English Phrasal Verbs

A most complex English grammar phenomenon in easy explanations. Let’s make verb tenses handy.

A phrasal (verb) is a verb + particle (adverb/preposition) combination. Sometimes its meaning may be figured out literally.

There’s no getting away from reality.

But most phrasals are non-motivated whose meaning differs from constituent meanings and makes separate concepts.

Please hold on for a sec!

 

Phrasals are most common in neutral/informal English, especially spoken American. There’s no today’s English without thousands of phrasals making speech lively. They serve as colloquial equivalents of formal Latin verbs.

postpone = put off

exit = get out

Every student of English needs understanding of at least basic phrasals and common nouns, compound adjectives made from them. The more productive a verb, the more phrasals it forms – be, bring, come, get, go, keep, look, put, run, take, turn… Phrasal meaning can often be guessed from corresponding particle meaning. One of top particles is up meaning completed actions. Some phrasals are used only with certain subjects or in certain contexts.

I’m so thrilled by take-offs.

 

Intransitive Phrasals

They have no objects.

Come on! Hurry up!

Separable Transitive Phrasals

Their objects go before/after particles.

Have you looked through that book? = Have you looked that book through? = Have you looked it through?

Inseparable Transitive Phrasals

Their objects go only after particles.

You stay away from me!

Some verb+particle combinations have several meanings being transitive/intransitive.

Uncle is getting over.

When will we get over the crisis?

MultiPhrasals

Some phrasals have 3 words – verb+adverb+preposition. In 3-word phrasals objects go only after prepositions.

So let’s get down to work.

Prepositional Verbs

Many verbs are followed by prepositions but aren’t phrasal. These verb+preposition combinations have only motivated literal meaning. Prepositional/phrasal verb distinction is unimportant. It’s only practical to understand verb combination meaning.

Hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

Top Phrasals

be after sth	want, chase	be on sth	be shown on air/screen
be against sth	oppose	be out of sth	lack
be carried away	very excited	be taken aback	get shocked
be cut out for sb	be suited	be taken in	get cheated
be for sth	support	be over	finish
be in for sth	expect (usu bad)	be up	be awake out of bed, stay awake at night, be wrong/unusual
be off sth	not want/like any more, be absent
break down	stop working, lose composure, fail	break out	begin suddenly (usu bad), escape
break in/into sth	enter by force, interrupt	break up	pause for holidays, separate
bring sth about	cause	bring sth over (to sb)	persuade
bring sth forward	suggest	bring sb round	revitalize, persuade
bring sth on	cause (usu bad)	bring sb to sth	revitalize
bring sth out	publish, sell	bring sth up	raise, mention
call sb back	reply by phone	call sth off	cancel
call for sth	need, demand	call out	shout
carry sth off	succeed	carry sth out	fulfil, conduct
carry sth on	continue
come across sth	meet by chance	come out	go on strike, begin blossoming, be published/revealed
come along	hurry up, appear	come over	visit
come by sth	obtain	come round	visit casually, regain consciousness, change one’s opinion
come down with sth	become ill	come up	be mentioned, occur
come into sth	inherit	come up against sth	encounter
come on	hurry up	come up with sth	find, think of
come off	succeed, leave
cut sth down	make fall by cutting, reduce	cut sth off	disconnect, isolate
cut down/back on sth	reduce consuming	cut sth out	omit
cut into sth	interrupt
do away with sth	abolish, murder	do with sth	want
do sth up	fasten, wrap, repair, dress up	do without sth	live in lack
draw (sb) in	slow down, attract
face up to	endure
fall apart	break into pieces, fail	fall for sb	be deceived, fall in love
fall back on sb/sth	turn for help	fall in with sb	agree
fall behind (sb)	not keep up, be late	fall out (with sb)	quarrel
get across sb	communicate	get off (with sth)	avoid punishment, start traveling
get along (with sb)	befriend	get on	advance, approach, befriend
get at (sth)	reach, imply	get on with sb/sth	befriend/continue
get away	escape	get over (sth)	recover, overcome
get away from sth	avoid	get round	spread
get away with sth	escape capture/punishment	get round to sth	pay time
get by/through	manage to survive	get sth/sb through	finish, use up, reach by phone
get down to sth	start doing seriously	get to sb	affect
give away sth/sb	reveal, waste	give (sth) out	finish, distribute
give in (sth)	surrender, hand in	give sth up	abandon, surrender, stop
give sth off	emit
go ahead	continue	go off	explode, ring, be switched off, spoil
go along	progress	go on	happen, progress, be turned on
go along with sth	agree, advance	go out	stop burning
go back	date back	go over sth	analyze, repeat
go back on sth	break a promise/agreement	go round	suffice, visit, circulate
go by	pass, miss	go through sth	analyze, spend up, experience
go down	be reduced, set	go through with sth	carry out
go down with sth	become ill	go up	rise
go in for sth	participate	go without sth	do without
go into sth	analyze	go off	explode, ring, be switched off, spoil
hold (sth) back	control, delay, conceal, be reluctant	hold out	persist, last
hold sth in	control	hold (sth) up	delay, force, last
hold on	wait
keep away from sth	beware	keep (sth) on	manage to continue
keep sth back	conceal	keep out of sth	avoid (usu bad)
keep sb behind	make stay	keep sth/sb up	support, keep out of bed, keep good
keep (oneself) from sth	prevent, avoid	keep up with sb/sth	proceed equally, stay informed
keep sb/sth off	make beware, avoid
let sth/sb down	lengthen clothes, disappoint	let sth out	make wider, reveal by chance
let sth off	forgive, make explode
look after sb	care	look out for sb/sth	seek
look down on sb/sth	disapprove	look sth over	analyze, revise
look for sth/sb	search	look sth round	examine
look forward to sth	expect	look sth through	glance, study
look into sth	analyze	look sth/sb up	scan, visit
look on/upon sth	watch, consider	look up to sb	respect
make for sth/sb	head	make sth up to sb	compensate
make off	escape	make (sth) up	invent, put cosmetics on, re-befriend, compensate, form as a whole
make sth out	figure out, understand, write out	make up for sb	repay
pass away	die	pass sth on	let inherit (usu clothes)
pass off as sb/sth	pretend	pass out	faint
pay sb back	repay, get revenge	pay for sth	be punished
pull sth down	demolish	pull over/up	slow and stop
pull in	(of transport) arrive	pull through	survive
pull out	(of transport) depart
put sth aside/by	save	put sth on	dress, increase weight, switch on, pretend, arrange
put sb away	imprison/hospitalize	put sth/sb out	extinguish, cause inconvenience
put sth back	delay	put sb through	connect by phone, hurt
put sth down	note, pay a deposit	put sth/sb up	sale, (of prices) rise, host
put down to sth	attribute	put up with sth/sb	tolerate
put sth/sb off	postpone, discourage
run across sb/sth	meet/find by chance	run out (of sth)	lack
run away/off	escape	run (sb) over	wound with a vehicle, overflow
run away with sth	escape with stealing	run sth through	repeat
run (sb/sth) down	wound with a vehicle, underrate, (of batteries) discharge	run sth up	let grow
run into sb/sth	meet by chance, car-crash, experience	run up against sth	face
see about sth	learn/prepare	see sb through	know well, support
see sb off	accompany, make sure	see to sb	care
see sth out	last
set sth aside/by	save specially	set out	start traveling, intend
set in	(of weather) remain	set sth up	found
set off	start traveling
stand by sb	support	stand sb up	miss meeting
stand for sth	deabbreviate	stand up for sb/sth	support
stand in for sb	replace	stand up to sth/sb	resist
stand out	show off
take after sb	resemble a relative	take sb on	hire
take sth away	remove, seize	take sth out	remove/extract
take sth back	regret saying	take sb out	bring public
take sth down	dismantle	take sth over	seize
take sth in	make (clothes) narrower	take to sb	like
take (sth) off	undress, fly up, start improving	take sth up	indulge, fill
take time off	rest	take up on sb	accept offer
turn sb away	not let in	turn out (sth)	produce, result, force out, empty
turn sth down	refuse, volume down	turn over sth	change (page, channel)
turn sb in	give to police	turn sth over to sb	deliver
turn (sth/sb) into sth	change	turn to sb	address
turn sth off	switch off	turn (sth) up	appear, increase
turn sth on	switch on
wear sb down	weaken	wear sth out	exhaust
wear off	(of feelings) fade way
work sth on	affect	work sth up	develop
work (sth) out	solve, progress