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.
Look up to
A role model does more than impress you. You look up to that person because their character or achievements earn your respect.
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Make up
Friends can make up after an argument, but one of them might also make up an excuse. The object and situation reveal whether something is repaired or invented.
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Measure up
A product can have impressive features yet still fail the test that matters. If it does not meet the required standard, it does not measure up.
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Narrow Down 3
Ten reasonable choices can make a decision harder. Narrowing them down removes the less suitable ones until the best options are easier to compare.
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Pay off
Months of practice can pay off when you finally succeed. Monthly payments pay a loan off only when the remaining balance reaches zero.
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Phase out
Replacing every old device today may disrupt users. Phasing the devices out lets an organisation remove them in planned stages.
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Pick up
You can pick up a parcel, pick up some Spanish while travelling, or pick up a conversation after lunch. The words around the phrase reveal its meaning.
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Pull out
A company may pull out of a deal, a parent may pull a child out of a team, and a car may pull out into the road. The grammar shows who chooses to leave.
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Put behind
A mistake may still be part of your history, but it does not have to control your next decision. You can learn from it and put it behind you.
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Put off
Rain can put off a picnic until Friday, while an unpleasant smell can put you off your lunch. One meaning changes the time; the other changes how you feel.
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Put on
Before guests arrive, you might put on a clean shirt, put the lights on and put on some music. The object tells you which action happens.
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Put out
You can put out a candle, a company can put out a statement, and a late request can put someone out. The object changes the meaning.
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Put up with
A neighbour's music may be annoying, but you might accept it for one evening. If you continue accepting the annoyance, you put up with it.
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Rip off
A dishonest seller might rip you off, while you might rip a label off a parcel. A person object signals cheating; a physical object often signals quick removal.
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Rule out
A test may rule out one illness, but a doctor who cannot rule it out still thinks it is possible. The negative form reverses the practical message.
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Run into
You might run into an old friend, run into a technical problem, or run into another car. The object tells you whether the meeting is pleasant, difficult or physical.
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Run out of
If we run out of coffee, the coffee has run out. Both sentences describe an empty supply, but the subject and grammar are different.
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Show off
Someone can show off without an object to attract attention, or show off a new skill so other people admire it. One describes behaviour; the other highlights what is displayed.
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Sign up
You sign up for a photography course, but you sign up to bring snacks to its first meeting. The next word decides the pattern.
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Sink in
You can hear important news in one second but need much longer to feel that it is real. During that delay, the news is sinking in.
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Stand out
A yellow umbrella stands out in a crowd because it is easy to see. An excellent application stands out because its quality is better. Both attract attention for different reasons.
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Take after
You may have your father's smile but your grandmother's patience. When a family similarity comes from an older relative, you can say you take after that person.
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Take part in
You can watch a race from the side, or you can enter it and take part. The phrase means joining the activity, not simply being nearby.
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Talk into
You may not plan to join a trip, but a friend's reasons can change your mind. If the conversation persuades you, your friend talks you into going.
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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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