Give out has two meanings: to hand something to each person in a group (leaflets, tasks, free samples), and to stop working, said of legs, a voice or an old machine. In the first meaning, everyone in the group gets something: give out flyers. In the second, legs, a voice or a machine can no longer take the strain: My voice gave out.
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give out + leaflets/papers (to + people); give them out; legs/voice/printer + give out
- Volunteers were giving out free water to runners along the route.
- Halfway through the presentation, my voice gave out, and a colleague finished it for me.
- Could you give out these handouts while I set up the projector?
What changed
First versionAfter twenty kilometres, my legs refused, and I had to stop.
RevisionAfter twenty kilometres, my legs gave out, and I had to stop.
My legs refused may sound like a natural way to say your legs stopped working. But refuse means to say no to something or to doing something, so without an object the sentence sounds cut off. When legs, a voice or a machine stop working, English uses give out: my legs gave out.
Give out stresses that everyone in a group receives the thing: The guide gave out maps at the entrance. Give away means to part with something for good and ask for nothing in return: I gave away my old bike to a neighbour.
Your turn
The teacher ___ the exam papers and told us we had ninety minutes.
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gave out — Exam papers are handed to everyone before the test and collected at the end. That is gave out. Gave away would mean the teacher got rid of the papers for good, like things nobody needs.
Describe an event where you handed things out: a careers fair, a conference or a class. Say what exactly you gave out and to whom.
At the careers fair, I gave out brochures about our graduate programme to students from three universities.
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