Introduction
Why do native speakers use "Pick up" instead of "collect" or "Give up" instead of "stop"? These are known as phrasal verbs. They are simply verbs combined with particles (e.g., up, down, in, out). If you want to sound natural and understand movies or everyday conversations, you must master these 20 essential phrasal verbs.
Why do Phrasal Verbs Matter?
Using "regular" verbs such as investigate or extinguish is acceptable, but in everyday life, people prefer "look into" and "put out." Mastering these will help you bridge the gap between "textbook English" and "real-world English."
| Phrasal Verb | Simple Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Bring up | To mention a topic | Don't bring up politics at dinner. |
| Call off | To cancel | They had to call off the meeting. |
| Carry on | To continue | Please carry on with your story. |
| Check out | To examine/look at | Check out this new website! |
| Come across | To find by chance | I came across an old photo today. |
| Fill out | To complete a form | Please fill out this application. |
| Find out | To discover | I need to find out the truth. |
| Get along | To have a good relationship | Do you get along with your boss? |
| Give up | To stop trying | Never give up on your goals. |
| Go on | To happen / continue | What is going on here? |
| Look after | To take care of | Can you look after the kids? |
| Look for | To search for | I'm looking for my keys. |
| Make up | To invent (a story/excuse) | He made up a lie about being late. |
| Pick up | To collect someone/something | I'll pick you up at 8 PM. |
| Put off | To postpone / delay | Don't put off your homework. |
| Run out of | To have none left | We ran out of milk this morning. |
| Set up | To arrange / organize | Let's set up a meeting for Monday. |
| Take off | To leave the ground (plane) | The plane will take off shortly. |
| Turn up | To arrive / appear | She didn't turn up for the party. |
| Work out | To exercise / solve a problem | I work out at the gym every day. |
How to Practice?
The best way to remember these is to use them! Select 3 phrasal verbs from the list and try to write 3 sentences about your life in the comments section below.
