Phrasal verbs

 

1) The term phrasal verbs means a normal verb like get, look, take followed by one or two prepositions. When the preposition is added the meaning of the original verb changes. There are different types of phrasal verbs depending on whether there is one preposition or two and whether the verb and preposition can be separated.

2) Verbs with three parts:

Most of the verbs below need an object and the object can only come at the end after both the prepositions:

I am looking forward to my holidays.

To catch up with keep up with

To drop in on live up to

3) Verbs with two parts: these verbs take an object. The object must come after the preposition not between the verb and the preposition.

Call for -come to your house and collect

We will call for about 8.00 so please, be ready.

Call on join in

Deal with head for

Get at see to

Get over take after

 

4)Verbs with two parts: transitive and separable these phrasal verbs take an

Object. This object can come after the preposition or between the verb and preposition.

We brought up this child. We brought her up.

In general, as in the examples above, object phrases tend to be put after the preposition while pronouns (such as you, it, him, her, us, them) are always put

between the verb and the preposition.

 

Bring up (look after child until adult)

Tom’s aunt brought him up after his parents died.

 

Call off (cancel)

The school called off the match because of bad weather.

 

Clear up (make clean and tidy)

Could you help me clear up the room after party?

 

Cut off (be disconnected during a phone–call)

I’d just got through to Delhi when I was cut off

This is usually used in the passive

Fill in (complete be writing)

Could you fill this form in with all your details, please?

 

Pick up (collect in a car)

The taxi will pick you up at 6.30.

 

Verbs with two parts: intransitive

These phrasal verbs do not have object.

Get on (make progress)

Mary likes her new college, and is getting on well

 

Set off/out (begin a journey)

We set off early to avoid the traffic

 

Turn up (arrive, often unexpectedly)

We invited twenty people, but only five turned up.

 

Get away (escape)

One of the burglars was caught, but the others got away

 

Study the following phrases with phrasal verbs:

be over – to be finished.

The storm is over; it has stopped raining and the sun is shining.

be taken aback – used in the passive – to be surprised and confused.

Jeff was taken aback when he opened the door and discovered an elephant.

beat up – to hurt someone badly by hitting and punching.

Two men beat Fred up and left him lying unconscious on the pavement.

blow up(1) – to destroy (something or someone) by explosion; to explode.

Mr. Trent hated his house, so he blew it up with dynamite and built a new one instead.

blow up(2) a balloon/a tyre/a football etc. – to fill with air; to inflate.

uncle Joe blew up the balloons for the Christmas party.

break down(1) (of machinery) – o stop working.

Tom’s car broke down on the way to the airport, and he had to get a taxi.

break down(2) – to lose control emotionally or mentally.

Alee broke down and cried when his mother died.

break into a building/a bank/a house etc. – to enter somewhere (e.g. a house) illegally, especially by force.

Last night a burglar broke into my house and stole my television set.

break out (of unpleasant things e.g. wars, epidemics, fires, violence etc.) – to start, usually suddenly.

The Second World War broke out on 3 September, 1939.

break up (of a marriage/ a family/ a relationship etc.) – to end; to separate.

The Green’s marriage broke up in 1999 after only two years.

bring up – to take care of a child until it is fully grown and able to care for itself; to train and prepare a child for adult life. Joe’s mother brought him up well. She loved him, cared for him and taught him how to behave himself. Now he is a polite young man and his mother is proud of him.

brush up – to improve your knowledge, skill, or memory of (something you used to know, or do, but have now party forgotten).

Frank’s visit to the international business conference in Paris was a disaster because his French was so bad. His boss said, “When you get back to England you must brush up your French”.

burn down (usually of buildings) – to destroy by burning.

My house burned down last night. In the morning. It was just a pile of ashes.

calm down a person/ a difficult situation etc. – to become less excited and tense; to help someone (or a difficult situation) to become less exited and tense.

My father was very angry and it took him ten minutes to calm down.

carry out instructions / a duty/ an order/a threat/ a test etc. – to fulfill or perform (something).

Sergeant Jones ordered Private Wilson to push the wagon across the field. the wagon was very heavy but Private Wilson

carried out his orders without complaining.

check in – to report one’s arrival.

Jack took a taxi to the hotel and checked in.

cheer up – to become happier.

Jack was feeling unhappy, but he cheered up when he heard that he had passed his exam.

come across something or someone – to find or meet by chance.

A lucky tramp came across a wallet full of money as he was walking down the street.

come round (or come to) – to regain consciousness.

James fainted when the air-conditioning stopped working. Two of his colleagues took care of him until he came round (came to).

come up with an idea/ a plan/ a suggestion etc. – to think of; to produce.

Arnold and his girlfriend were separated by a deep ravine.

Eventually, Arnold came up with the idea of cutting down a tree and using it as a bridge.

die out – to disappear completely; to become extinct.

The great dinosaurs died out millions of years ago.

do up(1) a house/a room/ a flat/ an old car etc.- to repair; to improve the condition and appearance of something.

When Bob and Salty bought their house it was in a bad state, so they spent six months doing it up. The house looked beautiful by the time they finished.

do up(2) a shoelace/ a zip/ a dress/ a coat etc. – to fasten; to button; to zip; to tie.

It was a very cold day, so Brian did up all the buttons on his overcoat.

drop in – to pay a short visit, often without warning.

Laura was shopping near her friend, Lynn, and decided to drop in and see her.

drop off something or someone – to stop a vehicle and let someone get out; to take something (or someone) to a place and leave it here.

David drove his wife, Sue, into town and dropped her off at the cinema.

drop out – to withdraw from, or stop taking part in (a competition, social group, a school, a university, a job etc.).

Sam dropped out of the race because he felt tired.

fall out – to quarrel.

George and Sam went out for dinner together. the evening ended badly because they fell out over who should pay the bill.

fill in – to complete (a from).

It look me an hour to fill in the application form.

find out the truth/ a secret/ an address/ the time/ when/ what/ why/ where/ who/ which etc. – to make an effort to discover or get to know (something).

Mr. Jones wanted to catch the train to London. He was late and he didn’t know which platform the London train left from.

He found out which platform by asking a ticket collector.

get away – to escape.

The prisoner got away from his guards and ran into the forest.

get over an illness/ a failure/ a difficulty/ a shock etc. – to recover from (something).

Sam has got over his operation and expects to leave hospital tomorrow.

get through – to contact someone (usually by telephone).

Jim (phoning his friend Roger); Hello, Roger. I’ve been trying to get through to you for hours!

give up (of an habitual activity, smoking/ drinking/ a job etc.) – to stop doing or having (something).

Howard decided to give up cigarettes after seeing a poster on the dangers of smoking.

go off (of explosive devices e.g. bombs, guns etc.) – to explode or fire; (of alarms or alarm clocks) to ring suddenly.

Many people were killed when the bomb went off.

grow up – to develop from a child into an adult.

Joe has grown up into a fine young man.

hold on – to wait (especially on the telephone).

George phoned his office because he wanted some information.

“ Hold on a minute and I’ll get it for you, ” said his assistant.

look after someone or something – to take care of someone or something.

looking after a baby is a full – time job. You have to bath it, dress it and feed it.

look for something or someone – to try to find (something or someone), often a thing or person that is lost.

Fred wanted to open his front door but he couldn’t find his key.

He looked for it everywhere. “It’s in one of my pockets, ” he thought.

look forward to a future event – to think with pleasure about a future event that you expect to enjoy.

Bill Bloggs has been in prison for the last ten years. Next year he’ll be released from prison and he’ll be a free man. Bill is looking forward to next year.

look up a word/ a telephone number/ an address/ a train time/ a date etc. – to find (or try to find) something (e.g. a telephone number) in a book (e.g. a telephone directory).

While Peter was reading he found a word that he didn’t understand. “This is a difficult word, ” he thought. “I’ll look it up in the dictionary and see what it means”.

make up a story/ a poem/ an excuse/ an explanation etc. – to invent, sometimes with the purpose of deception.

Colin overslept that month, so he decided to make up an excuse.

He told his boss that the engine of his car had exploded.

mistake for – to think wrongly that (one thing or person) is (another thing or person).

I frightened myself last night when I mistook a piece of old rope for a dangerous snake.

pick up something or someone – to give someone – to give someone a ride in a vehicle; to collect someone or something (sometimes in a vehicle).

Jeff was driving home when he saw a hitchhiker. He stopped the car and picked the hitchhiker up.

point out something or someone – to draw attention to something or someone.

My uncle showed me the building he used to work in and he pointed out his old office on the sixth floor.

put off – to delay doing – something until a later date; to delay an event or arrangement until a later date.

Martin was very unhappy when he saw the huge pile of dirty dishes in the kitchen. He felt a little happier after deciding to put off the washing – up until the next day.

put on clothes/ glasses/ a ring/ a necklace etc. – to dress oneself.

Perry put on his new sweater because he wanted to wear it for work.

put through – to connect a telephone caller to the number he or she wants.

Mr. Pratt phoned the offices of Gun and Company. “Who would you like to speak to? ” asked the switchboard operator.

“ Put me through to Mr. Gun please, ” Mr. Pratt replied.

speak up (often used in the imperative) – to speak louder.

Terry was talking to his grandfather.

“ Speak up, Terry, ” his grandfather said. “I’m a bit deaf and I can’t hear you.”

try on a hat/ a new pair of shoes etc. – to put on an article of clothing to see if fits and how it looks.

Yesterday I was in a shop and tried on three hats. I didn’t like any of them.

 

Word + preposition

(smb = somebody, smth = something)

- (break smth) by accident;

- according to (the papers);

- an advertisement for smth;

- afraid of (dogs);

- at the age of (six);

- (I don’t) agree with (you);

- (to) apply for (a job);

- (to) argue with smb about smth;

- (to) arrive at (the station)= at a place;

- (to) arrive in (England) = in a country;

- (to) ask for smth (просить о чем-л.);

- (to be) aware of (a problem);

- (to) believe in (God);

- (to) belong to smb;

- (to be) bored with smb/smth;

- (go) by bus, train, car;

- (have you got) change for (a pound)?;

- (I’m) in charge;

- (I) come from (Scotland);

- compared with (other cars, this one is cheap);

- (to) complain about (the service);

- in (good) condition;

- (to) deal with (a problem);

- (She has a) degree in (English literature);

- (to) depend on (the weather);

- (to) develop into (a big business);

- (to) die of (a heart attack);

- (to be) different from/to smb/smth;

- in the distance;

- (to) dream about smb/smth;

- (to be) fed up with smb/smth;

- (to) fight against smb/smth;

- (to) find out about smb/smth;

- on a flight to (London);

- (to live) on the (third) floor;

- (to) forget about smb/smth;

- (to) full of (energy);

- (to) get on (well) with smb;

- (to) go out with smb=be boyfriend and girlfriend;

- (to be) good at smith (He’s very good at singing);

- (to be) on holiday;

- (to be) at home (But (to) go home);

- (to be) impressed by smb/smth;

- (to be) interested in smb/smth;

- (to have) an interview for a job;

- (to) invite smb to (a party) or for (dinner);

- (to) laugh at smb/smth;

- (to) listen to smb/smth;

- (to) look after (smb who is ill);

- (to) look at (a picture);

- (to) look for (smth you have lost);

- (to) look forward to (a holiday);

- (to be) in love with smb;

- (to be) married to smb;

- (The room’s) in a mess;

- in the north/south;

- (to) operate on smb (This patient has just been operated on);

- (This machine’s) out of order;

- (to) pay (J500) for (a car);

- (to) point 9a gun) at smb/smth;

- (to) rely on smb/smth;

- as a result;

- (to) sell smth for (J300);

- (to) share smth with smb;

- (Your shirt is) similar to (mine);

- (to) speak to smb about smth;

- (to) spend money on (clothes);

- (to) steal smth from smb;

- a story about smb/smth;

- on a street (I live on Cork Street);

- (to) suffer from smth;

- (to) talk to smb about smth;

- on television;

- (to) think about (What are you thinking n about?);

- (to) think of (What do you think of van Gogh?);

- (to) throw (stones) at smb;

- a ticket for (a concert);

- (to be) tired of smb/smth;

- (to get) in touch with smb;

- (to) wait for smb/smth;

- on the way (to school);

- (to) work as (a teacher);

- (to) work for (an organization);

- (to) worry about smb/smth

- to write (a letter) to smb.