Phrasal verb - break (0)

Phrasal verb BREAK
Anni Haasma
Tartu 2009
Break sth off
SEPARATE
to separate a part from a larger piece, or to become
separate:
He broke off a piece of chocolate.
RELATIONSHIP
to end a relationship:
They've broken off their engagement.
The governments have broken off diplomatic relations.
STOP DOING
to suddenly stop speaking or doing something:
She broke off in the middle of a sentence.
Break away
ESCAPE
to leave or to escape from someone who is holding you:
He grabbed her, but she managed to break away.
FIGURATIVE One or two of the tourists broke away from
the tour group.
NOT AGREE
to stop being part of a group because you begin to disagree
with them:
Some members of the British Labour Party broke away to
form the Social Democratic Party.
Break out
START
If something dangerous or unpleasant breaks out, it
suddenly starts:
War broke out in 1914.
Fighting has broken out all over the city.
ESCAPE
to escape from prison:
They broke out of prison and fled the country.
Break down
MACHINE
If a machine or vehicle breaks down, it stops working:
Our car broke down and we had to push it off the road.
COMMUNICATION
If a system, relationship or discussion breaks down, it fails
because there is a problem or disagreement.
CRY
to be unable to control your feelings and to start to cry:
When we gave her the bad news, she broke down and cried.
Break up
If someone who is talking on a mobile phone is breaking up,
their voice can not fully be heard.
STOP CLASSES
When schools and colleges, or the teachers and students who
go to them break up, their classes stop and the holidays start:
We broke up for the holidays in June.
END A RELATIONSHIP
If a marriage breaks up or two people in a romantic
relationship break up, their marriage or their relationship
ends:
Jenny and George have broken up.
She's just broken up with her boyfriend.
Break open
open with force:
He broke open the picnic basket.
OPEN, OPEN UP
cause to open or to become open;
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal
pressure:
BURST, SPLIT, POP
burst open with a sharp, explosive sound:
Break into sth
to suddenly begin to do something:
He felt so happy that he broke into song (=
suddenly began to sing).
She walked quickly, occasionally breaking
into a run (= starting to run).
Exercises
No. 1 Match the phrasal verbs with their
meanings and then translate them.
Phrasal Verb Meaning Translation
1. To break down a) stop working .............
2. To break into b) end a relationship .............
3. To break off c) escape .............
4. To break out d) make a forceful entry .............
5. To break up e) stop .............
No. 2 Choose the correct answer.
1. After years of working for a shoddy employer, I was finally able to ......... from that
company and set up my own business.
a) break off
b) break away
c) break out
d) break up
2. NASA is currently in the process of working out how to prevent any more of its
spaceships from ......... on reentry into Earth's atmosphere.
a) breaking off
b) breaking away
c) breaking out
d) breaking up
3. Residents living in the immediate vicinity of the prison were told to be on the
lookout for a group of criminals who recently ......... of gaol.
a) broke off
b) broke away
c) broke out
d) broke up
4. It can be very difficult for young couples to ......... Their marriage when there
are young children involved.
a) break off
b) Break away
c) break out
d) break up
5. I decided to ......... my relationship with my girlfriend when I found out that she
was seeing someone else.
a) break off
b) break away
c) break out
d) break open
6. Be careful not to spill the yolk when you ......... the egg.
a) break out
b) break off
c) break open
d) break down
7. A burglar ......... my house when I was away on vacation and stole some of my
electronic goods.
a) broke into
b) broke off
c) broke open
d) broke up
8. Teachers in Sydney have decided to call a snap strike next week after
negotiations with the State Government over a ten percent pay increase .........
early this morning.
a) broke into
b) broke down
c) broke open
d) broke up
9. A rebel Labour Party MP recently decided to ......... from his party and
become an independent member for his electorate.
a) break off
b) break away
c) break out
d) break up
10. I am always very worried that my car will ........., because it is already
twenty years old.
a) break off
b) break away
c) break out
d) break down
No. 3 Fill the gaps using phrasal verbs in the correct
form.
1. The United States has broken ......... all commercial ties with
North Korea.
2. Janet and Andy broke ......... last Saturday. Everybody's so
shocked.
3. The lift broke ......... so we had to walk up the stairs.
4. A mad man broke ......... of the high security mental hospital
yesterday.
5. Thieves broke ......... The Tower of London and stole The Crown
Jewels.
6. My granny broke ......... with her husband when she was 80!
7. Sorry I'm late. The bus broke ......... .
8. The European Union is threatening to break ......... trade links
with Algeria.
9. Someone broke ......... our school and burnt all the exams.
10. Fifty prisoners broke ......... of the camp last night.
Key
No. 1 No. 2 No. 3
1. akatki minema 1. b 1. off
2. dsisse murdma 2. d 2. up
3. ekatkestama 3. c 3. down
4. cvalla pääsema 4. d 4. out
5. b lahku minema 5. a 5. into
6. c 6. up
7. a 7. down
8. b 8. off
9. b 9. into
10. d 10. out
Sources
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/results.asp?
searchword=break+open&x=0&y=0
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/break
http://www.autoenglish.org/phrasals/ph.break.
pdf
Thank you!