Ampersand Lab

Pathway

The 20 Most Common Phrasal Verbs

20Lessons

The ones you will hear most.

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1

Go onNo. 1 most common

Continue(inseparable)

“She WENT ON the pill when she met him.”

2

Pick upNo. 2 most common

Improve(separable)

“Sales PICKED UP a bit during the Christmas period.”

3

Come backNo. 3 most common

Return

“I left work and CAME BACK home early.”

4

Come upNo. 4 most common

Appear

“I'll be late home tonight because something's COME UP at work has to be ready for tomorrow morning.”

5

Go backNo. 5 most common

Have a long history(inseparable)

“He and I GO BACK a long way- we were at school together.”

6

Find outNo. 6 most common

Discover information(separable)

“I went to the library to FIND OUT all I could about the life and work of Joe Meek.”

7

Come outNo. 7 most common

A secret is revealed

“The details of the scandal CAME OUT in the press and she had to resign.”

8

Go outNo. 8 most common

Stop burning, be extinguished

“The candle WENT OUT and left us in darkness.To leave home for a social activity.”

9

Point outNo. 9 most common

Make someone aware of something(separable)

“He POINTED OUT that I only had two weeks to get the whole thing finished.”

10

Grow upNo. 10 most common

Mature, become adult

“The industry GREW UP very quickly. a place or for a reason (city, town, etc)”

11

Set upNo. 11 most common

Prepare equipment, software, etc., for use(separable)

“The technician SET UP the computer network perfectly.”

12

Turn outNo. 12 most common

Produce(separable)

“The factory TURNS OUT three thousand units a day.”

13

Get outNo. 13 most common

Leave the house to visit place and socialise(separable)

“The truth GOT OUT despite the injunction on reporting the case.”

14

Come inNo. 14 most common

Arrive or land (for flights)

“The plane CAME IN at two-thirty in the morning.Place or ranking in a competition, etc.”

15

Take onNo. 15 most common

Allow passengers on a ship or plane(separable)

“The plane stopped at Zurich to TAKE ON some passengers.Assume a responsibility or accept a challenge.”

16

Give upNo. 16 most common

Stop doing something that has been a habit(separable)

“She GAVE UP all her school friends when she went to university.”

17

Make upNo. 17 most common

Stop being angry with someone(separable)

“They are always arguing, but they MAKE UP again very quickly.”

18

End upNo. 18 most common

Become or do something unplanned(inseparable)

“We couldn't get tickets for Egypt so we ENDED UP going to Turkey instead.”

19

Get backNo. 19 most common

Return to a place(separable)

“The train was held up so we didn't GET BACK home until midnight.”

20

Look upNo. 20 most common

Consult a reference (search engine, dictionary, etc.) for a specific piece of information.(separable)

“I didn't know the correct spelling so I had to LOOK it UP in the dictionary.”

Order: PHaVE List, Garnier and Schmitt (2015), counted from real English.

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