Episode #5 of the course “Common English phrasal verbs: Part 2” by Angela Boothroyd
queue up
1. To queue up for something is to wait in a line (a queue) in order to get something, do something, or go somewhere.
British and Australian English.
Examples of use:
a) They queued up to get their new work contracts.
b) We had to queue up for more than an hour to get a taxi home.
c) Fans queued up for hours to see the final Harry Potter film.
d) Traffic is queueing up on the motorway.
e) News headline: Hundreds queue up for Apple iPhone4.
2. To be queueing up to do something is to want to do it very much.
If people are queueing up for something or to do something, a lot of them want to do it or have it.
British and Australian English.
Examples of use:
a) Journalists are queuing up to interview Camden residents and business owners about the London riots.
b) Model agencies are queueing up to sign up the French model.
c) He’s a fantastic singer. The recording companies will be queueing up to give him a contract.
wake up
1. To wake up is to stop sleeping.
Examples of use:
a) I woke up at 6am this morning.
b) I will wake up early tomorrow and practise my English.
c) It’s 11am and I’ve only just woken up.
d) I keep waking up in the middle of the night.
2. To wake up somebody (or wake somebody up) is to stop them sleeping.
Examples of use:
a) Go and wake your brother up, please.
b) Can you wake me up before you go to work?
c) Your snoring woke me up last night.
3. To wake up to something is to become aware of a problem, or understand the truth about it.
Examples of use:
a) Why don’t you wake up! He’s been lying to you for years.
b) Some scientists think we need to wake up to climate change.
Recommended book
“Easy Phrasal Verbs: Learn English verbs through conversations” by Mr Daniel S Shepherd MSc
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