Run on

Run on

Today’s English expression is a phrasal verb: “run on.” We use this in a very specific situation, which is when we’re talking about the fuel or power source of a device or a process.

Toys are a great example, and here’s a really common thing to say about toys: “It runs on batteries.” It runs on batteries means, it’s powered by batteries. Batteries supply the power for the toy. I remember a few toys that ran on batteries. One was called Lite Brite. It was a tablet-shaped toy with lots of colors and you could kind of draw your own art on it.

A Lite Brite runs on batteries. If you say a toy runs on batteries, you’re clarifying that you don’t have to plug it into the wall. The power source is batteries.

Here’s another toy that runs on batteries: Simon. Did you have one of those? It was like a multi-colored wheel and I think it was something about patterns. Like it would show a pattern of buttons to press, and you had to press the buttons in the same pattern. I know, I know: it’s nothing compared to today’s toys. But it was basically indestructible and it ran on batteries.

If you have a big house, and if you live in a cold climate, you might consider getting a space heater. You can use a space heater to warm up just a small room or part of your house, instead of turning your thermostat up. A space heater runs on electricity, so if electricity is cheaper than gas, you could save money that way too. A space heater runs on electricity: the power source is electricity.

Let’s think on a bigger scale now. Germany is an industrial powerhouse in Europe; its factories consume a lot of energy. And there’s an energy crunch right now , especially in natural gas. BASF is one of the world’s largest chemical companies. A lot of BASF factories run on natural gas. Faced with higher prices and possible rationing, BASF is considering retrofitting its factories. The company wants more of its factories to run on oil.

Why would it be better for the factories to run on oil than on gas? Well, because now the supply of gas is at risk. It’s very volatile. Oil—at least these days—is much more stable and more secure. (By the way, there’s a sentence I never thought I’d utter: oil is the most secure fuel source? How times change.)

A lot of homes in the northeast of the United States have generators. A generator is like a mini electrical plant that you keep in your garage for emergencies. We had one in my house growing up. So what happens is, in a big storm, whether it’s a snowstorm or a hurricane, you might lose power for hours or even days at a time. If you lose power, you can’t run your furnace, your refrigerator, your stove, anything. So a lot of homes have a generator that can produce a small amount of electricity in an emergency.

The generators run on gasoline, just like what you can get at the gas station. So if a storm is coming, you’ll go to the gas station, fill up a few portable tanks, and hope you don’t have to use them. But the generators are a backup fuel source and they run on gasoline. Most hospitals around the world have backup generators like this, too, to maintain the critical machinery keeping patients alive.

Quote of the Week

In the Plain English Plus+ membership, we have a few ways for you to practice writing. And one of those ways is a writing prompt every week—it’s a question of the week for you to answer in your own words. And our friend JR is the one in charge of the question—he does not ask for my approval first, he just publishes the question, so I have no idea what they are before they’re published, usually on Saturdays.

Well last week, his question to Plus+ members was this: Do you have a favorite quote? And one of the members, Estefan from Taiwan, who you saw in the 500th lesson video, Estefan shared this quote: “A contented mind is the greatest blessing a man can enjoy in this world.” That was from Joseph Addison. He was an English writer and politician; he lived in the 16- and 1700’s. That’s a long time ago. But I would argue that his ideas have stood the test of time! Even now in 2022, I think this quote is a good one: “A contented mind is the greatest blessing a man can enjoy in this world.”

See you next time!

And that is all for today, Monday, October 24, 2022. Congratulations on making it to the end of another lesson. Earlier I mentioned the chances to practice writing with us at Plain English Plus—JR’s question of the week is just one such opportunity. So if you’re looking to be a little more active with your Plain English learning, I invite you to come join us in Plain English Plus+ by visiting PlainEnglish.com/Plus.

We’ll be back on Thursday with another lesson. Thursday’s lesson is about asteroids destroying the earth. Wait, no! That’s not the topic! It’s about avoiding the prospect of asteroids destroying the earth. And it’s a good one, so make sure to join us on Thursday. See you then!