Phrasal Verbs 1: Introduction
What phrasal verbs are, how to form them, and where to place the object
What Is a Phrasal Verb?
A phrasal verb is a verb combined with a short word such as in, on, up, off, out, away, down, back, through, along, forward, over, round, or around.
The combination creates a single unit of meaning. Sometimes the meaning is obvious from the words themselves; other times it is completely different from what you would expect.
Movement: The Meaning Stays Clear
When you pair a movement verb with one of these short words, the meaning usually stays transparent. You can guess what it means.
| Phrasal verb | Example |
|---|---|
| get on | The elevator was full. We couldn’t get on. |
| drive off | My manager jumped in her car and drove off to the client site. |
| come back | He’s flying to Seoul on Monday and coming back on Thursday. |
| turn round | I called her name in the hallway, and she turned round. |
Special Meanings: You Need to Learn These
Often, the short word changes the verb’s meaning in a way you cannot predict. These are the phrasal verbs you need to memorize.
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| break down | stop working (a machine) | The printer broke down right before the deadline. |
| find out | discover | We never found out who leaked the report. |
| take off | leave the ground (a plane) | Fasten your seatbelt. The plane is about to take off. |
| give up | stop trying | The project was too complex, but nobody wanted to give up. |
| get on | manage, do | How did you get on in the interview? |
| get by | manage with what you have | My Japanese is basic, but it’s enough to get by during business trips. |
Notice that get on appears in both groups. With movement it means to board something. With the special meaning it means to manage or do.
Phrasal Verb + Preposition
Some phrasal verbs are followed by a preposition before their object. The whole combination works as a unit.
| Expression | Example |
|---|---|
| look up at | We looked up at the scoreboard to check the results. |
| run away from | You can’t run away from your responsibilities at work. |
| keep up with | The market is changing fast. It’s hard to keep up with new regulations. |
| look forward to | I’m looking forward to the team offsite next week. |
Object Placement: Two Positions
When a phrasal verb takes an object, you can usually put the object in two places.
- I turned on the projector. or I turned the projector on.
- Can you fill in this form? or Can you fill this form in?
Both positions are correct.
Pronoun Rule: Only One Position
When the object is a pronoun (it, them, me, him, her, us), the pronoun must go between the verb and the short word. There is no choice here.
| Correct | Wrong |
|---|---|
| I turned it on. | |
| These shoes hurt. I’m going to take them off. | |
| The baby is asleep. Don’t wake her up. | |
| I need this report, so don’t throw it away. |
This is one of the most common mistakes in spoken and written English. Whenever you use a pronoun, place it before the short word.
Quick Self-Check
The copier _____ again, so I called the technician.
Select your answer:
I need those headphones. Could you give _____ ?
Select your answer:
How did you _____ about the merger? It was supposed to be confidential.
Select your answer:
We're _____ the quarterly review meeting next Friday.
Select your answer:
The air conditioning is too strong. Can you turn _____ ?
Select your answer: