Phrasal Verbs
Everyday English · Free practice
Small words.
More meaning.
Make everyday English feel more natural. Learn a useful meaning, see it in a sentence, then try it yourself.
Start with three verbs. Say an example. Make it your own.
New to phrasal verbs?See the meaning, word order and tense basics.
Start here
What is a phrasal verb?
A phrasal verb combines a verb with a short word such as up, off or out. The combination can have a meaning you cannot predict from the parts: give up can mean stop trying.
Learn the meaning in context
In “take your coat off”, take off means remove clothing. In “the plane took off”, it means leave the ground. Learn one meaning and one useful example at a time.
Notice where the object goes
You can say “put on your hat” or “put your hat on”. With a pronoun, use “put it on”. In “get on with them”, keep them after with.
Change the verb for the tense
Change the verb, not the particle: get up → got up; break down → broke down. Some uses have no object: “The car broke down.”
Each card shows one useful meaning and its pattern. Many verbs have other meanings. Three-word combinations such as “get on with” are included too.
Your everyday collection
Find a phrase for your day.
Choose a situation. Read a meaning and example, then choose “Explore this lesson” for a visual explanation, everyday conversations and practice.
Explore all 24 phrasal verbs.
get up
MeaningLeave your bed after sleeping.
I get up at seven on weekdays.
Usage & your turn
On Sunday, I got up at nine.
Useful patternget up → got up
Get up means leave your bed. Wake up means stop sleeping.
What time do you usually get up?
Say a sentence aloud or write it in your notebook.wake up
MeaningStop sleeping; become awake.
I woke up at six but stayed in bed.
Usage & your turn
The children wake up early at weekends.
Useful patternwake up → woke up
You can wake up and stay in bed before you get up.
How is waking up different from getting up?
Say a sentence aloud or write it in your notebook.put on
MeaningDress yourself in an item of clothing.
Put your jacket on. It is cold outside.
Usage & your turn
I put it on before I left home.
Useful patternput your jacket on → put it on
With a pronoun, put it in the middle: put it on.
Name something you put on before going out.
Say a sentence aloud or write it in your notebook.take off
MeaningRemove an item of clothing.
Please take your wet shoes off.
Usage & your turn
I took my coat off when I arrived.
Useful patterntake your shoes off → take them off
This card is about clothing. A plane can also take off: leave the ground.
What do you take off when you get home?
Say a sentence aloud or write it in your notebook.turn on
MeaningMake a light or a piece of equipment start working.
Turn the lamp on so you can read.
Usage & your turn
Could you turn it on, please?
Useful patternturn the lamp on → turn it on
A pronoun goes in the middle: turn it on.
Write a request using “turn it on”.
Say a sentence aloud or write it in your notebook.turn off
MeaningMake a light or a piece of equipment stop working.
Please turn your phone off.
Usage & your turn
I turned it off before the film.
Useful patternturn your phone off → turn it off
A pronoun goes in the middle: turn it off.
What do you turn off before leaving home?
Say a sentence aloud or write it in your notebook.write down
MeaningRecord information in writing so you can remember it.
Write the room number down.
Usage & your turn
I wrote it down in my notebook.
Useful patternwrite the number down → write it down
Use wrote for the past: write it down → wrote it down.
What useful information did you write down recently?
Say a sentence aloud or write it in your notebook.fill in
MeaningAdd the information requested on a form.
Please fill in this form.
Usage & your turn
I filled it in before the appointment.
Useful patternfill the form in → fill it in
Fill in a form is common in British English. Fill out a form is also used.
Which form did you last fill in?
Say a sentence aloud or write it in your notebook.hand in
MeaningGive completed work or a document to the person responsible.
We must hand in our projects by Friday.
Usage & your turn
I handed mine in this morning.
Useful patternhand the project in → hand it in
Use hand in for submitting work or documents.
Make a sentence about a deadline.
Say a sentence aloud or write it in your notebook.find out
MeaningLearn a fact or discover information.
I will find out when the class starts.
Usage & your turn
We found out that the lesson was online.
Useful patternfind out when / where / why / how
You can follow find out with when, where, why, how or that.
Write something you would like to find out.
Say a sentence aloud or write it in your notebook.work out
MeaningSolve a problem or understand how something works.
We worked out the total cost together.
Usage & your turn
The problem was tricky, but I worked it out.
Useful patternwork the answer out → work it out
This meaning is solve or calculate. Work out can also mean exercise.
Describe a problem you managed to work out.
Say a sentence aloud or write it in your notebook.set up
MeaningArrange or prepare something so it is ready to use.
We set up the projector before class.
Usage & your turn
Can you help me set it up?
Useful patternset the projector up → set it up
The past form is also set: yesterday we set it up.
What would you set up for an online class?
Say a sentence aloud or write it in your notebook.set off
MeaningStart a journey.
We set off before sunrise.
Usage & your turn
What time should we set off tomorrow?
Useful patternset off for a place / at a time
Use set off for a place to name your destination.
Plan a trip: when will you set off?
Say a sentence aloud or write it in your notebook.check in
MeaningRegister your arrival at a hotel or for a flight.
We checked in at the hotel.
Usage & your turn
You can check in for your flight online.
Useful patterncheck in at a hotel / for a flight
Use at for a place and for for a flight.
Where did you last check in?
Say a sentence aloud or write it in your notebook.pick up
MeaningCollect someone, often by car.
My sister will pick me up at the station.
Usage & your turn
I can pick you up at six.
Useful patternpick your sister up → pick her up
With a pronoun, say pick me up or pick her up.
Arrange a time and place to pick someone up.
Say a sentence aloud or write it in your notebook.get back
MeaningReturn to a place.
What time did you get back?
Usage & your turn
We got back home before dinner.
Useful patternget back home / get back to work
Say get back home, without to. Say get back to work.
Describe when you got back from a trip.
Say a sentence aloud or write it in your notebook.break down
MeaningStop working because of a fault, especially a vehicle or machine.
Our car broke down on the way home.
Usage & your turn
The washing machine has broken down.
Useful patternbreak down → broke down
The forms are break down → broke down → broken down.
What could you do if your car broke down?
Say a sentence aloud or write it in your notebook.turn up
MeaningArrive or appear, sometimes unexpectedly.
Only six people turned up for the tour.
Usage & your turn
He turned up just before the meeting.
Useful patternturn up at an event / for a class
Here, turn up means arrive. It can have other meanings in other situations.
Write about someone turning up late or early.
Say a sentence aloud or write it in your notebook.cheer up
MeaningBecome happier, or make someone feel happier.
Her friend’s message cheered her up.
Usage & your turn
A walk in the park usually cheers me up.
Useful patterncheer your friend up → cheer them up
Cheer up can mean become happier. Cheer someone up means help them feel happier.
What usually cheers you up?
Say a sentence aloud or write it in your notebook.calm down
MeaningBecome less worried, angry or excited.
I took a short walk to calm down.
Usage & your turn
He calmed down after a few deep breaths.
Useful patterncalm down before / after something
Calm down can describe becoming less angry, worried or excited.
What helps you calm down?
Say a sentence aloud or write it in your notebook.hang out
MeaningSpend relaxed, informal time with someone or in a place.
We hang out at the park after class.
Usage & your turn
I hung out with my cousins yesterday.
Useful patternhang out with friends / at a café
Hang out is informal. The past form here is hung out.
Where do you like to hang out?
Say a sentence aloud or write it in your notebook.give up
MeaningStop trying to do something.
The puzzle was hard, but I did not give up.
Usage & your turn
She kept trying instead of giving up.
Useful patterngive up → gave up
Here, give up means stop trying. It can also mean stop a habit.
Describe a time when you kept trying instead of giving up.
Say a sentence aloud or write it in your notebook.carry on
MeaningContinue an activity.
After a break, we carried on practising.
Usage & your turn
Please carry on reading while I take notes.
Useful patterncarry on learning / practising / working
Use carry on + an -ing form for continuing an activity.
What would you like to carry on learning?
Say a sentence aloud or write it in your notebook.get on with
MeaningHave a friendly relationship with someone.
I get on well with my classmates.
Usage & your turn
Do you get on with your neighbours?
Useful patternget on with your classmates → get on with them
Keep the person after with: get on with them.
Who do you get on well with, and why?
Say a sentence aloud or write it in your notebook.No matching phrasal verbs yet
Try a shorter word, search for a meaning, or clear the filters to explore the full collection.
A five-minute check
Can you use them in context?
Choose one answer for each question, then check the explanation. Your score is for this activity only.
Open the answer key and explanations
- Please turn it off.
With a separable phrasal verb, an object pronoun goes between the verb and the particle: turn it off. Here, turn off means make the light stop working.
- We started our journey.
Set off means start a journey. Get back means return; check in means register your arrival.
- The bus stopped working.
When a vehicle breaks down, it stops working because of a fault. The past form of break is broke.
- studying
In this pattern, carry on is followed by an -ing form: carried on studying means continued studying.
- I get on with them.
Keep the person or pronoun after with: get on with them. It means have a friendly relationship with them.
- I will pick you up at six.
Pick someone up means collect them, often by car. The pronoun you goes in the middle: pick you up.
Turn a list into a habit
Three verbs. Three sentences. One conversation.
Pick three verbs that fit your life. Make a sentence about yesterday, today or tomorrow. Say each sentence aloud, then use one in a conversation.
Good questions, clear answers.
Do all phrasal verbs have informal meanings?
No. They are common in everyday English, but their level of formality varies. Choose words that fit the situation. Learning the example and context is more useful than assuming every phrasal verb is informal.
Can I separate every phrasal verb?
No. Check the pattern for the meaning you need. With separable verbs, a pronoun normally goes in the middle: “pick her up”. With “get on with”, keep the person after “with”: “get on with her”.
Should I memorise every meaning at once?
Start with the meaning you are likely to use. Keep a short example in your notes, and add another meaning when you meet it in a real sentence.
Will the quiz save my results?
No. Answers stay on this page only and are cleared when you reload it. No sign-up is required.
Original ESS examples and practice. Grammar guidance checked against British Council LearnEnglish and Cambridge Dictionary. Back to the top ↑