be about
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle about
Meanings
Be going to do something very soon
Why “about”? An action is at the point just before it begins.
“The train is about to leave.”
“I was about to call you when you arrived.”
Test yourself
“The train is about to leave.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
be after
Same base verb: be
Be trying to find or get something
be around
Same base verb: be
Be present in the locality
be at
Same base verb: be
Be in a particular place or point; Be doing something again, often something annoying
be behind
Same base verb: be
Be late with work or a schedule; Be the hidden cause or organiser of something; Support a person, plan, or cause
be in
Same base verb: be
Be present at home or at work
be into
Same base verb: be
Be very interested in or enjoy an activity, subject, or type of entertainment
be round
Same base verb: be
In the reverse order or direction
be through
Same base verb: be
Have finished something
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Drill “be about” and 1,300+ other phrasal verbs with spaced repetition, organised by the particle patterns that connect them.
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- Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
- Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
