Welcome to Day 1 of your 10-Day Phrasal Verbs Challenge!

GO TO DAY 2

How many phrasal verbs can you find in this short conversation?

Mike and Jane are talking during their lunch break at the bagel stand.

Mike: So you just got back from your vacation. How was it?

Jane: Great. Very relaxing. Unlike taking up work where I left off. Monday mornings are the worst.

Mike: I know! Work takes up so much of our time. We are living in this office. I wish I could get back to my old hobbies one day, but I never find the time.

Jane: Speaking of hobbies, you offered to take me to your Tai Chi class one of these days, and… I’d like to take you up on that offer… if it still stands.

Mike: Sure ! As a matter of fact, we have a class today at 8 pm. Pick you up at 7?

Jane: Works for me! Gotta get back to the office now, but see you tonight!

Mike: See you!

So, let’s see the phrasal verbs in this conversation (highlighted in red).

Mike: So you just got back from your vacation. How was it?

Jane: Great. Very relaxing. Unlike taking up work where I left off. Monday mornings are the worst.

Mike: I know! Work takes up so much of our time. We are living in this office. I wish I could get back to my old hobbies one day, but I never find the time.

Jane: Speaking of hobbies, you offered to take me to your Tai Chi class one of these days, and… I’d like to take you up on that offer… if it still stands.

Mike: Sure ! As a matter of fact, we have a class today at 8 pm. Pick you up at 7?

Jane: Works for me! Gotta get back to the office now, but see you tonight!

Mike: See you!

You can see that GET BACK and TAKE UP are used lots of times in this short conversation. They are also among the most frequent phrasal verbs in English – they are actually # 19 and #20 on the list!

Let’s quickly revise what they mean and how to use them.

GET BACK

• Return.      Call me after you get back from Boston.

• GET SOMETHING BACK

• Get something after having lost it.      I just got my old job back. Can you believe that?

• GET BACK AT SOMEONE

• Do something bad to someone after they have done something bad to you.

  He’ll find a way to get back at you, you know. After what you have done to him.

• GET BACK TO SOMEONE

• Contact someone again.      I’ll get back to you as soon as I find out what happened.

• GET BACK TO SOMETHING

• Return to something you were doing.

  Could we please get back to the problem at hand?

• GET BACK TOGETHER

• Start a romantic relationship after having broken up.

  I can’t believe Sarah and John got back together after she cheated on him last year.

TAKE UP

• Continue after some time.  We can take up where we left off last year.

• Start a new thing.                   Harvey took up gardening. It’s his new hobby.

• TAKE UP SOMETHING

• Use space or time.

  This job takes up too much of your time. The table takes up too much room.

• TAKE IT UP WITH SOMEONE

• Talk to someone about something to ask them to help you.

  Our legal department took this matter up with City Hall – they are in charge of housing projects.

• TAKE SOMEONE UP ON THEIR OFFER

• Accept an offer.

  Thanks so much for inviting me – I‘ll take you up on it sometime soon.

GO TO DAY 2

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