Phrasal verb TAKE

John: So you’ve decided to take up English. Good for you! Take your language skills further by learning phrasal verbs that use the verb TAKE. If you don’t know them already, don’t worry. I’ll take you under my wing! (To help someone who is younger or has less experience than you).

Phrasal verbs are very common in spoken and written English so we need them to understand and speak natural English.

Phrasal verb is a verb followed by a preposition or an adverb; the combination creates a meaning different from the original verb.

The phrasal verb take, is one of the most popular English phrasal verbs.

In its primary meaning the phrasal verb take is translated like “брать, взять, поймать”.

But if it is used with any of these prepositions: after, off, on, in, back, out down, up it has a completely different meaning.

Take after somebody - to have a similar appearance or character to a family member – быть похожим, походить на (родителей, родственников), когда говорят о характере, склонностях и т.п.

Mark is so hot-headed. He takes after his father.

She takes after her mother – she has the same green eyes and curly brown hair.

Take up – 1. to begin or start a new hobby - браться за что-либо, заинтересоваться.

John has just taken up scuba diving. He likes it!

2. To occupy space – занимать место.

These empty boxes take up a lot of space in the storage room. I’ll throw them away.

Take in

1. To learn/understand information – понимать, усваивать информацию.

Many students have difficulties in taking in all these phrasal verbs.

2. To deceive, cheat – провести, одурачить, околпачить.

The pupil took the teacher in by cheating the test.

3. To allow to stay in one’s home – приютить, предоставлять жилье.

She is always taking in stray cats and dogs!

Take off

1. An airplane, leaving the ground and going up into the air – взлетать.

In spite of bad weather, the plane took off.

2. To remove a piece of clothing from your body – снять одежду.

Take off your shoes and put the slippers on.

3. To become successful or popular very fast – иметь успех, стать популярным.

That new song has really taken off in the charts.

Take down

1. To write what is spoken, to keep notes – записывать, помечать.

Let me take down your name and phone number.

2. To separate a structure into parts, to remove. – разобрать, снести.

It’s time to take down the Christmas tree until next year.

Take back

1. To return something – вернуть что-либо.

Your tablet is out of order. You should take it back to the shop.

2. To admit that something you said was wrong – брать свои слова обратно.

I take my words back, I was wrong.

Take away

To remove, to buy prepared food – забирать, уносить.

He was taken away to prison.

I’m too tired for cooking today. Let’s take away pizza and hamburgers.

They took away all my money.

Take on

1. To accept some work or responsibility – брать на себя работу, ответственность.

He’s broke and has to take on extra work.

2. To hire or employ somebody – нанимать кого-либо.

They took me on because I was a good mathematician.

Take to – to like, to adjust to – привязаться, пристраститься.

I took to Phil as soon as I met him.

They took to hiking tours.

Now it’s time to check how well you’ve remembered the information of the lesson.

Complete the sentences with proper prepositions.

1. You shouldn’t make promises and then take them back.

2. Alex has taken up Spanish because he will be moving to Mexico next year.

3. Jenna decided to take in the neighborhood stray cat.

4. Please listen carefully and take down notes in your notebooks

5. He took off his hat before he entered the house.

6. None of the children took after her.

7. They spoke so fast in that movie that I couldn’t take much in.

8. I’m going to take this jumper back because it’s not the right size.

9. John couldn’t take to living in the city. He was a country boy.

10. She took on the management of the company after her father passed.

Hopefully the information of the lesson was useful to you, guys!

Practise your grammar skills because practice makes perfect!