We are going to learn 123 phrasal verbs in English with a free PDF book. In this book we will learn the definition, examples, and exercise of the phrasal verbs in English. Here, we will discuss the 23 English phrasal verbs with their definition and example sentences. At the end of this page, we will provide a free PDF book of these all 123 phrasal verbs. You can download it from the bottom of this page.]
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123 Phrasal Verbs in English PDF
Here, we will discuss the 23 English phrasal verbs with their definition and example sentences. The complete list of 123 phrasal verbs PDF is at the bottom of this page. Please download it, so you can practice more. These phrasal verbs going to strengthen your spoken English skills.
#1 abide by something
Collocations: ( a rule, decision, recommendation )
Definition: to accept something and comply with it, even though you might disagree with it
Example Sentences:
- It is a good thing that most drivers abide by the rules of the road.
- Bush issued a statement saying he would not abide by the passport provision.
- He called on the Political parties to respect and abide by the Code of Conduct.
- Above all, Hong Kong society must abide by the rule of law.
- The Prime Minister urged the parties in the East Sea to abide by international law.
- I said I would abide by their decision.
Practice:
- Do you always abide by law? Are you a law-abiding person?
#2 account for something
Definition: to form the total of something
Example Sentences:
- Oil accounts for about thirty per cent of this country’s exports.
- Just 17.9% of internet users account for 80% of shares.
- Aviation will account for more than a third of Dubai’s economy by 2020.
- Report says 17.9% of internet users account for over 80% of video shares.
- Full-time employee jobs account for only one in 40 created since recession.
Collocations: ( money, difference, actions )
Definition: to explain or give a reason for it
Example Sentences:
- He calls on ANC to account for Parliamentary chaos.
- She couldn’t account for her absence from work.
- She was unable to account for over $5,000.
- The storekeeper was expected to account for any material removed.
- I had to account for every penny I spent.
- How will you account for such a big difference?
Practice:
- Have you ever had to account for your absence from work or school?
#3 ache for something
Definition: to desire, or want something, or someone, very much
Example Sentences:
- He ached for her as he’d never ached for any woman.
- I was aching for my faraway best friend and aching about my irreverent lover.
- He felt her trembling and knew she was aching for him.
- She was aching for some new man and she was convinced that it was really love this time.
- She was aching for him, burning as he was.
- She rose and patted him on the shoulder, her heart aching for him.
Practice:
- Have you ever ached for anybody? Who?
#4 act out
Collocations: ( script, events, scenes )
Definition: to imitate what happened in the past
Example Sentences:
- “Kid Snippets” is a weekly comedy series, in which adults act out stories written and narrated by children.
- They act out a conversation between the mother of one of the men and his aunt.
- You might want to take the next step and act out a story.
- The students act out events from history.
- The guys act out various heartbreaking scenes from the movies.
Practice:
- Have you ever acted out anything?
Collocations: ( fantasy, frustration, instincts, passion )
Definition: to express your feelings or ideas
Example Sentences:
- We must act out passion before we can feel it.
- Is it ever a good idea to act out your sexual fantasies?
- This way, he was able to act out his part in eight different ways.
- Children like to act out their fantasies.
- Maybe next time, they will not act out their frustration.
Practice:
- Do you tend to act out your fantasies?
#5 act up
Collocations: ( child, car, computer, injury, arm, leg, wound )
Definition: to behave in a troublesome way.
Example Sentences:
- Kids here and everywhere in the world will act.
- The engine began to act up when we were miles from anywhere.
- My left knee acts up in damp weather.
- If your girl starts to acting up break up with her.
- My allergies act up during hay fever season.
- Children may act up in class in an effort to get attention.
- He is a really good kid but often acts up and gets into trouble.
- Try not to become upset with your child for acting up at the end of the day.
Practice:
- Did you act up when you were a child?
- Does your computer act up from time to time?
#6 add something on
Definition: to include something or add it
Example Sentences:
- You have to add the VAT on to the price they give.
- I have nothing to add on the merits of the case.
- Then we can’t really add on the things that we need to add on.
- Add on the soaring costs of any election, and a growing number are quitting the field.
- Add on the fact that Charlotte will actually be good this season makes it even better.
Practice:
- How many people can you add on Facebook per day?
#7 add up something
Collocations: ( bill, expenses, figures, numbers )
Definition: to combine figures to form a sum; to calculate
Example Sentences:
- Let’s add up our scores and we’ll see who won.
- The three equal rows, taken together, add up to 45.
- Add up the number of people you saw.
- But in this game, small points can quickly add.
- The numbers 3, 6 and 9 add up to 18.
Practice:
- Can you add up 3 and 6?
#8 add up to something
Definition: to become a particular amount; to result in something
Example Sentences:
- The numbers 3, 6 and 9 add up to 18.
- Many small things can add up to a big one.
- The numbers in each row add up to 25.
- Which three consecutive numbers add up to 123?
- His business expenses add up to around £4,000 a year.
- Your purchases add up to $53.28.
- We can add six plus four together, as they add up to ten, and then add the eight.
- The details don’t add up to a complete picture of what caused the explosion.
- Even a small change can add up to big numbers.
- All true, but they do not add up to the whole.
#9 not agree with somebody
Definition: to make you feel slightly ill
Example Sentences:
- The fish didn’t agree with me.
- The fish I ate yesterday did not agree with me.
- Fried foods don‘t agree with Tom.
- The food did not agree with me.
- Milk does not agree with me.
Practice:
- What kind of food doesn’t agree with you?
#10 allow for something
Definition: to take it into consideration
Example Sentences:
- Mary is bringing Bill on the picnic, so be sure to allow for him when buying the food.
- Allow for an extra person when setting the table tonight.
- We allowed for living expenses of £20 a day.
- You should allow for delays when planning a journey.
- Income rose by 11 per cent allowing for inflation.
- The problem is that they didn’t allow for the extra centimetre of overlap.
- Don’t forget to allow for inflation when estimating your future expenses.
- How much time should I allow for my visit?
- Add on an extra 10 per cent to allow for postage and packing.
Practice:
- How much time do you allow for you way to school/work?
#11 allow of something
Definition: to permit
Example Sentences:
- The rules don’t allow of any exceptions.
- The evidence allows of two possible interpretations.
- Does China allow of a small number of VPN users even if it detects them?
- Her attitude toward others does not allow of much interaction.
- I don’t see how they can allow of comfortable positions.
- It is close enough to the living areas to allow of parental supervision.
- And yet the law of England does not allow of this principle.
#12 angle for something
Definition: to try to get something without asking for it directly
Example Sentences:
- I think she’s angling for an invitation to the party.
- He angled for more power.
- Some of us made the right choices, went to the right schools, angled for the right job.
- Hopkins originally angled for a fight with Stevenson.
- Here a fool is angling for impossible loans on his personal security.
- I think he is angling for a free meal.
- She is angling for compliments.
- China is angling for regional leadership in Asia.
Practice:
- Have you ever angled for anything? What was it?
- Do you like when people angle for power?
#13 answer somebody back
Definition: to reply impertinently or rudely
Example Sentences:
- Don’t answer me It’s very rude.
- I wish you wouldn’t answer back to me that way.
- I’ll thank you not to answer back like that! Where are your manners?
- Take your hands out of your pockets and don’t answer young man!
- Please don’t answer me back like that!
- Don’t answer back to your mum!
Practice:
- Do you know anybody who likes answering?
#14 answer for something
Collocations: ( actions, behaviour )
Definition: to be responsible for something bad, or to be punished for something
Example Sentences:
- I expect parents to answer for their children’s behaviour.
- People who sell drugs to kids have a lot to answer
- The managers of that company have a lot to answer
- They shouldn’t be asked to answer for others’ perceived failings.
Practice:
- Do you answer for anything at work / home?
#15 ask about something
Definition: to make an inquiry
Example Sentences:
- I’ll ask him about it when I see him.
- She often asks about you.
- I can’t count the number of times I’ve been asked about this!
- Last time I was up here, he asked about you.
- I asked about the baby and how she felt after the long drive.
- Here are the questions we’re asking about the new film.
- He didn’t ask about his wife, because she can take care of herself.
#16 ask for something
Collocations: ( help, receipt, trouble )
Definition: to speak or write to someone because you want them to give you something
Example Sentences:
- She doesn’t like to ask for help.
- He’s always reluctant to ask for anyone’s help.
- Do you know how to ask for and give directions?
- Most business owners are only going to ask for reviews from their happy customers.
- Too often, we’re afraid to ask for help when we really need it.
Practice:
- Do you like to ask for help?
#17 ask somebody in
Definition: to invite someone into your house, office etc.
Example Sentences:
- Don’t let her wait any longer. Ask her
- He is at the door. Ask him
#18 ask somebody out
Definition: to invite somebody to go to the theatre, a restaurant, etc. with you.
Example Sentences:
- If you like her, why don’t you ask her
- You couldn’t call a woman to ask her out by phone.
- Men today are less likely to take the initiative to ask out college women.
- He came back the next day and asked me
- A couple of guys had tried to ask her
- Try to get to know her before you ask her
Practice:
- Have you ever been asked If yes, where did you go?
#19 auction off
Definition: to get rid of something by selling it at an auction
Example Sentences:
- They also auctioned off everything inside the hospital that year.
- Elvis Presley’s first recording will be auctioned off at Graceland.
- Some of Hollywood siren Marilyn Monroe’s lost love letters are going to be auctioned
- The car is being auctioned off to support the BBC Children in Need charity.
- For example, suppose a business is auctioning off a used company car.
- First we auction off the cotton and get our money.
Practice:
- Have you ever auctioned off anything? If yes, what was it?
#20 attend to something/somebody
Definition: to deal with something or someone
Example Sentences:
- Doctors tried to attend to the worst injured soldiers first.
- She was on parole till November 25 to attend to his ailing son.
- Emergency services have arrived on scene to attend to two people who were inside the car.
- I began to be called out to attend to various problems around the hospital.
- I have been attending to my own business for many years.
Practice:
- Do you have to attend to anything on daily basis?
#21 back off
Definition: to retreat or draw away
Example Sentences:
- We should just back off and let everyone cool down.
- Maybe it was time for her to back off from this one.
- Just back off and let us do this on our own, will you?
- I was going to sue, until my legal advisors told me to back
- Her decision to back off was best for both of them.
#22 back out of something
Collocations: ( agreement, deal, arrangement, contract )
Definition: to withdraw from a commitment
Example Sentences:
- They backed out of the contract at the last minute.
- With that, she started to back out of the office.
- This was a great opportunity to back out of the deal and still look good.
- We’re hoping that no one will back out of the deal.
- Looking for a way to back out of his offer?
- If he backs out of the deal they’ll sue him.
Practice:
- Have you ever backed out of anything?
#23 back somebody/something up
Definition: to support somebody in their actions or decisions
Example Sentences:
- Will you back me up when I tell him about it?
- But he had no one to back up his story.
- My parents backed me up when I had trouble at work.
- I keep telling her it’s true, but she doesn’t believe me – will you back me up here?
- You guys have been with me since day one, and I couldn’t ask for a better team to back me
- So I went upstairs and asked a few friends and asked if they would back me They agreed.
Practice:
- Have you ever backed anybody If yes, when was it?
2nd Definition: to make a copy as a precaution
Example Sentences:
- Remember – you have not backed up the files and folders.
- Make absolutely certain that you’ve backed up the files from these applications.
- They were working with a freelancer who hadn’t backed up the site.
- Where is the directory to which you backed up the data?
- Password database could not be backed
- Those computers is safely backed
Practice:
- Do you regularly back up your documents in your computer?
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