Phrasal Verbs Notes for Competitive Exams

A phrasal verb is a verb combined with a small word called a particle (usually a preposition or an adverb) that together create a new meaning. For example, "give" means to hand something over, but "give up" means to stop trying, and "give in" means to surrender. Phrasal verbs are everywhere in spoken and written English, and they are regularly tested in SSC CGL, CHSL, CPO, bank PO and clerk, CDS, NDA and state exams through fill-in-the-blanks, sentence improvement, error spotting and cloze tests. Because the meaning of a phrasal verb often cannot be guessed from its parts, learning them in groups, with an example sentence for each, is the most effective approach.

Quick Facts at a Glance

• Structure: Verb + particle (up, down, in, out, off, on, over, away, back, through).
• Meaning: Often idiomatic, so different from the base verb.
• Separable: The object can go between verb and particle (turn the light off / turn off the light).
• Inseparable: The object must come after the particle (look after the child).
• Best learning method: Group by base verb (all "put" phrasal verbs together) and learn with sentences.

1. Types of Phrasal Verbs

Intransitive (no object)

These do not need an object: "The car broke down." "Prices have gone up." "Please sit down."

Transitive Separable

The object can come in the middle or at the end: "Turn off the fan" or "Turn the fan off." But if the object is a pronoun, it must go in the middle: "Turn it off", not "Turn off it".

Transitive Inseparable

The object always comes after the particle: "She looks after her parents." "I came across an old photo." You cannot say "looks her parents after".

Three-Word Phrasal Verbs

Some phrasal verbs have two particles: "put up with" (tolerate), "look forward to" (wait eagerly), "catch up with" (reach the same level), "run out of" (have no more), "get along with" (have a good relationship). Note that "look forward to" is followed by a noun or -ing form: "I look forward to meeting you", not "to meet you".

2. Important Phrasal Verbs Grouped by Base Verb

Break

• Break down: stop working; lose control emotionally. "The bus broke down on the highway."
• Break into: enter by force. "Thieves broke into the shop."
• Break off: end suddenly. "They broke off the talks."
• Break out: start suddenly (war, fire, disease). "A fire broke out in the factory."
• Break up: end a relationship; disperse. "The police broke up the crowd."

Bring

• Bring about: cause to happen. "The reforms brought about major changes."
• Bring up: raise a child; mention a topic. "She brought up an important point."
• Bring out: publish; reveal. "The publisher brought out a new edition."
• Bring down: reduce. "The government brought down inflation."

Call

• Call off: cancel. "The match was called off due to rain."
• Call on: visit; formally ask. "The minister called on the President."
• Call for: demand or require. "The situation calls for patience."

Carry

• Carry on: continue. "Carry on with your work."
• Carry out: perform or complete. "The team carried out a survey."

Come

• Come across: find by chance. "I came across an old letter."
• Come up with: think of an idea. "She came up with a solution."
• Come about: happen. "How did the accident come about?"
• Come into force: become effective (law). "The Act came into force in 2005."

Give

• Give up: stop or quit. "He gave up smoking."
• Give in: surrender. "The enemy finally gave in."
• Give away: donate; reveal a secret. "Don't give away the ending."
• Give out: distribute; stop working. "The teacher gave out the papers."

Go

• Go through: examine; experience. "Go through the document carefully."
• Go off: explode; ring (alarm). "The alarm went off at six."
• Go on: continue. "The meeting went on for hours."

Look

• Look after: take care of. "She looks after her grandmother."
• Look into: investigate. "The committee will look into the complaint."
• Look up to: respect. "Students look up to their teachers."
• Look down on: consider inferior. "Never look down on anyone."
• Look up: search for information. "Look up the word in a dictionary."

Put

• Put off: postpone. "The exam was put off by a week."
• Put out: extinguish. "Firefighters put out the blaze."
• Put up with: tolerate. "I cannot put up with this noise."
• Put forward: propose. "She put forward a new plan."

Run

• Run out of: have none left. "We ran out of fuel."
• Run into: meet by chance. "I ran into an old friend."
• Run over: hit with a vehicle. "The dog was run over by a car."

Set

• Set up: establish. "The government set up a commission."
• Set off / set out: begin a journey. "They set off early in the morning."
• Set aside: save; ignore. "Set aside some money every month."

Take

• Take after: resemble a parent. "He takes after his father."
• Take off: leave the ground (plane); remove. "The flight took off on time."
• Take over: take control. "The company was taken over by a rival."
• Take up: start a hobby or job; occupy space. "She took up painting."

Other Useful Ones

• Turn down: reject. "He turned down the offer."
• Get over: recover. "It took weeks to get over the flu."
• Make up for: compensate. "He worked late to make up for lost time."
• Do away with: abolish. "The government did away with the old law."
• Fall back on: rely on in difficulty. "Savings are something to fall back on."
• Pass away: die (polite). "His grandfather passed away last year."

3. Common Errors With Phrasal Verbs

1. Wrong particle: "discuss about" is wrong; use "discuss" alone. "Return back" is wrong; use "return".
2. Wrong form after "look forward to": use -ing ("look forward to hearing from you").
3. Pronoun placement: "pick it up", not "pick up it".
4. Confusing similar ones: "put off" (postpone) vs "put out" (extinguish); "give in" (surrender) vs "give up" (quit).

Preparation Strategy

• Learn one base verb group a day (for example, all "take" phrasal verbs).
• Write one original sentence for each phrasal verb.
• Revise the full list weekly and test yourself by covering the meanings.
• Notice phrasal verbs while reading newspapers and add new ones to your list.

4. More Phrasal Verbs for Quick Revision

5. Phrasal Verbs in Formal Writing

Phrasal verbs are common in speech and journalism, but in very formal writing, such as legal documents, a single-word verb is sometimes preferred. For example, "investigate" instead of "look into", "postpone" instead of "put off", "tolerate" instead of "put up with" and "establish" instead of "set up". In UPSC answers, both are acceptable, but a balanced mix makes your writing sound natural and precise. Knowing both forms also helps in synonym and sentence improvement questions, where a phrasal verb is often replaced by its one-word equivalent.

Related Notes

• Idioms and Phrases Notes
• Articles, Prepositions and Sentence Improvement Notes
• Vocabulary Notes
• All English Notes

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a phrasal verb?

A phrasal verb is a verb combined with a particle, such as up, off or out, that together have a new meaning, like give up or turn down.

What is the difference between separable and inseparable phrasal verbs?

In separable ones, the object can go between the verb and particle; in inseparable ones, the object must come after the particle.

Where does a pronoun go in a separable phrasal verb?

Between the verb and the particle, as in "turn it off".

What does "call off" mean?

It means to cancel something, such as a meeting or match.

What does "put up with" mean?

It means to tolerate something unpleasant.

What does "look into" mean?

It means to investigate or examine a matter.

What follows "look forward to"?

A noun or the -ing form of a verb, as in "look forward to meeting you".

What is the difference between "give up" and "give in"?

Give up means to stop doing something; give in means to surrender or yield.

What does "break out" mean?

It means to start suddenly, usually used for war, fire or disease.

Is "discuss about" correct?

No. "Discuss" is used without "about".

How are phrasal verbs tested in exams?

Through fill in the blanks, sentence improvement, error spotting and cloze test questions.

How can I learn phrasal verbs quickly?

Group them by base verb, write example sentences and revise them regularly.