Speak English With Vanessa

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50 (more) Common Phrasal Verbs
Dear English Learner,

Get ready to speak confidently with these common English phrasal verbs. I recommend reading
these sample sentences out loud and using the blank space on the last page to answer my
challenge question using the vocabulary. Thanks so much for learning English with me!

Your teacher,
Vanessa

50 Important Phrasal Verbs

1. To ask around: to ask the same question to several people
I haven’t seen your dog, but I’ll ask around and see if the neighbors have seen
him.
I’m not sure if my company is hiring, but I’ll ask around and let you know.

2. To ask someone out: to invite someone on a date

Well? Are you going to ask him out or what?
My husband first asked me out ten years ago. Now we’ve been married for six
years!

3. To be in control of something: to have the power to direct or control something

Everyone thinks they want to be in control of a business, but it’s a lot of work!
I need you to be in control of planning the party, but I can help if you need it.

4. To break down: to stop functioning

This is a bad day for my car to break down–it’s raining and my phone died!

If you don’t take care of your things, they’re going to break down faster.

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 5. To break something down: to explain something in simple terms

The teacher broke down the lesson so that it was easier to understand.

Can you break down the plot of the novel for me? I didn’t understand it.

6. To break into something: to enter forcibly

I forgot my key so I had to break into my own house.

Wild animals broke into our trash bins last night and made a huge mess.

7. To break out: to spread

We had a big vacation planned, but then Covid broke out and we had to cancel.

When the news breaks out about the war, a lot of people are going to protest.

8. To bring someone/thing down: to make someone unhappy or to lower the mood

I hate to bring down the mood of the party, but the cake fell off the table and is
ruined.

My coworker really brings me down–she’s always complaining about

something.

9. To call around: to call different people or places on the phone

I have extra tickets to the concert, I’m going to call around and see if anyone
wants them.
Will you call around and try to find the part that we need to fix my car?

10. To call back: to return a phone call

My doctor’s office called and left a message, I need to call them back.
I’m busy right now, can I call you back later?

11. To cheer up: to say or do something to make someone happy

I bought these flowers to cheer you up–do you like them?
My mom always makes food to cheer me up. And it almost always works.

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 12. To cheer on: to encourage or support someone
Let’s go cheer on the team!
My friend is running a marathon today and I am going to go cheer her on.

13. To clean up: to tidy something

Before I leave the house, I need to clean up the kitchen.
I am teaching my boys to clean up after themselves.

14. To come across as: to appear or sound in a certain way; to give a specific
impression
If you don’t want to come across as rude, smile and make eye contact when
you meet someone new.
I want to come across as professional, so I am wearing my best outfit for the
interview.

15. To come apart: to separate/fall down/break down

Oh no! I put the sweater in the washing machine, now it’s starting to come apart.
Be careful with this old book, it’s coming apart and the pages might fall out.

16. To come forward: to take an initiative or claim responsibility

The police are asking the vandals to come forward and repair the damage they
did.
They asked for donors and volunteers to come forward and help with the
disaster relief.

17. To come from: to originate in something or have something as its source

Where does the inspiration for your art come from?
My love for reading and writing comes from my mom. She was always reading
and writing when I was growing up.

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 18. To count on: to rely on someone or something
I know I can always count on my neighbor when I need help.
I can count on my dad to give good advice when I need it.

19. To cross off/out: to draw a line through something

I have crossed off most of the things on my to-do list–and it’s not even noon!
Cross out the errors so that you know what corrections to make.

20. To cut something out: to remove pieces or a part of something

I got something sticky in my hair, now I have to cut it out.
If you cut out these sections of the report, it will flow better.

21. To do something over: to repeat something

If you make a mistake, it’s ok–you’ll just have to do it over until it’s right.
I used the wrong ingredients for the cake, so I have to do it over.

22. To do away with: to stop doing something

You need to do away with all this paperwork and go digital.
We decided to do away with gifts. We spend money on experiences and
vacation instead.

23. To dress up: to wear nicer clothes than usual

I decided to dress up for my date so I wore a new dress.
It’s a good idea to dress up for a job interview–you want to make a good
impression.

24. To drop out of: to quit something

I dropped out of medical school when I realized how hard the classes were.
My grandparents both dropped out of high school to take care of their families.

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 25. To fall through: to fail, to end up not happening; quite indirect and
Our plans fell through when the flight was canceled, so we rented a car and
drove instead.
The engagement fell through, so the wedding was canceled.

26. To follow through: to keep doing something until it is finished

When you make a promise, you need to follow through.
It was a hard project, but she followed through and got it done.

27. To follow up: to pursue something further

It’s a good idea to follow up with a thank you letter after a job interview.
She said she had something to tell me, so I need to follow up with her.

28. To get away: to go on vacation or leave

It’s been a long week, I’m ready to get away for a while.
I want to get away and do something fun and relaxing.

29. To get away with something: to do something (usually wrong) without being
noticed or punished
He stole money from the company, but he won’t get away with it.
You could get away with leaving work early, but it’s not a good idea.

30. To get something across: to communicate

I needed to get the point across that I didn’t agree with the policy, so I joined the
protesters in front of the building.
She is a really great public speaker, so she has no trouble getting her message
across.

31. To get back: to return

I love going on vacation, but I am always relieved to get back home.
My boss called and asked me to get back to the office and finish the project.

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 32. To get on: to step on something or to board something, like a plane, train, bus or
other transportation
We got on the ferry to get to the other side of the lake.
Uh oh! We got on the wrong train!

33. To get over: to recover or overcome

I am getting over a bad cold and I still don’t feel great.
She’s getting over a break-up, so I brought her ice cream and wine and we
watched movies together.

34. To get together: to meet

I love getting together with friends and family during the holidays.
Let’s get together while you’re in town–I’ll take you to my favorite cafe!

35. To give away: to reveal something or give away something for free
I don’t want to give away the ending, but this movie is really great.
After I broke my arm, I decided to give away my roller skates.

36. To give back: to return something

I borrowed a coat for our ski trip, now I need to give it back to my cousin.
Give the bone back to the dog and he’ll stop barking.

37. To go after something: to try to achieve something

You should always go after your dreams.
I am going after the top prize–I hope I win!

38. To go against someone or something: to oppose

I am going against what everyone is telling me to do and doing what I think is
best for me.
If you go against the company policy, you have to be prepared to face the
consequences.

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 39. To go ahead: to proceed, start, initiate something
Do you want me to go ahead with the plan we discussed?
I am sorry for interrupting, go ahead with your story.

40. To go back: to return to a place

I had a great summer break, but I am ready to go back to school.
I love visiting the mountains, I already want to go back.

41. To go over something: to review something in order to clarify

I have some questions about the project, can we go over it together?
I need to go over the contract before I sign it.

42. To grow apart: to become distant in a relationship

We were best friends when we were kids, but as we got older, we grew apart.
When you don’t spend quality time together and work to build a strong
relationship, you might grow apart.

43. To grow into something: to grow big enough to fit

I bought his jacket a size bigger because I know he’ll grow into it.
The puppy’s paws are so big! Do you think she’ll grow into them?

44. To grow out of something: to grow too big for something

He grew out of all his clothes, so now I have to buy new ones.
She has grown out of her role at the company, so she’s leaving for a more
challenging job.

45. To hand something out: to distribute something

I volunteered to hand out water and snacks at the marathon this weekend.
I handed out flyers to promote the music festival that was coming to town.

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 46. To hand something over: to give something, usually unwillingly
The police asked the thief to hand over the stolen goods.
I asked my toddler to hand over the toy.

47. To hold someone/something back: to hide an emotion or to be stopped by

someone or something
I was so excited when my boss told me I got the promotion, I had to hold back
my excitement until I left her office.
I wanted to say something to the rude man, but my husband held me back.

48. To let someone down: to disappoint someone

My parents always believed in me and I don’t want to let them down.
When you lied to me, it really let me down.

49. To look up to someone: to respect someone a lot

My parents are both hard workers. I really look up to them.
I look up to her, she is a strong, smart, and compassionate leader.

50. To point out: to indicate something, either physically or verbally

Can you point out your neighborhood on this map?
I would like to point out that my performance in this role has led to an increase
in productivity and revenue for the company.

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 Vanessa’s Challenge Question
Use the space below to write a few sentences answering this question: Tell me about
something you are going after. Try to use 6 phrasal verbs from this lesson.

Sample answer: I have decided I want to go back to school. I was working in a job I
hated, but I am not going to let it hold me back. My younger siblings look up to me, and I
don’t want to let them down. I want to show them that I can get over this and follow
through on my dreams.

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