Learning phrasal verbs from stories is good because you have a context from which to work out the meanings. Read this story I've written:
I bumped into an old friend yesterday. We had a quick chat, swapped numbers and arranged to get together the next day for a coffee. She used to be very popular and was always someone I looked up to as she seemed able to get on with everyone. She never fell out with anyone and never seemed to get down. I had been looking forward to catching up with her. We’d arranged to meet at eleven in the morning, but by midday she still hadn’t turned up. I felt let down by her standing me up. It turns out that popular friends are not the most reliable. I think I’ll stick with my real friends from now on.
Can you work out the meaning of the phrasal verb 'bump into'? Answer these questions to help you work out the meaning.
- Did this person plan to see their friend?
- Did they expect to see their friend?
By reading the next bit ('we had a quick chat, swapped numbers') hopefully you'll realise that they had met by accident because they didn't have each others' phone numbers.
So you should have answered 'no' to both questions because 'bump into' means to see someone unexpectedly, without planning it.
Can you work out the meaning of the other phrasal verbs from the story?
- get together
- look up to
- get on with
- fall out with
- get down
- look forward to
- catch up with
- turn up
- let down
- stand up
- turn out
- stick with
Make a note of these phrasal verbs with an example and, if possible, a noun you could use with them. For example:
bump into (a friend)
e.g. I bumped into an old friend yesterday.
Sometimes you may be unsure of the meaning, even with the context to help you, so check the meaning in a dictionary and ask your private teacher for more examples.
