List of Important Phrasal Verbs or Group Verbs
Phrasal verbs are a crucial chapter for your exams. In every exam you find at least 3 or 4 phrasal verbs asked. Isn't it?
You may think phrasal verbs are too difficult to remember.
Yeah, I also found it very hard during my initial days of preparation. But later it became easier to me. I can easily call up phrasal verbs whenever you ask me.
So, what should you do to prepare phrasal verbs?
Try to figure out the context of the sentence where the phrasal verb is used (you can find it in every English grammar book and also in this article don't worry too much about it.)
Then write more and more sentences with phrasal verbs.
That's all.
I have given a list of important phrasal verbs for Competitive exams with a sentence to get the context where it is suitable to use them.
Read them.
Take a copy and a pen.
Write at least one sentence using these phrasal verb.
Most Common English Phrasal Verbs:
Ask:
Ask for – to demand.
His family asked for compensation.
Ask after – to inquire.
The police had to contact branch office to ask after the case.
Act:
Act for – on behalf of.
I acted for my brother while he was out of station.
Act on – pursue / follow up on.
Did you act on my advice?
Act upon – affect / influence.
Over-consumption of alcohol acts upon (affects) health.
Her work acted upon (influenced) me to pass the exam.
Answer:
Answer for – to be answerable for.
How can you do this? Now be ready to answer for it.
Attend:
Attend on – to serve.
We should not forget to attend on our grandparents in their old age.
Back:
Back out – to make a retreat from something agreed.
After my father had refused me, I backed out of party plan.
Back up – to support.
Can you back up your claims?
Bear:
Bear away – to win.
Team England bore away the world cup (2019).
Bear down – to overcome.
You must have the will to bear down every challenge you face in your life.
Bear with – to tolerate.
You have to bear with others’ criticism to succeed.
Bear out – to support / corroborate.
Your statement bears out all my doubts.
Blow:
Blow away – to remove.
The gust blew away all the leaves.
Blow in / blow into – to enter noisily
Tue children blow in the classroom.
Blow off – to emit.
The vehicles blow off black smoke.
Blow out – to put out by blowing
The gust of wind blew out the candles.
Blow over – to stop blowing.
The storm blew over at midnight.
Blow up – to explode / to exaggerate
They blew up (exploded) the nuclear bomb here. Or, A bomb blew up here at midnight.
His followers have blown up (exaggerated) his image through social media.
Break:
Break away – to free.
The horses broke away from the stable.
Brake down – collapse / crush.
The wall of Berlin broke down (collapsed) and an era ended.
Gandhi fought to break down (crush) colonialism in India.
Break forth – to appear suddenly.
The hero broke forth and the theatre was full of claps and whistles.
Break in – to enter forcibly without permission.
Someone broke in in the evening when I was not home.
Break off – to stop / to break a piece.
The bus broke off in the middle of its way.
She broke off her tooth.
Break out – spread.
The Corona virus has broken out all over the world.
Break up – to end.
The show broke up at 10 p.m.
Bring:
Bring about – to cause (to make something happen)
This pandemic brought about a huge economic loss.
Bring back – to return / to restore.
No one can bring those happy days back (return).
This picture brought me back (restored) sad memories.
Bring down – to reduce.
Bring down your rage. After all they are your friends.
Bring forth – to produce.
Our college brings forth new talents every year.
Bring in – to introduce / to earn.
The principal brought in a new faculty.
She brings in lots of money from affiliate marketing.
Bring off – to be successful / to achieve
The blue team brought off the world cup.
Bring on – to cause.
Driving carelessly can bring on accident.
Bring out – to publish.
The book is banned right after it has been brought out.
Bring round – to recover.
I was brought round after a week or two.
Bring up – to rear.
She is brought up by her grandparents.
Call:
Call at – to visit a place.
Jack will call at his house later.
Call by – to pay a short visit.
We called by my grandmother yesterday.
Call on – to visit a person.
Mr. Morgan will call on you soon.
Call in – to invite.
Please someone help her and call in a doctor.
The doctor called in the next patient.
Call up – to remember.
My grandmother calls up everything about my childhood.
Call for – to demand.
She called for a leave.
Call forth – to elicit.
His speech called forth a communal disharmony.
Call off – to cancel.
The manager called off the meeting.
Call out – to utter aloud.
The boy called out, “I won! I won!”
Call to – to address loudly.
I was called to by Teena.
Call upon – to order.
The commissioner called upon the officer to take action immediately.
Carry:
Carry on – to continue.
Don’t be disappointed, carry on your hard work.
Carry out – to execute.
The officials just carried out the government orders.
Carry about – to carry.
My uncle who was a private investigator, always carries about a notebook and a pen.
Carry off – to achieve.
He carried off all the gold medals in every format swimming.
Carry away – remove from certain place or mental state.
I was carried away when I hard my best friend died in an accident.
Come:
Come about – happen or take place.
The robbery came about when the whole city was in deep slumber.
[Do not confuse: Bring about – to make something happen, while, Come about – to happen.]
Come across – to meet unexpectedly.
I came across her on my way to office.
Come in – to enter.
May I come in?
Come out – to appear / to expose.
The businessman came out (appeared) at a video conference.
The reason of his disappearance was come out (exposed) then.
Come after – to chase.
The dogs came after the fox.
Come at – to attack.
The enemy came at with rocket.
Come down – collapse.
The wall came down last night during heavy rainfall.
Come of – to be descended from / to result.
She came of a rich family. [Meaning – she is descended from a rich family / She took birth in a rich family.]
Effective result came of (resulted) the treaty signed between these tow nations.
Come off – to take place.
A campus cleaning programme is going to be come off.
Come round – to recover / to change position or opinion.
She came round (recovered) after an expensive surgery after a long time.
She didn’t come round (didn’t change her opinion) to my point of view.
Come over – to change one’s position
Mr. Roy came over to the other party.
Come up with – to get hold of.
I didn’t come up with even his shadow.
Cut:
Cut down – to cut with stroke / to reduce
The wood cutter cut the trees down with a chain saw.
You should cut down (reduce) your daily fat intake.
Cut off – to separate / to die.
I am cut off (separated) from my family since I get this job.
As her sister was cut off (died) and so she is brought up with extra care.
Cut up – to cut into pieces / to cause to feel sorrow
I cut up the carrot. (Cut into pieces)
Her behaviour cuts me up. (Makes me feel sorrow)
Cut out – to stop functioning.
The bulb has cut out.
Do:
Do away with – to abolish or terminate.
The present government has done away with all the schemes of the previous.
Do for – serve as.
The glass ill do for a mirror.
Do with – to make of.
What will you do with an old news paper.
Do without – to live without.
She cannot do without her mother.
Do up – to be tired / to do make up
I never do up (become tired) walking in the morning.
She didn’t do up (make up) when she goes to the party.
Draw:
Draw in – (trains) to move into the station.
The train is drawing in the station.
Draw out – to lengthen in time (prolong).
We have drawn out our stay.
Draw back – to recede or retreat.
The enemy drew back.
Draw up – to draft.
Mr. Johnson drew up the bill.
Draw away – to divert.
You cannot draw away his attention.
Draw on – to come closer.
In examination is drawing on.
Draw off – to remove by drawing or pulling
I drew off the old carpet and placed a new.
Fall:
Fall back – to retreat.
The enemy fell back.
[also Draw back = to retreat]
Fall away – to be lean / to worsen.
Jonny has fallen away after his breakup.
Fall apart – to lose emotional composure / go to pieces
She has fallen apart since she lost her daughter. /
The mirror fell apart.
Fall for – to fall in love with
I fell for her years ago.
Fall off – to decline.
The automobile sector has fallen off rapidly.
Fall in with – to agree with / to meet suddenly.
I fall in with (agree with) her views in some cases though she is my political opponent.
On my way to school I fell in with (met suddenly) my uncle.
Fall out – to quarrel.
Mrs. Roy has fallen out with her husband for he hid her makeup box.
Fall through – to fail utterly.
The project fall through for low quality material.
Get:
Get ahead – to surpass.
Our economic growth got ahead other capitalist states.
Get away – to escape.
The convicted got away from the high security prison.
Get abut – to come out / to spread.
Peter will not able to get about without a car.
Get abroad – to become public.
The news of his relationship with her got abroad.
Get along – to maintain friendly relationship.
She gets along well with me.
Get at – to reach or gain access to.
We finally got at the castle.
Get back – to win back.
She got her necklace back from the thieves.
Get beyond – to be out of reach.
The thieve got beyond the police.
Get down – to lower / bring down / depress / to write
She said, “Get down (lower) your knees.”
The lady got down (brought down) her bag from the shelf.
The bad news got her down (depressed).
Quickly get down (write) the answers.
Get in – to arrive / to enter.
The train got in (arrived) at 10 a.m.
The rain got in (entered) through the window last night.
Get into – to go into / to familiarise.
They got into (went into) the mess.
She got into (familiarised) etymology very well.
Get off – to alight from or demount / to escape.
Minu got off (left) the aeroplane.
I got off (escaped) with murder.
Get on – to progress.
Her daughter gets on well at school.
Get on with – having a smooth relation.
I get on well with her for a long time.
Get out – to exit or leave / Become known
You should get out (leave) of here.
The news of his arrival soon got out (became known).
Get over – to overcome
There will be obstacles in life. To succeed in life you must get over them.
Get through – to succeed
You ought to give your best to get through the examination.
Get up – to rise from bed / to arise or stand up.
I get up at 6 a.m.
The audience got up and applauded after my performance.
Give:
Give away – to distribute.
The Headmaster has given away the prizes.
Give in – to surrender.
She did not want to give in to me at any cost.
Give up – to abandon / to put an end.
You have to work hard, don’t give up (abandon) until you reach your goal.
Give up (put an end) smoking.
Give of – to emit or discharge.
The sun gives off some harmful rays that the ozone layer blocks.
Give over – to hand over.
The parcel was given over to the customer.
Go:
Go about – to move about / to deal with.
I spent the morning going about (moving about) at the corridor.
She is going about a difficult situation.
Go after – to follow.
The dog went after us up to the main road.
Go abroad – to go far away from home.
She has gone abroad for her job.
Go aside – to deviate.
The river was gone aside to prevent flood.
Go away – to leave.
Roger had gone away from here before her brother arrived.
Go beyond – to exceed.
She has gone beyond our expectations.
Go by – past / to abide by / is known by.
Nine years went by (past) and still she is indifferent.
Go by (abide by) these rules and you will be safe here.
She goes by (is known by) another name here.
Go up – to rise.
The temperature is going up day by day.
Go down – to set / to decrease.
The sun is going down (setting).
The price of chicken has gone down (decreased).
Go forth – to become public.
The corruption by the CM went forth.
Go in for – to support.
The farmers don’t go in for the new farm bill.
Go on – to continue.
The war went on.
Go out – to move out.
Don’t go out, it may rain today.
Go through – to read or examine / experience.
Did you go through (read) this editorial today?
I am going through (experiencing) a troubled situation.
Go with – to agree.
You must go with our terms and conditions.
Go without – to be deprived of.
No body should be gone without their basic needs.
Go upon – to follow.
I must go upon my father’s principles.
Hold:
Hold back – to stop / to conceal.
Hold back (stop) the growth of communal violence.
Don’t hold back (conceal) anything from your parents.
Hold on – to stop and wait / to stick to
Please hold on a second.
She held on (stuck) to encourage me throughout my preparation.
Hold off – to keep aloof from.
We held off from the furious commotion that was caused by the winning party.
Hold by – to adhere to or stick to.
Hold by your hard work until you succeed.
Hold to – to stick to.
We must hold to our principles.
Hold together – keep together.
You have to hold together to overcome every challenge you face henceforth.
Hold the sticks together.
Hold in – to restrain.
You should hold in your anger.
Hold out – to extend.
Ben held out his hand.
Hold over – to postponed.
The meeting has been held over.
[= Put off, set back.]
Hold up – to exhibit / stop to rob
I’d like to hold him up as our chief guest.
They held up (stopped in order to rob) our bus at gun point and kept us as hostages.
Hold with – to agree with.
She didn’t hold with her father in this matter.
Keep:
Keep away – to prevent from coming close.
Fire keeps away wild animals.
Keep off – to prevent from coming close.
Keep off those boys.
Keep on – to continue.
The party kept on blaming the voters for their defeat.
= carry on.
Keep up – prolong or sustain.
You should keep up the good work.
Keep up with – to maintain a pace with.
The public sector units must keep up with the latest technology.
Keep from – to be aloof from.
You must keep from those anti-social elements.
Keep back – to conceal.
Julie hasn’t kept back anything from you.
Keep down – to repress.
The government keeps down any attempt of uprising effectively.
Lay:
Lay by – to save for future.
Please lay by money for your children.
Lay aside – to put aside / to accumulate money for future use.
You have to lay aside (put aside) your worries.
I lay aside half of my salary for my family.
Lay down – to write / to give up.
David has laid down (written) everything that professor wolf said.
Do not lay down (give up) in the middle of the competition.
Look:
Look after – to take care.
We must look after our parents at their old age.
Look down upon – to hate.
We should not look down upon the people sleeping on the footpath.
Look for – to search / to expect.
I am looking for my glasses.
She didn’t look for such conduct from you.
Look through – to examine carefully.
You didn’t look through the question papers.
Make:
Make away with – to destroy.
She is making away with her car.
Make of – composed of / to understand.
The chair is made of (composed of) wood.
What did you make of (understand) this lesson?
Make off – to ran away.
He couldn't make off and police caught him.
Make out – to understand.
She couldn't make out what I said.
Make up – to catch up with.
I have to make up my previous exam today.
Pass:
Pass away – to die.
Mr. Bose passed away last night.
Pass by – go by.
When I looked out the window I saw a Ford passed by.
Put:
Put aside – to set aside / to save.
Put aside your toys and come with me.
I must put aside enough money for my father’s operation. (= lay by)
Put by – to lay aside.
You have to suffer because you didn’t put by anything for these bad days.
= lay by.
Put down – to write / to suppress.
Please put down (write) what I’m saying.
The movement has been put down (suppressed) effectively by the government.
Put on – to wear / to increase.
Put on (wear) your overcoat and follow me. Quick.
She joins gym because she has put on (increased) fifteen pounds.
Put off – to remove / to postpone.
Don’t put off (remove) your shoes here.
IPL has been put off (postponed) because of this disastrous corona virus.
Put in – to submit.
Every state should put in its 6% of total GDP in health sector.
Put forth – to exert / to produce.
I’ve put forth (exerted) everything I had, there is no result.
We must not put forth (produce) more than we can sell. (= bring forth)
Put out – to extinguish / to extend.
Don’t put out (extinguish) the candle.
The bee put out (extend) its sting.
Put in – to post / to stay.
I didn’t see any such notice put up (posted) there.
The immigrants put up in a new development outside the town.
Put up with – to tolerate.
She couldn't put up with the haughty behaviour of the officers. (= bear with)
Run:
Run across – to meet by chance.
We ran across her in front of my office after a lapse of five years.
Run after – to chase or persuade.
A dog ran after the cat.
Run at – to attack.
The tiger ran at the deer.
Hitler ran at Poland on 1st September, 1939.
Run away – to flee.
Whenever you see me, you run away. Why?
Run off – to flee.
She ran off when the police arrived.
Run on – to talk at length / continue.
The discussion ran on up to late night.
Run over – to knock down / overflow / to give a summery.
The scooter ran over (injured or killed by knocking down) a cat.
Water ran over (overflowed) the tank. (= brim over)
She ran over (gave a summery of) her result quickly.
Run down – to knock down / to capture / being exhausted.
She accidentally ran down (knocked down) a cute puppy.
An old lady has been run down by (knocked down) a lorry today in the morning.
The intelligence ran down the fugitive (pursue until captured)
The cell of the wrist watch has run down (exhausted).
Run out – to exhaust / to flow off.
Our supply ran out (exhausted) and we had to come back.
You are running out of time.
Crematoriums are running out of space.
The rain water runs out (flows off) of the big vat.
Run into – to meet unexpectedly / collide with
I ran into (unexpectedly met) her while travelling along the roadside of Darjeeling.
An auto ran into (collided)with another and five people injured.
Run through – to spend money / to pierce / to examine quickly.
She has run through (spent or used up) her whole fortune over her daughter's wedding.
She ran through (pierced) her ear with a needle.
My teacher ran through (examined quickly) my copy.
Run up – to hoist / to increase.
The Headmaster ran up (hoisted) our national flag at our school premises.
The price of essential commodities has run up (increased) after the nationwide lockdown.
Run upon – to collide with.
A lorry ran upon a car today.
Set:
Set aside – to put aside / to suspend or cancel.
Set aside (pot aside) your work and listen to me.
The court has set aside (cancelled) the conviction.
Set about – to begin.
The US set about a war in the middle east years ago.
Set in – to begin / become established
The rain has set in.
Winter set in.
Set off – to start or depart / to beautify.
The family set off (started) for Kolkata. [= set out]
The garden sets off (beautifies) the house.
Set out – to start.
We set out for Dehra Doon.
Set forth – to exhibit / to depart.
She set forth (exhibited) a great talent.
John and his family has set forth (departed) for Brisbane.
Set up – to present / to found / to create.
We set up (present) her as our representative.
An oxygen plant is to be set up (founded) here.
An investigation committee has been set up (created).
Set down – to record or write / to land
The president sets down (write) their objection.
A bird has set down (landed) from the tree.
See:
See off – to attend someone’s departure.
My mother has come to see me off.
See through – to perceive or discover.
We couldn’t see through their intention.
Stand:
Stand by – to be stick to / to do nothing
She stood by me in trouble.
He just stood by when the rioters were burning the houses.
Stand for – to represent.
M.P. stands for Member of Parliament.
Stand out – to be conspicuous.
She stands out from the rest for her hard work.
Stand to – to stick to.
You should stand to your father’s principle.
Stand up for – to support.
She stood up for me in trouble.
Take:
Take after – to resemble.
My daughter takes after me.
Take away – to remove.
My brother took away the curtain.
Take back – to withdraw.
I have taken back my words.
Take off – to remove / to start
I took off (removed) my sweater.
The plane will take off (start) at 8 p.m.
Take over – to take over responsibility.
She will take over the charge of the class.
Take down – to write / to bring down
We quickly took down some important information.
Take down the booksfrom the shelf.
Take up – to occupy / to adopt.
The table doesn't take up (occupy) too much space.
I have taken up (adopted) marketing as my hobby.
Take upon – act upon or affect.
Working late night has taken upon my health.
Turn:
Turn away – to move so as not face somebody or something.
As the sight was a horror, he turned away.
Turn on – to switch on or start.
I turned on the AC.
Turn off – to switch off.
The refrigerator was turned off.
Turn down – to reject.
The man has turned down my offer of hospitality.
Turn up – to arrive or appear.
You cannot say what will turn up next.
Turn over – to capsize / to change.
The boat turned over (capsized).
Please turn over the page (change).
Turn out – to be shown.
The vaccine turned out to save millions of lives.
Work:
Work on – to exert effort.
I shall work on this project until it's finished.
Work out – to solve a problem / to do physical exercise.
He alone cannot work out (solve) this problem.
I work out (exercise) in the gym everyday.
Work up – to develop.
We struggled so hard and worked up our brand.
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