Phrasal verb
work sth out
Definition
phrasal verb. to find a solution to a problem or to understand something after thinking about it carefully.
phrasal verb. to resolve a problem or calculate an amount; to arrive at a conclusion or understanding through mental effort or negotiation.
Examples
“I need to work out how to fix this.”
“The two companies had a disagreement, but they eventually managed to work out a new deal.”
“Economists are still trying to work out the long-term implications of the recent policy shift on global trade stability.”
Examples
simple
“I need to work out how to fix this.”
contextual
“The two companies had a disagreement, but they eventually managed to work out a new deal.”
complex
“Economists are still trying to work out the long-term implications of the recent policy shift on global trade stability.”
Usage
when the object is a pronoun like 'it' or 'them', it must go between 'work' and 'out'.
Teaching tip
highlight the difference between this cognitive sense and the physical sense of 'exercising' to avoid confusion in context.
Pitfall
We need to work out it.
We need to work it out.
with this phrasal verb, pronoun objects must be placed between the verb and the particle.
Phrasal verb
Particles
out
Separability
optional
Pattern
work + (object) + out
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/work-sth-out