EducationEnglish.Phrasal verbsCOMMUNICATION · A2–B1

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Lesson 130 / Projects & decisions

From an idea to an event.

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

Discuss ideas, avoid rushed decisions and start preparing an event.

After this lesson, you can

  • Use this lesson’s expressions to talk about the situation introduced above.
  • Distinguish “toy with” and “rush into” in context.
  • Use “toss around” 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 casually considers a puppet-show idea in a question-mark thought bubble without starting work.
Bảo casually considers a puppet-show idea in a question-mark thought bubble without starting work.

toy with

He toyed with the idea of organising a puppet show.

Read the example again

He toyed with the idea of organising a puppet show.

We are toying with the idea of a garden concert.

Read the example again

We are toying with the idea of a garden concert.

View meaning & usage

Consider an idea without a firm intention

toy with an ideatoy with the idea of doing something

There is no commitment or serious planning yet. It does not literally mean handling a toy.

Cambridge Dictionary · toy with

Haven't studied yet
Bảo and two friends exchange puppet-stage, drawing-corner and plant-corner ideas without a final choice.
Bảo and two friends exchange puppet-stage, drawing-corner and plant-corner ideas without a final choice.

toss around

They tossed around ideas for the school fair.

Read the example again

They tossed around ideas for the school fair.

Let us toss a few names around before choosing.

Read the example again

Let us toss a few names around before choosing.

View meaning & usage

Discuss possible ideas informally

toss around ideastoss ideas around

Ideas are discussed back and forth without necessarily deciding. There is no literal throwing.

Haven't studied yet
Bảo chooses a large backdrop before checking the room size, then discovers it will not fit.
Bảo chooses a large backdrop before checking the room size, then discovers it will not fit.

rush into

He rushed into ordering decorations before measuring the room.

Read the example again

He rushed into ordering decorations before measuring the room.

Do not rush into a decision about the venue.

Read the example again

Do not rush into a decision about the venue.

View meaning & usage

Act or decide without enough thought

rush into somethingrush into doing something

Emphasises acting too quickly without enough thought, not simply moving fast.

Cambridge Dictionary · rush into

Haven't studied yet
Bảo begins a planned puppet-stage project by fitting the first cardboard panels.
Bảo begins a planned puppet-stage project by fitting the first cardboard panels.

embark on

He embarked on a project to build a puppet stage.

Read the example again

He embarked on a project to build a puppet stage.

The club embarked on a new reading programme.

Read the example again

The club embarked on a new reading programme.

View meaning & usage

Begin a new project or undertaking

embark on somethingembark upon something

Slightly formal, often used for a substantial project or new undertaking. No boat is required.

Haven't studied yet
Bảo reviews a three-day sequence of stage building, rehearsal and the final show.
Bảo reviews a three-day sequence of stage building, rehearsal and the final show.

lead up to

They practised every day leading up to the fair.

Read the example again

They practised every day leading up to the fair.

The week leading up to the show was busy.

Read the example again

The week leading up to the show was busy.

View meaning & usage

Happen during the period before an event

the days leading up to somethinglead up to an event

Refers to the period or sequence before an event, not walking up a path in this scene.

Haven't studied yet

The examples were written for this course. Usage was checked against Matt Errey’s book, pages 132, 132, 110, 40, 77. 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

    We are toying with the idea of holding a puppet show.

    Read the example again

    We are toying with the idea of holding a puppet show.

  2. Alex

    Let us toss around a few plans before we rush into buying things.

    Read the example again

    Let us toss around a few plans before we rush into buying things.

  3. Mai

    Then we can embark on the project with a realistic budget.

    Read the example again

    Then we can embark on the project with a realistic budget.

Compare the uses

toy with / rush into

“Toy with” an idea considers it without commitment; “rush into” means act or decide too quickly. Exploring a possibility differs from acting without enough thought.

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

A group considers a puppet festival without committing yet. Buying decorations immediately would be premature.

  1. Describe their tentative consideration.

    Show the answer and explanation

    They are toying with the idea of a puppet festival.

    “Toying with the idea” considers the festival without committing to implementation or purchases.

  2. Complete: Do not rush ___ buying decorations.

    Show the answer and explanation

    into

    “Rush into buying” acts prematurely; prepositional “into” takes “buying”.

  3. Write a constructive next step using toss around.

    Show the answer and explanation

    Let us toss around a few plans before embarking on the project.

    “Toss around a few plans” explores alternatives before “embarking on” the project, keeping discussion ahead of commitment.

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.

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