English B2: Appendix 2

Phrasal Verbs for B2

What follows is a list of highly frequently used phrasal verbs in B2 context. We recommend memorising them in order to a better chance of passing the exam.

to be fed up with	to be bored/frustrated with [sth/smb]: I’m so fed up with this weather – it hasn’t stopped raining for days!
to be in	to be at home/in the building: ‘Hello, can I speak to Mark please?’ ‘I’m sorry, he’s not in right now, can I take a message?’
to be over	to be finished: The lesson’s over, you can go now.
to be up	to be out of bed: I’m going to make some eggs for breakfast, is Chris up yet?
to blow up	to explode: They blew the bridges up so the enemy couldn’t cross the river.
to break down	to cease to work properly: My car broke down and I had to call to a taxi to get home.
to break into [sth]	to enter by force: The burglar broke into the house through the window and stole all the jewellery.
to break out	to begin: All the men were drunk and after their team lost the match a fight broke out in the pub.
to break up (with)	to terminate (often a relationship): Did you hear that Lionel and Julie broke up?
to bring [sth] up	1) to educate: She brought her children up as Catholics but they converted to Judaism later in life. 2) to mention: At the meeting the president brought up the question of the increasing company debt.
to call [sth] off	to cancel: The tennis match was called off due to the heavy rain.
to care about	to be interested in [sth]: I don’t care about money, I just want a job that I enjoy.
to carry on doing [sth] (OR: to go on; OR: to keep on)	to continue: In spite of the heavy rain, we just carried on walking.
to carry [sth] out	to perform duties: The Sergeant gives the orders and the soldiers carry them out.
to close down	to shut permanently (a shop or business): I used to go the cinema every week but the movie theatre near my house closed down last year so now I hardly ever go to the movies.
to come across	to find by accident: When I was looking for my passport, I came across these old photos.
to come up with	to arrive at/think of an idea: We didn’t know how to raise the money, then Mike came up with the idea of creating a web site to collect funds.
to cut down (on):	to lessen the use of: I really have to cut down on coffee, I drink too many cups a day.
to figure [sth/sb] out (OR: to work out)	to understand something after much thought: I couldn’t understand the dvd instructions for setting the timer, then after reading it for the 4th time, I figured it out.
to fill in / out	to complete (forms) To register at the university you have to fill in/fill out this form and take it to the registry office.
to find out	to discover/to come to know: When she found out that her colleague had stolen the company money, she was shocked.
to get into/get out of	to enter and to exit a vehicle (e.g. a car, a taxi etc.): The taxi stopped at the taxi rank, an elderly man got out of the car, paid the driver, then I got into the taxi and said ‘the airport please’.
to get on/get off	to enter and exit a means of transport (bus, boat, plane, train): Everybody got on the plane and took their seats, but then there was a bomb scare so we all had to get off the plane in a hurry while security carried out checks.
to get on (with)	to have a good relationship: I get on with all my colleagues.
to get out	to escape: Don’t worry about the snake, it can’t get out of the box.
to get over	to recover from a difficult moment: It took her years to get over the death of her son.
to get rid of	to remove from one’s life/possession: I decided to get rid of all my old shoes so I gave them to charity.
to give up	1) to quit: I gave up smoking years ago. 2) to abandon an attempt: I tried to learn to play the violin but after a few months I gave up.
to go on	to happen: What’s going on here? Why is everybody laughing?
to go through	1) to experience something unpleasant: After going through 3 operations, William had become extremely skinny and weak. 2) to examine: Go through all these documents and see if there are any mistakes.
to hand in	to give by hand: I finished the test and handed it in to the teacher.
to hand out	to distribute: The tour guide handed out maps to all the group.
to let [sb] down	to disappoint: Denise really let me down, when she told me that she wasn’t going to help me
to look after	to be responsible for: I’m looking after my friend’s cat, while she’s away on vacation.
to look for	to search: I spent months looking for a new job before I found one.
to look forward to	to expect with pleasure: We’re all looking forward to meeting our son’s new girlfriend.
to look out (OR: to watch out)	to beware of some kind of danger: Look out! A car’s coming!
to look up to	to admire/to respect: The professor is extremely knowledgeable and all the students look up to him.
to look down on	to have no regard for: Maria thinks that her husband’s rich family look down on her because she comes from a very modest background.
to make sense (of)	1) to be logical: He bought a car but he still takes the bus everywhere he goes, that doesn’t make sense! 2) to understand: He tried explaining the problem to me but I can’t make sense of anything he says.
to make up	to invent: I don’t believe his story – I think he’s just making it up.
to make up one’s mind	to decide: Should I buy the red suit or the blue one? I can’t make up my mind!
to pick up	1) to lift something, usually from the ground: I found a 50 Euro bill on the street, but when I picked it up I realized it was fake. 2) to collect someone from someplace: Call me when you get to the station so I can come and pick you up.
to point out	to indicate: Show me your map of Paris and I’ll point out the fastest way to walk to the Eiffel Tower.
to put back	to return to the original place: You can use my calculator, when you’re done please put it back in the drawer.
to put off	to postpone: The meeting was supposed to be Monday at 3 o’clock but it’s been put off to Tuesday morning.
to put on	to dress oneself with an article of clothes: I put on my tracksuit and went running.
to put out	to extinguish: There’s no smoking in here – please put out that cigarette.
to put up with	to accept and tolerate [sth/sb]: I live on a busy street so I have to put up with a lot of noisy traffic.
to run into	to meet unexpectedly: I ran into my ex-boyfriend while I was shopping at the mall last week.
to run out of [sth]	to have none left: I tried to stay calm while babysitting the children but I ran out of patience and screamed at them when they broke the vase
to set off	to depart: The family set off on their holiday from Heathrow airport
to set up	to establish: When Debora lost her job she decided to set up a new business with her sister
to take after	to resemble, usually referred to character Brian takes after his father, they’re both very generous
to take off	1) to remove: Can you please take off your shoes before coming into the living room? 2) to leave the ground (airplanes) Our plane took off at 3 o’clock.
to take up	to begin a hobby, sport or new endeavour: He took up golf and has become obsessed by the game
to throw away/out	to put in the rubbish bin: Please throw away/throw out your empty soda cans before leaving the room.
to try on	to see if clothes fit: I loved that jumper but I tried it on and it didn’t suit me at all so I didn’t buy it
to turn down	to reject: Peter has asked Maria out 3 times and she’s always turned him down.
to turn out	to reveal to be: He seemed like an honest person but then he turned out to be a crook.
to turn up/turn down (volume)	to raise and lower: Can you please turn down that music and turn up the air conditioning?
to turn up (or: to show up)	to arrive for an appointment: If you hadn’t turned up/showed up late, we wouldn’t have missed our train.
to wear out	to consume through use: I need a new pair of shoes, these are really worn out.