Improving English fluency takes time and continuous effort. One Best way to speak fluent english is to learn Phrasal verbs. Experts say the one who know more than 500 English phrasal verbs can certainly speak English fluently and confidently. In today’s English speaking practice lesson with Meera, you will learn some Interesting English Phrasal verbs with the preposition DOWN. These phrases are easy to remember and could be use in you daily English conversations to speak English more confidently. Learn the different meanings of these smart phrases and use them in your spoken English.
Complete Lesson Transcript : –
Hello everybody welcome back to Let’s Talk and you are here with me Meera. Today we’re going to talk about a lot about the word with the word “down”. Now as you can see “down” is actually a preposition and I’m sure you’re confused that what is, what are phrasal verbs with down. Usually on our channel and I personally like to take lessons of phrasal verbs where I actually have the verb with me and I help you, you know experiment with different prepositions but today I’m going to change the cycle and sort of like reverse it completely where I have actually chosen the preposition which is “down” and we are going to try to figure out which all verbs or what all verbs actually can go along with this preposition and what phrasal verbs we come up with but I’ve actually sorted out few words right here. Can you think of any words that go with the word down, preposition “down”? “Walking down”, “cycling down”, “crying down” okay any words that do you have in your mind? Write to me in your comments if at all they are not a part of this board here but let’s take a look at this board now because I have some words for you. Okay as you can see down is a preposition and all the arrows are going up it actually down is nothing but a direction which is in the decreasing. In the decreasing action that means most of the things that are related with the word down are actually going to mean decrease or fall or something to do with this direction, okay? Let’s start with the first word that I have “bring down”. This phrasal verb actually means to cause fall of something. Now this phrasal verb is used quite often politically for example it would people might say the citizens are hell-bent upon bringing down the government or the college students are hell-bent upon bringing down the university rules, okay? So bring down means nothing but to cause fall. To cause fall of something or to cause fall of someone. Now that’s one word with the preposition down and it makes total sense to me. Another world that I have is “settle”. Now I’m sure you must have heard this phrasal verb together quite often, have you used it? I think you have, because “settle down” has two meanings okay, one is to calm down. I have a sister of mine who’s so nervous and so anxious and so, she get anxiety attacks so often that I have to settle her down before I explain anything to her or motivate her. So I would say, hush there, settle down now we will think about a solution. That means I’m just asking her to calm down, okay? To calm down. But like I said it has two different meanings one is to calm down and the second one, any guesses? Okay it actually means to just start a family and just you know become a mature person that way what the society thinks it is, but settle down is nothing but to start a family, okay? So I’m thinking of settling down now and since I already have a good job, mmm I’m thinking of settling down. It’s something that people say. Or you can say that my brother is planning to settle down and start a family. There’s no problem if you want to join the same meaning back to back where you mention the phrasal verb settle down and also mentioned to start a family it just means the same and you’re just enhancing your sentence. So calm down and start a family. “Simmer down” the next verb that I have is to simmer, simmer down now this phrasal verb I use quite often to just you know probably if someone is really hyper or really angry that way, I would suggest that person to simmer down that means to reduce the anger specifically guys, okay? It actually means in a way it also means to calm down but it actually means to reduce your angle, okay? So okay, so I would say before you say anything simmer down and then talk to people otherwise you might end up saying the wrong things in the wrong way, okay? That’s why simmering down is important before you say anything to your loved ones. Alright guys next up is the verb “break”. A lot of confusion here but don’t worry they’re just two simple plain meanings to it to “break down”. When something breaks down what actually comes to your mind just imagine just close your eyes for a second and here this example out, I got late because my bike broke down. Of course it’s a past tense but what did you think of? What did you think the meaning was over here? To stop functioning, anything that just stops, okay? That means break down. Stop functioning and like I said there’s another meaning to it. Again close your eyes listen to this example and tell me what it means my sister broke down because her favorite jean, pair of jeans got lost. Another example I always break down when I see romantic movies or when I watch romantic movies. Alright open your eyes and tell me what did you imagine? What could be the meaning of it? Break down means to lose control emotionally you guys. That happens to me a lot, does it happen to you? Tell me? Lose control emotionally, also means break down and of course the word come, has to come since I have explained about you know calming down in so many different ways but “calm down” specifically means to calm down whether you’re angry, nervous or you’re getting a panic attack or anxiety attack you can just offer someone some few you know wise words or any advice that you have or suggestion and tell that person I request you to calm down, relax, take a deep breath, we will solve the problem, okay? No matter what the problem is you must calm down, okay? Now this is simply but nothing to stop being emotionally stressed, okay? Stop being emotionally stressed as simple as that, okay? I think I need to add another ‘S’ over here. It’s so weird to actually write on the board because sometimes you don’t understand the spelling but I did and I corrected it immediately. Okay now moving on “cut down”. Okay now let me give you an example imagine the meaning and tell me what you think of, my friend needs to cut down on his smoking habit. What did you think of? The meaning of cut down? Alright one more example, I think I’m going to cut down on my carbs, I’m dieting. What could it mean? Nothing but to reduce something, okay? To reduce, to cut down is to reduce on the carbs, on the smoking, on the alcohol anything that is not good for you or not good to your health for your health you cut down on it alright? Now the next up we have, burn, “burn down”. A very, very obvious phrasal verb is it can anybody tell me what this actually means? To burn down something right, to actually burn down things to ashes, to destroy something by fire or destroy something to ashes, okay? To destroy by fire. Okay now that actually means to, so for example if I have to say that the shop next to our house got burned down that means something actually happened that small place caught fire and the whole place was burned down to ashes. It’s nothing it’s the literal meaning of the phrase to burn down something. And the last phrasal verb for the day you guys is to “turn down”. Again two meanings, what could be the first one? Let me give you an example, I turned down the company’s offer. What do you think that is? To reject something. To turn down an offer literally means to reject something, okay? To reject. I turned down the company’s offer or I turn down the proposal or she turned my proposal down that means probably a guy asked a girl out or to marry him and the girl said no, that too means to turn down to reject something. There’s another meaning like I said probably you are playing loud music in your apartment or in your flat and your neighbors come to you and say that could you please turn down the music it’s getting too loud. That means to reduce or to lower, okay? To lower the voice, to lower the noise, means to turn down as well. Two meanings, one word, one phrasal verb. I’ll be back very soon with a new and interesting lesson just for you guys. Until then keep practicing, keep smiling, spread a lot of love this is me Meera, ciao.
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