English Phrasal Verb Flashcards: Meaning & Word Order
54 English flashcards on 24 everyday phrasal-verb senses: meanings in context, sentence completion, and noun or pronoun word order.
Kuhusu fungu hili
Practice 24 everyday English multi-word verb senses with 54 short flashcards. Each sense has an original sentence for meaning recall and a separate task that asks you to complete a sentence or rewrite it with a pronoun. Six grammar cards explain the object patterns behind those tasks. The deck is for learners who can already read short English explanations.
Begin with separable verbs for home routines, then use them in study and planning contexts. Next come verbs that need no object, inseparable combinations, and three-part expressions. Meaning and usage cards for the same expression are separated by at least three other cards. Read the sentence, say the answer, then reveal the back and compare. For meaning cards, an equivalent explanation is enough; completion cues and rewrite instructions narrow the intended productive answer.
The set covers turn off, pick up (collect a passenger), put away, put on, throw away, take off (remove clothing), write down, hand in, call off, look up (consult a reference), put off, fill in, wake up, break down (a machine), show up, get up, look after, run into (meet by chance), get over (an illness), look for, run out of, put up with, catch up with (reach someone ahead), and look forward to.
“Phrasal verbs” is used here in the broad learner sense: it includes particle verbs, prepositional verbs such as look after, and three-part combinations such as put up with. Object rules apply to the chosen meaning and construction. Cards distinguish noun placement from personal-pronoun placement, and include the -ing form after look forward to.
This is a focused practice set, not a frequency ranking or a complete English course. It does not cover every sense, unrestricted synonym recall, translations, audio, pronunciation, or every possible reverse prompt. Those directions need different cues or media; the selected tasks focus on meaning and usable word order. It is not aligned to a specific exam or CEFR level.
The questions, answers, examples, sequence, metadata, and cover were independently created with AI assistance. Common language facts were checked against the open English multi-word verb overview and individual Wiktionary entries; no dictionary definitions, example sentences, textbook exercises, examination questions, or competitor cards were copied. The original text and generated cover are released under CC0 1.0 to the extent applicable rights exist; reference-source text remains under its own licenses. This is an independent resource, unaffiliated with any dictionary, school, or examination provider.
Kadi za fungu hili
Kadi namba 1
Swali
What does separable mean for a two-part English verb with a short noun object?
Jibu
The noun can go between the verb and particle or after both.
Learn this pattern for the particular meaning you are using.
Kadi namba 2
Swali
What does “turn off” mean here?
“Maya turned off the desk fan before the call.”
Jibu
She stopped the fan from running.
Kadi namba 3
Swali
What does “pick up” mean here?
“The driver picked up Leila at the west entrance.”
Jibu
The driver collected Leila to give her a ride.
Kadi namba 4
Swali
What does “put away” mean here?
“After lunch, I put away the clean plates.”
Jibu
I returned the plates to the place where we keep them.
Kadi namba 5
Swali
What does “put on” mean here?
“Nora put on her raincoat before leaving.”
Jibu
Nora dressed herself in her raincoat.
Kadi namba 6
Swali
Where does an unstressed personal pronoun object go with a separable English phrasal verb?
Jibu
Between the verb and its particle.
The pattern is verb + me/you/him/her/it/us/them + particle.
Kadi namba 7
Swali
What does “throw away” mean here?
“I threw away the torn envelope after saving the letter.”
Jibu
I discarded the envelope because I no longer needed it.
Kadi namba 8
Swali
What does “take off” mean here?
“I took off my wet gloves in the hallway.”
Jibu
I removed the gloves I was wearing.
Kadi namba 9
Swali
Rewrite with it: “Please turn off the desk fan.”
Jibu
Please turn it off.
The personal pronoun goes between turn and off.
Kadi namba 10
Swali
Rewrite with them: “I put away the clean plates.”
Jibu
I put them away.
The pronoun goes between put and away.
Kadi namba 11
Swali
Complete with a phrasal verb based on pick: “Can you ___ me ___ at the ferry terminal?” (Collect me by car.)
Jibu
pick me up
“Can you pick me up at the ferry terminal?” The pronoun belongs between pick and up.
Kadi namba 12
Swali
Complete with a phrasal verb based on put: “It is cold outside. Please ___ your coat.”
Jibu
put on
“It is cold outside. Please put on your coat.” With a noun, “put your coat on” is also grammatical.
Kadi namba 13
Swali
Rewrite with it: “Please throw away the torn envelope.”
Jibu
Please throw it away.
The personal pronoun goes before away.
Kadi namba 14
Swali
Complete with a phrasal verb based on take: “Your boots are muddy. Please ___ them ___ before entering.”
Jibu
take them off
“Please take them off before entering.” The pronoun goes between take and off.
Kadi namba 15
Swali
What does “write down” mean here?
“We wrote down the locker number in a notebook.”
Jibu
We made a written record of the locker number.
Kadi namba 16
Swali
What does “hand in” mean here?
“Each student handed in a signed permission slip.”
Jibu
Each student submitted the slip to the person collecting it.
Kadi namba 17
Swali
What does “call off” mean here?
“The organizers called off the outdoor concert because of lightning.”
Jibu
They canceled the concert; it would not go ahead as planned.
Kadi namba 18
Swali
What does “look up” mean here?
“Sam looked up the word in an online dictionary.”
Jibu
Sam checked a reference source for information about the word.
Kadi namba 19
Swali
Can you assume every meaning of an English multi-word verb has the same object pattern?
Jibu
No. Learn the meaning and the object pattern together.
A combination may take an object in one use and need none in another.
Kadi namba 20
Swali
What does “put off” mean here?
“We put off the roof inspection until next week.”
Jibu
We delayed the inspection to a later time.
Kadi namba 21
Swali
What does “fill in” mean here?
“Please fill in the registration form before the workshop.”
Jibu
Please add the requested details to the form.
Fill in is common in British English; fill out is also used, especially in American English.
Kadi namba 22
Swali
Complete with a phrasal verb based on write: “Please ___ the gate code so we do not forget it.”
Jibu
write down
“Please write down the gate code so we do not forget it.” “Write out” also fits if you mean writing the code in full. With a noun, “write the gate code down” is also grammatical.
Kadi namba 23
Swali
Rewrite with it: “I must hand in my assignment today.”
Jibu
I must hand it in today.
The pronoun goes between hand and in.
Kadi namba 24
Swali
Complete with a phrasal verb based on call: “The venue is unsafe. We must ___ the concert.” (Cancel it.)
Jibu
call off
“We must call off the concert.” With a noun, “call the concert off” is also grammatical.
Kadi namba 25
Swali
Rewrite with it: “I will look up the address.”
Jibu
I will look it up.
In this information-search sense, look up is separable.
Kadi namba 26
Swali
Rewrite with it: “Please fill in the registration form.”
Jibu
Please fill it in.
“Please fill it out” is also valid if you choose the alternative expression fill out; this rewrite keeps fill in.
Kadi namba 27
Swali
Complete with a phrasal verb based on put: “We cannot inspect the roof today. We will ___ the inspection until Friday.”
Jibu
put off
“We will put off the inspection until Friday.” “Put back” is also a valid answer here. With a noun, “put the inspection off” is also grammatical.
Kadi namba 28
Swali
What does intransitive mean when a dictionary labels an English verb use?
Jibu
That use takes no direct object.
Time and place phrases can still follow it; they are not direct objects.
Kadi namba 29
Swali
What does “wake up” mean here?
“I woke up at six but stayed in bed for a while.”
Jibu
I stopped sleeping at six. I did not necessarily leave the bed then.
Kadi namba 30
Swali
What does “break down” mean here?
“Our washing machine broke down halfway through the cycle.”
Jibu
The washing machine stopped working because of a fault.
Kadi namba 31
Swali
What does “show up” mean here?
“Only three people showed up for the early meeting.”
Jibu
Only three people arrived or attended.
Kadi namba 32
Swali
What does “get up” mean here?
“I was awake at six, but I got up at half past six.”
Jibu
I left my bed at half past six.
Kadi namba 33
Swali
Complete with a phrasal verb based on wake: “I usually ___ at six, then lie in bed for ten minutes.”
Jibu
wake up
“I usually wake up at six, then lie in bed for ten minutes.” No object is needed in this use.
Kadi namba 34
Swali
Complete with a phrasal verb based on break: “Poor maintenance can cause the lift to ___.” (Stop working.)
Jibu
break down
“Poor maintenance can cause the lift to break down.” The machine is the subject; this use needs no object.
Kadi namba 35
Swali
Complete with a phrasal verb based on show: “Please ___ before the rehearsal starts.” (Arrive.)
Jibu
show up
“Please show up before the rehearsal starts.” No object is needed in this use.
Kadi namba 36
Swali
Complete with a phrasal verb based on get: “I am already awake, but I do not want to ___ yet.” (Leave bed.)
Jibu
get up
“I am already awake, but I do not want to get up yet.” Being awake and leaving bed are different actions.
Kadi namba 37
Swali
In an ordinary statement with an inseparable verb + preposition combination, where does its object go?
Jibu
After the preposition, whether the object is a noun or a pronoun.
Do not move that object between the verb and preposition.
Kadi namba 38
Swali
What does “look after” mean here?
“My neighbor looks after our cat when we travel.”
Jibu
My neighbor takes care of the cat.
Kadi namba 39
Swali
What does “run into” mean here?
“I ran into an old classmate at the bakery and we chatted.”
Jibu
I met the classmate by chance.
Here it means an unexpected meeting, not a physical collision.
Kadi namba 40
Swali
What does “get over” mean here?
“It took Amir a week to get over his cold.”
Jibu
Amir needed a week to recover from the cold.
Kadi namba 41
Swali
What does “look for” mean here?
“I am looking for the key I dropped near the bench.”
Jibu
I am trying to find the missing key.
Kadi namba 42
Swali
Rewrite with her: “We look after our young niece on Mondays.”
Jibu
We look after her on Mondays.
The object stays after the word after; do not put her between look and after.
Kadi namba 43
Swali
Complete with a phrasal verb based on run: “I did not expect to ___ my old classmate at the bakery.” (Meet by chance.)
Jibu
run into
“I did not expect to run into my old classmate at the bakery.” “Run across” is also a valid answer here. With a pronoun, say “run into her.”
Kadi namba 44
Swali
Rewrite with it: “I hope to get over this cold soon.”
Jibu
I hope to get over it soon.
In the recovery sense, the object stays after over.
Kadi namba 45
Swali
Rewrite with them: “We are looking for our keys.”
Jibu
We are looking for them.
The object stays after for.
Kadi namba 46
Swali
After look forward to, which form of a following verb is needed?
Jibu
The -ing form.
For example: “I look forward to visiting the island.” To is a preposition here, not an infinitive marker.
Kadi namba 47
Swali
What does “run out of” mean here?
“The printer stopped because we ran out of paper.”
Jibu
We had no paper left to use.
Kadi namba 48
Swali
What does “put up with” mean here?
“I can put up with the noise for one afternoon.”
Jibu
I can tolerate the noise even though I find it annoying.
Kadi namba 49
Swali
What does “catch up with” mean here?
“Mina walked faster to catch up with the rest of the group.”
Jibu
Mina tried to reach the people who were ahead of her.
Kadi namba 50
Swali
What does “look forward to” mean here?
“We are looking forward to our weekend at the lake.”
Jibu
We feel pleased and excited about the coming weekend.
Kadi namba 51
Swali
Complete with a three-word expression based on run: “We need more envelopes before we ___ them.” (Have none left.)
Jibu
run out of
“We need more envelopes before we run out of them.” The object comes after of.
Kadi namba 52
Swali
Rewrite with it: “I cannot put up with this noise.”
Jibu
I cannot put up with it.
The object follows with; keep put up with together in this sentence.
Kadi namba 53
Swali
Complete with a three-word expression based on catch: “They are walking ahead. Hurry so we can ___ them.”
Jibu
catch up with
“Hurry so we can catch up with them.” This means reaching them, not exchanging news. Catch up to is also correct here.
Kadi namba 54
Swali
Complete with a three-word expression based on look: “I ___ seeing you on Saturday.” (I am happy about the planned visit; use the simple present.)
Jibu
look forward to
“I look forward to seeing you on Saturday.” Here to is a preposition, so the following verb takes the -ing form.
kadi 54
English Phrasal Verb Flashcards: Meaning & Word Order
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