FOCUS ON: phrasal verbs and the adverb right

FOCUS ON: phrasal verbs and the adverb right

The adverb right is often used to intensify the meaning of a phrasal verb. Placed before the particle, right means directly, immediately, or quickly. It is not important whether the phrasal verb is intransitive, separable, or nonseparable. What does matter is whether the action of the verb is something that can logically be done directly, immediately, or quickly. For example, it would be illogical to use right with stand around, or wear down:

She aimed right at me. (She aimed directly at me.)

I'll bring it right over. (I'll bring it over immediately.)

The room warmed right up. (The room warmed up quickly.)

Right can be used when a separable phrasal verb is separated by its object; how­ever, right cannot be used when the object follows the particle:

He brought my radio right back. Ho brought right back my radio.

aim ... at p.v. When you point a weapon at people or things, you aim it at them.

The robber aimed the gun right at my head.

He was aiming the arrow at the apple, but he missed.

aim at p.v. When you aim at something you want, you do what is necessary to get it.

The manager said she was aiming at a 14 percent increase in sales next year.

The new taw is aimed at reducing crime in the streets.

aim ... at p.v. When you do something designed to affect one class or type of people, you aim it at those people.

Cigarette manufacturers were accused of aiming their advertising at young people.

The candidate's speech was aimed at female voters.

bring... back p.v. When you take something to another place and then bring it from that place to the place where you were before, you bring it back.

told Tom to bring my pen right back.

Sally borrowed my blue sweater and brought it back yesterday.

bring... back p.v. When something that was popular or current in the past is introduced again, it is brought back.

Many schools are bringing back uniforms for children.

Every few years designers try to bring miniskirts back.

bring... back p.v. When something causes you to recall memories and emotions from the past, it brings the memories and emotions back.

Looking at these old pictures brought back wonderful memories.

I had tried to forget that awful incident, but this magazine article has brought it all back.

bring over

bring... over p.v. When people take something from one place to the place where you are, they bring it over.

called Frank to ask if I could use his electric drill, and he brought it right over.

Linda is going to bring her wedding pictures over tonight.

cool off

cool off p.v. When the temperature of a thing or place becomes lower, it cools off.

It was really hot yesterday, but it cooled off in the evening.

This is too hot I'll eat it after it cools off.

cool... off p.v. When people or things cause a thing or place to become cooler, they cool it off.

The coffee was really hot, but he put an ice cube in it and it cooled right off.

This bath is too hot. Put more cold water in it to cool it off.

cool off p.v. When you become less angry or less excited, you cool off.

He's furious now, but he'll cool off by morning.

Their passion for each other has cooled off.

go back (to) p.v. When you return to a place where you were before, you go back or go back to that place.

That restaurant was terrible. We'll never go back.

Dorothy left the Emerald City and went back to Kansas.

go back (to) p.v. When a condition, problem, practice, or custom goes back to a

certain time, it began at that time.

The tradition of saluting in the military goes back to the Middle Ages.

His drug problem goes back to his college years.

go back (to) p.v. When you are discussing the age of something, you go back or go back to when it was created or started.

This table is very valuable. It goes back to the 1760s.

The archeologist found ruins that go back 5,000 years.

hand over

hand ...over (to) p.v. When you give something to people because they demand it, because they require it, or because you are not its rightful owner, you hand it over or hand it over to them. Turn over is similar to hand over.

found some money in the street, and I handed it over to the police.

That's my calculator hand it right over!

handover n. When you transfer ownership or control of something to someone because that person has demanded it or because you are not its rightful owner, a handover takes place.

The Chinese celebrated Britain's handover of Hong Kong. The President demanded the immediate handover of the occupied territory.

hand ...over p.v. When you give someone responsibility for an important project, duty, or problem, you hand that project, duty, or problem over or hand it over to someone.

Mr. Wilson retired and handed control of the company over to his son.

The TV news anchor handed the show over to the reporter at the White House.

pull over

pull... over p.v. When you are driving and then move your vehicle to the side of the road, reduce your speed, and then stop, you pull over or pull your vehicle over.

pulled over to fix a flat tire. We're lost.

Let's pull the car over and ask someone for directions.

pull... over p.v. When you are driving and a police officer signals you to move your vehicle to the side of the road, reduce your speed, and stop, the police officer pulls you over or pulls the vehicle over.

Jim was driving on the wrong side of the road, and he got pulled over by the state police.

When the police officer saw the driver go through a red light, he pulled the car right over.

warm up p.v. When the temperature of a thing or place becomes higher, it warms up.

It's cold outside. I hope it warms up before the picnic.

I set the thermostat at eighty degrees, and the house warmed right up.

warm... up p.v. When people or things cause a thing or place to become warmer, they warm it up.

The fireplace doesn't really warm the house up much.

That soup is cold. You can warm it up in the microwave.

warmed up part.adj. After a thing or place has become warmer, it is warmed up.

Give the baby the bottle with the flowers on it; it's warmed up.

warm... up p.v. When you allow a mechanical device to run for a short time before being used, you warm it up. When a mechanical device runs for a short time before being used, it warms up.

You should always warm your car up for a few minutes before you go anywhere.

In the winter I always let my car warm up while I eat breakfast.

warmed up part.adj. After a mechanical device has been allowed to warm up and is ready to be used, it is warmed up.

We have to go is the car warmed up yet?

warm up p.v. When you do light exercises before playing a sport or exercising with greater effort, you warm up. When performers play musical instruments or sing just before a performance in order to be ready, they warm up.

Before a race most runners warm up with stretching exercises.

The singer warmed up in her dressing room before the concert.

warm-up n. Light exercises done before playing a sport or exercising with greater effort are called a warm-up. When a performer plays an instrument or sings just before a performance in order to be ready, this is a warm-up.

The runners got to the stadium early so they would have time for a warm-up.

warm-up n. Warm-up clothes are worn during a warm-up. Warm-up exercises are done before playing a sport or exercising. A warm-up game, round, and so on, is played in order to warm up for the actual game.

The baseball players wore their warm-up jackets when they weren't on the field.

EXERCISE 19a Complete the sentences with phrasal verbs from this section. Be sure the phrasal verbs are in the correct tense.

The pizza was cold, so I put it in the microwave to ________ it

My car was making a strange noise, so I _______ _______ to look at the engine.

Can I use your lawn mower? I'll ________ it tomorrow.

Jim always puts milk in his coffee to ________ it

The roots of the trouble in the Middle East______________thousands of years.

The judge ordered the thieves to _____ _____ the stolen merchandise immediately.

Hearing Uncle John's stories about the old country _____ _____ a lot of memories.

With this new antipollution law we're ________ ________ reducing the amount of pollution by percent in ten years.

I asked Judy if I could use her video camera, and she said she would it right

The mechanic recommended letting the car ______ ______ before driving it.

The robber changed his mind when he saw the guard ________ his shotgun right him.

The local police chief________the investigation to the FBI agents.

Your father's angry right now. Talk to him about your miserable report card after he's _______ _______.

The changes at the factory are ________ ________ reducing costs and increasing profits.

The mystery of the Pyramids ________ ________ nearly years.

The coach always makes the players ________ ________ before the game.

After lunch Jerry ________ right to work.

I was ______ ______ by the sheriff for going eighty miles per hour in a school zone.

It's cold now, but it'll ________ ________ by noon.

EXERCISE 19b Write three sentences using the objects in parentheses. Be sure to put the objects in the right place.

EXERCISE 19c Write answers to the questions using phrasal verbs from this section. Be sure the phrasal verbs are in the correct tense. Replace the underlined adverbs with right. Remember that right can be used only when the verb and the particle are separated.

They lit a fire, and the cabin became warm quickly. What did the cabin do?

You will return to work immediately. What will you do?

After the sun set, the backyard became cooler quickly. What did the backyard do?

If I saw the flashing lights of the police car, I would slow my car and stop at the side of the road immediately. What would I do?

Sergeant Jones pointed his rifle directly at the enemy soldier. What did Sergeant Jones do?

She told me to return her dictionary immediately. What did she say?

Linda's father told her to give him his credit card immediately. What did Linda's father tell her to do?

I called Lydia and told her I needed medicine for my son, and she took the medicine from her house to my house immediately. What did Lydia do to the medicine?

EXERCISE 19d, Review Complete the sentences with these phrasal verbs from previous sections. Be sure the phrasal verbs are in the correct tense. To check their meanings, review the section number given after each one.

The prisoners ________ ________ the wall of the prison and escaped.

It was easy for them to escape because the guards had been ________ ________ smoking cigarettes.

The warden wasn't just upset with the guards the problem that.

The guards used dogs to ________________ one of the escaped prisoners the

next day.

The other prisoner ________ ________ some dense forest.

The prisoner tried to steal a man's car, but when he saw the man's large dog, he ________ ________.

The police had a meeting to try to ________ ________ ________ a way to capture the prisoner.

They finally ________ ________ the idea of using a helicopter.

The helicopter plan ________ ________ because the weather was so bad.

The police thought the prisoner would probably ________ ________ at his family's house.

The prisoner has a twin brother, and the police couldn't _______ them

That was one problem the police didn't ________ ________.

One police officer walked behind the house and ________ ________ some garbage cans.

He heard a noise from the garbage can, so he ________________the top and saw the prisoner.

The prisoner _______ _______ a fight, but the police were able to capture him.

Both prisoners were charged with escaping from prison, but the judge ________ them with a warning.