Phrasal Verb

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Learning to use phrasal verbs
correctly will help you sound
natural and professional in business
conversations.

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Separable Phrasal Verbs

The object may come after the following phrasal verbs or it may separate the two parts:

· You have to do this paint job over.

· You have to do over this paint job.

When the object of the following phrasal verbs is a pronoun,

the two parts of the phrasal verb must be separated:

· You have to do it over.

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 Separable Phrasal Verbs
Verb Meaning Example
As we drove through Paris, Francoise pointed
point out call attention to
out the major historical sites.
We put away money for our retirement. She put
put away save or store
away the cereal boxes.
We asked the boss to put off the meeting until
put off postpone
tomorrow. (Please put it off for another day.)
I put on a sweater and a jacket.
put on put clothing on the body
(I put them on quickly.)
The firefighters put out the house fire before it
put out extinguish
could spread. (They put it out quickly.)
 Separable Phrasal Verbs

I read over the homework, but couldn't

read over peruse
make any sense of it.
My wife set up the living room exactly
set up to arrange, begin
the way she wanted it. She set it up.
These are your
take down make a written note instructions. Write them down before
you forget.
It was so hot that I had to take off my
take off remove clothing
shirt.
We have serious problems here.
talk over discuss
Let's talk them over like adults.
Separable Phrasal Verbs

That's a lot of money! Don't

throw away discard
just throw it away.
She tried on fifteen dresses before she
try on put clothing on to see if it fits
found one she liked.
I tried out four cars before I could find
try out test
one that pleased me.
Your radio is driving me crazy!
turn down lower volume
Please turn it down.
He applied for a promotion twice this
turn down
reject year, but he was turned down both
(2)
times.
 Separable Phrasal Verbs

Grandpa couldn't hear, so he turned

turn up raise the volume
up his hearing aid.
We turned off the lights before anyone
turn off switch off electricity
could see us.
It was a disgusting movie. It
turn off (2) repulse
really turned me off.
turn on switch on the electricity Turn on the CD player so we can dance.
The gang members used up all the
use up exhaust, use completely money and went out to rob some more
banks.
Inseparable Phrasal Verbs (Transitive)

With the following phrasal verbs, the lexical part of the verb
(the part of the phrasal verb that carries the "verb-meaning")
cannot be separated from the prepositions (or other parts)
that accompany it:

"Who will look after my estate when I'm gone?"

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 Inseparable Phrasal Verbs

Verb Meaning Example

call on ask to recite in class The teacher called on students in the back row.
The old minister continued to call on his sick
call on (2) visit
parishioners.
recover from sickness or I got over the flu, but I don't know if I'll ever get over my
get over
disappointment broken heart.
The students went over the material before the exam.
go over review
They should have gone over it twice.
They country went through most of its coal reserves in
go through use up; consume
one year. Did he go through all his money already?
 Inseparable Phrasal Verbs

My mother promised to look after my

look after take care of
dog while I was gone.
The police will look into the
look into investigate
possibilities of embezzlement.
I ran across my old roommate at the
run across find by chance
college reunion.
Carlos ran into his English professor in
run into meet
the hallway.
My second son seems to take after his
take after resemble
mother.
It seemed strange to see my old
wait on serve
boss wait on tables.
Three-Word Phrasal Verbs (Transitive)

With the following phrasal verbs, you will find three parts:

"My brother dropped out of school before he could graduate."

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 Inseparable Phrasal Verbs

Verb Meaning Example

interrupt (a I was talking to Mom on the phone when the
break in on
conversation) operator broke in on our call.
After our month-long trip, it was time to catch up
catch up with keep abreast
with the neighbors and the news around town.
The boys promised to check up on the condition of the
check up on examine, investigate
summer house from time to time.
to contribute After years of giving nothing, the old parishioner was
come up with
(suggestion, money) able to come up with a thousand-dollar donation.
 Inseparable Phrasal Verbs

We tried to cut down on the money we

cut down on curtail (expenses)
were spending on entertainment.
I hope none of my students drop out
drop out of leave school
of school this semester.
I found it very hard to get along with my
get along with have a good relationship with
brother when we were young.
Janik cheated on the exam and then
get away with escape blame
tried to get away with it.
The citizens tried to get rid of their
get rid of eliminate
corrupt mayor in the recent election.
 Inseparable Phrasal Verbs

When will you ever get through

get through with finish
with that program?
It's hard to keep up with the Joneses
keep up with maintain pace with
when you lose your job!
I always look forward to the beginning
look forward to anticipate with pleasure
of a new semester.
It's typical of a jingoistic country that the
look down on despise citizens look down on their geographical
neighbors.
We were going to look in on my brother-
look in on visit (somebody)
in-law, but he wasn't home.
 Inseparable Phrasal Verbs

Good instructors will look out for early signs

look out for be careful, anticipate
of failure in their students
look up to respect First-graders really look up to their teachers.
Make sure of the student's identity before
make sure of verify
you let him into the classroom.
The teacher had to put up with a great deal
put up with tolerate
of nonsense from the new students.
The runners ran out of energy before the
run out of exhaust supply
end of the race.
Inseparable Phrasal Verbs

My oldest sister took care of us

take care of be responsible for
younger children after Mom died.
The star player talked back to the
talk back to answer impolitely
coach and was thrown off the team.
I often think back on my childhood
think back on recall
with great pleasure.
Her husband walked out on her and
walk out on abandon
their three children.
Intransitive Phrasal Verbs

The following phrasal verbs are not followed by an object:

"Once you leave home, you can never really go back again."

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Intransitive Phrasal Verbs
Verb Meaning Example
That old Jeep had a tendency to break down just when
break down stop functioning
I needed it the most.
Popular songs seem to catch on in California first and
catch on become popular
then spread eastward.
Father promised that we would never come back to
come back return to a place
this horrible place.
They tried to come in through the back door, but it
come in enter
was locked.

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Intransitive Phrasal Verbs
He was hit on the head very hard, but
come to regain consciousness after several minutes, he started
to come to again.
The children promised to come over,
come over to visit
but they never do.
We used to just drop by, but they were
drop by visit without appointment
never home, so we stopped doing that.
When we visited Paris, we loved eating
eat out dine in a restaurant
out in the sidewalk cafes.
Uncle Heine didn't have much money,
get by survive but he always seemed to get by without
borrowing money from relatives.

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Intransitive Phrasal Verbs
Grandmother tried to get up, but the
get up arise couch was too low, and she couldn't
make it on her own.
It's hard to imagine that we will ever go
go back return to a place
back to Lithuania.
He would finish one Dickens novel and
go on continue
then just go on to the next.
The cops heard all the noise and
go on (2) happen
stopped to see what was going on.
Charles grew up to be a lot like his
grow up get older
father.

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Intransitive Phrasal Verbs

The judge warned the stalker to keep

keep away remain at a distance
away from his victim's home.
keep on (with He tried to keep on singing long after
continue with the same
gerund) his voice was ruined.
He had drunk too much; he passed
pass out lose consciousness, faint
out on the sidewalk outside the bar.
Whenever he sat down at the piano, we
show off demonstrate haughtily
knew he was going to show off.
Day after day, Efrain showed up for class
show up arrive
twenty minutes late.
wake up arouse from sleep I woke up when the rooster crowed.

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