Phrasal Verbs

1. Task 1:

Try to look up the meanings of these phrasal verbs, and then fill in the blanks below.

Practice Exercise 1

Phrasal Verb	Meaning
look after	take care of
hold on	wait a minute
do without	to loss possession of something
take up	occupy time, space,or attention
run out of	be used up
break down	suddenly cease to function
meet up with	to see or talk to someone
check in	register at a hotel or airport
turn up	be found or arrive
look into	gaze into the inside of sth,or check into sth

EMAIL 1

TO: Robert Booth

FROM: Amy Cookson

RE: 1 Service Lift

The service lift in the warehouse has (1) Broken up (stopped working) again.

Could you please get the Shindler engineer to (2)look into_(investigate) 

what has gone wrong and fix it as soon as possible?This is urgent, because 

we really cannot (3) run out  of  (manage) it. We are having to move every-

thing upstairs by hand. This is (4) taking up (occupying) a lot of time 

and soon everyone is going to (5) do without (have no 

more) patience.

EMAIL 2

TO: Robert Booth

FROM: Amy Cookson

RE: Mr Senai

We are expecting Mr Senai from Japan sometime this afternoon.I have rung 

the hotel, but he has not (6) checked in (registered) there yet, so he may just 

(7) turn up (arrive unexpectedly) at the office. If he does, could you

(8) take after (take care of) him and ask him to (9) hold on (wait) until I get 

back?I have to (10) meet up with (visit) a client at about 3.30, but I should be 

back by 4.15.

Practice Exercise 2

Phrasal Verb	Meaning
back up	form a line due to congestion
build up	To form by combining materials or parts; construct
close down	cause to cease or cease business or operation, especially permanently.
fill in	substitute
give up	stop doing something
take up	engage in; or occupy
try out	To make an effort to do or accomplish (something)
break down	suddenly cease to function
pick up	improve; take up
put off	delay
meet up with	to see and talk to someone familiar or someone you do not know
buy out	To purchase the entire stock, business rights, or interests of
turn off	close something
go through	undergo
look up	seek information about someone or something in a book or listing.
turn up	be found or arrive
look after	take care of
help out	to assist or aid (someone), esp by sharing the burden
run out of	be used up

1) Did you try out your files last week?

2) Keith Sole quickly bought out his shareholding to 10% of the company.

3) If we don't stop the losses, the company will have to be close down.

4) After you've filled in the form, can you leave it with Fiona, my secretary?

5) We've building up trying to get business from small companies.

6) Marvin Steel is in the process of helping out many of the smaller shareholders.

7) Could you ask Paul to take up with arranging the company BBQ at the weekend?

8) If you don't know the meaning of a word, you should look up in a dictionary.

9) My plane gets in at 10.30. Could you pick me up at around 11?

10) The meeting has been put off until 17 April.

11) Have you had an opportunity to back up our evaluation software yet?

12) Don't forget to turn off the air-conditioners when you leave the office this evening.

13) I'm afraid to say that the photocopier's broke down yet again!

14) I think I'll meet up with Roger before I go home this evening.

15) During the recession, the company had gone through some difficult times.

16) Mary has decided to give up an offer from another company.

17) Whatever you do, don't turn up to the meeting late.
 

18) Who will look after my children if I have to work full-time?
 

19) I met up with John last night.

20) Please call Jane if you run out of any stationery items


Task 2:
Create a short story of your own and use five to six phrasal verbs from the two lists above in it. Ask your peers to proofread it before you publish.

Yesterday I asked my friend for taking after my daughter, because I must take up with arranging some work. On the way to my friend's home, I met up with a old friend. He told that his car broken down just now. He decided to give up to making a date to somewhere. I told him I could help him out to going there with my car. He said that it was a nice day!