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Ask for help > phrasal verbs
phrasal verbs
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Pedro14
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phrasal verbs
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Hi everybody,
Hope you�re all fine. I wonder if anyone could she some light onto this question I have. The phrasal verbs "pick on" and "start on" both mean "treat badly"; and "carry on" and "press on" both mean "continue" - according to the book Optimise B2. After looking up several online dictionaries, however, I have the feeling they are not synonyms at whatsoever. Could anyone tell me about the subtle nuances between these two pairs of phrasal verbs?
Thanks for your time and help.
Pedro |
15 May 2020
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spinney
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An interesting question. I would say that "pick on" is similar to the verb "to bully" e.g. I spoke to the headmaster when I discovered that my son was being picked on at school. Start on is more like saying that somebody initiated some kind of confrontation or argument. Quite often, we omit the preposition if there isn�t an object. e.g. "Don�t start on me! I had nothing to do with it." (or "Don�t start! I had nothing to do with it.") "Carry on" does mean continue and is used in a general sense. It is quite a flexible phrasal verb. e.g. They carried on dancing all night. "Press on" tends to be used after a pause. e.g. "Come on everybody. Tea-break is over! Let�s press on with the decorating."
I hope that helps.  |
15 May 2020
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yanogator
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I�d like to add just a little to Spinney�s excellent answer. I think "Don�t start on me" is the only way "start on" is used. If not, then nearly so. Press on isn�t always after a pause, but it is during an activity, and usually a challenging one,, and used for encouragement, so it isn�t quite a synonym of "carry on". Bruce |
15 May 2020
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Pedro14
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Thanks a bunch both of you for your assistance.
Pedro |
18 May 2020
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savilla
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Here are some more examples where "start on" means "pick a quarrel" or "complain about or criticize someone/something": First she picked a fight with her teacher, then she started on another student. He started on about Donald Trump, so we walked away. "Start on" can also mean to deal with or complete a task: After I finish Codename Villanelle, I�m going to start on Killing Eve: No Tomorrow. If I ever finish painting the fence, I�m going to start on the house. "Press on" is to continue or try to do something with determination, especially when facing hardships or setbacks. Note that it doesn�t need to relate to travel. It is getting dark and we are only halfway there, so we�ll need to press on.The witness started crying, but the lawyer pressed on. I hope that helps! |
18 May 2020
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