PHRASAL VERBS, IDIOMS AND OTHER EXPRESSIONS USING ‘PUT’

CHECK YOUR ENGLISH VOCABULARY FOR PHRASAL VERBS AND IDIOMS

PHRASAL VERBS, IDIOMS AND OTHER EXPRESSIONS USING ‘PUT’

Use the words in the box to complete the phrasal verbs, idioms and other expressions using put in this story. You will need to use some of them more than once.

across       aside        away        behind        down        for        forward       in       into       off       onto       out         straight       through        to         together         under        up        with

The company I had been working for was taken over by a new manager, and we didn't get on very well. Every suggestion that I put ________ he rejected, he put me ________ a lot of pressure to work longer hours, and he continually put me ________ in front of the other employees. The final straw came when he told me to put ________ an exhibition for a trade fair: I put ________ weeks of work, but he told me that he thought the final result was "rubbish". He even put the word ________ that I was lazy and unreliable. I made a great effort to put ________ our differences, but eventually decided the best thing would be to put ________ ________ a transfer to another department. When this was refused, I decided I couldn't put ________ ________ it any more, and resigned. Fortunately I had managed to put ________ a bit of money (including some that I had put ________ a high-interest deposit account), and so I decided to take a well-deserved holiday. There were several interesting holiday offers in the newspapers, but I decided to put ________ choosing one until I found exactly what I wanted. It was a friend who put me ________ a travel agency that specialised in walking holidays in interesting parts of the world. I checked their website, found a holiday that I wanted and put ________ a £200 deposit, followed by the balance three weeks later. When the tickets didn't arrive, I tried calling their telephone helpline, but was continually put ________ ________ a recorded announcement. After several attempts to phone them, I put pen ________ paper and wrote them a letter (I'm always much better at putting myself ________ in writing than I am at speaking). I was naturally put ________ when I didn't get a reply, so I visited the agency in their London offices. The manager saw me personally and I put my situation ________ him, explaining that I either wanted my tickets or my money back. He tried to put me ________ by saying that there was no record of my booking, but I put him ________ by showing him the transaction record on my credit card account. I then put my foot ________ and insisted he return my money. To my shock he called me a liar and told a security guard to remove me from the building. That was when I lost my temper. I went to my car, started the engine, put the car ________ gear, put my foot ________, and smashed the car through the agency's window. And that, your honour, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, is my story. I hope you will take into account my feelings and emotions at the time. I just want to put it all ________ me. Please don't put me ________!

ANSWER KEY

Here is the completed text. Use your dictionary to check the meanings of any expressions that you don't understand. The company I had been working for was taken over by a new manager, and we didn't get on very well. Every suggestion that I put forward he rejected, he put me under a lot of pressure to work longer hours, and he continually put me down in front of the other employees. The final straw came when he told me to put together an exhibition for a trade fair: I put in weeks of work, but he told me that he thought the final result was "rubbish". He even put the word out that I was lazy and unreliable. I made a great effort to put aside our differences, but eventually decided the best thing would be to put in for a transfer to another department. When this was refused, I decided I couldn't put up with it any more, and resigned. Fortunately I had managed to put aside a bit of money (including some that I had put into a high-interest deposit account), and so I decided to take a well-deserved holiday. There were several interesting holiday offers in the newspapers, but I decided to put off choosing one until I found exactly what I wanted. It was a friend who put me onto a travel agency that specialised in walking holidays in interesting parts of the world. I checked their website, found a holiday that I wanted and put down a £200 deposit, followed by the balance three weeks later. When the tickets didn't arrive, I tried calling their telephone helpline, but was continually put through to a recorded announcement. After several attempts to phone them, I put pen to paper and wrote them a letter (I'm always much better at putting myself across in writing than I am at speaking). I was naturally put out when I didn't get a reply, so I visited the agency in their London offices. The manager saw me personally and I put my situation to him, explaining that I either wanted my tickets or my money back. He tried to put me off by saying that there was no record of my booking, but I put him straight by showing him the transaction record on my credit card account. I then put my foot down and insisted he return my money. To my shock he called me a liar and told a security guard to remove me from the building. That was when I lost my temper. I went to my car, started the engine, put the car into gear, put my foot down, and smashed the car through the agency's window. And that, your honour, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, is my story. I hope you will take into account my feelings and emotions at the time. I just want to put it all behind me. Please don't put me away!