INTRODUCTION Phrasal verbs are considered to be one of the most useful and frustrating grammar points in the English Language, especially in the FCE exam. In this book we have listed some of the most common phrasal verbs you will encounter and some of the most important you will need to learn.
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK In this book you will find a list of phrasal verbs that will be useful for the exam, as well as definitions and examples in context. You can use this book how you wish. The phrasal verbs are listed in alphabetical order. You should read the list from A-Z and write down your own examples for the ones you think you want to incorporate into your vocabulary – either speaking or writing.
KEY
Sme. = Someone/somebody Smth. = Something Smwh. = Somewhere (<>) = separable (the phrasal verb can include the object between the verb and the preposition) for example: (Word) = sometimes this word can be omitted and is not necessary.
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A-B A Phrasal Verb: Ask sme. out (<>) Meaning: To ask someone to go on a date (a romantic dinner etc.) Context/ Example: “I asked Grace out last weekend. Luckily she said yes!”
Phrasal Verb: Ask around Meaning: To ask different people about something to get their opinions Context/ Example: “I’m not sure if we are going out tonight, I’ll ask around and see who wants to go to the party”
B Phrasal Verb: Break up with sme. Meaning: To stop being in a relationship with someone Context/ Example: “I broke up with my girlfriend last summer, it was awful.”
Phrasal Verb: Break down Meaning: To stop working (machine, mechanical object) Context/ Example: “My car broke down in the middle of the road!”
Phrasal Verb: Break in Meaning: To enter a house illegally (usually with the intent to steal) Context/ Example: “Someone broke into our house last month, they stole my necklace!
Phrasal Verb: Bring smth. Up (<>) Meaning: To introduce a new topic into a conversation 2|P a g e
B-C Context/ Example: “My car broke down in the middle of the road!”
C Phrasal Verb: Carry on Meaning: To continue Context/ Example: “I was working when you interrupted me…can I carry on now?
Phrasal Verb: Call sme. back Meaning: To return a phone call from someone Context/ Example: “My boss called me but I was in the cinema, so I’ll call him back soon!”
Phrasal Verb: Call smth. off (<>) Meaning: To cancel something (usually an event) Context/ Example: “I’m afraid the meeting has to be called off due to the rain”
Phrasal Verb: Call sme. up Meaning: To call someone. Context/ Example: “You can call me up at around 6 if that’s ok?!”
Phrasal Verb: Catch up (with) sme. Meaning: To be at the same level as someone Context/ Example: “I was last in the race, but then finally I caught up with everyone!
Phrasal Verb: Check (up) on sme. Meaning: To monitor someone closely to see their status/progress Context/ Example: “Our baby has been silent for a long time, can you check up on her?” 3|P a g e
C-D Phrasal Verb: Come up with smth. Meaning: To have an idea spontaneously Context/ Example: “We were trying to plan the party and Margret came up with a great idea!”
Phrasal Verb: Come across sme./smth. Meaning: To meet someone or discover something by chance. Context/ Example: “I came across an old friend of mine in the supermarket last week/ I came across my old music set yesterday, completely unexpectedly!”
Phrasal Verb: Come from smwh. Meaning: To originate from a location. Context/ Example: “I’m British but my Grandmother comes from Nigeria / Where did that sound come from?
Phrasal Verb: Cut down on smth. Meaning: To reduce the amount of smth. Context/ Example: “I’m going to try to stop eating chocolate the first step is to cut down on the amount I eat every day.”
D Phrasal Verb: Dress up Meaning: To wear special clothing for an event Context/ Example: “I dressed up for the party because it was a very posh event.”
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D-F Phrasal Verb: Drop in (on) Meaning: To visit someone unexpectedly (they do not know) Context/ Example: “I might just drop in on Peter to see what he’s doing tonight..”
Phrasal Verb: Drop out (of) smth. Meaning: To quit a course/class Context/ Example: “I worked really hard, but in the end the photography class wasn’t interesting so I dropped out after 1 week.
E Phrasal Verb: Eat out Meaning: To have dinner at a restaurant Context/ Example: “Usually my wife and I stay at home, but we occasionally eat out once a week.”
Phrasal Verb: End up smwh. Meaning: To eventually do something/ get somewhere/ be something you didn’t expect. Context/ Example: “I thought the movie would be interesting, but it ended up being really boring / We all got dressed up to party but we ended up staying at home drinking instead”
F Phrasal Verb: Fall out (with) sme. Meaning: To have a disagreement and not be friends any more. Context/ Example: “I used to love my best friend but then one day we fell out because of something silly.
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F-G Phrasal Verb: Fall for sme. Meaning: To start to love someone Context/ Example: “I’ve known her for about 5 years but recently I’ve been falling for her.
Phrasal Verb: Figure smth. out (<>) Meaning: To try to find the answer to something Context/ Example: “I’ve been trying to figure out how to use phrasal verbs for over two years!
Phrasal Verb: Find smth. out (<>) Meaning: To discover Context/ Example: “I’ve just found out that my sister is pregnant!”
G Phrasal Verb: Get smth. across (<>) Meaning: To give information/communicate Context/ Example: “He spoke for two hours but said nothing, I think he was trying to get across how important it is to work hard”
Phrasal Verb: Get on with sme. Meaning: To have a good relationship with someone Context/ Example: “I get on really well with my boss, she’s really nice.”
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G Phrasal Verb: Get away with smth. Meaning: To escape with no punishment Context/ Example: “He stole €7000 from the bank but no one caught him so he’s managed to get away with it.
Phrasal Verb: Get over smth. Meaning: To overcome something hard / illness Context/ Example: “She is seriously ill but doctors think she will get over it soon.”
Phrasal Verb: Get (a)round to smth. Meaning: To find time to do something Context/ Example: “I know I have to do my project by tomorrow but I haven’t got around to it yet.”
Phrasal Verb: Get up to smth. Meaning: To do something (used in questions mainly) Context/ Example: “What did you get up to this weekend?”
Phrasal Verb: Give smth. away Meaning: To distribute / to give something for free Context/ Example: “He didn’t need his old clothes so he gave them away to homeless people.”
Phrasal Verb: Give smth. up (<>) Meaning: To quit a habit / stop doing something Context/ Example: “I smoke too much, I’m thinking about giving it up.”
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Phrasal Verb: Go on / go ahead
G -H
Meaning: To proceed Context/ Example: “I’m sorry I interrupted you, please go on.”
Phrasal Verb: Go out (with sme.) Meaning: To go on a social event/ occasion (maybe a date) Context/ Example: “I’ve been going out with my girlfriend for a week now / I’m going out tonight to a bar, it will be fun!”
Phrasal Verb: Go over smth. Meaning: To review something Context/ Example: “I don’t think I understand phrasal verbs exactly, can we go over them again please?”
Phrasal Verb: Grow up Meaning: To become more mature/ to become an adult Context/ Example: “You have grown up a lot since I last saw you.”
H Phrasal Verb: Hand smth. out (<>) Meaning: To distribute Context/ Example: “He handed out a leaflet detailing the information of the project”
Phrasal Verb: Hang on / hold on Meaning: To wait (usually on the phone) Context/ Example: “Can you just hang on for one second, I need to get something.” 8|P a g e
H-L Phrasal Verb: Hang out with sme. Meaning: To spend your free time with someone / people Context/ Example: “Last weekend I hung out with a few friends of mine at the local cinema.”
K Phrasal Verb: Keep on Meaning: To continue Context/ Example: “I have to keep on studying this list of phrasal verbs to be prepared”
Phrasal Verb: Keep up (with) sme. Meaning: To be at the same level as someone Context/ Example: “Jim is the smartest boy in the class, other people can’t keep up with him”
L Phrasal Verb: Let sme. down Meaning: To disappoint someone. Context/ Example: “When you didn’t pass your exam you really let me down, I had high expectations of you.
Phrasal Verb: Log in / log off Meaning: To sign in / out of a website Context/ Example: “I haven’t logged in to my Facebook account in about 6 months.”
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L-M Phrasal Verb: Look after sme. Meaning: To take care of someone Context/ Example: “My parents are leaving town for a few days and I have to look after my little brother”
Phrasal Verb: Look for smth. Meaning: To try to find something Context/ Example: “I’ve been looking for my keys for over 3 hours!”
Phrasal Verb: Look forward to smth. Meaning: To be excited (in anticipation of something) Context/ Example: “I’m really looking forward to going on holiday this winter, it will be great!”
Phrasal Verb: Look smth. up Meaning: To find by using a dictionary/ reference Context/ Example: “If you don’t know the word then you should just look it up in the dictionary”
Phrasal Verb: Look up to sme. Meaning: To admire Context/ Example: “I really look up to my older brother, he’s a great role model.”
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M-P M Phrasal Verb: Make smth. up (<>) Meaning: To invent / lie about something Context/ Example: “Tom always tells us stories but I’m sure that half of them are made up…”
Phrasal Verb: Mix smth. up (<>) Meaning: To confuse the order of something Context/ Example: “I’m trying to use phrasal verbs but I always get the words mixed up.”
P Phrasal Verb: Pass smth. on (<>) Meaning: To die / to give someone something of yours Context/ Example: “My grandmother passed on last year / I pass on all of my old clothes to my brother.”
Phrasal Verb: Pay sme. back. Meaning: To return money Context/ Example: “I lent my brother €100 but he hasn’t paid me back yet!”
Phrasal Verb: Pick smth/sme. out Meaning: To select something (usually from a group) Context/ Example: “My teacher always picks me out to read aloud in the classroom”
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P-R Phrasal Verb: Point smth. out (<>) Meaning: To draw someone’s attention to something Context/ Example: “In this part of the essay I would like to point out the difference between cookies and biscuits”
Phrasal Verb: Put smth. off (<>) Meaning: To postpone Context/ Example: “I’m sorry but the meeting has to be put off until tomorrow”
Phrasal Verb: Put up with sme. Meaning: To tolerate Context/ Example: “I really don’t like her but I have to put up with her because I work with her every day!”
Phrasal Verb: Put smth. on (<>) Meaning: To wear Context/ Example: “I don’t know if this fits me so I’ll put it on and you can tell me”
R Phrasal Verb: Run into sme. Meaning: To meet by chance Context/ Example: “I was shopping last week and guess who I ran into?”
Phrasal Verb: Run out of smth. Meaning: To have no more of something Context/ Example: “Darling, I’ve been looking in the fridge and I think we’ve run out of milk.” 12 | P a g e
S-T S Phrasal Verb: Set smth. up (<>) Meaning: To organize/ establish Context/ Example: “I’ve been really busy recently trying to set up my own business”
Phrasal Verb: Show smth. off (<>) Meaning: To boast (say/show how good something is.) Context/ Example: “I really hate John, he always drives his Ferrari down the street so everyone can hear, he loves showing it off.”
Phrasal Verb: Sort smth. out (<>) Meaning: To organize / fix a problem Context/ Example: “My brother is planning to come and visit but I haven’t got the details, I relay need to sort out when he is coming”
T Phrasal Verb: Take after sme. Meaning: To resemble (usually in appearance) Context/ Example: “I have a really big nose, I guess I take after my father.”
Phrasal Verb: Take smth. apart. (<>) Meaning: To disassemble / dismantle Context/ Example: “My bike doesn’t work that well anymore, so I’m going to take it apart and see what’s wrong.”
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T-W Phrasal Verb: Take smth. off (<>) Meaning: To remove clothing Context/ Example: “It’s really hot in here, can I take my jacket off?
Phrasal Verb: Take up smth. (<>) Meaning: To start (usually a hobby or regular activity) Context/ Example: “I stopped running last year because of my knee, but now that it has healed I think I’ll take it up again.”
Phrasal Verb: Throw smth. away (<>) Meaning: To dispose of something Context/ Example: “Make sure you throw away your paper cup after using it!”
Phrasal Verb: Turn smth/sme. down Meaning: To refuse an offer Context/ Example: “They offered me an indefinite contract and more money at work, but I already have another job which is better so I had to turn them down.
Phrasal Verb: Turn up Meaning: To appear unexpectedly Context/ Example: “I was looking for my phone all day and then it suddenly turned up in my bag! / We were at the party when Jill suddenly turned up”
Phrasal Verb: Try smth. out (<>) Meaning: To test something Context/ Example: “I bought some new deodorant, so I’ll try it out for a few days but if I don’t like it I’ll go back to my old one.
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W W Phrasal Verb: Wake sme. up Meaning: To open your eyes after sleeping Context/ Example: “Tom usually wakes up at 8.30 but today I had to wake him up earlier for his interview.”
Phrasal Verb: Wear smth. down Meaning: To use to a point where it starts to deteriorate Context/ Example: “I bought these shoes a year ago, but I wear them every day so they are completely worn down.”
Phrasal Verb: Wear smth. out Meaning: To use to a point where it cannot be used anymore Context/ Example: “He has been working for 5 months and hasn’t taken a break, I think he is pretty worn out”
Phrasal Verb: Work smth. out (<>) Meaning: To solve / discover Context/ Example: “I’m trying to work out the best way to tell her that I love her.”
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