PHRASAL VERBSA
act up – if machine or part of your body acts up, it doesn’t work properly
add up – add
ask out – ask sb – especially someone of the opposite sex to to out
B
back down - retreat from a position in an argument
back out - desert; fail to keep a promise
back out of - desert; fail to keep a promise
back up - cause to move backwards; support; blow up; cause to explode; destroy by explosives
bear down on - lean on; browbeat
bear on - have to do with
bear up - endure
bear up under - endure
blow in - drop in to visit unexpectedly
blow over - pass without doing harm
blow up - explode; lose one's temper
break down - analyze; list the parts of separately
break in on - interrupt
break into - go into a house or room forcibly; suddenly; begin;
bring about - cause to happen
bring off - accomplish
bring on - cause
bring out - publish; emphasize
bring over - bring
bring to - revive
bring up - raise; care for from childhood
brush out - brush the inside of
burn down - destroy by burning
burn up - consume by fire
buy out - by the other person's share of a business
buy up - buy the whole supply of
C
call for - come to get; require
call off - cancel; order away
call up - telephone; summon for military service
calm down - become calm
came about - happen
care for - like; guard; supervise; maintain
carry on - continue
carry on with - continue
carry out - fulfill; complete; accomplish; perform
carry over - carry; continue at another time or place
catch on - understand
catch up - cover the distance between oneself and a moving goal
catch up with - cover the distance between oneself and
check up - investigate
check up on - examine; verify
check out - leave; pay one's bill
cheer up - cause to become cheerful
chew up - chew thoroughly
chop up - chop into small pieces
clean off - clean the surface of
clean out - clean the inside of
clean up - clarify; tidy
clear out - clear the surface of, leave
clear up - clear the inside of
close down - close permanently
close up - close temporarily
come accross - find accidentally
come along - accompany; make progress
come along with - accompany; make progress
come back - return
come by - visit someone in his home; find accidentally
come down with - become ill with
come out - appear; make a social debut
come over - come to someone's house, to where someone is
come through - succeed
come to - regain consciousness
come up/out with - utter; produce
count in - include
count on - rely on
count out - exclude
count up - calculate; count; add to a total
cross out - eliminate
cut in - interrupt
cut in on - interrupt
cut off - interrupt; sever; amputate
cut out - eliminate; delete
cut down - reduce in quantity
D
die away - fade; diminish
die down - fade; diminish
die off/out - disappear; become extinct
disagree with - cause illness or discomfort to
do away with - abolish
do without - deprive oneself of
dress up - don fancy or unusual clothes
draw up - write; compose (a document)
dress up - put clothes on; adorn
drive back - return by car
drop in - visit someone casually without planning
drop in at/on - visit casually without planning
drop out - abandon some organized activity; leave; quit
drop out of - leave; quit
drop over - visit someone casually
dust out - dust the inside of
E
eat up - eat completely
F
face up to - acknowledge
fall behind in - lag; not progress at required pace
fall back on - use for emergency purpose
fall behind - not progress at required pace
fall off - decrease; lose weight
fall out with - quarrel with
fall through - fail; not be accomplished
figure out - interpret; understand
figure up - compute
fill in - complete (a printed form); substitute
fill in for - substitute for
fill out - complete (a printed form)
fill up - fill completely (a container)
find out - discover; learn
fix up - repair; arrange in a suitable manner
fly back - return by air
fly over - fly to where someone is
G
get across - cause to be understood
get ahead - make progress
get ahead with - surpass; beat
get along - have a friendly relationship
get around - circulate; move about; evade; avoid
get away - escape
get away with - do without being caught or punished
get by - manage; either just barely or with a minimum of effort
get by with - manage with a minimum of effort
get down to - become serious about; consider
get in - enter
get off - descend from leave
get on - enter (a vehicle); mount (a horse, etc.)
get on/along - progress , be compatible
get on with - proceed with
get through with - terminate, finish
get up - rise
get through - finish
give back - return
give out - distribute; announce; become exhausted
give up - surrender something; fail to finish
go back - return
go back on - desert; fail to keep (a promise)
go for - like a great deal
go in for - be interested in; participate in
go off - explode
go on - happen; continue
go on with - continue
go out - stop burning; leave one's residence
go over - go; succeed; review
go with - harmonize with; look pleasing together
go without - abstain from
grow up - mature
H
hand down - deliver; pronounce formally; leave as an inheritance
hand over - yield control of
hang around - remain idly; dawdle; remain idly in the vicinity of
hang up - suspend; replace a telephone receive on its hook
have on - be dressed in
have over - entertain someone informally at one's home
hear from - receive a communication form
hear of - learn about (sometimes accidentally)
hit on - discover accidentally
hold on - grasp tightly; persevere; wait while telephoning
hold off - delay; restrain
hold on to - grasp tightly
hold out - continue to resist; persevere; persist
hold out against - resist
hold up - delay; rob; threaten with a weapon
K
keep at - persevere at
keep on - continue
keep to - persist in; continue
keep up - continue; keep the same pace; maintain the required pace or standard
keep up with - maintain the place of
L
leave out - omit
let down - disappoint
let out - release from confinement; make larger (in sewing)
let up - diminish in intensity
lie down - recline
lie down on - evade; fail to do
light up - light; illuminate thoroughly
live down - live in such a way as to cause something to be forgotten
live on - support or sustain oneself by means of
live up to - maintain the standard demanded of
look after - take care of
look back on - remember nostalgically
look down on - feel superior to
look on - be a spectator
look forward to - anticipate
look up to - respect; admire
M
make out - progress; succeed
make over - remake
make up - become reconciled
make up for - compensate for
move over - move to the side
P
pan out - turn out well; be successful
pass on - transmit
pass out - distribute; become unconscious
pass up - not take advantage of (as an opportunity)
pass on - transmit; die
pay back - repay
pay off - discharge a debt completely; give someone his final pay
pick on - tease; bully
pick up - come to meet an escort; lift with hands or fingers; learn casually; initiate an association publicly; grow; increase
play down - minimize
play up - emphasize
play up to - flatter for personal advantage
point out - indicate
pull down - pull in a downward direction; raze
pull in - arrive
pull out - deport
pull through - survive (barely)
push across - cause to be understood or accepted
put off - postpone
put on - dress in; deceive or fool
put up - preserve (food); receive as an overnight guest
put up with - tolerate
Q
quiet down - be quiet
R
read up on - search out information on
ride over - ride to where someone is
ring up - the telephone
rinse off - rinse the surface of
rinse out - rinse the inside of
rule out - eliminate
run against - complete against in election
run away - escape; leave; leave quickly without permission
run away with - leave; escape from
run down - trace; disparage; hit with a vehicle; slowly lose power so as to stop functioning
run for - campaign for
run off - cause to depart; reproduce mechanically; depart running; drain
S
save up - accumulate
see about - consider; arrange
see through - complete; in spite of difficulties
see to - arrange; supervise
see off - accompany someone to the beginning of a trip
send back - send to a place where formerly located
send over - send to where someone is
sell out - sell the ownership or responsibility
set up - arrange
settle on - decide on; choose
settle up - pay one's bills or debts
show off - exhibit ostentatiously; boast by words or actions
show up - arrive; appear unexpectedly
shut off - cause to cease functioning
shut up - stop talking
slow up - cause to move more slowly; reduce speed
spell out - enumerate; state in detail
stand by - wait; be prepared to assist
stand for - represent; permit
stand up - fail to keep an appointment with; stand; rise from sitting; last; endure
stand up for - support; demand
stand up to - resist
stay over - remain at someone's house overnight or longer
step aside - move to one side
stick to - persist
stick up for - support; defend
sweep out - sweep the inside of
T
take after - resemble
take back - return; retract a statement
take down - remove from a high position; write from dictation
take in - understood; fool; deceive; make smaller (in sewing)
take off - leave the ground
take over - take; assume command of;
talk back - answer impolitely
talk over - discuss
tear down - destroy
tear up - tear into small pieces
tell on - report misbehavior to authority
tell off - scold; reprimand
think over - consider
think through - consider from beginning to end
think up - create; invent
throw away - discard
throw over - reject
throw up - vomit
tie up - tie securely or tight
tire out - cause to be exhausted
touch on - mention briefly
touch up - repair
try on - put on a garment to verify the fit
try out - test
turn around - turn so that one is facing another direction
turn down - refuse; lower the volume
turn in - go to bed
turn into - become
turn out - produce; force into exile, extinguish (a light); succeed; come; appear, as at a public meeting
turn up - arrive; be found unexpectedly
W
wait on - serve
wait to - remain awake in anticipation
wait up for - not go to bed while waiting for
wake up - awaken
walk back - return on foot to where one was
walk over - walk to where someone is
wash off - wash the surface of
wash out - wash the inside of; fade or disappear from washing
watch out - be careful
watch out for - be careful for
wear off - fade; disappear through use or time
wear out - use until no longer usable; tire greatly; become unusable through use; become used up
wind up - finish, tighten the spring of a watch or machine
wipe off - wipe the surface of
wipe out - wipe the inside of; decimate
work out - solve; be successful
write down - record
write out - write down every detail; spell out
write up - compose; prepare (a document)
Phrasal verbs
1. Complete these sentences using a suitable phrasal verb from the box. Where necessary use the past tense of the verb. Each time use it/them/me with the verb.
Example: A stone fell on my head and ……… knock me out….. . I was unconscious for half an hour.
(a) He had a beard for a long time but he got fed up with it. So she ………………………
(b) There were a few words that I didn’t understand, so I ………………….in my dictionary.
(c) I saw a jacket which I liked in the shop. So I went in and …………………….. to see if it fitted me.
(d) If you make a mistake, just ………………………………. .
(e) The children are asleep. Don’t …………………………….!
(f) There was a Ł20 note lying on the pavement, so I …………………………………….
(g) The radio is a bit loud. Can you ………………………………….. a bit, please?
Odpowiedzi:
a) shaved it off, b) looked them up, c) tried it on, d) cross it out, e) wake them up, f) picked it up, g) turn it down
2. With many phrasal verbs, the particle emphasises the meaning of the verb or gives the idea of comleting...
finallymakemehappy