Phrasal verbs are a crucial part of the English language, especially for those learning English as an Additional Language (EAL). They often consist of a verb combined with a preposition or adverb, resulting in a new meaning that may not be immediately obvious. Understanding and using phrasal verbs correctly can significantly enhance your fluency and comprehension. This article will explore common phrasal verbs with on and off, providing meanings and example sentences to help you integrate them into your everyday vocabulary.
Phrasal Verbs With “On” and “Off”
Phrasal Verbs with “On”
- Carry on
- Meaning: To continue doing something.
- Example: She carried on talking despite the interruption.
- Depend on
- Meaning: To rely on someone or something.
- Example: You can depend on him to get the job done.
- Get on
- Meaning: To make progress or to have a good relationship with someone.
- Example: How are you getting on with your new job?
- Hold on
- Meaning: To wait or to grip something tightly.
- Example: Hold on for a moment while I find the document.
- Keep on
- Meaning: To continue doing something.
- Example: She kept on working until late at night.
- Put on
- Meaning: To wear clothing or to apply something to your body.
- Example: She put on her coat before leaving.
- Turn on
- Meaning: To start a machine or device.
- Example: He turned on the TV to watch the news.
- Go on
- Meaning: To continue or to happen.
- Example: What’s going on here?
- Try on
- Meaning: To put on clothing to see if it fits.
- Example: She tried on the dress before buying it.
- Look on
- Meaning: To watch something without getting involved.
- Example: He looked on as the children played in the park.
- Call on
- Meaning: To visit someone or to request help.
- Example: I’ll call on you this evening to see how you’re doing.
- Move on
- Meaning: To progress or to leave one place for another.
- Example: After the meeting, they moved on to the next topic.
- Take on
- Meaning: To accept a challenge or responsibility.
- Example: She decided to take on the project despite its difficulty.
- Focus on
- Meaning: To concentrate on something.
- Example: You need to focus on your studies to succeed.
- Bring on
- Meaning: To cause something to happen.
- Example: The cold weather can bring on illness.
- Cheer on
- Meaning: To support someone by shouting encouragement.
- Example: The fans cheered on their team throughout the match.
- Count on
- Meaning: To rely on someone or something.
- Example: You can count on me to help you.
- Set on
- Meaning: To attack someone.
- Example: The dog set on the intruder.
- Pass on
- Meaning: To give something to someone else.
- Example: She passed on the message to her boss.
- Turn on
- Meaning: To suddenly attack or criticize someone.
- Example: He turned on his friend when he felt betrayed.
Phrasal Verbs with “Off”
- Break off
- Meaning: To end something abruptly.
- Example: They broke off their engagement.
- Call off
- Meaning: To cancel something.
- Example: The match was called off due to rain.
- Cut off
- Meaning: To stop the supply of something or to interrupt someone.
- Example: The electricity was cut off during the storm.
- Drop off
- Meaning: To take someone or something to a place and leave them there.
- Example: I’ll drop you off at the airport.
- Get off
- Meaning: To leave a vehicle or to avoid punishment.
- Example: She got off the bus at the next stop.
- Give off
- Meaning: To emit something such as a smell or light.
- Example: The flowers give off a pleasant fragrance.
- Go off
- Meaning: To explode or to stop working.
- Example: The alarm went off at 6 a.m.
- Keep off
- Meaning: To stay away from something.
- Example: Keep off the grass.
- Lay off
- Meaning: To stop employing someone.
- Example: The company had to lay off several employees.
- Let off
- Meaning: To excuse someone from punishment.
- Example: The teacher let him off with a warning.
- Pay off
- Meaning: To finish paying money owed or to yield good results.
- Example: Her hard work finally paid off.
- Put off
- Meaning: To delay something.
- Example: He put off his trip until next week.
- See off
- Meaning: To go to the place someone is leaving from to say goodbye.
- Example: We went to the station to see her off.
- Show off
- Meaning: To display something or oneself in a way to attract attention.
- Example: He loves to show off his new car.
- Take off
- Meaning: To remove something, especially clothing, or for an aircraft to leave the ground.
- Example: The plane took off at noon.
- Tell off
- Meaning: To reprimand someone.
- Example: She was told off by her boss for being late.
- Turn off
- Meaning: To stop a machine or device.
- Example: Don’t forget to turn off the lights before you leave.
- Write off
- Meaning: To cancel a debt or to regard something as a failure.
- Example: The bank decided to write off the loan.
- Run off
- Meaning: To leave somewhere suddenly.
- Example: He ran off without saying goodbye.
- Show off
- Meaning: To boast or draw attention to oneself.
- Example: He always shows off when he gets the chance.
By mastering these phrasal verbs, you’ll improve your ability to understand and communicate more naturally in English. Practice using them in sentences, and soon you’ll find them becoming a natural part of your speech and writing.
