Examples and explanation
The phrasal verb to measure up means to be good enough, or as good as expected or required.
If you say that something doesn’t measure up, then it is not at the required standard, it isn’t good enough.
We can use to measure up to something to specify what we’re comparing something to. If a new employee doesn’t measure up to their predecessor (the person who did their job before them), then they are not as good as them.
Here’s an example in a Scottish accent:
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Here’s another example (in an RP accent):
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…to his first one…
One is used here to avoid repeating the noun novel.
e.g. Those shoes are lovely, but I think I should probably buy some cheaper ones instead.
And another example, this time in a North American accent:
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And one last example, also in a North American accent:
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…you’re trying to win them over…
If you win someone over, either you persuade them about something (i.e. change their mind), or you make them like you (i.e. you change their mind about you).
e.g. I don’t know why, but my new boss seems to really dislike me. I’ll just have to try and win her over I suppose.
Extra practice
- Have you ever experienced a situation where you or someone else didn’t measure up to expectations? How did you handle the disappointment or frustration that followed?
- Do you measure up to your own expectations for yourself?
- In what situations do you feel pressure to measure up to certain standards or expectations? How do you typically respond to this pressure?
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