't want to be your accomplice.
let into - abrir la puerta para permitir entrar. The bouncer let us into the club for free.
let off - (a) liberar (b) explosionar
 The judge let the murderer off by mistake.
 At the end of the wedding, the guests let off beautiful fireworks.
let on - revelar un secreto. Rose let on to Lucy that she was going to be fired.
let out- (a) dejar salir (b) contar, revelar
 Let me out, mum! I want to meet my friends!
 Do what I want or I'll let your secret out.
let up - (a) mejorar el tiempo (b) no dejar de hablar
 When the storm lets up I'll drive home.
 Jane never lets up when she drinks beer.

TO LOOK
look after  - cuidar a alguien. I have to look after my nephew this afternoon, I'll take him bowling. 
look away - apartar la Mirada. She looked away when she saw her ex boyfriend coming.
look down on - menospreciar (mirar por encima del hombro).  A good boss never looks down on his employees. 
look forward to - esperar con muchas ganas. I'm looking forward to celebrating my birthday.
look back on  - recordar el pasado. My grandfather always looks back on his days in the army fondly. 
look for – buscar. I'm looking for a job and I'll get it if I improve my English.
look into -  estudiar, investigar. She's looking into Egyptian civilization for her thesis. 
look around - buscar, visitar recorer. We looked around a thousand apartments before finding the one we liked. 

TO MAKE
 make of - querer saber la opinión de alguien acerca de algo o alguien. What do you make of the new teacher?. 
make off - irse rápidamente . The cockroaches made off when I turned on the kitchen light.
make off with - llevarse algo, escaparse con algo. The thieves made off with a lot of money. 
make out - (a) comprender (b) fingir (c) emitir un documento (d) distinguir, comprender
 I can't make out what you're saying, could you repeat? 
 Stop making out that you don't understand me. 
 He made out a check for the cost of the meal.

9
 I can't make out what it is, it's too far away.
make over - (a) cambiar de imagen  (b) make (something) over -  ceder, transferir
 My mother had a make over. Now she looks ten years younger!
 He made his property over to his daughter in his will.
make after - seguir a, perseguir. He made after the thief when he saw him steal a lady's handbag. 
make away with – robar. The thieves made away with my wallet. 
make for - dirigirse hacia, atacar. The cat made for the door when it heard the dog. 
make up - (a) inventar una historia (b) maquilla (c) for - compensar (d) to - recompensar a alguien (e) with –
reconciliarse
 I'm making the story up as I go along. 
She's not ready yet! She still has to do her make up!
 The manager will make up for the inconvenience with a free drink. 
 Sorry I'm late, I will make it up to you tomorrow. 
 After the misunderstanding John is making up with Mary. 

TO MOVE
move about/around - (a) caminar, andar (b) cambiar de sitio, mudarse
  If you're bored come with us. We'll be moving aroundthe center. 
 I've moved around a lot in my life.
move along - (a) mover hacia un lado. Move your chair along so your classmate can see the blackboard too. 
move away - (a) irse a vivir a otro lugar, mudarse (b) retirarse, alejarse
 I'd like to move away from Madrid to Japan and learn how to make good sushi. 
Me gustaría irme de Madrid a Japón y aprender a hacer buen sushi
 Have a shower or move away  from me!  
move back - (a) regresar (b) mover hacia atrás (c) aplazar
 Marta moved back to her parent's house after she got divorced. 
 Move back to let more people get on the bus! 
 We have to move the meeting back an hour. 
move down – bajar. Study more English or you'll be moved down a level. 
move forward - (a) avanzar (b) adelantar
 It'd be nice if we moved the table forward into the shade. 
 I moved forward the date of the wedding because we don't want to marry in the winter.
move in - (a) mudarse, irse a vivir con (b) acercarse (c) intervenir, atacar 
 I'm moving in to my boyfriend's house during the summer. 
Hey, move in, you are too far away to listen to the conversation! 
The troops moved in at night when the enemy was sleeping. 
move off - ponerse en marcha, arrancar. The luggage is in the boot of the car. We're ready to move off. 
move on - (a) continuar un viaje, seguir la marcha (b) pasar al siguiente punto (c) moverse, cambiar de sitio
 We're going to stay in this hotel for the night, we'll move on early in the morning. 
 Is everything clear so far? Shall we move on to the next point?
 I' m moving on to the bar in the corner where my friends are watching football. 
move out - irse de una casa, mudarse. If you move out of your house in August I'll rent it in September.
move over - moverse para hacer sitio. Move the table over to the wall so we'll have more room to dance.
move up - mover hacia arriba. I've been moved up at work! I didn't expect it at all! 

TO PASS
pass along -  distribuir. Take one sheet of paper and pass the rest along. Coge un folio y pasa el resto. 
pass away – morir. Ana's dog passed away so we bought her another one for her Birthday.
pass back – devolver. Could you pass me back my lighter, please? I only have that one. 
pass by - pasar por. I'm going to pass by the supermarket on my way home.
 pass off - hacer pasar por. He passed himself off  as a policeman to rob the bank.
pass out - desmayarse, perder la conciencia. The heat was so unbearable that I almost passed out.
pass up - dejar pasar la oportunidad. She shouldn't pass up the opportunity to kiss him tonight.

10
 TO PLAY
play about / around - juguetear
 Can you stop play about? it's time to go to school... you're supposed to be a teacher. 
play along - seguir la corriente a alguien
 I'm playing a practical joke on Simon, play along. 
play back - volver a poner una grabación . Play that part back to me, please. 
play down - quitar importancia, disimular
 I farted in the elevator and tried to play down because the girl I like was in there.
play off against - enfrentar, malmeter. My ex-girlfriend tries to play me off against her lover. She is a bitch. 
play on - aprovecharse de. Politicians play on people's gullibility. 
play out - evolucionar, desarrolarse, avanzar. Let's let the situation play out to the end and see what happens.

TO PULL
pull ahead - adelantar . John pulled ahead in the final lap and won the medal.
pull apart - (a) separar (b) criticar duramente 
 I couldn't pull the dogs apart when they fought in the park.
 His last film was pulled apart by the movie critics.
  pull at - tirar de algo varias veces. The kid was pulling at his mum's coat until he got what he wanted.
pull away - (a) arrancar (b) apartarse bruscamente
 The cab pulled away suddenly knocking me down.
 I wanted to kiss my nephew but he pulled away.
pull back – retirarse. The Prime Minister said that army is going to pull back.
pull down- derribar, demoler. The house was so old that we had to pull down the whole roof.
pull for – alentar. We were pulling for our team until the last minute.
pull in – estacionar. It took me an hour to pull in in the centre of town.
pull off - llevar a cabo. The plan was pulled off exactly as I wanted. 
pull on - ponerse algo rápido . When the fire started in my kitchen I pulled on a pair of shoes and ran away.
pull out of - irse, partir. The bus I should catch pulls out of the street opposite my house.
pull over - parar a un lado. The taxi driver pulled over as soon as I said that I didn't have enough money. 
pull through – reponerse. I pulled through the flu after a week under my quilt.
pull to - cerrar una puerta o ventana. Shall I pull the door to?
pull together- (a) calmarse (b) trabajar en equipo.
It was difficult for Paul to put himself together after the bad news.
 We have to pull together if we want to finish the project on time.
pull up- (a) acercar (b) detenerse
 Could you please pull up a chair for me?
 the bus pulled up right on time.

TO PUT
put up - (a) colgar, levantar, construir (b) alojar (c) incrementar  
We can put the picture up in the living-room. 
 Of course you can stay, we can put put you up in the spare room. 
 They are putting up their prices way too much.
 put up to - incitar  - put up with - aguantar, tolerar
It wasn't my idea, John put me up to it. No fue idea mía, John me incitó.
 I have to put up with a lot of abuse from my boss. 
put out - (a) apagar, extinguir (b) enojar, incomodar (c) dislocar
 There were a lot of firemen trying to put out the fire. 
 She was quite put out by what her father said.
 The soldier put his arm out when he fell from the wall.
put together - juntar, armar, montar, añadir

11
 Once we've put the wardrobe together we can fill it. 
put down - (a) apuntar (b) sacrificar un animal enfermo (c) bajar, dejar (d) to - atribuir algo a alguien
 Would you put your phone number and email address down on this list? 
 The cat was so ill that we had to put it down. 
 Would you please put your mobile phone down while I am talking.
 I put Jenny's depression down to her divorce.
put away - poner en su sitio, guarder. Once you have put away the shopping I'll make dinner. 
put aside - (a) dejar a un lado, apartar (b) ahorrar
 Put the video games you want aside, I'll keep the rest.
 I put a little money aside each month so I could afford to go on holiday. 
put to – presenter. I'll put the idea to her, but I don't think she'll like it. 
put towards - usar una cantidad de dinero para pagar parte del costo de algo
 I am saving money to put towards a new car. 
put in - (a) instalar  (b) dedicar  (C) for - solicitar
 Could you put a new hard drive in my computer?
I put in a lot of work to our website.
 I put in for a promotion at work. 
put before - anteponer, prestar más atención a una cosa que a otra porque la consideras más importante
 I always put my family before my friends.
put behind - dejar atrás una mala experiencia para olvidarla y que no afecte tu vida
 Try to put the past behind you and continue with your life. 
put forward - presentar, proponer, exponer. I'll put my idea forward in tomorrow's meeting. 
put across - comunicar, hacer entender
 Put your opinions across to your family, they might agree.
put at – estimar. The number of casualties was put at 10,000 by the World Health Organisation. 
put back - (a) poner otra vez en su sitio (b) posponer
 Don't forget to put that book back on the shelf when you're done. 
 Can we put the meeting back to Monday. 
put off - (a) postponer (b) distraer (c) causar rechazo
 I should stop putting my homework off .
 Stop putting me off. I can't concentrate!
 Seeing that accident has put me off my dinner.
put on - (a) ponerse (b) encender (c) aumentar
 Put your coats on it's cold outside.
Poneos los abrigos que hace frío fuera.
 Let's put the heating on so it's warm when we come back.
 I think I put on weight over Christmas.
put under - dejar inconsciente a aguien antes de una operación
 The surgeon will put you under for the operation, so you won't feel a thing. 

TO READ
read back - volver a leer. I had to read back the email you sent me to believe what you were saying.
read off - leer una lista, uno por uno. The jury read off the names of the winners and I wasn't on the list.
read into - interpretar algo que se dice dándole mucha importancia
 If you read into what everyone says about you, you'll never be happy. 
read on - seguir leyendo. No mum, I'm not tired. Read on a little bit more for me, please. 
read out - leer en voz alta. She'll have to read out her thesis in front of her professors. 
read over - leer detenidamente. Could you read over the report before we send it to the manager? 
read up on - estudiar, leer acerca de algo, investigar
You should read up on the competition before starting a new business. 

TO RUN
run up - (a) acumular (b) against - encontrarse con, tener que vérselas con alguien

12
 We ran up a huge bill in the restaurant. If you go to the olympics you'll run up against a lot of competition.
run on - prolongarse, durar, seguir hablando. The movie ran on for over two hours. 
run away - escaparse, fugarse. My daughter ran away from boarding school. 
run in - hacer el rodaje. Elisa is running her car in, it is still very new. 
run by - repetir algo dicho. Could you run that by me again? I wasn't paying attention. 
run off - escaparse, fugarse. Her best friend ran off with her boyfriend. 
run to - extenderse, elevarse a, ascender a. The bill runs to 70€. Would you like to pay by cash, or card?.
run down - (a) agotarse (b) menospreciar, criticar.
 The car battery has run down, call a mechanic. 
My brother is always running me down. 
run around - (a) ir corriendo de aquí para allá (b) after - hacer un montón de cosas por alguien cuando deberías hacer
más por tí mismo (c) with - salir con, juntarse con, andar con
 I've been running around all day, would you help me? 
 My Italian grandmother was always running around after me when I was young. 
 I saw your boyfriend running around with another guy. 
run across - tropezarse con, encontrarse con. I ran across your brother in the supermarket. 
run through - echar un vistazo, ensayar
 We should run through the report one more time before we make our presentation. 
run after - perseguir, correr tras. The security guard was running after thief. 
run for - presentarse para ser elegido para un puesto public. Michael is running for mayor. 
run into - (a) entrar corriendo en (b) encontrarse con (c) chocar
 The kids ran into the sweet shop. 
 I ran into my friend while I was in the bank.
 If you don't pay attention you'll run into something.
run out (a) of - quedarse sin (b) on - abandonar
 I ran out of petrol on the way to the hotel. 
 My dad ran out on me when I was a baby. 
run over - (a) derramar (b) atropellar, arrollar
 You've poured so much beer that it is running over the glass! 
 The taxi ran over a cat! I couldn't believe it! 

TO SEE
see about - (a) pensar, considerar (b) ocuparse de
Mike likes singing, I'll see about giving him a karaoke machine for his graduation.
Don't worry if you're busy, I'll see about it.
see in - hacer pasar, recibir. As soon as I finish the meeting see Rachel in.
see into - investigar, examiner. The vet is seeing into a new treatment for my parrot. 
see off - ir a despedir. My brothers and I went to the airport to see my cousin off. 
see out – sobrevivir. The accident was so violent that we wondered if the driver would see the surgery out. 
 see through - (a) calar a alguien (b) mantener a alguien a flote
 I saw through Jenny as soon as I spoke to her. 
 Ten euros are not enough to see my son through a night out.
see to - atender a, ocuparse de. Can't you make the printer work? ok, I'll see to it. 

TO SET
set about - empezar, atacar, agredir. Let's set about studying these phrasal verbs. 
set against - enemistar con, poner en contra de. I think my ex-girlfriend is trying set my friends against me. 
set apart - separar, distinguir. The new player is set apart from the rest because of his speed.  
set aside - (a) reservar (b) poner a un lado, apartar
 My mother said she'd set some lasagne aside for me, it's my favourite. 
 Set those books aside, we'll need them later. 
set back - (a) retrasar (b) costar

13
 The strike set our deadline back by weeks. La huelga retrasó nuestro plazo durante semanas.
 That Rolex must have set you back a small fortune. 
set down - (a) dejar encima de (b) dejar por escrito
 You can set the box down on the floor over there. 
 If you set your thoughts down on paper, you will be able to think about the situation more clearly.
set in - establecerse, empezar. We should leave now, before the snow sets in.
set off - (a) provocar, desencadenar, hacer estallar (b) salir de viaje
 The bomb was set off in the bank. 
 We'll be setting off on Monday, and we won't be back until September. 
set on - agredir, atacar. George was set on by a a group of angry teenagers. 
Set out - (a) exponer, presentar, exponer (b) salir, partir
 She set out her vacation photographs on the table to her guests could see them. 
 We are setting out next week, would you like to come? 
set to - empezar, ponerse a trabajar. If you set to work right now you will have finished for the summer. 
up - colocar, construir, establecer. They set up the business a year ago. 

TO STAND
stand about/around - quedarse parado, sin actuar. Stop standing around. We have lots of things to do! 
stand down - retirarse, renunciar. Our coach decided to stand down after the last defeat. 
stand for - significar, representar. English  stands for English on the Rocks. 
stand in – sustituir. When Carol was sick, Mary stood in for her. 
stand off - mantener a distancia. The police used rubber bullets to stand off the people.
stand out - sobresalir, destacar. Your yellow hat stood out at the wedding. 
stand over – vigilar. Stand over the baby while I have a shower, please 
stand up - ponerse de pie. Stand up and come here! 
stand up for – defender. Don't worry about him, he knows how to stand up for himself..

TO TAKE
take away - llevarse, quitar. She couldn't finish her meal so she took it away for later. 
take back - devolver, retomar, retirar.
When you take back that DVD have a look to see if there is anything else worth watching.
take care of – cuidar. Could you take care of my cat while I'm on holiday? 
down - (a) bajar (b) tomar nota
 Could you take that painting down? it gives me the creeps. 
 You may want to take down some notes. There will be a lot of information. 
take for - tomar por. What do you take me for? A fool? I don't believe that at all!
take in - (a) asimilar (b) comprender (c) achicar
 I can't take in the fact that I'm divorced! It will take time to get used to. 
 There was too much information to take in at one time. 
 It's a nice skirt, but I'll need to take the hem in. 
take through - explicarle algo a alguien o mostrarle cómo se hace algo.
 It seems complicated at first, but I'll take you through it step by step. 
take to - encariñarse con alguien, aficionarse a. Mike took to Audrey from the moment he met her. 
take aside - llevar aparte, llevar a un lado. John took Anthony aside and told him to stop drinking. 
take up - (a) continuar (b) ocupar tiempo-espacio (c) comenzar, emprender (d) on - aceptar una oferta (e) with -
hacerse amigo de alguien, juntarse con alguien
 I will take the story up from where we left off yesterday. 
 The TV takes up too much space. We need a new flat screen!
 I think I would like to take up a self defence class. 
I'd like to taking you up on the job offer? 
 Robert has taken up with a bad crowd, I hope they don't influence his behaviour too much. 
take upon - asumir la responsabilidad de. James took upon the responsibility of his sister children after the accident. 
 take out sacar (b) invitar a una fiesta, etc (c) of - hacer que alguien se sienta muy cansado (d) on - desquitarse con
 Take out the trash, the bag is full. 

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 Let me take you out for dinner. 
 The plane journey has taken it out of me, I'm going to take a nap. 
 I know you are upset, please don't take it out on me.\
 take apart - (a) destrozar, dar una paliza (b) desmontar
 My team took the opposition apart! That's why we're all celebrating. 
 The mechanic had to take the engine apart see what the problem was. 
take on - (a) encargarse de (b) contratar
 I'm too young to take on this much responsibility. 
 I've been taken on by a very important marketing company.
take after - parecerse a. She has completely taken after her mother with her sense of humour. 
take aback - desconcertar, sorprender. The news took me aback, it was completely unexpected.
take along - llevar consigo. When you go camping you should take along some toilet paper. 
take around - visitar un lugar con alguien mostrándole los lugares más interesantes
 If you come and visit I will take you around the city. 
take off - (a) quitar(se) (b) descontar (c) despegar (d) imitar
 I took my jacket off and hung it by the door.
 Our food arrived late so I asked them to took it off the bill.
 The plane takes off in an hour, we don't have time for a meal. 
 Colin is good at taking off the voices of celebrities. 
take over - (a) asumir, encargarse de (b) from - reemplazar a alguien
 I would like your colleague take over the design if you don't mind. 
 Kyle will take over from Alberto until he has recovered. 

TO TALK
alk back - contestar mal. Don't talk back to Rob or you'll get in trouble. 
talk down - (a) hacer cambiar de opinión  (b) hablar de forma condescendiente
 The fireman talked the girl down when the girl wanted to jump off the bridge. 
 If you talk down to your child, he'll resent you. 
talk into - persuadir, convencer. I'm talking my best friend into going on holliday.
talk out of – disuadir. Paul is trying to talk his son out of  leaving his job.
talk over - discutir algo. We are meeting to talk over the idea of selling the company. 
talk round – convencer. I wanted to leave home but my parents talked me around.

TO THINK
think about - ponderar, darle vueltas a algo. We are thinking about going to see that movie.
think ahead - pensar con antelación, prever. Try to think ahead if you want to avoid problems. 
think back - hacer memoria, recorder. The judge asked them to think back and tell him what happened. 
think of - (a) ocurrirse (b) considerar
 I can't think of bad of you. 
 They are thinking of getting married next year. 
think out - elaborar, trabajar algo bien. We have thought out every detail of the project. 
think over - considerar algo detenidamente, consultarlo con la almohada.
 I have to think it over before giving you an answer. 
think through - pensar algo detenidamente analizando sus consecuencias, sopesar.
 Rachel is thinking through his new job offer. 
think up - inventar, idear, ocurrir. They have thought up a plan to increase their sales. 

TO THROW
throw up – vomitar. This medicine made me throw up all night.
throw over - dejar, abandoner. James has thrown Maria over without giving her any explanation. 
throw off - librarse de. You must stay in bed for a few days if you want to throw off that cold. 
throw away/throw out - tirar, soltar. Please throw that rubbish away in the bin. 
throw down - tirar, lanzar. Michael threw a pencil downto another student in class. 
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 throw in - incluir, añadir. The box of chocolates you want to buy also has a nice little cardthrown in. 
throw on -  ponerse de prisa, ponerse cualquier cosa. When I heard the car I threw my coat on and run downstairs. 
throw together - improvisar, juntar rápidamente. I had no time so I threw some dinner together quickly.

TO TURN
turn away - (a) no dejar entrar (b) volver la espalda o la mirada
 Please turn away all everyone else, there's no more room.
 John was so embarrassed at what she saw that she turned away.
turn down - (a) rechazar (b) bajar, reducir
 Sally turned down a great job offer because she had to move to Madrid.
 Please turn down the heating, I'm boiling. 
turn out - (a) resultar (b) apagar (c) to be - resultar ser
 Mike was afraid about not passing the exam, but it turned out fine.
 Please turn out the light.
 The film turned out to be very boring.
turn upside down - desordenar, desarreglar. Don't turn the room upside down, the guests will be here any minute. 
turn up - (a) aparecer (b) subir el volumen
 Grandmother finally turned up after being missing for many days. 
 Please turn the volume up, I loooove this song. 
turn against - poner en contra, ponerse en contra. I won't be turned against my friend!
turn on - (a) encender (b) to - hacer que a alguien comience a gustarle algo o alguien
 Turn on the TV, I'm bored. 
 It was his friend who turned Rob on to rock music. 
turn over - (a) volverse, entregar, facturar
 Luis turned over and looked out the window.
 The company turns over a large amount of money. 
 This cheque must be turned over to the boss. 
turn back - volverse, hacer regresar, devolver. We'll have to turn back to the restaurant. I forgot my wallet on the table. 
turn in – acostarse. Why don't you turn in if you are so tired? 
turn off - apagar, desenchufar, desconectar. Did you remember to turn the oven off ? 
turn to - (a) pedir ayuda o consejo (b) comenzar a hacer algo malo generalmente porque eres infeliz
 Michael needed a piece of advice, that's why he turned to me.
 Paul turned to drinking after losing his job 
turn inside out - dar vuelta. Let's turn his house inside out to see if we find the diamonds. 
turn into – convertirse. After the operation John will turn into Jane.
turn around – volverse. Mary was so mean that all the men turned around to avoid making eye contact with her.

TO WEAR
wear away – desgastar. I've been running so much I've worrn away the soles of my shoes. 
wear out - (a) gastarse por el uso (b) estar exhaust
The engine wore out after the first 100 miles. 
I'm completely worn out after the gym. 
wear on - transcurrir lentamente. As the movie wore on I could feel myself falling asleep. 
wear off - disminuir, desparecer. Take his car keys, the alcohol will have worn off in the morning. 
wear down - desgastar, agotar. That lecture was so long I wore down three pencils taking notes.

TO WORK
work in - (a) introducir (b) with - encajar
 The CEO worked in a few changes during the meeting. 
 What you're saying don't work in with what we're talking about.  work off - (a) superar  
 I'm going to go for a run to work off this hamburger. 
work out - (a) resolver (b) calcular (c) producir el resultado deseado (d) hacer ejercicio
 After all those problems, things worked out fine. 
 Paul has been working out the budget this morning. 
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 The negotiations worked out as expected. 
 I should work out everyday to be toned. 

TO WRITE
write back - contestar por escrito
 I don't know why my friend David never wrote meback.  write down - tomar nota
 Write down what the scientist says at the conference. 
write into - dar por escrito . You'll start working with us if you sign the conditions written into this contract. 
write off - cancelar, dar de baja
 If prices increase again, we will have to write off the contract with the electricity company.   
write out - (a) pasar a limpio - (b) hacer desaparecer un personaje de un guión
 I need to see a draft copy, go home and write  it out. 
 One of the characters was so insignificant that the writer had to write him out.
write up – redactor. The article has to be written up in ten minutes and I don't have a topic yet!

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