Many phrasal verbs are ambiguous: pick up chicks - 1) pick up chickens from the floor, 2) “pick up” girls.
Phrasal verbs in English (phrasal verbs) is a problematic topic, like or, and problematic not only for beginners. One of the difficulties associated with them is which phrasal verbs to learn first.
What are phrasal verbs?
A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and 1) an adverb, 2) a preposition, 3) an adverb and a preposition. This is an integral semantic unit that should be perceived as one word, and not a combination of words. Often the meaning of a phrasal verb is far from the meaning of each word included in it individually.
1. Verb + adverb:
I asked around but no one has seen Johnny. - I asked people, but no one saw Johnny.
2. Verb + preposition:
The movie is coming out this summer. - Movie comes out this summer.
3. Verb + adverb + preposition:
We are looking forward to your reply. - We look forward to your answer.
It is also sometimes said that a phrasal verb consists of a verb and one or two particles, meaning by particles a preposition and an adverb.
Features of phrasal verbs
It is important to understand that a phrasal verb is a word, and not a combination of two or three words, that is, its meaning is not equal to the sum of the meanings of the words included in it.
Let's take a phrasal verb go out. Individually the words mean the following: go- go, out- out, out. It can be assumed, that go out- this is “coming out from somewhere.” In fact go out- this is going somewhere for a walk, having fun.
Sheila is going to go out with her college friends tonight. – Sheila is going out tonight go somewhere with friends from college.
Moreover, go out with in a certain context it is dating someone, being in a romantic relationship.
Sheila is still going out with Daniel. – Sheila is still meets with Daniel.
Another difficulty with phrasal verbs is that they are often ambiguous (just like ordinary words). At the verb go out There is another meaning, which, however, is less common in colloquial speech:
The lights go out at eleven. - Light turns off at eleven o'clock.
Why you need to know phrasal verbs
Phrasal verbs are very common in spoken language. Without understanding them, at least the basic ones, you will not understand native speakers well. By the way, non-native English speakers often avoid phrasal verbs, replacing them with one-word synonyms (“contuniue” instead of “go on”), so it is easier to communicate with them.
In general, to speak and express thoughts, many phrasal verbs are optional. Yes, they make speech livelier, more conversational, shorter, but often they can be replaced with synonyms or circumvented by expressing it in some other way. Phrasal verbs need to be known first of all in order to understand live speech.
How to learn phrasal verbs
Phrasal verbs, like any words, can be taught in different ways: etc. - this is more a matter of personal preference rather than the effectiveness of a particular technique. The most important thing is that phrasal verbs need to be memorized, taking into account their context.
There are words, say, the names of household items, that are perfectly remembered without context. Microwave in any context microwave. This trick will not work with phrasal verbs; their meaning is clear only in context, and they are remembered much better when there is an example before your eyes. That is why I have prepared a list of phrasal verbs with examples - examples will help you understand and remember them better.
Another tip for memorizing phrasal verbs: don't be afraid of them. Yes, there are many of them, but they are often found in speech (in speech more often than in texts), so if you watch, listen to programs, talk, you will quickly learn the main verbs due to their frequency.
List: phrasal verbs with examples and translation + cards
The list I offer is based on common sense and personal experience - these are the phrasal verbs that I think are most useful to know. Below you will also find a short summary of this list of just 30 words. Abbreviations smb And smt stand for somebody(someone) and something(something). I have written more detailed articles about some verbs with phrasal verbs, idioms, useful expressions, you will find links below.
In addition, I recommend you video lessons and exercises on Puzzle English. There is a series of lessons on phrasal verbs, and in the exercises you need to assemble sentences by choosing the right words.
Exercises on phrasal verbs in Puzzle English
Ask
- ask smb out- invite you on a date
John asked Nancy out to (for) dinner. – John invited Nancy for lunch.
Did that nice young man ask you out?- This nice young man asked you out on a date?
- ask around– ask people, ask a question to several people
I asked around but nobody knew how to find that hotel. - I asked people, but no one knows how to find this hotel.
What? Sorry, I haven’t seen your cat. Ask around. - What? Sorry, I didn't see your cat. Ask people.
Be
- be after- try to get something, find something
What are you after in that room? There's nothing in there. - What you trying to find in this room? There's nothing here.
I don't know what he is after. - I do not know what he needs.
- be away (to somewhere)– to be absent, to be in another place
The Johnson's were away all last week to Mexico. – The Johnson family all last week was away in Mexico.
- be on\off– be on, off (about the device)
Is the robot still on?– The robot is still included?
The lights are off in the building. – Light in the building switched off.
Blow
- blow up- explode
Cars don't blow up like they do in movies. - Cars are not explode like in the movies.
Break
- break up– to separate (about lovers)
Jack and Helen broke up finally. – Jack and Helen finally broke up.
- break down– to break down (for example, about a car)
Can you give me a ride? My car broke down. -Can you give me a ride? My car broke.
- break in- break in
The police broke in and arrested everyone. – Police broke in and everyone was arrested.
- break out- escape, escape
The movie is about a guy who broke out of jail. - A film about a guy, escaped from prison.
Bring
- bring along- bring someone with you
He brought along his son to the football match. - He brought with him son to a football match.
- bring over- bring something to someone, take something with you
Jack brought over a new videogame and we played it together. – Jack brought with me a new video game and we played it together.
- bring up– 1) mention something in a conversation, raise a topic, 2) educate, raise children
I didn't want to bring up business at lunch. - I did not want mention about business at lunch.
His grandmother brought him up.- His raised grandmother.
Call
- call (smb) back– call back
I’ve been to ten job interviews, you know what they all said? We'll call you back. – I went to ten interviews, do you know what they all told me? We will help you We'll call you back.
- call by- come in for a while, visit
I wanted to call by on my way home. - I wanted come in to you on the way home.
Calm
- calm (smb) down- calm down, calm someone down
Calm down, everything is going to be just fine. – Calm down everything will be just fine.
The nurse came up to the little girl and calmed her down. – The nurse approached the little girl and calmed her down.
Chip
- chip in- chip in money
I'm gonna order a pizza, let's chip in. - I'll order pizza, let's go Let's chip in.
They each chipped in ten dollars to buy a present. - They all chipped in$10 each to buy a gift.
Count
- count on (rely on)- rely on someone
You can count on my friend, he always keeps his word. - You can rely on to my friend, he always keeps his word.
Check
- check in\out- check in, check out of a hotel
We checked in on Saturday, and we check out on Tuesday. - We let's settle down(at the hotel) on Saturday, and let's move out on Tuesday.
- check with= agree with someone, get approval
He doesn't need to check with his wife to make sure they don’t have other plans. - He needs consult (agree) with his wife to make sure they have no other plans.
Come
- come across (run across)- to stumble upon something, someone, to meet by chance
I came across my ex-wife in the grocery store. - I accidentally I stumbled at his ex-wife at the grocery store.
- come back- come back
He's gone. But he promised to come back. - He left. But he promised return.
- come up to smb\smt- approach someone or something
She came up to me and asked if I was lost. - She came up to me and asked if I was lost.
- come up with smt- come up with a solution, find an idea
And then all of a sudden Mary came up with her brilliant plan. “And then all of a sudden Mary came up with it your brilliant plan.
Just come up with something. - Just come up with anything (solution).
- come from- to be from somewhere
Where do you come from? – Where You?
She comes from Spain. - She from Spain.
- come off– fall off
Old paint has come off the wall. – Old paint fell off from the wall.
- come out– 1) come out (about a film, book) 2) open up (about a secret)
When is your new book coming out? - When comes out your new book?
It came out that the picture was fake. – It revealed, that the picture was fake.
- come over– come to someone (usually home)
My parents are gone for a business trip, come over. - My parents went on a business trip, come to me.
- Come on!– an expression with meanings: 1) come on! (encouraging) 2) let's go! hurry up! 3) stop it already! (well that's enough for you, come on)
Come on, guys, you can do it! – Let's, guys, you can do it!
Come on, we need to hurry. – Went, we need to hurry.
Oh, come on, dad, I know there is no Santa. - Dad, well that's enough for you, I know there is no Santa.
- come around– 1) visit, stop by, 2) come to your senses after losing consciousness
I live just across the street, come around some time. - I live across the street come in somehow.
He was unconscious but the doctor made him come around. - He was unconscious, but the doctor brought him to his senses.
Cut
- cut down on smt– 1) cut back, reduce the consumption of something
We'll have to cut down on water if we want to last until help arrives. - We will have to reduce consumption water if we want to hold out until help arrives.
The gevernment is going to cut down on defense spending. – The government is meeting cut costs on defense.
- cut smt off– 1) cut something off, 2) isolate
Why did you cut the sleeves off?- Why do you cut off sleeves?
On this island, we are cut off from the rest of the world. - On this island we cut off from the rest of the world.
- cut smt out- cut something out
She cut out his picture from the magazine. - She cut out his photo from a magazine.
- cut in (front of smb)– cut off with a car, suddenly wedge in front of another car
The green Ford cut in front of us as if he owned the road! – Green Ford cut us off as if it were his road!
Deal
- deal with smt/smb- make business
I prefer to deal with the same representative each time. – I prefer every time make business with the same representative.
Dress
- dress up (as smb/smt)- to dress up, to dress beautifully or formally, to change into someone or something
You don't have to dress up to go to the mall, jeans and a T-shirt a fine. – You don’t need dress up for a shopping center, jeans and a T-shirt will do.
Ellie dressed up as a witch for Halloween. – Ellie dressed up as a witch on Halloween.
End
- end up- to end up in some place or situation
That's how I ended up in small this town. - That's how I am in the end it turned out in this city.
After such a brilliant career, he ended up selling second hand cars. – After such a brilliant career, he eventually became used car dealer.
Fall
- fall down- fall
My cat fell down from the balcony, but it’s ok. - My cat fell from the balcony, but he's fine.
- fall for smb- fall in love
Mike fell for Jane. – Mike fell in love in Jane.
- fall for smt- buy into a trick, believe in a deception
That's a stupid story, my wife will never fall for it.- This is a stupid story, my wife. never do this buy it.
- fall apart- fall apart
If we are talking about a person, then fall apart - it’s hard to experience something
How are you going to sell your house? It's falling apart. – How are you going to sell your house? He's the same falling apart.
After losing my job, I was falling apart. - After I lost my job, I was not himself(I was having a hard time).
- fall behind– to lag behind
To fall behind both physically, while moving, and figuratively, for example, behind schedule.
One of the tourists fell behind and got lost. - One of the tourists lagged behind and got lost.
We have to hurry, we are falling behind the schedule. - We need to hurry, we we're falling behind from the schedule.
Fill
- fill in/out- fill in the form)
There will be a lot of paperwork, you’ll have to read, fill in, sign hundreds of documents. - There will be a lot of paperwork, you will have to read, fill in, sign hundreds of documents.
- find out / figure out- find out, find out
I don’t’ know how it works but let’s figure it out. – I don’t know how it works, but let’s do it let's find out(we'll figure it out).
How did you find out where to find me? - How are you found out where can you find me?
Get
- get along with- to get along with someone, to be on good terms
In school, I didn't get along with my classmates. - I'm at school didn't get along with classmates.
- get through- call by phone
I called you twice but couldn’t get through. - I called you twice, but I couldn’t get through.
- get in- get into the car.
Hey, we gotta hurry! Get in! - Hey, we need to hurry! Get in the car!
He didn’t see the truck coming when we was getting in his car. “He didn’t see the truck coming when sat down in the car.
- get on– board a train, plane, ship, bus
I am afraid, we got on the wrong train. - I'm afraid that we sat down on the wrong train.
- get off– 1) get off transport (car, train, bus, etc.), 2) get off, take off something
I'm getting off here, see you later! - I'm here I'm going out see you!
Get your feet off my table! – Take it away your feet off my table!
- get up\down– rise, stand up\fall, bend down
The boxer got up and continued to fight. – Boxer got up and continued the fight.
When something exploded got down, but it was just a firework. - When something exploded, I crouched down but it was just fireworks.
- get away (with smt)- to avoid punishment for something
How to get away with murder. - How avoid punishment for murder.
- get over– 1) get over an obstacle, 2) cope with a problem, illness
The cat is so fat that it can’t get over a fence. - This cat is so fat that you can’t climb over over the fence.
If you have a problem, you have to get over it. – If you have a problem, you have to deal with it cope with.
Give
- give up– 1) give up, 2) stop doing something
Fight and never give up. - Fight and never give up.
I gave up smoking. - I quit(stop) smoking.
- give smt away– 1) to give away a secret, 2) to give away, to give away (for free)
Someone gave your little secret away.- Somebody told about your little secret.
The are giving away some unsold stuff. - They hand out some unsold items.
- give back- to return
You took my phone! Give it back!– You took my phone! Give it back his!
- give out– distribute, usually free of charge and to a large number of people
You can't just give out the candies, they are one dollar each. -You can't just do that distribute candies, they cost a dollar apiece.
Go
- go on (with smt)- continue doing something
Go on, please, I’m listening. – Carry on please, I'm listening.
After a short pause, Jane went on with her story. – After a short pause Jane continued your story.
- go out- go somewhere to have fun, take a walk
I go out with my friends every Friday night. - I I'm going somewhere with friends every Friday evening.
- go out with smb– dating someone, being in a romantic relationship
Are you still going out with Bob? -Are you still dating with Bob?
- go with– approach, combine, go towards something (about clothes, food)
These shoes don't go well with your pants. - These shoes are bad combine with your trousers.
What wine goes with fish? – What kind of wine? fits to the fish?
- go back to- return to some activity
We went back to work after a short break. - We are back back to work after a short break.
- go down\up– shrink/increase
Are you expecting the prices to go down? Normally, they only go up.– Do you expect prices will they fall? Usually they only grow.
- go without smt- get by, cope without something
This time you'll have to go without my help. - This time you'll have to get by without my help.
Hand
- hand out- distribute to a group of people
Hand out the invitations to everyone. – Give it away invitations to everyone.
- hand in– hand in (e.g. homework)
You have to hand in your essay by Monday. - You must pass essay by Monday.
Grow
- grow up- grow up, become an adult
When I grow up, I want to be a doctor. – I want to become a doctor when I'll grow up.
- grow back- grow back, grow back
Don’t worry about your haircut, it’ll grow back. - Don't worry about your haircut, hair will grow back.
- grow out of smt- to grow out of something, to become too big or too old for it
My kids grew out of the clothes I had bought just a few months ago. - My children grew out of clothes, which I bought just a few months ago.
I grew out of cartoons. - I have already too old for cartoons.
Hang
- hang in- hold on, don’t lose heart
Hang in there! We're coming to rescue you. – Hold on! We are coming to help.
- hang out- hang out with someone, spend time
I'm gonna hang out with my friends today. - I'm going today hang out with friends.
- hang up- hang up, end the phone conversation
Wait! Don't hang up!- Wait! Don't hang up!
Note: pick up – pick up the phone.
Hold
- hold on– 1) please wait, 2) do not give up, hold on
Hold on, I forgot my phone. – Wait, I forgot my phone.
Hold on, guys, help is coming. – Hold on guys, help is on the way.
- hold it against smb- hold a grudge against someone
He lied to me but I don’t hold it against him.- He lied to me, but I I don't hold it against him for that.
- hold back- restrain physically
A seven nation army couldn’t hold me back. – The army of seven nations (countries) could not contain.
Hurry
- hurry up- hurry
You have to hurry up,we are almost late. - You need hurry, we're almost late.
Keep
- keep (on) doing smt- continue doing something
Instead of “doing” you can take another verb.
Keep on stirring until it boils. – Keep stirring until it boils.
Keep going, keep going. – Go-go(let's go, let's go).
- keep smt from smb- keep something secret from someone
You can't keep your death from your family. - You can not hide your illness from families.
- keep smt/smb out– don’t let anyone get close, don’t enter, don’t let in
You should keep your dog out of my lawn. - You feel better hold your dog further away from my lawn.
Keep your hands out of me! – Hold your hands from me further away!
Let's
- let smb down- let down
Don’t worry, you can rely on me, I won’t let you down.- Don't worry, you can rely on me. I don't want you I'll let you down.
- let smb in- let in, let in
Guy, let me in, it's cold out there! - Guys, let me in me, it's cold there!
Log
- log in\out– log in/log out of your account (on the Internet), log in/log out
How can I log in if I forgot my password? - How do I log in what if I forgot my password?
Log out first, then log in again and check if the game works. – Come out from the account, come in again and check if the game works.
Look
- look for- search
I am looking for a post office. - I looking for Postal office.
- look forward to- look forward to something
We are looking forward to your next visit. - We and We're looking forward to it your next visit.
We are looking forward to visiting you. - We look forward to when we visit you.
- look after- to keep an eye on, to keep an eye on
Can you look after my stuff, please? I'll be right back. - Could you look after my things please? I'll be right back.
- look up– find information (usually in a book)
I don't know this word look it up in the dictionary. - I don’t know this word look in dictionary.
- look out- to be afraid of something
Typically used as an exclamation “Look out!” - “Beware!”
Look out! Someone's coming! – Beware! Someone's coming!
Make
- make smt up- to invent, to lie about something
I had to make up a story about why I was late. - I had to compose the story of why I was late.
I told you she made it up!- I told you that she is all this I made it up!
- make out- kiss passionately and for a long time
Jack cought his girlfriend making out with his friend. – Jack found his girlfriend, kissing with his friend.
Move
- move in (to)– settle into a new home, move in
We moved in yesterday and know no one here. - We moved came here yesterday and we don’t know anyone here.
I'm going to move in to my friend's place. - I'm going to move to to a friend.
- move away (to)- leave somewhere, move out of housing
The Patterson's have moved away, but I can give your their new address. – The Pattersons moved out(moved), but I can give you their new address.
I was born in Germany but we moved away to England, when I was a kid. – I was born in Germany, but we moved to England when I was a child.
- move on- move from one thing to another, move on
I think we've talked enough about it, let's move on. - I think we've talked about this enough, let's further(let's move on to another topic).
I want to change my job, I need to move on. – I want to change my job, I need move on.
Pass
- pass away- go to another world, die
Pass away is the formal, most polite and cautious synonym for the word die (to die).
My grandfather passed away when I was ten. - My grandfather left us when I was ten.
- pass by- pass, pass by and not stop
We were passing by the City Hall, when Ann saw Harry in the street. - We passed by City Hall when Anne saw Harry on the street.
- pass out- lose consciousness
It was hot in the church and an old lady passed out. – It was hot in the church, and the elderly woman fainted.
Note: come round - come to your senses.
Pay
- pay smb back- repay a debt, repay
Morgan bought me a ticket, but I haven’t paid him back yet. Morgan bought me a ticket, but I haven’t yet. returned give him money.
- pay off– pay off
Your effort will pay off. – Your works will pay off.
Pick
- pick up– 1) pick up from the floor, 2) pick up the phone, 3) “pick up”, “pick up” (about getting to know each other)
Have you just dropped a cigarette on the ground? Pick it up!“Did you just throw a cigarette on the ground?” Lift it up!
It’s my boss calling, don’t’ pick it up. - This is my boss calling. don't pick up the phone.
“He came home with a girl he had picked up in a bar.” – “You mean she had picked him up?”- “He came home with a girl whom picked up in the bar." - “You mean which one is his did you catch it?
Play
- play along (with smb)- play along
Jim played along with Ron, when he said he was a movie producer. – Jim played along Ron when he said he was a film producer.
Don't worry, just play along ok? - Don't worry, just play along Fine?
- play around (fool around)- fool around
Aren't you too big boys for playing around? - Aren't you guys too big to fool?
The teacher was angry because we were fooling around. – The teacher was angry because we were fooling around.
Pull
- pull over/off- stop the car by the road, on the side of the road
We pulled over(pulled off) to check our tires. - We stopped by the road to check the wheels.
- pull oneself together- pull yourself together, pull yourself together
Come on pull yourself together,we have to work. - Come on already, get yourself together we need to work.
Put
- put on– put on
Put your hat on. – Put it on hat.
Put on your seat belts. – Buckle up(put on) your seat belts.
Run
- run away- run away
Tell me that funny story how you early away from a dog. – Tell them this funny story about how you ran away from the dog.
- run for- to catch up, to run after something
I lost my wallet when was running for a bus. - I lost my wallet when ran for by bus.
- run across \ run into smb (come across)- accidentally bump into someone
Ron ran across his teacher, miss Smith, in the park when he was supposed to be at school. – Ron I came across it by accident at his teacher, Miss Smith, in the park when he was supposed to be at school.
- run around- be very busy, do a lot of things
After running around all day, James is too tired to play with his kids. - After he minded business all day, James is too tired to play with the children.
- run on smt– to work on something (about a source of energy)
Does this bus run on gas or electricity? – This bus works for gasoline or electricity?
- run over smt\smb- move by car
The deer was ran over by a car. – Deer moved car.
Set
- set smt up– 1) arrange, organize, 2) substitute
Can you set up a meeting with him? - You can arrange will I meet him?
The police have set him up. They put some drugs in his pocket. - Police him framed They planted drugs in his pocket.
Note: the word “police” in the meaning of “police officers” is plural, not singular, so it is “police have”, not “police has”.
Show
- show off- to brag, to show off
He bought the most expensive guitar to show off to his friends. - He bought the most expensive guitar so that grab in front of friends.
- show up- appear, come
Show up is usually to come unexpectedly or late, like “show up” in Russian. Often used when someone was expected, but he never came.
We’ve been waiting for him for an hour but he didn't show up. “We waited for him for an hour, but he did not come.
He showed up in the middle of the night. - He showed up in the middle of the night.
Sleep
- sleep over- spend the night at someone's house
It’s too late to go back home, why don’t you sleep over? - It's too late to go home, why don't you stay overnight?
Can I sleep over at my friend's house? - May I spend the night at a friend's house?
Slow
- slow down– reduce speed
The car slowed down passing us by. - Car slowed down, passing by us.
Shut
- shut (smt/smb) up- shut up, shut up
Hey, shut up, I can't hear anything. - Hey, shut up I hear nothing.
Somebody shut this alarm up.- Anyone shut up already this alarm.
Sign
You are not supposed to write the best essay ever, but it has to stand out. – You don't have to write the best essay of all time, but it should do something differ.
The tourist guide was wearing an orange jacket so that he stood out in a crowd. – The guide was wearing an orange vest to stand out in crowd.
Stick
- stick to smt- stick to something
You can’t lose weight if you don’t stick to the diet. – You won’t be able to lose weight if you don’t stick to diets.
A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and a preposition, where the main feature is that the entire phrase is one semantic unit. English speech is rich in semantic phrases that enrich the language and make it colorful. A special role is played by phrasal verbs with up, of which there are a large number in the English language. Today we will look at striking examples of the use of semantic units and explain their meaning. Let's see where the meaning of a phrasal word differs from the original statement, and where a certain verb expresses the generally accepted understanding of the word.
The preposition up is used in different meanings, but the simplest of them => indicating the direction of movement. Up - up, down - down. First, let's look at examples with up =>
Pick up => pick up someone, eg a passenger. Picking up passengers sometimes is dangerous => Sometimes it is dangerous to pick up passengers.
Pick up this pretty girl. Probably she is in a hurry => Pick up this pretty girl. Maybe she's in a hurry.
But! The verb can have other meanings =>
- to take into custody => the police pick up the fugitive;
- to accept for the purpose of paying =>offered to pick up the tab.
Stand up => Stand up. Stand up and get out! (Get up and get out!)
Move up => Move higher/free up space. These radio rates are beginning to move up. (Those radio ratings are starting to rise)
But! Move can also be used with off =>
The girl moved off from the crowd because somebody was speaking in a rude way => The girl moved away from the crowd because someone was speaking very rudely.
Go up => To rise/rise. We decided to go ut the mountain in the evening. Are we crazy? (We decided to climb the mountain in the evening. Are we crazy?)
Put up => Build a wall, fence, house. My neighbors are in the village putting up a fence. (My neighbors in the village are building a fence)
Come up => Rise. Come up to see all the advantages of being here. (Come up (come here) to see all the benefits of being here)
Pin up => Pin up. I had a photo of my favorite band pinned up above my bed. (I had a photo of my favorite band pinned above my bed)
Jack up => Raise the car on a lift. How can I change the tire? – You have to jack your car up. (How can I change a tire? You must lift the car)
Sit up => Sit down. I can’t sleep at nights, so I sit up and read books. (I can't sleep at night, so I sit down and read books)
But! There are examples where the preposition up used indirectly:
Phrasal verbs with up can indicate an improvement or increase in a characteristic, property, state, etc. =>
Clean up => Clean up. She decided to clean up the room after the meeting => She decided to clean up the room after the meeting.
Boil up => Boil/''Boil''. I boiled up after she told me that thing =>
Bump up => Increase. I need to work harder to bump up my income => I need to work harder to increase my income.
Cheer up => Have fun. Everybody tried to cheer me up, but I felt blue => Everybody tried to cheer me up, but I felt bad.
Fold up => fold. I fold up my clothes on a sofa => I folded my things on the sofa.
Dry up => Dry/dehydrate. You have to dry up the potatoes before frying => You must dry the potatoes before frying.
Build up => Increase/develop. If you need to build up leg strength, you have to do these exercises regularly => If you want to increase the strength of your legs (leg muscles), you should do these exercises regularly.
Big up => Build muscles/exaggerate the meaning. It was announced that this speaker bigs up the articles of some new researchers => It was announced that this speaker exaggerates the importance of the work of some new researchers.
Ease up => Relax, calm down. We have to stay here and to wait for heavy rain to ease up => We must stay here and wait until the rain subsides.
Buck up => Improve, grow wiser. A week on this island will buck her up => A week on this island will do her good.
The preposition up is often used with phrasal verbs when it is necessary to say a phrase meaning “to stop, complete, end”:
End up => End with something unplanned. She ended up living in America, but now she is okey => She no longer lives in America, but now she is okay.
End up is one of the most commonly used verbs, so let's give a few examples:
We have to end up doing such bad things => We must stop doing such bad things.
You will end up badly if you continue in such a way => You will end up badly if you continue in this way.
You end up doing such awful things.. =>
Pack up => Pack things/finish work. Our phones have packed up 5 minutes after recharge => Our phones were discharged 5 minutes after charging.
Fill up => fill to the top. These days I saw a man filling up the tank with some liquid => The other day I saw a man filling the tank with some liquid substance.
Eat up => Eat everything. Be so kind to eat up everything I put you on a plate => Be so kind to eat everything that I put on your plate.
Close up => Connect/close. If the factory will close up, we will stay without any work => If the factory closes, we will be left without any work.
Burn up => ‘’Burn’’ from high temperature. The girl was burning up and no one could help her => The girl was burning up from fever and no one could help her.
Use up => Use everything. We used up everything left for us => We used everything left for us.
Sober up => Sober up. My friends had sobered up by then => By that time, my friends had already sobered up.
Split up => End the relationship. We split up 5 years ago => We separated 5 years ago.
Hang up => Hang up. Hang up the receiver and be so kind to solve this problem => Hang up the receiver and be so kind to solve this problem.
Live up => Meet expectations. Did the poem live up to your wife’s expectations? => Did the verse meet your wife's expectations?
Phrasal verbs with down
Break down => Stop working, break down. The machine has broken down when we wanted to add more aspeed => The machine broke down when we wanted to add more speed.
Calm down => Calm down. We need to calm down and to look for the main reason why it happened so => We need to calm down and look for the main reason why it all happened.
Let down => Disappoint, leave, lower. Don’t let me down in such a way. I will be missing you => Don't leave me this way. I'll miss you.
Put down => reduce, suppress (by force), lower (down). We have to put down the pressure if we want to avoid explosion => We must lower the pressure if we want to avoid explosion.
Turn down => Decrease (light, sound), reject. We have to turn down this approach if we want to reach success => We must reject this approach if we want to achieve success.
Phrasal verbs with out
Burst out => burst out (with laughter), suddenly begin, exclaim. I burst out with laugh because I couldn’t be serious any more => I burst out laughing because I couldn’t stay serious any more.
Check out => Check out, check out (from the hotel). Check out the pronunciation => Check your pronunciation.
Carry out => Complete, execute. The project has to be carried out by local investors => The project must be completed by local investors.
Come out => Appear. It comes out that everything was much better we thought => It turned out that everything was much better than we expected.
Find out => Find out, find out. We have to find out the matter of this problem => We must find out the cause of this problem.
We define set expression from a simple combination of “verb + adverb”
People who are just starting to learn English find it difficult to comprehend sentences by ear, and even more difficult to distinguish a stable phrase from an ordinary combination of a verb and a preposition. There are many phrases in English where up, out, down and other prepositions of persistent phrases resemble ordinary adverbs. You need to be well versed in grammar to understand the difference, which we will now try to explain with examples.
To begin with, we note that phrasal verbs are divided into transitive and intransitive =>
Give up => intransitive verb meaning ‘’to give up’’
But! Put off => transitive verb meaning “to put off.”
If you give up you will never reach success and fame => If you give up, you will never achieve success and fame.
They had to put off some meetings because there were no time to cope with everything in a week => They had to put off some meetings because there was no time to cope with everything in a week.
From the examples it is clear that short adverbs can hardly be distinguished from prepositions. Take at least the elementary preposition on, which can easily turn into an adverb =>
Preposition => They have to count on themselves (They must count on themselves)
Adverb => I can’t go on without him (I can’t continue without him).
On a note! An adverb does not always need an object. E.g. Go on! Can stand alone in a sentence, whereas one cannot simply say ‘’count on’’. There should be at least ‘’count on me’’, even better – ‘’you can count on me’’.
It is worth remembering that if the verb can be divided, then additions are placed:
1. after it;
2. between its parts.
Let's take a simple example with down:
You will turn my offer down => You will turn down my offer.
But! Remember that phrasal verbs can have a completely different meaning from what many people think should be logical. For example =>
Carry on => continue
Carry on! => Keep it up!
I carry on the work I had begun => I continue the work that I started.
I carry the work on which I had begun => the same meaning, just in a different arrangement of prepositions.
In this case, phrases need to be memorized and constantly kept in your head.
Help: Intransitive phrasal verbs are UNSEPARATED, they do not have an object.
Let's sum it up
There are many phrasal verbs. They are used not only with the preposition up, but also with many others. Knowing the exact translation of a specific semantic connection, you can easily communicate with foreigners, even if your vocabulary is not very rich. Important! Do not confuse one semantic connection with another! If you replace the preposition, but leave the verb the same, then the meaning will be completely different. Remember also that sometimes it is difficult to grasp the meaning of phrases if you translate the words separately. It is necessary to translate comprehensively, as a whole phrase. Learn and expand your knowledge. Remember: learning comes to those who try hard!
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In the article you will find some cool colloquial expressions with the word “up”.
Friends, hello! I continue the endless topic of the English language about phrasal verbs (Phrasal Verbs). If you don’t already know what it is, then let’s repeat it. This is a combination of a verb and a preposition. Phrasal verbs are usually characteristic of informal conversations and there are a lot of them in the English language. In this article you will become familiar with phrasal verbs with the word “up”.
Expressions with the word up.
Phrasal verbs containing the word “up” mean increase, move, or complete something.
Bring up- “to educate, to bring”
Tom was brought up by his grandmother.
(Tom was raised by his grandmother)
Bring up this screw driver!
(Get that screwdriver!)
Finish up- “to finish, to bring to an end”
We promise we’ll finish up our business.
(We promise that we will complete our work)
Fill up- “fill”, you can say this about the stomach when a person has eaten a lot.
We don't have any petrol. Make U-turn! We have to fill up the tank.
(We're out of gas. Turn around! We need to fill up the tank)
As you study this article, you can say, “I’m filling up my head with useful information.”
(I fill my head with useful information)
Catch up- “to catch up, catch, pick up”
I'm catching you up! You can't hide from me!
(I'm catching up with you! You can't hide from me!)
Sit up– “straighten up, sit up straight, rise up”
My mom always says to me to sit up when I’m working with a computer.
(My mom always tells me to sit up straight when I'm working on the computer)
Speak up- “speak loudly, speak out”
Please speak up! I can't hear you!
(Please speak up - I can't hear you?)
Speed up– “accelerate”
We can speed up a little, there are no cars here.
(We can speed up a little, there are no cars here)
Pick up- “pick up, pick up”
Wait in front of your office, I will pick you up!
(Wait in front of your office, I'll pick you up)
Turn up- “increase, turn on”
Turn up the voice of TV! My favorite program is beginning soon.
(Turn up the TV volume! My favorite program is starting)
Cheer up!- “Cheer up, don’t lose your temper!”
Cheer up! You can come next time.
(Keep your nose up! You can come next time)
Blow up– “to explode”
Let's blow up all the balloons!
(Let's pop all the balloons!)
Grow up– “raise, grow up”, we are talking about the growing up of a child.
Now Robert is living here, but he grew up in Texas.
(Robert lives here now, but he grew up in Texas)
» Phrasal verbs with the word "up"
Verbs consist of a verb and particles:
verb + adverb or verb + preposition or verb + adverb + preposition.
The meaning of phrasal verbs is usually very different from the meaning of the original verbs and prepositions/adverbs.
Phrasal verbs are used mainly in oral and informal speech. Studying phrasal verbs always causes a lot of difficulties, because there are no certain rules in the formation of phrasal verbs, and many phrasal verbs, in addition to the direct one, also have a metaphorical meaning.
Part of phrasal verbs is transitional. This means that they are only used in conjunction with the speech object, others can be used separately from the object. This intransitive phrasal verbs.
Phrasal verbs are also divided into separable, if an object can be inserted between the verb and the particle, and inseparable.
Separable verb:
Correct: Put on your coat.
Correct: Put your coat on.
Inseparable verb:
Correct: Get on a bus
Incorrect: Get a bus on
English phrasal verbs with UP, their meanings and examples
Pretext U.P. in English it is the opposite in meaning to the preposition.
The simplest way to use the preposition UP is to indicate the direction of movement (movement upward, movement from bottom to top).
Come up - Climb up. Come up and enjoy the view from the tallest rooftop in the county.
Get up - Get up. She got up from the chair and walked to the door.
Go up - To rise/rise. It is best to go up the mountain in the early morning.
Jack up - Raise the car on a lift. Now I have to jack the car up, so I can change th e tire.
Move up - Free up space/Move higher. Interest rates are beginning to move up.
Pin up - Pin up. She had his photograph pinned up above her bed.
Put up - Build a house, fence, wall. John was in the garden putting up a fence.
Sit up - Sit down. She couldn't sleep, so she sat up and read a book.
Stand up - Stand up. A man at the back stood up to ask a question.
Using a preposition UP in a figurative meaning is close in meaning to the direct one - the direction of movement is upward:
Talk up - Praise.
Stand up for - Protect. We should all stand up for our rights.
INCREASE OR IMPROVE
This meaning is also closely related to the direct meaning of the preposition Up - the direction of movement upward:
Big up - Exaggerate the meaning/pump up muscles. It was an article bigging up some new writers.
Boil up - “Boil” / Boil. Anger was boiling up inside me.
Buck up - To become wiser, to improve. A week at the beach will buck her up.
Build up - Develop/Increase.
Bump up - Increase. She’s doing some teaching in the evenings to bump up her income.
Cheer up - Have fun. I tried to cheer him up, but he just kept staring out of the window
Clean up - Clean up. I'm going to clean up in here this afternoon.
Drive up - Raise the price. The government's policies are driving up interest rates.
Dry up - Dry/dry up. The land had dried up and no crops would grow.
Ease up - Calm down/relax. They waited nearly four hours for the storm to ease up.
Dress up - N dress up/ put on a fancy dress. Let's dress up as ghosts!
Fold up - Fold. His clothes were neatly folded up on a chair.
Follow up - P next event, continuation. The doctor followed up the surgery with other treatment
Ginger up - Revive. They"ve gingered up the book cover with a new design.
Grow up - Grow up. I grew up in Scotland.
Heat up - Warm up. I was just heating up some soup.
Jazz up - Make it more attractive. He jazzed up the food with a spicy sauce.
Liven up - Revive/Make more attractive. I"m going to live myself up a little by going for a run
Loosen up - Relax. I do a few stretches to loosen up before I run
Make up - Invent, invent/Apply cosmetics. He made up some excuse about the dog eating his homework
Man up - Act boldly and convincingly. You need to man up and go get what you want.
Mount up - Grow over time. The costs are beginning to mount up.
Mop up - Solve a problem/mop up a spill. He mopped up the milk with a tissue.
Patch up - Fix. Did you manage to patch things up with Kate after your row?
Pep up - Revive. A good night's sleep will pep you up.
Pick up - Improve/collect/learn quickly. Can you pick up some friends of mine on your way to the party?
Polish up - Improve. I really must polish up my Japanese before we visit Japan next year
Price up - Calculate the price. I’ll price up the work you asked for and give you a quote.
Run up - Do something quickly/live on credit. He ran up a large credit card bill buying Christmas presents.
Rustle up - Do something hastily. Give me a minute and I"ll rustle something up for supper.
Save up - Save money for something/Keep something for future use. She"s saving up for a new bike.
Shoot up - Quickly zoom in. Petrol prices have shot up in the last six months
Speed up - Move quickly. You see drivers speeding up when they should be slowing down.
Step up - Increase. The president has stepped up the pressure on the groups to come to an agreement.
Trade up - Buy something more expensive. Saving is a strategy to trade up from a smaller home to a larger one.
Turn up - Increase volume, temperature. Don’t turn the TV up - I’m trying to read.
Wash up - Wash the dishes. I can help to cook and wash up
Warm up - Warm up the muscles. Drink this and you’ll soon warm up
Whip up - Whip up, wind up someone. Let's whip up a light lunch.
FINISH/FINISH/TERMINATE
Burn up - “Burn” due to high temperature. "You"re burning up!" she said, touching his forehead.
Buy up - Buy out. Developers bought up old theaters and converted them into cinemas.
Close up - Close/connect. The owners decided to move and to close up the factory
Drink up - Drink everything. I gave the cat some milk and she drank it all up.
Eat up - Eat everything. Be a good boy and eat up your vegetables.
End up - To end with something unplanned. He ended up living in New Zealand.
Give up - Give up a habit/give up/end a relationship. His wife finally persuaded him to give up smoking.
Fill up - Fill to the top. He filled up the tank with petrol.
Hang up - Hang up, end the call. Greg hung up and sat back in his chair.
Live up - Meet expectations. Did the trip live up to your expectations?
Pack up - Finish work/stop doing something/pack things. My camera has packed up.
Pull up - Stop the car. T heir taxi pulled up outside the church.
Split up - End a relationship. Her parents split up a few months ago.
Sell up - Sell property. They sold up and retired to Spain.
Shut up - Close/shut up. Just shut up and get on with your work!
Sober up - Sober up. I had gathered up by then.
Use up - Finish/use everything. I’ve used up all my holiday entitlement, and it’s only August.
Wind up - Oh seem, finish/wind up/inflate. I'd like to wind up the meeting soon.
Wipe up - Wipe up liquid. Do you have something I could wipe up this mess with?
Wrap up - Finish/wrap in paper/dress warmer. We ought to wrap up this meeting and get back to work.
APPEAR/CREATE/START/PRODUCE
Come up - Appear unexpectedly. She’s hoping a vacancy will come up at the local college.
Come up with - Offer a plan/idea. We need to come up with a great idea to make money.
Crop up - Appear unexpectedly. Ben had to go back to work - a problem’s cropped up.
Bring up - Mention/Raise a child. She was brought up by her grandmother.
Build up - Increase/Strengthen. These exercises are good for building up leg strength.
Dig up - Dig up the truth/dig up. T hey dug up a body in his garden.
Dream up - Invent/have an idea. This is the latest gimmick dreamed up by advertising companies to sell their new products.
Fire up - Turn on the device. Fire up the radio!
Grow up - Grow/appear. The city grew up originally as a crossing point on the river
Knock up - Do it quickly. It doesn't take long to knock up some pasta
Pop up - Appear. New weeds pop up in the garden every day
Set up - Start a business. The group plans to set up an import business.
Show up - To become visible or obvious/visit/arrive. The writing didn’t show up very well on yellow paper.
Spring up - Suddenly appear. New Internet companies were springing up every day.
Spew up - To vomit. I was spewing up all night after those mussels.
Start up - Start a business/start/start an engine. She left the company last year to start up her own business.
Strike up - Start (conversation, relationship). Anna had a conversation with a girl at the pool.
Think up - Come up with, invent, lie. She’d have to think up a good reason for being late.
Throw up - Vomit/produce problems, results, ideas. The new model is throwing up a lot of technical faults
Turn up - Appear. She failed to turn up for work on Monday.
STAY AWAKE or NOT SLEEP
Be up - Don't sleep/grow, increase. Although it was two o"clock in the morning, I was still up because I had drunk so much coffee.
Get up - Get out of bed. He never gets up before nine.
Keep up - Don't let you fall asleep. The noise kept us up until after midnight.
Stay up - Don't go to bed. I can't stay up that late.
Wait up - Don't go to bed because you're waiting. Don’t wait up for me, I’ll be very late tonight.
Wake up - Wake up. Another cup of coffee will wake me up.
BE DIVIDED or BREAKED INTO PARTS
Bash up - Break. She bashed the car up quite badly.
Break up - Break up/end a relationship. Break the chocolate up into squares.
Chew up - Chew/bite off. My new trousers got chewed up in my bike chain.
Cut up - Cut. The electrician cut up the wires that he took out.
Divide up - Divide. Divide the children up into groups of four.(same as divide +emphasis)
Grind up - Grind up. The seeds are ground up and later digested.(same as grind +emphasis)
Hack up - Chop. The killer had hacked up the body.
Mash up - Break/damage/crushing. Mash the potatoes up and put them in a bowl.
Slice up - Cut into pieces, slices. Could you slice the tomatoes up?(same as slice +emphasis)
Saw up - To saw up. They were busy sawing up the logs into two-foot lengths.
Split up - Divide/end a relationship. The children split up into three groups.
Take up - Start playing sports, hobbies. I've taken up knitting.
Tear up - Tear into pieces, destroy. He tore up her photograph.
ATTACH / ATTACH / CLOSE
Belt up - Fasten your seat belt/be silent. Just belt up. I"m trying to concentrate
Box up - Pack in boxes. I've boxed up all my stuff.
Bottle up - Do not express emotions. Don't bottle up all your feelings.
Clam up - Be silent. He just clams up if you ask him about his childhood.
Do up - Fasten clothes. You don’t need to do up the top button.
Fasten up - Close, fasten, fasten. It’s getting cold out, so fasten up your coat.
Freeze up - Freeze. All the locks had frozen up.
Lock up - Close/take cover. I locked up and went to bed.
Tie up - Fasten/tie. Tie up your shoelaces before you trip over them.
Tighten up - Tighten/tighten. My first priority is to tighten up on discipline.
Zip up - Keep quiet/zip up. Zip up your jacket, it's cold out there.
APPROACH
Come up - Come up. A young girl came up to me and asked for money.
Drive up - Drive up. A huge Land Rover drove up.
Go up - Get closer/Be built up. Office buildings went up all over town.
Run up - Run up. He ran up next to me and started shouting.
Walk up - To approach. I walked up to the manager and told him my problem.
ADD/COLLECT/CONNECT
Add up - Fold. We added up the bill to check it was correct.
Count up - Add. Please count up all these books and tell me how many there are.
Draw up - Prepare a contract. Who will draw a contract up?
Gang up - Team up against someone. All right, you guys, don't gang up on me. Play fair!
Link up - Connect. The space shuttle will link up with the space station this afternoon.
Line up - Build in a line. The books are lined up on a shelf above the desk.
- Match/Connect. We need to marry up the names on your list with those on my list and see what the over lap is.
Meet up - Meet. Let's meet up after the meeting and discuss this further.
Pile up - Accumulate. Please pile up the leaves.
Power up - Turn on an electronic device. Well, let's power up so we will be ready to leave with the others.
Scrape up - Collect/Scrape up. I finally scraped up enough money for a flight home.
Sign up - Subscribe. Has anyone signed you up for the office picnic?
Squeeze up - Make room. Let's squeeze up so Kate can sit down.
Top up - Add/top up. Can I top up your glass?
Wire up - Connect an electrical device. We wired up the antenna to the TV-set.
OTHER important phrasal verbs with “UP”
Act up - “Show off”, behave badly. My computer"s acting up; I think I might have a virus.
Back up - Maintain, make a copy of computer data. Don't worry. I will back you up when you need me.
Beat up - Beat up. The robber beat him up and took his money.
Block up - Block. The leaves blocked up the drain.
Call up - Conscription for military service/call on the phone. Please call up the supplier.
Catch up with - Start taking action. The lack of sleep caught up with her, and she began to dose off.
Chat up - Z play with someone. When I left, Sally was getting chatted up by the barman.
Head up - To be in charge. Judy was chosen to head up the department.
Light up - Light up/ light up, light up. The coal in the BBQ grill finally lit up.
Lighten up - Not to be taken seriously. Oh, light up! It’s not a matter of life or death.
Listen up - Oh pay attention, listen. Okay everyone - listen up! I have an announcement to make.
Look up - Search in a dictionary/reference book. I"ll look up this person in a reference book.
Mess up - To make something unkempt or dirty/cause physical or emotional problems/spoil or destroy. They had managed to mess up the whole house.
Mix up - Mix up/revive. Don't mix up the papers on my desk.
Mock up - Make a mockup/test. The produced a mock-up of the new houses in cardboard.
Open up - Speak openly/open a store. I"ve never opened up to anyone like I do to you.
Pair up - Form pairs. Two students from each class pair up to produce a short play.
Pick up on - React/fix the error. Only one newspaper picked up on the minister's statement.
Pick yourself up - Pull yourself together/come to your senses. It took him a long time to pick himself up after his wife left him.
Put up with - To endure/endure. We can put up with John living here until he finds a place of his own.
Ring up - Call. She rang up yesterday to make an appointment.
Saddle up - Saddle up. Let's saddle up and go for a ride.
Settle up - Pay a debt. You buy the tickets and I"ll settle up with you later.
Shake up - To shake/upset and shock. A new managing director was brought in to shake up the company.
Slow up - Slow down/slow down. Slow up a little! I can't keep up with you!
Soak up - Absorb/enjoy. Visit the market to soak up the local atmosphere.
Soften up - To weaken/suck up. You"re trying to soften me up so I"ll drive you to Kate"s house, aren"t you?
Suck up - To place oneself in favor. He offered to take all that work home because he"s just sucking up to the boss.
Take up - Shorten clothing/fill time or space. Homework took up most of the kids" afternoons.
Toss up - Toss a coin/throw furniture. Let's toss up to see who goes first.
Find out yours on our website.
All verbs in the English language are usually divided into more and less popular. And if the less popular ones can be ignored or studied superficially, reassuring oneself that they are not encountered in speech so often, then it is not recommended to do this with the more popular ones, and, one might even say, not allowed. And today we have another star on our turn, who has great popularity and honor among the general public - the phrasal verb keep.
Characteristics
The English language divides verbs into 2 groups: regular and irregular. In turn, each of the groups determines how this or that verb will be pronounced and written. Let's look at the forms of the verb keep. For us, it is an irregular verb, which means that conjugation occurs not by adding the ending –ed, but according to predetermined options. By the way, this will not cause problems in memorizing, because... his two forms are similar. Accordingly, the formation of the 1st form of the verb is never difficult, since it is analogous to the verb itself in the infinitive. And the second and third are Kept.
Translation
It often happens that people who are far from the English language wonder how this or that word or expression is translated. And this case is no exception. There are basic translation options, but also, in combination with prepositions, it can take on completely different meanings, which is why misunderstandings occur. But more on that later. In most cases, our verb means “to keep, to hold.”
Phrases and idioms
Native English speakers for a long time puzzled over how to improve it and diligently came up with different phrases and idioms. Some - on purpose, for marketing purposes, for example, and then these expressions gained popularity. And some were created spontaneously and gained popularity on their own. Let's talk about both. But do not forget that phrases and idioms are different things, the first have a direct meaning, and the second have a figurative meaning that does not correspond to the lexical content. For example, for the phrasal verb keep up, the translation into Russian will be “support” and this will be a phrase, because the translation is direct.
Keep running- keep running
Keeping fit– keep yourself in shape
Keep calm translation - keep calm
It is worth noting that this phrase is part of another, longer phrase. It's like a hat in a hat, only a phrase within a phrase. Keep calm and carry on – keep calm and carry on in the same spirit. A world-famous phrase and the progenitor of many similar variants with the replacement of the second part. Appeared at the beginning of World War II.
In the idiom Keep in touch the translation always varies and, depending on the situation, can be interpreted differently: maintain (connection, relationships, contact), but there is a beautiful meaning that suits each situation - write, call, don’t forget. In the idiom Keep it real translation can also be different: talk realistically, live in reality, be yourself, speak frankly, and so on. But, the most often used is “to be yourself.” Let's look at the rest, with more unambiguous and simple meanings:
Keep it up- keep up the good work
Keep warm– warm/keep warm
Keep things in perspective– assess the situation wisely, weighing every detail, consider the perspective 
By the way, some expressions can be both a phrase and an idiom at the same time, for example – keep away from fire. The translation of the phrase keep away is very clear - keep away. By adding “from fire” we get “keep away from fire”. This phrase is often found on clothing tags, labels of various products with gas fillers such as lighters, gas cylinders, and so on. But this phrase may also have figurative meaning, where, thanks to a play on words, fire is mentally replaced with trouble and the result is “stay away from trouble.” This idiom is often found in literary works.
Phrasal verbs
Phrasal verbs are very widespread in English.
The phrasal verb Keep is formed like any other according to a certain scheme: Phrasal verb = verb (verb) + preposition (preposition) / adverb (adverb) + preposition (preposition). Let's consider the most popular:
Keep back– hide, put off, hold/hold back (emotions)
She tried to keep away from this man because he was so handsome. “She tried to avoid that man because he was incredibly handsome.
Keep down– suppress, delay or interfere with development, refrain from vomiting, leave for 2nd year
Jack met his school love but she was already married, so he had to keep down his feelings. – Jack met his high school sweetheart, but she was already married, so he had to suppress his feelings.
Keep in- to restrain, to support
This night in the forest is gonna be too cold so somebody has to try to keep in fire and eyes open. – This night in the forest will be cold, which means someone will try to keep the fire going and keep an eye on it.
Keep off- keep at a distance, keep away, detain
Keep him off from me, he is insane! – Don’t let him near me, he’s crazy!
Keep on- continue to do something, act persistently, maintain in the original position
Mary decided to keep on doing this job because she is too lazy to look for the new one. – Marie decided to stay at her job because she is too lazy to look for a new one.
Keep out of- to stand aside, not to allow anything to be done
Keep him out of techinal room if he tries to enter. It's very dangerous! – Do not allow him to enter the technical room if he tries. It is very dangerous!
It is worth noting that phrasal verbs, idioms and expressions are an integral part of the English language and it is strictly not recommended to bypass their study. Moreover, the topic is quite simple. For a person who speaks an intermediate (B1) level, the task of translating into Russian and understanding such lexical phenomena is not difficult, and therefore simplicity is also added to the benefit, which together is an excellent motivation for studying.
