Phrasal Verbs

❖ Warm up:
➢ Discussion Question – Ask:
❖ "Do you know any phrasal verbs?"
❖ "Have you ever heard phrases like ‘come in’ or ‘come out ‘‘come back’ give up’ or
‘run into’?"…., etc.
❖ "Can you guess what ‘come in’ or ‘come out’ mean?"
➢ Introduce phrasal verbs with meanings and examples: Example: I stand at the door of the classroom and
act out: ‘come in’ ‘come out’
❖ Study this example: Hamid gave up smoking. Ask students to say what it means.
- And then explain that:
➢ "Give up" means "quit," but "give" alone means "to hand something over."

➢ Definition: A phrasal verb is a verb plus preposition. When we change the preposition, the meaning of
the verb changes accordingly.
A list of 15 phrasal verbs (NB: students will be tested on some of these phrasal verbs at the exam)
1. Look after
➢ Example: She has to look after her younger brother while their parents are away.
➢ Meaning: to take care of someone or something.
2. Agree with
➢ Example: I agree with you that we need to improve the current plan.
➢ Meaning: to have the same opinion as someone or to approve of something.
3. Give up
➢ Example: After several failed attempts, he decided not to give up on his dream of becoming a writer.
➢ Meaning: to stop trying to do something or to quit a habit.
4. Carry on
➢ Example: Despite the interruptions, the teacher told the class to carry on with their work.
➢ Meaning: to continue doing something, especially after an interruption.
5. Focus on
➢ Example: For the next hour, let’s focus on solving the main issue in the project.
➢ Meaning: to give full attention to something or concentrate on it.
6. Put off
➢ Example: I had to put off my dentist appointment because of an urgent meeting.
➢ Meaning: to postpone or delay something to a later time.
7. Take up
➢ Example: She decided to take up painting to explore her creative side.
➢ Meaning: to start a new activity, hobby, or habit; or to accept a challenge or responsibility.
8. Come across
➢ Example: I came across an interesting book while I was cleaning my shelf.
➢ Meaning: to find or encounter something or someone unexpectedly.
9. Set up
➢ Example: The company is going to set up a new office in another city next year.
➢ Meaning: to establish, arrange, or prepare something.
10. Pick up
➢ Example: I picked up some new Spanish words while traveling in Spain.
➢ Meaning: to collect, gather, or learn something, or to improve.
11. Run into
➢ Example: I ran into my old professor at the grocery store yesterday.
➢ Meaning: to meet someone unexpectedly or by chance.
12. Look forward to
➢ Example: I’m really looking forward to our vacation next month.
➢ Meaning: to feel excited about something that will happen in the future.
13. Break down
➢ Example: The car broke down on the way to the airport, causing a delay.

➢ Meaning: to stop working, or to separate something into parts for easier understanding; also used
for emotional collapse.
14. Back up

➢ Example: She was there to back up her friend during the difficult presentation.

➢ Meaning: To support someone or something, or to make a copy of data to prevent loss.

15. Apply for
 ➢ Example: He decided to apply for a scholarship to study abroad.
➢ Example: She’s planning to apply for a marketing position at a leading company next month.
➢ Meaning: To formally request something, often a job, position, or opportunity.
➢ Time for Practice:
Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks with the correct phrasal verb.
1. She decided to ……………………… painting to relax during her free time.
2. The meeting was ……………………… until next week due to the manager's illness.
3. My car ……………………… in the middle of the road, and I had to call a mechanic.
4. I ……………………… a very interesting article while searching for information online.
5. Don’t ……………………… on your goals, no matter how difficult it gets.
6. I ……………………… my friend's decision to move abroad; it's a great opportunity.
7. I need to ……………………… my files regularly to prevent data loss.
8. The kids are at school, and I'm staying home to ……………………… the dog.
9. He couldn't ……………………… with the new work schedule, so he decided to leave the company.
10. I ……………………… meeting you at the conference next month.
11. I’m really excited to ……………………… our new office next year.
12. Yesterday, I ……………………… an old classmate at the grocery store.
13. Please ……………………… with the presentation while I take this phone call.
14. She forgot to ……………………… her resume before applying for the job.
15. We must ……………………… our time and efforts on the main tasks in this project.
Exercise 2: Match each phrasal verb with the correct meaning.
1. Look after a) To take care of someone or something
2. Agree with b) To change your mind and stop doing something
3. Give up c) To continue after an interruption
4. Carry on d) To stop working (for machines or vehicles)
5. Focus on e) To meet unexpectedly
6. Put off f) To organize or arrange something
7. Take up g) To start a new activity or hobby
8. Come across h) To feel excited about something in the future
9. Set up i) To support someone or something
10. Pick up j) To postpone something
11. Run into k) To come across something by chance
12. Look forward to l) To collect or gather something
13. Break down m) To send a formal request for something
14. Back up n) To direct attention to a specific task
15. Apply for o) To refuse to continue trying

Exercise 3: Sentence Creation

Use the following phrasal verbs in your own sentences.
1. Look after
2. Agree with
3. Give up
4. Carry on
5. Focus on
6. Put off
7. Take up
8. Come across
9. Set up
10. Pick up
11. Run into
12. Look forward to
13. Break down
14. Back up
15. Apply for
Exercise 4: Error Correction
Find and correct the mistakes in these sentences.
1. I look forward to meet you at the event next week.
2. He decided to take off smoking after five years.
3. We need to focus at the project deadline.
4. She will run out into her old teacher tomorrow.
5. The team applied for a new project proposal next month.
6. I agree about your opinion on the new policy.
Exercise 5: Choose the correct phrasal verb to complete the sentences.
 1. She ………………… the guitar recently to help reduce stress.
a) gave up
b) took up
c) applied for
2. The car ………………… during the trip, and we had to call for assistance.
a) broke down
b) ran into
c) set up
3. I ………………… a really good restaurant while I was walking downtown.
a) broke down
b) came across
c) put off
4. We ………………… the event until next month due to the bad weather.
a) carry on
b) put off
c) apply for
5. You should ………………… your important documents in your email account.
a) look after
b) back up
c) focus on
Answer Key :

Exercise 1: Exercise 2:
1. Take up 1-a
2. Put off 2-b
3. Broke down 3-o
4. Came across 4-c
5. Give up 5-n
6. Agree with 6-j
7. Back up 7-g
8. Look after 8-k
9. Get along 9-f
10. Look forward to 10 - l
11. Set up 11 - e
12. Ran into 12 - h
13. Carry on 13 - d
14. Apply for 14 - i
15. Focus on 15 - m

Exercise 3: Answers will vary depending on the students’ responses.

Exercise 4:
1. Correct: "I look forward to meeting you at the event next week."
2. Correct: "He decided to give up smoking after five years."
3. Correct: "We need to focus on the project deadline."
4. Correct: "She will run into her old teacher tomorrow."
5. Correct: "The team applied for a new project proposal next month."
6. Correct: "I agree with your opinion on the new policy."
Exercise 5:
1. b) Took up
2. a) Broke down
3. b) Came across
4. b) Put off
5. b) Back up