Dangerous Phrasal Verbs

The question this Monday is: “Will you teach us some phrasal verbs?”

My answer: Yes.

But first, I want to give you a safety lesson.

Because if you learn phrasal verbs the wrong way, you may develop a strange rash on your bum, your husband may leave you for a younger woman, your wife may leave you for a taller man, or worse, you may gain a few pounds!

HOW NOT TO LEARN PHRASAL VERBS

Go to YouTube and type “phrasal verbs” and here’s what you’ll find.

An army of English teachers who want to teach you the WRONG way.

They advertise, “Learn 20 phrasal verbs with ‘out’.”

Or, “Learn 50 phrasal verbs with ‘take’.”

Maybe they don’t have bad intentions.

But if you learn from them your English will definitely suffer.

Here’s why.

According to research, if you learn even two words which have similar meanings or sounds at the same time, you have a 25% chance of mixing them up FOREVER!

I have many smart, hard-working students who still confuse “borrow” and “lend”, “east” and “west”, “push” and “pull”.

Not because they’re bad at English.

But because a teacher or text book taught them these similar words at the same time.

So don’t be a fool!

Slow down and learn your phrasal verbs one at a time.

TOMORROW

Atomic Word #2440 – “Chicken” (not the kind you get at KFC)