Phrasal verb fun

Phrasal verb fun. Mastering Phrasal Verbs: PUT, LOOK & TAKE with free printable PDF Worksheet

Phrasal verb fun

Phrasal verbs are an essential part of English fluency. They can be tricky because their meanings are often idiomatic and not easily guessed from the words themselves. This lesson focuses on three common verbs: PUT, LOOK, and TAKE, helping learners understand their meanings and use them correctly.

Getting Started: What Are Phrasal Verbs?

Phrasal verbs consist of a verb and one or more particles (prepositions or adverbs). Some have clear meanings (e.g., “go in” = enter), while others are idiomatic and harder to deduce.

Warm-up Activity

• Can you name any phrasal verbs you already know?
• Try using them in a sentence.
• Write correct examples on the board and discuss their meanings.

Activity 1: PUT – Match the Phrasal Verb with Its Meaning

1. Put across – (b) to convey
2. Put down – (e) to lay
3. Put through – (d) to connect/to process
4. Put off – (c) to postpone
5. Put on – (g) to dress/wear
6. Put up – (f) to provide accommodation/construct
7. Put up with – (a) to bear
8. Put in – (h) insert

Activity 2: Insert the Correct Phrasal Verb in the Sentences

1. There’s a frozen pizza in the freezer, all you have to do is put it in the oven.
2. The ideas put across at the meeting were interesting.
3. Good afternoon, can you put me through to the Sales Department, please?
4. She left him because she couldn’t put up with his jealous rages.
5. The book I’m reading is so good that I can’t put it down.
6. Do you think Aunt Ellie will put us up when we go to the States next year?
7. I can’t believe the Cup Final has been put off again!
8. Put on your gloves, it’s freezing outside!

Activity 3: LOOK – Choose the Right Phrasal Verb

1. Before your level test, it’s wise to look over what you have done in the previous units.
2. I’m really looking forward to the party on Saturday night.
3. If passengers sitting on the left look out of the window, they’ll see Mont Blanc coming into view.
4. The police are looking into the crime.
5. I was looking through some old photos last night—what memories!
6. I looked up the telephone directory, but I couldn’t find your number.

Activity 4: TAKE – Complete the Sentences with the Correct Phrasal Verb

1. If you have to shorten the hem on your trousers, you have to take them up.
2. When a plane leaves the runway, it takes off.
3. If the dentist removes a tooth, he takes it out.
4. If you find a stray cat on your doorstep, you might want to take it in.
5. When you come in from the cold, you usually take your coat off.
6. When sales increase dramatically, they take off.
7. When you decide to begin a new activity or hobby, you take something up.
8. The refuse collectors take your rubbish away.
9. When a company decides to employ you, it takes you on.
10. When a doctor finishes his/her shift, another doctor takes over from them.

Activity 5: Mixed Exercise

Summer was arriving, and I was looking forward to going on my holidays. I couldn’t wait to put my feet up and do nothing for three weeks—sheer bliss! As soon as my flight took off, I was going to sit back and relax with a refreshing gin & tonic—a great start to the holiday. I didn’t even have to worry about accommodation as my mother’s family was putting me up. So that was one less expense.

Finally, departure day arrived. I put all my summer clothes—shorts, T-shirts, bikini, etc.—in my case. I put a note through my neighbour’s letterbox, asking her to keep an eye on things while I was away. I put on my sunglasses and waited at the end of the street for my taxi to arrive. Twenty minutes later, I was standing in the airport, looking up at the departures board. I looked through the list of flights. I couldn’t see my flight. I took my tickets out of my bag, and suddenly, the awful truth hit me—I had arrived a day late!

Conclusion

Phrasal verbs are essential for fluency in English, and practicing them in context makes them easier to remember. Try using these verbs in conversations and writing exercises to reinforce your learning!

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