2016-04-04
Greetings, my dear readers.
Have you ever watched a movie or ? Or maybe you had to listen to natural, rather than academic, English speech? If the answers to these questions are positive, then you should definitely have noticed that native speakers use phrasal verbs in almost 80% of their sentences. Therefore, today we have a lot and important topics on the topic of the day:
- I want to tell you what it is - a phrasal verb,
- I will share with you my top 20 “The most popular phrasal verbs in the English language”,
- I’ll also give you a couple of secrets on how to remember them the fastest.
Ready? Then go ahead!
By the way, after studying, you can continue to get acquainted with them further:
What is a phrasal verb?
I would even say this is a phenomenon when a verb, together with a certain preposition, acquires a certain meaning. Let's look at an example.
What are you looking for ? - What you looking for?
Do you still look after you grandmother? - Are you still looking after for your grandmother?
In this way, by changing the preposition after the verb, you can radically change the meaning of the entire word and even a sentence.
What is extremely important is not to confuse phrasal verbs with dependent prepositions. The latter are always paired with a certain word (for example, listen to smth- listen to something) and if you change the preposition, the phrase will simply be incorrect. But if you change the preposition in a phrasal verb, you can get the correct, but completely different meaning.
I think you get the idea, and now my table is a list of the most common verbs with translation and examples for better understanding and memorization.
Top 20 most popular phrasal verbs and examples of their use
- Go on - continue.
I suddenly stopped talking.
- Go on , - she said.
Suddenly I stopped talking.
-Continue, - she said.
- Pick up - pick up.
The telephone was ringing, but I couldn’t pick it up. - The phone was ringing, but I couldn't raise phone.
- Get up - get up.
Get up , brush your teeth and hair. I almost have finished preparing the breakfast.- Get up, brush your teeth and comb your hair. I'm almost finished cooking breakfast.
- Turn on\off - turn on/off.
Turn on the light, please, and turn off the radio. - Please, turn it on light and turn off radio.
- Turn around - turn around.
You look amazing in this dress. Turn around one more time. - You look great in this dress. Turn around again.
- Hold on - hold, wait.
Hold on a minute, please. I need to check schedule. -Wait one minute, please. I need to check the schedule.
- Give up - give up.
Never give up if you don’t have faith in you success at the moment. - Never Not give up, even if you don’t believe in your success at the moment.
- Carry on - continue.
Whatever happens - just carry on ! - No matter what happens - continue.
- Come on - come on, go ahead!
Come on , guys! You can win! -Forward, Guys! You can win!
- Call off - cancel.
We were about to go for a meeting when it was suddenly called off. - We were about to go to the meeting when he suddenly canceled.
- Break down - break down.
I can't meet you. My car has broken down recently. - I can't meet you. My car recently broke.
- Bring up - to educate.
It costs a lot to bring up a child nowadays. - Now grow child is very expensive.
- Find out - find out.
What if he finds out? - What if he finds out?
- Walk away - to leave.
If you don't love me - just walk away. - If you don't love me - just leave.
- Look for - to search.
What are you looking for? - What you looking for?
- Stand up - get up.
When the teacher enters the classroom - stand up. - When the teacher enters the classroom - stand up.
- Sit down - sit down.
When the teacher asks you to sit down- do it. - When the teacher asks you sit down- sit down.
- Run away - run away
How many times did I want to run away from all my problems? - How many times have I wanted run away from all my problems?
- Come in - to enter.
Come in! Mother almost has finished serving the table. -Come in. Mom has almost finished setting the table.
- Try on - try on.
This dress matches your eyes. You should try it on . - This dress matches the color of your eyes. You need him try on.
How to quickly and easily learn phrasal verbs?
Oh, there is no universal answer to this question. But from my own experience, as well as many years of experience working with my students, I can say that learning basic phrasal verbs is much easier than you think. Here are some tips and methods for remembering:
- Divide them into groups.
According to any principle convenient for you: by the main word, by preposition, by topic, or simply by quantity - as long as it is convenient for you to remember. The point is that you start to master small groups of phrases.
- Make mental analogies.
At one time phrasal verb look for - search, - I remember it because it is pronounced like the Russian word “lupa”. And to this day, a picture of a magnifying glass pops up in my head every now and then.
Draw analogies and associations, build your visual system that will help you quickly and preferably.
- Practice.
A lot of practice never hurt anyone. , listen to natural English speech, fiction - you yourself will not notice how you will begin to use phrasal verbs more and more.
Well, if you're tired, then here's what I'll tell you:
« Calm down and carry on - relax and continue!”
But if you still feel that you need support in learning the language, subscribe to my blog newsletter, where I regularly share important and useful information.
For now I have everything.
In contact with
Phrasal verbs are expressions that usually consist of 2-3 words.
They make speech bright and varied, which is why they are constantly used in spoken English.
You've probably met them if you watched TV series in English, listened to songs or read books.
However, despite their popularity in use, they cause many difficulties. After all, one small word completely changes the meaning of the expression.
In addition, when using them there are certain grammatical features. We will talk about them in this article.
What are phrasal verbs in English?
Phrasal verbs is a phrase consisting of several words. Such expressions resemble small phrases, hence the name “phrasal verbs.”
Here is an example of such verbs:
go on - continue doing something
go out - go out, spend time outside the home
As you can see, the meaning of phrasal verbs changes depending on the prepositions used. And guessing the meaning of such verbs is very difficult, and sometimes impossible.
That's why they cause so many difficulties when studying.
To make it easier for you to “recognize” phrasal verbs, let’s see what they are.
Attention: Can't remember English words? Find out in Moscow how to learn words correctly so as not to forget them.
3 types of phrasal verbs in English
All phrasal verbs can be grammatically divided into 3 types:
1. Action (verb) + preposition
Prepositions are very often used in such combinations:
- on - on
- in - in
- out - from
- off - from
- by - to
- for - for
For example:
Check in - register (at the hotel)
Call off - cancel
Look for - search
Try on - try on (clothes)
2. Action (verb) + attribute (adverb)
An adverb is a word that denotes a characteristic and answers the question “how.”
The following adverbs are most often used in such combinations:
- across - across, through
- down - down
- up - up
- around - around
- against - against
- back - back
- ahead - forward
- forward - forward
For example:
Walk around - walk, wander around
Write down - write down, put in writing
Come across - come across, accidentally meet
Look ahead - look into the future, provide
3. Action + sign + preposition
In this case, the phrasal verb consists of 3 words.
For example:
Look forward to - look forward to (with pleasure)
Cut down on - to reduce something
Get along with - get along, get along with someone
Keep away from - keep away from
As you probably noticed, sometimes you can trace the logic of the formation of a phrasal verb.
For example:
look - look
for - for
By combining these words we get look for - “to search” (look for).
However, this is not always possible. Therefore, it is better to clarify the translation and meaning of the phrasal verb.
In addition, the same prepositions/adverbs give different meanings to different verbs.
For example:
Get up - get up, wake up
Give up - give up, refuse; leave, quit
Make up - make up; compose
In addition to types, phrasal verbs can be divided into transitive and intransitive. Let's look at what this means.
Transitive and intransitive phrasal verbs in English
Also, all phrasal verbs can be divided into transitive and intransitive.
Intransitive phrasal verbs is an expression that is complete in itself. Such phrasal verbs do not require an object.
For example:
This old car breaksdown all the time.
This old car breaks down all the time.
They usually get up early.
They usually get up early.
He tried to calmdown.
He tried to calm down.
Transitive phrasal verbs
Transitive phrasal verbs- this is an expression that requires addition, clarification (what exactly, whom exactly, with whom exactly).
For example:
He gets along with his sister.
He gets along with (who exactly?) his sister.
As you can see, we cannot use this verb without such a qualification. Then the sentence will be incomplete.
Transitive verbs can be shared and non-shared.
- Non-separable - when the clarification comes after the entire expression.
For example:
He looked for the key.
He was looking for the keys.
You should give up smoking.
You should quit smoking.
- Separable - when the qualifier breaks the phrasal verb and comes in the middle
For example:
He took his coat off.
He took off his coat.
He threw the garbage away.
He threw out the trash.
- Simultaneously separable and indivisible
Sometimes a phrasal verb can be either separable or non-separable. Both options will be correct.
For example:
I put my sweater on.
I put on a sweater.
I puton my sweater
I put on a sweater.
You can always check whether a phrasal verb is separable or not in the dictionary.
And now, I want to give you a list of frequently used phrasal verbs.
List of phrasal verbs in English
Let's look at the table of popular phrasal verbs.
Phrasal verb | Translation |
ask for | ask, ask, demand |
be out | be absent (not be at home, in place) |
break down | break down, stop working |
clean up | clean, tidy up, put in order |
check in | check in (at the hotel) |
check out | check out, check out (from the hotel) |
call back | call back |
calm down | calm down |
come back | come back |
come in | enter |
come on | Come on!, Let's go!, Drop it! |
cut off | cut off, interrupt, stop, end |
figure out | find out, understand, understand |
fill in | fill out (form, questionnaire) |
find out | find out, find out |
get along | get along, be on good terms |
get together | meet |
get up | to get up from bed |
give up | give up, give up, give up |
go back | come back |
go on | continue, happen |
go away | leave, leave |
grow up | grow up, become an adult |
hang up | hang up the phone, disconnect |
hold on | wait on the phone line, do not disconnect |
keep on | continue |
look after | look after, look after, look after |
look for | search |
look forward | to look forward to, to look forward to, to look forward to |
look up | search (in a book, dictionary) |
make up | compose, invent, |
pay back | return the money (pay off), take revenge (repay) |
pay off | pay off the debt in full |
pick up | pick up, drive in (come in) |
put away | clean up, hide, get rid of |
put on | put on clothes |
put up with | endure, put up |
sign up | sign up, apply (for a job) |
sit down | sit down |
stand up | stand up |
switchon | turn on |
switchoff | switch off |
take away/off | remove, take away, take away, take away, remove, take off |
talk over | discuss |
think over | think out |
try on | try on (clothes) |
try out | try, test, check |
turn down | reduce (sound, light) |
turn off | turn off (radio), extinguish (lights), turn off (engine) |
turn on | turn on (radio), put into action |
turn up | appear, come, arrive, intensify (sound) |
use up | completely use up, use up, deplete, wear out |
wake up | wake up, wake up, stay awake |
work off | to work off, to get rid of, to be freed |
write down | write down (on paper) |
So, we have looked at what phrasal verbs are and what they are like. Now the most difficult thing remains - to remember phrasal verbs and use them in your speech.
In it you will find instructions and tips on the easiest way to remember phrasal verbs.
Reinforcement task
Translate the following sentences into English. Leave your answers in the comments below the article.
1. I'm looking for my phone.
2. You need to calm down.
3. Try on this dress.
4. They are looking forward to this trip.
5. He quit smoking.
Once again, our educational material is devoted to English verbs, which, it seems, we can talk about endlessly. And today our goal is to study the most common phrasal verbs of the English language. To do this, first consider what they are and find out how and where they should be used. After which we will begin to study the list of the most common expressions, i.e. Let's get acquainted with the top 100 phrasal verbs of the English language and the Russian translation of each expression.
What are phrasal verbs?
Everyone is accustomed to the fact that a verb is an independent part of speech with a specific meaning. However, in the English language there are verbs that form stable connections with adverbs and prepositions, as a result of which both the meaning of these words and the context of the entire sentence radically change.
Please note that the meaning of a phrase is not a generalization of the individual meanings of the verb itself and the preposition/adverb, but a completely independent concept. Who, when and why decided that such a link is responsible for describing these actions is a mystery. Therefore, English phrasal verbs, with their uniqueness and illogicality, remain an eternal byword for all language learners.
Before moving on to the list of the most common verb phrases, it is necessary to mention one important grammatical point. The fact is that phrasal verbs in English are divided into transitive (requiring an addition after them) and intransitive. Accordingly, the question arises - how to use an object with a preposition: before it or after it. Unfortunately, there is no single rule for all cases, so we can only outline general recommendations and observations:
- The object expressed by a pronoun always separates the verb.
- A noun in the role of an object can destroy the connection between words, but it does not always do this.
- If a sentence has two objects, the smaller one breaks the phrasal verb.
- The same combination of words can have different meanings, depending on which the connection is broken or not broken.
Having taken this information into account, we set off to study the most popular and used phrasal verbs in the English language.
The most common phrasal verbs in English
Stable verb combinations are very common in the colloquial speech of the British and Americans, it’s not for nothing that there are about several thousand of them! It is, of course, impossible to learn everything, so we will limit ourselves to the 100 most commonly used phrasal verbs. For ease of study, we will divide the material into two tables.
100 most important phrasal verbs in English | |
Stable combination | Values |
be back | come back, come back |
be out | be absent, go out |
be over | end, stay |
break down | break, deteriorate, fail |
break out | break out, spill out, burst into flames |
call back | call back, call back, |
call off | cancel, postpone, recall |
calm down | calm down, calm down |
carry on | continue |
check in | register, sign up |
check out | check, evaluate |
come across | meet, bump into |
come along | go together, accompany |
come on | Let's go!, Come on!, arise, come |
count on | count on someone, something |
find out | find out, find out, reveal |
fool around | have fun, fool around |
get up | get up, rise, climb |
give up | give up, give up, give in |
go off | go, leave, leave |
go out | go out, go out, be in society |
hold on | Hold on! hold on, cling |
keep on | continue, keep up |
knock down | knock down, knock down, demolish |
let out | release, liberate, let out |
look after | look after, look after, look after |
look for | search, look for |
look out | Be careful! look out, look out |
make up | compose, invent, put up, make up |
pay off | pay off, pay off, pay off in full |
pick up | pick up, pick up, pick up, meet, |
put a way | put aside, put away, hide |
put down | put down, put down, put down, put down |
put on | put on, add, pretend, increase |
set up | install, place, place, put forward |
shoot out | pop out, fly out, stick out, stick out |
shut down | cover, close, lower |
sign up | apply/hire for a job, enroll |
sit down | sit down, take a seat, take a seat |
stand up | stand up, stand, defend, withstand, hold out |
switch off/on | turn off/on |
take off | remove, remove, remove, take away |
take over | take over, replace, take over |
turn away | turn away, turn away, reject |
turn on/off | turn on/off |
turn up | turn up, bend over, rise up |
walk around | wander, stroll |
watch out | Be careful!, beware |
wind up | bring, turn out, complete |
work out | develop, compose, achieve, train |
So, we've met the first half of the list. And if we take into account the examples given at the beginning of the material, then in total we studied 55 phrasal verbs of the English language. There are less than half of the phrases left before reaching the first hundred!
Stable combination | Values |
back off | step back, back down, retreat |
be off | leave, end, miscalculate |
burst out | flare up, exclaim |
catch up | catch up, catch up, catch up |
come about | happen, happen |
come in | come, enter |
come off | come off, fall out, jump out |
come up with | find, develop, invent |
end up | eventually |
figure out | calculate, understand |
fill in | fill in, close up, enter |
follow through | to finish |
get along | live, succeed, advance |
get in/out | enter/exit, get into the car |
get together | get together, meet |
go after | achieve |
go away | leave, run away |
hand in | hand over, serve |
hand out | give away, spend |
keep away | beware, stay away |
let down | let down, weaken, disappoint |
lie down | lie down, swallow the insult |
play around | have fun, have fun |
point out | indicate |
pull on | pull up (stockings) |
put in | put in, insert |
put up | push out, raise |
put up with | reconcile, endure, |
run off | run away, get away |
set down | set aside, drop off |
settle down | calm down, settle down |
show off | to show off, to show off |
shut up | close, shut up |
sit back | lean back |
stand by | be ready to support, insure |
stick with/to | adhere, comply |
take away | pick up, remove |
take on | get to work, get down to business |
take out | take out, take out |
think over | ponder |
think up | compose, invent |
throw up | throw, throw |
turn back | turn around, turn back |
turn down | turn down, turn down |
wake up | wake up, wake up |
Phrasal verbs in English
What is a phrasal verb?
A phrasal verb in English is a combination of two or three words: a verb and an adverb, a verb and a preposition, or a verb, an adverb and a preposition.
Most of them are formed from a small set of verbs (such as get, go, come, put, set) and a small number of adverbs and prepositions (such as away, out, off, up, in).
Sometimes the meaning of a phrasal verb can be easily guessed (for example, sit down - sit down, look for - search). But in most cases its meaning is very different from the meaning of the verb with which it is formed. For example, the verb hold up can mean “to hold up” or “to try to rob someone,” but obviously has nothing to do with actually “holding” something.
What is the difference between phrasal verbs?
In a sense, we can say that phrasal verbs are the same as ordinary words, and they need to be treated as such. However, while learning English using them, some problems related to grammar may arise.
There are five types of phrasal verbs.
1. Intransitive. Without add-on:
You're driving too fast - you ought to slow down.
2. Transitive verb, whose complement can be in two positions - after the verb or after the particle:
I think I'll put my jacket on.
I think I'll put on my jacket. However, if the object is a pronoun, it must come between the verb and the particle: I think I’ll put it on.
WRONG: I think I'll put on it.
3. Transitive verb, whose object must appear between the verb and the particle:
Its high-quality designs sets the company apart from its rivals.
4. Transitive verb, whose object must come after the particle:
The baby takes after his mother.
Why do you put up with the way he treats you?
5. A verb with two objects - one after the verb, the second after the particle:
They put their success down to good planning.
Degree of formality
Phrasal verbs are less formal and are found in informal texts and spoken English.
Using informal phrasal verbs in situations that require formality (such as a business letter) may sound inappropriate and incorrect.
How not to learn phrasal verbs
Often students talk about the need to study phrasal verbs while sighing and shaking their heads. They often find this area of the English language extremely difficult and tedious. Why? Perhaps because teaching phrasal verbs has always been difficult and tedious for the teacher, and therefore tedious for the student.
In any case, you should try to avoid the following ways of learning phrasal verbs:
Through long lists (in general, a simple list of words does not engage the imagination and is a poor method for learning any vocabulary item);
By focusing solely on the verb (for example, “phrasal verbs with GET”). This usually results in a list of verbs that don't belong in any group and are just confusing.
Phrasal nouns
The idea of phrasal verbs has been expanded into the concept of phrasal nouns, where the combination of a verb and a particle means not an action, but an object. The particle can appear either before or after the verb.
input: You helped us a lot - we value your input.
standby: The projector is on standby - presentation starts in a minute.
onset: The flight was delayed due to the onset of storm.
back-up: I regularly make a backup of my computer hard drive.
If the particle comes first, then the phrasal noun is never written with a hyphen. If it’s on the second, then sometimes a hyphen is placed between two parts of a phrasal noun.
When learning English, many people have difficulty mastering phrasal verbs. The fact is that they can quickly and unexpectedly change their values and there are a lot of them. Phrasal verbs are especially common in spoken English. Let's look into this interesting topic.
Types of phrasal verbs
Phrasal verbs are an almost countless group of verbs that, when combined with various prepositions or short adverbs, can take on a variety of new meanings. In a strict sense, there are three types of phrasal verbs:
Directly phrasal verbs formed with the help of adverbs:
- give up- give up, stop
- find out- find out, find out
- take off- take off, leave quickly
Prepositional verbs:
- go on- continue
- look after- take care, look after
- come across- stumble upon, find by chance
Phrasal-prepositional verbs containing both an adverb and a preposition:
- put up with- endure, put up with something
- come up with- invent
- look up to- respect, lead by example
History of phrasal verbs
The origins of phrasal verbs can be traced back to the earliest Old English written sources. The adverbs and prepositions in them were used in a very literal sense and mainly denoted the direction, place or orientation of an object in space. For example:
The man walked out. - The man came out. ( direction)
The man stood by. — The man was standing nearby. ( place)
The man held his hand up. — The man raised his hand up. ( orientation)
In addition, both adverbs and prepositions indicated the relationship between the verb and the object in the sentence:
The woman stood by the house. — The woman was standing near the house. ( place)
The thief climbed out the window. — The thief climbed out of the window. ( direction)
He hung the coat over the fire. — He hung his cloak over the fire. ( spatial orientation)
The number of combinations of verbs with adverbs and prepositions has accumulated over the centuries. Their meanings sometimes changed beyond recognition. To illustrate the development of meanings, consider below the nuances that the adverb “out” has acquired over several centuries.
OUT: adventures of one adverb
In the 9th century, it had only a literal meaning - “outward movement”, for example, walk out (go out) and ride out (leave out). Around the 14th century, the meaning “to make a sound” was added, for example, cry out (shout out) and call out (call, appeal). In the 15th century, the meaning “to cease to exist” appeared - die out (die out) and burn out (burn out, burn out).
By the 16th century, the meaning of “to distribute equally” appeared, as in pass out (distribute) and parcel out (distribute). And by the 19th century, the meaning “to free from contents” was added, for example, clean out (clean out) and rinse out (wash). Additionally, in modern colloquial English, the verb pass out means “to pass out, to pass out.”
As you may have noticed, most of the verbs in the above example are translated by a Russian verb with a prefix - in this case, the prefixes “you-” and “raz-”, which, like “out,” have the basic meaning of moving outward.
Connecting your intuition
As in the Russian language, the prefix serves as a powerful tool for forming various verbs from the same root ( walk, You walk, at walk, With walk, at walk etc.), so in English the same role is played by prepositions and adverbs.
The meanings of some phrasal verbs are intuitive, as they are easily derived from their constituent elements: come back, go away, stand up, and so on. Others wear, and their meanings just need to be remembered separately, for example: take after - take an example, be like someone.
In combination with various elements, the main verb can acquire a variety of meanings, which at first glance have little connection with each other in meaning. For example:
look- look
look for- search
look after- take care
look up to- respect
Synonyms of phrasal verbs
Phrasal verbs can be found in both genres, but still the main area of their use is colloquial speech. In official business and scientific style, it is more common to use verbs of French, Latin or Greek origin. This is not a strict rule, but a stable trend, and it has a long history.
Phrasal verbs arose naturally in English, however, an event occurred that forced the language to develop in two parallel ways. This event was the Norman Conquest of England, which occurred in 1066.
After William the Conqueror invaded the country and seized power, French began to predominate among the upper classes of society, and English was supplanted and became the language of the common people. This situation persisted for a century and a half, until England was freed from French rule in 1204.
During this time, French became the language of educated people, and it was from it that writers borrowed new words to replenish the impoverished vocabulary of English. In addition, many scientists spoke Latin and Ancient Greek, so they turned to these languages, drawing from them terms for new fields of knowledge.
Which, along with the original ones, expressed the nuances of the same concept. For example, the meaning of the word foretell (to predict) can be expressed by the Latin word predict or the Greek prophesy. As a result, while native phrasal verbs naturally developed in popular speech, borrowed words expanded scientific and literary vocabulary.
The English language continues to develop today along these two parallel paths. Therefore, hundreds of English phrasal verbs have French, Latin or Greek synonyms, which have a similar meaning but a more “scientific” sound. Here are just a few of these synonyms:
blow up | explode | explode) | find out | ascertain | clarify, clarify |
give up | surrender | give up | go against | oppose | mind, counteract |
hand in | submit | submit (documents) | leave out | omit | miss (not notice) |
look forward to | anticipate | expect, look forward to |
look up to | admire, respect | admire, respect |
make up | fabricate | dream up | point out | indicate | show |
pull out | extract | extract, pull out |
put off | postpone | put off (for later) |
put out | extinguish | extinguish (fire) | put together | assemble, compose | gather |
speed up | accelerate | accelerate) | stand up for | defend | protect |
Separability of phrasal verbs
Most phrasal verbs are undivided, meaning the preposition or adverb follows immediately after the main clause. You can say:
"She looks after her sister" (“She takes care of her sister”), but you can’t - “She looks her sister after".
However, there are many verbs that can be separated. Phrases "He took off his coat" ("He took off his coat") and "He took his coat off" are equally true.
To figure out which verbs can be separated and which cannot, you need to remember two classifications. First, as we said at the beginning of the article, phrasal verbs form three subcategories: prepositional verbs, phrasal verbs and prepositional-phrasal verbs. Secondly, any verb can be transitive (have a direct object) or intransitive (have no object).
Prepositional verbs are of the form verb + preposition
A preposition is always followed by an object (noun or pronoun), so all prepositional verbs have a direct object. He is looking for his glasses. — He's looking for his glasses.
Prepositional verbs cannot be divided, that is, we cannot put an object between its parts. You can't say "He is looking his glasses for".
Phrasal verbs have the form verb + adverb
Short adverbs are not always easy to distinguish from prepositions. Let's say in the sentence "You can count on them" (“You can count on them”), on is a preposition, and in the sentence “You can go on" (“You may continue”) is an adverb. The grammatical difference is that an adverb does not always require an object. Thus, phrasal verbs can be either transitive or intransitive. For example:
give up- give up (intransitive verb)