(~s, ~ning, began, begun)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
To ~ to do something means to start doing it.
He stood up and began to move around the room...
The weight loss began to look more serious...
Snow began falling again.
= start
? stop
VERB: V to-inf, V to-inf, V -ing
2.
When something ~s or when you ~ it, it takes place from a particular time onwards.
The problems began last November...
He has just begun his fourth year in hiding...
The US is prepared to ~ talks immediately.
= start, commence
? end
VERB: V, V n, V n
3.
If you ~ with something, or ~ by doing something, this is the first thing you do.
Could I ~ with a few formalities?
...a businessman who began by selling golf shirts from the boot of his car...
He began his career as a sound editor.
= start
? end
VERB: V with n, V by -ing, V n prep
4.
You use ~ to mention the first thing that someone says.
‘Professor Theron,’ he began, ‘I’m very pleased to see you’...
He didn’t know how to ~.
? conclude
VERB: no cont, V with quote, V
5.
If one thing began as another, it first existed in the form of the second thing.
What began as a local festival has blossomed into an international event.
= start
VERB: no cont, V as n
6.
If you say that a thing or place ~s somewhere, you are talking about one of its limits or edges.
The fate line ~s close to the wrist...
? end
VERB: no cont, V prep/adv
7.
If a word ~s with a particular letter, that is the first letter of that word.
The first word ~s with an F.
= start
? end
VERB: no cont, V with n
8.
If you say that you cannot ~ to imagine, understand, or explain something, you are emphasizing that it is almost impossible to explain, understand, or imagine.
You can’t ~ to imagine how much that saddens me.
VERB: no cont, with brd-neg, V to-inf emphasis
9.
You use to ~ with when you are talking about the first stage of a situation, event, or process.
It was great to ~ with but now it’s difficult.
PHRASE: PHR with cl
10.
You use to ~ with to introduce the first of several things that you want to say.
‘What do scientists you’ve spoken with think about that?’—‘Well, to ~ with, they doubt it’s going to work.’
= firstly
PHRASE: PHR with cl
11.
to ~ life: see life