|
ESL Forum:
Techniques and methods
in Language Teaching
Games, activities
and teaching ideas
Grammar and
Linguistics
Teaching material
Concerning
worksheets
Concerning
powerpoints
Concerning online
exercises
Make suggestions,
report errors
Ask for help
Message board
|
ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > phrasal verbs
phrasal verbs
|
chiaras
|
phrasal verbs
|
|
Hello!
Can someone tell me which preposition (IN, OFF, UP, APART) is correct in the following sentence?
Mobilles took -------------------------- in the 1990s
It must be the same preposition used in the following sentence:
We collapsed into laughter when Fred took------------the headmaster.
As I think that we should use OFF in the second sentence, I wonder if OFF could be correct in the first one too....it sounds so strange to me..........
Thanks a lot for yor help!!!
Chiara |
4 May 2011
|
|
|
|
Jayho
|
|
Yes Chiara, "took off" is correct in the first one. They took off in popularity/sales meaning that they soared quickly just like when a plane takes off.
In the second he was imitating the headaster.
Cheers
Jayho |
4 May 2011
|
|
|
douglas
|
|
mobiles took off... is correct
Fred took off the headmaster... sounds strange
could say took apart the headmaster (really scolded him very badly) |
4 May 2011
|
|
|
dawnmain
|
To take off a person means to do an impression or imitate
nothing to do with chastise
|
4 May 2011
|
|
|
ueslteacher
|
@Bruce: consider this:take somebody off1 to copy somebody �s voice, actions or manner in an amusing waySYNONYM impersonate (Oxford Advanced Learner �s Dictionary)  |
4 May 2011
|
|
|
yanogator
|
|
How did I get into this????? Anyway, now that I �m in it, I �ll say that I �ve heard of "doing a take on somebody", meaning to imitate them, but never to "take somebody off." Bruce |
4 May 2011
|
|
|
aliciapc
|
|
Scroll down to number 6 :
Good night everyone ! |
5 May 2011
|
|
|
Jayho
|
|
I�m back again this morning and I see this is still on the first page.
It�s interesting to read other �s answers as I wasn�t 100% certain on the second one. I knew what it meant but I too admit that as a NS it is not commonly used in my neck of the woods. Take-off certainly is used and it is in the dictionaries but it just doesn �t sound natural when used in the context of imitating someone.
Cheers
Jayho |
5 May 2011
|
|
|
maroemma
|
|
take apart= to beat up; thrash (slang) I found this in http://www.thefreedictionary.com/take but I �m afraid if Fred did that...he probably got expelled from school afterwards!!!
|
5 May 2011
|
|
|
