Fred and Betty have been dating for years. They have always been a very happy couple… or have they?
Listen to Fred and Betty’s phone call AND learn lots of new phrasal verbs with the first series of Face up to Phrasals.
‘Face up to Phrasals’ is brought to you by BBC Learning English.
Episode 1
Narrator: Fred and Betty: Is this the end? Episode 1: Betty’s Angry.
Betty: Fred, I found out about you and that other girl. How could you do this to me?!
Narrator: Has Fred really got another lady? Surely not!!!
Episode 2
Narrator: Episode 2: Not Guilty!
Betty thinks that Fred has been seeing another lady.
Fred: Betty, you’ve got to believe me! I would never cheat on you Betty!
Narrator: Does Betty believe Fred? Did he cheat on her?
Episode 3
Narrator: Episode 3: How Betty Knows.
Betty saw Fred with another lady, but Fred says he would never cheat on her.
Betty: I know all about your other lady Fred! Your friend Martin told on you!
Narrator: What did Martin say? How can Fred explain himself?
Episode 4
Narrator: Episode 4: Who’s the liar?
Betty says Fred’s friend Martin saw Fred cheating on Betty with another woman. Can Fred explain himself?
Fred: Don’t listen to Martin, Betty! It’s not true! He’s making it up!
Narrator: Is Martin a liar? Or is Fred the real liar? Who should Betty believe?
Episode 5
Narrator: Episode 5: Busted!
Fred’s friend Martin told Betty that he saw Fred cheating on Betty with another woman. Fred says that Martin is a liar. Hmmmm….
Betty: I caught you out myself Fred! I saw you with that other girl!
Narrator: Well!What will Fred do now?
Episode 6
Narrator: Episode 6: Fred’s Story.
Betty’s very upset. She saw Fred with another woman.What’s his explanation?
Fred: I was just looking after her, Betty. I gave her a hug because she was upset, that’s all!
Narrator: Will Betty accept Fred’s story? Should she accept his story?
Episode 7
Narrator: Episode 7: What Betty Saw.
Betty’s saw Fred with another woman. Fred said he was just looking after her because she was upset. Over to Betty…
Betty: It was a hug which turned into a kiss Fred! I SAW YOU!
Narrator: A kiss? He kissed her? No wonder she’s angry…Is there a future for Betty and Fred?
Episode 8
Narrator: Episode 8: Desperate Fred.
Betty saw Fred kissing another woman. Can he save their relationship?
Fred: Please Betty, don’t hang up! You know I love you Betty!
Narrator: Will she hang up? What would you do?
Episode 9
Narrator: Episode 9: Betty Breaks It Off.
Betty saw Fred kissing another woman. Will she give him another chance?
Betty: Face up to it Fred. This time, IT’S OVER!
Narrator: Does Betty really mean it? Is this really the end?
Episode 10
Narrator: Episode 10: Fred Begs.
Betty just broke up with Fred. And who can blame her? She saw him kissing another woman! Can Fred say anything worth listening to now?
Fred: Come on Betty, I’ve said sorry a million times. Won’t you take me back?
Narrator: Are a million apologies enough for Betty? Will she take him back?
Episode 11
Narrator: Episode 11: Betty’s Had Enough.
Fred has just been dumped by Betty – she saw him kissing another woman!
He has said sorry to her, but will she take him back?
Betty: No Fred, it’s over. I’ve given up on you.
Narrator: How will Fred react to Betty’s decision?
Episode 12
Narrator: Episode 12: Fred works it out?
Betty has dumped Fred – she caught him with another woman. But why won’t she take him back?
Fred: In that case, Betty, there’s only one explanation. You’re going out with another man!
Narrator: Fred, you’re an idiot. You just don’t get it, do you? Well that’s all from Fred and Betty for this series, but come back soon for lots more phrasal verbs with Face up to Phrasals from BBC Learning English dot com.
CHEAT ON
Meaning: if you cheat on somebody, (your husband, wife, boyfriend or girlfriend) you secretly have a sexual or romantic relationship with someone else.
Grammar: This phrasal verb must have an object. You can not separate the verb from its particle.
He cheated on his wife
He cheated on her
Example sentence: Juliet finally decided to divorce her husband when she caught him cheating on her with their next-door neighbour.
Synonyms: betray, be unfaithful to, do the dirty on, mess around, two-time
TELL ON
Meaning: if you tell on somebody, you give information about someone, usually about something bad that they have said or done, to a person in authority (like a teacher, boss or parent), knowing that this will probably result in punishment.
Grammar: This phrasal verb must have an object. You can not separate the verb from its particle.
He told on his sister
He told on her
Example sentence: When I was a child I used to steal apples from the tree in the neighbour’s garden but my brother told on me and my father grounded me for a month.
Synonyms: inform (on), grass (on), sneak (on)
MAKE UP
Meaning: if you make something up, you invent an untrue story or explanation, often in order to hide the truth.
Grammar: This phrasal verb must have an object. The object can go between the verb and particle, or after the particle. If you want to use a pronoun, it must go between the verb and particle.
She made up an excuse
She made an excuse up
She made it up
Example sentence: Charlie didn’t want to admit that he hadn’t done his homework, so he made up a story about leaving it on the bus.
Synonyms: invent, devise, concoct, fabricate, cook up, manufacture, come up with
CATCH OUT
Meaning: if you catch somebody out, you find evidence to show that they have secretly been doing something wrong or bad.
Grammar: This phrasal verb must have an object. The object can go between the verb and particle, or after the particle. If you want to use a pronoun, it must go between the verb and particle.
I caught my son out
I caught him out
I caught out my son
Example sentence: George had successfully cheated in quite a few exams, but the examiner finally caught him out when some notes fell out of his sleeve and onto the floor.
Synonyms: discover, expose, reveal, uncover, find out, bust
LOOK AFTER
Meaning: if you look after something or someone, you take care of them and make sure they have what they need.
Grammar: This phrasal verb must have an object. You can not separate the verb from its particle.
She looked after the baby
She looked after it
Example sentence: I can’t come to the cinema tonight – my sister’s ill, so I’m going to stay at home and look after her.
Synonyms: take care of, tend (to)
TURN INTO
Meaning: If something turns into something, it becomes something different.
Grammar: This phrasal verb must have an object. You can not separate the verb from its particle. The object is not usually a pronoun.
The water turned into ice
The water turned into it (this is rare)
Example sentence: I’m scared of him. When he drinks too much beer he turns into a crazy madman.
Synonyms: become, change (into) transform (into), evolve (into), develop (into), metamorphosise (into)
HANG UP
Meaning: If you hang up, you end a telephone call by breaking the connection between yourself and the person you are speaking to.
Grammar: This phrasal verb does not usually have an object (except telephone or phone). You can separate the verb from its particle, but not if the object is a pronoun.
She hung up
She hung up the telephone (this is rare)
She hung the phone up (this is rare)
Example sentence: How rude – I was in the middle of telling her a story and she just hung up!
Synonyms: ring off
FACE UP TO
Meaning: If you face up to something, you accept the existence of a difficult situation.
Grammar: This phrasal verb must have an object. You can not separate the verb from its particles.
She faced up to the problem
She faced up to it
Example sentence: Jane, it’s time to face up to your son’s behavioural problems and get him the help he needs.
Synonyms: confront, accept, deal with, take on, take on board, tackle, come to terms with, stop hiding from
TAKE BACK
Meaning: If you re-start a romantic relationship that you had previously decided to end because of a problem in the relationship, you take somebody back.
Grammar: This phrasal verb needs an object. If the object is a pronoun, you always separate the verb from its particle. If it is a noun, you can either separate the verb from its particle or use it after the whole phrasal verb.
She took her husband back
She took him back
She took back her husband
Example sentence: Pauline had accepted that her husband was occasionally unfaithful, but when he became violent, she threw him out and refused to take him back.
Synonyms: get back together with, make up with
GIVE UP ON
Meaning: If you give up on someone or something, you stop trying to achieve something, usually because you have tried and failed in the past, or because it is too difficult.
Grammar: This phrasal verb needs an object. You can not separate the verb from its particles.
I gave up on algebra
I gave up on it
Example sentence: I have asked him so many times to arrive on time, but he is still at least 30 minutes late every morning. I give up on him!
Synonyms: reach the end of the line with
GO OUT WITH
Meaning: If you go out with someone, you have a romantic relationship with them.
Grammar: This phrasal verb needs an object. You can not separate the verb from its particles.
She’s going out with Mark
She’s going out with him
Example sentence: She went out with Mark for 18 months before he asked her to marry him.
Synonyms: date, see, be involved with, have a relationship with