How the word “chase” is used in English

One of the interesting words in English is “chase” [tʃeɪs]. It has several meanings and is used in different grammatical forms. Let’s look at the main meanings and uses:

Chase as a verb:

• To pursue: to go or run after someone or something in order to catch them. For example: “The police car was chasing the thief.”
• To pursue a goal: to try to achieve something difficult. For example: “She has been chasing her dreams for years.”

Chase as a noun:

• A pursuit: the act of pursuing someone or something. For example: “The chase ended in the park.”

Grammatical forms of the word “chase”:

• Present Simple: I chase, you chase, he/she/it chases, we chase, you chase, they chase
• Present Continuous: I am chasing, you are chasing, he/she/it is chasing, we are chasing, you are chasing, they are chasing
• Past Simple: I chased, you chased, he/she/it chased, we chased, you chased, they chased
• Future Simple: I will chase, you will chase, he/she/it will chase, we will chase, you will chase, they will chase

Chase is very often used in phrasal verbs. So let’s look at what phrasal verbs exist with “chase”, what they mean, and how to use them.

Common phrasal verbs with “Chase”

Chase after (To pursue, chase after)

Meaning: To pursue or follow someone or something quickly in order to catch them.

Example:

• The police chased after the suspect through the narrow alleys.
• She’s been chasing after her dreams since she was a child.

Chase away (To drive away)

Meaning: To force someone or something to leave by chasing them.

Example:

• The dog chased away the intruder.
• They used loud noises to chase the birds away from the crops.

Chase down (To track down, catch)

Meaning: To pursue and catch someone or something after a long search. To obtain something.

Example:

• The detective managed to chase down the elusive criminal.
• I finally chased down that book I was looking for at a used bookstore.

Chase up (To remind, prompt, investigate)

Meaning 1: To remind someone to do something they should have already done.

Example:

• I need to chase up the supplier about the delayed delivery.
• Could you chase up the report for me? It’s overdue.

Meaning 2: To investigate or find out information.

Example:

• I’ll chase up the details of the new project.
• We need to chase up what happened to the missing files.

Chase off (To drive away)

Meaning: To force someone to leave a place, usually by threat or force.

Example:

• The farmer chased off the fox that was stealing his chickens.
• They had to chase off the stray dog from the playground.

Chase up on (To check up on, follow up on)

Meaning: To check on the progress or status of something.

Example:

• I need to chase up on the status of our application.
• Can you chase up on whether the documents have been sent?

Chase off after (To give chase after)

Meaning: To begin pursuing someone or something.

Example:

• As soon as he saw the thief, he chased off after him.
• The dog chased off after the cat.

Examples of using “chase” in sentences

To further explain the usage of these phrasal verbs, here are detailed examples of sentences:

Chase After:

• “The little boy chased after the ice cream truck, hoping to buy a treat.”
• “Many people spend their lives chasing after wealth and success.”

Chase Away:

• “The scarecrow was supposed to chase away the crows from the field.”
• “His rude behavior chased away all his friends.”

Chase Down:

• “It took the police several hours to chase down the fugitive.”
• “After weeks of searching, I finally chased down the antique lamp I wanted.”

Chase Up:

• “I need to chase up John for the project updates.”
• “The manager asked her assistant to chase up the clients who haven’t responded yet.”

Chase Off:

• “The farmer chased off the fox that was stealing his chickens.”
• “They had to chase off the stray dog from the playground.”

Exercises to reinforce knowledge of the phrasal verb “chase”

To check your understanding, try completing the following exercises. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate phrasal verb (chase away, chase after, chase up, chase off, chase down):

1. The dog __________ the mailman every morning.
2. She spent the entire summer __________ her lost cat.
3. Could you __________ the contractor for the repair work?
4. They used various methods to __________ the pests from the garden.
5. The farmer __________ the wolf from his flock.

Answers

1. chased after
2. chasing after
3. chase up
4. chase away
5. chased off