Master Phrasal Verbs in English: Your Complete Guide

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Phrasal verbs in English represent one of the most challenging yet essential aspects of achieving true fluency in the language. These unique combinations of verbs and particles create meanings that often differ dramatically from their individual components, making them both fascinating and frustrating for learners worldwide. Understanding how these structures work will transform your English from textbook-correct to naturally fluent, opening doors to authentic communication with native speakers.

I. Understanding Phrasal Verbs: What They Are & Why They Matter
II. Phrasal Verb Grammar: Essential Rules for Accurate Usage
III. Mastering Phrasal Verbs: Common Examples & Effective Learning
1. 1. Top 100+ Essential Phrasal Verbs You Need to Know
2. 2. Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using Phrasal Verbs
IV. Phrasal verbs exercises
1. 1. Exercises
2. 2. Answer

I. Understanding Phrasal Verbs: What They Are & Why They Matter

When students ask "what is phrasal verbs in English," the answer reveals a fascinating linguistic phenomenon. A phrasal verb consists of a main verb combined with one or two particles—either adverbs, prepositions, or both—that together create a new meaning entirely different from the individual components. Consider how "look" transforms when combined with particles: "look up" means to search for information, "look after" means to care for someone, and "look down on" means to regard with contempt. This transformation happens because phrasal verbs in English operate idiomatically rather than literally—when you "give up" smoking, you're not physically giving something upward, but quitting entirely.

Native English speakers use phrasal verbs in English constantly in everyday conversation, making them absolutely crucial for understanding natural speech patterns. Television shows, movies, casual conversations, and informal writing all rely heavily on these structures. Without mastering phrasal verbs in English, you'll miss significant portions of what people actually say and struggle to express yourself naturally. Furthermore, phrasal verbs in English often replace more formal single-word alternatives in spoken English—while you might write "postpone" in academic papers, most people say "put off" in conversation.

II. Phrasal Verb Grammar: Essential Rules for Accurate Usage

1. Types of Phrasal Verbs: Two-Part & Three-Part Structures

Understanding the structural differences between phrasal verb types provides the foundation for correct usage of phrasal verbs in English. The phrasal verbs formula includes two main patterns: two-part phrasal verbs combine a verb with a single particle and can be either transitive or intransitive, while three-part phrasal verbs always require objects and remain inseparable.

Phrasal Verb Type	Structure	Object Required	Examples	Key Characteristics
Two-Part Transitive	Verb + Particle	Yes	fill out a form, pick up the book	Can be separable or inseparable
Two-Part Intransitive	Verb + Particle	No	break down, stand up	Never take objects
Three-Part	Verb + Adverb + Preposition	Yes (always)	look forward to the weekend, get on with someone	Always inseparable

2. Separable vs. Inseparable: Mastering Object Placement

The placement rules for objects represent the most critical aspect of phrasal verbs in English grammar. Understanding when you can separate the verb and particle—and when you cannot—determines whether your phrasal verbs in English sound natural or awkward to native speakers.

Separability Rule	Noun Objects	Pronoun Objects	Correct Examples	Incorrect Examples
Separable	Between OR after	MUST be between	pick up the book / pick the book up / pick it up	pick up it
Inseparable	Always after	Always after	look after your sister / look after her	look your sister after / look her after

3. Phrasal Verbs vs. Similar-Looking Structures

Distinguishing phrasal verbs in English from prepositional verbs and verb-adverbial phrases prevents common usage errors and helps you understand the unique nature of true phrasal verb constructions.

Structure Type	Definition	Meaning Nature	Example	Key Difference
Phrasal Verb	Verb + particle creating idiomatic meaning	Non-literal, completely new meaning	look for (search)	Particle changes core meaning
Prepositional Verb	Verb + preposition, literal meaning	Original verb meaning maintained	listen to music	Preposition shows relationship
Verb + Adverbial Phrase	Verb + spatial/temporal modifier	Describes how/where/when action occurs	walk across the street	Modifier describes manner/location

III. Mastering Phrasal Verbs: Common Examples & Effective Learning

1. Top 100+ Essential Phrasal Verbs You Need to Know

Learning phrasal verbs in English becomes more manageable when you focus on the most frequently used combinations that appear in daily conversation. These essential phrasal verbs in English form the backbone of natural English communication and provide immediate practical value for learners.

No.	Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example
1	ask for	request something	She asked for help with her homework
2	back up	support; move backwards; make a copy	Please back up your computer files regularly
3	blow up	explode; inflate; become very angry	The balloon will blow up if you add more air
4	break down	stop working; become very upset	My car broke down on the highway yesterday
5	break in	enter illegally; interrupt	Someone tried to break in through the window
6	break out	escape; suddenly start	Fighting broke out between the two groups
7	break up	end a relationship; separate	They decided to break up after five years
8	bring about	cause to happen	The new policy brought about significant changes
9	bring back	return something; restore	This song brings back memories of my childhood
10	bring up	mention a topic; raise a child	She brought up an interesting point during the meeting
11	call back	return a phone call	I'll call you back in ten minutes
12	call off	cancel	They called off the wedding due to family issues
13	call on	visit; ask someone to do something	The teacher called on me to answer
14	calm down	become less angry or excited	You need to calm down before making decisions
15	carry on	continue	Please carry on with your presentation
16	carry out	perform or complete	The scientists carried out important research
17	catch up	reach the same level; get latest information	I need to catch up on my reading
18	check in	register at hotel; report arrival	We need to check in at the airport
19	check out	leave hotel; examine; look at	Let's check out that new restaurant downtown
20	cheer up	become happier; make someone happier	The good news cheered everyone up
21	clean up	tidy; remove dirt or mess	Please clean up your room before dinner
22	come across	find by chance; seem to be	I came across an old photo while cleaning
23	come back	return	What time will you come back home?
24	come down	decrease; fall	House prices have come down recently
25	come on	hurry; encourage; start working	Come on, we're going to be late!
26	come out	be published; become known	Her new book comes out next month
27	come over	visit someone's home	Would you like to come over for dinner?
28	come up	arise; approach	An important issue came up during the meeting
29	count on	depend on; rely on	You can always count on her for support
30	cut down	reduce the amount of something	You should cut down on sugar intake
31	cut off	disconnect; stop supply	The electricity was cut off during the storm
32	cut out	remove by cutting; stop doing	Cut out this article from the newspaper
33	deal with	handle; manage	How do you deal with difficult customers?
34	dress up	wear formal clothes; disguise	Everyone dressed up for the wedding ceremony
35	drop by	visit informally	Feel free to drop by anytime you want
36	drop off	deliver; fall asleep	Can you drop off these documents?
37	drop out	quit school or course	He dropped out of university last year
38	end up	finally be in a situation	We ended up staying home all weekend
39	fall apart	break into pieces; fail completely	The old chair finally fell apart
40	fall behind	make less progress than others	Don't fall behind in your studies
41	fall down	collapse; fail	The building fell down during the earthquake
42	figure out	solve or understand	I can't figure out this math problem
43	fill in	complete a form; substitute	Please fill in this application form
44	fill out	complete a form	You need to fill out these documents
45	fill up	make completely full	Fill up the car with gasoline
46	find out	discover information	I need to find out what time it starts
47	get along	have a good relationship	She gets along well with her colleagues
48	get around	travel; avoid a problem	How do you get around the city?
49	get away	escape; go on vacation	We need to get away for the weekend
50	get back	return; recover	When did you get back from vacation?
51	get by	manage with difficulty	We can get by on one salary
52	get down	make someone sad; descend	This rainy weather gets me down
53	get in	enter; arrive	What time does your train get in?
54	get off	leave transport; avoid punishment	I get off work at five o'clock
55	get on	enter transport; have good relationship	Let's get on the next bus
56	get out	leave; remove	Get out of the car immediately
57	get over	recover from illness; overcome	It took weeks to get over the flu
58	get through	finish; contact by phone	I can't get through to customer service
59	get together	meet socially	Let's get together for coffee tomorrow
60	get up	rise from bed; stand up	I get up at six every morning
61	give back	return something	Please give back my pen when finished
62	give in	surrender; agree reluctantly	The parents finally gave in to demands
63	give out	distribute; stop working	The teacher gave out homework assignments
64	give up	stop doing something; surrender	He gave up smoking after ten years
65	go ahead	proceed; continue	Go ahead and start without me
66	go away	leave; disappear	This headache won't go away
67	go back	return to a place	We should go back home now
68	go down	decrease; descend	Prices have gone down this month
69	go off	explode; ring; stop working	The alarm clock goes off every morning
70	go on	continue; happen	What's going on here today?
71	go out	leave home; stop burning	Let's go out for dinner tonight
72	go over	review; examine	Let's go over the plans again
73	go through	experience; examine carefully	She went through a difficult divorce
74	go up	increase; rise	Gas prices keep going up
75	grow up	become adult; mature	Where did you grow up?
76	hand in	submit; give to authority	Students must hand in assignments tomorrow
77	hand out	distribute	The volunteers handed out free samples
78	hang on	wait; hold tightly	Hang on a minute while I check
79	hang out	spend time relaxing	We like to hang out at coffee shops
80	hang up	end phone call; put on hook	Don't hang up the phone yet
81	hold on	wait; grip tightly	Hold on while I transfer your call
82	hold up	delay; rob	Traffic held up our journey
83	keep on	continue doing	Keep on practicing your English daily
84	keep up	maintain pace; continue	Try to keep up with the group
85	lay off	make employees redundant	The company laid off fifty workers
86	leave out	omit; exclude	Don't leave out any important details
87	let down	disappoint	I hope I don't let you down
88	let in	allow to enter	Please let the cat in
89	let out	release; make larger	Let the dog out into the garden
90	look after	take care of	Can you look after my plants?
91	look at	direct eyes toward; examine	Look at this beautiful sunset
92	look for	search for	I'm looking for my car keys
93	look forward to	anticipate with pleasure	I look forward to seeing you
94	look into	investigate	Police are looking into the accident
95	look out	be careful	Look out for cars when crossing
96	look over	examine quickly	Please look over these documents
97	look up	search for information; improve	Look up the word in dictionary
98	make out	understand; see clearly	I can't make out what he's saying
99	make up	invent story; reconcile; apply cosmetics	Don't make up excuses for lateness
100	move in	start living somewhere	When did you move in here?
101	move out	stop living somewhere	They moved out last month
102	pass away	die	Her grandmother passed away peacefully
103	pass out	faint; distribute	The heat made him pass out
104	pick out	choose; select	Pick out your favorite color
105	pick up	collect; learn; improve	I need to pick up groceries
106	point out	indicate; mention	She pointed out several errors
107	put away	store in proper place	Put away your toys after playing
108	put down	place on surface; criticize	Put down your bags here
109	put off	postpone; discourage	We put off the meeting indefinitely
110	put on	wear; gain weight; start	Put on your coat before leaving

This comprehensive list now contains 110 essential phrasal verbs in English with clear numbering, providing learners with a substantial foundation for natural English communication.

2. Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using Phrasal Verbs

Understanding typical errors helps you develop accurate usage habits from the beginning and avoid the awkward constructions that immediately signal non-native speaker status when using phrasal verbs in English.

Common Mistake	Error Example	Correct Form	Rule Reminder	Why This Matters
Incorrect Pronoun Placement	pick up it	pick it up	Pronouns must separate verb and particle in separable phrasal verbs in English	Creates unnatural rhythm and confuses listeners
Literal Interpretation	break up the table (meaning end relationship)	break up with someone	Phrasal verbs in English create idiomatic meanings, not literal word combinations	Leads to communication breakdowns and confusion
Formality Mismatch	put off (in academic writing)	postpone, delay	Choose appropriate register for different contexts when using phrasal verbs in English	Affects professional credibility and appropriateness

IV. Phrasal verbs exercises

To better understand phrasal verbs, let's complete the exercises below:

1. Exercises

Exercise 1: Fill in the correct phrasal verbs in the sentences.

Run into; Look up; Give up; Take off; Put up with

If you don't know the meaning of a word, you can _______ in the dictionary.
The plane will _______ at 8:00 AM.
After several attempts, she decided to _______ trying to fix the old car.
I can't _______ his rudeness anymore.
I _______ an old friend at the supermarket yesterday.

Exercise 2: Choose the correct answer

My car _______ on the way to work this morning.
1. Broke down
2. Broke up
3. Broke into
They _______ a new company to sell their products online.
1. Set down
2. Set up
3. Set off
He _______ the job offer because it didn't meet his salary expectations.
1. Turn up
2. Turn into
3. Turn down
She _______ that she had passed the exam with excellent grades.
1. Found out
2. Found in
3. Found up
Despite the difficulties, they decided to _______ with their project.
1. Carry out
2. Carry on
3. Carry up

2. Answer

Exercise 1	Exercise 2
Look up Take off Give up Put up with Ran into	A B C A B

Mastering phrasal verbs in English requires patience, consistent practice, and exposure to authentic usage contexts that demonstrate how native speakers actually use these essential structures. Start with high-frequency examples, focus on correct grammatical patterns, and gradually expand your repertoire through reading, listening, and active use in your own communication. Your persistence will reward you with significantly more natural and fluent English communication skills that bridge the gap between textbook knowledge and real-world conversational ability with phrasal verbs in English.

Chloe

Product Content Admin

Hi I'm Chloe, and I am currently serving as an Product Content Administrator at Prep Education. With over five years of experience in independent online IELTS study and exam preparation, I am confident in my ability to support learners in achieving their highest possible scores.