Phrasal verbs

• break down, check in, tear up When we use phrasal verbs, we use them like normal verbs in a sentence, regardless if it’s a regular or irregular verb. • Ella tore up the letter after she read it. • Their car broke down two miles out of town. • Did the manager deal with that customer’s complaint. More phrasal verb examples: • Be sure to put on a life jacket before getting into the boat. • We left out the trash for pickup. • It’s time to get on the plane. • What will she think up next? • I’m having some trouble working out the solution to this equation. • We’re going to have to put off our vacation until next year. • Stand up when speaking in class, please. • We’ll have to wake up early if we want breakfast. • Take off your shoes before you walk on the carpet. • My dog likes to break out of his kennel to chase squirrels. Phrasal Verb Exercises Choose the correct phrasal verb from the parenthesis at the end of the sentence. • Someone broke into my car last night and stole the stereo. (broke down/broke into) • Will you be able to get by this month with the little you have?(get off / get by) • His father always taught him not to _____ those people with less. (look up to / look down on) • Stop complaining and _____ your work! (get on with / get over) • The boss wants you to _____ your figures for this month to him. (hand out / hand in) • We’re going to have to _____ our trip to Spain until September. (put up/ put off) • I _____ Amir today at the supermarket. It was great to see...

However, particles are used more like adverbs, modifying and uniquely expanding the meaning of the verbs they are paired with. For this reason, particles are sometimes referred to as adverbial particles, or even just adverbs. The key difference between particles and prepositions, however, is that particles do not (and cannot) introduce a always will. Here are some other examples of phrasal verbs formed with particles: • “I can’t believe that you’re giving up!” (I’m surprised that you’re going to stop trying.) • “There will always be setbacks that we have to allow for.” (We always have to consider and be ready for possible setbacks.) • “We have to wait for the fire to die down before we can enter the building.” (We have to wait for the fire to become less intense.) • “The plane took off an hour late.” (The plane rose into the air and began to fly later than scheduled.) • “She is always making up excuses.” (She is always inventing excuses that are not true.) • “When I am on the bus, I always give up my seat to the elderly.” (I vacate my seat and give it to an older passenger.) Preposition phrasal verbs As we’ve seen, a phrasal verb can be formed from a preposition when that preposition acts as the head of a prepositional phrase, followed immediately by its object. For example: • “He has been looking after his mother.” (He has been caring for his mother.) • “I came across that old watch of mine when I was cleaning out the drawers.” (I found my old watch unexpectedly.) • “Stop...

SHARES The English language has a funny way of complicating even the most simple of things, and unfortunately for you, phrasal verbs are an example of this. Like most things in English, you probably already use them on a regular basis without even realizing it. But, it’s helpful to understand what exactly phrasal verbs are official, so you can learn the different types and start to use them in your own writing. So, let’s take a look at the definition of phrasal verbs, and the different types that exist, and try to explain why learning the different types will benefit you in the long run. Table of Contents • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Phrasal Verbs What Are Phrasal Verbs? Simply put, a phrasal verb is the combination of a verb with another word or two from a different grammatical category. It could be an adverb, a The idea is that the words from the other grammatical categories enhance the verb in some way by adding some more information. The idea is that the phrasal verb takes the place of a single verb to describe a similar idea, by simply adding more information for the reader or listener. Remember, a verb’s meaning is simple enough to remember if you just remind yourself that all verbs are ‘doing words’ i.e. they show action in some way. We’ll take a look at the different types of phrasal verbs below so you can understand this idea better. Some examples of phrasal verbs with the verb “GET” are “get at”, “get in”, “get out”,...

Phrasal verbs combine a base verb with another word, usually a preposition or adverb – known as a particle – to create a completely new meaning. They are common in everyday spoken English. For example, words like “stand up,” “sit down,” and “get up.” It’s impossible for an English speaker in the United States to go a day without using one of those words. Interestingly, we don’t use phrasal verbs as much when we write, or in formal communication, like in a speech. But in normal spoken English, about 80 percent of our verbs are phrasal verbs. If you studied the English language for years, then came to the United States and couldn’t understand anything, this is probably one of the reasons why. If you like this guide, check out our guide to List of Common English Phrasal Verbs and their Meanings: Phrasal Verb Meaning (Most Common) Total Number of Definitions To point a weapon at someone or something. 3 To request something. 2 When you ask someone to go with you to a certain place or for a special occasion, to spend time together and have fun. If one or both parties involved are interested in a romantic way, then it is considered a date. 1 To withdraw your position in a fight, argument, plan, etc. 1 When you leave an emotional situation, or to allow someone to handle something alone. 1 To walk or drive a vehicle backwards. 4 When someone punches, kicks, or hits someone repeatedly using fists or with an object. 2 To make changes or an improvement. 1 To feel confident about somet...

By Last updated: June 9, 2023 210+ Most Common English Phrasal Verbs (With Meanings, Examples and Audio) Phrasal verbs are when we combine a verb with a preposition of another grammatical element, and end up with a completely new meaning. They’re used constantly by native speakers in spoken and written English, which makes them important to know. In this English phrasal verbs list, we’ll show you 210+ of the most common phrasal verbs, with audio and example sentences included. Afterwards, you’ll find a complete lesson on what phrasal verbs are, how to form them and how to learn them effectively. Before we jump into the list, here’s a quick video explanation: Contents • • • • • • • • • • • • • Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Most Common English Phrasal Verbs To start off, we’ll be going over the top English phrasal verbs that you’ll hear in everyday situations. You can get a taster with this video, which features 15 useful English phrasal verbs (plus example sentences): Here’s a more detailed list of common English phrasal verbs: 1. Type: Separable, transitive Mark was sick and had to miss the party, so please don’t bring it up, I don’t want him to feel bad for missing it. 2. Type: Separable, transitive His lung cancer was brought on by years of smoking. 3. Type: Separable, transitive You want to have a race? Bring it on! I can beat you! 4. Type: Inseparable, transitive I’ll call on you this evening to see h...

▶️ Phrasal Verbs List 200 common phrasal verbs, with - meaning - example sentence ask somebody out invite on a date Brian asked Judy out to dinner and a movie. ask around ask many people the same question I asked around but nobody has seen my wallet. add up to something equal Your purchases add up to $205.32. back something up reverse You'll have to back up your car so that I can get out. back somebody up support My wife backed me up over my decision to quit my job. blow up explode The racing car blew up after it crashed into the fence. blow something up add air We have to blow 50 balloons up for the party. break down stop functioning (vehicle, machine) Our car broke down at the side of the highway in the snowstorm. break down get upset The woman broke down when the police told her that her son had died. break something down divide into smaller parts Our teacher broke the final project down into three separate parts. break in force entry to a building Somebody broke in last night and stole our stereo. break into something enter forcibly The firemen had to break into the room to rescue the children. break something in wear something a few times so that it doesn't look/feel new I need to break these shoes in before we run next week. break in interrupt The TV station broke in to report the news of the president's death. break up end a relationship My boyfriend and I broke up before I moved to America. break up start laughing (informal) The kids just broke up as soon as the cl...

Verbs: multi-word verbs Multi-word verbs are verbs which consist of a verb and one or two particles or prepositions (e.g. up, over, in, down). There are three types of multi-word verbs: phrasal verbs, prepositional verbs and phrasal-prepositional verbs. Sometimes, the name ‘phrasal verb’ is used to refer to all three types. … Phrasal-prepositional verbs Phrasal-prepositional verbs have three parts: a verb, a particle and a preposition. The particle and the preposition cannot be separated. Many of these verbs are often used in informal contexts, and their meaning is difficult to guess from their individual parts. … (Definition of phrasal verb from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

Look at these examples to see how phrasal verbs are used. This is the form. Please can you fill it in ? Why are you bringing that argument up now? Police are looking into connections between the two crimes. We need to come up with a solution. Try this exercise to test your grammar. Grammar test 1 Read the explanation to learn more. Grammar explanation Phrasal verbs are very common in English, especially in more informal contexts. They are made up of a verb and a particle or, sometimes, two particles. The particle often changes the meaning of the verb. I called Jen to see how she was. ( call = to telephone) They've called off the meeting. ( call off = to cancel) In terms of word order, there are two main types of phrasal verb: separable and inseparable. Separable With separable phrasal verbs, the verb and particle can be apart or together. They've called the meeting off . OR They've called off the meeting. However, separable phrasal verbs must be separated when you use a personal pronoun. The meeting? They've called it off . Here are some common separable phrasal verbs: I didn't want to bring the situation up at the meeting. ( bring up = start talking about a particular subject) Please can you fill this form in ? ( fill in = write information in a form or document) I'll pick you up from the station at 8 p.m. ( pick up = collect someone in a car or other vehicle to take them somewhere) She turned the job down because she didn't want to move to Glasgow. ( turn down = to not a...