Phrasal Verb – Stand by.
Meaning 1 – To be ready to do something, or to be ready for action. If you are standing by you are ready to act – either on the result of something or the instructions of somebody.
- This phrasal verb is not separable.
- “The reserve goalkeeper is standing by to take your place if you are injured.”
Meaning 2 – To be present in a situation when something bad is happening, but not do anything to stop it. To not take action when you should.
- This phrasal verb is not separable.
- “That couple just stood by as she was attacked!”
Meaning 3 – (stand by someone) To remain loyal to someone who is in some kind of difficult situation. Help someone or remain friends with someone when they have a problem.
- This phrasal verb is not separable.
- “I’m so thankful that all my friends stood by me after I was accused of theft at work. I can always count on my friends.”
Standby is the noun form of this phrasal verb. If you are on standby you are ready for duty or action.
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What is a phrasal verb?
A phrasal verb is a verb combined with 1 or 2 small words. These small words are particles. A particle can be a preposition or adverb. The phrasal verb has a different meaning from the verb alone because the particle changes the meaning of the verb.
Some phrasal verbs can be separated. When we change the tense of the phrasal verb we only modify the verb part. The particle remains the same.
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