Welcome to “Phrasal Verbs Through Time”!
On this page, we’ll explore three essential aspects of daily life—communication, transportation, and fashion—using common phrasal verbs expressed in the past tense. This content is part of a broader session where we discuss frequently used phrasal verbs related to these topics in different verb tenses. While here you’ll find examples and reflections expressed in the present, we also invite you to explore similar texts set in the present and future tenses.
Since the earliest times, traveling from one place to another has always been an essential human need. Initially, people relied mostly on their own feet but soon began to rely on animals like horses and mules to cover greater distances. These animals also became essential for transporting goods, helping communities spread out and connect through ancient trade routes.
Over time, the growing need to transport more people and heavier loads led to the development of the first carriages. Although more efficient, these means of transportation faced serious limitations, such as poor roads and long journeys that could take days or weeks. It was only with the invention of the steam engine that these difficulties began to be overcome.
In the 19th century, the introduction of steam locomotives completely transformed land transportation. Railroads started to link up cities, crossing entire continents and drastically reducing travel times. Trips that previously took weeks now took just days or hours, bringing people, cultures, and markets closer together in unprecedented ways. The revolution brought by trains helped the world move forward rapidly into modernity.
It didn’t take long for the first cars to appear—initially simple and rudimentary—but soon offering people unprecedented freedom to move around in all directions. Early in the 20th century, the first airplanes emerged.
Railways started to link up distant cities and cross entire continents, drastically reducing travel time. Journeys that previously took weeks could now be completed in just days or hours, bringing people and markets closer, and helping society move forward rapidly into modernity.It didn’t take long before the first automobiles appeared—initially simple and basic, yet soon offering unprecedented freedom to move around.
Early in the 20th century, aviation was born. On October 23, 1906, the Brazilian inventor Alberto Santos Dumont carried out the first successful public flight of a heavier-than-air airplane, the 14-bis, covering 60 meters in approximately 7 seconds at Bagatelle field in Paris. Shortly afterward, on November 12, 1906, he set a new record by flying 220 meters in 21 seconds, firmly establishing his pioneering role in aviation history.
On the Move
Horses and mules were commonly used for early transportation.
They struggled with poor roads and long travel times.
They significantly reduced travel time and connected distant cities more efficiently.
They gave people unprecedented freedom to travel in all directions.
On October 23, 1906, at Bagatelle field in Paris, covering 60 meters in about 7 seconds.
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