Understanding the Phrasal Verb 'Farm Out': Meaning and Usage
Welcome, English learners! Phrasal verbs can be tricky, but they are essential for sounding natural and fluent in English. Today, we're diving deep into the phrasal verb "farm out". You might have heard it in business contexts or even when people talk about childcare. Understanding how to use farm out correctly will significantly boost your vocabulary and comprehension. This post will clearly explain its meanings, show you how it's structured in sentences, provide synonyms, and offer practice questions to solidify your learning. Let's get started!
Table of Contents
What Does Farm Out Mean?
The phrasal verb "farm out" generally means to give work, a task, or responsibility to someone else to do, often because you don't have the time, resources, or expertise to do it yourself. It implies sending something away from a central point or person to be handled externally. While its most common usage relates to work or tasks, it can also apply to other contexts, as we'll explore.
Structure with Farm Out
Understanding the structure of "farm out" is key to using it correctly. This phrasal verb is transitive, meaning it needs an object. It's also separable in some contexts, though often used inseparably. Let's look at its common meanings and their typical sentence structures.
Meaning 1: To Delegate or Outsource Work
This is the most common meaning of farm out. It refers to giving a piece of work or a project to someone else, often an external contractor, freelancer, or another company, instead of doing it in-house.
Structure 1 (Active): Subject + farm out + [something/task] + (to + [someone/company])
- Example 1: The company decided to farm out its IT support to a specialized agency.
- Example 2: We don't have the capacity to handle all these orders, so we'll farm out some of the manufacturing.
Structure 2 (Passive): [Something/task] + is/are farmed out + (to + [someone/company])
- Example 1: The graphic design work was farmed out to a freelancer to save costs.
- Example 2: Much of the customer service has been farmed out to call centers overseas.
When using farm out in this sense, you're emphasizing the act of assigning tasks externally. This is a very useful phrase in business English, especially when discussing resource allocation and project management. Learning to farm out tasks effectively can be a key skill.
Meaning 2: To Send Someone (Especially a Child or Animal) to Be Cared for by Others
Another meaning of farm out is to arrange for a child or an animal to live with or be cared for by someone else, usually for a temporary period. This usage is less common than the business context but still important to recognize.
- Structure: Subject + farm out + [child/animal/person] + (to + [someone/place])
- Example 1: During the war, many city children were farmed out to families in the countryside for safety.
- Example 2: The old dog was farmed out to a relative while the family went on a long vacation.
This use of farm out often implies a need for care or a change in living arrangements due to specific circumstances.
Meaning 3: (Sports) To Assign a Player to a Minor League Team
In the world of sports, particularly in American baseball, to farm out a player means to send them to a minor league team. These minor league teams are often called "farm teams" or "farm systems," as they help develop players for the major league.
- Structure: Subject (team/management) + farm out + [player] + (to + [minor league team/affiliate])
- Example 1: The struggling rookie pitcher was farmed out to Triple-A to work on his control.
- Example 2: After acquiring a veteran shortstop, the team farmed out their younger prospect to ensure he got regular playing time.
Understanding this specific usage of farm out is helpful if you follow sports or read sports news in English.
Related Phrases and Synonyms
To better understand "farm out", especially its primary meaning of delegating work, it's useful to know some synonyms and related phrases. These alternatives can help you vary your vocabulary and understand nuances in meaning.
| Synonym | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Delegate | To entrust a task or responsibility to another person, typically one who is less senior. | The manager decided to delegate the report writing to her assistant. |
| Outsource | To obtain goods or a service by contract from an outside supplier, especially in place of an internal source. | Many companies outsource their customer service to other countries. |
| Assign | To allocate a job or duty to someone. | The teacher will assign new homework tomorrow. |
| Subcontract | To employ a business or person outside one's company to do work as part of a larger project. | The main contractor will subcontract the electrical work. |
| Contract out | Similar to outsource or subcontract; to arrange for work to be done by another person or company. | The city council contracted out the park maintenance services. |
Using these synonyms can add precision to your language. For example, "outsource" often implies a formal, contractual arrangement with an external company, whereas "delegate" can happen within an organization. While farm out can cover both, it often has a slightly more informal feel or implies sending work away that might otherwise have been done internally.
Practice Time!
Now, let's test your understanding of "farm out" with a few multiple-choice questions. Choose the best answer for each.
Question 1: Which sentence uses "farm out" to mean delegating work? a) The farmer decided to farm out his land for grazing. b) The company will farm out the software development to a specialized firm. c) She had to farm out her children to relatives during the illness. d) The baseball team chose to farm out the young player to the minors.
Correct answer: b
Question 2: "The marketing campaign was _______ to an external agency due to lack of in-house expertise." Which phrase best completes the sentence? a) farmed up b) farmed in c) farmed over d) farmed out
Correct answer: d
Question 3: What is the object in the sentence: "The publisher farmed out the editing work"? a) publisher b) farmed out c) the editing work d) work
Correct answer: c
Question 4: The company decided to ________ its payroll processing to a third-party provider. a) farm in b) farm off c) farm out d) farm over
Correct answer: c
Conclusion
Congratulations on exploring the phrasal verb "farm out"! As you've seen, understanding its different meanings—from delegating tasks in business to sending children for care or assigning sports players—can greatly enhance your English communication skills. Remembering its common structures and practicing with examples will help you use farm out confidently and correctly. Keep practicing, and don't be afraid to incorporate new phrasal verbs like farm out into your daily conversations and writing!