Phrasal verbs · Free lesson
Put on some music: start a recording
You and a friend are doing a puzzle in a quiet room. You suggest some music. Put on describes starting the music so you can listen to it.
Professor Scott MendozaMeaning in this lesson
put on
to start playing music or another recording
Example
“Let’s put on some music while we do the puzzle.”
Let’s start playing music to listen to while we do the puzzle.
The short answer
Put on some music means start playing music. You can put on an album or put an album on. After naming the album, say put it on. The past form is also put: I put it on yesterday.
Name the recording, then start it with put on.
Put on can describe playing an album, a song or another recording. The recording name can go after on or between put and on. With a pronoun such as it, use the middle position: put it on. The surrounding words tell you which meaning of put on you need.
Start the music for the puzzle
Let’s put on some music.
Let’s put this album on.
Good idea. I’ll put it on.
In the last sentence, it refers to the album. Put it on describes starting playback, not placing the album on a surface.
From a suggestion to an action
Name the recording
This album sounds good.
Use it for that album
I’ll put it on.
Report what happened yesterday
I put it on yesterday.
Try it now
Choose the music meaning.
Read all answers and explanations
You are doing a puzzle in silence. Choose a suggestion to start playing music.
Let’s put on some music.Put on some music starts playback. Turn the music off stops it; talk about music suggests a conversation instead.
You have chosen an album. Use it to say you will start playing that album.
I’ll put it on.The pronoun it goes between put and on. A full noun has two positions, but this pronoun does not.
Choose the correct report about playing the album yesterday.
I put it on yesterday.The past form of put is put, not putted. Yesterday makes the past time clear.
Put it into practice
Make the music suggestion clear.
The album is already named. Keep it as the object and fix its position.
Let’s put on it while we do the puzzle.
See a model answer
Let’s put it on while we do the puzzle.
The music and activity stay the same. Only the object position changes.
A little more clarity
Common questions
A few useful details before you move on.
How can put describe both the present and the past?
Its form does not change. Time expressions and the surrounding story show the time. Compare a habit with one finished occasion.
I often put on music. I put on that album yesterday.
Is put on music the same as turn on the speaker?
They focus on different actions here. Put on music starts the recording; turn on the speaker makes the device operate. The device may already be on before you choose music. In other contexts the expressions can overlap.
The speaker is already on. Let’s put on some music.
Take it into your day
Put on some music starts playback. With a named recording, use put it on. Present and past both use put; context shows the time.
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This lesson focuses on starting a recording. The Phrasal Verbs course includes movies, TV, music and media situations alongside other everyday topics, with explanations, contextual practice, quizzes and downloadable materials to help you choose the meaning that fits.
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