Hey there! It’s Michael here, and welcome back to Phrasal Verbs in a Minute from Happy English. I’m here every Friday with a quick one-point lesson to help you learn a new phrasal verb and sound more natural when you speak.

Today’s phrasal verb is chisel away at. A chisel is a tool used to shape wood, a little at a time. When you chisel away at a task, it means you work on it little by little over time. 

• Like my friend Alex has been chiseling away at writing his novel for the past year. He only writes a few pages a week, but it’s adding up.
• And my neighbor has been chiseling away at renovating his house - one room at a time.
• These days, I’m chiseling away at improving my Japanese reading and writing. A little practice every day really makes a difference.

So how about you? What’s something you’ve been chiseling away at recently? Let me know in the comments, and remember to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss the next Happy English Podcast and next week’s Phrasal Verbs in a Minute.

Hey, thanks for listening - and until next time, keep learning and keep it cool.


Happy English Podcast – Speak English Naturally I’m Michael from Happy English, and I help people speak English more naturally, confidently, and clearly.

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