Archive for the 'English Phrasal Verbs' Category
Phrasal Verb: go on
Go on is to happen.
If something is going on, it is happening.
'What's going on?' means 'What's happening?'.
Examples of use:
1. If you see anything suspicious going on, telephone the police.
2. The windows are broken. What's going on?
3. Mr Smith, the office manager, doesn't know what goes on when he is not in the office.
To go on is to continue doing something.
Examples of use:
1. I asked the children to stop shouting, but they went on and on until I got cross.
2. You can't go on going to bed so late. You will be ill.
To go on is to continue to exist or happen.
Examples of use:
1. The thunderstorm went on all night.
2. The road seemed to go on for miles.
To go on is to talk in an irritating way about something for a long time.
Examples of use:
1. Don't talk to Mike about the Star Wars films. He will go on about them for hours!
2. Our neighbours went on and on about their holiday to Egypt.
Go on! is something that you say to encourage someone to do something now. Informal English.
Examples of use:
1. There's a vacant table over there. Sit down before someone else does. Go on!
2. Ask him if he will go to the cinema with you. Go on! Don't be scared!
If you go on a diet you start a healthy heating plan so that you can lose weight.
Examples of use:
1. We're going on a diet next week
2. That shirt is bit tight. You will have to go on a diet.
3. She went on a diet.
goings-on (plural noun) are unusual or amusing actions or events.
Example of use:
There's been some funny goings-on over at Mrs Edwards' house. We saw a police car and a hearse outside yesterday.
ongoing (adjective) – if something is ongoing it is in progress, growing or developing.
Example of use:
The plans for the new English language school are ongoing.
| infinitive |
go on |
| present simple |
go on and goes on |
| -ing form |
going on |
| past simple |
went on |
| past participle |
gone on |
Can you write a sentence with the phrasal verb 'go on'?
Do you know anyone who goes on and on about something?
This post is a very long one – it has gone on and on! 
Image by Carl Wycoff
Phrasal Verb: line up
To line up people or things (or line people or things up) is to arrange them so that they from a row. A row is a straight line of people or things e.g. a row of chairs.
When people or things line up, they form a row.
People or things that form a row are lined up.
Examples of use:
1. Can you line the chairs up into three rows, please?
2. The children lined up all their teddy bears.
3. The cinema doesn't open until 7pm but people are lining up outside already.
To line up something with something else is to align them: to put them in the correct position in relation to each other.
Example of use:
1. Line up the screw holes in the pieces of wood and screw them together with 20mm wood screws.
To line up something is to arrange events or activies for someone or something.
Someone or something you have arranged to be available at a future event or activity is lined up.
Examples of use:
1. They have a fantastic band lined up for the wedding reception.
2. I have a lot of meetings lined up next week.
3. We're going to line up a singer for the Christmas party.
line-up (noun) – the people or things planned for an event are the line-up
line-up (noun) – a line of people arranged for inspection (e.g. Army personnel) or as a way of identifying a suspect (a police line-up)
| infinitive |
line up |
| present simple |
line up and lines up |
| -ing form |
lining up |
| past simple |
lined up |
| past participle |
lined up |
Can you think of any ways to use the phrasal verb 'line up' in a sentence?
What activies are you going to line up for your summer holidays?
Image by Horia Varlan
Phrasal Verb: invite over
To invite over somebody (or invite somebody over) is to ask them if they would like to visit you at your home.
To invite around / round somebody or invite somebody around / round means the same thing.
Examples of use:
1. Why don't you invite your boss over for a meal on Friday?
2. I have been invited around to Emma's house.
3. Whenever his parents are away he invites his friends over for a party!
4. We would like to invite you round to our house but our kitchen isn't finished.
5. James invited us over for tea and cakes.
| infinitive | invite over |
| present simple | invite over and invites over |
| -ing form | inviting over |
| past simple | invited over |
| past participle | invited over |
Can you think of any ways to use the phrasal verb 'invite over' in a sentence?
Who do you invite over to your home?
Image by kevindooley
Phrasal Verb: hot up
If something hots up it becomes more lively, interesting or exciting.
Colloquial British English.
Examples of use:
1. This party is starting to hot up at last.
2. Things are really hotting up in the election campaign.
3. Battle to beat iPhone to hot up.
| infinitive | hot up |
| present simple | hot up and hots up |
| -ing form | hotting up |
| past simple | hotted up |
| past participle | hotted up |
Can you think of any ways to use the phrasal verb 'hot up' in a sentence?
Have you been to an event that started slowly, but then hotted up?
Image by j, lindsay
Phrasal Verb: sell off
To sell off something (or sell something off) is to sell it at a reduced or low price because you do not want it or because you need the money.
Examples of use:
1. He sold off all his books because he needed to raise some money for his air fare.
2. They are selling off their stock because the shop is closing next week.
To sell off a business is to sell all or part of it.
Example of use:
The Royal Bank of Scotland is to sell off its branch in Pakistan.
| infinitive | sell off |
| present simple | sell off and sells off |
| -ing form | selling off |
| past simple | sold off |
| past participle | sold off |
Can you think of any ways to use the phrasal verb 'sell off' in a sentence?
Has your local shop sold off something in a sale?
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Phrasal Verb: big up
To big up somebody or something is to give someone or something praise, to acknowledge them in a positive way, or talk a lot about how excellent someone or something is. Informal.
big-up can also be used as a noun – e.g. a big-up to all my wonderful fans!
Exampes of use:
1. Everyone bigs up that new restaurant. Shall we book a table for your birthday?
2. The book was really bigged up by the media, but sales were very disappointing.
3. They are bigging up their products and services with lots of adverts on local radio stations.
| infinitive | big up |
| present simple | big up and bigs up |
| -ing form | bigging up (American English – sometimes, big upping) |
| past simple | bigged up (American English – sometimes, big upped) |
| past participle | bigged up (American English – sometimes, big upped) |
Can you think of any ways to use the phrasal verb 'big up' in a sentence?
Have you seen or heard the phrasal verb 'big up' in films, newspapers or songs?
For more advanced readers, the BBC Learning English site has a very interesting article about the origins and use of the phrasal verb 'big up', written by Jim Pettiward.
Image by rodrigo senna
Phrasal Verb: stand by somebody
To stand by somebody is to support or help them through a difficult time or situation.
Examples of use:
1. Jane stood by her husband when he went to prison.
2. Her family did not stand by her when she needed them.
3. We don't care what she has done. She's our daughter and we are standing by her.
| infinitive |
stand by |
| present simple |
stand by and stands by |
| -ing form |
standing by |
| past simple |
stood by |
| past participle |
stood by |
Can you think of any ways to use the phrasal verb 'stand by (somebody)' in a sentence?
Have you stood by someone through a difficult time?
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Phrasal Verb: dawn on / upon somebody
If something dawns on you, you realise or begin to understand something.
Examples of use:
1. We were driving to the airport when it dawned on us that we were completely lost.
2. It suddenly dawned on him that he couldn't pass his exams because he hadn't worked hard enough.
3. After months of working day and night it dawned on her that she needed a business partner.
| infinitive |
dawn on / upon |
| present simple |
dawn on / upon and dawns on / upon |
| -ing form |
dawning on / upon |
| past simple |
dawned on / upon |
| past particple |
dawned on / upon |
Can you think of any ways to use the phrasal verb 'dawn on' in a sentence?
Has anything dawned on you recently?
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Phrasal Verb: listen in
To listen in is to listen to what someone is saying, especially secretly.
Examples of use:
1. You shouldn't listen in on other people's private telephone calls.
2. I think someone is listening in on our conversation.
3. When I was a teenager my mum used to listen in on my telephone conversations.
To listen in is also to listen to a radio broadcast.
Examples of use:
1. Portland are on the radio tomorrow. Listen in at 9pm if you want to hear them!
2. More than five million people listened in to the new radio programme.
| infinitive | listen in |
| present simple | listen in and listens in |
| -ing form | listening in |
| past simple | listened in |
| past participle | listened in |
Can you think of any ways to use the phrasal verb 'listen in' in a sentence?
Do you think it's impolite to listen in on other people's conversations?
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Phrasal Verb: hang out
To hang out something (or hang something out) is to suspend it outside for drying or airing. Informal.
Examples of use:
1. It's a lovely sunny day. I think I will hang the rugs out to air.
2. Can you hang out the washing, please?
To hang out of a window, or other opening, is to lean out of it with part of your body inside and part of it outside.
Example of use
1. Don't hang out of the window. You might fall.
To hang out is to spend a lot of time in a place or spend a lot of time with somebody, especially socially (with friends) and in a leisurely way.
Examples of use:
1. Shall we go and hang out on the beach?
2. Where have they gone? They're hanging out at John's house.
| infinitive |
hang out |
| present simple |
hang out and hangs out |
| -ing form |
hanging out |
| past simple |
hung out |
| past participle |
hung out |
Can you think of any ways to use the phrasal verb 'hang out' in a sentence?
Who do you hang out with?
Image by Alex E. Proimos
