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put out: meaning and explanation

The phrasal verb to put something out means to stop something (i.e. a fire) burning. e.g. We were able to put the fire out before it caused too much damage.

We can use this phrasal verb to talk about turning off lights. e.g. Don’t forget to put out all the lights before you go to work.

This phrasal verb can also be used for cigarettes, e.g. Would you mind putting out your cigarette? You aren’t allowed to smoke here.

Have a go at these micro-dictation exercises to hear this expression being used in context – how much can you understand?

Listening exercises

Dictation #1

Accent: Northern England

.
brigade the fire before the neighbouring .
The fire brigade to put the fire before spread to the neighbouring .

About the sentence

…The fire brigade managed to put out the fire…

To manage to do something = to succeed in doing something (which was probably difficult). e.g. It wasn’t easy but I managed to convince Harry to stay.

Dictation #2

Accent: England (RP)

? .
that light ? I'm trying sleep.
you that light ? I'm trying to some sleep.

About the sentence

…I’m trying to get some sleep...

to try to do sth means to make an effort to do something, that it is difficult. e.g. I’m trying to learn Spanish but I’m not really getting anywhere.

Be careful: to try doing sth has a different meaning: to experiment, to see what something is like. e.g. If you can’t sleep, try counting backwards from 1000.

Dictation #3

Accent: Northern England

? .
all the lights on? forgotten to when you left .
Why all the lights on? You have forgotten to them when you left this .

About the sentence

…you must have forgotten..

Must is a modal verb of speculation. We can use it when we don’t know if something is true, but we are almost certain that it is true. 

She left = I know that she left, probably because I saw her leaving. 

She must have left = I don’t know that she left, but I am almost certain that she left (maybe because her car is gone).

Extra practice

Here are some questions/links to help you learn the new vocabulary:

  • Have you ever had to put out a fire, e.g. in the kitchen, a campfire, or somewhere else? What steps did you take, and what was the outcome?
  • What are some common safety tips for putting out small household fires? Do you you could handle such a situation if you had to?

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