1000 Phrasal Verbs In Context

1000 Phrasal Verbs In Context © Matt Errey 2007

116

1000 Phrasal Verbs in Context S s (5/13)

shake up
Jane was in a car accident this morning. She wasn’t hurt, but it really
shook her up and she’s taking the day off work to get over the shock.

shake sb up

shake up sb

Luckily no-one was hurt
in the storm, but it shook
up a lot of people.

✍ ^

shake up
After taking over the company, the new manager is shaking things up.
She’s laid off some staff and set clear performance goals for the others.

shake sth up

shake up sth

She’s good at shaking up
administrations and
revitalising companies.

✍ ^

shape up
Our new boss said a lot of our work needs improving. She said she’d
have to dismiss some of us unless we shaped up and did a lot better.

shape up

The coach told some of his
players to shape up and
do better, or they’d be out.

✍ ^

shoot down
The enemy shot down one of our fighter jets. The pilot bailed out and
survived, but the plane crashed and was destroyed.

shoot down sth

shoot sth down

Julia shot down every
idea Joe proposed. She
didn’t like any of them.

✍ 

shop

around

If you need a new phone, shop around to find the best price. Don’t just

buy one from the first shop you come to.

shop around

Shopping around is a

good way to find cheap

prices and save money.

✍  see also: look around

show off
Arnold must have been doing some bodybuilding at the gym. We saw
him showing off his new muscles at the pool.

show off sth

show sth off

Terry invited his friends
over to show his new
apartment off.

✍ ^

show off
The boys in the band enjoy playing music, but they like showing off to
all the cute girls in the audience even more.

show off

If her kids show off, she
says it’s cute. If other kids
show off, it annoys her.

✍ ^

show up
(informal)

Once the word was out, a lot of Aaron’s old school friends showed up at

his birthday party.

show up

show up at sth

Many people showed up
at the product launch
because of the free drinks.

✍  see also: turn up

shut down
The government tried to shut down the illegal drugs trade, but
corruption in state agencies made it very difficult.

shut down sth

shut sth down

The police shut the bar
down for serving drinks
to underage customers.

✍  see also: close down

shut off
Why didn’t they make very sure someone had shut off the power before
trying to fix the electrical wiring?

shut off sth

shut sth off

I can smell gas. Somebody
must have forgotten to
shut it off.

✍  see also: turn off