Phrasal verbs
What is a phrasal verb?
A phrasal verb is a verb followed by a particle (a preposition or an adverb), which changes the verb’s original meaning. For example:
To look: to see with your eyes (original meaning)
To look after: to take care of or be responsible for someone or something (phrasal verb). For example, ‘Can you look after my files while I am on holiday?’'
Some phrasal verbs have more than one particle: We have run out of printer paper means that we have no printer paper left.
Some phrasal verbs have more than one meaning: I dropped off the document at the court means that I took the document to the court and left it there, but I dropped off during the presentation means that I went to sleep!
Some phrasal verbs have a particular meaning in legal English: I am going to set off for the airport now means that I am going to leave now to go to the airport. My client wants to set off unpaid invoices against the amount claimed by X means that my client wants to reduce the amount claimed by X by deducting the amounts of the unpaid invoices.
How can you learn phrasal verbs?
Phrasal verbs can be one of the most difficult aspects of learning English because their definitions are not always obvious. There are so many different phrasal verbs that it is not possible just to learn a list of all of them.
You could try learning typical phrasal verbs related to a particular situation. For example, here are some common phrasal verbs used in business meetings:
To kick off a meeting: to start a meeting
To wrap up a meeting: to end a meeting
To go through something (for example, a document): to look at or examine a document
To come up with (an idea): to think of an idea
To back up someone: to support someone
To find out something: to discover something
To put off something (for example, making a decision): to delay
To get back to someone : to talk to someone again later
If someone uses a phrasal verb that you do not understand, ask them to explain what it means and this will help you to recognise it and use it in future conversations.
This link on grammerly.com includes 80 of the most common phrasal verbs and more information about the grammar of phrasal verbs.