give away: meaning and explanation
We use the phrasal verb give something away with two different but related meanings.
- to give something away = to give or donate something freely to someone, often as a gift or as charity.
Listen to this example:
About the sentence
...he made a fortune...
A fortune means a large amount of money.
e.g. Why is he still driving around in that old car when he makes an absolute fortune?
e.g. I like those shoes, but they cost an absolute fortune.
Here's another example:
We can use this as a noun: a giveaway. Here's an example:
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- to give something away = to reveal a secret (usually by accident)
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Again, we can use this as a noun, giveaway:
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Have a go at these extra micro-dictation exercises to hear this phrasal verb being used in context – how much can you understand?
Listening exercises
Dictation #1
Accent: England (RP)
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Dictation #2
Accent: North America
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Dictation #3
Accent: England (RP)
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Extra practice
Here are some questions/links to help you learn the new vocabulary:
- Do you know anyone who gives away a lot of their money or possessions?
- Can you remember a time when you accidentally gave away a secret?
Photo by Christian Dubovan on Unsplash
I give away my time at work. Sometimes I have a little time for my tasks
Hi Niki, I know what you mean…it’s hard to say no sometimes.
One small mistake – be careful with ‘a little’ vs ‘little’ – do you know the difference?