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CommonPhrasalVerbs

COMMON
PHRASALVERBS

Selectfromthefollowing

Separable Phrasal Verbs

Theobjectmaycomeafterthefollowingphrasalverbsoritmayseparatethetwo
parts:
Youhavetodothispaintjobover.
Youhavetodooverthispaintjob.
Whentheobjectofthefollowingphrasalverbsisapronoun,thetwo
partsofthephrasalverbmustbeseparated:
Youhavetodoitover.
Verb

Meaning

Example

blow
up

explode

Theterroriststriedtoblowuptherailroadstation.

bring
up

mentionatopic

Mymotherbroughtupthatlittlematterofmyprison
recordagain.

bring
up

raisechildren

Itisn'teasytobringupchildrennowadays.

call
off

cancel

Theycalledoffthisafternoon'smeeting

do
over

repeatajob

Dothishomeworkover.

fill
out

completeaform

Filloutthisapplicationformandmailitin.

fillup

filltocapacity

Shefilledupthegrocerycartwithfreefood.

find
out

discover

Mysisterfoundoutthatherhusbandhadbeenplanninga
surprisepartyforher.

give
away

givesomethingto
someoneelsefor
free

Thefillingstationwasgivingawayfreegas.

give
back

returnanobject

Mybrotherborrowedmycar.Ihaveafeelinghe'snot
abouttogiveitback.

hand
in

submitsomething
(assignment)

Thestudentshandedintheirpapersandlefttheroom.

hang

putsomethingon

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CommonPhrasalVerbs

up

hookorreceiver

Shehungupthephonebeforeshehungupherclothes.

hold
up

delay

Ihatetoholdupthemeeting,butIhavetogotothe
bathroom.

hold
up(2)

rob

ThreemaskedgunmenhelduptheSecurityBankthis
afternoon.

leave
out

omit

YouleftoutthepartaboutthepolicechasedownAsylum
Avenue.

look
over

examine,check

Thelawyerslookedoverthepaperscarefullybefore
questioningthewitness.(Theylookedthemover
carefully.)

look
up

searchinalist

You'vemisspelledthiswordagain.You'dbetterlookit
up.

make
up

inventastoryorlie

Sheknewshewasintrouble,soshemadeupastory
aboutgoingtothemovieswithherfriends.

make
out

hear,understand

Hewassofaraway,wereallycouldn'tmakeoutwhathe
wassaying.

pick
out

choose

Therewerethreemeninthelineup.Shepickedoutthe
guyshethoughthadstolenherpurse.

pick
up

liftsomethingoff
somethingelse

Thecranepickeduptheentirehouse.(Watchthempickit
up.)

point
out

callattentionto

AswedrovethroughParis,Francoisepointedoutthe
majorhistoricalsites.

put
away

saveorstore

Weputawaymoneyforourretirement.Sheputawaythe
cerealboxes.

put
off

postpone

Weaskedthebosstoputoffthemeetinguntiltomorrow.
(Pleaseputitoffforanotherday.)

put
on

putclothingonthe
body

Iputonasweaterandajacket.(Iputthemonquickly.)

put
out

extinguish

Thefirefightersputoutthehousefirebeforeitcould
spread.(Theyputitoutquickly.)

read
over

peruse

Ireadoverthehomework,butcouldn'tmakeanysenseof
it.

setup

toarrange,begin

Mywifesetupthelivingroomexactlythewayshe
wantedit.Shesetitup.

take
down

makeawrittennote

Theseareyourinstructions.Writethemdownbeforeyou
forget.

take
off

removeclothing

ItwassohotthatIhadtotakeoffmyshirt.

talk

discuss

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Wehaveseriousproblemshere.Let'stalkthemoverlike
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CommonPhrasalVerbs

over

adults.

throw
away

discard

That'salotofmoney!Don'tjustthrowitaway.

tryon

putclothingonto
seeifitfits

Shetriedonfifteendressesbeforeshefoundoneshe
liked.

try
out

test

ItriedoutfourcarsbeforeIcouldfindonethatpleased
me.

turn
down

lowervolume

Yourradioisdrivingmecrazy!Pleaseturnitdown.

turn
down
(2)

reject

Heappliedforapromotiontwicethisyear,buthewas
turneddownbothtimes.

turn
up

raisethevolume

Grandpacouldn'thear,soheturneduphishearingaid.

turn
off

switchoff
electricity

Weturnedoffthelightsbeforeanyonecouldseeus.

turn
off
(2)

repulse

Itwasadisgustingmovie.Itreallyturnedmeoff.

turn
on

switchonthe
electricity

TurnontheCDplayersowecandance.

use
up

exhaust,use
completely

Thegangmembersusedupallthemoneyandwentoutto
robsomemorebanks.

Inseparable Phrasal Verbs (Transitive)

Withthefollowingphrasalverbs,thelexicalpartoftheverb(thepartofthe
phrasalverbthatcarriesthe"verbmeaning")cannotbeseparatedfromthe
prepositions(orotherparts)thataccompanyit:"Whowilllookaftermyestate
whenI'mgone?"
Verb

Meaning

Example

callon

asktorecitein
class

Theteachercalledonstudentsinthebackrow.

callon(2)

visit

Theoldministercontinuedtocallonhissick
parishioners.

getover

recoverfrom
sicknessor
disappointment

Igotovertheflu,butIdon'tknowifI'lleverget
overmybrokenheart.

goover

review

Thestudentswentoverthematerialbeforethe
exam.Theyshouldhavegoneoverittwice.
Theycountrywentthroughmostofitscoalreserves

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CommonPhrasalVerbs

gothrough

useupconsume

inoneyear.Didhegothroughallhismoney
already?

lookafter

takecareof

MymotherpromisedtolookaftermydogwhileI
wasgone.

lookinto

investigate

Thepolicewilllookintothepossibilitiesof
embezzlement.

runacross

findbychance

Iranacrossmyoldroommateatthecollegereunion.

runinto

meet

CarlosranintohisEnglishprofessorinthehallway.

takeafter

resemble

Mysecondsonseemstotakeafterhismother.

waiton

serve

Itseemedstrangetoseemyoldbosswaitontables.

Three-Word Phrasal Verbs (Transitive)

Withthefollowingphrasalverbs,youwillfindthreeparts:"Mybrotherdropped
outofschoolbeforehecouldgraduate."
Verb

Meaning

Example

breakin
on

interrupt(a
conversation)

IwastalkingtoMomonthephonewhentheoperator
brokeinonourcall.

catch
upwith

keepabreast

Afterourmonthlongtrip,itwastimetocatchupwith
theneighborsandthenewsaroundtown.

check
upon

examine,
investigate

Theboyspromisedtocheckupontheconditionofthe
summerhousefromtimetotime.

come
upwith

tocontribute
(suggestion,
money)

Afteryearsofgivingnothing,theoldparishionerwas
abletocomeupwithathousanddollardonation.

cut
down
on

curtail(expenses)

Wetriedtocutdownonthemoneywewerespendingon
entertainment.

drop
outof

leaveschool

Ihopenoneofmystudentsdropoutofschoolthis
semester.

get
along
with

haveagood
relationshipwith

Ifounditveryhardtogetalongwithmybrotherwhen
wewereyoung.

get
away
with

escapeblame

Janikcheatedontheexamandthentriedtogetaway
withit.

getrid
of

eliminate

Thecitizenstriedtogetridoftheircorruptmayorinthe
recentelection.

finish

Whenwillyouevergetthroughwiththatprogram?

get
through

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CommonPhrasalVerbs

with
keepup
with

maintainpace
with

It'shardtokeepupwiththeJoneseswhenyouloseyour
job!

look
forward
to

anticipatewith
pleasure

Ialwayslookforwardtothebeginningofanew
semester.

look
down
on

despise

It'stypicalofajingoisticcountrythatthecitizenslook
downontheirgeographicalneighbors.

lookin
on

visit(somebody)

Weweregoingtolookinonmybrotherinlaw,buthe
wasn'thome.

lookout
for

becareful,
anticipate

Goodinstructorswilllookoutforearlysignsoffailurein
theirstudents

lookup
to

respect

Firstgradersreallylookuptotheirteachers.

make
sureof

verify

Makesureofthestudent'sidentitybeforeyoulethim
intotheclassroom.

putup
with

tolerate

Theteacherhadtoputupwithagreatdealofnonsense
fromthenewstudents.

runout
of

exhaustsupply

Therunnersranoutofenergybeforetheendoftherace.

take
careof

beresponsiblefor

Myoldestsistertookcareofusyoungerchildrenafter
Momdied.

talk
backto

answerimpolitely

Thestarplayertalkedbacktothecoachandwasthrown
offtheteam.

think
backon

recall

Ioftenthinkbackonmychildhoodwithgreatpleasure.

walk
outon

abandon

Herhusbandwalkedoutonherandtheirthreechildren.

Intransitive Phrasal Verbs

Thefollowingphrasalverbsarenotfollowedbyanobject:"Onceyouleavehome,
youcanneverreallygobackagain."
Verb

Meaning

Example

break
down

stop
functioning

ThatoldJeephadatendencytobreakdownjustwhenI
neededitthemost.

catchon

become
popular

PopularsongsseemtocatchoninCaliforniafirstand
thenspreadeastward.

returntoa

Fatherpromisedthatwewouldnevercomebacktothis

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CommonPhrasalVerbs

comeback

place

horribleplace.

comein

enter

Theytriedtocomeinthroughthebackdoor,butitwas
locked.

cometo

regain
consciousness

Hewashitontheheadveryhard,butafterseveral
minutes,hestartedtocometoagain.

comeover

tovisit

Thechildrenpromisedtocomeover,buttheyneverdo.

dropby

visitwithout
appointment

Weusedtojustdropby,buttheywereneverhome,sowe
stoppeddoingthat.

eatout

dineina
restaurant

WhenwevisitedParis,welovedeatingoutinthe
sidewalkcafes.

getby

survive

UncleHeinedidn'thavemuchmoney,buthealways
seemedtogetbywithoutborrowingmoneyfrom
relatives.

getup

arise

Grandmothertriedtogetup,butthecouchwastoolow,
andshecouldn'tmakeitonherown.

goback

returntoa
place

It'shardtoimaginethatwewillevergobackto
Lithuania.

goon

continue

HewouldfinishoneDickensnovelandthenjustgoonto
thenext.

goon(2)

happen

Thecopsheardallthenoiseandstoppedtoseewhatwas
goingon.

growup

getolder

Charlesgrewuptobealotlikehisfather.

keepaway

remainata
distance

Thejudgewarnedthestalkertokeepawayfromhis
victim'shome.

keepon
(with
gerund)

continuewith
thesame

Hetriedtokeeponsinginglongafterhisvoicewas
ruined.

passout

lose
consciousness,
faint

Hehaddrunktoomuchhepassedoutonthesidewalk
outsidethebar.

showoff

demonstrate
haughtily

Wheneverhesatdownatthepiano,weknewhewas
goingtoshowoff.

showup

arrive

Dayafterday,Efrainshowedupforclasstwentyminutes
late.

wakeup

arousefrom
sleep

Iwokeupwhentheroostercrowed.

Manyoftheseverbsanddefinitions(butbynomeansall)areadoptedfromGrammarContextbySandraN.
Elbaum.SecondEdition,Book2.(Heinle&HeinlePublishers,Boston,1996.)Theexamplesareourown.

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CommonPhrasalVerbs

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