Most Common Phrasal Verbs: Exercises [PDF]

Phrasal verbs are a fundamental part of English language, and they are often used in everyday communication. They consist of a verb and one or more particles, such as prepositions or adverbs, that change the meaning of the verb. Learning phrasal verbs can be challenging, but it is essential for developing natural and fluent English communication skills. In ‘Most Common Phrasal verbs: Exercises’, we will provide a series of exercises focused on the most common phrasal verbs, which will help you improve your understanding and usage of these fundamental elements of the English language.

What is a Phrasal Verb?

A phrasal verb is a type of verb that consists of a main verb and one or more particles, such as prepositions or adverbs. The particles modify the meaning of the main verb, creating a new expression with a distinct meaning. Phrasal verbs are commonly used in everyday English, both in spoken and written language, and they can be challenging to learn because their meanings often cannot be deduced from the individual words. Learning phrasal verbs is essential for developing natural and fluent communication skills in English, and it is important to understand their usage in context to use them correctly.

100 Most Common Phrasal Verbs

If you want to learn essential phrasal verbs you need to know for effective, everyday communication, read our awesome article on the 100 most common phrasal verbs.

Most Common Phrasal Verbs: Exercises

1. Can you ___________ to your email account?
   a. log in     b. fill in for     c. put up
2. The company will __________ some workers next month.
   a. put off     b. run out     c. lay off
3. I’m going to __________ the new restaurant in town.
   a. check out     b. go over     c. come up with
4. Can you __________ at the airport tomorrow?
   a. end me up     b. pick me up     c. fill me in
5. He always __________ doing his homework until the last minute.
   a. puts off     b. runs over     c. hands out
6. I need to __________ my shoes before entering the house.
   a. put up with     b. take off     c. dress up
7. She always __________ for special occasions.
   a. put up     b. fill in     c. dresses up
8. I’m going to __________ the lights before going to bed.
   a. turn off     b. take out     c. blow off
9. Can you __________ my cat while I’m away?
   a. go over     b. look forward to     c. look after
10. The restaurant __________ of food during the dinner rush.
    a. ran out     b. went away     c. ran over
11. He needs to __________ a new idea for the project.
    a. grow up     b. put up with     c. come up with
12. The teacher __________ the assignments at the end of class.
    a. handed out     b. handed in     c. took time off
13. I’m going to __________ my notes before the exam.
    a. keep up with     b. fill in     c. go over
14. Can you __________? I’m feeling down today.
    a. cheer me up     b. take me off     c. hand me in
15. She always __________ being late for our meetings.
    a. takes off     b. ends up     c. goes away
16. The doctor told him to __________ his sugar intake.
    a. go down     b. cut back on     c. back up
17. I’m going to __________ the kitchen after dinner.
    a. clean up     b. wash away     c. wipe out
18. Can you __________ for me at work tomorrow?
    a. fill in     b. fill out     c. keep up with
19. She always __________ her vacation every year.
    a. ends up     b. goes away     c. looks forward to
20. I need to __________ my closet and get rid of old clothes.
    a. blow away     b. catch up     c. go through
21. He __________ in a small town in the countryside.
    a. grew up     b. looked up     c. caught up
22. I need to __________ my exercise routine to stay healthy.
    a. end up     b. back up     c. keep up with
23. Can you __________ your homework by the end of the day?
    a. hand in     b. go off     c. set up
24. She told her boss that she needs to __________ next week.
    a. take time off     b. put on     c. switch over
25. He was __________ in traffic on his way to the meeting.
    a. set up     b. backed up     c. caught up
26. The store is having a sale, so I’m going to __________ some supplies.
    a. stock up on     b. buy out     c. take on
27. I’m going to __________ at the gym this afternoon.
    a. set up     b. work out     c. figure out
28. She decided to __________ some decorations for the party.
    a. back up     b. put on     c. put up
29. Can you __________ your computer files regularly?
    a. log in     b. back up     c. sign up
30. He needs to __________ the definition of that word in the dictionary.
    a. look up     b. back up     c. log off
31. I’m going to __________ the project into smaller tasks to make it more manageable.
    a. break down     b. set up     c. turn down
32. She __________ her old friend at the grocery store.
    a. backed up     b. got over     c. ran into
33. He needs to __________ his fear of flying before their trip.
    a. work out     b. get over     c. run out
34. Can you __________ the meeting for next week?
    a. look after     b. put on     c. set up
35. She’s going to __________ the package at the post office on her way to work.
    a. drop off     b. figure out     c. fill out
36. He was __________ catching up with his old classmates at the reunion.
    a. setting up     b. looking forward to     c. ending up
37. The hotel __________ their reservation because they were fully booked.
    a. turned down     b. ended up     c. ran away
38. I need to __________ how to solve this math problem.
    a. fill out     b. take off     c. figure out
39. Can you __________ some music for us to dance to?
    a. set up     b. fill in     c. put on
40. She always __________ of time when she’s getting ready in the morning.
    a. runs out     b. finds out     c. breaks down
41. He had to __________ smoking for the sake of his health.
    a. take off     b. give up     c. drop by
42. I’m going to __________ my neighbor’s plants while she’s on vacation.
    a. look after     b. set up     c. put up with
43. Can you __________ the volume on the TV, please?
    a. turn up     b. fill in     c. looks up to
44. She was thrilled to __________ she got the job she applied for.
    a. drop off     b. find out     c. end up
45. He needs to __________ and take a break from work.
    a. sing out     b. drop off     c. slow down
46. I’m going to __________ your house later to say hello.
    a. end up     b. drop by     c. look forward to
47. She __________ and decided to buy the dress she had been eyeing for weeks.
    a. switched over     b. set up     c. gave in
48. Can you __________ the bike so I can ride it again?
    a. fix up     b. catch up     c. go though
49. He decided to __________ to a plant-based diet for health reasons.
    a. work out     b. take on    c. switch over
50. She always __________ her parents for guidance and support.
    a. looks up to     b. puts up with     c. keep up with

Most Common Phrasal Verbs: Exercises [PDF]

Answer Key

1. log in
2. lay off
3. check out
4. pick up
5. puts off
6. take off
7. dresses up
8. turn off
9. look after
10. ran out of
11. come up with
12. handed out
13. go over
14. cheer up
15. ends up
16. cut back on
17. clean up
18. fill in for
19. looks forward to
20. go through
21. grew up
22. keep up with
23. hand in
24. take time off
25. caught up in
26. stock up on
27. work out
28. put up
29. back up
30. look up
31. break down
32. ran into
33. get over
34. set up
35. drop off
36. catch up with
37. turned down
38. figure out
39. put on
40. runs out off
41. give up
42. look after
43. turn up
44. find out
45. slow down
46. drop by
47. gave in
48. fix up
49. switch over to
50. looks up to

Most Common Phrasal Verbs: Exercises [PDF]

If you want this list of exercises in a PDF file, click here: MOST COMMON PHRASAL VERBS EXERCISES [PDF].