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B1 — More Essential Phrasal Verbs

B1 · Intermediate Chapter 27

More Essential Phrasal Verbs

Q: Can I use 'make up' for physical inventions?

Usually no. Use `invent` for things like the lightbulb or the internet. Use `make up` for stories, lies, and excuses.

Q: Is 'make up' formal?

It is neutral to informal. In very formal writing, use `fabricate`, `reconcile`, or `constitute`.

Q: Can I say 'dress up like' instead of 'dress up as'?

In casual speech, people often say `like`, but `as` is more correct for a costume. `Like` implies you look similar, while `as` implies you are playing the role.

11 Total Rules

127 examples

5 min

Rules in This Chapter Quick Practice

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the most common phrasal verbs to sound like a natural English speaker in any situation.

Categorize essential phrasal verbs by their functional use in conversation.
Apply correct grammar structures to separable and inseparable verb phrases.
Recognize the nuance between literal and idiomatic meanings of common verbs.

Speak fluently by mastering everyday phrasal verbs.

What You'll Learn

Ready to sound more natural? This chapter will equip you to confidently express yourself, whether you need to 'cut down on' something or understand what someone really 'means'. Soon, you'll navigate everyday conversations with ease!

Phrasal Verb: Throw away
Master throw away to confidently discard, prevent waste, and manage opportunities in English.
Phrasal Verb: Make up (Invent/Reconcile)
Master 'make up' to invent tales or mend friendships, sounding fluent and natural.
Dressing Up: Formal Clothes & Costumes (Dress up)
Dress up means to put on special clothes, either formal or a costume, for a specific occasion.
Understanding 'Mean': What do you mean? (mean)
Mastering 'mean' helps you express intent, define, and clarify with confidence.
Depending on People and Things (Rely on)
Mastering depend on and rely on with the correct on preposition boosts your B1 fluency for expressing necessity and trust.
Delaying Tasks: How to use 'Put off'
Master put off to sound natural when delaying tasks or events, especially with separable pronouns.
How to Use 'Back Up' (Move, Support, Save)
Mastering back up means understanding its diverse meanings and how context shapes its use.
How to Use 'Cut Down On' (Reducing Habits)
Mastering cut down on helps you talk about reducing habits naturally and effectively.
Stopping and Quitting (Give up)
Master give up to express quitting habits, stopping effort, or surrendering gracefully in any conversation.
Finding Things by Accident (Come across)
Master come across to naturally express accidental discoveries and encounters in English.
How to use 'Call Off' (Cancel Events)
Master call off to naturally express event cancellations and sound like a fluent English speaker!

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

1
By the end you will be able to: Use phrasal verbs correctly to describe habits, social plans, and interpersonal relationships.

Chapter Guide

Overview

Getting comfortable with phrasal verbs is a game-changer for B1 English learners aiming to sound more natural and fluent. This chapter on English more essential phrasal verbs will unlock everyday conversations for you, moving beyond basic vocabulary to expressions that native speakers use all the time. You'll learn to confidently describe reducing habits with cut down on, understand intentions with mean, and manage tasks by knowing when to put off something.

Mastering these specific phrasal verbs is a crucial step in your B1 English grammar journey. We'll explore verbs like throw away for discarding items, make up for inventing or reconciling, and rely on for dependability. You'll discover how to talk about quitting habits with give up, finding things by chance using come across, and even cancelling plans politely with call off. By the end of this guide, you’ll not only recognize these phrases but integrate them smoothly into your own speech and writing, making your English sound authentic and dynamic.

How This Grammar Works

Phrasal verbs are combinations of a verb and a preposition or adverb (sometimes both), and their meaning is often different from the individual words. This makes them tricky but also incredibly rich for expression. For instance, throw away isn't just about throwing; it specifically means to discard. When using separable phrasal verbs like throw away or put off, remember that pronouns *must* go in the middle: we throw it away, not *throw away it*. Similarly, you put them off, not *put off them*. This separability is key to sounding natural.

We also have versatile verbs like make up, which can mean inventing a story ("He had to make up an excuse"), reconciling after an argument ("They finally made up after their fight"), or forming a whole ("Women make up 60% of the staff"). Understanding these different contexts is vital. For habits, you'll learn to distinguish between cut down on (reduce an amount, like "I need to cut down on coffee") and give up (stop completely, as in "She gave up smoking"). Remember that give up is typically followed by the gerund (-ing) form of a verb: "I should give up eating so much sugar." Whether you rely on a friend for support, come across an old photo, or call off a meeting, these phrasal verbs add precision and naturalness to your communication, helping you bridge the gap between literal translations and idiomatic English.

Common Mistakes

Here are some common pitfalls B1 learners encounter with these phrasal verbs:

1✗ Don't throw away it.

✓ Don't throw it away.

Explanation: For separable phrasal verbs like throw away or put off, if you use a pronoun (it, them, us, etc.), it *must* go between the verb and the particle.

1✗ I need to give up to smoke.

✓ I need to give up smoking.

Explanation: When give up is followed by another verb, that verb almost always takes the -ing (gerund) form.

1✗ He just meant to say hello. (When the intention was different)

✓ What do you mean by that?

Explanation: The verb mean is often used to clarify intent or definition. Incorrectly using it can lead to miscommunication. Asking "What do you mean?" is how you clarify.

Real Conversations

I'm so tired. I feel like I'm always putting off my important tasks.

Maybe you should try to rely on a planner more. That helps me stay organized.

Did you hear about Tom? He decided to give up watching TV entirely!

Wow, really? I'm just trying to cut down on my screen time. I can't imagine quitting completely.

I came across this old photo of us from high school yesterday. We looked so different!

Oh, no way! I remember that day. We had to make up a crazy story about why we were late for class.

Quick FAQ

What's the main difference between cut down on and give up?

Cut down on means to reduce the amount or frequency of something, but not stop entirely (e.g., "I'm cutting down on sugar"). Give up means to stop doing something completely (e.g., "I gave up smoking last year").

Can make up only mean to invent a story?

No, make up is very versatile! It can mean to invent something ("make up an excuse"), to reconcile after an argument ("They made up after their fight"), or to form a whole ("Women make up the majority of the team").

How do I know when a phrasal verb needs a pronoun in the middle, like throw it away?

Many phrasal verbs are *separable*, especially when they have an object. A good rule of thumb for B1 is that if the object is a pronoun (it, them, him, her, us, you), it usually goes between the verb and the particle. If the object is a noun, it can often go in either position (e.g., "throw away the rubbish" or "throw the rubbish away").

In what situations would I typically use rely on?

You use rely on when you need someone or something for support, help, or to function properly. For example, "I rely on my car for work," "You can always rely on Sarah," or "Many people rely on their phones for news."

Cultural Context

Phrasal verbs are a cornerstone of natural, everyday English. Native speakers use them constantly, often without even realizing it. While some might be considered more informal, many are standard in both casual and professional settings, making your speech sound much more fluent and less textbook-like. Mastering these phrases, rather than always using single-word synonyms, is a key step towards truly connecting with native English communication.

Key Examples (8)

Can you please `throw away that empty coffee cup`?

Phrasal Verb: Throw away

Don't `throw away your shot` at getting into that university!

Phrasal Verb: Throw away

The children love to `make up` elaborate games in the backyard.

Phrasal Verb: Make up (Invent/Reconcile)

After their big argument, Maya and Ben `made up with` each other.

Phrasal Verb: Make up (Invent/Reconcile)

We need to `dress up` for Sarah's graduation party.

Dressing Up: Formal Clothes & Costumes (Dress up)

My little brother wants to `dress up as` a dinosaur for Halloween.

Dressing Up: Formal Clothes & Costumes (Dress up)

What does 'rizz' `mean` on TikTok?

Understanding 'Mean': What do you mean? (mean)

I `mean to say` sorry for being late to the group call.

Understanding 'Mean': What do you mean? (mean)

Tips & Tricks (4)

🎯

The Pronoun Rule

If you are unsure, always put the object in the middle. 'Throw the trash away' and 'Throw it away' are always safe.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Phrasal Verb: Throw away

💡

The Pronoun Rule

Always say 'Make it up' or 'Make them up'. Never put 'it' at the end.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Phrasal Verb: Make up (Invent/Reconcile)

💡

The 'As' Rule

If you are pretending to be something you are NOT (like a pirate or a ghost), always use 'as'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Dressing Up: Formal Clothes & Costumes (Dress up)

💡

The 'By' Rule

Whenever you are confused by what someone said, use 'What do you mean by...?' It is the most polite and clear way to ask for more info.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Understanding 'Mean': What do you mean? (mean)

Key Vocabulary (5)

Discard to throw something away Reconcile to make up after a fight Procrastinate to put off a task Support to back someone up Chance an unplanned event

Real-World Preview

briefcase

The Busy Office

Review Summary

Verb + Particle + Object
Verb + Particle
Verb + Particle + Object

Common Mistakes

When using a pronoun object, it must go between the verb and the particle.

Wrong: I throw away it.

Correct: I throw it away.

Many phrasal verbs require a preposition to connect to the object.

Wrong: I rely my friend.

Correct: I rely on my friend.

After 'give up', always use the gerund (-ing form).

Wrong: I gave up to smoke.

Correct: I gave up smoking.

Rules in This Chapter (11)

Next Steps

You have done an amazing job! Phrasal verbs are tricky, but you are now equipped to navigate English conversations with much more confidence.

Listen to a podcast and note every phrasal verb you hear.

Continue to: Mastering Perfect Tenses

Quick Practice (10)

Choose the correct sentence.

The weather was terrible, so...

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: they called it off.

With the pronoun 'it', you must separate the phrasal verb.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: How to use 'Call Off' (Cancel Events)

Fill in the blank with the correct form of 'call off'.

The strike was ___ after the workers got a raise.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: called off

This is a passive sentence in the past, so we use the past participle 'called'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: How to use 'Call Off' (Cancel Events)

Find the error in this sentence: 'We putted off the meeting.'

Find and fix the mistake:

We putted off the meeting.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: putted -> put

'Put' is an irregular verb. Its past tense is 'put'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Delaying Tasks: How to use 'Put off'

Choose the correct form of the verb.

What ___ 'ubiquitous' mean?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: does

'Word' is third-person singular, so we use 'does'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Understanding 'Mean': What do you mean? (mean)

Fill in the blank with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.

I gave up ___ (eat) meat three years ago.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: eating

After 'give up', we use the gerund (-ing) form.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Stopping and Quitting (Give up)

Find the mistake in the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

She comes across with a very intelligent person.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: with

We should use 'as' instead of 'with' when describing an impression.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Finding Things by Accident (Come across)

Correct the mistake in the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

I didn't meant to break your phone.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I didn't mean to break your phone.

After 'didn't', we use the base form 'mean'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Understanding 'Mean': What do you mean? (mean)

Choose the most natural sentence.

Which sentence is correct for a wedding?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I am dressing up in a suit.

We use 'in' for specific clothing items like a suit.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Dressing Up: Formal Clothes & Costumes (Dress up)

Find the mistake in the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

The traffic is backing up for miles.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Change 'backing up' to 'backed up'

To describe the state of traffic, we use the passive 'is backed up'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: How to Use 'Back Up' (Move, Support, Save)

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

Choose the correct word order.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I came across it in the park.

'Come across' is inseparable; the object must follow the preposition.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Finding Things by Accident (Come across)

Score: /10

Common Questions (6)

No. In English, when a phrasal verb is separable and the object is a pronoun (it, them, me, you, him, her, us), the pronoun **must** go in the middle.

They are 99% the same. 'Throw out' is slightly more common in American English and can also mean to physically remove someone from a place.

Usually no. Use invent for things like the lightbulb or the internet. Use make up for stories, lies, and excuses.

It is neutral to informal. In very formal writing, use fabricate, reconcile, or constitute.

In casual speech, people often say like, but as is more correct for a costume. Like implies you look similar, while as implies you are playing the role.

No. It can mean wearing a silly costume (informal) or a tuxedo (formal). The context tells you which one it is.