Phrasal verbs in English

Mastering phrasal verbs is one of the most important secrets to speaking English fluently and naturally like native speakers.

A phrasal verb consists of a main verb added to a preposition or an adverb, which completely changes its original meaning into a new expression.

Memorizing these verbs may seem like a great challenge for learners due to their multiple meanings and different uses in various daily contexts.

This comprehensive guide aims to simplify the rules of phrasal verbs and divide them into clear grammatical categories to facilitate understanding them logically.

By studying practical examples and practicing the rules of separating verbs or keeping them connected, you will be able to enrich your vocabulary and avoid common mistakes easily.

phrasal verbs by main verb

Phrasal Verbs	Example
pick off	remove one by one
	You can't always get away with mistakes.
call upon	request formally
break even	neither gain nor lose
go in	enter
move away	leave a place
move forward	progress
write up	prepare a report
fall under	be controlled by
set in	begin
	He got behind in class.
	He tried to get around the rules.
pass for	be accepted as
take around	show different places
draw from	take from
stand against	oppose
come into	inherit / receive
bring on	cause
	He got without support.
move against	oppose

phrasal verbs by particle

Phrasal Verbs	English meaning	Example
cash in	to exchange for money, or take advantage of a situation	He decided to cash in his chips and go home.
get down on	to criticize someone or oneself constantly	Don't get down on yourself just because you made one mistake.
warm up	to prepare for physical exertion, or to get warmer	You must warm up before lifting heavy weights.
come through	to produce a promised result, or to survive	I knew you would come through for us when we needed help.
call on	to visit someone briefly, or to ask someone to speak	The teacher called on me to answer the question.
pass on	to give a message or item to someone else	Please pass on my congratulations to your brother.
crack under	to mentally break down due to stress	They interrogated him for hours until he finally cracked under pressure.
sneak past	to move quietly and secretly past someone	The teenagers tried to sneak past their sleeping parents.
note down	to write something so you do not forget it	Please note down the meeting time in your calendar.
fall into	to belong to a specific category, or to start a habit	This movie falls into the horror genre.
live on	to survive using a particular resource or amount of money	Students often have to live on a tight budget.
fall for	to believe a trick or lie, or to fall in love with	I cannot believe you fell for that silly prank!
look out	to be careful or vigilant	Look out! There is a car coming.
bring in	to introduce a new rule/person, or to earn money	The company plans to bring in a new CEO.
stand for	to represent an abbreviation/idea, or to tolerate	What does the acronym NASA stand for?
run against	to compete with someone in an election	She decided to run against the current mayor.
show out	to guide someone to the exit	The meeting is over, I will show you out.
break up	to end a romantic relationship	They decided to break up after three years together.
weigh against	to be considered a disadvantage	His lack of experience will weigh against him in the interview.
stay within	to not go beyond a physical or abstract boundary	Ensure you stay within the marked trails when hiking.

1. What are Phrasal Verbs and How Do They Work?

A phrasal verb is made of a Verb + a Particle. This extra part can be a preposition (like in, on, at, for) or an adverb (like up, down, away, back).
The biggest challenge is that the new meaning often has absolutely nothing to do with the original verb's meaning!

Example:
The verb Give alone means: To hand something to someone.
If we add "Up," it becomes Give up, which means: To quit or surrender.

The verb Look alone means: To direct one's eyes.
If we add "After," it becomes Look after, which means: To take care of someone or something.

2. Transitive vs. Intransitive Phrasal Verbs

Just like regular verbs, phrasal verbs are divided into two categories based on whether or not they need an object.

1. Intransitive Phrasal Verbs

These are verbs that do not need an object to complete their meaning. The action happens and ends with the subject.

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example
Wake up	To stop sleeping	I wake up at 7 AM.
Grow up	To become an adult	She grew up in London.
Break down	To stop working (machinery)	My car broke down yesterday.

2. Transitive Phrasal Verbs

These are verbs that must be followed by a direct object, otherwise the sentence makes no sense.

Example: If you say "Please turn on," the listener will ask: Turn on what? You must add an object.
Correct: Please turn on the TV.

3. Separable vs. Inseparable Phrasal Verbs

This is the most important and confusing rule for learners. Transitive verbs (the ones that take an object) are further divided into two groups:

1. Inseparable Phrasal Verbs

In this type, the verb and the particle stick together and can never be separated. The object must always come after them.

Look for (To search for something)
Correct: I am looking for my keys.
Incorrect: I am looking my keys for.

Run into (To meet someone by chance)
Correct: I ran into Ahmed at the mall.
Incorrect: I ran Ahmed into at the mall.

2. Separable Phrasal Verbs

Here, you can place the object (if it is a regular noun) either between the two parts of the verb, or after them. Both ways are completely correct.

Turn off (To stop a machine or light)
Correct 1 (After): Please turn off the light.
Correct 2 (Middle): Please turn the light off.

The Strict Pronoun Rule!

If the verb is separable, and the object is a pronoun (like it, them, him, her, me, us), it must mandatory go in the middle (between the verb and the particle). It can never be placed at the end.

Pick up (To collect someone/something)
Context: Talking about Ahmed (Him)
Correct: I will pick him up at 5 PM.
Incorrect: I will pick up him at 5 PM.

Try on (To test clothes for fit)
Context: Talking about a shirt (It)
Correct: You should try it on.
Incorrect: You should try on it.

4. Top Common Phrasal Verbs in Daily Conversations

Here is a list of essential phrasal verbs that you will hear constantly in everyday life:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example	Separable?
Put off	To postpone	They put off the meeting until Friday.	Yes
Call off	To cancel	We had to call off the party.	Yes
Figure out	To solve or understand	I can't figure out this math problem.	Yes
Carry on	To continue	Please carry on with your work.	No
Take off	To remove clothes / To leave the ground (plane)	The plane will take off soon.	Yes (Clothes) / No (Planes)
Bring up	To mention a topic / To raise a child	Don't bring up that topic again.	Yes

5. Three-Part Phrasal Verbs

Some phrasal verbs consist of three parts (verb + particle/adverb + preposition). These verbs are always inseparable, meaning the object must always come at the very end.

Look forward to (To be excited about something in the future)
Example: I am looking forward to the weekend.

Run out of (To have none left)
Example: We have run out of sugar.

Get along with (To have a good relationship with someone)
Example: I get along with my boss very well.

Put up with (To tolerate or endure something annoying)
Example: I can't put up with this noise anymore!