English Phrasal Verbs
Introduction
Phrasal Verbs are one of the most important topics in Competitive English. They are commonly asked in WB Gram Panchayat, SSC, Railway, PSC, Banking, TET, Food SI, WBCS, CDS, NDA, and many other government examinations.
A Phrasal Verb consists of a verb + preposition, verb + adverb, or verb + adverb + preposition. Together, they create a meaning that is often different from the meaning of the original verb.
Learning Phrasal Verbs improves your grammar, vocabulary, speaking skills, writing ability, and reading comprehension.
What are Phrasal Verbs?
A Phrasal Verb is a combination of a main verb with one or more particles (prepositions or adverbs) that functions as a single unit with a special meaning.
Structure
Verb + Adverb
Examples:
- Break down
- Wake up
- Sit down
- Stand up
Verb + Preposition
Examples:
- Look after
- Depend on
- Believe in
- Listen to
Verb + Adverb + Preposition
Examples:
- Put up with
- Get away with
- Look forward to
- Catch up with
Why are Phrasal Verbs Important?
Phrasal Verbs are used frequently in:
- Competitive Exams
- Newspapers
- English Conversations
- Interviews
- Academic Writing
- Reading Comprehension
Strong knowledge of Phrasal Verbs helps improve both accuracy and fluency in English.
Types of Phrasal Verbs
Type 1: Intransitive Phrasal Verbs
These do not require an object.
Examples
Wake up
The baby woke up early.
Sit down
Please sit down.
Break down
The car broke down.
Type 2: Transitive Phrasal Verbs
These require an object.
Examples
Turn off the light.
She turned off the fan.
Look after the child.
He looks after his grandparents.
Give up smoking.
She gave up smoking last year.
Type 3: Separable Phrasal Verbs
The object can come between the verb and the particle.
Examples
Turn off the light.
Turn the light off.
Both are correct.
Take off your shoes.
Take your shoes off.
Type 4: Inseparable Phrasal Verbs
The object must come after the complete phrasal verb.
Examples
Look after the child.
❌ Look the child after.
✔ Look after the child.
Run into an old friend.
❌ Run an old friend into.
✔ Run into an old friend.
Commonly Used Phrasal Verbs
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Break down | Stop working | The bus broke down. |
| Bring up | Raise / Mention | She brought up the issue. |
| Call off | Cancel | The match was called off. |
| Carry on | Continue | Please carry on your work. |
| Find out | Discover | We found out the truth. |
| Get over | Recover | He got over his illness. |
| Give up | Quit | Never give up hope. |
| Look after | Take care of | She looks after her parents. |
| Look for | Search | I am looking for my keys. |
| Look into | Investigate | Police are looking into the case. |
| Pick up | Collect / Learn | She picked up French quickly. |
| Put off | Postpone | The meeting was put off. |
| Put on | Wear | He put on his jacket. |
| Run out of | Have no more | We ran out of water. |
| Set up | Establish | They set up a company. |
| Take off | Remove / Aircraft leaves | The plane took off on time. |
| Turn down | Reject | She turned down the offer. |
| Turn on | Switch on | Turn on the light. |
| Turn off | Switch off | Turn off the fan. |
| Work out | Solve / Exercise | We worked out the problem. |
Difference Between Verb and Phrasal Verb
| Verb | Meaning | Phrasal Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Look | See | Look after | Take care of |
| Look | See | Look into | Investigate |
| Put | Place | Put off | Postpone |
| Put | Place | Put on | Wear |
| Break | Damage | Break down | Stop functioning |
| Give | Offer | Give up | Quit |
| Take | Receive | Take off | Remove / Depart |
Step-by-Step Approach
Step 1
Read the complete sentence.
Step 2
Understand the context.
Step 3
Identify the main verb.
Step 4
Choose the phrasal verb that matches the meaning.
Step 5
Read the completed sentence again.
Important Rules
Rule 1
Never translate word by word.
Learn the complete meaning of the phrasal verb.
Example:
Give = দেওয়া
Give up = ছেড়ে দেওয়া
These meanings are completely different.
Rule 2
Context decides the meaning.
Example:
Take off
can mean:
- Remove clothes
OR
- Aircraft leaves the ground
Rule 3
Many phrasal verbs have multiple meanings.
Always read the entire sentence carefully.
Rule 4
Some phrasal verbs are separable.
Example:
Turn off the TV.
Turn the TV off.
Both are correct.
Rule 5
Some phrasal verbs are inseparable.
Example:
Look after the baby.
Never separate look after.
Memory Tricks
Trick 1
Learn phrasal verbs in groups.
Example:
Look after
Look into
Look for
Look up
Trick 2
Learn with example sentences.
Never memorize meanings alone.
Trick 3
Revise 10 phrasal verbs every day.
Trick 4
Practice previous year MCQs regularly.
Quick Revision
✔ Learn meanings.
✔ Practice examples.
✔ Understand context.
✔ Remember separable and inseparable verbs.
✔ Revise regularly.
70+ Most Important Phrasal Verb Rules & Solving Strategies
Phrasal Verbs are one of the most scoring yet challenging topics in Competitive English. Instead of translating each word separately, you should learn the combined meaning of the verb and its particle (preposition/adverb).
Rule 1: Learn the Complete Meaning
Never translate word by word.
Example
Give = দেওয়া
Give up = ছেড়ে দেওয়া
The meaning changes completely.
Rule 2: Understand the Context
Many phrasal verbs have more than one meaning.
Example
Take off
Meaning 1:
The plane took off at 9 a.m.
(= departed)
Meaning 2:
Please take off your shoes.
(= remove)
Always understand the sentence first.
Rule 3: Identify Whether the Phrasal Verb is Transitive
Some phrasal verbs require an object.
Examples
Look after the child.
Turn on the light.
Give up smoking.
Rule 4: Identify Intransitive Phrasal Verbs
Some do not require any object.
Examples
Wake up
Sit down
Grow up
Break down
Rule 5: Learn Separable Phrasal Verbs
The object may come between the verb and the particle.
Example
Turn off the fan.
Turn the fan off.
Both are correct.
Rule 6: Learn Inseparable Phrasal Verbs
Never separate these.
Example
Look after the baby.
❌ Look the baby after.
✔ Look after the baby.
Rule 7: Learn Phrasal Verbs in Families
Instead of memorizing randomly, group them together.
LOOK Family
Look after
Look at
Look for
Look into
Look up
Look out
Look over
Look back
GET Family
Get up
Get over
Get along
Get away
Get through
Get back
Get across
Get off
TAKE Family
Take off
Take away
Take over
Take after
Take up
Take back
Take down
Take out
PUT Family
Put off
Put on
Put away
Put down
Put up
Put forward
Put out
Put aside
COME Family
Come across
Come back
Come in
Come out
Come over
Come up with
Come along
Come down
Rule 8: Learn Meaning Through Sentences
Instead of:
Put off = Postpone
Learn:
The meeting was put off because of heavy rain.
This improves long-term memory.
Rule 9: Learn Frequently Asked Phrasal Verbs
Most Competitive Exams repeatedly ask these.
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Break down | Stop functioning |
| Bring up | Raise / Mention |
| Call off | Cancel |
| Carry on | Continue |
| Come across | Find accidentally |
| Find out | Discover |
| Get over | Recover |
| Give away | Donate |
| Give up | Quit |
| Hold on | Wait |
| Look after | Take care of |
| Look for | Search |
| Look into | Investigate |
| Pick up | Collect / Learn |
| Put away | Keep in place |
| Put off | Postpone |
| Put on | Wear |
| Run into | Meet unexpectedly |
| Set up | Establish |
| Turn down | Reject |
| Turn on | Switch on |
| Turn off | Switch off |
| Work out | Solve |
Rule 10: Learn Opposite Pairs
| Phrasal Verb | Opposite |
|---|---|
| Turn on | Turn off |
| Put on | Take off |
| Get in | Get out |
| Pick up | Put down |
| Come in | Go out |
| Stand up | Sit down |
| Wake up | Fall asleep |
| Build up | Break down |
Rule 11: Observe the Object Position
Correct
Turn the light off.
Turn off the light.
Wrong
Turn off it.
✔ Turn it off.
With pronouns, the object usually comes between the verb and the particle (for separable phrasal verbs).
Rule 12: Watch for Idiomatic Meanings
Many phrasal verbs have meanings that cannot be guessed.
Example
Break down
NOT
Break + Down
Actual meaning:
Stop working
Rule 13: Practice Context-Based Questions
The same phrasal verb may have different meanings.
Example
He took off his jacket.
↓
Remove
The airplane took off.
↓
Depart
Rule 14: Revise Frequently
Daily Revision Plan
Monday
LOOK Family
Tuesday
GET Family
Wednesday
TAKE Family
Thursday
PUT Family
Friday
COME Family
Saturday
Mixed Revision
Sunday
Mock Test
Rule 15: Eliminate Incorrect Options
If two options seem correct,
choose the one that matches the sentence naturally.
Most Important Phrasal Verbs for Competitive Exams
LOOK
Look after
Look at
Look for
Look into
Look over
Look up
Look out
Look back
GET
Get up
Get over
Get across
Get through
Get back
Get away
Get together
Get off
TAKE
Take off
Take over
Take after
Take away
Take back
Take down
Take up
Take out
PUT
Put on
Put off
Put away
Put up
Put down
Put out
Put aside
Put forward
COME
Come across
Come back
Come in
Come out
Come up
Come up with
Come over
Come down
BREAK
Break down
Break into
Break out
Break up
Break away
GIVE
Give away
Give back
Give in
Give out
Give up
RUN
Run after
Run into
Run out
Run away
Run over
CALL
Call off
Call on
Call up
Call back
Previous Year Trends
Most exams repeatedly ask:
- Give up
- Carry on
- Put off
- Turn down
- Turn up
- Look after
- Look into
- Break down
- Come across
- Get over
- Run out of
- Take off
- Work out
Bengali Memory Tricks
Trick 1
একটি Verb-এর সব Phrasal Verb একসাথে শিখুন।
যেমন:
LOOK
↓
Look after
Look into
Look over
Look up
Trick 2
Meaning মুখস্থ নয়।
Sentence দিয়ে শিখুন।
Trick 3
প্রতিদিন ১০টি Phrasal Verb Revision করুন।
Trick 4
Previous Year Questions Solve করুন।
Trick 5
Context না বুঝে উত্তর দেবেন না।
Common Mistakes Students Make
❌ Word by word translation.
❌ Context না দেখা।
❌ Separable ও Inseparable Phrasal Verb গুলিয়ে ফেলা।
❌ Pronoun-এর ভুল অবস্থান।
❌ একই Phrasal Verb-এর একাধিক Meaning না জানা।
Quick Solving Strategy
Step 1
Read the complete sentence.
↓
Step 2
Understand the context.
↓
Step 3
Identify the main verb.
↓
Step 4
Recall the correct phrasal verb.
↓
Step 5
Eliminate incorrect options.
↓
Step 6
Read the completed sentence again.
Quick Revision Box
✔ Learn meanings in context.
✔ Study phrasal verbs in groups.
✔ Remember separable and inseparable forms.
✔ Practice common exam-oriented phrasal verbs.
✔ Revise regularly with example sentences.
Meaning-Based MCQs
MCQ 1
What is the meaning of Give up?
A. Continue
B. Quit
C. Start
D. Collect
✅ Answer: B. Quit
Explanation: Give up means to stop doing something or quit.
MCQ 2
What is the meaning of Look after?
A. Search
B. Investigate
C. Take care of
D. Ignore
✅ Answer: C. Take care of
MCQ 3
What does Call off mean?
A. Continue
B. Cancel
C. Visit
D. Support
✅ Answer: B. Cancel
MCQ 4
What is the meaning of Carry on?
A. Stop
B. Continue
C. Forget
D. Delay
✅ Answer: B. Continue
MCQ 5
What does Break down mean?
A. Repair
B. Stop functioning
C. Build
D. Improve
✅ Answer: B. Stop functioning
Sentence-Based MCQs
MCQ 6
The meeting has been ______ because of heavy rain.
A. carried on
B. put off
C. looked after
D. taken over
✅ Answer: B. put off
MCQ 7
Please ______ the lights before leaving the room.
A. turn on
B. turn off
C. put on
D. take off
✅ Answer: B. turn off
MCQ 8
She ______ her grandmother after school every day.
A. looks after
B. looks into
C. looks for
D. looks over
✅ Answer: A. looks after
MCQ 9
We finally ______ the correct answer after several attempts.
A. found out
B. gave away
C. put on
D. called off
✅ Answer: A. found out
MCQ 10
Never ______ your dreams.
A. give in
B. give away
C. give up
D. give back
✅ Answer: C. give up
Competitive Exam Pattern MCQs
MCQ 11
The police are ______ the robbery.
A. looking after
B. looking into
C. looking up
D. looking for
✅ Answer: B. looking into
Explanation: Look into means to investigate.
MCQ 12
The airplane ______ at 6:30 a.m.
A. took off
B. put off
C. got over
D. gave away
✅ Answer: A. took off
MCQ 13
He quickly ______ his jacket because it was hot.
A. took off
B. turned down
C. gave up
D. came across
✅ Answer: A. took off
MCQ 14
She ______ an old school friend while shopping.
A. ran out
B. came across
C. looked into
D. called off
✅ Answer: B. came across
MCQ 15
The company was ______ in 2018.
A. called off
B. set up
C. taken off
D. broken down
✅ Answer: B. set up
Previous Year Pattern MCQs
MCQ 16
The doctor advised him to ______ smoking.
A. carry on
B. give up
C. put on
D. take over
✅ Answer: B. give up
MCQ 17
The workers decided to ______ the strike.
A. call off
B. look after
C. put away
D. take back
✅ Answer: A. call off
MCQ 18
We have ______ milk.
A. run after
B. run into
C. run out of
D. run over
✅ Answer: C. run out of
MCQ 19
The teacher asked the students to ______ their books.
A. put away
B. put off
C. put up
D. put over
✅ Answer: A. put away
MCQ 20
Please ______ your shoes before entering the room.
A. put on
B. take off
C. call off
D. work out
✅ Answer: B. take off
Match the Phrasal Verb
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Give up | Quit |
| Look after | Take care of |
| Look into | Investigate |
| Carry on | Continue |
| Call off | Cancel |
| Find out | Discover |
| Turn on | Switch on |
| Turn off | Switch off |
| Set up | Establish |
| Break down | Stop functioning |
One-Word Meaning Practice
MCQ 21
Choose the phrasal verb that means "Investigate."
A. Look after
B. Look into
C. Look up
D. Look out
✅ Answer: B. Look into
MCQ 22
Choose the phrasal verb that means "Recover from illness."
A. Get over
B. Get away
C. Get off
D. Get in
✅ Answer: A. Get over
MCQ 23
Choose the phrasal verb that means "Reject."
A. Turn up
B. Turn down
C. Turn off
D. Turn on
✅ Answer: B. Turn down
MCQ 24
Choose the phrasal verb that means "Postpone."
A. Put away
B. Put on
C. Put off
D. Put out
✅ Answer: C. Put off
MCQ 25
Choose the phrasal verb that means "Continue."
A. Carry on
B. Break down
C. Give away
D. Call off
✅ Answer: A. Carry on
Time-Saving Tricks
✅ Trick 1
Learn phrasal verbs in verb families:
- Look...
- Get...
- Put...
- Take...
- Come...
✅ Trick 2
Always learn meaning with an example sentence.
✅ Trick 3
Do not translate each word separately.
Remember the combined meaning.
✅ Trick 4
Revise 10–15 commonly used phrasal verbs daily.
✅ Trick 5
Solve previous year questions regularly.
Most exams repeat the same phrasal verbs.
Phrasal Verbs Challenge
Choose the correct phrasal verb:
The manager decided to ______ the meeting until next Monday.
A. carry on
B. put off
C. turn on
D. break down
👉 Try solving it yourself before checking the answer in the next section.
Final Practice MCQs
MCQ 26
Choose the correct phrasal verb.
The teacher asked the students to ______ their homework before Monday.
A. hand in
B. break down
C. turn off
D. come across
✅ Answer: A. hand in
Explanation: Hand in means to submit.
MCQ 27
Choose the correct answer.
The old building finally ______ after the earthquake.
A. broke down
B. gave up
C. looked after
D. came across
✅ Answer: A. broke down
MCQ 28
Choose the correct answer.
Please ______ your mobile phone before entering the examination hall.
A. turn on
B. turn off
C. put on
D. take over
✅ Answer: B. turn off
MCQ 29
Choose the correct answer.
The police are trying to ______ the truth.
A. find out
B. carry on
C. call off
D. give away
✅ Answer: A. find out
MCQ 30
Choose the correct answer.
Never ______ hope during difficult times.
A. put on
B. give up
C. turn down
D. come across
✅ Answer: B. give up
MCQ 31
Choose the correct answer.
The train ______ exactly at 8:00 a.m.
A. took off
B. set up
C. broke into
D. got over
✅ Answer: A. took off
MCQ 32
Choose the correct answer.
She ______ her younger brother while her parents were away.
A. looked after
B. looked into
C. looked over
D. looked up
✅ Answer: A. looked after
MCQ 33
Choose the correct answer.
The company decided to ______ a new branch in Kolkata.
A. set up
B. call off
C. give up
D. run into
✅ Answer: A. set up
MCQ 34
Choose the correct answer.
He ______ an interesting article while reading the newspaper.
A. came across
B. called off
C. took over
D. broke down
✅ Answer: A. came across
MCQ 35
Choose the correct answer.
The meeting was ______ due to heavy rainfall.
A. put off
B. carried on
C. turned on
D. looked after
✅ Answer: A. put off
MCQ 36
Choose the correct answer.
She finally ______ her illness after several weeks.
A. got over
B. gave away
C. looked into
D. put up
✅ Answer: A. got over
MCQ 37
Choose the correct answer.
The manager ______ my proposal without any discussion.
A. turned down
B. turned on
C. took off
D. came in
✅ Answer: A. turned down
MCQ 38
Choose the correct answer.
Please ______ your shoes before entering the temple.
A. put on
B. take off
C. give away
D. bring up
✅ Answer: B. take off
MCQ 39
Choose the correct answer.
The children ______ the story with great interest.
A. listened to
B. looked after
C. carried on
D. put away
✅ Answer: A. listened to
MCQ 40
Choose the correct answer.
The teacher asked everyone to ______ the classroom after the class.
A. put away
B. clean up
C. turn down
D. get over
✅ Answer: B. clean up
Common Mistakes Students Make
❌ Mistake 1
Translating each word separately.
✔ Learn the complete meaning of the phrasal verb.
❌ Mistake 2
Ignoring the sentence context.
✔ Many phrasal verbs have multiple meanings.
❌ Mistake 3
Confusing similar phrasal verbs.
Example:
- Look after = Take care of
- Look for = Search
- Look into = Investigate
- Look up = Search for information
❌ Mistake 4
Separating inseparable phrasal verbs.
✔ Example:
Look after the child. ✔
Look the child after. ❌
❌ Mistake 5
Using incorrect object position.
✔ Correct:
Turn the light off.
Turn off the light.
Turn it off.
❌ Turn off it.
❌ Mistake 6
Not revising frequently.
Phrasal Verbs require regular revision because many have similar meanings.
Last-Minute Revision Chart
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Break down | Stop functioning |
| Bring up | Mention / Raise |
| Call off | Cancel |
| Carry on | Continue |
| Come across | Find by chance |
| Find out | Discover |
| Get over | Recover |
| Give away | Donate |
| Give up | Quit |
| Hand in | Submit |
| Look after | Take care of |
| Look for | Search |
| Look into | Investigate |
| Pick up | Collect / Learn |
| Put away | Keep in place |
| Put off | Postpone |
| Put on | Wear |
| Run out of | Have no more |
| Set up | Establish |
| Take off | Remove / Aircraft departs |
| Turn down | Reject |
| Turn off | Switch off |
| Turn on | Switch on |
| Work out | Solve |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What is a Phrasal Verb?
A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and one or more particles (adverbs or prepositions) that creates a meaning different from the original verb.
Q2. Why are Phrasal Verbs important for competitive exams?
Phrasal Verbs are frequently asked in:
- WB Gram Panchayat
- SSC
- Railway
- PSC & WBCS
- Banking
- Food SI
- TET
- CDS
- NDA
- Other Government Recruitment Exams
Q3. How can I learn Phrasal Verbs easily?
- Learn them in groups (Look, Get, Put, Take, Come).
- Use example sentences.
- Revise daily.
- Solve previous year questions.
Q4. What is the difference between separable and inseparable phrasal verbs?
Separable: The object can come between the verb and the particle.
Example:
Turn off the TV.
Turn the TV off.
Inseparable: The object must come after the complete phrasal verb.
Example:
Look after the child.
Q5. What is the fastest way to remember Phrasal Verbs?
- Learn 10–15 phrasal verbs daily.
- Group them by the main verb.
- Practice using them in sentences.
- Revise them weekly with MCQs.
Conclusion
Phrasal Verbs are an essential part of Competitive English and are regularly tested in objective examinations. Instead of memorizing isolated meanings, learn them through context, examples, and regular practice. Mastering common phrasal verbs will improve your performance in Grammar, Vocabulary, Fill in the Blanks, Reading Comprehension, and Error Detection sections.
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