Phrasal Verbs: Pick Up and Drop Off

The phrasal verbs 'pick up' and 'drop off' are both about taking people (or sometimes things) to places,
often in your car. These are both separable phrasal verbs.

Drop off = take someone (or something) to a place. We usually use the prepositions 'at' or 'in 'for the
place.

• I dropped Lucy off at the airport (= I took Lucy to the airport in my car and she stayed there
and I went home).
• We dropped him off at school.
• Could you drop me off at the station?
• Let's drop off the shopping and then go out (= let's take the shopping home and leave it there).

Pick up = go to a place and get someone or something. We often use the preposition 'from' for the
place.

• I pick my daughter up from school at 3:30 every day.

• Could you come and pick me up? The trains are delayed.
• The taxi driver picked her up from the station.
• We'll pick you up. What time does your plane arrive?

1 © www.perfect-english-grammar.com
May be freely copied for personal or classroom use.
Let's review! Change the sentence so that it uses 'drop off' or 'pick up'. Remember to put the pronoun
before the preposition.

1. Could you take me to the airport?

___________________________________________________________________________
2. We went to the school to get her.
___________________________________________________________________________
3. Are you going to get Julie from the station?
___________________________________________________________________________
4. I took Lucy to work.
___________________________________________________________________________
5. My dad came and got me.
___________________________________________________________________________
6. They took their son to university.
___________________________________________________________________________
7. I really need someone to take me to the bus station.
___________________________________________________________________________
8. Don't take a taxi! I'll come and get you.
___________________________________________________________________________
9. She took her children to their tennis lesson.
___________________________________________________________________________
10. We went home and got the food.
___________________________________________________________________________

2 © www.perfect-english-grammar.com
May be freely copied for personal or classroom use.
Answers

1. Could you drop me off at the airport?

2. We picked her up from school.
3. Are you going to pick Julie up from the station?
4. I dropped Lucy off at work.
5. My dad picked me up.
6. They dropped their son off at university.
7. I really need someone to drop me off at the bus station.
8. Don't take a taxi! I'll pick you up.
9. She dropped her children off at their tennis lesson.
10. We went home and picked the food up.

3 © www.perfect-english-grammar.com
May be freely copied for personal or classroom use.