make a special effort to learn them. There are too many. You will learn the most common naturally through the learning material that you are using.‖
In short, the writer might say that idiomatic expressions are one of unique language features with unique meanings sticking to every language posseses as
the English language does. Bahasa Indonesia does have some idiomatic expressions in certain forms such as Nasi sudah menjadi bubur to close the barn
door after the horse has bolted, besar pasak daripada tiang live beyond your means, and memancing di air keruh fish in troubled water to mention a few.
However, our idioms are not so many as the English counterparts and they are not that common to use in daily speech. In the writer’s mind, idiomatic expressions
are much easier to learn by contexts, so we do not learn all of them, but we learn
them in accordance with our context as students, soccer players, swimmers, etc. However,in accordance withthe implication of Woodham statement above
– donot make a special effort to learn them. There are too many. You will learn the
most common naturally through the learning material that you are using —
thisresearch is limited to two-word verb idiomatic expressions. And this is in harmony with Dixon’s idea that The student may learn grammar and, withtime,
acquire adequate vocabulary, but without a working knowledge of such idioms as
above all, to get along, on the whole, to look up, etc., even the best students speech will remain awkward and ordinary.
D. Two-Word Verb
Two-word verbs are included in the general category of idioms by Dixon. They are then called Essential Idioms in Enlgish. A two-word verb is a verb
whose meaning is altered by the addition of a particle a preposition used with a verb to form an idiomatic expression. to look, for example, may become to look
up or to look over, each having its own special meaning.
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In addition, two-word verb is also called phrasal verb.
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They usually consist of verb + adverb or verb + preposition.This is a special type of idiom
32
Dixon, J. Robert. Essential Idioms in English, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: PrenticeHall Regents, 1983, p. 1.
33
O’Dell, Felicity and MichaelMcCarthy, English Idioms in Use Advanced, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2010, p. 6.
made up of a verb plus a preposition or adverb.
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Like most idioms, the 2-word verb usually has a meaning different from the words it is composed of. For
example, when you look up a word in the dictionary, you are not really looking up - you may even be looking down. It is important to study 2-word verbs because
they are very common, especially in everyday speech. There are two kinds of two-word verbs: separable and inseparable.
1.
The separable phrasal verb. It can be separated by an object. It cannot
be followed by an object pronoun if the verb takes an object.. For example:
He took his coat off. He took it off.
He took off his coat. Not he took off it.
The following is a short list of separable two-word verbs:
add up
add
back up
cause to move backwards; support; blow up; cause to explode; destroy by
explosives
break into
go into a house or room forcibly; suddenly; begin; bring about - cause to
happen
bring off
accomplish
bring out
publish; emphasize
bring over
bring
call off cancel; order away
call up
telephone; summon for
military service carry on
continue
carry out
fulfill; complete; accomplish; perform
2.
The inseparable phrasal verb. It cannot be separated by an object. It
can be followed by an object pronoun if the verb takes an object.. For example:
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http:eslus.comLESSONSGRAMMARPHRASALSPv0.htm
I looked
after
the children. I look after them.
The following is a short list of inseparable two-word verbs:
call for
come to get; require
care for
like; guard; supervise; maintain
catch up with
cover the distance between oneself and
check up on
examine; verify
do without
deprive oneself of
drop in aton
visit casually without planning
get around
evade; avoid
get away with
do without being caught or punished
get on
enter a vehicle; mount
get on with
proceed with
E. The Use of Idiomatic Expression
Dixon says that Idiomatic expressions have long playedan important role in the English language. In fact, the use of idioms is so widespread that an
understanding of these expressions is essential to successful communication, whether in listening, speaking, reading, or writing.
He explains further that the student may learn grammar and, with time, acquire adequate vocabulary, but without a working knowledge of such idioms as
above all, to get along, on the whole, to look up, etc., even the best students speech will remain awkward and ordinary.
Holleman says that as English learners work to improve their conversatioanl profiency, they soon realize that the number of idiomatic expressions used in
spoken English is staggering. They discover immediately as they interact with native English speakers, expressions involving idioms can be a serious challenge
in understanding the dynamics of a conversation. Most importantly, being able to use idiomatic expressions in a discussion increases a person’s confidence in their
overall communicative profiency in spoken English.
35
35
Holleman, John, American English Idiomatic Expressions in 52 Weeks: An Easy Way to Understand English Expressions and Improve Speaking, Sha Tin, N.T. Hongkong: The Chinese
University Press: 2006, p. Vii.
We might conclude that idiomatic expression is very useful. It can be used to:
1. develop a successful communication, whether in listening, speaking,
reading, or writing; 2.
develop natural speech, i.e. the students’, even the best ones’, speech will remain awkward and ordinary;
3. develop understanding the dynamics of a conversation; and
4. develop or increase a person’s confidence in spoken English.
