Saturday, April 30, 2011

TURNED ON by Phrasals - part 2... (No TURNING BACK!)


Hey, English Users, there's no turning back (returning) because we're back with the second part of Phrasal Verbs with "TURN".

We just hope, you're still turned on!






to turn against
(change opinion from positive to negative)

* Althought they were traditional allies, they have now turned against each other.
* After the scandal, many fans turned against her.

to turn someone away
(refuse entry to a place to someone)

* The store manager turned away a man who was behaving very strangely.
* Don't turn me away just because you don't like what I have to say!

to turn back (to return to where you were before)

* You passed the point of no return. There's no turning back now.
* I forgot my keys at home, so I had to turn back.

to turn down (refuse something or someone)

* Management turned down Bill's proposal.
* Although she was confident when she applied for the job, they turned down her application.

to turn down (lower the volume or the intensity of a device)

* Hey, man. Could you turn it down a little? Your radio is killing my ears!
* It's really chilly here. Could you turn down the air conditioner, please?


to turn in
(to surrender to authorities)
* After a 13 hour standoff with police, the kidnappers turned themselves in.
* Despite commiting a terrible crime, he took advantage of his celebrity status and didn't turn himself in right away.

So once again, we truly encourage you review these sentences and try to come up with samples of your own. And if you'd like, share them in the comments section below!

And for a memorable use of "No Turning Back...", we encourage you to WATCH the classic "Blue Pill / Red Pill Scene" from THE MATRIX. Can you spot it?















It's got optional subtitles in English (CC), but embedding is disabled, so please click HERE to watch. Enjoy!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

TURNED ON by Phrasals - part 1


Do you get turned on (seduced) by phrasal verbs? Probably not, eh?

Well, either way, before you turn in (go to bed), please turn your attention to this week's post about phrasal verbs with TURN.

As it turns out (could result) you might learn a few before you turn off the computer.





turn on (seduce)

* Maggie was turned on by his charm rather than his looks.
* What turned you on to buying this smart phone? I thought you hated them.

turn in (go to bed)

* I'm really tired. I think I'm going to turn in.
* So, what time did you turn in last night?

to turn in (deliver results)

* Our company's turned in its best results in over ten years.
* Time's up. Please turn in your test.

to turn into (change or transform into something different)

* If we don't stop inflation now, the situation could turn into a nightmare.
* The architects turned this old building into a modern condominium.

to turn off (switch the power to "off" on a machine or device)

* I forgot to turn off the A/C before I left.
* I recommend you turn off the computer and restart it.

to turn on (switch the power to "on" on a machine or device)

* The first thing I do in the morning, is turn on my computer and the coffee machine.
* It was dark in the house when I went in. Nobody had turned the lights on.

to turn on (betray or be disloyal)

* The president fired a staff memmber who turned on him.
* Mike turned on his boss because he wanted his job.

to turn out (have a particular result)

* We had a very good afternoon. The weather turned out well.
* I was so pleased with the food. Even the cakes turned out perfectly.

to turn out (people who go and participate at an event)

* Hundreds of thousands turned out to see the Royal Wedding.
* How many people do you think will turn out in the next elections?

In conclusion, whether you are turned on or not by phrasal verbs with TURN, we strongly recommend you practice them in your everyday use of English.

Who knows... you just might turn someone else on... without meaning to. But you wouldn't be the first one.

Robert Palmer beat you to it (did it before you), in this classic hit from the 80s. Enjoy!