fall
The word “fall” is a popular irregular verb and noun. When something falls, it goes down.
- He fell down. (verb)
- That was a bad fall. (noun)
- Prices on gas are falling. (verb)
- The fall in the price of gas saves everyone money. (noun)
- Leaves are falling from the trees. (verb)
- Fall is my favorite season. (noun)
fall
a. fall = to come down or go down
When something or someone falls, the force of gravity is usually the cause. While on Earth, everything is subject to gravity and the possibility of falling
- An apple fell from the tree.
- Rain and snow fall to the ground.
- When Tracy fell from her bike, she broke her arm.
- Be careful! You might fall!
- I’m careful while up on a ladder because I don’t want to fall.
You can also use “fall” as a noun.
- A nasty fall on ice sent Georgina to the hospital.
- She took a fall.
- A fall from a ladder sends many people to the emergency room.
- Wearing a helmet can protect a person who falls off of a bike.
- I have a fear of falling from high places.
- Paratroopers have to overcome their fear of falling.
b. fall = decline / decrease
When something decreases, it falls.
- Prices have been falling lately. (They have been going down.)
- The price of gas is falling. (It’s going down.)
- Economic activity fell during the pandemic.
- The numbers of people moving to California are falling.
- Crime is falling.
- Attendance at our school was falling, but now it’s going back up.
- Prices on produce are beginning to fall.
c. Fall is a season.
There are four seasons: winter, spring, summer, and fall.
- Fall is a time of year when the leaves on the trees begin to change color and eventually fall off of the trees.
- Fall is a busy season for farmers who must harvest their crops before winter.
- In the United States, Halloween and Thanksgiving are holidays that are celebrated in the fall.
- School begins in the fall.
- Everyone loves the fall.
- Another name for fall is “autumn.”
fall colors = orange, yellow, brown, red, gold, and dark green
d. expressions
Many expressions and idioms use the word “fall.”
- Mark and Kelly fell in love in high school. (fall in love = to enter a romantic relationship)
- Sometimes it feels as though our nation is falling apart. (fall apart = break up, become disorganized)
- Simon fell for a get-rich scheme and lost thousands of dollars. (fall for = to be fooled, tricked)
- If nuclear weapons ever fall into the wrong hands, the consequences will be devastating. (fall into the wrong hands = to be acquired by someone without proper authorization or knowledge)
- Our business always falls off in February. (fall off = decline in economic activity)
- Roger fell short of achieving his goals this year. (fall short = not to succeed)
- Plans to build a good bike transportation network in our city have fallen by the wayside. (fall by the wayside = to fail completion)
- Halloween falls on a Thursday this year. (fall on = to happen on a day or date on the calendar)
- They have fallen on hard times. (fall on hard time = experience financial difficulty)
- The world is falling short on its goals to reduce the causes of climate change.
- Sandra fell in love with a guy she met at a party.
- They were going to get married, but then their relationship fell apart.
- Sandra believes she fell for someone who was never completely honest with her.
First published on October 26, 2024