Shift meaning in English
Learn how to use Shift correctly with Gymglish.
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Definition
to shift: to move, to transfer, to change position, to relocate, to displace
To shift expresses a lateral movement:
He shifted the backpack from his right shoulder to his left because his right shoulder started to hurt.
We have shifted our focus from teenagers to senior citizens. This change is due to extensive market research.
a shift a move, a switch, a displacement
a (work) shift: a time period (where you are at work)
On Mondays, my shift at the factory begins at 7:30, and ends at 5:00 pm. However, if all the work is done early I can leave at 4:30 pm.
the night shift working at night
Pronunciation examples
UK: After a brief introduction, the focus shifted to the issue of the day.
US: I'm working the late shift tonight.
Examples
- "Bjorn : Last week, the balance of power in the Swedish Parliament shifted from the left to the right."
- "While the print media has indeed been critical of your company recently, we propose focusing on Delavigne's Internet presence to shift the narrative from tabloid gossip to the high quality profiles and experience of your staff."
- ""The shift to a new logo symbolizes the strategic transformation under way at Delavigne Corp."
- "I will meet you Thursday evening at the factory, at 6.00 PM. Don't worry about bothering the employees, they are used to working irregular hours and shifts."
- "I will meet you Thursday evening at the factory, at 6:00 PM. Do not worry about bothering the employees, they are used to working irregular hours and shifts."
- "Good luck with the rest of your shift, sucker!"
Exercise 1
What is the meaning of the phrase, "the employees are used to working irregular hours and shifts"?
What is the meaning of the phrase, "the employees are used to working irregular hours and shifts"?
Yes, some people do this, but this is not the best choice here.
Being "used to" doing something means that one is accustomed to doing it, or that they are performing a habitual action. In this context, "a shift" refers to the working hours of a worker. The term "shift" is generally used to refer to the working hours of people in the service industry (bar and restaurant workers) or laborers (construction workers, for example), and office workers.
If we had said "the workers used to work long hours", then this choice would be correct. However, in the passive sense, 'to be used to something means to be accustomed to it.
Although Mei-Tsing does write about irregular working hours, this sentence doesn't express Mei-Tsing's point about the employees "being used to" working strange hours.
Exercise 2
The cab driver uses several idiomatic expressions in this dialogue which are a bit tricky to understand.
Match each expression with the definition which corresponds to it.
"That's a good one" =
"Hop in" =
"I get off work around ten" =
"You're a bit of alright" =
Match each expression with the definition which corresponds to it.
"That's a good one" =
"Hop in" =
"I get off work around ten" =
"You're a bit of alright" =
The cab driver uses several idiomatic expressions in this dialogue which are a bit tricky to understand.
Match each expression with the definition which corresponds to it.
"That's a good one" = That's a funny joke 1
"Hop in" = Get inside the car 2
"I get off work around ten" = I finish my shift at approximately 10 o'clock 3
"You're a bit of alright" = You're kind of cute 4
Match each expression with the definition which corresponds to it.
"That's a good one" = That's a funny joke 1
"Hop in" = Get inside the car 2
"I get off work around ten" = I finish my shift at approximately 10 o'clock 3
"You're a bit of alright" = You're kind of cute 4
1 That's a funny joke: "That's a good one" is a common expression which means "that was a funny joke" or "that was a good story". here the cab driver is responding to Jean's comment that he "is not a Christian", which actually isn't a joke. This expression is used both in American and British English.
1 That's a long way from here: The expression "That's a good one" is unrelated to the idea of distance.
1 That's very strange: The cab driver's expression is a comment on the humor of Jean's statement, not on its strangeness or abnormality.
2 Get inside the car: This is the correct choice. "Hop in" is an idiom inviting someone "get in" a vehicle (usually a car). This expression is used in both American and British English.
2 Find another taxi: This is not what "hop in" expresses.
2 The door is open: This is not what "hop in" expresses.
3 I finish my shift at approximately 10 o'clock: The idiom "to get off work" means to finish working (for the day). A "shift" has many meanings, but in this context refers to the period of time that the cab driver has worked during the day. For example: The night shift at the metro starts at 11:00 pm. The expression "to get off work" is used in both British and American English.
3 My shift started at approximately 10 o'clock: This is not what "to get off work" expresses. The cab driver is not indicating when she started working, but rather when she will finish.
3 My busiest period begins at approximately 10 o'clock: This is not what "to get off work" expresses. To talk about when a busy period begins, the cab driver might say, for example, "I get very busy from 10 o'clock" or "things really pick up around 10".
4 You're kind of cute: The cab driver is expressing that she finds Jean "attractive" or "cute". She uses the British idiom "you're a bit of alright" which is familiar.
4 You seem rather ordinary: This is not what the cab driver is expressing when she says that Jean "is a bit of alright".
4 You seem okay to me: This is not what the cab driver is expressing when she says that Jean "is a bit of alright".
4 You called at the perfect moment: This is not what the cab driver is expressing when she says that Jean "is a bit of alright".
Exercise 3
Fill in the blanks below with words from the broadcast. Don't forget to conjugate the verbs correctly!
This verb means to direct or command (a group of people or an army).
Example: The President of the United States the American government.
This verb means to move or change positions.
Example: Recently the power in Uruguay from the left to the right.
This verb means to direct or command (a group of people or an army).
Example: The President of the United States the American government.
This verb means to move or change positions.
Example: Recently the power in Uruguay from the left to the right.
Fill in the blanks below with words from the broadcast. Don't forget to conjugate the verbs correctly!
This verb means to direct or command (a group of people or an army).
Example: The President of the United States leads 1 the American government.
This verb means to move or change positions.
Example: Recently the power in Uruguay has shifted 2 from the left to the right.
This verb means to direct or command (a group of people or an army).
Example: The President of the United States leads 1 the American government.
This verb means to move or change positions.
Example: Recently the power in Uruguay has shifted 2 from the left to the right.
1 leads: The verb "to lead" means to "guide" or "command" (something). In the broadcast, Bjorn tells Moira that it's "the fourth time since 1932 that the Social Democrats haven't held enough seats in the Parliament to lead the government". He means that the Social Democrats don't have enough representation in parliament to have control of the government.
2 has shifted: The verb "to shift" means to move or change positions, but primarily expresses the sense of "lateral or horizontal movement". When used in the context of "shifting" power or control, as it is in this broadcast, the term is very close in meaning with the verb "to transfer". Bjorn tells Moira and Brent that the balance of power in the Swedish Parliament has "shifted from the left to the right" meaning that the government is now under control by a political party from the right.
Exercise 4
Select the TRUE statement(s) from the list below.
There may be more than one!
There may be more than one!
Select the TRUE statement(s) from the list below.
There may be more than one!
There may be more than one!
This statement is false. Bjorn tells Moira and Brent, "we have no fjords in Sweden". A "fjord" is a bay of the sea which is formed in a glacial valley.
This statement is false. Moira says to Bjorn "tell us about smoked salmon", to which he replies "it's delicious". This indicates that Bjorn likes smoked salmon.
This statement is false. Bjorn tells Moira and Brent that the balance of power in the Swedish Parliament, which has been historically leftist, "shifted from the left to the right" last week. The verb "to shift" means to "move" or "transfer" (something) from one place to another, usually in the sense of lateral movement. In the context of politics or government, a "shift" is a transfer or change in leadership or power. For example, the balance of power in the US congress has shifted from the Republicans to the Democrats.
This statement is true. Brent wants to sing an ABBA song with Moira and Bjorn. At first Bjorn seems reluctant to sing, but then he lets it all out and sings like the Swedish superstar he is.
Exercise 5
Choose the best definition for the following idioms.
Mr. Wang: "My team of lawyers is working in shifts."
Mr. Wang's lawyers are .
Harold: "I think this Chinaman is playing hardball."
Harold thinks that Mr. Wang is .
Bruno: 'Mr. Wang. I'm going to call your bluff. I know that you love jokes, especially jokes that involve high stakes.
Bruno , and knows that Mr. Wang likes jokes that involve .
Mr. Wang: "My team of lawyers is working in shifts."
Mr. Wang's lawyers are .
Harold: "I think this Chinaman is playing hardball."
Harold thinks that Mr. Wang is .
Bruno: 'Mr. Wang. I'm going to call your bluff. I know that you love jokes, especially jokes that involve high stakes.
Bruno , and knows that Mr. Wang likes jokes that involve .
Choose the best definition for the following idioms.
Mr. Wang: "My team of lawyers is working in shifts."
Mr. Wang's lawyers are working around the clock 1.
Harold: "I think this Chinaman is playing hardball."
Harold thinks that Mr. Wang is taking an uncompromising negotiating position 2.
Bruno: 'Mr. Wang. I'm going to call your bluff. I know that you love jokes, especially jokes that involve high stakes.
Bruno wants Mr. Wang to prove that he is not lying 3, and knows that Mr. Wang likes jokes that involve important and risky issues 4.
Mr. Wang: "My team of lawyers is working in shifts."
Mr. Wang's lawyers are working around the clock 1.
Harold: "I think this Chinaman is playing hardball."
Harold thinks that Mr. Wang is taking an uncompromising negotiating position 2.
Bruno: 'Mr. Wang. I'm going to call your bluff. I know that you love jokes, especially jokes that involve high stakes.
Bruno wants Mr. Wang to prove that he is not lying 3, and knows that Mr. Wang likes jokes that involve important and risky issues 4.
1 working around the clock: This is correct. To "work in shifts" is synonymous with to "work round the clock". Mr. Wang says that "my team of lawyers is working in shifts, planning a hostile takeover of your companies." This means that he has a team of lawyers who are working constantly (24 hours a day) on his plans to take over Bruno and Harold's companies. A "shift" is a working period of an employee, for example: At the hospital, I often have to work the night shift.
1 on high salaries: This is incorrect. The expression "to work in shifts" is not synonymous with earning a lot of money, or having a high salary.
1 working for an incentive fee: This is incorrect. The expression "to work in shifts" is not synonymous with "working for an incentive fee", or a performance-related bonus.
1 working round the world: This is incorrect. The expression "to work in shifts" is not synonymous with "working round the world".
2 taking an uncompromising negotiating position: This is correct. In negotiation, the expression "(the company) is playing hardball" means that the company is taking an inflexible and uncompromising negotiation position. Example: They played hardball with the bank and refused to make any payments. The term "hardball" is another term for "baseball" (the opposite of the game "softball").
2 making empty threats: This is incorrect. The expression "to play hardball" is not synonymous with "making empty threats." An "empty threat" is a warning that carries no weight, or a source of danger that, in fact, is not dangerous at all, for example: His threats were empty; he said he would kill me, but he didn't even have a gun!
2 insulting Harold and Bruno: This is incorrect. The expression "to play hardball" is not synonymous with "to insult".
2 playing games: This is incorrect. Harold doesn't mean that Mr. Wang is playing games.
3 wants Mr. Wang to prove that he is not lying: This is correct. "(I'm going to) call your bluff" is a poker expression that means "I'd like to see your cards because I think you are lying." Bruno uses the expression because he doesn't believe Wang, and thinks that Wang's plans to take over Delavigne Corp are not real.
3 is going to phone Mr. Wang's lawyer: This is incorrect. "To call one's bluff" is not synonymous with calling one's lawyer.
3 doesn't think Mr. Wang is funny: This is incorrect. Bruno's use of the expression "call one's bluff" does not mean that he doesn't think that Mr. Wang is funny.
3 wants Mr. Wang to end the meeting: This is incorrect. "To call one's bluff" is not a request to ask someone to end a meeting.
4 important and risky issues: This is correct. "Stakes" are literally the amount of money that is risked in a gambling game. If the "stakes" are high then the amount of "risk" is high as well (because there is a lot to lose). Therefore, doing something that involves "high stakes" means that it involves a lot of risks or that there is a great deal to lose.
4 a lot of sarcasm: This is incorrect. Doing something that involves "high stakes" does not mean that it involves "a lot of sarcasm". "Sarcasm" is a form of humor that involves irony: apparent praise is often intend to cause cruelty, for example by saying "You got here on time!" when the person is 20 minutes late.
4 a lot of cruelty: This is incorrect. Doing something that involves "high stakes" does not mean that it involves "a lot of cruelty".
4 rude sexism: This is incorrect. A joke that involves "high stakes" does not describe a rude or sexist joke.
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