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🟢 Basic (1-15) 🟡 Intermediate (16-35) 🔴 Advanced (36-50) 🎯 Interactive Quiz

🎯 How to use this guide: Each phrasal verb is hidden behind a "Guess the meaning" button. Try to guess the meaning first, then click to reveal the answer and see detailed examples!

Phrasal verbs combine a verb + preposition/adverb to create completely new meanings. They're essential for natural English communication.

🟢 Basic Phrasal Verbs (1-15)

Essential phrasal verbs for everyday use - Perfect for beginners!

1. Look up

Beginner Separable
🤔 Can you guess what "look up" means?
Meaning: To search for information (in a dictionary, online, etc.)
Examples:
"I need to look up this word in the dictionary."
"Can you look it up online?"
"She looked up the restaurant's address."
When to use: When searching for information or checking references.
💡 Tip: This is separable - "Look it up" or "Look up the word" (both correct!)

2. Turn on/off

Beginner Separable
🤔 What does "turn on/off" mean?
Meaning: To start/stop the operation of a device or machine.
Examples:
"Please turn on the lights."
"Don't forget to turn off the computer."
"Turn it on - the show is starting!"
When to use: With electronic devices, machines, or appliances.
💡 Tip: Very common in daily life! Also used metaphorically: "turn on the charm"

3. Pick up

Beginner Separable
🤔 "Pick up" has multiple meanings. Can you guess them?
Meanings: 1) To lift something, 2) Collect someone/something, 3) Learn informally, 4) Get better
Examples:
"Pick up that book from the floor." (lift)
"I'll pick you up at 6 PM." (collect)
"I picked up Spanish quickly." (learn)
"Business is picking up." (improving)
When to use: This versatile phrasal verb is used in many contexts!
💡 Tip: Context is key! The meaning changes based on what follows "pick up"

4. Put off

Beginner Separable
🤔 What does "put off" mean?
Meaning: To postpone or delay something.
Examples:
"Don't put off your homework until the last minute."
"We had to put off the meeting."
"Stop putting it off - just do it!"
When to use: When delaying tasks, appointments, or decisions.
💡 Tip: Often used when giving advice about procrastination!

5. Get up

Beginner Inseparable
🤔 What does "get up" mean?
Meaning: To rise from bed; to stand up.
Examples:
"I get up at 7 AM every day."
"Please get up and give your seat to the elderly lady."
"What time did you get up this morning?"
When to use: Daily routines and describing physical movement.
💡 Tip: Very common in conversations about daily schedules!

6. Give up

Beginner Separable
🤔 What does "give up" mean?
Meaning: To stop trying; to quit; to surrender.
Examples:
"Don't give up on your dreams!"
"I gave up smoking last year."
"She never gives up easily."
When to use: When talking about quitting habits or stopping efforts.
💡 Tip: Often used in motivational contexts!

7. Take off

Beginner Separable
🤔 "Take off" has several meanings. Can you guess them?
Meanings: 1) Remove clothing, 2) Leave quickly, 3) Airplane departure, 4) Become successful
Examples:
"Take off your shoes before entering." (remove)
"The plane will take off at 3 PM." (depart)
"His business really took off last year." (became successful)
"Let's take off early today." (leave)
When to use: Multiple contexts - clothing, transportation, business success.
💡 Tip: One of the most versatile phrasal verbs in English!

8. Come back

Beginner Inseparable
🤔 What does "come back" mean?
Meaning: To return; to make a comeback.
Examples:
"Please come back soon!"
"The team came back from a 3-0 deficit to win."
"Old fashion trends always come back."
When to use: Physical return or making a comeback in sports/life.
💡 Tip: Can be literal (physical return) or figurative (comeback)!

9. Go out

Beginner Inseparable
🤔 What does "go out" mean?
Meanings: 1) Leave home for entertainment, 2) Date someone, 3) Light goes off
Examples:
"Let's go out for dinner tonight." (entertainment)
"They've been going out for two years." (dating)
"The lights went out during the storm." (stopped working)
When to use: Social activities, relationships, or when things stop working.
💡 Tip: Very common in social conversations!

10. Sit down

Beginner Inseparable
🤔 What does "sit down" mean?
Meaning: To take a seat; to be seated.
Examples:
"Please sit down and make yourself comfortable."
"I need to sit down - my feet hurt."
"Let's sit down and discuss this."
When to use: Inviting someone to sit or describing the action of sitting.
💡 Tip: Often used in polite invitations and instructions!

11. Stand up

Beginner Inseparable
🤔 What does "stand up" mean?
Meaning: To rise to a standing position; to defend someone.
Examples:
"Please stand up when the judge enters."
"She always stands up for her friends."
"Stand up straight!"
When to use: Physical movement or defending someone's rights.
💡 Tip: "Stand up for" means to defend or support someone!

12. Put on

Beginner Separable
🤔 What does "put on" mean?
Meanings: 1) Wear clothing, 2) Apply makeup, 3) Pretend, 4) Organize an event
Examples:
"Put on your jacket - it's cold outside." (wear)
"She put on her makeup before the party." (apply)
"Don't put on an act - be yourself." (pretend)
"They're putting on a concert next week." (organizing)
When to use: Clothing, makeup, behavior, or organizing events.
💡 Tip: Opposite of "take off" for clothing!

13. Wake up

Beginner Separable
🤔 What does "wake up" mean?
Meaning: To stop sleeping; to become alert to something.
Examples:
"I wake up at 6 AM every morning."
"Please wake me up at 7 o'clock."
"He needs to wake up to reality." (become aware)
When to use: Literal awakening from sleep or metaphorical awareness.
💡 Tip: Can be used literally or metaphorically!

14. Clean up

Beginner Separable
🤔 What does "clean up" mean?
Meaning: To tidy or organize; to remove dirt or mess.
Examples:
"Please clean up your room."
"Let's clean up after the party."
"The company needs to clean up its image."
When to use: Physical cleaning or improving reputation/situation.
💡 Tip: Can be literal (cleaning) or figurative (improving)!

15. Work out

Beginner Both
🤔 "Work out" has multiple meanings. Can you guess them?
Meanings: 1) Exercise, 2) Solve a problem, 3) Calculate, 4) Succeed/function well
Examples:
"I work out at the gym every day." (exercise)
"Let's work out this problem together." (solve)
"Can you work out the total cost?" (calculate)
"I hope everything works out well." (succeeds)
When to use: Exercise, problem-solving, calculations, or expressing hope.
💡 Tip: For exercise: inseparable. For problems: separable!

🟡 Intermediate Phrasal Verbs (16-35)

More complex phrasal verbs for intermediate learners

16. Figure out

Intermediate Separable
🤔 What does "figure out" mean?
Meaning: To understand or solve something through thinking and analysis.
Examples:
"I can't figure out this math problem."
"Let me figure it out myself."
"Did you figure out why the computer isn't working?"
When to use: Problem-solving, understanding complex situations.
💡 Tip: Very common in problem-solving contexts!

17. Run into

Intermediate Inseparable
🤔 What does "run into" mean?
Meanings: 1) Meet someone unexpectedly, 2) Crash into something, 3) Encounter a problem
Examples:
"I ran into my old friend at the mall." (met unexpectedly)
"The car ran into a tree." (crashed)
"We ran into some problems with the project." (encountered)
When to use: Unexpected meetings, accidents, or encountering difficulties.
💡 Tip: Context determines whether it's literal or figurative!

18. Catch up on

Intermediate Inseparable
🤔 What does "catch up on" mean?
Meaning: To do something you should have done earlier; to get up to date.
Examples:
"I need to catch up on my reading this weekend."
"Let's catch up on the latest news."
"She's catching up on her sleep after the busy week."
When to use: When behind on work, studies, or activities.
💡 Tip: Often used with work, news, sleep, or TV shows!

19. Break down

Intermediate Separable
🤔 "Break down" has multiple meanings. Can you guess them?
Meanings: 1) Stop working (machine), 2) Lose emotional control, 3) Analyze in detail, 4) Demolish
Examples:
"My car broke down on the highway." (stopped working)
"She broke down and started crying." (lost control)
"Let's break down the costs." (analyze)
"They broke down the old building." (demolished)
When to use: Machine failures, emotional situations, analysis, or demolition.
💡 Tip: Very versatile - context is crucial!

20. Set up

Intermediate Separable
🤔 What does "set up" mean?
Meanings: 1) Arrange/organize, 2) Establish a business, 3) Trick someone, 4) Install equipment
Examples:
"Let's set up a meeting for next week." (arrange)
"He set up his own company." (established)
"I think someone set me up!" (tricked)
"Can you help me set up this printer?" (install)
When to use: Organization, business, deception, or equipment installation.
💡 Tip: Common in business and technology contexts!

21. Call off

Intermediate Separable
🤔 What does "call off" mean?
Meaning: To cancel an event or stop an activity.
Examples:
"They had to call off the wedding."
"The search was called off due to bad weather."
"Let's call it off for today."
When to use: Canceling events, stopping activities.
💡 Tip: Different from "postpone" - this means cancel completely!

🔴 Advanced Phrasal Verbs (36-50)

Complex phrasal verbs for advanced learners

36. Brush up on

Advanced Inseparable
🤔 What does "brush up on" mean?
Meaning: To review or improve knowledge/skills that you haven't used recently.
Examples:
"I need to brush up on my French before the trip."
"She's brushing up on her computer skills."
"Let me brush up on the latest regulations."
When to use: Refreshing knowledge or skills for future use.
💡 Tip: Common in professional and academic contexts!

🎯 Interactive Phrasal Verb Quiz

Test your knowledge with these quick challenges!

Choose the correct meaning for: "Look up"

📚 Complete Study Guide

Master all separable vs inseparable rules

🔥 Quick Reference: All 50 Phrasal Verbs

✅ Separable

look up, turn on/off, pick up, put off, put on, wake up, clean up, work out (problems), take off, give up, figure out, break down, set up, call off, bring up, throw away, try on, fill out, hand in, make up

❌ Inseparable

get up, come back, go out, sit down, stand up, work out (exercise), run into, catch up on, come across, look after, deal with, get along with, look forward to, brush up on, cut down on

⚡ Multi-meaning

pick up, take off, work out, break down, put on, go out, get over, turn down, bring up, make up, look up, run out, get through, come up

🧠 Memory Techniques & Study Tips

📝 Study Methods

  • Flashcards: Make cards with the phrasal verb on one side, meaning on the other
  • Story Method: Create stories using multiple phrasal verbs
  • Grouping: Learn phrasal verbs with the same particle together
  • Context Practice: Use each phrasal verb in 3 different sentences

💭 Memory Tricks

  • Visual Images: Picture the action in your mind
  • Personal Connections: Relate to your own experiences
  • Pronunciation Practice: Say them out loud repeatedly
  • Daily Usage: Try to use 3 new phrasal verbs each day

✍️ Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks

  1. I need to ________ ________ this word in the dictionary. (search for)
  2. Don't ________ ________ your homework until tomorrow. (postpone)
  3. Can you ________ me ________ at 6 PM? (collect)
  4. The meeting was ________ ________ due to bad weather. (canceled)
  5. I ________ ________ my old teacher at the mall. (met unexpectedly)
Show Answers
1. look up | 2. put off | 3. pick, up | 4. called off | 5. ran into

Exercise 2: Separable or Inseparable?

turn on - Separable ✅
"Turn it on" ✅ | "Turn on it" ❌
run into - Inseparable ✅
"Run into him" ✅ | "Run him into" ❌
look up - Separable ✅
"Look it up" ✅ | "Look up it" ❌
get up - Inseparable ✅
"Get up early" ✅ | "Get early up" ❌
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Click "Reveal Answer" buttons to see explanations!