SPUR sb ON

I’ve started teaching again this week, and it hasn’t been easy. Face masks, incessant hand-cleaning and underlying worry take up more class time and attention than I would like. It’s slightly more difficult to communicate with students and it’s also difficult for them to pick up from where they left off nearly 6 months ago. But the thought that I’m giving them some routine and normality again, and hopefully helping them with English at the same time, spurs me on to keep providing the best lessons I can.

meaning

To encourage, motivate or give someone an incentive to do something. The meaning comes from spurs, those round spiky discs on cowboy boots, which cowboys would use to make the horses run faster. Here are some examples of the phrasal verb in use:

Alex didn’t want to graffiti the school wall, but his new group of friends spurred him on.

I was tired of studying all day for my final exams, but knowing that I was near the end spurred me on to do my best.

The singer, spurred on by the cheering fans, jumped into the crowd.

the grammar bit

‘Spur sb on’ is transitive and separable. It is usually separated, and quite often passive. So you can say:

Rosalind spurred on Jeffrey.

Rosalind spurred Jeffrey on.

Rosalind spurred him on.

Jeffrey was spurred on by Rosalind.

But you can’t say:

Rosalind spurred on him.

Rosalind spurred on.

song

Here’s an uplifting classic by The Who, who sing of ‘the men who spurred us on’ in a song criticising power and the nature of politics:

discussion

Practise using ‘spur on’ with these discussion questions. As always, feel free to contact me for feedback:

1. Think of a time when someone spurred you on to do something.
2. Think of a time when you spurred someone else on.
3. Are there times when it is necessary to spur someone on? And are there times when you shouldn’t spur someone on if they seem reluctant to do something?