phrasal verbs (play)

This is the Rachel's English 30-Day Challenge.

Learn 30 phrasal verbs in 30 days.

Jumpstart your vocabulary in 2017.

Today is Day 7 and we're studying "play"

phrasal verbs.

I can't play up enough the importance of

phrasal verbs.

They're really used all the time in

conversational and written English.

Play up. Hmm. That sounds like a phrasal

verb.

Let's not play around with these phrasal

verbs.

To play around means to treat carelessly.

Don't play around with that, it's fragile!

It can also mean to act in a way that's joking,

that's not serious.

If you're sort of teasing someone, and they

say "stop it!" Or, "you're being mean! ", or

"you're such a jerk!"

You can say, "I'm just playing around!"

Meaning, I wasn't being serious.

It can also mean to test something, to try

something out.

Maybe you're designing a logo and you've

come up with five or six ideas,

but

t you haven't decided on the final version

yet.

You might say, I'm still playing around with

the logo.

To play along is to cooperate with someone's

idea.

For example, I know Santa's not real, but I'm

going to play along for the sake of the kinds.

I'm going to pretend that Santa is real.

To play something back is to play something

that has been recorded, video or audio.

For example, say you're listening to a podcast

with a friend.

You might say, I didn't hear that sentence, can

you play it back again?

To play something down is to try to make it

seem less important.

When the project failed, he tried to play down

his role in it.

She's so talented, but she's always trying to

play it down.

To play something up is the opposite:

to try to make something seem more

important.

In the job interview, play up your strengths.

To play someone off someone else is to

make those two people disagree, oppose

each other.

She played her parents off each other after

their divorce to get what she wanted.

To play on: this is a phrase we often use with

fears.

When you play on someone's fears, you take

advantage of what they are afraid of to get

what you want.

He played on her fear of burglars and sold

her a very expensive security system.

When something plays out, it comes to an

end.

If two people are arguing, someone might

say, should we intervene?

You could say, no, let's see how this plays out.

out.

If you play with something, you're constantly

touching it. Like when someone plays with

her hair.

We also use this with 'idea' in the phrase

'playing with the idea'.

It means you're thinking about something.

You haven't decided for sure.

She's playing with the idea of running for city

council.

Play. A simple word, but so many ways to

use it as a phrasal verb.

'Play' starts with the PL consonant cluster.

PI-.

Lips part with a little burst of air, pp-- pl--

The tongue is already in position for the light

L. Tip up.

PI..PI....PI.....-ay.

Then the AY as in SAY diphthong.

Jaw drops more, ay---

then lifts as the front part of the tongue

arches towards the front of the roof of the

mouth.

Ayy-- Play.

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phrasal verbs course

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February 1.

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