Speak more naturally using Phrasal Verbs

Speak more naturally using Phrasal Verbs.There are many Phrasal Verbs in the English language. Try learning a few every week.

Speak more naturally using Phrasal Verbs

Speak more naturally using Phrasal Verbs

The definition of a phrasal verb is a phrase, which is made up of a verb and either a preposition and/or an adverb. An adverb is used to describe a verb. A preposition relates to a noun and often precedes the noun in the sentence. Preposition words include the following: on, by, above, next to, below, beside. A verb is an action (doing) word and refers to something that is taking place or has taken place. Examples of verbs include running, cooking, eating and dancing. For clarification, a noun refers for example to a person, an item or a place.

There are many Phrasal Verbs in the English language. Try learning a few every week.

Speak more naturally using Phrasal Verbs. Here are some useful phrasal verbs in English:

Account for

Meaning: Clarify
Example: Please account for the time you spent doing this research.

Apply for

Meaning: To approach/ask for
Example: The child applied for a scholarship at her new school

Black out

Meaning: To pass out
Example: He blacked out when he fell over and hit his head

Speak more naturally using Phrasal Verbs


Break down

Meaning: Collapse or stop working
Example: She broke down in tears when she heard her mother was ill
Example: The car broke down on the journey home

Break up

Meaning: To end something
Example: He broke up the fight between the dogs
Example: The marriage broke up after 10 years

Bump into

Meaning: To meet without warning or without planning
Example: She bumped into her old school friend having not seen her for six months

Bring up

Meaning: To raise or rear
Example: The grandparents brought up their grandson

Speak more naturally using Phrasal Verbs

Check in

Meaning: To enroll, sign in or register
Example: He checked into the hotel at 4 pm when he arrived

Check out

Meaning: To depart, vacate, investigate something, evaluate or leave
Example: He checked out of the hospital this morning

Come across

Meaning: To encounter, meet, find
Example: I came across this first edition book in the library

Speak more naturally using Phrasal Verbs

Count on

Meaning: To depend on or rely upon a person
Example: She counted on her husband to sort out her financial affairs.

Cut out

Meaning: To exclude or remove
Example: He was cut out of the will
Example: She cut out the article she found in the newspaper with a pair of scissors

Fall out

Meaning: To argue or to quarrel
Example: The friends fell out due to their differences in opinion

Get along with

Meaning: To be friends with someone or be well suited
Example: I get along with my sister-in –law extremely well.

Speak more naturally using Phrasal Verbs

Give away

Meaning: To give something away, or give something away for free or get rid of
Example: He gave his daughter away during the marriage ceremony
Example: I gave away the coat, as it no longer fitted me.

Give up

Meaning: To hand over, stop doing something or surrender
Example: He gave up eating chocolate for Lent.
Example: He gave up his driving license when he had to stop driving his car.

Speak more naturally using Phrasal Verbs

Get on (well) with (a person)

Meaning: To have a good rapport with someone
Example: She has a good rapport with her mother-in-law

Go through

Meaning: To undergo, endure, pass through
Example: He passed through the longest tunnel as he was driving home

Hive off

Meaning: To cream off, divide off or separate
Example: He hived off the cream from the milk

Speak more naturally using Phrasal Verbs

Iron out

Meaning: To clear up, resolve or settle
Example: They ironed out their differences and became good friends
again.

Keep up with

Meaning: To stay in touch with someone
Example: The friends keep in touch even though they live many miles
apart from each other now

Look forward to

Meaning: To expect, wait for, long for or anticipate
Example: She was looking forward to the arrival of her first grandchild.

Speak more naturally using Phrasal Verbs

Make fun of

Meaning: To mock, laugh at or tease
Example: They made fun of what she was wearing at the fancy
dress party.

Nod off

Meaning: To doze, have a short sleep or nap or snooze
Example: He nodded off in front of the television.

Own up

Meaning: To admit or confess that you are guilty and did something
wrong.

Example: The child owned up that he had stolen the bar of chocolate.

Speak more naturally using Phrasal Verbs

Pay back

Meaning: To repay or reimburse
Example: She repaid the bank loan

Rule out

Meaning: To exclude, prevent, discount, reject or discard
Example: His testimony was ruled out in court, as it was not relevant.

Run out of

Meaning: To have nothing of an item left
Example: She had run out of flour to make a cake so she had to go to the shop to buy some more.

Speak more naturally using Phrasal Verbs

Shop around

Meaning: To look for the best deal or compare the price of an item
Example: She shopped around for the item of furniture she wanted and found it cheaper at a different shop

Shut up

Meaning: This is an impolite way of saying be quiet
Example: Shut up! I am trying to listen to what he is saying

Speak more naturally using Phrasal Verbs

Stick up for

Meaning: To support or stand up for someone
Example: You must stick up for your sister. No one else will!

Take care of

Meaning: To deal with, sort out, manage or look after
Example: He had to take care of his Mother’s business when she
was away on holiday

Turn off

Meaning: To switch something off
Example: Turn off the television
Example: Turn the light off

Use up

Meaning: To consume, use up or finish something
Example: Your brother used up the last of the tea bags so we had to buy some more!

Work out

Meaning: To solve a problem, understand an issue, resolve a situation or to exercise (physically)
Example: I worked out the answer to the problem.
Example: They worked out how to solve the problem.
Example: She worked out in the gym to be fitter

Speak more naturally using Phrasal Verbs

The verb in phrasal verbs will change according to whether it is being used in the present, past or continuous tenses but the meanings of these Phrasal Verbs always stay the same. When you learn a new phrasal verb, write them down with their meanings and then refer back (look back) at them to ensure you remember them and understand their meanings.

There are many more phrasal verbs in the English language and they are often used on a daily basis.


Speak more naturally using Phrasal Verbs. Want to learn more about phrasal verbs? Check out these resources on English Phrasal Verbs!



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