Phrasal verb listening practice
Changing the small word after a verb can change its meaning. Listen to the whole phrase, then check how the words fit together.
Where can I practise phrasal verbs with listening?
You can practise phrasal verbs on MicroEnglish, which has more than 70 short, listening-first English lessons. These B1 lessons focus on phrasal verbs in British English. Each lesson presents a phrasal verb in context, helps you check its meaning and word order, and then lets you try a recorded sentence. Lessons end with dictation practice, giving you a focused way to listen to and study phrasal verbs.
- More than 70 phrasal verb lessons are available.
- All lessons are at B1 level.
- The lessons use British English.
28 Phrasal Verbs With Take
Take off, take over and take up share one short verb but describe very different actions. Grouping them by idea makes the expressions easier to retrieve than learning a random list.
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Add up
A colleague says the receipts add up, but the explanation does not. The same two words describe two very different judgements.
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Back down
A manager changes a policy after staff challenge it. She does not move backwards, but people say she backed down.
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Back up
A colleague backs you up, research backs up a claim, and software backs up a file. What changes when the object changes?
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Blow away
A performance blows the audience away while a gust blows the programmes away. Emotion and wind create different meanings with the same form.
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Break up
A couple breaks up, a meeting breaks up, and a phone call starts breaking up. Only one involves a romantic relationship.
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Bring about
A small decision can produce a large result. Bring about connects the cause to the change that follows.
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Bring up
You can bring up a difficult topic, bring up a child, or bring up a file on a screen. Context tells you which action is happening.
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Bump into
If you bump into an old friend, you meet unexpectedly. If you bump into a table, the surprise may hurt a little more.
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Burn out
A worker, a campfire and a motor can all burn out, but each one reaches a different kind of end.
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Call off
You can call off a match before it starts, call off a search already in progress, or call a threatening dog off.
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Catch up
Fall behind on a walk, at work or in a friendship, and catch up helps you close the gap in three different ways.
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Chip away
A huge task may not disappear at once, but each small action can chip away at it.
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Come across
You may come across an old photograph, come across as confident, or make sure your main idea comes across clearly.
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Come down with
A scratchy throat and sudden tiredness may make you say, I think I am coming down with something.
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Come up with
When a problem needs a plan, a name or some money, someone has to come up with what is missing.
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Count on
When a plan depends on a reliable person or an expected event, you are counting on them.
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Cut down
You can cut down on coffee, cut a report down to one page, or cut down a damaged tree.
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Cut off
A failed signal can cut off a call, while deep snow can cut off an entire village.
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Do up
Before leaving a renovated house for a party, you might do up your coat and do up a present.
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Drop off
A driver can drop you off, you can drop off during the journey, and traffic can drop off after rush hour.
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Drop out
Starting something does not guarantee finishing it; a student, runner or bidder may drop out before the end.
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Face up to something
Ignoring a problem may delay a decision; facing up to it is the moment you accept that it is real.
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Fill out
You can fill out an application with information, while a young person's face may naturally fill out over time.
Start listeningWhat this family trains
What to practise
Use the examples to understand a meaning and its word order. Try dictation to hear that pattern in a sentence.
Notice the whole expression, including words such as up, off, and out. Use the sentence to decide which meaning fits.
Check where the object goes. With a separable verb, a short object such as it goes between the verb and the particle. Other expressions stay together.
Why it is hard to hear
What to listen for
The small word after a verb is not always quiet. Listen to the actual recording instead of assuming where the strongest beat will fall.
Recognising the verb alone may not be enough. If the sentence is unclear, replay the words that follow it and check them against the example.
Start here
Suggested starting points
Choose a level that fits you. You can return to the full list at any time.
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Start at B1
28 Phrasal Verbs With Take
Take off, take over and take up share one short verb but describe very different actions. Grouping them by idea makes the expressions easier to retrieve than learning a random list.
12 min · Open lesson → -
Next at B1
Add up
A colleague says the receipts add up, but the explanation does not. The same two words describe two very different judgements.
12 min · Open lesson → -
Next at B1
Back down
A manager changes a policy after staff challenge it. She does not move backwards, but people say she backed down.
12 min · Open lesson →
Level progression
From B1 to C2
Check the lesson count at each level before choosing where to start.
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B1
76 lessons
Choose an everyday verb. Learn one useful meaning and practise its basic word order.
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B2
No lessons yet
Compare meanings in different situations. Notice when a change of object changes the message.
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C1
No lessons yet
Compare the expression with a more formal alternative, using the lesson notes to judge the setting.
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C2
No lessons yet
Follow the expression through longer clauses. Keep track of the verb, its small word, and its object.
Accent note
Compare the available voices
The available recordings are listed in each lesson. Compare the same clip in another accent when offered, but keep its word order and meaning in view.
Questions learners ask
Before you start
Which level should I start with?
Use the level filter to find a suitable lesson. Start lower if you need support with the meaning or word order, even if you usually study at a higher level.
Do I need every meaning at once?
Start with the meaning used in the example. If the guide compares other meanings, study the object and situation that distinguish them.
Can I use a one-word verb instead?
Sometimes. Check both meaning and tone: a one-word alternative can be useful, but it does not always fit the same sentence or situation.
How do I practise object position?
Read the pattern and example, then close the transcript and write the sentence you hear. Check the position of short words such as it and them.
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