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Really learn 100 phrasal verbs | |
Publisher: Oxford University Press
110 pages
Price £4.75
ISBN 0-19-431583-5
Do phrasal verbs get you down? Do you have to look them up all the time, and do people put you down when can't get your point across? If none of the verbs in these questions means anything to you, then you might consider this handy book from Oxford University Press. It does not try to teach you the hundreds of phrasal verbs in English - but it makes sure that you will not forget the hundred phrasal verbs that are most often used.
The book uses a six step approach. First you are given some examples of the phrasal verb, and you check that you understand the meaning and grammar. Then you practice using the phrasal verb, and are shown which usages are correct, and which ones are wrong. Then you learn synonyms and opposites, then you do some exercises to fix the meaning in your memory and check some final grammar tips. The authors are quite proud of this approach and have three pages at the front of the book explaining exactly how to use it.
There are ten pages of answers to the exercises at the back of the book, and 100 pages of content. That's exactly one phrasal verb on each page. The book is also divided into 14 chapters, each of which concentrates on the phrasal verbs with a particular preposition. So you get (for example), Phrasal verbs with down and every page in the chapter has a phrasal verb with 'down' on it - for instance 'write down' 'take down' 'settle down' and so on.
The exercises are well designed and have lots of variety. You have matching the halves of a sentence, filling in tables and gaps, vocabulary exercises and others. There are small cartoons which show the meaning of some of the phrasal verbs in the book, and almost every bit of every page is used. This book will give your vocabulary a lot of help, and is well designed. You can see examples for yourself at the OUP website .
Who is this book for? Any students of intermediate or above who want to improve their vocabulary. This book does not try to teach you everything about English, but it does do exactly what it says on the cover.
Verdict: You will really learn 100 phrasal verbs.
Assessment 9/10