📖 Quick Grammar Reference: Phrasal Verbs
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| give up | stop doing something | He decided to give up smoking. |
| look into | investigate | The police will look into the matter. |
| bring up | raise a child / mention a topic | She was brought up in Spain. |
| run out of | have no more of something | We ran out of milk. |
| turn it down (separable) | refuse / lower volume | Turn it down, not turn down it. |
Exercise 1 — Match the Phrasal Verb to Its Meaning (Write the letter of the correct definition next to each phrasal verb.)
- give up — a) postpone; make someone reluctant
- look into — b) stop working; lose emotional control
- bring up — c) stop doing something; surrender
- run out of — d) investigate
- put off — e) establish or arrange
- take on — f) raise a child; mention a topic
- carry out — g) have no more of something
- set up — h) accept a responsibility; employ
- break down — i) find by chance; make an impression
- come across — j) perform a task or experiment
Exercise 2 — True or False (Read each statement about phrasal verbs and circle T (True) or F (False).)
-
A phrasal verb's meaning can usually be guessed from its individual words.
T F
-
With pronoun objects, separable phrasal verbs must be separated: turn it down, not turn down it.
T F
-
Inseparable phrasal verbs like look after always keep the verb and particle together.
T F
-
The same base verb, such as look, always keeps the same meaning no matter which particle follows it.
T F
-
Run out of means to have no more of something.
T F
Print version: write T or F on the line next to each statement.
Exercise 3 — Write Your Own Sentences (Write 5 original sentences using the phrasal verbs given.)
- Write a sentence using “give up”.
- Write a sentence using “look into”.
- Write a sentence using “bring up”.
- Write a sentence using “run out of”.
- Write a sentence using “set up” or “carry out”.
📋 Show Answer Key
Exercise 1
- give up — c
- look into — d
- bring up — f
- run out of — g
- put off — a
- take on — h
- carry out — j
- set up — e
- break down — b
- come across — i
Exercise 2
- False — Phrasal verb meanings are largely idiomatic and cannot be guessed from the individual words
- True — Separation is obligatory when the object is a pronoun
- True — Inseparable phrasal verbs cannot be split, e.g. look after her, not look her after
- False — The same verb can have completely different meanings with different particles (look up, look after, look into)
- True — This is the correct definition
Exercise 3
Open answers. Check that students use each phrasal verb with its correct meaning and, where relevant, correct separability (e.g. put the meeting off / put off the meeting, but look into the problem, never look the problem into).
Phrasal Verbs Worksheet — FAQ
What does this phrasal verbs worksheet cover?
This worksheet covers ten high-frequency phrasal verbs — give up, look into, bring up, run out of, put off, take on, carry out, set up, break down, and come across — with matching, true/false, and sentence-writing exercises.
What level is this phrasal verbs worksheet?
This worksheet is designed for B1 (Intermediate) learners who are building a working vocabulary of common multi-word verbs used in everyday English.
What is a phrasal verb?
A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and one or two particles (a preposition, an adverb, or both) whose meaning is often completely different from the individual words, for example give up meaning ‘stop doing something’.
What is the difference between separable and inseparable phrasal verbs?
Separable phrasal verbs allow the object to go between the verb and particle, e.g. turn the music down / turn down the music, and separation is obligatory with pronouns (turn it down). Inseparable phrasal verbs always keep verb and particle together, e.g. look into the problem, not look the problem into.
Can I save this worksheet as a PDF?
Yes. Click the orange ‘Print / Save as PDF’ button at the top of the page. In your browser’s print dialogue, select ‘Save as PDF’ as the destination. The worksheet is formatted for A4 paper.
Is the answer key included?
Yes. Scroll to the bottom of the worksheet to find the collapsible answer key. Click ‘Show Answer Key’ to reveal all answers. If you want to print the answers too, open the key before clicking Print.
What online exercise goes with this worksheet?
The related online exercise is Match Up at lexfizz.com/exercises/match-up/ — it lets you match phrasal verbs to their meanings with instant feedback.
Why are phrasal verbs difficult for learners?
The same verb can combine with different particles to make unrelated meanings (look up, look after, look into), some are separable and others inseparable, and their meanings are largely idiomatic, so they must be learned as fixed units rather than worked out logically.
What is the best way to learn phrasal verbs?
Learn them in context by reading and hearing full sentences, group them by base verb (all ‘get’ phrasal verbs) or theme, and practise actively with matching and completion exercises using spaced repetition.
How long does this worksheet take to complete?
The three exercises take approximately 20–25 minutes for most B1 learners. Allow extra time for the writing task in Exercise 3 if students need to think carefully about forming original sentences.