Turn is the verb of change, and its phrasal forms cover machines, volume, chances and people. Turn on the television, turn up the music, turn down a job, turn into a frog.
Several turn phrasal verbs are separable: the object can follow the particle or sit between the verb and the particle. A pronoun always goes in the middle, as in "Turn it off".
This page groups the meanings, shows the word order, and tests the whole family in 20 sentences with a rule under every answer.
The rule
Turn on and turn off: machines and lights
- Turn on means start a device, a light or a tap: "Turn on the radio."
- Turn off means stop it: "Turn off the lights before you leave."
- A pronoun goes between the verb and the particle: "Turn it on", never "Turn on it".
- British speakers also say switch on and switch off with the same meaning.
Turn up and turn down: volume and levels
- Turn up means increase the sound, the heat or the light: "Turn up the music."
- Turn down means decrease it: "Turn the heating down."
- Both are separable: "Turn up the volume" and "Turn the volume up" are correct.
- Turn up also means arrive unexpectedly: "He turned up an hour late."
Turn down: refuse
- Turn down an offer, a job or an invitation means refuse it: "She turned down the job in London."
- Turn someone down means say no to their request or proposal.
- This meaning is common in business and in polite refusals.
- The object can go on either side of down when it is a noun.
Turn into and turn out: change and results
- Turn into means become: "The caterpillar turned into a butterfly."
- Turn out means the final result was: "The day turned out well."
- Turn out can also mean switch off a light: "Turn out the light."
- Turn out to be introduces a surprising fact: "The stranger turned out to be my uncle."
Turn around, turn over and turn to
- Turn around means face the opposite direction: "Turn around and look at me."
- Turn over means roll to the other side, or give something to someone: "Turn over the page."
- Turn to someone means ask them for help: "She turned to her teacher for advice."
- Turn against someone means become their enemy: "The crowd turned against the referee."
Separable, inseparable and three-word forms
- Separable: turn on, turn off, turn up, turn down, turn out, turn over, turn around.
- Inseparable: turn into, turn to and turn against keep the particle next to the verb.
- So we say "turn into a frog", not "turn a frog into".
- With pronouns, separable verbs split: "turn it down". Inseparable verbs do not: "turn into it" is the only order.
Examples
- Turn on the news; I want to see the weather.Turn on starts a device.
- Turn it off before the battery dies.The pronoun sits between turn and off.
- Could you turn the music down a little?Turn down means reduce the volume.
- The heater turns up automatically at night.Turn up means increase the level.
- She turned down the offer from the bank.Turn down means refuse.
- The warm rain turned the snow into water.Turn into means become; the object goes between turned and into.
- The party turned out better than we expected.Turn out describes the final result.
- He turned up at the office without a tie.Turn up means arrive, often unexpectedly.
- Turn around and check the back seat.Turn around means face the other way.
- When he lost his job, he turned to his family.Turn to means ask for help or support.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Turn on it, please. Right: Turn it on, please.
- A pronoun object must go between the verb and the particle in a separable phrasal verb.
- Wrong: She turned the job up because the pay was low. Right: She turned the job down because the pay was low.
- Turn down means refuse; turn up means increase or arrive.
- Wrong: The frog turned a prince into. Right: The frog turned into a prince.
- Turn into is inseparable, so the object follows the whole phrasal verb.
- Wrong: Please turn off it before you leave. Right: Please turn it off before you leave.
- The pronoun goes in the middle: turn it off.
- Wrong: He turned up the music down. Right: He turned the music down.
- Use one direction particle per action; turn down already means reduce.
Practice drill
Answer all 20 questions. Each answer is marked at once, and the rule is explained under the question.
Please ___ on the light; it is dark in here.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. turn Turn on means start a light or device.
Do not forget to ___ off the oven.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. turn Turn off means stop a device.
The music is too loud. Can you turn it ___?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. down Turn down means reduce the volume, and the pronoun goes between turn and down.
I cannot hear the radio. Turn it ___.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. up Turn up means increase the volume; the pronoun comes before up.
She ___ down the job because it was too far away.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. turned Turn down means refuse an offer.
The caterpillar ___ into a butterfly.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. turned Turn into means become, and it keeps the words together.
The evening ___ out very well in the end.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. turned Turn out means the final result was good or bad.
He ___ up late for the meeting again.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. turned Turn up means arrive, often later than expected.
She had nobody to ___ to for advice.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. turn Turn to someone means ask them for help.
Please ___ around and look at the camera.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. turn Turn around means face the opposite direction.
The crowd ___ against the referee after the goal.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. turned Turn against someone means become hostile to them.
Turn ___ the page and read the next question.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. over Turn over means roll or move to the other side.
The light is on in the hall. Please turn it ___.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. out Turn out a light means switch it off.
The stranger ___ out to be my old teacher.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. turned Turn out to be introduces a surprising fact about the result.
He turned the volume ___ so the neighbours would not complain.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. down Turn the volume down means reduce it.
The company may ___ down our offer.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. turn Turn down an offer means refuse it.
Water can ___ into ice in the freezer.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. turn Turn into means change and become something else.
Nobody expected him to ___ up at the party.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. turn Turn up means arrive, often when it was not expected.
She ___ to her parents when she needed money.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. turned Turn to someone means ask for support.
Please turn it ___; the battery is almost empty.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. off Turn off means stop the device, and the pronoun goes before the particle.
Questions learners ask
What does turn up mean?
Turn up has two common meanings. With a device or a level, it means increase: "Turn up the heating." With people, it means arrive, especially when the arrival was not expected: "She turned up at my door at midnight." The context makes the meaning clear.
What is the difference between turn down and turn off?
Turn down reduces the level of something that is still on: "Turn the volume down." Turn off stops it completely: "Turn the television off." If the device makes no sound after your action, you turned it off; if it is quieter but still working, you turned it down.
Can I say turn around or do I need turn round?
Both are correct. American English prefers turn around; British English uses turn round and turn around. With a pronoun, British English says "turn it round" and American English says "turn it around". The meaning is the same in both.
More grammar topics
Have gone vs have been
Have gone means someone left and is still away; have been means the visit is over or the person has experience of the place.
In case vs if
If says what must happen first; in case says do something now because something might happen later.
As long as, provided that and on condition that
Three formal ways to say "only if", the present simple after them, and the difference from if and unless.
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