Phrasal Verbs

Introduction
• A phrasal verb = a verb + a particle

For example: put off

Put = verb off = particle

I put off my trip. = I postponed my trip.

• The verb and the particle have a special meaning.

When you use the same verb with a
different particle, the meaning
changes.

put + off = to postpone

put + on = to cover your body with clothes
put + back = to return something to its original place
put + away = to put something in its original place
Some phrasal verbs have more than
one meaning.
keep on = to continue
keep on = not to remove something
take off = remove
take off = leave( the ground, plane)
 Kinds of Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verbs

Transitive Intransitive

Separable Inseparable Must be

Separated
Three-word
Verb
 Transitive Phrasal Verbs

These verbs have objects.

Are you writing down these notes?

I haven’t called Mr. Wilson back.
 Intransitive Phrasal Verbs

These verbs do not have objects.

Tony’s car broke down.

Jane grew up in a small town.

 Separable Phrasal Verbs
• Most phrasal verbs are separable.
• The verb and the particle can be separated.
• When the object is a noun, you can:
Put the noun after the particle.
Jimmy put on his coat.
or
Put the noun between the verb and the particle.
Jimmy put his coat on.
• When the object is a pronoun, you must put it between the verb
and the particle.
Jimmy put it on
Jimmy put on it . (incorrect)
When to separate phrasal verbs

• You can separate the verb and the particle

when the object consists of just a few words.
Mr. Wilson called his appointment off.
 When not to separate phrasal
verbs
• You cannot separate the verb and the particle
when the object is longer than
four words.
Mr. Wilson call off his 3:30 appointment
with Dr. Smith.
Mr. Wilson call his 3:30 appointment
with Dr. Smith off. (incorrect)
 Inseparable Phrasal Verbs
• The verb and the particle can’t be separated.
• With these verbs, you cannot put the object
between the verb and the particle, even when
the object is a pronoun.
Yesterday, I ran into Alan.
Yesterday, I ran into him
Yesterday, I ran Alan into. (incorrect)
Yesterday, I ran him into. (incorrect)
 Phrasal verbs that must be separated

• There is a small number of these verbs.

• With these verbs, you must put the object
between the verb and the particle.
Tina kept her jacket on.
Tina kept on her jacket. (incorrect)
 Three-word Phrasal Verbs
• These verbs are usually inseparable.
• Phrasal verb + a preposition

Tina dropped out of school.

Joe went back to his country.
 Review

Two Word Phrasal Verbs

 out
• Ask out: invite on a date • Go out : leave home
• Blow out: sudden loss • Hand out : distribute
of air • Help out: help, save
• Break out: escape • Point out : indicate with your
• Cross out :draw a line finger

through • Print out: print a doc

• Eat out : eat at a restaurant • put out : extinguish
• figure out: understand, find the • take out: remove from a place
answer or thing/ invite someone

• Fill out : write information in blanks • Throw out : dispose of

• Find out: discover
 down
• Break down: stop
functioning

• Fall down: collapse

• Put down: put what you are
holding on a surface or floor / insult,
make someone feel stupid

• Sit down: take a place

• Tear down: rip into
pieces/ split
• Turn down: refuse/
decrease volume
• Write down: copy
 up
• Break up: stop a realtion • Hang up: end a phone call
• Bring up: mention, rise • Look up: search
• Call up : phone • Make up: forgive each other/
invent, lie about something
• Cheer up: be happy
• Pick up: choose
• Clean up: clean sth
• Show up: come in
• Dress up: put clothes
• Speak up:
• Fill up: complete, pour
• Stand up: rise
• Get up: wake up
• Stay up: spend the night
• Give up: surrender: quit
• Tear up: rip into pieces
• Grow up: become an adult
• turn up: increase the
volume / appear suddenly
 back
• Bring back: mention a topic/ • Pay: return owed money
return
• Put: return sth
• Call back: reply
• Sit:
• Come back: return, show
up again
• Take: return it to the place
• Get back: retaliate, take
revenge/ receive sth you had before

• Give back: return a borrowed

item
• go back: return to a place
 on
• Call on: ask for an answer
or opinion/ request
• Get on: handle, manage
• Go on: continue
• Have on: dress, To be in
possession of
• Leave on:
• Put: put clothing/accessories
on your body

• Try: see if it fits

• Turn: switch on
 off
• Call : cancel
• Lay: cause to lie down
• Put: postpone
• Shut : close of, separate
• Turn : stop the energy flow,
switch off
 in
•come
•fill
•get
•hand
 over
• Get: recover from an
illness, loss, difficulty
• Go: visit someone nearby
• Look: check, examine
• Start: begin to do
something again
• Talk: to review or consider
in conversation : discus
• Think: consider
• Turn over: to turn from
an upright position
 Review

Three Word Phrasal Verbs

 with of
• come along: to accompany
someone • drop out: leave
• fool around: trick, prank
• get together: tolerate
• get out: avoid doing
• get along: have a good relation
something that you do not
• get through: survive a situation,
want to do
to complete something that
you have begun or promised
• move out: vacate a
• hang around: spend time with residence

• run out: have none left

 Exercises :1.- Choose the correct definition for the
phrasal verbs in the second list from the first list.
a) find out _____
1. recover from b) get on with _____
2. discover c) hold on _____
3. escape d) get away _____
4. wait e) take after _____
5. think of a solution f) cut down _____
6. inherit characteristic g) look after _____
7. arrive h) come up with _____
8. connect on the phone i) add up _____
9. reduce j) put through _____
10. make sense k) look for _____
11. continue doing something l) get over _____
12. care for m) turn up _____
13. search
14. postpone
n) put off _____
 Answers
• Phrasal Verb Learning Quiz - 1 - ANSWERS
• find out discover
• get on with continue doing something
• hold on wait
• get away escape
• take after inherit characteristic
• cut down reduce
• look after care for
• come up with think of a solution
• add up make sense
• put through connect on the phone
• look for search
• get over recover from
• turn up arrive
• put off postpone
How can you learn the phrasal
verbs?
The best tip to learn
them is to use them
interchangeably with
simple verbs