In this English lesson, you’re going to learn how to properly use the phrasal verb break down.
There are various meanings here. So, watch the video and then read the lesson below:
Four Definitions of Break Down (Phrasal Verb)
Here are the three meanings:
1) When a motor vehicle suddenly stops working
Let’s say you’re driving on the highway and there’s something wrong with your car. You can say: my car has broken down.
We say this in the present perfect as it’s new information. Here are more examples:
- Those cars are always breaking down – I wouldn’t get one
- I get the feeling that it’s going to break down soon
- The bus broke down in the middle of nowhere – it took them hours to fix the problem
2) When negotiations stop
Image that I’m a star soccer/football player. Manchester United want to buy me. But negotiations stop because Liverpool want too much money. You can say: Negotiations between Manchester United and Liverpool for star player Jack Askew have broken down.
3) To be in severe distress
Let’s say you see someone crying in the supermarket. You can say: she just broke up in the middle of the supermarket.
Here are more examples:
- I just broke down when I heard the news
- He broke down last night – he’s been under a lot of stress
4) To deconstruct a task into smaller pieces
Let’s say that you have a big new project at work and you feel overwhelmed. A workmate might say: Let’s break it down into small steps.
This is true for learning English too. Break down your learning process into small tasks. Think about how best to improve. Here are more examples:
- Can you break it down for me – I’m a little confused
- You have to break down big tasks into smaller ones
Over to You
Write down these examples and memorize them. And then, share this post and check out our resources below. Thank you!
