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Phrasal Verbs

Unit 6.3 - "Off" meaning "Finishing" / "Completing"

  • Guess the meanings of the phrasal verbs from context:

     

    • I don't think you can carry off such a big project without the help of others.

    • There is some wine left.  Would you like to finish it off?

    • I want to finish off this book before going to bed.

    • He has to pay off his student loan by the end of this year.

    • How could he pull off such a scam without anyone noticing?

    • We had a nice evening - we went out for dinner, went to a concert, and to top it off, had a nice long walk along the beach.

     

    All these phrasal verbs have the meaning of "finishing" or "completing".  See Explanations ê

     

  • Explanations:

 

Carry off

(separable)

To complete or achieve something difficult 
>>It was the first time for him to perform on stage but he carried it off brilliantly.
 

Similar:

Pull off

Finish off

(separable)

To complete a task; to finish eating or drinking something completely
>>Let me finish this report off before going out for lunch.
>>We need to buy more paint to finish off the bathroom wall.
>>You have to finish off your meal before you can have dessert.

Pay off

(separable)

[For loan, mortgage, etc.] To pay back all the money owed 
>>I am planning to pay off the mortgage on my house in the next ten years or so.

Pull off

(separable)

To succeed in doing or achieving something difficult 
>>No one has been able to finish this task in 20 minutes but she managed to pull it off.

Top off (separable)

To finish something in an enjoyable or special way
>>We had a nice delicious dinner and, to top it off, had cheesecake and ice cream for dessert.

 

  • Exercise:

     

    • Complete the following sentences using one of the phrasal verbs above:

       

      • John's business failed.  He owed the bank a lot of money and had to sell his house to the debt.

      • Children, your food and go to bed.

      • She practiced really hard and it paid off.  She beat all the competitors and the first prize.

      • A:  "Are you ready to leave?"

        B:  "No, you go ahead.  I want to this report."

      • It has been a enjoyable evening.  Let's it with a drink.

      • The negotiations were long and tough but he finally the deal.

       

<Back to Module 6    Go to Unit 6.4>

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