English grammar
Phrasal verbs 📕
A phrasal verb is a verb + a small word like up, down, on, off, in, out. Together, they often have a new meaning.
give up = stop trying
look after = take care of
Common phrasal verbs
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
| get up | leave your bed | I get up at seven. |
| wake up | stop sleeping | I woke up early. |
| put on | start wearing | Put on your jacket. |
| take off | remove clothes | Take off your shoes. |
| turn on / off | start / stop a machine | Turn off the light. |
| look for | try to find | I'm looking for my keys. |
| look after | take care of | She looks after her mother. |
| find out | discover information | I found out the answer. |
| give up | stop trying | Don't give up! |
| fill in | write information in a form | Fill in this form, please. |
| pick up | collect | I pick up my son at four. |
| go on | continue | Go on, I'm listening. |
Where does the object go?
With many phrasal verbs, the object can go in two places:
Turn off the light. = Turn the light off.
If the object is a pronoun (it, them, him), it must go in the middle:
✓ Turn it off.
✗ Turn off it.
💡 Phrasal verbs are very common in spoken English. Learn them as one word, together with an example.