First of all, what is a phrasal verb?
Phrasal verbs are English phrases that combine a verb with either an adverb or a preposition. So instead of having a singular verb, such as “get”, we have a short phrase, such as “get in”, which has a slightly different meaning from the root verb.
When I write the explicit definition of phrasal verbs down like this, they can sound pretty easy.
The bad news is, phrasal verbs are really complex. Each phrasal verb might differ from the original root verb by only one word, but can have an entirely different meaning.
Take the example verb “Get” for example:
With just one root verb, we can create over twenty phrasal verbs. Each phrasal verb has its own distinct meaning, and must be used only in specific contexts. Now, consider the fact that English has 16 basic verbs and over 200 irregular verbs, and you might see the problem. To make matters worse, one phrasal verb can be used in multiple different contexts, and have its own set of unique definitions.
There are literally thousands of English phrasal verbs, and each one can have multiple definitions or contexts in which it can be correctly used.
By now, you’re probably wondering – Is it worth the effort required to study, memorize, and apply all of these phrasal verbs?
The truth is, phrasal verbs aren’t really something you can efficiently study, unless you’re excellent at memorization. It’s really just not efficient to study twenty variations of the same root verb “get” and expect to remember all of the differences, especially if it’s as boring as most grammar practice.
When English speakers use these verbs, it’s generally in informal settings, such as a conversation between friends. With the majority of phrasal verbs, you’ll learn their meaning and usage based on the context surrounding them. I’d say their most common usage is in daily conversations, and in books that have lots of intermediate-to-advanced level grammar.
For example, if you and I are having a conversation about some difficult task you have at work, and I say –
“Don’t worry, you’ll get through this if you just work hard.”
You’ll probably understand the meaning of the phrasal verb “get through” without ever explicitly studying it.
So, if these are used mostly in conversation, how can you study them?
First of all, you’ll need to understand the basic grammar rules for phrasal verbs. I could go into detail about the three different types, but I’ll leave that for the future. Instead, take a look at one of the explanations from your English book, or from a site like this.
When you know HOW these verbs work, and WHY they are used, you can start to focus on adding them to your own conversations.
In my mind, there are really only two good options:
- Find a way to practice speaking English every day, whether it be with an English course like the one we offer, a speaking partner, or some other method.
- Read lots of dialogue-heavy books, where you can intuitively pick up new phrasal verbs. When characters speak informally, they will use some phrasal verbs that you can highlight and try to understand the meaning of.
You can also supplement your learning by actually memorizing the various phrasal variations of the 16 most common verbs, but I’ve never been a fan of this style of learning. Why torture yourself with memorization games when you can just learn by actually practicing the language? Memorizing thousands of phrasal verbs won’t benefit you nearly as much as reading ten English books, at least in my opinion.
If you’re going to try to learn and implement these into your language, start by learning to recognize them in daily conversations.
“Get in the car so we can get out of here and get this doctor’s appointment over with – I never get along with people who waste my time!”
As you become familiar with recognizing phrasal verbs in speech, you’ll start to pick up on their meanings. Practicing them in a controlled method like we do in our conversation classes also works very well to help you become more familiar with their usage – But just remember, we’re not trying to memorize these verbs, we’re just trying to practice using them.
So, to recap – These are really common, and are really important to understand the meaning of. Knowing how to use phrasal verbs will make you sound much more native and fluent when trying to have a conversation, so I highly recommend any intermediate or advanced English learners focus on implementing them in their conversations.
