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Some common verbs
have do make
have a bathhave a drinkhave a good timehave a haircuthave a holidayhave a problemhave a relationshiphave a resthave lunchhave sympathy
do businessdo nothingdo someone a favourdo the cookingdo the houseworkdo the shoppingdo the washing updo your bestdo your hairdo your homework
make a differencemake a messmake a mistakemake a noisemake an effortmake furnituremake moneymake progressmake roommake trouble
take break catch
take a breaktake a chancetake a looktake a resttake a seattake a taxi
take an examtake notestake someone's placetake someone'stemperature
break a habitbreak a legbreak a promisebreak a recordbreak a windowbreak someone's heartbreak the icebreak the lawbreak the news tosomeone
break the rules
catch a ballcatch a buscatch a chillcatch a coldcatch a thiefcatch firecatch sight ofcatch someone'sattentioncatch someone's eyecatch the flu
pay save keep
pay a fine
pay attentionpay by credit cardpay cashpay interestpay someone acompliment
pay someone a visitpay the bill
pay the pricepay your respects
save electricity
save energysave moneysave one's strengthsave someone a seatsave someone's lifesave something to adisksave space
save timesave yourself the
keep a diary
keep a promisekeep a secretkeep anappointmentkeep calmkeep controlkeep in touchkeep quiet
keep someone'splace
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trouble keep the change
come go get
come close
come complete withcome directcome earlycome firstcome into viewcome lastcome latecome on time
come preparedcome right backcome secondcome to a compromisecome to a decisioncome to an agreementcome to an endcome to a standstill
come to terms withcome to a total ofcome under attack
go abroad
go astraygo badgo baldgo bankruptgo blindgo crazygo darkgo deaf
go fishinggo madgo missinggo on footgo onlinego out of businessgo overseasgo quiet
go sailinggo to wargo yellow
get a job
get a shockget angryget divorcedget drunkget frightenedget homeget lostget married
get nowhereget permissionget pregnantget readyget startedget the impressionget the messageget the sack
get upsetget wetget worried
Miscellaneous
Time Business English Classifiers
bang on timedead on time
early 12th centuryfree timefrom dawn till duskgreat deal of timelate 20th centurymake time fornext few days
past few weeks
right on time
annual turnoverbear in mind
break off negotiationscease tradingchair a meetingclose a dealclose a meetingcome to the pointdismiss an offerdraw a conclusion
draw your attention to
a ball of stringa bar of chocolate
a bottle of watera bunch of carrotsa cube of sugara pack of cardsa pad of paper
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run out of timesave timespare timespend some timetake your timetell someone the timetime goes bytime passeswaste time
launch a new productlay off staffgo bankruptgo into partnershipmake a lossmake a profitmarket forcessales figurestake on staff
Verb Meaning Example
ask someone out invite on a dateBrian asked Judyout to dinner and amovie.
ask aroundask many people thesame question
I asked around butnobody has seen mywallet.
add up to something equalYour purchases addup to $205.32.
back something up reverse
You'll have to back
up your car so that Ican get out.
back someone up supportMy wife backed meup over my decisionto quit my job.
blow up explodeThe racing car blewup after it crashedinto the fence.
blow something up add airWe have to blow 50
balloons up for theparty.
break downstop functioning(vehicle, machine)
Our car broke downat the side of thehighway in thesnowstorm.
break down get upset The woman broke
down when thepolice told her that
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her son had died.
break something downdivide into smaller
parts
Our teacher brokethe final projectdown into threeseparate parts.
break inforce entry to a
building
Somebody broke inlast night and stoleour stereo.
break into something enter forcibly
The firemen had tobreak into the roomto rescue thechildren.
break something inwear something a fewtimes so that it doesn'tlook/feel new
I need to breakthese shoes in
before we run nextweek.
break in interrupt
The TV stationbroke in to reportthe news of the
president's death.
break up end a relationshipMy boyfriend and I
broke up before Imoved to America.
break upstart laughing(informal)
The kids just brokeup as soon as theclown startedtalking.
break out escapeThe prisoners brokeout of jail when theguards weren'tlooking.
break out in somethingdevelop a skincondition
I broke out in a rashafter our campingtrip.
bring someone down make unhappyThis sad music is
bringing me down.bring someone up raise a child My grandparents
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brought me up aftermy parents died.
bring something upstart talking about asubject
My mother walksout of the roomwhen my father
brings up sports.
bring something up vomit
He drank so muchthat he brought hisdinner up in thetoilet.
call aroundphone many differentplaces/people
We called aroundbut we weren't ableto find the car partwe needed.
call someone back return a phone call
I called thecompany back butthe offices wereclosed for theweekend.
call something off cancelJason called thewedding off
because he wasn't inlove with his fianc.
call on someoneask for an answer oropinion
The professorcalled on me forquestion 1.
call on someone visit someone
We called on you
last night but youweren't home.
call someone up phone
Give me yourphone number and Iwill call you upwhen we are intown.
calm down relax after being angry You are still mad.
You need to calmdown before you
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drive the car.
not care forsomeone/something
not like (formal)I don't care for his
behaviour.
catch upget to the same pointas someone else
You'll have to runfaster than that ifyou want to catchup with Marty.
check inarrive and register at ahotel or airport
We will get thehotel keys when wecheck in.
check out leave a hotel
You have to check
out of the hotelbefore 11:00 AM.
checksomeone/something out
look at carefully,investigate
The companychecks out all newemployees.
check outsomeone/something
look at (informal)Check out the crazyhair on that guy!
cheer up become happier
She cheered up
when she heard thegood news.
cheer someone up make happierI brought you someflowers to cheeryou up.
chip in help
If everyone chips inwe can get thekitchen painted by
noon.
clean something up tidy, clean
Please clean upyour bedroom
before you gooutside.
come across something find unexpectedly
I came across theseold photos when Iwas tidying the
closet.
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come apart separateThe top and bottomcome apart if you
pull hard enough.
come down withsomething
become sickMy nephew camedown with chicken
pox this weekend.
come forwardvolunteer for a task orto give evidence
The woman cameforward with herhusband's finger
prints.
come from somewhere originate inThe art of origamicomes from Asia.
count onsomeone/something
rely onI am counting onyou to make dinnerwhile I am out.
cross something out draw a line through
Please cross outyour old addressand write your newone.
cut back on something consume lessMy doctor wantsme to cut back onsweets and fattyfoods.
cut something downmake something fall tothe ground
We had to cut theold tree in our yarddown after thestorm.
cut in interruptYour father cut inwhile I was dancingwith your uncle.
cut inpull in too closely infront of anothervehicle
The bus driver gotangry when that carcut in.
cut instart operating (of anengine or electricaldevice)
The air conditionercuts in when the
temperature gets to22C.
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cut something offremove withsomething sharp
The doctors cut offhis leg because itwas severelyinjured.
cut something off stop providing
The phonecompany cut off our
phone because wedidn't pay the bill.
cut someone off take out of a willMy grandparentscut my father offwhen he remarried.
cut something out
remove part ofsomething (usuallywith scissors and
paper)
I cut this ad out ofthe newspaper.
do someone/somethingover
beat up, ransack(Br.E., informal)
He's lucky to bealive. His shop wasdone over by astreet gang.
do something over do again (N.Amer.)
My teacher wantsme to do my essayover because shedoesn't like mytopic.
do away withsomething
discardIt's time to do awaywith all of these oldtax records.
do something up fasten, closeDo your coat upbefore you gooutside. It'ssnowing!
dress up wear nice clothingIt's a fancyrestaurant so wehave to dress up.
drop back move back in a
position/group
Andrea dropped
back to third placewhen she fell off
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her bike.
drop in/by/overcome without anappointment
I might dropin/by/over for teasometime thisweek.
dropsomeone/something off
takesomeone/somethingsomewhere and leavethem/it there
I have to drop mysister off at work
before I come over.
drop out quit a class, school etcI dropped out ofScience because itwas too difficult.
eat out eat at a restaurantI don't feel likecooking tonight.Let's eat out.
end upeventuallyreach/do/decide
We ended uprenting a movieinstead of going tothe theatre.
fall apart break into pieces My new dress fellapart in the washingmachine.
fall down fall to the ground
The picture that youhung up last nightfell down thismorning.
fall out
separate from an
interior
The money must
have fallen out ofmy pocket.
fall out(of hair, teeth) becomeloose and unattached
His hair started tofall out when hewas only 35.
figure something outunderstand, find theanswer
I need to figure outhow to fit the pianoand the bookshelf in
this room.fill something in to write information in Please fill in the
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blanks (Br.E.)form with yourname, address, and
phone number.
fill something out to write information inblanks (N.Amer.)
The form must befilled out in capitalletters.
fill something up fill to the topI always fill thewater jug up whenit is empty.
find out discover
We don't knowwhere he lives.How can we findout?
find something out discover
We tried to keep thetime of the party asecret, butSamantha found itout.
get somethingacross/over communicate, makeunderstandable
I tried to get my
point across/over tothe judge but shewouldn't listen.
get along/on like each other
I was surprised howwell my newgirlfriend and mysister got along/on.
get around have mobility
My grandfather can
get around fine inhis new wheelchair.
get away go on a vacation
We worked so hardthis year that wehad to get away fora week.
get away withsomething
do without beingnoticed or punished
Jason always getsaway with cheating
in his maths tests.get back return We got back from
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our vacation lastweek.
get something backreceive something youhad before
Liz finally got herScience notes backfrom my room-mate.
get back at someone retaliate, take revenge
My sister got backat me for stealingher shoes. She stolemy favourite hat.
get back into
something
become interested in
something again
I finally got backinto my novel andfinished it.
get on something step onto a vehicle
We're going tofreeze out here ifyou don't let us geton the bus.
get over somethingrecover from anillness, loss, difficulty
I just got over theflu and now my
sister has it.
get over something overcome a problem
The company willhave to close if itcan't get over thenew regulations.
get round to somethingfinally find time to do(N.Amer.: get aroundto something)
I don't know when Iam going to getround to writing the
thank you cards.
get togethermeet (usually forsocial reasons)
Let's get togetherfor a BBQ thisweekend.
get up get out of bedI got up early todayto study for myexam.
get up stand
You should get up
and give the elderlyman your seat.
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give someone awayreveal hiddeninformation aboutsomeone
His wife gave himaway to the police.
give someone away take the bride to thealtar
My father gave meaway at mywedding.
give something away ruin a secretMy little sister gavethe surprise partyaway by accident.
give something awaygive something tosomeone for free
The library wasgiving away old
books on Friday.
give something back return a borrowed item
I have to give theseskates back to Franz
before his hockeygame.
give inreluctantly stopfighting or arguing
My boyfriend didn'twant to go to the
ballet, but he finally
gave in.
give something outgive to many people(usually at no cost)
They were givingout free perfumesamples at thedepartment store.
give something up quit a habitI am giving upsmoking as ofJanuary 1st.
give up stop tryingMy mathshomework was toodifficult so I gaveup.
go after someone follow someoneMy brother tried togo after the thief inhis car.
go after something try to achieve
something
I went after my
dream and now Iam a published
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writer.
go against someone compete, oppose
We are goingagainst the bestsoccer team in thecity tonight.
go ahead start, proceedPlease go ahead andeat before the foodgets cold.
go back return to a placeI have to go backhome and get mylunch.
go out leave home to go on asocial event We're going out fordinner tonight.
go out with someone date
Jesse has beengoing out with Lukesince they met lastwinter.
go over something reviewPlease go over youranswers before you
submit your test.
go over visit someone nearby
I haven't seen Tinafor a long time. Ithink I'll go over foran hour or two.
go without somethingsuffer lack ordeprivation
When I was young,we went withoutwinter boots.
grow apartstop being friends overtime
My best friend andI grew apart aftershe changedschools.
grow back regrowMy roses grew backthis summer.
grow up become an adultWhen Jack growsup he wants to be a
fireman.
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grow out of something get too big for
Elizabeth needs anew pair of shoes
because she hasgrown out of herold ones.
grow into something grow big enough to fit
This bike is too bigfor him now, but heshould grow into it
by next year.
hand something downgive something used tosomeone else
I handed my oldcomic books downto my little cousin.
hand something in submitI have to hand inmy essay by Friday.
hand something outto distribute to a groupof people
We will hand outthe invitations at thedoor.
hand something overgive (usually
unwillingly)
The police askedthe man to hand
over his wallet andhis weapons.
hang instay positive (N.Amer.,informal)
Hang in there. I'msure you'll find a
job very soon.
hang onwait a short time(informal)
Hang on while Igrab my coat andshoes!
hang outspend time relaxing(informal)
Instead of going tothe party we are justgoing to hang out atmy place.
hang up end a phone callHe didn't saygoodbye before hehung up.
hold
someone/somethingback
prevent from
doing/going
I had to hold my
dog back becausethere was a cat in
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the park.
hold something back hide an emotion
Jamie held back histears at hisgrandfather'sfuneral.
hold on wait a short time
Please hold onwhile I transfer youto the SalesDepartment.
hold ontosomeone/something
hold firmly using yourhands or arms
Hold onto your hatbecause it's verywindy outside.
holdsomeone/somethingup
robA man in a blackmask held the bankup this morning.
keep on doingsomething
continue doingKeep on stirringuntil the liquidcomes to a boil.
keep something fromsomeone not tell
We kept our
relationship fromour parents for twoyears.
keepsomeone/something out
stop from enteringTry to keep the wetdog out of theliving room.
keep something upcontinue at the same
rate
If you keep thoseresults up you will
get into a greatcollege.
let someone downfail to support or help,disappoint
I need you to be ontime. Don't let medown this time.
let someone in allow to enter Can you let the catin before you go toschool?
look aftersomeone/something
take care of I have to look after my sick
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grandmother.
look down on someonethink less of, considerinferior
Ever since we stolethat chocolate baryour dad has lookeddown on me.
look forsomeone/something
try to findI'm looking for ared dress for thewedding.
look forward tosomething
be excited about thefuture
I'm looking forwardto the Christmas
break.
look into something investigateWe are going tolook into the priceof snowboardstoday.
look outbe careful, vigilant,and take notice
Look out! That car'sgoing to hit you!
look out forsomeone/something
be especially vigilantfor
Don't forget to lookout for snakes on
the hiking trail.
look something over check, examineCan you look overmy essay forspelling mistakes?
look something up
search and findinformation in areference book ordatabase
We can look herphone number upon the Internet.
look up to someonehave a lot of respectfor
My little sister hasalways looked up tome.
make something upinvent, lie aboutsomething
Josie made up astory about why wewere late.
make up forgive each other We were angry lastnight, but we made
up at breakfast.
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make someone up apply cosmetics toMy sisters made meup for mygraduation party.
mix something upconfuse two or morethings
I mixed up thetwins' names again!
pass away dieHis uncle passedaway last night aftera long illness.
pass out faint
It was so hot in thechurch that anelderly lady passedout.
pass something outgive the same thing tomany people
The professorpassed thetextbooks out
before class.
pass something updecline (usuallysomething good)
I passed up the jobbecause I am afraidof change.
pay someone back return owed money Thanks for buyingmy ticket. I'll payyou back on Friday.
pay for somethingbe punished for doingsomething bad
That bully will payfor being mean tomy little brother.
pick something out chooseI picked out threesweaters for you to
try on.pointsomeone/something out
indicate with yourfinger
I'll point myboyfriend out whenhe runs by.
put something downput what you areholding on a surface orfloor
You can put thegroceries down onthe kitchen counter.
put someone down insult, make someone
feel stupid
The students put the
substitute teacherdown because his
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pants were tooshort.
put something off postpone
We are putting offour trip untilJanuary because ofthe hurricane.
put something out extinguishThe neighbours putthe fire out beforethe firemen arrived.
put something together assembleI have to put thecrib together beforethe baby arrives.
put up withsomeone/something
tolerate
I don't think I canput up with threesmall children inthe car.
put something onputclothing/accessories onyour body
Don't forget to puton your newearrings for the
party.run intosomeone/something
meet unexpectedlyI ran into an oldschool-friend at themall.
run oversomeone/something
drive a vehicle over aperson or thing
I accidentally ranover your bicycle inthe driveway.
run over/throughsomething
rehearse, review
Let's run
over/through theselines one more time
before the show.
run awayleave unexpectedly,escape
The child ran awayfrom home and has
been missing forthree days.
run out have none left We ran out of
shampoo so I had towash my hair with
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soap.
send something backreturn (usually bymail)
My letter got sentback to me becauseI used the wrongstamp.
set something up arrange, organize
Our boss set ameeting up with the
president of thecompany.
set someone up trick, trap
The police set upthe car thief byusing a hiddencamera.
shop around compare prices
I want to shoparound a little
before I decide onthese boots.
show offact extra special for
people watching
(usually boastfully)
He always showsoff on his
skateboard
sleep overstay somewhere for thenight (informal)
You should sleepover tonight if theweather is too badto drive home.
sort something outorganize, resolve a
problem
We need to sort thebills out before thefirst of the month.
stick to somethingcontinue doingsomething, limityourself to one
particular thing
You will loseweight if you stickto the diet.
switch something offstop the energy flow,turn off
The light's toobright. Could youswitch it off.
switch something on start the energy flow,
turn on
We heard the news
as soon as weswitched on the car
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radio.
take after someoneresemble a familymember
I take after mymother. We are
both impatient.
take something apartpurposely break intopieces
He took the carbrakes apart andfound the problem.
take something back return an item
I have to take ournew TV back
because it doesn'twork.
take off start to fly My plane takes offin five minutes.
take something offremove something(usually clothing)
Take off your socksand shoes and comein the lake!
take something outremove from a place orthing
Can you take thegarbage out to thestreet for me?
take someone outpay for someone to gosomewhere with you
My grandparentstook us out fordinner and a movie.
tear something up rip into pieces
I tore up my ex-boyfriend's lettersand gave them backto him.
think back remember (often + to,sometimes + on)
When I think back
on my youth, I wishI had studiedharder.
think something over consider
I'll have to thinkthis job offer over
before I make myfinal decision.
throw something away dispose of We threw our old
furniture awaywhen we won the
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lottery.
turn something downdecrease the volume orstrength (heat, lightetc)
Please turn the TVdown while theguests are here.
turn something down refuseI turned the jobdown because Idon't want to move.
turn something offstop the energy flow,switch off
Your mother wantsyou to turn the TVoff and come fordinner.
turn something on start the energy, switchon
It's too dark in here.Let's turn somelights on.
turn something upincrease the volume orstrength (heat, lightetc)
Can you turn themusic up? This ismy favourite song.
turn up appear suddenly
Our cat turned upafter we put posters
up all over theneighbourhood.
try something on sample clothing
I'm going to trythese jeans on, but Idon't think they willfit.
try something out testI am going to trythis new brand of
detergent out.
use something up finish the supply
The kids used all ofthe toothpaste up sowe need to buysome more.
wake up stop sleepingWe have to wakeup early for workon Monday.
warmsomeone/something up
increase thetemperature
You can warm yourfeet up in front of
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the fireplace.
warm upprepare body forexercise
I always warm upby doing sit-upsbefore I go for arun.
wear off fade awayMost of my make-up wore off before Igot to the party.
work out exerciseI work out at thegym three times aweek.
work out be successful Our plan workedout fine.
work something out make a calculation
We have to workout the total cost
before we buy thehouse.