Common English Phrasal Verbs and How to Use Them in a Sentence for IELTS

 

💬 Common English Phrasal Verbs and How to Use Them in a Sentence

Phrasal verbs are everywhere in English — in conversations, books, movies, and especially in IELTS Speaking and Writing. But they can be tricky because their meanings aren’t always obvious from the words themselves.

To help you out, here’s a list of common phrasal verbs, what they mean, and how to use them naturally in a sentence.

🔄 1. Turn up – to arrive or appear

Example: He didn’t turn up to the meeting on time.

⏫ 2. Pick up – to collect someone or something

Example: I’ll pick you up at 6 PM from the station.

🧼 3. Clean up – to make a place tidy

Example: We need to clean up after the party.

⬇️ 4. Break down – to stop working (for machines), or to become emotionally upset

Examples:

  • My car broke down on the highway.

  • She broke down in tears after hearing the news.

📞 5. Call off – to cancel

Example: They called off the game because of the rain.

🆙 6. Grow up – to become an adult

Example: I grew up in a small town in Namibia.

📚 7. Look up – to search for information

Example: If you don’t know the word, look it up in the dictionary.

🔙 8. Give up – to stop trying

Example: Don’t give up – you’re almost there!

🗣 9. Speak up – to talk louder or express an opinion

Examples:

  • Could you speak up? I can’t hear you.

  • She spoke up for what she believed in.

💔 10. Get over – to recover from something (emotionally or physically)

Example: It took him months to get over the breakup.

💼 11. Take on – to accept responsibility or work

Example: She took on a new project at work.

⏳ 12. Run out (of) – to have no more of something

Example: We ran out of milk this morning.

🆙 13. Come up with – to think of an idea or solution

Example: He came up with a brilliant idea for the presentation.

🧳 14. Set off – to start a journey

Example: We set off early to avoid traffic.

🚪 15. Get in / Get out – to enter or exit a car or small space

Examples:

  • He got in the taxi and left.

  • I got out of the car at the hotel.

🎓 Why Phrasal Verbs Matter in IELTS

Using phrasal verbs correctly can:

  • Make your speaking sound more natural

  • Help you achieve a higher vocabulary score

  • Show fluency and control of informal or conversational English

✅ Just remember — use them appropriately and avoid overusing them in formal writing like IELTS Task 2.

📝 Final Tip:

Try learning phrasal verbs in context, not just as lists. Create your own sentences or group them by theme (e.g., travel, emotions, work).




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