Here's the cool thing about phrasal verbs. Take
a common verb like set and add to it prepositions and
prepositional adverbs … and you have a list of new words, some of them with
several meanings.
Look at the verb to set. By itself it has many uses. It means "to put," as in "set the book on the table" and "set your coat on the sofa." You can set your mind on doing something and if you're not careful you might set the house on fire. (You should be dead set against doing that.)
Now add prepositions to set and get set (get ready) to see some new words:
• set up • set down • set in • set out • set forth • set back • set aside • set apart • set against Now get set to learn.
Questions 1–5
Try to answer these five
questions. Write down your answers and then see the explanation that follows.
1. Mike is set ___ moving to
Tokyo. He prefers living in the country.
A. above
B. apart
C. aside
D. against
2. Our research project was set ___ a few weeks
because our manager was sick. So it’s a few weeks behind schedule.
A. aside
B. down
C. back
D. still
3. Wow, your new car is beautiful. I’ll bet it
was expensive. How much did it set you ___?
A. back
B. aside
C. down
D. against
4. Good morning, students. In this class you
will set ___ on a journey through history.
A. up
B. forth
C. forward
D. foot
5. Tammy is set ___ getting a new car. She is
tired of her old one breaking down.
A. on
B. at
C. apart
D. against
Answers 1–5
Now compare your answers to
these. See the idioms' definitions and explanations, as well as example
sentences.
Answer 1. The answer to question No. 1 is D, set against. If you are set against doing something, you have decided you definitely don't want to do it. The opposite is set to.
• set against, phrasal verb. To be determined not to do something.
→ Sarah is set against traveling this summer.
She wants to stay home and rest.
Answer 2. The
answer to question No. 2 is C, set back. This phrasal verb is used to
talk about progress. Picture your progress going backward instead of forward.
• set back, phrasal verb. (1) Slow down the progress of something.
→ Our research has been set back because we
don't have enough funding.
Answer 3. The
answer to question No. 3 is C, set back. Like many phrasal verbs, set
back has several meanings. Here, it means "cost."
• set back, phrasal verb. (2) To cost.
→ Getting my car repaired set me back a few
hundred dollars.
Answer 4. The answer to question No. 3 is B, set forth. Here, this phrasal verb means to
begin a journey. Think about moving forward.
• set forth, phrasal verb. To begin a
journey.
→ We're driving to Paris. We set forth tomorrow
morning.
Answer 5. The answer to question No. 3 is A, set on. If you are set on doing something, you
are determined to do it.
• set on, phrasal verb. To be determined
to do something.
→ We're driving to Paris. We set forth tomorrow
morning.
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