Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verbs

Discover the Grammar

Read the passage about one person’s difficulty in waking up on time. Then answer the questions that follow.

For his whole life, Nick has never been able to get up early. When he was in elementary school, his mother would set the alarm clock for 6:00 AM, but it would not wake him up. When Nick was in high school, his alarm clock would go off, but he simply turned it off and went back to sleep. Every morning his father would shout, “Come on, Nick! You’re going to be late.” The shouting did not help, however. On a few days, Nick would show up two hours late! Nick knew that his school would not put up with this situation much longer. His parents were frustrated, but they could not give up.

One day Nick’s mom came across a blog on the Internet where people were sharing their stories about oversleeping and different solutions they had come up with to solve their problems. After going over a few of these stories and realizing there could be an underlying health issue, Nick’s mother made up her mind that the best advice was to look for a sleep specialist on the Internet.

After checking out several websites, Nick’s mom found out about a specialist for her son’s condition. She called him up and left a message. The next day, the doctor called her back to talk about Nick’s situation. Now the family is counting on him to help solve Nick’s problem

Phrasal Verbs

The bold words are called phrasal verbs. Each phrasal verb has a meaning that is different from its verb and second word. Write the meaning for these phrasal verbs from Paragraph 1.

Open Ended

Get up

Open Ended

Wake up

Open Ended

Go off

Open Ended

Turn off

Open Ended

Go back

Open Ended

Come on

Open Ended

Show up

Open Ended

Put up with

Open Ended

Give up

Sometimes a phrasal verb can have a word between its two parts. Write the four phrasal verbs that have a word separating the two parts.

For his whole life, Nick has never been able to get up early. When he was in elementary school, his mother would set the alarm clock for 6:00 AM, but it would not wake him up. When Nick was in high school, his alarm clock would go off, but he simply turned it off and went back to sleep. Every morning his father would shout, “Come on, Nick! You’re going to be late.” The shouting did not help, however. On a few days, Nick would show up two hours late! Nick knew that his school would not put up with this situation much longer. His parents were frustrated, but they could not give up.

One day Nick’s mom came across a blog on the Internet where people were sharing their stories about oversleeping and different solutions they had come up with to solve their problems. After going over a few of these stories and realizing there could be an underlying health issue, Nick’s mother made up her mind that the best advice was to look for a sleep specialist on the Internet.

After checking out several websites, Nick’s mom found out about a specialist for her son’s condition. She called him up and left a message. The next day, the doctor called her back to talk about Nick’s situation. Now the family is counting on him to help solve Nick’s problem

Open Ended

Separated Phrasal Verbs

Why do you think these are separated?

Phrasal Verbs

A phrasal verb is a special kind of verb that consists of two (or three) parts. The first part is always a verb. The next part is a word such as across, after, away, back, down, in, into, off, on, out, over, or up. In a phrasal verb, this second part is called a particle.

Examples

• When I clean my sofa cushions, I sometimes come across lost coins. = find

• Before an important exam, you should look over your notes. = review

• Due to the bad weather, the coach called off the game. = canceled

• Rule 1. A phrasal verb must have at least two parts: VERB + particle

• Rule 2. Phrasal verbs present a huge vocabulary challenge because most phrasal verbs are idioms. As such, the meaning of a phrasal verb as a unit is usually very different from the meanings of the individual verb and the particle: the meaning of come across is not equal to the meaning of come and across.

• Rule 3. Like other common words, a phrasal verb can have more than one meaning: The airplane took off is not the same as Their business took off or I took off my shoes.

BE CAREFUL!

Excuse me. How can I (ascertain) find out which bus goes to Jensen Stadium?

*Do not avoid using phrasal verbs. The single-word alternatives found in a dictionary often sound more technical or formal than the equivalent phrasal verb.

BE CAREFUL!

My cousin (picked me) picked me up at the airport last night.

*Do not forget to use the whole phrasal verb, not just the verb.

Connecting Grammar and Vocabulary

Phrasal verbs are a common component of the English language. Study this list of the 10 most common phrasal verbs.

• 1. go on = What’s going on?

• 2. carry out = They carried out the boss’s plan

• 3. set up = It is expensive to set up a new business.

• 4. pick up = Can you pick me up at the airport next Monday?

• 5. go back = When did Pierre go back to France?

• 6. come back = What time will you come back?

• 7. go out = The lights went out around ten.

• 8. point out = The teacher pointed out the most important pages.

• 9. find out = When did you find out about the accident?

• 10. come up = His divorce did not come up in our conversation.

Exercise 1.

Identifying Phrasal Verbs in Context

Find and write the eight phrasal verbs in this short passage.

Today I am going to the library because I need to take back a book I checked out two weeks ago and then pick out a new book to read. One of my favorite things is to take off my shoes, sit down on the sofa, and hold a real book in my hands as I devour the pages. Of course I could look over a list of e-books and download one to my Kindle, but it’s just not the same experience.

I also like going to the library because there is always a chance I might run into an old friend there. Sometimes my best friend and I meet at the library for coffee and catch up on each other’s news before we find new books to take home. I really enjoy my library visits.

Exercise 2.

Identifying Specific Meanings of a Phrasal Verb

Match the meaning of make up with its definition by writing the correct number on the lines.

Multiple Choice

Meaning 1. combine to equal: These five cities make up more than half of the state’s entire population.

• My nephew is learning how to talk, but he can’t make up a sentence on his own yet.

• One job of a chef is to make up the menu for the week.

• I was absent yesterday, so I will make the test up at the next class meeting.

• I love this salad. It is made up of kale, cashews, and blueberries.

• My husband and I have a rule. If we fight about something, we always make up before the sun goes down.

Multiple Choice

Meaning 2. become friends again, apologize, reconcile: I argue with my uncle a lot, but we make up pretty quickly

• My nephew is learning how to talk, but he can’t make up a sentence on his own yet.

• One job of a chef is to make up the menu for the week.

• I was absent yesterday, so I will make the test up at the next class meeting.

• I love this salad. It is made up of kale, cashews, and blueberries.

• My husband and I have a rule. If we fight about something, we always make up before the sun goes down.

Multiple Choice

Meaning 3. create (a story): Some people are good at making up jokes, but I am not one of those peole.

• My nephew is learning how to talk, but he can’t make up a sentence on his own yet.

• One job of a chef is to make up the menu for the week.

• I was absent yesterday, so I will make the test up at the next class meeting.

• I love this salad. It is made up of kale, cashews, and blueberries.

• My husband and I have a rule. If we fight about something, we always make up before the sun goes down.

Multiple Choice

Meaning 4. put in order, prepare, arrange: In a hotel, a maid makes up the beds.

• My nephew is learning how to talk, but he can’t make up a sentence on his own yet

• One job of a chef is to make up the menu for the week.

• I was absent yesterday, so I will make the test up at the next class meeting.

• I love this salad. It is made up of kale, cashews, and blueberries.

• My husband and I have a rule. If we fight about something, we always make up before the sun goes down.

Multiple Choice

Meaning 5. serve to compensate for something that was lost or missed: I couldn’t work on Monday, so I will make up the hours on Saturday

• My nephew is learning how to talk, but he can’t make up a sentence on his own yet

• One job of a chef is to make up the menu for the week.

• I was absent yesterday, so I will make the test up at the next class meeting.

• I love this salad. It is made up of kale, cashews, and blueberries.

• My husband and I have a rule. If we fight about something, we always make up before the sun goes down.

Separable Phrasal Verbs

The phrasal verbs in this group can be separated when there is a noun as the object. If there is a pronoun as the object, the phrasal verb must be separated.

In informal English, the particle can sometimes be several words away from the verb. In more formal writing, it is best to keep the verb and the phrasal verb together. When the object is a pronoun, however, the verb and the particle must be separated. See the list on page 8.

Examples:

Separable:

Please put on your shoes. Please put on them.

Please put your shoes on. Please put them on.

Nonseparable:

The teacher called on Josh. The teacher called on him.

(The teacher called Josh on. The teacher called Josh on.) NO X

Rules:

• Rule 1. With separable phrasal verbs, it is possible to move the particle after a noun object. However, this movement is not common in formal writing.

• Rule 2. With separable phrasal verbs, you must separate the verb and particle when a pronoun is used as the object.

• Rule 3. Separable phrasal verbs often use these nine particles: up, down, on, off, in, out, away, back, over. (An easy way to remember the first six is that they are pairs of opposites: up ≠ down, on ≠ off, in ≠ out.)

• Rule 4. Be careful with phrasal verbs using on because some are separable but others are non-separable. For example, put on is separable, but call on is non-separable. The only way to know which is which is to check a dictionary for every phrasal verb using on.

CALL OFF

(cancel)

N°1 = call off the game

N°2 = call the game off

N°3 = call off it (NO)

N°4 = call it off

• call up (telephone)

• cross out (draw a line through)

• figure out (find the answer to a problem)

• fill in (write information)

• find out (get information)

• give away (give something to someone)

• give back (return something to someone)

• hand in (submit)

• hand out (give one to everyone)

• leave out (omit)

• ook up (look for information)

• make up (invent a story)

• pick up (1. lift 2. go get someone)

• put away (return to the correct place)

• put back (return to the original place)

• put off (postpone)

• put on (wear)

• put out (extinguish)

• take off (remove)

• tear up (rip into small pieces)

• throw away (discard, put in the trash)

• try on (check to see if clothing fits)

• turn down (decrease)

• turn on (start)

• turn off (stop)

• turn up (increase)

• wake up (stop sleeping)

• write down (make a note of something)

BE CAREFUL!

My new shoes hurt. I can’t wait to (take off them) take them off when I get home tonight.

You must separate the verb and particle if the object is a pronoun.

BE CAREFUL!

I am counting my father on counting on my father to help me pay for my classes

Be careful with phrasal verbs with on. Some are separable, but others are not.

Exercise 3.

Vocabulary Practice with Separable Phrasal Verbs

HOMEWORK

Exercise 4.

Vocabulary Practice with Separable Phrasal Verbs

HOMEWORK

Exercise 5.

Mini-Conversations

Multiple Choice

Ella: Have you heard the weather report for tomorrow?

Bob: No, I haven’t, but I can turn the TV (in, on) now if you’d like.

Ella: Ok, thanks. I’m planning to paint the porch, but if it rains I’ll have to put it (off, up).

• in / off

• in / up

• on / off

• on / up

Multiple Choice

Son: Dad, can I borrow your new snow boots?

Dad: Uh . . . they’re probably too big. Have you tried them (up, on)?

Son: Yes. They’ll fit perfectly if I put (away, on) two pairs of socks.

Dad: All right. Just be sure to put them (out, back) where you found them

• up / away / out

• on / on / back

• on / on / out

• up / on / back

Multiple Choice

Hailey: Mrs. Smith, I have a dental appointment tomorrow and my mom needs to pick (up me, me up) before school is out.

Teacher: Thanks for telling me, Hailey. Here is the excuse form. Remember to ask your dentist to fill (out it, it out).

• up me / it out

• me up / out it

• me up / it out

• up me / out it

Multiple Choice

Zoe: Another doughnut! Don’t you know that eating food like that every morning is harmful to your health?

Lucy: All right, all right. I’ll put it (down, out).

• down

• out

Multiple Choice

Yuka: In Japan, we always remove our shoes when we enter the house.

Owen: Really? I only have to take mine (off, down) when they’re muddy

• off

• down

Multiple Choice

Ryan: Hi, John. I missed math class this morning. What was the homework assignment?

John: Oops. I forgot to write it (up, down)!

• up

• down

Multiple Choice

Luis: How can I prevent someone from using my identification?

Jack: One way is to tear (up, down) any old documents before you throw (away them, them away).

• down / away them

• up / away them

• up / them away

• down / them away

Multiple Choice

Brody: Is our test really going to be tomorrow?

Teacher: No, I’ve decided to put it (after, down, off, over) until next Tuesday

• after

• down

• off

• over

Non-Separable Phrasal Verbs

The phrasal verbs in this group cannot be separated. Unlike the previous group of phrasal verbs, it does not matter whether the object is a noun or a pronoun. Some students find this group much easier because the word order is more straightforward with no variations.

Examples:

Noun Object

We are counting on the president.

We are counting the president on. (NO)

Pronoun Object

We are counting on him.

We are counting him on. (NO)

Rules

• Rule 1. With non-separable phrasal verbs, you can never separate the verb and the particle.

• Rule 2. Common particles for non-separable phrasal verbs include: across, after, into, or with

• Rule 3. The best way to determine whether a phrasal verb is separable or non-separable is to consult a dictionary

• Rule 4. Phrasal verbs that consist of three words are always non-separable.

catch up (with) (reach the same level or position as)

N°1 = catch up with the others

N°2 = catch the others up with (NO)

N°3 = catch up with them

N°4 = catch them up with (NO)

• check into (1. register at a hotel 2. investigate)

• come across (find by chance)

• count on (depend on)

• get along (with) (be friends with)

• get in (enter)

• get off (1. exit 2. finish work)

• get on (enter)get out of (exit)

• get over (recover from an illness or a problem)

• get through (with) (complete)

• go over (review or check carefully)

• look after (take care of)

• look out (for) (be careful)

• look out (for) (be careful)

• run into (meet by chance)

• run out (of) (not have any more)

• watch out (for) (be careful)

BE CAREFUL!

The detectives (came some new clues across) came across some new clues in their investigation.

You cannot separate the verb and particle if the phrasal verb is non-separable.

BE CAREFUL!

In yesterday’s meeting, we (ran out time of) ran out of time.

You cannot separate the verb and particle in a three-word phrasal verb.

Exercise 6.

Using Non-Separable Verbs in Context

HOMEWORK

Exercise 7.

Using Non-Separable Verbs with Pronoun Objects in Context

Open Ended

We ran out of coffee.

Open Ended

They’re counting on Paul and me.

Open Ended

I couldn’t catch up with the other runners.

Open Ended

The professor called on Jenny.

Open Ended

We ran into Alana and Paulette.

Open Ended

Before class, I went over my speech.

Exercise 8.

Complete the sentences with the phrasal verb.

Fill in the Blank

Everyone must get _____ the plane and fasten their seatbelts before we can take off.

Fill in the Blank

Get _____ that motorcycle if you don't have a helmet! It's dangerous to ride without one.

Fill in the Blank

I hope I run _____ Dr. Borelli at the conference. It would be really interesting to talk about his latest research.

Fill in the Blank

Could you please look _____ my cat while I'm vacation? She's really no trouble.

Fill in the Blank

Oh no, it looks like we've run _____ _____ yogurt. What will I have for breakfast now?

Fill in the Blank

Sometimes we have to put _____ _____ difficult situations at work, but it's important not to get too stressed.