Phrasal verbs are difficult for many English learners, there are so many to remember and not enough time! So, today, let’s learn some examples of phrasal verbs in the time it takes to have a coffee!
In this episode of Coffee Break English Nick talks to Anabel about what is important to him during the festive period. He uses a lot of examples of phrasal verbs and Nick and Anabel will go through each phrasal verb and explain their meaning.
The Coffee Break English Show is a podcast series of bite-sized, friendly conversations in which we demystify tricky English language topics. In the latest video, Nick and Anabel dive into the holiday season and explore a phrasal verb list.
Continue reading to find out more and why not listen to the podcast as you go?
Plus, don’t miss our free worksheet at the end to practise what you learn!
The text
Holiday phrasal verbs in English
Phrasal verbs really allow us to be very specific when we are describing or explaining something to someone. They are particularly useful when talking to friends as they may be informal but they are normally much more descriptive than the more formal synonyms in English.
Here are the 6 examples of phrasal verbs from the text with their definitions.
1. Dream of
think about something that you really want
Dream of is a phrasal verb which means to imagine or think about something you desire strongly. It is usually transitive which means we need an object after it.
e.g.
- When he was younger he used to dream of becoming a footballer.
- I have dreamt of my wedding day since I was a child.
2. Light up
suddenly look happy or surprised (face or eyes)
become bright or illuminated
The next word in our examples of phrasal verbs list is light up. It has a literal and a metaphorical meaning. When we talk about a person lighting up, we can imagine their eyes or face becoming happy, usually because they have received good news.
When we use light up in a literal sense, we imagine the illumination of an entire object, often in a dramatic way.
e.g.
- Her face lit up when I gave her the present.
- They lit up the Christmas tree in the town centre on Saturday.
3. Set off
start a journey
trigger / make (something) start working
Next in our examples of phrasal verbs is set off, which has two very different meanings. The first refers to the start of a journey or trip, a synonym of this example is depart. The secondary meaning is to trigger something, if we set something off, we make it go off (a bonus phrasal verb!).
e.g.
- We need to set off at 7.00 if we want to arrive by 8.00.
- I burnt my toast and set off the smoke alarm.
4. Leave behind
not bring / leave in a place
go away permanently from something or someone
The next phrasal verb in the list is leave behind. It can mean to not take something with you when you leave, or leave a person, group or place permanently.
e.g.
- I accidentally left my phone behind when I went to work this morning
- She left her family and friends behind when she moved abroad
5. Cut out
separate something from what surrounds it using scissors or a knife
not publish or broadcast part of a text or video
remove from a situation
The fifth word in our list of examples of phrasal verbs is a 3 in 1! There are three different meanings of cut out and they go from literal to metaphorical.
The first means to cut something out with scissors or a knife. A shape from paper, for example.
The second meaning refers to editing a video or document. You can cut out part of an article in a newspaper or a scene from a film.
The final meaning is the one in today’s episode. Here we mean to stop using or consuming something.
e.g.
- My son’s picture was in the local newspaper, so I cut it out to save it.
- She appeared in the background of the movie, but they cut that scene out!
- The supermarket are trying to cut out plastic from their packaging.
6. Look forward to
want something to happen because you think you will enjoy it
expect something positive or useful to happen
And so, let’s have a look at the final verb in our list of examples of phrasal verbs! This is my favourite as it is very common but you need to be careful with the verb form after this phrasal verb. The “to” in look forward to is a preposition and is part of the phrase. This means we need to use a noun or gerund after this phrasal verb like in the examples below.
- I’m looking forward to going to my friend’s birthday party on Friday!
- I’m looking forward to the weather warming up in spring.
Phrasal Verb Rules
Here are some examples of phrasal verbs from the episode, organised into different types. Here you will find some examples but if you want to know more about these rules, make sure you sign up for the Coffee Break English Quest!
Example of phrasal verbs with no object
set off
- We set off at 8am.
Examples of separable phrasal verbs with an object
leave behind
- I left behind my jacket. / I left my jacket behind.
cut out
- We cut out shapes. / We cut shapes out.
Example of inseparable phrasal verbs with an object
dream of
- I have been dreaming of this moment for a long time.
I have been dreaming this moment offor a long time.
Object pronouns with phrasal verbs
- Where is your jacket? Oh no, I left it behind!
Where is your jacket? Oh no, I left behind it!
A visual summary of today’s examples of phrasal verbs
Now you’re ready for the holidays!
If you found these examples of phrasal verbs interesting, make sure you join us for the Coffee Break English Quest where you can learn many more phrasal verbs in English and improve your language skills.
For a little extra practice, download the free worksheet below, and see how much you’ve learned with this phrasal verb list.
Plus! To get regular free English lessons in your inbox, you can sign up for our short (coffee-break-sized) email lessons that will help you improve your English. You will also hear from Mark, the founder of Coffee Break Languages, giving advice for language learners at any level. Sign up for the newsletter!
Happy holidays and happy Coffee Breaking!
