Phrasal Verbs – Common Types, Usage, and Examples

Advanced

Grammar Type: Verbs

📘 Rule Summary

A phrasal verb is a combination of a main verb and one or more particles (prepositions or adverbs) that create a meaning different from the individual words.

📝 Examples

Turn on the light.

Look after the baby.

Give up smoking.

Run into an old friend.

📖 Explanation

🌱 Level 1 – Beginner: Understanding Phrasal Verbs

1️⃣ What is a Phrasal Verb?

A phrasal verb is a verb + preposition or adverb that creates a new meaning.

  • The meaning is often idiomatic (not predictable from the individual words).

Examples:

  • Break down → stop working (My car broke down.)
  • Pick up → collect or learn (I picked up Spanish while traveling.)

2️⃣ Structure of Phrasal Verbs:

  1. Verb + Adverb
    • Wake up, slow down
  2. Verb + Preposition
    • Look after, run into
  3. Verb + Adverb + Preposition
    • Get along with, put up with

3️⃣ Types of Phrasal Verbs:

  • Separable: Can be split by the object
    • Turn on the TV = Turn the TV on
  • Inseparable: Cannot be split
    • Look after the kids (❌ Look the kids after)

🌿 Level 2 – Intermediate: Common Phrasal Verbs by Category

1. Daily Life

  • Wake up – I wake up at 6 am.
  • Turn on/Turn off – Please turn off the lights.
  • Put on – She put on her coat.

2. Travel

  • Check in – We checked in at the hotel.
  • Set off – They set off early to avoid traffic.
  • Get on/Get off – I got on the bus.

3. Work/Study

  • Carry out – They carried out the plan.
  • Fill in – Please fill in the form.
  • Hand in – I handed in my assignment.

4. Relationships

  • Get along with – I get along with my colleagues.
  • Fall out – They fell out over money.
  • Make up – They made up after the fight.

5. Emergencies/Problems

  • Break down – The lift broke down.
  • Call off – They called off the meeting.
  • Run out of – We ran out of milk.

🌳 Level 3 – Advanced: Nuances and Global Usage

1. Literal vs. Idiomatic Meaning

  • Literal: Run into the room (enter by running)
  • Idiomatic: Run into an old friend (meet by chance)

2. Formal Alternatives

In formal writing, replace phrasal verbs with single-word equivalents:

  • Look into → investigate
  • Put off → postpone
  • Come up with → devise

3. Regional Variations

  • American English: Meet with problems
  • British English: Meet problems (without “with”)

4. Separable Object Rule

  • Pronouns must go in the middle:
    • ✅ Turn it off
    • ❌ Turn off it

⚠ Common Mistakes and Fixes

❌ Incorrect✅ CorrectReason
I looked the baby after.I looked after the baby.Inseparable verb
Please turn off it.Please turn it off.Pronouns go in the middle for separable verbs
We ran out milk.We ran out of milk.Missing particle “of”
She put her coat on it.She put it on.Wrong object placement

🧪 Practice Exercises

  1. Please _______ (fill in) the form before you submit it. ✅ fill in
  2. The meeting was _______ (call off) due to bad weather. ✅ called off
  3. I _______ (run into) my teacher at the market. ✅ ran into
  4. She _______ (get along with) her new classmates. ✅ gets along with
  5. We have _______ (run out of) sugar. ✅ run out of

🧠 Practice Quiz