Wrap it up

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

…yes, that one, in which colour, oh yeah, that'll be perfect, when can you deliver it for? Right yes, and another thing.

Phil, Phil. What are you doing. We've got a programme to record?

I'm just trying to sort out my wife's birthday present? Yes, so yes, that's fine for the delivery….

Look, can you wrap it up, we've got to get on with this.

The present? I can't wrap it up. I haven't bought it yet.

No, your phone call – can you wrap that up. Can you end it?

Yes, and I think that might make a good expression for this programme.

It's almost like you planned it. Yes, in this programme, we're going to learn the expression 'wrap something up'. If you wrap something up, you finish it.

Yes, it sometimes has the idea that there are a few things you need to do to finish it properly. For a phone call you probably just need to say goodbye, but if you're wrapping up a project at work, you might be trying to make sure that you've achieved all the things that you meant to at the start.

Sometimes it's for a more planned ending. For example, 'we need to wrap up this meeting by four'. Or sometimes we use it when we're feeling a bit impatient with someone, for example if they're on the phone for too long.

I have no idea who you could be talking about there. Let's hear some other people using 'wrap it up'.

Well, we could talk about this forever, but we've really got to wrap it up. I have to go home. We've been working on this project for three years. And now I just need to do the last few things and then we can wrap it up, finally. Listen kids, I don't want to listen to you argue any longer. Just wrap it up!

We've been learning the expression 'wrap it up' to mean end or finish something.

In a similar expression – at the end of making a film people say 'that's a wrap' to say it's over. Then they might have a 'wrap party' to celebrate.

OK. That just about wraps it up for this programme but join us next time to learn more English phrases and expressions.

See you then!

Bye bye!