Multi word verbs often have two meanings - a literal meaning, and a metaphorical meaning. These two meanings can be used together to make great jokes, which hopefully will help you remember how to use the verbs.
Students on our Intensive English Courses go to watch live 'stand up' comedy every Tuesday night, accompanied by a teacher of English to help them understand the jokes.
Learn these definitions, and then try our jokes at the end of the page.
Students on our Intensive English Courses go to watch live 'stand up' comedy every Tuesday night, accompanied by a teacher of English to help them understand the jokes.
Learn these definitions, and then try our jokes at the end of the page.
1) 'to fall out'
2) 'to let someone/something down'
3) 'to pick something up'
4) 'to put something out'
5) 'to drop off'
- to fall out of something = to fall from one place to another, for example to fall out of a tree
- to fall out with somebody = to have an argument with somebody
2) 'to let someone/something down'
- to let something down = to lower something
- to let somebody down = to disappoint, or fail to support someone
3) 'to pick something up'
- to take something in your hands and lift it from another surface
- to learn something naturally without much effort
4) 'to put something out'
- to move something from inside to outside
- to extinguish something, a cigarette for example
5) 'to drop off'
- to fall from something, for example 'the pen dropped off the table'
- to go to sleep