English Grammar through Stories - Alan Townend 1973
24. Phrasal verb take or “Take on”
In this story I'd like to take you on a journey to discover the secrets of another phrasal verb — take.
As you probably know by now phrasal verbs are made up of two parts — the verb + a preposition.
I'm sure you have noticed that one phrasal verb can have hundreds of different meanings. Here are just two examples:
• The airplane is taking off in 30 minutes.
• Last summer I took up a new hobby — scuba diving.
Can you guess the meaning of these sentence? You're right. The first expressions means that “the airplane is leaving the ground in 30 minutes — it starts flying in 30 minutes.”
The second expression means that “I started a new hobby last hobby — I started to scuba dive.”
What about some more examples? Read this story and try to guess the meaning of the expressions with the verb take in italics.
“Take On”
When he was forty-two, Charlie Banham was made redundant. He didn't take to the idea at all. It all happened so quickly. His boss, Angus Henderson, whom Charlie had not taken to the moment he'd taken over from his previous boss eighteen months before, took him aside early one Monday morning and asked him to come to his office, assuring him as he did so that it wouldn't take up much of his time. He was right. Henderson asked him to sit down, took up a piece of paper and proceeded to read from it. The content of the speech was that Charlie would have to go but of course, if he wished, he could take the matter up with the managing director and take the matter further. In other words Charlie was being asked to take himself off as quickly as possible. It took several minutes before Charlie could really take in the news. What really galled him was that Henderson was so taken up with himself that he couldn't even be bothered to thank Charlie for his services over the last ten years. Charlie was apparently being blamed for the drop in sales of his new product which he had convinced everyone would soon take off.
Charlie cleared his desk and went to the canteen to enjoy his last cup of coffee there. Colleagues assured him he was lucky. With his free time, they said, Charlie could take up all those hobbies and interests for which he had never had time before. He would soon take to his new life, drawing his pension and enjoying the financial benefits of his lump sum. But Charlie had other ideas. At first he was so taken aback by the news that he couldn't think straight. Then all he wanted was to take Henderson by the throat and tell him exactly what he thought of him. But Charlie took after his father who always looked on the bright side and slowly he began to take in the possible advantages he could get from his new situation. There was no point, he thought to himself, in taking it out on Henderson. After all Henderson couldn't help being crass, insensitive and thoughtless but on the other hand other people could be prevented from behaving in the same way. Within the space of about six months his time was completely taken up with making preparations for setting up a new agency. Out of sheer perverseness he decided to call his new company the Henderson Agency so that he would always be clear in his mind what his aims were and what task he had taken on. The agency was set up to offer advice to employers on good management. He took out a loan from his local bank to refurbish an office, worked out a detailed business plan, which the bank manager was quite taken with, advertised for some staff and took on two of the fifty that applied and set up his business. Within three years he had taken on another ten staff and taken over a local agency that had failed to make a profit. Many people in the area originally took him for a bit of a confidence trickster but they soon found out that he was very effective and successful and it wasn't long before they took back all their critical remarks. Charlie suspected that Henderson had been at the bottom of these allegations. Nevertheless he still continued to take in a large amount of business and was able to set up other agencies in two neighbouring towns.
After five years to the day Charlie found he was earning far more money now than if he had stayed with his old company. He soon began to realize that he was very wealthy even when you had taken the tax away from his earnings. At the same time he didn't take on airs, he remained the same person who had lost his job five years ago. In fact in those days he would be the one who made others laugh by taking off the boss. Now he was one of the bosses himself.
The following day he had a chance to show what kind of employer he was. Sitting in front of him was his old boss, Henderson, who had also been redundant and had taken upon himself to apply for a job with Charlie. As Henderson assured him he would be prepared to undertake any type of work. Charlie had this irrestible feeling that he would like to take Henderson down but he resisted. Then as he took down Henderson's details, he had a brilliant idea and asked Henderson whether he would like to take on a role in a training video he was making. Henderson took to the idea immediately and agreed to do it. Charlie took out a video they had already made from the shelf behind him and showed Henderson the title: “How to manage people.” Then, making sure Henderson was taking everything in, he leaned across his desk and said: “Now the one I would like you to be in will be called: HOW NOT TO MANAGE PEOPLE.”
Vocabulary Explanations
he didn't take to the idea
he didn't like the idea
taken over from his previous boss
acquired the job from his previous boss
took him aside
he led him to one side to talk to him privately
take up
much of his time
occupy much of his time
took up a piece of paper
picked up a piece of paper
take the matter up
discuss the matter
take the matter further
discuss the matter in greater detail
take himself off
dismiss/fire himself
take in the news
absorb/grasp the news
taken up with himself
preoccupied with himself
sales would soon take off
sales would soon rise considerably
take up all those hobbies
start doing all his hobbies
take to his new life
enjoy his new life
taken aback by the news
shocked by the news
take Henderson by the throat
strangle Henderson
he took after his father
he was like his father
take in the possible advantages
comprehend the possible advantages
taking it out on Henderson
blaming Henderson
taken up with making preparations
preoccupied with making preparations
what task he had taken on
what task he had committed himself to
he took out a loan
he negotiated a loan
the bank manager taken with
the bank manager was impressed by
took on two of the fifty that applied
employed/hired two of the fifty that applied
taken on another ten staff
employed/hired another ten staff
taken over a local agency
become owner of a local agency
they took him for
they regarded him as
they took back all their critical remarks
they retracted all their critical remarks
take in a large amount of business
generate a large amount of business
taken the tax away from his earnings
deducted the tax from his earnings
he didn't take on airs
he didn't behave in a conceited way
taking off the boss
mimicking the boss
he had taken upon himself to apply for a job
he had decided to apply for a job
take Henderson down
humiliate Henderson
as he took down Henderson's details
as he wrote down/jotted down Henderson's details
take on a role
accept a role
he took to the idea immediately
he liked the idea immediately
Charlie took out a video
Charlie removed a video
Henderson was taking everything in
Henderson was absorbing/grasping everything
Here will see some sentences (in italics) as they occur in the story with a re-written version below.
Some of the sentences in italics are abridged.
When he was forty-two, Charlie Banham was made redundant.
At the age of 42 Charlie Banham lost his job.
He didn't take to the idea at all.
He didn't like the fact that he had lost his job.
His boss, Angus Henderson, whom Charlie had not taken to the moment he'd taken over from his previous boss eighteen months before, took him aside early one Monday morning and asked him to come to his office, assuring him as he did so that it wouldn't take up much of his time.
Angus Henderson had been Charlie's boss for 18 months and throughout that time Charlie hadn't really liked him. Early one Monday morning Angus wanted to talk to Charlie in private and told him it wouldn't take long.
Henderson asked him to sit down, took up a piece of paper and proceeded to read from it.
Henderson asked him to sit down, picked up a piece of paper and started reading from it.
The content of the speech was that Charlie would have to go but of course, if he wished, he could take the matter up with the managing director and take the matter further.
In summary Charlie had to leave the company and he was told that if he liked he could talk about this matter with the managing director and have additional discussions.
In other words Charlie was being asked to take himself off as quickly as possible.
In other words, Charlie was being asked to remove himself as quickly as possible.
It took several minutes before Charlie could really take in the news. It took several minutes before Charlie could really grasp what had happened.
What really galled him was that Henderson was so taken up with himself that he couldn't even be bothered to thank Charlie for his services over the last ten years.
What really made him angry was that Henderson was so preoccupied with himself that he couldn't even be bothered to thank Charlie for his services over the last ten years.
Charlie was apparently being blamed for the drop in sales of his new product which he had convinced everyone would soon take off.
Charlie was obviously being blamed for the decrease in sales of his new product which he had persuaded everyone would soon be successful.
With his free time, they said, Charlie could take up all those hobbies and interests for which he had never had time before.
With his free time, they said, Charlie could pursue all those hobbies and interests for which he had never had time before.
He would soon take to his new life.
He would soon start to like his new life.
At first he was so taken aback by the news that he couldn't think straight.
At first he was so shocked by the news that he couldn't think clearly.
Then all he wanted was to take Henderson by the throat.
Then all he wanted was to strangle Henderson.
But Charlie took after his father.
But Charlie resembled his father.
But Charlie was very much like his father.
He began to take in the possible advantages he could get from his new situation.
He began to comprehend the possible advantages he could get from his new situation.
There was no point, he thought to himself, in taking it out on Henderson.
There was no point, he thought to himself, in blaming Henderson.
Within the space of about six months his time was completely taken up with making preparations for setting up a new agency.
Within about six month his time was completely occupied with making preparations for starting a new agency.
.... so that he would always be clear in his mind what his aims were and what task he had taken on.
.... so that he would always be aware what his aims were and what task he had undertaken.
He took out a loan from his local bank to refurbish an office, worked out a detailed business plan, which the bank manager was quite taken with, advertised for some staff and took on two of the fifty that applied and set up his business.
He negotiated a loan with his local bank to establish an office, worked out a detailed business plan, which the bank manager was quite impressed with, advertised for some staff and employed two of the fifty that applied and set up his business.
Within three years he had taken on another ten staff and taken over a local agency that had failed to make a profit.
Within three years he had hired ten more people and bought out a local agency that had failed to make a profit.
Many people in the area originally took him for a bit of a confidence trickster but they soon found out that he was very effective and successful and it wasn't long before they took back all their critical remarks.
Many people in the area initially regarded him a bit of a confidence trickster but they soon found out that he was very effective and successful and it wasn't long before they admitted they were wrong with their critical remarks.
Nevertheless he still continued to take in a large amount of business. Nevertheless he still continued to generate a large amount of business.
He soon began to realize that he was very wealthy even when you had taken the tax away from his earnings.
He soon began to realize that he was very rich even when you had deducted the tax from his earnings.
At the same time he didn't take on airs, he remained the same person who had lost his job five years ago.
At the same time he didn't behave in a conceited way, he stayed the same person who had lost his job five years ago.
Sitting in front of him was his old boss, Henderson, who had also been redundant and had taken upon himself to apply for a job with Charlie.
Sitting in front of him was his old boss, Henderson, who had also lost his job and had decided to apply for a job with Charlie.
As Henderson assured him he would be prepared to undertake any type of work, Charlie had this irresistible feeling that he would like to take Henderson down but he resisted.
As Henderson assured him he would be ready to accept any type of job, Charlie had this terrible feeling that he would like to humiliate Henderson but he suppressed this thought.
Then as he took down Henderson's details, he had a brilliant idea and asked Henderson whether he would like to take on a role in a training video he was making.
Then as he wrote down Henderson's details, he had an excellent idea and asked Henderson whether he would like to accept a role in a training video he was making.
Henderson took to the idea immediately and agreed to do it. Henderson liked the idea straight away and accepted it.
Charlie took out a video they had already made from the shelf behind him and showed Henderson the title.
Charlie removed a video they had already produced from the shelf behind him and showed Henderson the title.
Then, making sure Henderson was taking everything in, he leaned across his desk and said: “Now the one I would like you to be in will be called: HOW NOT TO MANAGE PEOPLE.”
Then, making sure Henderson was absorbing everything, he leaned across his desk and said: “Now the one I would like you to be in will be called: HOW NOT TO MANAGE PEOPLE.”