Lesson 25: Phrasal Verbs with ON/IN

For the last week of the course, you’re going to learn extra phrasal verbs that didn’t
quite fit into the other categories. I’ve grouped them by preposition, so in this lesson
you’ll learn 5 phrasal verbs with ON and 5 phrasal verbs with IN.

The format will be a little different – for each phrasal verb, I’ll explain the meaning
and give a short 2-line dialog to show how it’s used.

frown on (something)
= disapprove of it; consider it wrong or unacceptable

“Why don’t you want to dance?”

“Well, I never really learned how. I grew up in a very religious family that
frowned on dancing.”

Frown on can be followed by a noun or a verb in the –ING form.

Frown on + noun:

My parents frown on tattoos.

Society tends to frown on people who are introverted.

Frown on + verb-ING:

The company frowns on using the internet at work for personal things.
My sister frowns on taking medicine – she believes in all-natural remedies.

egg (someone) on
= encourage/pressure someone to do something bad/mischievous

"I don’t smoke. Do you?”

"No. I tried a cigarette when I was 14 – my older brother was egging me on –

but I thought it was disgusting."

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The phrasal verb egg (someone) on is often used for peer pressure – when kids or
teenagers pressure other kids or teenagers to do something that is not completely
acceptable.

prey on (someone)
= maliciously take advantage of the person

“A lot of scammers prey on senior citizens.”

“I know – my grandmother used to receive tons of fake letters asking for

money.”

Prey on has two meanings. When talking about animals, it means that one animal
eats another:

Spiders prey on flies and other insects.

Owls prey on mice.
Sharks prey on other smaller fish.

When talking about people, it’s when a person with bad intentions takes advantage
of another person. Criminals often prey on tourists who come to a new city and
aren’t familiar with the area. Sometimes men prey on teenage girls over the
internet.

rub off on (someone)

= when an aspect of one person’s personality transfers to another
person

“You seem really excited about this new business opportunity.”

“I was actually hesitant at first, but I think my partner’s enthusiasm has

rubbed off on me.”

When a characteristic of another person begins to influence you, and you begin to
have that same characteristic, we say the other person rubbed off on you. This
phrasal verb can be used for transferring positive characteristics (enthusiasm,

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optimism, sense of humor) or negative characteristics (sarcasm, sadness, a bad
mood).

zero/hone in on (something)
= target or focus on it specifically

“We need to figure out a way to get more customers in our store.”

“Let’s talk to our former customers and hone in on the reasons they’re not
buying – then we’ll know exactly what we need to improve.”

Both zero in on and hone in on refer to a very targeted focus on a specific area.

tuck in
= put the bottom of your shirt into your pants

“Did your high school have a uniform?”

“Yup. We had to wear the official school shirt – and it always had to be tucked
in.”

The opposite of tucked in is untucked (when your shirt is outside your pants).

rein in
= stop someone/something from getting out of control

“Looks like the income tax is going up this year.”

“They raise taxes every year – I really wish the government would learn to
rein in its spending.”

In this example, the government’s spending is getting out of control, resulting in

higher taxes – and the person wishes the government would rein in the spending –
control it and not let it increase.

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You can also rein in a person who is getting out of control, for example if you take
your husband to an electronics store, and he really loves electronics, you’d have to
rein him in to stop him from buying everything in the store.

pitch in
= contribute your work or effort to help someone

“How did you finish painting the house so fast?”

“It was definitely a big job, but our neighbors pitched in, so we were able to
get it done in a single weekend.”

Pitch in is often used for collective projects, in which multiple people come together
to work on it. For example, the entire community can pitch in to help clean up a city
park.

chime in
= add a comment to a conversation/discussion

“That meeting took forever!”

“You’re telling me. The problem is that people keep chiming in with new
suggestions, and nothing ever gets finalized.”

The phrasal verb chime in is used when someone makes a welcome contribution to
a conversation. If a person interrupts or makes an unwelcome comment in a
conversation, use the phrasal verb butt in, which you learned in Lesson 12.

sink in
= finally understand or feel the effects of some knowledge

“How does it feel to be a college graduate?”

“It’s weird not being a student, for the first time in 16 years. That’s going to
take a while to sink in!”

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The phrasal verb sink in is often used when you hear some shocking news and it
will take some time to fully accept or feel its effects. It can also be used for major life
changes that will take time to get used to, as in the example of graduating from
college and not being a student anymore. Finally, sink in is used when you learn a
fact that is difficult to comprehend, and it will take some time to completely
understand it.

You’ve learned 10 new phrasal verbs with ON and IN. Take the practice quiz, try
the writing exercises, and log in tomorrow for Lesson 26.

Quiz – Lesson 25
Question 1

All our friends __________ to help throw Rob and Susan a surprise anniversary party.

A chimed in

B egged us on

C pitched in

Question 2

My mother _________ parents who let their kids play video games all day.

A frowns on

B reins in

C preys on

Question 3

You should __________ your shirt - it looks more professional.

A hone in on

B sink in

C tuck in

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Question 4

Brad has gotten a lot more organized since he got married. His wife must be
___________ him.

A pitching in

B rubbing off on

C zeroing in on

Question 5

I couldn't believe I'd gotten the promotion. It only started to __________ when I was
given the best office in the building.

A chime in

B egg on

C sink in

Question 6

This fitness program ___________ belly fat and will help you get a flat stomach in just 6
weeks.

A frowns on

B preys on

C zeroes in on

Question 7

My father got really angry at the travel agent when our flight was canceled. I had to
__________ to stop him from making a scene.

A egg him on

B rein him in

C rub off on him

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Question 8

My wife and I were discussing where to go out for dinner, and our son ___________ and
said he'd like to have Chinese food.

A chimed in

B honed in

C tucked in

Question 9

Our teenage daughter dyed her hair purple because all of her friends were
_____________.

A egging her on

B pitching in

C reining her in

Question 10

Bullies often _________ kids who are shy or who have low self-esteem.

A prey on

B rub off on

C sink in

Writing Exercises
Remember to use the phrasal verb in your answer!

1. What’s something you frown on?

2. Has anyone ever rubbed off on you?

3. Describe a time when you pitched in.

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 4. When you were a child/teenager, did anyone ever egg you on to do
something? How did you respond?

5. Describe a time when you learned or experienced something that took some
time to sink in.

Want to get corrections? E-mail me your answers!

Answers - Quiz
1. C

2. A

3. C

4. B

5. C

6. C

7. B

8. A

9. A

10. A

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© Shayna Oliveira 2013