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What is Take over in English? Usage and exercises Take over in English
When you encounter the phrase "take over in English," you're dealing with one of the most versatile and powerful phrasal verbs in the language. This essential expression appears across countless conversations, from boardroom discussions to casual everyday exchanges, making it crucial for anyone seeking to communicate with precision and authority.

I. What is Take over in English?
What is take over in English? According to Cambridge Dictionary and Oxford Learner's Dictionary, take over meaning functions as a phrasal verb: to start doing a job or being responsible for something that another person did or had responsibility for before; to get control of a company by buying enough of the shares in it. Understanding the take over phrasal verb meaning is essential for mastering English communication. For example:
-
Alex will take over from the leader position next week.
-
The company he works for has recently been taken over.

II. How to Use "Take Over" Correctly: Grammar Essentials

1. Is "Take Over" Separable? Understanding Phrasal Verb Structure
Object Type |
Correct Usage |
Incorrect Usage |
Example |
Noun Object |
"Take over the business" OR "Take the business over" |
N/A (both are correct) |
"She took over the company" / "She took the company over" |
Pronoun Object |
"Take it over" |
"Take over it" |
"The new CEO will take it over" |
No Direct Object |
"Take over" (inseparable) |
N/A |
"When will you take over?" |
The separability of "take over in English" depends entirely on context and the presence of direct objects in your sentence structure. When using this phrasal verb with a noun as the direct object, you have the flexibility to place the object either between "take" and "over" or after the complete phrase, both arrangements being grammatically correct.
2. Prepositions That Work With "Take Over"
Explore the common structure of take over in English through these examples:
Structure / Prepositional Phrase |
Purpose |
Example |
Usage Notes |
Take over something |
Indicates taking control/responsibility for something |
The new management team decided to take over the project. |
Common in business/project contexts |
Take over from somebody |
Identifies who/what is being replaced |
Maria took over from John as department head. Mark decided to retire, and Sarah will take over from him as the new manager. |
Emphasizes the predecessor |
Take over as something |
Specifies the new role or position |
She took over as CEO after the merger. After years of hard work, Anna finally took over as the CEO of the company. |
Highlights the new position acquired |
Take over for somebody |
Indicates temporary replacement |
I'll take over for you while you're on vacation. |
Suggests a temporary arrangement |
III. Idioms combined with Take over in English
Below are some idioms combined with take over in English:
Idioms combined with Take over in English |
Meaning |
Example |
Take (over) the helm |
to start to officially control an organization or company |
When the CEO resigned, Mathew had taken over the helm of the company. |
Take your time (over something) |
to do something too slowly |
You can take your time over the project. |
Take trouble over/ with something |
to invest a lot of time, attention, or effort into something |
Linda always takes great trouble over her presentations. |
Take (great) pains with/ over something |
to try very hard to so something |
The artist took great pains with every detail of the painting. |
Take somebody to task (for/ over something) |
to criticize or speak angrily to someone for something that they have done wrong |
The manager took the employee to task for not completing the project on time. |
Take issue with somebody (about/ on/ over something) |
to disagree strongly |
I took issue with my colleague about the way the project was managed. |

IV. "Take Over": Synonyms to Expand Your Vocabulary
Understanding take over meaning becomes clearer when you explore these synonyms:
-
Assume responsibility
Meaning: Accept duty or obligation
Example: The new manager will assume responsibility for the entire sales team. -
Succeed
Meaning: Follow after someone in a position
Example: She will succeed her mentor as the lead researcher. -
Inherit
Meaning: Receive position through succession
Example: He inherited the family business when his father retired. -
Preside
Meaning: Take charge of meetings or organizations
Example: The committee chair will preside over tomorrow's board meeting. -
Acquire
Meaning: Purchase or gain control of assets
Example: The corporation plans to acquire three smaller companies this year. -
Merge with
Meaning: Combine operations with another entity
Example: The two banks decided to merge with each other for greater efficiency. -
Buy out
Meaning: Purchase all shares or ownership
Example: Investors decided to buy out the struggling restaurant chain. -
Dominate
Meaning: Exercise controlling influence over
Example: Social media began to dominate their daily conversations. -
Engulf
Meaning: Surround completely or overwhelm
Example: The wildfire threatened to engulf the entire forest preserve. -
Supplant
Meaning: Replace or take the place of
Example: Digital photography supplanted traditional film processing methods.
V. Exercises on Take over in English with answers
To gain a better understanding of take over in English, please complete the exercises provided below!
1. Exercise
Exercise 1: Choose the correct answer:
-
The assistant manager will __________ when the director leaves.
a. take over
b. took over
c. taking over -
They __________ the company’s finances last quarter.
a. take over
b. took over
c. taken over from -
She didn’t want to __________ the project halfway through.
a. take over
b. take it over
c. takes over from -
Henry __________ the role of supervisor after Rachel resigned.
a. took over as
b. took over from
c. took over to -
They __________ the failing factory and made it profitable.
a. took over
b. taken over
c. had taken over -
Do you know who will be __________ operations soon?
a. take over
b. took over
c. taking over -
Eleanor __________ from Jack as head of marketing in May.
a. take over
b. took over
c. taking over -
Kevin __________ director of the agency last year.
a. take over as
b. took over as
c. taking over as -
The new leader promised to __________ the reforms by next quarter.
a. take over
b. took over
c. taking over -
Olivia has __________ the logistics team during the busy season.
a. taken over
b. took over
c. taking over
Exercise 2: Write the suitable idioms combined with take over in English in the blanks (conjugate the verbs if any):
-
After the manager left unexpectedly, Rachel had to __________ the project team without much preparation.
-
Don’t rush — just __________ your time over each section of the presentation.
-
He always __________ trouble with his appearance before public events.
-
The artist __________ great pains with every stroke of the brush on the final piece.
-
The editor __________ the intern to task for missing multiple deadlines.
-
Mark __________ issue with the proposed changes to the budget.
-
During the flight emergency, the co-pilot had to __________ control of the aircraft.
-
Be sure to __________ your time over the paperwork and double-check the figures.
-
She __________ trouble with the decorations to make sure they matched the theme perfectly.
-
The engineer __________ great pains with the final adjustments before launch.
2. Answer
Exercise 1 |
Exercise 2 |
|
|
The concept of taking over inherently suggests temporality, reminding us that all positions of control require current leaders to balance immediate effectiveness with long-term sustainability. Through consistent practice and application, you'll find that "take over in English" becomes an indispensable tool for expressing complex ideas about control, transition, and responsibility with clarity and precision that serves you well across all communication contexts. Mastering the take over phrasal verb meaning will significantly enhance your English communication skills and professional vocabulary.

Hi I'm Chloe, and I am currently serving as an Product Content Administrator at Prep Education. With over five years of experience in independent online IELTS study and exam preparation, I am confident in my ability to support learners in achieving their highest possible scores.
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