work out: meaning and explanation
The phrasal verb to work sth out means to find the solution to a problem.
The phrasal verb can be used with mathematical problems e.g. I’m not telling you what 56 divided by 8 is. Work it out yourself.
However, it can also be used for more general problems e.g. I can’t work out why Sarah broke up with me. I thought everything was going really well.
Have a go at these micro-dictation exercises to hear this expression being used in context – how much can you understand?
Listening exercises
Micro-listening #1
Accent: Northern England
About the sentence
…For some reason…
For some reason can be used to communicate the fact that you don’t understand why something happened, and that you think it is strange or surprising. e.g. For some reason the bank has blocked my card. I couldn’t pay for my shopping in the supermarket.
Micro-listening #2
Accent: England (London)
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Micro-listening #3
Accent: England (RP)
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