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Phrasal verbs 3: Exercises and explanation

Learn and practice common B1 phrasal verbs for everyday situations.

LEARNING GOALS
  • check_circleI can understand and use common phrasal verbs like 'bring up', 'work out', and 'run out of'.
  • check_circleI can follow conversations using B1-level phrasal verbs.
B115 min
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PART 01

Discover

Meet today's English in a real situation — no rules yet. Read it once and try to guess the pattern in the words in bold. Underlined words open a short definition.

Sarah: Hey John, did you bring up the new marketing idea at the meeting?

John: I wanted to, but we ran out of time. The boss talked for too long.

Sarah: Oh, that’s a shame. We really need to work out a new strategy for the next quarter.

John: I know. I’ll make sure to bring it up first thing tomorrow.

Sarah: Great. Please don’t put it off again!

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PART 02

Learn

Now the rules behind what you just saw — explained simply, with examples. Underlined words open a short definition — hover on desktop, tap on a phone.

Phrasal verbs are essential for sounding natural in English. In this lesson, we will focus on a few very common ones that you will hear in everyday conversation and at work.

Common B1 Phrasal Verbs

Here are some important phrasal verbs you should know:

  1. Bring up: To mention a topic or start talking about something.
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She decided to bring up the issue at the meeting.

  1. Work out: To find a solution to a problem, or to exercise.
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Don’t worry, we will work out a plan.

I try to work out at the gym three times a week.

  1. Run out of: To have no more of something.
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We have run out of milk. I need to go to the store.

  1. Put off: To delay doing something until a later time.
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They had to put off the meeting because the manager was sick.

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Remember that some phrasal verbs are separable (like bring up -> bring it up), while others are inseparable (like run out of -> run out of it).

warningWARNING

Common mistake: Don’t say “I run out milk.” You must always use the preposition “of” with this phrasal verb: “I ran out of milk.”

boltQUICK REVIEW
  • Bring up: Mention a topic
  • Work out: Find a solution or exercise
  • Run out of: Have no more of something left
  • Put off: Delay or postpone
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PART 03

Practice

Try it yourself. You'll see right away whether you got it right, plus a short explanation of why.

0 / 3 correct
1. Which phrasal verb means 'to mention a topic'?
2. Complete the sentence: We can't make pancakes because we have run ___ milk.
3. If you 'work out' a problem, what do you do?
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PART 04

Use It

Now make the language yours in a real task. Use the prompt below — the editor keeps a simple word count, and nothing is saved or graded.

PROMPT
Write a short paragraph describing a problem you had recently and how you worked it out. Use at least 3 phrasal verbs from this lesson.
0 words
checklistCHECK YOURSELF

Before you finish — be honest. Can you do these now?