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  • Hey, everyone. I'm Alex.

  • Thanks for clicking, and welcome to this lesson on: "'Push' Phrasal Verbs".

  • So phrasal verbs, like you know, if you have been following my channel for a while, are

  • some of the most difficult words and expressions to master in the English language.

  • They take a verb with a preposition, which is actually called a particle in a phrasal

  • verb, but it looks like a preposition, and they create a new meaning when you match the

  • verb with the particle, with the preposition, whichever one you want to call them.

  • So we are going to look at eight, eight "push" phrasal verbs in this lesson.

  • We'll start with four, we'll do another four right after this.

  • So, I don't want to waste any more time.

  • Let's get started.

  • Number one: "to push ahead with something".

  • So, to push ahead with something means to continue with something, to continue doing

  • something when there are problems or when other people maybe working on a project

  • wish to stop.

  • So you keep doing it even though other people say:

  • "No, no, stop. It's a bad idea."

  • Typically, you push ahead with things in an office or the government will push ahead with

  • something.

  • Let's look at the two examples to show you what I mean.

  • Number one: "We pushed ahead with the policy despite unpopular public opinion."

  • The public didn't like the policy we introduced, maybe the policy says:

  • "Everyone must have a fake mustache on the second day of every month."

  • I don't know.

  • And this is unpopular public opinion, but, you know, the government says:

  • "Oh, it's a great idea. Let's do it."

  • So they push ahead with the policy.

  • Second: "The municipal government is pushing ahead with its plans."

  • So, again: "to push ahead" is to keep going, to keep pushing with something even if there

  • are problems or other people think it's a bad idea.

  • Next: "push someone around".

  • So think of...

  • If someone pushes you around, they treat you in a rude way.

  • They act like a bully.

  • For example: "Our boss thinks he can just push people around."

  • Or: "My brother pushed me around a lot as a kid."

  • So imagine you are the person who is being pushed around, you're...

  • Someone is bullying you, pushing you in this direction and that direction, treating you

  • like they are a bully.

  • Next: "to push someone away" means to force someone away from you.

  • So: "The relationship wasn't working, so she pushed him away."

  • This means, you know, she stopped calling him, she stopped commenting on his Facebook

  • photos, she just did not text him anymore.

  • She pushed him away because the relationship was not working.

  • Next: "We're friends. Why are you pushing me away?"

  • Okay?

  • So: "You're my best friend.

  • Don't push me away. Come back."

  • Okay? Don't separate yourself.

  • Don't try to force yourself away from me.

  • Next: "to push a date or an appointment back", this means to postpone something, so delay

  • something (s/t - something) until a later time or a later date.

  • Two examples: "The meeting had to be pushed back by a week."

  • So the meeting was pushed back, delayed by one week.

  • "We pushed our wedding date back."

  • So we realized...

  • There was a family emergency maybe, so we had to push the wedding date back.

  • Okay, now we're going to look at four more.

  • Next we have: "to push back against someone or something".

  • This means to fight back against someone or something.

  • For example: "They pushed back against the enemy",

  • against the enemy army.

  • So the enemy army is coming at them, they're pushing them, pushing them, pushing them.

  • And then they push back, push back, push back against the enemy army.

  • Next example:

  • "We can't accept these conditions. We need to push back."

  • So, this could be a situation at your workplace where you do not like the conditions, so you

  • want to push back against the management.

  • Next: "to push for something" or "to push for someone"

  • means to support and advocate for something or someone.

  • Examples: "The employees pushed for more money."

  • So maybe, again, the employees are not happy with how much money they are making, so they

  • go on strike and in their discussion with the management, they push for more money.

  • They support and advocate for more money.

  • Next: "Most Canadians pushed for Justin Trudeau in the 2015 election."

  • So they pushed for him, supported him, advocated for him, and he won.

  • He became the Prime Minister in 2015.

  • Two more examples: "push or press on with something or with a plan".

  • So you can say: "to push on" or "to press on".

  • This means to continue doing something, even when it's difficult.

  • So: "The drive was difficult, but we kept pushing on."

  • Okay? So it's snowing a lot and you're like:

  • "Okay, just 20 more minutes and I'm at home."

  • Okay, we kept pushing on, pushing on, pushing on, continued to drive.

  • Next: "We can't quit. We need to push on."

  • This could be any situation.

  • "We can't give up. We need to keep going."

  • Push on, and continue studying English, for example.

  • Finally: "push past", and you need to push past someone.

  • So, to push past someone is to press roughly into someone as you pass them.

  • So the two examples will make this very clear:

  • "I had to push past a bunch of people to catch the bus."

  • So, you're, you know, trying to catch the bus, the bus is there.

  • There are people in front of you, you have to: "Uh, uh, uh", push past them to catch

  • the bus on time.

  • Finally: "She pushed past three runners to win the race."

  • So she's running, she's running, she's running, and she's pushing past three runners to win

  • the race.

  • That's a lot of information.

  • So, if you'd like to test your understanding of the material:

  • Number one, I recommend you go back, watch the video again because there is a lot of information here,

  • then do the quiz on www.engvid.com.

  • If you enjoyed the video,

  • don't forget to like it, comment on it, subscribe to the channel,

  • and check me out of Facebook and Twitter.

  • Til next time, push on.

Hey, everyone. I'm Alex.

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