Phrasal verbs are a type of multi-word expression that consists of a phrasal verb and one or more particles. The particle can be an adverb or a preposition, and it changes the meaning of the phrasal verb in some way. Phrasal verbs are a common feature of English, and they are often used in everyday conversation and informal writing. Here are the types and examples of phrasal verbs:
Separable phrasal verbs:
These phrasal verbs have a direct object between the verb and the particle, and the object can be moved to different positions in the sentence.
Examples:
- Turn on the lights.
- Turn the lights on.
Inseparable phrasal verbs:
These phrasal verbs do not have a direct object between the verb and the particle, and the particle cannot be separated from the verb.
Examples:
- She’s always looking after her little sister.
- We need to look into this problem.
Phrasal prepositions:
These phrases verbs consist of a verb and a preposition, and they function as a preposition in the sentence.
Examples:
- She’s afraid of spiders.
- He’s good at math.
Phrasal adverbs:
These phrasal verbs consist of a verb and an adverb, and they function as an adverb in the sentence.
Examples:
- He ran away quickly.
- She’s sleeping peacefully.
Usage of Phrasal verbs
Phrasal verbs are commonly used in everyday speech and informal writing, and they can convey a range of meanings and emotions.
Here are some ways phrasal words are used:
- To express an action or activity: Phrasal verbs are often used to describe actions or activities that are happening or have happened.
For example, “I’m going to clean up the kitchen” or “I need to follow up on that email.”
2. To indicate direction or movement: Phrasal verbs can be used to describe movement or direction,
for example, “She’s going out for a walk” or “He’s coming over for dinner.”
3. To express an emotion or attitude: Phrasal verbs can be used to express emotions or attitudes,
for example, “I’m fed up with this situation” or “She’s really looking forward to the concert.”
4. To add emphasis or intensity: Phrasal verbs can be used to add emphasis or intensity to a sentence,
for example, “I completely forgot about the meeting” or “He’s totally into that new hobby.”
5. To convey a sense of informality: Phrasal verbs are often used in informal situations,
such as in casual conversations or in text messages.
Overall, phrasal verbs are a versatile and important aspect of the English language, and their use can add depth and complexity to communication.
Examples of Phrasal Verbs
Here are some examples of phrasal verbs in English:
- Turn on – to activate or start something. Example: “Can you turn on the lights, please?”
- Look after – to take care of someone or something. Example: “She’s going to look after her neighbor’s cat while they’re away.”
- Give up – to stop doing something or to quit. Example: “He’s decided to give up smoking.”
- Run into – to meet someone unexpectedly. Example: “I ran into an old friend at the grocery store.”
- Get over – to recover from an illness or emotional experience. Example: “It took her a long time to get over the loss of her pet.”
- Back up – to support or reinforce a statement or action. Example: “I have some data that will back up my argument.”
- Set up – to create or establish something. Example: “We’re going to set up a new business together.”
- Put off – to postpone or delay something. Example: “We had to put off the meeting until next week.”
- Figure out – to solve a problem or understand something. Example: “I need to figure out how to fix my computer.”
- Hang out – to spend time with someone in a casual way. Example: “We’re going to hang out at the beach this weekend.”
- Take off – to remove clothing or to leave quickly. Example: “She took off her jacket when she came inside.”
- Put on – to wear clothing or to apply makeup. Example: “I’m going to put on my favorite dress for the party.”
- Come up – to arise or happen unexpectedly. Example: “I’m not sure what we’ll do if any problems come up.”
- Look up – to search for information. Example: “I’ll look up the phone number for you.”
- Fill out – to complete a form or document. Example: “I need to fill out this application before the deadline.”
- Break up – to end a romantic relationship. Example: “They decided to break up after dating for several years.”
- Turn down – to refuse an offer or request. Example: “He turned down the job offer because it didn’t pay enough.”
- Make up – to reconcile after an argument or to create something. Example: “They made up after their fight and became friends again.”
- Cheer up – to become happier or to make someone else feel better. Example: “She brought him some flowers to cheer him up when he was feeling down.”
- Get away – to escape or to take a vacation. Example: “They’re planning to get away for a few days to the mountains.”
- Bring about – to cause something to happen. Example: “The new policy brought about a lot of changes in the company.”
- Draw up – to create a plan, document or agreement. Example: “We need to draw up a contract before we start working together.”
- Stand up for – to defend or support someone or something. Example: “He always stands up for his friends, no matter what.”
- Come across – to meet or find someone or something by chance. Example: “I came across an interesting article while browsing the internet.”
- Look into – to investigate or research something. Example: “We need to look into the issue before we can make a decision.”
- Run out of – to use all of something and not have any left. Example: “We ran out of milk, so we need to go to the store.”
- Hold on – to wait or pause for a moment. Example: “Can you hold on for a second while I grab my keys?”
- Show up – to arrive or attend a scheduled event. Example: “She promised to show up for the meeting on time.”
- Turn out – to have a particular result or outcome. Example: “The project turned out to be more difficult than we expected.”
- Give in – to surrender or yield to someone or something. Example: “She refused to give in to the pressure to work longer hours.”
- Bring up – to mention or introduce a topic. Example: “I don’t want to bring up the subject of money, but we need to discuss it.”
- Look down on – to have a negative opinion of someone or something. Example: “She always looked down on people who didn’t go to college.”
- Settle down – to establish a stable and calm lifestyle. Example: “He’s decided to settle down and start a family.”
- Run into – to collide with something or to meet someone unexpectedly. Example: “I accidentally ran into the table and spilled my coffee.”
- Get along – to have a good relationship with someone. Example: “They get along very well and enjoy spending time together.”
- Look forward to – to anticipate something with excitement or pleasure. Example: “I’m really looking forward to my vacation next month.”
- Take up – to start a new hobby or activity. Example: “She’s decided to take up yoga to improve her flexibility.”
- Hold back – to restrain or prevent something from happening. Example: “He held back his anger and tried to stay calm.”
- Put forward – to suggest or propose an idea or plan. Example: “She put forward a new strategy to increase sales.”
- Give off – to emit or release a smell, light, or heat. Example: “The flowers give off a lovely fragrance in the evening.”
- Take up on – to accept an offer or invitation. Example: “I’d love to take you up on your offer to help me move.”
- Set up – to create or establish something. Example: “He set up a new business after quitting his job.”
- Cut down – to reduce or decrease something. Example: “He’s trying to cut down on his sugar intake for health reasons.”
- Look out for – to watch or be alert for something. Example: “Please look out for my package when it arrives.”
- Back up – to support or confirm something. Example: “Can you back up your claims with some evidence?”
- Fall apart – to disintegrate or collapse. Example: “The old building was falling apart and needed to be demolished.”
- Pick up – to learn or acquire something quickly. Example: “She picked up Spanish easily during her travels.”
- Figure out – to understand or solve a problem. Example: “We need to figure out how to fix this issue.”
- Show off – to display or flaunt one’s abilities or possessions. Example: “He always shows off his new gadgets to impress others.”
- Break down – to stop functioning or to have an emotional collapse. Example: “Her car broke down on the highway and she had to call for help.”
- Hang on – to wait or hold on tightly. Example: “Hang on, I’ll be with you in a moment.”
- Catch on – to understand or become popular. Example: “The new trend started to catch on quickly.”
- Hold out – to resist or refuse to give in. Example: “He held out against the pressure to compromise his principles.”
- Pass on – to transmit or relay information. Example: “I’ll pass on your message to the boss.”
- Settle for – to accept something less desirable than what was originally wanted. Example: “I had to settle for a smaller apartment because of my budget.”
- Break up – to end a relationship or to separate into smaller pieces. Example: “They decided to break up after realizing they had different goals.”
- Look up to – to admire and respect someone. Example: “She has always looked up to her grandfather as a role model.”
- Give up – to surrender or quit. Example: “She refused to give up on her dream of becoming a doctor.”
- Run over – to hit with a vehicle or to review quickly. Example: “He accidentally ran over a bicycle in the parking lot.”
- Turn in – to submit or hand in something. Example: “The deadline for the report is tomorrow, so please turn it in on time.”
- Get over – to recover from something or someone. Example: “It took her a long time to get over her ex-boyfriend.”
- Look in on – to check on someone or something. Example: “I’ll look in on your cat while you’re away.”
- Make up – to reconcile after an argument or to invent a story. Example: “They finally made up after not speaking for weeks.”
- Pass away – to die. Example: “Her grandmother passed away peacefully in her sleep.”
- Run out of – to use up all of something. Example: “We’ve run out of milk, so we need to go to the store.”
- Show up – to arrive or appear. Example: “He finally showed up at the party after being late.”
- Take over – to assume control or responsibility. Example: “The new CEO will take over the company next month.”
- Wind up – to conclude or to end up in a particular situation. Example: “The meeting wound up lasting longer than expected.”
- Put off – to postpone or delay. Example: “They decided to put off their trip until next year.”
- Break out – to escape from confinement or to suddenly occur. Example: “The prisoners attempted to break out of the jail.”
- Rule out – to eliminate or reject something as a possibility. Example: “We have ruled out several options and now have a better understanding of what may have caused the problem.”
- Bring about – to cause or make something happen. Example: “The new law will bring about significant changes in the way businesses operate.”
- Hold back – to restrain or keep something from moving forward. Example: “He had to hold back his tears during the emotional speech.”
- Draw up – to create a plan or document. Example: “She drew up a detailed proposal for the new project.”
- Fill in – to provide missing information or details. Example: “Can you fill in the missing parts of the report before submitting it?”
- Step down – to resign or give up a position. Example: “The CEO announced that he will step down from his position at the end of the year.”
- Take in – to understand or absorb information. Example: “It took her a while to take in all the new information during the training session.”
- Come across – to encounter or find something by chance. Example: “I came across an interesting article while browsing online.”
- Hold on to – to keep or maintain something. Example: “She decided to hold on to her old car instead of buying a new one.”
- Break into – to enter forcefully or illegally. Example: “Someone broke into the store last night and stole valuable merchandise.”
- Bring up – to raise a topic or subject in conversation. Example: “I don’t want to bring up the issue again, but we need to address it.”
- Cut down – to reduce the amount or quantity of something. Example: “I’m trying to cut down on my sugar intake for health reasons.”
- Hold off – to delay or postpone something. Example: “We decided to hold off on the project until we have more information.”
- Keep up – to maintain or sustain something. Example: “She works hard to keep up with her studies and extracurricular activities.”
- Look forward to – to anticipate or be excited about something in the future. Example: “I’m really looking forward to the weekend and spending time with my family.”
- Set up – to establish or arrange something. Example: “They are planning to set up a new business in the area.”
- Take after – to resemble or have similar traits to someone. Example: “She takes after her mother in many ways, including her love of cooking.”
- Bring down – to lower or decrease something. Example: “The new policies were put in place to bring down the crime rate in the city.”
- Drop off – to decrease or decline in quantity or quality. Example: “The number of visitors to the museum dropped off after the exhibition ended.”
- Go over – to review or examine something in detail. Example: “We need to go over the proposal again to make sure everything is included.”
- Catch on – to become popular or well-known. Example: “The new fashion trend caught on quickly and became very popular.”
- Come up with – to create or think of an idea or solution. Example: “We need to come up with a plan to increase sales.”
- Die down – to decrease in intensity or fade away. Example: “The storm started to die down as the wind calmed and the rain stopped.”
- Fill out – to complete a form or document with required information. Example: “Please fill out the application form and submit it by the deadline.”
- Hold up – to support or withstand something. Example: “The bridge is designed to hold up heavy traffic and withstand extreme weather conditions.”
- Make do – to manage or cope with what is available. Example: “We didn’t have all the ingredients for the recipe, so we had to make do with what we had.”
- Pass out – to lose consciousness or distribute something. Example: “She passed out from heat exhaustion while hiking in the desert.”
- Put up with – to tolerate or endure something unpleasant. Example: “I don’t know how she puts up with her noisy neighbors.”
- Run into – to encounter or meet someone unexpectedly. Example: “I ran into an old friend from college at the grocery store.”
- Sort out – to organize or resolve a problem or confusion. Example: “We need to sort out the billing issues with the vendor before we can move forward with the project.”
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