Phraseological verbs of the English language. Phrasal verbs in English

Phrasal verbs ( phrasal verbs) in English, this is a large and very interesting topic that cannot be covered in one article. There are entire dictionaries dedicated to these verbs, for example Longman phrasal verbs dictionary with over 3000 phrasal verbs and examples of their application. A lot of attention is paid to this topic, because phrasal verbs can be heard very often in colloquial English.

Three kinds of phrasal verbs:

1. Phrasal verbs without object (intransitive):

You have to check in before 12:00... (You need to register before 12:00)

2. Phrasal verbs that can be separated by an object:

I tried the dress on, but it was too large.(I tried on a dress, but it was too big.)

Usually this addition can follow both the main verb and the particle:

She wrote her name down = She wrote down her name(She wrote her name)

However, there are two rules:
- if the addition is expressed by a pronoun, then it must be inserted between the verb and the particle:

She wrote it down(She wrote it)

- if the addition is too long, then it is better to use it after the whole phrasal verb:

She wrote down everything she could remember about him (She wrote everything she could remember about him)

3. Phrasal verbs that cannot be separated by an object (transitive):

She looks after their daughter(She looks after their daughter)

There are such phrasal verbs , which can be either shared or not. However, they can have different meanings:

take off- take off, take something off- take off something from your clothes.

Phrasal verbs in examples

Sometimes you can understand the meaning of a phrasal verb by context, even if you did not know this verb before. But there is also a hint - the particles added to the verb give it a certain meaning.

Particle on indicates continuation of the action:

Be quiet and get on with your task(Be calm and do your task)
I carried on cooking during the conversation(I continued to cook while talking)
The traffic noise went on all night(The noise of the road continued all night)
She went on about her neighbors(She kept on talking about her neighbors)

Particles off and around

Off can give a sense of sending or separating something.
Around (about) - can give the main verb the meaning of an action with an undefined purpose.

I went off to do some shopping, and left my husband messing about with his motorbike while the boys lazed around in the garden. When I got back, there were tools lying around everywhere, and Mike and the boys had disappeared.(I went shopping and left my husband fiddling with his motorcycle while the boys lounged in the garden. When I returned, there were tools everywhere and Mike and the boys were gone.)

The up particle emphasizes the idea of completing an action:

Susan made her son eat up his breakfast and drink up his tea before went to school. Then, as soon as he had left, she put the dirty stuff in the dishwasher. Today, she was also going to wash the floor, but then she remembered she'd used up the floor cleaner the previous day, so she tidied up the living room instead.(Susan made her son eat breakfast and tea before heading to school. Then, as soon as he left, she put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. she tidied up the living room.)

The through particle implies going from beginning to end of something:

I'd like to go through the homework(I would like to go through my homework)
His father has lived through two wars(His father survived two wars)
I flicked through his new book(I looked through his new book)
I looked through your report yesterday(I reviewed your report yesterday)
I managed to sleep through the storm(I managed to sleep during the storm)

The back particle implies putting something back into place:

The radio was faulty so I took it back(The radio was faulty, so I put it back)
If you borrow that brush, please bring it back(If you take this brush, please put it back in place)
The books were damaged so I sent them back(The books were damaged, so I returned them)
He rang at 12.00. I said I’d call him back later(He called at 12. I said I would call him back later)

English is the language of eccentrics and mystery lovers. Here, there are well-known English verbs get, look, take and give. And, like, everything is fine with them. But, the British did not think so, and they decided to diversify the vocabulary with additional elements. Thus, they turned the meaning of words upside down: get off, look about, take apart, and give up. And they called them phrasal verbs. In fact, everything is not so confusing. Let's figure it out.

Under the phrasal verb ( phrasal verb) refers to an idiomatic phrase consisting of a familiar English verb, but with one exception, which is used with an additional element: with a particle ( particle) = stand to(stick to) or adverb ( adverb) = live down(atone for guilt with your behavior); or with both = stick up to(resist). Why are English phrasal verbs so difficult? The answer lies in the fact that at first glance, it is extremely problematic to determine the cumulative meaning of the parts of the verb.

Types of phrasal verbs

Speaking in the dry language of grammar, the phrasal verb can be roughly divided into 4 main categories.

Transient ( transitive): a verb that requires an object after itself. For example, there is a verb bump into(accidentally bumping into it), after him there should be a face that was just not expected to be seen. You can't just say: Last Friday I bumped into. T. to. there is an obvious understatement in the sentence. Instead, it is worth phrasing the thought as:

Last Friday I bumped into Bennett... “I ran into Bennett by accident last Friday.

Subject + Verb + Particle + Object

Intransitive ( intransitive): a verb that independently stands in a sentence and does not require additional explanations after itself in the form of an object. For example, the verb grow up(grow up):

Her children are growing up quickly.- Her children are growing fast. Formula:

Subject + Verb + Particle

NOTA BENE: Some verbs, depending on the meaning conveyed, can be transitional: Tom wakes up Heather... - Tom will be Heather. AND intransitive: Tom wakes up... - Tom wakes up.

Detachable ( separable): the main verb can stand apart from the semantic element: Tom wakes up Heather. = Tom wakes Heather up... However, some verbs prefer constant solitude, so they always keep a safe distance from particles:

Keep smth around(keep to yourself), but not keep around smth.

Subject + Verb + Particle + Object = Subject + Verb + Object + Particle

NOTA BENE: If the object is personal pronoun, then the sentence formula will always look like this:

Subject + verb + personal pronoun + particle

Non-detachable ( inseparable): like lovers, the verb never and under no circumstances part with its soul mate. For example, look up to smb(admire someone), but not look up smb to / look smb up to:

William has never looked up to his uncle.- William never admired his uncle.

Subject + Verb + Particle + Object

NOTA BENE: To determine if a verb is transitive or not, see the English dictionary: Macmillan, Merriam Webster or Collins. The study of the context and examples will allow you to find out whether the English phrasal verb will be separable or inseparable.

English phrasal verbs with translation

BRING
ON [ɔn]	stimulate call	detachable	transition
UP [ʌp]	raise a question	detachable	transition
CHEER
ON [ɔn]	inspire	detachable	transition
UP [ʌp]	support	detachable	transition
COME
UP [ʌp]	appear (on screen)	inseparable	intransitive
IN [ɪn]	enter	inseparable	intransitive
ACROSS [ə "krɔs]	accidentally bump into	inseparable	transition
GET
THROUGH [θru:]	withstand	inseparable	transition
UP [ʌp]	to get up from bed	inseparable	intransitive
HAND
IN [ɪn]	hand over (written work)	detachable	transition
HANG
UP [ʌp]	hang up the phone	detachable	transition
KEEP
DOWN	control	detachable	transition
UP WITH [ʌp wɪð]	keep up with	inseparable	transition
KICK
OUT	kick out	detachable	transition
LOOK
UP [ʌp]	look in the dictionary	detachable	transition
OUT	be careful	detachable	transition
MAKE
UP [ʌp]	create / invent	detachable	transition
PASS
AWAY [ə "weɪ]	die	inseparable	intransitive
PICK
UP [ʌp]	lift up	detachable	transition
PUT
UP WITH [ʌp wɪð]	come to terms	inseparable	transition
SWITCH
OFF [ɔf]	turn off	detachable	transition
ON [ɔn]	include	detachable	transition
RUN
OUT OF	run dry	inseparable	transition
TAKE
AFTER ["ɑ: ftə]	to be like	inseparable	transition
OVER ["əuvə]	accept (position)	detachable	transition
RUN
OUT OF	run dry	inseparable	transition
THROW [θrəu]
OUT OF	miss a chance throw away	detachable	transition
TURN
DOWN	turn down the sound	detachable	transition
UP [ʌp]	add sound	detachable	transition
WORK
OUT	train	inseparable	intransitive
THROUGH [θru:]	to pave oneself road across	inseparable	transition

How to learn English phrasal verbs

Finding lists on the Internet or a dictionary of English phrasal verbs in grammar books is not difficult. However, this is not the best way to study them. Let's talk about tricks for memorizing phrasal verbs effectively.

At first, context- the head of everything. A great way to start is with a list of phrasal verbs and a blank sheet of paper. Imagine watching the Formula 1 world auto racing championship and it will likely use a variety of idiomatic expressions, including a verb related to driving on the road, pull up, etc. Now use your imagination. Imagine that you are at the airport of phrasal verbs, and there are no less of them than suitcases in an ordinary one. Pick one topic and write it in the center of the page. Now go through the list of phrasal verbs until you come across something that you might hear in this situation. Do not forget to immediately drop a couple of examples to understand the form of a phrasal verb. The material is much easier to assimilate when all the nuances of use are taken into account.
Secondly, as soon as the mind diagram has been worked out specific situation, it's worth making easy-to-remember short stories where phrasal verbs are used. After all, everyone loves funny stories. It doesn't matter whether you consider yourself a verbal fencer or not, there are several reasons. No one will read pen sketches unless they want to. It is not necessary to write them in a notebook, say them aloud or record the speech on a voice recorder.
Third, learn phrasal verbs on English songs, because they help to quickly and easily memorize new words used in live conversational speech. Type the name of the phrasal verb in the search box, enter the word lyrics, listen to groovy music and learn English.
And finally, fourth, check the modern meaning of phrasal verbs by reading news... Once you're done, head back to Google, but this time instead of looking for lyrics and video clips, browse the news tab or go to The Guardian, Flipboard, CNN, BBC, USA Today etc. Try to find phrasal verbs there. The news will allow you to parse authentic examples of English phrasal verbs.

Video: TOP Useful Phrasal Verbs

Conclusion

Phrasal verbs are everywhere and are an important part of the English-speaking world. Language, being a structure that is changeable and subject to metamorphosis, over time is replenished with new idiomatic expressions and bright words. But don't worry. Start with a couple of English phrasal verbs with translation in the table above, take some time and work out the specifics of their use in speech. Rest assured that you will soon become an outstanding expert.

Stay focused and believe in yourself!

Big and friendly family EnglishDom

Definition

What phrasal verb? It can be a combination:

Verb + preposition.
Verb + adverb.
Verb + adverb + preposition.

A phrasal verb is a whole semantic unit that is one member of a sentence. Most often, the meaning of a phrasal verb differs significantly from the translation of the main verb.

Why is it so important to study these semantic units? Phrasal verbs are constantly used in colloquial speech, so without them it will be difficult for you to understand the interlocutor or catch the meaning of what you read in the book. In addition, in any international test, you will definitely come across phrasal verbs.

Classification of phrasal verbs

First of all, all phrasal verbs are divided into transitive and intransitive:

1. Transient, or transitive phrasal verbs ... These verbs require a direct object:

I have turned down his proposal.
I turned down his offer.

John decided to put off his plans.
John decided to postpone his plans.

2. Intransitive, or intransitive phrasal verbs ... No direct object is required after such verbs:

He goes on foot, because his car has broken down.
He walks because his car broke down.

Also, phrasal verbs can be separable and non-separable:

1. Inseparable, or inseparable phrasal verbs ... These are all intransitives and some transitive verbs. For a better understanding, consider an example on a phrasal verb run into:

His car ran into the tree.
His car collided with a tree.

We cannot separate the two parts of a phrasal verb in other words. That is, the variant His car ran the tree into is wrong.

2. Shared, or separable phrasal verbs... In the case of such phrasal verbs, the addition can be placed either after the verb or between its parts:

You should turn off the music.
You should turn the music off.
You should turn off the music.

Both of these options are correct.

Attention! If the addition is expressed by a pronoun, then the phrasal verb must be separated:

Mary took off her dress.
Mary took off her dress.

Mary took it off.
Mary took it off.

Mary took off it
this option is not valid.

From this information, a certain conclusion can be drawn: the main difficulties in studying phrasal verbs are associated not only with the volume of the material, but also with the inability to classify it independently. In order to avoid mistakes in use, you need regular practice. It is also worth remembering that many phrasal verbs have multiple meanings. For example, get off translated, how to shoot, go, get out, go, be saved. Therefore, you need to be extremely careful.

Can you learn all phrasal verbs?

No, and this is not necessary at all. Today at English language more than 5,000 phrasal verbs are presented, of which only a few hundred are constantly used. In order to learn the basic semantic units, you will need to familiarize yourself with the most common phrasal verbs. This can be done using tables from the Internet or special printed publications.

The meaning of many phrasal verbs can be understood intuitively. It is actually much easier than memorizing Latin. In addition, when communicating with an American or reading a book in the original, be sure to rely on context. Most likely, you can guess what this is about.

Basic phrasal verbs

Here is a short list of the most commonly used semantic units:

Back away - to retreat.
Be back - to return.
Be over - come to an end.
Be up - wake up.
Break out - flare up / break out.
Calm down - calm down.
Carry on - to continue some business.
Check in - register.
Come in - enter, arrive.
Cut off - cut off, interrupt.
Dream up - to invent.
Eat out - eat out.
Fall down - to collapse.
Find out - to find out, to find out.
Get away - to escape.
Give up - to retreat.
Hold on - hold on!
Look for - to look for.
Look forward to - wait.
Move on - continue moving, go further.
Pull on - to put on.
Run away - run away.
Set up - install.
Stand up - rise to a standing position.
Switch off / on - disable / enable.
Take off - take off (clothes), serve.
Wake up - wake up.
Watch out - behave carefully, on the alert.
Work up - to develop.
Write down - write down on paper.

Learning strategy

Your task is not just to memorize phrasal verbs, but to learn to study them consciously, with understanding. To do this, you will have to devote to this lesson at least 5 days a week. If you can memorize at least 7-15 phrasal verbs every day, this can be considered a success. You should not try to learn as many semantic units as possible in one sitting: most likely, after a couple of days, you will completely forget at least half of them. It is better to teach a little, but regularly.

How exactly do you learn phrasal verbs? Many people try to achieve the desired goal solely with the help of special tables or dictionaries. However, you can make it much easier for yourself by using the various tutorials. Give preference to British and American authors.

Which books should you choose?

Consider a few tutorials that can be helpful in learning phrasal verbs:

1. Really learn 100 phrasal verbs (Oxford University Press)... It is with this textbook that you should start the study of phrasal verbs. The structured manual will allow you to slowly but surely learn the most common semantic units. About 1 printed page is devoted to each of the verbs. First, you will be asked to guess the meaning of the verb based on a couple of examples, then you can check your guesses. You will find out detailed information about the meaning of the verb and you can practice. A special section is devoted to the development of knowledge on the entire material of the textbook. Tip: learn verbs randomly, not in order.

2. Longman Phrasal verbs Dictionary... It is an improved dictionary that includes approximately 5,000 modern English phrasal verbs. The author gives all the meanings of phrasal verbs. Dictionary entries are accompanied by the most accessible explanations. The book also contains many useful and fairly simple tables.

3. English Phrasal Verbs in Use... This is a great edition for advanced students. The book is an excellent theoretical guide, equipped with a huge number of versatile exercises to practice the knowledge gained. In total, the tutorial offers 70 different topics. A mini-dictionary of phrasal verbs is offered at the end of the book.

4. Phrasal Verbs Plus (Macmillan)... This is one of the new dictionaries, which describes in detail the grammatical and semantic aspects of the use of phrasal verbs. At the same time, the author constantly accompanies the explanations with examples. The book was created taking into account the modern lifestyle: verbs are given that are used in business, economics, the Internet, etc. Fun comics illustrating common phrases make learning new verbs more positive.

Since unclaimed information is quickly forgotten, you should reconsider your life a little. First, try to find time to read books or magazines in English. This will help you not only to consolidate knowledge, but also to learn to understand the meaning of phrasal verbs in context. Second, take every opportunity to communicate with people in English. Ideally, you should sign up for English courses or study via Skype. Also, you may well find a group of interests. The main thing is that study should not be a tiring hard labor for you: strive for diversity.

Third, be organized. Plan your own self-study activities ahead of time and stick to the schedule. Many people decide to abandon the study of phrasal verbs, faced with the first problems. But everything is not as scary as it might seem at first glance. Don't forget about motivation!

Phrasal verbs have become very popular in modern English speech. If you want to understand modern English, then you can't get away from this topic. Native speakers use phrasal verbs very actively and if you don't know them, it will be problematic to understand English speech.

Phrasal verbs. Introduction

Verb → preposition

Movement verbs → preposition

Go out / go in / come back

Very often, a phrasal verb can look like a combination of a motion verb and a preposition. In this case, the preposition will indicate the direction of movement. This combination is very easy to understand and remember.

Accordingly, we can say:

geton,lookout,runaway,takeoff etc. These are all phrasal verbs.

Let's take a look at these bundles:

Get on- get on the transport (one of the many translation options for this bundle). I got on the bus. - I got on the bus.

Look out- look from somewhere ( look- to look, but it is not clear where, an excuse out indicates that we are looking from somewhere). For example, you look out the window - you are looking out of the window.

Run away - run away ( run- run, away- go away), run away with me - let's run away with me.

Take off - take off anything from yourself, take off your clothes ( take- take, off- leave space, take off- remove from yourself), take off the socks - take off your socks.

Looking at these examples, you can intuitively guess how the bunch is translated. We see that we have before us verbs that denote a direction, and prepositions associated with this direction.

Consider some more examples (in these examples we will also use the verb of motion + preposition):

get out - you walk → We get out of the car. - We got out of the car;

go in - for walk , v walk → Go in one ear and out the other. - It went into one ear, flew into the other. The British say so too.

Come on→ Come on! He is waiting for you. - Quicker! He's waiting for you.

Grow up→ What do you want to do when you grow up? - What will you do when you grow up?

Come back→ He will come back to her - He will return to her.

Turn round→ He turned round and looked at me - He turned and looked at me.

We see that with the verbs of movement, everything is much easier. In this case, the English preposition plays the role of the Russian prefix. For example, in Russian we speak at go, and in English the role of the prefix " y " will play a preposition off and we end up with - drive off -at drive.

Here are some examples to get you started ( note that we do not translate the verb separately from the preposition).

Get on – we already know that one of the translation options for this very popular bundle is to get into some kind of transport. Now let's look at another situation.

How are you getting on? = How did you do? - How are you doing? In this proposal get on- cope. This is not the last meaning of this link.

Look out- to look out from somewhere. I look out of the room. - I look out of the room.

And here is another example, where the same phrasal verb gives a completely different meaning.

Look out= be careful! Beware! Carefully!

Break down, break - break, down - move down. What can you break down? Well, yes, it sounds strange. Let's see what it means in context. My skateboard broke down.- My skateboard is broken.

Break up - breake down.

They broke up yesterday. - They broke up yesterday.

Any phrasal verb only makes sense when used in context.

Phrasal verb → preposition

Sometimes after a phrasal verb there can be another preposition, and then we get something like this: “Why did she run away from you. Why did she run away from you? And then we panic: "how to translate all this?", "What does it mean, two prepositions after the verb?" But here everything is not so complicated as it seems at first glance.

We just need to understand that, most likely, the first preposition refers to the verb, and the second to the complement, that is, away → run, from → you.

Each phrasal verb often has a synonym.

For example:

You can give up

You can stop smoking - you can quit smoking.

The same combination can have different meanings and perform different functions, it all depends on the situation and context.

For example:

Some phrasal verbs are meaningless to use without an object. For example, I put out– I am put out. What have I put out? It is completely incomprehensible what this is about. And now, in order to get a complete sentence with meaning, we must definitely add an object. I put out a fire. - I put out the fire. Well, now everything fell into place.
Based on whether the object is present in the sentence or not, phrasal verbs can be divided into:
- transitional ( phrasal verbs have an object );
- intransitive ( phrasal verbs not require object and are independent).

Iturned off the computer.- I turned off my computer... If just I turned off- I included, then the phrase itself does not make sense, and, of course, in relation to the action, the question suggests itself.

This table provides examples of transitive and intransitive phrasal verbs.

Since a sentence with a phrasal verb can have an object (we already know that such verbs are called transitive), it is logical that this object should find its place in the sentence. Hence the question. Can the object break the link and stand between the verb and the preposition, or can it only stand after the phrasal verb. Yes, such a division is possible.

Hence, phrasal verbs can be:

separable, most phrasal verbs can be separated object → these include transitive verbs (phrasal verb + object);
inseparable, cannot be divided object → these include all intransitives (phrasal verb without object) and some transitive verbs (phrasal verb + object).

Consider an example with a split phrasal verb:

"You should give up this job."You must give up this job."

"You should give this job up».

In both cases, the bunch is translated the same way, but here's what's interesting: since we are performing an action on an object (the object is this job), then this object can stand between the main verb and its preposition or not break at all. Even though the preposition came after the object, they still denote one indivisible concept, it continues to be a phrasal verb.

As a rule, there are two options for where the object will appear: after a phrasal verb or between a verb and a preposition. It depends on the speaker himself.

But if you replace an object pronoun (it / them / me / he, etc.), then it is imperative to place the pronoun between the two parts (between the verb and the preposition).

Let's take a look at the same example.

Should I give up this job? → Yes, you should give itup.

Will we pick up t he children? → Yes, let’s pickthemup.

The pronoun will always come between the verb and the preposition.

Examples with non-separable phrasal verbs:

I came across the book by chance. - I stumbled upon this book by accident.(You can't say: I came the book across)

I stayed up all night. “I haven't slept all night.(This is not: I stayed all night up.)

Sometimes the same phrasal verb can be both transitive and intransitive.

Here's an example with a transitive phrasal verb.

My mother gave up smoking.- My mom quit smoking.

And here is the same phrasal verb, but in this example, it plays the role of an intransitive.

Don’t give up!- Do not give up!

Why is it important to learn phrasal verbs? Since native English speakers always use such verbs in their speech, learning the language without these verbs makes no sense. And, of course, this has its advantages, we do not need to know a huge number of words in order to express our thoughts.

Finally, let's go over some phrasal verbs again to help you do the next test.

Verb	Translation
take off	take off
act out	to have a dialog)
wake up	wake up
be back	come back
carry on	continue
get up	get up
get off	get out of the car)
get on	get into transport
turn off	turn off
turn on	include
look out	look from somewhere
run away	run away
go in	go in
grow up	to grow up
turn round	turn
break up	to part
check in	check in (at the hotel)
check out	check out, check out (from the hotel)
go away	leave
put down	put

Test

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Question 1 of 10

1 .
Points: 1
Mike […] his T-shirt. - Mike took off his shirt.
Question 2 of 10

2 .
Points: 1
We should […] the train. - We have to get on the train.
Question 3 of 10

3 .
Points: 1
When I finished working on the computer, I [...]. - When I finished working on the computer, I turned it off.
Question 4 of 10

4 .
Points: 1
[...] and don’t come back. - Go away and don't come back.

Phrasal verbs are peculiar combinations of “simple” verbs and prepositions (one, maximum two) or adverbs. The main property of phrasal verbs is semantic and syntactic indivisibility.

Features of phrasal verbs

Many English learners find it difficult to translate English phrasal verbs because they are often idioms. In this case, they cannot be translated verbatim. However, sometimes such a decoding of the elements that formed a phrasal verb helps to approximately understand the essence of words. Some phrasal verbs can have different, sometimes even idiomatic translations, while others, on the contrary, are easily translated word for word.

Almost all phrasal verbs in one way or another have a more formal analogue, used in formal speeches and correspondence.

Frequently used phrasal verbs

In this article, you are given the opportunity to consider all the basic phrasal verbs of the English language. Now the most commonly used phrasal verbs of the English language are considered to contain the following words: look, take and come. So let's talk about them separately.

Look and its forms

Using the verb look - look the following phrasal verbs can be formed:

look after - take care of somebody

Your mum has been looking after you since you were born.

Your mom has looked after you since you were born.

look ahead - think about the future (look ahead)

Stop being a child! Please, look ahead .

Stop being a kid (stop fooling around)! Maybe it's time to think about the future.

look down on - look down on someone

My friend never looks down on somebody who gets bad marks at school.

A friend of mine never looks down on someone who gets bad grades in school.

look on - watch, observe

Liza didn "t take part in the play. She just looked on .

Lisa is not involved (does not take part) in the play. She just looks.

look for - look for something

What is Matt doing? He "s looking for a newspaper.

What is Matt doing? He is looking for a newspaper.

look forward to - wait impatiently for something

I look forward to hearing from you.

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

look up to - admire

Your new hairstyle is marvelous. Everybody looks up to it.

Yours new hairstyle just beautiful. There is no one who would not admire her.

Combinations with take

Also, the popular phrasal verbs of the English language include all kinds of variations in the use of the verb take - to take :

take after - to be like someone else; take some traits (in character, appearance, behavior)

You absolutely take after your mom.

You look a lot like your mom.

take care of = look after

He will take care of your parrot whilst you are off.

He will take care of your parrot while you are away.

take off - take off, get off the ground

The plane to Canada takes off at 7.15 p.m.

The plane bound for Canada will take off at 19:15.

take on - hire employees, staff

I have been taken on by a leading company.

A very promising company is hiring me as an employee.

take out - move, take out

He took out his laptop to search for information.

He took out his laptop to search for the information he needed.

Come and the troubles that come with it

An incredible amount of difficulty in learning causes both beginners and those who continue at least one of the phrasal verbs based on come -to come :

come across - accidentally stumble upon; seem to impress

I usually come across some photos of my childhood.

I often come across my own photographs from childhood.

I hope I came across as an enthusiastic person.

I hope I have come across as an interested person.

come forward - introduce yourself, name yourself

The teacher asked me to come forward .

The teacher asked me to introduce myself.

come up against - face problems

The film is going to come up plenty of criticism.

The film will have to face a lot of criticism.

About dictionaries

If you have a lot of time and space for books, you can try to carry out the study procedure using a dictionary of English phrasal verbs.

Such collections are very often published and republished by such famous companies as Cambridge University Press, Longman and Pearson.

However, in the age of technology, paper editions are losing their former popularity, and on the Internet you can already find many different online dictionaries, as well as courses, methods of learning and memorizing words.

Another advantage of online learning is the ease with which everyone will be able to find for themselves the necessary list of phrasal verbs in the English language, which is essential to ensure the possibility of fluent and easy communication. After all, as we already know, phrasal verbs are practically not used in formal speech, official letters and other business messages.

But how do you learn all the necessary phrasal verbs of the English language? The table will help us.

Phrasal Verbs A-D

Letter	Phrasal verb	Meaning (translation)	Usage examples
A	abide by	Obey; to follow	If you want to study at university, you must abide by the appropriated rules. You will have to obey certain rules if you want to study at the university.
	account for	Explain; make excuses	I hope you are able to account for money you spent. I really hope that you can explain where you spent this money.
	agree with	Agree with anyone	That "s right. I agree with you. This is right. I absolutely agree with you.
	answer back	Answer rudely; bicker	Do not answer back your teacher! Don't you dare talk so rudely to the teacher!
	applyfor	Apply (for a job, for a visa, etc.)	I applied for the job of customer assistant two weeks ago. Two weeks ago I applied for a job as a salesperson.
B	back up	1) support 2) save (file, program, image)	1) Could you back me up, please? Could you please support me? 2) You "d better back up all your files.
		Improve; improve	I decided to beef up my presentation with images and graphics. I decided to improve my presentation with images and graphs.
		Explode	The terrorists made the car blow up. The terrorists blew up the car.
	break up	Break up (about relationships)	Matt and Lindsey broke up yesterday. Matt and Lindsay broke up yesterday.
	bring up	To raise a child	You should stop your nightlife and start to bring up your child. It's time for you to stop going to clubs and start raising your child.
C	call back	Call back (by phone)	You have to call me back after a while. You will have to call me back in a while.
	call off	Cancel	The end-year-party has been called off by the headmaster. The end of the year party was canceled by the headmaster.
	calm down	Calm down; relax	Calm down, please. That "s just a little problem. Please calm down. This is just a little difficulty.
	carry on	Continue	Carry on, Garry. You are going to be the winner! Harry, keep up the good work. You must be the winner.
	cut down on	Reduce (spending on something; size)	We need to cut down on chocolate. You need to stop eating that much chocolate.
D	deal with	Solve problems; deal with anything	You need to know how to deal with girls. It's time for you to learn how to deal with girls.
	do without	Get along, live without anything	You have to do without choclate for two days. You will have to do without chocolate for a couple of days.
		To sign; write down	We used to draw up such good things. We used to record such beautiful things.
	dress up	1) Dress nicely, elegantly 2) Dress up (for a holiday)	1) How often does he dress up? Does he often dress so beautifully? 2) Halloween is a right time to dress up. Halloween - the best time a year to dress up in unusual costumes.
		Visit regularly; visit	I always drop in to see my dad on my way from university. I constantly visit my dad on the way from university.

Phrasal Verbs E-J

Letter	Phrasal verb	Meaning (translation)	Usage examples
E		End something a certain way	He has had troubles since his childhood. So he ended up in prison. Since childhood, he had problems. As a result, he ended up in prison.
F	fill out	Fill in (form, application)	You also need to fill out this form. You also need to fill out this form.
	find out	Learn	I will find out the time train leaves. I'll find out when the train leaves.
G		Climb (on board, on the bus)	I hope you will get on board without problems. Hope you get on board without any problems.
	get out of	Avoid anything	I "m sure my son tries to get out of doing his homework. I am absolutely confident that my son is trying to avoid the process of doing homework.
		Give up; throw	Never give up! You will achieve great results. Never give up! And you will achieve great results.
H		Hang up; end a phone call	Please, do not hang out. We will be back to you after a minute. Hold the line, please. We'll get back to talking to you in a minute.
	hurry up	Hurry up; hurry	If you are not hurry up, we will miss the train. We'll miss the train if you don't hurry.
J		Join; participate	Come on, Suzie! Join in our team. Come on, Susie! Join our team.
	jot down	Write quickly; take notes	I had to jot down his email. I had to quickly write down his e-mail.
K		Keep doing anything	Please, make him keep on silence. Please make him remain silent.
	keep up with	Keep up with someone	I don "t want to keep up with her. I don't want to constantly try to keep up with her.
L	let down	Lead; disappoint	I have never let anyone down. I have never let anyone down.
	leave out	Not disclosed; not mentioned	Nobody knows the prince name because it is not left out. Nobody knows the name of the prince because it hasn't been announced yet.

Phrasal verbs M-Z

Letter	Phrasal	Meaning (translation)	Usage examples
M		Confused (about names)	I "ve been acquainted with too many people. So I still mixing up their names. I was introduced to too many people. I still confuse their names.
		Move in (new home)	I "ve just bought a new apartment but I still haven" t move in. I just bought a new apartment. But I have not yet settled in it.
	move out	Move out (from home)	My friend got a job in the UK. She moves out next week. A friend of mine got a job in the UK. She will move out of the apartment next week.
N	note down	Write anything	I need to note down a few numbers. Can you give me a paper? I need to write down a couple of numbers. Please give me a piece of paper.
P		Include	Can you put on the TV? Could you turn off the TV?
		Pick up someone	Listen carefully. Jamie will pick you up at 7 o "clock. Don" t be late! Listen to me carefully. Jamie will pick you up at 7. Don't be late!
R		Rely on someone	Darling, you can always rely on me. Sweetheart, you can rely on me.
	run away	Run away	My dad ran away from his place at the age of eighteen. My father ran away from home when he was 18 years old.
	run out of	End; expire	Can you borrow me some coffee? Sorry, I "m run out of it. Can you lend me some coffee? Sorry, but I don't have it.
S	show off	Show; boast	Maureen show off with her new bike. Maureen wants to show off her new motorcycle.
		(Spoken) Shut up	I "ve had enough of it. Shut up now! I'm over it. Shut up!
	sit down	Sit down	Hello. What "s up? You can sit down if you want. Hello. What happened? You can sit down if you want.
T	think over	Reason, ponder	I need to think over before I make up my mind. I need to think it over before deciding.
	try sth on	Try on	This T-shirt is XL-size. Do you want to try it on? This T-shirt is XL. Would you like to try it on?
U		use up to the end	My roommate always uses up my cereals. My roommate is constantly eating my cereal.
W	watch out	Be careful!	Watch out! It "s hazardous to go there. Careful! It's dangerous to go there.
	work out	1) exercise 2) Find a solution 3) Count anything	Janine goes in for sports three times a week. 2) You need to find a solution. Come on, work it out! You need to find a solution. Come on!

Practical tasks

When learning English, like any other language, practice is central to your success. Those wishing to learn or recall a topic will require special exercises. English phrasal verbs are no exception. Only by trying to thoroughly understand this difficult topic and studying the language every day and with diligence can you expect good results.

Specialized editions

As exercises, you can purchase various specialized books for a detailed study of the topic "English phrasal verbs". Examples of such publications are not hard to find in bookstores.

Each of them has its pros and cons, but a textbook alone will not be enough. All those eager to learn the language are strongly encouraged to purchase a workbook containing tests, paraphrasing assignments, as well as oral assignments aimed at finalizing phrasal verbs. Give preference to publications with a variety of content. This approach helps to work out the topic of the English language in its various aspects at a high level.

A little surprise

People looking at this article must be still learning, or even going to study today's topic - English phrasal verbs. The test offered to you is not intended to reveal in-depth knowledge of phrasal verbs. However, these 10 questions will help you get started with your study of today's topic. This simple test is a good start to progressive learning.

Answers at the end of the article!

Test on the topic "Phrasal verbs"

Number	Question	Answer options
1	What time does he ____? At 7.15 p.m. My flight back is at 9.45 p.m.
2	- Don’t ___! You will take this exam again in July.
3	- I have to ___ every day to be ready for a tennis tournament.
4	- The match was ___ due to the rainy weather.
5	Do you bring my copybook with you? Oops, sorry. I’ve forgotten to take it. Oh, God. You’ve __ me __ again.	3) calm ... down
6	Hello. It's Matt and his telephone answering machine. I'm not available now. So you should __ me __ later or leave me a message.	2) call ... back 4) note ... down
7	It's dark outside. Maybe you should __ the light __.
8	Jessica and Mike have ___ __.	1) answered back
9	If you want to ____ __ the UK visa you need at least the passport.
10	You are my only friend. Don’t ____ __ from me now.

Summing up

With the tips above in this article, as well as regular practice and skill-building exercises, you will get the results you want very quickly. Do not forget that regularity is the main criterion in language learning. Exercise for at least 15 minutes every day. And you will find that it is much more convenient and effective than torturing yourself with a 2 hour session, but only once a week. This approach loads the head with work, but due to the peculiarities of the structure of the brain, a person cannot remember much.

Based on the research results, the graded memorization system is best suited for memorizing phrasal verbs. Learn 5 verbs a day. It's a lot? Of course not. But now let's resort to simple arithmetic. 5 times 7 (days of the week) is 35 words per week. 35 times 4 (weeks in a month) is 140 phrasal verbs a month. Just think - 140!

Just one month is enough to receive vocabulary which will provide you with the prerequisites for a fluent level of spoken English.

Practice and remember: steady practice is key in learning English!

And now the promised answers are: 2, 1, 4, 1, 4, 2, 2, 2, 3, 2.

Good luck learning English!