Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Meaning: If you check something out, you look at it or examine it to find out
more about it.
Grammar: This phrasal verb needs an object. It is possible to put the object
between the verb and particle. If the object is a pronoun, it must go between the
verb and particle.
We're going to check out the new club
We're going to check the new club out
We're going to check it out
We're going to check out it - NOT CORRECT
Example sentence: There's a great movie on TV tonight you must check it out!
Synonyms: inspect, investigate, explore, examine, look into
Synonyms: drop off, doze off, drift off, doze, snooze, fall asleep, have a catnap
Synonyms: goof around, goof off, kid around, fool about, carry on, clown around,
lark around, play the fool, be silly
Example sentence: Several people were injured when the building blew up.
Synonyms: explode
GET BACK TO
Meaning: If you get back to someone, it means that you contact someone to
continue an earlier conversation, or reply to a message, question or invitation. You
can get back to someone face to face, by text, phone or email.
Grammar: This phrasal verb needs an object. You cannot separate the verb from
its particles.
I'll get back to Keith
I'll get back to him
I'll get back Keith to
I'll get back him to
I'll get Keith back to
I'll get him back to
I'll get back to
Example sentence: I'm still waiting for Marco to get back to me about the
problems with the contracts.
________________________________________________________________
Synonyms: answer, respond, reply, return a call, get in touch with, let someone
know
COME UP
Meaning: If something comes up, it means that something happens, occurs or
appears. It is often something that has to be dealt with straight away.
Grammar: This phrasal verb does not usually have an object. You cannot separate
the verb from its particle.
Some problems came up
Came some problems up
Example sentence: I was going to apply for the job in Paris, but a better
opportunity came up in my own company.
Synonyms: arise, occur, happen, appear, take place, crop up, transpire (formal)
PLAY AT
Meaning: If you ask someone what they are playing at, it means you are
surprised by or unhappy about their behaviour. Although you seem to be asking a
question, you do not always expect an answer!
Grammar: Here, this phrasal verb is used in a question structure as an
exclamation. It cannot be separated from its particle.
What is he playing at?
What is he playing at, spending so much money?
What is he playing spending so much money at?
Example sentence: I don't know what they are playing at, losing all of those
computer files.
CALM DOWN
Meaning: If you calm down, you stop being angry or excited and become more
relaxed.
Grammar: This phrasal verb can be used with or without an object. The verb can
be separated from its particle. If the object is a pronoun, it must go between the
verb and the particle.
He's calmed down
Can you calm the children down?
Can you calm them down?
She calmed down the children (this is rare)
She calmed down them
Example sentence: Since you left last month, the situation is getting better and
things have calmed down.
Synonyms: relax, quieten down, settle down, ease off, take it easy, subdue
Make up
Meaning: If you and another person make up, it means you renew a relationship
after an argument or, misunderstanding. It usually means that you have talked to
the person and are on good terms now.
Grammar: This phrasal verb cannot usually be separated from its particle, except
by the pronoun it, where it is used to refer to a friendship or relationship.
Jo and Lisa made up
They made up
They made it up
They made up it
Example sentence: I'm so glad that you two have talked about your differences
and decided to make up.
Synonyms: repair a friendship, make amends, make good, start over, settle your
differences, renew a friendship, bury the hatchet
Feel up to
Meaning: If you feel up to doing something, it means that you want to do
something, or feel enthusiastic or excited about doing it. It is often used with the
negative don't, meaning that you don't want to do the activity, or you don't feel well
enough to do it.
Grammar: This verb needs an object (often verb?ing). It cannot be separated from
its particles.
He didn't feel up to meeting his new colleagues
He didn't feel up to the meeting
He didn't feel up to it
Synonyms: feel like, want to, would like to, fancy, be inclined to (formal).
Freak out
Meaning: If you freak out, you become very upset, excited, angry or crazy about
something.
Grammar: This phrasal verb cannot be separated from its particle. If you want to
use a pronoun, it must go between the verb and the particle.
She freaked out.
That scary film freaked Sarah out.
That scary film freaked her out.
Example sentence: My flatmate freaked out when she got a strange phone call
at 2 o'clock in the morning.
Bump into
Meaning: If you bump into someone, you meet them by chance or unexpectedly.
Grammar: This phrasal verb must take an object. You cannot separate the verb
from its particle.
We bumped into Sally.
We bumped into her.
Example sentence: Although we hadn't been in touch for years, it was wonderful
to bump into John and Lucy the other day.
Go back
Meaning: If you go back (for) years with someone, it means that you have known
them for a very long time.
Grammar: This phrasal verb is usually followed by a time expression. The verb and
particle can sometimes be separated by an adverb/adverbial phrase.
Luis and Michal go back a really long time.
Luis and Michal go a really long time back.
They go back a long way.
They go a long way back.
They go way back.
Example sentence: You might think that Yuki and Miho are just co-workers in the
office, but actually they go back for years...
Synonyms: know well, have a long history (with), have a long acquaintance (with)
Butt in
Meaning: If you butt in, you rudely interrupt or join in a conversation without
waiting for the other person to finish speaking.
Grammar: This phrasal verb does not take an object. You cannot separate this
phrasal verb from its particle.
Tim butted in.
Tim butted in Mark.
Tim butted Mark in.
Work out
Meaning: If you work out problems, or problems in a relationship it means that
you try to find a positive solution to them.
Grammar: The verb and particle can be separated by a noun or pronoun.
Chris and Jane have worked out their problems.
Chris and Jane have worked their problems out.
They've worked their problems out.
They've worked them out.
They've worked out them.
Example sentence: I thought the project could never succeed, but the team
worked out all of the problems.
Synonyms: smooth out, solve, sort out, get to the bottom of, resolve
Get through to
Meaning: If you get through to someone, it means that you explain yourself
clearly so that they understand what you are saying.
Grammar: This phrasal verb must be followed by an object. The verb can not be
separated from its particles.
Joanne got through to the kids.
Joanne got through to them.
Joanne got through the kids to.
Joanne got through them to.
Joanne got through to.
Example sentence: I had a long conversation with John after lunch, and I think I
got through to him.
CHEAT ON
Meaning: if you cheat on somebody, (your husband, wife, boyfriend or girlfriend)
you secretly have a sexual or romantic relationship with someone else.
Grammar: This phrasal verb must have an object. You can not separate the verb
from its particle.
He cheated on his wife - RIGHT
He cheated on her - RIGHT
He cheated her on - WRONG
He cheated his wife on - WRONG
Example sentence: Juliet finally decided to divorce her husband when she caught
him cheating on her with their next-door neighbour.
Synonyms: betray, be unfaithful to, do the dirty on, mess around, two-time
TELL ON
Meaning: if you tell on somebody, you give information about someone, usually
about something bad that they have said or done, to a person in authority (like a
teacher, boss or parent), knowing that this will probably result in punishment.
Grammar: This phrasal verb must have an object. You can not separate the verb
from its particle.
He told on his sister - RIGHT
He told on her - RIGHT
He told her on - WRONG
He told his sister on - WRONG
Example sentence: When I was a child I used to steal apples from the tree in the
neighbour's garden but my brother told on me and my father grounded me for a
month.
Synonyms: inform (on), grass (on), sneak (on)
CATCH OUT
Meaning: if you catch somebody out, you find evidence to show that they have
secretly been doing something wrong or bad.
Grammar: This phrasal verb must have an object. The object can go between the
verb and particle, or after the particle. If you want to use a pronoun, it must go
between the verb and particle.
I caught my son out - RIGHT
I caught him out - RIGHT
I caught out my son - RIGHT
I caught out him - WRONG
Example sentence: George had successfully cheated in quite a few exams, but
the examiner finally caught him out when some notes fell out of his sleeve and onto
the floor.
LOOK AFTER
Meaning: if you look after something or someone, you take care of them and
make sure they have what they need.
Grammar: This phrasal verb must have an object. You can not separate the verb
from its particle.
She looked after the baby - RIGHT
She looked after it - RIGHT
She looked the baby after - WRONG
She looked it after - WRONG
Example sentence: I can't come to the cinema tonight - my sister's ill, so I'm
going to stay at home and look after her.
Synonyms: take care of, tend (to)
TURN INTO
Meaning: If something turns into something, it becomes something different.
Grammar: This phrasal verb must have an object. You can not separate the verb
from its particle. The object is not usually a pronoun.
The water turned into ice - RIGHT
The water turned into it - RIGHT (this is rare)
The water turned ice into - WRONG
The water turned it into - WRONG
Example sentence: I'm scared of him. When he drinks too much beer he turns
into a crazy madman.
Synonyms: become, change (into) transform (into), evolve (into), develop (into),
metamorphosise (into)
HANG UP
Meaning: If you hang up, you end a telephone call by breaking the connection
between yourself and the person you are speaking to.
Grammar: This phrasal verb does not usually have an object (except telephone or
phone). You can separate the verb from its particle, but not if the object is a
pronoun.
She hung up - RIGHT
She hung up the telephone - RIGHT (this is rare)
She hung the phone up - RIGHT (this is rare)
She hung up it - WRONG
Example sentence: How rude - I was in the middle of telling her a story and she
just hung up!
FACE UP TO
Meaning: If you face up to something, you accept the existence of a difficult
situation.
Grammar: This phrasal verb must have an object. You can not separate the verb
from its particles.
She faced up to the problem - RIGHT
She faced up to it - RIGHT
She faced the problem up to - WRONG
She faced it up to - WRONG
She faced up the problem to - WRONG
She faced up it to - WRONG
She faced up to - WRONG
Example sentence: Jane, it's time to face up to your son's behavioural problems
and get him the help he needs.
Synonyms: confront, accept, deal with, take on, take on board, tackle, come to
terms with, stop hiding from
TAKE BACK
Meaning: If you re-start a romantic relationship that you had previously decided to
end because of a problem in the relationship, you take somebody back.
Grammar: This phrasal verb needs an object. If the object is a pronoun, you
always separate the verb from its particle. If it is a noun, you can either separate
the verb from its particle or use it after the whole phrasal verb.
She took her husband back - RIGHT
She took him back - RIGHT
She took back her husband - RIGHT
She took back him - WRONG
Example sentence: Pauline had accepted that her husband was occasionally
unfaithful, but when he became violent, she threw him out and refused to take him
back.
GIVE UP ON
Meaning: If you give up on someone or something, you stop trying to achieve
something, usually because you have tried and failed in the past, or because it is
too difficult.
Grammar: This phrasal verb needs an object. You can not separate the verb from
its particles.
I gave up on algebra - RIGHT
I gave up on it - RIGHT
I gave algebra up on - WRONG
I gave it up on - WRONG
I gave up algebra on - WRONG
I gave up it on - WRONG
Example sentence: I have asked him so many times to arrive on time, but he is
still at least 30 minutes late every morning. I give up on him!
GO OUT WITH
Meaning: If you go out with someone, you have a romantic relationship with
them.
Grammar: This phrasal verb needs an object. You can not separate the verb from
its particles.
She's going out with Mark - RIGHT
She's going out with him - RIGHT
She's going out Mark with - WRONG
She's going out him with - WRONG
She's going him out with - WRONG
She's going Mark out with - WRONG
Example sentence: She went out with Mark for 18 months before he asked her to
marry him.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________