Javier
When do you use...? I have seen in a lot of sentences how people add words like, "up", "out" in sentences were I don't think it was necessary. Could someone explain me where should I use them?.Is there any rule about it? Example: Thomas from the accounting dep. helped us OUT with the document. Example: I think you are the right person to help them OUT. Sorry I can't remember any example with UP right now.
Nov 8, 2012 5:45 PM
Answers · 6
2
These are called "phrasal verbs" and there are thousands of them in English. Here's a site where you can look up ("look up" is one of these, and means to find something in a reference/dictionary) definitions for them when you encounter them. http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/phrasal-verbs/ I think you will have to look up these phrasal verbs as you find them. Eventually you will get a good intuitive sense of how these verbs are formed and will be able to understand what they mean without a dictionary.
November 8, 2012
2
"What's up" ?? :D (Que Tal) "Why do you have to mess everything UP all the time ?" You need to understand that every language has its own versions of phrases that may not literally mean a lot but has come from increased usage. Take "Desde luego" for example. "Since later" does not make sense but the phrase is used in a lot of areas for "Of course". Similarly, in Inglés, there are a lot of phrases that just exist with no obvious literal meaning. "Help someone Out", "Mess something up" etc. belong to that category. These phrases have to be used completely. There is no rule which will tell you to insert UP or OUT in places where they are not needed. The grammar will only teach you the places where they are useful :) You might also want to go through these sites to see useful phrases made from UP and OUT : http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/OUT?s=t http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/UP?s=t
November 8, 2012
That is what I'm always wondering and they aren't in the dictionary.
November 9, 2012
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