Phrasal Verbs — The "combos" of English
A Phrasal Verb is a verb + particle (preposition/adverb) that together create a new meaning.
Why are they important?
- They are extremely common in spoken English
- They make your English more natural and fluent
- Many formal verbs have a Phrasal Verb equivalent
Ejemplos: Formal vs Phrasal Verb
| Formal | Phrasal Verb |
|---|---|
| discover | find out |
| tolerate | put up with |
| continue | go on / carry on |
| cancel | call off |
| postpone | put off |
| investigate | look into |
Separables vs Inseparables
- Separable: You can put the object between the verb and the particle.
- Turn off the light ✓ / Turn the light off ✓
- With pronouns: Turn it off ✓ /
Turn off it✗
- Inseparable: The object comes AFTER the particle.
- Look after the baby ✓ /
Look the baby after✗
- Look after the baby ✓ /
Phrasal Verbs by Context
🏠 At home: wake up, tidy up, turn on/off, throw away, put away 💼 At work: carry out, set up, come up with, deal with, figure out ❤️ Relaciones: get along with, break up, make up, look after, grow up 📚 Estudio: find out, look up, go over, hand in, drop out
💡 Tip: Don't try to translate Phrasal Verbs word by word. Learn each one as a unit.