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Meaning trap

run out of

use all of something

To have no more of something left because you have used it all.

phrasal verbB1core

Don't mix these meanings

Same phrase, different job.

use all of something

To have no more of something left because you have used it all.

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Hear it in context

Notice where the phrase sounds natural.

  • We ran out of bread, so I need to go to the shop.daily life
  • During my trip, we ran out of money and had to be very careful with our spending.IELTS speaking

Fix the pattern

Pattern: run out of + noun

WrongWe ran out milk.

RightWe ran out of milk.

'Run out OF' + the thing. ('We've run out' alone is fine if the thing is obvious.)

Patternrun out of + noun

Use it right

Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.

Stiff Our supply of milk has been entirely depleted.

Natural We've run out of milk.

'Run out of' is the everyday phrase for having none left; 'supply has been depleted' is inventory-report English.

Build natural chunks

Words that usually travel with it.

  • run out of + resource
    timemoneymilkpatience

Don't confuse it

Not the same as 'run out' (leave quickly); 'run out of' always means you have nothing left.

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