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Words and Their StoriesLearning Expressions with VOA
Processed with VS1Use root metaphors to talk about belonging, causes, and the work of solving problems.
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Source: VOA Learning English · Words and Their Stories
View original article & transcriptRoot expressions connect a plant’s hidden support system to human life. People put down roots when they build ties to a place; a problem’s root is its cause; digging deeper can reveal causes that are not obvious at first.
Cultural note: “Money is the root of all evil” is a shortened familiar saying. The biblical wording is about the love of money being a root of many kinds of evil, not money itself inevitably causing every problem.
Keep exploringRoots hold a plant in place and can also mean the source of something. Follow the metaphor from belonging to problem-solving.
Phrase guide · 5 expressions
Original explanations and examples, created for learners. Save a card for later or hear the phrase spoken by your browser.
Describe the ties that connect someone to a place.
Meaning
Make a place your home and build lasting connections there.
Tone & use
Often describes settling in through work, friendships, family, or community ties.
Example
“After joining the neighborhood garden and finding a nearby job, Priya began to put down roots.”
Name what a problem starts from or is connected to.
Meaning
Have something as an underlying origin or basis.
Tone & use
The “something” may be a place, experience, tradition, belief, or cause.
Example
“Her interest in public libraries was rooted in the hours she spent reading there as a child.”
Meaning
The basic cause of an issue.
Tone & use
Use it when looking beyond a visible symptom to what is producing it.
Example
“The missed deadlines were only a symptom; unclear responsibilities were the root of the problem.”
Talk about examining an issue beyond its surface symptoms.
Meaning
Investigate further to discover more information or an underlying cause.
Tone & use
A common figurative expression in work, learning, and reporting. It can also be literal.
Example
“The first survey suggested low attendance, so the team dug deeper and learned that the bus schedule was the main barrier.”
Meaning
Address the fundamental cause rather than a surface symptom.
Tone & use
A more formal expression for taking action against a basic source of a problem.
Example
“The new training is designed to strike at the root of repeated communication errors.”
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