ENGLISH
REFERENCE

clear away

phr. v..
A2 Elementary Oxford

phr. v.. to remove things from a place to make it tidy or to leave the area empty.

phr. v.. to remove objects from a surface or area, typically after they have been used, in order to restore order or create space.


SIMPLE

Please clear away your toys before dinner.

CONTEXTUAL

After the party ended, we spent an hour clearing away the empty bottles and plates.

COMPLEX

The waiter waited for the guests to finish their conversation before he began to clear away the remaining cutlery and glassware.

Particles
away
Separability
optional
Pattern
clear (+ object) + away
Usage

often used with objects like dishes, rubbish, or clutter after an activity is finished.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'clear out' (which implies emptying a container or room completely) and 'tidy up' (which is more general); 'clear away' specifically focuses on removing items from a surface.

Pitfall

Clear away them.Clear them away.when using a pronoun as the object of a separable phrasal verb, it must go between the verb and the particle.

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