ESL/EFL - Phrasal Verbs Activities
Take on the World
Welcome to my article about phrasal verbs. Below you'll find a matching exercise, a quiz and an exercise with the phrasal verb 'Get'. Levels intermediate to advanced should be able to tackle these activities.
Phrasal Verb Match
Some phrasal verbs have the same meaning as a one-word verb. In no particular order write the verbs on the board or print them out and cut them up. Then ask your students to match them.
Alternatively, put your students in pairs and ask them to think up as many phrasal verbs as possible. They don’t write them down, but they do write their definition. Then they test their partner by reading the definitions. Their partner must guess what it is and vice versa.
Discover
Continue
Finish
Arrive
Postpone
Disconnect
Search
Invent
Depart
Omit
Return
Delay
Confuse
Argue
Connect
To stop
Establish
Calculate
Find out
Go on
Be over
Turn up
Put off
Hang up
Look up
Make up
Take off
Leave out
Go back
Hold up
Mix up
Fall out
Plug in
Give up
Set up
Work out
Phrasal Verbs with ‘Get’
Guess the phrasal verb and use the correct form. Suitable for Upper Intermediates/Advanced.
1. I don’t ___________ with my mother, we argue a lot.
2. They’ve been dating for 10 years now. They are finally going to ____________ next month.
3. Look at Mark jumping on top of his brother. Mark! _____________ your brother!
4. I usually ____________ work on time.
5. ________________ the death of a loved one takes a lot of time.
6. We don’t have much money, but we manage to ______________
7. That man is a thief, but they couldn’t recognise him in a police line-up .He has ______________ with it again.
8. This constant rain is really ________ me ________.
9. We have to _______________ at the next stop.
10. We have a lot of work to do. Let’s _______________ to business.
11. Even though English is not her first language, she managed to _______________ her meaning in spite of this.
12. Even though the business is not doing well, I think we can _________________ the recession if we make some changes.
13. My boss really _______________ my nerves.
14. Did you hear that Jim was caught stealing? Oh yes, word ______________ quickly.
15. I can’t ________________ all the changes that have happened!
Answers
1-get on, 2-get married, 3-Get off, 4-get to, 5-Getting over, 6-get by, 7-got away, 8-getting/down, 9-get off, 10-get down, 11-get across, 12-get through, 13-gets on, 14-gets around, 15-get over.
Phrasal Verb Quiz
Choose the correct phrasal verb to complete the sentence. This quiz is suitable for Intermediate levels.
1. Could you please____________ this form?
a) Fill down
b) Fill in
c) Fill all
d) Fill completely
2. Are you _____________ your holiday?
a) Looking after
b) Looking for
c) Looking forwarding
d) Looking forward to
3. Sarah promised to meet me last night, but in the end she didn’t____________
a) Turn over
b) Turn up
c) Turn in
d) Turn on
4. I’m a fast worker. My colleagues can’t ____________ with me.
a) Keep up
b) Keep on
c) Keep
d) Keep along
5. I don’t like ___________ clothes in shops.
a) Trying in
b) Trying all
c) Trying some
d) Trying on
6. I’ll lend you some money, but you must remember to ___________
a) Pay me back
b) Pay back me
c) Pay me return
d) Back pay me
7. That’s the wrong answer. ___________
a) Cross it
b) Cross it out
c) Cross out it
d) Cross it up
8. We can’t go to the beach until the weather __________
a) Clears up
b) Clears over
c) Clears across
d) Clears away
9. My son is 12 years old. When he _____________ he wants to be a pilot.
a) Grows through
b) Grows along
c) Grows up
d) Grows forward
10. Look at the rubbish on the floor! Please __________
a) Pick up it
b) Pick off it
c) Pick out it
d) Pick it up
11. I can’t speak to you now, I’m doing my homework. Can I ________________ later?
a) Ring back you
b) Ring you on
c) Ring you back
d) Ring you
12. In Thailand you should ______________ your shoes before going into someone’s house.
a) Take on
b) Take away
c) Take over
d) Take off
13. Can you ______________ the kids from school?
a) Pick out
b) Pick up
c) Pick back
d) Pick along
14. ___________ The road has a hole in it!
a) Look up!
b) Look away!
c) Look out!
d) Look through!
15. I don’t want to cook. Let’s ____________ tonight?
a) Eat up
b) Eat over
c) Eat in
d) Eat out
Answers: 1-b, 2-d, 3-b, 4-a, 5-d, 6-a, 7-b, 8-a, 9-c, 10-d, 11-c, 12-d, 13-b, 14-c, 15-d
