Work on your phrasal verbs 5: Communication - Thẩm Tâm Vy

 Thẩm Tâm Vy, Otober 2018 WORK ON YOUR PHRASAL VERBS 5 COMMUNICATION 
WORK ON YOUR PHRASAL VERBS ~ COMMUNICATION 
1. ask for. [a] If you ask for something, you say that you would like to have it. 
 - She asked for a drink of water. 
[b] If you ask for someone when you are making a phone call, you say that you would like to 
speak to them. 
 - He rang the office and asked for Tam Vy. 
2. call back. [a] If you call back, you go to see someone briefly for a second time. 
 - I'll call back tomorrow and collect the shoes. 
[b] If you call back, you telephone someone for a second time. 
 - I'll call back when you're not so busy. 
[c] If you call someone back, you telephone them again in return for a telephone call they have 
made to you. 
 - Can I call you back later? 
NOTE.You can also use ring back. [mainly BRITISH.] 
3. call up. If you call up or call someone up, you telephone someone. 
 - Paul often calls me up just for a chat. 
 - She called up an old boyfriend to invite him out for dinner. 
 - The radio station had an open line on which listeners could call up to discuss various issues. 
NOTE. You can also use phone up and ring up. 
4. come back to. If you come back to a particular subject, you mention or start to discuss it 
again. 
 - We always come back to the same point. 
5. get back to. [a] If you get back to what you were doing or talking about before, you start 
doing it or talking about it again. 
 - I couldn't get back to sleep. 
NOTE. You can also use go back to. 
[b] If you get back to someone, you contact them again after a short period of time. 
 - Leave a message and I'll get back to you. 
6. hang on. If you hang on, you wait for a short time. [INFORMAL] 
 - Hang on a minute, I'm not ready. 
NOTE. You can also use hold on. 
7. hear from. If you hear from someone or hear something from them, you receive a phone call, 
email, or other message from them. 
 - I don't hear from my sister very often. 
 - Have you heard anything from Oanh Oanh since she went to university? 
8. hold back. If you hold back, or if something holds you back, you do not do or say something 
that you want to do or say. 
 - She always says exactly what she thinks, without holding back. 
 - She wanted to ask his name, but something held her back. 
9. hold on 
[a] If you hold on, you wait or stop what you are doing for a short time. 
 - Hold on! I can't hear you if you all talk at once! 
NOTE. You can also use hang on. 
[b] If you ask someone you are speaking to on the phone to hold on, you want them to wait for a 
short time. 
 - Hold on a moment, please, I'll put you through. 
10. make out [a] If you make something out, you manage to see or hear it. 
 - He could just make out the number plate of the car. 
 - She was mumbling something but I couldn't make it out. 
NOTE. You can also use pick out. 
[b] If you make something out, you manage to understand it. 
 - I can't make out if Thao Lylikes him or not. 
 - The essay was full of complex ideas and we struggled to make them out. 
NOTE. You can also use work out. 
[c] If you make out that something is true, you try to make people believe it. 
 - He tried to make out he'd forgotten, but I knew he hadn't. 
11. put to. If you put something to someone, you say it to them in order to find out how they 
react to it. 
 - These are the sort of questions that I'll be putting to the headmaster. 
12. talk to. If you talk to someone, you have a conversation with them. 
 - I just wanted to talk to you. 
NOTE. You can also use talk with. 
13. talk with If you talk with someone, you have a conversation with them. 
 [mainly AMERICAN] 
 - I'd like to talk with you about your son’s school work.. 
14. turn down. If you turn something or someone down, you refuse a request or offer. 
 - She applied for a job in a restaurant, but was turned down. 
 - He asked me to help and I couldn't really turn him down. 
PRACTICE 
I. Complete the sentences with the words given below. 
back - back to - for 
1. We'll come.........that point later on. 
2. She called the number and asked.........the manager. 
3. Henry was keen to get.........work. 
4. Something held her.........from saying anything. 
5. He always asked.........a receipt. 
6. I'll call.........you with more details later. 
II. Complete the sentences. Choose the correct particles. 
1. Would you mind holding out / on / back while I call Mr Smith? 
2. He's not here at the moment. Can I ask him to call you up / back / out? 
3. I'll get back / out / on to you soon with my decision. 
4. The photo is very unclear - I can't make it out / up / over very well. 
5. He asked her to go to the cinema with him but she turned him out / back / down. 
6. I've got a proposal I'd like to put through / to / with you. 
III. Match phrasal verbs 1-6 with definitions A-F. 
1. turn down A. manage to see or hear something 
2. make out B. wait for a short time 
3. come back to C. refuse a request or offer 
4. hang on D. receive a message from someone 
5. hold back E. not say or do something you want to 
6. hear from F. mention something again 
IV. Match sentence halves 1-6 with A-F to make complete sentences. 
1. I called her up last night A to ask how she was. 
 Thẩm Tâm Vy, Otober 2018 WORK ON YOUR PHRASAL VERBS 5 COMMUNICATION 
2. We haven't heard B. turn down the offer. 
3. I really need to talk to C. what the sign said. 
4. It was dark and it was hard to make out D. from him in a long time. 
5. I put it to him that he might make E. you about something. 
6. In the end he decided to F. money from the scheme. 
V. Replace the underlined phrasal verbs with one from the list below with the same 
meaning. 
called...back - call up - get back to - hang on - make out - talk to 
1. Can we go back to the point you raised earlier? 
2. I can't work out why he did it. 
3. I rang Stefan back the following day. 
4. Can you hold on for a minute or two? 
5. Can I talk with you about this? 
6. You can phone up and speak to an adviser at any time. 
VI. Read the following text message conversation. Underline all the phrasal verbs, then 
match them with the correct definitions 1-6. 
Katy: Hi Quang! Sorry I had to go earlier on the phone. My mum was trying to talk to me from 
 downstairs and I couldn't make out what she was saying. 
Quang: That's OK! Thanks for getting back to me. I just called you up to ask you for some 
 advice. 
Katy: I'm busy right now, but can you call me back at 7 p.m.? 
Quang: Sure. We'll speak then! 
 1. telephone someone 
 2. say you would like to have something 
 3. manage to hear something 
 4. telephone someone for a second time 
 5. contact someone again after a short time 
 6. have a conversation with someone 
VII. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the phrasal verbs in the list below. 
make out - hang on - come back to – turn down - put...to - hold back 
1. Sorry, I couldn't.....................what you said there. Can you repeat that? 
2. I'm afraid I'm going to have to.....................your offer. 
3. Let's.....................that question a bit later. 
4. Would you m ind.....................a moment? 
5. I usually don't....................: I say what I mean. 
6. He..........it...........her that she had done this deliberately. 
VIII. Read the extract from an e-mail to an online shopping company. Underline all the 
phrasal verbs, then answer the questions. 
 I'd like to make a complaint about your customer service. I was told that if there was a problem 
with my order, I should call up the customer service department and talk to someone about it. 
Well, when someone eventually answered the phone, I was told to hold on while they found my 
details. After half an hour of hanging on, nobody had got back to me, so I ended the call. I was 
hoping to hear from you again but nobody has called me back yet. I might have to put my 
complaint to them in writing now. 
1. Who did the caller want to have a conversation with? 
2. What did the caller have to do for a long time, after someone answered the call? 
3 How long did the caller have before ending the phone the phone call? 
4. What did the caller expect would happen after ending 
5. Has the caller had any response from the company? 
6. What does the caller intend to do next? call? 
ANSWER KEY 
I. 1. back to 2. for 3. back to 4. back 5. for 6. Back 
II. 1. On 2. back 3. back 4. out 5. down 6. to 
III. 1. C 2. A 3. F 4. B 5. E 6. D 
IV. 1. A 2. D 3. E 4. C 5. F 6. B 
V. 1. get back to 2. make out 3. called (Stefan) back 4. hang on 5. talk to 6. call up 
VI. 1. telephone someone = called You up 
 2. say you would like to have something = ask you for 
 3. manage to hear something = make out 
 4. telephone someone for a second time = call me back 
 5. contact someone again after a short time = getting back to me 
 6. have a conversation with someone = talk to 
VII. 1. make out 2. turn down 3. come back to 4. hanging on 5. hold back 6. put (it) to 
VIII. 
 I'd like to make a complaint about your customer service. I was told that if there was a problem 
with my order, I should call up the customer service department and talk to someone about it. 
Well, when someone eventually answered the phone, I was told to hold on while they found my 
order details. After half an hour of hanging on. nobody had got back to me, so I ended the 
conversation. I was hoping to hear from you again but nobody has called me back yet. I might 
have to put my complaint to them in writing now. 
 1. The caller wanted to have a conversation with someone in the customer service department. 
 2. The caller had to hold on. 
 3. The caller had half an hour before ending the phone call. 
 4. The caller expected that someone would call back. 
 5. No, the caller hadn't had any response from anyone. 
 6. The caller intends to write a letter of complaint.