93 A, Band C Phrasal Verbs
'
to account for: to cause/explain
I don't know how to account for
the fact that my best student failed
his exams.
to et for sb: to represent sb in a
legal or financial matter
Please contact our lawyer. He will
be acting for the company in this
matter.
act up: to behavebadly/malfunction
What's that noise? Are the twins
acting up?
The washing machine was acting
up again.
to nswer sb ck: to reply in a
rude way to sb in authority who
has told you off (generally, it is
children who answer back)
If he gets told off, he's the kind of
child who will always answer
back.
to answer for: to be punished for
You will answer for all your
misdeeds, mark my words.
to bank on sb/sth: to rely/depend
on
We are banking on your support,
so please don't let us down.
to barge In: to enter somewhere
without knocking; (when you
mention the place that is entered,
you use the preposition into
instead of in)
We should lock the door in case
someone barges in.
Suddenly, a woman barged into
the office and demanded to see
the manager.
to be barking up the wrong tree:
(informal) (i) to wrongly accuse
another person of sth (ii) to
mistakenly believe that sb will
help you
You're barking up the wrong tree
if you think Vince will help you out.
.
. .'
to block : to completely close
a road/street/exit/path, etc so that
nothing can move along it
The police blocked off all the side
streets that led onto the main
thoroughfare.
to bottl h up: to keep strong
feelings and emotions inside you
without expressing them
You should have a good cry.
Bottling things up will only make
you feel worse.
to b nch out (lnto): do sth different
from your normal activities or
work.
In order to be competitive, we
decided to branch out and teach
Portuguese as well as English.
to brush up on 8th: to practise and
study a skill (particularly a
language) that you were very
good at in the past, so that you
are proficient at it once again
I'll need to brush up on my French
before we go to Paris.
to bump Into sb: to meet sb by
chance
I was in the supermarket the other
day and I bumped into Rob.
to carry 8th out: if you carry out sth
(a promise/a threat/a task, sb's
orders or instructions/a test) you
do it or act according to it
They have threatened to go on
strike, and, if they carry it out,
London will come to a complete
standstill.
If I give an order, I expect it to be
carried out.
We can't tell you what's wrong with
him until we carry out more tests.
to catch on: to become popular or
fashionable
I doubt whether this new fashion
for ankle socks and high heels will
catch on.
to catch up ( b/sth): (i)to reach
sb (walking/in a car) that is ahead
of you (ii) to reach the same
intellectual level as sb
They are miles ahead of us, and
he's driving really fast. We'll never
catch up with them.
I've missed a lot of lessons so I
have to work hard in order to
catch up with the others in the
class.
to chum 8th out: to produce sth in
great quantities
At one point, the factory was
churning out a million plastic dolls
a week.
to cl mp down on sb/sth: to take
firm official action to stop sb/sth
(a criminal/an illegal activity)
The authorities need to clamp
down on this kind of behaviour.
to conjure up (Images of): to bring
(a picture or image) to mind
The name of the hotel conjured
up images of the faded splendour
of the Raj.
to be coop d up (In a place): to be
in a place (a room, office, house,
etc) which is too small so that you
feel uncomfortable and you want
to get out
I hate being cooped up indoors
when it is sunny outside.
to crop up (at work) : to
happen/appear suddenly and
unexpectedly (often used in
excuses for not doing things or
for breaking arrangements)
I'm afraid I can't come. Something
has just cropped up at work.
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93
13 If they think Jan did it, they are barking the wrong
C Practice tree. He was with me when it supposedly happened.
A by B up C down D back
1. Cboose the correct item. 14 "I was in Oxford last weekend and you'll never guess
who I bumped .........," he said.
A for B along C into D through
Listen, I can't make it for

dinner tonight. Something has

15 As part of their demonstration, the students blocked
cropped at work and
......... several roads that ran through the city centre.
it looks like I'm going to be
A down Bout C back D off '
stuck at the office all night.
16 They were very fashionable on the Continent, but for
A out B up
some reason they never really caught in
C in D through
England.
2 Polynesia. The very name A in B by C on Dover
conjures images of sundrenched beaches and 17 You'll have to study hard if you want to catch ......... with
warm turquoise seas. the rest of the class.
A out B up Cover D in A up B through C on D upon
3 Never bottle things If you have a problem, you
should get it off your chest and share it with someone.
A over B up C in D along 2. Rewrite the following sentences using a phrasal verb
4 She is a prolific writer. She churns at least five from this unit.
novels a year. 1 We've decided to expand our business by selling
A over B off C away D out second-hand books .
5 She hasn't spoken German for over a year and I think
she wants to brush ......... a few things.
A out in B on with C up on D over on 2 Something is wrong with the computer.

6 I'd been cooped in my office all morning so 1

went out for a walk and a spot of fresh air.
3 Before I go to the interview I ought to study and
A over B by C down D up
improve my Italian.
7 The door burst open and his mother barged "I
thought so," she said. "You're not doing your
homework." 4 The fact that she is under a lot of pressure might
A into B in C on D along explain why she is behaving so strangely.
8 I know he said he would help but I wouldn't bank .........
it. You know how unreliable he is.
A for B with C to D on 5 Someone will have to pay for this terrible mistake.

9 His refusal to carry his superior's orders resulted

in his being court-martialled .
6 The government has promised to take strong
A out B through C off D on
measures to stop vandalism in inner city areas.
10 As their bookshop wasn't doing very well, they decided
to branch and sell compact discs and cassettes
as well. 7 The lawyers representing him asked the judge to
A out B over C down on D out for dismiss the case.
11 The government are strongly committed to clamping
......... unregulated parking.
A out on B over C down on D out for 8 He might be able to give you some extra work but I
wouldn 't rely on it.
12 She looked at her son. "You must not answer ..
when your teacher tells you off," she said.
A down B off Cover D back