Phrasal verbs consist of a verb and one or two small words, which could be prepositions or particles. There are four types of phrasal verbs based on the way they are used.
N |
Type |
Phrasal verb |
Example
|
1 |
Intransitive This type of phrasal verbs never takes an object
|
Break down |
|
2 |
Transitive Separable This type of phrasal verbs always takes an object. When the object is a pronoun, it must be used after the verb before the small word.
|
Call off |
|
3 |
Transitive Inseparable This type of phrasal verbs always takes an object. The verb cannot be separated from the small word.
|
Look after |
|
4 |
Transitive Three-word phrasal verbs
|
Get away with |
|
There are hundreds of phrasal verbs in English and many of them have more than one meaning, so some of them could be more than one type.
Phrasal Verb
|
Meaning |
Example |
Type
|
Ask out |
invite on a date |
Jeff asked Dorothy out to dinner last Saturday. |
2 |
Be off |
(1) be cancelled (2) have gone bad |
(1) The manager is ill so the meeting is off. (2) There was a terrible smell in the fridge as the milk was off. |
1 |
Be over |
be finished |
The rain is over and the sun is shining again. |
1 |
Blow up |
(1)destroy by explosion (2) inflate |
(1) Two bombs blew up seconds apart at the finish line. (2) He blew up the balloons at the party. |
1 2 |
Break down |
(1) stop working (2) lose control emotionally or mentally |
(1) I had to get a taxi to work because my car had broken down. (2) She broke down and cried when she broke up with her boyfriend. |
1 |
Break into |
enter somewhere illegally |
A burglar broke into Jeff’s house and stole his computer. |
3 |
Break out |
start suddenly |
World War Two broke out in 1939. |
1 |
Break up |
(1) separate (2) stop |
(1) After only six months they decided to break up. (2) The managed to break up the fight between the boys. |
1 2 |
Bring up |
take care of |
I was brought up by my grandmother. |
2 |
Call off |
cancel |
As the manager was ill they decided to call off the meeting on Wednesday. |
2 |
Calm down |
become less excited |
He got really angry so it took him at least 15 minutes to calm down. |
1 |
Catch on |
become popular |
This song caught on quickly. |
1 |
Check in |
report one’s arrival |
It is time we checked in. |
1 |
Cheer up |
become happier |
She cheered up when she heard the news. |
1 |
Come across |
find or meet by chance |
I came across my classmate the other day. |
3 |
Come up with |
think of |
They’ve tried to come up with a solution. |
4 |
Cut down on |
reduce in size or amount |
You’d better cut down on cigarettes. |
4 |
Do up |
(1) repair (2) fasten |
(1) They house they bought was quite old so they spent almost a year doing it up. (2)It was freezing cold outside, so Rob did up all the buttons on his jacket. |
2 |
Drop in |
pay a short visit |
Margaret was in the town and decided to drop in and see me. |
1 |
Fill in |
complete |
It took me twenty minutes to fill in the form. |
2 |
Find out |
discover |
I’ve found something out you might be interested in. |
2 |
Get away |
escape |
They managed to get away from their guards. |
1 |
Get away with |
do something wrong without being punished |
They got away with a lot of cash and jewellery. |
4 |
Get over |
recover |
Hopefully, she will get over flu in no time. |
3 |
Get through |
(1) Contact someone by telephone (2) complete |
(1) I’ve been trying to get through to you for hours. (2) I got through all work by 5 o’clock. |
1 3 |
Give up |
(1) Stop doing something (2) stop trying |
(1) If I were you I would have given up smoking years ago. (2) I don’t know the answer so I give up! |
2 1 |
Go off |
explode |
Many people were killed when the bombs went off. |
1 |
Grow up |
become more mature |
Children grow up very fast. |
1 |
Hold on |
wait |
Could you hold on a minute and I will get it to you? |
1 |
Lay off |
stop employing |
They laid off more than three hundred people last year. |
2 |
Look after
|
take care of |
When my children were little I had to look after them. |
3 |
Look back |
remember |
They have known each other for years and enjoy looking back on old times. |
1 |
Look down on |
disapprove of |
She always looks down on people who don’t earn as much money as she does. |
3 |
Look for |
try to find |
I spent an hour looking for my key. |
3 |
Look forward to |
think with pleasure about a future event |
I am looking forward to seeing you soon. |
4 |
Look into |
investigate |
The police is looking into the bomb explosion. |
3 |
Look up |
find in a book |
If I am not sure about the meaning of a word, I look it up in the dictionary. |
2 |
Look up to |
respect |
A lot of people looked up to him. |
4
|
Make up |
(1) become friends again after a quarrel (2)invent |
(1)They decided to forget their differences and make up. (2)Is it true or you just made it up? |
1 2 |
Make up for |
compensate for |
He bought some flowers to make up for being late. |
4 |
Pass away |
die |
His grandfather passed away when he was 9 years old. |
1 |
Pass out |
lose consciousness |
When he heard the news he passed out. |
1 |
Pick up |
give a lift |
Do you think you can pick me up from the airport at 7 am? |
2 |
Put off |
(1) postpone (2) discourage |
(1) As the manager was ill they decided to put the meeting off until the next day. (2) I was trying to read but the loud music put me off and I had to stop. |
2 |
Put on |
dress |
It’s getting cold. Why don’t you put on a sweater? |
2 |
Put through |
connect a telephone caller |
Could you put me through to Mr Morris? |
2 |
Put up with |
tolerate |
I refuse to put up with their bad behaviour. |
4 |
Run into |
meet by chance |
I was on my way home when I ran into my old friends. |
3 |
Run out of |
have no more left |
We’d better stop at the nearest petrol station as we’re running out of petrol.
|
4
|
See off |
say goodbye to someone who is going on a journey |
We went to the airport to see Jack off. |
2 |
Set off |
start a journey |
Laura had to wake up early to set off on a camping holiday. |
3 |
Speak up |
speak louder |
Can you speak up? I can hardly hear you. |
1 |
Stand for |
mean |
BBC stands for British Broadcasting Corporation. |
3 |
Take after |
be like an older relative |
Little Jack takes after his father. |
3 |
Take off |
(1) rise from the ground (2) remove anything that is worn on the body |
(1) What time did the plane take off? (2) The custom of taking off your shoes before entering a home is still common in Asia. |
1 2 |
Take over |
assume responsibility |
Simon took over the manager’s job when she retired. |
2 |
Take up |
begin an activity |
Jennifer wanted to take up painting, so she joined a morning class at College of Art. |
2 |
Tell off |
criticize |
Doug told his son off for missing the train. |
2
|
Try on |
put on an article of clothing to see if it fits
|
Why don’t you try on these shoes? |
2 |
Turn down |
refuse |
They turned her down because she didn’t have enough experience. |
2 |
Turn into |
change |
They turned an old house into a posh hotel. |
2 |
Wear out |
(1) use until it becomes unfit (2)exhaust |
(1) He wore out his favourite T-shirt after wearing it for seven years. (2)Carrying the heavy suitcases wore Kevin out. |
2 |
Work out |
solve a problem |
It took me half an hour to work out the answer. |
2 |