How to Use Phrasal Verbs in Everyday Conversation

Tips, Examples, Vocabulary Quiz, Story Activity, and Exercises

One of the best ways to improve your English fluency is to use phrasal verbs in conversation. Phrasal verbs are verb phrases made up of a verb and one or two adverbs or prepositions. This combination creates a new meaning.

For example, the verb “bring” can become the phrasal verb “bring up” when we add the preposition “up”. It means to raise or mention something.

For instance, you can bring up the topic of your weekend plans at the next meeting.

Today we will share three common ways to use phrasal verbs in everyday conversation, which you can try right away 🙂

First Way To Use Phrasal Verbs In Everyday Conversation

One way to use phrasal verbs in everyday conversation is to use them when you are talking about your daily routine. For example, you can say “I’m going to pick up my dry cleaning on the way home from work”.

In this sentence, the phrasal verb “pick up” means to collect. Other common phrasal verbs that you can use when talking about your daily routine include:

• drop off = to take something somewhere
• pick up = to collect
• run out of = to use all of something
• fill out = to complete a form
• log in = to connect yourself to a computer system
• run into = to meet someone by chance
• show up = to arrive
• work out = to exercise
• sign up = to register
• take off = to leave
• fill in = to provide information

Here are some example sentences:

1. Every Monday I pick up my dry cleaning on the way home from work.
2. I hate filling out this form every time.
3. I usually take off early on Friday.
4. After work, I work out at the gym.

Second Way To Use Phrasal Verbs In Everyday Conversation

Another way to use phrasal verbs in everyday conversation is to use them when you are talking about your plans. For example, you can say “I’m going to meet up with my friend for coffee”.

In this sentence, the phrasal verb “meet up” means to arrange to meet someone. Other common phrasal verbs that you can use when talking about your plans include:

• catch up = to meet someone after not seeing them for a period of time
• fill in = to provide missing information
• look forward to = to be excited about something
• look for = to try to find something
• set up = to arrange

Here are some example sentences:

1. I’m going to catch up with my friend for coffee.
2. We’re looking forward to your talk on Friday.
3. I’ve set up a meeting with the boss for next week.
4. I’m looking for a new job.
5. Are you free to meet up tonight?

Third Way To Use Phrasal Verbs In Everyday Conversation

Another way to use phrasal verbs in everyday conversation is to use them when you are talking about your feelings. For example, you can say “This really stresses me out”.

In this sentence, the phrasal verb “stresses out” means to cause someone to feel anxious or overwhelmed. Other common phrasal verbs that you can use when talking about your feelings include:

• calm down = to become less angry or upset
• cheer up = to make someone happier
• slow down = to reduce speed
• wear out = to become unusable from too much use
• straighten out = to fix a problem

Here are some example sentences:

1. I need to calm down before my meeting.
2. I’m sorry I was so grumpy, can you cheer me up?
3. I’m trying to straighten out this issue with my boss.
4. He’s so stressed out!
5. I’m so worn out from work.
6. Can we slow down, we just met!

A Word of Warning

Be careful with phrasal verbs because they often have more than one meaning. For example, the phrasal verb “look up” can mean to search for information (meaning 1), or it can mean to raise your eyes (meaning 2).

When you are using phrasal verbs, it is important to use the correct meaning in order to avoid confusion. If you are unsure of the meaning of a phrasal verb, you can look it up in a dictionary.

A Second Warning

Phrasal verbs are often considered to be informal. This means that you should avoid using them in formal situations, such as in a formal business meeting.

Final Words

Phrasal verbs can be a great way to add color and variety to your everyday conversation. They can also help you express your feelings more accurately. While some phrasal verbs can be difficult to use, there are many that are quite easy to incorporate into your everyday speech. With a little practice, you’ll be using phrasal verbs like a native speaker in no time!

A. Vocabulary Quiz

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B. Story Activity

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C. Exercises

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