Phrasal Verbs and Elections
2020-11-13
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1You may have heard or read news stories about the recent elections in the United States.
2The voting ended last Tuesday, November 3.
3That night and in the days that followed, Americans and people all over the world watched the news for election results.
4These news stories will be the subject of our Everyday Grammar report today.
5We will explore part of English grammar that is important to understanding stories about elections: phrasal verbs.
6Phrasal verbs are groups of words.
7They combine a verb and another short word, as in the term look up.
8Look up means to search for information in a book or on a computer.
9Here is something important to remember: phrasal verbs have a meaning that is different from what the individual words suggest.
10After the U.S. elections, you probably heard or read many phrasal verbs in news stories.
11Today we will consider three of them: go on, pick up, and catch up.
12The first phrasal verb is "go on."
13In the hours after Election Day, many Americans asked themselves, "What is going on with the election results?"
14According to language expert Norbert Schmitt, "go on" is the most common phrasal verb in the English language.
15"Go on" has several meanings, but by far the most common is "happening or taking place."
16Schmitt estimates "go on" has this meaning over 60 percent of the time that it is used.
17So, how was "go on" used in stories about the election?
18Consider these words in a story from CNN, the U.S.-based broadcaster.
19CNN's website published the report at the end of last week.
20"Six states remain too close to call. Here's why the vote count is still going on in key states."
21In other words, the writer wanted to explain why the vote count is still happening in six states.
22The second phrasal verb is the term "pick up."
23For our program today, "pick up" is somewhat unusual.
24This is because its most common usage has little to do with its meaning with respect to elections.
25Schmitt estimates that around 70 percent of the time you hear or read "pick up," it means to get or take somebody or something from a place.
26So, you might "pick up" or lift a stone from the ground.
27But with respect to elections, "pick up" has a different meaning.
28You might read about a political party trying to "pick up" votes in a congressional district or legislative area.
29"Pick up," in this case, means to earn or gain something.
30It does not mean to get or take something from a place.
31Consider this example from The Guardian newspaper.
32It describes how the two main political parties are fighting for control of Congress:
33"The Republicans looked to pick up a handful of seats in the House of Representatives, with Democrats holding the majority."
34Our third phrasal verb is "catch up."
35Often, "catch up" describes what happens in a race: when someone who is behind reaches the person in the lead.
36So, you might hear someone at a motor car race say, "Driver A is catching up to Driver B!"
37This same idea is true in elections. Candidates look to "catch up."
38But they "catch up" in terms of votes, not in terms of distance.
39One CNN report used the phrasal verb "catch up" to describe results in the presidential race between former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump.
40"Joe Biden is not only winning - meaning building his lead - but that lopsided advantage makes it harder and harder, more difficult by the vote count for Donald Trump to catch up," said CNN's John King.
41Today, we explored phrasal verbs that are often used in reports on elections.
42Understanding these expressions will help you understand such stories.
43Try using the phrasal verbs we talked about the next time you write or speak English.
44And be sure to listen carefully for them when watching the news.
45Little by little, phrasal verbs will become clearer and easier for you.
46I'm John Russell.
1You may have heard or read news stories about the recent elections in the United States. The voting ended last Tuesday, November 3. That night and in the days that followed, Americans and people all over the world watched the news for election results. 2These news stories will be the subject of our Everyday Grammar report today. We will explore part of English grammar that is important to understanding stories about elections: phrasal verbs. 3Phrasal verbs and elections 4Phrasal verbs are groups of words. They combine a verb and another short word, as in the term look up. Look up means to search for information in a book or on a computer. 5Here is something important to remember: phrasal verbs have a meaning that is different from what the individual words suggest. 6After the U.S. elections, you probably heard or read many phrasal verbs in news stories. Today we will consider three of them: go on, pick up, and catch up. 7#1 Go on 8The first phrasal verb is "go on." In the hours after Election Day, many Americans asked themselves, "What is going on with the election results?" 9According to language expert Norbert Schmitt, "go on" is the most common phrasal verb in the English language. 10"Go on" has several meanings, but by far the most common is "happening or taking place." 11Schmitt estimates "go on" has this meaning over 60 percent of the time that it is used. 12So, how was "go on" used in stories about the election? 13Consider these words in a story from CNN, the U.S.-based broadcaster. CNN's website published the report at the end of last week. 14"Six states remain too close to call. Here's why the vote count is still going on in key states." 15In other words, the writer wanted to explain why the vote count is still happening in six states. 16#2 Pick up 17The second phrasal verb is the term "pick up." 18For our program today, "pick up" is somewhat unusual. This is because its most common usage has little to do with its meaning with respect to elections. 19Schmitt estimates that around 70 percent of the time you hear or read "pick up," it means to get or take somebody or something from a place. So, you might "pick up" or lift a stone from the ground. 20But with respect to elections, "pick up" has a different meaning. You might read about a political party trying to "pick up" votes in a congressional district or legislative area. "Pick up," in this case, means to earn or gain something. It does not mean to get or take something from a place. 21Consider this example from The Guardian newspaper. It describes how the two main political parties are fighting for control of Congress: 22"The Republicans looked to pick up a handful of seats in the House of Representatives, with Democrats holding the majority." 23#3 Catch up 24Our third phrasal verb is "catch up." Often, "catch up" describes what happens in a race: when someone who is behind reaches the person in the lead. 25So, you might hear someone at a motor car race say, "Driver A is catching up to Driver B!" 26This same idea is true in elections. Candidates look to "catch up." But they "catch up" in terms of votes, not in terms of distance. 27One CNN report used the phrasal verb "catch up" to describe results in the presidential race between former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump. 28"Joe Biden is not only winning - meaning building his lead - but that lopsided advantage makes it harder and harder, more difficult by the vote count for Donald Trump to catch up," said CNN's John King. 29Closing thoughts 30Today, we explored phrasal verbs that are often used in reports on elections. Understanding these expressions will help you understand such stories. 31Try using the phrasal verbs we talked about the next time you write or speak English. And be sure to listen carefully for them when watching the news. 32Little by little, phrasal verbs will become clearer and easier for you. 33I'm John Russell. 34John Russell wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. 35________________________________________________________________ 36Words in This Story 37grammar - n. the system and structure of a language 38with respect to - expression about or concerning (something or someone); in relation to (something or someone) 39lopsided - adj. uneven or unequal 40advantage - n. something (such as a good position or condition) that helps to make someone or something better or more likely to succeed than others 41We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.