6 Minute Vocabulary - Multi-word verbs

This is the BBC . This podcast is supported by advertising outside the . This is a download from BBC Learning English to find out more , visit our website , six minutes away from BBC Learning English dot com . Hello and welcome to Six Minute Vocabulary with me , Catherine and me . Rob , hello . In this show , we're going to find out about multi word verbs . That's right . We're looking into verb phrases that are made up of more than one word . And if you'd like an example , Rob and I have used three of them already . It's incredible . We have yes . That's when you said looking into and made up of . , and Rob , you said find out about . And some people call this type of multi word verb a phrase of hope . They do . And in this program , we'll look at lots of multi word verbs . We'll explain what they mean . There'll be a quiz and we'll leave you with a top tip for learning vocabulary . So let's get started by listening to Andre , a student from France who's studying in London . Yeah , and he's talking about his weekend . Here are two questions for you while you listen . First , did Andre meet up with his friends ? And second , Andre's English is pretty good , but it sounds a bit unnatural . Why is that ? Here's Andre . I wanted to rendezvous with friends at the shopping center , but I couldn't find them . In the end , I abandoned the day . They said they couldn't find me , but I think they just invented a story . Thank you , Andre . And we asked you if Andre managed to meet his friends and sadly he didn't . He said he abandoned the day well done if you got that at home . But why did Andre's English sound unnatural ? Well , we could understand him , OK , but some of the words he used were a little bit too formal for everyday natural spoken English . Yes , that's right . When we're speaking some words , especially verbs that originally come from Latin , make a sound much too formal . Andre used quite a few of these . For example , he said , abandoned the day . Yeah , abandoned the day . Well , to sound more natural . Andre could use a multi word verb instead and say he gave up on the day . Now give up on something has a very similar meaning to abandon . In Andre Centonze , they both mean stop doing something because you're not succeeding . And Andre stopped hoping he would find his friends . Poor Andre . So give up on is a phrasal verb in English . These are made up of verbs and prepositions . Yeah , so we've got the verb give and the prepositions up and on . And Andre needs to use more of these phrasal verbs when he's speaking . So are we saying that these Latinate verbs are wrong or not as good as the multi word verbs ? Can we forget about learning latenight verbs then ? Well , that would be good , Rob , but actually no , you do need to learn them . And they're not wrong is just a question of context . You'll see a lot more of the Latinate verbs in written English and informal English . So , yep , you do need to learn both types and you have to use the right one in the right situation . So , for example , Andre said he planned to rendezvous with friends . Now , if he changes the Latin word rendezvous to meet up with the meaning really doesn't change . It just makes his speaking sound much more natural . Okay , well , let's listen to one more example . I think they just invented this story . This would sound better , as I think they just made up a story . When you make something up , you say something that isn't true . Okay . And now let's listen to Andre again , this time with the multi word verbs . I wanted to meet up with friends at the shopping center , but I couldn't find them . In the end , I give up on the day . They said they couldn't find me , but I think they just made up a story . Well done , Andre . That's a lot better . Six minutes per capita from BBC Learning English dot com . And now it's quiz time . What goes in this gap ? I'm going to my family next weekend . Is it A , meet on with B , meet up to or C , meet up with and the verb is C meet up with number two . My brother isn't very reliable . He's always a making on excuses , b making up excuses or c inventing up excuses . He's always be making up excuses . And number three , what multi word verb has a similar meaning to the verb abandon . And the answer is give up on welldone if you got those right at home . And that brings us almost to the end of today's program . Oh , yes . But before we go , here's today's top tip for learning vocabulary . Try to learn phrasal verbs and the Latin based partners in pairs . That way , you'll have the right verb for the right situation . So we're almost out of time . But , very quickly , can you remind us of some of these multi word verbs you've heard today ? Most certainly . We had to look into made up of find out about meet up with , give up on and made . Thanks . Very useful . There's more about this ABC Learning English dot com . Join us again for more six minute vocabulary by .