Phrasal verbs English Grammar Topic.

A phrasal verb is a verb followed by a preposition or an adverb; the
combination creates a meaning different from the original verb alone.
(OR)
Phrasal verbs are verbs with 2 or 3 words.
The structure of Phrasal verb is
A verb + A Particle ( preposition / adverb )
Example :
Put off
Here,
Put = verb
Off = particle
I put off my trip. = I postponed my trip. (verb, 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.

 Phrasal verbs are part of a large group of verbs called “multi-
part” or "multi-word” verbs.
 The preposition or adverb that follows the verb is sometimes
called a particle.
 Phrasal verbs and other multi-word verbs are an important
part of the English language.
 They are very common especially in informal English.
 Phrasal verbs are difficult to understand the meaning of each
expression from the words themselves.
 Many phrasal verbs are similar like “take up, take on, take in,
take over …..” and a number of phrasal verbs have multiple
meanings.

Example :
 I wake up at 7.30 everyday.
 Please turn off the TV.
 My brother and I don’t get along. We fight all
the time.
 She came up with a good Idea.

Transitive and intransitive phrasal
verbs:
• Some phrasal verbs are transitive. (A
transitive verb always have a direct
object.)
Example :
 I made up an excuse.
 Are you writing down this notes?
 I haven’t called Mr. Wilson back.

Some phrasal verbs are intransitive . (An
intransitive verb does not have a direct object.)
Example :
 Tony’s car broke down.
 Jane grew up in a small town.

Separable or inseparable phrasal verbs:
 Transitive phrasal verbs can be separable or inseparable.
 The verb and the particle can be separated.
 When the object is a noun, you can put the noun after the
particle.
Example :
Jimmy put on his coat.
Jimmy put his coat on.
Here, we put the noun between the verb and the particle.
I looked up the word in the dictionary.
I looked the word up in the dictionary.

• Some transitive phrasal verbs can take an object in both places.
Example :
I picked up the book. / I picked the book up.
• When the object is a pronoun (me, you, him, her, us, them, it), you
must put it between the verb and the particle.
Example :
Jimmy put it on.
Jimmy put on it. (Incorrect)
I picked it up.
I picked up it. (Incorrect)

• We can separate the verb and the particle when the object
consists of just a few words.
Example :
Mr. Wilson called off his appointment.
Mr. Wilson called his appointment off.
• We cannot separate the verb and the particle when the object is
longer than four words.
Example :
Mr. Wilson call off his 3:30 appointment with Dr. Smith.
Mr. Wilson call his 3:30 appointment with Dr. Smith off.
(Incorrect)

• Some transitive phrasal verbs are inseparable.
• The verb and the particle can’t be separated in Inseparable
phrasal verbs.
• In these verbs, you cannot put the object between the verb and
the particle, even when the object is a pronoun.
Example :
Yesterday, I ran into Alan.
Yesterday, I ran into him.
Yesterday, I ran Alan into. (Incorrect)
Yesterday, I ran him into. (Incorrect)

Three – word Phrasal Verbs
These verbs are usually Inseparable.
Phrasal verb + a preposition
Example :
Tina dropped out of school.
Joe went back to his country.

Examples :
Please turn off the Tv.
Please turn the Tv off.
I threw away the old pizza.
I threw the old pizza away.
I’ll look after your dog while you’re on vacation.
I’ll look your dog after while you’re on vacation. (Incorrect)
I threw it away.
I threw away it . (Incorrect)
They’ll pick up John from the airport.
They’ll pick John up from the airport.
They’ll pick him up from the airport.
They’ll pick up him from the airport. (Incorrect)

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Back away Move backwards in fear or dislike When the attacker saw the dog,
he backed away.
Back down Withdraw; concede defeat Local authorities backed down on
their plans to demolish the cinema.
Back down Stop defending your opinion Jenny never backs down. She loves
debating and usually wins.
Back into Reverse a vehicle into a space Tom backed his car into a parking
space.
Back into Hit something when reversing a
vehicle
Lisa backed into the fire hydrant
that she couldn’t see in the rear view
mirror.
Back off Retreat; become less aggressive The thugs backed off when they saw
the police.
Back onto Reverse a vehicle onto something Jack backed the van onto the path.
Back onto Overlook from the back Their house backs onto the beach.

Back out not keep a promise; decide not to do
something agreed on
You promised to help. Please
don't back out at the last minute!
Back out of Withdraw from an agreement He backed out of the Paris
agreement.
Back out of Reverse a vehicle out of a space. Nora backed the car out of the
garage.
Back up Support or defend If I tell the boss we've got too much
work, will you back me up?
Back up Copy a computer document as a
security measure
It is recommended to back up all
files for safety purposes.
Back up Reverse a vehicle towards or against
something
The car beeped as
he backed it up against the wall.

Be after To try to obtain or find What’s he after ? Is he
looking for proof ?
Be against Be opposed to I must say I’m against the
idea.
Be along Arrive Jack will be along soon. He’s
on his way.
Be away Be elsewhere She is away today. She has
gone to London.
Be down Be depressed or sad. The news is bad so John is a
bit down today.
Be down Decrease Oil prices were down today.
Be down on Disapprove of, dislike Why is Charlie so down on
the new recruit?
Be down with Be ill or have caught a
disease.
My mother is down with a
bad cold.
Be in Be present (at work/at home) I'll be in all day so you can
call me anytime.

Be in for Have reason to expect
something.
I think we are in for snow
today.
Be in on Be involved with or
participate in something.
Alex is in on the project too.
Be into Be interested or involved in
something
He's into sports and
she's into politics.
Be off Leave to go somewhere I'm off! I've got a plane to
catch.
Be on Be functioning The television is on.
Be on Take medication or drugs The driver was on drugs at
the time of the accident.
Be on about Mean, try to say What are you on about? I
don't understand.
Be on to
Be onto
Make a discovery My colleague is excited. He
must be on to something

Be out Absent from home or work Where's Peter? He's out today.
Be out of Have no more left We're out of coffee I'm afraid.
Be out to Try to achieve; be determined He's out to win the match.
Be up Awake and out of bed Tom was up at the crack of
dawn!
Be up Increase The interest rates
are up again.
Be up to Misbehave, do wrong What are those kids up to?
Be up to Be somebody's responsibility It's up to the government to
find a solution.

Break away Escape from captivity The horses were enclosed in a
paddock but a few of them
managed to break away.
Break away from Leave and become
independent
He broke away from the
organization and set up his
own agency.
Break down Go out of order or cease to
function
David's car broke down on the
way to the airport.
Break down Lose control of one's
emotions.
The parents broke down when
they heard the bad news.
Break (something) down Divide into small or simpler
parts
The lesson will be easier to
learn if you break it down into
small sections.

Break free Detach from a physical hold. Eva managed to break
free from her attacker's grasp.
Break in Enter by force in order to
steal something.
Bob saw a man outside trying
to break in.
Break into Enter a place by force in
order to steal something.
The burglars broke into the
house after midnight.
Break in on Interrupt unexpectedly An operator suddenly broke in
on our telephone
conversation.
Break off Stop or discontinue It was decided to break
off diplomatic relations with
that country.

Break off Stop speaking She broke off in the middle of
a sentence.
Break out Start suddenly Rioting broke out as a result
of the strike.
Break out of Escape from a place by force Three prisoners broke out
of jail.
Break through Force a way through
something
The car broke through the
barrier.
Break up Come to an end (marriage,
relationship...)
After her marriage broke
up Emma went to live in
London.
Break up Separate into small pieces Jack had to use a fork
to break up the soil.
Break with Discontinue something or do
something in a different way.
He broke with tradition and
invented new methods.

Bring about Cause something to happen "The arrival of
electricity brought about a
huge change in rural areas.”
Bring along Take someone/something
with you
“You can bring a
friend along if you like.”
Bring around Change someone’s way of
thinking
“It took some time
to bring my
colleague around to my point
of view.”
Bring back Return something “You may borrow my
dictionary but don’t forget
to bring it back!”

Bring down 1) Make something fall or
collapse
2) Make something cheaper
1) “The recent
scandal brought down the
government.”
2) “Increased sales
have brought down the price
of hybrid cars.”
Bring forth Cause or generate something "The proposed
measures brought forth a
series of protests."
Bring forward Make something happen
earlier than was previously
planned
“The afternoon meeting
was brought forward to 9
a.m.”
Bring in 1) Involve a person in a
discussion or investigation
2) Introduce a new system or
law
1) “It was decided to bring
in an expert to estimate the
damage.”
2) “New sanitary measures
were brought in when the
virus emerged."

Bring off Succeed in doing something
difficult
" I didn’t think you'd succeed but
you brought it off! Well done!”
Bring on Cause something to happen or
appear
“The skin rash was brought
on by stress.”
Bring out 1) Publish or release a new
product
2) Reveal or highlight something
1) “The manufacturer is going
to bring out a new electric car
this year.”
2) “The teacher tries to bring
out the best in all the students.”
Bring over Take someone or something from
one place to another
"Tomorrow I'll bring over the
book I mentioned to you."
Bring round/around Make someone regain
consciousness
"She lost consciousness for a
short while but the doctors
managed to bring her round."
Bring up 1) Mention something
2) Raise children
1) “Don’t bring up the subject
with my mother or she’ll get
annoyed.”
2) “The children were brought
up by very strict parents.”

Call after Give a newborn baby the
same name as someone else.
The baby is called after his
grandfather.
Call at Stop somewhere briefly (ship,
train, etc.)
The train calls at Oxbridge
and Glenville.
Call away Ask someone to leave a place. The doctor was called
away for an emergency.
Call back Return a phone call. I'll call you back as soon as
possible.

Call for Go somewhere to get
someone.
Tom said he would call
for her at 8 o'clock.
Call for Demand that something be
done.
The authorities called for an
investigation.
Call for Be required or necessary. The job calls for excellent
computer skills.
Call for Be an appropriate occasion. The good news calls
for champagne!

Call forth Produce a reaction or result. The speech called forth an
angry reaction.
Call forth Evoke or make you think of
something.
That song calls forth sad
memories.
Call in Make a phone call to a place. Eva called in to say that she
was ill.
Call in Ask someone to come and do
a job.
He called in the plumber to
repair the leak.

Call in (on) Stop and pay a visit to
someone.
Jack called in on his parents
yesterday.
Call off Cancel The picnic was called off due
to the storm.
Call on/upon Formally request or invite I now call on the President to
address the assembly.
Call out Shout something He called out my name but I
didn't answer.
Call round Go to a place to see someone. The nurse said she would call
round to see my mother.
Call up Phone someone Tom has a list of people
to call up today.
Call up Summon for military service. My grandfather was called
up to active duty in 1940.

Come about Happen or occur. "How did such a complicated
situation come about? "
Come across Find by chance. Julie came across some
photographs of her
grandparents in the attic.
Come across Appear or seem; make an
impression.
The candidate came across as
a dynamic person during the
interview.
Come along Accompany someone; go
somewhere with someone.
"Alex decided to come
along with me to watch the
parade."

Come along Tell someone to hurry. "Come along Emily. You don't
want to be late for school!"
Come along Arrive, appear. "Tony needs a job. If an
opportunity comes along he's
determined to seize it."
Come along Improve, develop or make
progress.
"How's your mother coming
along since she broke her
leg?"
Come apart Separate into pieces. "I need to get my glasses
repaired. They came
apart when they fell off the
table."
Come around Change one's opinion; finally
accept someone's way of
thinking.
I think the supplier will come
around to our way of seeing
things.

Come back Return. He hopes his son will come
back one day.
Come before Be more important than. Carla always says that her
family comes before her
career.
Come by Manage to get, especially
something that is difficult to
obtain or find.
"How did you come by such a
beautiful location to build
your house?"
Come down with Become ill with. The architect planned to
attend the inauguration but
he came down with the 'flu
yesterday.

Come forward Present oneself; volunteer. The police have asked any
witnesses to come forward.
Come off Become detached from
something; break off; fall off.
A button came off my jacket.
Come out Become known. The truth will come out sooner
or later. It's just a matter of
time.
Come to - Regain consciousness.
- Reach a total amount
- The woman fainted when
she heard the news but
she came to quite quickly.
- "Let's see... two coffees and
two orange juices, that comes
to 7€ please."

Come up Appear, occur or present
itself unexpectedly.
-"The subject came up at the
meeting."
- "Sorry I'm late.
Something came up at the
last minute."
Come up against Be faced with or opposed by
(a reaction).
The plan to demolish the old
theatre came up against a lot
of criticism.
Come up with Produce a plan or idea. Sacha came up with a great
idea for the party.
Come upon Find or discover. The police came upon a stock
of firearms in a disused mine.

Fall about Laugh so much that your
entire body moves
uncontrollably.
“Every time he told the joke
people would fall
about laughing.”
Fall apart Disintegrate; break; fall into
pieces.
"My car is so old it's falling
apart."
Fall back on Be able to use something in
an emergency.
"We were lucky to have some
tinned food to fall back on."
Fall behind Fail to maintain a certain
level.
“Because of the accident
she fell behind at school and
had to work harder."

Fall down Lose one's balance and fall to
the ground or floor.
"The baby tried to walk
but fell down several times."
Fall for Be attracted to somebody or
begin to be in love.
"While on holiday she fell for a
handsome young man."
Fall for Be deceived into believing
something.
"Steve fell for the story about
free tickets for the football
match."
Fall in Collapse inwards. "The roof of the
supermarket fell in and many
customers were injured."
Fall off Become detached or separate
from something.
"The handle fell off the door
as he tried to open it."

Fall out Become loose and drop. "Dad’s hair is starting to fall
out."
Fall out Stop being friends. “Emma and Julie fell
out during the school trip.”
Fall through Fail; not happen as planned. "Our planned boat trip fell
through because of the
storm."
Fall to Become the responsibility or
duty of someone (e.g. a task).
"It fell to me to announce the
bad news."

Get about/around -Move from place to place.
-Spread, circulate
-It's not easy to get
around the city without a
map.
-News of their separation
soon got about/got around.
Get along/on (with) Be on good terms with
someone
I get on/along (well) with my
mother-in-law.
Get at Imply or suggest something What exactly are you trying
to get at?
Get away Escape The robbers got away in a
black car.

Get by Manage to cope or survive It's difficult to get by on a low
salary.
Get down Descend; drop lower -Get down off that table Billy!
-Get down! He's got a gun!
Get down to Actually start something It's time to get down to some
serious work.
Get in/out Enter/leave How did the burglars get
in/get out?
Get into (+noun) Enter a place How did the burglar get
into the house?

Get on/off Board/leave (bus, train,
plane ...)
You pay when you get on the
bus, not when you get off.
Get on with Continue to do something Be quiet and get on with your
homework!
Get out of Avoid doing something Some husbands manage
to get out of doing the dishes.
Get over Recover from (ilness,
disappointment ...)
Charlie was very
disappointed with the result
but he got over it.

Get rid of Eliminate It's difficult to get rid of old
habits.
Get round (to) Fine the necessary time to do
something
I finally got round to making
the list I promised.
Get together Meet each other Let's get together for lunch
one day.
Get up Rise; leave bed What time do you usually get
up in the morning?

Go after Pursue (an object or a goal) Emma went after her dreams
and now she is an actress.
Go along Continue an activity He added funny details to the
story as he went along.
Go along (with) Agree with; accept; support
an idea
Alex tends to go along
with anything his wife says.
Go away Leave a place We decided to go away for a
few days.

Go away Disappear -I still can't get the stain to go
away.
-The medication should make
the pain go away.
Go back Return Children go back to school
after the holidays.
Go by Pass -Put up your hand or the bus
will go by without stopping.
-Time goes by so quickly!
Go down Decrease; reduce The price of property
has gone down a bit lately.

Go down with Become ill with a disease Half the team has gone down
with the 'flu.
Go for Try to achieve or attain Jack trained hard and
decided to go for the gold
medal.
Go in Enter There's a hotel. Let's go
in and book a room.
Go into (+noun) Enter Go into the bakery and see if
they sell croissants.
Go into (+ noun) Join or enter a profession Tom decided to go into the
army when he left school.

Go in for Have something as a hobby Anne really doesn't go in
for sports.
Go off Explode A bomb went off in a crowded
restaurant.
Go off Ring/make a loud noise The alarm clock was set to go
off at 6 am.
Go off Stop working The heating has gone off. It's
freezing in here!
Go off No longer good to eat or drink The milk has gone off. Don't
drink it.

Go off No longer like or enjoy My grandmother has gone
off doing crosswords.
Go on Continue Sorry for interrupting.
Please go on.
Go out Leave one's home to attend a
social event
Many young people go out a
lot.
Go out Stop burning; be
extinguished
The ights went out before we
got to the door.
Go out Be sent The letter went out yesterday.

Go out with Have someone as a
boyfriend/girlfriend.
Is Julie going out with Tom?
Go over Review Please go over your answers
before handing in your paper.
Go up Increase; rise The price of petrol is expected
to go up.
Go through Experience Pete went through a lot of
pain after the accident.

Go through Examine; study carefully You should go through the
contract before signing it.
Go through with Proceed with something Bill and Amy finally went
through with the divorce.
Go with/together Match; harmonise with That jacket doesn't go
with the skirt.
Go without Abstain from; skip Tony had to go without lunch
to finish the report.

Look after Take care of A babysitter looks after the
children when we go out.
Look at Pay attention to something
you see
Look at this picture of my
grandfather when he was
young.
Look at Read in order to give an
opinion
Have you got time to look
at my business plan?
Look at Examine closely That's a bad bruise. You
should ask a doctor to look
at it.

Look at Consider or study carefully We're going to look at all
possible options.
Look ahead Think of the future It's time to forget the past
and look ahead.
Look away Turn your head away The scene was so horrible
that I had to look away.
Look back on Remember the past Older people tend to look
back on the « good old days ».
Look down on Consider as inferior He looks down on anyone who
is not successful.

Look for Try to find something Jane went shopping to look
for a pair of shoes.
Look forward to Await with pleasure I look forward to seeing you
next week.
Look in Visit for a short time Sue promised her mother
she'd look in on her way
home.
Look into Examine or investigate I'll look into the matter and
call you back.
Look on Be a spectator at an event Bill didn't take part in the
fight. He just looked on.

Look out Be careful; pay attention Look out! There's a car
coming!
Look over Examine; review The editor will look over the
article before it is published.
Look through Examine, usually quickly I'll look through my mail to
see if I can find your
message.
Look up to Respect or admire He was a great teacher. The
students looked up to him.

Make do with Use something less
satisfactory as an alternative.
There were no chairs to sit on
so we had to make do with a
pile of boxes.
Make for Move in the direction of; head
for.
Let's make for the exit before
the crowd starts to leave.
Make fun of Laugh at ; make jokes about. The old lady dresses so
strangely that the
children make fun of her.
Make (something) into Convert or change into. We're going to make our
garage into a playroom

Make of Have an opinion about
something.
What do you make of his
latest suggestion?
Make off with Steal and hurry away. A young man made off
with my briefcase while I was
checking the timetable.
Make out Be able to hear or read
something.
I need glasses! I can't make
out what's written on the
board.
Make out Fill in the details (e.g.
cheque).
Please make out the cheque
to ABC Wizards.
Make oneself out (to be) Claim or pretend to be. In an attempt to find more
details, he made himself
out to be a journalist .

Make over Legally make someone the
owner of something.
Before she died she made
over all her property to her
children.
Make up Invent (excuse, story). Some employees make
up excuses when they arrive
late for work.
Make up Prepare a bed for use. You can stay here tonight.
I'll make up a bed for you in
the spare room.
Make up Form, constitute. In your opinion what
qualities make up his
character?

Make up Put on powder, lipstick, etc. Cynthia spends
ages making herself up/putti
ng on make-up.
Make up with End a quarrel and become
friends again.
Come on you two! It's time to
shake hands and make up.
Make up for Compensate for something. If I work longer the next few
days I can make up for the
time I was absent.

Push ahead Continue with a plan or
activity, even if it is difficult.
"The developers pushed
ahead with plans for the
shopping centre.”
Push along Shove forward "She pushed the
trolley along the aisle. ”
Push along Leave a place; move on "It’s late. We should
be pushing along.”
Push away Show that you do not want
something.
"The boy pushed away the
food on his plate.”

Push around Bully; treat badly "He’s bossy. Don't let
him push you around.”
Push back Delay an appointment or an
arrangement
"The meeting was pushed
back to 11 am. ”
Push by Force your way past "The passengers pushed
by each other to get off. ”
Push for Try hard to obtain something "Parents are pushing for a
safer road near the school. ”

Push in Move in front of people
already waiting in line.
"We were waiting in line for
the bus when two
teenagers pushed in. ”
Push off Move away by pushing
against the side (e.g. pool or
dock)
"We pushed off and rowed
down the river. ”
Push off! (rude) Go away! "You’re not welcome here so
just push off! ”
Push on Continue doing something
with determination.
"The hike was long and tiring
but the boys pushed on. ”
Push out Force someone to leave. "Susan was pushed out of
the committee.”

Push over Make someone or something
fall/drop over.
"His brother helped him to
climb the wall
and pushed him over."
Push past Move in front of someone or
something forcibly.
"The demonstrators tried
to push past the barrier. ”
Push through Force a passage through "He pushed through the
snow to the gate.”
Push through Force the passage of a law. "The bill was pushed
through Parliament.”
Push up Force to rise or increase. "The conflict pushed up the
price of petrol.”

Put away Return something to the
place where it is usually kept.
"Please put away the
dictionary when you've
finished using it”
Put back Replace, return to its proper
place.
"Please put the
dictionary back on the shelf
beside the others."
Put forward Propose or recommend
something.
"The chairman put forward a
proposal to move to bigger
offices."
Put off Postpone; delay; arrange a
later date.
"The meeting has been put
off until next week because
of the strike."

Put on Turn on / switch on. "Could you put on the light
please?"
Put on Wear a garment or piece of
clothing.
"You'd better put on your
coat - it's cold outside today."
Put out Extinguish "It took the fire fighters a long
time to put out the fire."
Put (yourself) out off Go to a lot of trouble; be
inconvenienced.
"Please
don't put yourself out for
us."

Put (something) out Leave or place something
outside the house.
"Don't forget to put out the
dustbin this evening."
Put through Connect two people (on the
phone).
"Just a moment please.
I'll put you through to Mr.
Brown."
Put up Erect, build, construct. “Danny put up a tent in the
garden to keep the children
happy."
Put (someone) up Accommodate; give someone
a bed.
"We can put you up if you'd
like to come for the week-
end."
Put up with Tolerate "I don't know how you
can put up with the noise of
all that traffic."

Run away Escape from a place or
suddenly leave.
He ran away from home at
the age of fourteen.
Run about
Run around
Be busy doing many dfferent
things.
Jenny has been running
about all week getting ready
for the wedding.
Run across Run to the other side. The pickpocket ran
across the road and jumped
onto a bus.
Run after Chase something. Tom threw the ball and the
boy ran after it.

Run down Hit someone with a vehicle
and injure or kill them.
The cyclist was run down by
a car at the intersection.
Run down Criticize someone or
something.
Andy tends to run down any
proposals made by others.
Run into Meet by accident or
unexpectly.
Sophie ran into Maria at the
supermarket.
Run on Continue without
interruption.
We didn't expect the
chairman's speech to run
on for so long!
Run out Expire; come to an end. Let's order now before the
offer runs out.

Run out of Have no more of something. What a nuisance! We've run
out of coffee.
Run up Accumulate a debt. Tom ran up a large bill at the
hotel.
Run up Make something quickly. My mother can run up a skirt
in no time.
Run up against Encounter difficulties or
problems.
The property developer ran
up against strong local
opposition.

Take after Resemble in appearance or
character
Jamie really takes after his
father.
Take apart Dismantle or separate the
components
The technician has
to take the machine apart to
repair it.
Take away Cause something to
disappear
The doctor gave me tablets
to take away the pain.
Take away Buy food at a restaurant and
carry it elsewhere to eat it.
Two beef curries to take
away please.

Take back Agree to receive back/ be
returned.
We will take back the goods
only if you can produce the
receipt.
Take back Retract or withdraw
something said
I take back what I said about
cheating. I didn't mean it.
Take care of Look after I'll take care of your plants
while you're away.
Take off Leave the ground (a plane) The plane took off at 7
o'clock.
Take off Remove something May I take off my jacket? It's
warm in here.

Take in Allow to stay in one's home The old lady next door is
always taking in stray cats
and dogs!
Take in Note with your eyes and
register.
Amanda took in every detail
of her rival's outfit.
Take in Understand what one sees,
hears or reads; realise what is
happening.
The man immediately took
in the scene and called the
police.
Take on Hire or engage staff Business is good so the
company is taking on extra
staff.
Take out Remove or cause to disappear Try this. It should take
out the stain.

Take out Extract from somewhere Sam took out a pen to note
down the supplier's address.
Take out Invite somone to dinner, the
cinema, etc.
Her
boyfriend took her out for a
meal on her birthday.
Take out Obtain a service or document
(insurance, loan, etc.)
Many homeowners take
out a mortgage when they
buy property.
Take to Begin to like somebody or
something.
My parents took to James
immediately.

Take to Make a new habit of
something
He's taken to walking in the
park every morning.
Take up Fill or occupy space or time. There's not much space here.
The big table takes up too
much room.
Take up Adopt as a hobby or pastime. My father took up golf when
he retired.
Take up Start something e.g. a job. While writing his first book
Tony took up a job as a
teacher.
Take up Make something shorter That skirt is too long for you.
It will need to be taken up.
Take up Continue something
interrupted
She took up the story where
Bill had left off.

Do up Fasten an item of clothing. It’s cold outside so do
up your coat.
Dress up Dress in your best or nicest
clothes.
Here I am, all dressed
up and ready to go!
Hang out Put clothes outside to dry. She washed the skirt
and hung it out to dry.
Have on Be wearing. “What did she have on when
you saw her?”
“A navy suit and red shoes.”

Kick off Remove your shoes quickly by
shaking your feet.
He arrived home exhausted.
He kicked off his shoes and
lay down on the sofa.
Let out Make clothing wider. The skirt is tight so I’ll have
to have it let out.
Put on Dress yourself in something. He put on his coat and then
left the house.
Slip on Put on something quickly and
easily.
She slipped on a pair of
comfortable jeans and went
downstairs.
Take in Make clothing narrower. The dress is too wide for me
but I can have it taken in.

Take off Remove an item of clothing. Come in and take off your
coat.
Take up Make clothing shorter. My dress is too long.It needs
to be taken up.
Throw on Put on an item of clothing
very quickly.
He threw on an old jacket
and rushed out.
Turn up Shorten the length of clothing
by folding the material.
The sleeves are a bit long. I’m
going to turn them up.
Zip up Fasten an item of clothing
using a zip.
He zipped up his jacket
before stepping out into the
snow.

Back up Reverse; move a vehicle
backwards
He backed up close to the
gate.
Break down Stop working. The car broke down on the
way home.
Change up Start using a higher gear. When he got on the motorway
he was able to change up to
fifth (gear).
Change down Start using a lower gear. I changed down from fourth
to third as we approached the
town.

Cut in
Cut off
Suddenly move very closely in
front of another vehicle in a
dangerous manner.
That car just cut
in/cut me off and I almost
hit it!
Drive off Leave a place in a vehicle. The bank robber drove off in
a black car.
Drive on Continue driving. That’s my boss. Don’t stop –
drive on! I don't want him to
see me.
Drop off Take someone somewhere (by
car).
Jack dropped me off at the
station.

Fill up Put fuel in the tank. I’ll stop at a petrol station
and fill up.
Knock down Hit someone with a vehicle. A cyclist was knocked
down by a truck.
Pick up Go somewhere in your car
and collect someone
John offered to pick up his
colleague at the bus stop.
Pull in Move to a designated place at
the side of the road.
A police car signaled to me
to pull in.

Pull off Leave the road momentarily. I was tired from driving so
I pulled off for a rest and a
cup of coffee.
Pull out Move out from the roadside
onto the road.
A motorbike suddenly pulled
out in front of me.
Pull over Move over to the side of the
road.
She pulled over to make way
for the ambulance.
Pull up Stop. All vehicles must pull up at
the traffic lights.

Slow down Reduce the speed The driver slowed down in
front of the school.
Speed up Accelerate I’ll have to speed up if we
want to arrive on time.
Turn off Leave a road to take another. Is this where we turn off?

Clean up Remove dirt, rubbish, debris,
etc.
The population helped clean
up the beaches after an oil
spillage.
Cut down / Chop down Remove (trees) by cutting To avoid deforestation it
should be compulsory for new
trees to be planted where the
original trees have been cut
down / chopped down.
Die out Become extinct; stop existing Some species of animals have
already died out due to
climate change.
Dispose of Get rid of Nuclear waste must
be disposed of safely.

Dry up Disappear through
evaporation
Due to prolonged periods of
drought, many rivers
have dried up.
Heat up Increase the temperature The sun heats up the surface
of the earth.
Phase out Gradually stop Some countries have decided
to phase out the production
of petrol-driven cars.
Run out of Use up the supply of
something until there is none
left.
How will we manage if we run
out of petrol?
Scale back / Scale down Reduce the quantity or
amount
The army has decided to scale
back (on) its use of petrol-
driven vehicles.

Turn off Stop the flow To save water, turn off the
tap when brushing your
teeth.
Throw away Discard Don’t throw away plastic
bottles. Recycle them!
Use up Use until there is no more We’ve already used up the
earth’s resources for this
year.
Wipe out Eliminate A nuclear war would most
probably wipe out all life on
our planet.

Ask out Invite someone to lunch,
dinner, the cinema ...
John
has asked Mary out several
times.
Break up Come to a end (a relationship) After her marriage broke up,
Caroline went to live in
London.
Cut loose Stop being influenced or
controlled
Alex is thirty years old and
still hasn't cut loose from his
family.
Fall for Be attracted to somebody or
begin to be in love.
While on holiday Rebecca fell
for a handsome young man.

Fall out Stop being friends because of
a disagreement or argument.
Emma is not speaking to
Julie. They fell out during
the school trip.
Get along Be on good terms; work well
with.
I must say I get along (well)
with my mother-in-law.
Go out (with) Have someone as a
boyfriend/girlfriend.
Is Julie going (out)
with Tom?
Make up (with) End a quarrel and become
friends again.
Come on you two! It's time to
shake hands and make up.

Put up (with) Tolerate I don't know how you
can put up with his bad
temper.
Settle down Get married and lead a
quieter life.
His mother wished Tom
would settle down and get
married.
Split up End a relationship Carla has split up with her
boyfriend.
Wear down Make someone feel weary or
tired.
Their constant arguments
are wearing her down.

Book into Arrange to stay somewhere
(hotel, guesthouse...)
The agency booked us into a
hotel.
Check in Arrive and register at a hotel
or airport.
You must check in two
hours before departure.
Check out Leave a hotel after paying. We checked out at 10 a.m.
Drop off Take someone somewhere (by
car).
Jack dropped me off at the
station.

Get away Escape (e.g. from work) for a
break or holiday.
I hope to get away for a few
days soon.
Get in Arrive What time does your flight
get in?
Get on/off Board/leave a bus, train,
plane.
I must get on/off at the next
stop.
Hop on/off (informal) Get on or off a bus, train etc. With a one-day ticket you
can hop on and off as you
like.

Pack in Manage to do a lot of things. We packed in a lot during
our trip.
Pick up Collect someone or
something.
Sam is picking me up at the
airport.
See off Accompany to the station or
the airport to say goodbye.
My sister came to see me off.
Set off/out Start a journey. It’s a long trip so we’ll set
off early.
They are going to set out on
a European tour next month.

Stay on Stay longer than intended. The hotel was so nice we
decided to stay on for a few
days.
Stop over Stay at a place on the way to
somewhere else.
We stopped over in
Singapore on the way to
Australia.
Take in Include visits of interest. We managed to take in all
the sights during our trip.
Take off Leave the ground/start to fly. The plane took off on time.
Turn back Return towards the place you
left.
The plane had to turn
back because of technical
problems.

Call back Return a call If it's Tom, tell him I'll call
him back..
Cut off Disconnect abruptly I was cut off before I could
finish explaining.
Get back to Return a call When do you think he
can get back to me?
Get off Stop talking on the phone I'll ask him as soon as
he gets off the phone.

Get through Succeed in reaching someone
on the phone
She called the train station
several times but she
couldn't get through.
Hang up End a conversation / put the
phone down
I know you're angry but
please don't hang up. Let me
explain.
Hang on Wait for a short period Hang on a second. I think I've
got the address.
Hold on Wait for a short period Hold on a minute please. I'll
see if she's free.
Pick up Answer the telephone Can someone pick up the
pphone please?

Put through Connect one caller to another I'll put you through to Dr
Brown's secretary.
Slow down Speak more slowly You're speaking too
fast. Could you slow down a
little please?
Speak up Speak louder I can't hear very well. Could
you speak up?
Switch off Deactivate a mobile or cell
phone
You couldn't reach me
because my phone
was switched off. Sorry
about that.

Back up Make a copy of something. Dont forget to back up your
files.
Bring forward Move to an earlier date or
time.
Can we bring forward the
meeting?
Call off Cancel My interview bas been called
off.
Close down Stop doing business. The shoe factory has closed
down.

Contract out Get work done elsewhere. We contracted out our
waste management.
Draw up Prepare a document or plan. Plans have been drawn
up for the new theatre.
Fall through Not happen as planned. Let's hope the deal
doesn't fall through.
Fill in (for) Replace somebody at work. Jack filled in for Sam when
he was ill.

Knuckle down Start to work very hard Let's knuckle down and
finish the project.
Lay off Terminate employment The company plans to lay
off 100 employees.
Pencil in Note a provisional date or
time.
The meeting is penciled
in for 9 am next Tuesday.
Pull out of Withdraw from an agreement One of the companies pulled
out of the deal yesterday.

Phrasal verbs English Grammar Topic.

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