Phrasal Verbs with BACK: "back up", "back off", "back out"...

Hi again. Welcome back to www.engvid.com. I'm Adam. Today's lesson is, again, everybody's

favourite: phrasal verbs. Today we're going to look at phrasal verbs using the verb "back".

And again, as always a review: phrasal verb is a combination of a verb plus a preposition.

So today we're looking at "back up", "back away", "back down", "back off", "back in",

"back into", and "back out". You will hear these in everyday speech, just like most phrasal

verbs are very commonly used. And unfortunately, you just have to remember them and use them.

So let's start with "back up". Most of you, I think, know "back up" from using a computer.

If you have lots of files on your computer, maybe you download some things, maybe you

have some projects on your desktop - you don't want to lose these, so you want to back them

up on a hard disk, or a CD, or a USB stick, whatever the case. So "to back up" means to

make a copy of your files. Okay? "Back up" can also mean exactly what the words mean:

back up, to go backwards. Okay? You can back up your car, it means just go back a bit,

back yourself up a little bit. Now, "back up", a very common use is support.

If your friend is going to do something dangerous, like mountain climbing,

maybe you want to go to the top of the mountain to back him up. You're going to hold the rope,

you're going to give him support. Okay? You're going to make sure he doesn't hurt himself.

It could also mean "reinforce". Excuse me.

So, for example, if police are chasing a criminal

and the criminal has some friends with guns, the police will call headquarters and ask

them to send some backup. So, in that case, we're going to use it as one word. So "backup"

means reinforcements; extra police to come and back up the first police officers to support

them to make sure everybody's okay.

"Back away". So, "back away" is similar... A little similar to "back up", except we just

say: "Back away." So let's say somebody fainted on the ground, and I am trying to give CPR.

And I'm trying to help this person, and suddenly, a crowd comes. So I say to everybody: "Okay.

Back away, back away." It means: get away, move. Okay? Very simple. Very straightforward.

"Back away".

"Back down", now, you come to me and you start an argument. You think that A is correct.

I think that B is correct, and we argue, argue, argue until finally one of us backs down.

Now, "to back down" means to retreat or to go back from a confrontation. A little bit

like "give up", but not give up. Means I become weaker, you become stronger, and you're going

to win the argument. So, "to back down" means a little bit to give up on a fight. Okay.

Okay, we'll leave that one there.

"Back off". Now, "back off" is similar to "back away", except if I tell people to "back

away", it means to get back and make some space, but if I say to "back off", it means

you're threatening me. I feel you're trying to hurt me or you're trying to do something

bad to me, and I get angry and I say: "Back off. Don't make me angry, because we'll start

a fight, or something will happen, and we don't want that, so back off." Be very careful

about the pronunciation: "back off" sounds like a little something else off, but it's

not. It just means go away; don't bother me, don't fight with me.

"Back in". Now, very limited uses for this one, but let's say you're driving a car and

there's a parking spot there, so you want to back into it, like you want to do a parallel

park. Or you want to go into the garage, but you don't want to go forward, so you back

the car into the garage. Okay?

"Back into", also, means the same as "back in". Like you can back into a spot or into

a space, but also we use "back into", it means as you're moving back, you hit something.

So you backed into the wall. Okay? You backed into the trash can, etc.

"Back out" is one of the most commonly used phrasal verbs with "back". "To back out" means

to change your mind at the last second. You made a promise, and then you backed out. You

made an agreement, and then you backed out. It means you've changed your mind, and you've

decided not to continue with this agreement. So, for example, you had a contract with a

company, you're going to work for a company. Another company comes and says: "I'll give

you a better offer", so you back out of that contract, you say: "Sorry, no thank you",

and you go to the other one. Okay?

So, some phrasal verbs with "back". There'll be... There are plenty of these phrasal verbs.

There's a quiz on www.engvid.com that you can go and practice these, make sure you understand them correctly.

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and come back again soon. Bye-bye.