KEY VERBS
VII. Take
A. Take in a physical sense
If you take apart something or take something apart you separate it into its different parts.
Rod loves taking clocks apart, but he never manages to put them together again.
If you take back something or take something back, you return it to the person or organisation that you bought or borrowed it from.
When you go into town to take back your library books could you also take these trousers back to the shop for me - they're too small.
If you take aside somebody or take somebody aside, you separate someone from a group of people so that you can speak to them privately.
My boss took me aside at the Christmas party and told me he was going to give me a promotion in the New Year.
If you take off, you suddenly leave a place, without telling anyone where you are going.
Most people stayed at the party until quite late, but Rose took off early for some reason.
B. Take in an abstract sense
take up sth or take sth up - start doing a particular job or activity. - My son has recently taken up stamp collecting as a hobby.
take off sth or take sth off (sth) - subtract a particular amount from a total - The shop assistant took off ten per cent because the item was damaged.
take away sth or take sth away - subtract a first number from a second number - If you take it away from 33, you’re left with 22.
take back sth or take sth back - admit that something you said was wrong - I shouldn't have called you lazy - I take it back.
take in sth or take sth in - look at something carefully noticing all the details - He showed us a photo of his house, but I was so tired that I didn't really take it in.
C. Other senses of take
Lucy has started swimming regularly. She has taken out [1] a year's membership at a local
sports club and has taken to [2] going to the swimming pool every lunch hour. She is so taken
up with [3] her swimming that she wouldn't even take me up on [4] my offer to buy her lunch in
the best restaurant in town. The exercise certainly takes it out of her [5]- she is too exhausted
to go anywhere in the evenings.
1 subscribed to or registered for something officially
2 started to do something often
3 very busy doing something
4 accept
5 makes her feel very tired
KEY PARTICLES
VIII. Up
A. Read this text about someone complaining about having to do housework. Notice how the
particle up sometimes expresses the idea of completing or totally finishing something.
I spent all morning yesterday clearing up [1] my study. There were books and papers everywhere. Then I had to sweep up [2] the rubbish and dead leaves on the terrace. After that I tried to tidy up [3] my bedroom. There were dirty clothes all jumbled up [4] in a pile on the floor. I had to hung up [5] four jackets and several pairs of trousers I’d left lying on chairs. That took me an hour. Then I discovered the washbasin was clogged up [6] in the bathroom, so I had to clear that. By that time I’d used up [7] al my energy and I was too tired to do anything, so I just fell asleep on the sofa.
1 making a place tidy and clean, especially by putting things where they usually belong
2. remove rubbish or dirt, usually from the floor using a brush
3. make a room or a group of things tidy by putting things in the correct place
4. (adjective) mixed together in an untidy way (from the verb jumble up)
5. hang something, especially clothes, on a hook
6. blocked
7. finished a supply of something
Note how the particle up can be used for emphasis:
Eat up your vegetables, children! Drink up your juice! Paul's used up all the milk.
These three sentences could be written without up, but using up emphasises the meaning of 'finish it all or completely'.
B. Read this live Internet chat between Robert and Gemma.
G: Hi Rob, are you there?
R: Hi Gemma, what’s new?
G: My sister Val showed up [1] at last. She’s been promising to come for weeks.
R: Great!
G: Yeah, she turned up [2] yesterday evening.
R: What’s she doing these days?
G: She’s just opened up [3] a restaurant serving exotic food from different countries. It’s in that shopping mall in Dunston, you know.
R: Wow! That’s original. It’ll certainly liven Dunston up [4] a bit, it’s such a boring place. How did she think of that?
G: Oh, she’s always full of new ideas.
R: So, what’s the set up [5]? Is she the only person involved?
G: No, she has a business partner that they divide up [6] the work – and the profits!
R: Sounds like fun.
G: Yeah, but she says it’s hard work. She spends half the day chopping up [7] food and cleaning the kitchen.
R: Mm. Maybe we’re better off working in office jobs…
1 arrived, especially at a place where people were expecting her
2 arrived
3 started a new shop or business
4 make something more
5 interesting and exciting
6 (noun) the way that something is arranged (from the verb set up)
7 separate something into smaller parts or groups cutting something, especially food, into small pieces
1 making a place tidy and clean, especially by putting things where they usually belong
2. remove rubbish or dirt, usually from the floor using a brush
3. make a room or a group of things tidy by putting things in the correct place
4. (adjective) mixed together in an untidy way (from the verb jumble up)
5. hang something, especially clothes, on a hook
6. blocked
7. finished a supply of something
Note how the particle up can be used for emphasis:
Eat up your vegetables, children! Drink up your juice! Paul's used up all the milk.
These three sentences could be written without up, but using up emphasises the meaning of 'finish it all or completely'.
B. Read this live Internet chat between Robert and Gemma.
G: Hi Rob, are you there?
R: Hi Gemma, what’s new?
G: My sister Val showed up [1] at last. She’s been promising to come for weeks.
R: Great!
G: Yeah, she turned up [2] yesterday evening.
R: What’s she doing these days?
G: She’s just opened up [3] a restaurant serving exotic food from different countries. It’s in that shopping mall in Dunston, you know.
R: Wow! That’s original. It’ll certainly liven Dunston up [4] a bit, it’s such a boring place. How did she think of that?
G: Oh, she’s always full of new ideas.
R: So, what’s the set up [5]? Is she the only person involved?
G: No, she has a business partner that they divide up [6] the work – and the profits!
R: Sounds like fun.
G: Yeah, but she says it’s hard work. She spends half the day chopping up [7] food and cleaning the kitchen.
R: Mm. Maybe we’re better off working in office jobs…
1 arrived, especially at a place where people were expecting her
2 arrived
3 started a new shop or business
4 make something more
5 interesting and exciting
6 (noun) the way that something is arranged (from the verb set up)
7 separate something into smaller parts or groups cutting something, especially food, into small pieces
TASK: WRITE A RIDDLE (DON'T WRITE THE ANSWER TO IT!) REMEMBER TO WITE NOT MORE/LESS THAN 250 WORDS.
