PHRASAL VERBS are a very important and frequently occurring feature of the English language. They consist of a verb and at least one other word, usually a preposition. Generally it is more or less impossible to see any obvious connection between the various parts of the verb and the meaning. They are therefore best learnt in whole sentences. Quite often speakers of Latin based languages can make themselves understood using a Latin alternative, but to understand native speakers it is essential to know phrasal verbs as these are nearly always the chosen form for a native speaker. 

You will see that the object pronoun comes in the middle some phrasal verbs but that if the object is a noun it follows. Objects are shown in red to draw your attention to them. There are owhichther phrasal verbs are never split. You should always learn them as phrases so that you instinctively get the word order right as there is really no logical rule

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B  C  D  E   F  G  H  J K L M N O P Q R S T U  V  W  X  Y  Z

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to pack it in

to stop doing sth. usually a command

 

That's enough! Pack it in! [mother to rumbustious children]

to part with

- to give away or sell sth. which you value

 

I can't part with that old chair because it reminds me of my old mother.

 

His wife wanted to throw away his old trousers but he refused to part with them because they were so comfortable.

to pass sth. on

pass information to a third person

 

He doesn't know yet, but I'll pass it on when I see him.

to pass away

to die [euphemism]

 

Old Mr Jones passed away last week

to pass out (1)

finish training [military]

 

The cadets are on passing out parade.

to pass out (2)

become unconscious

 

He drank a bottle of whiskey and passed out.

to pass s.o. over

not to promote s.o.

 

He was very upset because although he had been there longer than Smith, he was passed over and Smith got the job.

to pass up

(an opportunity)

 

His boss wanted to send him to France last year, but he passed up the chance.

to pay up

- to pay, often unwillingly

 

He contested the amount of the bill but paid up in the end.

 

If you don't pay up, he'll get his friends to beat you up.

 to play up [intrans]

- to misbehave (of children or machines)

 

The children have been playing up all day.

 

I can't print this lesson. The computer is playing up.

to play s.o. up

to defy the authority of a particular person.

 

The children love being left with Auntie Julia. They know they can play her up with immunity because she is not at all strict.

Point sth out / point out

 draw s.o.'s attention to sth.

 

 

He pointed out the flaws in the plan.

I wish he hadn't pointed it out.

He pointed out that it would cost more.

 

 

 

 

pull through  

recover from an illness from which one might have died

 

 

to put up with

-to tolerate what you cannot change

 

If you hate rain but want to learn English in England, you will have to put up with our weather.

 

I will not put up with that noise any longer. I shall complain.

 

Her cooking is terrible. I don't know how her husband puts up with it.

  put sth. off 

 delay till another time

 

 Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today

put s.o. off    

 cancel an appointment with s.o.

put s.o. off sth or s.o.

 cause s.o. to like s.o. or sth less

 

 What they told me about the job really put me off it

 

 

 

 

To be continued

 When the next selection is added, new verbs will appear with a green background.

 

 

 

Index of other hints and practice for learners of English

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