Phrasal Verbs Call Around | Catch Up | Give In | Show Off

Exercise 1

Vocabulary

call around

Phrasal Verb

kɔl əˈraʊnd

to call many people in order to get some information

The police are calling around in order to find more information about the missing girl.

catch up

Phrasal Verb

kæʧ ʌp

to find out about what has happened while you were away or during the time you haven't seen someone

We haven’t seen each other in a long time, so we spent all day catching up at the coffee shop.

give in

Phrasal Verb

gɪv ɪn

to finally agree to what somebody wants after refusing it for some time

The board finally gave in and promised her the salary she had demanded.

Neither side was willing to give in.

show off

Phrasal Verb

ʃoʊ ɔːf

to show or talk about something one is proud of

Many bodybuilders like to show off their muscles.

The store installed special lighting to show off their beautiful diamond jewelry.

The lottery winner foolishly showed off his wealth by buying expensive sports cars and jewelry.

A media event was organized to show off the company's new smart phone.

work out

Phrasal Verb

wərk aʊt

to prove to be effective or successful

I was not sure about your plan, but I'm really glad it worked out.

Things worked out well for him in the end.

Exercise 2

Dialogue Practice

Read the dialogue aloud with your teacher.

Lauren was on her way to university when she ran into Hannah.
Lauren	Hey, Hannah! It’s been a while. We need to catch up. How's the job hunting?
Hannah	Well, it’s quite tiring. I’ve been calling around various companies to ask if they have any vacancies. I’ve had three interviews so far. I’d say I’m getting there.
Lauren	Keep it up! Things will work out. Just try to find a job you really like, there's no need to rush.
Hannah	Yeah, but it's difficult. My dad has been pressuring me to get a job already. I was about to give in to the first job offer when the other two companies called for an interview.
Lauren	It's good that you didn't! Find a job that makes you happy, or else you are not going to be good at it.
Hannah	I know. But I’m just so tired of all our friends showing off and talking about their work all the time. I feel left out sometimes.

Exercise 3

Article

Read the passage aloud with your teacher.

Better Days Are Coming for Adam

Adam was catching up with his friend Dave, whom he hasn't seen in a while. He was expecting they would spend some good quality time together, but instead, during all that time Dave kept showing off and talking about his new job and the new car. After that, Adam decided it was about time he found a good job in his own field of work. So, he quit his job at the restaurant and started calling around companies to see if there were any vacancies. After a while, as he hadn't had any luck in finding a new job, the manager of the restaurant where he used to work started convincing him to get back to his old job. However, Adam didn't want to give in this time. He knew that if he kept trying, things would work out eventually.

Exercise 4

Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks with the correct phrasal verbs to complete the dialogue.

Nina and Yan-ting are talking about their friend Roy’s stolen motorcycle.
Yan-ting	Did Roy ever get his motorcycle back?
Nina	Not yet. They’re still (1) to see if anyone has seen it. Where did you hear about it?
Yan-ting	I was (2) with Josh the other day, and he told me all about it.
Nina	Oh. Well, serves Roy right. He kept (3) ever since he bought it.
Yan-ting	Don’t be like that. He really worked hard to save for it. He was just so excited when he finally managed to buy it, so that's why he was 'showing off', as you say.
Nina	Really? That's not what I heard. I was told that Roy was asking his parents to buy him a motorcycle. And, after a while his father (4) and bought it for him.
Yan-ting	No, no, he really did save up for it by himself. Anyway, do you think Roy’s plan to catch the thief might (5)?
Nina	I hope so. He is getting desperate. I don’t blame him, that motorcycle was really expensive.