Mastering Phrasal Verbs

A phrasal verb is a type of multi-word verb that consists of a main verb and one or more particles (such as adverbs or prepositions) that are used together to create a new meaning. The meaning of a phrasal verb is often idiomatic and cannot be easily deduced from the meanings of its individual words.

For example, "give up" is a phrasal verb that means to stop doing something or to abandon a plan or activity. The verb "give" alone does not convey the same meaning as "give up".

Phrasal verbs are very common in English and are used in both formal and informal contexts. Some phrasal verbs are separable, which means that the particle can be separated from the verb and placed elsewhere in the sentence (e.g., "turn off the lights" vs. "turn the lights off"), while others are inseparable (e.g., "give up").

 

It's difficult to give an exact number of how many phrasal verbs there are in English, as the language is constantly evolving, and new phrasal verbs are created over time. However, it's estimated that there are several thousand phrasal verbs in English.

In addition to the most common phrasal verbs such as "get up", "turn on", "look after", "put off", there are many phrasal verbs that are specific to certain contexts, industries, or regions, making the exact number impossible to determine.

It's important to note that while phrasal verbs can be challenging for non-native English speakers to learn and master, they are a fundamental part of the language and essential for effective communication in both spoken and written English.

Some Common Phrasal Verbs:

1.           Break down: to stop working; to analyze or examine in detail

2.           Bring up: to raise a topic for discussion; to care for a child

3.           Call off: to cancel; to stop something that is already in progress

4.           Come up with: to think of an idea or plan; to produce or create something

5.           Get over: to recover from an illness or a difficult situation; to accept something      

               and move on

6.           Look into: to investigate or examine something; to research

7.           Make up: to reconcile after an argument; to create a story or an excuse

8.           Put off: to postpone or delay something; to discourage or repel someone

9.           Take up: to start a new hobby or activity; to occupy space or time

 

Exercise Questions:

1.  I had to _________­­­_______ my appointment because I had an emergency.

          (a) break down    (b) call off                (c) look into

2.  The company needs to _______________ a new strategy to improve sales.

       (a) bring up          (b) come up with     (c) put off

3.  It took me a long time to ______________ the loss of my pet.

       (a) get over          (b) make up              (c)  take up

4.  I want to _________________ yoga classes to improve my flexibility.

      (a) take up             (b) call off                  (c)  look into

5.  The police are going to __________ the case to find the suspect.

       (a) put off              (b) look into              (c) break down

         6.  My sister and I had a fight, but we _____________ the next day.

               (a) broke down     (b) made up               (c) took up

7.  The smell of rotten eggs ________________ from entering the room.

       (a) put me off               (b) come up with     (c) bring up

8.  The company needs to __________ the details of the project before starting work.

      (a)  call off               (b) look into              (c)  get over

9.  I am going to ______________ my niece while my sister is on vacation.

              (a)  put off                (b) look after              (c) come up with

Answers:

1.           b (call off)

2.           b (come up with)

3.           a (get over)

4.           a (take up)

5.           b (look into)

6.           b (made up)

7.           a (put me off)

8.           b (look into)

9.           b (look after)

EXERCISE (A80E296)

TO PRINT