Ebook 1 Phrasal Verbs

19

Making progress A

Beginning and ending phrasal verb with collocations

definition of phrasal verb

example

new businesses / political movements / buildings spring up

suddenly appear or begin to exist

At the turn of the century, new left-wing political movements sprang up.

new buildings / factories / cafés sprout up

suddenly appear or begin to exist

Pavement cafés have suddenly sprouted up all over the town.

open up opportunities/ possibilities or opportunities/ possibilities open up

make possible or become possible

The new shopping centre will open up all sorts of job opportunities.

break up a meeting/party or a meeting/party breaks up

end, people start to leave

I’m sorry to break up the party, but it’s getting very late.

finish with magazine/ scissors/salt

no longer need

Can you let me have the magazine when you’ve finished with it?

trend/business/price bottoms out

reach a low level and stay there

The share price fell steadily last year but has now bottomed out.

game/match/anger/protest/ conflict peters out1

gradually become less strong and then stop completely

The crowd started shouting and protesting, but the protests soon petered out when they saw the armed police.

wind up a business/interview/ meeting

end

Jack intends to wind up his business soon.

1

an interesting phrasal verb in that, unusually, to peter does not exist as a verb on its own

B

Helping and hindering progress We couldn’t continue when our cheap supply of materials dried up1.

Things’ve been falling apart2 since the new manager arrived.

We had some staffing problems but the new HR person has magicked them away4.

How’s progress with your business?

We can’t do anything at the moment because the money’s run out.

We’re pressing on3 though we’ve had lots of problems. We can’t do anything at the moment because the money’s run out.

42

My PA has really improved things recently, so I hope we can hang on to5 her.

The CEO’s whittling away (at)6 the authority of middle managers.

1

4

2

5

came to an end not working well 3 continuing in a determined way

English Phrasal Verbs in Use Advanced

We got up to the third stage of our plan but haven’t made much progress since.

made them disappear, as if by magic keep 6 gradually reducing