Phrasal Verbs in English Grammar With Example Sentences

A phrasal verb is a group of two or more words that function as a single verb with a meaning all its own. For instance, the definitions of pick up and up alone are significantly distinct from each other; pick up indicates to grab or hoist. Phrasal verbs, which are common in spoken English, may be very complex because there are hundreds of them and their meanings aren’t always obvious.

Confusion may be increased by the fact that many of the basic verbs that are used to create phrasal verbs are also employed in several separate phrasal verbs with unique meanings.

Among the most challenging topics for multilingual English speakers to master is phrasal verbs in particular. Hopefully, this tutorial can assist make sense of this confusing subject by providing an overview of English phrasal verbs, including a list of the most common ones.

What Are Phrasal Verbs?

Phrasal verbs are compound verbs that consist of two or more words that combine to form a new verb that has a meaning distinct from the original terms. Let’s look at a few phrasal verb examples to help you understand: Put on denotes putting something on oneself (e.g., clothing), get on denotes moving forward; and go on denotes continuing on even in the face of leaving something behind.

Phrasal verbs are very helpful in casual speech. But we may have trouble comprehending casual English if we don’t know what these phrasal verbs signify. Thus, knowing how to use phrasal verbs is really helpful for having a discussion that flows naturally!

Advantages of Using Phrasal Verbs

• Expressiveness: Phrasal verbs allow for more nuanced and expressive communication.
• Versatility: They add flexibility to language use, enabling speakers to convey various shades of meaning.

Types of Phrasal Verbs:

1. Transitive Phrasal Verbs
2. Intransitive Phrasal Verbs
3. Separable Phrasal Verbs
4. Inseparable Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verbs in English Grammar With Example Sentences:

1. Transitive Phrasal Verbs

For a transitive phrasal verb to make meaning, an object is required. They resemble acts that call for the activity of something or someone. In the sentence “She picked up the book,” for instance, “picked up” cannot make sense without the object “book”. Verbs like “pick up,” “set down,” “turn off,” and “bring up” are frequently used in these contexts. They aid in the description of acts involving face-to-face communication with people or objects.

Transitive Phrasal Verb	Example Sentence
Turn on	She turned on the TV to watch her favorite show.
Take off	He took off his sunglasses and smiled.
Put down	Please put down the book you are reading.
Pick up	Can you pick up the groceries on your way home?
Bring up	She brought up the topic of their next vacation.
Set up	They set up the tent in the backyard for camping.
Turn off	Can you turn off the stove after cooking?
Write down	He wrote down the important points during the meeting.
Fill out	Please fill out this form with your personal information.
Clean up	She cleaned up the kitchen after dinner.
Give back	Can you give back the book I lent you last week?
Look for	She looked for her keys everywhere but couldn’t find them.
Make up	They made up a story to explain their absence.
Find out	He found out the truth about the mysterious noise.
Break down	The car broke down on the highway.

         2. Intransitive Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs that are intransitive do not require an object to be understood. They stand alone as whole units. In “She showed up at the party,” for instance, the word “shown up” functions on its own alone. They are frequently employed to describe generic acts that do not specifically include objects or persons, such as coming, happening, or continuing.

Intransitive Phrasal Verb	Example Sentence
Show up	She showed up at the party around 9 PM.
Break down	The machine broke down during production.
Run out	We ran out of milk, so I went to the store to buy some.
Come in	Please come in and make yourself comfortable.
Go on	The show must go on despite the technical difficulties.
Stand out	Her talent stands out among the other contestants.
Back off	He backed off when he realized he was wrong.
Settle down	It’s time to settle down and start a family.
Look around	They looked around the new neighborhood before deciding to move.
Hang out	They often hang out at the local cafe after school.
Show off	She likes to show off her new jewelry at parties.
Grow up	He wants to be a firefighter when he grows up.
Break out	A fight broke out in the schoolyard during recess.
Fall apart	Their relationship fell apart after years of misunderstanding.
Move in	They moved in together after dating for six months.

      3. Separable Phrasal Verbs

You can insert an object in between the verb and the particle when using separable phrasal verbs. In the sentence “Please put the vase down,” for example, the word “vase” appears between the words “put” and “down.” They provide flexibility in phrase construction for object-related activities.

Separable Phrasal Verb	Example Sentence
Turn on	She turned on the lights before entering the room.
Take off	He took his jacket off when he entered the warm house.
Put down	Please put the vase down gently on the table.
Pick up	Can you pick the toys up from the floor, please?
Bring up	She brought the topic up during the meeting.
Set up	They set the tent up quickly in the camping site.
Turn off	Can you turn the TV off before going to bed?
Write down	He wrote the address down in his notebook.
Fill out	Please fill the form out with your personal details.
Clean up	She cleaned the kitchen up after cooking dinner.
Give back	Can you give the book back to me when you’re done?
Look for	She looked her keys for in the living room.
Make up	They made a story up to entertain the children.
Find out	He found the truth out after investigating.
Break down	The car broke down on the highway.

         4. Inseparable Phrasal Verbs 

Phrasal verbs that are inseparable are ones in which the verb and particle cannot be separated. The particle must come before the item. In the sentence “She looks after her sister,” for instance, there is no space allowed between “looks” and “after.” These verbs are typically used to express caring for someone or something, looking like someone, or looking forward to something with great anticipation.

Inseparable Phrasal Verb	Example Sentence
Look after	She always looks after her younger sister.
Stand up	He stood up to greet the guests.
Run into	We ran into our neighbors at the grocery store.
Take after	She takes after her mother in terms of personality.
Look forward to	They look forward to their vacation every year.
Get along with	He gets along with his coworkers very well.
Think about	She often thinks about her future career.
Look into	They need to look into the problem with the internet connection.
Deal with	He knows how to deal with difficult situations calmly.
Go through	We need to go through these documents before the meeting.
Believe in	She strongly believes in the power of positivity.
Count on	You can always count on me for support.
Put up with	She can’t put up with his constant complaining anymore.
Go for	They decided to go for a walk in the park.
Stick to	He always tries to stick to his exercise routine.