Vocabulary
Hand, hold, keep
Study the following vocabulary.
Time management is a difficult issue for businesses and individuals to deal with. Trade Unions are often blamed for holding upproduction and putting off what can be done in the morning until the afternoon. However, management can also hold back payment of bonuses or salary increases as a way to keep on asserting their power over employees. In the worst cases, the companies go bankrupt and have to hand over their assets to the bank without paying employees the money they deserve. For the self-employed, time is money. For example, a writer needs to keep up with his editor’s demanding schedule. A housewife, who may have the exhausting task of looking after a large family, needs to hold on until her partner comes home, and even then the fact that she does not earn money is often held against her. The self-employed are also unable to hand in a resignation notice if they are unhappy with their job.
hold against – to allow a negative action from the past shape your opinion of someone now
I don’t hold it against him that he lied to me twice.
hand in – to give something to someone (usually an authority figure); to tell someone officially that you intend to leave your job
Make sure you hand in your homework on time.
I’ve just handed in my resignation notice.
hand out – to give something to each person in a group
She hand textbooks out to new students.
hand over – to give up authority or responsibility, to officially give something to someone else
My father has handed over the business to me.
They handed him over to the police.
hold back – to hesitate; to only spend a little (time or money)
Don’t hold back! This opportunity is too good to miss.
My grandmother never held back on the food when we visited her.
hold on – to continue despite difficulty
They managed to hold on until help arrived.
hold up – to delay the progress of
Road work is holding up traffic.
keep away – to not go near
The police told us to keep away from the area.
keep on – to continue without stopping
Keep on trying, don’t give up!
keep up with – remain level or even with
Are you keeping up with your homework?