A. PHRASAL VERBS:
Động từ kép, hay còn gọi là cụm động từ, là các động từ kết hợp với một hoặc hai tiểu từ (particles) như: across, along, about, after, against, around, at, for, forward, in, into, of, off, on, onto, to, up, etc. Mởi động từ kép có thể cho một hoặc vài ba ý nghĩa khác nhau; Ví dụ:
come across (tình cờ gặp), come up with (đưa ra ý kiến), look up (nhìn lên), look up to (ngưổng mộ, kính trọng), go off (nổ; hư thối), etc.
Câu hỏi liên quan đến động từ kép rất thường xuất hiện trong đề thi. Trong tiếng Anh số lượng động từ kép có thể lên đến hàng ngàn, nhưng trong đó chỉ có một số động từ kép thường được sử dụng trong giao tiếp hoặc trong sách, báo. Vì thế, chúng ta cần chú trọng ôn tập một số động từ kép thông dụng nhất.
Phrasal verbs Meanings and Examples
Account (to sb) for
= to explain the reason for or the cause of sth (giải thích lí do, nguyên nhân)
- The prime minister will have to account to the whole nation for his decision.
= to form the total of sth (= tạo nên số lượng của)
- Students account for the vast majority of our customers.
Blow up
= to destroy sth with an explosion (làm nổ)
- The hijackers threatened to blow up the plane if their demands were not met.
Break away = to escape (trốn thoát)
- One or two of the tourists broke away from the tour group.
Break down
= (machine, car, ...) to stop working (hỏng máy)
- Our dishwasher broke down just a month after the guarantee had expired.
= to lose control of one’s feelings and start crying (mất kiềm chế) - When we gave her the bad news, she broke down and cried.
= to become very bad (suy sụp sức khỏe hoặc tinh thần) - Her health broke down under the pressure of work.
Break into
= to enter a house or a building by force (đột nhập)
- Someone broke into the office while the security guard was on the phone to his wife.
Break sth off = to end a relationship (cắt đứt quan hệ)
- The governments have broken off diplomatic relations.
Break out
= (something dangerous or unpleasant) start suddenly (bộc phát; bùng nổ)
- The ambassador was recalled when war broke out.
Break up (with sb)
= to end relationship (tan vỡ; chấm dứt quan hệ)
- She met her second husband not long after her first marriage broke up.
Bring about
= to cause sth to happen (mang lại điều gì; gây ra việc gì)
- The twentieth century brought about revolutionary changes in our lifestyles.
Bring up = to rear children (nuôi con)
- The child was brought up by his grandmother.
= to mention or raise a topic (đề cập hoặc nêu ra) - Please, bring this matter up at the next meeting.
Burst into
= to Begin suddenly (òa vỡ; bùng lên)
- Fiona burst into tears when I told her that her cat had died.
- The car burst into flames while they were driving on the highway.
Call at = to stop at a place for a short time (ghé lại) - This train calls at several small stations.
Call back = to return a telephone call (gọi điện lại)
- I’m busy at the moment - Can I call you back later?
Call for sth = to demand that sth happen (yêu cầu thực hiện điều gì)
- All of the members have called for the chairman’s resignation.
Call off = to cancel (hủy bỏ)
- The match was called off because of the bad weather.
Call on/upon = to normally invite or ask sb to speak (mời ai phát biểu) - I now call upon the chairman to address the meeting.
Call up
= to make a telephone call to sb (gọi điện thoại cho ai) - I’ll call you up when I get home.
= to order sb to join the army (kêu gọi nhập ngũ) - He was called up when the war began.
Catch on
= to become popular and fashionable (trở nên phổ biến hoặc thời thượng)
- The idea of glasses being a fashion item has been slow to catch on.
- I wonder if the game will ever catch on with young people?
Catch, on to sth
= to begin to understand or realize something (bắt đầu hiểu được điều gì)
- It was a long time before the police caught on to what he was really doing.
Catch up with
= to reach the same position or level (bắt kịp) - Go on ahead. I’ll catch up with you.
- After missing a term through illness he had to work hard to catch up with the others.
Check in/into = to register at a hotel or hospital (đăng kí vào ở) - We went out for dinner after checking into the hotel.
Check out (of) = to pay the bill and leave a hotel (trả phòng khách sạn) - We must check out of our rooms by noon.
Cheer up = to make sb feel happier (làm ai vui lên)
- Mary’s unhappy; we should do something to cheer her up.
Clean up = to make clean and orderly (dọn dẹp sạch sẽ) - You must clean up the mess after the party.
Come across
= to meet sb/sth by chance (tình cờ gặp)
- I came across these old photographs in a drawer.
= to be understood (hiểu được)
- He spoke for a long time but his meaning didn’t really come across.
Come along
= to arrive or to appear (đến hoặc xuất hiện)
- You must be ready to take any right opportunity when it comes along.
Come around/round
= to become conscious again (hồi tỉnh lại)
- It took him twelve hours to come round after the operation.
= to come to sb’s house to visit for a short time (ghé chơi nhà ai) - She told me to come round and see her more often.
Come down on sb
= (informal) to criticize sb severely or punish sb (chỉ trích hoặc trừng phạt ai)
- Some people suggest the courts come down hard on young offenders.
Come down with sth
= to get an illness that is not very serious (bị nhiễm bệnh nhẹ) - I think I’m coming down with a cold.
Come on
= uesd to tell sb to hurry or to try harder (bảo ai cố lên hoặc nhanh lên) - Come on! We don’t have much time.
- Come on! Try once more.
= used to show that you know what sb has said is not correct (bảo ai
“thôi mà”)
- Oh, come on-you know that isn’t true!
Come to a halt/ a stop
= to slow down and stop (ngừng lại)
- The bus came to a halt / a stop just a few meters from me.
Come up
= to happen (xảy ra)
- I’m afraid something urgent has come up.
- We’ll let you know if any vacancies come up.
Come up with sth
= to suggest or think of an idea or plan (đưa ra một ý tưởng hoặc một kế hoạch)
Anyone who comes up with a new idea for increasing sales will be promoted.
Cross out = to draw a line through (gạch bỏ)
- Please, cross out all the spelling mistakes in this letter.
Cut down on sth
= to reduce the size, amount or number (giảm bớt)
- ‘Have a cigarette?’ ‘No, thanks. I’m trying to cut down.
- The doctor told him to cut down on his drinking.
Do without
= to manage without sb/sth (xoay xở mà không cần có ai/ điều gì) - My boss can’t do without a secretary.
- I don't have any sugar so you'll have to do without.
Drop by/in on sb = to visit informally (ghé thăm ai)
- I hope I’ll drop in on you when I’m in your town.
Drop off = to decrease; to become less (giảm sút)
- The demand for mobile phones shows no signs of dropping off.
Drop out
= to leave school, college or nuniversity without finishing it (bỏ học nửa chừng)
- He started a degree at Wisconsin University, but dropped out after only a year.
Figure out = to find the answer by reasoning (tìm ra câu trả lời sau nhiều suy nghĩ) - It took them ages to figure out how to assemble the chest of drawers.
Fill in/out = to complete a form by writing information on it (điền vào) - Every applicant must fillin/out this form and post it.
Fill up = to make sth completely full (đổ đầy)
- Fill up the tank with gas before going on the trip.
Find out = to discover information about sth/sb (tìm ra) - Watch that man and try to find out what he’s doing.
Get at/on sb
= to criticize repeatedly sb (= chỉ trích ai)
- He keeps getting at me and I really don't know what I've done wrong.
Get away with
= to succeed in avoiding punishment for something (= thoát tội) - Everyone thinks he's guilty of the bribery, but it looks like he’s going to get away with it.
Get on = to make progress (có tiến bộ)
- How are you getting on in your new job?
Get on/along with = to have good relationship with sb (hòa đồng với)
- Do you get on/along well with all the people you work with?
Get on/off
= to get into or leave a bus, a train, a plane, a ship, etc. (lên/ xuống xe, tàu, ...)
- The bus was so crowded that I couldn’t get on.
- Please, let me get off at the stop near the post office.
Get out of
= to avoid doing something that you do not want to do, especially by giving an excuse (tránh né làm việc gì)
- I believe his headache was just a way of getting out of the housework.
Get over = to feel better after sth unhappy happens to you (vượt qua) - She never completely got over the loss of her first child.
= to recover from an illness (bình phục)
- You will get over the illness more quickly if you relax.
Get round/arounđ
= (news, information) to spread (tin tức lan truyền) - News of their engagement soon got round the office.
Get through sth. = to succeed in an examination or competition (vượt qua kì thi) - Andy got through his final exam without any difficulty.
Get to sb
= to make someone feel annoyed or upset (làm ai bực tức)
- I'm under a lot of pressure at work, and sometimes it gets to me a bit.
Get up = to leave your bed and start the day (thức dậy) - The alarm rang but I had difficulty getting up.
Give back = to return sth to sb (trả lại)
- You can borrow my CD, as long as you promise to give it back.
Give up = to stop doing sth permanently (từ bỏ một thói quen) - He gave up drinking on the advice of his doctor.
Go after = to chase or follow sb (đuổi theo ai)
- She left the room in tears so I went after her.
Go ahead = to proceed and do what you want to do (cứ việc làm điều gì) - Dad said we could go ahead and build a tree-house.
Go away = to leave a place
- I don’t want to buy anything! Please go away!
Go down
= to decrease or get smaller (giảm xuống)
- The number of students enrolling has slightly gone down this year.
Go off
= to explode or ring (nổ hoặc reo lên) - The gun went off while he was cleaning it.
- My alarm clock goes off every morning at six.
= to become spoilt (bị hư, hỏng)
- Put the food in the fridge or it’ll go off.
Go on
= to continue
- They went on working although it was very late.
= to happen
- I saw a crowd gathering and stopped to see what was going on.
Go out
= to leave your home to go somewhere for fun
- I don’t often go out this year because I’m too busy with my school work.
Go over = to review or check sth carefully (duyệt lại; xem lại) - Go over your work before you hand it in.
Go up = to rise (tăng lên)
- Prices have gone up by ten per cent this year.
Grow up = to become an adult (trưởng thành)
- You’ll understangd this when you grow up, boy.
Hang about/around
= to wait or stay near a place, not doing very much (lượn lờ ở nơi nào) - In this slum area, you can see kids hanging about in the streets Hand sth down to
sb
= to give or leave sth to sb who is younger than you; to pass down (truyền lại cho ai)
- These skills used to be handed down from father to son.
Hand sth in (to sb)
= to submit (nộp; đệ trình)
- Remember to check your essay carefully before you hand it in to me.
- He handed the wallet in to the police.
Hang on
= to wait for a short time (chờ trong giây lát) - Hang on a minute
- I'll be with you in a moment!
Hang on to/onto sth
= to keep something (gìn giữ)
- Hang onto those books. You never know when you might need them.
Hang up = to end a telephone conversation (kết thúc cuộc gọi) - He began to shout on the phone so I hung up.
Hold on = to wait for a short time (chờ trong choc lát) - Hold on, I'll check in my diary.
Hold up = to delay (làm. chậm trễ)
- The traffic was held up because of an accident.
Keep out = to not enter a place (tránh xa, không được vào) - The sign said “Private Property-Keep Out!”
Keep out of sth
= to avoid becoming involved in something (tránh dính líu vào việc gì) - I prefer to keep out of arguments about money.
Keep to sth
= to do what you have promised or planned to do (theo đúng kế hoạch) - I think we should keep to our original plan.
= to talk or write only about the given subject (theo đúng chủ đề) - For heaven's sake let's keep to the point or we'll never reach any decisions.
Keep up with = to stay at the same position or level (theo kịp) - Wages are not keeping up with inflation.
Laugh at = to make fun of; to ridicule (cười nhạo) - They all laughed at his ridiculous costume.
Let sb down
= to make sb disappointed
- When he missed that penalty, he felt that he’d let the team down.
Look after
= to take care of or be responsible for
- My grandmother had a special maid-servant to look after her all day.
Look back on/to sth.
= to think about something that happened in the past (nhìn lại điều gì) - When she looks back on those days she realizes how unhappy she was.
Look down on
= to think that one is better than sb (khinh rẻ hoặc coi thường ai) - They looked down on her because of her poor clothes.
Look for
= to search for sb/sth (tìm kiếm)
- I'm looking for my car key — have you seen it anywhere?
- Detectives are still looking for the escaped prisoner.
Look forward to = to wait sb/sth with pleasure (mong chờ)
- We’re really looking forward to seeing you again.
Look into = to investigate (điều tra)
— The police are looking into a series of robberies.
Look on
= to watch something happening, without being involved in it or trying to stop it (nhìn một cách bàng quan, hờ hững)
- Only one man tried to help us, the rest just looked on in silence.
Look out = to be careful
— Look out! There’s a bus coming!
Look up = to find information in a book (tra cứu)
— You can look up this information on the website.
Look up to sb
= to admire or respect someone (ngưỡng mộ hoặc kính trọng ai) - I've always looked up to my brother for his courage and determination.
Make for = to go in the direction of a place or thing (đi theo hướng) - After a short rest, they made for the next town.
Make out
= to see, hear or understand something or someone with difficulty (cố gắng để thấy, nghe hoặc hiểu)
- The numbers are too small - I can't make them out at all.
- She's a strange person - I can’t make her out at all.
Make up
= to invent sth, such as an excuse or a story, often in order to deceive (bịa chuyện)
- She made up an excuse about having to look after the kids.
- He told us stories about his family, but they were all made up.
= to prepare or arrange sth (chuẩn bị hoặc sắp đặt việc gì)
— Could you make up a list of all the things that need to be done?
= to put make-up on sb’s face (trang điểm, hóa trang) - It always takes her hours to make up in the mornings.
= to forgive someone and be friendly after an argument or disagreement (= to make it up)
- The couple often quarrels but they always make it up soon after.
Make up for
= to compensate for sth (đền bù; bồi thường)
- This year's good harvest will make up for last year's bad one.
- I'm taking extra lessons to make up for the time I missed.
Make up to sb
= to be too friendly to sb or to praise them in order to get advantages (nịnh bợ)
- Everybody in the office can clearly see the way Wendy makes up to the boss.
Name after sb = to give sb/sth the name of sb else (đặt tên theo ai) - This plant was named after the biologist who found it.
Pas away = to die (qua đời)
- The old man passed away in peace.
Pay back
= to pay sb the money that you owe them
- He still hasn't paid me back that money he owes me.
= to do something unpleasant to someone because they have done something unpleasant to you (bắt ai phải trả giá cho việc làm không tốt) - He swears he’ll pay her back for what she’s done to him!
Pay for
= to be punished for doing something bad to someone else, or to suffer because of a mistake that you made (phải trả giá vì việc gì)
- We all pay for our mistakes in some way at some time.
- He tricked me and I'm going to make him pay for it!
Pay in
= to put money into a bank account; to deposit (U.S.) (nộp tiền vào tài khoản ngân hàng)
- If you go to the bank, will you pay these cheques in for me?
Pay off = to pay back money that you owe (trả nợ cho ai) - They hope to pay off the debt within two years.
Pay up
= to pay money that you owe, especially when you do not want to or you are late (buộc lòng phải trả nợ cho ai)
- Eventually they paid up, but only after receiving several reminders.
Pick up = to go somewhere in your car and get sb (đón ai bằng xe) - Can I pick you up at 5 pm?
Point out = to draw attention to sth (gây sự chú ý; chĩ rõ ra) - He pointed out the dangers of driving alone.
Put sth across
= to express your ideas and opinions clearly so that people understand them easily (trình bày một cách rõ ràng để người khác hiểu)
- His lecture was interesting and he put it across well.
- I don't think I managed to put myself across very well in my interview.
Put sth aside
= to save something, usually time or money, for a special purpose (để dành)
- They put aside a little money every month for their child’s future education.
- He tries to put some time aside every evening to read to the kids.
Put away = to remove to a proper place (cất đi)