Phrasal Verbs — English — 3rd Year Secondary (Literary Stream) — Baccalaureate — Algerian Curriculum

Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs are combinations of a verb + a particle (preposition or adverb) that create a new meaning different from the original verb. They are extremely common in English and essential for natural communication. Phrasal verbs can be transitive (take an object) or intransitive (no object), and separable or inseparable.

Common Phrasal Verbs

• get up: rise from bed — “I get up at 7 AM.”
• wake up: stop sleeping — “She woke up late today.”
• turn on / turn off: start/stop a device — “Turn on the TV.” “Turn off the lights.”
• put on / take off: dress/undress — “Put on your coat.” “Take off your shoes.”
• look for: search — “I’m looking for my keys.”
• find out: discover — “I found out the truth.”
• give up: stop trying — “Never give up on your dreams.”
• come back / go back / return: “Come back soon!” “Go back to work.”
• run out of: have no more — “We’ve run out of sugar.”
• look after: take care of — “She looks after her elderly mother.”
• look forward to: anticipate with pleasure — “I look forward to meeting you.”
• get along with: have a good relationship — “I get along with my colleagues.”
• break down: stop working (machine) — “My car broke down on the highway.”
• come up with: think of (an idea) — “He came up with a brilliant plan.”
• carry out: execute/accomplish — “We carried out the experiment successfully.”
• put up with: tolerate — “I can’t put up with this noise.”

Separable vs Inseparable

• Separable: object can go between verb and particle or after particle. “Turn off the light.” or “Turn the light off.” But with pronouns, object MUST go between: “Turn it off.” (NOT “Turn off it”).
• Inseparable: object must follow the particle. “I ran into an old friend.” (NOT “I ran an old friend into”). “I look after my grandmother.” (NOT “I look my grandmother after”).
• Intransitive (no object needed): “The meeting broke up at 5 PM.” “He showed up late.”

For more grammar, see Phrasal Verbs Practice and Conditionals.

Exercises

1. Replace with a phrasal verb: “I searched for my keys.” “She discontinued her studies.” “We tolerate his behavior.”
2. Separable or inseparable? “Call back → I’ll call you back.” “Get over → He got over the illness.”
3. Complete: “Please turn … the music. It’s too loud.” “I can’t put … with this noise.”