Phrasal Verbs

Infinitive: screw up
PRESENT TENSE
-ING FORM
PAST TENSE
PAST PARTICIPLE
screw up & screws
up
screwing up
screwed up
screwed up
1. screw . . . up p.v. [informal] When you damage something or do something wrong or
badly, you screw up or you screw up what you are doing.
I tried to fix my computer, but I couldn’t do it, and I just screwed it up instead.
Mark sent his wife an email that he had written to his girlfriend. He sure screwed
up.
screwed up part.adj. When people or things are screwed up, they are damaged or
confused.
My back is really screwed up. I can’t go to work today.
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George was a nice guy, but he was a little screwed up in the head.
screwup n. A problem or confused situation caused by someone’s mistake is a screwup.
Two babies were switched because of a screwup in the maternity ward.
There was a screwup in the finance department, and the bill was paid twice.
2. screw . . . up p.v. [informal] When people make a mistake that causes a problem for you,
they screw you up.
I missed my flight to the conference because of the traffic, and it really screwed
me up.
You really screwed me up when you lost my car keys.
PRACTICE
10-1. On a separate piece of paper, complete the sentences with phrasal verbs from this
unit. Be sure the phrasal verbs are in the correct tense and person.
1. The teacher asked me to _____________ the exams _____________ to the other
students.
2. Why don’t you let a mechanic fix the car? If you try to do it yourself, you’ll just
_____________ it _____________.
3. Nobody likes the new priest in our church, and attendance has _____________
_____________.
4. My feet were killing me a couple of weeks ago, so I _____________ _____________
jogging for a while, and now they’re fine.
5. It really _____________ me _____________ when you told my boss what I said about
him.
6. The Ortegas won’t take a vacation this year because Mr. Ortega has been
_____________ _____________ and they need to save money.
7. When my mother was _____________ _____________, there wasn’t any TV or Internet.
People went to the movies or read instead.
8. The head of purchasing at my company went to jail because he made all the suppliers
_____________ _____________ $2,000 of every contract.
9. My husband told me my plan to enter medical school was crazy, but I _____________
_____________ with it anyway.
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10. The secretary in the Human Resources Department said, “Here’s an application. Take it
and _____________ it _____________.”
11. If you want to borrow my car tonight, _____________ _____________. I’m not going
anywhere.
12. The other mountain climbers are nervous about Jim because they think he’s going to
_____________ _____________ a cliff.
13. You’ve been criticizing me for the last three hours! Will you __________
_____________!
14. The manager asked his assistant to _____________ him _____________ about the
problems in the warehouse.
15. It’s Friday night. Let’s buy some pizza and _____________ _____________.
16. I can’t work tomorrow. Can you _____________ _____________ for me?
17. You’re acting like a child. _____________ _____________!