This guide is aligned to the rebuilt Secondary 1 SEC Essential Top 100. The level focus is foundation control.
Natural multi-word verbs
| carry out | perform |
| come up with | produce an idea |
| go over | review |
| look into | investigate |
| point out | draw attention to |
| put forward | propose |
| rule out | eliminate as a possibility |
| sum up | summarise |
Register control
Learn both natural and formal alternatives. A single-word verb is not automatically better. Rewrite five sentences in conversational English and then restore a formal register without changing the meaning.
Secondary 1 Vocabulary Network
Master List · Composition · Idioms · Phrasal Verbs · Why Learn · Learning Methods · Secondary 1–4 Hub
Secondary 1 Phrasal Verbs: Meaning and Grammar Together
Use this page with the Secondary 1 SEC Essential Vocabulary master. Phrasal verbs are multi-word verbs. Learning only a one-word synonym is not enough; students need the sentence pattern and context as well.
25 Useful Phrasal Verbs
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| find out | discover | We found out why the date changed. |
| point out | draw attention to | She pointed out the error. |
| work out | solve or understand | They worked out a practical solution. |
| set up | establish or arrange | The class set up a reading corner. |
| look into | investigate | The teacher looked into the problem. |
| come up with | produce an idea | He came up with an alternative. |
| deal with | handle | The plan deals with the main concern. |
| bring up | mention | She brought up the missing form. |
| follow up | take further action | We followed up on the request. |
| rule out | exclude as a possibility | The evidence did not rule out another cause. |
| break down | divide into parts | Break the task down into steps. |
| build up | increase gradually | Practice built up his confidence. |
| cut down on | reduce | She cut down on distractions. |
| go over | review | Go over the answer again. |
| hand in | submit | He handed in the revised draft. |
| leave out | omit | Do not leave out the main reason. |
| put forward | propose | The group put forward a solution. |
| sort out | resolve or organise | They sorted out the misunderstanding. |
| take on | accept work or responsibility | She took on the new role. |
| turn down | reject | They turned down the proposal. |
| get across | communicate successfully | He got his main point across. |
| put together | assemble or create | They put together a clear presentation. |
| run into | encounter unexpectedly | The team ran into a problem. |
| write down | record | Write down the correction. |
| build on | develop from a foundation | The second paragraph builds on the first. |
Grammar Check
Some phrasal verbs can separate: “turn down the offer” and “turn the offer down”, but with a pronoun use “turn it down”. Others stay together: “look into the problem”, not “look the problem into”. Store the pattern with the meaning.
One Expression, More Than One Meaning
Work out can mean solve, calculate or understand; it can also have other meanings in other contexts. Break down can mean divide something into parts or describe a failure. Read the whole sentence before choosing a definition.
Register Check
Phrasal verbs are not automatically poor or informal English. “Look into” can sound natural in conversation; “investigate” may be more concise in a formal report. Control means being able to choose.
Practice
- Explain five phrasal verbs plainly.
- Use each in a new sentence.
- Change a noun object to a pronoun and check the word order.
- Compare each with a one-word alternative.
- Choose which version fits a conversation and which fits a formal message.
SEC Ecosystem
Return to the Secondary 1 master. Continue through Composition, Idioms, Why Learn and How to Learn.
SEC Vocabulary Hub: Browse the complete SEC English Vocabulary Hub for G1, G2, G3, Essential, Advanced and Secondary 1–4 routes.
eduKate Ecosystem Routes
This Secondary 1 Phrasal Verbs page owns foundation multi-word grammar and natural usage. Keep that year-level job distinct while using the wider eduKate network for the next layer: the Master SEC English Vocabulary Guide for the complete SEC vocabulary architecture, the Vocabulary Learning Hub for word learning and progression, the English Learning Hub for reading, writing, oral and language study, the Study & Learning Methods Hub for retrieval and durable learning, the Examinations & Assessment Hub for exam-ready application, and the Tuition & Teaching Hub for teaching and tutorial strategy. The SEC Vocabulary Words for Distinctions series is a downstream precision route; it does not replace this Secondary 1 Essential owner. Use G1, G2 or G3 subject-level vocabulary pages only when they match the learner’s actual SEC English subject level.