Phrasal Verbs 5: on / off (2)
go on · carry on · get on · doze off · tell off · rip off · show off — Complete Guide
Verbes à Particule 5 : on / off (2)
go on · carry on · get on · doze off · tell off · rip off · show off — Guide Complet
Master phrasal verbs using on (continue) and off (sleep, alarm, cheat, impress) — plus the three key meanings of get on.
Maîtrisez les verbes à particule avec on (continuer) et off (dormir, alarme, arnaque, impressionner) — ainsi que les trois sens clés de get on.
This unit covers phrasal verbs where the particle on expresses continuation and off expresses a range of meanings — falling asleep, an alarm sounding, trying to impress, being cheated or being scolded. Because phrasal verbs are idiomatic, their meanings cannot always be guessed from the parts — learning them as complete units is essential.
Cette unité couvre les verbes à particule où on exprime la continuation et off exprime diverses idées — s’endormir, une alarme qui sonne, essayer d’impressionner, se faire arnaquer ou se faire gronder. Les verbes à particule étant idiomatiques, il faut les apprendre comme des unités complètes.
verb + on = continue doing something
verbe + on = continuer à faire quelque chose
| Phrasal VerbVerbe à particule | Meaning & ExampleSens & Exemple |
|---|---|
| go on |
continue The party went on until 4 o’clock in the morning. continuer The party went on jusqu’à 4h du matin. |
| go on / carry on doing |
continue doing something We can’t go on spending money like this. / I don’t want to carry on working here. continuer à faire quelque chose We can’t go on spending money like this. / Je ne veux pas continuer à travailler ici. |
| go on with / carry on with |
continue a specific activity Please carry on with what you’re doing. continuer une activité précise Continuez ce que vous faites, je vous prie. |
| keep on doing |
do something continuously or repeatedly (often with annoyance) He keeps on criticising me. It’s not fair! faire continuellement ou à répétition (souvent avec irritation) Il n’arrête pas de me critiquer. C’est injuste ! |
| drive / walk / play on |
continue driving / walking / playing Shall we stop or shall we drive on to the next petrol station? continuer à conduire / marcher / jouer On s’arrête ou on continue jusqu’à la prochaine station ? |
keep on + -ing = do repeatedly, often with annoyance
go on with / carry on with + noun = continue a specific activity
Don’t let me interrupt you — please carry on with your work. go on / carry on + -ing = continuer à faire qch (action en cours)
keep on + -ing = faire à répétition, souvent avec irritation
go on with / carry on with + nom = continuer une activité précise
Ne vous laissez pas interrompre — continuez votre travail, je vous prie.
get on — three key meanings
get on — trois sens essentiels
get on = progress / be going
get on = progresser / se passer
get on (with sb) = have a good relationship
get on (with sb) = bien s’entendre
I must get on with my work. I have a lot to do.
Stop chatting and get on with your homework. get on with something = reprendre / continuer quelque chose qu’on doit faire, généralement après une interruption
I must get on with my work. I have a lot to do.
Arrêtez de bavarder et reprenez vos devoirs.
verb + off: doze off · go off · show off · tell off
verbe + off : doze off · go off · show off · tell off
| Phrasal VerbVerbe à particule | Meaning & ExampleSens & Exemple |
|---|---|
| doze off / drop off / nod off |
fall asleep unintentionally I dozed off during the lecture. It was very boring. s’assoupir (involontairement) Je me suis assoupi pendant le cours. C’était très ennuyeux. |
| go off |
make an alarm / ringing sound Did you hear the alarm go off? sonner (alarme, réveil) Tu as entendu l’alarme sonner ? |
| show off |
try to impress people with your ability, knowledge etc. Look at that boy riding with no hands. He’s just showing off. frimer, se vanter pour impressionner Regarde ce garçon qui pédale sans les mains. Il fait juste le fier. |
| tell somebody off |
speak angrily to someone because they did something wrong Clare’s mother told her off for wearing dirty shoes in the house. gronder, réprimander quelqu’un La mère de Clare l’a grondée pour avoir mis des chaussures sales dans la maison. |
verb + off: finish off · put off · rip off
verbe + off : finish off · put off · rip off
| Phrasal VerbVerbe à particule | Meaning & ExampleSens & Exemple |
|---|---|
| finish something off |
do the last part of something; complete it ‘Have you finished painting the kitchen?’ ‘Nearly. I’ll finish it off tomorrow.’ terminer, finir (la dernière partie) ‘Tu as fini de peindre la cuisine ?’ ‘Presque. Je vais la terminer demain.’ |
| put somebody off (doing) sth |
make someone not want to do something any more We were put off by the long queue so we didn’t go in. décourager, dissuader quelqu’un de faire quelque chose La longue file nous a découragés et on n’est pas entré. |
| rip somebody off / be ripped off |
cheat somebody / be cheated (pay too much) Did you really pay £2,000 for that? I think you were ripped off. arnaquer quelqu’un / se faire arnaquer Tu as vraiment payé 2 000 £ pour ça ? Je crois qu’on t’a arnaqué. |
What do these sentences mean? Write a, b or c.
Que signifient ces phrases ? Écrivez a, b ou c.
Complete each sentence using a verb + on or off.
Complétez chaque phrase avec un verbe + on ou off.
Complete using a verb (correct form) + on or off. Choose from: carry · finish · get · get · go · keep · rip · tell
Complétez. Utilisez un verbe (forme correcte) + on ou off. Choisissez parmi : carry · finish · get · get · go · keep · rip · tell
Mixed: choose the correct phrasal verb to complete each sentence.
Mixte : choisissez le bon verbe à particule pour compléter chaque phrase.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions Fréquentes
Go on and carry on are largely interchangeable and simply mean “continue”: She went on / carried on talking. Keep on emphasises repetition or persistence, often with frustration: He keeps on making the same mistake (= again and again). All three are followed by -ing.
Go on et carry on sont largement interchangeables et signifient simplement « continuer ». Keep on met l’accent sur la répétition ou la persistance, souvent avec frustration : He keeps on making the same mistake (= encore et encore). Les trois sont suivis du gérondif (-ing).
Get on has three main meanings in this unit: (1) progress / go — How are you getting on? (2) have a good relationship with someone — Do you get on with your neighbours? (3) continue with a task — I must get on with my work. Plus the literal meaning: get on a bus/train.
Get on a trois sens principaux dans cette unité : (1) progresser / se passer — How are you getting on ? (2) bien s’entendre avec quelqu’un — Do you get on with your neighbours ? (3) reprendre/continuer une tâche — I must get on with my work.
All three mean to fall asleep unintentionally — they are interchangeable in most contexts. Doze off and nod off are the most common in everyday British English. Drop off is slightly more informal. Example: I dozed off / dropped off / nodded off in front of the TV.
Les trois signifient s’endormir involontairement — ils sont interchangeables dans la plupart des contextes. Doze off et nod off sont les plus courants en anglais britannique de tous les jours. Drop off est légèrement plus familier.
Yes! Put off has two main meanings: (1) discourage/dissuade — The bad weather put us off going out; (2) postpone — The meeting has been put off until next week. The meaning is clear from context. This second meaning is covered in Unit 140.
Oui ! Put off a deux sens principaux : (1) décourager/dissuader — The bad weather put us off going out ; (2) reporter/remettre à plus tard — The meeting has been put off until next week. Ce deuxième sens est traité à l’Unité 140.
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