Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs definition
Phrasal verbs are combinations of verbs with one or more particles (typically prepositions or adverbs) that together convey a distinct meaning different from the individual words. These combinations can greatly vary in meaning and usage, often requiring learners to understand their specific contexts. Here are a few examples:
1. **Break down**: To stop functioning properly. For example, “My car broke down on the way to work.”
2. **Look after**: To take care of someone or something. For example, “I need to look after my younger brother while my parents are away.”
3. **Give up**: To quit or stop trying. For example, “Don’t give up on your dreams.”
4. **Turn on**: To activate something. For example, “Please turn on the lights.”
5. **Run out of**: To deplete or exhaust the supply of something. For example, “We ran out of milk, so I need to buy some more.”
Phrasal verbs can also be separable or inseparable, meaning the object can sometimes come between the verb and the particle, or it must always follow the particle, respectively. For example:
– **Separable**: “I’m going to pick my friend up at the airport.” (object between the verb and particle)
– **Inseparable**: “I’m going to look after my little sister.” (object always follows the particle)
Learning phrasal verbs is essential for mastering English as they are very commonly used in both spoken and written language.
More phrasal verbs
Here are some more phrasal verbs:
1. **Get along**: To have a good relationship with someone. For example, “I get along well with my coworkers.”
2. **Put off**: To postpone or delay. For example, “We decided to put off the meeting until next week.”
3. **Bring up**: To raise a topic or subject for discussion. For example, “She brought up the issue during the meeting.”
4. **Take off**: To leave the ground (for aircraft) or to become successful suddenly (for a business, idea, etc.). For example, “The plane took off at 10 AM.” “Her career really took off after her viral video.”
5. **Go over**: To review or examine carefully. For example, “Let’s go over the details of the plan again.”
6. **Turn off**: To switch something off or to cause someone to lose interest. For example, “Please turn off the lights.” “The long lecture turned off the students.”
7. **Look forward to**: To feel excited or eager about something that is going to happen. For example, “I’m looking forward to the weekend.”
8. **Run into**: To unexpectedly encounter someone or something. For example, “I ran into an old friend at the grocery store.”
9. **Set up**: To arrange or establish something. For example, “We need to set up a meeting with the client.”
10. **Break in**: To enter a building forcibly and illegally or to wear something in until it fits comfortably. For example, “Burglars broke in while we were on vacation.” “I need to break in these new shoes.”
These are just a few examples of the many phrasal verbs in English. Learning and practicing them will greatly improve your fluency and comprehension in the language.
Here are some additional phrasal verbs:
11. **Call off**: To cancel something. For example, “They called off the picnic due to bad weather.”
12. **Look up**: To search for information in a reference source or online. For example, “I’ll look up the address on the internet.”
13. **Take after**: To resemble a family member in appearance or behavior. For example, “He takes after his mother; they have the same sense of humor.”
14. **Bring about**: To cause something to happen. For example, “The new law brought about significant changes in the industry.”
15. **Put up with**: To tolerate or endure something unpleasant. For example, “I can’t put up with his constant complaining anymore.”
16. **Get over**: To recover from an illness or emotional distress. For example, “It took her a long time to get over the loss of her pet.”
17. **Turn out**: To result in a certain way. For example, “The event turned out to be a great success.”
18. **Look into**: To investigate or examine something. For example, “We need to look into the issue further.”
19. **Show up**: To appear or arrive, especially when expected. For example, “She didn’t show up for the meeting.”
20. **Bring back**: To return something to its original location or to evoke memories of the past. For example, “Can you bring back the book you borrowed?” “That song brings back memories of my childhood.”
Here are some additional phrasal verbs:
1. **Calm down**: To become less agitated or anxious. For example, “Take a deep breath and try to calm down.”
2. **Catch up**: To reach the same level or status as others by working harder or faster. For example, “I need to catch up on my studies after missing class.”
3. **Figure out**: To understand or solve a problem. For example, “I need some time to figure out how to fix this issue.”
4. **Give in**: To surrender or yield to someone or something. For example, “After hours of negotiation, he finally gave in to their demands.”
5. **Look up**: To search for information in a reference source. For example, “I’ll look up the address of the restaurant online.”
6. **Pick out**: To choose or select something from a group. For example, “She picked out a dress for the party.”
7. **Put up with**: To tolerate or endure something unpleasant. For example, “I can’t put up with his rude behavior any longer.”
8. **Show off**: To boast or display one’s abilities or possessions in a way that seeks attention. For example, “He always shows off his expensive car.”
9. **Take over**: To assume control or responsibility from someone else. For example, “The new manager will take over the project next week.”
10. **Work out**: To exercise or to find a solution to a problem. For example, “I need to work out more often.” “We’ll work out the details later.”
Here are some more phrasal verbs for you:
1. **Back up**: To support or reinforce. For example, “I’ll back you up in the meeting.”
2. **Bring about**: To cause something to happen. For example, “The new regulations brought about significant changes.”
3. **Carry out**: To perform or complete a task or action. For example, “We need to carry out the experiment.”
4. **Cut down**: To reduce in size, amount, or frequency. For example, “I’m trying to cut down on sweets.”
5. **Fall through**: To fail to happen or be completed. For example, “Our plans to travel fell through due to bad weather.”
6. **Get over**: To recover from something such as an illness or a disappointment. For example, “It took him a long time to get over the breakup.”
7. **Hold on**: To wait or pause. For example, “Please hold on while I transfer your call.”
8. **Look into**: To investigate or examine a matter. For example, “We’ll look into the issue and get back to you.”
9. **Make up**: To reconcile after an argument or to invent a story. For example, “They made up after their fight.” “He made up an excuse for being late.”
10. **Put off**: To postpone or delay. For example, “We decided to put off the trip until next month.”
1. **Run out**: To exhaust the supply of something. For example, “We ran out of milk, so I need to buy some more.”
2. **Take off**: To become successful or popular rapidly. For example, “The new product really took off in the market.”
3. **Call off**: To cancel something that was planned. For example, “They called off the picnic due to bad weather.”
4. **Stand by**: To be ready and available to act or help if needed. For example, “I’ll stand by in case you need any assistance.”
5. **Break up**: To end a relationship. For example, “They broke up after dating for two years.”
6. **Come across**: To encounter or find something unexpectedly. For example, “I came across an interesting article while browsing online.”
7. **Bring about**: To cause or make something happen. For example, “The new policy brought about positive changes in the organization.”
8. **Cut off**: To disconnect or stop the supply of something. For example, “The storm cut off electricity to the entire neighborhood.”
9. **Turn down**: To refuse or reject something. For example, “She turned down the job offer because of the low salary.”
10. **Look forward to**: To anticipate or await something eagerly. For example, “I’m looking forward to the weekend.”
1. **Go through**: To experience or endure something. For example, “She went through a difficult time after losing her job.”
2. **Hold back**: To restrain or inhibit oneself or something. For example, “He held back his tears during the sad movie.”
3. **Point out**: To bring attention to something or someone. For example, “She pointed out the mistake in the report.”
4. **Take in**: To comprehend or understand something. For example, “It took me a moment to take in the news.”
5. **Get away**: To escape or leave a place, often for a brief vacation or respite. For example, “We decided to get away for the weekend.”
6. **Bring down**: To cause something or someone to fall or decline. For example, “The scandal brought down the politician’s career.”
7. **Turn up**: To increase in volume, intensity, or presence. For example, “Could you turn up the music a little?”
8. **Bring back**: To cause something to return or be remembered. For example, “That song brings back memories of my childhood.”
9. **Catch on**: To understand or grasp a concept. For example, “It took a while, but eventually, I caught on to the new software.”
10. **Settle down**: To become calm or stable. For example, “After years of traveling, he decided it was time to settle down and start a family.”
1. **Come up with**: To produce or suggest an idea or solution. For example, “We need to come up with a plan for the project.”
2. **Get across**: To successfully communicate or convey a message. For example, “I hope my presentation gets across the importance of our project.”
3. **Hold back**: To restrain or prevent oneself from doing something. For example, “She held back her tears during the sad movie.”
4. **Keep up**: To maintain the same pace or level as others. For example, “It’s hard to keep up with all the changes in technology.”
5. **Let down**: To disappoint or fail to meet someone’s expectations. For example, “He felt let down when his friend didn’t show up.”
6. **Look out**: To be cautious or watchful for potential danger or hazards. For example, “Look out for cars when crossing the street.”
7. **Make up for**: To compensate for something lacking or to make amends. For example, “She bought him a gift to make up for forgetting his birthday.”
8. **Put forward**: To propose or suggest an idea or plan. For example, “I’ll put forward my proposal at the next meeting.”
9. **Run into**: To encounter someone unexpectedly. For example, “I ran into my old high school teacher at the supermarket.”
10. **Turn up**: To arrive or appear, often unexpectedly. For example, “She turned up at the party uninvited.”
These phrasal verbs add depth and flexibility to your English language skills, allowing you to express yourself more effectively in various situations.
Worksheet on phrasal verbs
Here’s a worksheet featuring the phrasal verbs mentioned earlier in 30 sentences:
**Phrasal Verbs Worksheet:**
Instructions: Complete each sentence by filling in the blank with the correct phrasal verb from the list provided.
1. We _______________ the plan for the party together.
2. She _______________ her grandparents every weekend.
3. The new policy _______________ positive changes in the company.
4. Please _______________ for a moment while I fetch the documents.
5. He _______________ an interesting article while browsing the internet.
6. We need to _______________ the details of the project.
7. I can’t _______________ his rude behavior any longer.
8. They _______________ their plans due to the unexpected rain.
9. The students couldn’t _______________ with the fast pace of the lecture.
10. The team _______________ the competition and won the championship.
11. She _______________ a new recipe for dinner last night.
12. The manager _______________ the project to the new team.
13. I need to _______________ on my studies to pass the exam.
14. The cat _______________ a mouse in the garden.
15. The company _______________ a loss last quarter.
16. Please _______________ the lights before leaving the room.
17. He _______________ an excuse for being late to the meeting.
18. The children _______________ when they saw the presents under the tree.
19. They _______________ the game after playing for two hours.
20. She _______________ her friend at the café unexpectedly.
21. I hope my message _______________ the importance of the issue.
22. We need to _______________ a solution to the problem.
23. He _______________ after catching a cold last week.
24. We should _______________ the project next month.
25. They _______________ the picnic due to bad weather.
26. She felt _______________ when her friend forgot her birthday.
27. Please _______________ for cars before crossing the road.
28. The airplane _______________ at 9:00 AM.
29. He _______________ his new car to everyone at the party.
30. We’ll _______________ the issue and get back to you.
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**Answers:**
1. put together
2. looks after
3. brought about
4. stand by
5. came across
6. go over
7. put up with
8. called off
9. keep up
10. took over
11. came up with
12. assigned out
13. work out
14. caught
15. experienced
16. turn off
17. made up
18. lit up
19. broke up
20. ran into
21. gets across
22. figure out
23. got over
24. carry out
25. called off
26. let down
27. look out
28. took off
29. showed off
30. look into
In conclusion, phrasal verbs are essential components of English language proficiency, allowing speakers to convey meaning more dynamically and accurately. By mastering phrasal verbs, learners can enhance their communication skills and better understand the nuances of English in both spoken and written contexts. Through consistent practice and exposure to a variety of phrasal verbs, individuals can expand their vocabulary and express themselves with greater clarity and fluency. Embracing phrasal verbs as integral elements of language acquisition opens up new avenues for effective communication and fosters a deeper understanding of English language and culture.
