Mastering 200 Phrasal Verbs: Everyday Expressions You Need to Know for Fluent English

Lesson 1

Here are the first 19 phrasal verbs we will practice.

The best way to learn Phrasal Verbs is to learn them in context. Below, I have included each of them in sample sentences so that you can see how they are used in real life. Highlight the phrasal verb in each sentence before you translate them to your native language. In the examples where the phrasal verb talks about (something), underline what that is. This way you can understand how the phrasal verb relates to an object or subject.

Phrasal Verbs Used in a Sentence

Here are example sentences for each of the phrasal verbs in today’s lesson:

1. ask somebody out – He finally mustered the courage to ask her out on a date.
2. add up to something – These small expenses really add up to a large amount over time.
3. ask around – If you don’t know the answer, try asking around to see if anyone else does.
4. back up something – You should always back up your important files to avoid losing them.
5. bring somebody down – Her constant negativity always brings everyone down.
6. break down (person) – After working too many hours, he broke down and started crying.
7. break down (machine) – The old car broke down on the side of the road and wouldn’t start again.
8. break up (informal) – I need to go now, we can break up the conversation and continue later.
9. break into something – The burglars broke into the store and stole a lot of valuable merchandise.
10. break something in – It’s important to break in new shoes before wearing them for a long time.
11. add up to something – The evidence doesn’t add up to a clear conclusion in the case.
12. break out – The prisoners managed to break out of jail and escape.
13. break something down – Can you break down the information into smaller, more manageable parts?
14. break in (forced) – The thieves had to break in to steal the valuable artwork.
15. break up (a relationship) – After many years together, they finally decided to break up.
16. back somebody up – I’ll back you up in the meeting if you need my support.
17. blow up – He blew up the balloons for the party.
18. break into something – She tried to break into the field of software development.
19. break out in something – After eating the peanuts, he broke out in a rash.

Now that we understand what each Phrasal Verb means in context, let’s move on to our fill in the blank worksheet to practice our understanding of them.

Phrasal Verbs Fill in the Blank Worksheet

1. She asked me to ________ to the party this weekend.
2. The total cost of the project will ________ a lot more than we initially estimated.
3. I had to ________ my phone to recover some lost files.
4. The witness ________ the suspect’s alibi, saying they were not where they claimed to be.
5. He felt really sad and disappointed when his boss tried to ________ his self-esteem.
6. The students decided to ________ and ask for help on the difficult assignment.
7. The car ________ on the highway, and we had to call a tow truck.
8. He tried to ________ the argument with some humor, but it only made things worse.
9. The burglars managed to ________ the house through the back door.
10. She had to ________ the shoes before they became comfortable to wear.
11. The company will ________ their profits with a charitable donation.
12. The protest ________ when the police arrived on the scene.
13. The accountant helped us ________ our expenses with some detailed spreadsheets.
14. The children were warned not to ________ their toys because it could be dangerous.
15. They decided to ________ after realizing they were not compatible with each other.
16. The patient ________ when he heard the bad news about his condition.
17. The comedian could not help but ________ at the heckler’s rude comments.
18. The thief managed to ________ the jewelry store by smashing the window.
19. The spicy food made him ________ a rash on his face.

Click here to see the answers to this worksheet and go to Lesson 2.