Come on: encouragement and urgency
Encourage a friend or ask a group to move faster with a familiar spoken expression, and practise choosing a suitable tone.
Read and practiseAdventure journal
English: Phrasal verbs in real situations
English: Learn how particles change verb meanings, where objects belong and when a phrasal verb fits the situation.
Adventure journal
English: Phrasal verbs in real situations
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Come over: visiting someone at home
Invite someone to visit your home and talk about a visit using a common informal expression with times and simple questions.
Read and practiseGet back: returning to a place
Talk about returning home or to another place, ask when someone will return, and practise the present and past forms.
Read and practiseHurry up: asking someone to move faster
Ask a person or group to act more quickly, and explore how a polite request differs from an impatient command.
Read and practiseLooking at someone or something
Direct your eyes towards a person or an object and practise the word order in simple everyday sentences.
Read and practiseGet up: leaving bed and morning routines
Describe when you leave bed with get up, gets up and got up. Compare waking with getting out of bed through examples and three exercises.
Read and practisePutting an object inside
Place an object inside a container and practise everyday word order with nouns and pronouns.
Read and practiseWake up: stop sleeping or wake someone
Talk about waking naturally or being woken by a sound. Practise wake me up, noun placement and the past form woke in three exercises.
Read and practiseTaking an object out
Remove an object from a container and practise everyday word order with nouns and pronouns.
Read and practiseSit down: taking a seat and inviting someone
Offer a seat and describe sitting down with sit, sat and sitting. Learn the spelling, common place phrases and three practical exercises.
Read and practiseWalking into a room
Enter a room on foot and practise the everyday expressions used with and without a named destination.
Read and practiseTurn on: start a device and place the object
Switch a device on with clear English word order. Learn turn the lamp on, turn it on and the difference between starting and being on.
Read and practiseTurn off: stop a device or supply
Stop an appliance or water flow with turn off. Practise turn it off, automatic shut-off and the difference between stopping and lowering volume.
Read and practiseWalking out of a room
Leave an indoor place on foot and practise naming the room you come from or leaving it understood.
Read and practisePut on: dress in an item and use put them on
Get dressed using put on for clothes and glasses. Learn noun and pronoun order, unchanged past put, and putting with a double t.
Read and practiseTurning to face the other way
Face the opposite direction with an everyday movement expression, and practise the form in simple sentences.
Read and practiseCome in: welcoming someone inside
Welcome a visitor with come in and ask permission with Can I come in? Practise come, came and coming while naming the room with into.
Read and practiseGo out: leaving home and making social plans
Plan a walk or dinner with go out. Learn goes and went, name a place with out of, and distinguish going out from simply being out.
Read and practiseLook for: searching for someone or something
Say what you are trying to find with look for. Practise looking for it and questions ending in for, and distinguish searching from looking at an object.
Read and practiseRequesting something with ask for
A polite request can name both the person you approach and the thing you want. Practise their order.
Read and practiseReturning a telephone call
Return a missed telephone call and practise where a person’s name or pronoun goes in the expression.
Read and practiseTelephoning someone with call up
A phone call to a friend or a business can be expressed with this everyday separable phrasal verb.
Read and practiseJoining an outing
Invite someone to join an outing, say who came with you and practise the forms of this friendly everyday expression.
Read and practiseStand up: rise to your feet and describe standing
Move from sitting to standing with stand up. Practise stood up, standing up and the base form after can, with examples and three exercises.
Read and practiseMoving down from a higher place
Describe movement from a higher place to a lower one and practise the past form and the starting point.
Read and practiseLie down: resting, lying and the past form lay
Rest without mixing up lie and lay. Compare lie down with lay something down, learn lying and laid, and solve three object-based exercises.
Read and practiseLeaving a place or appearing outside
Follow someone leaving an enclosed place and notice how the same everyday expression describes the sun appearing.
Read and practiseStay up: delay bedtime and describe late evenings
Explain staying awake later than usual with stay up. Use stayed up, until and activity phrases in examples, then complete three exercises.
Read and practiseCutting things into pieces
A whole apple, a carrot or a sheet of paper can become smaller pieces: see where the object goes and practise the past form.
Read and practiseTake off: remove clothing or leave the ground
Remove boots or describe a plane leaving the ground with take off. Practise take them off, took off and two distinct meanings in context.
Read and practiseEating at a restaurant
Dinner away from home can be a treat: talk about eating in a restaurant, café or similar place and practise the verb forms.
Read and practisePick up: lift an object or collect someone
Lift a fallen object or arrange to collect someone with pick up. Practise pick it up, picked up and collection points in three exercises.
Read and practiseMeeting socially with others
Friends or family can meet for a meal or a chat; describe these occasions and make plans to see people.
Read and practisePut down: stop holding something and set it on a surface
Set a carried object on a surface with put down. Practise put it down, unchanged past put and the contrast with picking something up.
Read and practiseReturning something to its owner
A borrowed umbrella or a library book needs to go back: describe returning it and practise where nouns and pronouns go.
Read and practisePut away: return belongings to their storage place
Return belongings to their usual place with put away. Learn put them away, putting away and how storing differs from discarding an item.
Read and practiseGiving up: stopping a habit or effort
A difficult puzzle or a daily habit can lead to the same expression: learn to describe stopping an effort or leaving a habit behind.
Read and practiseThrow away: discard an item and use threw or thrown
Discard unwanted things with throw away. Practise throw it away, the past threw and the participle thrown, with examples contrasting keeping and discarding.
Read and practiseGoing away: leaving or taking a trip
A visitor leaves or a family takes a holiday: explore how to describe departure and time spent away from home.
Read and practiseTidy up: put a room or collection of things in order
Organise a room with tidy up, especially common in British English. Learn tidied, tidying and tidy it up, with or without a named object.
Read and practiseGoing in: entering a room or building
A closed door can become an entrance: describe going inside, name the destination and practise the past form in everyday situations.
Read and practiseClean up: remove a mess or make someone clean
Remove a spill or clean a workspace with clean up. Practise cleaned up, clean it up and cleaning yourself, using clear objects and context.
Read and practiseGoing on: continuing an activity
After a pause or during a long event, talk about continuing an activity and practise the verb form that follows this expression.
Read and practiseWash up: British dishes and American hands
Understand the regional meanings of wash up: dishes in British English and hands in American English. Practise washed up and wash them up.
Read and practiseGrowing from childhood into adulthood
Talk about childhood homes and becoming an adult with this everyday phrasal verb, including its past and continuous forms.
Read and practiseHang up: clothing on a hook and ending a phone call
Connect hang up with coats and phone calls. Practise hung, hang them up and hang up on someone, with examples and explanations in context.
Read and practiseContinuing an activity with keep on
Follow an activity that continues over time, and practise the verb form that comes after this everyday expression.
Read and practiseFill up: bottles, busy spaces and feeling full
See how fill up works with bottles, a hall and a satisfying meal. Learn fill it up, fill up with and the difference between a process and a result.
Read and practiseMaking something fall by a blow
A ball hits a bottle and makes it fall: practise the everyday expression for knocking a person or object down.
Read and practiseEmpty out: removing everything from a container
Unpack empty out with a backpack, drawer and bowl. Learn empty it out, emptied and emptying, plus the difference between a container and its contents.
Read and practiseOmitting a person or thing
A missing name or an excluded player: practise the everyday expression for omitting someone or something.
Read and practiseWarm up: heat, exercise and preparing your voice
Move from a warmer kitchen to players preparing for a match. Practise warm it up, warming up and warms up with clear examples and exercises.
Read and practiseCaring for someone or something
A neighbour’s cat or a set of plants needs care: describe who takes responsibility and practise the position of a pronoun.
Read and practiseGet in: entering a vehicle and arriving
A taxi door and a train timetable reveal two uses of get in. Learn got, getting and gets in, and distinguish arrival from boarding.
Read and practiseExploring a place by looking
A new shop or an unfamiliar garden invites exploration: describe looking around and practise naming the place.
Read and practiseGet out: leaving a space and taking something out
Leave a taxi or remove a stuck box with get out. Practise get out of, got out and get it out, with clear roles for the person, place and object.
Read and practiseStarting life in a new home
Boxes arrive and a new address becomes home: practise describing when people start living in a place.
Read and practiseGet on: boarding buses, trains and ferries
Board a bus, train or ferry with get on. Learn get on it, questions with did and get, and how boarding differs from simply being on board.
Read and practiseLeaving a home for good
A tenancy ends and belongings are packed: describe leaving a home permanently and name the place left behind.
Read and practiseGet off: leaving public transport at the right stop
Use get off for leaving a tram, bus or train. Practise get off the tram, get off at a stop and questions that help you find where to leave.
Read and practiseReturning borrowed money
A loan or a few borrowed euros must be returned: practise the everyday phrase, its past form and the position of objects.
Read and practiseCome back: returning to a place, from a trip or for an item
Follow a return journey with come back. Distinguish to, from and for, use came back home without to, and connect the wording to the speaker's viewpoint.
Read and practiseGo back: return to a place or resume a topic
Return to the ticket office or an earlier question with go back. Practise went back home, did you go back and for when collecting a forgotten item.
Read and practiseReturning something to its place
A book or a key belongs somewhere: say how to return it to its previous place and choose where a noun or pronoun goes.
Read and practiseCheck in: flight registration, hotel arrival and checked bags
Distinguish checking in for a flight, at a hotel and checking a suitcase in. Practise for, at and check it in without confusing registration and boarding.
Read and practisePutting a picture on the wall
A picture, notice or poster needs a place on the wall: choose the object position and describe who attaches it.
Read and practiseLook up: checking information in a reference
Check words, dates and opening hours with look up. Practise look them up, looked and the contrast between in a dictionary and on a website.
Read and practiseReturning goods or a reply
A damaged purchase can go to the shop again, and a message can be sent in reply. Explore both meanings and object position.
Read and practiseFind out: discovering new information
Learn find out about, find out that and find out where. Practise found, noun and clause patterns, and the difference between learning a fact and locating an object.
Read and practiseGuiding visitors through a place
A visitor arrives at a new place: describe a guided tour with a common English phrasal verb and practise placing its object.
Read and practiseWrite down: making a written record
Record numbers, questions and instructions with write down. Practise wrote, written and write it down, plus in a notebook and on the back of a ticket.
Read and practiseTesting something in use
A new tool or game can be tested before you decide: practise a common expression for seeing how something works.
Read and practiseGrowing again after loss
Hair, leaves and grass can return after being cut or lost. Practise an everyday expression for this new growth.
Read and practiseReturning an item to its owner
A purchase or borrowed object may need to go back. Practise the everyday expression for returning it to a shop or owner.
Read and practiseTrying clothes for fit
A coat or pair of shoes may look good on a hanger. Discover how to talk about putting clothes on to check their fit.
Read and practiseLowering sound and heat
A noisy radio or a boiling pan may need adjusting. Practise asking someone to reduce volume or heat in everyday English.
Read and practiseIntroducing a subject in conversation
A difficult question or a fresh idea can enter a conversation when someone mentions it for the first time.
Read and practiseCancelling a planned event
A storm or a change of plans can stop an event from happening: say what was cancelled and place the object correctly.
Read and practiseDry up: disappearing water and British dish drying
Follow dry up from a pond losing its water to the British chore of drying dishes. Practise dried, drying and dry them up in context.
Read and practiseContinuing after an interruption
An interruption need not stop an activity: explore how to continue with a task or keep doing something in everyday conversation.
Read and practiseCatching up after falling behind
A missed lesson or a runner ahead can leave you behind. Explore how to reach the same point and use the right preposition.
Read and practiseFinding something by chance
An unexpected discovery or meeting calls for a useful expression; explore its past form and where its object belongs.
Read and practiseDo up: fastening clothes and renovating a home
A jacket zip and a renovated kitchen illustrate do up. Learn its British fastening use, object positions and the forms did and done.
Read and practiseThinking of an idea or solution
A problem needs a fresh answer: describe how someone thinks of a plan, idea or solution, and place its object correctly.
Read and practiseReducing how much you consume
Coffee, sugar or plastic cups: express a decision to consume less and practise the complete three-part verb with nouns and pronouns.
Read and practiseCool down: lower temperature and less anger
Follow cool down from a hot kitchen to an argument that has ended. Practise cool it down, cooled and the difference between temperature and emotion.
Read and practiseHandling a problem or situation
A complaint or a broken heater needs attention. Practise describing how someone handles a problem and where its object belongs.
Read and practiseCompleting a form
A registration form has empty spaces for details. Practise entering information and placing a noun or pronoun with this everyday verb.
Read and practiseSet off: starting a journey and triggering an alarm
A departure and a sounding alarm reveal two meanings of set off. Practise set, setting and set it off, and identify whether there is an object.
Read and practiseGetting along with other people
A friendly relationship can begin at work or at home. Describe how people relate to one another and practise the preposition and past form.
Read and practiseRecovering from illness or disappointment
After a cold or a setback, recovery can take time. Describe getting better and putting a painful experience behind you.
Read and practiseCheck out: hotel departure and looking into a place
Separate check out of a hotel from check out a museum. Practise of and check it out, and recognise the informal meaning of looking into something.
Read and practiseFinishing a task or reaching someone by phone
A difficult report takes effort, while a busy line takes patience. Describe finishing work and making telephone contact.
Read and practiseGiving something to someone for free
Spare chairs, seeds or books can find a new home. Explain a free gift and place its object naturally in the sentence.
Read and practiseDrop off: taking people or parcels to a destination
Give someone a lift or deliver a parcel with drop off. Practise drop me off and dropped, and distinguish collection from leaving someone at their destination.
Read and practiseExamining things carefully one by one
A stack of receipts or a list of answers deserves a careful look. Describe checking each part and using the object correctly.
Read and practiseSubmitting work or documents
A finished essay or application needs to reach its recipient: practise the English phrasal verb for submitting work, with noun and pronoun objects.
Read and practiseDistributing things to a group
Maps at the entrance and water at a break: express distribution to several people and practise noun and pronoun placement.
Read and practisePull over: stopping at the side of the road
Recognise a driver pulling over and an officer pulling someone over. Practise pulled, pull him over and the difference between stopping and passing.
Read and practiseStaying at the same pace
Cyclists on a hill or a changing schedule: describe keeping pace with people and progress using a fixed three-word expression.
Read and practiseDisappointing someone who relies on you
A missed promise of help can disappoint a team: express letting someone down and practise noun and pronoun placement.
Read and practiseBreak down: machine failure and smaller parts
Distinguish a vehicle breaking down from breaking a task down into steps. Practise broke, broken, break it down and the pattern into smaller parts.
Read and practiseAnticipating something with pleasure
A concert, a visit or a quiet walk can be something you await with pleasure; practise the fixed expression and its gerund pattern.
Read and practiseInventing a story or excuse
A dragon story or a false excuse can be invented on the spot. Practise this common verb and the position of its object.
Read and practiseRun out of: when a supply is gone
Talk about running out of fuel, paper or time. Practise ran, run out of it, supply subjects and the difference between running low and having none left.
Read and practiseFainting and losing consciousness briefly
Heat or dizziness can lead to a brief loss of consciousness. Practise the everyday expression for fainting and its past form.
Read and practiseDrawing attention to a detail
A missing page or a bird in a tree might escape notice. Practise drawing attention to a detail, including the position of pronouns.
Read and practiseHold up: delaying people and progress
Explain delays with hold up, held us up and was held up by traffic. Practise object placement, the irregular form held and causes in passive sentences.
Read and practisePostponing an activity
A picnic can move to Sunday: describe postponing plans and practise where to place nouns, pronouns and an action after this common expression.
Read and practiseTolerating an unpleasant situation
Noise, delays and rude remarks can be hard to tolerate. Describe enduring them with a common everyday expression and its correct word order.
Read and practiseMeeting someone unexpectedly
A chance meeting at a station or café is easy to describe once you know this everyday expression and its object order.
Read and practiseEstablishing groups and arranging equipment
A new club can begin and a microphone can be made ready with the same everyday verb. Practise its object position and past form.
Read and practiseArriving at an event
An empty room can fill when guests arrive: describe who appears at a place or event, including late arrivals and absences.
Read and practiseOrganising things and resolving problems
A pile of papers or a disagreement needs attention: describe putting things in order and finding a solution in everyday English.
Read and practiseSpeaking louder or expressing an opinion
A noisy fan can make voices hard to hear; an unfair rule may call for an opinion. Practise both uses of this everyday expression.
Read and practiseExplaining what an abbreviation represents
Letters on a map or units on a label can stand for longer words. Ask what an abbreviation means and explain its full form.
Read and practiseResembling an older relative
Family traits can pass between generations: describe a resemblance in appearance or character with this everyday expression.
Read and practiseStarting a new activity
A hobby can begin at any age: describe starting an activity and practise the position of nouns and pronouns.
Read and practiseConsidering a decision carefully
A job offer deserves time and attention: express careful consideration and place nouns and pronouns correctly with this everyday verb.
Read and practiseUnexpected arrivals and louder sound
A surprise visitor or a quiet radio: distinguish arriving unexpectedly from increasing volume and place objects correctly.
Read and practiseFinding answers and exercising
A tricky sum or a morning at the gym calls for the same phrasal verb, with different meanings and object positions.
Read and practiseMaking a backup with back up
A lost file can be hard to replace. Talk about making extra copies and placing objects correctly in this everyday phrasal verb.
Read and practiseEnding a romantic relationship
A couple decides to separate: talk about the end of a relationship and how someone or something can cause that separation.
Read and practiseExplaining causes and proportions
A delay needs an explanation, or a figure represents part of a total: express both relationships with account for.
Read and practiseWithdrawing from an agreement
A promised contribution may be withdrawn: express a change of mind about a plan and practise the preposition that names it.
Read and practiseCausing a change or event
A new policy can change a community: express what causes a particular result and place the object correctly in a sentence.
Read and practiseRefreshing knowledge or a skill
Before a trip or an interview, refresh something you already know and express that preparation naturally in English.
Read and practisePerforming a plan or task
From a safety inspection to a research project, describe the work of putting an agreed plan into action and completing a task.
Read and practiseWhat a decision comes down to
A difficult choice can depend mainly on one factor: identify what matters most and express the deciding question naturally.
Read and practiseFacing an obstacle
A project hits a barrier or a plan meets resistance: describe a difficult problem and place its object correctly.
Read and practiseCutting down on spending or consumption
A budget or a daily habit needs attention: describe reducing the amount of money, food or other resources you use.
Read and practisePreparing a formal plan
A team needs a plan, contract or set of rules: describe how it is prepared and place noun and pronoun objects correctly.
Read and practiseA plan that fails to happen
A cancelled concert or an unsuccessful deal can be described with a phrase for plans that do not happen as expected.
Read and practiseTaking further action after contact
A message, meeting or lead calls for another step: describe how you contact someone again or pursue an issue.
Read and practiseAvoiding punishment for wrongdoing
Someone breaks a rule and faces no penalty: describe what they did and how they escaped the consequences.
Read and practiseYielding to pressure
A long argument or repeated demand can end in a concession: express when someone stops resisting and who or what they yield to.
Read and practiseProceeding with a plan
A concert can take place despite obstacles: express proceeding with a plan, giving permission and moving on to an action.
Read and practiseHolding feelings or progress back
A smile can be restrained, and a lack of resources can slow progress: explore both meanings and where objects belong.
Read and practiseInvestigating a question or problem
A complaint or an unexpected error deserves attention: describe investigating a question and place its object after the full expression.
Read and practiseMaking up for a loss or mistake
A missed class, a mistake or a delay can be compensated for: see how this three-part verb connects an action to what went wrong.
Read and practiseGradually withdrawing a product or practice
Old packaging can disappear in stages: describe the gradual withdrawal of a product or practice and place its object correctly.
Read and practiseEvidence suggesting a possible cause
A damp wall may suggest a leak: express what evidence indicates while leaving room for other explanations.
Read and practiseExcluding an option or possibility
A test can eliminate one possible cause while others remain: express exclusion and distinguish it from uncertainty.
Read and practiseReserving time or money with set aside
An hour for reading or savings for repairs can be reserved in advance: explain the purpose and position the object.
Read and practiseLeaving a position of responsibility
A chair or captain decides to leave a position: describe the departure, the role and the organisation involved.
Read and practiseTaking control or responsibility
A colleague leaves or a company changes hands: describe who assumes control, takes on a duty or replaces someone.
Read and practisePersuading someone to act
A hesitant friend may change their mind after a conversation: express successful persuasion and describe the action that follows.
Read and practiseBriefly mention a subject
A meeting or article may mention a subject without exploring it in detail; see how to describe that and place the object.
Read and practiseBecoming unusable through wear
Boots, towels and suitcase wheels can become unusable with repeated use. Describe that gradual damage and practise object placement.
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