Phrasal verbs · Free lesson
Calm down: a change in how someone feels
A student is nervous before a short presentation. A friend helps, and the student begins to feel calmer. There are two useful ways to describe that change.
Professor Scott MendozaMeaning in this lesson
calm down
Become less upset, nervous, angry or excited; or help someone reach that calmer state.
Example
“Mina calmed down before her presentation.”
Mina felt less nervous than before.
The short answer
Calm down means become less upset, angry, nervous or excited. Someone can calm down on their own. If another person helps cause the change, say calm someone down: her friend calmed her down.
Show who feels calmer and who helps.
“Mina calmed down” describes Mina’s change. “Her friend calmed her down” names the person who helped cause it. In the second sentence, her refers to Mina and goes between calmed and down. Calmed is the past form. These examples report a change in feeling; they do not tell someone how they must feel.
Describe the same situation from two angles.
Mina calmed down.
Her friend calmed her down.
The first sentence makes Mina the subject. The second makes her friend the subject and uses her for Mina.
Choose the focus
Describe the person’s change
Mina calmed down.
Name the helper if it matters
Her friend calmed Mina down.
Replace a repeated name
Her friend calmed her down.
Try it now
Check what you’ve learned.
Read all answers and explanations
“The children calmed down.” What changed?
They became less upset or excited.Calmed down describes a reduction in strong feelings or excitement. It does not say anyone left.
“A short conversation calmed Amir down.” Who felt calmer?
Amir.Amir is the person whose feelings changed. The conversation helped bring about that change.
Replace Nina with her: “The music calmed Nina down.”
The music calmed her down.With the pronoun her in this pattern, put it between calmed and down.
Build it yourself
Name the person who felt calmer.
A friend helped Nina feel less nervous. Use her for Nina. Begin with Her friend.
Put all four pieces in order. Select a piece again to move it back.
Your sentence
0 of 4 piecesYour chosen pieces will appear here.
See a model answer
Her friend calmed her down.
“Her friend calmed her down.” The subject is the friend; her identifies Nina, who became calmer.
A little more clarity
Common questions
A few useful details before you move on.
Do I always need a person after calm?
No. “He calmed down” describes his own change. Add a person when you describe someone or something causing that change.
“He calmed down.” / “The conversation calmed him down.”
Does calmed down mean the problem disappeared?
No. The expression tells us about a calmer emotional state. The problem may still need attention.
“I calmed down, then called the shop about the missing order.”
Take it into your day
Describe a moment when someone felt less nervous. Give one sentence about the change and one about what helped.
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