A phrasal verb is a verb plus a small word (up, off, on, out, back) that together make a new meaning.
get ≠ get up · put ≠ put off · look ≠ look after
What a phrasal verb is
- The verb is the first word: get, put, take, look, turn.
- The small word is the particle: up, off, on, out.
- Together they are one vocabulary item, not two separate ideas.
Everyday ones
| Phrasal verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| get up | leave your bed |
| sit down | take a seat |
| come in | enter |
| turn on | start a light, a radio, a tap |
| take off | remove clothes — or a plane leaves the ground |
Learn them as one piece
Sometimes the meaning is clear (sit down). Sometimes it is not (give up = stop trying). Learn the pair, not the two words alone.