All Ears English Podcast – Episode 2538

Title: Are You Working Away at Learning Phrasal Verbs?
Hosts: Michelle Kaplan, Aubrey Carter (subbing for Lindsay McMahon)
Date: December 29, 2025

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, Michelle and Aubrey break down the often-overlooked but powerful use of "away" in American English phrasal verbs. They offer listeners a clear understanding of how adding "away" to verbs like munching, studying, or working adds nuance—emphasizing duration, absorption, and continuous action. They discuss real-life examples, intonation, and even alternative expressions like "up a storm," rounding out the conversation with a fun and natural role play.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Does "Away" Add to Phrasal Verbs?

• Continuous action & absorbed focus:
  When "away" is added to a verb, it often implies the person is engaged in the action for an extended time, possibly with focus or even without stopping.
• Nuanced, conversational feel:
  It makes language sound more natural and fluent, helping learners connect better.

Notable quote:

“It makes it sound more continuous... If I was munching away at some nuts, I probably sat and ate them for a little while…”
— Aubrey, [05:05]

2. Examples of "Away" with Various Verbs

Michelle and Aubrey examine several verbs and how "away" changes their feel:

a. Munching away

• Implies continuous, perhaps mindless, snacking over time, not just a quick bite.
• Used mainly for snacking, not official meals.
• Typical preposition: "on" (e.g., "munching away on chips").

Notable quote:

“Over some period of time. Right. So if I say ‘I’m munching on some chips’ or... ‘munching away on some chips’, ...away just seems to add a little bit more.”
— Michelle, [05:22]

b. Studying away

• Suggests being deeply absorbed, possibly losing track of time.
• Example: “She’s just studying away in there.” [08:12]

c. Chatting away

• Indicates a lively, non-stop conversation.
• Implies more time spent compared to just "chatting".

Notable quote:

“If I say the girls are still chatting away, I would think that was like hours.”
— Aubrey, [08:48]

d. Working away

• Means working steadily, perhaps for a long stretch.
• Example: “He’s working away in there.” [10:31]

e. Reading away

• Reading absorbedly over a period of time.
• Can have a neutral or, with different phrasing, even a mildly negative sense (see below).

f. Reading away the afternoon

• When "the" is added ("reading away the afternoon"), it can imply wasting time or neglecting chores while being absorbed in reading. [11:30–12:35]

Notable quote:

“If we say ‘she’s been reading away all afternoon,’... she’s doing it a lot... If the article changes to, ‘she’s reading away the afternoon,’... you’re wasting time.”
— Aubrey, [12:35]

3. Intonation and Usage Insights

• Native speakers often go up in pitch when saying "away" to emphasize time.
• "Away" is context-dependent: can sound neutral, positive, or even a little negative, depending on the activity.
• It's not for every verb—mostly fits with actions that are extended or potentially repetitive.

4. Alternative: "Up a Storm"

• Another way to express intensive or enthusiastic activity, typically with a positive vibe.
• Eg: "He’s been cooking up a storm."
• “Up a storm” doesn’t usually work with negative actions (e.g., “munching up a storm” sounds off).

Notable quote:

“‘Up a storm’... has a positive connotation... If I wanted to say someone was doing something too much, I wouldn’t use ‘up a storm.’”
— Aubrey, [13:50]

Memorable Quotes

• On parenting and snacking:
  “I eat their food when they don’t eat it… I’ve been putting on weight, I think because of eating my children's food.”
  — Michelle, [02:46–03:19]

• On the versatility of "away":
  “This is definitely one you want to think about… you could actually add the word away to it and make it a little bit more emphatic, a little bit stronger.”
  — Michelle, [17:41]

Role Play Highlight ([14:49–17:18])

Scene: Michelle and Aubrey run into each other as friends catching up.

• Studying away:
  Michelle: “Still studying away for the LSATs?”
  Aubrey: “Yes, it’s consuming my life...”
• Working away:
  Michelle: “Oh, I’ve just been working away. Same old, same old.”
• Cooking up a storm:
  Michelle: “How’s Dan? Is he still into cooking?”
  Aubrey: “He’s been cooking up a storm. He’s gotten really good.”

Michelle and Aubrey discuss how these phrases convey absorbed, ongoing activities and sound natural—perfect for deepening conversational skills.

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Key topic intro: [03:36] – Munching away vs. munching
• Explanation of meaning: [05:05] – “It makes it sound more continuous…”
• Study away example: [08:12]
• Chatting away example: [08:28]
• Working away example: [10:31]
• Reading away the afternoon: [11:30–12:35]
• “Up a storm” alternative: [13:26–14:42]
• Role play: [14:49–17:18]
• Closing takeaways: [17:41–18:33]

Takeaway Tips

• Try adding "away" to verbs when describing ongoing, absorbed, or repetitive actions.
• Listen for this construction in podcasts, TV shows, and natural English conversation.
• Practice using both “away” and “up a storm” to sound more natural and nuanced in English.

“Notice this as you’re listening to podcasts, watching TV shows, you’re going to hear it used... Now that we’ve highlighted it, you’re going to hear it everywhere, probably.”
— Aubrey, [18:19]

Episode Tone & Style

Warm, playful, and collaborative. The hosts use real-life anecdotes, gentle humor, and supportive encouragement. Their “connection not perfection” philosophy comes through in making native phrasing accessible and non-intimidating.

For ESL learners, teachers, and anyone looking to sound more native in American English, this episode offers real-world, practical advice on “away”—a small word with a big impact on how you express everyday actions.