EducationEnglish.Phrasal verbsCOMMUNICATION · A2–B1

English lessons and practice games are intended for people aged 13 and over.

Enable JavaScript to listen, practice and save progress. The lesson content can still be read below.

← Phrasal verbs

Lesson 57 / Friends & communication

Disagreement and reconciliation.

5 phrases · 12 minutes · Look, listen and try.

Learn to take back unkind words, stand up for a friend and make up after a disagreement.

After this lesson, you can

  • Use this lesson’s expressions to talk about the situation introduced above.
  • Distinguish “fall out” and “make up” in context.
  • Use “back down” in a sentence connected to your own situation.
Practice and check your answers →

Match words to pictures →Play What is She/He doing? →

A randomly assigned, fixed male or female synthetic voice for each phrase or sentence · Slow playback at 0.7× preserves pitch.

Phrase 1 / 5Understand context
Bảo and his friend were angry at each other because they disagreed about the turn of the game.
Bảo and his friend were angry at each other because they disagreed about the turn of the game.

fall out

We fell out over whose turn it was to play.

Read the example again

We fell out over whose turn it was to play.

I do not want to fall out with you over a small mistake.

Read the example again

I do not want to fall out with you over a small mistake.

View meaning & usage

Disagreement/angry with each other after an argument

fall outfall out with someonefall out over something

In the lesson, the relationship became discordant after an argument, not because things fell out. Past tense “fell”.

Cambridge Dictionary · fall out

Haven't studied yet
Bảo listened to his friend's explanation and agreed not to continue to insist on his old opinion.
Bảo listened to his friend's explanation and agreed not to continue to insist on his old opinion.

back down

I backed down when I understood why my friend was upset.

Read the example again

I backed down when I understood why my friend was upset.

She was sure she was right, but later she backed down.

Read the example again

She was sure she was right, but later she backed down.

View meaning & usage

Give way / give up the tough stance

back downback down on something

Stop insisting on a claim or position; It is not necessary that the two have reconciled.

Haven't studied yet
Bảo apologized to his friend and retracted the bad comment he just said.
Bảo apologized to his friend and retracted the bad comment he just said.

take back

That was unkind. I take back what I said.

Read the example again

That was unkind. I take back what I said.

She took the comment back and said sorry.

Read the example again

She took the comment back and said sorry.

View meaning & usage

Retract what you said

take back somethingtake something backtake back what someone said

The meaning here is to no longer keep the said comment, not to return the item to the store. Past tense “took”.

Haven't studied yet
Bảo and his friend shook hands and happily reconciled after talking.
Bảo and his friend shook hands and happily reconciled after talking.

make up

We talked about the problem and made up.

Read the example again

We talked about the problem and made up.

I want to make up with my friend after the argument.

Read the example again

I want to make up with my friend after the argument.

View meaning & usage

Make peace after an argument

make upmake up with someone

In the lesson, it is about returning to harmony; different from making up a story in "make up a story". Past tense “made”.

Cambridge Dictionary · make up

Haven't studied yet
Bảo politely explained to protect his misunderstood classmate.
Bảo politely explained to protect his misunderstood classmate.

stand up for

I stood up for my friend when someone blamed her unfairly.

Read the example again

I stood up for my friend when someone blamed her unfairly.

Good friends stand up for each other.

Read the example again

Good friends stand up for each other.

View meaning & usage

Speak up to protect someone

stand up for someone / something

Protect by appropriate words or actions; don't just stand up in terms of posture. The past “stood”.

Haven't studied yet

The examples were written for this course. Usage was checked against Matt Errey’s book, pages 43, 10, 127, 86, 121. A2–B1 is the course’s intended level.

OBSERVE · UNDERSTAND · MATCH

Match phrases to pictures

Drag a wire from the dot beside a phrase to the dot beside its matching picture. You can also tap a phrase, then a picture. Drag again to change a pair before checking.

Read the picture descriptions for more context. Similar expressions are accepted when they fit the particular scene.

A conversation in context

Read the conversation and find the expressions you have learned.

  1. Mai

    Did you fall out over the group project?

    Read the example again

    Did you fall out over the group project?

  2. Alex

    Yes, but I want to take back what I said.

    Read the example again

    Yes, but I want to take back what I said.

  3. Mai

    That may help you make up and work together again.

    Read the example again

    That may help you make up and work together again.

Compare the uses

fall out / make up

“Fall out” means become unfriendly after disagreement; here “make up” means become friendly again. This differs from inventing a story.

Practice and check your answers

Try answering before revealing the suggested answer. This practice is not scored.

The answers below are models. Other answers can also work if they preserve the facts, meaning and structure requested in the task.

A situation to apply what you have learned

Two volunteers argue about a rota. One wants to withdraw a hurtful comment and become friendly again.

  1. Describe the conflict.

    Show the answer and explanation

    The volunteers have fallen out over the rota.

    The argument about the rota has damaged their friendship: “fallen out over the rota”.

  2. Correct: I want to take back it.

    Show the answer and explanation

    I want to take it back.

    “It” replaces the comment being withdrawn, so say “take it back”, not “take back it”.

  3. Write a direct reconciliation message.

    Show the answer and explanation

    I take back that comment and hope we can make up.

    “Take back that comment” withdraws the hurtful remark; “make up” expresses the wish to reconcile afterwards.

The usage comparisons are checked against the Cambridge Dictionary entries linked beside the compared expressions. The additional conversations and exercises are written for this course.

Progress is saved on the device. Sign in with Google to save with the same account and continue on another device.

SYNC YOUR PROGRESS

Save progress

Sign in with Google to sync learning progress and game scores across devices. You can continue without signing in, with your progress saved in this browser.

Sign in with Google