Page 294 - English Grammar in Use

Unit
141 Phrasal verbs 5 on/off (2)

A verb + on = continue doing something
go on = continue
The party went on until 4 o’clock in the morning.
go on / carry on doing something = continue doing it
We can’t go on spending money like this. We’ll have nothing left soon.
I don’t want to carry on working here. I’m going to look for another job.
go on with / carry on with something = continue it
Don’t let me disturb you. Please carry on with what you’re doing.
keep on doing (or keep doing) something = do it continuously or repeatedly
He keeps on criticising me. It’s not fair! (or He keeps criticising me.)
drive on / walk on / play on = continue driving/walking/playing etc.
Shall we stop at this petrol station or shall we drive on to the next one?

B get on
get on = progress
How are you getting on in your new job? (= How is it going?)
get on (with somebody) = have a good relationship
Joanne and Karen don’t get on. They’re always arguing.
Richard gets on well with his neighbours. They’re all very friendly.
get on with something = continue something you have to do, usually after an interruption
I must get on with my work. I have a lot to do.

C verb + off
doze off / drop off / nod off = fall asleep
I dozed off during the lecture. It was very boring.

finish something off = do the last part of it
a: Have you finished painting the kitchen?
b: Nearly. I’ll finish it off tomorrow.
go off = make an alarm sound
Did you hear the alarm go off?
put somebody off (doing) something so that they don’t want it or want to do it any more
We wanted to go to the exhibition, but we were put off by the long queue.
(= we didn’t go because of the long queue)
What put you off applying for the job? Was the salary too low?

rip somebody off / be ripped off = cheat somebody / be cheated
Did you really pay £2,000 for that painting? I think you were ripped off.
(= you paid too much)
show off = try to impress people with your ability, your knowledge etc.
Look at that boy on the bike riding with no hands. He’s just showing off.

tell somebody off = speak angrily to somebody because they did something wrong
Clare’s mother told her off for wearing dirty shoes in the house.

go on / carry on / keep on ➜ Unit 53B Phrasal verbs 1 (Introduction) ➜ Unit 137
282 More verbs + on/off ➜ Unit 140 American English → Appendix 7