Phrasal Verbs with SET: set up, set in, set to...

The verb "set" can mean many different things in English, depending on how you use it. In this lesson, you will build your vocabulary with phrasal verbs using the verb "set". We will look at expressions such as "set in", "set to", "set out", and more. The context of "set" can also change its meaning. For example, you will learn the difference between "setting up someone on a date" and "setting up someone for arrest". Set yourself up for success by watching this lesson and doing the quiz at http://www.engvid.com/phrasal-verbs-with-set/

TRANSCRIPT

Hi. Welcome back to www.engvid.com. I’m Adam. Today’s lesson is about phrasal verbs. We’re going to look at the phrasal verbs with "set". Okay? Again, a phrasal verb is a verb and a preposition that together have a very different meaning than the two words individually. Okay? Not the literal meaning. So we’re going to look at: "set up", "set in", "to", "on", "down", "against", "aside", "back", "apart", "out", "off", and "about"-those are similar so I put them together-and this is an idiom, it’s not a phrasal verb, but I thought I would throw it in there: "to set someone straight".

Okay, let’s start with "set up". "Set up" has quite a few meanings. Okay? We set up something, for example, a display. It means we build it, we construct it, or we put it together. So I want to… For example, I want to display a painting, so I set up the easel, the display. I build it, I put it all together, and then I put the painting on top of that. Okay? In a similar way, we build a business. Okay? So we set up a business. Sometimes we say we "set up shop". We set up shop; we start a business. We also use "set up shop" as a slang expression, it means to start doing something like a professional, but depends on the context for that.

Now, you can also set someone up, means to arrange a meeting or create, like, a date. So, I have a single friend, a guy, and my… My girlfriend has a single girlfriend, and we set them up. It means we bring them together, we say: "Oh, let’s go out for dinner", we all meet together, and then we introduce them, and maybe they go on a date later. So we arrange this meeting, we set them up for a date. You can also set someone up, meaning, like, frame them. This is usually in terms of crimes. So I want this person to go to jail, so I will set them up. I will put some drugs in their office, and I will call the police and say: "Oh, this guy has drugs." The police will come, they will check, they will find the drugs, and they will arrest this person. So I set him up for arrest. Okay?

Now, I put here the "to", because we can say we… "You set someone up to", verb. What this means is you put them in a position. So, for example, I have a child and if I don’t educate my child properly, then I am setting him up to fail in the future. Why? Because he doesn’t have the tools to succeed. You can also say… You can make it a noun, you can say: "set up" or "set someone up for failure". Put them in that position that the only thing that can happen is they will fail. Okay? So that is "set up".

"Set in". "Set in" basically means, like, take hold. But not like physically holding with your hand. Something captures or catches the thing it’s meant to do. So here’s an example: I’m walking through the jungle, I’m trekking through the jungle and a snake bites me. It’s a poisonous snake. So the poison enters my arm, goes into the bloodstream, and starts to move. I’m okay, nothing happens. I’m walking, I think I should go to the hospital. But soon, the poison sets in. It takes hold of the body, of my system, and suddenly I can’t move, and I fall to the ground. Or if you’re in a dangerous situation, at the beginning, you think: "Okay, you know, it’s not so bad", but then suddenly the fear sets in. The fear takes over your mind, it holds your mind, because you realize it’s a very, very dangerous situation.

We have a couple other expressions. "Set foot in", if you set foot in a place, it means you enter it. So if I’m a storeowner and I catch you stealing something, I will say: "Okay, I will let you go this time, but if you ever set foot in my store again, if you even a little bit come inside, I will call the police and have you arrested." Okay? We also have "set in motion". These are both common expressions. "To set in motion" means to get something started. So, there were riots in the city last week, but the police and the media are still trying to figure out what set it in motion. What was the trigger? What was the initial cause that got this thing started, got it moving? Okay?