🎓 Prepared by students from Boğaziçi University

What Are Common Phrasal Verbs?

Phrasal verbs are combinations of a verb and one or more particles (prepositions or adverbs) that form an idiomatic meaning different from the sum of their parts. They're fundamental to everyday English conversation.

Short answer

A phrasal verb is a verb plus a particle (like 'get up', 'put off', 'look after') that together has a specific meaning. For example, 'put off' means 'postpone', not just 'put' + 'off'.

How Phrasal Verbs Work

1
Verb + Particle
Combine a base verb (get, put, look) with a particle (up, off, after)
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2
Idiomatic Meaning
The meaning is not the sum of parts; 'put off' ≠ 'place away'
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3
Separable or Inseparable
Some allow object between verb and particle ('put it off'); others don't ('look after him')
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4
Common Patterns
Frequent particles: up (increase), down (decrease), on (start), off (stop)

Step-by-step worked examples

Explain 'put off': 'Don't put off your homework.' What does it mean here?

'Put off' is a phrasal verb meaning 'postpone' or 'delay'.
Literal: place away.
Idiomatic: delay doing something.
In context: 'Don't delay your homework' or 'Don't procrastinate.'

Compare 'look after' vs 'look at'. Are they different?

'Look after' = 'care for' (separate meaning).
'Look at' = 'see, observe' (different meaning entirely).
Same verb 'look', different particles = completely different meanings.
This shows phrasal verbs are idiomatic, not compositional.

Is 'get up' separable? Show both forms.

'Get up' is separable.
Inseparable form: 'I got up at 7.' (no object fits)
Separable form: 'Get your friend up!' ('up' can move if there's a pronoun).
Rule: 'get up' typically means 'wake/rise', so object is rare.

Flashcards

Quick quiz

Q1.'Give up' means…

Correct answer: C. 'Give up' idiomatically means 'stop trying' or 'surrender', not offer a gift.

Q2.Which is correct? 'Turn on the light' or 'Turn the light on'?

Correct answer: C. 'Turn on' is separable; both orders are acceptable.

Q3.'Come across' most likely means…

Correct answer: A. 'Come across' idiomatically means 'encounter by chance' or 'find unexpectedly'.

Q4.Which phrasal verb is typically inseparable?

Correct answer: B. 'Look after' (care for) is inseparable; 'look after him' is correct, not 'look him after'.

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Common mistakes

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Treating phrasal verbs as just the literal meaning of verb + particle. — Correct: Learn phrasal verbs as idiomatic units with their own meanings.

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Forcing separation on inseparable phrasal verbs. — Correct: 'Look after him' is correct; 'look him after' is wrong.

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Not recognizing that the same verb + different particles = different meanings. — Correct: 'Look at' (see), 'look after' (care for), 'look into' (investigate) are three different phrasal verbs.

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Assuming all phrasal verbs are separable. — Correct: Some are inseparable (look after, come across); check each one.

FAQ

What is a particle in a phrasal verb?

A particle is a preposition or adverb (up, down, on, off, after, etc.) that combines with a verb to form an idiomatic expression.

How many phrasal verbs should I learn?

There are hundreds, but focus on the most common ones first: get up, put off, turn on, look after, come across, give up, etc.

Are phrasal verbs only in informal English?

No, they appear in both formal and informal contexts, though informal speech uses them more frequently.

What's the best way to learn phrasal verbs?

Learn them in context, note whether they're separable or inseparable, and practice with real examples and dialogues.