Phrasal Verbs List: Essential Phrasal Verbs in English

What is a phrasal verb and examples? What are the most used phrasal verbs? Phrasal verbs list.

Phrasal verbs are verbs that consist of a verb (look, go, get, make, etc.) and a particle (up, in, at, down, into, out, etc.)

• Learners should know the meaning of the whole phrasal verb as a unit.
• Seeing phrasal verbs in context is one of the best ways to learn them.

Phrasal verbs are considered to be an essential part of the English language. Native speakers of English use phrasal verbs in everyday conversation as well as writing.

It is recommended that learners of English should learn a variety of phrasal verbs so that they can communicate with native speakers effectively.

Phrasal Verbs List

Here is a list of the most used 20 phrasal verbs in English with meaning and examples.

Phrasal verbs	Meaning
Ask in	Invite someone.
Ask out	Invite someone to go out (to something or some place).
Back somebody up	support somebody. Provide somebody with help in reserve.
Beat someone out	Perform better than someone
Brush up	To improve your skills or knowledge after a long time of not using it.
Break down	Stop working (a vehicle or machine)
Break in/into	Enter by force.
Break out	Begin (used for evils like war, fire, etc.)
Calm down	Stop feeling angry, upset or excited.
Check in	Go to a desk in a hotel, an airport, etc. and say that you have arrived.
Cheer up	Make somebody happy.
Come in/into	Enter (the speaker should be in that place).
Drop in	Pay an informal visit.
Drop out	To quit a course, school, college or university before finishing or graduating.
Give up	Stop doing something.
Give up	Surrender. (stop trying to do something).

Most Common ESL Classroom Phrasal Verbs

Teachers often use a number of phrasal verbs when they give instructions in the classroom. Both teachers and learners should know these most common phrasal verbs that can be used in the classroom.

Go over/through sth

Look at, check, or discuss sth carefully.

Leave sth out:

Not do sth, e.g. an exercise.

Rub sth out

remove writing or a mark from something by erasing it with a piece of rubber or cloth.

Swap places with sb

Take sb’s seat or position so they can take yours.

Finish sth off

Do the last part of sth

Hand in

Submit; give something to an authority, especially a piece of work. 

Hand out

Distribute

Put something away

Put something where you usually keep it, especially after using it.

Call it a day

Decide to stop what you are doing ( often work).

Phrasal Verbs Examples

• First of all. Let’s go over the homework.
• You can leave out exercise B.
• If you make a mistake, rub it out.

• Sarah, swap places with Olivia, please.
• Finish the exercise off at home and hand it in tomorrow.
• Put all the books away before you leave.

Phrasal Verbs with Get 

Here is a list of phrasal verbs starting with get.

• Get on = enter

⇒  She got on the bus.

• Get on with = continue doing

⇒ I’ll get on with my work after the break.

• Get on (+ with) = like each other and be friendly to each other 

⇒ Janet and Sally get on really well.

• Get together = meet

⇒ Let’s get together this evening.

• Get away = succeed in leaving a place.

⇒ I hope I can get away from the office early this afternoon.

• Get back = return home

⇒ We got back yesterday evening.

• Get in / into = arrive at a place

⇒ The train got in very late last night.

⇒ Please call me as soon as you get in.

• Get sth up = organize or arrange sth.

⇒ Our son has graduated. We are getting up a party for his graduation.

• Get up to sth = reach a particular point

⇒ We got up to page 211 last semester.

Phrasal Verbs with Get Exercises

Get Phrasal verbs PDF

Phrasal verbs with up

• Look up
• Go up
• Speak up
• Get up
• Stand up
• Give up
• Grow up
• Hang up
• Heat up
• Hold up
• Hook up
• Hurry up
• Keep up
• Light up
• Line up
• Lock up
• Look up
• Make up
• Meet up
• Mess up
• Mark up
• Mix up
• Notch up (informal)
• Open up
• Own up
• Pack up
• Pass up
• Patch up
• Prop up
• Pull up
• Put up
• Put up with
• Queue up
• Read up on
• Roll up
• Run up
• Run up against
• Set up
• Settle up
• Show up
• Shut up
• Sign up
• Sit up
• Size up
• Slip up
• Speak up
• Stand up
• Stand up for
• Stand up to
• Start up
• Stay up
• Step up
• Stir up
• Stock up
• Sum up
• Take up
• Take up on
• Tear up
• Throw up 
• Tidy up
• Tie up
• Top up
• Turn up
• Wait up
• Wake up
• Warm up
• Wash up
• Weigh up 
• Whip up
• Wind up
• Wrap up
• Write up
• Zip up

Phrasal Verbs Exercises

Phrasal Verbs PDF

Phrasal Verbs List with Meaning and Examples PDF

Phrasal Verbs with Take

Phrasal Verbs with Take

Phrasal Verbs with Put

Phrasal Verbs with Give

Phrasal Verbs with Go

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