What Does โVote sb outโ Mean?
โVote sb outโ means to decide that someone should leave a position, group, or place by voting against them. It is often used in contexts like competitions, meetings, or elections.
Introduction
The phrase โvote sb outโ is commonly used in English when a group wants to remove someone from a role or situation through a voting process. The โsbโ stands for โsomebody,โ meaning the person being voted out. This phrasal verb is popular in reality TV shows, politics, and workplaces where decisions are made by majority vote. Understanding the โvote sb out meaningโ helps learners use it correctly to describe situations where someone is excluded or dismissed by collective agreement.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: vote somebody out
- Type: transitive
- Level: B2
- Short meaning: to remove someone by voting
Structure (Grammar Rules)
โVote sb outโ is a separable phrasal verb. You can place the object (sb) between the verb and the particle or after the particle.
- Vote someone out
- Vote out someone
Both forms are correct, but the first is more common.
How to Use Vote sb out?
Use โvote sb outโ when describing situations where a group decides by voting to remove someone. It usually appears in past or present perfect tense, such as โThey voted her out last weekโ or โHe has been voted out of the committee.โ
It often involves formal or informal groups, like teams, boards, or reality TV contestants.
Examples
In many reality TV shows, contestants can be voted out by the public or their peers.
- The team voted him out after he missed several important meetings.
- She was voted out of the competition because of poor performance.
- We decided to vote John out of the committee to bring in new ideas.
- They voted out the president during the annual meeting.
- He fears being voted out if he doesnโt improve his work.
Here is โVote sb out in a sentenceโ: The board voted the manager out after the company lost several clients.
Common Mistakes
Many learners confuse the word order or use the wrong object pronoun.
- Incorrect: Vote out him.
- Correct: Vote him out.
- Incorrect: They vote out she yesterday.
- Correct: They voted her out yesterday.
Remember to place the object correctly between the verb and particle or after it.
Differences / Synonyms
โVote sb outโ is similar to โkick sb outโ or โremove sb,โ but it specifically involves a formal voting process. โKick sb outโ is more informal and can happen without a vote. โRemove sbโ is more general and does not imply voting.
- Vote sb out: Removal by voting.
- Kick sb out: Force someone to leave, often immediately.
- Remove sb: General term for taking someone out of a position.
Common Collocations
People often use โvote sb outโ with words related to groups or roles.
- Vote a contestant out: remove a participant from a contest.
- Vote a leader out: remove a leader or manager.
- Vote a member out: remove a member from a group or committee.
- Vote someone out of office: remove a politician from their position.
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of vote sb out:
Real-life Dialogue
Here is a short conversation using โvote sb outโ:
Anna: Did you hear? They voted Jake out of the team yesterday.
Ben: Really? Why?
Anna: He wasnโt contributing much, so the group decided to vote him out.
Practice
Try filling in the blanks with the correct form of โvote sb outโ:
- They decided to _______ the unpopular leader _______ after the meeting.
- She was _______ out of the competition last week.
- Have you ever been _______ out of a group before?
FAQ
- What does โvote sb outโ mean? It means to remove someone from a group or position by voting.
- Is โvote sb outโ formal or informal? It can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
- Can I say โvote out someoneโ? Yes, but โvote someone outโ is more common.
- Is โvote sb outโ separable? Yes, you can separate the object from the verb and particle.
- Where is โvote sb outโ commonly used? In politics, reality shows, meetings, and group decisions.
