Exercise 1
Find the incorrect sentences.
a The milk’s gone off. It smells terrible!
b The building is unstable. They’re going to knock down it.
c Joey takes his father after. They’ve got the same eyes.
d I just don’t know the answer. I give up.
e Take off your jacket and make yourself comfortable.
f I can’t hear the music. Can you please turn up it?
g Have you let the dog out?
h We can’t put this situation up with any longer.
i That’s strange – Karen’s gone off somewhere.
j If you’d like to come and see us, we can put you up for the night.
k How on earth are we going to get this problem round?
Exercise 2
Choose the best option.
a Could you pick up me/pick me up from the office?
b Jason made it up/made up it.
c Natalie went back her promise on/went back on her promise.
d Jim asked you after/asked after you.
e Can you look after my puppy/look my puppy after?
Exercise 3
Complete the sentences. Use a phrasal verb from the list in the correct tense.
run out of get over set off tell off let down
put up switch off knock down take off look up
a Did the plane ………………….. on time?
b He’ll never ………………….. his grandmother’s death.
c We could ………………….. you ………………….. for the night if you like.
d The teacher ………………….. the children ………………….. for fighting.
e Could you ………………….. the number ………………….. in the telephone directory?
f George has really ………………….. me ………………….. this time. He failed his exams again.
g They’re going to ………………….. these flats and build houses.
h Don’t tell me we’ve ………………….. milk again.
i If we don’t ………………….. soon, we won’t get there in time.
j We don’t need that light on. Could you ………………….. it …………………..?
Exercise 4
Find and correct the mistakes.
a He kept working on all night.
b I think I’ll go with Charlie out if he asks me.
c You’ll feel better when you’ve got your cold over.
d You shouldn’t put with your salary up. It’s not enough.
e Can you put up me tonight? I’ve got nowhere to go.
f How do you manage to get on so little money by?
g The business wasn’t doing well so they closed down it.
h Can you get hold some free software of for me?
i Why doesn’t he come up a suggestion with?
j She’s gone the report through but she can’t find the right page.
Answers
1
a correct -> A
b knock down it knock it down -> B
c takes his father after takes after his father -> C
d correct -> A
e correct -> B
f turn up it turn it up -> B
g correct -> B
h put this situation up with put up with this situation -> D
i correct -> A
j correct -> B
k get this problem round get round this problem -> C
2
a pick me up -> B
b made it up -> B
c went back on -> D
d asked after you -> C
e look after my puppy -> B
3
a take off f let … down
b get over g knock down
c put up h run out of
d told off i set off
e look up j switch … off
4
a kept on working
b go out with Charlie
c got over your cold
d put up with your salary
e put me up tonight
f get by on so little
g closed it down
h It got hold of some
i come up with a suggestion
Notes
A
Some phrasal verbs don’t take an object. Use subject + phrasal verb.
B
Some phrasal verbs take an object. The object can go either before or after the short word (up, after, in, for, etc.). If the object is a pronoun (me, it, him, etc.), put it before the short word.
C
Some phrasal verbs take an object but you can’t put the object between the verb and the short word (up, in, after, for, etc.).
D
Some phrasal verbs have two short words (to, with, forward, etc.) after the verb. You can’t put the object between the verb and the short words.
Review
Phrasal verbs
Phrasal verbs are verbs followed by a short word, e.g. up, in, after. The short word may be a preposition (of, for) or an adverb particle (away, back). Phrasal verbs have a meaning that is different from the meaning of the verb itself. So, for example, you may know what the verb break means but that doesn’t necessarily help you to understand the phrasal verb break off. You can learn phrasal verbs in the same way that you learn new items of vocabulary but you also need to know the following rules.
– Some phrasal verbs don’t take an object. You use the subject + phrasal verb.
The plane took off at seven. We set off for the beach early that morning.
(The plane left the runway.) (We went to the beach.)
Note that phrasal verbs can often have more than one meaning.
This meat has gone off. Paddy’s gone off somewhere. I don’t know where.
(It’s bad. We can’t eat it.) (Paddy’s gone away.)
– Some phrasal verbs take an object. The object can go either before or after the short word. If the object is a pronoun (me, it, her, etc.), you put it before the short word.
We’ve cut the old apple tree down. OR We’ve cut down the old apple tree.
We’ve cut it down. NOT We’ve cut down it;
I picked Billy up at the station. OR I picked up Billy at the station.
I picked him up. NOT I picked up him.
– Some phrasal verbs take an object but you can’t put the object between the verb and the short word.
Sally takes after her mother. NOT Sally takes her mother after.
(She looks or behaves like her mother.)
Sally takes after her. NOT Sally takes her after;
– Some phrasal verbs have two short words after the verb. You can’t put the object between the verb and the short words.
I’m sorry. We’ve run out of coffee. NOT We’ve run coffee out of.
(We haven’t got any coffee left.)
I’ve come up with a brilliant idea! NOT I’ve come a brilliant idea up with.
(I’ve had a brilliant idea.)
