Phrasal Verb

1. Separable Phrasal Verb

Is a verb plus a particle or preposition such as: down, into, out, up.
Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Bring out to effectively develop You bring out the best in me.
I bring out the
best in you. v + obj + part

I bring the best

out in you.

Bring out the

best
Bring the best
out
Cheer up cause (somebody) to feel happier She cheers up the disappointed
I Cheer up you child
I Cheer you up

Run into
Ali runs in the
Ali runs the car
Ali runs a
company
Court runs the
law

Used to

Look forward to

Call off To cancel or postpone He calls off a trip

Count out To declare To declare (a boxer) to have
been knocked out by calling out
the count.

leave out, exclude, If you’re going to watch the

football, you can count me out.
Cut off To separate; isolate. Cut the hair off
To stop suddenly; discontinue. Cut off the power
Get across To make understandable or clear Tried to get my point across.
Hand over To release or relinquish to another, She hands over the documents
deliver
Pass up To let go by; reject pass up a chance for promotion;
an opportunity too good to pass
up.
See through To understand the true character or We saw through his kindness
nature of We'll see you through until you
To provide support or cooperation to (a finish college.
 Phrasal Verb
person) throughout a period of time:
Take back To retract or withdraw to take back a substandard
return garment

2. Inseparable Phrasal Verb + preposition

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Go over examine, study, review, revise She goes over the
documents.
Hand around Pass something from one person to another in He handed around the
a group. container of pins.
Live up to expected to be, as good as expected to be. Sales have not lived up to
expectations this year
Look after care I love looking after the
children.
Pick on criticize unfairly or treat unkindly I picked on simple things–
tease, choose rice and peas, meat and
bread.
Do not pick on me
Run out of to use up a supply of (something) Anyhow, who's going to stay
in that box long enough to
run out of air!
Touch on to mention a subject quickly when speaking or The talk was about
writing about another subject educational opportunities for
adults, and the speaker also
touched on/upon sources of
finance.
Run into meet, encounter, face She runs into a serious
Run = engine problem.
Company
The law

3. Transitive Phrasal Verb

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Back down from Withdraw a claim, demand, or commitment is She never backs down from an
made earlier, because other people are strongly argument.
opposed to it.
Catch up to succeed in reaching a person who is ahead of He was off school for a while
one. and is finding it hard to catch
up classes.
Check out of Pay the bill and leave. She checks out of the hotel.
Cut back on Reduce expenditure The government has decided to
cut back on spending on the
armed forces.
Cut down on To eat or drink less of a particular thing. I’m trying to cut down on the
amount of sugar I eat.
Drop in Visit someone informally, usually without having Whenever I'm up there I always
arranged it. Call, stop, turn up. drop in a chat.
 Phrasal Verb
Drop out of leave something without finishing what someone He had dropped out of high
started. school at the age of 16.
Get along with Someone has a friendly relationship with It's impossible to get along with
someone. him.
Get away with doing something wrong or risky, you do not The criminals know how to
suffer any punishment or other bad consequences play the system and get away
because of it. with it.
Give in to to no longer try to stop yourself from doing If you feel the urge for a fat, try
something you want to do to give in to eat it.
Give up on to stop hoping that someone or something will He’d been in a coma for six
change or improve months, and doctors had almost
given up on him.
Look back on Think of (past events) don't waste time looking back
on things which have caused
you distress’

4. Intransitive Phrasal Verb

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Come by Get Good friends are hard to come
by.
Catch on to grasp the meaning; understand, see, find out, It’s a good idea, but it’ll never
grasp, catch on.
to become fashionable or popular
Come along To encourage in a friendly way to do something, There’s a big press launch
especially to attend something. today and you're most welcome
Occur or arrive by chance. to come along.
Develop or make progress. Talks are coming along quite
well.
Come over to happen to; occur to; seize I already told you to come
to communicate the intended meaning or over.
impression
Fall apart Break into pieces because it is old or badly made. The work was never finished
Drift apart become disorganized or unable to work and bit by bit the building fell
effectively, apart.
The monetary system is falling
apart.
Show up Clearly seen or noticed. He wanted to teach her a lesson
Be visible, appear. for showing him up in front of
Make someone feel embarrassed or ashamed of Leonov.
someone.
Turn out To happen in a particular way or to have a I was very twitchy about the
particular result, especially an unexpected one. way things would turn out.

5. Three-word Phrasal Verb

Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
Back down Withdraw a claim, demand, or commitment is She never backs down from an
from made earlier, because other people are strongly argument.
opposed to it.
Catch up to succeed in reaching a person who is ahead of one. He was off school for a while
 Phrasal Verb
and is finding it hard to catch
up classes.
Check out of Pay the bill and leave. She checks out of the hotel.
 Phrasal Verb
Interest verb

Interesting
Interested
Clashing
Dangerous
Critical
Drinkable
Portable
Empathetic