Lesson 21

Go up.... go up to… hand in…. in case…. take apart… put together…. be better off… be well-off… take by surprise…. keep in touch… name after… hold on
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To go up: to increase (also: to drive up), to be constructed, to be erected
The second definition is the same as the one for to put up in Lesson 19, except that to go up is not used with a noun object.
Ø Economists are predicting that consumer prices are going up. Inflation always has a tendency to drive up the cost of products.
Ø New office is going up in the downtown area. A major construction company is putting it up.
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To go up to: to approach (also: to come up to, to walk up to, to drive up to, etc)
The related forms have the same meaning, but the type of movement is different.
Ø After the lecture, several people in the audience went up to the speaker to congratulate her.
Ø The little girl came up to me and shook my hand as if she had known me for years.
Ø Bill’s friend didn’t want to admit that they had gotten lost, but finally he agreed to drive up to a gas station and inquire about the correct route.
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To hand in: to submit or deliver something that is due (S)
Ø Every student has to hand in an original composition each week of the semester.
Ø All the salespeople hand their weekly reports in on Friday.
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In case: in order to be prepared if
When the idiom occurs at the end of the sentence (the second example), then the meaning is in order to be prepared if something happens. The “something” might be an accident, a delay, etc.
Ø You’d better close the windows in case it rains.
Ø We should be sure to leave for the airport early, just in case.
Ø Cynthia, take one of your books in case you have some time to read on our trip.
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To take apart: to disassemble, to separate the parts of something (S)
A noun or pronoun usually divides this idiom.
Ø It is much easier to take a watch apart than it is to assemble it.
Ø The engine had a serious problem, so the mechanic had to take it apart completely in order to fix it.
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To put together: to assemble (S)
A noun or pronoun usually divides this idiom. The preposition back is used when something has been disassembled and then is being reassembled, as in the second example.
Ø Todd followed the directions on the box but he couldn’t manage to put the bicycle together properly.
Ø After the teenager took the broken video game apart and fixed it, he was unable to put it back together again.
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To be better off: to be in a more favorable condition or situation
The opposite of this idiom is to be worse off.
Ø Jim would be better off staying at home because of his cold.
Ø You’d be much better off working in an office than in a factory.
Ø The economies of some nations are worse off than they were several decades ago.
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To be well-off: to have enough money to enjoy a comfortable life, to be rich (also: to be well-to-do)
Ø They live in the best section of town in a large home, they are very well off.
Ø By the time I reach the age of fifty-five, I hope to be well-to-do and to travel frequently.
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To take by surprise: to surprise, to amaze, to astonish (S)
A noun or pronoun usually divides this idiom.
Ø The offer of a high-paying position with another company took me by surprise.
Ø The president’s announcement that the university was in financial trouble didn’t take anyone by surprise.
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To keep in touch with: to maintain contact with (also: to stay in touch with)
This idiom should be compared with to get in touch with in Lesson 9.
Ø You can telephone me every few days, and in that way we can keep in touch with each other.
Ø He promised to stay in touch with us while he was abroad. However, we were disappointed that he never did get in touch with us.
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To name after: to give the same name as another (S)
Ø Helen’s parents named Helen after her grandmother.
Ø My grandson is named after Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States.
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To hold on: to grasp tightly or firmly, to wait, to be patient
The second definition is often used when someone is talking on the telephone.
Ø The little girl held on to her mother’s hand and refused to let go as they walked through the large crowd people.
Ø (on the telephone) Could you please hold on a moment while I get a pencil and paper?
Ø Come on, Mike, hold on. I can’t get ready so quickly.
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E X E R C I S E S
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Choose the appropriate idiomatic expressions to substitute for the italicized word or
Words in each sentence below. Idioms from previous lessons are indicated by number.
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1. In some countries, being rich means just having a home for your family.
a. being worse-off
b. being well-off
c. being up to (lesson 11)
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2. Jake was astonished when he learned that he had been accepted by Yale
University.
a. taken by surprise
b. taken apart
c. better off
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3. We’d better take umbrellas with us to be prepared if it rains.
a. on the other hand (lesson 17)
b. in case
c. in time to (lesson 7)
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4. Surono wasn’t able to submit his assignment to the teacher because he had
forgotten to do it.
a. to put together
b. to pass out (lesson 19)
c. to hand in
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5. We’ve run out of milk so we’ll not be able to have it at dinnertime.
a. have on (lesson 13)
b. run up to
c. do without (lesson 18)
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6. Dr. Madison has assembled an excellent team of administrators and instructors
for the staff o f the new community college.
a. put together
b. taken apart
c. gone up
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7. Timmy, I asked you to be patient a moment while I finish getting dressed.
a. to take hold of (lesson 17)
b. to hold on
c. to keep in touch with
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8. I can’t believe how prices are increasing more and more every year.
a. going up to
b. going up
c. going off (lesson 16)
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9. Richard went to the library to locate information on the Civil War.
a. to look up (lesson 4)
b. to look out (lesson 5)
c. to look after (lesson 14)
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10. It makes my parents happy that I maintain contact with them while I am away
from home attending college.
a. get along with (lesson 3)
b. have to do with (lesson 8)
c. keep in touch with
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Answer these questions orally by making use of the idiomatic expressions studied in this lesson.
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1. Is the cost of living going up in your country? What factors can drive up prices?
2. Have you ever gone up to a famous person and asked for an autograph? (An autograph is the signature of a famous person.)
3. Do you always hand in assignments in class on time, or are you sometimes late? Do you ever forget to hand them in?
4. What would you do in case the brakes in your car failed while you were driving?
5. As a child, did you enjoy taking things apart? What kinds of things did you take apart?
6. After you took them apart, did you always put them together again? Were you always successful?
7. Are you better off now than you were five years ago? How?
8. Do you consider yourself well off? If not, do you expect to be well off in the future? How do you expect to accomplish it?
9. When you are away from home, are you careful to keep in touch with your family or friends?
10. Are you named after somebody? Who?