pull off: phrasal verb

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Donno

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Hi teachers,

Could you tell me if I used the phrasal verb correctly in the sentences?

pull something off: to succeed in doing something

1. The government may yet kicks off the first automated election in the forthcoming election, we're hoping that it will effectively pull off.

2. The baby shower couldn't really have pulled off without the help of our relatives.

3. Will the computerized election pull off in the upcoming election?

Thank you
 

Barb_D

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Hi Donno,
You're close. It needs to be used transitively. That is, a person must pull something off -- the thing doesn't pull itself off.

Hi teachers,

Could you tell me if I used the phrasal verb correctly in the sentences?

pull something off: to succeed in doing something

1. The government may yet [STRIKE]kicks off[/STRIKE] hoold the first automated election in the forthcoming election. We're hoping that it [the government] will effectively pull it [the election] off.

2. The baby shower couldn't really have been pulled off without the help of our relatives.

3. Will the computerized election be pulled off in the upcoming election?
This one doesn't really work that well. You do need to say who is pulling it off, rather than using it in the passive, even if it's the nameless "they." Will they be able to pull off computerized voting in the upcoming election?
Thank you
 
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Donno

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Hello again!

I'd like to ask if I used the phrasal verb correctly in these sample sentences.

1. Our company's turnover was very low last year and we didn't know how to increase it but we have successfully pulled it off.

2. I'm not used in using our new x-ray machine but I will pull it off eventually.

3. I'm too fussy about my hairstyle and I am thinking what haircut will pull off on me.

4. Hopefully, our first computerized election will be successfully pulled off.

Thanks in advance
 

Barb_D

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Hi again,

Hello again!

I'd like to ask if I used the phrasal verb correctly in these sample sentences.

1. Our company's turnover was very low last year and we didn't know how to increase it but we have successfully pulled it off.

First of all, turnover in employee staff is a bad thing. I low rate is a GOOD thing. You don't want to increase it. However, you could say "We needed to do X. I don't know how we did it, to be honest, but we managed to pull it off."


2. I'm not used [STRIKE]in[/STRIKE] to using our new x-ray machine but I will pull it off eventually.
No, that doesn't work. You pull something off when it's a task or a project, not simply in using something. I have to conduct some training on our new x-ray machine. I'm not very proficient using it myself, but I'll pull it off somehow. That refers to pulling off the training session.

3. I'm too fussy about my hairstyle and I am thinking what haircut will pull off on me.
No, this doesn't work at all.

4. Hopefully, our first computerized election will be successfully pulled off.
This barely works. It would be better if you said "the elections commission will be able to successfully pull off our first ..."

Thanks in advance

The idea of pulling something off carries with it the idea that it took a lot of effort to accomplish the project/task and it wasn't a sure thing that it would happen successfully. You'll see phrases like "managed to pull it off" or "was able to pull it off" or "somehow pulled it off."

You wouldn't say "I needed to make myself a sandwich and I pulled it off."
You would say "I had a huge project handed to me at the last minute, but by working nights and weekends, I managed to pull it off."
 

Donno

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Hi again,



The idea of pulling something off carries with it the idea that it took a lot of effort to accomplish the project/task and it wasn't a sure thing that it would happen successfully. You'll see phrases like "managed to pull it off" or "was able to pull it off" or "somehow pulled it off."

You wouldn't say "I needed to make myself a sandwich and I pulled it off."
You would say "I had a huge project handed to me at the last minute, but by working nights and weekends, I managed to pull it off."
Hi,

Thanks for the explanation now I have got it.

In sentence number 1, I meant an income or total money that a business receives.


- He didn't win in the last singing competition do you think he will pull it off next time?

- At first I couldn't use that phrasal verb in a sentence but I have finally pulled it off.

Thank you
 

Barb_D

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Donno

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Hi again,



The idea of pulling something off carries with it the idea that it took a lot of effort to accomplish the project/task and it wasn't a sure thing that it would happen successfully. You'll see phrases like "managed to pull it off" or "was able to pull it off" or "somehow pulled it off."

You wouldn't say "I needed to make myself a sandwich and I pulled it off."
You would say "I had a huge project handed to me at the last minute, but by working nights and weekends, I managed to pull it off."
Hello again teachers,

I hope this sentence is grammatically correct.

In spite of many glitches in voting machines and long queues in some voting precincts our country has successfully pulled off our first automated election.

Thank you
 

euncu

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***neither a teacher nor a native-speaker***

In spite of many glitches in voting machines and long queues in some voting precincts, our country has successfully pulled off our first automated election.

Maybe, rather than the country, the goverment, which has signed off on the use of automated election, pulled that off. And another thing, if there were a failure in the election, there would be no room for the phrase "to pull off". So, the word "successfully" is redundant here since the phrase already denotes that.
 
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