Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs are very important in English grammar because they make spoken language more natural and effective.
A phrasal verb is made up of two or three words — a verb + one or two particles (prepositions or adverbs).
Their meaning is different from the main verb, so it is essential to learn them separately.

What are Phrasal Verbs?
When a verb is combined with a preposition or adverb and together they form a new meaning, it is called a phrasal verb.

Examples:

  • Look + after = Look after (to take care of)

  • Give + up = Give up (to quit or stop trying)

Types of Phrasal Verbs

1. Transitive Phrasal Verbs – Take an object.

  • He put off the meeting. (He postponed the meeting.)

2. Intransitive Phrasal Verbs – Do not take an object.

  • The plane took off. (The plane became airborne.)

3. Separable Phrasal Verbs – Object can come between verb and particle.

  • She turned off the light. / She turned the light off.

4. Inseparable Phrasal Verbs – Object cannot come between verb and particle.

  • I looked after the kids. (Only this form is correct)

Common Phrasal Verbs List

Phrasal VerbMeaningExample Sentence
Look afterTo take care ofShe looks after her younger brother.
Give upTo quit / stop tryingDon’t give up your dreams.
Take offTo fly / to removeThe plane took off on time. / Please take off your shoes.
Put offTo postponeWe had to put off the meeting.
Bring upTo raise a topic / raise childrenShe brought up an important issue.
Run out ofTo finish / exhaustWe ran out of milk yesterday.
Call offTo cancelThey called off the match due to rain.
Turn onTo switch onCan you turn on the light?
Turn offTo switch offPlease turn off the fan.
Look forTo searchI am looking for my keys.
Break downTo stop working / failMy car broke down on the way.
Come acrossTo find unexpectedlyI came across an old friend yesterday.
Carry onTo continuePlease carry on with your work.
Check inTo register at hotel/airportWe checked in at 10 AM.
Check outTo leave after payingWe checked out of the hotel early.
Get alongTo have a good relationshipThey get along very well.
Hang outTo spend timeWe hang out at the mall every weekend.
Look upTo improve / searchThings are looking up. / Look up the word in the dictionary.
Set upTo establish / arrangeThey set up a new company.
Take backTo retract / returnI want to take back what I said.

More Examples with Phrasal Verbs

  • He gave up smoking last year.

  • The baby is looked after by her mother.

  • We should carry on despite difficulties.

  • Please turn off your mobile phones during the exam.

  • I ran out of money yesterday.

Exercise: Choose the correct phrasal verb

  1. She decided to ___ smoking. (give up / look after)

  2. They ___ the meeting because of the storm. (put off / take off)

  3. I need to ___ my keys; I can’t find them. (look for / break down)

  4. The car suddenly ___. (broke down / called off)

  5. We ___ at the hotel at 3 PM. (checked in / set up)

Translate into English using the correct phrasal verb

  • Please turn off the lights before leaving.
  • He looked after his sick grandmother.
  • They called off the match due to rain.
  • She brought up the topic in the meeting.
  • I ran out of sugar while baking the cake.

Conclusion

Phrasal verbs are very important in everyday English conversation. Learning and practicing them makes your language natural and effective. Make sure to understand them carefully and use them daily.

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