Idioms & Phrases
🔒 Log in to trackPhrasal verbs (verb + particle phrases)
🔒 Log in to trackA phrasal verb is a verb joined with a small word called a particle, such as up, off, out or in. Together they give a new meaning, like give up, which means stop. They appear in idiom questions, fill-in-the-blank and error spotting.
What a phrasal verb is
A phrasal verb is a verb plus a small word called a particle. The particle can be up, off, out, in, on, down, after, into or over.
Together they give a new meaning that you often cannot guess from the verb alone.
- give means hand over. give up means stop doing something.
- call means phone or shout. call off means cancel.
Exams test them as a meaning question, a blank to fill with a particle, or a word to replace.
What the particles usually mean
These are tendencies, not strict rules. They still help.
| Particle | Usual idea | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| off | stop, cancel, leave | call off (cancel), put off (postpone), take off (leave the ground) |
| out | finish, remove, appear | run out of (finish), put out (extinguish), break out (start suddenly) |
| up | complete, stop, arrive | give up (stop), turn up (arrive), bring up (raise a child) |
| down | reduce, fail, refuse | break down (stop working), turn down (refuse), look down upon (despise) |
| in | enter, yield | give in (surrender), hand in (submit), break in (enter by force) |
| after | follow, care | look after (take care of), take after (resemble an elder) |
| into | examine, meet | look into (investigate), run into (meet by chance) |
| over | recover, check | get over (recover from), look over (check quickly) |
One verb, many meanings
Examiners fix the verb and change the particle.
| Verb | Particle | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| give | up, in, away, out | stop a habit, surrender, donate or reveal, distribute |
| turn | down, up, out | refuse, arrive, prove to be |
| take | after, off, up | resemble, leave the ground, start a hobby |
| break | down, out, in, up | stop working, start suddenly, enter by force, end a relationship |
| come | across, about | meet by chance, happen |
| put | off, out, up with | postpone, extinguish, tolerate |
Example: The car broke ___ on the highway. Cars stop working, so the answer is broke down. Broke out is for war, fire or disease. Broke in is for thieves.
Three-word phrasal verbs
Some phrasal verbs have two particles. They must stay together.
- put up with: tolerate.
- run out of: have none left.
- look down upon: despise.
- look forward to: wait eagerly.
Watch: Do not drop the second particle. "We have run out sugar" is wrong. Say "run out of sugar".
How to answer
- Meaning questions. Replace the phrasal verb with one word, such as cancel or tolerate, and test it in a sentence.
- Particle blanks. Read the whole sentence. The subject (a car, a fire, a meeting) shows which particle fits.
- Replace-the-word questions. The bold word is formal, such as extinguish or postpone. Find the phrasal verb that means the same.
Question types you will see
Each type: how to recognise it, the method step by step, and one question to try.
Meaning of a phrasal verb
A phrase such as 'to call off' or 'to put up with' is given. The options are short meanings.
Split the verb and the particle.
Recall the particle's usual idea.
Try each option in a sentence.
The particle carries the new meaning.
To call off: (a) to cancel (b) to phone (c) to shout (d) to visit
Show solutionHide solution
Phone and shout are the meanings of call alone.
Off means stop or cancel.
Call off means to cancel.
(a) to cancel
Fill in the particle
A sentence has a blank right after a verb. The options are particles.
Read the whole sentence.
Name the subject: a car, a fire, a meeting.
Pick the particle that fits that subject.
The subject shows which meaning is needed.
The car broke ___ on the highway. (a) in (b) out (c) down (d) off
Show solutionHide solution
Cars stop working.
Break in is for thieves and break out is for war or fire.
Break down is right.
(c) down
Same verb, different particles
All options share one verb: give up, give in, give away, give out.
Say the meaning in one word.
Match each option to its meaning.
Pick the exact one.
Only the particle changes the meaning.
The rebels finally ___ and laid down their weapons. (a) gave up (b) gave in (c) gave away (d) gave out
Show solutionHide solution
The rebels stopped fighting.
Give in means surrender.
Give away means donate and give out means distribute.
(b) gave in
Replace a formal word
A sentence has a formal verb in bold (extinguish, postpone, recover). The options are phrasal verbs.
Say the formal word in plain words.
Match a phrasal verb to it.
Check the sentence again.
A phrasal verb is the everyday form of a formal word.
The firemen quickly EXTINGUISHED the fire. (a) put off (b) put out (c) put up (d) put down
Show solutionHide solution
Extinguish means stop a fire.
Put off means postpone.
Put out fits.
(b) put out
Three-word phrasal verb
The blank sits after a two-part verb such as run out ___ or look forward ___.
Recall the full phrase.
Do not drop the second particle.
Pick the particle that completes it.
These phrases are fixed.
We have run out ___ sugar. (a) from (b) of (c) off (d) with
Show solutionHide solution
The phrase is run out of.
It means have none left.
Of completes it.
(b) of
Shortcuts that save time
Replace the phrasal verb with one plain word, such as cancel, refuse or tolerate. Test it in the sentence.
The meeting was put off. It was: (a) postponed (b) cancelled forever (c) held early (d) put out
Show solutionHide solution
Put off means postpone.
Cancelled forever and held early do not fit.
Postponed fits.
(a) postponed
A car breaks down. A fire breaks out. A thief breaks in. The subject picks the particle.
Learn one verb with all its particles in one sitting: give up, give in, give away, give out.
Mistakes to avoid
Where most students lose marks on this subtopic.
Guessing a phrasal verb from the verb alone.
The particle changes the meaning. Learn the whole phrase.
Mixing put off and put out.
Put off means postpone. Put out means extinguish.
Writing 'run out sugar'.
Write 'run out of sugar'. Keep both particles.
Mixing break down, break out and break in.
Down means stop working. Out means start suddenly. In means enter by force.
Learning particles as strict rules.
They are tendencies. Learn each common phrase with its meaning.
Quick revision
Read this the night before the exam.
off is cancel or stop. out is finish or remove. up is stop or arrive. down is refuse or fail. after is care or resemble. into is investigate.
call off cancel, put off postpone, put out extinguish, put up with tolerate.
give up stop, give in surrender, turn down refuse, take after resemble.
break down stops working, break out starts suddenly, come across meets by chance, get over recovers.
Keep three-word phrases whole: run out of, look forward to.
Practice: 12 questions
Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Every answer has a step-by-step explanation.
Topic test · 12 questions
Suggested time 5 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.