Common Phrasal Verbs
Use common two-word verbs naturally in conversation.
What are phrasal verbs?
A verb + a preposition or particle that together create a new meaning.
- give up (to quit)
- look after (to take care of)
- turn on/off (to activate/deactivate)
Common examples
Phrasal verbs are everywhere in everyday English.
- I need to look after my little sister.
- Please turn off the lights.
- Don't give up on your dreams.
Separable vs inseparable
Some phrasal verbs can be split by the object, while others cannot.
- turn off the light / turn the light off (separable)
- look after her (inseparable, not: look her after)
Pronouns with separable phrasal verbs
When the object is a pronoun (it, him, her, them), separable phrasal verbs must be split — the pronoun goes in the middle.
- Turn it off. (not: Turn off it.)
- I picked her up at the airport.
- Can you throw them away?
More examples in context
Phrasal verbs make your English sound much more natural and conversational.
- I need to figure out this problem.
- She showed up late again.
- Let's carry on with the meeting.
- He broke down in tears.
- Could you fill out this form?
- They set off early to avoid traffic.
Common mistakes to avoid
These are frequent phrasal verb errors, and how to correct them.
- ✗ Turn off it before you leave. → ✓ Turn it off before you leave.
- ✗ I look forward to see you. → ✓ I look forward to seeing you. (use -ing after 'look forward to')
- ✗ She gave up to smoke. → ✓ She gave up smoking.
- ✗ Please look my dog after. → ✓ Please look after my dog.
Quick practice
Fill in each blank with the correct phrasal verb, then check your answer.
- I can't ___ this noise anymore. (tolerate) (answer: put up with)
- Could you ___ the lights when you leave? (switch off) (answer: turn off)
- We had to ___ the trip because of the weather. (cancel) (answer: call off)
- He ___ his old bike to his cousin. (gave for free) (answer: gave away)
- I ___ my keys this morning and couldn't find them. (searched for) (answer: looked for)