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At home A
Moving house Reply
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Hi Freddie, I’m just settling in1 to the new house now and beginning to enjoy it. There were so many things that needed doing in the first few days. I had to chuck away2 some old bits of furniture that belonged to the previous owner, put up3 my bookshelves in the study, smarten up4 the living room with a coat of white paint, wash down the kitchen walls and units, put away all the kitchen things that were still in boxes, mop up5 a pool of oil in the garage, block up6 a suspicious-looking hole that could have been a mouse hole (aargh!) and put all the empty boxes out7 in the rubbish. I thought I’d never finish! As I’m writing this I’ve got the TV on and one of those home-improvement programmes is just about to start. I’m going to switch it off – I can’t take any more! Once I’ve got the place straightened up8, I’ll invite you over for a meal. Love, Abigail 1
becoming relaxed and happy in new surroundings (informal) get rid of something that is not needed any more (also chuck out) 3 fasten a piece of furniture (e.g. shelves, cupboard) to a wall or assemble something 4 make a place (or a person) look tidier 5 use a cloth or a mop to remove a liquid that has been dropped or that has spread 6 fill a hole so that nothing can pass through it 7 (common collocation: put the rubbish out) 8 made tidy 2
B
At home Pull up a chair and come and sit next to me. I want to show you something. [move a piece of furniture (especially a chair) near to something or someone] The last person to leave has to lock up. [lock all the doors and windows of a building when you leave it] We were sorry to part with our old sofa, but our son needed one for his flat. [give something away, usually when you do not want to] Pull/push the door to, will you? It’s cold in here. [only used of doors and windows: close or almost close a door or window by pulling it towards you / pushing it] Here, let me plump up this cushion; then you can rest your head on it and relax. [make something (e.g. cushion, pillow) rounder and softer, especially by shaking it] We’ll have to move those bags and shoes; they’re just cluttering up the hallway. [fill something in an untidy or badly organised way] We’ve had the bedroom done out in pale green. It’s a nice relaxing colour. [decorated (also done up)] This morning I forgot to clear away the breakfast things before leaving the house. [remove in order to make a place tidy] I’m fed up with having to clean up after / clear up after my flatmates. [remove dirt someone has made / make the place tidy by putting things back where they belong]
Tip Associating a set of phrasal verbs with a place or a situation (e.g. your house or flat) will help you remember them better. 78
English Phrasal Verbs in Use Advanced