Ben: The car broke down again. Third time this month.
Sofía: Calm down, we'll figure it out.
Ben: I am calm! I just need to write down the mechanic's number.
Kenji: Maybe you should turn down every trip that involves a car from now on.
Common mistake: “She turned down the job offer because it went underground.” — Correct: “She turned down the job offer because the salary was too low.”
Phrasal verbs with 'down' often describe reducing, refusing, breaking, or recording something — not literally moving downward.
DOWN — reducing, refusing, breaking, recording
Phrasal verb
Meaning
Example
calm down
become less angry/upset
Calm down, it's okay
let down
disappoint
Don't let me down
break down
stop working (machine) / lose emotional control
The car broke down
turn down
refuse an offer
She turned down the job
write down
note something on paper
Write down the address
slow down
reduce speed
Slow down, it's icy
🧘 calm down — relax after anger or stress
😞 let down — disappoint someone
⚙️ break down — stop functioning (machine) or collapse emotionally
🙅 turn down — refuse or reject an offer
✍️ write down — record information on paper
🐢 slow down — reduce speed or pace
Sofía turned down the first offer she received.
Ben's car broke down on the way to the coast.
Kenji always writes down new phrasal verbs.
You should slow down before the curve.
Sofía didn't let her client down; she finished on time.
Ben doesn't calm down easily when he loses something.
I didn't write down the address.
Did the car break down again?
Why did she turn down such a good offer?
Can you calm down for a second?
Did Ben let the team down? No, he didn't.
Did the car break down? Yes, it did.
Did Sofía turn down the offer? Yes, she did.
Practice
Sofía ___ the first offer she received. (turned down, wrote down, calmed down)
Ben's car ___ on the way to the coast. (broke down, let down, slowed down)
Find the mistake: She turned up the job offer because the salary was too low.
Sofía refused the first offer. — Rewrite using 'turn down'.
The car stopped working on the way to the coast. — Rewrite using 'break down'.
Did the car break down again? — Answer with a short answer (Yes).
Sofía let her client down. — Write the negative form.
Have you ever turned down a job offer? (short answer)
Listening
Ben: The car broke down right before the bridge.
Sofía: Calm down, we'll call someone.
Ben: I am calm. I already wrote down the mechanic's number.
Kenji: Maybe it's time to turn down every plan involving your car.
Ben: Harsh, but maybe fair.
Reading
Ben's car has broken down four times this year, and each time follows the same pattern: he calls Sofía, she tells him to calm down, and he insists he already is. Last month he finally wrote down every mechanic's number he's ever used, just in case. Kenji has suggested, more than once, that Ben turn down any trip that requires driving more than twenty minutes. Ben always refuses — not because he loves the car, but because he refuses to let his own bad luck slow him down completely.