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What are phrasal verbs in English?

November 28, 2022

ESL Reading Practice…Don’t know how to pronounce the words? Listen to the audio as you read the lesson. Feel free to pause the audio to practice your pronunciation

What are phrasal verbs?

A phrasal verb, multi-word verb, is a type of verb that is made up of a main verb and one or two small words called particles. The particles can be prepositions (e.g. up, down, in, out, on, off, away, etc.) or adverbs (e.g. really, quickly, slowly, etc.). Phrasal verbs are very common in English and are used in all kinds of situations.

What are the different types of phrasal verbs?

There are hundreds of phrasal verbs in English, but some are used much more often than others. The three main types of phrasal verbs are separable, inseparable, and transitive.

Separable phrasal verbs are those where the particle can be separated from the verb with a noun or pronoun in between. For example, in the sentence “I looked up the word in the dictionary”, the particle “up” can be separated from the verb “look”.

Inseparable phrasal verbs are those where the particle cannot be separated from the verb. For example, in the sentence “I ran into my friend at the mall”, the particle “into” cannot be separated from the verb “ran”.

Transitive phrasal verbs are those where the verb requires a direct object. For example, in the sentence “I looked up the word in the dictionary”, the verb “look” requires the direct object “word”.

 

How can I use phrasal verbs correctly?

To use phrasal verbs correctly, you need to be aware of which type of phrasal verb it is. If it is a separable phrasal verb, you need to place a noun or pronoun between the verb and particle. If it is an inseparable phrasal verb, you cannot separate the verb and particle. If it is a transitive phrasal verb, the verb requires a direct object.

What are some common phrasal verbs in daily life?

There are many common phrasal verbs used in daily life, such as “get up,” “put down,” and “turn off.” These verbs are used in order to describe common actions that we perform every day. For example, when you “get up” from your bed in the morning, you are physically moving your body from a lying down position to a standing position. When you “put down” your book on the table, you are placing the book on the surface of the table. And when you “turn off” the light, you are stopping the flow of electricity to the light bulb, causing the light to go out.

What are some common phrasal verbs used in business?

There are many common phrasal verbs used in business, such as “meet up,” “show up,” and “fill out.” These verbs are used in order to describe common actions that take place in a business setting. For example, when you “meet up” with a client, you are arranging to meet with them at a specific time and place. When you “show up” for a meeting, you are physically present for the meeting. And when you “fill out” a form, you are completing the form with the required information.

What are some common phrasal verbs used in academic writing?

There are many common phrasal verbs used in academic writing, such as “look up,” “find out,” and “carry out.” These verbs are used in order to describe common actions that take place when researching and writing a paper. For example, when you “look up” a word in the dictionary, you are finding the definition of the word. When you “find out” information from a source, you are obtaining the information from the source. And when you “carry out” an experiment, you are performing the experiment in order to test a hypothesis.

Some  other common phrasal verbs include “look up”, “look down”, “look forward to”, “look back”, “look after”, “look for”, “look into”, “look out”, “look over”, “look under”, “look up to”, “run into”, “run out of”, “run over”, “take after”, “take back”, “take care of”, “take off”, “take on”, “take out”, “take over”, “turn down”, “turn in”, “turn off”, …

  • stop doing (something) Example: I’m trying to cut out smoking. I need to cut out eating so much junk food.
  • To Put Out Meaning: To extinguish (something) Example: Can you put out that cigarette, please? He put out the fire with a fire extinguisher.

So, there you have it! These are just some of the most common and useful phrasal verbs that are used in IELTS speaking, daily life, in business.

 

Tips for using phrasal verbs correctly

Phrasal verbs are a great way to add variety to your English, but they can also be very confusing. Here are a few tips to help you use them correctly:

1. Make sure you understand the meaning of the main verb before you add the particle.

2. Be careful with the order of the words. In some phrasal verbs, the particle comes before the object (I looked up the answer in the dictionary), but in others, the object comes first (I put the book on the table).

3. Pay attention to the context and the tone of voice. Phrasal verbs can often be used in more than one way, with a different meaning depending on the context. For example, the phrasal verb “pick up” can mean “to lift something” or “to improve”.

4. Practice, practice, practice! The best way to learn phrasal verbs is to use them as often as you can in your speaking and writing.

How can I learn more about them?

There are lots of resources available to help you learn more about phrasal verbs. You can find lists of common phrasal verbs in dictionaries and grammar books. There are also many online resources that can help you learn about and practice using phrasal verbs. Remember, the best way to learn them is to use them in your own speaking practice. So, get out there and start using them!

To learn more phrasal verb examples

watch these videos of phrasal verbs videos in English.

 

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