English Reference

Phrasal verb

hand on

Definition

phrasal verb. to give something to another person after you have used it or finished with it.

phrasal verb. to pass an object, responsibility, or information to a successor or the next person in a sequence; often implies a transition of ownership or duty.

Examples

“Please hand on the book when you finish reading it.”

“The retiring manager will hand on her responsibilities to the new director over the next two weeks.”

“Traditional weaving techniques are handed on from one generation to the next to ensure the craft survives in the modern era.”

Examples

simple

“Please hand on the book when you finish reading it.”

contextual

“The retiring manager will hand on her responsibilities to the new director over the next two weeks.”

complex

“Traditional weaving techniques are handed on from one generation to the next to ensure the craft survives in the modern era.”

Usage

often used with 'to' to indicate the recipient of the item or task.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'hand in' (giving to an authority) and 'hand out' (distributing to many); 'hand on' emphasizes a chain or sequence of possession.

Pitfall

He hand on the torch.

He handed on the torch.

the verb 'hand' must be conjugated for the correct tense, just like any regular verb.

Phrasal verb

Particles

on

Separability

optional

Pattern

hand + on + object

Synonyms

Antonyms

Grammar

This entry

Level
B1 · Intermediate
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference