Course (Part 473)

Course: "Glow-up" your English with Phrasal Verbs and Idioms

In this lesson we introduce "50 Phrasal Verbs to Begin With," a compact, practical selection of everyday English multi-word verbs that learners encounter most often. Phrasal verbs pair a base verb with particles (prepositions or adverbs), producing meanings that frequently cannot be inferred from the individual words. Mastering them increases listening comprehension, speaking fluency, and writing naturalness because native speakers use phrasal verbs in both formal and informal contexts. The list includes verbs for starting and ending actions, expressing emotions, managing tasks, handling difficulties, and describing relationships. Each entry provides a clear meaning and a sample sentence so that learners can see usage in context. Regular practice—through speaking, writing, and retrieval exercises—helps move these phrases from passive recognition to active use. Grouping phrasal verbs by theme (e.g., involvement, beginnings/endings, effort, wellbeing) makes them easier to remember and apply. Learners should note that many phrasal verbs have multiple senses; context determines meaning. Some are separable (you can insert an object between verb and particle), others are not—routing practice toward the correct pattern prevents common grammatical errors. Finally, frequent review and productive tasks (creating your own sentences, role-playing, brief writing prompts) will build confidence and precision. Use the following lecture sheet and exercises to consolidate comprehension and practice active production of these 50 core phrasal verbs.

Lesson

Topic: 50 Phrasal Verbs to Begin With — Core meanings, examples, and practice

Learning Outcomes

• Recognize and explain the meanings of 50 high-frequency phrasal verbs.
• Use selected phrasal verbs accurately in speaking and writing.
• Differentiate separable vs. inseparable phrasal verbs and apply correct word order.
• Translate key phrasal verbs between English and Bengali to aid retention.

Conceptual Explanation

Phrasal verbs = verb + particle(s) (preposition/adverb). The particle changes the base verb’s meaning (e.g., "take" vs. "take off"). Categories covered: action/state change (break down, pass away), communication & thinking (bring up, figure out), movement & logistics (drop off, pick up), temporal actions (set up, put off), social relations (get along, stand by), emotion & coping (cheer up, get over), effort & problem-solving (work out, carry on). Note polysemy: the same phrasal verb can have distinct senses (e.g., "break down" — machine stops; also emotional collapse). Grammatical note: separable phrasal verbs permit object placement between verb and particle with noun objects (e.g., "turn down the offer" → "turn the offer down"); pronouns require the object-after form ("turn it down," not "turn down it").

Bilingual (EN → বাংলা)

English	বাংলা (Bengali)	Example (EN)
Break down	ভাঙা/বিভক্ত বা কাজ করা বন্ধ করা; আবেগগতভাবে ভেঙে পড়া	My car broke down on the way to work.
Bring up	উত্থাপন করা; আলোচনা শুরু করা	She brought up an interesting point.
Put off	স্থগিত করা	They put off the meeting until next week.
Look after	রখা/যত্ন করা	Can you look after my dog?
Get over	উত্তীর্ণ হওয়া; পরিত্যাগ করা; সেরে ওঠা	It took her a while to get over the flu.

Tip: learn a small set (5–10) with Bengali glosses, then use English examples only to move toward thinking in English.

Important Notes

• Separable vs. inseparable: test each verb with a pronoun object (e.g., "pick it up" ok; "look after it" cannot be "look it after").
• Multiple meanings: consult context—dictionary examples help; create your own sentences for each sense.
• Register: some phrasal verbs are informal (e.g., "chicken out"); prefer alternatives in formal writing ("withdraw" vs. "back out").
• Pronunciation: stress often falls on the particle (e.g., 'break DOWN'); notice intonation in spoken practice.

Exercises

True / False

Statement	Answer
"Turn down" can mean "refuse" and is separable with a pronoun (e.g., "turn it down").	Answer True — "turn down" = refuse; pronoun must follow: "turn it down" (not "turn down it").
"Look after" can be split as "look the baby after."	Answer False — "look after" is inseparable: say "look after the baby" (not "look the baby after").
"Run out of" means to replenish a supply.	Answer False — "run out of" means a supply is exhausted; opposite to replenish.

Fill in the Blanks

1. I forgot my notes, so I had to ________ the facts from memory.
   Answer

   I had to fill in the facts from memory (or "fill them in").
2. When the meeting was postponed they decided to ________ it until Friday.
   Answer

   They decided to put off the meeting until Friday.
3. We suddenly ________ gasoline this morning and could not drive.
   Answer

   We suddenly ran out of gasoline.
4. She tried to ________ an excuse for being late, but the manager saw through it.
   Answer

   She tried to make up an excuse.
5. After a long illness, he finally managed to ________ his strength.
   Answer

   He finally managed to get over his illness.

Multiple Choice (MCQ)

Question	Options	Answer
Which phrasal verb means "to investigate"?	A. cheer up   B. look into   C. carry on	Answer B. look into — to investigate/research.
Which is the best match for "to cancel"?	A. call off   B. pick up   C. put up with	Answer A. call off — to cancel.
Choose the phrasal verb meaning "to continue despite interruptions"	A. give in   B. carry on   C. turn down	Answer B. carry on — to continue.

Matching

Match column A (phrasal verb) with column B (meaning).

Column A	Column B
1. set up	a. to refuse
2. turn down	b. to establish or arrange
3. get along	c. to have a good relationship

Answer

1 → b (set up = to establish or arrange); 2 → a (turn down = to refuse); 3 → c (get along = to have a good relationship).

Descriptive

Write a short paragraph (3–4 sentences) using at least three of the following phrasal verbs: bring up, work out, back up, call off, look forward to. Explain the situation briefly.

Answer

Sample paragraph: "I brought up the budget concerns at the meeting because we needed clarity. The team worked out a revised plan that reduced costs, and management agreed to back up the new proposal with additional resources. We had to call off the client demo in order to implement the fixes, but I look forward to presenting the improved version next month."

Creative

Task: Create a short dialogue (6–8 lines) between two colleagues where one asks the other to "cover" for them, they "pick up" a task, and then "wrap up" the meeting. Use the phrasal verbs naturally.

Answer

Sample dialogue:

A: "Can you pick up the client call this afternoon? I have a doctor’s appointment."
B: "Sure — I’ll pick it up and cover for you. What do I need to know?"
A: "Just review the new figures and mention our timeline."
B: "Got it. I’ll also back up your proposal with the report."
A: "Thanks. After the call, let’s wrap up the project notes together."
B: "Okay — I’ll be ready."

Activities, Vocabulary, Homework, Practice Task

Activities

• Pair activity: role-play a meeting where one student must "bring up" problems and the other must "work out" solutions using at least five phrasal verbs from the list.
• Timed recall: list as many phrasal verbs from this lesson as you can in three minutes, then use three of them in spoken sentences.

Vocabulary

Phrasal Verb	Primary Meaning	Notes
put off	postpone	separable with noun object: "put the meeting off" / pronoun requires "put it off"
put up with	tolerate	inseparable: cannot say "put the noise up with"
get back	return / reply	use: "I'll get back to you"

Homework

1. Write ten original sentences using ten different phrasal verbs from the 50-list; underline the phrasal verb in each sentence.
2. Choose five verbs that are difficult for you; write their Bengali translation and two sample sentences (one formal, one informal).

Practice Task

Record a 90-second audio or video monologue describing a recent problem you solved. Use at least six different phrasal verbs from the lesson (e.g., "work out," "carry on," "call off," "get over," "set up," "look into"). Submit the recording with a written transcript and a short reflection on which phrasal verbs were hardest to use and why.

Final tips: focus on collocation (which verbs pair with which particles), practice in short daily tasks, and prefer contextual production (speaking/writing) over mechanical memorization. Return to the bilingual table when meaning is unclear, but gradually shift to English-only thinking for fluency.