Welcome - Learning Vocabulary - Phrasal Verbs (Who do you support?)

Introduction

Jack: Hello my name’s Jack

Rich: and I’m Rich and welcome to this week’s Premier Skills English podcast

Jack: Where we talk about football and help you with your English.

Rich: We recommend that you listen to this podcast on the Premier Skills English website because that is where we have the transcript, language examples, activities, quizzes and a discussion page to help you understand everything we talk about.

Jack: However, if you’re listening on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, you can leave answers to our questions in the review section. We do read all the reviews and would love to hear from you.

Rich: In this week’s podcast, we’re going to help you with phrasal verbs.

Jack: Yes, phrasal verbs are those difficult two or three-part words that often are impossible to understand when you look at them on their own.

Rich: Here are two example phrasal verbs: ‘call off’ and ‘make up’. If you don’t know the meaning of these phrasal verbs it can be really difficult.

Jack: They called it off. You made it up. These sentences will have little sense if you don’t know what the phrasal verbs mean. It’s sometimes easier if there is some context to help you. Listen:

Rich: Have you heard, Jack? They’ve called the Premier League season off. It’s not happening.

Jack: Be quiet! I don’t believe that for a minute. You’re making it up.

Rich: Now you might have a better idea what these phrasal verbs mean. To call something off means to cancel something. To make something up means to invent a story that is not true.

Jack: So, in this week’s podcast, we’re going to help you with some more phrasal verbs and tell you how to use them correctly.

Rich: And we’re also going to talk about the football team I support and why I support them.

Jack: And this week’s task is for you tell us why you support your football team - using a few phrasal verbs, of course!

Last week’s Football Phrase

Rich: But, before we look at all that, let’s look at last week’s football phrase. If you didn’t hear it last week we’ll give you one more chance to guess and give you the correct answer at the end of the show when we give you a new football phrase.

Jack: Rich, you thought that the phrase was super difficult but I think you may have doubted our listener’s football knowledge because we got quite a few correct answers.

Rich: Yes, I thought it was a tricky one but I’m happy to see some of you got it right. Well done to Liubomyr from Ukraine, Elghoul from Algeria, Lakerwang from China and Milos from Serbia who guessed correctly and wrote their answers on the Premier Skills English website. I’m sure many more of you also got it right.

Jack: We’re not going to tell you the answer yet though. Here’s one more chance to guess. It’s a phrase that gets Rich really annoyed so it’s an enjoyable listen. Rich ...

Rich: The phrase is **** ***** ***** ******. This phrase is a cliche and it makes me really angry because it’s not true. The phrase is used about cup competitions that have two legs - where teams play each other twice. The idea is that after the two matches if the scores are level the team that scored more goals at the other team’s stadium is the winner. That’s OK but the phrase **** ***** ***** ****** is not true. For example, if Liverpool lose to Juventus 2-0 in England and win 4-3 in Italy Liverpool are out 5-4! Liverpool have not won 8-7 because **** ***** ***** ******. It’s very annoying!

Jack: Have a think and we’ll give you the answer at the end of the show. I will also have a new football phrase for you to guess. This week it’s going to be much simpler.

Rich: And if you can guess Jack’s easy football phrase and write it in the comments section on the Premier Skills English website, we will announce your name in next week’s show.

Introduction to roleplay

Jack: You are now going to listen to a roleplay?. I’m going to ask Rich about the football team he supports and why he supports that team.

Rich: While you listen, we want you to answer a question. The question is:

Jack: How many teams does Rich support?

Roleplay

Jack: Rich. You support Liverpool but you grew up in Sheffield.

Rich: That’s true. I was brought up in Sheffield.

Jack: So, why do you support Liverpool?

Rich: Well, you know when I was a kid growing up in the 80s you know who the best team were, don’t you?

Jack: Yes, Liverpool. So, you were a glory hunter?

Rich: Well, yes maybe a little and no because I had another team. When I was a kid, my dad used to pick me up and take me to watch Sheffield United matches.

Jack: I imagine it was difficult to put up with losing all the time!

Rich: Very funny, but yes Sheffield United definitely put their fans through a lot. There have been plenty of highs and lows. More lows to be honest.

Jack: And that’s why you didn’t carry on supporting them?

Rich: No, I did carry on supporting them. Liverpool are my second team.

Jack: Ah, your second team!

Rich: Yeah, as a kid I think I was fed up with my team losing all the time or not playing in the top division so I started following Liverpool. I’d always still check the Sheffield United results out though.

Jack: It’s a bit like that with lots of fans. They might have a local team and then support a Premier League team, too. Lots of fans have soft spots for other teams.

Rich: Yeah, but I’m in a bit of a quandary now, aren’t I?

Jack: Ah, yes. Sheffield United went up - they’re in the Premier League this season.

Rich: I know. I won’t know who to cheer for when they play each other - when Sheffield United run out at Anfield.

Jack: You’ll have to get one of those half and half scarves! What do you want to happen then?

Rich: I think two draws would be good, Liverpool win the Premier League and Sheffield United stay up.

Jack: Or Sheffield United win the League and Liverpool stay up. That would be a turn up for the books!

Language Focus 1: Phrasal Verbs (Meaning)

Jack: Did you get the answer to the question? How many teams does Rich support?

Rich: Well, the answer is two. I support my hometown team: Sheffield United and Liverpool although now they are both in the Premier League this is a bit difficult.

Jack: In the roleplay, we used lots of phrasal verbs. Remember a phrasal verb is a verb that has two or three words and often has a very different meaning to the verb being used.

Rich: You may know some of these phrasal verbs already but let’s have a quick look at the meaning of the phrasal verbs we used in the roleplay.

Jack: Rich grew up in Sheffield. The phrasal verb to grow up means to develop into an adult and is usually used to describe where you spent your childhood.

Rich: A slightly different meaning I remember is my mum saying: When are you going to grow up?

Jack: Haha! That’s what angry parents say to children when they are being silly!

Rich: I wonder why I heard it so much? A similar phrasal verb is to bring up. I said I was brought up in Sheffield.

Jack: It means to take care of a child. This phrasal verb is often used in the passive and we usually don’t mention the people who do the bringing up because it’s obvious - it’s usually the parents.

Rich: Let’s look at some more phrasal verbs we used in the roleplay. I said my dad used to pick me up and take me to the match.

Jack: To pick up here means to collect someone or something in a car or other vehicle. It’s a common phrasal verb. Rich my car’s broken down. Can you pick me up from the mechanics? Rich, we need to be at the match at three, what time are you going to pick me up?

Rich: The next phrasal verb is a little more difficult. It’s to put up with. It’s got three words and it means to accept something that is annoying or not nice.

Jack: Rich said that he puts up with supporting a team that loses lots of matches. It’s not nice but it's his team so he’ll put up with it.  

Rich: What else might you have to put up with in life?

Jack: You might have to put up with a long commute to work, you might have to put up with an annoying younger sibling or you might have to put up with noisy neighbours.

Rich: We carry on supporting our team even if we lose.

Jack: Yes, we do and that’s another phrasal verb - to carry on. It means to continue.

Rich: A team might put you through a lot but you’ll carry on supporting them.

Jack: To put someone through something means to make them experience something that is not nice.

Rich: Another phrasal verb we used in the roleplay was to check out. I said I always checked the Sheffield United results out.

Jack: To check out in this situation means to read or look at something. Many of the phrasal verbs we are looking at have multiple meanings so context is always important.

Rich: Some of the other phrasal verbs have specific football meanings. I said my team went up and I hope my team stays up.

Jack: In football, these mean to get promoted to a higher division and to remain in the division.

Rich: I also used to cheer for which means to support someone or a team by shouting, clapping and of course cheering loudly.

Jack: So, there are the meanings of quite a few of the phrasal verbs we used in the roleplay. It would be a good idea to listen to the roleplay again now and check that you understand the phrasal verbs in context.

Language Focus 2: Phrasal Verbs (Form)

Rich: We’ve just been looking at the meaning of some phrasal verbs we used in the roleplay and now we’re going to give you a bit more information about how phrasal verbs are used.

Jack: We’ve already said that context is really important to learn phrasal verbs. Think about the sentences before and after the phrasal verb to help you understand the meaning.

Rich: Thinking about meaning in context is by far the best way to try and learn phrasal verbs but did you know that different phrasal verbs are used in different ways.

Jack: Some phrasal verbs need to have a direct object and some don’t and some phrasal verbs can be separated and some can’t. Let’s look again at some examples from the roleplay.

Rich: Let’s start with phrasal verbs that take a direct object. A direct object is a noun or a noun phrase that receives the action of the phrasal verb.

Jack: These are sometimes called transitive phrasal verbs. The phrasal verb ‘to put up with’ is one example:

Rich: I have to put up with a team that loses a lot of matches.

Jack: This phrasal verb needs a direct object to make sense. It needs a noun or noun phrase to follow the phrasal verb. You need to put up with something.

Rich: In this case, it’s team. A team that loses a lot of matches.

Jack: Another example is the phrasal verb to pick up. It needs a direct object. Who or what is being picked up?

Rich: I picked up that parcel from the office. I picked up Debbie from the airport.

Jack: Other phrasal verbs don’t need a direct object. They are sometimes called intransitive phrasal verbs.

Rich: One example of an intransitive phrasal verb is ‘to grow up’. It doesn’t use a direct object to make sense - it can make sense on its own.

Jack: My son wants to be a footballer when he grows up.

Rich: Another example might be I hope we go up this season or my car broke down yesterday.

Jack: Intransitive phrasal verbs like these can never be separated but we can separate transitive phrasal verbs.

Rich: Not all of them though. Put up with is an example of a transitive verb that can’t be separated. There are no rules so it’s something that needs to be learned.

Jack: An example of a phrasal verb that can be separated is ‘call off’. You can say’ the match was called off’ or ‘they called the match off’. The direct object ‘the match’ can be put in the middle of the phrasal verb.  

Rich: There is one useful rule about separable phrasal verbs. It is when you use a pronoun as the direct object you have to put it in the middle.

Jack: So I can say ‘I will pick up Rich at six’ or ‘I will pick Rich up at six’.

Rich: But you can’t say ‘I will pick up him at six’ you have to say ‘I will pick him up at six’.

Jack: Lots to learn there. Have a look at the transcript for this podcast on the Premier Skills English website and decide if the phrasal verbs we used are transitive or intransitive and whether they can be separated or not.

Rich: We also have a few more explanations and activities on the website to help you understand.

Task

Jack: Your task this week is to tell us which football team you support and why.

Rich: I spoke about two teams that I support in the roleplay. What about you? Do you have just one team or more than one?

Jack: Do you support a team in your country and a team in another country or the Premier League?

Rich: Do you support a team because of family, because of tradition, location, the colours, a specific player or style of play?

Jack: Let us know in the comments section and try to use at least three phrasal verbs in your answer.

Football Phrase

Rich: OK, it’s time for this week’s football phrase. It’s your turn this week Jack. Nice and easy so everybody can get it right.

Jack: Sure. I want to see as many people write the answer on the website as possible. This week’s phrase is ‘**** ***’ and it means the start of a football match or to start something more generally. The phrase can be a noun or a phrasal verb. Next week a new Premier League season ***** ***. The first match of the season is Liverpool against Norwich City. **** *** is at eight o’ clock.

Rich: Yes, lots of people are going to get that. Who will be first? Write your answers in the comments section on the Premier Skills English website and we’ll announce your name on next week’s show.

Jack: Before we forget we need to give you the answer to last week’s football phrase. The answer was away goals count double.

Rich: Right, that’s all we have time for this week. Bye for now and enjoy your football!