Mastering English Phrasal Verbs: Your Complete Guide

Phrasal verbs are one of the most confusing aspects of English for learners. Why does "give up" mean something completely different from just "give"? Why do native speakers say "I ran into John" when they didn't actually run?

Phrasal verbs are everywhere in English—in conversation, movies, books, and business. Understanding them is essential for fluency. This comprehensive guide breaks down what they are, how they work, and how to master the most important ones.

What Are Phrasal Verbs?

A phrasal verb is a verb combined with one or two particles (prepositions or adverbs) that creates a new meaning.

Structure: Verb + Particle(s)

Examples:

• look (verb) + up (particle) = look up (search for information)
• give (verb) + up (particle) = give up (quit, stop trying)
• run (verb) + into (particle) = run into (meet by chance)

The meaning of the phrasal verb often cannot be guessed from the individual words. That's what makes them tricky.

Types of Phrasal Verbs

1. Intransitive Phrasal Verbs (No Object)

These don't take an object.

Examples:

• "The plane took off on time." (depart)
• "She showed up late to the meeting." (arrive)
• "I grew up in a small town." (become an adult)

2. Transitive Phrasal Verbs (With an Object)

These require an object.

Separable Phrasal Verbs

The object can go between the verb and particle OR after the phrasal verb.

Examples:

• "Please turn off the lights." OR "Please turn the lights off."
• "I looked up the word." OR "I looked the word up."

Important: If the object is a pronoun (it, them, him, her), it MUST go between the verb and particle.

• ✓ "Turn it off."
• ✗ "Turn off it."

Inseparable Phrasal Verbs

The object MUST come after the complete phrasal verb.

Examples:

• ✓ "I ran into an old friend."

• ✗ "I ran an old friend into."

• ✓ "She looks after her grandmother."

• ✗ "She looks her grandmother after."

3. Three-Word Phrasal Verbs

These have two particles.

Examples:

• "I'm looking forward to the weekend." (anticipate with pleasure)
• "We ran out of milk." (have no more)
• "He came up with a great idea." (think of, create)

Three-word phrasal verbs are always inseparable.

The 50 Most Essential Phrasal Verbs

Everyday Life

1. Wake up (stop sleeping)

• "I wake up at 7 AM every day."

2. Get up (rise from bed)

• "I get up immediately after waking up."

3. Turn on / Turn off (start / stop a device)

• "Please turn on the TV."
• "Don't forget to turn off the lights."

4. Put on / Take off (wear / remove clothing)

• "Put on your jacket; it's cold outside."
• "Take off your shoes before entering."

5. Look for (search for)

• "I'm looking for my keys. Have you seen them?"

6. Look after (take care of)

• "Can you look after my dog while I'm away?"

7. Pick up (collect, lift)

• "I'll pick you up at 7 PM."
• "Pick up that trash, please."

8. Drop off (deliver someone/something)

• "I'll drop you off at the airport."

9. Clean up (tidy, organize)

• "Let's clean up the kitchen after dinner."

10. Throw away / Throw out (discard)

• "Throw away that old newspaper."

Work and Study

11. Hand in (submit)

• "Please hand in your assignments by Friday."

12. Hand out (distribute)

• "The teacher handed out the test papers."

13. Fill out / Fill in (complete a form)

• "Please fill out this application form."

14. Look up (search for information)

• "I need to look up this word in the dictionary."

15. Write down (record in writing)

• "Write down the important points."

16. Figure out (solve, understand)

• "I can't figure out how to solve this problem."

17. Work out (exercise OR solve)

• "I work out at the gym three times a week."
• "We need to work out a solution."

18. Come up with (think of, create an idea)

• "She came up with a brilliant marketing strategy."

19. Carry out (perform, execute)

• "They carried out the experiment successfully."

20. Point out (indicate, draw attention to)

• "He pointed out several errors in the report."

Social and Relationships

21. Run into (meet by chance)

• "I ran into my old teacher at the mall."

22. Get along (with) (have a good relationship)

• "I get along well with my colleagues."

23. Fall out (with) (have an argument, stop being friends)

• "They fell out over money issues."

24. Make up (reconcile after a fight)

• "They had a fight but made up the next day."

25. Ask out (invite on a date)

• "He finally asked her out for dinner."

26. Break up (with) (end a romantic relationship)

• "They broke up after two years of dating."

27. Catch up (with) (reach the same level OR talk after time apart)

• "Let's catch up over coffee. I want to hear all your news."

28. Hang out (with) (spend time casually)

• "We hung out at the park yesterday."

29. Show off (display to impress others, often negatively)

• "He's always showing off his new car."

30. Bring up (mention, introduce a topic OR raise a child)

• "Don't bring up politics at dinner."
• "She was brought up in London."

Communication

31. Speak up (speak louder OR express opinion)

• "Please speak up; I can't hear you."
• "Don't be afraid to speak up in meetings."

32. Shut up (stop talking - informal/rude)

• "Shut up and listen!" (use carefully—can be rude)

33. Call off (cancel)

• "They called off the meeting due to bad weather."

34. Put off (postpone OR discourage)

• "Let's put off the discussion until next week."
• "The smell put me off eating there."

35. Get through (to) (make contact OR make someone understand)

• "I can't get through to him on the phone."
• "I tried to explain, but I couldn't get through to her."

Continuation and Change

36. Go on (continue)

• "Please go on with your story."

37. Carry on (continue)

• "Carry on with your work."

38. Give up (quit, stop trying)

• "Don't give up! You're almost there."

39. Keep on (continue doing)

• "He kept on talking even though everyone left."

40. End up (finally arrive at a result)

• "We ended up staying home instead of going out."

Starting and Stopping

41. Set up (establish, arrange)

• "They set up a new business."

42. Take up (start a new hobby OR occupy time/space)

• "I've taken up yoga recently."
• "This project takes up too much time."

43. Start up (begin operation)

• "He started up a tech company."

44. Shut down (close permanently)

• "The factory shut down last year."

45. Break down (stop functioning OR lose emotional control OR analyze)

• "My car broke down on the highway."
• "She broke down in tears."
• "Let's break down the problem into smaller parts."

Miscellaneous Important Ones

46. Deal with (handle, manage)

• "I'll deal with the customer complaints."

47. Get over (recover from)

• "It took months to get over the flu."
• "He still hasn't gotten over his ex-girlfriend."

48. Come across (find by chance OR seem/appear)

• "I came across this old photo in the attic."
• "She comes across as very confident."

49. Look forward to (anticipate with pleasure)

• "I'm looking forward to the vacation."

50. Run out (of) (use all of something)

• "We've run out of coffee."

How to Learn Phrasal Verbs Effectively

1. Learn in Context, Not Lists

Don't memorize lists. Learn phrasal verbs in sentences and situations.

Bad: "Give up = quit" Good: "I gave up smoking last year. It was really hard, but I'm glad I did it."

2. Group by Particle

Many particles have consistent meanings:

UP often suggests:

• Completion: eat up, use up, finish up
• Increase: speed up, turn up (volume)
• Improvement: clean up, tidy up

DOWN often suggests:

• Decrease: slow down, turn down, calm down
• Recording: write down, note down
• Destruction: tear down, break down

OUT often suggests:

• Distribution: hand out, give out
• Completion: work out, figure out
• Elimination: cross out, wipe out

3. Practice with Real-Life Situations

Use phrasal verbs when:

• Texting friends
• Writing emails
• Speaking in class
• Describing your day

4. Use Them in Your Own Sentences

Don't just read examples. Create your own:

• "Last week, I ran into my old classmate..."
• "I need to catch up on my emails..."

5. Watch Movies and TV Shows

Phrasal verbs are everywhere in spoken English. Note them down when you hear them.

Common Mistakes with Phrasal Verbs

Mistake 1: Using the Wrong Preposition

✗ "I look forward for the weekend." ✓ "I look forward to the weekend."

✗ "I ran in my old friend." ✓ "I ran into my old friend."

Mistake 2: Incorrect Placement with Pronouns

✗ "Turn off it." ✓ "Turn it off."

✗ "I'll pick up them later." ✓ "I'll pick them up later."

Mistake 3: Separating Inseparable Phrasal Verbs

✗ "I look my grandmother after." ✓ "I look after my grandmother."

Mistake 4: Using Them in Formal Writing

Phrasal verbs are more common in spoken and informal English.

Informal: "We need to find out the answer." Formal: "We need to determine the answer."

However, many phrasal verbs are acceptable in all registers (e.g., "carry out," "set up").

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blank

1. I ___ up at 6 AM every day. (wake/get)
2. Don't forget to ___ off the lights. (turn)
3. Can you ___ after my cat while I'm away? (look)
4. I ___ into an old friend yesterday. (run)
5. Please ___ in your homework tomorrow. (hand)

Answers: 1. wake/get 2. turn 3. look 4. ran 5. hand

Exercise 2: Replace with Phrasal Verbs

1. I need to search for this word. → I need to ___.
2. She submitted her essay on time. → She ___ her essay on time.
3. They canceled the event. → They ___ the event.
4. I met by chance my teacher. → I ___ my teacher.
5. We recovered from the shock. → We ___ the shock.

Answers: 1. look it up 2. handed in 3. called off 4. ran into 5. got over

Conclusion: Make Them Part of Your Daily English

Phrasal verbs aren't optional—they're essential for natural English. Native speakers use them constantly.

Your Action Plan:

1. Start with the 50 phrasal verbs in this guide
2. Learn 3-5 new phrasal verbs per week
3. Use them in conversation and writing
4. Pay attention to them in movies, podcasts, and books
5. Review regularly

Don't try to learn hundreds at once. Focus on the most common ones and use them actively.

Ready to practice phrasal verbs in real conversations? Britannia Language Center offers interactive classes where you'll use phrasal verbs naturally in context. Join us and start speaking like a native!