Phrasal verbs are verb phrases that consists of a verb and one or two particles (often a preposition or an adverb) that follow the verb and modify its meaning. They're a common part of English language and are used quite frequently in everyday speech and writing. Some common examples include "pick up", "put down", and "come across". Phrasal verbs can sometimes be tricky to understand and use correctly, as the meaning of the phrase may not be easily deducible from the meanings of the individual words. The meaning is often figurative, making it an idiomatic expression.
The meaning of the phrasal verb can change depending on the preposition or particle used. For example, the verb "turn" can be combined with different particles to create different meanings, such as "turn on" meaning "to activate" and "turn off" meaning "to deactivate". A preposition is a word that links a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase to some other part of the sentence. For example, in the sentence "I went to the store", "to" is a preposition that links "store" to the verb "went". A particle is a short word that carries a grammatical function in a phrasal verb. For example, in the phrasal verb "look up", the particle "up" indicates direction and is crucial to the meaning of the verb.
Here goes a list of very common phrasal verbs and their meaning:
Cut Down - to reduce in quantity or quality
Give up - to stop trying to accomplish something
Look up - to search for information
Put off - to delay
Run out - to use up or deplete
Take in - to accept or include something or someone
Put on - to wear clothes
Run into - to encounter or meet someone unexpectedly
Break up - to end a relationship
Put up with - to tolerate or endure something
Get by - to make do with little or nothing
Get over - to recover from something difficult or unpleasant
Make up - to reconcile after an argument
Wake up - to become conscious after sleeping
Set up - to establish or configure something
Pass out - to lose consciousness
Give away - to give something free or as a gift
Run away - to escape or leave suddenly
Look up to - to respect and admire
While some phrasal verbs are considered informal in nature, many are commonly used in both formal and academic settings. Examples such as "follow up" and "bring up" are widely accepted in formal language, whereas other like "put up with" and "throw up" may be more commonly used in informal speech.
Phrasal verbs can vary from country to country depending on different linguistic influences and regional dialects. Some phrasal verbs may have different meanings or usages depending on the country. For example, the verb "turn on" has different connotations in the UK vs the US. In the UK, it might mean to switch on an electrical appliance, while in the US it can also mean to start an item or engine. In addition, some countries may have their own unique phrasal verbs that are specific to their language and culture.
Phrasal verbs are used vastly in our everyday life. Regular people like natives tend to use them more than regular english schools use to teach them. They can be used in a variety of contexts and situations in English. They are commonly used in both spoken and written English to add color and nuance to language. Some situations where phrasal verbs are commonly used include: Speaking or writing about actions or activities, where a phrasal verb can often provide a more concise and succint way to express an idea; Expressing a change in state or position, such as in the phrasal verb "get up", which is used to indicate the action of moving from a position of sitting or lying down to a standing position.
When talking about making a decision or taking action, it might be a good time to use a phrasal verb like "come to terms" which means to reach an agreement. When expressing the idea of starting or beginning something, you could say "get toguether" which means to gather or assemble. Phrasal verbs can be used in emotional situations to express a range of feelings and states of mind. For example, "break down" can be used to express sadness or disappointment, while "freak out" can be used to convey anger or panic. Other use cases to express emotions in various situations are: "cheer up", "calm down", and "pull through".
Phrasal verbs can differ in complexity and usage based on a person's English level. Beginner English students may be introduced to simpler phrasal verbs, such as "put on" and "take off", while intermediate and advanced learners may be exposed to more complex and idiomatic phrasal verbs, like "call on" and "break into". Native speakers often have an intuitive understanding of phrasal verbs and can use them effortlessly, while non-native speakers may need more practice and study to fully master these expressions.
One simple way to check your current knowledge level of phrasal verbs is by a "fill the blanks exercise".
Try out to guess what are the expressions on the sentences gaps below:
1. When I woke up in the morning, the first thing I did was put ________ my favorite t-shirt and put _______ my shoes.
2. Then, I made my way to the kitchen and pulled _______ a pan from the cupboard to prepare breakfast.
3. After breakfast, I took my dog for a walk, walked _______ to the local park, and let the dog run _______ and play.
4. To avoid the long lines at the store, I stepped ______ to grab a quick lunch.
5. After a long day at work, I just wanted to wind ______ and relax.
6. We had a lot of boxes to move, so we lugged _______ to the storage unit.
7. The company cut ______ on expenses to improve their financial situation.
8. The project was falling ______, so the team worked hard to catch _____.
9. The team ____ the ground _____ with their new project
Sentences from 1 to 3 uses beginner level phrasal verbs. Their answers are: 1."on", "on"; 2. "out"; 3. "up", "around". Sentences from 4 to 6 are intermediate level, their answers are: 4; "out"; 5. "down"; 6. "them". Sentences from 7 to 9 are advanced level, their answers are: 7. "back"; 8. "behind", "up"; 9. "hit", "running". Check how much you guessed right on each level and you will have a clue on how much you know and which is your current knowledge level on phrasal verbs. Of course this is a very simple test and it is very high biased. You should take a longer test, using a wide range of phrasal verbs to have a more accurate score.
Roughly speaking, there are around 10 thousands phrasal verbs and they are still being created in different ways depending on the context, region and culture. Given this information, you will notice how hard it could be to learn them. To make it doable, you should consider the purpose of your language use case and your current level on phrasal verbs. Search for lists of phrasal verbs used in the country your are targeting, or perhaps the environment you need to be talking and using them, is it a business office? Is is a casual conversation? You could learn them by listening to podcasts, watching videos on youtube or reading online news focused on the audience you are looking to be part of. Focusing situations and audience will shrink the amount of common used phrasal verbs you have to learn. Finally, don't be afraid on not kowing all of them. It is almost impossible to know them all. Lastly, don't be afraid to ask or search online the meaning of new expressions you hear or read.
Learninn is a great way to get in touch with phrasal verbs. Articles and videos hosted on our platform include most common phrasal verbs, if not all existent ones. Every content consumed on our platform is recorded and used in the future for your learning.
Author
Rosa Paris is a senior tutor, passionate about English since 12 years old.
Reduced prepositions involve the phonetic weakening or omission of function words like "to," "of," "for," and "with" in casual speech, often pronounced as a schwa sound or merged into adjacent words. For example, "going to" becomes "gonna" ("I'm gonna leave"), where "to" is reduced to a nasalized schwa sound. Similarly, "want to" contracts to "wanna" ("I wanna eat"), blending the preposition into the verb. Another example is "kind of" becoming "kinda" ("It's kinda cold"), where "of" is reduced to a neutral vowel.
Read More