Master The 5 Most Common English Phrasal Verbs

“English Fluency Week” | REGISTER FOR FREE

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS ENGLISH LESSON
================================================
In this lesson, you will learn the five most common English phrasal verbs and how to use them in natural situations. This lesson will help you speak English more fluently and with much more confidence

1. “Cut back”
   • Definition: TO REDUCE
   • 3 Example Sentences:
     1. They are cutting back expenses.
     2. My family cut back on the amount of electricity we used last year.
     3. I decided to cut back on a lot of things this year.
   • Example Situation: The amount of junk food a person eats
   • Dialogue:
     • Mike: Hey Brian, we are going to get some french fries. You want to come?
     • Brian: Hey Mike. Thanks for asking, but I’m good.
     • Mike: Really? I’m surprised! You usually always jump at the chance to get french fries. Are you feeling okay?
     • Brian: Yeah, I’m okay. I just started a new workout routine, so I am trying to be mindful of what I eat.
   • Descriptive sentence:
     • Brian is trying to cut back on junk food because he started a new exercise routine.

 

2. “Get around”
   • Definition: TO BE HEARD BY A LOT OF PEOPLE
   • 3 Example Sentences:
     1. News of his promotion got around very fast.
     2. It didn’t take long for news of his resignation to get around.
     3. The news of their engagement got around quickly.
   • Example Situation: When someone is pregnant
   • Dialogue:
     • Samantha: Hey Mary, how have you been?
     • Mary: Hey Samantha, I have been great. I actually have been meaning to talk to you.
     • Samantha: Oh, really? What’s going on?
     • Mary: Well, Mark and I found out that our little family is going to be expanding.
     • Samantha: Wait…what?! You’re pregnant! Congratulations!
     • Mary: Shhh Not too loud girl. Thanks so much! I just don’t want everyone to know just yet. You know how fast news travels.
   • Descriptive sentence:
     • Mary doesn’t want the news of her pregnancy to get around too fast, so she only told Samantha.

 

3. “Look into”
   • Definition: TO TRY TO DISCOVER FACTS ABOUT SOMETHING
   • 3 Example Sentences:
     1. After several customers complained about late deliveries, they decided to look into the matter.
     2. Can you look into this for me?
     3. The detective decided to look into the details of the case.
   • Example Situation: Students fighting
   • Dialogue:
     • Teacher: Johnny tell me what happened.
     • Student (Johnny): Well, Michael hit me while we were playing at the playground. So, I hit him back.
     • Teacher: Wait a minute. Tell me why Michael hit you.
     • Student (Johnny): I don’t know teacher…He literally just hit me out of the blue.
     • Teacher: Okay, I can tell that there is more to this story. I am going to go speak with Michael and some other students to get to the bottom of this.
   • Descriptive sentence:
     • The teacher decided that she had to look into the details of the fight to find out what really happened.

 

4. “Put off”
   • Definition: TO DELAY DOING SOMETHING ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU DON’T WANT TO DO IT
   • 3 Example Sentences:
     1. Are you putting off writing that essay because you can’t concentrate right now?
     2. They decided to put off their wedding.
     3. Don’t put off the project.
   • Example Situation: Putting off the payment of a bill
   • Dialogue:
     • Wife: Honey, we got something strange in the mail.
     • Husband: Oh really? Let me see what it is.
     • Wife: Okay. It says something about our bill is late and now we have an extra fee to pay.
     • Husband: Hmm, that is weird. I thought for sure that I paid all of the bills last week.
     • Wife: Remember you were out of town last week honey.
     • Husband: Oh! You’re right. I was planning to pay the bills before I left, but I decided to do it when I got back because I thought I had time. It must have slipped my mind when I got back.
   • Descriptive sentence:
     • Her husband put off paying the bills because he thought he would have time to pay them after his trip.

 

5. “Give in”
   • Definition: TO SURRENDER, ESPECIALLY IN A FIGHT OR ARGUMENT
   • 3 Example Sentences:
     1. Ben’s mother gave in and let him stay out late with his friends.
     2. My parents would not give in, so I stayed home.
     3. The enemy finally gave in, so the war stopped.
   • Example Situation: Child begging for ice cream
   • Dialogue:
     • Child: Mommy, can I have some ice cream?
     • Mom: No, because you didn’t finish all of your chores.
     • Child: Please mommy? I promise to finish all of my chores before I go to bed tonight.
     • Mom: Why should I let you get ice cream before you finish your chores?
     • Child: Because I finished all of my homework and I promise to do my chores too. Pretty please?
     • Mom: Okay. Since you finished all of your homework, you can have some ice cream.
   • Descriptive sentence:
     • The mom finally gave in and allowed her child to have some ice cream.