Learn 30 phrasal verbs in 30 days!

Jumpstart your vocabulary in 2017.

Today is Day 27 and we're studying phrasal verbs with “work” day 2.

We have a lot of phrasal verbs here, so I had to break this video up into two videos.

To work against something means to make it harder to get the desired result.

His criminal history is working against getting a job.

To work around means to find a different way to do something.

This is what happens when you had a plan, but a problem came up.

You have to work around it.

The tennis courts are already reserved when we want to play.

Well, we’re just going to have to work around it. Can you meet earlier?

We use this a lot as a noun, just one word with no space:

The architect has to come up with a workaround. The skylights she wanted aren’t available.

To work at means to try hard, to put effort over time.

If you want to get better at basketball, you have to work at it.

To work away means to do something, with effort, over time.

We often use it in its ING form.

Is Chris studying? Yep, he’s working away up in his room.

This makes it sound like he’s been studying for a while.

What have you been up to?

Well, I’m working away at this Rachel’s English 30-day challenge, trying to learn new vocabulary.

Work in means to include something, or also, to make time for something.

Can you meet with the client Thursday?

My schedule’s tight, but I’ll try to work it in after lunch.

Or, I read your story. I love it, but I think you should work in the part about having lunch with your mom.

In other words, write that part into the story.

To work something into something else means to mix it in.

You might see this in a recipe. Work the extra flour into the dough by kneading it.

To work yourself into something – we use this with the word ‘frenzy’ a lot.

It’s the same as getting worked up.

You become very agitated.

She worked herself into a frenzy when she thought she lost her friend’s cat.

You could also use this with ‘rage’. He worked himself into a rage before confronting his father.

Work off: This means to get rid of something.

I’m going to work out to work off that heavy lunch.

That means I want to exercise to try to burn some of the calories I ate at lunch.

Or I went for a walk to work off my bad mood.

It can also mean to repay a debt.

It took me three years to work off my credit card debt.

Or, when I wrecked my dad’s car, he paid for it.

Then I had to work it off for the next year by helping out around the house.

To work on someone means to try to convince or persuade someone to do something.

Hey, did you convince Matt to come with us tonight?

No. Alright, well, I’m going to go work on him.

Or the clients don’t want to buy the deluxe package, so we have to work on them.

It’s the best deal for them.

Work. A lot of people have a really hard time with this word.

Let’s figure it out.

We begin with a W consonant, where the lips are in a tight circle. Ww.

Then we have the R vowel and consonant.

Just one sound, rr. Wor-.

So the lips go from being really rounded to being a little less rounded, but still flared.

Wor-

The tongue tip is forward for the W, put pulled back and up for the R. Wor-

So the tongue tip isn’t touching anything for the R sounds.

Worrrrrrr.

Hold out the R when practicing words.

It really does help solidify the tongue position. Worrrrrrr-k.

For the K, the tongue tip can come back down.

The back part of the tongue lifts up and touches the soft palate, then releases, kk.

Work. Work.

I often see people trying to drop their jaw too much for this word.

wuh-uh... wuhh---

Wor- wor-

Watch all of the jaw positions. You really don’t need to drop your jaw.

W-or-k.

Work.

So simple, very minimal jaw drop.

Work. Work.

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