Phrasal verb
write sth down
Definition
phrasal verb. to record information on paper so that you do not forget it.
phrasal verb. to transcribe spoken or thought information onto a physical or digital medium for the purpose of record-keeping or future reference.
Examples
“Please write down your phone number.”
“The doctor gave me so much advice that I had to write it down to remember everything.”
“The journalist meticulously wrote down every detail of the witness's testimony to ensure the accuracy of the upcoming report.”
Examples
simple
“Please write down your phone number.”
contextual
“The doctor gave me so much advice that I had to write it down to remember everything.”
complex
“The journalist meticulously wrote down every detail of the witness's testimony to ensure the accuracy of the upcoming report.”
Usage
the object can be a noun or a pronoun; if using a pronoun like 'it', it must go in the middle.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'take notes', which implies a longer process; 'write down' is often used for short, specific pieces of information like names or dates.
Pitfall
Write down it.
Write it down.
when the object is a pronoun, it must be placed between the verb and the particle.
Phrasal verb
Particles
down
Separability
optional
Pattern
write (+ object) + down (+ object)