😔 Emotions
shut down
open out
Closing yourself off is a protection. Opening out is a choice.
↓ SCROLL TO EXPLORE
shut down
To stop engaging emotionally; to withdraw from connection or vulnerability as a way of protecting yourself from pain.
💡 Whenever the conversation got too personal, he would simply shut down and change the subject.
INFORMAL
open out
To become more open, expressive, and relaxed; to stop hiding behind defences and allow others to see who you really are.
💡 It took time, but she eventually opened out with her therapist in a way she had not with anyone before.
INFORMAL
🎯 QUIZ
Test your knowledge — read the sentence and choose the right phrasal verb. Click to answer.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
🎧 SHADOWING
Shadowing is one of the most powerful techniques for improving your English pronunciation and fluency. Listen → speak out loud → record yourself → compare.
Shadowing practice
Use your phone to record yourself repeating each sentence. Play it back and compare your pronunciation with the audio.
SHUT DOWN
1 of 6
1
Listen to the audio
2
Repeat out loud — record yourself if you can
3
Write what you heard, then click Check to compare
🎙 RECORD YOUR PRONUNCIATION
✏ FILL THE BLANKS
One exercise for each verb — type your answer and click Check.
SHUT DOWN ▶ FILL THE BLANK
Every time the conversation moved towards anything real, he and found a reason to leave the room.
Hint: past tense of the phrasal verb meaning 'to stop engaging emotionally and withdraw'.
OPEN OUT ▶ FILL THE BLANK
At first she barely spoke during the sessions, but as the weeks passed, she began to in ways that surprised her.
Hint: infinitive or past tense of the phrasal verb meaning 'to become more expressive and open'.
📖 NARRATIVE
STORY 1 OF 2 · SHUT DOWN
shut down
Cara had a system. When conversations moved towards anything personal, she changed the subject, made a joke, or found a reason to leave the room. What it really was, though she would not have named it this way, was that she shut down whenever she felt exposed. It had worked for years. The cost was that no one really knew her.
👤 AUTHOR
