There is a song in English by the band The Byrds that begins like this…
“To everything – turn, turn, turn
There is a season – turn, turn, turn”
While listening to this song recently I started thinking about how many different ways the word ‘turn’ is used in English. When I looked up this word in the dictionary to see just how many different ways this word can be used I was overwhelmed. In this post we are going to look at a number of ways the word ‘turn’ is used in English, including some simple definitions and common phrases that use the word turn. I have also included examples of how to use this word in these many different ways. Okay, here we go…
to turn (verb) – to cause to move around a center axis, to rotate, to revolve
Example: The boy sat on the ground turning the toy around and around looking at it from all angles.
to turn (verb) – to cause to move around in order to achieve a result, like opening, closing, or tightening
Example: I had to turn the door knob to the left very hard in order to open the door.
to turn (verb) – to change the position of something so that the underside becomes the upper side
Example: James forgot to turn the meat over on the grill so one side was burned and the other side was uncooked.
to turn (verb) – to change the direction or course of something
Example: Turn this car around right now!
to turn (verb) – to cause to act up or go against something
Example: The scandal turned public opinion against the candidate.
to turn (verb) – to make sour or ferment
Example: The milk turned bad because it was left out on the counter all day.
to turn (verb) – to convert or exchange
Example: Sally is going to turn her dancing talent into a career.
to turn (verb) – to send, let go, or let loose
Example: I called out as I entered the yard, “Please don’t turn your dogs on me.”
a turn (noun) – the right or opportunity to do something in an agreed order
Example: It is Pamela’s turn now, your turn is next.
turn (noun) – a distinctive form or style
Example: The teacher made an interesting turn of phrase that caught the student’s attention.
Common phrases using the word turn:
to turn up (one’s) nose – to regard something with disdain or disgust
Example: My daughter turned her nose up at the dinner I made.
to turn the other cheek – to respond to an insult by ignoring it
Example: Jessica turned the other cheek when she heard her coworkers speaking rudely about her presentation.
turn over a new leaf – to change one’s attitude, conduct or thinking for the better
Example: I have decided to turn over a new leaf and start going to the gym everyday.
to turn the tables – to reverse a situation in order to gain a better position
Example: We turned the table on our competition with our new products and now we are the tops sellers in whole city.
As you can see the word ‘turn’ is a very useful word in English. Why not see if you can use one of these phrases that contains the word turn in your own speech in the next week to practice using this versatile word. If you are looking for more ways to improve your English you can also check out other resources that Transparent Language has for English language learners.
