Phrasal verb definition: 1. A phrase that consists of a verb with a preposition or adverb or both, the meaning of which is. Aug 27, 2020.
50 Phrasal Verbs, Definition and Example Sentences
Here are 50 phrasal verbs, definition and example sentences;
Catch out
to show that sb is doing wrong
One day hecaught herout when he found some letters she'd written.
Catch up on (sth)
to deal with a special activity to complete it.
You have to catch up on your reading.
Catch (sb) up on (sth)
to give sb the latest news or information about sth
Can someone catchusup on the latest news?
Catch on
to become popular
This game will catch on among young people.
Catch up (sb)
to reach sb by walking faster
Johncaught up with you later.
Catch up in (sth)
to be involved in sth unwillingly
They weren't part of the conflict; they were just caught up in it.
Clear away
Meaning: totakeawaysthtoclear a place
Example Sentence: You should clear away all your toys before bedtime.
Clear out (of)
Meaning: toleave a place
Example Sentence: She'll clear out of the house in two weeks.
Carryout
Perform a task
I would like to carry out the plan.
Carry on with
Continue
I want you to carry on with the work while I am out of country.
Get on
Enter a train, bus, planeetc… toclimb on board
I think they get on the wrong train.
Dropoff
Takesomebodyto a place
Where do you want me to drop you off?
Set off
Start a journey
They set off for London just after five.
Stop over
Stay at a placefor a night on thewaytosomewhere else
They stoppedover in Singapore on their way to Australia.
Get away
Take a vacation, especiallybecauseyouneed a rest
I would love to getaway and go to the beach next month.
Hang around
tomoveorto do sthslowly
Don't hang around, you have a train to catch!
Hang on
to waitfor a short time
Hang on a minute; I'm just coming.
Hang out
tospend a lot of time in a place
Wewillspend the whole day hanging out by the pool.
Hang over
to hoverover
The clouds of war willhang over the east.
Keepfrom
refrain, controlyourself
I couldn't keep from playing football.
Keep in
not allowsomeoneout.
Children were kept in after school.
Keepaway
to avoid someone or something
You must keep away medicines from children.
Make after
tochaseorfollow
The policeman made after the thief.
Make up
tomakepeace
Please come back. I want to make up.
Make out
tosucceed in business
How areyoumaking out in your new job?
Make up for
torecover, makesthbetter
Nothing can make up for the loss of a child.
Phrasal Verbs List With Meaning And Example
Make into
tochangesthintosth else
We hadmade the living room into an office.
Read back
toreadsomethingagain
Please read back the text of the message.
Read up on sth
to read a lot about in order to learn about it
I read up on the history of the World War II.
Read over
look for mistakes or check details
I asked her to read over my essay.
Read through
toreadquicklybeginningtotheend
Always read throughyour work when you've finished.
Look ahead
tothinkaboutfuture
The past is past. Let us look ahead.
Look forward to
something that is going to happen
He had worked hard and was lookingforward to his retirement.
Look in
to pay a shortvisit
You'lllookin and say hello when you have time.
Take over
to get control of sth
He can take over the businesswhen I'm away.
Take away
to remove sth/sb from
Take away the glasses and the tray.
Cut in
tointerrupt
Whenyoucut in onourconversation, weweretalking.
Cut into
toshorteningintoparts ortomakesthsmaller
Knives easily cut into the cake.
Cut across
tomake a shorter route
If Icut across the field, it'll save time.
Cut through
togothroughbycutting
We cut through the solid rock to build the tunnel .
Let up
Meaning; to stop or to diminish
Example Sentence; When the rain lets up, you can go tooutside.
Run across
Meaning:
to meet or to find unexpectedly
Example Sentence:
I ran across some old friends at the party.
Run away
Meaning:
to leave a place or sb
Example Sentence:
Theprisoners ran away from the prison.
Put down
Meaning:
to write
Example Sentence:
Put down your name in capitals.
Put on
Meaning:
to wear
Example Sentence:
Sheput on a new pair of nylon socks.
Run into
Meaning:
to experience sth unexpectedly
Example Sentence:
I'verun into a difficulty with the project.
Run against
Meaning:
to oppose towards sb or sth
Example Sentence:
Luck was really running against you yesterday!
Set to
Meaning:
to make sb feel sad
Example Sentence:
500 Phrasal Verbs List With Meaning Pdf
When my work gets me down, I wanttoresign.
Set aside
Meaning:
to keep sth available for a purpose
Example Sentence:
We set aside some money for repairs.
Set in
Meaning:
to take root, start and continue
Example Sentence:
The rainy season has set in.
Verbs in English can be divided into two groups:
Transitive verbs and Intransitive verbs.
TRANSITIVE VERBS
Transitive verbs require an object to complete their meaning.
Imagine that I say:
- I need.
This sentence is incomplete. There is information that is missing.
You are probably wondering what I need.
Why is this sentence incomplete?
Because NEED is a transitive verb and a transitive verb needs an object after it to complete the sentence. The object after a transitive verb can be a noun or a pronoun.
- I needa dictionary.
Now the sentence is complete and we can understand it. We added the object 'a dictionary' after the verb.
Subject + transitive verb + object
We can see that transitive verbs need an object after them.
Transitive Phrasal Verbs
The same rule applies to transitive phrasal verbs.
If someone says: 'I'm looking for'
You would automatically think 'Looking for what? Looking for whom?'
- I am looking formy keys.
My keys is the object (that you are looking for). Now the sentence is clear.
We need to add an object to make the sentence complete.
More examples of transitive phrasal verbs in sentences:
- He's looking forhis passport.
- You should put ona jacket because it's cold outside.
- Can you turn off the light when you leave the room please?
Now look at this sentence.
- Please take off your shoes before entering the house.
The object appears after the transitive verb as we have seen so far.
However, sometimes the object goes in the MIDDLE of the transitive phrasal verb. For example
- Please take your shoes off before entering the house.
Both sentences are correct.
With some phrasal verbs you can put the object in the middle but that is not always the case.
We will see more about the position of objects with phrasal verbs in another lesson.
INTRANSITIVE VERBS
Intransitive verbs cannot have a direct object after them.
The subject is doing the action of the verb and nothing receives the action. An intransitive verb does not pass the action to an object.
- We smiled.
Here we cannot have an object after the intransitive verb smile.
You cannot 'smile something' (incorrect).
An intransitive verb expresses an action that is complete in itself and it doesn't need an object to receive the action.
Intransitive Phrasal Verbs
The same rule applies to intransitive phrasal verbs. You cannot have an object after an intransitive phrasal verb.
- My car broke down on the way to work.
Broke down in the past tense of break down. Break down means to stop working.
You cannot 'break down something'. Break down is an intransitive phrasal verb.
- Can you sit down please?
You cannot 'sit down something'.
Some more example sentences with intransitive phrasal verbs:
- I grew up in New Zealand.
- You are driving too fast. Can you slow down?
- We should dress up for the party.
- Nobody found out that I didn't have an invitation.
- I get up at 7 every morning.
- What time do you think he is going to show up?
Phrasal Verbs that are Transitive and Intransitive
Some phrasal verbs can be both transitive and intransitive.
They can be transitive in one sentence and intransitive in another sentence.
You need to be careful. Install linux dell venue 8 pro. Sometimes the meaning of a phrasal verb changes depending on whether it is transitive or intransitive. Let's look at the following example:
Take off (transitive) = to remove something
Take off (intransitive) = to leave the ground and begin to fly
- He took off his tie when he got home.
He took off, the past of take off, is transitive so it needs an object, in this case his tie. Since there is an object after take off, we know the meaning can be to remove something. So, he removed his tie when he got home.
The next example:
- The plane will take off in ten minutes.
In this case take off is intransitive and has a different meaning. The meaning of leaving the ground in order to fly.
You can see that here, there are two different meanings (or uses) of 'Take off'. When take off is transitive it means to remove something (that something is an object). When take off doesn't have an object after it, it is intransitive and can mean to leave the ground.
Also note that the same phrasal verb, for example take off, can have more than one meaning (yes, even 7 or 8 different meanings).
A good dictionary will tell you whether a verb is transitive (usually vt. or tr. next to the verb in dictionaries) or intransitive (vi. or intr.)
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