Phrasal verbs are essential to the English language, especially when preparing for the IELTS exam. They can enhance your communication skills and help you sound more natural during the Speaking and Writing sections. In this blog, we will explore common phrasal verbs, their meanings, and examples to boost your understanding and usage. Learning the use of phrases will not only improve your fluency but also give you an edge in achieving a higher IELTS score.
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What is a phrasal verb?
Phrasal verbs are combinations of a verb and one or more particles (either prepositions or adverbs) that, when used together, create a meaning different from the individual words. For example, the verb "give”, and the particle "up" combine to form the phrasal verb "give up," which means to stop trying or quit. Phrasal verbs are commonly used in everyday English and can make language more dynamic and conversational.
50 most common phrasal verbs list with meaning for IELTS
These phrasal verbs are commonly used in English and can be beneficial for the IELTS Speaking and Writing sections. Here are 50 common phrasal verbs along with their meanings that can be useful for the IELTS test:
Phrasal Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
Break down | Stop functioning (usually a machine) |
Bring up | Mention or introduce a topic |
Call off | Cancel an event or arrangement |
Carry out | Perform or execute a task |
Come across | Find or meet by chance |
Come up with | Think of an idea or plan |
Cut down on | Reduce the amount of |
Deal with | Handle a situation or problem |
Drop off | Let someone get out of a vehicle |
Find out | Discover information |
Figure out | Understand or solve something |
Get along with | Have a good relationship with someone |
Give up | Stop trying or quit doing something |
Go over | Review or check something |
Grow up | Mature or become an adult |
Hold on | Wait a short time |
Look after | Take care of someone or something |
Look forward to | Anticipate something with pleasure |
Look into | Investigate or examine |
Make up | Invent a story or lie |
Pick up | Collect or lift something/someone |
Put off | Postpone or delay |
Put up with | Tolerate or endure something unpleasant |
Run into | Meet someone unexpectedly |
Run out of | Use all of something so there's none left |
Set off | Begin a journey |
Show up | Arrive or appear |
Take after | Resemble a family member |
Take off | Leave the ground (for planes); become successful rapidly |
Take up | Start a new hobby or activity |
Turn down | Refuse or reject an offer |
Turn out | End up or result in something |
Turn up | Arrive or appear unexpectedly |
Work out | Exercise; find a solution |
Back out | Withdraw from an agreement |
Break into | Enter illegally |
Carry on | Continue doing something |
Come down with | Become ill with a sickness |
Cut off | Disconnect or stop the supply |
Drop by | Visit someone unexpectedly |
Fall apart | Break into pieces; become emotionally upset |
Fall behind | Fail to keep up with something |
Get by | Manage with difficulty |
Give in | Surrender or agree reluctantly |
Go through | Experience something difficult |
Hold back | Restrain oneself or others |
Keep up with | Stay at the same pace or level as someone/something |
Look down on | Regard someone as inferior |
Make out | Understand something unclear |
Pass away | Die |
Phrasal verbs examples to use in the IELTS test
These phrasal verbs can be included in various parts of the IELTS test to show a higher level of vocabulary. Here’s a table of phrasal verbs that can be useful in the IELTS Speaking or Writing test, along with their meanings and example sentences:
Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
Bring up | To mention or introduce a topic | The examiner brought up a difficult question during the test. |
Look into | To investigate or examine | The government is looking into new policies for education. |
Take up | To start a new hobby or activity | Recently, I’ve taken up learning a new language. |
Put off | To delay or postpone | I had to put off my travel plans due to the pandemic. |
Carry on | To continue doing something | Despite the difficulties, she carried on with her studies. |
Get along with | To have a good relationship with someone | I get along well with most of my colleagues at work. |
Run out of | To have no more of something | I ran out of time while answering the last question. |
Come up with | To think of an idea or solution | I need to come up with a strategy to improve my score. |
Set up | To establish or start something | They plan to set up a new business after graduation. |
Turn down | To reject or refuse | She turned down the job offer because it wasn’t suitable. |
Break down | To stop functioning (machine) | My computer broke down in the middle of the test preparation. |
Cut down on | To reduce the amount of something | I’ve been trying to cut down on my caffeine intake. |
Give up | To stop trying or quit | Even though it was tough, I didn’t give up on my goals. |
Look forward to | To be excited about something in the future | I’m looking forward to taking the IELTS test next month. |
Go through | To experience or endure something | I went through a lot of stress during the exam preparation. |
Learning phrasal verbs is essential for achieving fluency and a high score on the IELTS exam. They not only help convey ideas naturally but also demonstrate a strong command of English. By understanding the meaning and usage of these phrasal verbs through practice, you can enhance your language skills and improve your overall IELTS performance. Keep practising, and soon you’ll find yourself using phrasal verbs effortlessly in your everyday communication!
Also, if you are planning to take an IELTS test and have questions related to the same, then you can get in touch with your nearest IDP IELTS test centre. Our team of IELTS experts will help you clear all your queries.
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