Page 142 - English Grammar - 6

Phrasal Verbs

A phrasal verb consists of a verb and a preposition or an adverb or a combination of both.

1. ask around: to ask many people the same question
Example: I asked around but nobody has seen my wallet.

2. back up: to support somebody/something

Example: My wife backed up my decision to quit the stressful job.
3. break down: to lose control of your feelings and start crying

Example: The woman broke down when the police told her that her dog had died.

4. break in: to enter a building by force
Example: Somebody broke in last night and stole our stereo.

5. call off: to cancel something

Example: Jenny called off the party because she wasn’t in good health.
6. come across: to find unexpectedly

Example: I came across these old photos when I was tidying the closet.

7. give up: to stop trying to do something
Example: My maths homework was difficult, so I gave up.

8. go ahead: to begin to do something

Example: Please go ahead and eat before the food gets cold.
9. keep up: to make something stay at a high level

Example: If you keep up those results, you will get into a great college.

10. hang on: ask somebody to wait for a short time
Example: Hang on while I grab my coat and shoes!

11. take off: to remove something, especially a piece of clothing from your body

Example: Please take off your shoes before entering the laboratory.
12. look after: to take care of somebody/something/yourself

Example: Who is going to look after this treasure? We cannot let it stay alone.

Vocabulary

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