Everything you need to understand and use phrasal verbs naturally in English, 20 essential everyday verbs, separable vs inseparable rules, and exam practice.
📖 Reading time: ~14 minutes✅ Reviewed by a CELTA-qualified teacher🎯 Covers A1 to B2
A phrasal verb is a verb combined with a preposition or adverb (or both) that creates a new meaning, often completely different from the individual words. "Give up" doesn't mean "give" and "up" separately; it means "quit." Phrasal verbs are everywhere in spoken, everyday English, and understanding them is essential for natural-sounding fluency.
They're genuinely one of the hardest areas of English vocabulary because the meaning usually can't be guessed from the individual words, and the same phrasal verb often has multiple, unrelated meanings depending on context.
2. Quick Summary
⚡ Phrasal Verbs at a Glance
DefinitionVerb + preposition/adverb creating a new, often unrelated meaning.
Example"give up" = quit, "look after" = take care of
SeparableThe object can go between the verb and particle: turn it off
InseparableThe object always follows the whole phrase: look after her
Common MistakePutting a pronoun after a separable phrasal verb: "turn off it"
Inseparable: object always comes after the whole phrase
I ran into an old friend. (never "I ran an old friend into")
⚠️
The pronoun rule is the one to remember
With separable phrasal verbs, a pronoun object (it, him, her, them) must always split the verb and particle. "Turn off it" is always wrong, it must be "turn it off."
5. 20 Essential Everyday Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal Verb
Meaning
Example
give up
Quit
She gave up smoking last year.
look after
Take care of
Can you look after my dog this weekend?
find out
Discover
I found out the truth yesterday.
get on with
Have a good relationship with
I get on well with my colleagues.
put off
Postpone
We had to put off the meeting.
run into
Meet by chance
I ran into an old friend today.
turn down
Reject / lower volume
She turned down the job offer.
set up
Establish / arrange
They set up a new company.
break down
Stop working (machine) / lose control (emotion)
My car broke down this morning.
carry on
Continue
Please carry on with your work.
look forward to
Anticipate with pleasure
I'm looking forward to the holidays.
get over
Recover from
It took her weeks to get over the flu.
bring up
Raise a topic / raise a child
She was brought up in Spain.
call off
Cancel
They called off the wedding.
show up
Arrive, appear
He showed up late again.
work out
Exercise / find a solution
We worked out a solution together.
take after
Resemble (family)
She takes after her mother.
hold on
Wait
Hold on, I'll be right back.
go on
Continue / happen
What's going on here?
come across
Find by chance
I came across an old photo yesterday.
6. Literal vs Idiomatic Meaning
Some phrasal verbs keep a fairly literal, guessable meaning; many others become completely idiomatic, with a meaning you simply have to learn.
Literal (guessable)
Idiomatic (must be learned)
sit down (sit + physically down)
give up (quit, nothing to do with "give" or "up")
come in (enter, physically)
run into (meet unexpectedly, not physical running)
stand up (stand + physically up)
break down (stop working, not physically breaking)
7. Formal Alternatives
In formal writing (essays, reports, official emails), a single-word alternative to a phrasal verb is often preferred.
Phrasal Verb (informal)
Formal Alternative
find out
discover
put off
postpone
give up
quit / abandon
set up
establish
go on
continue
8. Common Mistakes
❌ Incorrect
✅ Correct
Why
Turn off it.
Turn it off.
Pronoun objects must go between a separable phrasal verb and its particle.
I ran an old friend into.
I ran into an old friend.
Inseparable phrasal verbs never split, the object always follows.
I'm looking forward see you.
I'm looking forward to seeing you.
"Look forward to" needs "to" + gerund, not the infinitive.
She look after of her brother.
She looks after her brother.
"Look after" doesn't need an extra "of", it's already a complete phrase.
9. Exercises
A. Gap Fill, Complete with the correct phrasal verb (10 questions)
1. She ___ ___ smoking last year. (quit)
2. Can you ___ ___ my cat while I'm away? (take care of)
3. I ___ ___ the truth yesterday. (discovered)
4. We had to ___ ___ the meeting. (postpone)
5. I ___ ___ an old friend at the shop. (met by chance)
6. She ___ ___ the job offer. (rejected)
7. They ___ ___ a new business last year. (established)
8. My car ___ ___ on the motorway. (stopped working)
9. I'm really ___ ___ ___ the holidays. (anticipating)
10. It took months to ___ ___ the illness. (recover from)
Show Answers (A)
1. gave up 2. look after 3. found out 4. put off 5. ran into 6. turned down 7. set up 8. broke down 9. looking forward to 10. get over
B. Multiple Choice (5 questions)
1. Turn ___ the TV, please. (a) off it (b) it off
2. I ran ___ an old classmate yesterday. (a) into (b) up
3. She takes ___ her mother. (a) after (b) on
4. We had to call ___ the party. (a) off (b) on
5. I'm looking forward ___ the trip. (a) to (b) for
Show Answers (B)
1.b 2.a 3.a 4.a 5.a
C. Error Correction (5 questions)
1. Turn off it before you leave.
2. I ran an old friend into at the station.
3. I'm looking forward see you soon.
4. She look after of her little brother.
5. They called the wedding off it.
Show Answers (C)
1. Turn it off before you leave. 2. I ran into an old friend at the station. 3. I'm looking forward to seeing you soon. 4. She looks after her little brother. 5. They called off the wedding. / They called it off.
D. Freer Practice, Write Your Own Sentences (2 tasks)
1. Write a sentence using a separable phrasal verb with a pronoun object.
2. Write a sentence using an inseparable phrasal verb.
Show Answers (D)
Model answers will vary. Examples: 1. "I need to pick it up from the post office." 2. "I'm really looking forward to the weekend."
10. Mini Quiz
11. Exam Focus, Cambridge, IELTS, SELT
Exam
How Phrasal Verbs Are Tested
Sample Question
Cambridge B1 Preliminary / B2 First
Phrasal verb meaning and formal alternatives frequently appear in Reading/Use of English.
Word formation and gap-fill tasks matching phrasal verbs to single-word synonyms.
IELTS Speaking
Natural phrasal verb use is a strong marker of range and idiomaticity, especially in Parts 2 and 3.
Using "look forward to," "get on with," "find out" naturally in extended answers.
IELTS Writing
Formal alternatives (postpone, discover) are generally preferred over phrasal verbs in Task 2 essays.
Choosing "establish" over "set up" in a formal argumentative essay.
Trinity GESE/ISE (SELT)
Everyday phrasal verbs are essential for natural conversational fluency.
Discussing daily routines and relationships using phrasal verbs like "get on with" and "look after."
12. Frequently Asked Questions
A verb combined with a preposition or adverb (or both) that creates a new meaning, often unrelated to the individual words, like 'give up' meaning 'quit.'
Separable phrasal verbs can have their object placed either after the whole phrase or between the verb and particle; inseparable ones always keep the object after the whole phrase.
Always between the verb and the particle: 'turn it off,' never 'turn off it.'
Generally informal, in formal writing, a single-word alternative (postpone instead of put off) is usually preferred.
Because their meaning usually can't be guessed from the individual words, and the same phrasal verb often has several unrelated meanings.
Yes, natural everyday phrasal verb use is important for sounding fluent in Trinity GESE/ISE speaking tests.
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