List Of All English Verbs

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English grammar
  • Clauses (in English)
  • Collocation (in English)
  • Diminutive (in Australian English)
  • Verbs
    • Modal verbs
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Verbs constitute one of the main parts of speech (word classes) in the English language. Like other types of words in the language, English verbs are not heavily inflected. Most combinations of tense, aspect, mood and voice are expressed periphrastically, using constructions with auxiliary verbs.

Generally, the only inflected forms of an English verb are a third person singular present tense form in -s, a past tense (also called preterite), a past participle (which may be the same as the past tense), and a form ending in -ing that serves as a present participle and gerund. Most verbs inflect in a simple regular fashion, although there are about 200 irregular verbs; the irregularity in nearly all cases concerns the past tense and past participle forms. The copula verb be has a larger number of different inflected forms, and is highly irregular.

List Of All English Football Leagues

For details of the uses of particular verb tenses and other forms, see the article Uses of English verb forms. For certain other specific topics, see the articles listed in the adjacent box.

Some irregular verbs have different infinitive, past simple and past participle forms. Some irregular verbs have the same past simple and past participle forms, but a different infinitive. Common English irregular verbs. This is a list of over 180 common English irregular verbs, with their past simple and past participle forms. Full list all english verbs If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed.

  • 1Inflected forms
  • 2Syntactic constructions
    • 2.1Expressing tenses, aspects and moods
  • 3Use of verb forms

Inflected forms[edit]

Conjugation of have
PersonSingularPlural
FirstI haveWe have
SecondYou haveYou have
ThirdIt hasThey have

Principal parts[edit]

A regular English verb has only one principal part, from which all the forms of the verb can be derived. This is the base form or dictionary form. For example, from the base form exist, all the inflected forms of the verb (exist, exists, existed, existing) can be predictably derived. The base form is also called the bare infinitive; another common way of referring to verbs is to use the to-infinitive, e.g. 'to exist'.

Most irregular verbs have three principal parts, since the simple past and past participle are unpredictable. For example, the verb write has the principal parts write (base form), wrote (past), and written (past participle); the remaining inflected forms (writes, writing) are derived regularly from the base form. Note that some irregular verbs have identical past tense and past participle forms (as the regular verbs do), as with send–sent–sent.

The infinitive, simple past and past participle are sometimes referred to as First (V1), Second (V2) and Third (V3) form of a verb, respectively. This naming convention has all but disappeared from American and British usage, but still can be found in textbooks and teaching materials used in other countries.[1][2][3][4]

The verbs do, say and have additionally have irregular third person singular present tense forms (see below). The copular verb be is highly irregular, with the forms be, am, is, are, was, were, been and being. On the other hand, modal verbs (such as can and must) are defective verbs, being used only in a limited number of forms. For details on the forms of verbs of these types, see § Copular, auxiliary and defective verbs below.

Base form[edit]

The base form or plain form of a verb is not marked by any inflectional ending. There are certain derivational suffixes that are frequently used to form verbs, such as -ate (formulate), -fy (electrify), and -ise/ize (realise/realize). Many verbs also contain prefixes, such un- (unmask), out- (outlast), over- (overtake), and under- (undervalue).[5] Some verbs are formed from nouns and adjectives by conversion, as with the verbs snare, nose, dry, and calm.

The base form is used in the following ways:

  • It serves as the bare infinitive, and is used in the to-infinitive (e.g. to write); for uses see § Non-finite forms below.
  • It serves as the simple present tense, except in the third person singular: I/you/we/they write regularly (and except for the copula).
  • It is used as an imperative: Write these words.
  • It is used as a subjunctive: I suggested that he write a novel.

For the verb be, which uses different forms for the simple present, and modal verbs, which are not used in the infinitive, imperative or subjunctive, see § Copular, auxiliary and defective verbs below.

Third person singular present[edit]

Almost all verbs have a third person singular present indicative form with the suffix-[e]s. In terms of spelling, it is formed in most cases by adding -s to the verb's base form: runruns. However if the base form ends in one of the sibilant sounds (/s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /tʃ/, /dʒ/) and its spelling does not end in a silent e, then -es is added: buzzbuzzes; catchcatches. Verbs ending in a consonant plus o also typically add -es: vetovetoes. Verbs ending in a consonant plus y add -es after changing the y to an i: crycries.

In terms of pronunciation, the ending is pronounced as /ɪz/ after sibilants (as in lurches), as /s/ after voiceless consonants other than sibilants (as in makes), and as /z/ otherwise (as in adds). These are the same rules that apply to the pronunciation of the regular noun plural suffix-[e]s and the possessive-'s. The spelling rules given above are also very similar to those for the plural of nouns.

The third person singular present of have is irregular: has/hæz/ (with the weak form/həz/ when used as an auxiliary, also contractable to -'s). The verbs do and say also have irregular forms, does/dʌz/ and says/sɛz/, which however look like regular forms in writing.

For the verb be, modal verbs and other auxiliaries, see § Copular, auxiliary and defective verbs below.

The form described in this section is used with third person singular subjects as the simple present tense (in the indicative mood): He writes novels all the time. (This tense has other uses besides referring to present time; for example, in I'll be glad if he writes, it refers to future time.)

Past tense[edit]

The past tense, or preterite, may be formed regularly or irregularly.

With regular verbs, the past tense is formed (in terms of spelling) by adding -ed to the base form (playplayed). Normal rules for adding suffixes beginning with a vowel apply: If the base form ends in e then only d is added (likeliked); if the base form ends in a consonant followed by y then the y is changed to i before adding the ending (trytried; an exception is the verb sky (a ball), which can form skied or skyed).

Various rules apply for doubling final consonants. If the base form ends in a single vowel followed by a single consonant (except h, silent t, w, x and y), then unless the final syllable is completely unstressed, the consonant is doubled before adding the -ed (shipshipped, but fathomfathomed). For most base forms ending in c, the doubled form used is ck, and this is used regardless of stress (panicpanicked; exceptions include zinczincked or zinced, arc → usually arced, specspecced or spec'ed, sync → sometimes synched). In British English, the doubling of l occurs regardless of stress (traveltravelled; but paralleled is an exception), and when two separately-pronounced vowels precede the l (dialdialled, fuelfuelled).

If the final syllable has some partial stress, especially for compound words, the consonant is usually doubled: backflipbackflipped, hobnobhobnobbed, kidnapkidnapped etc. In some cases both alternatives are acceptable, e.g. dialogdialogued or dialogged, gambolgambolled, hiccuphiccupped or hiccuped, programprogramed or programmed. Note however catalogcataloged, pyramidpyramided, formatformatted (but combatcombat(t)ed). Other variations not entirely consistent with these rules include busbused or bussed, biasbiased or biassed and focusfocused or focussed, .

The pronunciation of the past tense ending follows similar rules to those for the third person present tense ending described above: if the base form ends in /t/ or /d/ then a new syllable /ɪd/ or /əd/ is added (as in drifted, exceeded); if the base form ends in an unvoiced consonant sound other than /t/ then the ending is pronounced /t/ (as in capped, passed); otherwise the ending is pronounced /d/ (as in buzzed, tangoed). Consequently, in the 17th and 18th centuries, the latter two pronunciations were routinely spelled -'d, but -ed was later restored.

For the past tense of irregular verbs, see English irregular verbs. Some of these can be classed as Germanic strong verbs, such as sing (past sang), while others are weak verbs with irregularly pronounced or irregularly spelt past forms, such as say (past tense said/sɛd/).

The verb be has two past tense forms: was (first and third person singular) and were (plural and second person).

The past tense (preterite) form is used in what is called the simple past, in sentences such as We lit the fire and He liked to dance. One of the uses of this tense is to refer not to a past situation, but to a hypothetical (present or future) situation in a dependent clause: If I knew that, I wouldn't have to ask. This is sometimes called the 'past subjunctive', particularly in the case of were, which can replace was in such sentences; see English subjunctive.

Past participle[edit]

The past participle of regular verbs is identical to the preterite (past tense) form, described in the previous section.

For irregular verbs, see English irregular verbs. Some of these have different past tense and past participle forms (like sing–sang–sung); others have the same form for both (like make–made–made). In some cases the past tense is regular but the past participle is not, as with show–showed–shown.

For uses of the past participle, see § Non-finite forms below.

Present participle[edit]

The present participle form, which is also used for the gerund, is formed by adding the suffix -ing to the base form: gogoing. A final silent e is dropped (believebelieving); final ie changes to y (lielying), and consonant doubling applies as for the past tense (see above): runrunning, panicpanicking.

Some exceptions include forms such as singeing, dyeing, ageing, rueing, cacheing and whingeing, where the e may be retained to avoid confusion with otherwise identical words (e.g. singing), to clarify pronunciation (for example to show that a word has a soft g or ch), or for aesthetic reasons.

In standard English the ending is pronounced /ɪŋ/, although in many regional dialects the final consonant sound is pronounced /n/, sometimes represented in eye dialect by spellings such as huntin' (see g-dropping).

For uses of the present participle and gerund, see § Non-finite forms below.

Copular, auxiliary and defective verbs[edit]

The copular verbbe has multiple irregular forms in the present tense: am for first person singular (which together with the subject pronoun is often contracted to I'm), is for third person singular (often contracted to 's), and are for plural and second person (often contracted to 're chiefly after the pronouns you, we, they). It also has two past tense forms: was for first and third person singular, and were for plural and second person (also used as a past subjunctive with all persons; see English subjunctive). The past participle is been, and the present participle and gerund is the regular being. The base form be is used regularly as an infinitive, imperative and (present) subjunctive. For archaic forms, see the next section.

English has a number of modal verbs which generally do not inflect (most of them are surviving preterite-present verbs), and so have only a single form, used as a finite verb with subjects of all persons and numbers. These verbs are can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must, ought (to), as well as need and dare (when used with a bare infinitive), and in some analyses used (to) and had better. (The forms could, might, should and would are considered to be the past tenses of can, may, shall and will respectively, although they are not always used as such.) These verbs do not have infinitive, imperative or participle forms, although in some cases there exists a synonymous phrase that can be used to produce such forms, such as be able to in the case of can and could. The negation of can is the single word cannot. There are contracted forms 'll and 'd for will and would (in some cases possibly considered to be from shall and should).

Other verbs used as auxiliaries include have, chiefly in perfect constructions (the forms has, have and had can contract to 's, 've and 'd), and do (does, did) in emphatic, inverted and negated constructions (see do-support).

For more detail of the above, including contractions of negated forms (isn't, won't, etc.), see English auxiliaries and contractions.

Another example of a defective verb is beware, which is used only in those forms in which be remains unchanged, namely the infinitive, subjunctive and imperative.

Archaic forms[edit]

Archaic conjugation of have
PersonSingularPlural
FirstI haveWe have
SecondThou hastYe have
ThirdIt hathThey have

Formerly, particularly in the Old English period, the English language had a far greater degree of verb inflection than it does now (other Germanic languages generally retain a greater variety of inflected forms than English does). Some of the forms used in Early Modern English have now fallen out of use, but are still encountered in old writers and texts (e.g. Shakespeare, the King James Bible) and in archaisms.

One such form was the third person singular form with the suffix -eth[əθ], pronounced as a full syllable. This was used in some dialects rather than the modern -s, e.g. he maketh ('he makes'), he runneth ('he runs'), he goeth ('he goes'). In some verbs, a shortened form -th appears: he hath ('he has'), he doth ('he does'; pronounced as if written duth), he saith or he sayeth ('he says'). The forms hath and doth are found in some proverbs ('Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned', 'The lady doth protest too much').

Another set of forms are associated with the archaic second person singular pronoun thou, which often have the ending -est, pronounced as a full syllable, e.g. thou makest ('you make'), thou leadest ('you lead'). In some verbs, a shortened form -st appears: thou hast ('you have'), thou dost ('you do'; rhymes with must). In the case of the verb be, such forms included art (present tense), wast (past), wert (past subjunctive) and beest (present subjunctive; pronounced as two syllables). In all other verbs, the past tense is formed by the base past tense form of the word (e.g. had, did, listened) plus-'st, not pronounced as a full syllable, e.g. thou had'st ('you had'), thou did'st ('you did'), thou listened'st ('you listened'). Modal verbs except must also have -t or -st added to their form, e.g. thou canst ('you can'), thou wilt ('you will'), thou wouldst ('you would'), thou mightst ('you might'), except may, which is thou mayest ('you may').

For example, several such forms (as well as other archaic forms such as yea for 'yes', thy for 'your', and mine enemies for 'my enemies') appear in Psalm 23 from the King James Bible:

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

For more information see Old English verbs, English subjunctive, and Indo-European copula (for the history of the verb be).

Syntactic constructions[edit]

Expressing tenses, aspects and moods[edit]

Apart from the simple past tense described above, English verbs do not have synthetic (inflected) forms for particular tenses, aspects or moods. However, there are a number of periphrastic (multi-word) constructions with verb forms that serve to express tense-like or aspect-like meanings; these constructions are commonly described as representing certain verb tenses or aspects (in English language teaching they are often simply called tenses). For the usage of these forms, see § Use of verb forms below. More detail can be found in the article Uses of English verb forms.

Simple and progressive[edit]

The progressive (or continuous) aspect is expressed with a form of be together with the present participle of the verb. Thus present progressive (present continuous) constructions take forms like am writing, is writing, are writing, while the past progressive (past continuous, also called imperfect) is was writing, were writing. There is a progressive infinitive (to) be writing and a progressive subjunctivebe writing. Other progressive forms, made with compound forms of be, are described below.

The basic present and past tenses of the verb are called simple present (present simple) and simple past (past simple), to distinguish them from progressive or other compound forms. Thus the simple present of the above verb is write or writes, and the simple past (also called preterite) is wrote.

Perfect[edit]

The perfect aspect is expressed with a form of the auxiliary have together with the past participle of the verb. Thus the present perfect is have written or has written, and the past perfect (pluperfect) is had written. The perfect can combine with the progressive aspect (see above) to produce the present perfect progressive (continuous) have/has been writing and the past perfect progressive (continuous) had been writing. There is a perfect infinitive (to) have written and a perfect progressive infinitive (to) have been writing, and corresponding present participle/gerund forms having written and having been writing. A perfect subjunctive (have written) is also sometimes used. Future and conditional perfect forms are given below.

Future and conditional[edit]

What is often called the future tense of English is formed using the auxiliary will. The simple future is will write, the future progressive (continuous) is will be writing, the future perfect is will have written, and the future perfect progressive (continuous) is will have been writing. Traditionally (though now usually in formal English only) shall is used rather than will in the first person singular and plural; see shall and will.

The conditional, or 'future-in-the-past', forms are made analogously to these future forms, using would (and should) in place of will (and shall).

Expressing passive voice[edit]

The passive voice in English is normally expressed with a form of the copula verb be (or sometimes get) together with the past participle of the main verb. In this context be is not a stative verb, so it may occur in progressive forms. Examples:

All
  • The house was built last year.
  • The house is being built at the moment.
  • The house will be built by our firm. (a prepositional phrase with by expresses the performer of the action)
  • I was given a blueprint. (here the subject of the passive corresponds to the indirect object of the active)
  • He was said to know the house's dimensions. (special construction related to indirect speech)

For details, see English passive voice.

Imperatives[edit]

Imperatives are expressed with the base form of the verb, normally with no subject: Take this outside! Be good! It is possible to add the second person pronoun you for emphasis: You be good!

More details can be found in the article Imperative mood.

Questions, negation, inversion and emphasis[edit]

Questions are formed by subject–auxiliary inversion (unless the interrogative word is part of the subject). If there is otherwise no auxiliary, the verb do (does, did) is used as an auxiliary, enabling the inversion. This also applies to negation: the negating word not must follow an auxiliary, so do is used if there is no other auxiliary.

Inversion is also required in certain other types of sentences, mainly after negative adverbial phrases; here too do is used if there is no other auxiliary.

The construction with do as auxiliary is also used to enable emphasis to be added to a sentence.

For details of the above constructions, see do-support.

Use of verb forms[edit]

This section describes how the verb forms introduced in the preceding sections are used. More detail can be found in the article Uses of English verb forms and in the articles on the individual tenses and aspects.

Finite forms[edit]

In referring to an action taking place regularly (and not limited to the future or to the past), the simple present is used: He brushes his teeth every morning. For an action taking place at the present time, the present progressive construction is used: He is brushing his teeth now. With some verbs expressing a present state, particularly the copula be and verbs expressing a mental state, the present simple is generally used: They are here; I know that. However other state verbs use the present progressive or present simple depending on whether the state is considered temporary or permanent: The pen is lying on the table; Paris lies on the Seine.

For past actions or states, the simple past is generally used: He went out an hour ago; Columbus knew the shape of the world. However, for completed actions for which no past time frame is implied or expressed, the present perfect is normally used: I have made the dinner (i.e. the dinner is now ready). For an action in the course of taking place, or a temporary state existing, at the past time being referred to (compare uses of the present progressive above), the past progressive is used: We were sitting on the beach when... For an action that was completed before the past time being referred to, the past perfect is used: We had sat down on the blanket when...

For actions or events expected to take place in the future, the construction with will can be used: The president will arrive tomorrow. Future events are also often expressed using the be going to construction: She is going to arrive tomorrow. Planned events can also be referred to using the present progressive (She is arriving tomorrow) or, if precisely scheduled, the simple present (She arrives tomorrow). The future progressive and future perfect can be used analogously to the past equivalents: We will be sitting on the beach this afternoon; We will have left the house by 4 o'clock. However, in subordinate clauses expressing a condition or a time reference, present forms are used rather than the forms with will: If/When you get (not will get) there...

When expressing actions or events lasting up to a specified time, the appropriate perfect construction is used (with the progressive if expressing a temporary state that would generally be expressed with a progressive form): We have been having some problems lately; I have lived here for six years; We had been working since the previous evening; We will have been working for twelve hours by the time you arrive.

The use of tense and aspectual forms in condition and conditional clauses follows special patterns; see conditional mood. For use of tenses in indirect speech, see sequence of tenses. For the use of subjunctive forms, see English subjunctive.

Non-finite forms[edit]

The bare infinitive, identical to the base form of the verb, is used as a complement of most modal verbs and certain other verbs (I can write; They made him write; I saw you write), including in negated and inverted sentences formed using do-support (He doesn't write; Did you write?).

Preceded by to, it forms the to-infinitive, which has a variety of uses, including as a noun phrase (To write is to learn) and as the complement of many verbs (I want to write), as well as with certain adjectives and nouns (easy to ride; his decision to leave), and in expressions of purpose (You did it to spite me).

The past participle has the following uses:

  • It is used with the auxiliary have in perfect constructions: They have written; We had written before we heard the news. (With verbs of motion, an archaic form with be may be found in older texts: he is come.)
  • It is used as a passive participle, with be or get, to form the passive voice: This book was written last year; Trees sometimes get gnawed down by beavers.
  • It is used to form passive participial phrases, which can be used adjectivally or adverbally (a letter written on his computer; Beaten to a pulp, he was carried away) and as complements of certain verbs (I got my car mended; They had me placed on a list).
  • It may be used as a simple adjective: as a passive participle in the case of transitive verbs (the written word, i.e. 'the word that is written'), and as a perfect active participle in the case of some intransitive ones (a fallen tree, i.e. 'a tree that has fallen').

The present participle has the following uses:

  • It is used with forms of be, in progressive (continuous) constructions: He is writing another book; I intend to be sitting on the beach.
  • It can form participial phrases, which can be used adjectivally or adverbally: The man sitting over there is drunk; Being a lawyer, I can understand this; I saw her sitting by the tree.
  • It can serve as a simple adjective: It is a thrilling book.

The same form used as a gerund has the following uses:

  • It forms verbal phrases that are then used as nouns: Lying in bed is my favorite hobby.
  • It forms similar phrases used as a complement of certain verbs: He tried writing novels.

The logical subject of a phrase formed with a gerund can be expressed by a possessive, as in I do not likeyour/Jim'sdrinking wine, although a non-possessive noun or pronoun is often used instead, especially in informal English: I do not likeyou/Jimdrinking wine. The latter usage, though common, is sometimes considered ungrammatical or stylistically poor; it is given names like fused participle[6] and geriple[7] since it is seen to confuse a participle with a gerund. For more information see fused participle.

Gerund forms are often used as plain verbal nouns, which function grammatically like common nouns (in particular, by being qualified by adjectives rather than adverbs): He did some excellent writing (compare the gerund: He is known for writing excellently). Such verbal nouns can function, for instance, as noun adjuncts, as in a writing desk.

Objects and complements[edit]

Verbs are used in certain patterns which require the presence of specific arguments in the form of objects and other complements of particular types. (A given verb may be usable in one or more of these patterns.)

A verb with a direct object is called a transitive verb. Some transitive verbs have an indirect object in addition to the direct object. Verbs used without objects are called intransitive. Both transitive and intransitive verbs may also have additional complements that are not considered objects.

A single (direct) object generally follows the verb: I love you. If there is an indirect object, it precedes the direct object (I gave him the book), although an indirect object can also be expressed with a prepositional phrase following the direct object (and this method is usual when the direct object is a personal pronoun): I gave the book to John; I bought them for you.

Other complements may include prepositional phrases, non-finite clauses and content clauses, depending on the applicable verb pattern. These complements normally follow any objects. For example:

  • I insist on coming. (this use of the verb insist involves a prepositional phrase with on)
  • I expect to arrive tomorrow. (this use of expect involves a to-infinitive phrase)
  • I asked him whether he was coming. (this use of ask involves a direct object (him) and an interrogative content clause)

More examples can be found at Verb patterns with the gerund.

English has a number of ergative verbs: verbs which can be used either intransitively or transitively, where in the intransitive use it is the subject that is receiving the action, and in the transitive use the direct object is receiving the action while the subject is causing it. An example is sink: The ship sank (intransitive use); The explosion sank the ship (transitive use). Other common examples include open, sink, wake, melt, boil, collapse, explode, freeze, start, sell.

For more details on how verbs are built up into clauses, see English clause syntax.

Phrasal verbs[edit]

Many English verbs are used in particular combinations with adverbial modifiers such as on, away, out, etc. Often these combinations take on independent meanings. They are referred to as phrasal verbs. (This term may also include verbs used with a complement introduced by a particular preposition that gives it a special meaning, as in take to (someone).)

The adverbial particle in a phrasal verb generally appears close after the verb, though it may follow the object, particularly when the object is a pronoun: Hand over the money or Hand the money over, but Hand it over.

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^'English irregular verbs'(PDF).
  2. ^'1000 Forms of Verbs – 1st form, 2nd form, 3rd form'.
  3. ^'How to Change a Verb Into 2nd and 3rd Form?'.
  4. ^'Verb Forms'.
  5. ^Carter & McCarthy 2006, p. 301
  6. ^H.W. Fowler, A Dictionary of Modern English Usage, 1926
  7. ^Penguin guide to plain English, Harry Blamires (Penguin Books Ltd., 2000) ISBN978-0-14-051430-8 pp.144-146

References[edit]

  • Gilman, E. Ward (editor in chief) Merriam Webster's Dictionary of English Usage (Merriam-Webster, 1989) ISBN0-87779-132-5
  • Greenbaum, Sidney. The Oxford English Grammar. (Oxford, 1996) ISBN0-19-861250-8
  • McArthur, Tom, The Oxford Companion to the English Language (Oxford, 1992) ISBN0-19-863136-7
  • Carter, Ronald; McCarthy, Michael (2006). Cambridge grammar of English : a comprehensive guide ; spoken and written English grammar and usage ; [Cambridge international corpus]. Cambridge University Press. ISBN9783125343313.

External links[edit]

For a list of words relating to English verbs, see the English verbs category of words in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Look up Appendix:English verbs in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
The Wikibook English/English in use has a page on the topic of: Verbs
  • Sequence of Tenses at the Online Writing Lab at Purdue University
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=English_verbs&oldid=892784619'
Phrasal VerbMeaningExample
abide byTo respect or obey a decision, a law or a ruleIf you want to keep your job here, you must abide by our rules.
account forTo explain, give a reasonI hope you can account for the time you were out!
add upTo make sense, seem reasonableThe facts in the case just don’t add up.
advise againstTo recommend not doing somethingI advise against walking alone in this neighborhood.
agree withTo have the same opinion as someone else.I agree with you. I think you should go as well.
allow forTo take into considerationWe need to allow for unexpected charges along the way.
appeal to
  1. To plead or make a request
  2. To be attractive or interesting
  1. He appealed to the court to change its decision.
  2. A vacation of sunbathing doesn’t appeal to me.
apply forTo make a formal request for something (job, permit, loan etc.)He applied for a scholarship for next semester.
back awayTo move backwards, in fear or dislikeWhen he saw the bear, he backed away in fright.
back downTo withdraw, concede defeatLocal authorities backed down on their threats to build on that part of the beach.
back up
  1. To give support or encouragement
  2. To make a copy of (file, program, etc.)
  1. I’m going to be very strict with him. I hope you’ll back me up on this?
  2. You should back up all your computer files in a secure location.
bank onTo base your hopes on something / someoneI’m banking on you to help with the charity event.
black outTo faint, lose consciousnessJenna fell in the parking lot and blacked out.
block offTo separate using a barrier.The police blocked off the street after the explosion.
blow up
  1. To explode
  2. To get angry
  1. Tommy blew up the red balloon.
  2. Don’t blow up at me. It’s not my fault.
boil down toTo be summarized asIt all boils down to who has more power.
boot upTo start a computer by loading an operating system or programYou need to boot up your computer before you begin to work.
break awayTo separate from a crowdOne of the wolves broke away from his pack.
break down
  1. To go out of order, cease to function
  2. To lose control of one’s emotions
  1. The washing machine broke down so we had to call in the repair technician.
  2. John broke down when he heard the news.
break intoTo enter by forceBurglars broke into my car last night.
break outTo start suddenlyRioting broke out after the government raised the fuel prices again.
break out ofTo escape from a place by forceSeveral prisoners broke out of jail.
break upTo come to an end (marriage, relationship)She broke up with Daniel after dating him for five years.
bring upTo raise (a child)Sara is bringing up her children by herself.
brush up onTo improve, refresh one’s knowledge of somethingI must brush up on my French before going to Paris next month.
bump intoTo meet by chance or unexpectedlyI bumped into Adam at the bank. He says “hello”.
burn out
  1. stop (something) working
  2. become exhausted from over-working
  1. The light bulb burnt out. Please change it.
  2. She needs to work fewer hours. Otherwise she will burn out.
call backTo return a phone callCould please call back in ten minutes?
call offTo cancelThe game was called off because of bad weather.
calm downTo become more relaxed, less angry or upsetIt took Kylie several hours to calm down after she saw the accident.
carry onTo continueThe soldiers carried on walking in order to get to their post before dark.
carry out
  1. To do something as specified (a plan, an order, a threat)
  2. To perform or conduct (test, experiment)
  1. His orders were carried out to the letter.
  2. That company does not carry out tests on animals.
check inTo register at a hotel or airportThey said I must check in at least three hours before my flight.
check out
  1. To pay one’s bill and leave (a hotel)
  2. To investigate
  1. Donna checked out of the hotel this morning.
  2. I don’t know if this price is correct. I’ll check it out online.
clam upTo refuse to speakWhen the police started asking questions, the suspect clammed up.
clamp down onTo act strictly to prevent somethingThe local authorities have decided to clamp down on illegal parking in handicapped parking places.
come across
  1. To find by chance
  2. To appear, seem, make an impression
  1. I was cleaning up and came across some old photos of you.
  2. The politician came across as a complete fool during the TV interview.
come forwardTo present oneselfHas the owner of the winning lotto ticket come forward?
count onTo rely or depend on (for help)You can count on me to keep your secret.
cut down onTo reduce in number or sizeI’ve decided to cut down on the amount of sweets I eat.
cut out
  1. To remove using scissors
  2. To stop doing something
  1. She cut out a coupon from the newspaper.
  2. You need to cut out all red meat from your diet.
deal withTo handle, take care of (problem, situation)Catherine is not good at dealing with stress.
die downTo calm down, become less strongAfter the storm died down, we went outside to see the damage it had caused.
do withoutTo manage withoutShe didn’t get a salary this month, so she’ll have to do without extra treats.
drag onTo last longer than expectedThe suspect’s trial dragged on longer than we had expected!
draw upTo write (contract, agreement, document)They drew up a contract and had me sign it.
dress upwear elegant clothesTheir wedding gave us a chance to dress up and get out of the house.
drop inTo visit, usually on the way somewhereWhy don’t you drop in to see us on your way home?
drop off
  1. To deliver someone or something
  2. To fall asleep
  1. I’ll drop off the papers later today.
  2. I often drop off in front of the TV.
drop outTo leave school without finishingZack dropped out of college and joined the army.
ease offTo reduce, become less severe or slow down (pain, traffic, work)Traffic usually eases off about 7pm
end inTo finish in a certain way; result inHer marriage ended in divorce.
end upTo finally reach a state, place or actionIf you don’t improve your work habits, you’ll end up being fired.
fall throughTo fail; doesn’t happenHis plans to trek through South America fell through when he got sick.
figure outTo understand, find the answerHe’s trying to figure out how to earn enough money to go on the trip to Spain.
fill outTo complete (a form/an application)Please fill out the enclosed form and return it as soon as possible.
find outTo discover or obtain informationI’m going to to find out who’s responsible for the power cut.
focus onTo concentrate on somethingTom had difficultty focusing on work the day before his holiday started.
get along (with)To be on good terms; work well withIt’s important to get along with your team supervisor.
get atTo implyWhat are you getting at? Do you think I’m to blame?
get awayTo escapeI think we should get away for the weekend.
get byTo manage to cope or to surviveStudents without jobs have a hard time getting by.
get inTo enterWhen did you get in last night?
get into (+noun)To enterHow did you get into your car without the keys?
get off
  1. To leave (bus, train, plane)
  2. To remove
  1. You should get off the train in Kings Heath.
  2. I can’t get the ink stain off my shirt.
get onTo board (bus, train, plane)I’m trying to get on the flight to Brussels.
get on with (something)To continue to do; make progressAfter they split up, she had a hard time getting on with her life.
get on (well) with (somebody)To have a good relationship withHe doesnt get on very well with the other members of the committee.
get outTo leaveHe had a hard time getting out of Newark because of the snow?
get out ofTo avoid doing somethingEdna’s trying to get out of working the night shift.
get overTo recover from (illness, disappointment)Has she gotten over the flu?
get overTo recover from (illness, disappointment)Mary had the chickenpox last week but she got over it.
get rid ofTo eliminatePlease get rid of that old t-shirt. It’s so ragged.
get togetherTo meet each otherLet’s get together for your birthday on Saturday.
get upTo rise, leave bedWill you please get up? You’ve got a class in 20 minutes.
give in
  1. To cease opposition; yield
  2. To To hand in; submit
  1. We will never give in to the terrorists’ demands.
  2. I’ll give in my paper tomorrow.
give upTo stop doing somethingMorris gave up drinking 10 years ago.
go throughTo experienceAndy went through a lot of pain after his mother died.
grow upTo spend one’s childhood; develop; become an adultHe’s like Peter Pan. He never really grew up at all.
hand inTo submit (report, homework)Please hand in your papers before Friday.
hand outTo distributeSusan volunteered at the shelter where she handed out warm clothes.
hang outTo spend time in a particular place or with a group of friendsWhich pub does the team hang out at after the game?
hang upTo end a phone conversationIf you hang up now, I’ll never speak to you again.
hold on
  1. To wait
  2. To grip tightly
  1. Please hold on and a representative will answer your call.
  2. She was so scared on the rollercoaster ride that she held on for dear life.
hurry upTo be quick, act speedilyHurry up and finish your lunch or we’ll miss the train.
iron outTo resolve by discussion, eliminate differencesThe two countries met at the conference to iron out their differences.
join inTo participateYes David, you can join in the discussion any time you like.
join up
  1. To engage in, become a member of
  2. To meet and unite with
  1. There was a war on, so some kids were only sixteen when they joined up.
  2. Let’s separate now and join up later at the restaurant.
keep onTo continue doing somethingIf you keep on making that noise I will get annoyed.
keep up withTo stay at the same level as someone or somethingI read the paper every day to keep up with the news.
kick offTo begin, startThe rugby match kicked off at 3 o’clock.
leave outTo omit, not mentionPlease check your form again and make sure nothing is left out.
let downTo disappointI feel so let down because they promised me a puppy but all I got was a doll.
look afterTo take care ofAndy can you look after your sister until I get back?
look down onTo consider as inferiorShe’s such a snob. She always looks down on anyone who is poor.
look onTo be a spectator at an eventIf you don’t want to take part in the game you can look on for now.
look forTo try to find somethingHarry went to the shop to look for a new computer.
look forward toTo await or anticipate with pleasureI’m looking forward to my birthday. It’s in two days time.
look up toTo admireI always looked up to my father. He was a great man.
make fun ofTo laugh at/ make jokes aboutIt’s not nice to make fun of people in wheelchairs.
make upTo invent (excuse, story)That’s a good excuse. Did you make up it up yourself?
mix upTo mistake one thing or person for anotherShe had so many cats that she kept mixing up their names.
move inTo arrive in a new home or officeDid you hear? Our new neighbors are moving in this afternoon.
move outTo leave your home/office for another one.When are you moving out? We need your office for the new guy.
nod offTo fall asleepYou were so tired after the game that you nodded off on the couch.
own upTo admit or confess somethingCome on. Own up. We know you did it!
pass awayTo dieYour grandfather passed away peacefully in his sleep last night.
pass outTo faintHe didn’t drink enough water so he passed out at the end of the race.
pay backTo reimburseI’ll pay you back as soon as I get the loan.
put offTo postpone, arrange a later dateDon’t put off until tomorrow, what you can do today.
put onTo turn on, switch onIt’s very dark in here. Please put on the light on.
put outTo extinguishThe fire fighters were able to put out fire in ten minutes.
put upTo accommodate, give somebody a bedI can put you up until the weekend but then I’m going away.
pick upTo collect somebodyI’ll pick you up at around 7:00 to take you to the airport.
point outTo indicate/direct attention to somethingAs I already pointed out, there was a mistake in your calculation.
rely onTo count on, depend on, trustYou can rely on me. I always arrive on time.
rule outTo eliminateSince he had a sound alibi, the police ruled him out as a suspect.
run awayTo escape from a place or suddenly leaveHe ran away from home and joined the circus.
run intoTo meet by accident or unexpectedly (also: bump into)I’m so glad I ran into you. I need to ask you something.
run out ofTo have no more of something.We’ve run out of milk. I’ll just pop next door to borrow some.
set offTo start a journey;Let’s set off early to miss the rush hour traffic.
set upTo start a businessThey set up their own company when they were still in high school.
shop aroundTo compare pricesDon’t buy that. Let’s shop around and see if we can find something cheaper.
show offTo brag or want to be admiredHe’s such a show off. He has to tell everybody about his new computer.
show upTo appear/arriveI don’t think she’ll show up tonight. Her daughter is sick.
shut up (impolite)To be silent, stop talkingShut up, you’re spoiling the movie!
sit downTo take a seatI think you should sit down. It’s bad news.
stand upTo rise from a sitting positionThe whole stadium stood up for the national anthem.
stick up forTo defendMy big brother always stuck up for me when I got into a fight.
take afterTo resemble, in appearance or characterAngie really takes after her grandmother.
take care ofTo look afterPlease take care of my cat when I’m away.
take offTo leave the groundThe plane will take off as soon as the fog lifts.
take onTo hire or engage staffI hear they’re taking on extra staff for this event.
take outTo remove; extractPlease take out your mobile phones and turn them off.
tell offTo reprimand/criticize severelyThe coach told her off for not trying hard enough.
think overTo considerTake your time and think it over before you decide.
try onTo wear something to see if it suits or fitsGo ahead, try it on and see if it fits?
turn downTo refuseI asked her out but she turned me down flat.
use upTo finish a product (so that there’s none left)Your parents used up all the coffee!
watch outTo be carefulWatch out! There’s a dog in the road.
wear out
  1. To become unusable
  2. To become very tired
  1. Julie wore out her shoes running the marathons.
  2. Julie was worn out after all that running.
work out
  1. To do physical exercise
  2. To find a solution or calculate something
  1. You should work out twice a week at the gym.
  2. Can you work this out? I’m no good at math.
wipe offTo clean (board, table).I’ll wash up if you wipe off the table.
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