Study the rules, look at the examples, then do the exercises.
A phrasal verb is a verb plus a small word called a particle (a preposition or an adverb, such as on, off, up, down, in, out, after, with). Together they often make a new meaning that you cannot always guess from the two words alone. For example, look means to use your eyes, but look after means "take care of", and look up means "search for information".
Phrasal verbs are everywhere in natural English, especially at school and at home. The hard part for B1 students is not the meaning but the grammar: does the verb take an object? Can you put a word between the verb and the particle? This unit answers exactly those questions.
Some phrasal verbs need an object (the thing the action happens to) — these are transitive. Others stand alone with no object — these are intransitive. Using them the wrong way is a very common mistake.
| Type | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| transitive | needs an object (a thing/person) | Can you turn off the TV? |
| intransitive | no object — the verb is complete | My phone broke down. |
| intransitive | no object | Please sit down and carry on. |
Many transitive phrasal verbs are separable: the object can go after the particle, OR between the verb and the particle. Both are correct when the object is a full noun. This is the most flexible group.
| Both correct | Structure | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| turn on the light / turn the light on | verb + particle + noun, OR verb + noun + particle | start the light |
| fill in the form / fill the form in | both orders are fine with a noun | complete the form |
| put off the party / put the party off | both orders are fine with a noun | postpone the party |
This is the single most important rule in the unit. With a separable phrasal verb, a pronoun object (it, them, him, her, us) must go between the verb and the particle. It can never go after the particle.
| Right ✓ | Wrong ✗ | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Turn it on. | Turn on it. | pronoun goes in the middle. |
| Fill it in. | Fill in it. | pronoun goes in the middle. |
| Throw them away. | Throw away them. | pronoun goes in the middle. |
Some transitive phrasal verbs are inseparable: the object — a noun OR a pronoun — always stays after the particle. You can never put it in the middle. Many of these have two words after the verb (verb + preposition).
| Phrasal verb | Right ✓ | Wrong ✗ |
|---|---|---|
| look after (= take care of) | She looks after them. | She looks them after. |
| deal with (= handle) | I'll deal with it. | I'll deal it with. |
| get on with (= have a good relationship) | He gets on with her. | He gets her on with. |
Here is a core set of phrasal verbs you will hear every day. Learn each one with its meaning and whether it is separable (S) or inseparable (I).
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| set up (S) | arrange / prepare / start | We set up a group chat for our class. |
| sort out (S) | solve or organise | Can you sort out this problem? |
| hand in (S) | give to a person in charge | Please hand in your homework today. |
| back up (S) | make a safety copy | Always back up your files. |
| run out of (I) | have none left | We ran out of paper. |
| carry on (I) | continue | She carried on studying late. |
These are the errors B1 students make most often with phrasal verbs. Almost all of them come from the wrong word order or from adding/dropping an object.
| Wrong ✗ | Right ✓ | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Please turn on it. | Please turn it on. | a pronoun must go in the middle of a separable verb. |
| She looks them after every day. | She looks after them every day. | "look after" is inseparable → object stays after it. |
| The bus broke down the trip. | The bus broke down. | "break down" is intransitive → no object. |
| I will deal it with tomorrow. | I will deal with it tomorrow. | "deal with" is inseparable → object stays after it. |
| We ran out paper. | We ran out of paper. | "run out" needs "of" before the object. |
Two friends talk about a busy morning before school. Read it twice and notice how each phrasal verb works — where the pronoun goes, which verbs take an object, and which ones cannot be split.
Choose the correct answer. — 10 questions, each one is marked instantly. Questions get harder as you go.
Learn the phrasal verbs, then use them — with the right word order — to talk about your day.
Write 8 sentences about a typical day at school or at home and how you get things done. Use at least 8 of the phrasal verbs above.
Sentence starters (you can begin with these):
Değerlendirme öğretmenin tarafından yapılacak. (Your teacher will review your task.)
Read the text, then answer the questions.
Good readers prepare before they start. Before you read, think about these three questions (you do not need to write the answers):
Phrasal verbs to spot (from the Speaking section): turn on · set up · deal with · sort out · look after · back up · hand in · carry on
Leo was very nervous when he turned up for his first day at his new school. His buddy, Nadia, met him at the gate and helped him settle in. "Don't worry," she said with a smile. "Everyone here will help you pick things up quickly, so just carry on and ask questions."
The school was much bigger than his old one, with long corridors, bright noticeboards on every wall and a big clock above the main stairs. Nadia walked him to his classroom and pointed out the library, the science labs and the sports hall on the way. A few students looked up from their desks and said hello, and one friendly boy called Ravi waved at him from the back row. Leo felt shy at first, but the smiling faces slowly made him relax. He put his bag on a spare chair, took out his notebook and a pen, and tried to look calm, even though his heart was still beating fast. His new form teacher, Mr Blake, welcomed him warmly and asked the whole class to make Leo feel at home.
Leo's first job was to set up his school laptop. He turned it on, but he could not log in, because he had forgotten his password. Nadia sorted it out in a minute and then showed him how to back up his files every evening, so that he would never lose his homework again.
During the morning break, Nadia introduced Leo to some of her friends near the vending machines. They chatted about their favourite video games, football teams and the clips they had watched online the night before. Leo soon learned that the school had lots of clubs he could join, from chess and drama to basketball, art and coding. Ravi told him that the football team trained every Tuesday after lessons and that they were always looking for new players. Leo loved football more than almost anything, so he wrote the practice time in his planner and promised himself that he would go along and try out for the team that very week.
In the afternoon, Leo had to fill in some forms and hand them in to the school office. He also had to deal with a few messages in the class group chat. One classmate was upset because his football kit had not turned up on time, but Leo stayed calm, carried on politely, and promised to look into the problem straight away.
At lunchtime, Leo sat with his new group in the busy canteen. Everyone was talking about the weekend and sharing photos and short videos on their phones. Leo did not have many followers on social media yet, but a few classmates added him straight away and invited him to the class group chat. He was careful about what he posted, because his parents had reminded him to keep his profile private and to always be kind online. When someone shared a funny meme about a homework mix-up, Leo laughed along with everyone, but he made sure he never shared anything that might embarrass or upset another student.
By Friday, Leo felt much better. He got on well with his new classmates, and he no longer wanted to give up. When the classroom printer broke down, he did not panic. He simply asked a classmate for help and carried on with his other tasks. He even offered to look after the class hamster while a friend was away on holiday.
On the way home, Leo thought about his week. He had almost put off applying to this school because he was afraid of failing the entrance test. Now, though, he was really glad he had not. "If you don't give up," he told himself quietly, "things usually pick up in the end."
On Saturday morning, Leo met Nadia and Ravi at the local park for a game of football. They played for over an hour, and Leo scored twice, which made him feel like a real part of the group at last. Afterwards, they bought cold drinks from a little shop and sat on the grass, talking about school, music and their plans for the rest of the term. Nadia said she wanted to join the drama club and act in the school play, while Ravi hoped to save up for a new mountain bike. Leo slowly realised that starting a new school was not only about lessons, tests and homework; it was also about making good friends and finding hobbies that he really enjoyed.
That evening, Leo tidied his room and set up his desk for the week ahead. He looked at his planner, which was now full of clubs, football matches and study sessions with his new friends. Only seven days earlier he had felt like a complete stranger, yet now the school already felt a little bit like home. He sent Nadia a short message to thank her for helping him through such a tricky week, and she quickly replied with a smiley face and the words, "That is what friends are for."
Choose the correct answer.
Are these sentences true or false, according to the text?
Complete each phrasal verb with ONE missing particle (on, up, in, out, down...) from the text.
Write your answer in your own words. These questions are not marked automatically.
1. What problems did Leo have to deal with on his first day?
2. How did Leo react when the classroom printer broke down?
3. Why is Leo glad that he did not put off applying to this school?
Find these phrasal verbs in the text — each one appears at least once: turn up, pick up, set up, log in, sort out, back up, fill in, hand in, deal with, carry on, get on with, give up, break down, look after, put off. (You will use phrasal verbs like these in the Writing section.) Note them down, then check.
Sarah and Todd talk about all the computers and phones they own.
You will hear two friends, Sarah and Todd, talking about the many computers and phones they own and why they keep so many. You will listen TWICE. First listen: answer questions 1-5. Second listen: answer questions 6-10. (Kaydı İKİ kez dinleyeceksin: ilk dinlemede 1-5, ikinci dinlemede 6-10.)
Write and submit your paragraph; your teacher will review it.
Native speakers use phrasal verbs all the time, especially when they describe daily actions. Writing that uses only "big" single verbs (establish, complete, postpone) can sound stiff. This unit gives you a set of everyday phrasal verbs — use them, and remember the golden rule about where the object goes.
| Phrasal verb | Use it to... | Example |
|---|---|---|
| turn on / turn off | start / stop a device (separable) | I turn on my laptop and check my messages. |
| set up | arrange or prepare (separable) | First I set up my study corner. |
| deal with | handle a task or problem (inseparable) | Then I deal with my homework. |
| sort out | solve or organise (separable) | I sort out any problems quickly. |
| back up | make a safety copy (separable) | Every night I back up my files. |
| carry on | continue (intransitive) | After school I carry on with my homework. |
| run out of | have none left (inseparable) | Sometimes we run out of paper. |
See the difference — the same day, written two ways:
| Stiff, plain verbs ✗ | Natural, with phrasal verbs ✓ |
|---|---|
| I start my computer. I complete the forms. I resolve the problems. I copy my files. I continue until dinner. | I turn on my computer and fill in the forms. I sort out any problems, then I back up my files and carry on until dinner. |
A "typical day" paragraph has three parts. The skeleton stays the same every time — you change the content, not the structure:
| Part | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Opening | Say what your day is like in one general sentence | My school day is busy, but I have a routine that keeps me organised. |
| 2. Body | The main things you do and any problems, using phrasal verbs (turn on, set up, deal with, sort out, back up). | First I turn on my computer and set up my desk. Then I deal with my homework and sort out any problems. |
| 3. Closing | How the day ends, or how you feel about it | Before I leave, I back up my files and carry on until everything is done. |
Write about a typical day at school or at home and how you get things done. Describe your routine and any problems, using phrasal verbs.
Değerlendirme öğretmenin tarafından yapılacak. (Your teacher will evaluate your writing.)
Mixed questions from the whole unit, then check what you can do.
14 questions: grammar + vocabulary + reading + listening. Each question is marked instantly.
Tick what you can do now. Honest answers help your teacher.
İşaretlemediğin madde varsa ilgili bölüme dönüp tekrar çalış — soldaki menüden her bölüme geri dönebilirsin.
Oturum kontrol ediliyor...