Podcast 82 - Seven phrasal verbs for B1

Story starts at 4:00

Today I'm going to offer you seven phrasal verbs - B1 phrasal verbs. So these are essential for a B1 level. And first of all, I'll explain what they are and give a little definition. And then I'm going to tell you a story. And in the story, you can listen out for how these phrasal verbs are used.

Explaining the seven phrasal verbs

So the first one then is to break up and you break up with somebody. So to break up with somebody means when you have a relationship with them, normally a romantic relationship, and then you separate - your relationship finishes. And that is to break up.

The next one is to go out with somebody, and to go out is to have a relationship in a romantic way. So that's to go out with somebody.

And the next one is to move out. And the opposite - to move in. And we use this phrasal verb to say that you go to a house or flat to live there, you move in. And to move out is when you leave that flat permanently and go to live somewhere else. So you move into a flat and you move out of a flat.

The next one is to put on and in this context is to put on weight, which means to get heavier. So when you stand on the scales, which weigh you, you see that you have put on weight - you have more kilos than you did last week.

The next one is to take up sport or take up some activity. It can be a hobby, usually a hobby, and to take up something like sport or jogging is to start that activity.

The next one is to give up. So you give up - again - some activity. So that means to stop doing it. You can give up smoking, for example, give up some bad habit.

And the last one is to put off. To put off means to postpone, or to do something at a later time because it's not convenient for you to do it at the moment. So for example, if you think you need to see the doctor because you're not feeling very well - but you don't go. No, I'll go next week. So you put off going to see the doctor or you put off the appointment with the doctor.

Okay, those are the seven phrasal verbs. So listen out for those while I tell you the story. Here we go.

Jennifer and the Fortune-Teller*

Fortune-teller

Jennifer had just finished university. She had studied to be an architect. But when she finished, she couldn't find a job. All her friends found good jobs. Even Jennifer's boyfriend, and this made their relationship difficult because when they went out, her boyfriend always paid for the meals and had to buy her clothes. And that made their relationship very difficult. And in the end, they broke up. It was a shame really, because they had been going out for five years.

So Jennifer was alone now. Well, she had some friends, but she didn't go out much because she couldn't afford it. Jennifer's parents gave her some money to help with the rent. But in the end, Jennifer had to move out of her nice London flat and find a cheaper one, a long way from London, which made her possibilities of finding a job even more difficult.

Things got steadily worse. She put on weight because she was not sleeping well. And she was feeling stressed. So she took up sport. Well, really, she took up jogging, she couldn't afford to go to a gymnasium. And she also gave up eating fatty foods like meat. And she tried to take up being a vegetarian.

A friend of Jennifer's told her about a fortune-teller. Her friend had been to the fortune-teller several times, and she said that this little old woman was very good at telling the future. And she always seemed to be correct in her predictions. Jennifer thought about going and seeing the fortune teller. But she didn't know if really she believed in all that, so she put off going.

Then one day, Jennifer received an email from a very well known and important construction company. They invited Jennifer to an interview for a good position as an architect. Jennifer became very excited about this prospect. And then she became nervous. Then she started thinking that perhaps... what would happen if she didn't get the job? She wanted to know before she went to the interview.

So she got her little car and she drove out to the village near where Jennifer lived to visit the fortune-teller. The fortune-teller lived on top of a hill in a little house in a dark forest. Jennifer arrived at the house and walked up to the door and knocked on it. A little old lady open the door and invited Jennifer in. Then she invited Jennifer to sit down at a table, and the little old lady sat opposite her. In the middle of the table, there was a large glass ball or crystal ball. The fortune-teller was dressed in strange colourful clothes, she wore a headscarf and she had large earrings and she had a very dark complexion. When she spoke, she spoke with a foreign accent.

'My dear girl, what can I do for you?'

Jennifer explained. 'I have been told that you are very good at predicting the future. I would like to ask you a question.'

'I see. One question will cost 20 pounds,' said the fortune-teller.

Jennifer thought this was very expensive, but she opened her purse, took out a 20 pound note and gave it to the fortune-teller.

'I... I didn't expect to pay so much. Don't you think that's very expensive for just one question?'

The old woman replied. 'Yes, I do. I hope that has answered your question. Thank you very much for coming today. Goodbye.'

*A fortune-teller is a person who claims to be able to tell people their future.