5 Most Common Phrasal Verbs and How to Use Them

Suitable for intermediate CEFR B1+

What is a phrasal verb?

#phrasalverbs A phrasal verb is a phrase that consists of a verb and one or more particles. The particle is usually a preposition or an adverb, which changes the meaning of the main verb.

A verb is an action word. For example, help, run, put, do or make.

A preposition is a word that describes the relationship between two nouns. For example, in, on, at, above, under, behind, etc. are used to describe the relative location between people and items.

An adverb is a word that describes a verb. Many (but not all) adverbs in English end with -ly, like  suddenly, early, slowly, easily.

Phrasal verbs are very common in spoken English, so you probably already know some of them. For example, you may have heard someone say ''come on, let's go'' or ''come on, you can do it'' in conversation. The word ''come'' on its own means to approach or to move towards something, but adding the preposition ''on'' changes the meaning to an expression of encouragement.

The bad news...

There are hundreds of phrasal verbs in English, enough to fill a whole dictionary, and it will no doubt take some time and practise to become comfortable using them in your conversations. It is important to know that often a phrasal verb has a very different meaning to the main verb on its own, so if you are unsure of the meaning, ensure you are looking it up in a phrasal verb dictionary.

As there are so many, it can be useful to create smaller groups of phrasal verbs according to their meaning or function, which will make them easier to learn. I recommend choosing 5 phrasal verbs to focus on at one time. Once you have mastered 5 and you feel confident using them in conversations, you can choose another set.

Sometimes the particle in a phrasal verb can move in the sentence, these are called transitive phrasal verbs. Phrasal verbs that have a particle that can't move in a sentence are called intransitive. Don't worry too much about this because in my phrasal verbs series I will indicate whether a phrasal verb is transitive or intransitive and give example sentences to help you.


The good news...

Phrasal verbs are everywhere in English! You can start by looking or listening for them. If you notice a verb that is often used in conversation with a preposition or an adverb, there is a good chance it could be a phrasal verb. You can check if it is a phrasal verb or just a common collocation by looking it up in a phrasal verb dictionary.

Let's start by learning 5 of the most common phrasal verbs in the English language.


1. Have on 
Have on means wearing or to wear something and it is transitive. For example, you can say  ''she has on a new pair of shoes'' or ''she has a new pair of shoes on.'' Notice that the particle is always separated from the main verb in a transitive sentence with a noun (phrase) or a pronoun. Also notice that the main verb must change according to the tense, just like with all verbs in English. In these present simple sentences, have changes to has as it is conjugated with she.

2. Bring back
Bring back means to return something and it is transitive. For example, a teacher might say ''please complete this task at home and bring it back on Thursday'' or if you led a pen to someone in class you might say ''please can you bring it back when you've finished.''

3. Add up
Add up means to increase the amount of something or that something makes sense, and it is a transitive phrasal verb. For example, in a restaurant with your friends you might want to pay for only some of the bill and ask ''Can you add up how much I owe?'' If you're confused about a friend's story and you think they may be lying you might say ''It doesn't add up.''

4. End up 
To end up means to finally arrive in a particular location or situation and it is intransitive. ''We wanted to go to France today, but the Ferry was delayed so we ended up in Dover.''

5. Find out 
Find out means to discover some new information and it is intransitive. ''I just found out my sister is pregnant.''


Do you know some more phrasal verbs? Write them in the comments or practise making your own sentences with these examples!