Phrasal verbs that matter.
A phrasal verb is a verb plus a small word (a particle) that together mean something new: give up isn’t “give” + “up”, it’s quit. They’re everywhere in real English.
What makes a phrasal verb
Verb + particle (a preposition or adverb). The meaning is often idiomatic — you can’t guess it from the parts.
Separable or not?
Some phrasal verbs can split around the object; others can’t. With a pronoun, separable ones must split.
A starter set you’ll actually hear
- get up — leave bed · give up — quit · find out — discover
- turn on/off — start/stop a device · put on/off — wear / postpone
- look for — search · look after — care for · look forward to — anticipate
- pick up — collect/learn · set up — arrange · carry on — continue
- run out of — have none left · come across — find by chance · get along with — be friendly with
Learn them in a sentence, not as a list. “I ran out of milk” sticks; “run out of = finish” fades.
See it parsed
Frequently asked
What is a phrasal verb? A phrasal verb is a verb plus a particle whose combined meaning differs from the verb alone, such as give up meaning to quit.
What does separable mean for phrasal verbs? A separable phrasal verb lets the object sit between the verb and the particle, as in turn the light off. With a pronoun it must separate: turn it off.