动词可能是句子中最重要的部分。 动词或动词短语是断言句子的主语，并表达动作、事件或状态。 动词短语是谓语的关键成分。
在下面的每个句子中， 动词或动词短语都被突出显示出来:
hold back: restrain, delay
He is so enthusiastic; it is hard to hold him back.
iron out: remove
I am sure we can iron out every difficulty.
knock out: make unconscious
Boxers are often knocked out.
lap up: accept eagerly
The public lapped up the story.
lay off: put out of work
The company laid off seventy workers.
leave behind: leave, not bring
I accidentally left my umbrella behind.
leave out: omit
Tell me what happened. Don't leave anything out!
let down: disappoint
We will let him down if we don't arrive on time.
live down: live so that past faults are forgotten
This will be hard to live down!
look up: find (information)
We looked up the word in a dictionary.
make up: invent
She likes to make up stories.
pass up: not take advantage
I couldn't pass up such an opportunity.
pension off: dismiss with a pension
He was pensioned off at the age of sixty.
phase in: introduce gradually
The new program will be phased in over the next six months.
phase out: cease gradually
The practice will gradually be phased out.
pick up: collect
You may pick up the papers at the office.
pin down: get a commitment
When the guest speaker is pinned down, we can set a date for the conference.
play down: de-emphasize
He played down the importance of the news.
point out: draw attention to
She pointed out the advantages of the proposal.
polish off: finish
We polished off the rest of the apple pie.
pull down: demolish
Many old buildings are pulled down to make way for new ones.
pull off: succeed
Do you think she can pull off her plan?
put away: put in proper place
It is time to put the toys away.
put back: return to original location
Please put the book back on the shelf.
put off: postpone
We cannot put off the meeting again.
reel off: recite a long list
She reeled off a long list of names.
rope in: persuade to help
We roped in everyone we could to help with the work.
rub out: erase
Be sure to rub out all the pencil marks.
rule out: remove from consideration
None of the possibilities can be ruled out yet.