PHRASAL VERBS, IDIOMS AND OTHER EXPRESSIONS USING ‘TURN’

CHECK YOUR ENGLISH VOCABULARY FOR PHRASAL VERBS AND IDIOMS

PHRASAL VERBS, IDIOMS AND OTHER EXPRESSIONS USING ‘TURN’

Exercise 1:

Look at the dictionary definitions of phrasal verbs that use turn, and decide which particle or particles (around, back, on, etc) can be used to complete them.

1	(a) To tell the police about someone or take them to the police because they have committed a crime ("His own brother turned him _____"). (b) Informal – to go to bed at night ("It's getting late. I think I'll turn _____")
2	a) To develop in a particular way or have a particular result ("I was disappointed with the way things turned _____"). (b) To produce something in large quantities ("The company plans to turn _____ 2000 cars a month"). (c) To force someone to leave a place, especially their home ("Our landlord turned us _____ without any warning")
3	(a) To ask someone for help when you are having a problem dealing with a situation ( "He turned _____ his father for some money to pay his rent"). (b) To start thinking about or discussing something ("All right, let's turn _____ more important matters now"
4	(a) To start using a piece of equipment by pressing a button or moving a switch ("Is your computer turned _____?"). (b) To make a sudden and unexpected attack on someone using violence or angry words ("I was shocked when he suddenly turned _____ me")
5	(a) To give someone or something to someone who has a position of authority ("I turned _____ the money I had found to the police"). (b) To stop watching one television channel and start watching another ("This programme is boring. Let's turn _____"). (c) To think carefully about all the details of something ("He began to turn _____ the plan in his mind")
6	(a) To stop being unsuccessful and start being successful, or make something do this ("The loan will help us to turn the company _____"). (b) To complete a piece of work, process or activity within a particular time("We can produce quality work and turn it _____ very quickly")
7	(a) To increase the amount of sound, light, etc, produced by a piece of equipment ("I can't hear the radio. Can you turn it _____?"). (b) To come somewhere unexpectedly or without making a firm arrangement ("You don't need to reserve a table: just turn _____"). (c) To be found, especially by accident, after being lost ("My car keys turned _____ in the kitchen cupboard!")
8	To refuse to let someone come into a place ( "The restaurant was full, and a lot of customers had to be turned _____")
9	To stop liking or supporting someone or something and start opposing them ("The workers turned _____ the management when their wages were reduced")
10	(a) To stop using a piece of equipment by pressing a button or moving a switch ("Will you turn the television _____, please?"). (b) To leave the road you are travelling along in order to go along another one that leads away from it ("If you're coming from London, you'll need to turn _____ the motorway before you get to Oxford"). (c) To make someone feel bored or no longer interested in something ("His policies could turn _____ a lot of voters")
11	(a) To return the same way that you came instead of continuing on your journey, or make someone do this ("Bad weather forced them to turn _____"). (b) To return to a previous situation or condition ("I've come too far to turn _____ now")
12	(a) To refuse to accept an offer or request ("I don't believe he turned _____ my offer of help!"). (b) To reduce the amount of sound, heat or light produced by a piece of equipment by pressing a button or moving a switch ("Can you turn the music _____ a bit, please?")

Exercise 2:

Match the sentences on the left with a suitable response on the right, using the idioms and other expressions in bold to help you.

(1) "If you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours." (2) "Your work hasn't been very good recently." (3) "I have to leave early today." (4) "You're very good looking." (5) "Don't worry about your children, Mrs Jackson. They'll probably come home soon enough." (6) "Mrs Ranscombe hasn't got any idea how to run this company." (7) "Your living room is a real mess!" (8) "I've done everything I can to help you, but I feel I've done enough." (9) "I've been unemployed for six months, but I've got two job interviews next week." (10) "For almost two years we didn't get a pay rise, and then our salaries were almost doubled!" (11) "How do you like your steak cooked?" (12) "For years he always made more sales than me, but last year I exceeded his sales by almost 50%." (13) "I'm really sorry to hear that your boyfriend left you for someone else." (14) "Boo! Surprise! It's me!" (15) "I don't like this. It tastes horrible." (16) "I've heard that a rock group have recorded a heavy metal version of Mozart's Marriage of Figaro." (17) "I'm really fed up with my job. It's so boring." (18) "Were you frightened when the man pulled out the knife?"

(a) "That's good. Perhaps your luck is on the turn." (b) "Well, it's not really allowed, but just this once I'll turn a blind eye." (c) "Done to a turn, but not burnt to a crisp." (d) "Don't do that! You gave me a right turn!" (e) "I know. I've been turning the place upside down looking for my car keys." (f) "Well done. It must feel good to turn the tables on someone like that." (g) "Good lord! He must be turning in his grave!" (h) "I know. I promise to turn over a new leaf from now on." (i) "But you can't just turn your back on me like this!" (j) "But I'm at my wits' end, constable. I don't know which way to turn." (k) "Don't be silly. It's healthy and filling, and you shouldn't turn your nose up at it." (l) "Well, that's a turn-up for the books, isn'tit?" (m) "I don't think you should talk out of turn like that." (n) "Sure. One good turn deserves another." (o) "Yes, the rat! I feel like my whole world has been turned upside down." (p) "Oh, I'm not so sure. I certainly wouldn't turn any heads." (q) "I should have been, but I didn't turn a hair." (r) "Well, why don't you try turning your hand to something a bit more challenging?"

ANSWER KEY