Phrasal verbs are one of the trickiest parts of learning English, but mastering them will make your speech and writing sound much more natural and fluent. These combinations of verbs and prepositions or adverbs often have meanings that are completely different from the individual words.
Here are 15 essential phrasal verbs that every English learner should know, along with clear examples:
1. Give up – To stop trying or quit something
- She gave up smoking last year.
- Don’t give up on your dreams!
2. Look forward to – To anticipate something with pleasure
- I’m really looking forward to the weekend.
- We look forward to hearing from you soon.
3. Turn down – To refuse or reject something
- He turned down the job offer.
- Can you turn down the music? It’s too loud.
4. Run out of – To have no more of something left
- We’ve run out of milk. Can you buy some?
- They ran out of time during the exam.
5. Come up with – To think of or suggest an idea
- She came up with a brilliant solution.
- We need to come up with a new marketing plan.
6. Get along with – To have a good relationship with someone
- I get along with my colleagues very well.
- Do you get along with your neighbours?
7. Put off – To delay or postpone something
- They put off the meeting until next week.
- Don’t put off studying until the last minute.
8. Break down – To stop working (for machines) or to become emotional
- My car broke down on the way to work.
- She broke down in tears when she heard the news.
9. Set up – To establish or arrange something
- They set up a new company last year.
- Can you help me set up the computer?
10. Get over – To recover from something (illness, disappointment, etc.)
- It took her months to get over the breakup.
- I’m finally getting over my cold.
11. Look after – To take care of someone or something
- Who will look after the children while you’re away?
- Please look after my plants while I’m on holiday.
12. Bring up – To mention a topic or raise a child
- He brought up an interesting point during the meeting.
- She was brought up in a small village.
13. Cut down on – To reduce the amount of something
- I’m trying to cut down on sugar.
- We need to cut down on expenses this month.
14. Make up – To invent a story or reconcile after an argument
- He made up an excuse for being late.
- They made up after their big fight.
15. Take after – To resemble a family member
- She takes after her mother in personality.
- The baby takes after his father.
Practice Tip
The best way to learn phrasal verbs is to use them in context. Try writing sentences with 3–5 new ones every day, or use them in conversations with your classmates at English Council.
At English Council, our Spoken English and Business English courses include plenty of practice with natural expressions like these. If you’d like to sound more like a native speaker, get in touch with us today!
Practice makes perfect. Start using these phrasal verbs this week and watch your English improve dramatically.