10 Down

A

B

C Down meaning lower

Lottie Well, did he come down1 on the price?

Tom I knocked him down2 by £100 but he wouldn’t go any lower.

Lottie Oh, so that’s why you slammed the catalogue down3 when you finished?

Tom No, that was because I was distracted by the music and annoyed. Why didn’t you turn the volume down4? I could hardly hear a word he was saying!

1 suggest or agree to a lower price 3 put down with a lot of force 2 persuaded him to reduce the price 4 reduce the amount of sound

Down suggesting preventing or restraining

phrasal verb definition of phrasal verb

shout down sb or shout sb down shout in order to prevent someone who you disagree with from being heard I couldn’t hear what the prime minister was saying because some people at the front were shouting him down.

pin down sb or pin sb down

tie down sth/sb or tie sth/sb down force someone to stay in a horizontal position by holding them Two police officers pinned the robber down while the third handcuffed him.

use ropes to fasten someone or something in a particular position

tie sb down (metaphorical meaning of the previous verb) prevent someone from having the freedom to do what they want to do example

The tent is secure, but make sure you tie down anything else that might blow away in the storm.

My brother prefers to take temporary work because he hates the idea of being tied down.

Other meanings of down

Not working

The computer system is always going down. We need a new one. [stopping working]

Don’t forget to save your documents before you shut the computer down. [turn off]

Depressed or sad

This rain is getting me down. [making me feel depressed]

On a list

Freya asked me to put her down for a copy of the report when it’s published. [put on a list to arrange for her to have something]

You can put me down to organise the refreshments. [put on a list to arrange for me to do something]

Killed/injured

The terrorists mercilessly gunned down their victims. [shot and killed or seriously injured]

We had to have our poor old dog put down last week; she was very sick. [put to death]

Surviving through time

The legend has come down to us from the ancient records of the Quilhoa people. [passed from generation to generation]

Be considered or remembered

This will go down in history as the most important event of the century. [be remembered]

My workshop went down really well. [was well-received]

10.1

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dictionary.cambridge.org Read these sentences and then answer the questions below by writing the correct name in the box.

Harry Irving felt he had lost his freedom when he and Antonia had their first baby. Oliver Reece was forced to the ground and held there by two security guards. People protested so loudly that no one could hear what Heidi Knight had to say. Mia Calvo persuaded the man to reduce the price by £500. Lucas Hind was shot dead yesterday by terrorists. 1 Who was shouted down? 2 Who was gunned down? 3 Who felt tied down? 4 Who was pinned down? 5 Who managed to knock someone down?

Rewrite the underlined parts of these sentences using a phrasal verb from the opposite page. Make any other necessary changes.

1 The computer system suddenly stopped working this morning, so we’re doing everything manually at the moment. 2 I’m sorry I’m so irritable. Things have been depressing me lately. 3 Shall I write your name on my list to sponsor me for the charity walk? 4 This event will be remembered in history as the worst catastrophe this country has ever suff ered. 5 The company had to stop all their machines during the 24-hour strike at the factory. 6 The salesman agreed to a lower price, and aft er that we even managed to persuade him to reduce the price by a further 10%. 7 Many everyday remedies for minor ailments have reached us over time from our ancestors.

Answer the following questions using a phrasal verb from the opposite page.

1 What might someone do if they get very angry during a phone call? 2 What might you do to a very old and sick dog or cat? 3 What would you do to stop a tent from blowing away? 4 If work is making you depressed, what is it doing to you emotionally? 5 If your radio was too loud, what would you do?

Which of the meanings given are possible or likely interpretations of the phrasal verbs in these sentences? More than one interpretation may be possible. Use a dictionary if necessary.

1 I think you should take this down. a) write it b) drink it c) dismantle it 2 The house has come down. a) has been rebuilt b) is for sale at a lower price c) has been demolished 3 She turned it down. a) reduced the heat b) refused the off er c) put the collar of her coat in its normal position 4 They watered it down. a) extinguished a fire using water b) added water to make a liquid less strong c) made an idea, opinion or argument less strong