Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
You use ~ to emphasize that you are giving your own opinion.
Personally I think it’s a waste of time...
You can disagree about them, and I ~ do, but they are great ideas that have made people think...
ADV: ADV with cl emphasis
2.
If you do something ~, you do it yourself rather than letting someone else do it.
The minister is returning to Paris to answer the allegations ~...
When the great man arrived, the club’s manager ~ escorted him upstairs...
ADV: ADV with v
3.
If you meet or know someone ~, you meet or know them in real life, rather than knowing about them or knowing their work.
He did not know them ~, but he was familiar with their reputation...
ADV: ADV with v
4.
You can use ~ to say that something refers to an individual person rather than to other people.
He was ~ responsible for all that the people had suffered under his rule...
In order for me to spend three months on something it has to interest me ~.
ADV: ADV with v, ADV adj
5.
You can use ~ to show that you are talking about someone’s private life rather than their professional or public life.
This has taken a great toll on me ~ and professionally...
ADV: oft ADV with cl
6.
If you take someone’s remarks ~, you are upset because you think that they are criticizing you in particular.
Remember, stick to the issues and don’t take it ~.
PHRASE: V inflects