Overview of Two-Part (Phrasal) Verbs (Idioms)
Many verbs in English are followed by an adverb or a preposition (also called a particle), and these two-part verbs, also called phrasal verbs, are different from verbs with helpers. The particle that follows the verb changes the meaning of the phrasal verb in idiomatic ways:
- drop off - decline gradually
The hill dropped off near the river
- drop off(2) - fall asleep
While doing his homework, he dropped off.
- drop off(3) - stop and give something to someone
Would you drop this off at the post office?
- drop out - cease to participate
After two laps, the runner dropped out.
Some particles can be separated from the verb so that a noun or pronoun can be inserted, and some particles can't be separated from the verb. In addition, some phrases are intransitive, meaning they cannot take a direct object.
- Separable
add up (meaning: to add)Correct: She added up the total on her calculator.
Correct: She added it up on her calculator. - Inseparable
get around (meaning: to evade)Correct: She always gets around the rules.
Incorrect: She always gets the rules around (This construction makes no sense in English.) - Intransitive
catch on (meaning: to understand)Correct: After I explained the math problem, she began to catch on.
Incorrect: She began to catch on the math problem. (catch on cannot take a direct object in this meaning.)
Correct: She began to catch on to the math problem. (the word to makes the math problem an indirect object, which is acceptable in this meaning.)
Unfortunately, there is usually no indicator whether an idiomatic phrase is separable, inseparable, or intransitive. In most cases the phrases must simply be memorized. Below is a partial list of each kind of phrase.
Separable Phrasal Verbs
| add up add |
back up cause to move backwards; support |
blow up cause to explode; destroy by explosives |
break down analyze; list the parts of separately |
| bring about cause to happen |
bring off accomplish |
bring on cause |
|
| bring out publish; emphasize |
bring over bring |
bring to revive |
|
| bring up raise; care for from childhood |
brush out brush the inside of |
burn down destroy by burning |
|
| burn up consume by fire |
buy out by the other person's share of a business |
buy up buy the whole supply of |
|
| call off cancel; order away |
call up telephone; summon for military service |
calm down become calm |
|
| carry on continue |
carry out fulfill; complete; accomplish; perform |
carry over carry; continue at another time or place |
|
| cheer up cause to become cheerful |
chew up chew thoroughly |
chop up chop into small pieces |
|
| clean off clear the surface of |
clean out clean the inside of |
clean up tidy |
|
| clear out clear the inside of |
clear up clarify; clear the inside of |
close down close permanently |
|
| close up close temporarily |
count in include |
count out exclude |
|
| count up calculate; count; add to a total |
cross out eliminate |
cut off interrupt; sever; amputate |
|
| cut out eliminate; delete |
cut down reduce in quantity |
draw up write; compose (a document) |
|
| dress up put clothes on; adorn |
dust out dust the inside of |
eat up eat completely |
|
| figure out interpret; understand |
figure up compute |
fill in complete (a printed form) |
|
| fill out complete (a printed form) |
fill up fill completely (a container) |
find out discover |
|
| fix up repair; arrange in a suitable manner |
get across cause to be understood |
give back return |
|
| give out distribute; announce |
give up surrender something |
hand down deliver; pronounce formally; leave as an inheritance |
|
| hand over yield control of |
hang up suspend |
have on be dressed in |
|
| have over entertain someone informally at one's home |
hold off delay; restrain |
hold up delay; rob; threaten with a weapon |
|
| keep up continue; keep the same pace |
leave out omit |
let down disappoint |
|
| let out release from confinement; make larger (in sewing) |
light up light; illuminate thoroughly |
live down live in such a way as to cause something to be forgotten |
|
| make over remake |
move over move to the side |
pass out distribute |
|
| pass up not take advantage of (as an opportunity) |
pass on transmit |
pay back repay |
|
| pay off discharge a debt completely; give someone his final pay |
pick up come to meet an escort; lift with hands or fingers; learn casually;initiate an association publicly |
play down minimize |
|
| play up emphasize |
point out indicate |
pull down pull in a downward direction; raze |
|
| push across cause to be understood or accepted |
put off postpone |
put on dress in; deceive or fool |
|
| put up preserve (food); receive as an overnight guest |
quiet down be quiet |
ring up the telephone |
|
| rinse off rinse the surface of |
rinse out rinse the inside of |
rule out eliminate |
|
| run down trace; disparage; hit with a vehicle |
run off cause to depart; reproduce mechanically |
save up accumulate |
|
| see through complete; in spite of difficulties |
see off accompany someone to the beginning of a trip |
send back send to a place where formerly located |
|
| send over send to where someone is |
set up arrange |
show off exhibit ostentatiously |
|
| shut off cause to cease functioning |
slow up cause to move more slowly |
spell out enumerate; state in detail |
|
| stand up fail to keep an appointment with |
sweep out sweep the inside of |
take back return; retract a statement |
|
| take down remove from a high position; write from dictation |
take in understood; fool; deceive; make smaller (in sewing) |
take over take; assume command of |
|
| tear down destroy |
tear up tear into small pieces |
tell off scold; reprimand |
|
| think over consider |
think through consider from beginning to end |
think up create; invent |
|
| throw away discard |
throw over reject |
tie up tie securely or tight |
|
| tire out cause to be exhausted |
touch up repair |
try on put on a garment to verify the fit |
|
| try out test |
turn down refuse; lower the volume |
turn out produce; force into exile, extinguish (a light) |
|
| wash off wash the surface of |
wash out wash the inside of |
wear out use until no longer usable; tire greatly |
|
| wind up finish, tighten the spring of a watch or machine |
wipe off wipe the surface of |
wipe out wipe the inside of; decimate |
|
| work out solve |
write down record |
write out write down every detail; spell out |
|
| write up compose; prepare (a document) |
Inseparable Phrasal Verbs
| back out of desert; fail to keep a promise |
bear down on lean on; browbeat |
bear on have to do with |
| bear up under endure |
break in on interrupt |
break into interrupt |
| call for come to get; require |
care for like; guard; supervise; maintain |
carry on with continue |
| catch up with cover the distance between oneself and |
check up on examine; verify |
come across find accidentally |
| come along with accompany; make progress |
come by find accidentally |
come down with become ill with |
| come out with utter; produce |
come up with utter; produce |
count on rely on |
| cut in on interrupt |
disagree with cause illness or discomfort to |
do away with abolish |
| do without deprive oneself of |
drop in at/on visit casually without planning |
drop out of leave; quit |
| face up to acknowledge |
fall behind in lag; not progress at required pace |
fall back on use for emergency purpose |
| fall out with quarrel with |
fill in for substitute for |
get ahead of surpass; beat |
| get around evade; avoid |
get away with do without being caught or punished |
get by with manage with a minimum of effort |
| get down to become serious about; consider |
get in enter (a vehicle) |
get off descend from; leave |
| get on enter (a vehicle); mount |
get on with proceed with |
get through with terminate, finish |
| go back on desert; fail to keep (a promise) |
go for like a great deal |
go in for be interested in; participate in |
| go on with continue |
go over review |
go with harmonize with; look pleasing together |
| go without abstain from |
hang around remain idly in the vicinity of |
hear from receive a communication from |
| hear of learn about (sometimes accidentally) |
hit on discover accidentally |
hold on to grasp tightly |
| hold out against resist |
keep at persevere at |
keep to persist in; continue |
| keep up with maintain the pace of |
lie down on evade; fail to do |
live on support or sustain oneself by means of |
| live up to maintain the standard demanded of |
look after take care of |
look back on remember nostalgically |
| look down on feel superior to |
look forward to anticipate |
look up to respect; admire |
| make up for compensate for |
pass on transmit |
pick on tease; bully |
| play up to flatter for personal advantage |
put up with tolerate |
read up on search out information on |
| run against compete against in an election |
run away with leave; escape from |
run for campaign for |
| see about consider; arrange |
see to arrange; supervise |
settle on decide on; choose |
| stand for represent; permit |
stand up for support; demand |
stand up to resist |
| stick to persist |
stick up for support; defend |
take after resemble |
| talk back to answer impolitely |
talk over discuss |
tell on report misbehavior to authority |
| touch on mention briefly |
turn into become |
wait on serve |
| wait up for not go to bed while waiting for |
watch out for be careful for |
Intransitive Phrasal Verbs
| back down retreat from a position in an argument |
back out desert; fail to keep a promise |
back up move backwards |
| bear up endure |
blow in drop in to visit unexpectedly |
blow over pass without doing harm |
| blow up explode; lose one's temper |
call up telephone |
calm down become calm |
| carry on continue as before; misbehave |
catch on understand |
catch up cover the distance between oneself and a moving goal |
| check up investigate |
check out leave; pay one's bill |
cheer up become cheerful |
| clear out leave |
clear up become clear |
close down close permanently |
| close up close temporarily |
came about happen |
come along accompany; make progress |
| come back return |
come by visit someone in his home |
come out appear; make a social debut |
| come over come to someone's house, to where someone is |
come through succeed |
come to regain consciousness |
| cut in interrupt |
die away fade; diminish |
die down fade; diminish |
| die off/out disappear; become extinct |
dress up don fancy or unusual clothes |
drive back return by car |
| drop in visit someone casually without planning |
drop out abandon some organized activity; leave; quit |
drop over visit someone casually |
| fall behind not progress at required pace |
fall off decrease; lose weight |
fall through fail; not be accomplished |
| fill in substitute |
find out learn |
fly back return by air |
| fly over fly to where someone is |
get ahead make progress |
get along have a friendly relationship |
| get around circulate; move about |
get away escape |
get by manage; either just barely or with a minimum of effort |
| get in enter |
get off descend from leave |
get on enter (a vehicle); mount (a horse, etc.) |
| get on/along progress; be compatible |
get up rise |
get through finish |
| give out become exhausted |
give up surrender; fail to finish |
go back return |
| go off explode |
go on happen; continue |
go out stop burning; leave one's residence |
| go over go; succeed |
grow up mature |
hang around remain idly; dawdle |
| hang up replace a telephone receive on its hook |
hold on grasp tightly; persevere; wait while telephoning |
hold out continue to resist; persevere; persist |
| keep on continue |
keep up maintain the required pace or standard; continue |
let up diminish in intensity |
| lie down recline |
look on be a spectator |
make out progress; succeed |
| make up become reconciled |
move over move to the side |
pan out turn out well; be successful |
| pass out become unconscious |
pass on die |
pick up grow; increase |
| pull in arrive |
pull out deport |
pull through survive (barely) |
| ride over ride to where someone is |
run away escape; leave; leave quickly without permission |
run down slowly lose power so as to stop functioning |
| run off depart running; drain |
sell out sell the ownership or responsibility |
settle up pay one's bills or debts |
| show off boast by words or actions |
show up arrive; appear unexpectedly |
shut up stop talking |
| slow up reduce speed |
stand by wait; be prepared to assist |
stand up stand; rise from sitting; last; endure |
| stay over remain at someone's house overnight or longer |
step aside move to one side |
take off leave the ground |
| take over assume command |
talk back answer impolitely |
throw up vomit |
| turn around turn so that one is facing another direction |
turn in go to bed |
turn out succeed; come; appear, as at a public meeting |
| turn up arrive; be found unexpectedly |
wait up remain awake in anticipation |
wake up awaken |
| walk back return on foot to where one was |
walk over walk to where someone is |
wash out fade or disappear from washing |
| watch out be careful |
wear off fade; disappear through use or time |
wear out become unusable through use; become used up |
| work out be successful |
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