A Beginner’s Guide To The 80 Most Common Phrasal Verbs

80 Most Common Phrasal Verbs is a great resource for learning English. The book contains 80 of the most common phrasal verbs, each with a definition and example sentence. The verbs are arranged in alphabetical order, making it easy to look up unfamiliar words.

In addition, the book includes a section on irregular verbs, which is particularly helpful for students who are just beginning to learn English. Whether you are a student or a native speaker, 80 Most Common Phrasal Verbs is an essential tool for mastering English.

What are Phrasal Verbs?

A phrasal verb is a verb that is made up of the main verb together with an adverb or a preposition or both. For example, the verb ‘pick up is a phrasal verb because it is made up of the main verb ‘pick’ and the adverb ‘up’. The meaning of a phrasal verb is often different from the meaning of the main verb on its own.

For example, if you pick something up, you lift it off the ground. But if you pick someone up, you collect them in a car to take them somewhere. Some phrasal verbs are transitive and some are intransitive. This means that some phrasal verbs can have an object (a noun or pronoun) after them, and some cannot.

The 80 Most Common Phrasal Verbs

Understanding common phrasal verbs is crucial for mastering everyday English. These versatile expressions, composed of verbs paired with prepositions or adverbs, often convey meanings that differ from their individual parts. To help you navigate and use these expressions effectively, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of 80 frequently used phrasal verbs.

1. Pick up – to lift something off the ground
2. Put down – to set something down
3. Come across – to find something by chance
4. Get along – to have a good relationship
5. Get back – to return
6. Get in – to enter
7. Get off – to leave
8. Get on – to board
9. Give in – to surrender
10. Give up – to quit
11. Go ahead – to proceed
12. Go on – to continue
13. Keep on – to continue
14. Let down – to disappoint someone
15. Look after – to take care of
16. Look forward to – to anticipate with pleasure
17. Kick out – to choose
18. Run into – to meet by chance
19. Set up – to establish
20. Show up – to arrive
21. Slow down – to reduce speed
22. Take off – to remove
23. Think about – to ponder
24. Throw away – to discard
25. Try on – to test for size or fit
26. Turn down – to reject
27. Turn off – to stop
28. Turn on – to activate
29. Wake up – to awaken
30. Wear out – to use until no longer useful
31. Work out – to exercise
32. Worry about – to fret over
33. Add up – to total
34. Back down – to retract
35. Back up – to support
36. Brush up – to review
37. Burn up – to destroy by fire
38. Calm down – to become less agitated
39. Carry on – to continue despite difficulties
40. Catch on – to become popular
41. Check in – to register upon arrival
42. Cheer up – to become happier
43. Clean up – to make clean
44. Cool down – to become less heated
45. Die down – to subside
46. Dish out – to serve
47. Dress up – to wear nicer clothes than usual
48. Eat out – to dine in a restaurant
49. Fill in – to provide missing information
50. Figure out – to solve
51. Find out – to discover
52. Get across – to communicate successfully
53. Get along with – to have a good relationship
54. Get at – to reach
55. Get away with – to escape punishment
56. Get through – to finish using
57. Give away – to provide free of charge
58. Give back – to return something borrowed
59. Give out – to distribute
60. Grow up – to mature
61. Hand in – to submit
62. Hang out – to spend leisure time
63. Hold on – to wait
64. Keep up with – to maintain pace
65. Knock down – to demolish
66. Let up – to decrease
67. Look for – to search
68. Look into – to investigate
69. Makeup – to invent, fabricate
70. Pass away – to die
71. Pass out – to faint
72. Pay off – to be successful
73. Pick up on – to notice
74. Point out – to indicate
75. Put away – to store
76. Put back – to return
77. Put off – to postpone, delay
78. Put up with – to endure
79. Settle down – to become settled
80. Slow up – to reduce speed

Mastering these 80 phrasal verbs will significantly boost your fluency and comprehension in English. By familiarizing yourself with their meanings and applications, you’ll be better equipped to understand and use them naturally in conversation and writing. Keep practicing, and soon these phrasal verbs will become second nature in your everyday language use.

How to Use the 80 Most Common Phrasal Verbs

Learning phrasal verbs can be difficult for English learners because there are so many of them and because they are often used in idiomatic expressions. An idiom is a phrase that has a meaning that is different from the literal meaning of the individual words.

• For example, the idiom “I’m going to bed” doesn’t mean that you’re going to sleep in a bed. It means that you’re going to go to sleep.

Understanding these phrases requires familiarity with the context in which they are used, as well as practice. Using phrasal verbs naturally in conversation or writing can significantly enhance your fluency, making it easier to express yourself like a native speaker.

The History of the 80 Most Common Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs are a combination of a verb and a preposition or adverb, and they are very common in English. The verb and the preposition or adverb work together to create a meaning different from the original verb. For example, the phrasal verb “look up” means “to search for information.”

The Origin of the 80 Most Common Phrasal Verbs

Most phrasal verbs are created when a new meaning is needed for an existing verb. For example, the verb “get” has many different meanings, so it’s not surprising that there are many phrasal verbs that include the word “get.”

The Structure of the 80 Most Common Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs are usually two-word phrases consisting of a verb and a preposition or adverb, but there are some three-word phrasal verbs. The word order of the phrasal verb is important because it can change the meaning of the phrase. For example, the phrasal verb “look up” means “to search for information,” but if you say “look information up,” it means something different.

Conclusion

Phrasal verbs are a vital part of the English language, and they can help you sound more natural when you speak. However, they can be difficult to use correctly because there are so many of them and because they often have multiple meanings. With our list of the 80 most common phrasal verbs, you’ll be able to use these essential English phrases like a native speaker in no time!

FAQs

What is a phrasal verb?

A phrasal verb is a type of verb that is made up of the main verb and one or two small words, called particles. For example, the phrasal verb “pick up” can mean to lift something up, to improve, or to meet someone.

How many phrasal verbs are there in English?

There are hundreds of phrasal verbs in English, and new ones are created all the time.

Where can I learn more about phrasal verbs?

You can find plenty of resources on this website to help you learn about and master phrasal verbs. Check out our other posts on the subject, or sign up for our free email course to get started today!