10 Useful English Phrasal Verbs You've Never Heard Of

Here are 10 useful phrasal verbs you’ve never heard of…

gussy up – This means to wear some fancy, specially-tailored or just nice-looking clothing.

A more commonly used phrasal verb with the same meaning is to dress up.

Now listen to an example and then practice “building up” the sentence backwards so

you say it correctly and confidently.

The kids are all gussied up for their party!

for their party!

gussied up for their party!

The kids are all gussied up for their party!

drive down –This means to force something downward, like the temperature in weather

that becomes cold very quickly.

Now, listen to another example sentence and repeat after me.

(We’ll follow this format for the rest of the video!)

As more competitors enter the market, prices are driven down.

driven down.

prices are driven down.

enter the market, prices are driven down.

As more competitors enter the market, prices are driven down.

Play along – This means to be a part of some practical joke, charade or act of deception.

If your child pretends to be sick, you might play along and say you’ll have to take them

to the hospital.

I played along with the joke until I realized other people didn’t find it very funny.

very funny.

didn’t find it very funny.

other people didn’t find it very funny.

until I realized other people didn’t find it very funny.

with the joke until I realized other people didn’t find it very funny.

I played along with the joke until I realized other people didn’t find it very funny.

string along –This means to keep somebody falsely believing something, like that you

are romantically interested in them when you’re really not.

Imagine having the person on a string, literally pulling them in the direction you want them

to go.

It’s definitely no fun to discover someone has been stringing you along.

I think the girl’s stringing you along because she won’t introduce you to her friends.

to her friends.

introduce you to her friends.

because she won’t introduce you to her friends.

stringing you along because she won’t introduce you to her friends.

I think the girl’s stringing you along because she won’t introduce you to her friends.

pit against – This means to be in opposition to someone or something, like a competitor

or opposing sports team.

Imagine two humans or animals in a fighting pit ready to challenge each other.

Most insects don’t stand a chance when pitted against a spider.

a spider.

when pitted against a spider.

don’t stand a chance when pitted against a spider.

Most insects don’t stand a chance when pitted

against a spider.

forge ahead – This means to move forward quickly, usually because you’ve made some

kind of progress on a physical journey, or with a plan.

You make something when you forge it, just like a blacksmith forges tools and weapons.

So, you’re making your forward path when you forge ahead.

We’re forging ahead with the plan at work because early sales numbers were strong.

numbers were strong.

because early sales numbers were strong.

the plan at work because early sales numbers

were strong.

We’re forging ahead with the plan at work because early sales numbers were strong.

drift apart – This means to lose contact or “touch” with a friend, or other relationship,

over time.

Things that drift move slowly, and usually in an out-of-control way, like a boat without

an engine drifting on water.

I haven’t called my old friend from college in ages.

I guess people just drift apart over time.

over time.

drift apart over time.

people just drift apart over time.

I guess people just drift apart over time.

in ages.

I guess people just drift apart over time.

my old friend from college in ages.

I guess people just drift apart over time.

I haven’t called my old friend from college in ages.

I guess people just drift apart over time.

tell apart – This means to notice a difference between two things.

This could be between two people who look similar, or something non-physical like the

specifications of two similar products.

Many people have trouble telling twins apart.

telling twins apart.

have trouble telling twins apart.

Many people have trouble telling twins apart.

pore over –This means to examine something carefully, usually some kind of document or

form.

Lawyers will pore over a contract looking for problems.

We pored over the documents, and everything seems to be fine.

be fine.

seems to be fine.

and everything seems to be fine.

the documents, and everything seems to be fine.

We pored over the documents, and everything seems to be fine.

snowed under – When you’re snowed under, you’re overwhelmed with too much of something.

It’s the same idea as cars being physically snowed under when they’re covered by large

amounts of snow.

I’d love to come to your party, but I’m really snowed under right now with too much

homework.

too much homework.

right now with too much homework.

really snowed under right now with too much homework.

but I’m really snowed under right now with too much homework.

your party, but I’m really snowed under right now with too much homework.

come to your party, but I’m really snowed under right now with too much homework.

I’d love to come to your party, but I’m really snowed under right now with too much

homework.

That’s it for today’s lesson.

Let me know in the comments below which of these were new for you.

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See you in the next video!