24 essential phrasal verbs for computers and technology

If you need to learn computer words and computer terms, you’re going to love these phrasal verbs. They’re also useful if you need English for work or for using the internet.
Watch the video and learn the meanings of 24 computer phrasal verbs. And best of all – you get to practice them in a funny story.

Click here to see another video on separable phrasal verbs.
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Computer Terms Phrasal Verbs Video

This lesson’s about phrasal verbs we use to talk about computers and technology. We’re going to look 24 common ones, learn their meanings and then we’ll have a story, because the best way to learn phrasal verbs is to see them in action.
Before we begin, there’s something you need to know about English phrasal verbs. Some are separable and some aren’t. So sometimes we can separate the verb from the other little word and sometimes we can’t.
For example, ‘plug in’ is a separable phrasal verb, so you can plug in a device or you can plug it in.
We say it in both ways but we don’t say ‘plug in it’. If you’re not sure about that, we’ve made another video about it. I’ll put a link here.
Inseparable phrasal verbs are different because we can’t separate the words. They stick together. For example, ‘get into’ is inseparable in this sentence and it means enter. If you can’t access the system, you can’t get into it. But you can’t say ‘get the system into’. Get and into stick together.
OK, now you know that, let’s look at some phrasal verbs and see what they mean.
First one. Before you use your computer you have to hook it up – connect the cables and give it power.
Next one? This is easy – you turn the computer on. Press a switch so it starts working. And what’s the opposite? It’s turn off, of course.
And here’s a very similar one. Power up means preparing a machine to work by supplying it with electricity. And the opposite? Power down.
When you turn on your computer it boots up. It starts working and loads a program so it’s ready to be used. Sometimes we just say boot.

I’m waiting for my computer to boot.

But often we say boot up.

It takes ages to boot up.

And the opposite of boot up is shut down. It means to stop it operating.

Sometimes I forget to shut down my computer before I go home. It means it’s running all night.

Next one? Or next two! They both mean the same thing – connect to a network. Usually we need a password to log in. You can say log in or log on – it’s the same. So what’s the opposite? Log off or log out. That’s when you disconnect from a network.
Now look what happens when there’s an object. The preposition changes and we say log into, log onto, log off of or log out of. They’re all inseparable so the verbs and the other little words stick together.
However we can also log someone into a system – that’s when we do it for them.

Can you log me onto the network?
Yeah. Do you have a password?
No.
You’ll need to create one first.

Next one?
‘Put in’ means type. Sometimes we say ‘key in’ as well – it means the same thing. It’s when you enter data.

OK, I’ve got my password.
Then put it in.

OK, we’re in the system now and we’re working on our computer, then a message suddenly appears – it pops up. Maybe it’s an advertisement or a warning. They pop up a lot.

I hate the ads that keep popping up.
Yeah. Click on the red cross and they’ll go away.

Click on – this means move your mouse onto something and click. Another thing we do with our mouse is scroll.

There are so many ads.
Can you scroll down past them?

Scrolling down means moving the screen down and the opposite is scrolling up, of course. We can also zoom in and make things larger. And the opposite? Zoom out.
Next one. It’s always a good idea back up your files. Make a copy of them so you have a second version if the first one fails
And, I have just one more for you. This is when people get into a network secretly, without permission. They look at information, and maybe change or steal it.

Hey, do you think someone’s hacked into our system?
I hope not!

Great, now let’s see some of these verbs in action. Are you ready for a story. Watch it and see how many phrasal verbs you can spot. Here we go.

Computer help desk.
I need your help. I can’t log into the system.
I can help you with that. You need to hook up your computer. Plug it in and power it up.
I’ve already done all that.
So you’ve turned it on?
Yes, it’s on. I need you to log me onto the network.
You want to get into the system.
Yes. I can’t get in.
Then I need you user ID.
It’s 46821. Please hurry up because I’ve got a conference call starting in five minutes.
OK. I just sent you a link.
Really?
Click on the link and then scroll down.
Ah. A message just popped up.
What does it say?
‘Are you a robot?’ It wants me to type two words in a little box.
Oh. Are you a robot?
No, of course not!
Sometimes robots try to hack into our system.
I’m a human being!
Then just put in the words. Key them in.
It’s impossible. I can’t read them.
Sorry then. I can’t help you.
Why not?
You’re a robot.
I’m not a robot. It’s impossible to read these words.
Sorry, I can’t help robots. Bye.
Ah well. Mission failed. Mission failed. Mission fail. Mission fail. Mission fail. Mission…

How many phrasal verbs did you spot? Let’s watch again and this time we’ll see them pop up.

Computer help desk.
I need your help. I can’t log into the system.
I can help you with that. You need to hook up your computer. Plug it in and power it up.
I’ve already done all that.
So you’ve turned it on?
Yes, it’s on. I need you to log me onto the network.
You want to get into the system.
Yes. I can’t get in.
Then I need you user ID.
It’s 46821. Please hurry up because I’ve got a conference call starting in five minutes.
OK. I just sent you a link.
Really?
Click on the link and then scroll down.
Ah. A message just popped up.
What does it say?
‘Are you a robot?’ It wants me to type two words in a little box.
Oh. Are you a robot?
No, of course not!
Sometimes robots try to hack into our system.
I’m a human being!
Then just put in the words. Key them in.
It’s impossible. I can’t read them.
Sorry then. I can’t help you.
Why not?
You’re a robot.
I’m not a robot. It’s impossible to read these words.
Sorry, I can’t help robots. Bye.
Ah well. Mission failed. Mission failed. Mission fail. Mission fail. Mission fail. Mission…

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See you next Friday. Bye now.

Click here to see another video on separable phrasal verbs.
Click here to see more grammar videos
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