Introduction

Phrasal verbs are a key part of natural English. You hear them in conversations, films, emails, and workplace talk because they often sound more direct and more informal than single-word verbs. In this unit, you will learn how phrasal verbs work, how meaning can change depending on context, and how to choose the right phrasal verb for everyday situations.

Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives
By the end of this unit, you will be able to: (1) recognise common phrasal verbs in spoken and written English; (2) use separable and inseparable phrasal verbs correctly; (3) choose appropriate phrasal verbs for daily routines, plans, problems, and communication.

1) What is a phrasal verb?

A phrasal verb is a verb plus a particle (an adverb or a preposition). Together, they create a meaning that is often different from the original verb.

Examples:

1) get up = rise from bed
2) turn on = activate (a device)
3) look after = take care of

Important concept
The meaning of a phrasal verb is not always logical. You cannot always translate word by word. Learn them as complete expressions, with examples.

2) Literal vs. idiomatic meaning

Some phrasal verbs have a literal meaning: the words keep their basic idea.

sit down (move to a sitting position), go out (leave the house).

Many are idiomatic: the meaning is more figurative.

give up (stop trying), run out of (have no more), put off (delay).

3) Separable and inseparable phrasal verbs

Some phrasal verbs can be separated by the object. Others cannot. This is one of the most important grammar points at B1 level.

3a) Separable phrasal verbs

With separable phrasal verbs, the object can go in two positions:

turn on the light / turn the light on

However, when the object is a pronoun (it, them, him, her), it must go in the middle:

turn it on (not: turn on it)

Common separable phrasal verbs (B1):

turn on/off (activate/deactivate), pick up (collect; learn casually), put on (wear), take off (remove; leave the ground), throw away (discard), fill in (complete a form).

Warning
If the object is a pronoun, place it between the verb and the particle: pick it up, put them on, throw it away.

3b) Inseparable phrasal verbs

With inseparable phrasal verbs, the object must come after the phrasal verb. You cannot put the object in the middle.

look after my sister (not: look my sister after)
run into an old friend (meet by chance)
get over a problem (recover from)

Common inseparable phrasal verbs (B1):

look after (take care of), get on with (have a good relationship; continue), run out of (have no more), look for (search), come across (find by chance).

4) Choosing the right phrasal verb in context

In real communication, the same situation can be described with different phrasal verbs depending on your focus. Imagine a busy day:

You get up early, put on your jacket, and set off for work. On the way, you run into a colleague. At the office, you fill in a form, then your computer stops working, so you turn it off and turn it on again. Later, you find out that a meeting is cancelled, so you put off your presentation. In the evening, you are tired but you do not give up; you carry on and finish your tasks.

Notice how phrasal verbs often appear with everyday topics: routines, problems, plans, technology, relationships, and work.

Practice

Practice section
Complete each exercise. Answers are provided in the table.