Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verbs

A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb with one or more particles, usually an adverb, a preposition, or both, which together create a meaning that may be different from the meaning of the original verb.

Examples:

• give up = stop doing something
• look after = take care of
• put off = postpone
• run into = meet unexpectedly

The meaning of a phrasal verb is often idiomatic.

For example:

look = direct one’s eyes towards something

But:

look after = take care of

look for = search for

look into = investigate

look down on = consider inferior

Therefore, phrasal verbs should usually be learned as complete expressions, not by translating the individual words separately.

They are frequently tested in competitive examinations through:

• fill in the blanks
• sentence improvement
• phrase replacement
• error detection
• vocabulary questions
• reading comprehension
• contextual usage

A phrasal verb may be:

• transitive → takes an object
• intransitive → does not take an object
• separable → object may come between verb and particle
• inseparable → object cannot normally separate the parts

Verb + Preposition

A verb + preposition combination is often called a prepositional verb. In many competitive-exam books, such combinations are studied together with phrasal verbs because the complete combination has a fixed meaning.

Examples:

• look at
• look for
• look after
• depend on
• deal with
• agree with
• apply for
• believe in
• care for
• refer to

The preposition is normally followed by its object.

Example:

She is looking for her keys.

Here:

• looking = verb
• for = preposition
• her keys = object of the preposition

Look At

Meaning: direct one’s eyes towards

Look at the board carefully.

Look For

Meaning: search for

I am looking for my admit card.

Do not confuse:

look at → observe

look for → search

Look After

Meaning: take care of

She looks after her younger brother.

Look Into

Meaning: investigate

The committee will look into the matter.

Look Through

Meaning: examine quickly or carefully, depending on context

I looked through the documents before signing them.

Look Down On

Meaning: regard someone as inferior

We should not look down on people because of their occupation.

Look Up To

Meaning: respect or admire

Many students look up to their teachers.

Compare:

look down on → consider inferior

look up to → admire

Agree With

Meaning: have the same opinion as a person; also suit someone physically in certain contexts

I agree with you.

This food does not agree with me.

Agree To

Meaning: accept a proposal, condition, or request

They agreed to the terms.

Agree On

Meaning: reach a common decision concerning something

The committee agreed on a final date.

Apply For

Meaning: make a formal request for something

She applied for the post.

Apply To

Meaning: be relevant to; or make an application to a person/institution

This rule applies to all candidates.

He applied to the university for admission.

Believe In

Meaning: have faith or confidence in

I believe in hard work.

Belong To

Meaning: be owned by or be a member of

This book belongs to me.

Incorrect:

This book is belonging to me. ✘

Correct:

This book belongs to me. ✔

Belong is normally not used in the continuous form.

Care For

Meaning:

• look after
• like, especially in questions and negatives

She cares for her elderly parents.

Would you care for some tea?

Deal With

Meaning:

• handle
• manage
• concern

The chapter deals with environmental issues.

She knows how to deal with difficult situations.

Depend On

Meaning: rely on or be determined by

Success depends on consistent effort.

Insist On

Meaning: demand firmly; continue to require

He insisted on paying the bill.

Note:

insist on + noun/V-ing

Correct:

He insisted on going.

Not:

He insisted to go. ✘

Listen To

Meaning: pay attention to sound

Listen to the instructions carefully.

Do not omit to.

Incorrect:

Listen me carefully. ✘

Correct:

Listen to me carefully. ✔

Refer To

Meaning:

• mention
• consult
• relate to

The teacher referred to an earlier chapter.

Refer to the map for details.

Rely On

Meaning: depend on

You can rely on her.

Suffer From

Meaning: experience a disease, problem, or difficulty

Many people suffer from seasonal allergies.

Wait For

Meaning: remain until someone or something arrives

We waited for the bus.

Verb + Preposition Reference Table

Object after a Preposition

A preposition is followed by:

• a noun
• an object pronoun
• a gerund

Examples:

He depends on his parents.

He depends on them.

She insisted on leaving early.

Incorrect:

She insisted on leave early. ✘

Correct:

She insisted on leaving early. ✔

This rule is especially important when to functions as a preposition.

Examples:

look forward to meeting

object to paying

be accustomed to working

be committed to improving

Verb + Adverb

Many phrasal verbs consist of a verb + adverb particle.

Common particles include:

• up
• down
• out
• off
• away
• back
• over
• through
• around

The particle often changes the meaning of the verb significantly.

Break Down

Meaning:

• stop functioning
• lose emotional control
• divide into parts for analysis

My car broke down on the highway.

She broke down after hearing the news.

The data can be broken down into several categories.

Break Out

Meaning:

• begin suddenly, especially war, fire, disease
• escape from confinement

A fire broke out in the market.

Several prisoners broke out of jail.

Break Up

Meaning:

• separate into smaller parts
• end a relationship
• disperse

The meeting broke up at six.

The police broke up the crowd.

Bring Up

Meaning:

• mention a subject
• raise a child

She brought up an important issue.

He was brought up by his grandparents.

Carry On

Meaning: continue

Please carry on with your work.

Come Back

Meaning: return

She came back yesterday.

Come Out

Meaning:

• become available or published
• become known
• emerge

The examination results will come out next week.

Come Up

Meaning:

• arise
• be mentioned
• approach

An important issue came up during the meeting.

Cut Down

Meaning:

• reduce
• fell a tree

We need to cut down unnecessary expenditure.

They cut down the old tree.

Find Out

Meaning: discover or learn

I need to find out what happened.

Give Away

Meaning:

• distribute freely
• reveal a secret
• donate

The organisation gave away free books.

His expression gave away his nervousness.

Give In

Meaning: surrender or yield

After hours of discussion, he finally gave in.

Give Up

Meaning:

• stop doing something
• surrender

He gave up smoking.

Never give up hope.

Go Ahead

Meaning: proceed

You may go ahead with the plan.

Go Away

Meaning: leave

Please go away.

Go On

Meaning: continue

The meeting went on for three hours.

Grow Up

Meaning: become an adult

She grew up in a small village.

Hold On

Meaning:

• wait
• keep holding

Hold on for a minute.

Hurry Up

Meaning: act more quickly

Hurry up or you will miss the bus.

Keep On

Meaning: continue doing something

He kept on talking despite the warning.

Move On

Meaning:

• continue to the next thing
• progress after a situation

Let us move on to the next topic.

Pass Away

Meaning: die

The old man passed away peacefully.

This is a more polite or euphemistic expression than die.

Set Off

Meaning:

• begin a journey
• cause something to start, especially an alarm or explosion

We set off early in the morning.

The smoke set off the alarm.

Show Up

Meaning:

• arrive or appear
• become visible

He did not show up for the interview.

Sit Down

Meaning: take a seated position

Please sit down.

Stand Up

Meaning: rise to one’s feet

Everyone stood up when the guest entered.

Take Off

Meaning:

• remove clothing
• leave the ground, especially an aircraft
• become successful rapidly

He took off his jacket.

The plane took off on time.

The business really took off last year.

Turn Up

Meaning:

• arrive
• increase volume, heat, etc.

He turned up late.

Please turn up the volume.

Verb + Adverb Reference Table

Separable Phrasal Verbs

A separable phrasal verb allows its object to be placed:

• after the complete phrasal verb, or
• between the verb and the particle.

Example:

Turn off the light.

or:

Turn the light off.

Both are correct.

Pronoun Rule

When the object is a personal pronoun, it normally must come between the verb and particle.

Correct:

Turn it off. ✔

Incorrect:

Turn off it. ✘

This is one of the most important phrasal-verb rules for examinations.

Bring Up

Meaning: mention

She brought up the issue.

or:

She brought the issue up.

With pronoun:

She brought it up.

Not:

She brought up it. ✘

Call Off

Meaning: cancel

They called off the match.

or:

They called the match off.

With pronoun:

They called it off.

Carry Out

Meaning: perform or execute

The researchers carried out the experiment.

or:

The researchers carried the experiment out.

With pronoun:

They carried it out.

Fill In

Meaning: complete a form or supply missing information

Please fill in the form.

or:

Please fill the form in.

With pronoun:

Please fill it in.

Find Out

Meaning: discover

With many noun objects, structures vary depending on what follows.

We found out the truth.

We found the truth out. is possible but often less natural.

But:

We found it out.

When find out introduces a clause:

I found out that he had left.

It cannot be split in the same way.

Give Back

Meaning: return something

Give back my book.

or:

Give my book back.

With pronoun:

Give it back.

Give Up

When meaning stop an activity, the object may be separated in some contexts.

He gave up smoking.

With a noun:

He gave the habit up.

With pronoun:

He gave it up.

However, gerunds commonly follow the complete phrasal verb:

He gave up smoking.

Hand In

Meaning: submit

Hand in your assignment.

or:

Hand your assignment in.

With pronoun:

Hand it in.

Look Up

Meaning:

• search for information
• visit/contact after a long time in some contexts

Look up the word in a dictionary.

or:

Look the word up.

With pronoun:

Look it up.

Pick Up

Meaning:

• lift
• collect
• learn informally
• improve

Pick up the book.

or:

Pick the book up.

With pronoun:

Pick it up.

Another meaning:

She picked up some Spanish while travelling.

Put Away

Meaning: place something in its proper location

Put away your books.

or:

Put your books away.

With pronoun:

Put them away.

Put Off

Meaning: postpone

They put off the meeting.

or:

They put the meeting off.

With pronoun:

They put it off.

Put On

Meaning: wear

Put on your coat.

or:

Put your coat on.

With pronoun:

Put it on.

Take Off

Meaning: remove

Take off your shoes.

or:

Take your shoes off.

With pronoun:

Take them off.

But when take off means an aircraft leaves the ground, it is intransitive:

The plane took off.

There is no object to separate.

Throw Away

Meaning: discard

Throw away the old papers.

or:

Throw the old papers away.

With pronoun:

Throw them away.

Turn Down

Meaning:

• reject
• reduce volume/heat

She turned down the offer.

or:

She turned the offer down.

With pronoun:

She turned it down.

Turn Off

Meaning: switch off

Turn off the fan.

Turn the fan off.

Turn it off.

Turn On

Meaning: activate

Turn on the light.

Turn the light on.

Turn it on.

Separable Phrasal Verbs Table

Important Separable Rule

With a noun:

Turn off the television.

or:

Turn the television off.

With a pronoun:

Turn it off. ✔

Not:

Turn off it. ✘

This rule applies to many, but not every, separable phrasal verb.

Inseparable Phrasal Verbs

An inseparable phrasal verb does not normally allow the object to be placed between the verb and its particle or preposition.

Example:

She looks after her mother.

Not:

She looks her mother after. ✘

Even with a pronoun:

She looks after her.

Not:

She looks her after. ✘

Call On

Meaning:

• visit
• formally request someone to speak or act

I called on my teacher yesterday.

The chairman called on him to speak.

Not:

I called my teacher on when this meaning is intended.

Come Across

Meaning: find or meet unexpectedly

I came across an old photograph.

With pronoun:

I came across it.

Not:

I came it across. ✘

Come Across as

Meaning: appear or seem to others

He comes across as confident.

Come By

Meaning: obtain, often with difficulty

Reliable information is difficult to come by.

Come Into

Meaning: inherit or receive

She came into a large fortune.

Deal With

Meaning: handle

She dealt with the problem efficiently.

With pronoun:

She dealt with it.

Get Along With

Meaning: have a good relationship with

She gets along with her colleagues.

Get Away With

Meaning: escape punishment for something

He thought he could get away with cheating.

Get Over

Meaning:

• recover from
• overcome

She soon got over her illness.

He found it difficult to get over the disappointment.

Go Through

Meaning:

• experience
• examine carefully

The family went through a difficult period.

Please go through the report carefully.

Look After

Meaning: take care of

She looks after her parents.

Look For

Meaning: search for

I am looking for my glasses.

Look Into

Meaning: investigate

The police are looking into the complaint.

Look Forward To

Meaning: await something with pleasure

I look forward to meeting you.

Note:

Here to is a preposition, so it is followed by:

• noun
• pronoun
• gerund

Correct:

I look forward to meeting you.

Incorrect:

I look forward to meet you. ✘

Look Up To

Meaning: admire

The child looks up to his father.

Run Across

Meaning: encounter unexpectedly

I ran across an old friend yesterday.

Run Into

Meaning:

• meet unexpectedly
• collide with
• encounter a difficulty

I ran into my former teacher at the market.

The car ran into a wall.

The project ran into financial difficulties.

Run Out Of

Meaning: have no more of something

We have run out of milk.

Not:

We have run milk out of. ✘

Stand By

Meaning:

• support
• remain ready

Her family stood by her during the crisis.

Take After

Meaning: resemble an older relative

She takes after her mother.

Not:

She takes her mother after. ✘

Inseparable Phrasal Verbs Table

Three-Word Phrasal Verbs

Many three-word combinations are inseparable.

Examples:

look forward to

put up with

get away with

run out of

come up with

get along with

look down on

look up to

The object normally follows the complete expression.

Correct:

I cannot put up with this noise.

Not:

I cannot put this noise up with. ✘

Frequently Tested Phrasal Verbs

The following phrasal verbs are especially useful for competitive examinations.

Ask For

Meaning: request

He asked for permission to leave early.

Back Out

Meaning: withdraw from an agreement or commitment

He backed out of the deal at the last moment.

Bear With

Meaning: be patient with

Please bear with me for a few minutes.

Blow Up

Meaning:

• explode
• destroy by explosion
• become suddenly angry, informally
• enlarge an image

The device blew up unexpectedly.

The photograph was blown up for display.

Break Down

Meaning:

• stop functioning
• collapse emotionally
• analyse into parts

The bus broke down halfway through the journey.

Break Into

Meaning: enter by force, usually illegally

Thieves broke into the house last night.

Break Out

Meaning: begin suddenly

A fire broke out in the building.

Break Up

Meaning:

• end
• disperse
• separate

The meeting broke up at five.

Bring About

Meaning: cause something to happen

The reforms brought about major changes.

Bring Up

Meaning:

• mention
• raise a child

He brought up the issue during the meeting.

Call For

Meaning:

• require
• demand

The situation calls for immediate action.

Call Off

Meaning: cancel

The match was called off because of rain.

Call On

Meaning:

• visit
• request someone formally

The chairperson called on the minister to respond.

Carry On

Meaning: continue

Carry on with your work.

Carry Out

Meaning: perform or execute

The government carried out a survey.

Catch Up With

Meaning: reach the same level or position as someone

He studied hard to catch up with the rest of the class.

Come Across

Meaning: encounter unexpectedly

I came across an interesting article yesterday.

Come Around

Meaning:

• regain consciousness
• change one’s opinion
• visit informally, depending on context

He eventually came around to our point of view.

Come Out

Meaning:

• be published
• become known
• emerge

The final results came out yesterday.

Come Up With

Meaning: produce an idea, solution, or plan

The team came up with a practical solution.

Cut Down On

Meaning: reduce consumption

You should cut down on unnecessary expenses.

Compare:

cut down → reduce/fell

cut down on → consume or use less

Do Away With

Meaning: abolish or remove

The organisation decided to do away with the outdated rule.

Do Without

Meaning: manage without something

We cannot do without clean drinking water.

Drop Out

Meaning: leave a course or activity before completion

He dropped out of college.

Fall Apart

Meaning:

• break into pieces
• lose organisation or emotional control

The old chair is falling apart.

Fall Behind

Meaning: fail to keep up

She fell behind in her studies after a long absence.

Fall Through

Meaning: fail to happen

The agreement fell through at the last moment.

Figure Out

Meaning: understand or solve

I could not figure out the answer.

Get Across

Meaning: communicate successfully

The teacher used diagrams to get the idea across.

Get Along With

Meaning: have a friendly relationship with

She gets along well with her colleagues.

Get Away

Meaning: escape

The thief managed to get away.

Get Away With

Meaning: escape punishment

Nobody should be allowed to get away with fraud.

Get By

Meaning: manage with difficulty

The family managed to get by on a small income.

Get Over

Meaning: recover from

She quickly got over the illness.

Give Away

Meaning:

• reveal
• distribute
• donate

His nervous expression gave him away.

Give In

Meaning: surrender

The protesters refused to give in.

Give Up

Meaning: stop or surrender

He gave up smoking.

Go Against

Meaning: oppose or contradict

The decision goes against established rules.

Go Ahead

Meaning: proceed

The committee decided to go ahead with the proposal.

Go Back On

Meaning: fail to keep a promise or agreement

He went back on his promise.

Go Through

Meaning:

• experience
• examine
• use up in some contexts

She went through many difficulties.

I went through the report carefully.

Hand Over

Meaning: transfer possession or control

The officer handed over the documents.

or:

The officer handed the documents over.

Hold Back

Meaning:

• restrain
• prevent progress
• withhold

Fear should not hold you back.

Hold On

Meaning: wait

Please hold on for a moment.

Keep Away From

Meaning: avoid going near

Keep away from the damaged building.

Keep Up With

Meaning: remain at the same level or pace

Students must keep up with current affairs.

Knock Down

Meaning:

• hit and cause to fall
• demolish

The old structure was knocked down.

Leave Out

Meaning: omit

Do not leave out any important information.

Let Down

Meaning: disappoint

Do not let your team down.

Look After

Meaning: take care of

She looks after her grandmother.

Look Down On

Meaning: consider inferior

Never look down on someone because of their background.

Look For

Meaning: search

They are looking for a solution.

Look Into

Meaning: investigate

The authority promised to look into the complaint.

Look Out

Meaning: be careful

Look out! A vehicle is coming.

Look Over

Meaning: examine

Please look over the report before submitting it.

Look Up

Meaning: search for information

Look up the word in a dictionary.

Look Up To

Meaning: admire

She has always looked up to her elder sister.

Make Out

Meaning:

• understand
• distinguish
• claim or represent

I could not make out what he was saying.

Make Up

Meaning:

• invent
• reconcile
• constitute
• compensate for

He made up an excuse.

The two friends quarrelled but later made up.

Women make up a large proportion of the workforce.

Pass Away

Meaning: die

The writer passed away at the age of eighty.

Pass Off

Meaning:

• take place
• falsely represent something

The event passed off peacefully.

He tried to pass off the copy as an original.

Pick Out

Meaning: select or identify

She picked out the best answer.

Pick Up

Meaning:

• lift
• collect
• learn
• improve

Please pick up the book.

I will pick you up at the station.

She picked up French while living abroad.

Business has started to pick up.

Point Out

Meaning: draw attention to

The teacher pointed out the mistake.

Put Away

Meaning: store in the proper place

Put away your books after studying.

Put Off

Meaning:

• postpone
• discourage or cause dislike

The meeting was put off until Monday.

His rude behaviour put me off.

Put On

Meaning:

• wear
• switch on in some varieties/contexts
• organise or stage

Put on your coat.

The school put on a cultural programme.

Put Out

Meaning:

• extinguish
• inconvenience
• publish/issue in some contexts

Please put out the fire.

Put Up

Meaning:

• erect
• display
• provide accommodation

They put up a temporary shelter.

The notice was put up on the board.

Put Up With

Meaning: tolerate

I cannot put up with this noise.

Run Across

Meaning: encounter unexpectedly

I ran across an old colleague yesterday.

Run Into

Meaning:

• meet unexpectedly
• collide
• encounter difficulty

We ran into several problems.

Run Out

Meaning: become exhausted

Time is running out.

Run Out Of

Meaning: have none left

We have run out of fuel.

Compare:

The fuel ran out.

We ran out of fuel.

Set Aside

Meaning:

• reserve
• disregard temporarily

The government set aside funds for disaster relief.

Set Up

Meaning:

• establish
• arrange
• install

They set up a new committee.

Stand For

Meaning:

• represent
• tolerate, usually in negatives

UN stands for United Nations.

I will not stand for such behaviour.

Stand By

Meaning: support

His friends stood by him during difficult times.

Take After

Meaning: resemble a relative

He takes after his father.

Take Back

Meaning:

• return something
• withdraw words or statements

I take back what I said.

Take In

Meaning:

• understand
• deceive
• provide accommodation
• absorb

The lecture contained too much information to take in at once.

He was taken in by the false advertisement.

Take Over

Meaning: assume control

She took over as manager last month.

Think Over

Meaning: consider carefully

Think over the proposal before making a decision.

Turn Down

Meaning:

• reject
• reduce

She turned down the job offer.

Please turn down the volume.

Turn Into

Meaning: become or transform into

Water turns into ice at low temperatures.

Turn Out

Meaning:

• prove to be
• attend
• produce

The plan turned out to be successful.

Thousands turned out for the event.

Turn Up

Meaning:

• arrive unexpectedly
• increase

He turned up late.

Turn up the volume slightly.

Work Out

Meaning:

• solve
• calculate
• develop successfully
• exercise

We need to work out a solution.

The plan worked out well.

Frequently Tested Phrasal Verbs — Revision Table

Same Verb, Different Particles

A single verb can form several phrasal verbs with completely different meanings.

Consider look:

Consider take:

Consider put:

Consider get:

Transitive and Intransitive Phrasal Verbs

A transitive phrasal verb requires an object.

Example:

She turned down the offer.

Object = the offer

Another:

He looks after his parents.

Object = his parents

An intransitive phrasal verb does not require an object.

Example:

The plane took off.

The car broke down.

The guests showed up.

Some phrasal verbs can be both transitive and intransitive depending on meaning.

Example:

The meeting broke up.

→ intransitive

The police broke up the meeting.

→ transitive

Phrasal Verb vs Ordinary Verb + Preposition

Not every verb followed by a preposition or adverb is necessarily an idiomatic phrasal verb.

Example:

He walked into the room.

Here, into the room mainly indicates direction.

Compare:

He ran into an old friend.

Here, run into means meet unexpectedly and functions idiomatically.

Therefore, meaning is often the best guide.

Phrasal Verbs and Formal English

Many phrasal verbs have more formal single-word equivalents.

Example:

Informal/neutral:

The meeting was put off.

Formal:

The meeting was postponed.

Both are correct. Competitive examinations may ask candidates to replace one with the other.

Common Errors with Phrasal Verbs

Incorrect:

I am looking forward to meet you. ✘

Correct:

I am looking forward to meeting you. ✔

Reason:

to is a preposition in look forward to.

Incorrect:

She looks her younger brother after. ✘

Correct:

She looks after her younger brother. ✔

Reason:

look after is inseparable.

Incorrect:

Turn off it. ✘

Correct:

Turn it off. ✔

Reason:

With a separable phrasal verb, a pronoun object normally comes between the verb and particle.

Incorrect:

He put the noise up with. ✘

Correct:

He put up with the noise. ✔

Reason:

put up with is inseparable.

Incorrect:

The committee will look the matter into. ✘

Correct:

The committee will look into the matter. ✔

Incorrect:

She gave smoking up.

This can be grammatically possible, but the much more natural expression is:

She gave up smoking.

Incorrect:

The plane took off the airport. ✘ if meaning departed by air

Correct:

The plane took off from the airport. ✔

Here take off is intransitive and from the airport provides the place of departure.

Phrasal Verbs with Multiple Meanings

A phrasal verb may have several meanings.

Take off

1. remove

Take off your shoes.

2. aircraft leaves the ground

The plane took off.

3. become successful quickly

Her business took off after the launch.

Pick up

1. lift

Pick up the pen.

2. collect someone

I will pick you up at six.

3. learn informally

He picked up Spanish while travelling.

4. improve

Sales are beginning to pick up.

Turn down

1. reject

She turned down the offer.

2. reduce

Turn down the television.

Therefore, context must always determine the intended meaning.

Quick Method for Solving Phrasal-Verb Questions

When a phrasal verb appears in an examination:

• First identify the main verb.
• Observe the particle or preposition.
• Read the complete sentence for context.
• Do not translate the verb and particle separately.
• Determine whether an object is required.
• If there is an object, check whether the phrasal verb is:
  • separable
  • inseparable
• If the object is a pronoun, check its position:
  • turn it off ✔
  • turn off it ✘
• Check whether a following to is:
  • infinitive marker, or
  • preposition.

Example:

look forward to meeting

Here to is a preposition.

Finally, substitute the meaning into the sentence and check whether it is logical.

Key Points to Remember

• A phrasal verb consists of a verb plus one or more particles.
• Its meaning may be completely different from that of the original verb:
  • give → hand something to someone
  • give up → stop
  • give in → surrender
  • give away → reveal/donate
• Verb + preposition combinations include:
  • look after
  • depend on
  • deal with
  • listen to
  • refer to
• Verb + adverb combinations include:
  • give up
  • break down
  • take off
  • turn up
  • carry on
• Some phrasal verbs are separable:
  • turn off the light
  • turn the light off
  • turn it off
• With a pronoun object:
  • pick it up
  • put it off
  • turn it down
• Some are inseparable:
  • look after him
  • look into it
  • run into him
  • take after her
• Do not write:
  • look him after ✘
  • run him into ✘ when meaning meet unexpectedly
  • put the noise up with ✘
• Three-word phrasal verbs are commonly inseparable:
  • put up with
  • look forward to
  • get away with
  • run out of
  • come up with
• Remember:
  • look after → take care of
  • look for → search
  • look into → investigate
  • look up to → admire
  • look down on → consider inferior
• Remember:
  • call off → cancel
  • carry out → perform
  • give up → stop
  • put off → postpone
  • turn down → reject
  • set up → establish
  • do away with → abolish
  • put up with → tolerate
• Remember:
  • run out → supply becomes exhausted
  • run out of → have none left

Example:

Our fuel ran out.

We ran out of fuel.

• Remember:
  • emphasis on context is essential, because one phrasal verb can have several meanings.

The most effective method for learning phrasal verbs is to study them in verb families—such as look, take, put, get, give, break, bring, come, go, and turn—and then practise them in complete sentences. Memorising only the particle is rarely useful; learning meaning + structure + example + separability makes phrasal verbs much easier to recall and use accurately in competitive examinations.