Search Results for "phrasal+verbs"

There are lots of expressions and phrasal verbs using "play". Here are some of the more common ones: play up = not work or behave properly: "The children keep playing up. I wish they'd behave." play around = experiment: "We're playing around with a couple of new ideas." play by ear = not plan something:…
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Check out our page on money idioms, then head over to Rich Reads for an exercise on phrasal verbs for money. Answers to last week's vocabulary exercise Verbs associated with passing exams cram = study something intensely over a period of time: "She's cramming for her A levels at the moment." learn by heart =…
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Here are some common English phrasal verbs that you can use in business situations. All these phrasal verbs use "up". Build up = to make a business bigger, to develop contacts or a presence in the market: "We have built up the business over the years and it now employs over 20 people." Come up…
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There are many phrasal verbs in English that use 'out'. Here is a small selection of some of the more common ones. back out = decide not to do something you first intended to do: "We can't back out of the holiday now – we've already paid for it!" break out = escape: "The prisoners…
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Some common business English phrasal verbs that use "on". Get on = (1) have a good relationship with someone: "She gets on well with the Accounts Director" = (2) to progress: "How are you getting on with the launch?" Take on = employ people: "We aren't taking on any more staff this year." Go on…
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There are many phrasal verbs in English that use the word "off". Here are some of the more common. Break off= end: "Talks have broken off between the union and management." Bring off = succeed in something difficult: "The new management brought off an amazing recovery in the company's fortunes." Call off = cancel: "The…
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There are many English phrasal verbs that use 'in'. Here is a selection of some of the more common. break in (1) = interrupt: "He broke in to their conversation to add that he couldn't work overtime." break in / into (2) = burgle / steal: "Thieves broke into the warehouse and stole 100 computers."…
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Some common business English phrasal verbs that use "down". Back down (or climb down) = to no longer stick to your original ideas or position: "After weeks of negotiating, she backed down and accepted their conditions." Break down (1) = examine the different parts of something: "The profits break down in the following way –…
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Some English phrasal verbs contain two particles, such as "put up with". With these phrasal verbs, you cannot generally separate the particles. So we say "put up with someone" (with "someone" at the end) and not, for example, "put up someone with". come up with = to find or produce: "We need to come up…
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