Check...

Sorry for not blogging in awhile but last week was my Japanese test, I think it went ok and I will find out in 3 months!!! What a long wait...

Anyways, today I will just make a quick post about an instruction I saw on the test's answer sheet. There was this English phrase:

"Check up on your test voucher"

This isn't correct English... so I thought I would talk about phrasal verbs using check.

I would probably say something like "Check against your test voucher" or simply "Check your test voucher".

Check up on means that you research someone's background.

At my office, we check up on all new applicants before hiring them.

Or, it is used by parents when talking about seeing(checking) what their children are doing. This is to make sure they stay out of trouble.

I always check up on my kids via cellphone.

Check on has a similar meaning but is not as strong, so check up on can often be seen as a little negative...

(a teenager) Stop checking up on me!!!

Check out means to look at something or go and try a new shop or restaurant, like I want to go and see if it is any good. Kind of like the Japanese 行って見たい。

Check out that cute girl!

I want to check out that new restaurant near the train station.

Check over, means double-check so look over something carefully to see that everything is ok.

Check over your answers before handing in the test.

Check off, comes from having a list of things to do. When finish doing something you check it off your list or cross it off your list.

I found the gift my girlfriend wanted~! I can cross her off my Christmas list.

Check into is the same as look into, again this means research or verify. It is usually used when talking about situations and you will try to find out what is happening.

A: What's going on with the Johnson account? I hear there's a problem.

B: I'll check into it and get back to you.

Basically, check means to verify, to see if something or someone is as you imagine it to be.

A: Is Bob in his office?

B: Let me check... yeah, he is.

So that is it for now, the next post will continue my series on fingers and finger idioms!

Phil