Med Elbenna

Jan 2011

Phrasal Verbs

A phrasal verb is a verb that consists of two or three words. Most phrasal verbs consist of two
words - a verb, and a particle. The particle can either be an adverb or a preposition.
Example: get up, go off, turn on, make out, deal with....
There are also some three-word phrasal verbs: catch up with, look forward to.

An important feature of phrasal verbs is that they are usually idiomatic. This means that sometimes
their meaning cannot be understood by simply putting together the meanings of its individual parts.
Example:
She takes after her father in everything
The meaning of the phrasal verb take after (to resemble) in the sentence is not related to the
normal meaning of ‘take’ or the meaning of 'after'. Therefore many phrasal verbs just have to be
individually learned and remembered.

Phrasal verbs can be separable or inseparable:

Separable: I took off my shoes or I took my shoes off.
Inseparable: Kamal is looking for a job but not kamal is looking a job for.

Here is a list of some of the most common phrasal verbs with their explanations and examples:

Phrasal Verb Definition Example

ask * in Invite My neighbour kindly asked me in for a cup of tea.
back * up + give support You need examples to back up your opinion.
blow * up + Destroy, explode The terrorists blew the bridge up.
blow up become very angry When Joan heard the news, she blew up and rushed
out of the room.
break down + stop working Our bus broke down on the way to Agadir.
break into + enter a house by force They broke into the house and stole the money.
break out appear violently Violent protests broke out in response to the
government’s policy.
break up end a relationship Sam and Diane broke up again.
bring * up + raise ( a child) Reda was brought up by his uncle.
call * off + cancel something They called the picnic off because of the rain.
check in Enter a hospital, hotel.. They need to check in before noon.
check out leave a hotel, hospital It's already eleven. We need to check out.
cheer up become cheerful Cheer up. Everything will be all right.
close * down + close a place The factory closed down due to financial problems.
come across + discover by accident I came across an old photo of mine.
cut * off interrupt someone She cut him off before he said something stupid.
cut down on + decrease the amount You need to cut down on your fat intake.
die down diminish in intensity The controversy finally died down.
drop in visit someone Meg dropped in yesterday after dinner.
drop out of + Leave (school) It's difficult to get a good job if you drop out of school.
eat away gradually destroy, The heavy rains ate away the ancient wall.

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figure * out + solve, understand I finally figured the joke out. Now I understand why
everybody was laughing.
fill * in + Complete Don't forget to fill in all the blanks on the application.
find out Discover My father was angry when he found out I had a tattoo.
fix * up + repair, renovate My neighbours are fixing their house up.
get along(with)+ have a good Tom doesn't get along with his two brothers.
get on with relationship
get away with do without being Jason always gets away with cheating in his maths
something noticed or punished tests.
get over recover from an I just got over the flu and now my sister has it.
something illness, loss, difficulty
give * out + Distribute I get extra money by giving out brochures on the street.
give * up + surrender something The police told the thief to give his gun up.
give in stop trying Never give in! You can do it!
go off Explode The bomb could go off at any moment.
go on Continue Please, go on. Don't let me interrupt you.
go on Happen This place is a mess! What went on here last night?
go over + Review Do you usually go over your notes before class?
go through + examine in detail I need to go through this contract before I sign it.
go through + Endure difficulties. She has gone through so much in her life.
grow up Mature I grew up in a poor religious family.
hand * in + Submit I have to hand in my assignment today.
hand * out + Distribute We should hand the concert fliers out at school.
hang up put down the phone Don't hang up. I'm going to change phones.
receiver
hold * up + delay (a flight, traffic); The accident held traffic up for an hour.
hold on (hang wait (on the telephone) Hold on a minute. I'll get Carol.
on)
keep * up + Continue You are doing a great job! Keep it up.
keep on Continue He kept on talking after everybody asked him to stop.
lay * off + Suspend someone The company was losing money, so they had to lay off
from a job. 100 workers.
let * down Disappoint I felt let down when I didn't receive a birthday card from
my sister.
let * out Release I am happy my brother was let out of prison early.
look * over + examine, review When I'm camping, I look my shoes over before I put
them on.
look * up + search for (in a It takes time to look up new words.
dictionary)
look after + Take care of (a child...) When my sister goes on vacation, I look after her dog.
look down on + see as inferior She's so conceited. She looks down on everybody else.
look forward to + anticipate (with I am looking forward to travelling to Ifrane next week.
pleasure)
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look out be careful Look out! There’s a black spider on the wall.
make * out Decipher I can't make out your handwriting.
make * up + invent ( a story) Don't believe what she says. She just makes things up.
make * up + put on cosmetics It takes her 10 minutes to make her face up.
make up for + compensate for Allen made up for being late by getting me flowers.
mix * up + Confuse I sometimes mix the verb tenses up.
mix * up + Blend Mix up the ingredients then add some salt.
pass * on + Transmit Please pass this message on to your classmates.
pass away Die After battling cancer for several years, he finally passed
away at the age of 87.
pass out faint He passed out because the room was too hot.
pick * out + Choose Diane picked out a lovely dress for the dance.
play * down + make less important The President played down the social protests.
pull out depart (a vehicle) Our train pulls out at 8:00, so don't be late.
put * off + Postpone Don't put off your work - do it now!
put * on + Wear Make sure you put on your jacket before you go outside.
put * out + extinguish (a fire) He put out his cigarette.
put up with + Tolerate Sandy will not put up with smoking in her house.
run across + Find or meet I ran across some old photos while I was cleaning my
unexpectedly house.
run into + meet unexpectedly I ran into my English teacher at the movies last night.
run out of + not have any more of We ran out of milk this morning, so we need to go to the
something store.
see * off Say good-bye (at the Did you see your sister off at the train station?
train..
show up arrive without previous I hadn't seen my cousin for years, and all of a sudden,
notice he showed up at my workplace yesterday!
stand for + Represent SCUBA stands for "self contained underwater breathing
apparatus."
take * off Leave the ground Please fasten your seat-belts. We will take off.
(plane)
take * off + Remove In many cultures, it is appropriate to take off your shoes
when entering a house.
take * up + begin a new hobby She has just taken up stamp collecting.
take after + resemble I take after my father. Who do you take after?
try * on + Put on clothes to see.. Try on the jeans before you buy them.
try * out Test Try out this massage chair - it feels great!
turn * down + reject How can she turn down such a good job?
turn * down + lower the volume I'm studying! Please turn down the TV.
turn * off + Switch off Don't forget to turn off the TV before you go to bed.
turn * on + Switch on Turn on the TV. The match starts in a few minutes.
turn out end up being She turned out to be the murderer after all.
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turn up find unexpectedly My keys turned up in the bedroom.

Fill in the blanks with the correct phrasal verb from the list (make any appropriate changes)

keep on - check out - try on - let out - check in - put up - take after - call off - make up

1. So that story wasn’t true? No, I just _____ it ______.

2. You should _______ ____ this site! I really think you’ll like it.
3. She ________ ___ many different shirts, but none of them fit.
4. We have to _______ ____ at the airport two hours before our flight.
5. He _______ ____ his father in almost everything.
6. He is thinking of moving to the country. He can't ______ _____ with the noise of the city.
7. The dentists told his secretary to ____ ___ all his appointments for the day as he suddenly
had to leave.
8. The man was _____ ____ of jail early for good behaviour
9. Even though he was tired, he ______ _____ working.

stand for- pick up- run out- take off- put out-find out- make out- turn on- keep up

1. You’re walking too fast. I can’t _____ ___ with you.

2. The police never _________ ___ who committed the murder.
3. We've ____ ___ of bread, Jim. Will you please get some at the shop?
4. What does «UNICEF» _____ ___?
5. I can't ____ ___ the doctor's prescription. His handwriting is so terrible.
6. Ladies and gentlemen, the plane is going to ____ ___. Please _____ ___ your cigarettes
and fasten your seatbelt.
7. It is rather cold in here. Could you ____ ___ the heater, please?
8. ____ ___ that banana skin from the floor and put it in the dustbin. Someone might slip on it.

sort out – get away with – come across – turn up – turn off – go up – give up -

1. I've been waiting for Tom since 4 o'clock. It's nearly 5 o'clock now and he hasn't ____ ___
yet.
2. You will have to ____ __ smoking; otherwise your health will seriously get worse.
3. While I was putting some order in my home library, I ____ ___ an old school report of mine.
4. House prices are very high. They’ve ____ ___ a lot in the last few years.
5. There was a bank robbery last week. The robbers _____ __. £ 50.000.
6. There are a few problems we need to _______ ___.
7. Shall I leave the lights on or _______ them ____.?

Rewrite the following sentences, replacing the underlined words by a phrasal verb.

1. We’ve had to postpone our party until late August.

2. The doctor told him to reduce his drinking.
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3. This machine won’t disappoint you.

4. The game was cancelled because of bad weather.
5. He can’t manage without a secretary.
6. She'd been seeing the boy for a while, but didn’t want her parents to discover it.
7. She raised five children.
8. I checked it in the dictionary.
9. Peter takes care of the children.
10. Your daughter doesn’t resemble you at all.
11. He invented some excuse about his daughter being sick.
12. Be careful not to confuse quantity with quality.
13. He was disappointed at not getting the job, but he’ll recover from it.
14. They’re testing a new presenter for the show.
15. He has just ended his relationship with Moira.
16. Recently she has started to learn to play the violin.
17. She was chosen from dozens of applicants for the job.
18. I went to the station to say goodbye to my sister.
19. By chance, she found some old photographs in a drawer.
20. She spent her childhood in Tangiers.
21. In order to apply, please complete all the required forms.
22. How can you tolerate your child’s table manners?
23. She phoned to invite me out for dinner.

Match the explanation with the phrasal verb

1. to choose a) To cut down

2. to complete a form b) carry out
3. to complete a task c) to take up
4. to end a relationship with someone d) see someone off
5. to examine carefully e) to go through
6. to find (accidentally) f) put up with
7. to phone g) to ring up
8. to say goodbye h) to pick out
9. to start to do something as a hobby i) to come across
10. to reduce j) to break up
11. to tolerate k) to fill in

Read this story about a teacher talking to his/her students. Write the correct phrasal verb into each
blank. Choose from turn on - turn off - turn up - turn down - take off - take out - put out - put
away - hang up - clean up - pick up.

Teacher: OK class. Time to start. Mary could you _____ ___ the lights? Thanks. OK everyone
_____ your books ___, and make sure you _____ ___ your cell phones.
Actually, before we start I want to tell you a little story. Every night I go home I _____ ___ my suit
and throw it on the bed. My wife always says "You'd better _____ ___ your suit or it will get
wrinkled. Of course I do what she says, but last night she was really angry. She said "You're so
messy. I always have to ____ ___ after you.
I got all stressed out so I lit a cigarette. My wife said, " ____ that ____! Are you crazy? You can't
smoke in the house!"
Anyway, let's get back to class. Listen to this tape and answer the questions.
Student: It's too loud. Can you ___ it ___ down please?
Teacher: How's that?
Student: I can't hear anything.
Teacher: OK, I'll ___ it ___. How's that?
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Student: Better.
Teacher: OK. Woops, I dropped my pen. Oh it rolled all the way over there. Could you ___ it ___
please?