Meaning & use
changing gear
Last updated
Meanings
phraseuncountable
The act of moving a vehicle's transmission from one gear to another while driving.
Grammar: Used as a noun phrase; it names the activity, not one single action: 'Changing gear smoothly takes practice.'
Patterns
- changing gear smoothly
- have trouble changing gear
- changing gear on a hill
New drivers often find changing gear the hardest part of a lesson.
He kept changing gear too early, so the engine made a strange noise.
Changing gear on a steep hill needs a steady hand and quick feet.
phraseuncountablefigurative
The act of starting to do something in a new or different way.
Grammar: Figurative use; often followed by 'from ... to ...' or 'on something': 'changing gear on the project.'
Patterns
- changing gear from something to something
- changing gear on something
After the merger, the company is changing gear and focusing on smaller clients.
The team is changing gear from research to production this month.
You can tell she is changing gear: her emails are suddenly much shorter.
Common combinations
- changing gear smoothly
- Changing gear smoothly comes with hours of practice.
- have difficulty changing gear
- Learners often have difficulty changing gear while turning.
- changing gear up/down
- Changing gear up too soon can stall the car.
- the art of changing gear
- He made the art of changing gear look effortless.
Synonyms and how they differ
- shifting gears
- The usual American phrase for the same driving action; in British English 'changing gear' is more common.
- switching
- A general word for moving from one thing to another; it does not suggest the mechanical movement of a gearbox.
Word family
- gear noun
- One of the fixed speed settings in a vehicle or machine.
- change down verb
- To move to a lower gear, especially to go slower or climb.
- change up verb
- To move to a higher gear, usually when going faster.
Commonly confused: changing gear or changing gears?
changing gear vs changing gears
This plural form is normal in American English; British English usually keeps 'gear' singular in the phrase 'changing gear'.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Changing gear' is an uncountable activity, so it takes a singular verb and can be followed by 'on a hill'. Option A wrongly uses a plural verb; C needs 'the gears of his car'; D confuses the driving phrase with starting a new job.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “changing gear”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.