Introduction

In daily English, people often use phrasal verbs to sound natural and direct. At B1 level, you already know many two-word phrasal verbs (verb + particle). In this unit, you will meet three-word phrasal verbs, which add one more element and often express a more precise relationship: who or what something is directed to, what it depends on, or what it results in. They can feel long at first, but they are very common in conversations, emails, and workplace English.

Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives
By the end of this unit, you will be able to: (1) recognise and use common three-word phrasal verbs in context; (2) choose the correct preposition/particle combination; (3) build accurate sentences with objects and pronouns; (4) avoid typical word-order mistakes.

1) What is a three-word phrasal verb?

A three-word phrasal verb is a verb followed by two particles (usually an adverb + a preposition). Together, the three parts create one meaning that is often different from the literal meaning of the verb.

Examples: look forward to (anticipate with pleasure), get on with (continue; have a good relationship), put up with (tolerate), come up with (invent/produce an idea), run out of (have no more of something).

Important concept
Treat the three words as one unit of meaning. If you change or remove one particle, the meaning often changes completely or the phrase becomes incorrect.

2) Meaning and use in real situations

Three-word phrasal verbs are especially useful when you describe routines, relationships, and practical problems. Imagine a small story: you are working on a group project. You get on with your classmates, but you run out of time, and you need to come up with a better plan. You decide to carry on with the research, even though you have to put up with some stress. This is exactly the kind of language English speakers use to connect actions to people and situations.

3) Grammar patterns: where does the object go?

With most three-word phrasal verbs, the object comes after the whole phrasal verb.

Pattern: verb + particle + preposition + object

Examples: “I’m looking forward to the weekend.” “She gets on with her manager.” “We ran out of milk.”

With pronouns, the pronoun still comes after the three-word unit:

“I’m looking forward to it.” (not “looking it forward to”)
“She gets on with him.” (not “gets him on with”)

Warning
Do not split most three-word phrasal verbs. The object normally does not go between the particles. Keep the three parts together: “put up with the noise,” not “put the noise up with.”

4) Key verbs to learn (B1 set)

Study these carefully and notice the preposition at the end. That last word is not optional; it controls what comes next.

1. look forward to = feel excited about something in the future
   “I’m looking forward to my holiday.”
2. get on with = have a good relationship; also “continue”
   “Do you get on with your neighbours?” / “Let’s get on with the lesson.”
3. put up with = tolerate something unpleasant
   “I can’t put up with this noise.”
4. come up with = think of an idea or solution
   “She came up with a great suggestion.”
5. run out of = have no more of something
   “We’ve run out of coffee.”
6. catch up with = reach the same level; also meet to share news
   “I need to catch up with my emails.”
7. look down on = think someone is less important
   “He looks down on people who make mistakes.”
8. go back on = break a promise or agreement
   “They went back on their word.”

5) Typical contexts and collocations

Some combinations appear again and again:

1. look forward to + noun / -ing: “looking forward to meeting you.”
2. run out of + supplies/time/money: “run out of time.”
3. put up with + noise/behaviour/problems: “put up with his attitude.”
4. come up with + idea/plan/excuse: “come up with a plan.”
5. catch up with + work/friends/news: “catch up with friends.”

Practice

Practice section
Complete each sentence with the correct three-word phrasal verb. Use the correct form of the verb when necessary.