Learning English can be challenging, especially when it comes to phrasal verbs—those short combinations like “look up,” “turn off,” or “get along.” Yet mastering them is essential for achieving natural, fluent communication.
Phrasal verbs are used constantly by native speakers in everyday speech, business, and even formal writing. Instead of saying “cancel,” people often say “call off.” Instead of “continue,” they might say “carry on.” Knowing these expressions helps learners understand real conversations, movies, and news more easily.
They also make your English sound more natural and flexible. They also bring variety and rhythm to language, allowing speakers to express ideas more precisely or casually depending on the situation.
Although they can be confusing—since one verb can have many meanings—the best way to learn them is through context. Reading, listening, and practicing them in dialogues helps fix their meanings in your memory.
In short, phrasal verbs are a key part of fluent English. The more you use them, the more confident and natural your communication will become. Don’t avoid them—take them on! Here are five phrasal verbs to practice:
1. look into something: to examine the facts about a problem or situation
Examples:
We’re looking into hiring more staff to handle the increased workload.
The city is looking into building a new transit line to reduce traffic.
Our company is looking into expanding its services to international markets.
The manager said she would look into the delay in delivery.
Question: Have you looked into which foods are high in Vitamin D?
2. steam up or fog up: if a glass or surface steams up (or fogs up), it becomes covered with small drops of water (condensation).
Examples:
The bathroom mirror steamed up during my shower.
My glasses steamed up when I walked into the warm room after being outside in the cold.
I couldn’t see anything because my glasses had fogged up.
Your windshield usually fogs up when the air inside your car is colder than the air outside of your car.
Question: 1. Has your windshield recently fogged up? What did you do to remove the condensation?
3. follow through or follow through with/on something: 1. to do what needs to be done in order to complete something or make it successful
Examples
If we want this project to succeed, we must follow through on our commitments.
She always has great ideas, but she doesn’t always follow through with them.
The company promised to improve safety measures and actually followed through last month.
It’s important to follow through on what you say; that’s how you build trust with clients.
4. pass up something or pass something up: to fail to take advantage of an opportunity *You have the opportunity to do something, but you don’t take that opportunity.
Examples:
I couldn’t pass up the chance to work on such an exciting project abroad.
I don’t think you should pass up the opportunity to go to university.
He passed up a career in professional soccer.
Question: 1. Have you ever passed up an opportunity to do something? What opportunity did you pass up?
5. die down: 1. to become reduced in strength
Examples:
Once the storm dies down, we can go outside and check for any damage.
Once the flames died down, police found a dead body in the front seat of the car.
2. to become quieter or less noticeable
Examples:
We went outside when the noise died down.
He waited for the laughter to die down before continuing with his speech.
In the capital city, the protests have died down, but the anger remains.
Questions:
1. Have you ever had to wait for the wind or rain to die down before going outside?
2. Do you usually wait for traffic to die down before commuting to or from work or do you try to get ahead of the traffic?
