Look at this list; these are the most common verbs in English be have do say get make go
no take see come think look want give tell put and a few others but instead of putting
them in a list like this let's put them on a circle like this.
In English there is a kind of gravitational field let's call it verb gravity that pulls
you towards the centre you can express almost anything almost anything just by using the
most common verbs either on their own or with the addition of a preposition or adverb particle.
Yes I'm talking about phrasal verbs.
English is, in many ways, quite an imprecise language because of this verb gravity we use
words that are good enough but they don't exactly express what we want the rest is context.
Let me explain what I mean.
Let's look at the verb TO GET.
I'm sure you've had many traumas in the class trying to work out all the different meanings
of this verb.
The verb gravity pulls us towards get to replace other richer verbs because it's easy.
GET replaces BUY 'I'm going to get a new car' GET replaces OBTAIN or FETCH 'I'm going to
get my ukulele from upstairs' GET means receive 'I got a message.'
GET means understand 'I got it' GET means become 'I get tired after making these videos.'
'It's hot I'm getting thirsty.'
For any situation where you change position in English you can use GET + a preposition
GET UP, GET OUT, GET IN, GET AROUND.
Of course get having so many meanings can be ambiguous 'I'm going to get a coffee.'
Does that mean you're going to buy a coffee? you're going to obtain a coffee from somewhere?
or are you waiting to receive one?
I don't know it's possible.
'oh you have to buy a ukulele' 'I got it,' 'huh you got it does that mean you understand
something, you bought one already, you received it?'
It's all context in English.
Context is so important.
In other languages you might use different verbs for each of these contexts.
Another point is that over time the verb gravity takes effect and the Neanderthal instincts
win out and we replace one word, let's say a rich verb, with another one from inside
the circle.
So for example we used to say 'I rise each morning at eight' nowadays it's been replaced
by GET UP 'I get up each morning.'
'He rose, took his shoes in his hands turned the key in the door with great caution and
crept downstairs,' Charles Dickens.
'I retire at 11pm' that's been entirely replaced by 'I go to bed at 11pm.'
The verb HAVE now also means TO EAT and TO DRINK.
'Lunch' used to be a verb but it's rarely used as such these days.
'Do you want to have lunch with me?'
DINE is also a verb 'let's dine together.'
'Mrs Bennett invited him to dine with them but with many expressions of concern he confessed
himself engaged elsewhere.'
Nowadays you probably say 'to have dinner.'
'Let's have dinner' not 'to dine.'
One more example the verb TO SEE does it mean TO SEE?
'I'm going to see my friend this evening.'
Yes you're going to see your friend but what you really mean is you're going to meet your
friend.
Once again being lazy in our verb choices the verb gravity, the Neanderthal within,
pulls us inside of the circle where you find TO SEE rather than TO MEET which is outside
in Japanese you have to say TO MEET in many other languages you have to be precise in
your verb choices.
So in Japanese I'm seeing my friends tomorrow [speaking Japanese]
You have to use the specific verb meet 'aimasu' not to see 'mimasu' of course you're going
to see them but you want to say you're going to meet them you have to be precise in other
languages not in English.
So once again it's fraught with ambiguity 'when I woke up after the operation and opened
my eyes I saw my friends around the bed,' Verb to see.
'After the operation I went to the pub to see my friends.'
Their SEE means to meet context is once again key other languages are so much more precise
than English.
let's move on to phrasal verbs I've already done several videos explaining everything
about different phrasal verbs and how you can use them, how to learn them and you can
find many videos on this subject across youtube.
What is rarely discussed is why English has phrasal verbs and it's like this in English
once again it's the Neanderthal part of us dragging us into the inner circle of verbs.
We want to use one of these verbs but it's not enough to explain everything.
so what dot we do?
We add a preposition that gives us more details such as the direction or other information.
However, you don't have to be a Neanderthal you can choose a normal verb from outside
the circle if you want rather than use a phrasal verb so you always have this choice in English
and English of course is about communication.
Every language is about communication so you just choose what's right for the situation
but the phrasal verbs are the most common.
Let's look at a few of them GIVE UP means TO QUIT.
'I've given up smoking/I've quit smoking.'
TELL OFF or REBUKE.
'I was told off/I was rebuked for not wearing a mask in the street,' TO LOOK UP TO or TO
ADMIRE 'you're so brilliant I look up to you/ you're so brilliant I admire you.'
'We have a very different opinion let's talk it over/let's discuss it.'
CALL OFF or CANCEL 'the meeting has been cancelled the meeting has been called off.'
GIVE BACK or RETURN.
'Please give it back to me/ please return it to me.'
BRING UP or RAISE.
'I was raised/ I was brought up on a farm.'
PICK UP or RETRIEVE.
'I have to pick up/retrieve my suitcase from the station.'
LOOK INTO or INVESTIGATE.
'We will look into your complaint and let you know/ we will investigate your complaint
and let you know.'
GO ON or CONTINUE.
'please go on/ please continue.'
It's the same.
Once again the verb gravity drags English speakers into the circle and with the use
of phrasal verbs your expression is almost unlimited.
Let's look at some phrasal verbs with TAKE.
'I took down the book from the shelf.'
'I took out €5 from my pocket.'
'I took in the shopping from the car.'
'I took back the book TO the library.'
In English you use one verb TAKE and that describes the manner that you do this and
then a preposition for the direction whereas in Spanish, for example you would use four
different verbs one for each situation [speaking Spanish]
Spanish and other languages use four different verbs what we see is that English can be quite
a lazy language.
We're using the same verbs all the time frankly sometimes it can be boring and vague.
However, here's the thing, this imprecision is both a disadvantage and an advantage.
It gives you a lot of options so you can say 'I'm going to pick up my luggage from the
station' or 'I'm going to retrieve my luggage from the station' there is often a nuance
in terms of formality or cadence in English.
The ability to play with different registers and knowing which one to use at which time
is another weapon in your armoury that's how the English speaker's brain works, the default
is the inner circle of verbs this is our Neanderthal part however there is another part of our
brain too the smart part that doesn't limit itself to such a narrow subset of terms, one
that ventures beyond the circle to seek out the right verb, the clever part of us that
knows instinctively when to use tell-off and when to use rebuke ,when to use look into
and when to use investigate.
Many native speakers never do this they remain always within the comfort zone just using
the same basic verbs all the time.
GET, DO, TAKE, PUT.
I'm not saying it's a good way of speaking or a bad way of speaking I'm just saying that
because you're a native speaker it doesn't guarantee mastery, it doesn't give you a lifetime
pass to the magic kingdom.
Communication skills are something that are learnt and not bestowed upon at birth and
you are coming from a place with a different linguistic perspective and this can be an
advantage.
Of course it's good to learn idiomatic English on this channel we have lots of videos about
idioms and phrasal verbs but there is more to a language than that.
Don't be intimidated by those who put you down because you're not a native speaker.
You'll never be as good as us.
No it's it's not true if you're British, American, Australian, Chinese, Portuguese whatever,
you need the strength and the wherewithal to succeed on your own terms and in your own
skin and not be straight-jacketed by absurd notions that speaking 'like a native speaker'
is the dream to aspire to the goal is always the same to delight your listeners with sparkling
conversation to enthral them with your immense talent and wit and have a positive impact
on their lives.
Thank you for watching I hope you enjoyed that video stay healthy and see you soon,
bye