Phrasal verbs & meanings
by Viv Quarry (www.vivquarry.com)
There are four types of phrasal (or multi-word) verbs.
Type 1
Verb + adverb (NO OBJECT)
The plane took off.
The fire went out.
Our plans fell through.
Type 2
Verb + adverb + OBJECT
Could you hand out the books?
or
Could you hand the books out?
We'll have to put off the meeting.
or
We'll have to put the meeting off.
The object can change position, but not if it is a pronoun.
Could you hand them out.
We'll have to put it off.
Type 3
Verb + preposition + OBJECT
He ran across the road.
She takes after her mother.
He came into the room.
The preposition CAN'T change position.
Type 4
Verb + adverb + preposition + OBJECT
She looks down on working-class people.
I'm sorry to break in on your conversation.
Please get on with your work.
The object CAN'T change position.
Why are phrasal verbs difficult?
Stop putting me off! We'll have to put it off until next week.
Unfortunately, there are thousands of phrasal verbs in the English language and it takes years to learn them all. However, here is a list of ten verbs with some of the phrasal verbs associated with them.
The verbs are:
Put, get, look, give, take, make, do, go, come, be
Phrasal verbs with PUT
Phrasal verb Type? Meaning in your lanuage Meaning in English
Be put off by sth ______ ____________________ be disuaded from doing sth
Have sth Put down ______ ____________________ kill an animal humanely
Put in sth ______ ____________________ make a request
Put in sth ______ ____________________ spend time
Put on sth ______ ____________________ increase weight
Put sb off ______ ____________________ distract
Put sb through ______ ____________________ connect by phone
Put sb up ______ ____________________ accommodate
Put sth across ______ ____________________ describe
Put sth aside ______ ____________________ leave sth until later
Put sth away ______ ____________________ tidy
Put sth back ______ ____________________ replace
Put sth back ______ ____________________ turn the hands on a clock back
Put sth down to ______ ____________________ be explained by
Put sth down ______ ____________________ drop sth
Put sth down ______ ____________________ write
Put sth forward ______ ____________________ turn the hands on a clock forward
Put sth off ______ ____________________ delay
Put sth on ______ ____________________ dress
Put sth on ______ ____________________ switch sth on
Put sth out ______ ____________________ switch sth off
Put sth out ______ ____________________ take sth outside
Put sth together ______ ____________________ build sth from parts
Put sth up ______ ____________________ Fix sth on a wall
Put sth up ______ ____________________ raise price
Put up sth ______ ____________________ build
Put up with sth ______ ____________________ tolerate
Phrasal verbs with GET
Phrasal verb Type? Meaning in your lanuage Meaning in English
Get (a)round sth ______ ____________________ resolve a problem
Get (a)round to sth ______ ____________________ find time for sth
Get about ______ ____________________ travel
Get along with sb ______ ____________________ get on with sb
Get around ______ ____________________ move
Get at (sth) ______ ____________________ mean, reach sth
Get away with sth ______ ____________________ escape punishment
Get away ______ ____________________ escape
Get back (swh) ______ ____________________ return
Get behind with sth ______ ____________________ not pay on time
Get by ______ ____________________ survive
Get in ______ ____________________ enter buiding or car
Get into (sth) ______ ____________________ become involved in
Get off sth ______ ____________________ leave public transport
Get on sth ______ ____________________ enter public transport
Get on with sb ______ ____________________ have a good relationship
Get on with sth ______ ____________________ continue doing
Get on with sth ______ ____________________ make progress
Get on ______ ____________________ do
Get out of doing sth ______ ____________________ escape from work
Get out ______ ____________________ leave
Get over sth ______ ____________________ recover from sth
Get sb down ______ ____________________ make sb feel depressed
Get sth across ______ ____________________ explain
Get sth back ______ ____________________ receive sth lent
Get through (to sb) ______ ____________________ make contact by phone
Get through sth ______ ____________________ finish
Get to swh ______ ____________________ arrive at
Get to ______ ____________________ go
Get together ______ ____________________ meet
Phrasal verbs with LOOK
Phrasal verb Type? Meaning in your lanuage Meaning in English
Look after sth/sb ______ ____________________ take care of sth/sb
Look ahead ______ ____________________ predict
Look back on sth ______ ____________________ remember
Look down on sb ______ ____________________ disrespect
Look forward to sth ______ ____________________ anticipate with pleasure
Look in on sb ______ ____________________ visit
Look into sth ______ ____________________ investigate
Look on ______ ____________________ be a spectator
Look out for sth ______ ____________________ try to find
Look out ______ ____________________ danger!
Look round swh ______ ____________________ explore
Look sb up ______ ____________________ locate sb
Look sth over ______ ____________________ examine
Look sth up ______ ____________________ find in a list
Look through sth ______ ____________________ check for mistakes
Look to sb for sth ______ ____________________ expect help from sb
Look up to sb ______ ____________________ view with respect
Phrasal verbs with GIVE
Phrasal verb Type? Meaning in your lanuage Meaning in English
Give in ______ ____________________ admit defeat
Give off sth ______ ____________________ emit
Give sb up ______ ____________________ take sb to the police
Give sth away ______ ____________________ give freely
Give sth away ______ ____________________ tell sb a secret
Give sth back ______ ____________________ return sth to sb
Give sth in ______ ____________________ hand sth in
Give sth out ______ ____________________ distribute
Give up on sth ______ ____________________ abandon hope of doing sth
Give up sth ______ ____________________ stop a bad habit
Give up ______ ____________________ desist
Phrasal verbs with TAKE
Phrasal verb Type? Meaning in your lanuage Meaning in English
Be taken aback ______ ____________________ be shocked
Be taken in ______ ____________________ believe sth untrue
Take after sb ______ ____________________ be similar to sb
Take in sth ______ ____________________ understand
Take it out on sb ______ ____________________ punish sb due to anger
Take off ______ ____________________ be successful
Take off ______ ____________________ rise into the air
Take out sth ______ ____________________ subscribe
Take over sth ______ ____________________ take control of sth
Take sb back ______ ____________________ make sb remember sth
Take sb for sth ______ ____________________ think sb is sth bad
Take sb on ______ ____________________ challenge
Take sb on ______ ____________________ employ
Take sb out ______ ____________________ go out with sb
Take sb up on sth ______ ____________________ accept help from sb
Take sth apart ______ ____________________ dismantle sth
Take sth away ______ ____________________ remove sth from sb
Take sth back ______ ____________________ admit that you said sth wrong
Take sth back ______ ____________________ return sth to a shop
Take sth down ______ ____________________ remove from a wall
Take sth down ______ ____________________ write sth
Take sth in/up ______ ____________________ adapt clothes
Take sth off ______ ____________________ remove clothes
Take sth on ______ ____________________ assume responsibility
Take sth up with sb ______ ____________________ discuss sth with sb
Take to sb ______ ____________________ like
Take up sth ______ ____________________ start an activity
Phrasal verbs with MAKE
Phrasal verb Type? Meaning in your lanuage Meaning in English
Make (sth) out ______ ____________________ see sth
Make away with sth ______ ____________________ steal and escape
Make for swh ______ ____________________ go in the direction
Make of sth/sb ______ ____________________ think about
Make off with sth ______ ____________________ steal and escape
Make off ______ ____________________ escape
Make out sth ______ ____________________ write (cheque/form)
Make out ______ ____________________ say
Make sb out to be sth______ ____________________ pretend to be sth
Make sb up ______ ____________________ put on make-up
Make sth over ______ ____________________ transfer ownership
Make sth up ______ ____________________ invent
Make up for sth ______ ____________________ compensate
Make up sth ______ ____________________ prepare
Make up ______ ____________________ reconcile
Phrasal verbs with DO
Phrasal verb Type? Meaning in your lanuage Meaning in English
Do with sth ______ ____________________ need
Do sth up ______ ____________________ renovate
Do without (sth) ______ ____________________ survive without
Do away with sth ______ ____________________ finish or terminate sth
Do sb down ______ ____________________ discredit
Do for sb ______ ____________________ ruin
Do sb out of sth ______ ____________________ deprive
Do sth over ______ ____________________ repeat
Do sth up ______ ____________________ fasten
Do with sth ______ ____________________ have a connection with
Phrasal verbs with GO
Phrasal verb Type? Meaning in your lanuage Meaning in English
Go (a)round ______ ____________________ circulate
Go (on) ahead ______ ____________________ continue
Go a(round) ______ ____________________ be sufficient
Go about sth ______ ____________________ do
Go about sth ______ ____________________ start dealing with sth
Go after sth ______ ____________________ try to get
Go against sth/sb ______ ____________________ be in conflict with
Go along with sb/sth ______ ____________________ agree with/to sth
Go away ______ ____________________ leave
Go back (to sth) ______ ____________________ return to sth
Go by ______ ____________________ pass
Go down with sth ______ ____________________ become ill with sth
Go down ______ ____________________ reduce in size
Go for sb ______ ____________________ attack
Go into sth ______ ____________________ explain
Go off sth ______ ____________________ lose interest in
Go off with sb ______ ____________________ leave with
Go off ______ ____________________ explode
Go on ______ ____________________ continue
Go out with sb ______ ____________________ have a romance with
Go out ______ ____________________ be extinguished
Go out ______ ____________________ be unfashionable
Go over sth ______ ____________________ check carefully
Go through sth ______ ____________________ check
Go under ______ ____________________ fail
Go with sth ______ ____________________ combine well
Go without sth ______ ____________________survive without
Phrasal verbs with COME
Phrasal verb Type? Meaning in your lanuage Meaning in English
Come a(round) ______ ____________________ be persuaded
Come about ______ ____________________ happen
Come across sth/sb ______ ____________________ encounter
Come across ______ ____________________ communicate
Come along ______ ____________________ move quickly/accompany
Come along ______ ____________________ progress
Come apart ______ ____________________ break into pieces
Come at sb ______ ____________________ attack
Come away ______ ____________________ leave
Come back ______ ____________________ return
Come before sth ______ ____________________ preceed
Come down on sb ______ ____________________ blame
Come down with ______ ____________________ become ill with sth
Come down ______ ____________________ reduce
Come for sth ______ ____________________ collect
Come forward ______ ____________________ volunteer to do sth
Come in for sth ______ ____________________ suffer criticism
Come in ______ ____________________ enter
Come into sth ______ ____________________ inherit
Come off ______ ____________________ detach/succeed
Come on ______ ____________________ develop
Come on ______ ____________________ hurry
Come out with sth ______ ____________________ announce
Come out ______ ____________________ be revealed/issued
Come over ______ ____________________ visit
Come through ______ ____________________ survive danger/difficulty
Come to sb/sth ______ ____________________ remember/ result in
Come up against ______ ____________________ meet a problem
Come up with sth ______ ____________________ propose
Come up ______ ____________________ be heard in court
Come up ______ ____________________ be mentioned
Phrasal verbs with BE
Phrasal verb Type? Meaning in your lanuage Meaning in English
Be about (sth) ______ ____________________ happen (book/film)
Be after sth ______ ____________________ want
Be around ______ ____________________ be here
Be away (on) sth ______ ____________________ travelling
Be back ______ ____________________ arrive
Be for (sth) ______ ____________________ the function of sth
Be from swh ______ ____________________ originate
Be in for sth ______ ____________________ get into trouble
Be into sth ______ ____________________ interested in sth
Be like sth/sb ______ ____________________ similar
Be off ______ ____________________ leave
Be on ______ ____________________ showing (tv/cinema)
Be onto sb ______ ____________________ suspect
Be onto sth ______ ____________________ make a discovery
Be over ______ ____________________ finish
Be through (sth) ______ ____________________ finish
Be up ______ ____________________ happen to sb
Be with sb ______ ____________________ join