LIMP ALONG – Phrasal Verb
What is the Meaning of the English Phrasal Verb
LIMP ALONG?
limp along
Definition:
progress slowly, or with difficulty, and not at full capacity
(Tip: The meaning of limp is to walk with difficulty because of a damaged or stiff leg or foot.)
Examples of LIMP ALONG in Sentences:
1. I need to find a better job. My family has spent 4 years limping along struggling to pay the bills. We can’t continue like this.
2. I limped along for years trying to finish my degree because I had a family to support and I needed to work. I took a course here and there, studying part-time. Finally, I just decided I had to buckle down and finish. I took out a loan and went back to university full-time.
| present – | LIMP ALONG |
| present participle – | LIMPING ALONG |
| past – | LIMPED ALONG |
| past participle – | LIMPED ALONG |
LEARN MORE ABOUT PHRASAL VERBS
What are Phrasal Verbs?
Definition
PHRASAL VERBS are sometimes called two-word or three-word verbs, or verb phrases.
A Phrasal Verb is a verb plus a particle. A particle is a small word. Usually, but not always, the particle is a preposition.
Many Phrasal Verbs are idiomatic. This means that if you know the meaning of the individual words, it will not help you understand the meaning of the Phrasal Verb. When the words are put together, the meaning changes.
For example, your friend tells you that he is going to give up smoking. You know that give means to make a present of something, and that up is a direction. You are confused! Knowing the meaning of give and the meaning of up is no help at all when someone says they are going to give up something.
But if you know that the Phrasal Verb give up means to quit doing something, then you know that your friend plans to stop smoking.
Why Learn Phrasal Verbs?
Many of our students have told us that they studied English for years in their home country, but when they arrived in Canada, they could not understand what people were saying.
One of the main reasons for this is that no one had taught them Phrasal Verbs.
Spoken English is filled with Phrasal Verbs and yet very few schools teach them. If you want to have conversations with English speakers, you MUST learn Phrasal Verbs.
Do you want better English?
You need to learn phrasal verbs if you want to have English conversations.
You need to know phrasal verbs if you want to immigrate and succeed in a country where English is a primary language, such as Canada or the U.S.
How to Learn Phrasal Verbs
Learn phrasal verbs the same way you learn vocabulary. There is no magic trick for phrasal verbs. Like vocabulary, you need to memorize them and practice using them.
Don’t waste time learning uncommon vocabulary words. You can use a translator app for those words!
Spend your time focusing on what you need.
Grammar Rules for Phrasal Verbs
Here is a simple overview of the rules for Phrasal Verbs.
There are two kinds of Phrasal Verbs – inseparable and separable.
1. Inseparable Phrasal Verbs are easy. You use them the same way you would use any main verb.
Inseparable means “not separable”. You cannot separate the parts of these phrasal verbs. The phrasal verb must stay together as though it were one word.
e.g., Check out means to pay your bill and return your key card when you leave a hotel. “We should check out at 11:00 am.”
2. Separable Phrasal Verbs can be kept together or separated.
When you separate the words in a Separable Phrasal Verb, put the OBJECT between the two parts of the Phrasal Verb.
For example, hand in means to give something to someone in authority. The two sentences below are both correct because hand in is a separable phrasal verb.
1) Please hand in your tests.
2) Please hand your tests in.
Many Phrasal Verbs have more than one meaning. Not all the definitions are included on this website.
