American English is undoubtedly a great tool for communication. And one of the things we need to communicate on a daily basis is our emotions. Everyone has emotions. And part of being a good English speaker and writer is being able to use the proper phrasal verbs to accompany the emotions you are trying to communicate.
For example, I’m sure you have been angry at one point in your life. And anger is an extremely intense emotional reaction. In this lesson, Gabby explains three phrases that are commonly used in English conversation – “angry about”, “angry with”, and “angry at.” You must be able to express yourself when talking about your emotions, especially strong emotions like anger.
But first, what are Phrasal Verbs?
Phrasal verbs describe action phrases. And they are formed using a verb and a preposition or an adverb. Some phrasal verbs will have literal meanings like “looked outside”. While others will have an idiomatic connotation, like when you say “How do you put up with him?” with ‘put up’ meaning showing effort and resistance.
Phrasal Verbs: Using “Angry about”
Now that you know what phrasal verbs are, let’s learn how to use the different phrasal verbs related to the emotion of anger. “Angry about” is used when talking about a certain topic or a situation. For example:
“I’m so angry about the poverty problem in Africa. Why isn’t anyone doing something about it?”
“She got so angry about the decision on their case.”
“They were so angry about the things she said about them behind their backs.”
“I’m so angry about how they were treated in that hotel.”
“He was so angry about the story she told. It wasn’t true at all!”
Using “Angry with”
Now using one of the other phrasal verbs “angry with” on the other hand, pertains to a person.
“I’m so angry with my best friend, I can’t believe she would lie to me.”
“She’s so angry with her neighbor for ruining her fence.”
“They’re so angry with their son’s teacher, he was not being fair.”
“I’m so angry with you! Why would you do that?”
“He was so angry with his girlfriend for cheating on him.”
Using “Angry at”
“Angry at” can also be used to communicate anger towards a person. And it can also be used to depict irritation towards a non-living thing. Here are some examples:
“I’m so angry at you for not telling me sooner!”
“I’m so angry at my phone for not working when I need it the most.”
“She was so angry at her car’s weird features.”
“He was so angry at the books left messily on his table.”
“I got so angry at the coffee maker. I was desperate for some coffee.”
Check out the video below, too. In this English tip episode, Gabby explains how native English speakers use these phrases and under what circumstances. The key thing to remember is that “angry with” generally refers to people. You might hear, “I am so angry with my brother for embarrassing me in front of my friends.” The phrase “angry at” will also refer to people. You might hear, “I am angry at the coach for trading the star player.”The phrase “angry about” typically refers to situations. You could hear phrases like, “I am angry about the court’s decision this afternoon.”
And to further supplement your learning, you can also read up on this wonderful Go Natural English lesson about 10 Phrasal Verbs You Need to Know for Fluency in English. You’re going to enjoy this lesson and it’ll help you become more confident in your English grammar and in using phrasal verbs in your communications.
English is a challenging language but like any other language, you can master it with practice and repetition. Go on over to old.gonaturalenglish.com and begin improving your language fluency. Get in touch with excellent teachers and engage them in conversation as often as you can.
