You grab a bag, hold a door, push a trolley, pick up the keys you dropped. Eight small verbs cover almost every physical thing you do before lunch — and English puts the little words in odd places.
1. On the Way Out
Nell: We're late. Have you got everything?
Sam: Let me grab my jacket.
Nell: Grab mine too, it's on the chair.
Sam: Got both. Go.
Nell: Keys?
Sam: In my hand.
2. Butterfingers
Rea: Careful with that glass.
Tobi: Too late. I dropped it.
Rea: Did it break?
Tobi: Straight down the middle.
Rea: Don't move. I'll get the brush.
3. Getting the Door
Ida: My arms are full.
Marc: I'll hold the door for you.
Ida: You're a lifesaver.
Marc: Hold on, the second one too.
Ida: Thank you. Really.
Marc: Any time.
4. Which Way Does It Open
Ravi: It won't open.
Suki: Push it. Don't pull.
Ravi: I am pushing.
Suki: Harder. It sticks in the rain.
Ravi: There. It moved.
5. Passing Things Across
Gemma: Hand me the salt, would you?
Nico: Here. Anything else?
Gemma: The pepper. Hand it to me slowly, the top's loose.
Nico: Noted.
Gemma: Thanks.
6. Tidying Up
Hilde: Whose tools are these?
Piet: Mine. I'll put them away.
Hilde: Put away the ladder as well.
Piet: After the shelf goes up.
Hilde: When does the shelf go up?
Piet: Ask me next Sunday.
7. Off the Floor
Zara: There's a coin under the table.
Elias: Pick it up, then.
Zara: You pick it up. You're closer.
Elias: Fine. Can you pick up the receipt too?
Zara: Now who's lazy.
8. A Hand With the Sofa
Aya: Can you give me a hand?
Bruno: With the sofa? Now?
Aya: Two minutes. You push, I'll pull.
Bruno: Say when.
Aya: When.
Bruno: That's far enough.
Words to know
| grab | to take something quickly with your hand Let me grab my jacket. |
| drop | to let something fall Too late. I dropped it. |
| hold | to keep something in your hands or in place I'll hold the door for you. |
| push | to move something away from you Push it. Don't pull. |
| pull | to move something towards you You push, I'll pull. |
| hand | to pass something to someone Hand me the salt, would you? |
| put away | to return something to where it belongs Mine. I'll put them away. |
| pick up | to lift something from a surface or the floor There's a coin under the table. Pick it up. |
Quick practice
Complete each sentence with an expression from the lessons.
1. A: We're late.
B: Let me ________ my jacket.
2. A: Careful with that glass.
B: Too late. I ________ it.
3. A: My arms are full.
B: I'll ________ the door for you.
4. A: It won't open.
B: ________ it. Don't pull.
5. A: ________ me the salt, would you?
B: Here. Anything else?
6. A: There's a coin under the table.
B: ________ it up, then.
Show the answers
1. grab 2. dropped 3. hold 4. Push 5. Hand 6. Pick
Common mistakes
Not: Can you pick up it?
Say: Can you pick it up?
With pick up and put away, a short word like it or them goes in the middle, never at the end.
Not: He grabbed to my arm.
Say: He grabbed my arm.
Grab takes the thing straight after it, with no to.
Not: Wait, I hold the door for you.
Say: Wait, I'll hold the door for you.
For something you decide to do at that moment, use I'll. The plain present is for habits.
Your turn
Walk through your own morning out loud. Say these five things, using the verbs from this lesson.
- Name three things you grab on your way out of the door.
- Say what you dropped most recently, and whether it broke.
- Offer to help someone with a heavy door, using I'll hold.
- Say one thing in your home you push and one you pull.
- Name something you never put away, and say why.
Quick review
Do the pronoun drill. Say each one twice: pick it up, put them away, hand it over. Never pick up it. Once that middle position feels natural, these eight verbs will carry you through an entire day without a single pause.