fall
Fall can be a verb or a noun.
used as a verb
When something falls, it moves quickly towards the ground by accident. The past tense of fall is fell. The -ed participle is fallen.
The cup fell from her hand and broke.
Several napkins had fallen to the floor.
When rain or snow falls, it comes down from the sky.
Rain was beginning to fall.
When someone who is standing or walking falls, they drop downwards so that they are kneeling or lying on the ground.
She fell and hurt her leg.
In conversation, you don't usually say that someone ‘falls’. You say that they fall down or fall over.
He fell down in the mud.
He fell over backwards and lay completely still.
You can also say that a tall object falls down or falls over.
The pile of books fell down and scattered all over the floor.
A tree fell over in the storm.
Be careful
Fall is an intransitive verb. You can't say that someone ‘falls’ something. Don't say, for example, ‘She screamed and fell the tray’. You say ‘She screamed and dropped the tray’.
Fall is an intransitive verb. You can't say that someone ‘falls’ something. Don't say, for example, ‘She screamed and fell the tray’. You say ‘She screamed and dropped the tray’.
He bumped into a chair and dropped his plate.
Careful! Don't drop it!
Be careful
Similarly, don't say that someone ‘falls’ a person. Don't say, for example, ‘He bumped into the girl and fell her’. You say ‘He bumped into the girl and knocked her down’ or ‘He bumped into the girl and knocked her over’.
Similarly, don't say that someone ‘falls’ a person. Don't say, for example, ‘He bumped into the girl and fell her’. You say ‘He bumped into the girl and knocked her down’ or ‘He bumped into the girl and knocked her over’.
I nearly knocked down a person at the bus stop.
I got knocked over by a car when I was six.
used as a noun
Fall can also be a noun. If you have a fall, you lose your balance and drop on to the ground, hurting yourself.
He had a bad fall and was taken to hospital.
In American English, fall is the season between summer and winter.
In the fall, I love going to Vermont.
British speakers call this season autumn.
➜ See autumn