Phrasal Verb
A phrasal verb is a combination of a standard verb such as make or put. It is a combination of the first form of the verb with a preposition (V1+preposition). It can completely change the meaning of the Verb. A phrasal verb makes the language
- quick and crisp
- understanding to the beginners as well
- guessable for the new language learners
Phrasal verbs are extremely prevalent in daily usage. They are often used while speaking informally.
Examples of English Grammar Phrasal Verbs
- Look up: consult a book or internet or library.
- Call off: to cancel
(the meaning of the phrasal verb is different than the literal meaning of the verb plus preposition.)
Separable and Non-Separable Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal Verbs can be divided into the following two types:
Separable Phrasal Verbs: They can be split and used as different words.
Examples:
1. The match? They have called it off.
They have called off the match.
2. I have arranged a car to pick you up.
I have arranged a pickup car for you.
Non-Seperable: These phrasal verbs cannot be separated.
Examples:
- They hired a nurse to look after his ailing mother.
- I have arranged a car to pick you up.
Tips to Use English Grammar Phrasal Verbs
- Phrasal verbs, in many cases, in their meaning cannot be deduced from their elements. It is being used idiomatically i.e., its meaning does not change with the change of the context. (Like Idioms and phrases).
- Many phrasal verbs have more than one meaning.
Frequently Asked English Grammar Phrasal Verbs in Competitive Exams
Here’s a list of commonly seen Phrasal Verbs in different competitive exams with their meanings.
| Phrasal Verbs | Usage | Example |
| Set out | present, describe, detail/explain. | She set out the reasons for her resignation in a long letter. |
| Run down | stop (or cause to stop) functioning. | If you leave your headlights on, you will soon run down the battery. |
| Rope in | enlist, engage, persuade. | Everyone was roped in to help with the show. |
| Stir up | give rise to, cause, produce, generate. | Whenever he is around, he always manages to stir up the trouble. |
| Pull out | withdraw, retreat, leave/disengage. | The project became so expensive that we had to pull out. |
| Level against | direct (an accusation) | The speech was intended to answer the charges levelled against him by his opponents. |
| Wind down | bring gradually to a close, diminish/lessen, dwindle. | The government is winding down its nuclear program. |
| Set back | delay, hinder, impede. | The spending cuts have set the project back for several years. |
| Strike down | abolish, annul, nullify (a law or regulation) | The Supreme Court struck down the law passed by the Parliament. |
| Lose out (on) | be disadvantaged, be deprived, fail to benefit from. | Small businesses are losing out to the long chains. |
| Go down | lose, be beaten, be defeated, suffer, collapse. | Canada went down 3-1 to the Russian team. |
| Water down | moderate, mitigate, tone down. | The law was watered down after it failed to pass the legislature. |
| Borne out (Past participle of bear out) | support, confirm, justify/uphold. | His version of events just isn’t borne out by the facts. |
| Account for | explain, give reasons for, rationalize/elucidate | The storekeeper was expected to account for any material removed. |
| Strike back | reciprocate, respond, react. | When he called her lazy, she immediately struck back by calling him fat. |
| Give in | back down, give way, give up. | The champion refused to give in and went on to win the set. |
| Single out | select, pick out, choose | He was singled out as the outstanding performer of the games. |
| Put together | assemble, organize, arrange | A team of experts has been put together to examine the effects of global warming. |
| Carve out | create, establish (something with effort). | She carved out a reputation for herself as a high-powered lawyer. |
| Hold someone back | prevent, block, restrict | I wanted to tell the truth but something held me back. |
List of Phrasal Words with ‘Fall’
| Phrasal Verbs | Usage |
| Fall about | Laugh so much that one’s entire body moves somewhat uncontrollably |
| Fall apart | 1) Disintegrate 2) Be emotionally in crisis |
| Fall away | Cease to support a person or cause. |
| Fall for | 1) Be fooled; to walk into a trap or respond to a scam or trick 2) Fall in love with someone |
| Fall in | Come to an end; to terminate; to lapse |
| Fall in with | Join (a group of people) |
| Fall behind | 1) Be late (for a regular event) 2) Be progressively below average in performance |
| Fall down | Fail |
| Fall into | Enter something without having planned it |
| Fall off | 1) Become detached or to drop from 2) Diminish in size, value etc. |
| Fall on | 1) Experience; to suffer; to fall upon 2) Be assigned to; to acquire a new responsibility, duty or burden 3) Occur on a particular day |
| Fall out | 1) Cease to be on friendly terms 2) Leave one’s current location to report for duty at a new location |
| Fall through | Be unsuccessful, abort, come to nothing/nought; to be cancelled; not to proceed |
| Fall under | Belong to for purposes of categorization |
| Fall upon | Fall on; to experience; to suffer |
List of Phrasal Words with ‘Get’
| Phrasal Verbs | Usage |
| Get about | Become widely known |
| Get across | Make an idea evident; to successfully explain a thought or feeling; put over |
| Get after | 1) Move into action in pursuit of something 2) Attempt to convince another to move into action |
| Get ahead | Progress |
| Get ahead of | Move in front of |
| Get along | 1) Interact or coexist well, without argument or trouble 2) Survive; to do well enough |
| Get along with | Have a good relationship with someone |
| Get around | Move to the other side of an obstruction. |
| Get around to | Eventually, begin or return to some procrastinated task. |
| Get at | 1) Understand or ascertain by the investigation. 2) Attack verbally or physically; to annoy, bother 3) Persuade by intimidation, to tamper with. |
| Get away | 1) Avoid capture; to escape (from) 2) Take a break from one’s present circumstances |
| Get into | Become involved in a discussion, issue, or activity. |
| Get it | Be punished or scolded |
| Get it on | 1) Engage in a fight 2) Hurry up; to get a move on |
| Get it together | To be well-organized and prepared |
| Get it over with | Do or finish, especially said of something unpleasant |
| Get off | 1) Disembark, especially from mass transportation 2) Stop (doing something), to desist from (doing something) |
Differences between some common English Grammar Phrasal Verbs
Made Up Vs. Made Up Of
| Made of | Made up of |
| made of is used to show the composition of something when it is made of only one material. For example, if there is a chair and it is composed of only wood, we will say- the chair is made of wood. | made up of is used to show the composition of something when it is made of more than one material like wood, plastic, metal etc. We will say- the chair is made up of wood, plastic and metal. |
| Examples | |
| The chair is made of wood. | The jewellery is made up of stones and crystals. |
By Vs. Through
| By | Through |
| By is used to show a medium that actually exists like bus, train, etc. | Through is used to showdigital mediumlike wire, phone, etc. |
| Example: | |
| I go to the office by train. | I was talking to her through the window. |
So, this is all about Phrasal Verbs. This will come handy to you in many competitive exams. Practice makes you perfect. Get some practice through free mock tests on Itselfu RBI Grade'B'App.
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