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Unit 03
Take, Make, Put & Give
take after, make up, put off, give in…
Four Everyday Verbs
Take, make, put and give combine with many particles. Several of these phrasal verbs have more than one meaning (make up, take off, put on), so pay attention to the context.
Phrasal Verbs with TAKE
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| take off | (plane) to leave the ground; to remove clothes; to become successful quickly | The plane took off on time. / Take off your shoes, please. |
| take up | to start a hobby or activity; to use space or time | She took up yoga last year. / This sofa takes up too much space. |
| take after | to look or behave like an older family member | He really takes after his father. |
| take over | to take control of something | A bigger company took over the firm. |
| take on | to accept work or responsibility; to employ | I can't take on any more work. |
| take back | to return something to a shop; to admit that what you said was wrong | I take back what I said — I was wrong. |
| take in | to understand and remember information; to deceive | There was too much information to take in. |
Phrasal Verbs with MAKE
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| make up | to invent a story or excuse; to become friends again; to form a whole | He made up an excuse. / Women make up 60% of the staff. |
| make up for | to compensate for something bad | This gift is to make up for missing your birthday. |
| make out | to see, hear or understand with difficulty | I couldn't make out what he was saying. |
Phrasal Verbs with PUT
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| put off | to postpone; to make someone dislike something | They put off the meeting until Friday. |
| put up with | to tolerate something unpleasant | I can't put up with this noise any more. |
| put on | to dress in clothes; to gain weight; to switch on | Put on your coat — it's cold. / He's put on weight. |
| put out | to stop a fire or cigarette burning | Firefighters put out the fire quickly. |
| put away | to put something back in its usual place | Put your toys away, please. |
| put forward | to suggest an idea or plan for discussion | She put forward a new proposal. |
| put up | to build or hang something; to let someone stay in your home | We put up some posters. / Can you put me up for a night? |
Phrasal Verbs with GIVE
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| give up | to stop doing or trying something | Don't give up — you're almost there! |
| give in | to finally agree after refusing; to surrender | The children kept asking until I gave in. |
| give away | to give something for free; to reveal a secret | Don't give away the ending of the film! |
| give back | to return something to its owner | Please give back my book when you finish it. |
Watch Out
- Make up has at least three different meanings — always check the context.
- Give up and put off are followed by -ing: give up smoking, put off calling him.
- Put on (wear) ↔ take off (remove) are opposites.
- Fixed pattern: make it up to someone = do something nice because you disappointed them.
Annotated Examples
Subject
Verb
Auxiliary
Object
Adjective
Adverb
Preposition
Hover over any word to see its role.
subjectHeverbtakes afterobjecthis grandfather.
↳ take after = resemble an older relative (inseparable).
subjectTheyverbputobjectthe meetingverboff.
↳ Separable: put the meeting off / put off the meeting.
subjectIverbcan't put up withobjecthis rudeness.
↳ Three-part phrasal verbs are never separated.
Common Mistakes
I took after my shoes.
→
I took off my shoes.
take after = resemble; take off = remove.
She gave up to eat meat.
→
She gave up eating meat.
give up + -ing.
I can't put up this noise.
→
I can't put up with this noise.
put up with = tolerate.
Put off your coat — it's cold.
→
Put on your coat — it's cold.
put on = wear.
I'll make up you for it.
→
I'll make it up to you.
Fixed pattern: make it up to someone.