Verbs with ‘back’- Problems and Solutions

Verbs with ‘back’- Problems and Solutions
Choose one of the problems below and ask your partner’s advice on what to do. If they
don’t understand the problem, explain further (e.g. using the words in brackets). Do you
agree with your partner’s advice?
I’ve emailed someone three times but they haven’t got back to me (= contacted me).

I’ve left a message on someone’s answer phone but they haven’t called me back (=
returned my call).

I think the guarantee covers what went wrong with my computer but the manufacturer is
refusing to replace it or to give my money back (= refund my money).

The same customer keeps on coming back to my shop (= visiting my shop again) every
day but they never buy anything.

It’s nine p.m. and my boss still hasn’t come back to the office (= hasn’t returned from the
place he has gone). I need to speak to him before I go home.

The person I need to speak to often isn’t there, so I usually leave a message with one of
their colleagues. When that colleague checks the message back (= says back to me what I
just said to me to confirm that they understood), they have usually misunderstood almost
everything that I said.

Someone has written back to me (= has replied to my email) three weeks later, and I’ve
forgotten what I wrote to them about.

I need to get back to my hotel (= return to my hotel) after a night of drinking but I can’t
remember the name or address of the hotel.

My steak is rare even though I asked for medium. I asked the waiter to take it back to the
kitchen (= go back to the kitchen with it), but now it is well done, not medium (in other
words it is now overcooked).

A customer has brought a dress back to my shop (= has come back to my shop with a
dress) saying that they have decided it doesn’t suit them, but I am sure that they have
worn it for one big party before returning it (and that they probably planned to do so when
they originally bought it).

My girlfriend/ boyfriend sent back my Valentine’s card (= returned my Valentine’s card by
post) unopened and hasn’t phoned me back or replied to my texts and emails since, but I
have no idea why.

I want to fly back from New York (= return from New York by plane) a day early, but my
ticket is non-refundable.

Ask about anything above which you don’t understand or couldn’t think of advice for,
working together to think of good solutions each time.

Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2020

1

Verbs with back problems and solutions No explanations version
Choose one of the problems below and ask your partner’s advice on what to do. Do you
agree with their suggestions?

I’ve emailed someone three times but they haven’t got back to me.

I’ve left a message on someone’s answer phone but they haven’t called me back.

I think the guarantee covers what went wrong with my computer but the manufacturer is
refusing to replace it or to give my money back.

The same customer keeps on coming back to my shop every day but they never buy
anything.

It’s nine p.m. and my boss still hasn’t come back to the office. I need to speak to him
before I go home.

The person I need to speak to often isn’t there, so I usually leave a message with one of
their colleagues. When that colleague checks the message back, they have usually
misunderstood almost everything that I said.

Someone has written back to me three weeks later, and I’ve forgotten what I wrote to them
about.

I need to get back to my hotel after a night of drinking but I can’t remember the name or
address of the hotel.

My steak is rare even though I asked for medium. I asked the waiter to take it back to the
kitchen, but now it is well done, not medium (in other words it is now overcooked).

A customer has brought a dress back to my shop saying that they have decided it doesn’t
suit them, but I am sure that they have worn it for one big party before returning it (and that
they probably planned to do so when they originally bought it).

My girlfriend/ boyfriend sent back my Valentine’s card unopened and hasn’t phoned me
back or replied to my texts and emails since, but I have no idea why.

I want to fly back from New York a day early, but my ticket is non-refundable.

Ask about anything above which you don’t understand or couldn’t think of advice for,
working together to think of good solutions each time.

Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2020

2

Part Two: Verbs with back presentation
Fill the gaps below with one verb. Sometimes there might be more than one possibility, but
just write one word. The same verb can often be used in more than one place below.

I’ve emailed someone three times but they haven’t

＿＿＿ back to me (= contacted me).

I’ve left a message on someone’s answer phone but they haven’t ___________________
me back (= returned my call).

I think the guarantee covers what went wrong with my computer but the manufacturer is
refusing to replace it or to ___________________ my money back (= refund my money).

The same customer keeps on ________________________________________________
back to my shop (= visiting my shop again) every day but they never buy anything.

It’s nine p.m. and my boss still hasn’t ___________________________ back to the office
(= hasn’t returned from the place he has gone). I need to speak to him before I go home.

The person I need to speak to often isn’t there, so I usually leave a message with one of
their colleagues. When that colleague _______________________________________
the message back (= says back to me what I just said to me to confirm that they
understood), they have usually misunderstood almost everything that I said.

Someone has ________________________________________________ back to me (=
has replied to my email) three weeks later, and I’ve forgotten what I wrote to them about.

I need to __________________________________________ back to my hotel (= return
to my hotel) after a night of drinking but I can’t remember the name or address of the hotel.

My steak is rare even though I asked for medium. I asked the waiter to
________________ it back to the kitchen (= go back to the kitchen with it), but now it is
well done, not medium (in other words it is now overcooked).

A customer has __________________________________________________________
a dress back to my shop (= has come back to my shop with a dress) saying that they have
decided it doesn’t suit them, but I am sure that they have worn it for one big party before
returning it (and that they probably planned to do so when they originally bought it).

My girlfriend/ boyfriend _____________________________________________________
back my Valentine’s card (= returned my Valentine’s card by post) unopened and hasn’t
phoned me back or replied to my texts and emails since, but I have no idea why.

I want to _______________________________________________________ back from
New York (= return from New York by plane) a day early, but my ticket is non-refundable.

Use the mixed answers on the next page to help with and check the answers above.

Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2020

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Mixed answers
Used the mixed answers to help with the task above. Some verbs are used more than
once.
brought
called/ phoned/ rang/ telephoned
check/ read
come
coming
fly
get
give
got
sent
take
written

Check your answers with the first page. Other answers might be possible, so check with
your teacher.

Language of advice presentation
Brainstorm language for doing each of the things below into the spaces given.
Asking for advice phrases

Giving advice phrases

Responding to advice phrases

Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2020

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