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Introduction

This phrasal verb is about persuading someone to do something. Learn it here with Georgie and Feifei.

Transcript

Feifei
Hello and welcome to The English We Speak, where we explain expressions used by fluent English speakers so that you can use them, too! I'm Feifei, and I'm joined by Georgie. How are you, Georgie?

Georgie
Oh, I'm pretty tired today, Feifei. My mum roped me into doing lots of gardening at the weekend. I should've said no because I didn't really have much time, but she can be very persuasive.

Feifei
Oh no, you were roped into doing gardening. Now, I know what a rope is. It's like a very thick piece of string. But some of our listeners might not have heard it used as part of a phrasal verb. So, Georgie, what does it mean to rope someone in?

Georgie
Well, it means to persuade someone to do something for you, often when they don't really want to do it. So, my mum roped me in to doing lots of gardening at the weekend – she persuaded me when I didn't really want to do it.

Feifei
It might help to think about this visually. It's like the persuader is throwing a metaphorical rope around the other person to bring them into the activity.

Georgie
Right. And Feifei, when was the last time you were roped into something?

Feifei
Oh, I was roped into organising this birthday party. It's taken three full weekends. I think it's time to hear from our BBC Learning English colleagues.

Examples
I can't come to drinks tonight. Sarah's roped me into helping her move into her new house.

I offered to make a cup of coffee for a colleague, and before I knew it, I got roped into making one for the whole team.

I visited my parents at the weekend and my mum roped me into cleaning out the attic – so unfair!

Feifei
Now let's talk about how to use this phrasal verb. We've said rope someone into an activity when the person persuading the other is the subject of the sentence. In other words, an active sentence. So your mum roped you in to doing gardening.

Georgie
Yes. But this phrasal verb is very commonly used in the passive form – to be roped into something. It's commonly used as a complaint, that something is being done to you. I was roped into doing loads of gardening at the weekend.

Feifei
Yes, and I'm always roped into organising things – so annoying. OK, let's recap. We learnt 'rope someone in', which means to persuade someone to do something for you. Thanks for joining us.

Georgie
Goodbye.

Feifei
Bye-bye!

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