PHRASAL VERBS: you gotta put up with them!

O estudo de Phrasal Verbs é talvez a parte mais interessante da língua inglesa. Eles são, ao mesmo tempo, divertidos e de uma complexidade única, que poucos se arriscam em seu território para “tentar” dar sentido à essas combinações improváveis.

Não há uma “fórmula mágica” para aprendê-los: é preciso USAR os phasal verbs sempre que possível. Bom estudo...

1   Os phrasal verbs são verbos de duas ou mais palavras e são frequentemente usados em linguagem informal. Em linguagem formal, é mais comum usar-se verbos de uma só palavra.

 

Phrasal Verb	Formal	Significado
blow up	explode	explodir
put out	extinguish	apagar (fogo)
look into	investigate	investigar

2   Os phrasal verbs formam-se da seguinte maneira:

 

(a) VERB + PREPOSITION

Example	Significado
get over (an illness)	recuperar-se (doença); superar
look into (something)	investigar, examinar (algo)

(b) VERB + ADVERB

Example	Significado
set off	partir (em viagem)
take off	decolar; despir-se

(c) VERB + ADVERB + PREPOSITION

Example	Significado
put up with (something)	suportar, tolerar (algo)
keep up with (someone)	manter-se a par de; acompanhar (alguém)

3   É melhor considerar cada uma das combinações dos phrasal verbs como um todo. O que é necessário é saber se o phrasal verb é um verbo transitivo (que necessita de um complemento direto) ou intransitivo (que não necessita de um complemento direto).

4   Também podemos combinar a parte de um phrasal verb que corresponde ao verbo com preposições ou advérbios diferentes para formar novos phrasal verbs:

Example	Significado
put about	espalhar (rumores)
put across	comunicar (ideias)
put aside	colocar de lado
put away	guardar, arrumar; poupar
put back	repor; por de volta; atrasar

5   Cada phrasal verb pode também ter múltiplos significados:

Example	Significado
put out	apagar (fogo); estender (a mão); anunciar (notícias); espalhar (rumores); incomodar (alguém); deslocar (parte do corpo); lançar-se (ao mar)

6   Existem dois tipos de phrasal verbs transitivos — separáveis e inseparáveis.

 

OS SEPARÁVEIS  (2 palavras / 2 formas):

(a)  podem expressar-se em duas formas. Desde que o complemento direto não seja um pronome objeto (me, you, him, her, it, us, them), o complemento direto pode vir antes ou depois da preposição / advérbio, embora esta regra não seja geral.

Example	Significado
Take your coat off!	Tire o casaco!
Take off your coat!	Tire o casaco!

(b)  Se o complemento direto for um pronome objeto (me, you, him, her, it, us, them), este vem sempre antes da preposição / advérbio.

Example	Significado
Take it off!	Tire-o!
I told him off.	Eu fiquei bravo com ele.

OS SEPARÁVEIS  (2 palavras / 1 forma):

(c)  expressam-se somente em uma forma. O complemento direto (incluindo os pronomes) vem sempre antes da preposição / advérbio.

Example	Significado
She let the students down.	Ela desapontou os alunos.
She let them down.	Ela os desapontou.
They didn't let the men in.	Eles não deixaram os homens entrar.
They didn't let them in.	Eles não os deixaram entrar.

OS INSEPARÁVEIS  (2 ou mais palavras / 1 forma):

(d)  expressam-se somente em uma forma. O complemento direto (incluindo os pronomes) vem sempre depois da preposição / advérbio.

Example	Significado
Look after my baby, please.	Cuide do meu bebê, por favor.
Look after her, please.	Cuide dela, por favor.
Why do you have to put up with John?	Por que você tem que aguentar/tolerar o John?
Why do you have to put up with him?	Por que você tem que aguenta-lo?
The thief got away with the money.	O ladrão conseguiu fugir com o dinheiro.
He got away with it.	Ele conseguiu escapar impunemente.

ENGLISH PLACE-HOLDERS: como é que eu digo mesmo?

The English language - especially the American version, absorbs words from every culture, industry, life style, sport or distraction. Many words, like "whatchamacallit", "whatshisname", "doodad", "gadget", "widget", "whatnot", and hundreds more are used as "place-holders" meaning they are used when we can't think of - or don't know - the proper word.

You can see a selection of these at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placeholder_name.

Every native speaker uses these in spoken conversation - but almost never in writing or in a formal setting. A learner of English, however, must, at the very least, know and understand these words even if they are never used.

The English language learner cannot be too careful when it comes to using these words correctly. Many of them have a very limited "shelf-life" and may only be understood by certain people - or those from certain regions or familiar with certain films or television series.

"Doh!" for example is from the television series "The Simpsons". There is, as with almost every word, a history and context for "Doh!" and the others and a speaker would be wise to look up these words - and their proper usage - before using them in public. Some can be rude or derogatory - so be careful.

Mastery of these words, however, will mark one as someone who knows - and belongs - to that particular group.

For a little more background on the history and use of these words, look at http://www.pbs.org/speak/words/sezwho/slang/. For a background on British slang, take a look at http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/index.htm.

We are all learning. And it is always more fun (not FUNNIER!!) to learn together.

We can learn as much from the past as from the present.

Querem tentar um exercício bem simples sobre place-holders?

Clique para descobrir o significado:

ace

He's an ace reporter.
Meaningvery good

action

Do you know where the action is in this town?
Meaningexcitement

airhead

My sister's boyfriend is a real airhead.
Meaningstupid person

all wet

Your ideas about politics are all wet.
Meaningcompletely wrong

all-nighter

I almost fell asleep during the test after an all-nighter.
Meaningafter studying all night.

ammo

The gun was useless after the killer ran out of ammo.
Meaningammunition

antifreeze

I really need some antifreeze in me on cold days like this.
Meaningliquor

armpit

This town is really an armpit.
Meaningundesirable place

awesome

What an awesome sunset.
Meaninggreat

bad

Wow, that was really a bad movie.
Meaningintense

barf

He barfed all over the seat of the airplane.
Meaningvomited

bashed

The boat was bashed beyond recognition.
Meaningcrushed

beat

After working all day I am really beat.
Meaningexhausted

beemer

He just bought a new beemer to drive to work in.
MeaningB.M.W. car

bench

He was benched during the basketball playoffs.

Meaningtaken out of the game

---

AmE versus BrE: U-Z

Finalizando a série...

American English	British English
U
underpass	subway
undershirt	vest
unsweetened cocoa	cocoa powder
V
vacation	holiday
vaccum cleaner	hoover
VCR	video
vest	waistcoat
vocational school	technical college
W
wash up	to wash
windshield	windscreen
wrench	spanner
Y
yard	garden
Z
zip code	post code
zipper	zip

AmE versus BrE, parte 5

Bom dia a todos! Uma vez mais trago para vocês as principais diferenças entre o Inglês Americano e o Britânico no que diz respeito ao vocabulário. Para aqueles que estão estudando pra valer, é sempre bom lembrar que NÃO estou colocando a tradução das palavras: pra isso vocês podem utilizar os dicionários/tradutores disponíveis no Painel Direito do site...
Bom estudo!

American English	British English
P
paddle	bat
pacifier	dummy
a package of cigarettes	a packet of cigarettes
panties	knickers
pants	trousers
paper towel	kitchen roll paper
parentheses	brackets
parka	anorak
parking garage	multi-storey car park
parking lot	car park
pavement	road surface
pay raise	pay rise
phone booth	call box, phone box
photoflash	flashlight
pin	badge
pitcher	jug
police officer	bobby
potato chips	crisps
powdered sugar	icing sugar
president (business)	managing director
prime rate	base rate
principal	headmaster, head teacher
program	programme
public school	state school
Q
quiz	test
R
railroad	railway
raincoat	mackintosh
raisin	sultana
real exciting	really exciting
regular	normal
to rent	to hire
report card	school report
reservation	booking
resume	curriculum vitae
to give s.b. a ride	to give s.b. a lift
roast	joint
rubber, condom	condom
rubbers	wellington boots
rummage sale	jumble sale
running shoes	trainers
S
salary cut	wage cut
sales clerk	shop assistant
Santa Claus	Father Christmas
schedule	timetable
second floor	first floor
semester	term
to set the table	to lay the table
shampoo	bathing foam
shorts	pants, underpants
shot	injection, jab
sick	ill
sidewalk	pavement
silverware	cutlery
Sincerely,	Yours, sincerely
skillet	frying pan
sled	sledge
sneakers	trainers
soccer	football
social security number	national insurance number
station wagon	van
steering wheel	driving wheel
stingy	mean
stock	share
stop lights	traffic lights
store	shop
storey	floor
stove	cooker
streetcar	tram
student	pupil
subway	underground, tube
superstore	store
suspenders	braces
sweater	cardigan
swimsuit	costume
T
tag	label
taxi stand	taxi rank
telephone operator	telephonist
theater	theatre
thread	cotton
thumbtack	drawing pin
tire	tyre
toothpick	cocktail stick
track	platform
track	tracks
traffic circle	roundabout
trailer	caravan
traveled	travelled
trench coat	duffle coat
truck	lorry
trunk	boot
turn signal	indicator
turtle	tortoise
turtle neck	polo neck
tux, tuxedo	dinner jacket
two weeks	fortnight

EXERCÍCIOS: comparativos, e mais nada!

Desculpem pela formatação fora do comum: o blogger.com está muito estranho ultimamente com as tags de html! Mas como os posts recentes foram sobre comparativos e superlativos, que tal praticar um pouco?
Complete com a forma comparativa dos adjetivos entre parênteses.
Abraços e bom estudo!

1. I think Shannon has been dieting. She looks (thin)!

2. Don't buy this book! That one is (good).

3. Let's take this route. It's (easy).

4. We should choose a (intelligent) movie. This one is too silly.

5. This knife isn't very sharp. Do you have a (sharp) one?

6. These fields are so beautiful! Even the grass looks (green).

7. Why do you want a typewriter? A computer would be (useful) in your office.

8. I don't like this restaurant. Let's go to the one near my house: it's (clean).

9. Your dog is really big! Mine is (small).

10. New York is a very nice city now. It's (safe) than it used to be.

11. My city is (old) than yours.

12. Jane is (pretty) than Melissa.

13. Kevin is (attractive) than John.

14. Dogs are usually (heavy) than cats.

15. Watching a film in DVD is (cheap) than going to the theater.

16. This comedian is so funny! He's even (funny) than the one we saw yesterday.

17. This brand of pastry is (good) than the brand I usually buy.

18. The book I'm reading is much (interesting) than all the books I've read in the past.

19. Italian is much (easy) to learn than German.

20. Jake is (young) than his sister.