Lowering sound and heat

The idea

In everyday speech, turn down means reduce the volume or heat. Say turn down the radio or turn the radio down; with a pronoun say turn it down.

Examples

• Please turn down the radio.
• Turn the music down for the baby.
• The soup is boiling; turn the heat down.
• The television is loud. Can you turn it down?
• We turned down the heating before bed.
• The cook turns the burner down slowly.

Watch out

Do not say turn down it: the pronoun goes between the verb and particle.

Try it yourself

1. Choose the correct option. The speaker is too loud. Turn ___. (it down / down it)

   Show answer or example answer

   it down

   it down puts the pronoun before the particle.

2. Choose the correct option. The pan is hot; reduce the heat. Turn it ___. (down / off)

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   down

   down requests less heat while the burner stays on.

3. Choose the correct option. Yesterday we ___ down the radio. (turned / turn)

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   turned

   turned marks the finished action yesterday.

Use it today

Ask someone to lower the music, then the heat.