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Phrasal verbs are combinations of a verb and a preposition or adverb (called a particle) that create a new meaning different from the original verb. "Give up" does not mean "give" in an upward direction — it means to abandon or stop trying. BCS exams test phrasal verbs heavily because they are essential to English fluency, and their meanings are often non-literal. The exam either asks the meaning of a phrasal verb or asks you to fill in the correct particle.
The challenge is that one base verb can have many phrasal verbs, each with a completely different meaning: look after (care), look for (search), look into (investigate), look forward to (anticipate eagerly). Similarly, one phrasal verb can have multiple meanings: make up = invent a story / reconcile after a fight / apply cosmetics.
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Bear out | Confirm/support | The evidence bears out his claim |
| Break down | Collapse/stop working | The car broke down on the highway |
| Break out | Start suddenly (war, disease) | War broke out in 1971 |
| Bring about | Cause to happen | Technology brought about great changes |
| Bring up | Raise a child / mention a topic | She was brought up by her grandmother |
| Call off | Cancel | They called off the meeting |
| Carry on | Continue | Please carry on with your work |
| Carry out | Execute/perform | The police carried out an investigation |
| Come across | Find by chance | I came across an old photo |
| Come round | Recover consciousness / visit | He fainted but soon came round |
| Cut down | Reduce | You should cut down on sugar |
| Do away with | Abolish/eliminate | They did away with the old rules |
| Fall out | Quarrel | The two friends fell out over money |
| Get along | Have a good relationship | They get along well with each other |
| Get rid of | Remove/free from | We must get rid of corruption |
| Give in | Surrender/yield | He finally gave in to pressure |
| Give up | Abandon/stop trying | Never give up your dreams |
| Go through | Experience / examine | She went through a difficult time |
| Hold on | Wait | Hold on, I will be there in a minute |
| Keep up | Maintain pace/standard | Keep up the good work |
| Look after | Take care of | She looks after her elderly parents |
| Look for | Search | I am looking for my keys |
| Look forward to | Anticipate eagerly | I look forward to meeting you |
| Look into | Investigate | The police are looking into the case |
| Make out | Understand / decipher | I cannot make out his handwriting |
| Make up | Invent / reconcile | They quarreled but made up quickly |
| Pass away | Die (polite form) | His grandfather passed away last year |
| Put off | Postpone | The match was put off due to rain |
| Put on | Wear | Put on your jacket, it is cold |
| Put out | Extinguish | The firefighters put out the fire |
| Put up with | Tolerate | I cannot put up with this noise |
| Run out of | Exhaust supply | We have run out of milk |
| Set up | Establish | He set up a new business |
| Take after | Resemble (family) | She takes after her mother |
| Take off | Remove clothing / depart (plane) | The plane took off on time |
| Turn down | Reject/refuse | She turned down the job offer |
| Turn up | Appear/arrive unexpectedly | He turned up at the party uninvited |
| Work out | Solve / exercise | I finally worked out the problem |
| Look down on | Despise | Do not look down on the poor |
| Come up with | Think of / produce | She came up with a brilliant idea |
Group by Base Verb:
LOOK family:
PUT family:
GIVE family:
BREAK family:
TAKE family:
MAKE family:
TURN family:
CARRY family:
Particle Meaning Patterns:
Q1. "The meeting was called ___" means the meeting was cancelled.
Q2. "She takes after her mother" means —
Q3. I cannot put up ___ his rudeness.
Q4. "Look forward to" is followed by —
Q5. "The fire brigade put ___ the fire."