Meaning trap
give away
give something for free
To give something to someone without asking for money or anything in return.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
To give something to someone without asking for money or anything in return.
Another meaning of 'give away' is 'reveal a secret'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
I'm going to give away my old bike to my cousin because I don't use it anymore.
If I had extra clothes that I no longer wore, I would probably give them away to charity rather than throw them out.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: They gave away it for free.
Say: They gave it away for free.
With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'give it away'.
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
'Give away' is the natural verb for handing things out free; 'distributed free samples' is a marketing report.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
give away + thing
- free samples
- prizes
- it
- old clothes
Don't confuse it
Related
Other meanings and phrases to compare.
- give away (reveal a secret) — Another meaning of 'give away' is 'reveal a secret'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.