set在英语中是一个很活跃的词,可以与一些介词和副词构成不同的词组。我们应该掌握set的以下几种用法:
一、 set作及物动词,属不规则动词,其过去式及过去分词均为set,意为"放置;竖立"等
I told her to set the dishes on the table. 我叫她把碟子放到桌上。
It was the old man who set the ladder against the wall. 是那位老人把梯子靠在墙上。
    动词set, lay, place, put 都可用来表示"放"。set一般指把某物垂直着放; lay一般指把某物横着或摊开着放; place指有意识地把某物放在较为确定的位置上,语气庄重; put是最普通的词,指较随意地放,可代替其它几个词。试比较:
He laid his book open on the desk and went out for play. 他把书摊在课桌上,出去玩耍。
The waiter placed the meal in front of me. 服务员把饭菜摆在我面前。
I put the scissors in the drawer. 我把剪刀放到抽屉里了。
二、 set意为"安置;安排"(通常与副词连用)
The taxi driver set the wheel on the axle. 出租车司机把轮子装在轴上。
It was your turn to set rooms for the guests.该轮到你为客人安排房间。
三、 set意为"镶嵌;点缀"
The sky was set with tens of thousands of stars. 无数星星点缀着天空。
The tops of the walls were set with broken glass. 墙顶嵌有碎玻璃。
四、 set意为"使处于某种状态(位置)"
Don't worry. I've set everything in order.不必担心,我已使一切就绪。
Do you know what has set the dog barking? 你知道什么使那只狗叫起来了?
A good night's rest will set you right.好好休息一夜将使你精神恢复。
五、作不及物动词,意为"(日、月等)落;凝固;凝结"
It will be cooler when the sun has set.太阳落后,天就会凉爽些。
As is known to us all,  this kind of concrete sets quickly. 大家都知道,这种混凝土凝结得很快。
六、 和set构成的常用短语
1. set off "动身;使爆炸;使开始"。
They will set off for Paris next week.下星期他们将动身去巴黎。
The country set off a hydrogen bomb successfully in 1957. 1957 年这个国家成功地爆炸了一颗氢弹。
If you can set him off talking on his pet dog, he'll go on all night. 如果你能让他开始谈论他的宠物狗,他就会整个晚上谈下去。

（1）set off 意思是"使……爆炸"，及物性短浯动词：e．g．
They set off the fireworks as soon as it got dark．天一黑他们就放焰火(烟花)。
(2)set off 还可指"出发，动身"，不及物性短语动词。e．g．
They set off in search of the lost child．他们出发去寻找那个丢失的孩子。
(3)set off 还可意为"引起，触发"，及物性短语动词。e．g．
①That strike set off a series of strikes throughout the country．那次罢工引发了全国一系列的罢工。
②A letter from home set off an attack of homesickness．一封家书触发了他的思乡病的发作。
(4)set off 还可指"使某人突然产生某种活动"，其后往往接v.-ing，即set s.b．off doing sth．e.g.
Whatever you say will set her off crying.不管你说什么都会使她哭泣。
(5)set off还可指"衬托，使更明显"。e．g．
This gold frame sets off your painting well．这金色的框架把你的画衬托得非常好看。
2. set about"开始;着手"
Once I realized what was wrong, I set about correcting it. 我一认识到错误马上就纠正。
3. set out "出发;开始;陈述"
They will set out at dawn.他们将在拂晓出发。
Having made the plan, she set out to make the experiment. 计划制定好以后,她就着手进行试验。
The professor sets out his ideas clearly in his article. 在这篇文章中教授清楚地表明了自己的想法。
4.set up"创造;建立;创办"
The young man has just set up a new national record in high jump. 那个小伙子刚创造跳高全国记录。
It is difficult for us to set up a school within a month. 我们在一个月内很难建立一所学校。
    set构成的其它短语还有：

set an example to... 为......树立榜样;

set a trap for...为......设陷阱

set sail启航,等等。

此外,set 还可以作名词。a complete set of equipment成套设备。