shifts
shifts — verb
- shiftspresent simple I / you / we / they
- shiftses3rd person singular
- shiftsing-ing form
- shiftsedpast simple
1. to move something slightly from one place or position to another, or to change d
to move something slightly from one place or position to another, or to change direction a little
Pedro shifted his weight from one foot to the other while waiting for the bus.
shift + object (body part) + direction phrase
The sofa was too heavy to lift, so they shifted it a few inches to the left.
passive: was shifted + distance + direction
Bao carefully shifted the boxes in the back of the truck to make room for more luggage.
As the afternoon sun moved closer, Constanza shifted her chair into the shade.
The wind shifted suddenly from the south, bringing cooler air across the valley.
文法句型
shift + object + adverb/preposition
shift + adverb/preposition
用法筆記
Common with adverbs of direction: up, down, sideways, left, right. Subject can be a person, an object, or a natural force like wind.
常見錯誤
2. to change from one opinion, belief, or attitude to another, often gradually
to change from one opinion, belief, or attitude to another, often gradually
Public opinion on climate change has shifted dramatically over the past ten years.
subject: public opinion / attitudes / views + shift + adverb
Yara shifted her position on the school board after hearing the parents' concerns.
Rachid's thinking about the new policy shifted once he read the full report.
The government's approach to housing shifted from building new towers to renovating old buildings.
Investor confidence shifted overnight when the company announced a new product.
文法句型
shift + from + noun + to + noun
shift + adverb
用法筆記
Often followed by 'from… to…' to show the starting and ending positions. Frequently used with abstract subjects like 'attitude', 'focus', 'priorities'.
常見錯誤
3. to move the gear stick in a vehicle to change the relationship between the engin
to move the gear stick in a vehicle to change the relationship between the engine speed and the wheel speed
Imran shifted into third gear as the car climbed the steep hill outside town.
shift + into + [gear number] + gear
The driving instructor told Anya to shift down before going around the sharp corner.
shift down / shift up — direction of gear change
Learning to shift smoothly between gears takes practice for most new drivers.
The old truck made a loud noise when the driver shifted gears at high speed.
Asher shifted out of reverse and pulled forward into the parking space.
- change gear
more common in British English
- change gears
used in both varieties
- switch gears
metaphorical extension; also means to change activity
文法句型
shift + into/out of + gear
shift + gear
用法筆記
In informal British English, 'change gear' is more common; 'shift gear' is typical in American English. 'Shift down' = go to a lower gear; 'shift up' = go to a higher gear.
常見錯誤
4. to leave one home and move to another, especially within the same city or area
to leave one home and move to another, especially within the same city or area
The Thompson family shifted from London to a smaller town in Cornwall last summer.
shift from [old place] + to [new place]
Emily is planning to shift to Manchester once her new job starts in September.
After ten years in the same flat, Nikos finally shifted to a larger apartment across the river.
Yan's family shifted house three times before he turned twelve because of his father's work.
- stay
to remain in the same home
文法句型
shift + adverb/preposition
用法筆記
Primarily British. In American English, 'move' is used instead. 'Shift house' is an even more informal variant.
常見錯誤
❌ 'We shifted to a new apartment last week.' (correct but ambiguous) — This sense is distinct from verb/1; context makes it clear: shifting house involves all belongings, not just slight repositioning.
5. to sell something or pass it on to someone else, especially when it is difficult
to sell something or pass it on to someone else, especially when it is difficult to find a buyer
The shop shifted all the old inventory at half price before the new stock arrived.
shift + object [goods/products] — selling/clearing stock
Constanza managed to shift her old sofa on a second-hand website within two days.
The street vendor shifted the last of his mangoes just as the rain started to fall.
Bao tried to shift the broken printer onto his colleague instead of repairing it himself.
No one wanted the old car, so Pedro could not shift it even at a very low price.
- keep
to hold onto instead of selling
文法句型
shift + object
shift + object + off/onto + noun
用法筆記
Often used in commercial contexts. 'Shift the blame' is a common fixed phrase meaning to make someone else responsible.
常見錯誤
6. to press a computer keyboard's Shift key, usually together with another key, in
to press a computer keyboard's Shift key, usually together with another key, in order to produce a capital letter or a special symbol
To type a capital letter, hold down one of the Shift keys and press the letter at the same time.
hold down Shift + press [key] — instruction pattern
Ilan pressed Shift to type the @ sign for his email address, but the symbol did not appear on screen.
press Shift to type [symbol]
If you press Shift and the number 2 together on most keyboards, you get the @ symbol.
Anya pressed Shift twice to type two capital letters, but her little finger started to ache after a while.
- press Shift
the more common phrasing in everyday computing
- hit Shift
very informal
文法句型
press + Shift + [key combination]
hold + Shift + [key]
用法筆記
This verb sense is recorded in dictionaries, but in everyday computing usage the phrasing 'press Shift' (with 'Shift' as a noun referring to the key name) is far more common and natural. In natural speech, speakers say 'press Shift' rather than using 'shift' as an intransitive verb.
常見錯誤
shifts — noun
- shiftssingular
- shiftsesplural
1. a scheduled block of time when someone does their job, especially within a syste
a scheduled block of time when someone does their job, especially within a system that covers a full day and night
Nikos works the night shift at the hospital from eleven at night until seven in the morning.
work + the [time] shift — specifying the time
The morning shift starts at six, so the bakery workers arrive before sunrise.
morning / night / day shift — time labels
Pedro switched to the day shift so he could spend more evenings with his children.
Imran was exhausted after working three double shifts in a row during the busy season.
The factory runs three shifts a day to keep production going around the clock.
- stint
a period of time spent doing a job, but not necessarily part of a rotation
- tour of duty
military term for a period of service
- work period
descriptive but less natural as a synonym
文法句型
shift + noun (shift worker)
on + shift
work + a/the + shift
用法筆記
Often used with a time label: day shift, night shift, early shift, late shift. A 'shift pattern' describes the rotation schedule.
常見錯誤
2. a change in the place, position, or direction of something
a change in the place, position, or direction of something
A slight shift in the wind meant the sailing race had to be postponed until the next day.
a shift in + [natural force]
The earthquake caused a shift of several metres along the fault line in the desert.
a shift of + [distance]
The photographer asked for a small shift in the model's position to capture better light.
Geologists measured a gradual shift in the river's course over the past century.
Rachid noticed a shift in the books on the shelf after the strong wind blew through the window.
- movement
general term; shift suggests a slight or measured change
- move
less formal, often used interchangeably
- adjustment
suggests a deliberate fine-tuning
- stillness
complete lack of movement
文法句型
a shift + in + noun
a shift + of + noun
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun sense 4: this sense is about physical change of position or direction; sense 4 is about change in attitude, opinion, or quality.
3. a woman's garment with a relaxed, straight silhouette that falls vertically from
a woman's garment with a relaxed, straight silhouette that falls vertically from the shoulders and has no gathered waist
Emily wore a light blue linen shift to the garden party, with flat sandals and a straw hat.
fabric + shift — linen / cotton / silk shift
The fashion magazine featured a simple black shift dress as the must-have item for summer.
shift dress — alternative name
Yara bought a patterned shift that reached just above her knees for the office party.
Shift dresses were very popular in the 1960s and have come back into fashion several times since then.
- shift dress
the full term; equally common
- chemise
historical or French term for a similar loose garment
- sheath dress
a fitted dress that follows the body's shape
文法句型
a + adjective + shift
用法筆記
Also called a 'shift dress'. Different from 'sheath dress' (fitted) and 'tent dress' (very wide). This is a garment that simply hangs from the shoulders.
4. a change in what someone thinks, believes, or cares about, especially a noticeab
a change in what someone thinks, believes, or cares about, especially a noticeable or important one
There has been a major shift in public attitudes toward recycling and reducing plastic waste.
a shift in + [abstract: attitudes / opinions / views]
The company announced a shift in strategy from selling in stores to selling entirely online.
a shift from [old] + to [new]
Asher noticed a subtle shift in his friend's mood after the conversation turned to family matters.
The election results reflected a clear shift toward younger candidates across the country.
A shift in consumer behaviour during the pandemic led to a huge increase in online grocery orders.
- change
more general; shift suggests a more noticeable or significant change
- transformation
a more dramatic, complete change
- reversal
a change to the opposite position
- continuity
the state of staying the same
- stability
lack of change
文法句型
a shift + in + noun (opinion/attitude/focus)
a shift + from + noun + to + noun
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun sense 2: this sense is about abstract or mental changes (opinions, attitudes, priorities), not physical position. Common collocations: 'major shift', 'significant shift', 'dramatic shift'.