Phrasal Verbs Worksheet for Adults — Free PDF (50 Common Verbs)

Phrasal Verbs Worksheet for Adults

Phrasal verbs are the difference between sounding like a textbook and sounding like a real English speaker. An adult learner who nails phrasal verbs can finally watch movies without subtitles, follow casual conversations, and stop translating word-by-word in their head.

But phrasal verbs are hard to teach because they don’t follow rules. “Look up” means search, “look after” means take care of, “look forward to” means anticipate. Students need exposure, practice, and repetition — which is exactly what this worksheet provides.

What This Worksheet Covers

50 of the most common phrasal verbs for adult learners at B1-B2 level, organized into 5 categories:

1. Movement & location (10 verbs): come back, get in, get out, go away, look around, pick up, put down, run into, sit down, stand up
2. Communication (10 verbs): ask out, call back, call off, come up with, figure out, find out, give up, hang up, point out, speak up
3. Relationships (10 verbs): break up, get along, get over, give in, grow apart, hold on, keep in touch, let down, look after, make up
4. Work & study (10 verbs): bring up, carry on, check in, come up with, fill out, get back to, hand in, keep up with, look over, take on
5. Daily life (10 verbs): do without, dress up, drop off, get away, give away, hang out, kick off, pass away, pull off, run out

Each verb comes with a definition, an example sentence, and at least one exercise.

How to Use This Worksheet

Pre-class (optional): Send the worksheet as homework the day before. Students read the definitions and try to match each phrasal verb to its meaning.

Warm-up (5 min): Quick oral drill. Say “I ___ my keys this morning” and ask which phrasal verb fits (“found” or “looked up” or “picked up”). Students respond.

Section 1-2 (15 min): Matching definitions to phrasal verbs. Students work individually, then compare in pairs.

Section 3 (10 min): Word order exercise. Students decide whether each phrasal verb is separable or inseparable, and where to place the object pronoun.

Section 4 (10 min): Gap-fill in context. Students complete sentences with the correct phrasal verb.

Production (10 min): Students write 5 original sentences using phrasal verbs from the worksheet, then share with a partner.

Why Phrasal Verbs Are Hard (and How This Worksheet Helps)

Adult learners often try to learn phrasal verbs one at a time, in alphabetical order. This doesn’t work because:

1. They’re not predictable — “look up” and “look down” don’t have opposite meanings.
2. Many are idiomatic — “put up with” doesn’t mean “place upward with.”
3. Word order varies — some can be split (“turn it on”), others cannot (“look after it”).

This worksheet groups phrasal verbs by theme (movement, communication, work) rather than alphabetically. This helps students see patterns and remember them in chunks. The exercises progress from recognition (matching) to production (writing original sentences).

Worksheet Sections (PDF Preview)

Section 1: Match the Phrasal Verb to Its Meaning (25 items)

Definitions on the left, phrasal verbs on the right. Students draw lines.

Section 2: Read and Choose (10 items)

Read the sentence, choose the correct phrasal verb.

Example: “I need to ___ my car before I can drive.” (pick up / get in / start)

Section 3: Separable or Inseparable? (15 items)

Decide if the phrasal verb can be split by an object pronoun.

Example: “I looked ___ the answer.” (up / after / around) Example: “I looked ___ my sister while she was sick.” (up / after / around)

Section 4: Gap-fill in Context (10 items)

Complete the sentences.

Example: “We had to ___ our trip because of the storm.” (call off / call back / come up with)

Section 5: Write Your Own (5 items)

Write 5 sentences using any phrasal verb from the worksheet.

FAQ

How many phrasal verbs does this worksheet cover?

50 of the most common phrasal verbs for B1-B2 adult learners, organized by category (movement, communication, relationships, work, daily life).

Are the phrasal verbs separable or inseparable?

The worksheet covers both, with separate sections for each. Section 3 focuses on word order: which verbs can be split by an object pronoun.

Can I use this worksheet for online teaching?

Yes. The PDF works for both in-person and online classes. For online sessions, share your screen and have students complete exercises in the chat or on a shared document.

What level is this worksheet for?

B1-B2. Students should know basic verb tenses. The focus is on understanding meaning and word order, not on introducing phrasal verbs from scratch.

Related Worksheets

• Present Perfect vs Past Simple Worksheet for Adults
• Conditional Sentences Worksheet for Adults
• Modal Verbs Worksheet for Adults
• Reported Speech Worksheet B1
• ESL Speaking Activities for Adults

About This Worksheet

This worksheet is part of eslmaterials.org’s library of free, printable ESL resources for adult learners. All worksheets are designed by experienced teachers and tested in real classrooms.

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