Phrasal Verbs

Exercises

Explanation

Examples:

• run out of = to have no more something

• carry on = to continue

• give away = to donate / reveal a secret

Because the meaning is not always obvious, mastering phrasal verbs greatly improves your fluency and understanding of natural English.

1. Types of Phrasal Verbs

A. Intransitive phrasal verbs

These verbs do not take an object. The action begins and ends with the subject.

Examples:

• The children grew up in a small coastal town.

• The singer showed up later than expected.

• My alarm didn’t ring, so I woke up late.

These verbs cannot be followed directly by a noun.

B. Transitive phrasal verbs

These verbs must have an object—they act on something or someone.

Examples:

• I need to look up the address before we leave.

• They handed in their assignments on time.

• She brought up an interesting point during the meeting.

2. Separable and Inseparable Phrasal Verbs

Among transitive phrasal verbs, some allow flexibility in word order, while others do not.

A. Inseparable phrasal verbs

The particle cannot be moved; it must remain with the verb.

Examples:

• We came across a beautiful café while exploring the city.

• He looks after his grandparents.

• I must deal with this problem today.

Incorrect: We came a beautiful café across.

B. Separable phrasal verbs

The particle can move, depending on the object.

Examples:

• They turned down the offer.

• They turned the offer down.

Both are correct.

BUT: When the object is a pronoun, separation is required.

Examples:

• Turn it down.

• Pick them up.

Incorrect: Turn down it.

3. Phrasal Verbs with Multiple Meanings

Many phrasal verbs have more than one meaning, depending on context.

Examples:

break up

• Their band broke up last year. → ended their group

• She broke up with her partner. → ended the relationship

carry out

• The team carried out the research successfully. → performed

• The workers carried out the manager’s instructions. → followed / executed

Learning these multiple meanings helps you understand English more naturally.

4. Useful Everyday Examples

• Let’s find out what time the museum opens.

• He gave up junk food for health reasons.

• I ran into my neighbour at the supermarket.

• They set up a new online shop.

• Could you fill out this registration form?

Why Phrasal Verbs Matter

Phrasal verbs are extremely common in daily conversation, emails, films, and informal writing. They allow you to:

• sound more natural

• understand native speakers more easily

• expand your vocabulary quickly