This is a conversation for intermediate ESL students on some phrasal verbs with "put."

1. PUT
A Conversation Lesson with “Put” Phrasal
Verbs

2. • VERB: To put (someone down) means to insult him.
Ex.) Sarah put Emily down when she said her clothes were ugly.
• NOUN: an insult
Ex.) Emily cried, “That was such a put-down, Sarah!” when Sarah said her
clothes were ugly.
PUT DOWN

3. YOUR TURN!
Tell about a time when you put someone down. What happened?
Tell about a time when you received a put-down. What happened?

4. PUT OFF
• VERB: To put something off means to delay it, to do it later.
Ex.) I really hate doing laundry. I’ll put it off until tomorrow.

5. YOUR TURN!
What is something that you always put off until another day?

6. • ADJECTIVE: If a person is put-out, she feels like she has to do
something that is not convenient for her.
Ex.) Sarah felt put out when Emily asked her to cook dinner tonight. She
has a lot of homework to do.
PUT OUT

7. YOUR TURN!
Tell about a time when you were put out by something someone asked you to
do for him.

8. PUT ON
• VERB: To put on clothes means to place them on your body to wear.
Ex.) Emily put on a sweater because it was cold outside.
• VERB: To put on (something, like a certain attitude) is to pretend you are
or feel something you are or do not.
Ex.) Sarah put on an air of indifference when Emily said she didn’t like
her cooking.
This means that Sarah pretended she didn’t care Emily didn’t like her
cooking. Sarah really does care.
Ex.) Emily put on a fake Australian accent when she was acting in the play.
• VERB: To put on something also means to produce/create it.
Ex.) Sarah and Emily put on a play they had written together.

9. YOUR TURN!
Tell about a time you put on a certain type of clothing for vacation.
Tell about a time when you put on an emotion or attitude to pretend you felt
or were something you really weren’t.
Tell about a time when you put on something, like a play or event.

10. PUT FORTH/FORWARD
• VERB: If you put something forward or forth, it means you offer it as a
suggestion that someone should consider.
Ex.) Sarah put forth the idea to Emily that they should go to Hawaii for
vacation next year.
Ex.) Emily put forward the idea that they go to Sweden instead.

11. YOUR TURN!
Tell about a time when you put forward/forth an idea. What happened?

12. PUT (ONE/SOMETHING) OVER
(ON)
• VERB: If you put something over on someone, it means you deceived, or
tricked her.
Ex.) Sarah put one over on Emily when she said she wanted to go to
Hawaii. She really didn’t want to go to Hawaii. In truth, she wanted to go to
Sweden just like Emily.
Ex.) Emily made Sarah promise never to put a lie over on her like that
again. She didn’t like that they had argued about where to go on vacation
when Sarah tricked Emily.

13. YOUR TURN!
Tell about a time when you put one over on someone. What happened?