What are Phrasal Verbs in English?
A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and one or two particles — an adverb, a preposition, or both — that functions as a single unit with its own meaning. Turn off, look after, and give up are phrasal verbs. In most cases the meaning of the combination is not predictable from its parts: give up does not mean 'present something upward' — it means 'stop trying'.
Phrasal verbs are enormously common in everyday English, particularly in speech and informal writing. They tend to replace longer, more formal Latinate verbs: call off replaces cancel, put off replaces postpone, look into replaces investigate. In B1–B2 level writing and IELTS / TOEIC contexts, knowing when to use a phrasal verb and when to use its formal equivalent is itself a tested skill.
The main grammatical challenge is not meaning but position. Some phrasal verbs are separable — the particle can be placed after the object, or between the verb and its object. Others are inseparable — the particle must always follow the verb directly, with no object between them. One rule is absolute: when the object is a pronoun (it, them, him), it must always go between the verb and the particle.
Phrasal Verb Patterns
The tables below show the three main structural types of phrasal verbs. The most important distinction for written accuracy is separable versus inseparable: separable phrasal verbs allow the object to split the verb and particle; inseparable phrasal verbs do not.
verb + particle(s) → single unit with one meaningSeparable Transitive Phrasal Verbs — object can split verb and particle
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Separable example |
|---|---|---|
| turn off | stop a device or light | Turn off the lights. / Turn the lights off. / Turn them off. |
| put off | postpone or delay | She put off the meeting. / She put the meeting off. / She put it off. |
| fill in | complete a form | Please fill in the form. / Please fill the form in. / Please fill it in. |
| call off | cancel | They called off the event. / They called the event off. / They called it off. |
| bring up | raise a topic | He brought up the budget issue. / He brought it up. |
| set up | establish or arrange | She set up the meeting. / She set it up. |
| work out | calculate or solve | Can you work out the total? / Can you work it out? |
Inseparable Transitive Phrasal Verbs — particle cannot be separated
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Correct use |
|---|---|---|
| look after | take care of | She looks after her team well. (NOT: looks her team after) |
| run into | meet someone unexpectedly | I ran into an old colleague at the airport. |
| look into | investigate | We will look into the complaint immediately. |
| come across | find by chance / make an impression | I came across a useful report. / She comes across as confident. |
| get over | recover from | It took her weeks to get over the setback. |
| go through | experience / examine carefully | Let us go through the agenda before we start. |
| deal with | handle or manage | Who is dealing with the client complaint? |
Intransitive Phrasal Verbs — no object
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| break down | stop functioning / lose composure | The server broke down during the peak period. |
| give up | stop trying | Do not give up after the first obstacle. |
| show up | arrive or appear | Three of the eight candidates did not show up. |
| set off | begin a journey | They set off before dawn to beat the traffic. |
| take off | leave the ground / become successful | The product really took off in the second quarter. |
| carry on | continue | Please carry on with the discussion — I will join shortly. |
How Phrasal Verbs Work
Separable Phrasal Verbs — three valid positions for the object
With separable phrasal verbs, a noun object can appear in two positions: after the particle (turn off the lights), or between the verb and the particle (turn the lights off). When the object is a pronoun, it must always appear between the verb and the particle — never after.
- Could you fill in this form before the session, please?
- Could you fill this form in before the session, please?
- Could you fill it in before the session, please? (pronoun — must go between verb and particle)
- The chair brought up the staffing issue near the end of the meeting.
Inseparable Phrasal Verbs — particle stays immediately after the verb
Inseparable phrasal verbs keep the verb and particle together at all times. The object always follows the complete phrasal verb — it can never be placed between the verb and the particle. Most inseparable phrasal verbs use a preposition as the particle.
- The manager will look into the technical issue this afternoon.
- She came across an interesting article while preparing her presentation.
- It took the whole team two weeks to get over the loss of the contract.
- We should go through the main terms before both parties sign.
Intransitive Phrasal Verbs — no object at all
Intransitive phrasal verbs cannot take an object. They describe an action or a state that involves only the subject. Because there is no object, the question of separability does not apply.
- The negotiations broke down after three sessions — both sides had reached a stalemate.
- Despite the setbacks, the project team carried on and delivered on schedule.
- Only two of the six applicants showed up for the second interview.
- The strategy finally took off once the marketing budget was increased.
Three-Word Phrasal Verbs — verb + adverb + preposition
Some phrasal verbs consist of a verb and two particles — an adverb followed by a preposition. These are always inseparable: the object follows all three elements. Three-word phrasal verbs are common in both formal and informal English.
- I am really looking forward to the conference in Amsterdam.
- The legal team needs to catch up with the regulatory changes.
- She does not put up with poor communication from her suppliers.
- We need to come up with a solution before the client presentation.
Patterns That Signal a Phrasal Verb
Phrasal Verb vs Formal Equivalent
Most phrasal verbs have a Latinate formal equivalent. In academic writing, IELTS essays, or formal business correspondence, the formal verb is often preferred. In conversation, emails, and informal reports, the phrasal verb sounds more natural.
Phrasal verb — natural in speech and informal writing
We need to look into why the figures do not add up.
Look into = investigate. Appropriate in emails, team meetings, informal reports.
Formal equivalent — preferred in academic or formal contexts
We need to investigate the discrepancy in the figures.
Investigate is the Latinate equivalent. Use in formal business documents or academic writing.
Phrasal verb — conversational and direct
The board decided to put off the decision until Q2.
Put off = postpone. Common in spoken English and business emails.
Formal equivalent — more distant and official
The board decided to postpone the decision until Q2.
Postpone is more formal. Both are correct; the choice depends on register.
Common Mistakes
Separating an inseparable phrasal verb
✗ She looks her team after very carefully.
✓ She looks after her team very carefully.
Look after is inseparable — the object must follow the full phrasal verb, never appear between the verb and the particle. Most inseparable phrasal verbs use a preposition as the particle (after, into, across, over).
Placing a pronoun after the particle in a separable phrasal verb
✗ The alarm is ringing — can you turn off it?
✓ The alarm is ringing — can you turn it off?
When the object is a pronoun (it, them, him, her), it must always go between the verb and the particle in a separable phrasal verb. 'Turn off it' is never acceptable in standard English.
Using the infinitive after 'look forward to'
✗ We are looking forward to meet the new team next week.
✓ We are looking forward to meeting the new team next week.
In 'look forward to', the word 'to' is a preposition, not the infinitive marker. Any preposition must be followed by a gerund (-ing), not an infinitive. The same applies to: object to doing, accustomed to doing, in addition to doing.
Using a phrasal verb in the wrong register
✗ The committee will look into the matter and get back to all stakeholders. (in a formal legal document)
✓ The committee will investigate the matter and respond to all stakeholders.
Phrasal verbs (look into, get back to) are too informal for formal legal or academic documents. Use Latinate equivalents (investigate, respond) in highly formal writing.
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