A phrasal verb is a verb combined with one or more particles (a preposition, an adverb, or both) that together form a meaning different from — or more specific than — the base verb alone. Examples: give up (quit), look after (care for), find out (discover), run out of (exhaust the supply of).
What Is a Phrasal Verb?
Phrasal verbs are one of the most distinctive and challenging features of English for non-native speakers. They combine a base verb with one or two particles to create a meaning that is often completely different from the individual words. "Give" means to hand something to someone; "give up" means to stop trying. "Look" means to direct your eyes; "look after" means to care for; "look into" means to investigate.
There are thousands of phrasal verbs in English, and native speakers use them constantly in everyday speech. Unlike formal Latinate vocabulary (investigate, postpone, accommodate), phrasal verbs feel natural and conversational. Many phrasal verbs have formal equivalents: give up = abandon; put off = postpone; look into = investigate.
One key grammatical challenge is knowing whether a phrasal verb is separable or inseparable. Separable phrasal verbs allow — and sometimes require — an object to be placed between the verb and particle. Inseparable phrasal verbs must keep their parts together. When you learn a new phrasal verb, always note which type it is.
An important rule for separable phrasal verbs: when the object is a pronoun (it, him, them, etc.), it must go between the verb and particle: "Turn off the light" or "Turn the light off" — but "Turn it off" (never "Turn off it").
Separable vs Inseparable Phrasal Verbs
| Type | Rule | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Separable | Object can go before or after the particle; pronoun must go between | "Turn off the light" / "Turn the light off" / "Turn it off" |
| Inseparable | Particle must stay immediately after the verb | "Look after the children" (not "Look the children after") |
| Three-part (inseparable) | Two particles; always inseparable | "Look forward to the trip" / "Put up with the noise" / "Run out of time" |
10 Common Phrasal Verbs with Examples
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example | Sep/Insep |
|---|---|---|---|
| give up | stop trying; quit | "Don't give up — keep practising!" | Separable |
| look after | take care of | "Can you look after my dog this weekend?" | Inseparable |
| turn on | activate; switch on | "Turn on the TV." / "Turn it on." | Separable |
| find out | discover; learn information | "I need to find out what time it starts." | Separable |
| put off | postpone; delay | "They put off the meeting until Friday." | Separable |
| run out of | exhaust the supply of | "We've run out of milk." | Inseparable (3-part) |
| look forward to | anticipate with pleasure | "I'm looking forward to the holiday." | Inseparable (3-part) |
| take off | remove (clothing); leave the ground (plane) | "Take off your shoes." / "The plane took off." | Separable |
| come across | encounter by chance | "I came across an old photo album in the attic." | Inseparable |
| bring up | raise (a child); mention a topic | "She was brought up in Scotland." / "He brought up an interesting point." | Separable |
Common Mistakes
Mistakes to Avoid
Turn off it when you leave.
Turn it off when you leave. (pronoun objects must go between verb and particle)
She looked the children after all day.
She looked after the children all day. ('look after' is inseparable)
I'm looking forward to see you.
I'm looking forward to seeing you. ('to' here is a preposition, not part of an infinitive)