Speak More Naturally in English: Swap Formal Words for Phrasal Verbs
Do you want to sound more natural in English? Phrasal verbs can help! A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and a preposition or adverb, creating a new meaning. For example, “look into” means to investigate or examine something. English learners, especially those who speak languages like Spanish, French, Portuguese, or Italian, often choose formal words that are similar to their native language, like “investigate.” However, native English speakers tend to use phrasal verbs in everyday conversation.
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Below is a list of of our favorite formal words and their more natural phrasal verb alternatives.
Phrasal Verbs About Relationships
1. Don’t Say Meet, say Get
Meaning: To come together or assemble with others.
“Let’s meet ✗ / get together ✓ for lunch tomorrow.”
2. Don’t Say End, say Break Up
Meaning: To end a relationship.
“They decided to end ✗ / break up ✓ after three years.”
3. Don’t Say Support, say Stand By
Meaning: To remain loyal to someone.
“I will always support ✗ / stand by ✓ you no matter what.”
4. Don’t Say Reconcile, say Make Up
Meaning: To resolve a disagreement or conflict.
“They had a fight but later reconciled ✗ / made up ✓.”
Phrasal Verbs to Indicate Action and Movement
5. Don’t Say Investigate, say Look Into
Meaning: To examine or explore something carefully.
“We need to investigate ✗ / look into ✓ the cause of the problem.”
6. Don’t Say Remove, say Take Off
Meaning: To remove something, especially clothing.
“He quickly removed ✗ / took off ✓ his jacket when he got inside.”
7. Don’t Say Delay, say Hold Up
Meaning: To cause a delay or slow down something.
“Traffic was delayed ✗ / held up ✓ by an accident on the highway.”
8. Don’t Say Escape, say Get Away
Meaning: To successfully escape or avoid capture.
“The thief managed to escape ✗ / get away ✓ from the police.”
Phrasal Verbs About Time
9. Don’t Say Postpone, say Put Off
Meaning: To delay something to a later time.
“They decided to postpone ✗ / put off ✓ the meeting until next week.”
10. Don’t Say Continue, say Carry On
Meaning: To keep doing something.
“Even after the setback, they continued ✗ / carried on ✓ with the project.”
11. Don’t Say Expire, say Run Out
Meaning: To come to an end, especially time or supplies.
“Their lease will expire ✗ / run out ✓ next month.”
12. Don’t Say Visit Briefly, say Pop In
Meaning: To visit for a short period.
“I’ll just visit briefly ✗ / pop in ✓ to see how they’re doing.”
Phrasal Verbs About Communication
13. Don’t Say Mention, say Bring Up
Meaning: To start talking about a topic.
“She mentioned ✗ / brought up ✓ the idea during the meeting.”
14. Don’t Say Contact, say Reach Out
Meaning: To communicate with someone.
“I’ll contact ✗ / reach out ✓ to him later today.”
15. Don’t Say Discuss, say Talk Over
Meaning: To talk about something in detail.
“We need to discuss ✗ / talk over ✓ our plans.”
16. Don’t Say Interrupt, say Cut In
Meaning: To interrupt someone while they are speaking.
“She hates it when people interrupt ✗ / cut in ✓ during a conversation.”
Phrasal Verbs About Work and Study
17. Don’t Say Begin, say Get Started
Meaning: To start something, like a task or project.
“Let’s begin ✗ / get started ✓ on the new assignment.”
18. Don’t Say Complete, say Fill Out
Meaning: To complete a form or document.
“Please complete ✗ / fill out ✓ this form before the meeting.”
19. Don’t Say Submit, say Turn In
Meaning: To hand over something, typically a task or assignment.
“Don’t forget to submit ✗ / turn in ✓ your homework by Friday.”
20. Don’t Say Review, say Go Over
Meaning: To look at or examine something carefully.
“We need to review ✗ / go over ✓ these figures before the meeting.”
Phrasal Verbs About Travel and Transport
21. Don’t Say Depart, say Set Off
Meaning: To start a journey.
“We departed ✗ / set off ✓ early in the morning.”
22. Don’t Say Arrive, say Get In
Meaning: To reach a destination.
“We finally arrived ✗ / got in ✓ around midnight.”
23. Don’t Say Board, say Get On
Meaning: To enter a vehicle or vessel.
“We boarded ✗ / got on ✓ the bus just in time.”
24. Don’t Say Disembark, say Get Off
Meaning: To leave a vehicle or vessel.
“You need to disembark ✗ / get off ✓.”
Mastering phrasal verbs is essential for English learners who want to sound more natural and confident in their conversations. At Listen & Learn, our native teachers are experts in helping you navigate the nuances of English, including phrasal verbs. We invite you to take in-person English lessons in Miami, New York, Washington, or wherever you happen to be located, and let us provide personalized guidance tailored to your learning goals.
In the meantime, practice with the exercises below, created by one of our skilled instructors, to sharpen your skills and boost your confidence in using phrasal . The answer key is provided below, but try to complete the exercises without peeking to really challenge yourself!
English Phrasal Verbs Exercise 1:
Fill in the blanks with a phrasal verb. A synonym has been provided for you.
- We need to ________ the cause of the problem. (investigate)
- They decided to ________ the meeting until next week. (postpone)
- Let’s ________ for lunch tomorrow. (meet)
- She quickly ________ her jacket when she got inside. (remove)
- He always ________ his friends no matter what. (support)
- The thief managed to ________ from the police. (escape)
- Can you ________ the report for me? (summarize)
- The meeting was ________ due to the weather. (canceled)
- They had a fight but later ________. (reconciled)
- We ________ early in the morning for the trip. (departed)
Exercise 2: Identify the Correct Phrasal Verb
- The teacher asked us to ________ the assignment immediately.(Hint: Think of a phrase that means to begin a task.)
- After a long discussion, they finally ________.(Hint: What would you do to resolve a conflict with someone?)
- We decided to ________ our vacation until next year.
(Hint: When you delay something to a later time.) - The event will ________ at 7 PM.
(Hint: A common expression used to mean start or begin an event.) - The thief managed to ________ from the police.
(Hint: What would you do to escape capture?) - Please ________ this form before the meeting starts.
(Hint: What’s another way to say complete a form?) - I need to ________ the main points of the discussion.
(Hint: What’s another way to say summarize briefly?) - The company had to ________ the product launch due to unforeseen circumstances.
(Hint: What would you do if you had to cancel an event?) - She always ________ her colleagues in difficult times.
(Hint: What’s another way to express supporting someone?) - We should ________ the incident thoroughly.
(Hint: What’s another way to say investigate something carefully?)
Key
Exercise 1
- look into; 2. put off; 3. get together; 4. took off; 5. stands by; 6. get away; 7. sum up; 8. called off; 9. made up; 10. set off
Exercise 2
- get started; 2. made up; 3. put off; 4. kick off; 5. get away; 6. fill out; 7. sum up; 8. call off; 9. stands by; 10. look into