100 Grade 9 Phrasal Verbs with Meanings, Examples & Usage

This Top 100 Secondary 3 phrasal verbs guide is designed for students searching for Grade 9 phrasal verbs with meanings and examples, English phrasal verbs for secondary students, multi-word verbs for reading and writing, phrasal verb grammar and Grade 9 vocabulary practice. The aim is not to memorise one-word definitions. Students need to understand meaning, particle choice, separability, pronoun placement, register and the way one phrasal verb can develop several senses.

At Secondary 3 or Grade 9 level, phrasal verbs matter because they appear constantly in conversation, stories, instructions, news, school communication and even some academic writing. Carry out a study, point out a limitation, rule out an explanation, build on evidence, follow up a finding and put forward an argument are all multi-word expressions that students need to read fluently and use accurately.

This world-facing guide teaches 100 high-utility Grade 9 phrasal verbs through meanings, grammar patterns, original examples, separable/inseparable behaviour, pronoun placement, register notes, context practice and retrieval. Some school resources use “phrasal verb” broadly for phrasal-prepositional and other multi-word verbs. This guide follows that practical classroom convention while noting grammar patterns where they matter.

Iona focuses on how a particle changes meaning during reading, Maren focuses on natural sentence construction and register, and Leonie focuses on fast retrieval under pressure. The mature goal is not maximum phrasal-verb use; it is choosing a natural multi-word verb when it fits and recognising when a one-word academic alternative is more appropriate.

Phrasal-verb grammar: four questions before using one

What does the whole expression mean? Do not assume the particle keeps a literal spatial meaning.
Is it separable? Some objects can go between verb and particle: write the answer down / write it down.
Does a pronoun have a fixed position? With many separable phrasal verbs, pronouns go in the middle: look it up, not look up it.
Does the register fit? Carry out a study is common in formal prose; figure out is more conversational than determine.

Communication, explanation and argument

1. bring up

Meaning: introduce a topic for discussion. Grammar: separable: bring the issue up / bring it up. Example: “The student brought up a limitation that the group had overlooked.” Usage note: Use for introducing a topic, not for proving it.

2. point out

Meaning: draw attention to a fact or detail. Grammar: separable: point the error out / point it out. Example: “Iona pointed out that the two groups were not comparable at baseline.” Usage note: Often useful in explanation and feedback.

3. spell out

Meaning: explain something very clearly and explicitly. Grammar: separable: spell the rule out / spell it out. Example: “The rubric spells out exactly how evidence will be assessed.” Usage note: More direct than imply; it makes details explicit.

4. sum up

Meaning: give the main points briefly. Grammar: separable: sum the argument up / sum it up. Example: “The final paragraph sums up the central reasons without repeating every example.” Usage note: Use for concise synthesis.

5. back up

Meaning: support a claim with evidence. Grammar: separable: back the claim up / back it up. Example: “The writer backs up the recommendation with two independent sources.” Usage note: Informal-to-neutral multiword verb; substantiate is a more formal alternative.

6. go over

Meaning: review or examine something carefully. Grammar: inseparable: go over the notes. Example: “Leonie went over the error log before the timed test.” Usage note: Often means review rather than move physically over.

7. talk over

Meaning: discuss something carefully. Grammar: separable: talk the problem over / talk it over. Example: “The group talked the proposal over before choosing a final position.” Usage note: Useful for collaborative decision-making.

8. get across

Meaning: communicate an idea successfully. Grammar: separable: get the idea across / get it across. Example: “Maren revised the paragraph to get the distinction across more clearly.” Usage note: Focuses on successful communication.

9. put forward

Meaning: propose an idea, argument or suggestion. Grammar: separable: put a proposal forward / put it forward. Example: “The essay puts forward a qualified argument rather than an absolute claim.” Usage note: Common in formal argument despite being a multiword verb.

10. follow up

Meaning: take further action after an earlier step. Grammar: separable or with on: follow the lead up / follow up on the lead. Example: “The researcher followed up the initial finding with a delayed test.” Usage note: Use when a first action leads to additional checking or response.

Learning, reading and problem-solving

11. figure out

Meaning: understand or solve something. Grammar: separable: figure the problem out / figure it out. Example: “The student figured out why the transition word did not match the logic.” Usage note: Common in speech and informal explanation; solve or determine may be more formal.

12. work out

Meaning: solve, calculate or understand. Grammar: separable: work the answer out / work it out. Example: “The class worked out the rate before interpreting the graph.” Usage note: Meaning depends on context; it can also mean exercise.

13. look up

Meaning: search for information in a reference source. Grammar: separable: look the word up / look it up. Example: “Iona looked up the unfamiliar term after testing a context-clue hypothesis.” Usage note: Use after trying context when independent inference is appropriate.

14. read over

Meaning: read something again to check it. Grammar: separable: read the draft over / read it over. Example: “Maren read the paragraph over and removed two vague claims.” Usage note: Similar to review, but specifically through rereading.

15. write down

Meaning: record something in writing. Grammar: separable: write the phrase down / write it down. Example: “Leonie wrote down every hesitant retrieval item for later practice.” Usage note: The particle adds the idea of recording.

16. take in

Meaning: understand, absorb or notice information. Grammar: separable: take the explanation in / take it in. Example: “The dense paragraph was easier to take in after the ideas were reorganised.” Usage note: Can also mean receive or physically include; context matters.

17. pick up

Meaning: learn or acquire something informally. Grammar: separable: pick a phrase up / pick it up. Example: “Students pick up collocations through repeated meaningful exposure.” Usage note: Can also mean lift, collect or improve; context is essential.

18. catch up

Meaning: reach the same level after falling behind. Grammar: usually intransitive or with on/with. Example: “The learner used short daily reviews to catch up on missed vocabulary.” Usage note: Catch up with can mean reach a person or exchange recent news.

19. brush up on

Meaning: refresh knowledge or skill. Grammar: inseparable phrasal-prepositional verb. Example: “Before the examination, she brushed up on transition words and academic verbs.” Usage note: Use for refreshing existing knowledge, not learning from zero.

20. think through

Meaning: consider all parts and consequences carefully. Grammar: separable: think the decision through / think it through. Example: “The group thought the counterargument through before writing the rebuttal.” Usage note: Implies deliberate, complete consideration.

Starting, continuing and completing

21. set up

Meaning: establish or arrange something. Grammar: separable: set the experiment up / set it up. Example: “The researchers set up a controlled comparison before collecting data.” Usage note: Can refer to systems, equipment, meetings or organisations.

22. start off

Meaning: begin in a particular way. Grammar: usually intransitive or with with/by. Example: “The essay starts off with a clear claim before introducing evidence.” Usage note: Often less formal than begin.

23. carry on

Meaning: continue an activity. Grammar: usually intransitive or carry on doing. Example: “The student carried on revising after correcting the first error set.” Usage note: Common in British English; continue is more formal.

24. keep on

Meaning: continue repeatedly. Grammar: usually followed by -ing or activity. Example: “The learner kept on using the wrong pair until the meaning distinction was repaired.” Usage note: Often emphasises persistence or repetition.

25. move on

Meaning: continue to the next stage or topic. Grammar: intransitive. Example: “Once the word was secure, Leonie moved on to a harder retrieval task.” Usage note: Can describe physical or conceptual progression.

26. follow through

Meaning: complete an intended action. Grammar: intransitive or follow through on something. Example: “A good study plan fails if the learner does not follow through on the review schedule.” Usage note: Emphasises completion after intention.

27. wrap up

Meaning: finish or conclude. Grammar: separable: wrap the discussion up / wrap it up. Example: “The teacher wrapped up the lesson with a retrieval quiz.” Usage note: Often informal-neutral; conclude is more formal.

28. finish off

Meaning: complete the last part. Grammar: separable: finish the task off / finish it off. Example: “The class finished off the practice set with five transfer questions.” Usage note: Suggests completing what remains.

29. leave off

Meaning: stop at a particular point. Grammar: often intransitive: where did we leave off?. Example: “The class resumed the discussion where it had left off the previous day.” Usage note: Useful for stopping and resuming sequences.

30. get on with

Meaning: continue or begin doing something that needs attention. Grammar: inseparable phrasal-prepositional verb. Example: “After planning the paragraph, Maren got on with the actual writing.” Usage note: Common British usage; often implies stop delaying and proceed.

Change, reduction and adjustment

31. turn into

Meaning: become or transform into. Grammar: inseparable pattern: turn X into Y. Example: “Repeated retrieval can turn passive vocabulary into active vocabulary.” Usage note: Often describes change of state.

32. break down

Meaning: separate into smaller parts or stop functioning. Grammar: separable for analysis: break the task down / break it down. Example: “The tutor broke the complex question down into three smaller decisions.” Usage note: Also intransitive for machines or systems failing.

33. build up

Meaning: increase gradually or accumulate. Grammar: separable/intransitive. Example: “The programme builds up retrieval difficulty over several weeks.” Usage note: Can refer to strength, amount, pressure or reputation.

34. cut down on

Meaning: reduce the amount of something. Grammar: inseparable phrasal-prepositional verb. Example: “The editor cut down on unnecessary transition words.” Usage note: Use when reducing frequency or quantity, not removing completely.

35. scale up

Meaning: increase size, capacity or reach. Grammar: separable/intransitive. Example: “The school scaled the pilot up after the process proved reliable.” Usage note: Often used in business, technology and policy contexts.

36. phase out

Meaning: remove gradually. Grammar: separable: phase the old system out / phase it out. Example: “The department phased out the old procedure over two terms.” Usage note: Different from terminate, which can be immediate.

37. switch over

Meaning: change from one system or method to another. Grammar: usually intransitive or switch over to. Example: “The team switched over to a new data platform after testing compatibility.” Usage note: Implies replacement by another system.

38. step up

Meaning: increase effort, activity or intensity. Grammar: separable: step the practice up / step it up. Example: “Leonie stepped up retrieval practice before the final assessment.” Usage note: Often used for effort, security or activity.

39. tone down

Meaning: make language, colour or intensity less strong. Grammar: separable: tone the claim down / tone it down. Example: “Maren toned down the conclusion because the evidence was limited.” Usage note: Useful for controlling overstatement.

40. speed up

Meaning: make or become faster. Grammar: separable/intransitive. Example: “Repeated retrieval sped up access to the target vocabulary.” Usage note: Can describe a process becoming faster or being made faster.

Cause, effect and development

41. bring about

Meaning: cause something to happen. Grammar: separable: bring the change about / bring it about. Example: “The new feedback routine brought about a gradual improvement in revision quality.” Usage note: More formal than many phrasal verbs; still requires causal evidence.

42. bring on

Meaning: cause something, often unpleasant, to begin. Grammar: separable: bring the reaction on / bring it on. Example: “Excessive cognitive load can bring on avoidable errors.” Usage note: Often used with symptoms, problems or states.

43. set off

Meaning: trigger or cause something to begin. Grammar: separable: set the alarm off / set it off. Example: “The unexpected result set off a new round of investigation.” Usage note: Also means begin a journey; context decides.

44. come from

Meaning: originate in or be caused by. Grammar: inseparable prepositional verb. Example: “The difference may come from prior knowledge rather than the intervention.” Usage note: Useful for cautious causal explanation.

45. end up

Meaning: finally reach a state, place or result. Grammar: intransitive, often end up doing/being. Example: “Without a clear plan, students may end up rereading instead of retrieving.” Usage note: Emphasises the eventual result.

46. die down

Meaning: become less intense. Grammar: intransitive. Example: “The initial excitement died down after the first week.” Usage note: Used for noise, emotion, conflict, wind and other intensity.

47. wear off

Meaning: gradually disappear or lose effect. Grammar: intransitive. Example: “The short-term benefit wore off after several days.” Usage note: Common with effects, feelings, pain or novelty.

48. build on

Meaning: use something as a foundation for further development. Grammar: inseparable. Example: “The second lesson builds on the vocabulary from the first.” Usage note: Useful for cumulative learning and argument development.

49. come about

Meaning: happen or occur. Grammar: intransitive. Example: “The improvement came about after the practice schedule changed.” Usage note: Describes occurrence; it does not by itself prove the mechanism.

50. come down to

Meaning: be mainly determined by or reduce to a central issue. Grammar: inseparable phrasal-prepositional verb. Example: “The final choice comes down to whether reliability or cost is the more important criterion.” Usage note: Useful for identifying the decisive issue.

Relationships, support and interaction

51. get along with

Meaning: have a good relationship with. Grammar: inseparable. Example: “The project worked smoothly because the team members got along with one another.” Usage note: Often conversational; cooperate may be more formal in reports.

52. fall out with

Meaning: have an argument and damage a relationship. Grammar: inseparable. Example: “The characters fall out with each other after the accusation.” Usage note: Common in narrative and spoken English.

53. make up

Meaning: become friendly again after an argument. Grammar: usually intransitive or make up with. Example: “The two friends eventually made up after discussing the misunderstanding.” Usage note: Also has several other meanings, including invent and constitute.

54. stand by

Meaning: support someone or remain ready. Grammar: inseparable. Example: “The team stood by the researcher while the error was corrected.” Usage note: Can also mean remain ready or wait.

55. look after

Meaning: take care of. Grammar: inseparable. Example: “The older student looked after the equipment during the activity.” Usage note: Care for is a close alternative.

56. look up to

Meaning: admire or respect. Grammar: inseparable phrasal-prepositional verb. Example: “The younger student looked up to the senior mentor.” Usage note: Do not confuse with look up, meaning search for information.

57. take after

Meaning: resemble an older family member. Grammar: inseparable. Example: “She takes after her father in both appearance and temperament.” Usage note: Usually used for family resemblance.

58. count on

Meaning: depend on or trust. Grammar: inseparable. Example: “You can count on the checklist to catch repeated formatting errors.” Usage note: Rely on is a more formal alternative.

59. deal with

Meaning: handle or address a problem/topic. Grammar: inseparable. Example: “The final section deals with limitations and future research.” Usage note: Very common in academic prose, though address may be more formal.

60. get through to

Meaning: make someone understand or successfully contact someone. Grammar: inseparable. Example: “The teacher changed the example to get the distinction through to the class.” Usage note: Can mean make contact by phone or make an idea understood.

Work, organisation and administration

61. carry out

Meaning: perform or complete a task, study or plan. Grammar: separable: carry the study out / carry it out. Example: “The researchers carried out a follow-up test after two weeks.” Usage note: Common in formal research writing.

62. take on

Meaning: accept responsibility, work or a role. Grammar: separable: take the role on / take it on. Example: “The student took on responsibility for checking the final references.” Usage note: Can also mean employ or compete against.

63. hand in

Meaning: submit. Grammar: separable: hand the assignment in / hand it in. Example: “Students must hand in the final draft by Friday.” Usage note: Submit is the formal alternative.

64. hand out

Meaning: distribute. Grammar: separable: hand the sheets out / hand them out. Example: “The teacher handed out the practice sheets at the start of class.” Usage note: Distribute is more formal.

65. fill in

Meaning: complete missing information or temporarily replace someone. Grammar: separable: fill the form in / fill it in. Example: “Please fill in every required field before submitting the form.” Usage note: In American English, fill out is often preferred for forms.

66. fill out

Meaning: complete a form by supplying information. Grammar: separable: fill the form out / fill it out. Example: “Applicants filled out the online form before registration.” Usage note: Usage differs by region; both fill in and fill out occur.

67. sort out

Meaning: resolve, organise or fix. Grammar: separable: sort the problem out / sort it out. Example: “The team sorted out the data-format problem before analysis.” Usage note: Can mean organise items or resolve difficulties.

68. check in

Meaning: register arrival or report presence. Grammar: intransitive or transitive. Example: “Participants checked in at the registration desk before the workshop.” Usage note: Also used for hotels, airports and status updates.

69. check out

Meaning: examine, investigate or leave after paying. Grammar: separable for examine: check it out. Example: “Students checked out the new reference tool before deciding whether to use it.” Usage note: Meaning varies widely by context.

70. sign up

Meaning: register to participate. Grammar: intransitive or separable. Example: “Thirty students signed up for the optional revision session.” Usage note: Often followed by for or to.

Movement, encounter and sequence

71. come across

Meaning: find or encounter unexpectedly. Grammar: inseparable. Example: “Iona came across an unfamiliar term while reading the article.” Usage note: Can also mean create an impression: come across as confident.

72. run into

Meaning: meet unexpectedly or encounter a problem. Grammar: inseparable. Example: “The group ran into a problem when the data formats did not match.” Usage note: Often informal; encounter is more formal.

73. go through

Meaning: experience, examine or review. Grammar: inseparable. Example: “The class went through the answer explanations after the quiz.” Usage note: Meaning varies from experience to detailed review.

74. pass by

Meaning: go past. Grammar: inseparable/intransitive. Example: “Several buses passed by before the correct service arrived.” Usage note: Often literal movement; can also describe time passing.

75. turn back

Meaning: reverse direction. Grammar: intransitive or separable. Example: “The hikers turned back when the weather deteriorated.” Usage note: Can also cause someone to return.

76. move in

Meaning: begin living in a place. Grammar: intransitive. Example: “The family moved in at the start of the month.” Usage note: Contrast with move out.

77. move out

Meaning: leave a place where one has been living. Grammar: intransitive. Example: “The tenants moved out after the lease ended.” Usage note: Contrast with move in.

78. drop by

Meaning: visit briefly and informally. Grammar: intransitive. Example: “The student dropped by after class to ask a question.” Usage note: Often conversational.

79. set out

Meaning: begin a journey or start with an intention. Grammar: intransitive, often set out to do. Example: “The researchers set out to test whether the effect persisted.” Usage note: Common in formal purpose statements.

80. head back

Meaning: return toward a previous place. Grammar: intransitive. Example: “After the field visit, the group headed back to school.” Usage note: Informal-neutral movement verb.

Decision, choice and control

81. rule out

Meaning: eliminate as a possibility. Grammar: separable: rule the option out / rule it out. Example: “The evidence does not rule out an alternative explanation.” Usage note: Useful in analytical and scientific reasoning.

82. narrow down

Meaning: reduce the number of possibilities. Grammar: separable: narrow the options down / narrow them down. Example: “The team narrowed the shortlist down to three feasible options.” Usage note: Implies progressive reduction.

83. weigh up

Meaning: consider advantages and disadvantages. Grammar: separable: weigh the options up / weigh them up. Example: “The committee weighed up cost, access and reliability before deciding.” Usage note: Common British English; weigh is also used alone.

84. settle on

Meaning: choose after consideration. Grammar: inseparable. Example: “After comparing the alternatives, the group settled on the simpler design.” Usage note: Implies a final choice.

85. go with

Meaning: choose or accept. Grammar: inseparable. Example: “The team went with the lower-cost option after checking reliability.” Usage note: More conversational than select.

86. turn down

Meaning: reject or refuse. Grammar: separable: turn the proposal down / turn it down. Example: “The committee turned down the proposal because it was not feasible.” Usage note: Also means reduce volume or intensity.

87. take up

Meaning: begin an activity or accept an offer/space. Grammar: separable. Example: “She took up debating to improve spoken argument skills.” Usage note: Has many meanings; context is essential.

88. give up

Meaning: stop trying or stop doing something. Grammar: separable/intransitive. Example: “The learner did not give up after the first difficult retrieval test.” Usage note: Can take an object: give it up.

89. hold off

Meaning: delay action. Grammar: intransitive or hold off on something. Example: “The team held off on publication until the figures were verified.” Usage note: Implies deliberate delay.

90. put off

Meaning: postpone. Grammar: separable: put the meeting off / put it off. Example: “Do not put off spaced review until the night before the examination.” Usage note: Also means discourage or repel in other contexts.

Success, failure and recovery

91. pull off

Meaning: succeed in doing something difficult. Grammar: separable: pull the task off / pull it off. Example: “The team pulled off a complex presentation despite limited preparation time.” Usage note: Informal; accomplish is more formal.

92. fall through

Meaning: fail to happen or be completed. Grammar: intransitive. Example: “The agreement fell through after funding was withdrawn.” Usage note: Often used for plans, deals and arrangements.

93. give in

Meaning: stop resisting or finally agree. Grammar: intransitive or give in to. Example: “The student did not give in to the temptation to check the answer immediately.” Usage note: Different from give up, which means stop trying.

94. miss out

Meaning: fail to receive, experience or include something. Grammar: intransitive or miss out on. Example: “Students who skip delayed review may miss out on durable retrieval practice.” Usage note: Often followed by on.

95. catch on

Meaning: begin to understand or become popular. Grammar: intransitive. Example: “The class quickly caught on to the new editing routine.” Usage note: Context decides understand versus become popular.

96. keep up

Meaning: continue at the required level or pace. Grammar: intransitive or keep up with. Example: “Short daily practice helped the learner keep up with new vocabulary.” Usage note: Can also mean maintain something.

97. drop out

Meaning: leave a course, activity or process before completion. Grammar: intransitive or drop out of. Example: “Several participants dropped out before the final survey.” Usage note: Often used in education and research participation.

98. bounce back

Meaning: recover after difficulty. Grammar: intransitive. Example: “The student bounced back after a disappointing test by changing revision strategy.” Usage note: Informal-neutral expression of resilience.

99. get through

Meaning: finish, survive, pass or successfully contact. Grammar: intransitive/transitive by sense. Example: “The class got through the entire practice set before the lesson ended.” Usage note: Meaning depends heavily on context.

100. come through

Meaning: succeed, deliver what was needed or survive difficulty. Grammar: intransitive. Example: “The team came through under pressure and completed the project on time.” Usage note: Often implies successful performance when it mattered.

How this phrasal-verb guide fits the Secondary 3 vocabulary system

Use this page with the Vocabulary Learning Hub, Academic Collocations, Formal Words, Vocabulary Practice and Commonly Confused Words.

Separable and inseparable phrasal verbs

A separable phrasal verb allows a noun object between the verb and particle: write the answer down. Many also allow the noun after the particle: write down the answer. But when the object is a pronoun, the middle position is normally required: write it down, not write down it.

An inseparable multi-word verb keeps its particle or preposition with the verb: look after the equipment, go over the notes, deal with the problem, come across an unfamiliar word. Pronouns remain after the whole unit: look after it, deal with it, come across it.

Phrasal-prepositional verbs contain more than one particle or preposition, as in look up to, brush up on, get on with, come down to and get through to. These patterns should be learned as whole constructions because object position is usually fixed.

Pronoun placement: the fastest grammar check

For separable verbs, test the pronoun. If look it up, write it down, figure it out, carry it out, rule it out sound correct, the middle position is a strong clue. If deal it with, look it after, go it over sound wrong, the expression is likely inseparable in that meaning.

Do not turn this into an absolute mechanical rule for every multi-word verb in English. Meanings can change grammar. Check out is intransitive when leaving a hotel but separable when examining something: “We checked out at noon” versus “Check it out.” Store grammar with the sense.

Multiple meanings: one phrasal verb, several semantic networks

Pick up can mean lift, collect, learn informally, improve or detect. “Pick up the book,” “pick up a friend,” “pick up a phrase,” “sales picked up,” and “the microphone picked up noise” share the same form but not one simple definition.

Make up can mean reconcile, invent, compose a proportion, or apply cosmetics. Context decides: “They made up after the argument,” “he made up an excuse,” and “rural users make up 30% of the sample.”

Take up can mean begin an activity, accept an offer, occupy space or time, or discuss a matter: “take up debating,” “take up the offer,” “the table takes up space,” “we will take the issue up later.”

Get through can mean finish, survive, pass, consume or make contact: “get through the worksheet,” “get through a difficult week,” “get through the examination,” “get through the supplies,” “get through by phone.” Students must learn sense from context rather than attaching one translation to the form.

Check out can mean examine, verify, borrow from a library, or leave a hotel. The surrounding noun and situation identify the sense.

Register: phrasal verb or one-word alternative?

Some phrasal verbs are fully natural in formal academic writing: carry out a study, point out a limitation, put forward an argument, rule out an explanation, follow up a finding, build on previous work. Others are more conversational: figure out, get along with, drop by, pull off.

The one-word alternative is not automatically better. “Carry out an experiment” is standard formal English. “Conduct an experiment” is also standard. “Figure out the cause” may be better changed to “determine the cause” in a formal report, while “figure out the puzzle” is natural in everyday explanation.

Register control means knowing both forms. Back up a claim can become substantiate a claim; put off the meeting can become postpone the meeting; turn down the proposal can become reject the proposal; pull off the task can become accomplish the task.

Sixty phrasal-verb grammar repairs

Each repair targets object position or construction. Read the wrong form first and explain why it fails.

Repair 1

Wrong: “look up it” Correct: “look it up” Why: With separable look up, an object pronoun goes between the verb and particle.

Repair 2

Wrong: “write down it” Correct: “write it down” Why: Pronouns normally go in the middle with separable write down.

Repair 3

Wrong: “figure out it” Correct: “figure it out” Why: Figure out is separable when it takes an object.

Repair 4

Wrong: “think through it” Correct: “think it through” Why: Think through is separable in this meaning.

Repair 5

Wrong: “set up it” Correct: “set it up” Why: Set up takes the pronoun between verb and particle.

Repair 6

Wrong: “wrap up it” Correct: “wrap it up” Why: Wrap up is separable when it means finish something.

Repair 7

Wrong: “finish off it” Correct: “finish it off” Why: The pronoun belongs between finish and off.

Repair 8

Wrong: “break down it” Correct: “break it down” Why: When break down means divide into parts, it is separable.

Repair 9

Wrong: “scale up it” Correct: “scale it up” Why: Scale up is separable in the transitive form.

Repair 10

Wrong: “phase out it” Correct: “phase it out” Why: Phase out takes a pronoun in the middle.

Repair 11

Wrong: “step up it” Correct: “step it up” Why: Step up is separable when increasing an activity or effort.

Repair 12

Wrong: “tone down it” Correct: “tone it down” Why: Tone down is separable.

Repair 13

Wrong: “speed up it” Correct: “speed it up” Why: Speed up is separable in the transitive use.

Repair 14

Wrong: “bring about it” Correct: “bring it about” Why: Bring about can separate around a pronoun.

Repair 15

Wrong: “bring on it” Correct: “bring it on” Why: Bring on can separate when it takes an object.

Repair 16

Wrong: “set off it” Correct: “set it off” Why: Set off is separable when it means trigger something.

Repair 17

Wrong: “carry out it” Correct: “carry it out” Why: Carry out is separable.

Repair 18

Wrong: “take on it” Correct: “take it on” Why: Take on is separable when accepting a task or responsibility.

Repair 19

Wrong: “hand in it” Correct: “hand it in” Why: Hand in is separable.

Repair 20

Wrong: “hand out them” Correct: “hand them out” Why: Hand out is separable and pronouns go in the middle.

Repair 21

Wrong: “fill in it” Correct: “fill it in” Why: Fill in is separable for forms and blanks.

Repair 22

Wrong: “fill out it” Correct: “fill it out” Why: Fill out is separable.

Repair 23

Wrong: “sort out it” Correct: “sort it out” Why: Sort out is separable.

Repair 24

Wrong: “check out it” Correct: “check it out” Why: When check out means examine, it is separable.

Repair 25

Wrong: “rule out it” Correct: “rule it out” Why: Rule out is separable.

Repair 26

Wrong: “narrow down them” Correct: “narrow them down” Why: Narrow down takes object pronouns in the middle.

Repair 27

Wrong: “weigh up them” Correct: “weigh them up” Why: Weigh up is separable.

Repair 28

Wrong: “turn down it” Correct: “turn it down” Why: Turn down is separable when rejecting something or reducing volume.

Repair 29

Wrong: “take up it” Correct: “take it up” Why: Take up is separable in many transitive senses.

Repair 30

Wrong: “give up it” Correct: “give it up” Why: Give up is separable when an object is expressed as a pronoun.

Repair 31

Wrong: “put off it” Correct: “put it off” Why: Put off is separable when it means postpone.

Repair 32

Wrong: “pull off it” Correct: “pull it off” Why: Pull off is separable when it means succeed in doing something difficult.

Repair 33

Wrong: “go it over” Correct: “go over it” Why: Go over is inseparable in the review meaning.

Repair 34

Wrong: “look it after” Correct: “look after it” Why: Look after is inseparable.

Repair 35

Wrong: “look him up to” Correct: “look up to him” Why: Look up to is inseparable and the preposition stays with the expression.

Repair 36

Wrong: “count it on” Correct: “count on it” Why: Count on is inseparable.

Repair 37

Wrong: “deal it with” Correct: “deal with it” Why: Deal with is inseparable.

Repair 38

Wrong: “come it across” Correct: “come across it” Why: Come across is inseparable when it means encounter.

Repair 39

Wrong: “run it into” Correct: “run into it” Why: Run into is inseparable when it means encounter a problem or person.

Repair 40

Wrong: “go it through” Correct: “go through it” Why: Go through is inseparable in the review/experience sense.

Repair 41

Wrong: “settle it on” Correct: “settle on it” Why: Settle on is inseparable.

Repair 42

Wrong: “go it with” Correct: “go with it” Why: Go with is inseparable.

Repair 43

Wrong: “come it from” Correct: “come from it” Why: Come from is inseparable.

Repair 44

Wrong: “build it on” Correct: “build on it” Why: Build on is inseparable.

Repair 45

Wrong: “brush the topic up on” Correct: “brush up on the topic” Why: Brush up on is a phrasal-prepositional pattern; the object follows on.

Repair 46

Wrong: “get the issue along with” Correct: “get along with the group” Why: Get along with describes a relationship; it does not mean handle an issue.

Repair 47

Wrong: “fall the friend out with” Correct: “fall out with the friend” Why: Fall out with is inseparable.

Repair 48

Wrong: “get the idea through to” Correct: “get the idea through to the class” Why: Get through to keeps through to before the person receiving the message.

Repair 49

Wrong: “hold the decision off on” Correct: “hold off on the decision” Why: Hold off on is the natural delaying pattern.

Repair 50

Wrong: “miss the opportunity out on” Correct: “miss out on the opportunity” Why: Miss out on keeps the preposition before the object.

Repair 51

Wrong: “keep the class up with” Correct: “keep up with the class” Why: Keep up with is inseparable.

Repair 52

Wrong: “drop the course out of” Correct: “drop out of the course” Why: Drop out of is inseparable.

Repair 53

Wrong: “start with off a claim” Correct: “start off with a claim” Why: Start off with keeps off with together before the following noun phrase.

Repair 54

Wrong: “follow the plan through on” Correct: “follow through on the plan” Why: Follow through on is the natural completion pattern.

Repair 55

Wrong: “get the task on with” Correct: “get on with the task” Why: Get on with is inseparable.

Repair 56

Wrong: “switch the system over to” Correct: “switch over to the new system” Why: The intransitive switch over to pattern is usually cleaner than forcing an object inside.

Repair 57

Wrong: “cut the screen time down on” Correct: “cut down on screen time” Why: Cut down on is inseparable.

Repair 58

Wrong: “end the work up doing” Correct: “end up doing the work” Why: End up is followed by an -ing form or complement; the object is not inserted between end and up.

Repair 59

Wrong: “die the noise down” Correct: “the noise died down” Why: Die down is normally intransitive.

Repair 60

Wrong: “wear the effect off” Correct: “the effect wore off” Why: Wear off is normally intransitive in this sense.

Repair 61

Wrong: “come the change about” Correct: “the change came about” Why: Come about is intransitive when it means happen.

Repair 62

Wrong: “bounce the student back” Correct: “the student bounced back” Why: Bounce back is normally intransitive when it means recover.

The grammar rule to keep

Learn the phrasal verb together with one grammar frame, not as a bare meaning. Store look it up, deal with it, brush up on vocabulary, follow through on a plan, rule it out. The frame is part of the vocabulary item.

Worksheet 1: 100 phrasal-verb context questions

Complete each sentence before reading the answer. Then say whether the verb is separable, inseparable or mainly intransitive in that sense.

1. During the meeting, Maya decided to ___ the missing cost estimate. Answer: bring up. Meaning: introduce a topic.

2. The reviewer ___ed that the sample was too small for a broad conclusion. Answer: point out. Meaning: draw attention to a detail.

3. The instructions ___ exactly how the final answer should be structured. Answer: spell out. Meaning: explain explicitly.

4. Use the final two sentences to ___ the argument without repeating every example. Answer: sum up. Meaning: give the main points briefly.

5. The claim needs evidence to ___ it ___. Answer: back up. Meaning: support with evidence.

6. Before submitting, ___ your references one more time. Answer: go over. Meaning: review carefully.

7. The group should ___ the disagreement before making a decision. Answer: talk over. Meaning: discuss carefully.

8. The diagram helps ___ the key distinction more clearly. Answer: get across. Meaning: communicate successfully.

9. The writer ___s a cautious explanation rather than an absolute claim. Answer: put forward. Meaning: propose.

10. Researchers should ___ the initial finding with a delayed test. Answer: follow up. Meaning: take further action.

11. Can you ___ why the second transition sounds wrong? Answer: figure out. Meaning: understand or solve.

12. Students must ___ the percentage change before interpreting it. Answer: work out. Meaning: calculate or solve.

13. If context is insufficient, ___ the technical term in a reliable reference. Answer: look up. Meaning: search for information.

14. ___ your paragraph to check whether the pronoun reference is clear. Answer: read over. Meaning: read again to check.

15. ___ every word you hesitate over during retrieval practice. Answer: write down. Meaning: record in writing.

16. The paragraph is easier to ___ after the ideas are reorganised. Answer: take in. Meaning: understand or absorb.

17. Students often ___ useful collocations through repeated reading. Answer: pick up. Meaning: learn informally.

18. Short daily practice helped him ___ on missed vocabulary. Answer: catch up. Meaning: reach the same level.

19. Before the exam, she ___ transition words and academic verbs. Answer: brush up on. Meaning: refresh existing knowledge.

20. ___ the consequences before you accept the first solution. Answer: think through. Meaning: consider fully.

21. The team ___ a controlled comparison before collecting data. Answer: set up. Meaning: establish or arrange.

22. The essay ___ with a clear claim and then introduces evidence. Answer: start off. Meaning: begin.

23. After correcting the first error, the student ___ practising. Answer: carry on. Meaning: continue.

24. If you ___ guessing, the same error will recur. Answer: keep on. Meaning: continue repeatedly.

25. Once the word is secure, ___ to a harder retrieval task. Answer: move on. Meaning: continue to the next stage.

26. A plan is useless if you do not ___ on it. Answer: follow through. Meaning: complete an intended action.

27. The teacher ___ the lesson with a short quiz. Answer: wrap up. Meaning: finish or conclude.

28. The class ___ the exercise with five transfer questions. Answer: finish off. Meaning: complete the last part.

29. Where did we ___ yesterday? Answer: leave off. Meaning: stop at a particular point.

30. Stop planning and ___ the actual writing. Answer: get on with. Meaning: continue or begin doing.

31. Repeated retrieval can ___ passive vocabulary ___ active vocabulary. Answer: turn into. Meaning: change into.

32. ___ the complex task into smaller decisions. Answer: break down. Meaning: divide into parts.

33. The programme gradually ___ retrieval difficulty. Answer: build up. Meaning: increase gradually.

34. Try to ___ unnecessary transition words. Answer: cut down on. Meaning: reduce.

35. The school plans to ___ the pilot after testing reliability. Answer: scale up. Meaning: increase size or reach.

36. The department will ___ the old system over two terms. Answer: phase out. Meaning: remove gradually.

37. The team will ___ to the new platform next month. Answer: switch over. Meaning: change systems.

38. The learner ___ practice before the final assessment. Answer: step up. Meaning: increase effort.

39. The writer should ___ the conclusion because the evidence is limited. Answer: tone down. Meaning: make less strong.

40. Repeated practice can ___ retrieval. Answer: speed up. Meaning: make faster.

41. The new feedback routine ___ a gradual improvement. Answer: bring about. Meaning: cause.

42. Too much cognitive load can ___ avoidable errors. Answer: bring on. Meaning: cause to begin.

43. The unexpected finding ___ another investigation. Answer: set off. Meaning: trigger.

44. The difference may ___ prior knowledge rather than the treatment. Answer: come from. Meaning: originate in.

45. Without a plan, students may ___ rereading instead of retrieving. Answer: end up. Meaning: finally reach a result.

46. The initial excitement ___ after several days. Answer: die down. Meaning: become less intense.

47. The short-term effect ___ after one week. Answer: wear off. Meaning: gradually disappear.

48. The second lesson should ___ the concepts from the first. Answer: build on. Meaning: use as a foundation.

49. The improvement ___ after the review schedule changed. Answer: come about. Meaning: happen.

50. The final choice may ___ whether cost or reliability matters more. Answer: come down to. Meaning: be mainly determined by.

51. The team worked well because members could ___ one another. Answer: get along with. Meaning: have a good relationship.

52. The character ___ her closest friend after the accusation. Answer: fall out with. Meaning: have an argument.

53. The two friends eventually ___ after discussing the misunderstanding. Answer: make up. Meaning: reconcile.

54. The team ___ the researcher while the error was corrected. Answer: stand by. Meaning: support.

55. Who will ___ the equipment during the activity? Answer: look after. Meaning: take care of.

56. Many younger students ___ the senior mentor. Answer: look up to. Meaning: admire.

57. She ___ her father in temperament. Answer: take after. Meaning: resemble a family member.

58. You can ___ the checklist to catch repeated formatting errors. Answer: count on. Meaning: depend on.

59. The final section ___ limitations and future research. Answer: deal with. Meaning: address.

60. The teacher changed the example to ___ the idea ___ the class. Answer: get through to. Meaning: make someone understand.

61. Researchers ___ a follow-up study after two weeks. Answer: carry out. Meaning: perform.

62. The student ___ responsibility for the final reference check. Answer: take on. Meaning: accept responsibility.

63. Students must ___ the final draft by Friday. Answer: hand in. Meaning: submit.

64. The teacher ___ the practice sheets at the start. Answer: hand out. Meaning: distribute.

65. Please ___ every required field. Answer: fill in. Meaning: complete missing information.

66. Applicants ___ the online form before registration. Answer: fill out. Meaning: complete a form.

67. The team ___ the data-format problem before analysis. Answer: sort out. Meaning: resolve.

68. Participants ___ at the registration desk. Answer: check in. Meaning: register arrival.

69. ___ the new reference tool before deciding whether to use it. Answer: check out. Meaning: examine.

70. Thirty students ___ for the revision session. Answer: sign up. Meaning: register.

71. I ___ an unfamiliar term while reading the article. Answer: come across. Meaning: encounter unexpectedly.

72. The group ___ a problem when the file formats differed. Answer: run into. Meaning: encounter a problem.

73. The class ___ the answer explanations after the quiz. Answer: go through. Meaning: review.

74. Several buses ___ before the correct service arrived. Answer: pass by. Meaning: go past.

75. The hikers ___ when the weather deteriorated. Answer: turn back. Meaning: reverse direction.

76. The family ___ at the beginning of the month. Answer: move in. Meaning: begin living in a place.

77. The tenants ___ after the lease ended. Answer: move out. Meaning: leave a residence.

78. She ___ after class to ask a question. Answer: drop by. Meaning: visit briefly.

79. The researchers ___ to test whether the effect persisted. Answer: set out. Meaning: begin with an intention.

80. After the field trip, the group ___ to school. Answer: head back. Meaning: return.

81. The evidence does not ___ an alternative explanation. Answer: rule out. Meaning: eliminate as a possibility.

82. The team ___ the options to three. Answer: narrow down. Meaning: reduce possibilities.

83. The committee ___ cost, access and reliability. Answer: weigh up. Meaning: consider pros and cons.

84. After comparing alternatives, they ___ the simpler design. Answer: settle on. Meaning: choose finally.

85. The group decided to ___ the lower-cost option. Answer: go with. Meaning: choose.

86. The committee ___ the proposal because it was infeasible. Answer: turn down. Meaning: reject.

87. She ___ debating to improve spoken argument skills. Answer: take up. Meaning: begin an activity.

88. The learner refused to ___ after one difficult test. Answer: give up. Meaning: stop trying.

89. The team ___ on publication until the figures were verified. Answer: hold off. Meaning: delay action.

90. Do not ___ spaced review until the night before the exam. Answer: put off. Meaning: postpone.

91. The team ___ a complex presentation despite limited time. Answer: pull off. Meaning: succeed at something difficult.

92. The agreement ___ after funding was withdrawn. Answer: fall through. Meaning: fail to happen.

93. The student did not ___ to the temptation to check the answer. Answer: give in. Meaning: stop resisting.

94. Students who skip review may ___ on durable learning. Answer: miss out. Meaning: fail to receive or experience.

95. The class quickly ___ to the new editing routine. Answer: catch on. Meaning: begin to understand.

96. Daily practice helped her ___ with new vocabulary. Answer: keep up. Meaning: maintain pace.

97. Several participants ___ before the final survey. Answer: drop out. Meaning: leave before completion.

98. The student ___ after a disappointing test. Answer: bounce back. Meaning: recover.

99. The class ___ the entire practice set before the lesson ended. Answer: get through. Meaning: finish.

100. The team ___ under pressure and completed the project. Answer: come through. Meaning: succeed when needed.

Phrasal verb or one-word formal alternative?

Both versions may be correct. Practise switching register without changing meaning.

1. back up → substantiate. Shared core meaning: support a claim with evidence. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

2. go over → review. Shared core meaning: examine again. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

3. get across → communicate. Shared core meaning: make an idea understood. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

4. put forward → propose. Shared core meaning: present an idea or argument. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

5. follow up → investigate further. Shared core meaning: take additional action. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

6. figure out → determine. Shared core meaning: solve or understand. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

7. work out → calculate / determine. Shared core meaning: solve or calculate. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

8. look up → consult. Shared core meaning: search a reference source. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

9. write down → record. Shared core meaning: put information in writing. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

10. take in → comprehend. Shared core meaning: understand or absorb. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

11. pick up → acquire. Shared core meaning: learn informally. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

12. catch up → recover lost ground. Shared core meaning: reach the required level. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

13. brush up on → review. Shared core meaning: refresh knowledge. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

14. think through → consider fully. Shared core meaning: examine consequences. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

15. set up → establish. Shared core meaning: create or arrange. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

16. carry on → continue. Shared core meaning: keep doing. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

17. wrap up → conclude. Shared core meaning: finish. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

18. get on with → proceed with. Shared core meaning: continue a task. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

19. turn into → transform into. Shared core meaning: change state. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

20. break down → analyse / divide. Shared core meaning: separate into parts. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

21. build up → accumulate / develop. Shared core meaning: increase gradually. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

22. cut down on → reduce. Shared core meaning: decrease quantity or frequency. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

23. scale up → expand. Shared core meaning: increase size or reach. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

24. phase out → discontinue gradually. Shared core meaning: remove over time. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

25. switch over → transition. Shared core meaning: change systems. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

26. step up → increase. Shared core meaning: raise effort or intensity. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

27. tone down → moderate. Shared core meaning: make less strong. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

28. speed up → accelerate. Shared core meaning: make faster. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

29. bring about → cause. Shared core meaning: produce an effect. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

30. set off → trigger. Shared core meaning: cause to begin. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

31. come from → originate from. Shared core meaning: have a source. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

32. end up → ultimately become. Shared core meaning: reach a final state. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

33. wear off → diminish. Shared core meaning: lose effect gradually. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

34. build on → develop from. Shared core meaning: use as a foundation. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

35. come about → occur. Shared core meaning: happen. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

36. come down to → depend mainly on. Shared core meaning: be determined by. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

37. get along with → cooperate with. Shared core meaning: have a good working relationship. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

38. stand by → support. Shared core meaning: remain loyal or ready. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

39. look after → care for. Shared core meaning: take care of. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

40. count on → rely on. Shared core meaning: depend on. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

41. deal with → address. Shared core meaning: handle a problem or topic. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

42. carry out → conduct. Shared core meaning: perform a study or task. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

43. take on → assume. Shared core meaning: accept responsibility. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

44. hand in → submit. Shared core meaning: give work formally. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

45. hand out → distribute. Shared core meaning: give to several people. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

46. sort out → resolve. Shared core meaning: fix a difficulty. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

47. rule out → eliminate. Shared core meaning: remove as a possibility. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

48. narrow down → reduce. Shared core meaning: limit the number of options. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

49. weigh up → evaluate. Shared core meaning: consider strengths and weaknesses. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

50. settle on → select. Shared core meaning: make a final choice. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

51. turn down → reject. Shared core meaning: refuse a proposal. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

52. hold off → delay. Shared core meaning: postpone action. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

53. put off → postpone. Shared core meaning: move to a later time. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

54. pull off → accomplish. Shared core meaning: succeed at a difficult task. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

55. fall through → fail. Shared core meaning: not happen as planned. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

56. bounce back → recover. Shared core meaning: return after difficulty. Write one conversational sentence and one formal sentence.

Register rule

Do not replace every phrasal verb with a one-word alternative. Carry out a study, point out a limitation, rule out an explanation and build on previous work are all natural in formal academic English. Register is a usage question, not a ban on particles.

Particle families: what up, down, out, off, on and through often contribute

1. up

Common tendency: Often suggests completion, increase, collection or approach to a higher state. Examples: sum up, set up, build up, scale up, step up, speed up, sign up, take up, give up, catch up. The particle does not have one fixed meaning. Compare build up pressure (increase), sum up an argument (complete/condense) and sign up for a course (register).

2. down

Common tendency: Often suggests reduction, division, lowering or movement toward a simpler state. Examples: break down, cut down on, tone down, narrow down, write down. Break down can divide a problem or describe failure; tone down reduces intensity; write down records information rather than literally lowering it.

3. out

Common tendency: Often suggests completion, emergence, discovery, distribution or removal. Examples: figure out, work out, point out, spell out, carry out, hand out, fill out, rule out, sort out, move out. Out can signal solving, making something explicit, completing an action, distributing, eliminating or leaving.

4. off

Common tendency: Often suggests separation, stopping, delay, triggering or completion. Examples: start off, finish off, leave off, set off, die off in other contexts, put off, wear off, hold off. Compare put off a meeting (delay), set off an alarm (trigger) and wear off (gradually disappear).

5. on

Common tendency: Often suggests continuation, attachment, dependence or progression. Examples: carry on, keep on, build on, count on, hold off on, miss out on. Carry on and keep on continue an action; build on uses something as a foundation; count on expresses dependence.

6. over

Common tendency: Often suggests review, repetition, transfer or movement across. Examples: go over, talk over, switch over, turn over in other contexts. Go over and talk over both involve reconsidering something; switch over changes systems.

7. through

Common tendency: Often suggests completion, passage, detailed processing or successful contact. Examples: think through, follow through, go through, get through, come through. Think through means process fully; follow through completes intention; get through can mean finish, survive or contact.

8. back

Common tendency: Often suggests return, recovery or support. Examples: back up, turn back, head back, bounce back. Back up can support evidence; turn back and head back return physically; bounce back means recover.

9. in

Common tendency: Often suggests entry, inclusion, completion of information or arrival. Examples: fill in, check in, move in, give in. Fill in completes missing information; check in registers arrival; give in means stop resisting rather than move physically inward.

10. into

Common tendency: Often marks change, collision or movement toward an encounter. Examples: turn into, run into. Turn into marks transformation; run into often means encounter unexpectedly rather than literal physical collision.

Cross-subject phrasal-verb transfer

1. English argument

Useful verbs: put forward, point out, back up, sum up. A student can put forward a claim, point out a limitation, back the claim up with evidence and sum up the argument at the end.

2. English editing

Useful verbs: read over, tone down, write down, go over. Read a draft over, tone down overstatement, write down repeated errors and go over the final version before submission.

3. Literature

Useful verbs: bring up, get across, come across, make up. A text may bring up a theme, get an idea across through symbolism, contain a phrase a reader comes across unexpectedly, or depict characters who make up after conflict.

4. Science research

Useful verbs: set up, carry out, follow up, rule out. Researchers set up a comparison, carry out the experiment, follow up the finding and rule out alternative explanations.

5. Science analysis

Useful verbs: break down, work out, build on, come from. Break a process down, work out a rate, build on earlier evidence and ask where an observed difference may come from.

6. Mathematics

Useful verbs: work out, narrow down, go through, check out. Work out a value, narrow down possible solutions, go through each step and check out an alternative method if needed.

7. Data interpretation

Useful verbs: point out, come down to, weigh up, settle on. Point out a trend, decide what the final judgement comes down to, weigh up competing interpretations and settle on the best-supported one.

8. History

Useful verbs: look up, go over, put forward, corroboration via back up. Look up an unfamiliar reference, go over source evidence, put forward an interpretation and back it up with records.

9. Geography

Useful verbs: build up, die down, come from, lead to via bring about. Pressure can build up, a storm may die down, a pattern may come from spatial conditions, and policy changes may bring about new movement patterns.

10. Social studies

Useful verbs: deal with, put forward, turn down, implement via carry out. A proposal may deal with access, put forward a new policy, be turned down or later carried out by an institution.

11. Technology

Useful verbs: set up, scale up, switch over, sort out. Set up a system, scale it up, switch over to a new platform and sort out compatibility problems.

12. Technology troubleshooting

Useful verbs: break down, run into, check out, get through. A system can break down, users may run into an error, technicians check out the cause and eventually get through the repair process.

13. Learning

Useful verbs: pick up, brush up on, catch up, keep up. Pick up new phrases, brush up on old vocabulary, catch up after absence and keep up with new material.

14. Revision

Useful verbs: write down, look up, go over, follow through. Write down weak items, look them up if necessary, go over explanations and follow through on delayed review.

15. Project management

Useful verbs: set up, take on, hand in, wrap up. Set up the project, take on responsibilities, hand in deliverables and wrap up with a review.

16. Administration

Useful verbs: fill in, fill out, check in, sign up. Fill in missing fields, fill out a form, check in at registration and sign up for a programme.

17. Decision-making

Useful verbs: rule out, narrow down, weigh up, settle on. Rule out infeasible choices, narrow down the shortlist, weigh up trade-offs and settle on a final option.

18. Recovery

Useful verbs: fall through, give in, bounce back, come through. A plan may fall through, a team may refuse to give in, bounce back from failure and come through under pressure.

19. Relationships

Useful verbs: get along with, fall out with, make up, stand by. People get along, fall out, make up and stand by one another; the verbs encode different relationship stages.

20. Movement

Useful verbs: set out, turn back, head back, drop by. Set out on a journey, turn back if conditions worsen, head back later or drop by briefly.

Worksheet 2: sixty-five cloze sentences

Complete each sentence from meaning and grammar. Then state whether the expression is separable, inseparable or intransitive in that sense.

1. The researcher decided to ___ the unexpected finding with a second test. Answer: follow up.

2. Please ___ the key distinction so no reader misses it. Answer: spell out.

3. The writer should ___ the conclusion because the evidence is weak. Answer: tone down.

4. Can you ___ this percentage before interpreting the graph? Answer: work out.

5. If you do not know the term, ___ it ___ after trying context. Answer: look up.

6. The class will ___ the error log before the quiz. Answer: go over.

7. The student needs to ___ missed vocabulary after being absent. Answer: catch up on.

8. We should ___ the consequences before making the recommendation. Answer: think through.

9. The team will ___ the experiment tomorrow morning. Answer: set up.

10. After the first section, ___ to the counterargument. Answer: move on.

11. Do not abandon the plan; ___ on the scheduled reviews. Answer: follow through.

12. The teacher will ___ the lesson with a retrieval test. Answer: wrap up.

13. Where did we ___ in yesterday’s discussion? Answer: leave off.

14. The tutor ___ the task into four smaller steps. Answer: broke down.

15. The programme gradually ___ difficulty over time. Answer: builds up.

16. Try to ___ unnecessary repetition. Answer: cut down on.

17. The school hopes to ___ the successful pilot next year. Answer: scale up.

18. The old platform will be ___ gradually. Answer: phased out.

19. The department will ___ to the new system in January. Answer: switch over.

20. Students should ___ practice before the examination. Answer: step up.

21. Repeated testing can ___ recall speed. Answer: speed up.

22. The new feedback routine may ___ improvement. Answer: bring about.

23. The loud noise ___ an alarm. Answer: set off.

24. The difference may ___ prior knowledge. Answer: come from.

25. Without a plan, students may ___ rereading passively. Answer: end up.

26. The initial effect ___ after several days. Answer: wore off.

27. The second unit ___ concepts from the first. Answer: builds on.

28. The improvement ___ after the revision schedule changed. Answer: came about.

29. The final decision may ___ cost and reliability. Answer: come down to.

30. The characters ___ after discussing the misunderstanding. Answer: made up.

31. You can ___ the checklist for routine formatting errors. Answer: count on.

32. The report ___ three major limitations. Answer: deals with.

33. The teacher finally managed to ___ the idea ___ the class. Answer: get through to.

34. Researchers ___ the study across three schools. Answer: carried out.

35. The student ___ responsibility for the final edit. Answer: took on.

36. Please ___ the worksheet by Friday. Answer: hand in.

37. The teacher ___ the instructions at the door. Answer: handed out.

38. Please ___ the missing fields. Answer: fill in.

39. The team ___ the formatting issue before analysis. Answer: sorted out.

40. Participants must ___ at the front desk. Answer: check in.

41. ___ the new reference database before deciding whether to use it. Answer: Check out.

42. Thirty students ___ for the session. Answer: signed up.

43. I ___ an unfamiliar term in the article. Answer: came across.

44. We ___ a problem during file conversion. Answer: ran into.

45. The class ___ the sample answers carefully. Answer: went through.

46. The hikers ___ when the weather worsened. Answer: turned back.

47. The researchers ___ to test a new hypothesis. Answer: set out.

48. The evidence does not ___ another explanation. Answer: rule out.

49. The group ___ the options to two. Answer: narrowed down.

50. The committee ___ all three alternatives. Answer: weighed up.

51. The team eventually ___ the simpler design. Answer: settled on.

52. The committee ___ the proposal because cost was too high. Answer: turned down.

53. She ___ debating to improve spoken argument. Answer: took up.

54. Do not ___ after one difficult test. Answer: give up.

55. The team ___ on publishing until the figures were checked. Answer: held off.

56. Do not ___ revision until the final night. Answer: put off.

57. The small team ___ the difficult presentation. Answer: pulled off.

58. The deal ___ after funding was withdrawn. Answer: fell through.

59. The student refused to ___ to the temptation to check answers early. Answer: give in.

60. Do not ___ on delayed practice. Answer: miss out.

61. The class quickly ___ to the new routine. Answer: caught on.

62. Daily review helped her ___ with new vocabulary. Answer: keep up.

63. Three participants ___ before the final survey. Answer: dropped out.

64. The student ___ after a disappointing result. Answer: bounced back.

65. We ___ the whole practice set before the bell. Answer: got through.

66. The team ___ when the pressure was highest. Answer: came through.

A thirty-day Grade 9 phrasal-verb plan

Day 1: Learn verbs 1–10. Focus on communication and argument. Write one sentence using each.

Day 2: Learn verbs 11–20. Separate problem-solving verbs from reference/search verbs.

Day 3: Review 1–20 with pronoun placement: look it up, figure it out, write it down, think it through.

Day 4: Learn verbs 21–30. Build a process timeline from set up to wrap up.

Day 5: Learn verbs 31–40. Group by increase, decrease, transformation and replacement.

Day 6: Review 1–40 using only meaning cues.

Day 7: Write a 150-word school paragraph using eight phrasal verbs naturally.

Day 8: Learn verbs 41–50. Distinguish cause, trigger, origin, eventual result and fading effects.

Day 9: Learn verbs 51–60. Focus on relationship verbs and inseparable patterns.

Day 10: Review 41–60 with formal one-word alternatives where useful.

Day 11: Learn verbs 61–70. Practise administrative verbs and pronoun position.

Day 12: Learn verbs 71–80. Practise encounter and movement meanings.

Day 13: Review 61–80 through cloze sentences.

Day 14: Learn verbs 81–90. Build a decision sequence from rule out to settle on and delay.

Day 15: Learn verbs 91–100. Group by success, failure, recovery and persistence.

Day 16: Full retrieval test for all 100 meanings.

Day 17: Grammar day: classify twenty verbs as separable, inseparable or mainly intransitive.

Day 18: Pronoun day: repair sentences such as look up it, deal it with and rule out it.

Day 19: Polysemy day: study pick up, make up, take up, check out and get through in multiple senses.

Day 20: Register day: switch between phrasal verbs and formal alternatives without changing meaning.

Day 21: English transfer: use point out, put forward, back up, sum up and tone down.

Day 22: Science transfer: use set up, carry out, follow up, rule out and come from.

Day 23: Technology transfer: use scale up, switch over, sort out, break down and check out.

Day 24: Decision transfer: use narrow down, weigh up, settle on, turn down and hold off.

Day 25: Learning transfer: use pick up, brush up on, catch up, keep up and follow through.

Day 26: Timed cloze test: fifty random contexts in ten minutes.

Day 27: Writing day: produce three paragraphs with five natural phrasal verbs each.

Day 28: Editing day: replace forced phrasal verbs with clearer one-word verbs and vice versa where register benefits.

Day 29: Delayed retrieval after 48 hours: meaning, grammar frame and one original sentence for twenty random items.

Day 30: Final mastery test: retrieve all 100, classify grammar, use twenty under time pressure and explain five register choices.

Seven levels of phrasal-verb mastery

Level 1 — Recognition: recognise the multi-word verb in reading. Level 2 — Meaning: explain the intended sense. Level 3 — Grammar: know object position and separability. Level 4 — Polysemy: distinguish another common sense. Level 5 — Production: use it naturally. Level 6 — Register: switch to a one-word alternative when genre requires. Level 7 — Transfer: retrieve it accurately in new subjects and timed writing.

Reverse retrieval: 100 meaning-to-phrasal-verb cues

Cover the answer and retrieve the whole multi-word verb. Then say one grammar frame: for example, “look it up” or “deal with it”.

1. introduce a topic → bring up.
2. draw attention to a detail → point out.
3. explain explicitly → spell out.
4. give main points briefly → sum up.
5. support with evidence → back up.
6. review carefully → go over.
7. discuss carefully → talk over.
8. communicate successfully → get across.
9. propose an idea → put forward.
10. take further action → follow up.
11. understand or solve → figure out.
12. solve or calculate → work out.
13. search a reference source → look up.
14. read again to check → read over.
15. record in writing → write down.
16. understand or absorb → take in.
17. learn informally → pick up.
18. reach the required level after falling behind → catch up.
19. refresh existing knowledge → brush up on.
20. consider fully → think through.
21. establish or arrange → set up.
22. begin in a particular way → start off.
23. continue → carry on.
24. continue repeatedly → keep on.
25. continue to next stage → move on.
26. complete an intended action → follow through.
27. finish or conclude → wrap up.
28. complete the last part → finish off.
29. stop at a particular point → leave off.
30. proceed with a task → get on with.
31. change into → turn into.
32. divide into smaller parts → break down.
33. increase gradually → build up.
34. reduce quantity or frequency → cut down on.
35. increase size or reach → scale up.
36. remove gradually → phase out.
37. change systems → switch over.
38. increase effort or intensity → step up.
39. make less strong → tone down.
40. make faster → speed up.
41. cause something to happen → bring about.
42. cause something to begin → bring on.
43. trigger → set off.
44. originate in → come from.
45. finally reach a state → end up.
46. become less intense → die down.
47. gradually lose effect → wear off.
48. develop from a foundation → build on.
49. happen → come about.
50. be mainly determined by → come down to.
51. have a good relationship → get along with.
52. have an argument with → fall out with.
53. reconcile after an argument → make up.
54. support someone → stand by.
55. take care of → look after.
56. admire → look up to.
57. resemble an older family member → take after.
58. depend on → count on.
59. handle or address → deal with.
60. make someone understand or contact successfully → get through to.
61. perform a task/study → carry out.
62. accept responsibility or work → take on.
63. submit → hand in.
64. distribute → hand out.
65. complete missing information → fill in.
66. complete a form → fill out.
67. resolve or organise → sort out.
68. register arrival → check in.
69. examine/investigate → check out.
70. register to participate → sign up.
71. encounter unexpectedly → come across.
72. encounter a problem/person → run into.
73. experience or review → go through.
74. go past → pass by.
75. reverse direction → turn back.
76. begin living in a place → move in.
77. leave a residence → move out.
78. visit briefly → drop by.
79. begin with an intention → set out.
80. return toward an earlier place → head back.
81. eliminate as a possibility → rule out.
82. reduce the number of options → narrow down.
83. consider advantages and disadvantages → weigh up.
84. choose after consideration → settle on.
85. choose informally → go with.
86. reject/refuse → turn down.
87. begin an activity/accept → take up.
88. stop trying → give up.
89. delay action → hold off.
90. postpone → put off.
91. succeed at something difficult → pull off.
92. fail to happen → fall through.
93. stop resisting → give in.
94. fail to receive/experience → miss out.
95. begin to understand → catch on.
96. maintain pace → keep up.
97. leave before completion → drop out.
98. recover after difficulty → bounce back.
99. finish/survive/pass → get through.
100. succeed or deliver when needed → come through.

Polysemy workshop: the same phrasal verb in several senses

1. pick up

Senses: lift; collect; learn informally; improve; detect. Examples: The microphone picked up noise; she picked up Spanish quickly; sales picked up in June.