Master phrasal verbs (verb + particle combinations) and verb phrases. Learn separable/inseparable phrasal verbs, their meanings, and how to use them correctly in sentences.
✅ Recommended for: Class 9-10 (Foundation) | Class 11-12 (Advanced Usage)
1. Phrasal Verbs - What Are They?
Phrasal Verbs: Verb + particle (preposition/adverb) that creates new meaning different from original verb.
Three Types: 1. Transitive (needs object) 2. Intransitive (no object) 3. Separable/Inseparable
| Type | Structure | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verb Alone | Verb only | look | use eyes to see |
| Phrasal Verb | Verb + Particle | look after | take care of |
| Phrasal Verb | Verb + Particle | look up | search for information |
| Phrasal Verb | Verb + Particle | look forward to | anticipate with pleasure |
Understanding phrasal verbs becomes easier when you're comfortable with Nouns & Pronouns and Adjectives & Adverbs. They break down the parts that make these structures work. Hindi learners will find parallels in เค्เคฐिเคฏा (Kriya) and เคธเคฐ्เคตเคจाเคฎ (Sarvanam).
2. Types of Phrasal Verbs
| Type | Structure | Object Placement | Examples | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intransitive (no object) |
Verb + Particle | No object | The plane took off. He grew up in Delhi. |
Cannot have object |
| Transitive Separable | Verb + Particle + Object OR Verb + Object + Particle |
Object can go between or after | Turn off the light. Turn the light off. |
With pronouns: must separate (Turn it off ✓, Turn off it ✗) |
| Transitive Inseparable | Verb + Particle + Object | Object must come after particle | I look after my sister. She ran into an old friend. |
Object cannot separate verb & particle |
| Three-word Phrasal Verbs | Verb + Particle 1 + Particle 2 | Always inseparable | I look forward to meeting you. He came up with an idea. |
Always followed by object |
3. Common Phrasal Verbs by Meaning Category
| Category | Phrasal Verbs | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relationships | get along with, break up, make up, look up to, put up with | Social interactions | I get along with my colleagues. They broke up last month. |
| Learning/Thinking | figure out, find out, look up, point out, think over | Mental processes | Can you figure out this problem? I need to think it over. |
| Work/Business | carry out, draw up, set up, take over, turn down | Professional activities | We need to carry out the plan. He set up his own business. |
| Travel/Movement | get on/off, check in/out, set off, pick up, drop off | Moving from place to place | We set off early. I'll pick you up at 8. |
| Communication | bring up, call off, get across, speak up, write down | Exchanging information | She brought up an important point. Please write it down. |
| Daily Activities | wake up, get up, clean up, eat out, hang out | Routine actions | I wake up at 6 AM. Let's eat out tonight. |
4. Top 30 Essential Phrasal Verbs
| Phrasal Verb | Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| break down | Intransitive | stop working (machine); lose control emotionally | The car broke down. She broke down crying. |
| call off | Separable | cancel | They called off the meeting. |
| carry on | Intransitive/Separable | continue | Please carry on with your work. |
| come across | Inseparable | find by chance | I came across an old photo. |
| do without | Inseparable | manage without something | We'll have to do without electricity. |
| figure out | Separable | understand, solve | Can you figure out this puzzle? |
| get along | Intransitive | have a good relationship | I get along well with my boss. |
| give up | Separable | quit, surrender | Don't give up trying. |
| go on | Intransitive | continue, happen | What's going on here? |
| hold on | Intransitive | wait | Hold on a minute, please. |
| look after | Inseparable | take care of | Can you look after my dog? |
| look forward to | Inseparable (3-word) | anticipate with pleasure | I look forward to seeing you. |
| look up | Separable | search for information | Look up the word in a dictionary. |
| make up | Separable | invent, reconcile, apply cosmetics | He made up a story. They made up after fighting. |
| pick up | Separable | collect, learn | I'll pick you up at 8. She picked up Spanish quickly. |
| put off | Separable | postpone | We put off the meeting. |
| run out of | Inseparable (3-word) | use completely | We've run out of milk. |
| set up | Separable | establish, arrange | They set up a new company. |
| take after | Inseparable | resemble (family) | She takes after her mother. |
| turn down | Separable | refuse, reduce volume | He turned down the job offer. |
Once you've mastered the patterns above, try combining them with Prepositions and Conjunctions. They form the backbone of complex sentence structures. Hindi speakers learning English often find this intuitive because เคตिเคถेเคทเคฃ (Visheshan) and เค เคต्เคฏเคฏ (Avyay) follow similar logic.
5. Verb Phrases & Idiomatic Expressions
| Type | Structure | Examples | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verb + Noun Combinations | Verb + specific noun | take a break, make a decision, do homework, have breakfast | Specific collocations |
| Verb + Preposition Combinations | Verb + fixed preposition | listen to, depend on, believe in, wait for | Fixed combinations |
| Idiomatic Expressions with Verbs | Figurative meanings | hit the books (study), kick the bucket (die), spill the beans (reveal secret) | Cannot guess from words |
| Phrasal Verbs vs Prepositional Verbs | Different structures | look up (phrasal) vs look at (prepositional) give up (phrasal) vs give to (prepositional) |
Phrasal: particle changes meaning Prepositional: keeps meaning |
6. Common Particles & Their Meanings
| Particle | Common Meanings | Example Phrasal Verbs | Sense/Pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| up | completion, increase, improvement | give up, clean up, speak up, grow up | Finishing or enhancing |
| down | decrease, reduction, defeat | calm down, turn down, break down, write down | Reducing or recording |
| off | separation, departure, cancellation | take off, call off, turn off, set off | Moving away or stopping |
| out | emergence, distribution, completion | find out, hand out, work out, go out | Revealing or finishing |
| on | continuation, attachment | carry on, put on, try on, get on | Continuing or wearing |
| over | review, transfer, above | think over, take over, go over, look over | Examining or transferring |
| through | completion, examination | go through, look through, get through | Completing process |
| away | distance, disappearance | give away, throw away, go away | Removing or distancing |
๐ฏ Phrasal Verbs Challenge
Choose the correct phrasal verb or particle for each sentence.
Q1. Could you ____ the music? It's too loud. (turn off/turn down/turn up) »
Q2. I need to ____ this word in the dictionary. (look after/look up/look for) »
Q3. Please ____ while I transfer your call. (hold up/hold on/hold off) »
Q4. We've ____ milk. Can you buy some? (run out/run out of/run into) »
Q5. She really ____ her mother in looks and personality. (takes after/takes off/takes up) »
These concepts are also covered in our Hindi Grammar Hub and Hindi Literature Hub — excellent resources for seeing how grammar functions across languages.
8. Memory Aids & Tips
Separable vs Inseparable Rule:
• With separable phrasal verbs, pronouns (me, you, him, her, it, us, them) MUST go between verb and particle
• Correct: Turn it off. Pick her up.
• Incorrect: Turn off it. Pick up her.
• With nouns, you can choose: Turn the light off OR Turn off the light
Pronoun rule is the key test!
Learning Strategy:
1. Learn in context (full sentences)
2. Group by particle (all "up" phrasal verbs)
3. Group by topic (relationship phrasal verbs)
4. Note if separable/inseparable
5. Practice with pronouns
Don't try to memorize lists - use them!
Common Mistakes:
• Adding unnecessary prepositions (discuss about ✗ discuss ✓)
• Using wrong particle (depend of ✗ depend on ✓)
• Separating inseparable phrasal verbs (look it after ✗ look after it ✓)
• Literal interpretation of idioms (He kicked the bucket = died)
When in doubt, check a good dictionary
๐ Practice Phrasal Verbs & Verb Phrases
Master phrasal verbs with our comprehensive worksheet covering all types and uses! With 30 Questions & Their Answers.
Go to Phrasal Verbs WorksheetIncludes answer key • Separable/Inseparable • Common phrasal verbs • Usage in context • Error correction
