B1 Prepositions 18 min read Medio

Verbo Frasal: Turn Down (Volumen y Rechazo)

Dominar 'turn down' significa que puedes 'ajustar' el 'volumen' con confianza y 'decir no' elegantemente en inglés.

Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

'Turn down' means to lower the volume/intensity of something or to politely refuse an offer or invitation.

  • Use it for volume or heat: 'Turn down the radio' (max 20 words)
  • Use it for rejection: 'She turned down the job offer' (max 20 words)
  • It is separable: 'Turn it down' is correct, 'Turn down it' is wrong (max 20 words)
Subject + Turn + (Object) + Down + (Object)

Overview

Imagina que estás en la cama. Tu compañero de piso está poniendo un remix de techno a las 2:00 AM en la habitación de al lado. No quieres bailar.
Quieres dormir. ¿Qué haces? Le pides que turn down (baje) el volumen.
O tal vez estás deslizando en una app de citas. Alguien te envía un mensaje. Es amable, pero vive a 8,000 kilómetros.
Tienes que turn down (rechazar) su invitación para tomar un café. Este phrasal verb es una herramienta de supervivencia para tu vida social y tus tímpanos. Tiene dos funciones principales: hacer que las cosas suenen menos o decir no a algo.
Es una de esas frases que te hace sonar menos como un libro de texto y más como una persona real. Si solo usas la palabra refuse, podrías sonar como un villano victoriano. Turn down es mucho más relajado para la vida diaria.
Es como un botón de volumen para toda tu existencia.

How This Grammar Works

Al inglés le encanta tomar un verbo simple como turn y pegarle una palabra pequeña como down. Esto crea un phrasal verb. El significado cambia completamente.
Antiguamente, las radios tenían perillas reales que girabas físicamente en el sentido de las agujas del reloj o al revés. Para que el sonido fuera hacia abajo hacia el cero, girabas la perilla. Simple, ¿verdad?
Aunque ahora usemos pantallas táctiles, seguimos usando la misma lógica. Pero espera, ¿por qué turn down también significa rechazar una oferta? Piénsalo así: cuando aceptas algo, lo subes o lo acoges.
Cuando lo rechazas, lo pones abajo y lejos de ti. Es una forma muy visual de hablar. Este phrasal verb es separable.
Esta es una forma elegante de decir que puedes poner el objeto en el medio. Puedes decir turn down the music o turn the music down. Ambas son perfectas.
Si usas un pronombre como it, debes ponerlo en el medio: turn it down. Decir turn down it suena como si tu cerebro hubiera tenido un error 404.

Formation Pattern

1
Crear una frase con turn down sigue un camino específico. Así es como la construyes:
2
Empieza con tu Sujeto (la persona que realiza la acción).
3
Añade el Verbo turn. Recuerda cambiarlo según el tiempo verbal (ej. turned, turning, turns).
4
Elige tu Objeto (la cosa que estás rechazando o bajando el volumen).
5
Decide dónde poner la palabra down.
6
Patrón A (Sustantivo al final): [Sujeto] + [turn] + down + [Sustantivo].
7
Ejemplo: I turned down the job.
8
Patrón B (Sustantivo en el medio): [Sujeto] + [turn] + [Sustantivo] + down.
9
Ejemplo: I turned the job down.
10
Patrón C (Pronombre - Medio obligatorio): [Sujeto] + [turn] + [it/them] + down.
11
Ejemplo: The music is loud. Turn it down.
12
Nota: No intentes ser rebelde y decir turn down it. Hasta tu gato sabrá que está mal.

When To Use It

Usarás esto constantemente en tres áreas principales de la vida moderna:
  • Controles físicos: Cuando tu lista de Spotify está haciendo temblar las ventanas, o cuando la calefacción en tu Uber te hace sentir como un pollo asado.
  • Ofertas sociales: Cuando un amigo te pide ir a una fiesta pero tú solo quieres ver Netflix. turn down (rechazas) la invitación.
  • Situaciones profesionales: Cuando una empresa te ofrece un trabajo que te paga con experiencia en lugar de dinero. Definitivamente vas a turn down (rechazar) esa oferta.
Es perfecto para mensajear. Si alguien te pregunta ¿Quieres venir?, puedes responder:
Lo siento, tengo que rechazarte (turn you down) esta noche. Estoy cansado
.
Suena educado pero firme. También es genial para ser un buen vecino. Si la persona en el apartamento de arriba está practicando la batería a medianoche, puedes llamar a la puerta y decir:
¿Podrías bajar eso (turn those down)?
Suena mucho mejor que
¡Deja de hacer ruido!
, aunque quizá sea un poco menos satisfactorio.

Common Mistakes

  • La trampa del pronombre: Como mencionamos antes, nunca digas turn down it o turn down him. Los pronombres son como los introvertidos; les encanta estar apretados en el medio del phrasal verb.
  • Confusión con Turn off: Turn down significa menos. Turn off significa cero. Si le pides a alguien que turn down las luces, las atenuará para un ambiente romántico. Si las turns off, ahora estás sentado en la oscuridad, probablemente golpeándote el dedo del pie con una silla.
  • Confusión de preposiciones: A veces la gente intenta decir turn to down. No hay to. Es solo turn + down.
  • Olvidar el tiempo verbal: Los phrasal verbs siguen las reglas de los verbos regulares. Si pasó ayer, es turned down. Si está pasando ahora, estás bajándolo (turning it down). No dejes que el down te distraiga de lo básico de la gramática.

Contrast With Similar Patterns

¿Cómo se compara turn down con otras frases?

Turn down vs. Refuse: Refuse es muy formal y fuerte. Si rechazas (refuse) un regalo, puede parecer grosero. Si haces turn down a un regalo, suena a que tienes una buena razón.
Turn down vs. Reject: Reject se usa a menudo para cosas como solicitudes de tarjetas de crédito o experimentos científicos. Turn down es para personas y ofertas sociales. Tu crush te rechaza (turns you down) (triste); una máquina rechaza (rejects) tu moneda (molesto).
Turn down vs. Lower: Puedes bajar (lower) la voz, pero normalmente bajas el volumen con turn down. Usa lower para altura física o niveles.
Turn down vs. Turn up: Son opuestos. Si quieres más bajos, turn it up. Si quieres sobrevivir a la noche, turn it down.

Quick FAQ

P: ¿Puedo usar turn down para una persona?

R: ¡Sí! Si le pides a alguien una cita y dice que no, te ha rechazado (turned you down). Duele, pero la gramática es correcta.

P: ¿Está bien usarlo en un email formal?

R: Totalmente.

I am writing to turn down the offer
es una forma estándar y profesional de decir que no.

P: ¿turn down son siempre dos palabras?

R: Sí. En un argot muy específico, turndown (una sola palabra) se refiere a un servicio de hotel donde preparan tu cama, pero para la gramática que estamos aprendiendo, siempre son dos palabras.

P: ¿Puedo turn down el aire acondicionado?

R: Sí. Esto suele significar hacerlo menos frío (bajar la potencia) o bajar el ajuste de temperatura. ¡Ten cuidado, porque bajar la temperatura en realidad hace que la habitación esté más fría! Normalmente, la gente quiere decir

haz que el ventilador suene menos o tenga menos fuerza
.

Conjugating 'Turn Down'

Tense Subject Form Example
Present Simple
I / You / We / They
turn down
I turn down the heat.
Present Simple
He / She / It
turns down
She turns down the music.
Past Simple
All subjects
turned down
They turned down the offer.
Present Participle
All subjects
turning down
He is turning down the TV.
Past Participle
All subjects
turned down
The offer was turned down.

Contractions with Pronouns

Full Form Contraction Usage
I will turn it down
I'll turn it down
Future promise
Do not turn it down
Don't turn it down
Imperative/Command
He did not turn it down
He didn't turn it down
Past negative

Meanings

To reduce the amount of sound, heat, or light produced by a device, or to reject an offer, request, or application.

1

Volume/Intensity

To decrease the level of something (sound, heat, light).

“It's getting too hot in here; can you turn the heater down?”

“The lights were too bright, so he turned them down.”

2

Rejection/Refusal

To decline or refuse an offer, invitation, or proposal.

“He turned down the job because the salary was too low.”

“I had to turn down her invitation to the party.”

3

Folding (Rare/Specific)

To fold back the covers of a bed or the corner of a page.

“The hotel maid turned down the sheets while we were at dinner.”

“Don't turn down the corners of the book pages; use a bookmark.”

Reference Table

Reference table for Verbo Frasal: Turn Down (Volumen y Rechazo)
Significado Tipo de Objeto Estructura 1 Estructura 2 (si aplica) Ejemplo
Bajar Volumen
Sustantivo
Turn + Sustantivo + Down
Turn Down + Sustantivo
Turn the music down.
Bajar Volumen
Pronombre
Turn + Pronombre + Down
N/A
Turn it down.
Rechazar Oferta
Sustantivo
Turn + Sustantivo + Down
Turn Down + Sustantivo
Turn the offer down.
Rechazar Oferta
Pronombre
Turn + Pronombre + Down
N/A
Turn it down.
Rechazar Invitación
Sustantivo
Turn + Sustantivo + Down
Turn Down + Sustantivo
Turn the invitation down.
Rechazar Invitación
Pronombre
Turn + Pronombre + Down
N/A
Turn it down.
Rechazar a Alguien
Pronombre
Turn + Pronombre + Down
N/A
Turn him down.

Espectro de formalidad

Formal
I regret to inform you that I must decline the offer.

I regret to inform you that I must decline the offer. (Professional)

Neutral
I decided to turn down the job offer.

I decided to turn down the job offer. (Professional)

Informal
I passed on the job.

I passed on the job. (Professional)

Jerga
I swiped left on that gig.

I swiped left on that gig. (Professional)

Turn Down: Dos Significados Clave

Turn Down

Significado 1: Disminuir

  • Volumen Sound intensity
  • Calor/Aire Acondicionado Temperature control
  • Luces Brightness
  • Brillo Screen intensity

Significado 2: Rechazar

  • Oferta Job/deal proposal
  • Invitación Social invite
  • Solicitud Formal appeal
  • Persona Refuse advances

Turn Down vs. Turn Up vs. Turn Off

Turn Down
Turn the music down Bajar el volumen
Turn down the offer Rechazar una propuesta
Turn Up
Turn the music up Aumentar el volumen
Turn up the heating Aumentar la temperatura
Turn Off
Turn off the TV Apagar la TV
Turn off the lights Apagar las luces

Uso de 'Turn Down': Sustantivo vs. Pronombre

1

¿El objeto es un sustantivo (por ejemplo, 'the music', 'the offer')?

YES
Coloca el objeto después de 'turn down' O entre 'turn' y 'down'.
NO
¿Es el objeto un pronombre (por ejemplo, 'it', 'them')?
2

¿Es el objeto un pronombre (por ejemplo, 'it', 'them')?

YES
SIEMPRE coloca el pronombre ENTRE 'turn' y 'down'. (por ejemplo, 'turn it down').
NO
Reevalúa el tipo de objeto.

Cosas Que Puedes 'Turn Down'

🔊

Volumen/Intensidad

  • La música
  • La TV
  • La calefacción
  • Las luces
  • El brillo
  • El aire acondicionado

Rechazos

  • Una oferta de trabajo
  • Una invitación
  • Una solicitud
  • Una propuesta
  • Una persona
  • Una idea

Ejemplos por nivel

1

Turn down the TV.

Baja el volumen de la tele.

2

Please turn it down.

Por favor, bájalo.

3

I turn down the radio.

Bajo la radio.

4

Can you turn down the music?

¿Puedes bajar la música?

1

I turned down the invitation.

Rechacé la invitación.

2

She didn't turn down the job.

Ella no rechazó el trabajo.

3

Turn the heater down, please.

Baja la calefacción, por favor.

4

Why did you turn it down?

¿Por qué lo rechazaste?

1

He had to turn down the offer because of the commute.

Tuvo que rechazar la oferta por el trayecto al trabajo.

2

If the music is too loud, just turn it down.

Si la música está muy alta, simplemente bájala.

3

The bank turned down my loan application.

El banco rechazó mi solicitud de préstamo.

4

I'm surprised she turned him down.

Me sorprende que ella lo rechazara.

1

The proposal was turned down by the board of directors.

La propuesta fue rechazada por la junta directiva.

2

I'm going to turn the volume down a notch.

Voy a bajar el volumen un poco.

3

They turned down our request for more time.

Rechazaron nuestra petición de más tiempo.

4

She turned down the chance to study abroad.

Ella rechazó la oportunidad de estudiar en el extranjero.

1

It is unwise to turn down such a lucrative opportunity.

No es prudente rechazar una oportunidad tan lucrativa.

2

The hotel provides a turn-down service every evening.

El hotel ofrece un servicio de cobertura todas las noches.

3

He turned down the intensity of his workout after the injury.

Redujo la intensidad de su entrenamiento tras la lesión.

4

The editor turned down the manuscript for being too derivative.

El editor rechazó el manuscrito por ser demasiado poco original.

1

The sheer volume of applications meant many had to be turned down.

El gran volumen de solicitudes significó que muchas tuvieron que ser rechazadas.

2

She flatly turned down any suggestion of a compromise.

Rechazó de plano cualquier sugerencia de compromiso.

3

The thermostat automatically turns down the heat at midnight.

El termostato baja automáticamente la calefacción a medianoche.

4

I couldn't possibly turn down a request from an old friend.

No podría rechazar una petición de un viejo amigo.

Fácil de confundir

Phrasal Verb: Turn Down (Volume & Rejection) vs Turn Down vs. Turn Off

Learners think 'turn down' means to stop the device entirely.

Phrasal Verb: Turn Down (Volume & Rejection) vs Turn Down vs. Reject

Learners use 'reject' for volume or in casual conversation where it sounds too harsh.

Phrasal Verb: Turn Down (Volume & Rejection) vs Turn Down vs. Refuse

'Refuse' is often followed by an infinitive (to do), while 'turn down' is followed by a noun.

Errores comunes

Turn down it.

Turn it down.

Pronouns must go in the middle of 'turn' and 'down'.

Turn down the music off.

Turn down the music.

Don't mix 'down' and 'off'. 'Down' is for volume, 'off' is for stopping.

I turn down.

I turn it down.

'Turn down' needs an object. You must say what you are turning down.

Turn down the light off.

Turn down the light.

To 'turn down' a light means to dim it, not to extinguish it.

He turned down to the job.

He turned down the job.

Do not use 'to' after 'turn down'. It takes a direct object.

I turned down her.

I turned her down.

Even with people (rejection), the pronoun must go in the middle.

Can you turn down the volume more quiet?

Can you turn down the volume?

'Turn down' already implies making it quieter. Adding 'more quiet' is redundant.

The bank turned down to me.

The bank turned me down.

The bank rejects the person or the application directly.

I turned down the offer because it was too loud.

I turned down the offer because the salary was low.

Don't confuse the two meanings. Offers aren't 'loud'.

I'm turning down the radio off.

I'm turning the radio down.

Using 'off' and 'down' together is contradictory.

The hotel turned down my bed sheets.

The hotel turned down the bed.

While 'sheets' is okay, the standard idiom is 'turn down the bed'.

Patrones de oraciones

Could you please turn down the ___?

I had to turn down the ___ because ___.

If you don't turn that ___ down, I'm going to ___.

The ___ was turned down by ___.

Real World Usage

Texting a friend very common

Hey, sorry I had to turn down your invite! I'm swamped.

Job Interview Follow-up common

Thank you for the offer, but I have decided to turn it down.

At a Restaurant occasional

Could you turn the AC down? It's freezing in here.

Social Media common

I can't believe he turned down that collab!

Banking/Finance occasional

My credit card application was turned down.

Living with Roommates constant

Can you turn your music down? I'm trying to sleep!

💡

Recuerda la Regla del Pronombre

Si el objeto es un pronombre (como 'it', 'them'), *debe* ir entre 'turn' y 'down'. Siempre di turn it down, nunca turn down it. ¡Es una regla de oro!
⚠️

No Confundir con 'Turn Off'

Turn down significa reducir la intensidad (volumen, luz). Turn off significa detener algo por completo (apagar la TV, apagar las luces). ¡Usar el incorrecto puede llevar a malentendidos!
🎯

Sé Cortés con el Contexto

Aunque turn down para un rechazo es educado, tu tono importa. Por ejemplo,
Can you please turn down the music?
es más suave que un directo
Turn the music down!
. Añadir 'please' o 'could you' hace maravillas.
🌍

Rechazo Implícito en Ofertas

En algunas entrevistas de trabajo, decir que estás 'considering other options' puede implicar sutilmente que estás preparado para turn down una oferta. Es una forma profesional de manejar varias oportunidades.

Smart Tips

Think of the pronoun as a magnet that is attracted to the verb 'turn'. It must stick to it before 'down' can be added.

I turned down it. I turned it down.

Use 'decided to' before 'turn down' to make the rejection sound like a thoughtful process rather than a snap judgment.

I turned down the job. I decided to turn down the job.

Use 'dim' as a synonym for 'turn down' to expand your vocabulary.

Turn down the lights. Dim the lights.

Listen for the stress. Usually, the singer will emphasize 'DOWN' to make the rhythm work.

turn down for what turn DOWN for what

Pronunciación

turn DOWN

Stress on the Particle

In phrasal verbs like 'turn down', the stress usually falls on the particle ('down') rather than the verb, especially at the end of a sentence.

tur-nit down

Linking

When 'turn' is followed by a pronoun starting with a vowel (like 'it'), the 'n' in 'turn' links to the 'i'.

Rising-Falling on 'Down'

Can you turn it ⤴down⤵?

A polite request.

Memorízalo

Mnemotecnia

Think of a thumb pointing DOWN: you are lowering the sound or saying 'No' (thumbs down) to an offer.

Asociación visual

Imagine a giant volume knob on a stereo. You turn it to the left (down) to make it quiet. Now imagine that same knob on a 'Job Offer'—you turn it down to say no.

Rhyme

When the music's a frown, turn it down. When the job's not for you, turn it down too!

Story

Little Timmy had a loud drum. His mom said, 'Turn it down!' Timmy was sad, so he offered his mom a cookie. His mom was on a diet, so she had to turn down the cookie. Timmy then turned down the covers on his bed and went to sleep.

Word Web

VolumeRejectDeclineLowerOfferInvitationSeparablePronoun

Desafío

Go to your kitchen or living room. Find three things with a volume or heat setting. Say out loud: 'I am turning down the [object].' Then, think of one thing you said 'no' to this week and say: 'I turned down the [thing].'

Notas culturales

British speakers often use 'turn down' with 'a bit' to sound more polite and less demanding. 'Could you turn it down a bit?'

In the US, 'turn down' is very common in business. Turning down an offer is seen as a standard part of negotiation.

The 'turn-down service' is a specific luxury hotel tradition where staff prepare the bed for sleep.

The verb 'turn' comes from the Old French 'torner', meaning to rotate. 'Down' indicates the direction of the rotation on early mechanical dials.

Inicios de conversación

Have you ever turned down a job offer? Why?

What do you do when your neighbors' music is too loud?

If someone turned you down for a date, how would you feel?

Can you think of a time you turned down a great opportunity?

Temas para diario

Write about a time you had to turn down an invitation to a party or wedding.
Describe your ideal home environment. Mention how you like to adjust the lights, heat, and sound.
Argue for or against the statement: 'It is better to turn down a high-paying job if it makes you unhappy.'
Write a dialogue between two roommates where one is being too loud and the other is trying to study.

Errores comunes

Incorrect

Correcto


Incorrect

Correcto


Incorrect

Correcto


Incorrect

Correcto

Test Yourself

Elige la colocación correcta para el pronombre.

The music is too loud, can you ___?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: turn it down
Cuando el objeto es un pronombre ('it'), debe colocarse entre el verbo ('turn') y la preposición ('down').
Encuentra y corrige el error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

She decided to turn down it, even though it was a good offer.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: She decided to turn it down, even though it was a good offer.
Los pronombres como 'it' siempre van entre 'turn' y 'down'.
¿Qué oración usa correctamente 'turn down' para rechazar? Opción múltiple

Elige la oración correcta:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I had to turn the invitation down because I was busy.
'Turn down' significa negarse o rechazar. 'Turn off' significa apagar algo, y 'turn up' significa aumentar el volumen/intensidad.
Traduce al inglés: 'Eu tive que recusar a oferta de emprego.' Traducción

Translate into English: 'Eu tive que recusar a oferta de emprego.'

Answer starts with: ["I...

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ["I had to turn down the job offer.","I had to turn the job offer down."]
Ambas formas son correctas para objetos nominales. 'Turn down' significa rechazar.

Score: /4

Ejercicios de practica

8 exercises
Fill in the blank with the correct form of 'turn down'.

The music is too loud. Please ___ it ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: turn / down
We use the base form for an imperative (command).
Which sentence is grammatically correct? Opción múltiple

Select the correct option:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I turned it down.
Pronouns must go in the middle of separable phrasal verbs.
Fix the error in the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

He turned down to the job offer.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: He turned down the job offer.
'Turn down' does not take the preposition 'to'.
Change the sentence to use 'turn down'. Sentence Transformation

She rejected the invitation.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: She turned down the invitation.
'Turn down' is a synonym for 'reject' in this context.
Match the situation with the correct action. Match Pairs

1. Radio is loud, 2. Job offer is bad, 3. Room is cold

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 1-Turn it down, 2-Turn it down, 3-Turn the heater up
You turn down volume and bad offers.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: Did you get the job? B: Yes, but I ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: turned it down
The speaker rejected the job offer.
Is the object placement correct or incorrect? Grammar Sorting

'Turn down the volume' vs 'Turn down it'

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Correct / Incorrect
Nouns can go at the end, but pronouns cannot.
Put the words in the correct order. Sentence Building

down / turned / she / him

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: She turned him down.
Subject + Verb + Pronoun Object + Particle.

Score: /8

Practice Bank

12 exercises
Completa la oración con la forma correcta de 'turn down'. Completar huecos

The barista asked if I wanted to ___ the music in the cafe.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: turn down
Identifica y corrige el error. Error Correction

My boss asked me to turn down him politely.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: My boss asked me to turn him down politely.
Selecciona la oración donde 'turn down' significa disminuir la intensidad. Opción múltiple

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: She managed to turn down the enthusiasm.
Traduce al inglés: '¿Puedes bajar el volumen del juego?' Traducción

Translate into English: 'Você pode abaixar o volume do jogo?'

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ["Can you turn down the game volume?","Can you turn the game volume down?"]
Ordena las palabras para formar una oración correcta. Sentence Reorder

Arrange these words into a sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Please turn the AC down
Une los principios de las frases con sus finales correctos. Match Pairs

Match the beginnings with their correct endings:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: matched
Elige el phrasal verb que mejor complete la oración. Completar huecos

My phone battery was low, so I had to ___ the screen brightness.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: turn down
Corrige la gramática en la oración. Error Correction

They couldn't accept the invitation, so they turn it down.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: They couldn't accept the invitation, so they turned it down.
¿Qué oración expresa correctamente un rechazo? Opción múltiple

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The company turned down my application for the internship.
Traduce la oración a un inglés natural. Traducción

Translate into English: 'É importante recusar as distrações para se concentrar.'

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ["It's important to turn down distractions to focus.","It's important to turn distractions down to focus."]
Descifra las palabras para formar una oración con sentido. Sentence Reorder

Arrange these words into a sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I need to turn down the volume of the music
Conecta la acción con su objeto apropiado para 'turn down'. Match Pairs

Match the actions with their objects:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: matched

Score: /12

Preguntas frecuentes (8)

No, you cannot. When the object is a pronoun like `it`, `them`, `him`, or `her`, it must go between `turn` and `down`. Always say `turn it down`.

Yes, it is a neutral and polite way to refuse something. However, adding 'I'm sorry' or 'I'm afraid' makes it even more polite in social situations.

`Turn down` means to lower the level (like volume 5 to volume 2). `Turn off` means to stop the device completely (volume 0).

Yes, but it means you are rejecting their romantic interest or their request/offer. It doesn't mean you are physically lowering them!

Absolutely. It is the standard way to describe declining a job offer, a contract proposal, or a business request.

Yes. You can `turn down the heater` or `turn down the oven` if it is too hot.

It is a luxury service where hotel staff enter your room in the evening to fold back the bed covers and prepare the room for sleep.

It is neutral. It is perfectly acceptable in both a casual conversation with a friend and a formal email to a recruiter.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

In Other Languages

Spanish low

Bajar / Rechazar

Spanish lacks the 'verb + particle' structure.

French low

Baisser / Refuser

French verbs are not separable like English phrasal verbs.

German moderate

Leiser machen / Ablehnen

The prefix goes to the very end of the sentence in German.

Japanese none

Sageru (下げ) / Kotowaru (断る)

Japanese relies on particles like 'o' and 'ni' rather than phrasal particles like 'down'.

Arabic low

خفض (khafada) / رفض (rafada)

Arabic verbs conjugate internally and do not use separate particles for these meanings.

Chinese low

Tiáo dī (调低) / Jùjué (拒绝)

Chinese uses resultative verb compounds rather than phrasal verbs.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

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