Phrasal verbs
The most useful phrasal verbs for daily life.
The rules
- "Make out" = manage to see or hear something with difficulty.
- "Put off" = postpone. "Put on" is for clothes; "put out" is for fires.
- "Give up" = stop trying. "Give in" = surrender to pressure. "Give out" = distribute or fail.
- "Look after" = take care of. "Look into" = investigate. "Look up" = search for information.
- "Run out of" + noun = have none left.
- With separable phrasal verbs, pronouns MUST go in the middle: "turn it off", never "turn off it".
Examples
- I couldn't make out what the sign said, it was too far away.
- The meeting was put off until next week.
- She gave up.
- Can you look after the kids while I go shopping?
- We ran out of milk.
- Please turn it off.
Quick check
Pick an answer to see the rule behind it.
1.I couldn't _____ what the sign said, it was too far away.
2.The meeting was _____ until next week.
3.Which sentence means "she stopped trying"?
4.Can you _____ the kids while I go shopping?
5.Which sentence is correct?