1 Phrasal verbs: what are they and how

are they used?

A What are phrasal verbs?
Phrasal verbs are verbs that consist of a verb and a particle (a preposition or adverb) or a verb
and two particles (an adverb and a preposition, as in get on with or look forward to). They
are identified by their grammar but it is probably best to think of them as individual
vocabulary items, to be learnt in phrases or chunks. They often – but not always – have a
one-word equivalent. For example, you can come across a new phrasal verb or you can
encounter it. You can pick up a language or you can acquire it. Come across and pick up
sound less literary or formal than encounter or acquire.

B Why are phrasal verbs important?

Phrasal verbs are extremely common in English. They are found in a wide variety of contexts.
You may have noticed them in songs, for example the Beatles’ I’ll get by with a little help from my
friends or Roll over Beethoven, Bob Marley’s Get up, stand up and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Knock
me down. You find them in film titles such as The Empire Strikes Back, Spirited Away, Along Came
Polly or Cast Away. They are very frequent in newspaper headlines. Here are just a few examples:

Country’s misplaced pride Cricket: England

holds back its democracy holds out for a draw

Inquiry points
to a cover-up
Phrasal verbs are common in less formal English, but you will also hear or see and need to use
them in more formal contexts. Register is discussed in more detail in Unit 6.

C What can I do to help myself master phrasal verbs?

Try to think positively about them! And, now you are at a more advanced level, try not just to
understand them but also to use them in your own speaking and writing.
Keep an eye open for them whenever you are reading anything in English and make a note of
any interesting ones you find. Write them down in a complete phrase or a sentence to fix in
your mind how they are used.
Be aware that one of the special features of phrasal verbs is that some of them have many
different meanings – for example, you can pick something up from the floor, you can pick up
a language or bad habits, the weather can pick up, you can pick up a bargain, a radio can
pick up a signal, the economy can pick up, you can pick up a story where you left it, you can
pick someone up in your car. Sometimes the meanings are clearly related, some being more
literal and some more metaphorical.
Exercises

Underline the phrasal verbs in these texts. Remember the particle or preposition may
not be immediately next to the verb.
1 I decided to take up gardening, so I took out a subscription to a gardening magazine and read up
on the subject. I found out so many interesting things, such as the best time to plant flowers out
for the summer and how to grow vegetables. I’ve really got into it now and spend hours in the
garden every weekend.
2 The other day we went off on a hike in the mountains. We put our wet-weather gear on as the
weather forecast wasn’t good. We set off early to avoid the rush hour and soon reached the
starting point for our walk. The whole walk took about four hours, and when we got back we were
exhausted.
3 I have to catch up on my coursework this weekend as I’ve fallen behind a bit. I worked on it
till midnight last night, but I still have loads to do. I have to hand one essay in on Tuesday and
another one on Friday. I’m not sure whether I’ll make it, but I’ll try.
Choose the correct particle to finish these song titles.
1 Can’t get you off from / out of / away from my head (Kylie Minogue)
2 Hold you against / down / at (Jennifer Lopez)
3 We can work it with / across / out (The Beatles)
4 Send from / in / with the clowns (Barbra Streisand)
Complete the sentences in the right-hand column with a phrasal noun or adjective
based on the phrasal verbs in the left-hand column. Use a dictionary if necessary, and
remember that the particle may come at the beginning or end of the noun or adjective.

1 The school took in some outstanding students Last year’s included some
last year. outstanding students.
2 Some prisoners broke out of the local prison There was a(n) at the local
last night. prison last night.
3 It was an experience that put everyone off. It was a(n) experience.
4 She always speaks out and gives her opinion. She is very .
5 A lorry which had broken down was blocking A lorry was blocking the
the road. road.

Match the headlines with the sentences from the stories.

1 BIG SHAKE-UP EXPECTED IN EDUCATION

2 MINISTER DENIES COVER-UP

3 LOCKOUT CONTINUES AT AVIATION PLANT

4 BREAKAWAY GROUP TO FORM NEW PARTY

a) The dispute is now in its fifth week.

b) Unity was no longer possible, a spokesperson said.
c) The event happened at 7.45 p.m. with no warning.
d) There will be major changes at all levels.
e) There was no attempt to hide the truth, claimed Pamela Harding.
2 Grammar of phrasal verbs
A Phrasal verbs with and without objects
Some phrasal verbs take an object (transitive); others do not take an object (intransitive).

with object (transitive) no object (intransitive)

They’re knocking down the old hotel. The path branched off1 to the river.
The plumber soon sorted out the shower problem. The noise of the train died away.
She tied her hair back so she could swim faster. In the winter the lake froze over.
1
if a road or path branches off, it goes in another direction
Some verbs can be used both with and without an object, but the meaning may change. Use
the context to decide if the verb has a different meaning from the one you are familiar with.

Polly and Beth were so clever the teacher moved them up to a higher class. (with object)
Polly and Beth moved up to a higher class. (no object = same meaning)
I can drop you off at the station. (with object = drive you somewhere and leave you there)
I was sitting in the armchair and I dropped off. (no object = fell asleep, different meaning)
Some verbs must have two objects, one after the verb and one after the particle.

I always associate that song with our holiday in Jamaica.

Playing tennis for three hours every evening after school deprived her of her youth.

B Position of the object

In many cases, the particle may come before or after the object.
The teacher marked the student down / marked down the student because her bibliography
wasn’t up to standard.
Very long objects usually come after the particle.
The accident cut off domestic and industrial water and electricity supplies.
When the object is a personal pronoun, the pronoun always comes before the particle.

noun object personal pronoun object

I picked my parents up / picked up my parents and I’ll pick you up at 5.30. (Not: I’ll pick up you
drove them to the airport. at 5.30.)

Some verbs (sometimes called prepositional verbs) must have the object after the particle,
even if it is a pronoun. A good dictionary will tell you if this is so.
We’ve had to contend with a lot of problems lately. (Not: contend a lot of problems with)
[deal with a difficult or unpleasant situation]
You probably already know some of these verbs (look for, look after, cope with).

C Three-part verbs
Some phrasal verbs have three parts – the verb and two particles. The object comes last.
I will not put up with such bad behaviour. [tolerate]
 Exercises

2.1 Look at A. Do these sentences need an object? If they do, add an appropriate one in the
correct place.
ExAmPlE Last summer we knocked down.
Yes. Knock down is transitive; it needs an object.
Last summer we knocked down the old shed in our garden.
1 The sound of the violin slowly died away.
2 If you’re ready to leave now, I can drop off at your office.
3 The river in St Petersburg freezes over for several months each year.
4 My son is so good at English that I think the teacher should move up to the advanced class.
5 I associate with that evening we spent together in Rome.
6 I was so tired that I dropped off in front of the TV.
2.2 Put the words in the correct order to make sentences. If you can do it in two different
ways, then do so.
1 pick / off / you / work / the / I / and / can / at / you / from / airport / up / drop / then
2 from / that / put / teacher / she / The / not / would / said / with / such / up / class / rudeness / her
3 villages / The / off / several / have / mountains / in / cut / the / floods
4 your / doesn’t / the / improve / down / If / will / spelling / mark / examiners / you
5 always / Margot / to / with / all / seems / her / cheerfully / problems / cope
2.3 Rewrite each sentence using the verb in brackets in an appropriate form.
1 I’ll have to ask my daughter to get my Internet connection working. (soRT)
2 I was so tired after work that I fell asleep in the train on the way home. (dRoP)
3 I was given a lower mark because my essay was over the word limit. (mARK)
4 Jason has no right to despise me – he’s no better than I am. (looK)
5 Lara doesn’t have a good relationship with one of her flatmates. (gET)
6 You have to accept the fact that you will probably never see each other again. (FAcE)
7 Maria has got a new job taking care of an old lady. (looK)
8 If you don’t let the children get enough sleep, they won’t be able to concentrate at school. (dEPRivE)
9 In Lapland we had to manage in some difficult driving conditions. (conTEnd)
10 The road to our house leaves the main road just after the service station. (bRAncH)
2.4 Write answers to these questions using the phrasal verb in brackets.
1 What are your plans for the summer holidays? (looK FoRwARd To)
2 What homework have you got to do this weekend? (cATcH UP on)
3 If you’ve been away somewhere by train and arrive back late, how do you usually get home from
the station? (PicK UP)
4 What is your favourite album and why do you like it? (AssociATE wiTH)
5 What sorts of things make you feel stressed? (conTEnd wiTH)
6 How easy do you find it to fall asleep at night? (dRoP oFF)

Over to you
Look up these verbs in your dictionary: associate with, deprive of, contend with and face up to.
How does your dictionary give information about the structures that these verbs require? What
nouns do these verbs typically combine with according to the examples in your dictionary?
3 Phrasal nouns
A What are phrasal nouns?
Like phrasal verbs, phrasal nouns consist of a verb combined with a particle. The particle may
come before or after the verb.

phrasal noun meaning example

standby ready to be used My wife’s a pilot and she’s on standby over the weekend.
if necessary
We’re keeping the old equipment as a standby, in case of emergencies.
letdown disappointment I had been looking forward to the concert for weeks, but it turned out
to be a terrible letdown.
back-up support Nicholas can provide technical back-up if you need it.
warm-up preparation The comedian who did the warm-up for the studio audience before
the TV programme started was excellent.
onset start (of something The match was halted by the onset of torrential rain.
unpleasant)
input contribution Try to come to the meeting – we’d value your input.
overkill more of something Shall I add some more decorations to the cake or would that be overkill?
than is needed

Some such nouns have a corresponding phrasal verb, but some don’t. For example, there
is no phrasal verb to kill over. The phrasal verb set on exists but it means attack. The verb
related to onset is set in: We couldn’t continue playing after the rain set in.
If the particle is in first place, then the phrasal noun is never written with a hyphen. If
the particle comes second, then there is sometimes a hyphen between the two parts of
the phrasal noun, particularly if that particle is in or up or if the phrasal noun is relatively
infrequent, e.g. walk-on [small part, with no words, in a play], stand-off.

B When are phrasal nouns used?

Phrasal nouns are used frequently in newspapers and informal conversation.

STOWAWAY1 FOUND ON PLANE BREAKDOWN IN STRIKE TALKS

STAND-OFF2 IN TRADE TALKS MANAGEMENT BUYOUT FOR HIGH STREET CHAIN

HELP FOR BUSINESS START-UPS

SINGER STAGES A COMEBACK MILITARY BUILD-UP4 CONTINUES

1 3
person hiding in order to travel strike
2 4
failure to reach agreement increase in size or strength

Annie Who do you think will get the job – Lily Did you have a good time at
Paul or Elsa? football last night?

Finn I don’t know. It’s a toss-up. David

just a knockabout.

Tip
Exercises
Complete these sentences using a phrasal noun from A opposite.
1 The of winter meant that there was less food for the animals and birds.
2 I thought having a 45-piece orchestra at their wedding really was , personally.
3 The police officer radioed for before entering the bank.
4 Let’s ask Joel what he thinks. I always find his very useful in these matters.
5 TV producers find that studio audiences react better if they have a to watch before
a live programme.
6 Our holiday in the Mediterranean was a bit of a . The hotel was second-rate and the
food was awful.
7 Although Cameron usually rides his new road bike to school now, he’s kept his old bike as
a .
Rewrite these sentences, starting with the cues given, using phrasal nouns from the
opposite page instead of the underlined words.
1 Two men who had stowed away in the container were arrested when police opened it.
The police opened the container and
2 Negotiations with union members broke down after a couple of hours.
There was a
3 The management bought out the company in 2014.
There was a
4 Last night all the workers walked out and the factory was forced to close.
There was a
5 Military forces are continuing to build up on both sides of the border.
The military
Correct the mistakes with the phrasal nouns in these sentences.
1 There has been a stand-up for several days now in the talks between the government and the
rebels. Neither side will make any concessions.
2 Last year there were 15,000 new Internet business start-offs, most of which only survived for a few
months.
3 After years without releasing an album, Madeleine Flame has staged a comeagain with her new
collection of love songs.

4 Holly

Flora

5 I met Nasser and we just had a knockover on the college football pitch for half an hour.
Choose the correct phrasal noun in each sentence. Use a dictionary if necessary.
1 Putout / Output has increased this year and the factory is doing well.
2 One of the robbers acted as lookout / outlook while the others robbed the bank.
3 There was a sudden pourdown / downpour and we all got very wet.
4 The breakout / outbreak of war in 1914 changed Europe for ever.
5 Lik-off / Off-lik is scheduled for 07.00 on Friday and the astronauts will arrive at the space station
later that day.
6 There was a break-in / an in-break at our office last night. Two computers were stolen.