BETTER ENGLISH
For You
Stephen Lau
For You
Stephen Lau
PREPOSITIONS
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Run against: compete
e.g. I am going to run against him in the coming mayor election.
Die away: disappear.
e.g. The noise died away and it was silent.
Hand over: yield control of.
e.g. The manager has handed over the human resources section to the assistant manager.
Call off: cancel
e.g. Due to the bad weather, the meeting was called off.
Check out: leave; pay bills.
e.g. We are going to check out the hotel at noon.
Check up on: investigate.
e.g. The account will check up on the sum of money unaccounted for
Walk over: go to where someone is.
e.g. I have something to give to you. Can you walk over?
Back down: retreat from a position in an argument.
e.g. Knowing that he did not have a valid point, he backed down.
e.g. We cannot back out of the contract; we are legally obligated to do what we are supposed to do.
Back up: support
e.g. Are you going to back me up if I decide to go ahead with the project?
Gain in: advance in something.
e.g. As you age, you may gain in wisdom.
Gain on: begin to catch up with.
e.g. We were able to gain in on the car in front of us.
e.g. I am going to run against him in the coming mayor election.
Die away: disappear.
e.g. The noise died away and it was silent.
Hand over: yield control of.
e.g. The manager has handed over the human resources section to the assistant manager.
Call off: cancel
e.g. Due to the bad weather, the meeting was called off.
Check out: leave; pay bills.
e.g. We are going to check out the hotel at noon.
Check up on: investigate.
e.g. The account will check up on the sum of money unaccounted for
Walk over: go to where someone is.
e.g. I have something to give to you. Can you walk over?
Back down: retreat from a position in an argument.
e.g. Knowing that he did not have a valid point, he backed down.
e.g. We cannot back out of the contract; we are legally obligated to do what we are supposed to do.
Back up: support
e.g. Are you going to back me up if I decide to go ahead with the project?
Gain in: advance in something.
e.g. As you age, you may gain in wisdom.
Gain on: begin to catch up with.
e.g. We were able to gain in on the car in front of us.
Hand over: yield control of.
e.g. The manager has handed over the human resources section to the assistant manager.
Call off: cancel
e.g. Due to the bad weather, the meeting was called off.
Walk over: go to where someone is.
e.g. I have something to give to you. Can you walk over?
Catch on: understand.
e.g. The technology is fairly simple; before long, you'll catch on.
Catch up with: keep pace with.
e.g. Hurry up! You have to catch up with them.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
e.g. The manager has handed over the human resources section to the assistant manager.
Call off: cancel
e.g. Due to the bad weather, the meeting was called off.
Walk over: go to where someone is.
e.g. I have something to give to you. Can you walk over?
Catch on: understand.
e.g. The technology is fairly simple; before long, you'll catch on.
Catch up with: keep pace with.
e.g. Hurry up! You have to catch up with them.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
CLOSE
Close down: close permanently; out of business.
e.g. The factory closed down last month due to the economy.
Close in: encircle and threaten.
e.g. We are now closing in on our enemies.
Close up: close temporarily.
e.g. Come back tomorrow; we're now closing up.
ASK
Ask about: find out more about.
e.g. I want to ask about my application for that position.
Ask after: ask about the health and well-being of someone.
e.g. My in-laws asked after you.
Ask around: request information from a number of people.
e.g. I plan to ask around to see what people think about the new mayor.
Ask back: invite someone to come again.
e.g. Because of your rudeness, they will never ask you back.
Ask for: request for someone or something.
e.g. The policeman is asking for you.
Ask of: ask of something from someone.
e.g. I want to ask a favor of you.
Ask out: invite someone to go out.
e.g. I asked her out to dinner, but she refused.
Ask over: invite someone to visit.
e.g. I asked my neighbor over to fix my computer.
Therefore, learn more prepositional phrases with different meanings when used with different prepositions.
CHECK
Check out: leave; pay bills.
e.g. We are going to check out the hotel at noon.
Check up on: investigate.
e.g. The account will check up on the sum of money unaccounted for.
RUN
Run down: hit with a vehicle
e.g. The old man was run down by the bus.
Run down: stop functioning
e.g. My lawn mower is running down; I need to get a new one.
Run into: meet by accident
e.g. Yesterday, I ran into an old friend that I had not seen for decades.
Run out of: not have any more of something
e.g. Hurry! We're running out of time!
FOLLOW
Follow on: die at a date later than someone.
e.g. He followed on after his wife a few months later.
Follow through: continue to supervise.
e.g. I hope someone would follow through on this project until its completion.
Follow something up: check something out.
e.g. Please follow up this lead.
Dally over something: waste time doing something.
e.g. Don't dally over your food. Just eat it!
Dally with: flirt with someone.
e.g. Don't dally with that girl; she has no interest in you.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
Also. go to: Learn More Prepositions.
Close down: close permanently; out of business.
e.g. The factory closed down last month due to the economy.
Close in: encircle and threaten.
e.g. We are now closing in on our enemies.
Close up: close temporarily.
e.g. Come back tomorrow; we're now closing up.
ASK
Ask about: find out more about.
e.g. I want to ask about my application for that position.
Ask after: ask about the health and well-being of someone.
e.g. My in-laws asked after you.
Ask around: request information from a number of people.
e.g. I plan to ask around to see what people think about the new mayor.
Ask back: invite someone to come again.
e.g. Because of your rudeness, they will never ask you back.
Ask for: request for someone or something.
e.g. The policeman is asking for you.
Ask of: ask of something from someone.
e.g. I want to ask a favor of you.
Ask out: invite someone to go out.
e.g. I asked her out to dinner, but she refused.
Ask over: invite someone to visit.
e.g. I asked my neighbor over to fix my computer.
Therefore, learn more prepositional phrases with different meanings when used with different prepositions.
CHECK
Check out: leave; pay bills.
e.g. We are going to check out the hotel at noon.
Check up on: investigate.
e.g. The account will check up on the sum of money unaccounted for.
RUN
Run down: hit with a vehicle
e.g. The old man was run down by the bus.
Run down: stop functioning
e.g. My lawn mower is running down; I need to get a new one.
Run into: meet by accident
e.g. Yesterday, I ran into an old friend that I had not seen for decades.
Run out of: not have any more of something
e.g. Hurry! We're running out of time!
FOLLOW
Follow on: die at a date later than someone.
e.g. He followed on after his wife a few months later.
Follow through: continue to supervise.
e.g. I hope someone would follow through on this project until its completion.
Follow something up: check something out.
e.g. Please follow up this lead.
Dally over something: waste time doing something.
e.g. Don't dally over your food. Just eat it!
Dally with: flirt with someone.
e.g. Don't dally with that girl; she has no interest in you.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
Also. go to: Learn More Prepositions.