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Tuesday, 24 March 2015

Important Idioms and Their Usage - Part I

to get in / to get on : to enter or to board a vehicle 
To get in is used for cars, to get on is used for all other forms of transportation. 
- It's easiest to get in the car from the driver's side. The door on the other side doesn't work well. 
- I always get on the bus to work at 34th Street. 
 
to get out of / to get off : to leave or to descend from a vehicle 
To get out of is used for cars, to get off is used for all other forms of transportation. 
- Why don't we stop and get out of the car for a while? 
- Helen got off the train at the 42nd Street terminal. 

to put on : to place on oneself  (usually said of clothes)  
- Mary put on her coat and left the room. 
- Put your hat on before you leave the house. 
 
to take off : to remove (usually said of clothes)  
- John took off his jacket as he entered the office. 
- Take your sweater off. The room is very warm. 
 
to call up : to telephone (also: to give some one a call)
To call can be used instead of to call up, as in the first example below. 
- I forgot to call up Mr. Jones yesterday, I'd better call  him now. 
- Call me up tomorrow, Jane. We'll arrange a time to have lunch together. 
- I promise to give you a call as soon as I arrive in New York. 
 
to turn on : to start or cause to function (also: to switch on) 
- Please turn on the light; it's too dark in here. 
- Do you know who turned the air conditioning on? 
 
to turn off : to cause to stop functioning (also: to switch off , to shut off)
Turn on and turn off,  as well as their related forms, are used for things that flow, such as electricity, water, gas, etc. 
- Please turn off the light when you leave the room. 
- Are you really listening to the radio, or should I turn it off?  
 
right away : very soon; immediately (also: at once) 
- Dad says that dinner will be ready right away,  so we'd better wash our hands and set the table. 
- Tell Will to come to my office right away.  I must see him immediately. 

to pick up : to lift from the floor, table, etc., with one's fingers 
- Harry picked up the newspaper that was on the front doorstep. 
- Could you pick your toy up before someone falls over it? 
 
sooner or later : eventually, after a period of time 
- If you study English seriously, sooner or later you'll become fluent. 
- I'm too tired to do my homework now; I'm sure I'll do it sooner or later. 
 
to get up : to arise, to rise from a bed 
- Carlo gets up at seven o'clock every morning. 
- At what time should we get the children up tomorrow? 
 
at first : in the beginning, originally 
- At first English was difficult for him, but later he made great progress. 
- I thought at first that it was Sheila calling, but then I realized that it was Betty. 
 

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