Phrasal Verbs in English

Phrasal verbs are verb + preposition/adverb combinations that create a new meaning (e.g., give up, look after, run out of). They are essential for natural English but can be tricky because their meanings aren’t always obvious.

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1. What Are Phrasal Verbs?

Structure:

• Verb + Particle (preposition or adverb)
• Example: turn off, put on, look for

Key Feature:

• The meaning often changes completely from the original verb.
  • Give (to offer) → Give up (to quit)
  • Look (to see) → Look after (to take care of)

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2. Most Common Phrasal Verbs

Daily Life & Communication

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example
Wake up	Stop sleeping	I wake up at 7 AM.
Turn off	Deactivate	Please turn off the TV.
Pick up	Collect	Can you pick up some milk?
Put on	Wear	She put on her jacket.
Take off	Remove (clothes) / Leave (plane)	He took off his shoes.

Work & Study

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example
Hand in	Submit	We must hand in the report.
Figure out	Understand	I need to figure out this problem.
Look up	Search (information)	I’ll look up the word online.
Run out of	Have no more left	We ran out of paper.

Social & Emotional Situations

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example
Get along (with)	Have a good relationship	They get along well.
Break up (with)	End a relationship	They broke up last month.
Cheer up	Make someone happier	This song will cheer you up!
Calm down	Relax	Please calm down and think.

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Final Tip:

Use PROMT.One Conjugator to find out the correct forms of English phrasal verbs!