4 Phrasal Verbs with Hand

Hello English learners! Phrasal verbs are not usually the best choice in very formal writing, but they are extremely common in everyday spoken and written English. That is why they are so important to learn. They help you understand native speakers better and make your English sound more natural. In today’s lesson, we will look at four useful phrasal verbs with hand. These expressions are common, practical, and easy to use in real-life situations.

Let’s get started.

1. Hand in

Meaning: to give something such as homework, a report, or a document to a person in authority

We use hand in when we submit something officially, especially to a teacher, employer, or officer.

Examples:

• I handed my passport in to the customs officer.
• Will you please check my essay before I hand it in?
• All students must hand in their assignments by Friday.
• He forgot to hand in the application form on time.

2. Hand back

Meaning: to return something to the person it belongs to

We use hand back when we give something back after borrowing, using, or checking it.

Examples:

• Paul handed Ruth the book back after he had finished reading it.
• I hate it when people borrow things and never hand them back.
• The teacher handed our tests back at the end of the lesson.
• Could you hand back my pen, please?

3. Hand around

Meaning: to give something to each person in a group

We use hand around when one thing, or several things, are passed from person to person in a group.

Examples:

• She poured the soup into bowls and handed them around to us.
• It was Brian’s birthday, so he handed small chocolates around the class.
• The host handed around drinks before dinner.
• Please hand these worksheets around so that everyone gets one.

4. Hand down

Meaning: to give something to a younger person, usually within a family, from an older generation

We use hand down for things such as jewellery, furniture, clothes, traditions, stories, or recipes that are passed from one generation to another.

Examples:

• That beautiful necklace was handed down to her by her mother.
• In many families, valuable items are handed down from grandparents to grandchildren.
• This recipe has been handed down through several generations.
• Claddagh rings are often handed down in Irish families. It is a tradition that goes back hundreds of years.

A quick note on “hand down”

Many learners think hand down only refers to something given to someone after a person dies, but that is not always true. It can simply mean passing something on from an older family member to a younger one. It is often used for treasured objects, family traditions, and customs.

Why learn phrasal verbs like these?

Phrasal verbs make your English sound more natural and fluent. Even though they can be tricky at first, learning them in context makes them much easier to remember.

These four phrasal verbs with hand are especially useful because they appear in everyday situations such as school and university, travel and official procedures, borrowing and returning things and family traditions and inheritance.

Final thought

The best way to learn phrasal verbs is not to memorise long lists, but to notice how they are used in real sentences. Try writing your own examples with hand in, hand back, hand around, and hand down. Once you start using them, they will soon feel much more natural.

Phrasal Verbs with HAND

Related posts:

Separable and Inseparable Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verbs to Use in Formal Writing

How to Use 10 Phrasal Verbs a Week

Vocabulary Related to Culture and Tradition

100 Phrasal Verbs for Everyday Use + PDF

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