Gateway to Grammar: Phrasal verbs with “push”

Please don’t push Lizzy off the…. *plop*… never mind. I’m sure she will be fine. She will climb on the back and push Gary off I expect, he deserves it!

There are many phrasal verbs (more than one word that behaves like a single verb) in the English language that uses the main verb “push”. Let’s have a quick look at some examples in use:

·         Push over = push something until it falls – “I pushed Lizzy over the edge, so she fell in the pond.”

·         Push past = move past someone using force – “I pushed past Gary because he was not letting me leave the water.”

·         Push in = join a queue in the middle or the front (not at the back) – “Simon pushed in, straight to the front of the line for the lettuce!”

·         Push out = to exclude someone from an activity or group – “If Bethany shoves me in the pond one more time, I’m pushing her out of the terrific terrapin team”.

·         Push ahead = continue working on a goal – “I decided to push ahead with my plan to take over the terrapin pond.”

·         Push around = intimidate, frighten, or bully someone – “Tommy is easy to push around, all you have to do is take his carrots away and he will do whatever you tell him to.”

·         Push back = to show that you will not be intimidated or bullied – “Don’t let him scare you Lizzy, you’ve got to push back. Bite his tail when he isn’t looking!”

It’s an exciting place in the terrapin pond, lots of shoving and nipping. Try using these phrasal verbs, what is your favourite? Do you know any I missed?