Phrasal Verbs 5 — on/off (2)
Using phrasal verbs with on and off to talk about continuing, progressing, and stopping
Verb + on = Continue
Several phrasal verbs with on carry the idea of continuing an activity.
go on / carry on
Use go on or carry on to say that something continues. They work in three patterns:
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| go on (alone) | The budget meeting went on until 7 p.m. |
| go on / carry on + -ing | We can’t go on ignoring the quality issues — let’s fix them now. |
| go on with / carry on with + noun | Sorry for the interruption. Please carry on with your presentation. |
keep on
Use keep on + -ing (or simply keep + -ing) when someone does something again and again, often in an annoying way.
- The client keeps on asking for new features after the deadline.
- My printer keeps jamming. I need to call IT.
drive on / walk on / play on …
You can add on to many movement or activity verbs to mean “continue doing that action.”
- The hotel looked full, so we drove on to the next town.
- It started raining during the match, but both teams played on.
get on
Get on has several common meanings:
| Meaning | Example |
|---|---|
| progress / do well | How are you getting on in the new department? |
| have a good relationship | I get on well with my manager. We communicate openly. |
| continue with a task | I’ve been in meetings all morning. I really need to get on with my report. |
Verb + off
doze off / drop off / nod off = fall asleep
All three mean the same thing: to fall asleep, often when you did not plan to.
- I dozed off during the training webinar — the room was too warm.
- Tom nodded off at his desk after lunch.
finish something off
Finish off means to complete the last remaining part of a task.
- I’ve almost done the slides. I’ll finish them off tonight and send them to you in the morning.
go off (alarm / phone)
When an alarm or a phone goes off, it makes a loud sound.
- The fire alarm went off during the board meeting, and we all had to evacuate.
put somebody off
Put off means to make someone lose interest or not want to do something.
- I was going to apply for the transfer, but the amount of paperwork put me off.
- Don’t let one bad interview put you off trying again.
rip somebody off / be ripped off
Rip off means to charge someone far too much — to cheat them on price.
- We paid $500 for that office chair. I think we were ripped off — the same model costs $300 online.
show off
Show off means to try to impress others by displaying your skill or knowledge.
- David always shows off in meetings by using complicated jargon nobody understands.
tell somebody off
Tell off means to speak angrily to someone because they did something wrong.
- The supervisor told him off for ignoring the safety rules on site.
Summary Table
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| go on / carry on | continue | The discussion carried on for another hour. |
| keep on + -ing | do repeatedly | She keeps on sending reminders. |
| get on | progress / have good relations | Are you getting on well with the team? |
| doze off / nod off | fall asleep | I almost nodded off in the afternoon session. |
| finish off | complete the last part | Let me finish off this email first. |
| go off | sound (alarm) | My alarm didn’t go off this morning. |
| put off | discourage | The long commute put her off accepting the job. |
| rip off | overcharge / cheat | That supplier ripped us off on the delivery fees. |
| show off | try to impress | Stop showing off and help the rest of the team. |
| tell off | scold | He was told off for missing the deadline. |
Quick Self-Check
We can't _____ spending so much on travel. We need to cut the budget.
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The training session was so dull that I almost _____ at my desk.
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How are you _____ with your new colleagues? Do you all work well together?
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The fire alarm _____ during lunch, and everyone had to leave the building.
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We wanted to use that supplier, but we were _____ by their poor reviews online.
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